Medical Frigate, Rebel fleet, Monday Fandom Time
Leia stood before the viewport on the medical frigate, leaning against Luke as they watched the Falcon disappear into the stars. "We'll find him," Luke said as he slipped his arm around her shoulders.
She nodded, tired and drained but still clinging to hope. Jaina was proof of that, and Anakin, too, right? As long as everything happened the same. She was just glad Luke was in one piece -- so to speak -- and that Vader hadn't gotten his hands on him. The trap had failed, but she was still aching with grief over being unable to save Han.
She'd let her defenses drop around Luke, but she wouldn't allow anyone else see the turmoil in her eyes and the toll it was taking on her. Being interrogated by Vader again, and realizing that she and Han were just bait this time to lure Luke to Cloud City. Finally admitting to herself that the reason that Han irritated her so much was because she really did had feelings for him. Telling him she loved him just before he was frozen in carbonite and taken away by Boba Fett to hand over to Jabba the Hutt.
The rest was a blur. They'd escaped the storm troopers escorting them to Vader's ship, thanks to Lando attempting to atone for what he'd done. She'd tried to warn Luke that it was a trap but couldn't get to him, then heard him in her mind, calling for help as they fled Bespin. They'd saved him, and then Artoo had restored the hyperdrive just in time for them to jump to light speed and escape the pursuing Imperial forces.
Luke pulled her out of her thoughts as he drew her aside. "Leia, there's something I have to tell you," he said.
"What is it?" she asked, giving him a confused look. She'd never heard him sound so serious before.
"This won't be easy for you to hear," he said, "but you must. Vader told me something while we were fighting on Bespin."
"You can't believe anything he'd tell you," Leia said, shaking her head. "You know he'll say anything to try to trick you turning to the Dark Side. He just wanted to throw you off. He knows you're a threat, that's why he tried to trap you. He's afraid of you."
"No, this was true," Luke said. "Leia...Darth Vader was Anakin Skywalker. He's our father."
The bottom dropped out of her world.
She nodded, tired and drained but still clinging to hope. Jaina was proof of that, and Anakin, too, right? As long as everything happened the same. She was just glad Luke was in one piece -- so to speak -- and that Vader hadn't gotten his hands on him. The trap had failed, but she was still aching with grief over being unable to save Han.
She'd let her defenses drop around Luke, but she wouldn't allow anyone else see the turmoil in her eyes and the toll it was taking on her. Being interrogated by Vader again, and realizing that she and Han were just bait this time to lure Luke to Cloud City. Finally admitting to herself that the reason that Han irritated her so much was because she really did had feelings for him. Telling him she loved him just before he was frozen in carbonite and taken away by Boba Fett to hand over to Jabba the Hutt.
The rest was a blur. They'd escaped the storm troopers escorting them to Vader's ship, thanks to Lando attempting to atone for what he'd done. She'd tried to warn Luke that it was a trap but couldn't get to him, then heard him in her mind, calling for help as they fled Bespin. They'd saved him, and then Artoo had restored the hyperdrive just in time for them to jump to light speed and escape the pursuing Imperial forces.
Luke pulled her out of her thoughts as he drew her aside. "Leia, there's something I have to tell you," he said.
"What is it?" she asked, giving him a confused look. She'd never heard him sound so serious before.
"This won't be easy for you to hear," he said, "but you must. Vader told me something while we were fighting on Bespin."
"You can't believe anything he'd tell you," Leia said, shaking her head. "You know he'll say anything to try to trick you turning to the Dark Side. He just wanted to throw you off. He knows you're a threat, that's why he tried to trap you. He's afraid of you."
"No, this was true," Luke said. "Leia...Darth Vader was Anakin Skywalker. He's our father."
The bottom dropped out of her world.