The Perk, Monday Afternoon

[likes_scoundrels]

From the radio broadcast the night before, and seeing that people were still not back to themselves this morning, Leia knew that her daughter was now a son and her nephew was now a niece, which gave her no small amount of glee despite the grimness of her latest trip home. And, of course, either her father or Rory or both had swapped since "flipping out" had been reported by the squirrels.

It was for her father she now waited at the Perk, anxious to talk to him about what she'd found out. And, of course, to see what he looked like today.

[Expecting Dad "Mom," but open Perk is open!]

Comments

[sith_happened]

Anakin was looking around for Luke first when he arrived at the Perk, despite the female voice that had left the message.

"Leia," he said with a tiny smile when he saw her. "Fandom struck again."

[likes_scoundrels]

Leia had been prepared for Anakin being female, but the reality of it?

She burst out laughing, she just couldn't help it.

[sith_happened]

"I'm still taller than you," he pointed out a little smugly.

Though, it must be noted, not by much.

[likes_scoundrels]

"I can't wait to see Ben and Jaina," Leia laughed. And she was thanking the Force that she'd somehow managed to escape the transformations unscathed.

[sith_happened]

Anakin reflected that running into Jaina might produce more questions that he'd rather not answer, but his plate was already full with the what-the-kriff-Death Star, and so good luck, Jaina.

Since Leia was smiling, he felt pretty safe in assuming that Alderaan was still in one piece, and was more than happy to hold off on having this conversation as long as possible.

"Ben will be a sulky redhead hiding in the ice creams shop, no doubt," he said with a wry smile.

[likes_scoundrels]

"I'll have to find him and tease him unmercifully," Leia grinned. Then her expression grew more serious as she said, "But I needed to talk to you first about what happened while I was away."

[sith_happened]

"Need a coffee first?" Anakin asked. "It's not as good as caf, of course, but it works in a pinch."

[likes_scoundrels]

"Yes, please," Leia said. Something stronger might also have been welcome. She hadn't told Bail exactly everything about what had happened because she knew how upset he'd be, but she planned to tell Anakin, since for him technically it already happened for her awhile ago. It made sense in her head.

[sith_happened]

Anakin brought back one of Rory's favorite coffees--with lots of espresso, whipped cream and chocolate--and a black coffee for himself and slid into a chair across from Leia. "So, tell me about your trip home."

[likes_scoundrels]

Leia took a sip of the coffee, gathering her thoughts to start from the beginning. "There's been unrest on Ralltiir," she said. "Due to the Empire trying to seize control of the galactic banking system. So I took the Tantive IV there to try to deliver medical supplies and other equipment to the High Council. It didn't exactly go well. I got held up by Lord Tion and...Vader was there as well."

[sith_happened]

Anakin's lips pursed. He remembered Lord Tion well: as a sleazy bootlicker. "What kinds of other equipment?" he asked.

Because he knew this answer, too.

[likes_scoundrels]

Just wait 'til she told him Tion proposed marriage to her. Ew.

"Military quality power units," Leia answered. Yes, she knew just how much trouble she would've been in if they'd been found on the Tantive IV, thank you.

[sith_happened]

"That's a dangerous risk to take on a diplomatic vessel," Anakin warned, eyebrows furrowing. "Especially in a region where Darth Vader was working."

[likes_scoundrels]

"I didn't know he'd be there personally," Leia protested. Not that she probably wouldn't have tried to waltz right in anyway. "And I managed to talk my way out of it and even sheltered a rebel soldier who had important information for us. But Vader ordered my arrest if I was found anywhere other than Alderaan, and I got cornered on Kattada trying to find help to get the supplies back to Ralltiir."

[sith_happened]

Anakin closed his eyes, remembering this. "What happened?" he asked anyway.

[likes_scoundrels]

"I would have come peacefully but the Imperials opened fire on Lady Mia's guards," Leia said. "They killed her. We had to fight back to stop them from getting word out about me or what we were doing there. The information that Basso -- the rebel soldier we were harboring -- was too valuable." She hated that her uncle had kept her out of the fight, but she understood why.

"We won," she added. Obviously, since she was still alive.

[sith_happened]

"What was the information that the rebel had?" Anakin asked, sipping from his coffee.

And stalling. Yes. Stalling.

[likes_scoundrels]

"That the Empire has constructed some sort of enormous battle station," Leia said, suppressing a shudder to think of the power of it. "They call it the Death Star. It's capable of destroying entire planets -- at least that's what Tion claimed. I managed to get more information out of him when he came to Alderaan to offer me a marriage proposal."

[sith_happened]

Anakin shot coffee out his nose. "His marriage what?!"

[likes_scoundrels]

"He actually thought he could win my affections by bragging about the position he was about to earn," Leia said in disgust. "Admittedly it made getting information out of him easier."

She turned her coffee cup in her hands for a moment, staring down at it. "But then I made a mistake. And I killed him."

[sith_happened]

Anakin bit back the unhelpful comment of how everyone who thought of proposing to Leia should meet a grisly end, realizing how upset she was about it.

He reached out for her hand. "First kill?" he guessed.

[likes_scoundrels]

Leia squeezed his hand and nodded. "The things I've killed before were hardly real," she said. Twisted wolves and the creatures in Silent Hill weren't the same. "This was. And I had to do it. I didn't even think. I accidentally said Death Star to him when I shouldn't have known that code name. And then he knew for sure that I was involved with the Rebellion."

[sith_happened]

"That's an executable offense, even for someone who didn't just skitter out from under Vader's thumb," Anakin agreed, eyebrows furrowing. "How did he die?"

[likes_scoundrels]

"We were having dinner alone together," Leia said. "He was armed, I wasn't. We struggled for his blaster and I shot him." She had a feeling it definitely wouldn't be the last time she shot someone, so she'd better get used to it.

[sith_happened]

He gave her hand another squeeze. "I'm sorry that you had to do it, but I'm not sorry you're alive and he's not."