Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars

Special thanks to my Beta reader Dolphinsplash12!

Misguided Light

Chapter 13

Leia could feel Luke's apprehension from where she stood, next to her mother, who completely unaware of Luke's sudden change in attitude. Oddly enough, Obi-Wan didn't seem aware either.

"Do you feel that?" She turned to the Jedi.

"Feel what?" Obi-Wan asked, slightly distracted.

"It's Luke." With that, Padmé and Obi-Wan gave Leia their full attention.

"What about him?" Her mother's intense concern continued to baffle Leia.

"He's worried. He feels… He feels cold. No, that's not right." Leia shook her head, "It's someone else. Luke feels someone who is cold and angry."

"Vader," Obi-Wan murmured, growing pale. A hand went up to his beard and he looked lost in thought.

"No. No," Padmé cried. "He can't engage Vader!"

"I thought that was the reason we gave him an X-Wing," Leia remarked.

"No. I've changed my mind. Luke has to come back," Padmé insisted. She hurried over to the communications table and grabbed a head set. "Connect me to Red 5."

"Ma'am, I'm sorry, but I can't…"

"I need to talk to him! He needs to pull out!" Padmé insisted, nearing hysteria.

"Mom!" Leia cried out.

"Padmé, please relax. Everything will work out. I promise." Obi-Wan reached out and held onto Padmé's arms, keeping her in one spot.

"YOU'VE BROKEN TOO MANY PROMISES TO BE MAKING MORE!" Padmé screamed at him. "I won't lose him! Not again! I can't take it!"

Leia was confused. She wasn't the only one. Everyone seemed to have stopped what they were doing to watch the great Padmé Naberrie have a mental breakdown in the middle of the most important battle the Rebel Alliance ever had.

Obi-Wan reacted to Padmé's outburst quickly, picking her up bridal style, and carrying her out of the room, leaving Leia wondering what the kriff happened.

"Everything okay, Red 5?" A voice asked over the transmitter. Leia and the rest of the room turned their attention back to the battle.

"That's Vader's personal ship," Luke responded, seemingly calm, but Leia could sense the tension behind his words. He couldn't fool her, even though he was trying his best.

"Kriff," came the response from other members of the Red Squadron. Leia bit the inside of her lip as she watched several members of the Gold Squadron get shot down. She closed her eyes and focused on Luke's presence. She felt his fear and his worry as they both sensed the deaths of their comrades.

"Is Captain Solo still in the hangar bay?" Leia asked, turning to a man whose name she couldn't remember.

"I believe so, your highness. He said he wanted to see how this played out." Leia thanked the man and hurried out of the control room, ignoring anybody who called after her.

Leia was very tired of sitting around doing nothing. She was a princess and a Skywalker and she wasn't going to sit around and watch the boy who saved her get shot out of the sky by a stupid Sith Lord. She stomped into the hangar bay and onto the Millennium Falcon.

"Who's there?" Han's voice floated in from the cockpit. Leia took a deep breath to focus herself before facing the smuggler.

Han was sitting in the pilot's seat, trying to fix something that probably should be replaced instead. Chewie was standing in the corner, and based on his crossed arms, probably arguing with Han over something. Han glanced up at the Princess and then went back to fiddling with his comm. "Oh, it's you."

"I need your help."

"With what?"

"I need you to pilot this ship so we can help Luke."

"Why the hell would I fly into a battle against that planet killer? I make a living off of crazy stunts, not suicidal ones."

"I would personally send a representative to Jabba the Hutt's palace to pay off your debt immediately afterwards, regardless of the outcome of the battle."

"Really?" Han raised one eyebrow in mild surprise. "Nice try, Princess, but I have enough credits to pay Jabba back. I don't need anything else from you."

"Luke is out there. He needs our help," Leia insisted.

"Why should I care?" Han asked, ignoring Chewie's rumble of support for Leia.

"He's your friend," She responded, calmly. "Like it or not, you think of him highly and you want to help him. Stop being selfish and just admit that I'm right."

Han glared at Leia and threw the comm across the room where it shattered on the floor.

"Fine. I'll do it. Now get off my ship."

Leia shook her head and said, "I'm coming too."

Han took a moment to look over the young woman. Strands of hair were flying out of her buns. Her eyebrows furrowed with worry and chin stuck out with determination as she stared Han down. She was several inches shorter than him, but her will power made up for it.

"Alright," he sighed, "But you're manning the cannons and if I hear you complain once, I'm leaving."

"Deal." She rushed out of the cockpit and climbed into the gunner position. Chewbacca sat down in the copilot seat and Han swung around to start up the engines.

As Leia buckled herself into the seat and surveyed the controls, she reached out to Luke and sent a wave of reassurance.

oOoOo

The battle wasn't going very well at all.

"Squad leaders," the control officer announced, "we've picked up a new group of signals. Enemy fighters heading your way."

"Keep up your visual scanning. With all this jamming, they'll be on top of you before your scope can pick them up," Red Leader instructed. Luke exhaled sharply as Antilles dodged a close call. The fighters were on the surface of the Death Star, shooting down radar towers and dodging TIEs. They weren't making much of a difference.

"Biggs! You've picked one up. Watch it!" Red Leader cried.

"He's on me tight, I can't shake him! I can't shake him!" Biggs cried in fear.

"Hold on, I've got it." Luke fell in line behind Biggs and fired on the TIE.

"Thanks, 5."

"Gold Squadron is starting the attack run."

"Copy, Gold Leader. We're getting into position." Luke followed Red Leader's orders, but tensed as Vader's prescience loomed closer than ever. Luke broke out of formation, dodging out of the way of a TIE Advanced that went streaking after the Gold Squadron.

"Damn, is that Vader?" Gold 4 asked as the TIE shot down three fighters without hesitation.

"Red Group, pull out!" Red Leader instructed. "Red 2, 3, and 5, prepare for your run." Luke grinned at the orders. "Alright, let's go."

Luke lead the two other pilots into the trench. The other Red Squadron members entered formation around them. Red Leader was in front of Luke, ready to take the shot.

"I'm in range, just hold them off a little longer," Red Leader instructed.

Luke fired on a TIE, but his victory was short lived. Vader had turned his attention to the Red Squadron. Red 10 was shot down.

"It's a hit!"

"Negative," Red Leader replied. Luke didn't even realize they had taken the shot. His focus was disappearing fast and he could feel his hands start to tremble even with Leia's whispers of reassurance. He gripped his controller tightly as Vader killed off Red Leader.

You're a Skywalker. Focus.

"Antilles, Biggs, let's end this. We're going in full throttle."

"We're with you, Luke," Antilles reassured.

Vader and his wingmen flew dangerously close to the three X-Wings. Luke dodged the blaster fire with ease.

"I'm hit, I can't stay with you." Antille's voice came over the transmitter. He pulled out of the trench, leaving Luke with Biggs. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine, just get clear." Luke then turned his attention to his astromech. "Try to increase the power, Artoo."

"Hurry up, Luke!" Biggs called. The TIEs floating around them were enough to cause anyone stress. Luke checked his scopes and did a double take as he saw a TIE take aim at Biggs.

"Biggs!" The X-Wing went up in flames and crashed into the Death Star's surface. Luke felt bile crawl up his throat and he shook his head.

How many times did Luke and Vader laugh over battles like these? How many times did they mock the desperate pilots? How many times did they make games out of who could destroy the most Rebels?

War wasn't funny. It wasn't a game. People were dying. People with complex lives and friends and families. Luke never understood this before. And now he felt sick.

The stars shined brightly. Space had always taken Luke's breath away. How ironic that he would take his last breath there when his father took the final shot.

"Luke."

"Leia," Luke leaned into her mental touch. "Leia, I'm so sorry."

"I know. But please focus. You can do this. You can save us, just trust yourself. I'm doing what I can to help you. Please snap out of this, I can't handle someone else's mental breakdown again."

Luke gave a small chuckle. Her presence overwhelmed his mind and washed over him, bathing his darkness in her light. He held onto Leia's light with the last bit of his sanity. He turned off his targeting computer and blocked out the voices coming in from the transmitter. He let the Force overwhelm him. His called on it and used it to guide him.

Laser fire cut close to Luke. "Artoo!" He cried out as the little droids beeping died out. He had been hit and now it was just Luke.

Except it wasn't. Blaster bolts came flying from behind Vader, knocking the Sith Lord off his track. The Millennium Falcon came flying into view and Luke suddenly understood what Leia meant when she said she was trying to help.

"You're all clear kid," Han called over the transmitter.

"Thanks. Tell Leia she's crazy."

"I heard that," Leia replied. Luke grinned widely before turning his attention back to the exhaust port. He let the Force guide his movements and he fired his torpedoes.

He actually made the shot.

Luke could hear Leia shouting with joy and Han's excited laughter. His own excitement managed to block out Vader's intense anger. The two ships sped away from the Death Star as a fiery explosion ended its short lifespan.

oOoOo

Leia sprinted off the Millennium Falcon, dove threw the crowd forming around the ship, and managed to be the first person at Luke's X-Wing. He climbed down and pulled the brunette into a hug. They were both jumping up and down and squealing like school girls.

"I can't believe you did it!" Leia cried. She was still grinning, even with a wrinkled, dirty dress and flyaway hair.

"I can't believe you showed up! I thought your mom would've made you stay out of harm's way!"

Leia gave another laugh. "She probably doesn't know yet!"

"Great shot, kid!" Han was by them now. Leia linked her arm around his shoulder and Luke's, all three of them still laughing giddily.

"Oh no." Luke finally got to see Artoo, all fried and burnt up.

"Oh my!" Threepio finally arrived. "Can you hear me? Say something!" The golden droid turned to the closest mechanic. "You can repair him, can't you?"

"We'll get to work on him right away."

With Artoo taken care of, Leia, Luke, and Han walked away, arms still wrapped around each other. Leia didn't often interact with people her own age, but going into battle against a weapon of mass destruction really caused the three of them to bond. Both men had shocked Leia. She had been so convinced that Luke would turn against them, or at least purposefully mess up. Thankfully, he had remained loyal to the cause he had joined hours ago. Han was another story. When Leia stormed the Falcon, she had no idea whether he would go after Luke or not. She had completely fibbed her way through the conversation, pretending like she knew Han liked Luke. Leia's instincts had been right, like usual.

For the first time ever, she felt like she had genuine friends.

oOoOo

Padmé couldn't bring herself to let anyone in her office. Not even Obi-Wan. She just needed a moment to catch her breath and calm down.

Padmé's office on Yavin was small. A metal desk stood near the back wall and potted plants lined the shelves to the right. Holopics of Leia and Padmé were neatly lined on the desk. The lighting was harsh and the floor and walls were cold and gray.

The Rebel leader had worked very hard to hide this part of herself from everyone. Leia needed a mother, Obi-Wan needed a friend, and the galaxy needed a leader. There was no hiding the cracks in Padmé's soul from Obi-Wan, but the façade seemed to hold up for everyone else.

She really wasn't okay. Strangled gasps left her cracked lips. Her hair was down and flew around her head like the thoughts that surrounded her crazed mind.

Breakdowns like this had been fairly common shortly after Leia's birth. Anakin and Luke had been taken away from her and the universe seemed to be crashing down around her ears. Obi-Wan had helped. Bail's private therapists had helped. Unfortunately, there was nothing they could do to prevent the nightmares.

Padmé missed Anakin more than anything. She missed his strong arms, gentle smile and stubbornness. Their relationship was far from perfect, she would be the first to admit that, but they had both poured their hearts and souls into it. Her heart had been destroyed after Anakin reached for her throat on Mustafar. Now, the already damaged organ was taking a beating again.

Anakin was Vader. He was alive, but he was the embodiment of everything Padmé had worked against. Not only that, he was now trying to kill Luke, their son.

Force, she needed a drink.

Unfortunately, the Alliance liked their leaders sober.

A soft knock came at the door. Padmé knew who it was instantly. She pulled herself off her desk and opened the door. Obi-Wan looked slightly less frazzled than her, which wasn't saying much. He didn't bother with any pleasantries, jumping right to the meaning behind his arrival at her doorstep.

"We won. Luke and Leia are fine," he said, face breaking into a small smile.

Padmé continued to glare at him. "Would you be a dear and let them know I want to yell at them for being like their father?" And with that, she slammed the door shut.

oOoOo

Of course, Leia's joy wouldn't last long. Obi-Wan had just walked into the hangar and was giving Leia a hard stare. Leia let her arms slip off of Han and Luke's shoulders and she headed towards the Jedi. She felt Luke's frown before she heard his footsteps, following her to keep her safe from someone he had yet to trust completely.

"Your mother was so worried about you," Obi-Wan accused. He looked very old and tired; a sharp contrast to the energetic, youthful vibe radiating from Luke and Leia.

"Is she okay?" Luke asked, and Leia wondered why he was so concerned.

"She's fine," Obi-Wan sighed, "but I think she wants to talk to both of you." He gave Luke a meaningful look that Luke seemed to understand immediately. Leia suddenly felt like she was missing something big. Something Luke, Obi-Wan, and her mother were all in on. Being left out was pretty high on the list of things that piss Leia off.

Luke muttered a goodbye to Han as he and Leia followed Obi-Wan down a hallway that led to the private offices.

Leia had grown up in offices. Her mother had several throughout her life. Leia had spent most of her teen years working in her Uncle Bail's office until her mother asked for her help, then Leia worked in her office.

Padmé was slouched in the swivel chair behind the desk. She looked up with swollen eyes when the group entered the room. She crumpled up her tissue, tossing it into the waste bin on the floor. She stood up with all the elegance of a former queen, eyes narrowed at Luke and Leia.

"Obi-Wan, could you give us a minute please?"

"Of course." He closed the door behind him, acting like he was walking away,but Leia knew he would be waiting just outside the door.

"There's no need to be upset," Luke finally said, breaking the silence, "Leia and I are completely fine."

"You could've died. You should've retreated the second Vader appeared, but, of course Leia has to go running after you when it becomes even more dangerous. I didn't even know she went into the fight until Obi-Wan comes waltzing in telling me that you survived!"

"Are either one of you going to tell me what I'm missing here?" Leia interrupted, eyes narrowed. She could sense the secret looming over the conversation and she was not going to tolerate it anymore.

Luke glanced at Padmé with slight curiosity, but when she remained silent, he decided to take matters into his own hands.

"Leia," he said turning his body to face her fully, "I'm your twin brother and Darth Vader is our father. That's why Pad- I mean mom is so upset."

Leia stared at Luke is utter shock. "Is that all?" She choked out.

"Pretty much."

"Oh." And with that, Leia's world went black.

Author's Note: Three quick notes. First, I really really hate this chapter. I did not like any of it and I still don't. Second, the next chapter will be the last one that follows the movies. After that, we're fully submerged in AU. Finally, the Skywalkers are not okay. Padmé is a mess, Luke is a mess, Vader's a mess, and Leia's just pissed. All of the Skywalkers went through a lot and they are not okay and they won't be okay for a while.

With that in mind, I am planning on having the next chapter be up in a week or two. See you all then!