Two days had passed since Han's arrival. Padmé and Satine had prepared Satine's speech about Mandalore. Bail Organa was seeking allies in the Senate to join his cause, and he had found several opposed to the Chancellor, though not enough. Together, they had managed to gather considerable information about the Chancellor, but they had to wait for the Queen's authorization in two days to access the palace records.
"I have an idea," Satine said as they prepared the speech. "Obi-Wan won't agree, and I doubt Anakin will."
"What idea?" Padmé asked.
"Darth Maul is working with Palpatine for revenge. He wants to kill him," Satine explained, having lived long enough as his prisoner to overhear many of his conversations.
"You mean he's not entirely their ally?" Padmé asked.
"Exactly. Perhaps if we could offer him our alliance," Satine said.
"They'd never accept," Padmé remarked.
"Maybe if we do it ourselves," Satine suggested.
"We have no idea how the Force works," Padmé said, "but there's someone who could help us."
"Ahsoka?" "—Satine asked, and Padmé nodded.
"—Are you aware that this is a very risky plan?" Padmé asked, but it was true that they had no idea how to stop Palpatine. Everything they did was leading to the creation of the empire.
"—I'm aware that we'll have to act alone in this," Satine murmured. They had always acted according to their own judgment, and Satine was absolutely certain that she wasn't wrong. She had known a monster who had tortured her just to see Obi-Wan suffer, but at that time, that monster had shown his weakness. She still trembled when she remembered the moment she lost her legs. She still remembered how her master didn't help him, and when she saw him again, he rejected her, because there was someone stronger in his place—something he could be.
"—We'll think it over carefully. We'll discuss it with Ahsoka by the end of the week," Padmé said, and Satine nodded as they continued to finalize the details of the speech.
Luke, Han, and Ahsoka were searching for any clue as to the whereabouts of Han's ship. Luke and Han spoke highly of it, and Ahsoka was certain that such a vessel could be of great help.
"The Falcon must be on Corellia," Han said, smiling. "I'll go for it as soon as I get the chance."
"Tonight?" Ahsoka asked, gesturing toward her ship.
"Do you want to go in secret?" Luke asked with a grin.
"Do you think they'll let us go alone?" Ahsoka joked. "Of course we'll go in secret, no one will notice," she said.
"I like this girl," Han said, giving Ahsoka a high five.
"You're not so bad for a smuggler," Ahsoka said, and they continued pondering the Millennium Falcon's location.
Anakin and Leia had spent two days honing Leia's lightsaber skills. Obi-Wan was also helping. Leia was quite skilled with a lightsaber and the Force; in time, she could even defeat Luke and Anakin.
In the afternoon, Obi-Wan, Satine, and Ahsoka were learning to play Sabacc with Han, though they were sure Leia's boyfriend was cheating. The Skywalker family chatted casually by the lake.
"Tell me more about yourself, Luke," Padmé smiled, hugging Luke, while Leia rested her head on Anakin's lap, who stroked her hair.
"What do you want to know?" Luke asked, smiling. He felt truly good with his family.
"What do you like to do?" "Besides piloting ships?" Padmé asked.
"I've always been good with mechanics," Luke said, and Anakin smiled proudly.
"Do you have a girlfriend?" Anakin asked, and Padmé looked at him apprehensively. He shouldn't be so direct, though she wanted to know too.
"N-no," Luke replied, embarrassed.
"Haven't you ever kissed anyone?" Anakin teased, almost relishing his son's embarrassment.
"Ani," Padmé scolded him until she saw Luke turn visibly pale and Leia blush to the roots of her hair as she coughed uncomfortably, standing up.
"What's wrong?" Padmé asked, confused.
"Come on, I bet Leia knows something," Anakin teased, sensing Han's unpleasant presence behind him. "Do you know anything, Solo?" Anakin asked, looking back.
"I was just passing by, escaping the fight in there," Han said, gesturing to everyone arguing at Sabacc's table. "I think it's time I got my revenge on you, kid," he said, looking at Luke. Luke pleaded with his eyes, while Leia gave Han a look that said she'd kill him if he said anything.
"Speak now, Solo," Anakin said, observing his children's strange behavior.
"Very well, General Skywalker," Han said irritably, walking toward the house. "Your son can't answer whether he's given a kiss, because his first kiss was with his beautiful sister," he said, turning away from Anakin and Padmé, who were shocked. That Leia would kill him later would have been totally worth it, he thought as he went back to playing Sabacc.
"What?" Anakin asked, almost in a whisper or a shout. Padmé, for her part, stared at Luke, wide-eyed.
Luke gasped like a fish out of water while Leia clung to her father, burying her face in his chest.
"Leia Skywalker," Anakin said, holding his daughter. "Are you trying to hide because what Solo said is true?" Anakin asked, but Leia refused to let go. "Don't try to bribe me with a hug, Leia," he said, but in reality, Leia was his princess. Just a few days ago, he had confirmed that she was his daughter, and he already felt that he would do whatever she said.
"Luke," Padmé asked, her voice much more serious than usual. "Did you kiss your sister?" she asked, placing a hand on her face. This was troubling. Luke couldn't possibly be in love with his sister. She understood it wasn't his fault. I mean, how could they not have at least told him she was his sister when they first met? What was Obi-Wan thinking about the future? Many years in the desert? Padmé wondered, and she was sure Anakin was thinking the same thing, but with less kind words.
Luke just stared at his father and mother, blushing and wishing Leia would come out of his father's embrace so she could help him speak.
"That's it," Luke began, and Anakin's serious gaze fixed on him. "She kissed me," he said.
"Coward," Leia said, pulling away from Anakin's embrace, who was now looking at her seriously.
"Leia, is that true?" Padmé asked. So, had her daughter fallen in love with her own brother? Was that why she was with that man, Han Solo? Out of spite? Padmé wondered, feeling a pang in her heart.
"Yes," Leia said. "In my defense, I didn't know we were siblings," she said, crossing her arms.
"Do you want to tell us how that happened?" Anakin asked, trying to be the rational one in this matter, since Padmé seemed to be jumping to conclusions in her mind.
"Han had rescued Luke from a blizzard. He was so happy they'd found him."
"Han, your boyfriend?" Anakin asked, raising an eyebrow, and Leia hated herself for not being able to explain how she had kissed her brother.
"Well, I'll tell you," Luke said, and Anakin and Padmé turned their attention to him. "Leia kissed me to make Han jealous, which, by the way, worked."
"That puts my mind at ease," Padmé said, sighing with relief. All her conclusions had been wrong, thanks to the Force.
"Did you like that kiss?" Anakin asked. Luke didn't know she was his sister, and he wanted to know if, by some mistake, his children had developed feelings for each other.
"Yes, damn it," Luke replied.
"Don't swear, Luke," Padmé scolded, and Luke rolled his eyes.
"Yes, I liked it. I liked Leia, okay?" Luke said, blushing. "I teased Han about it for a while, then I started to feel more like a sister to her, and then I found out she really was my sister," Luke said, his face burning with embarrassment.
"Well, that's," Anakin said, "pretty worrying." What was Obi-Wan thinking? Why hadn't he told them they were siblings as soon as they met?
"Father, I swear I never liked Luke, it was just a mistake. I only love him as my brother," Leia said, still clinging to her father.
"Oh, come on, Leia," Luke said, blushing. "Stop hiding in Daddy's arms."
"Jealous?" Leia teased, sticking her tongue out at him.
"Oh, you two are just kids, Ani," Padmé said affectionately, her earlier annoyance almost forgotten, though still a little nagging.
"Oh, come on, Luke, you should have told me you wanted to hide in my arms too," Anakin said, pulling him and Leia into a tight hug.
"Dad!" Luke cried, embarrassed.
"No kissing your sister, Luke," Anakin said, observing how close they were.
"Dad!" the twins shouted, laughing.
Padmé leaned on Anakin's arm, and finally, the twins stayed there, hugging their father, like a real family.
The group playing Sabacc watched the scene with affection. Obi-Wan could never have imagined how much a family would change Anakin. He had never felt him so close to the light side as he did now. He felt proud of his former padawan, even though he had broken the rules of the Jedi code. Although, in that respect, he couldn't judge him either; he was about to break them himself.
Ahsoka watched her master happily. He looked happy. Padmé was good for him; his whole family was good for him.
Finally, Ahsoka and Han were left alone because Satine was still arguing that Obi-Wan had cheated at Sabacc, and they both went to bed quite annoyed.
"They'll be reconciled by tomorrow," Ahsoka said.
"They're a very peculiar couple," Han said. "Hey, kid, remember we're leaving for the Millennium Falcon tonight."
"Of course," Ahsoka said, winking at him. "The ship is ready."
"I like you," Han said.