Who: Leia and Luke
What:Leia tells Luke the truth on their relationship as well as Vader.
When: 7 February, afternoon
Where: Random cafe and park in Lawrence
Warnings: Jedi ANGST
Status: Complete


Even though she would deny it to her last breath, Leia had been avoiding Luke ever since he arrived and she realized that he didn’t know the truth about their relationship. It was just... awkward that he thought there was something between them. After all, she had kissed him before he had left while he was in the infirmary, but that had been to make Han jealous, nothing else. But poor Luke seemed to think that it meant something. It was obvious by the way he looked at her, which made the princess feel extremely ill at ease. She didn’t want to be the one to break the news, but someone had to. Especially with her children running around as well as their parents.

Which meant, she had to tell him. It would be easier coming from her. Or something like that. The question though was where. She didn’t want to lead him on, which meant their rooms were out. But what of a public location? He could cause a scene and that would just be bad. Though, maybe he’d be able to keep his cool. Maybe. And if it got too bad, she could drag him somewhere less conspicuous. Which was why she had told him to meet her at a local cafe. It was private enough that no one should overhear, but public enough that he hopefully wouldn’t cause a scene.

Deciding to arrive early, Leia made her way to the cafe in question and ordered tea, sitting in the far corner near the back door. It was easiest to observe this way, as well as make a quick exit if necessary. Now all she could do was wait.


This place had taken some getting used to. Luke had not expected to end up in a place like this when he’d originally set out to go play hero. Or at least that’s what he had thought he would be doing. Despite the trials and Yoda’s training, Luke was still largely naive, perhaps mostly where Leia was concerned. That kiss had been shocking when it had happened, but that is what sealed the deal for him. Han was competition, but surely Leia’s kiss meant something! It had to.

And now she’d told him to meet her at a cafe. He was a bit of a nervous wreck heading there. What would she say to him? What would he say to her? Sometimes he wasn’t the best with words, but he did mean well. He would have to play this cool, to prove he wasn’t a pathetic little child anymore. Especially if he wanted to get one up on Han. As he stepped into the cafe, he quickly spotted Leia in the back corner. He walked over to her, smiling warmly in greeting.

“Hello, Leia,” he greeted, taking the seat across the table from her. This was his attempt at being suave and presentable. He was a Jedi after all. Well, sort of.

It didn’t take long for Leia to spot Luke coming towards her. Perhaps it was her Force Sensitivity. Or perhaps it was because she was so anxious about what she had to say, so she’d basically been watching the door, while sometimes observing the people around her. After all, with all the threats of this place, one couldn’t be too safe. That was dangerous to get lax in one’s own self. After all, demons and possessions? It was unsettling, but it was important to keep them in mind. Otherwise, you ended up dead. Or possessed. Or both.

And now Leia could feel what Allana had been feeling. The uncertainty and anxious feeling. The nauseating feeling of having to break such bad news. But at least Luke knew what was going on here. He knew of the Apocalypse and what they were up against. If she had to tell him about that on top of the family dynamic in this world, well, Leia was pretty sure she’d be having something stronger than just tea. But Luke was there and sitting across from her, smiling. Oh. This wasn’t good. Well, maybe he had figured it out himself. Maybe he had googled himself and already knew!

Oh who was she kidding. Luke thought this was a date and Leia had to break it to him that this was far from a date.

“Luke.” Smiling, the brunette sipped her tea and then quirked her brow at his lack of drink, “You didn’t want anything?”

Luke was aware of the dangers of this world. Demons were certainly an evil that was foreign to him, but he could roll with it. All he really needed to know was how to fight them and how to protect himself from that whole possession thing. It would definitely be a bad thing if he went and got himself possessed before even really getting a foothold in this place. He’d rather be fighting the war he’d been growing used to, but for now he’d be comfortable here, helping to fight the evil that dwelled here.

To Luke, this was definitely a date. Along with the smile, he couldn’t help but make puppy eyes at the princess. Why shouldn’t he? She was a beautiful woman. He always felt tongue-tied around her, but perhaps he could find a way to make his move. Han wasn’t here, so where was the harm in trying? What could be the worst that could happen? Getting bitch slapped? Well, coming from Leia, he’d undoubtedly take that as a gesture of love.

“Oh, maybe in a little bit. What are you having?” He glanced at her drink, then back up at her. “Besides, you should have my undivided attention.” Chatting up a girl was definitely not his strong point, but one can’t blame a guy for trying!

This... was worse than Leia had imagined and he had just gotten there. Already the princess felt herself groaning internally. But tea, tea would fix it. True, it had caffeine in it, but that was completely irrelevant. It was a good drink and Leia enjoyed it. She found she enjoyed tea in general, really.

“Chai tea.” And then, then poor, sweet, innocent Luke had to go and say she deserved his undivided attention. Oh, Luke wasn’t suave at all. He was like an awkward puppy. And the eyes he was giving her just intensified the puppy analogy. So what did Leia do? She took another sip of her tea. More like gulp, cringing slightly as the hot liquid burned her throat.

Clearing her throat, Leia gave a small nod.

“Right. Well, I did say we needed to talk....”


Innocent was definitely one way of describing Luke. There were many other adjectives that could be used, but innocent was perhaps the best one in the current situation. Which he was still completely unaware of. Why should he have reason to think Leia was his sister? No, his only family had been his aunt and uncle. No such thoughts were anywhere near his mind right now. The things playing through his mind were, well, things that siblings should not do by any stretch of the imagination.

“Chai tea, I’ll have to give that a try. There is much in this world that is interesting and that I wish to try.” He’d seen much here that he wasn’t sure what to make of. Some of the food and drinks were very strange. And the fact almost everyone was human was a little odd. There weren’t any aliens, or at least no strange non-humanoid ones, wandering about.

When Leia said the magic words, Luke of course took a different meaning to them. “Yes, you did,” he replied, reaching out and taking one of her hands in his, holding it firmly yet gently. “I know what you want to talk about.” He looked at her, almost as a lover would. And the whole puppy metaphor was reinforced tenfold.

“Yes, there are many fascinating things here that are worth trying out. Though some strange as well and not as good.” Like cilantro. Cilantro tasted horrid. “Steer clear of cilantro.” Why she said that? Leia didn’t know. Probably to avoid the conversation even further. After all, this really wasn’t a conversation the princess wanted to have. How to break the heart of her brother and then mention that their father was a Sith Lord? It was just cruel.

But then... then Luke took her hand and Leia held onto hope that maybe, just maybe, he had googled himself and knew the truth and was okay with it. But the way he looked at her crushed that foolish hope. And she couldn’t get her hand free to wrap safely around her cup of tea.

“No, I really don’t think you do...”


“Cilantro. All right, I got it. I’ll avoid it at all costs.” He chuckled a bit. He would trust her word on it given that she’d been here longer than he had. She would know what was good and what wasn’t. And she was the only person here he even knew in the first place, so he would trust her without question. Though that could also be due to the fact he did have feelings for her.

He tilted his head at her words, giving her a little questioning look. “Really? Well, isn’t it about the kiss you gave me?” He was still holding her hand captive. The contact was undoubtedly going to be needed once Leia dropped the bombshell on him, but for now, he was treating this as a talk about their relationship.

Well, technically the talk was about their relationship, though not in the way Luke was anticipating it to be. And while Leia really would like her hand to be back in her own possession, Luke was holding on steadfastly and there was nothing the rebel princess could do about it. Though he was a year younger than her here as opposed to being the same age. But he didn’t seem to really pay attention to that, which was fine. Only not.

The question was though, how to go about doing this conversation. After all, Luke did have a basic idea about what she wanted to talk about. It did involve that blasted kiss she had given him in her means of making Han jealous. A move she was deeply regretting now. It was so much easier when Luke was the one breaking the news, given the fact she didn’t have feelings for him.

“Well, yes.... It does concern that...”

Some of the fine details did escape Luke’s notice. Such as the fact Leia was older than him at the moment. But he wasn’t too concerned about that. He had grasped the fact that the force that pulled them into this world pulled people out of different times. Though he would be lying if he said he hadn’t thought about asking Leia about the future of the Rebellion. But would finding out be a good thing? Sometimes spoilers weren’t actually good.

Luke grinned a bit. “Ah, see! I do know what this is about. I’m not as dumb as I look.” Though that statement could be disputed, but he did like to think he was smart in some respects. The keyword being some. If Leia was giving off any signs that this talk wasn’t about that kiss or where their relationship could go, Luke wasn’t picking up on it. “Why don’t we just skip the talk and get right to what comes after it?” Smooth, very smooth. He leaned over the table, intending to kiss the brunette.

“I don’t think you’re dumb, Luke...” It was true. He was just... extremely naive. A marvelous pilot and a great Jedi, but he was naive. Especially at the point of time he came from. Why couldn’t Luke be more sensitive in the Force and pick up that she was uncomfortable. That, while there was a connection between the two of them, that it wasn’t what he thought?

But then he was talking about what comes after the talk and leaned over to kiss her and Leia had enough. This was going too far. Luke wasn’t letting her talk and well, she needed to talk. So placing her tea down, Leia held up her hand so that Luke met with that and not her lips. Because that would just... well, it wasn’t something she wanted to contend with. Not. At. All.

“Luke. You’re my brother. The kiss was just to make Han jealous. The connection between us is because we’re twins.” There. It was out. Not exactly how she wanted to go about it, she had wanted to ease into it, but Luke just wasn’t letting her, which meant she had to just say it. The words were spoken in a low voice so as not to draw attention to them, but it was still spoken a bit harshly.

Luke couldn’t help but like the fact she didn’t think he was dumb. That was quite high praise, especially since some people would say otherwise. Well, perhaps more than a few people, but that was beside the point. The fact at hand was that he was not using the Force to sense anything. He really should have paid attention to that, but his mind was occupied with other things.

At least until his lips met Leia’s hand and not her mouth. Face twisting in confusion, he sat back in his seat and looked at her. “Brother? What do you mean I’m your brother?” He was a bit dumb founded by her words. He really wasn’t sure what was more shocking, the fact she’d said he was her brother, or that the kiss was meant to make Han jealous. He would have made fun of her words, had she not used a slightly harsh tone. Instead, he sat there in confusion wondering why she would even say such a thing. Unless of course she just wanted to make sure he understood they would never have a future together.

At least he wasn’t moving in to kiss her anymore, that her words had made it through the fog that was his hormones. That would have been awkward and Leia really would have wished Han there to kick Luke’s ass. It wasn’t nice, but sometimes things just needed to be done. Though to be honest, the princess was enough of a fighter that she could probably do it herself. But it would save him dignity or something along those lines if he didn’t get his ass handed to him by his sister.

Letting out a slow breath, Leia stared out the window in thought for a moment. How to make him understand. Because that really wasn’t the worse of it.

“The time I’m from, a year in your future... you’re the one who told me of our relationship. That the Force was strong in your family. That your father has it, you have it and your sister has it. I knew what you meant, because deep down, I always knew. Maybe not on a conscious level, but I knew there was something. I just didn’t know what. But it all made sense. I could hear your distress call when you were in trouble...”

Looking to Luke, Leia searched his feature worriedly.

“I’m sorry, Luke. But there’s no future for us. Not in the way you want it. You’re my brother and I love you, but as a sister, nothing more. If you don’t believe me, use the Force. I know you can.”

Luke was terribly confused now. This wouldn’t be something Leia would joke about just to stop him from making passes at her. But at the same time, how could she be his sister? He was hearing the words she spoke, but they registered in his mind slowly. He was still stuck on the whole sister thing.

Finally, he let go of her hand, sliding his under the table to rest in his lap. He looked up at her after a moment. Yes, he could use the Force. Luke decided he should because he wasn’t exactly swallowing what she telling him. So he took a moment and using the Force, he searched for what Leia said. It didn’t take that long for him to find that she spoke the truth. His eyes widened, filling with a mixture of shock and perhaps a little bit of horror.

“I...I see that you are telling the truth, but...how?” His voice was soft and hesitant. This was incredibly hard to take. “And I told you in the future? How did I even know?” Luke was quite naive in many ways, and he wasn’t going to take this well at all. And to think this was the least troublesome thing he was going to hear. He drew in a deep breath and lowered his gaze to the tabletop. He couldn’t bring himself to look at Leia right then, not with the non-brotherly feelings he had for her. And if he’d looked like a little puppy before, he now looked like a puppy that had just been kicked by its master.

Well, at least Luke had listened and actually used the Force. If he hadn’t, Leia didn’t know how she would continue this conversation. There was still so much she didn’t understand. She didn’t know how he had figured it out and she didn’t know how to tell him about Vader. But the conversation was started and she couldn’t keep running from it. No. She had to face it and continue on.

“I’m not sure, you never told me the specifics. But... you did tell me who our father was...” And if Luke was paying attention, he’d see that she didn’t want to tell him. But she had to. It was only fair, especially as the man was there as was their mother.

“Our father is Anakin Skywalker, though in our time, he went by another name....” Sipping her tea, Leia looked at the table as Luke wasn’t bothering to look at her at the moment. Not that she blamed him. “He went by Darth Vader....” The words were soft. “He told you himself when you faced him in Cloud City. I don’t know if that’s how you found out we were twins, or if your Jedi teacher was the one who told you. I only know what you told me....”

Luke’s mind was reeling, teeming with questions. What was going on? Why was this happening now? Those were only a couple of the many questions running through his head. He did his best to pay attention to what Leia was saying so that he wouldn’t miss anything. Though as much as Leia didn’t want to tell him, he didn’t want to hear it. Ignorance was bliss, especially in Luke’s case. Though he did need to know he was Leia’s brother.

His head snapped up, his eyes wide as he looked at Leia. “What? Darth Vader is our father? No, that’s not true!” Now he was getting upset. To find out the very person he’d been fighting against was his father? How could he take that silently? This he couldn’t accept. His father had been a Jedi, not a servant of the Emperor!

“No, this can’t be true. My father was a Jedi!”

“Luke, be quiet!” The words were hissed under Leia’s breath the second Luke started to make a scene. But again, he didn’t listen. So Leia did the next best thing, she slapped him to get him to shut up. Might not work, but no matter. It was worth a shot. But what was she supposed to do? Well, beyond grabbing Luke’s arm and then hauling him out of the cafe and to the park that was near by.

“I don’t know how it’s possible. But that is what you told me. And you also told me there was good in him, not that I can see it.” The words were bitter in her mouth, the memory from four years previous when she had first met Luke and Han flashing before her mind’s eye, the torture the Sith Lord had put her through in his quest to find where the Rebel Alliance was hiding.

The slap came as a shock to him, though it did have the effect Leia intended. Luke did shut up long enough to not cause a further scene at this precise moment in time. He looked at her, feeling as though everything around them had stopped. Though such was what tended to happen when one’s world was getting blown apart.

“I said there was good in him? I really don’t see how that’s even possible.” Luke crossed his arms. He didn’t think Leia was lying to him, what would she have to gain from such an action? But nevertheless, he was skeptical. “So I just told you all of this, and you believed me? Are you sure I didn’t have a cracked skull or something?”

Sighing, Leia ran her fingers through her hair, which was mostly down beyond the braid across the top of her head. She really had no answer to Luke’s question. Why she had believed him. It was crazy talk, she knew that. To think that there was any good in Vader was impossible and yet? She had let him go off to fight him on his own, to save him.

“You weren’t injured, and I used the Force to sense if you were being truthful. Which you were. You had no reason to lie to me and I have no reason to lie to you.” Leading him further into the park, Leia found a bench and had him sit down before sitting down as well. It was important they be on the same level. She wasn’t trying to intimidate him.

“I personally do not see how there could ever be good in him, not after what I’ve seen him do...” What she herself had endured at his hand, but there was no reason to get into that. This wasn’t about her, this was about Luke right now. “All I know is that you truly believed there was good in him and you were going to save him. To bring our father back... But, you have to know. He’s here. As Anakin Skywalker, he’s still tainted dark. Our mother is here also, though I haven’t seen much of her.”

Luke sat down on the bench, drawing in a deep breath. He was trying to keep his calm, but he was finding it very difficult to do so. “Okay,” he said simply. He wanted to ask another question, but he realized Leia would have no way to answer it, so he kept it quiet. Luke looked over at Leia as she sat down. He did give her credit for not simply beating this talk into him. He knew well she could have done more than simply slap him.

“I just am finding this really difficult to take in and understand. You’re my sister. Our father is on the Dark Side.” He shook his head a bit, still trying to wrap his mind around this. And then came the fact their parents were here. “What? Our parents are here? Do they know we’re here?” This would be highly strange to face their parents. It wasn’t that he was looking for answers, more just needing to know where he came from. He also needed to see if there was any truth to the fact that in his future he believed Darth Vader had good in him.

Folding her hands on her lap, Leia stared across the park as she tried to put her words together. After all, it hadn’t been easy to hear and her mind was elsewhere if she were to be honest. Speaking of Vader as though he had good in him? It made no sense to her. Even though Luke had been so steadfast in believing it to be true.

“I know, it’s a lot to take it, let alone understand. The sibling thing was easy, but Vader being our father and having good in him? That I had a hard time to believe. But you wouldn’t change your stance....”

Then the question about if their parents knew about them being there.

“I haven’t met either of our parents. If our father has sensed either of us, he hasn’t said anything so I don’t know if he knows...” Sighing, Leia shrugged. “I don’t know what’s going on. Honestly, I’m still trying to adjust to the fact that I have children here, a granddaughter....” That was a lot of information to take in, but Luke deserved to know the truth.

This most definitely was not the talk he’d envisioned having when Leia told him to meet her here. In fact, even his worst nightmares couldn’t conjure up this situation. He glanced over at Leia for a moment before he looked down at the ground. This was very difficult for him to take, especially all at once. There was also the fact he was starting to feel real dirty about having had impure feelings for his sister. He sort of felt a little sick about it, but not nearly as sick as he felt about Vader being his father.

“I’m having a hard time with this, especially about Vader.” Perhaps something had been shown to him when he’d confronted Vader that made him think there was good in the man still. But as of this moment, he couldn’t understand that aspect.

“I always wanted the chance to know them,” he said softly, almost not wanting to admit it. He’d had a good childhood with his aunt and uncle, but he’d always wanted to know his parents. When Leia mentioned she had children and a granddaughter, Luke looked back up at her. “Children? And a granddaughter? Have you gotten to talk to them?” Talk about having an instant family. It would take him some getting used to, though. At least he wasn’t ranting and raving like a mad man...yet.

“It is hard to take in, I understand, but it’s better you know now....” And it was. Because going through this world without the proper information would be bad. And who knew if someone else would decide to tell Luke about the family tree and how well he’d take it then. No. It was better that Leia tell him and just get it out of the way. He deserved that much. But then he was talking about wanting to know them and the brunette princess sighed.

“As have I. I mean, my adoptive parents were wonderful, but I always knew I was adopted and I always wanted a family of my own... a brother or sister who I could be close with. Winter was great but it wasn’t the same... it never is, really....”

Maybe it was normal feelings for someone in their situation to feel, or maybe it was the twin bond at work, Leia didn’t know. She just knew that she had always felt out of place and that a family of her own, maybe she wouldn’t feel so out of place.

“I have. Allana, my granddaughter, is the one who explained a lot of things to me, she found me and brought me back to the complex. Jacen, my first son, who ended up a Sith...” The word was spoken bitterly before she shook her head and continued. “Ive spoken with Jaina and I’ve been staying with Anakin as you’ve seen, who is also training me in the way of the Force as I believe it will be helpful to know in this place. But it still is taking me time to adapt to having a family like that. Especially when they’re older or the same age as me.”

It was definitely better that Luke was finding all of this out from Leia. If any of the others had told him, he would never have believed them, let alone be this calm in hearing it. He’d undoubtedly have caused a huge scene if Jacen or Jaina or someone had told him. “I do understand I need to know, and I am glad you’re telling me. Coming from anyone else, I wouldn’t have believed it, even if I’d used the Force to tell if they were telling the truth or not.”

He glanced at Leia, understanding the way she’d wanted a family of her own. He’d grown up knowing he wasn’t raised by his parents, and while he had been happy enough, he had longed for a family of his own. Then suddenly it occurred to him, why had they been separated? Given his current situation, he couldn’t know the reasons why they’d been separated in the first place. Of course the fact their father was a member of the Empire most likely had something to do with it. “Do you know why we didn’t grow up together?” He was perhaps opening a can of worms, but he did want to know. And the subject most likely would come up if he talked with his extended family members.

“Jacen. I believe he’s the one that was raging at me soon after I showed up.” Luke fell silent for a moment. Did this turning Sith thing run in their family? “Yes, Anakin seems really nice, as does Allana. Both of them have been nice and helpful from what I’ve seen. And good, Anakin had told me he was helping you with the Force. Though it must be weird to have children here around the same age as you are.” Again, he fell silent for some moments as he went into thought. Then a question came to mind. “So...who’s the father of your children?” He did have a feeling he knew the answer, but he just wanted to hear it from her own lips.

Nodding, Leia sighed. She had a feeling that Luke wouldn’t believe it from anyone else as it were. He was naive and foolish like that. But that was irrelevant. The fact was, he at least believed her and was listening now. Which was better than he had been in the cafe. Of course, she didn’t have many answers for him as he hadn’t given her much to work with but she could try to answer the questions to the best of her ability.

“I’m not sure, you didn’t tell me. Perhaps it had something to do with Vader being our father? That’s the best guess I’ve got, though.” It was possible. After all, if the Force was strong in both of them and their father was a crazed Sith, well, it would make sure to have them separated so that he didn’t find them and then turn them to the Dark side.

“It really is. I don’t know how to act around them at all. I mean, I don’t know how to be a mother or grandmother.” And then the next question. Well, it was bound to come up eventually. Leia had just hoped not so soon, but what could she really do? “Apparently Han is their father...”

While he may indeed have been naive and foolish in a lot of respects, he didn’t blindly think Leia had all the answers to the questions he had. In fact, he didn’t really expect anyone here could answer his questions. Well, he could just look things up about himself, but how was he to know how accurate they might be? For all he knew, they could’ve made him out to be an Ewok or something. But perhaps once he got over the shock, he’d actually try that and just see where it would get him.

He nodded a bit. “That would make sense,” he replied simply, pondering over it for a few moments. It would make sense to have kept them apart and in places where they could be protected from their father. But the talk of their father brought up another question. “What about mother? What happened to her? Was she taken somewhere safe like we were?” And it was here that his naivety crept in for he didn’t suspect that she could’ve been dead. He was hoping that she would’ve been taken somewhere just as they had. That thought undoubtedly stemmed from his wanting of things to be right and safe. He didn’t want anyone else around him to die. Obi-wan had been hard enough to take. Surely there must be a bright side to all of this?

“Hopefully they don’t expect you to act like a mother or grandmother. But I can see how it would be strange. Maybe it’ll just take some time to get used to them.” He shrugged a shoulder a bit. He knew it would take him some time to adjust to things here. And also to adjust to the things about himself he’d just learned. But when Leia revealed that Han was the father of her children, he looked at her, his brows raising in surprise. “Han...really?” Of course it was Han. Wasn’t it always Han that was being the man’s man and saving the day and everything?

“I was told she died...” While Leia didn’t know much of her past, she did know that Padme had died. Though that was what she’d been told, who knew if it were actually truth. After all, if she had grown up knowing her mother were alive, she would have wanted to go find her. So who knew if that were truth or not, “Though I don’t know if that were a lie or not. But somehow I don’t think it was...”

Brushing her hair out of her face, Leia went back to observing the people walking around until Luke spoke again. It was strange having an instant family around but what could she do? This place was extremely peculiar.

“Sometimes I think Allana wishes I remembered, but there’s not much I can do. Though I do find myself fiercely protective of her. The others, too. Maybe not so much Jacen, but he doesn’t really talk to me...” Shrugging, Leia sighed and then rolled her eyes at the look Luke gave her, “Yes. Han. It surprised me, too. I never figured him for the type of man to settle down.” But that didn’t change the fact that she loved him.

“Dead,” he said gently. It did make sense, and he suspected it wasn’t a lie either. But then again, who really knew what had happened? He hadn’t yet lived through the experience Leia had told him of, and their parents that were here were obviously from a time before everything happened. Luke was starting to get a headache from all of these messed up timelines. He rubbed his forehead a bit and took a breath.

“They are family, whether you know them or not. You being protective of them doesn’t come as a surprise to me.” He’d seen Leia get defensive and protective of things that mattered to her before, so it would stand to reason she’d be the same about her family here, even if she didn’t have any memory of them yet. He looked over at Leia. “I didn’t either. He seemed more like the type to keep on the move.” He shrugged a bit, not really knowing what to say. Well, more like he didn’t want to get smacked for something he’d say, so he just tried to keep it simple.

Nodding at the word ‘dead’, Leia folded her hands on her lap and went back to people watching. It really was fascinating, watching how people interacted. Couples, families. She was so used to the rigid upbringing of being a princess, that simple gestures sometimes caught her off guard. She had a few with Han, and Luke made her feel normal, but it was still something to see it out in public. Earth customs were just so different from those in Alderaan.

“Yes, I suppose that makes sense.” After all, Leia was pretty protective of Luke. Before she just assumed it came from him being her friend. She could remember when he’d gotten the red sickness and she and Lando had to find a cure before they could search for Han some more. It had been a trying time, torn between her lover and her friend. But they had persevered.

“On the move is one word for it.” More like aggravate any woman he was with long term with his mannerisms. But Han had been around her for three years, and while they had their spats, many to be exact, she still had fallen for the scoundrel, despite their difference in status. It had never mattered much to Leia. Though she did smirk slightly as she noticed the shrug through her peripheral vision.

Luke glanced around at the people walking. It was strange to see people walking around, not fearing an attack from the Empire. This world was quite different from the ones he knew, but yet not so different. People here were still fighting for their lives, trying to keep Lucifer from taking over the world. It hadn’t taken long for Luke to draw comparisons between Lucifer and the Emperor. Though here it might take a bit more than a Jedi order to put a stop to Lucifer.

Leia wasn’t the only one who felt a sense of protection for family. He supposed it was that feeling that initially propelled him to try and rescue Leia and Han. He didn’t like seeing anything bad happen to the people he cared about the most and he would always do his best to help them. At least when he could do something about it.

“He is definitely quite the guy,” he said simply. It was a civil enough statement, and hopefully wouldn’t earn him a smack. Han made him feel inadequate in many respects. He tended to feel inferior to him, and he did want to prove himself. Up until now, it had been to try and impress Leia, but now that he knew they were siblings, well, that sort of had to stop.

Leia’s thoughts were similar to Luke’s in regards to the differences and similarities between people from Earth and people from their own galaxy. The similarity between the Emperor and Lucifer. Would she feel that same cold dread she felt around the emperor if she ever met him? The feel of evil oozing out of his every pore? Oh, Leia had gotten over her initial cold terror and became an ardent objector to the way he ran things, but still, it had never been easy to be around him.

“He is.” Leia didn’t mean for her voice to grow slightly wistful at the thought of Han, but she couldn’t help it. He had held her when she’d been upset, even though he’d been jealous of whatever it was Luke had told her in his opinion. And then she had gone off on her own to collect her thoughts and now she was here. She wanted to tell him the truth, maybe not about Vader, but at least Luke. No. The truth about Vader was something else, something she’d like to avoid if at all possible. And so far, it was as he wasn’t around.

It was all still a shock to him. He’d had one world view when he’d arrived here, and now everything had just been turned on its head. He closed his eyes and brushed his hair back. He then opened his eyes and gazed at a tree. “This is still all so strange,” he wondered out loud. “This world, us, our parents. Did you take the news calmly when I told you?” He looked over at Leia, inwardly wondering if she’d taken it well or not.

At the wistful tone in her voice, Luke couldn’t help but feel salt getting rubbed in the open wound. But he wouldn’t say anything on the matter. It wasn’t exactly his place, and he was still trying to get his naive little mind wrapped around everything. So far Leia had been patient with him, aside from when she’d slapped him after he got a bit excited in the coffee shop. But ever since, he’d been good at not making a scene.

Hearing the question on how she had handled it, Leia gave a small nod.

“For the most part, though I did try to plead with you not to go to Vader, tried to get you to run away, but you wouldn’t. You were so set in proving there was good in him that you were willing to sacrifice yourself....” Even thinking about it now, with Luke right there, still caused the princess pain and worry. What if he tried that here? They didn’t know what their father was like at this stage of the game. But again, how could a father cut off his son’s own hand? Torture his daughter? Put someone in carbonite?

“Then again, I was raised my whole life to be a diplomat. While I wasn’t always calm and rational, as a Senator, I’ve learned to keep my emotions under check for the most part.” She had become an Ice Queen. Oh, she knew what people said about her, Leia just pretended not to hear. She worked at not letting it get to her. And usually it didn’t. Usually it was Han who could get a rise out of her, before she hadn’t understood why, but now she did.

Well, it certainly did sound like him to sacrifice himself for something he believed in. People usually had a very difficult time getting him to change his mind when he’d made it up. If he believed in something, he usually threw himself at it with everything he had and didn’t really give a damn if it put him in harm’s way. Sometimes he didn’t even really think things through, he just did them.

“I’m glad you took it well. I’m sure it wasn’t easy for you to hear. Especially about Vader.” And even then, he still had more concern for Leia than he did for himself. He’d get through it somehow, even if he just sat alone somewhere and thought about it. Maybe he’d actually put some of those lessons Yoda taught him to use. “Are there any other secrets I should know? I’d much rather get hit by them all at once instead of in incriments.”

“The part about us being related wasn’t so hard. As I said before, I think part of me always knew we were related, at least on a subconscious level. But no. The part about Vader....” Here she trailed off, her voice growing hard. The Ice Queen rarely came out around Luke, but when Vader was mentioned... the atrocities he committed in her mind’s eye. Well, it was hard to remain neutral about that. Not after all he had done to those she cared about as well as herself.

“No, it wasn’t easy to hear about Vader.” This time her voice was softer, pushing the bad memories to the back of her mind. She didn’t talk about her time before Luke and Han had rescued her. She didn’t talk about the interrogation, watching as Alderaan was destroyed before her very eyes. She just couldn’t. It was too painful and she was too private a person to do such a thing.

“About our family? No. There’s nothing else you told me that would be considered a secret.”

He heard the Ice Queen come out into her voice. While it unnerved him a bit, he had a feeling it was warranted for the Vader topic. Luke currently didn’t quite understand why there had been any good in Vader, but who was to say what happened when he’d confronted Vader? No, that was something he didn’t need to ponder about right then.

“Good. I don’t think I could take anything else after that.” He sighed a bit in relief and leaned back on the bench. “It is strange being here with people that know what happened to you yet you have no memory of it.” The ‘you’ was meant in general, not specifically to Leia. He did wonder if any of these family members would talk to him about things he had not yet done. And what of his own family? Did he have children? But no, he didn’t want to think about that now. It would only add to the awkwardness.

“It is strange. Or have people reference things that happened to you as if it meant nothing.” Again, Leia’s voice had a sharp edge to it, recalling the two idiotic boys who had spoken to her when she first showed up, saying she should wear the metal bikini. But Luke didn’t know about that and she doubted he needed to know about it right now. She couldn’t recall if anyone had mentioned the fictional character thing to him, the fact that they were characters in a series of movies, but she didn’t feel like getting into that.

“Then again, it’s strange seeing people so at ease. I mean, it’s as if they don’t know that they are at risk of Lucifer. At least home, people knew of the Emperor,.. knew what he was capable of.” At least those who feared him and were part of the Rebellion. True, there were people who didn’t mind the harsh rules and didn’t mind the segregation and degradation... but Leia wasn’t like that. She had dreams of changing the world for the better and she didn’t know if she succeeded in that or not.

Luke nodded a bit, inwardly wondering if anyone would reference anything that happened to him that he had not yet lived through. This whole thing of people being from different times was really strange. It was difficult to understand sometimes, and most of the time Luke just opted for not thinking about it. He’d much rather think in a linear timeline instead of a jumbled one. When things got too convoluted, he had trouble following along.

“I know what you mean. The people here are completely unaware they’re in danger. They don’t even seem to realize most of the people responsible for them even being alive are from other worlds.” He shrugged a bit, really not knowing how people could be so oblivious. At least the people in their universe were aware of the Empire, they just tended to either not care about the rules or want to fight against it. But here? Most people seemed to be in a state of utopia, completely unaware of the fact war was raging around them every single day.

Leia gave a small nod. It really was strange to her. How all of these strange things could happen and no one seem to know. Just look at what happened with the Sins. Everyone was acting strangely and yet no one seemed to pick up on it. Didn’t seem to care. True, she herself hadn’t known what was going on at the time, but she’d been new. She still followed the boards to keep up to date and learn what was going on. But so far, there hadn’t been anything that would help with defeating Lucifer.

“But it’s not like those of us brought here are much better. We only hear about something happening after it happens. We need to be in front of this and yet no one seems to know how to do that. I’ve been trying, but with all the classes being taught so I can learn this planet and how to defeat the demons we’re up against. But it still doesn’t make it any better when we’re always a few steps behind...”

It was annoying to Leia. When she was leading the Rebellion, they at least had leads. Here? Here they had nothing and she didn’t know how to handle that. On top of the instant family and now Luke being there. What next, Han showing up? Though that would be a welcomed distraction. Though who knew what part of their timeline he’d show up from.

“One would think with all these helping hands around, there’d be more of an organized force to fight the demons. Or at the very least be able to get information on where the demons would strike next or something.” Even the Rebellion had gotten enough information on the Empire to locate the Death Star and Luke had led the pilots to destroy it. But here, people didn’t seem to really take up leadership like that. First, the people native to this world seemed nearly as clueless about things as those not from this world. Or maybe they did know things but weren’t sharing. If so, what was the point? If there were so many people here willing to help fight the demons, why not share intelligence? Wasn’t that the point of fighting a war?

“I know I’m still knew around here, but these people seem a bit backwards in how they handle things. The Rebellion could chew them all up and spit them back out before they knew what hit them.” Though he mostly thought that due to the lack of anyone truly taking the lead here. Perhaps he was wrong and there was a leader, but if there was, they didn’t seem to be doing their job very well. Or at all.

“One would think. And there are the classes at the complex for helping you defend yourself. But that only works once something is here. It has nothing to do with how to find them in the first place so we can take them out before they do something. No way to figure out a preemptive strike.”

Sighing, Leia brushed her hair out of her face then laughed slightly at the comment about the people on this planet being backwards. It was the same thing Leia thought about them, honestly. She had yet to see any true leadership. Yes, there had been the post on the board with the information, but that was hardly leading anyone.

“Yes, I’m sure the Rebellion could do that. Then again, there were far more battles going on back home than there are here. That could have something to do with it. But for having experts? They really aren’t doing that much. But I don’t know anything about this place or it’s myths and religions, so I don’t have anything that I can offer to help....”

“They are at least seeing that we are prepared when something comes. That is better than just simply doing nothing. But still, more could be done to prepare everyone and get ahead of the demons.” He shook his head a bit, thinking these people really needed a crash course in how to fight and organize people.

When Leia laughed, he couldn’t help but smile. He did always like hearing her laugh, and he liked it even more when she was laughing because of him. “That is true, there were more battles back home. But I agree, the people native to this place seem to not really share much knowledge they have. They could really make things easier for themselves if they share their knowledge with the rest of us so we can have better armed people to help them fight.” A lot of things in this world didn’t really make sense to him, especially this. But hopefully in time he could understand more about the ways of this place. Luke certainly was going to be armed and ready for a fight if needed.

“It is better than doing nothing. The weapons here are similar to home, though guns are definitely different from blasters. There’s a kick to them. It’s interesting. But from my understanding, only certain weapons are useful against demons and mostly people rely on exorcisms. But those only send the demons back to Hell, they don’t kill them.....”

Seeing Luke smile, Leia smiled slightly. Good, he wasn’t completely shattered over her revelations to him that day. That was good. Leia had worried about how he would take the news, and beyond his initial scene in the cafe, he was doing okay. He had calmed down and they had spoken about it rationally.

“It really would be helpful if they shared their knowledge in more forthcoming ways as opposed to just optional classes. Because if people don’t want to learn, they won’t and then what happens to them? They end up possessed or kidnapped...” Trailing off, Leia thought back to when Allana and Jaina had been kidnapped. She’d been so worried, she had wanted to shoot the bastard who took them in the head, but she didn’t get the chance to do so. “Then again, even people who know what to expect can still end up in situations, so who knows... but if we could just find a way to be in front of Lucifer...”

“It is, at least there’s something to do in the meantime that will help prepare us.” He listened as she explained about the weapons, and how only a select few would be able to kill a demon. Well, that was a bit of a let down, knowing only a select few could actually kill a demon. “Well, that’s unexpected that only a few weapons can actually kill a demon.”

“Perhaps if they were more forthcoming, it could lead to fewer people getting kidnapped. But I don’t know, I just think if they were more open to things then it would be better. They do seem to have an army here to help fight demons, why not mobilize it and make use of it more?” Luke didn’t like all the sitting around and doing nothing. He’d much rather be doing something to help fight. Perhaps there was something here he could do to make use of himself. Sadly, he couldn’t put his piloting skills to good use, but he did have some other skills in there somewhere that could be utilized.

‘That’s how I look at it. I want to be as prepared as possible to deal with these demons. The average person here might not know of what they’re facing, but we do and to be lazy is to be killed.” It was what got her through the Rebellion. She did her job, worked as a double agent until Luke and Han rescued her and the gig was up... Fought against the Emperor, got information to defeat his plans...

“Perhaps... I don’t know, though. Nor do I know how prepared their army is. I mean, I know age doesn’t matter in a fight, but a lot of the people here seem young, both physically and mentally. They aren’t ready even if they take the classes.” At least, that was what Leia had seen. Some were more ready to fight, but they were all from different worlds and had seen different things. Yet no one seemed to take things seriously. It was a miracle some of these people were still alive.

“As do I. I’d much rather not get caught unprepared in this. And you’re right, those of us that know what we face have an obligation to do everything we can to be prepared to face the evil and keep innocent people from getting hurt or killed.” Even though he knew war tended to claim innocent lives, Luke would still do anything he could to keep innocent people from getting killed. He did have a heart of gold.

“True, there seems to be some people that aren’t ready to fight. And didn’t I see that there are children caught in the middle of this? It really does seem whatever brings us to the place doesn’t discern between ages. I can’t believe there are children here, they shouldn’t have to be in the middle of this.” He really didn’t like that there were children here, seemingly displaced from their own worlds and families. This definitely wasn’t an environment for children to be in the middle of.

“It’s a shame no one else seems to think that way. But who am I to question the way things are run?” Well, that wasn’t true. Leia was well known for questioning things. But she didn’t like to do so without having enough evidence to back up her claims. There was being informed and questioning and then there was being presumptuous. And until she had more information and a way to make things better, Leia would be quiet, observing and learning all she could.

“I know. It’s horrible that there are children involved. Children shouldn’t be subjected to such things...” True, there usually was no choice in the matter, but whatever was bringing people here had to be pure evil if it meant to involve little children in the war. They were too innocent to have their lives tainted by war. And what could they really do? They were six years old! At six years old, Leia was running away from her aunts and yearning for a sibling that she could call her very own.

“I hope that they aren’t too traumatized....” The words were spoken softly as Leia looked down at her lap. Yes, many felt she didn’t care, that she had a heart made of ice, but that wasn’t so. It was just how she dealt with things. She did care, sometimes more than she wanted to care. But children? Children didn’t deserve to be involved in this. But who was she to speak of age when she was the youngest Senator of their galaxy? Kidnapped at eighteen. Tortured and forced to watch her home destroyed at nineteen. Forced into slavery at twenty three....?

Luke looked at her, raising an eyebrow. “Perhaps you’ll say differently once you get more acquainted with the way things work here.” He knew Leia wouldn’t stay silent for very long on the subject. He well knew she was out-spoken when she believed in things, and he had a feeling sooner or later, this place would get a good dose of that.

“No, they shouldn’t. I do hope they’re being well taken care of and kept from as much of this as possible.” Children as young as the ones here really should not be dealing with this. They were still very young and innocent and they should be able to run around freely and without concern. Doing such things in this world would be incredibly difficult, even when people were looking out for them. “I hope they aren’t either. They deserve to still be innocent and not have to deal with our problems.” He wouldn’t feel as bad if they were teenagers, or at least old enough to know how the world worked and that things weren’t always sunshine and rainbows. Little children should really be kept far away from the epicenter of fighting, and this complex certainly seemed to be ground zero on most days.

“I’m sure I will. But for now, there’s not much I can say. I don’t have evidence or anything of the like to help back my stance. Nor do I know what everyone’s abilities are. Who the quote unquote normal ones are and who the ones are that are gifted. I don’t know much beyond what I’ve read in the library and it’s hard to discern myth from truth.” It was all a headache. The Rebel leader in Leia was aching to break free. To show these people how it was done. And yet she found herself unable to truly speak freely as she didn’t know all there was to know.

“So do I. Children have no place in a war.” It was true. Children were the last people who deserved to be in a war. They were innocent. Never had hurt anyone to deserve such punishment. Looking down at her lap, Leia let out a breath. It seemed that no matter where she was, war would be there. Would she ever get to live in a peaceful time? Or would she always be leading a Rebellion? Fighting a fight that seemed impossible to win?

“Know that when the day comes that you do say something, I’ll stand behind you.” Luke gave her a little smile. No matter what, he would always back Leia. Unless she suddenly decided to work for the bad guys, but he knew that wouldn’t happen. She had a good head on her shoulders and had carried the Rebellion on her shoulders. He would always be there when she needed him, even if he now had to adjust to the fact it wouldn’t be in the way he originally wanted.

Luke also wondered if they’d ever know peaceful times. As much as they were skilled warriors, people could only take fighting for so long before something in them gave way. It was exhausting to wage war non-stop, but when they were now involved in one that wasn’t their own? It was a little hard to get himself into the right mindset to truly fight. He didn’t have his X-Wing, and he really felt vulnerable. At least he had his lightsaber, though. Still, he did wish he could have his plane to aid him, but he would work with what he had.

Looking to Luke at his words, Leia smiled softly. She really had no idea how many people would follow her if she did decide to take over, so at least knowing she had at least one supporter was a relief. Oh, she knew that it wasn’t how Luke wanted to be by her side but they were still tied to one another. Perhaps in a deeper way than how Luke had anticipated. Who knew, she certainly didn’t.

“Thank you, Luke...That means a lot to me.” Brushing a strand of hair from her face, Leia sighed and her smile faltered as she watched a couple walk by, laughing and holding hands. They were so naive in what they were up against. It was something she had never truly been. Naive. From a young age, she had known that the Empire was corrupt, had been targeted. And then she led the Rebellion. Her adult life knew nothing of peace and sometimes she envied those who did know it.

“Hopefully someday we’ll find peace....” Her voice was weary. She was older than her twenty three years, that much was certain. But what could she do? War did that to people.

“You’re welcome, Leia.” He gave her a little nod, glad that he did know someone here. If it had been just him along with the others from their universe, Luke would not know how to act at all. He didn’t like the feeling that people knew things about him that he hadn’t lived through yet.

He saw Leia’s smile falter as the couple passed by. He couldn’t help but think that their ignorance must be bliss. He hoped that that their fighting could help keep people like them unaware of the dangers that lurked in this world. Those thoughts reminded him of his life on Tatooine. It had been a simple life, and one filled a large amount of naivety. At least up until his aunt and uncle had been killed by Imperial stormtroopers. And despite all the things he’d gone through since he’d joined the Rebellion, he still did retain a lot of that naivety. Luke was getting a little more battle-worn and hardened, but he still hung onto that happy demeanor. Just because they were at war didn’t mean everyone had to loose their sense of fun. Though sometimes Luke’s naivety could border on the irritating.

“I hope so, too. It would be nice to live in a time of peace.” He wasn’t sure if they’d be able to live peaceful lives after knowing all of this war and death, but he for one would surely try.

Leia’s thoughts were similar to Luke’s. She didn’t know if she’d ever be able to live a peaceful life. One without the threat of the Empire. Without fighting some type of fight to bring about justice for others. It was all she had known since she had been old enough to realize what was going on beneath the layers of what people wanted her to know. Her father had been good at involving her in the political world, but had that made it impossible for her to ever truly know peace or how to handle it.

“It would be...” But even as she spoke, it was obvious of the doubts permeating her mind. It was the unknown. She could handle torture and even the death of her home and still remain strong. But what did she know of peace? Would they even live to see it?

As she sat there, Leia paid attention to the position of the sun, which was slowly climbing and lowering in the sky. There was so much to do. But perhaps she could help Luke learn. There were the classes of course, but he might do better if she were the one helping him. It was a thought at least.

It was impossible to imagine a place without war, without fighting the Empire. He didn’t know if they would truly be able to succeed at defeating the Empire, but Luke would be more than happy to die trying if that would be the case. Fighting for a better place to live was worth dying for in his eyes. Especially against people like Vader and the Emperor.

Luke glanced around the park, still fascinated by the life here. Even with a war raging, most people were still vibrant and living life to the fullest. Even though it was winter on this planet, he still saw the beauty in it. Though he might be more impressed if they were somewhere more scenic than Kansas, but that was beside the point. He did hope that they could preserve these things. He really hoped they could do some sort of good in this place, and he did want to learn more about it. He wasn’t always the best student, but when given patience, he could learn just about anything.

Shivering slightly, Leia pulled her coat around her tighter. It wasn’t as cold as Hoth, but her jacket wasn’t he warmest of things, but it did it’s job. It was that, or she was letting her mind dwell on things past. All this talk of Vader and their family had a tendency to do that to the princess. But she didn’t want to worry Luke. He had enough on his plate now that he knew the truth. He didn’t need her dwelling on things out of their control.

Standing up, Leia stretched and then looked over her shoulder to Luke.

“Did you want to head back to the complex or stay out a bit longer?” Leia herself didn’t have a preference. She was content either way to be honest. Yes, it was cool out but there was also drama at the complex. It was headache inducing. But what could she do? They were dealing with children and teenagers and adults who acted like children.

Luke was thankful they weren’t on Hoth. He really didn’t want to end up in the cave of some beast that wanted to eat him again. Earth was pleasant, aside from the demons. He certainly hoped there weren’t any man-eating demons that would come after them. Though he wouldn’t take the potential danger here lightly. He would definitely need to learn all about the evil they faced so he could be best equipped to fight it.

“We can head back.” While he didn’t exactly have a preference of where they’d go, Luke was beginning to feel the need to lay down. The initial shock was wearing off, and Leia’s words were beginning to truly set in. Before he made a scene, he figured he should go back to his apartment where he could be alone. Though any of those from their universe would undoubtedly be able to feel what he was going through via the Force. But Luke wasn’t exactly caring about that right now. While common courtesy would dictate that he close himself off from the Force during such a time, he wouldn’t. If for nothing else but the thought did not cross his mind. He was starting to get stuck on the past, on things he couldn’t possibly change no matter how much he wanted to.

Nodding, Leia started back towards the complex, lost in thought. The past was a dangerous place to get stuck in. It could hold on fast and you would never let go. But she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t thinking of the past either. Vader’s presence in this place made it impossible for her to truly let go. But it was four years ago, and she had dealt with it then. Or avoided it. It was a matter of opinion with that, if anyone questioned her. But they wouldn’t because she’d go Ice Queen on them and no one seemed to want that.

The silence in the air was thick and Leia didn’t know how to deal with that. She missed the easy going conversations she could have with Luke. He’d been her friend and confidant. She was certain that would come back, just not at this moment. So it was dealing with the heaviness in the air and knowing that he was finally accepting what she had told him. Which was good, she couldn’t have him wandering around like a lost puppy when they were twins and her heart belonged to Han.

Once they arrived at the complex, Leia paused and hugged Luke and gave him a small smile.

“I’ll see you around.” After all, there were classes to take and jobs to have. With that, Leia started towards the elevator to go up to her room unless Luke needed her for anything else.

As they made their silent walk back to the complex, so many things were going through Luke’s head. While the truth of what Leia had said was sinking in, he was finding it hard to believe. After all, Ben had told him that Vader had killed his father. If Vader was in fact his father, why hadn’t Ben just told him the truth? Perhaps he could understand Ben keeping it a secret while he was a child, but after what had happened to his aunt and uncle? Why didn’t Ben say something then?

There was a fleeting sense of anger within him, though it really wasn’t directed at anyone specific. He didn’t like that Ben had lied to him, but there wasn’t much he could do about that now. So Vader was his father and Leia was his sister. Somehow he would have to come to terms with all of this, but he didn’t know how long that would take. Finding out like this was really not the way to find out about such things. But at least Leia had told him instead of trying to keep him in the dark.

Luke was so caught up in his thoughts that when Leia hugged him, he was taken aback by it. He blinked, but returned the hug after a moment, giving her a small smile in return. “Take care,” he said, standing in place as Leia started to head up to her room. He couldn’t help the puppy dog look he gave her as she walked away, but he caught himself and lowered his gaze to the floor. His shoulders slumping, he headed for the stairs, wanting to walk up to his room instead of taking the elevator. He needed some time alone to deal with all of this.