Honestly, this was ridiculous. Obviously, necessary, from the government's perspective anyway, but nonetheless, ridiculous.

As soon as Luke had raced headlong into the Haunted Mansion, she'd been grabbed by officers, frisked, and had her lightsaber confiscated, been handcuffed, told to remain silent and all that jazz. She'd been escorted by armed Swat team officers to a waiting vehicle and roughly shoved into the backseat. Fuming, she'd tried calling out through the Force to her father (nothing), Luke (nada), and finally to Hayden (who'd only cried out, What's going on, Sis?! Wait...What? Ugh, Mom's talking to me. I gotta go). Great. Just friggin great.

They were in some deep poodoo now. Her father and Obi-Wan were going to be pissed.

Shit!

"Where is my brother?!" Leia demanded furiously as she waited for the processing...process to be completed. Part of her couldn't believe she'd been arrested-she'd spent her entire life trying to be anything but a criminal...okay, well, in this world she'd tried. But after what just happened at Disneyland, there was absolutely no way in hell that she was going to be let go. And this wasn't just any run-of-the-mill police precinct, mind you. This was the damn FBI, and they had absolutely no intention of letting her and Luke go, not when they'd witnessed some completely unbelievable, unexplainable actions at the amusement park. At least, unexplainable to their mind.

She'd already read more than a few stray thoughts from agents she'd passed by comparing them to some Bionic Man and Woman TV show characters. Whatever the hell those were. Must be old timey stuff. A few wondered if they were Marvel superheroes come to life. One agent was even wondering if they were aliens that'd broken out from Area 51. Sheesh! She couldn't help rolling her eyes. People could really be idiots sometimes.

None of that really mattered, though.

And, truthfully, she couldn't care less what they were thinking. She should have, but she didn't. Why? Well first off, her father was missing. Not dead-she'd have felt his death in the Force if Sidious had snuffed him out. Granted, their bond was eerily quiet, and that definitely terrified her. Normally, the only time her Dad's Force connection was this quiet was when he and her mother were...Uh, yeah. Anyway, knowing that he'd been fighting against Sidious himself when he'd disappeared...to say her mind was going apeshit with worry about what could be happening to him was a damn understatement!

Sidious didn't mess around. Especially not with Skywalkers. His vendetta against their family ran bone deep, to put it mildly.

But she couldn't control any of that. She didn't like it, of course, but her father wasn't the immediate concern. What she could control terrified her even more. Her twin brother was her top priority right now. Since Luke had been multi-tasered in the Haunted Mansion, he hadn't woken up. That was hours ago. The Swat team had carried his limp, unconscious body out of the Mansion and dropped him unceremoniously on a gurney before medics had swiftly shoved him into the back of a waiting ambulance and away they went, lights flashing, sirens blaring, with a full police escort no less. The last glimpse she'd had of him, strapped to the same damn gurney (from the looks of it) in some desolate interrogation room, still unconscious, he was completely out of it, and he looked to be in pain. Severe pain. Not good.

If he was having nightmares...specifically, if he was having a return of his memories… then she needed to be with him. In theory, her father had explained how best to help Luke if he ever experienced another one of his 'memory spells' and passed out from the pain...but she'd never actually had to help him out of it. Their dad had always done it. She was...well, it was just that their twin bond hadn't been fully re-established like it'd once been when they were little. They had a bond, yes. But she wasn't sure it would be deep enough to help her brother like he needed.

But she had to try. If she didn't do it, nobody else would, or could, in this damn place. And she was worried if she didn't that Luke wouldn't wake up. At all. And if he did happen to wake up on his own, she didn't think he would be the same.

At least not the same as the Luke he'd been of late, and highly unlikely he'd be anywhere near like the brother he would've originally been had Ventress not kidnapped him as a kid.

So, Leia focused her attention on the here and now.

"He's in a holding cell." The female FBI agent was saying almost nonchalantly, not even looking up at her as she spoke. Leia was sitting right in front of her desk as the woman was pulling up her file on her computer. "You have bigger things to worry about than your sibling, Honey. Like explaining just what the hell happened back there in the park."

"No, you don't understand." Leia insisted firmly. Even if she explained what she could do, what she needed to do, to save her brother, Leia doubted the woman would believe her. And even if she did, Leia's mother had drilled it into her head growing up that she should never, never, ever tell any law officer any potentially incriminating information about the Jedi without her lawyer present, i.e., either her mother or her Aunt Satine. Leia had no doubt whatsoever that at that very moment her mother, and possibly her Aunt Satine, were doing everything in their power to get them out, but until then, Leia needed to convince this agent to let her see her brother. "My brother needs me, Lady. He...has a...neurological condition, and I need to be sure he's okay…"

"We'll send a doctor in then." The agent brushed her off brusquely with a wave of her hand before turning her hawkeyed gaze on her. "Don't worry about him. He'll be taken care of. Right now, I have questions, and you're going to answer them."

"No, you don't get it, Ma'am. He. Needs. Me." Now, her voice was going into no-nonsense, full-blown senator mode. Force, they were in so much trouble. Like really screwed kinda trouble. She didn't even know if her mother would be able to get them out on bail! Perhaps they'd need to call in a favor from their grandfather and his extensive political connections...and he'd probably say 'I told you so' while he was at it. Oh joy.

This just kept getting better and better. Not.

The agent paused, looking over at Leia again, clearly exasperated with her. "I don't think you've grasped the gravity of the situation here, young lady! You and your brother were captured on hidden surveillance cameras fighting some weird looking chick with glowing laser things in the Small World ride. You totally destroyed the Polynesian room! Meanwhile, your father fought a known, internationally wanted terrorist in the Haunted Mansion with those same damn laser objects, completely destroying quite a bit of that ride and…"

"Do you have video footage of that?! My dad's fight?! I'd really like to see that, especially with him missing!" Leia gasped, leaning over to look at the woman's computer screen. The woman scowled and turned her screen away.

"No can do, missy. Uh-uh. That's confidential evidence." The woman warned, her look stern. Leia must have had a worried look on her face, because the woman's expression softened, just barely. "Look, I understand you're worried about your father. I get it. I do. It's just...this is serious business here. What you and your family were doing...the weapons you were wielding...that alone is cause for a lot of questions. Not to mention endangering thousands of innocent people at one of the world's most beloved theme parks just makes it ten times worse! We don't even allow planes to fly over that park, so this...this has already hit international news, missy. It's the #1 trender on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, CNN, MSNBC, Fox, BBC, Google...You name it, it's out there! This isn't just the United States government wanting answers. Oh no. It's the entire fucking world."

Leia knew that. She figured that out once she'd been cuffed and shoved into a patrol car earlier. But… "I need to see my brother." She insisted firmly. "I know you're just trying to do your job, but I really need to make sure my brother is okay."

The agent was already shaking her head. Leia took a deep breath. The woman didn't know all the powers of a Jedi yet. Hopefully, if they played their cards right, there was a lot about the Order that wouldn't ever become public knowledge. Still, this lady had no idea how to shield herself from a mind trick. Steeling herself, forcing herself to become calm and centered in the Force, Leia imperceptibly waved her fingers at the woman and said, "You will allow me to see my brother now."

The woman blinked, her eyes taking on a blank, glazed over look, her mouth snapping shut, and Leia watched the Force do its thing, pleased and relieved it'd actually worked on this woman. "I will allow you to see your brother now."

Leia breathed a sigh of relief as the woman stood and grabbed her by the arm, pulling her out of her chair after her and into the hallway. Leia didn't fight it and followed as quickly as she could down multiple hallways. As they walked, she noticed all of the agents they passed staring at her with open fascination. Apparently, word traveled fast about what had happened.

Guess the FBI office grapevine was just as fast as Twitter.

Nope. She really didn't think they were getting out of this one.

Finally, the woman stopped before a holding room and keyed a code into the pad. The metal door beeped open, and the woman opened it, moving aside to let Leia through. "Thank you." Leia said graciously as she entered the room...to find Luke still unconscious and cuffed to the gurney. Leia cautiously approached him as the woman shut the door behind them, leaving her alone in the room with Luke.

Except Leia was very well aware that they were being watched. She was sure the room was both videotaped and bugged. She'd need to be extra careful, just as her mother always said.

Luke was covered in sweat, shivering slightly underneath the sheet draped over him, a pained expression on his face. He kept mumbling something, something incoherent that Leia didn't understand until she got close enough and leaned down to realize he was calling out for their father. Leia's heart twisted painfully as she tried not to think about what their father was potentially going through at that very moment. Wherever he was, knowing what kind of heartless bastard Sidious was, it didn't take a genius to figure out it wasn't pretty.

But she couldn't think about her dad right now.

She couldn't help him from this cell. If she got distracted and Luke was...injured beyond repair and they got her father back...she couldn't imagine it. Though she had a really strong bond with her father in this world, Luke's bond with him spanned two lifetimes. Vader himself had almost torn apart their old galaxy just to get Luke by his side. Anakin Skywalker was not Vader, true, but she was certain the sentiment still applied.

And she was the only person who could prevent that catastrophe from happening. Again.

Ok. I need to focus here. I can't screw this up.

"Okay, Luke," She whispered, reaching up to place her hand on his sweaty forehead. He flinched under her touch. She tried not to think of how hot his skin felt under her hand. "I...I know I'm not Dad, but...I'm all you've got, Brother. And, I'm going to help."

Of course, Luke didn't respond.

Not that she'd expected it to be that simple. Or easy.

So, taking a deep breath, keeping her hand on her twin's forehead, she closed her eyes and reached out through the Force, digging deep into what bond she had left with her brother, and then diving in.

Images immediately slammed into her with all the, well, force, of a charging rancor. A plethora of them, in no specific order. X-wings flying. Snippets of conversations, some voices she recognized, others she didn't. Alien terrain. Death. Life. Dark. Light. All converging, as if all of Luke's past memories were trying to shove into him all at once as if they'd been dumped in a funnel and were all jumbled up. She could feel the crippling amount of pain it was causing her brother, and if she didn't act now….

I'm here, Luke. She sent comfort into her brother's mind in soothing waves, Focus on me.

There was a moment where nothing happened, and the images continued to push into him. Then, some recognition, and she could feel her brother searching, reaching out trying to find that bond with her. She pushed deeper, pushing towards his fumbling grasp. Then...there!

Leia.

She'd found him! What a relief!

Her brother's voice within the Force was strained. She sent what comfort and calmness she could.

I'm here.

She sensed some sort of relief from him, though she could still feel his fear at what was happening. I can't get out, Leia.

For a moment, she almost panicked. Now that she was with him, what the hell was she supposed to actually do? But then she took a deep breath, remembering what her father had described. You need to face the memories, Luke. Accept them. Don't fight them.

I can't on my own. Father…

...Isn't here right now. So, we'll do it together. Something warm bloomed in her chest, in that bond they shared, strengthening exponentially at those words. She didn't think about it. She focused on her brother. So. Together. Let's do this.

That word echoed down the bond, and the images slowed, became clearer, more focused.

"Aren't you a little short for a stormtrooper?" vision Leia asked sarcastically. Seeing her old self through Luke's eyes was...strange. Especially through a stormtrooper helmet. She grimaced, as she really looked at herself. What the hell was she thinking with that hair, though? She looked like she had two giant chocolate donuts stuck to either side of her head! Fashion fail! Like major! She shuddered. Other than the funky hair, she looked the same as she always did, she figured, and yet there was a sort of...reverence about her from his point of view. And even then, he stared at her as if he was wondering why he felt such a connection to her. A creepy feeling suddenly filled her gut, and she scrunched her face up in disgust. Hold on! Wait a sec...Was her brother actually...checking her out?! EEK! GROSS!

Leia felt her brother squirm uncomfortably through the Force. Please tell me you weren't crushing on me, Bro.

Shut up, Leia. Just...focus on what we need to do here, alright?

Uh-huh. Sure, Bro ...But, that's just sick. You know that, right?

Will you be quiet?! This must be important. Focus.

"Huh? Oh, the uniform." Leia smiled softly. She missed this Luke, this bumbling farm boy from Tatooine. Luke took off his helmet, flipped his sweaty hair out of his eyes, and said, "I'm Luke Skywalker. I'm here to rescue you."

It was so...boyish, the way he said it. Charming even. A boy playing hero, rescuing a princess, just like in the fairytales. But as her former self frowned and sat up, the scene changed.

They were in the hangar of the Death Star. Luke was staring at the other end, watching in horror as Obi-Wan faced off against Darth Vader. Watched as Vader's red blade sliced through Obi-Wan, the old man's body disappearing instantly as it happened. "NO!" Luke screamed. Immediately, stormtroopers turned around and began firing. Vader was still checking Obi-Wan's empty robes in confusion as Luke and Han returned fire.

You know, her Luke commented sadly, Daddy Darth was kind of a dick sometimes. A real asshole.

Leia snorted. Sometimes? Try all the time. That'd be closer to the truth. And, yeah, he was.

What happened next?

If you want to know, you need to shut up and watch. Quit asking questions. Shit!

'Scuse me for wanting to understand what the hell happened to me.

Luke, by the Force, if you don't…

All right, all right already. Chill.

Run, Luke, run! Obi-Wan's voice called to Luke through the Force, and reluctantly Luke made it back onto the Falcon as the blast doors closed on the approaching Darth Vader.

The scene changed again.

"Master Luke, Sir, it's so good to see you fully functional again!" Threepio cried as he and Artoo entered what looked to be a Medical Ward.

"Thanks, Threepio." Luke muttered as Artoo bleeped something at him.

"Artoo expresses his relief also." Threepio added in his ever chipper tone.

I guess Threepio's always sounded like a snooty British butler, huh? Her Luke laughed.

Guess so, Leia agreed with a smile.

"How ya feeling, Kid!" Han's voice reached Luke, and Luke turned around to find Han and Chewie entering the room. "You don't look so bad to me." Chewie muttered something in wookie, and Han added, "Why, you look strong enough to pull the ears off a gundark."

Vision Luke smiled. "Thanks to you."

Han held up two fingers. "That's two you owe me, Junior."

Never mind that you saved his ass all the time, Leia added dryly, watching the scene fondly.

Some things never change. Luke replied in amusement. I assume this was after I got bitch slapped by a wampa?

You guessed it.

Great.

In the vision, Luke watched Han turn to Leia with a cocky look. "Well, your worshipfulness, looks like you kept me around a while longer."

Wow. He looks rather pleased with himself, doesn't he? Luke snorted on a laugh.

Just wait. It gets better, Leia smirked. At least this updo was an improvement over the donuts, she thought as she critiqued her appearance.

Her Luke huffed in exasperation. Will you drop it about the donuts already? Your hair looked fine!

Well, with this hairstyle, I probably should've been wearing lederhosen. Leia muttered, pursing her lips, as she took note of her Hoth attire.

Oh, come on! ...Enough already with the hair and the clothes! It's not like there's an intergalactic program of 'What Not to Wear'! I don't think your hair's any big deal. A pause. Then, Women...

I heard that. Leia rolled her eyes but dropped the subject. Ok. Fine.

Thank you!

Men.

I heard that.

"I had nothing to do with it. General Reikan thinks it's too dangerous for any ships to leave the system until we've activated the energy field."

"That's a good story. I think you just can't let a gorgeous guy like me out of your sight." In the vision, Luke rolled his eyes behind Han's back.

Earth Luke rolled his eyes in the Force as well. Leia just kept smirking, remembering what came next.

Vision Leia shook her head. "I don't know where you get your delusions, laser brain."

Chewie woofed out a snicker, and Han turned, offended, looking up at his copilot in outrage. "Laugh it up, fuzz ball." Han got up and went to stand by Leia's side, putting an arm around her shoulders, looking rather pleased with himself. "But you didn't see us in the south passage. She expressed her true feelings for me."

That smug smile on his face...oh, she could feel vision Luke bracing himself for her fury even as her Luke looked on in familiar amusement, shaking his head. "My…" Vision Leia pushed away, looking momentarily speechless, and the look on Han's face told everyone in that room that he knew he'd pushed it, his lips twisting and an Uh-oh look on his face. As if scripted, Leia exploded. "Why you stuck up, half witted, scruffy looking NERF HERDER!" With each insult hurled, Leia's voice grew louder and louder and Luke winced. Then and now.

I literally have no idea how in the hell you two got married. Her Luke commented dryly.

I don't either...sometimes. Leia agreed with a sigh.

Great sex, huh?

It was a joke, but… Definitely. She grinned.

Her Luke made a face. Gross, TMI! You didn't need to confirm...

Be quiet.

"Who's scruffy looking?" Han demanded with a wounded look, whirling at that. Force have mercy. The things he got upset by… But Han decided to get Luke involved again, even though it was obvious visibly uncomfortable Vision Luke was trying to stay out of it. "Must have hit pretty close to the mark to get her all riled up like that, huh, Kid?"

Was I just constantly the awkward third wheel in that dynamic? Like the entire time? Her Luke asked in horror.

Yeah. Sorry. At least this time you have Mara to suffer through it with you.

Perfect. Not.

Yeah, well...She braced herself for what he was going to see next, and if this Luke acted like he usually did...This would be fun.

In typical fashion, vision Leia nodded her head, a look of utter determination on her face, calculation behind her dark eyes as she approached the boys. "Well I guess you don't know everything about women yet."

Then she grasped vision Luke's face with both hands, leaned down…and planted a firm kiss right onto Luke's mouth.

WHAT. THE. HELL?! LEIA?! Her Luke shouted in horror, just as the scene changed again.

Amused beyond belief, Leia struggled to hold in her laughter. I didn't know you were my brother, ok? Relax! Besides, I was just trying to make Han jealous. Leia replied, but she could feel herself flushing in embarrassment.

I...please tell me that wasn't my first kiss….

I dunno. She shrugged. You never actually told me if it was or not.

...Oh Force, I think it was. My first kiss...was my...oh fuck!…

Oh, come on, Brother, lighten up, would ya? At least we're not the Lanisters. Chill.

That is NOT a comforting comparison. Luke sounded mortified, like he wanted to puke, even as scenes began changing. Small scenes. Scenes of him training in a swamp with Yoda. "Do or do not. There is no try." Yoda was saying. Interesting. She'd never actually seen Yoda before, so to see him as a tiny green...troll? Weird humpbacked frog with bat ears, maybe? It was a new experience, to put it lightly.

What species was Yoda anyway?

Her Luke considered. Y'know, I don't have any idea. He never said, and I never asked.

He talks weird...like backwards or something.

Yeah. He did. But you got used to it. Dad does a great imitation of him, by the way. Obi-Wan does, too.

Where were you anyway?

Dagobah.

Ahhh. Fun place, huh?

You have no idea.

Yeah, well...Back to it?

Right.

Bespin. Leia screaming at Luke that he was walking into a trap. Rescuing him after that horrible encounter on Bespin… then… They were in that swamp again. Luke was sitting on a log, talking to Obi-Wan's Force ghost.

So. Force Ghosts really existed. Luke stated, intrigued. It wasn't a question.

Apparently.

Wonderful. But that just makes Haunted Mansion all the more creepy, if you ask me.

Will you just watch? I've not seen this before.

Well, you weren't there.

Shhh!

Fine.

"Yoda spoke of another." Vision Luke was saying, his look earnest.

Obi-Wan looked at him in resignation, considering. "The other Yoda spoke of is your twin sister."

Vision Luke frowned. "But I have no sister."

Obi-Wan elaborated. "To protect you both from the Emperor, you were hidden from your father when you were born. The Emperor knew, as I did, that if Anakin were to have any offspring, they would be a threat to him." As he spoke, vision Luke was frantically searching the Force, trying to figure it out. "That is why your sister remains safely anonymous."

But vision Luke found the answer. "Leia." He breathed in realization. It was spoken in reverence and amazement. "Leia's my sister."

Obi-Wan nodded. "Your insight serves you well." Then, as joy flickered across her brother's face, Obi-Wan quickly added, "Bury your feelings deep down, Luke. They do you credit, but they could be made to serve the Emperor."

You know, Her Luke said as the scenes changed again. By this point, Leia realized Luke wasn't just remembering her. He was remembering everything from his former life. Uncle Ben was kind of a killjoy back then.

So I see. Leftovers from that 'No attachments' bullshit, maybe?

Probably.

The scenes slowed again. They were on the Forest Moon of Endor, standing on the bridge. Vision Luke leaned in close, his look haunted, almost faraway. "The Force is strong in my family. My father has it...I have it...and…" He paused, looking into Leia's horrified eyes. "My sister has it."

Vision Leia just stared, taking the information in, even as understanding dawned on her. "Yes. It's you, Leia."

Leia slowly nodded. "I know. Somehow...I've always known."

THEN WHY THE HELL DID YOU KISS ME?! Her Luke demanded.

Seriously?! Why do you always have to ruin the moment?! Leia shot back, exasperated.

"Then you know why I have to face him." Vision Luke told Leia.

Leia pushed away, even more upset than before. "No! Luke, run away, far away. If he can feel your presence, then leave this place." A pause as Leia saw the intent in Luke's eyes. "I wish I could go with you."

"No, you don't. You've always been strong." Luke assured her.

"But, why must you confront him?" Leia demanded.

"Because...there is good in him. I've felt it. He won't turn me over to the Emperor. I can save him. I can turn him back to the good side. I have to try." Luke replied solemnly.

Spoiler alert. Dad still turned you over to the Emperor. Leia told her Luke with an arch of her eyebrows.

I remember that part, thanks. Luke replied dryly. I think I've gotten smarter in this world.

Slow learner, eh? It only took you an entire lifetime to get it. But, I don't think this had anything to do with intelligence. I think you just...knew. You loved our father even when he didn't deserve it. I never...I never did in that life.

Another deluge of memories hit, and Leia held Luke as he they watched them unfold together. The Death Star. The duel. Their father's sacrifice...and his death. Then...events after. Some she remembered from him telling her, others she didn't. Years worth of memories. Some good. A lot bad. Including...including what happened between him and her son.

How did I get that so wrong? Luke breathed in her mind in horror.

You can't always expect yourself to bring everyone back to the Light. Leia said softly. The pain in her mental voice was enough that Luke didn't press, though she sensed his guilt. It's not...it's not your fault. Ben made his choice.

Then, finally...they stopped again. One last thing the Force wanted Luke to focus on.

A much older Luke approached before a much older Leia. This...this was a memory Leia didn't remember. Past when her son had murdered her husband. Luke removed his hood, and the older Leia breathed, "Luke."

Wow. I look like some kinda backwoods hermit. Check out the gray hair and the beard! Damn!

Duh. You were a backwoods hermit. What did you expect? To look all GQ after 30 years holed up by yourself?

Luke sat across from her, opened his mouth, but Leia stopped him. "I know what you're going to say. I changed my hair."

Again with the hair? Seriously?

It's a girl thing.

Obviously.

Oh, hush! Watch, will ya? I don't remember this far back.

Vision Luke breathed out a sigh. "It's nice that way." he assured her. "Leia. I'm sorry."

"I know." Leia looked down. "I know you are. I'm just glad you're here. At the end."

Their eyes met. The same eyes...and yet they were both so different from how they used to be. "I came to face him, Leia. And I can't save him."

Leia looked away again. "I held out hope for so long, but...I know my son is gone."

"No one is ever really gone." Luke promised. Leia smiled sadly, and reached her hand out. Vision Luke took it, and they held it there for a moment, until finally Luke pulled away, leaving a pair of gold dice on a chain in Leia's hands.

Uh, what's that supposed to be? Her Luke asked, totally confused.

Han kept that on the Falcon. It was a good luck charm. Leia's voice was tight, and she could feel tears springing to her eyes.

Then, vision Luke stood up, placed his hands on either side of Leia's face, leaned down and tenderly kissed her forehead.

And then...the visions stopped. They were left alone in the darkness of Luke's mind. It wasn't the darkness of the Dark Side of the Force, but rather...peaceful darkness. Calm. Uninterrupted by pain. That was our life. Luke finally said in awe.

Yes. Leia felt more tears slide down her cheeks.

Was that...the end?

I don't know. You remember more than I do. But not by much longer, it seems.

I can't believe I became a hermit.

I don't know. I think it sort of suits you. Leia teased, then she sobered. After what happened with Ben...after he killed Mara that same night...I think you took it too hard on yourself. You saved our father from the Dark Side, so losing Ben...you took it hard. You felt…

Like I let you down. Luke finished, knowingly. Leia…

She felt him reaching through their bond...a bond that, to her surprise, had tripled in strength on this short jaunt down Memory Lane. She gasped, her grip on her brother tightening. She hadn't felt this way since…

Since the night I was taken. I know. Me, too. Luke had read her thoughts, her emotions. She could freely read his as well, feel it as if it were her own. You have always been my strength, Sis, when I had none left.

That's my line, dummy. Yet Leia smiled, holding her brother closer. You need to wake up now.

A pause. I know. I...can't sense our father.

Me either. And we're still stuck with the FBI, by the way.

How did you…?

They don't know about Force mind tricks yet, and let's hope it stays that way. I needed to save you first, and the agent just needed a little...nudge, shall we say.

Nice.

I thought so.

Luke was silent for a moment. There's so much to process...perhaps it was the taser that finally opened all those memories?

Perhaps. Leia agreed, Or maybe it was our bond reconnecting. I wonder if you would have remembered all of that with Father here?

Maybe. Luke was silent again. Leia?

Yeah?

I love you. And...thank you.

I love you too, Brother. Leia stroked his hair. His skin was cooler to the touch now. Now. I think it's about time you woke up and helped me deal with these feds.

I would ask if you wanted me to kill them but considering just how very Jedi I was in that past life, it feels a little weird to even joke about that now.

Leia snickered. No. But we can't say anything until Mom and Aunt Satine get here.

Good plan.

Are you ready? Leia braced herself to pull her brother out.

Just...wait. One more thing.

What?

Again, Luke pushed against their bond, communicating just how very serious he was about this. We must never, ever, EVER tell Mom and Dad that we kissed in our previous life. Deal?

She laughed. Deal!

Damn! She couldn't believe this was happening!

Talk about the worst case scenario...of near apocalyptic proportions, no less!

How in the hell they were going to get outta this one, she had no clue.

Padme was a storm of emotions. So much so, she felt almost disembodied as she operated on autopilot. Maybe she was in shock. Or maybe she was so dedicated to doing what needed to be done that her body instinctively acted on it. Didn't matter. She didn't know. She didn't care. She just knew three vitally important things:

One, her beloved husband of nearly twenty years (in this life, longer counting their previous life) was forcibly taken prisoner. And, not just taken by any average, middle-of-the road, mediocre enemy that she had confidence he'd handle on his own. Oh no, no, nooo. Anakin had been taken by none other than Palpatine himself. Darth Sidious. The most evil bastard to have ever stalked their two galaxies. And just like before with her son, the man had disappeared into thin air: This time taking her husband along for the ride. And she was powerless to stop it. Or fix it.

Here we go again, dammit!

"Kriffing hells!" Her muttered curse blistered the air as she flew the speeder as fast as she dared, and she didn't even wince as her youngest son gasped and gulped as he whipped his head around to look at her in wide-eyed shock. At her flying or her cursing, she wasn't sure. Maybe both. Didn't matter. She was too focused on preliminarily sorting this all out in her head. Besides, she felt she could be forgiven just this once, considering the grave circumstances they now found themselves in.

Problem Two on the list, the entire world now knew something not quite right - and certainly not 'normal' - dwelt among them, and they weren't sure how in the hell to handle it. So, in typical knee-jerk reaction out of fear of the unknown, they went way overboard, flipping out, acting berzerk, waving guns galore and shouting 'Top Secret clearances' nonsense to the masses, going all hard core militaristic on them. One thing they did know, which shocked them all nearly speechless, was that Anakin Skywalker, the well-respected, much lauded, hero-worshipped poster boy Director of NASA was involved, as were his twin children, one of which had been kidnapped by that same exact terrorist previously and held for nine years...well technically eight, since Luke had spent the last year hunting Palpatine on his own, but the rest of the world didn't know that. At least not yet.

And now, the questions and suspicions were turning to the mysterious 'private school' on their gigantic private Texas property, their private droid manufacturing business...as well as her husband's right hand man and best friend, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Not to mention her and the rest of their family. This too, was not entirely in her power to fix, and she wasn't sure yet how she was going to swing popular opinion to their side.

Or if it was even possible to do so. Damn the Internet and social media sometimes.

Finally, Problem Three: Her twins had been arrested and were being held, so far uncharged and without bail, not by the police, which she could easily deal with, but by the Feds...which she could still deal with, but not at this level. The Feds, unlike the general population, actually had some power to do something about what happened at Disneyland, and when she had reached out to demand the release of her children, they outright refused...and turned some of their attention on her, as not only being the wife and mother of the people involved, but as someone who had indirectly been mixed up in the actual incident herself.

Great. Just great.

So. Out of the three things she knew, it was the third thing that she had the most power to sway and control...and it still wasn't as much as she wanted or needed. But that's what she chose to act on first.

Even if it tore her heart to shreds to make that decision.

But she acted nonetheless. Even if she felt like she was doing so underwater, barely even registering it as she did it. She's gotten into their speeder and headed with Hayden back to her parents' house. As she did so, she sent a high priority comm to Obi-Wan and Satine, Ahsoka, Galen, and Vokara informing them all in an eerily calm, detached voice what happened, that they needed to get the Jedi everywhere across the globe on a high priority manhunt immediately, and that Obi-Wan and Satine themselves needed to get their asses to California pronto. She barely registered their rushed responses beyond the fact that they were on it. She barely thought about what weekend plans she was ruining. She didn't give a damn. She doubted they did either. Thanksgiving was completely inconsequential to what was happening for their families and their Order in that very moment.

Not to mention life on Earth as they all knew it.

Thanks to that asshole, Sidious.

Next, she'd commed Shmi, telling her very worried mother-in-law what had happened, and telling her exactly what she and the Lars family should do and what not to say to the Feds when they came calling, to let her and her father and Obi-Wan handle it. And they would pay Anakin's family a visit. No question about it. After assuring Shmi she'd keep in touch with any updates, she tackled the next item on her newest 'To Do' list.

She made the pointless call to law enforcement agencies, trying to pull her rank as not only a lawyer, a district attorney, but as co-owner of one of the best and biggest law firms in the country, but the moment her call got transferred to the Feds, it became obvious that rank only would get her so far. So, as they began to request that she come in for questioning, she hung up. At this point, she knew she'd need additional help.

And, she knew precisely who to ask for that help.

She landed back at her parents' place, quickly ushering a wide-eyed, clearly frightened Hayden into the house, where her parents grimly waited for her return. The TV was on in every room downstairs, the news blaring non-stop what had happened. The status of her missing husband. Her children in custody. The fact that Palpatine and the other unknown attacker were considered armed and dangerous and on the loose. From the looks on her parents' faces, they knew the important facts already. Good. She wouldn't have to repeat them. She just thanked the Force her sister was away in Toronto shooting a new movie and wasn't underfoot, going hysterical on them, and that Darred and the girls had gone to be with her for Thanksgiving. One less headache to deal with, she thought wryly.

So, bracing herself for her father's anticipated condemnation, she got right down to business the moment she stepped into the kitchen, her son lagging behind her. "Mom." Force, her voice didn't even sound like hers. "I need you to keep an eye on Hayden for me, please."

There was crumpled relief in her mother's expression. It briefly occurred to her that her parents probably had been worried sick about her own well being and safety. She probably had missed calls and frantic messages from her parents on her voicemail. She hadn't checked, and she couldn't find it in herself to spare a moment to care. "O-of course, Padme...are you alright…?"

"There are things I need to do to save my family, Mom. I'm sorry, but I don't have time to chat. I'm unharmed. Let's leave it at that." Her mother winced...but naturally she didn't object. The crisis was clear and obvious, and debating over niceties and what was proper respect for her parents was not high on the list of things to worry about. She turned to her youngest, wanting to reassure him, but knowing the situation was rather grim. "Hayden, I need you to go to the game room with your grandmother. Ok? I've got to help Dad and Luke and Leia. Go watch a movie or play on the Playstation. Just don't watch the news, whatever you do. Alright? I love you, Sweetie." He silently nodded, and he hugged her fiercely for a long moment, which she returned before pulling back and dropping a kiss on his forehead. Jobal silently motioned for her grandson to follow her, but Padme was already turning to her father, her district attorney persona fully in charge at this point. "I need to know who has reached out to you and what is being requested."

She actually expected her father to say I told you so. This whole situation was something he'd warned her about from the moment he found out who Anakin really was all those years ago the night of the ballet...and Grievous. This is what he'd feared, what he'd worked so hard to hide from his own colleagues and the people of the world. What he'd argued with his son-in-law so intensely over for most of the last two decades. Now, his own worst fears had come to light...or at least some of them had. She was still alive. Her children were alive. Her husband...was hopefully still alive (she tried not to dwell on that). So, there were technically worse things that could still happen. Force forbid.

"Who hasn't contacted me?" Her father said, but it was said gently. Calmly. "I've even had the President, as well as the British and Canadian and Australian Prime Ministers all contact my office via the White House. My secretaries are barely fielding the media storm now raging and the barrage from Congress, plus the Senate."

That was no less than she expected.

"Have you answered them? What exactly is being said?" She needed to know. Anything could be used against them at this point.

"I've spoken to no one yet. I...needed to be sure you were okay first, that I understood the full situation before I said anything. My people are saying I'm unavailable, but it won't hold them off for long." There was a hint of stress there...but she only knew that because she knew her father. Even in his own senator mode as he was, she knew his stress when she saw it.

And she didn't address it. There was no time.

"The Feds have Luke and Leia." She said bluntly.

"I figured."

"Satine and Obi-Wan are on their way here. The Jedi are launching a worldwide manhunt."

"Which has worked out so well before."

She ignored the jab, even if she herself thought that even as she told Obi-Wan to get the hunt going.

"It's better than nothing, Dad." She replied automatically. "Look, I know how you feel about the Jedi, but I need your help. I don't think even with Satine and myself using all of our combined favors and resources we've built up over the years...I don't think that will be enough to get Luke and Leia out."

"Have you considered that perhaps being in custody is the safest ...?"

She held up a hand, glaring, her tone frosty. "Let me be crystal clear. If we are to be successful in getting my husband back safely, saving the Order from being overrun by the government, not to mention destroying Palpatine and ending his dire threat to the entire planet, then, yes, we need Luke and Leia with us."

"But they're children, Padme." Her father tried again, his look one of concerned exasperation. In any other situation, she'd agree. Force, she didn't even want to put her children in danger, but…

She took a deep breath, exhaled, and tried yet again to get her father to grasp the concept he'd been fighting against since Luke and Leia were born.

This time lives literally depended on him coming to his senses, and she hoped the grim look she sent him conveyed that fact.

"Dad, I need you to set aside your own personal feelings for a moment and try to understand, to grasp exactly what I'm about to say. Luke and Leia are the children of the most powerful Force user to ever exist. And, I do mean EVER. They may not exactly match their father in power individually, but together?" She shook her head. She didn't want to think about it, as a mother, but as a politician and lawyer...it was an undeniable advantage.

"They've trained for years for this fight. They're trained in how to handle this power, how to use it, how to wield those lightsabers safely. Luke also has the benefit of knowing the enemy as intimately as he does. You need to get this...Palpatine is also an extremely powerful Force user, Dad. But unlike the Jedi, who are peacekeepers and seek to protect the people of Earth, Palpatine is a Sith Lord. His only desire is world domination with himself as unchecked, unchallenged world ruler, as he literally enslaves the entire fucking planet to do his will, his bidding. He is a self-serving despotic megalomaniac who doesn't give a shit about people's rights or freedoms or any kind of benevolence for the nations. None! And, there isn't a nation, an army, or a single conventional made weapon on this planet that can stop him! The only people who can stop him are THE JEDI. That's it. There isn't anyone else. Because only they are trained Force sensitives striving to defeat people like Palpatine. I'm deadly serious here, Dad. You need to get this! Normal people, even the highest trained elite military soldiers, can't stop him because they don't have access to the Force! You're either born Force sensitive or you're not, Dad, and no, before you even ask, you can't just become Force sensitive by either popping a pill or getting some kind of infusion! And, no, training a non-Force sensitive in how to use a lightsaber is not a good idea, because those sabers can only be constructed by Force sensitives. So, don't even try and go there." She paused and walked over to the fridge, opened it and reached in to grab a bottle of ice cold water, opening it and taking a long drink, more to collect her thoughts and give her father a time to process what she'd said to this point, than any real thirst.

Her father was silent, watching her, his expression equally grim, before she continued.

"But what's worse, I can't guarantee there won't be spies for rogue nations currently supporting Palpatine within our own government just waiting to scoop up Luke and Leia, too. If that is the case and Palpatine gets to them first, then we are missing our three best shots at taking Palpatine and his entire organization down for good." She paused again, watching her father process all this. "I'm serious, Dad. This isn't about the might of armies and nations finding and eliminating a crazed but normal human dictator. This is about the world going up against the most powerful, the most evil, the most power hungry madman this planet has ever seen who, with the kidnapping of my husband, now has one of the most powerful assets to use as leverage against us, along with his very own army of trained Force sensitives, called Inquisitors, ready to attack the entire world. Perhaps with all of the other Jedi we could take them down...maybe...but that's a strong maybe."

She couldn't mention that Palpatine had destroyed the Jedi once before in their old galaxy. While the Jedi in this world were well established and strong, the Jedi of her galaxy had been stronger. Far, far stronger. They had the advantage of spanning an entire galaxy with an Order that had lasted thousands of years, plus they had the advanced technology to boot that this world didn't, and still Palpatine had destroyed them. Granted, with her deceived husband's help, true. But that was then. This was now.

And, she really didn't need to go into all that. She'd hit her father with all the truth she dared. Telling him on top of it all that they were actually beings transplanted on Earth from another galaxy far, far away? He'd probably have her committed. Slowly, ever so slowly, she watched her father reluctantly - but finally! - come to terms with the situation, the situation he would be forced to send his family into. Despite how difficult her father could be...he truly reacted out of fear for this very situation. "Okay. I get it." He finally breathed, resigned to the inevitable. "I'll make some calls." He rubbed a tired hand over his face.

"Thanks, Dad."

"Don't thank me yet. It's only gonna get ugly from here."

Yep. She knew that.

And so they got to work, making calls to anyone who would take them, pulling in any favors or strings they could, filling out whatever necessary paperwork would be required. All the while, Padme continually received updates from Satine herself, who was also using the downtime in flight on Obi-Wan's ship to work on getting the kids out.

About halfway through the night, long after Hayden had gone to bed, her mother came into the living room where her father and she sat, papers and Ipads strewn out all around them as they worked. "Honey," Her mom said cautiously. Padme barely looked up, just made a grunting noise in acknowledgement. "Luke and Leia's friends are here."

That was enough to get her to pause. In her stress, she'd totally forgotten about Mara, Chewie, and Han. Somewhere deep down there was a flash of guilt, but that erased when the three of them entered the room, exhausted but nonetheless uninjured. Thank the Force. "What happened?" The words were out of her mouth before she realized she'd asked them.

The three glanced at one another nervously as they carefully sat down on the sofa, moving piles of papers as they did so. "I got attacked by Inquisitors near the carousel." Mara began. "I had gone on ahead to help you and Anakin out, but they stopped me. I briefly communicated that to Luke, who was also on his way to help, but then he went silent not long after that. Then, as the Swat teams moved into the park, the Inquisitors bolted and…"

"We cut them off," Han finished. Chewie added something that nobody could understand and Han clarified, "Right, Chewie. Leia sent us to help you and Hayden out, but I had just stolen a gun, doesn't matter from where, and shot Ventress as she was fighting the twins. She split in a puff of smoke, literally, and I tossed the gun in the water inside the ride before we parted ways. Anyway, law enforcement was thick as thieves in between us and the front of the park. So, Chewie and I figured we'd get the Falcon instead and try to find you that way, regulations on flying over the park be damned. We snuck over the back wall, found the Falcon, but by then Mara had called me to inform me of the situation, so we tracked her down, cut the Inquisitors off…"

"Some of which stood and fought. They...didn't make it." A dark look passed over Mara's face, but she straightened. "But others...the younger ones, those no more than fourteen years old...they surrendered. Han, Chewie and I captured them…"

"Where are they?!" Padme demanded. Perhaps the Inquisitors would know something of Palpatine's location, and thus, her husband's. The others they'd captured in the past hadn't, but if Palpatine was desperate enough to attack them himself, perhaps he'd slipped up with the Inquisitors. It was a straw, but…

"We took them to the Jedi's California chapter." Han replied solemnly. "They're being held there, awaiting questioning."

Padme loosed a breath, even as her father winced at the clear abuse of the American Justice system Han and Mara had just described. "And now?"

Mara swallowed hard, even as Han's jaw tightened, his hands balling into fists. Padme had to remember that technically, these two were her children-in-laws. Sort of. In another galaxy. Mara remembered it, but even though Han didn't remember, it still felt wrong to have forgotten them. If something had happened to them, Luke and Leia would have been devastated. "We're here to help." Mara answered, firmly.

Chewie said something in that thick accent of his that only Han could decipher, and Han nodded. "We may not be much help with...whatever this is," he motioned at the messy room around them, "but you have our services anyway, Mrs. Skywalker."

Padme raised a brow at that. "Padme, please." She said, then nodded. "Alright. Then what you three can do is get some rest." All three of them tensed, ready to argue, but Padme cut them off, "You said it yourself. You aren't much help with lawyer business or the judicial system, but when we get Luke and Leia out, I expect you three to be wherever the twins are. You'll need all the rest you can now, because I guarantee the twins won't stop to rest."

Thankfully, they'd had the good sense (and the fatigue level) not to argue with her, and they'd quietly followed Jobal from the room and upstairs to the available guest rooms to get some sleep.

It was morning by the time a senator called and let her father know he'd made good on his favor. Luke and Leia could come home, but their home would be under constant surveillance with FBI teams stationed at several key locations around the perimeter of the property, as well as their neighborhood. At that same time, a knock came at the door. Her mother went to answer it, and moments later, in walked Obi-Wan and Satine, both looking as exhausted as she probably felt.

If she was in any mood for noticing, that is.

"Padme." Satine breathed out on a sigh, and Padme stood as her partner and long-time friend approached, scooping her up into a tight hug. Padme, still hyper focused on the task at hand, patted her friend's back. "How are you feeling?"

"Slightly better." Padme replied, "Dad just got a call. They've agreed to release the twins, but we're under constant watch from the FBI now." She was already making mental plans on what needed to be done next in this unfolding nightmare. What she needed to bring for the twins. What she should wear-a good power suit never hurt in a situation like this-what she would need to say.

Satine pulled away, giving her a curt nod. "I'll be back. Let me get ready. I'm going with you." She too knew what would be required. Padme nodded and watched her go, then turned her attention to Obi-Wan, who was staring at her grimly.

"Can you feel him?" She couldn't stop herself from asking. Her chest clenched as she waited for the answer, already anticipating what his response would be.

Obi-Wan shook his head. "No. But it's not the same feeling I get when someone has died." He rushed to assure her after her stern expression began to waver. "It just feels like...like he's asleep and I can't wake him up or find where he fell asleep at."

"I wish it was just that." Padme muttered. "So you don't think he's…?" She trailed off. She wouldn't-couldn't-say the words aloud.

Obi-Wan shook his head. "No. I'd know if he was." Then, he reached up and put a calming hand on her shoulder, sending soothing vibes of comfort through the Force. "We'll find him, Padme. As soon as we get the twins out and you get some rest…"

"I don't need it." She replied, automatically, shaking her head in denial.

"Yes, you do." Obi-Wan pressed. "Even in the heat of war, a good soldier needs to get their rest. If they don't, deadly mistakes are made. You need to be at your best if we're going to get through this. We can't afford any mistakes here."

She didn't want to admit it. She couldn't even imagine going to sleep when everything else she cared about was seemingly falling down around her ears. But he was right. Obi-Wan was...well, usually right.

"There's no going back from this, is there?" Obi-Wan asked quietly, when she didn't object.

She didn't need to ask to know what he meant.

"No. Not from the government," she replied, shaking her head sadly. "They're not going to accept what we usually tell them anymore. This time, they won't stop until they have answers."

In a span of a few seconds, Obi-Wan looked like he'd aged twenty years. He sighed and rubbed a hand over his face."I was afraid of that."

Now it was her turn to put a comforting hand on the Jedi Grand Master's shoulder. "One step at a time, Obi-Wan." She told him. "We'll figure this out. All isn't lost."

"I know."

She managed a small smile, then let him go. "Now. If you'll excuse me, I have to get ready to go get my kids."

He nodded as she turned and left the room. She had to prepare for one of the toughest encounters of her legal career. Probably the toughest.

And, apart from securing the twins' release, none of them had a damn clue what would happen next beyond that.

For the first time in many, many years, the Jedi Grand Master was genuinely fearful of just what that 'next' might actually be.

And I'm back! I felt so bad, because I'd written the majority of this chapter, and then I got the flu and was down for a week, and then chaos at work. Then I came back to finish it...and was like "huh. I only need a few more paragraphs." And all that hullabaloo for just a few paragraphs. Writing, man. It's a weird craft.

The song for this chapter is When Darkness Comes by Colbie Caillat.

Review!

Love,

Sarah