Edges of the World

Chapter 28

The stark difference between how Palpatine's Palace was in this dimension and in hers no longer caused even a hint of wonder.

Instead with each being they passed in the halls she was reminded anew that all of these people were dead in her universe.

Just like when she had gone home.

Most of the people in this Temple had probably died horrifying deaths. What had she been thinking, agreeing to actually spend the night within this tomb full of living ghosts?

The five of them were walking together through the dimly lit halls. Ahsoka and Barriss were leading the way, while she, Luke and Obi-Wan trailed behind.

Luke kept giving her curious glances, and his eager expression made him look far younger than he was. "So uh... Crown Princess? I mean, I know you don't want to tell your whole story all over again Lei, but care to explain?"

"How much did your parents tell you about me?"

"Nothing, really. We've spent almost all of the time since I got home worrying about my sister. Your universe sounded like a nightmare place to be stuck." His lips twitched into an apologetic half smile. "I mean, I know what you said in the meeting with the Council, obviously, but that's all."

Hadn't they told him anything?

"Then I guess I should start by telling you I had no idea my universe's Luke and I were related until I spoke to your parents yesterday."

Luke almost stumbled as he walked.

"What? But... but how?"

"For reasons I don't yet understand, we were raised by separate families. In different parts of the galaxy even. I only met Luke for the first time a few months ago."

"You don't know why the two of you were separated?" Obi-Wan asked. Leia had almost forgotten he was there, walking on Luke's other side.

"No. I have no clue. I was adopted by Breha and Bail Organa, and Luke was raised by his aunt and uncle on Tatooine." She frowned. "Should I say our aunt and uncle?" The semantics of her situation were confusing. Were those farmers even actually related to Luke at all?

Luke gaped at her for a moment longer, and then laughed. "Wait, you were a Princess and I lived with Owen and Beru? Talk about an unfair deal! Who decided that?"

"I don't know!" She laughed with him.

She took Luke's apparent familiarity with the Lars family as confirmation they had actually been related. How interesting that Luke had wound up with relatives while she had been adopted.

"I really don't understand how any of this came to be. My parents always told me I was a war orphan. Now that I know what I do, my parents are dead and can't be asked what actually happened. Same for Luke's aunt and uncle. Killed by the Empire, all of them." Her smile twisted sardonically. "They were all murdered within the same week no less."

"Both of your families were killed in such a short period of time?" Obi-Wan asked.

"The Empire was particularly busy that week, what can I say. That same week they also killedyou and blew my entire home planet up for good measure." She laughed.

She had never laughed about what had happened to Alderaan before, but since she had started laughing with Luke earlier she did not want to stop.

It felt good to treat what had happened like an absurdist joke rather than the horrific event it had been.

Something she could just casually mention while walking down a hall, nothing to it.

(There was a distinct possibility that retelling this story over and over again these past two days was having a negative impact on her mental health.)