LOST KINGDOM ─ star wars

XXXV. The Beginning Of The End

Chapter Thirty-Five
Leia

We did very little talking on the way back to the fleet. Learning that you're destined to bring balance to the force is not exactly easy to digest, and I think both Luke and I needed some time to think things over. We weren't given a whole lot of time though, because the second we reached the rebel fleet, we were thrust back into the planning and preparation for the attack on Taris. For a week now we've been staying on Alderaan, and in that time we've gathered all our forces together and crafted our strategy to get Jayce back, kill the Emperor, who has been reported to be on Taris along with our father, and free the galaxy.

The plan is as follows: a small team will fly a stolen Imperial cruiser and infiltrate Taris. A source of ours on the planet says that Taris's capital city is protected by a shield generator that's located in the center of the city and a huge blockade. The team will slip past the blockade, deactivate the shield and then the fleet will commence an attack from the sky and on the ground. Our first priority is to find Jayce, then worry about the Emperor and Vader. Once that's taken care of, we continue on to the next city and the next until Taris is free.

Luke, Holly, Aylin, Han, Chewie, and I are going to be this team to infiltrate Taris. We leave in a few minutes. Han, Chewie, and Holly are making sure we have all of our supplies, Luke is taking a moment to mediate, and Aylin is saying goodbye to my sister. The captain cups her face gently and kisses her, with my sister clutching on tightly to her shoulders, her face contorted in worry. This worry only increases as they pull apart, as Iris lets go of Aylin and makes her way over towards me, with the captain sharing her look of fear. Once my sister reaches me, I pull her in for a hug and assure her: "I'll keep Aylin safe. I promise."

She squeezes me tighter. "Thank you."

"Why didn't you tell me you two were together?" I ask, pulling back from her to see her face.

She shrugs, dabbing at the corners of her eyes with her sleeve. "I'm a queen, she's my captain of the guard, it's improper, so we hid it. I was going to tell you eventually, things were just so hectic—"

"It's alright, I get it. I'm just happy you're happy."

Iris glances over my shoulder at Aylin and smiles at herself. "I am," Now her worried gaze grows playful, a smirk dancing across her lips. "To be fair you didn't tell me about you and Jayce."

I let out a short laugh. "Yeah, you want to talk about an improper pairing, it's the king of Taris and the daughter of Darth Vader."

Iris's smile and tone stays playful, even hopeful. "If you love him and he loves you, you'll find a way to make it work, regardless of how improper it might be."

"I had worried about telling him how I felt before because I'm not sure I can be a queen, but now that I know who I really am, I'm even more unsure. What if love just isn't enough?"

"But what if it is? If having Mom and Dad as parents has taught me anything it's that love is worth taking a chance for. If you want him, if you want to be queen, then go for it. I'll be there to help you in every way I can."

I pull her back in for a hug, kissing her cheek. "I love you."

She rubs my upper back and nods against my shoulder. "I love you, too. Be careful, okay?"

I pull back from her again and nod, turning to find Mom standing a couple feet from us, looking caught between leaving us be and running to embrace us. I haven't spoken to her that much in the past week other than some passing words. I've been so angry at her for lying to me, for not trusting me with the truth. I know she was only trying to protect me, her and Dad both, but that doesn't mean I don't still feel betrayed. But despite that, I'm about to go on a dangerous mission and then fight in a battle that might kill us all. I never got to say goodbye to Dad, and I'll be damned if I miss that opportunity with Mom as well.