Star Wars: Legacies

Leia

Leia stood at the window of the room Lando had accommodated them with, nervously biting her freshly manicured fingernails, no doubt ruining the sheer polish that had been put on them. At Han's urging, she finally relented and allowed Lando's people to "take care of her." Admittedly, she was a mess. She'd been wearing the same tattered clothes for a week, which really looked dirty in spite of the daily hand washings in the Falcon's sink. She was covered in all sorts of scratches and burns, not to mention a blaster wound, so a quick bacta soak had her feeling better than she had in weeks. They fixed her tangled braid crown into an interesting updo, and stuck her in a comfortable if slightly impractical gown.
Despite how welcoming and kind their host had been thus far, Leia couldn't shake the idea that something was horribly wrong, but she couldn't put her finger on what. Luke had gone to dig around hours ago, and she hadn't heard from him since.
Everything about this felt wrong, and her fingers itched for the familiar security of her lightsaber hilt.
The door opened behind her, and she turned expecting to see her brother, but it was just Han.
She started towards him, shaking her head.
"Han, something's wrong here, I can feel it. We need to leave."
She expected him to roll his eyes or say something condescending, but he looked uncertain, like he was actually taking her words to heart.
"Lando says the ship should be fixed in an hour or so, then we can leave. Chewy's there now."
Leia crossed her arms, "I don't trust Lando. Have you seen Luke? I haven't heard from him in hours! Something's not right."
Han sighed and looked out the window at the skyline, scratching the back of his head. He opened his mouth like he was gonna say something, but was interrupted by another person entering the room, none other than Lando himself.
He gave Leia a charming smile, and walked towards them, "You are positively beautiful. You truly belong here among the clouds."
Leia forced a smile, "Thank you, but I already know where I belong."
Lando laughed nervously and turned his attention to Han, "Dinner is ready, you must join us, we have some of the finest chefs in the galaxy."
Han gave Leia a sideways look and offered her his arm, "Ah, yeah, dinner sounds great," and the two of them followed Lando through the halls of Bespin, the dread in Leia's stomach growing with every step.
Han put a reassuring hand on Leia's, and Lando turned to look at them when they reached a door, his forced smile faltering.
"I hope you know I didn't want this," he said, his voice low and disappointed.
The door opened to the dining room, revealing a red twi-lek sitting at the head of the luminous white table, dressed in a black evening gown. Sitting beside her was Luke, his wrists in binders locked to either side of the chair.
Leia went for her saber, but it was gone, and she realized it'd been taken without her noticing. Han's immediate response was to pull out his blaster and fire at Talon.
She casually flicked her wrist, sending the bolts careening into the walls, before using the force to yank Han's blaster away from him.
"They arrived a few minutes before you did," Lando started, "I'm sorry."
Han raised an eyebrow, "I'm sorry too."
Talon stood up, gesturing at the set banquet before them, "We would be honored, if you would join us."

Six bounty hunters appeared behind her, Boba Fett, IG-88, Bosskk, Aurra Singh, Embo and his anooba, and one more bounty hunter she didn't recognize. She heard at least a dozen stormtroopers fall into step behind them, and knew they didn't have many options.
Leia met Talon's yellow gaze disdainfully and stepped forward, sitting across from her brother, with Han following suit. Lando as far as possible from Luke, avoiding everyone's harsh stares as he sipped on his wine.
Talon took a large gulp of hers and cut into her steak, so rare it may as well have been raw. She bit into it, allowing the blood to fall down her chin before dabbing it with a napkin, then focused her attention on Luke.
"Padawan, I have yet to meet a Jedi as nosy as you," she prodded casually, taking another drink of her wine.
Luke said nothing, instead glaring at her angrily.
Talon frowned, dabbing the corner of her mouth, "Really? A Skywalker has nothing to say?"
"I have a lot I could say," Luke spat, "but you're not worth my breath."
Talon rolled her eyes and took another bite of her steak, "I'd play nice, sweetie, I'm your best chance of making it out of here alive," she warned.
Leia laughed coldly, "Really? I'd love to hear what scheme you've concocted this time."
"I suppose there is no point beating around the bush," she took another drink, "Simply put, Tarkin wants your heads on his desk before the next rotation, along with the droid."
Han scoffed, "So what's all this about? You're just playing with your food before you eat it?"
Talon glared at Han and took another bite, "I, personally, do not wish to dirty my hands just yet, however I'm curious as to why he's so fixated on the droid."
"Why don't you ask him?" Han scoffed.
"Lying is like breathing to the old man, so you can understand why I would prefer to investigate personally. So I've come to offer you a choice."
Luke sneered, "What might that be?"
Talon set her fork down and looked directly at Leia, "Should my apprentice rejoin me at my side, as well as turn over the droid, her brother and the Wookiee will be allowed to return home unharmed. Should you refuse, I turn you all over to Tarkin, who will no doubt have you executed."
"Fat chance! Like we'd ever agree to that," Luke growled, pulling on his restraints.
Leia hesitated, and glanced to her side, "And what about Han?"
Talon waved her clawed hand at Boba Fett, "That's not my problem. Per our agreement, either way he's being turned over to Boba Fett and the Hutts."
Lando, who'd been silent up until now, glared at Talon angrily, "That wasn't part of our agreement!"
Talon raised a couple of fingers in the allusion to a Force choke, as a warning to her unwilling accomplice, "I'm altering the deal, pray I don't alter it further."
"Now hold on a min-" Leia shushed Han and got Talon's attention, "I'll go with you, but only if you can guarantee Han, Luke, Artoo, and Chewbacca will be returned unharmed to Coruscant."
Luke jerked his chair forward angrily, ready to berate her for such a terrible bargain but she shushed him with a look.
This was her mess, and if she had to give herself up to get out of it, so be it.
"The deal was I got Solo!" Boba Fett growled, stepping closer to Talon.
She rolled her eyes and waved a hand, "You'll be compensated for Solo's bounty," she focused on Leia, "You and the droid."
"What insurance do you have that they won't be harmed?"
"Only my word," Talon answered simply.
"Your word is worthless! You murdered Obi-Wan, and I plan to kill you for it," Leia snarled, her words dripping with ire.
Talon raised her eyebrows, "Interesting! That's not the Jedi way, is it, Master Kenobi?"
The room went dead silent as Talon's yellow gaze rested on one of her own stormtroopers, "You may drop the act Master Jedi, I've known it was you since the moment you began your little impersonation."
Leia's mouth dropped to the floor, utterly stunned. The trooper stiffened, but said nothing. He had been masking his presence in the Force quite well, but as the shroud fell, it became clear that standing before her was indeed, Obi-Wan Kenobi. She didn't know how it was possible, but in that moment she was so overjoyed she could've laughed.
Suddenly, the room went pitch black, and in the confusion, Leia seized her chance. She thrust her arm forward and used the force to grab Talon by the throat, flinging her into the wall. The room erupted to laserfire, and Han tackled Leia to the floor, right as several lazer bolts cut through the air her head had just occupied. Luke slammed his chair back into IG-88, crushing it against him and causing the chair to break apart on impact.
Han flipped the table on its side to provide cover for them, right as Lando threw Leia her saber, she lunged at Talon who was admittedly caught off guard. They wrestled for a moment, and Leia managed to get a hold of Luke's saber from Talon's belt. She tossed it back to him then jumped to her feet, igniting her own against Talon.
She was suddenly aware of a gun pressed against her temple and realized it was none other than Boba Fett.
"I wouldn't move if I were you."
Leia swallowed and stared down Talon fearlessly.
"Subdue the others, Fett. The student requires a lesson."
Boba did what he was told, leaping back into the fray with Luke, Obi-Wan, Lando, and Han.
Leia didn't waste time on pointless banter, flinging herself at Talon, screaming furiously. Talon countered and the two entered a deadly dance, but the only person actually going for the kill was Leia.
She pushed Talon through the halls, swinging, twirling, slashing, blocking, and pouncing. She pushed Talon outside onto a landing platform that dropped miles below.
Leia huffed, struggling to regain her breath, her violet saber poised at Talon's neck.
Talon simply smiled satisfactorily. "Still plan to kill me, pet?"
"I'm not your pet!" Leia growled.
"Leia, you misunderstand, I have been on your side since the beginning," Talon purred.
"You tried to kill Luke, Ahsoka, my father, and Obi-Wan."
Talon grinned sweetly, showing off her sharpened canines. "I knew they'd all be fine. I'm simply playing the game, Leia. And whether you want to believe it or not, I have always been on your side. Obi-Wan Kenobi escaped death because I ALLOWED him to. He arrived in this city with you, because I ALLOWED him to. Ahsoka is alive and well, as is your father, both on their own missions to thwart my plans at the moment. I could've killed them too, but I didn't. Have I truly ever done anything but help you?"
Leia hesitated. If Talon wasn't the enemy, then who was?
"I'll see you soon, pet," and with that, Talon jumped over the edge, vanishing, her words still echoing in Leia's ears.
She took a few shakey steps backwards, Talon's words rattling her. No, they were not on the same side. She would NEVER become a Sith. She was raised to preserve life, not destroy it. Clearly Talon was manipulating her. Right?
"Leia!" came a wonderfully familiar voice behind her. She whipped around to see Obi-Wan, azure lightsaber in hand, running towards her, having shed his helmet. "He's alive because I allowed him to live," echoed in her brain as she ran at him, sobbing with relief, throwing her arms around him and burying her face in his chestplate. He hugged her in turn, waiting until she was ready to pull away, "It's good to see you, my dear."
"You're alright," she sobbed, smiling so wide her cheeks hurt.
He winked, "A little worse for wear, but yes, I'm fine," he assured her.
She sniffed and nodded, managing to hold back her tears of joy as the two of them hurried back to the wrecked dining room. All the bounty hunters looked to be alive, but definitely beaten and all unconscious. Three Jedi wasn't exactly a fair fight.
"The Falcon's ready, you need to go, now," Lando told them, pulling Luke to his feet. Han quickly raised his blaster and pointed it at Lando, his blue eyes furious.
"Why the hell should we listen to you?!" He demanded.
Obi-Wan Kenobi sighed and placed a hand on Han's blaster, forcing him to lower it, "Because this was the plan. Lando and I met a few years ago on Lothal, let's just say he owed me a favor. When you all showed up, he contacted me."
Luke looked around, apparently already having had his tearful reunion, "Just you?"
Master Kenobi rolled his shoulders like he was getting ready for a fight. "I was a bit tight on time, the Jedi are spread fairly thin at the moment, my padawan. Your father is currently tracking down the engineer who designed this Death Star. I'll explain everything later."
Lando interjected, "My people have already taken care of the stormtroopers, you must go!"
"He's right, we need to get out of here before Talon tries anything else!" Leia brought up.
Lando nodded, "Droid's on the ship with Chewbacca, you better hurry. Good luck, and may the Force be with you."