Fame and the Force

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fourteen

Corellia

Han had contacted Leia and let her know that a woman from Naboo was arriving to see her and Luke, so therefore the woman was allowed to land her vessel - a beautiful Nubian J-327 starship - inside the fenced area of Evin Daysun's estate. Luke escorted the woman back to the main house, sending frequent glances in her direction as they walked. Something about this woman seemed so familiar, yet Luke was unable to place her. Once inside the home she told Luke and Leia her story, and her encounter with Nexx Turner.

After she finished telling them about her sister, Padme Amidala Naberrie, Sola smiled at the two young people sitting on the opposite side of the dining room table. "I know this must come as a shock to you," she said, looking at their stunned faces.

"My... I mean our mother was a Queen?" Luke asked, his mind still trying to absorb this information.

"If Turner is telling the truth, then yes. But it was an elected position, not hereditary like Alderaan's or Hape's was." She took a small velvet pouch from her satchel and pushed it across the table. "We kept a lock of Padme's hair before she was interred." She gazed at Leia, noting her concerns. "Your fiance was a bit skeptical about Turner's claims, so this will confirm if what Turner is saying is true."

Leia reached over and took the small bag, holding it reverently. "A piece of our mother."

The older woman nodded. "This all has come as a shock to me, as well. I truly believed Padme's child died at the same time she passed away. And then... to find out she had twins, and they both survived..."

"Obi-Wan and Yoda believed they were doing the right thing," Luke murmured, staring at the velvet bag.

"The Jedi seemed to believe they knew better than us ordinary beings," Sola said, her tone bitter. "I could never understand why parents gave up their off-spring to strangers, knowing they would never see them again. I could only surmise they were coerced and manipulated by the Jedi, since normal parents would never willingly do such a thing." She shook her head in disgust. "It was nothing more than Republic endorsed kidnapping, and because they were Jedi it was somehow considered justified. Obi-Wan's and Yoda's actions to remove you from your relatives was arrogant and condescending, as well as immoral and illegal."

"They were only trying to protect us," Luke said, defending the only two Jedi he'd ever known.

"From Anakin and his Sith Master."

Luke looked up sharply, watching Leia's wary reaction. "You knew our father was Anakin Skywalker and what became of him?"

"We always suspected," Sola replied sadly. "It was simply too much of a coincidence that they both died at the same time. My father took the log information from Padme's ship and found it had been on Mustafar. Obi-Wan also told my parents that Anakin Skywalker died on Mustafar. It didn't take a professional detective to put the pieces together." She gazed over the table toward her new-found relatives. "It also wasn't a coincidence that this new Sith Lord, Darth Vader, appeared immediately after Padme's funeral. He even traveled once to Naboo and stood for many timeparts at her grave site one evening. So, yes, we figured out that Anakin became Vader and we also guessed that he had something to do with Padme's death."

"It won't take long for Turner to put those same pieces together," Luke said, mostly to his sister.

"I know," Leia whispered. "I will have to arrange a holo-news conference before he does."

Sola nodded in agreement. "I am aware it won't be easy, but it's the correct thing to do, Princess Leia." She leaned back in her chair and smiled. "I don't believe that good beings will blame either of you, especially considering how much good you've done for the galaxy."