A/N: Warning! My writing has a tendency to reflect whatever I've been doing or reading . . . well, I've started reading Romeo & Juliet soo . . .
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Once envious, but envious no more. Long-time sisters, but nearly strangers now. Used to tell everything to the other, now their lips sealed with dried carbonite. Winter wasn't sure she liked Leia anymore. After Leia pushed past her on her way up the stairs, Winter scoffed, hurrying down to the Organas' living room. There she found Bail as he said his proper goodbyes to the senators as they left. He shook hands with Mothma and Ackbar, then they filed out with the rest. Bail turned to her, a smile coming to his lips. "Winter," he approached her. "How are you, dear? What brings you down here?"
Sir," she called him. She never had felt very comfortable calling him father as he had always insisted I just saw Leia and she seemed rather upset. She told me you wanted to speak with me? About a mission, I think?"
Bail's smile transformed into a weary frown and he sighed, seating himself on the couch and motioned for Winter to join him. She took a seat across from him in a tall chair and listened to his words. "I'm afraid she might have overheard some of my discussion with other Rebels. We have been speaking about you and Leia joining and performing some tasks for the Rebellion."
Winter brightened at this and her head came up. "Tasks? Like missions against the Empire?"
"Of course."
"And Leia wants to be sent for those missions."
"Yes."
"Why won't you?"
Bail faltered, something Winter so rarely saw him do. Always confident was the viceroy, he must be very worried, Winter figured. He turned away for a second and when he turned back, his lips were quivering. "It isn't that I don't trust Leia because I do. In fact, I would love for her to be on these missions, for her to be out there like she wants to, but I don't want her to."
"You don't want her to what? I don't think she sees things this way. From the little I just saw of her, I think she believes you don't trust her."
"I know, but that's not true. Winter, I don't want her out there on the front lines. I want her to be safe-"
"That isn't Leia," Winter said with a small smile. "You can't just keep her from the fight. It's what she's starving for."
"I know, but she doesn't understand." Bail frowned, his brows knitting together in a way that usually meant he was about to lie. "She doesn't belong out there," he told Winter. "She doesn't belong on the front lines." He visibly winced. "She belongs here, away from the danger, safe here."
Winter nodded, almost uncomfortable in the midst of so many lies as she began to go leave. "So, there's a mission you're sending me on?"
Bail returned her gaze and answered in near monotone, "Yes, Winter. A Corellian resistance cell has obtained the Emperor's plans for his super weapon. We need you to deliver them to a General Kenobi who lives on Tatooine. He'll know what to do with the plans once you have delivered them to him."
"Of course, Viceroy. Where on Tatooine does he live?"
"North of Anchorhead. Mon Mothma wishes to send you out in a month to keep suspicions quiet."
"Yes, Viceroy."
"And, whatever you do, Winter . . ."
"Yes, Viceroy?"
"Don't tell Leia."
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When Bail came into his room, his wife was already settled into bed on her side, the silky sheets pulled up to her shoulders. A sad smile graced her lips and when Bail got into bed with her, she sat up and stroked his cheek, asking in a doubtful tone, "What are you doing, B?"
"Something the matter?"
"Yes. Something is quite the matter." Her tone remained soft, a light whisper somehow strong enough to keep Bail's attention. "Why are you sending Winter on this mission?"
"Why not? Winter is a wonderful resource. She has an excellent memory, fine technical skills-"
"I am well aware of how good an asset she would be to the Rebellion, but she shouldn't be going on this mission. It's hardly one for her and you know it. She's not the right kind of person."
Bail knew exactly what Breha meant, but he didn't dare admit defeat nor voice objection. His gaze remained on the bed sheets while Breha played with his right hand, waiting for a response. When she had waited for a good half minute and no response came, Breha sighed and said it for him. "You know what this is about, B. You know exactly what's going on even though nobody else does. There's a war going on out there and I'll remind you, it's not over who gets to control the galaxy. No, it's over your daughter. And it's not going to stop until she does something about it.
"Bail, we've both known this since the very day you adopted her. You knew this would be so far beyond us. You knew it wouldn't last forever. You knew she wouldn't really belong in the home she would be in. Bail, Leia doesn't belong here and you know it. She isn't meant to be a princess, rich and wealthy and . . . and . . . married to a prince. That isn't going to be her life, Bail. What you're trying to feed to Winter. That's your daughter's life. She was born to be out fighting on the front lines, surrounded by casualties, never resting, always fighting, taking down the Empire with her bare hands. That's her job, B. Not Winter's."
Breha was right. Bail knew she was right. Bail didn't want her to be right. The only thing he responded back with was, "But they don't know that."
"Obi-Wan does. Ferus does. Do you think Ferus is going to let this continue on much longer? Here we are, forcing politics and etiquette down her throat when she should be training with a weapon, learning how to defeat the Emperor as only her father could have. Now it's her turn."
"You say it like she's the only one-"
"Is he supposed to do this by himself, B? Do you think this destiny for Leia is avoidable? Leia has a certain set of skills that I'm sure will compliment her as she goes into this war, but she needs so much more than just her mother's talents. If she is to defeat the Empire, she needs to have both of her parents in her. As much as I know you don't want to admit it, Leia needs her father, too."
"How am I supposed to fix this, then?"
"Put Leia where she belongs. Then, we'll talk to Winter. Maybe you're right. Maybe we should keep Leia home until she's ready to fight. But if we're going to do that to her, you have to let her fight somehow."
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"Shoulders straight," Celly advised, still walking circles around her niece. "Back straight, chin up, strong smile."
"Already done," Leia growled through her enforced smile.
Tia did a last check-over before she nodded her approval. "Alright," she smiled, taking Leia's hands in her own. "Showtime."
Leia led her aunts out the door and down the hall to the palace's senate chamber, which was a separate building, and met her father and many other senators at the dais. They all stood before a great crowd of holojournalists, Alderaanian civilians and random Imperial figures including two legions of stormtroopers. Leia would have preferred the Imperials not be here at such an occasion, but this would be the Empire she was working for. And suddenly she began to understand her father's plans. Undercover enemies, she realized the Alderaanians now were.
Leia assumed her place right behind her father who stood facing Senator Mon Mothma, her right shoulder just behind her father's left. "I'm proud of you," he whispered over his shoulder, a smile to prove it on his face.
"Thank you, Father."
"I know you've been working hard to get here and farther, but can't we just take the small steps first?"
"Of course. I'm sorry about the way I acted after I heard your meeting with the other senators and Rebels," Leia reluctantly apologized as she kept an eye down the aisle, waiting for the Imperial representative who would officially declare her a senator of the Imperial Senate. "I do want this, but, like you said, I want to be farther than this. I want to be out there like you are, but closer. I want to be-"
"In the thick of it," Bail finished for her with a knowing look. "I know. That's just who you are. Now, before I admonish you on side conversations at formal events," he flashed an easy smile and Leia had to suppress her own chuckle. "You didn't hear anything more of our conversation, did you?"
"No, Father. I left after you told them the matter was settled, that I wouldn't be joining."
"Okay," Bail's shoulders relaxed slightly. "Good."
Now, Leia looked back down the aisle to see the crowd rising at none other than Grand Moff Tarkin made his entrance, smiling stiffly, striding down the carpet to the dais. Kriff! Leia silently cursed. Of course he's doing this for me!
Tarkin arrived at the dais and properly bowed to the princess, offering his usual stiff smile with a curt nod. "Princess Leia."
Leia stepped around her father and stood before Tarkin. With a nod, she responded, "Grand Moff Tarkin."
In his hands, he held an emblem of the Empire's seal. Leia stood straighter, broadened her shoulders and allowed Tarkin to pin the emblem to her jacket just under the shoulder. Tarkin looked back down to her face and said, "Congratulations, Senator."
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"She's a tricky one to get to," Isolder considered the princess. "There seems to be no way to woo her. Mother," he turned to the Queen Mother who was seated on her throne, drinking in her son's words with a practiced patience. "How can I get her to marry me if I can't woo her?"
"That's the thing, my son. You have to find out what tickles her fancy. All the other Alderaanian nobles know Leia. They know what's she's like, what she likes. And they understand that she's not looking for love. No! Heaven forbid! She's looking for resources, for help. She's looking for help with the Rebellion."
"And you're willing to give this to her so she'll accept my proposal?"
"If this is what it takes, yes. Absolutely."
"And do you plan on proposing actual allegiance to the Rebellion with that? They're careful, sneaky people. They won't trust us as far as an ewok could throw us if we don't. And do you expect them to trust the Hapes Consortium. This isn't going to be easy any way we go. It's just a matter of choosing the quickest route there is."
"Trust me, my dear boy," her tantalizing voice said. "With those aunts of hers, she'll have no choice. Nor will her parents. They'll be all over it. Along with the dowry you already presented to her, she couldn't refuse a partnership between the galaxy's wealthiest monarchy and the Rebel Alliance. Bring her gold and riches straight from the palace, lay it at her feet and tell her it's an offering to the Rebellion. Show her pictures of Hapan Dragons. Tell her you'll use them against the Empire. She'll instantly become enamored with you. You have to learn about the kind of person she is. This is her life, the Rebellion. She'll have no choice but to accept this all or nothing deal. Consider it love at its finest, most pleasurable. Both of us get what we want.Now, Isolder! Before she chooses the childhood friend over you."
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"Did she answer back?" Nolan asked, leaning over Raal's shoulder to get a look at what the prince held in his hands.
Glum and confused, Raal shook his head, dropping the crinkled flimsi paper to the floor. "No. She just sent to back to me, crumpled up."
"Well, I'm sorry, buddy. That must really hurt."
"What?" asked Heeth Panteer, the older prince and brother. "Did Leia turn him down again?"
"Tell me, brother!" Raal jumped to his feet, showing him the flimsi. "What am I doing wrong? I keep telling her how much I care, how I'll do anything for her, anything to make her feel better. And she denies e over and over! What is it? What am I doing wrong? What am I missing?!"
"Relax," Heeth chuckled, sitting down beside his brother on the floor and setting a hand ion his brother's shoulder. "My brother, women are a tough species. Weird and indecisive, you have to have patience. If you expect to win Princess Leia's hand, you ought to have a lot of patience, sitting around and waiting for her to accept!"
Nolan laughed, slapping his towel against the window behind him. His face red from laughing so hard, he told the younger prince, "Haven't you heard, you poor boy? Princess Organa isn't getting married! No ring will win her hand!"
"If you want to impress her," Heeth started. "You have to give her what she really wants from you."
"And what's that?"
"I don't know. That's for you to figure out, little brother."
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A/N: Thanks so much to @pinayblonde for the feedback on Chapter 12. Everyone's support means soo much! Hope you're still enjoying!