Bloodline

by Claudia Gray

(When she thought of her father, she thought only of Bail Organa. He had been her father in spirit, and surely that was more important than anything else.)

“Sometimes I felt as if the only thing that kept me going in the aftermath of Alderaan was the strength of my hatred for Vader.” For my father.

Really, it was spectacular. She’d always meant to bring Han here, but they’d never made it happen. Someday, she promised herself. Someday soon.

“But, Princess Leia!” C-3PO’s voice rose in alarm. “You can’t! The mission sounds terribly dangerous.” “Threepio, in the quarter century you’ve served me, have you ever known me to run away from danger?” “Well. No.” The droid considered this a moment before adding hopefully, “Yet you might eventually develop a stronger instinct for survival.”

Eventually develop a stronger instint for survival… :)

Answer suffering with kindness. That was what his mothers always said, one of the tenets people on Gatalenta tried to live by.

Leia smiled into the holocam, trying to envision her husband’s face. If the mission to Sibensko went wrong, her next words might be the last Han would ever hear her say. The first time she’d had to ask herself what to do in this situation had been at Cloud City, and she said the same thing now as she had then. “I love you.”

I know

“Do you have any idea how much I love you?” “Yeah, I’d say I have a pretty good idea.” Leia mock-punched him in the arm, and Han chuckled. “C’mon. You know I love you, too.” “Yes,” she said as she tilted her mouth up for a kiss. “I know.”

She realized, then, something she had never fully understood before. She’d always wondered what had led her father to turn to the dark side, to become Darth Vader. She’d imagined it came from ambition, greed, or some other venal weakness. Never had she considered that the turn might begin in a better place, out of the desire to save someone or to avenge a great wrong. Even if it led to evil, that first impulse might be born of loyalty, a sense of justice, or even love.

Fear is the path to the dark side...

Despite her long disillusionment with the political process, Leia only now realized the Senate was doomed no matter what she did. War had become inevitable.

“The sun is setting on the New Republic,” Leia said. “It’s time for the Resistance to rise.”