Leia stared blankly at the planet coming up ahead then looked down at the control panel of the shuttle she was currently piloting.

She could turn back, yet there was something stopping her.

'You're so much stronger than I could ever be.' Rang the words in her mind.

Luke. Her throat tightened as she willed the memories of her lost best friend away. She didn't feel particularly strong at that moment. Hasn't felt that way for a while now. Instead, she felt so very alone in the universe. She had felt that way before, but not after meeting him. And now he was gone, leaving a gaping hole in Leia that was so much more significant than whatever she had thought she had felt before. It sometimes made her wonder how she managed to keep it from swallowing her whole.

The crystal buildings of the Crystal City became clearer as Leia entered the Christophsis planet's atmosphere.

She wondered how Luke would have felt if he had been with her. Probably excited, Leia concluded with a sad smile. Luke had been reckless, always throwing his own welfare out of the window to help others, especially those he cared about. Leia used to always get mad at him because of it and he would always end up saying that Leia was his best friend, like a sister even, so it was his job to protect her; with Leia then snapping at him, that she didn't need protecting.

What she wouldn't give up to have him with her again.

Carefully, Leia landed the shuttle on the landing area in the plaza and turned off the engine. For a moment, she sat there, gathering up her wits. She felt unsure of herself and the choices she had made that led her to this moment. After all, she was in completely unfamiliar territory with no one to turn to. Significantly out of place.

Leia hadn't always been good at blending in when the need arose, she seemed too stubborn and witty to go unnoticed. But she was good at lying and pretending. Qualities that helped her when she had asked for shelter at the Jedi Temple.

Explaining her existence hadn't been the easiest, making them accept her as someone to be trained, even more so. Especially, when there were so many unanswered questions surrounding Leia. But the striking signs marking her arrival in the Force surrounding her couldn't be ignored, so she had used them to her advantage instead. Unintentionally, making them see her as someone holding great importance to the Jedi Order and it's future.

Leia stood up and moved towards the ramp as it slowly lowered down. She slowly inhaled and exhaled, using Luke's taught method to calm herself. She could to this.

Leia stepped out, feeling the cool breeze against her skin as she walked to the two Jedi that were waiting for her, a trooper commander alongside them.

"Youngling." Said the Jedi dressed in light, traditional Jedi clothes with shuffled light brown hair and beard. By the surprised look on his face, Leia concluded that she was not at all what they have been expecting. "Where's the ship? The reinforcements?"

Leia inwardly sighed. Though she had seen Luke's Master only a few times, before he had gotten himself killed, that is. Leia could still easily recognize it was him. Though he looked somewhat younger and perhaps not as depressed.

That meant next to him, must have stood the very person who killed him. Leia glanced up at the darkly dressed Jedi, quickly sizing him up. The possibility of irony.

"There aren't any. Master Yoda couldn't reach you, so he sent me instead." She told them.

"Sent you? But what about the ship?"

"Again, there was never supposed to be one. The one I came with just dropped me off. Master Yoda sent me to tell you that there's an emergency and you are to return to the Jedi Temple immediately." Crisp and clear, just as she liked it.

"Funny, in case you haven't noticed, we're in a bit of an emergency right here," Said her supposed new…' Master', gesturing over his shoulder.

"Yes, I've noticed." She snapped, triggered by her new Master's lack of manners. " But that doesn't change the fact that I was instructed to relay the message. You're welcome, by the way." Leia knew she should feel something. Hatred, or at least anger, aimed at the man before her. If she was right, which she was almost sure she was. It was his fault that Luke was gone and she was here, all alone. But Leia was so used to burying her feelings by now, that she couldn't feel anything more than snippets of dislike.

And maybe that was for the better, Leia thought. She wished that she could say Luke would have approved, but he never liked when she hid her true feelings, even if it was from herself.

"So you're telling me they never got our signal asking for help?" Anakin asked.

Was he draft or something?

"Yes." Seeing the disappointment on both of the Jedi's faces, Leia sighed, "Look, why don't you just try to relay the message trough the cruiser that brought me."

"And who are you?"

She frowned, suddenly annoyed. Of course, it was natural for Anakin to want to know who she was, but she wished the Jedi Council had prepared him better for this, so there was no need for her to go through this awkward explanation.

"I'm the new Padawan learner, Leia."

"Ah, my new apprentice," Obi-Wan said, giving her a polite bow. "Nothing like being throw-in at the deep end."

Leia shook her head, feeling now frustrated herself. She did feel as if thrown into the deep end, but not the way he thought. "No. Sorry, Master Kenobi, but I've actually been assigned to Master Skywalker."

She grimaced at her said new Master's horrified look. She wasn't feeling particularly happy with their current situation herself.

oOo

Leia stood on the abandoned skyscraper, which had been turned into an observation point. Not that she could do much of the observing with her petite height. So instead she gazed upward at the cloudy purple sky, deep in thought.

She wondered how things were going to turn out after this. There was always the possibility of dying, though she doubted Master Yoda would have assigned her here if he wasn't absolutely certain in her new Master's ability to keep her alive. Besides, she knew how to take care of herself. Even at the tender age of twelve she had survived more hardship than most people had in their whole lifetime.

"What are you doing?" Leia almost groaned at the sound of her new Master's voice. Apparently, after the shock of finding out that she was supposed to be his Padawan, he was intent on making things much harder between them than was really necessary.

"Contemplating every possible outcome of the battle." And the possibility of her changing something by being in it. But he didn't need to know that.

"That's not going to help anyone, youngling. This isn't a training exercise."

She knew that. Had even participated in a couple of them at the Jedi Order. Let's just say that her level of performance had been 'beyond her time'.

She gave a half-shrug, "I know that." then lifted her head upwards again, successfully dismissing him.

What annoyed her the most was that he was beginning to get under her nerves.

She felt the clone trooper farther away turn their way. She had been aware of him listening in on their conversation-possibly along with Master Kenobi who sat near the mobile comm station-but hadn't bothered on calling him out on it. Not when her new Master must have been aware of that little detail too.

"I thought you said you'd never have a Padawan, sir…," The clone trooper spoke at last.

"Someone must have fouled up a flimsy." Anakin said, clearly still in denial. "I don't have a Padawan. I can't have a Padawan. There's at least some discussion about this kind of thing." Leia knew that was true. Yet, his whining about her being his Padawan was beginning to annoy her even if she had done the exact same thing once she had found out. However, in her eyes, he was supposed to be the mature one if he were to be her Master.

"Well, maybe they hadn't, because they were sure you would have refused," Leia said turning to look at him. "It's not as if you're are known for your ability to see the bigger picture."

She thought of all the stories she heard of him at the Jedi Temple and over the HoloNet. Leia tried to hold his furious gaze, she really did, but found it impossible once she noticed his eyes were the same color as Luke's. The memory of him sent a pang in her chest.

"Besides, it's rude to talk about someone as if he or she isn't even there." She finished while scowling at the ground. She would not cry.

Feeling a hand on her shoulder. Leia jumped away, making the said hand drop.

"Don't touch me!" She shouted at Anakin. Rage boiled deep inside her, threatening the calm she had grown used to feeling.

She glanced at the trooper who, at some point, had taken his helmet off and now wore a shocked expression due to her outburst.

"Both of you are strangers to me, so excuse me if I might feel like I can't trust you, or your judgment."

Anakin studied her for a moment. "How old are you?"

"I'm twelve."

"So you're barely even old enough to be a Padawan."

"Says who, you?" Leia shook her head. "You've got some nerve to stand there and criticize Master Yoda's decision, when you know nothing about me or where I came from."

"I don't need to." Anakin said," And seeing as I can't ship you back to Coruscant yet, you might as well make yourself useful. Rex, give her an acquaint of the position."

The said trooper, who now had a name, Rex, checked the charge on his rifle on both sidearms, then gestured at the stairs. "Very well sir. Come on, young one."

Leia followed him wordlessly, not even bothering to look back at her new Master. Did he think to get rid of her? Fine, whatever.

"Oh, and Leia, if Captain Rex gives you an order, you take it," Anakin said, though not unkindly.

Swiftly, Leia nodded, it's not like she could object, then followed Rex down the smoke-stained stairwell.

oOo

Leia kept quiet as she walked beside Rex; she didn't see the point in starting a conversation.

She wondered what was Anakin's problem. She knew he didn't want a Padawan, but she also sensed that there was something deeper.

Of course, his problem with her couldn't be anywhere near as justified as hers. And yet, she had turned out to be the one who at least tried to not let it get in the way. Or maybe it was just because she knew Luke wouldn't have liked it to. Innocent until proven guilty, or something like that.

Rex was the one to break the silence.

"You seem like an odd one," Wasn't that an understatement of time. "Especially to unnerve General Skywalker like that."

Skywalker. Leia didn't think she would ever be able to hear that surname without instantly remembering Luke.

"Shouldn't you know? What's bothering him so much, I mean. After all, you've known him longer than I." Leia said, then inwardly frowned. She might not know this version of him, but she thought she had a pretty good idea of his future one. She just wasn't sure which one was true anymore. Darth Vader or the little boy named Ani from Tatooine? How was it possible that they were one and the same?

Was it possible?

Anakin Skywalker was a hero. Darth Vader was a monster.

"I don't think anyone knows General Skywalker well enough," said Rex. Leia wasn't surprised by that. He could seem pretty laid-back on the surface, but Leia couldn't help but sense something deeper lurking in the shadows, she just didn't know how deep they were.

"But we don't let it get in our way. Not when it means life or death."

Leia turned to look at him.

"But isn't that what is expected of you? It's not like you have a choice."

That seemed to be the wrong thing to say.

"You think you've got it all figured out, don't you littl'un? Why don't I explain how things are in the real world?" Rex said, clearly affected by her choice of words. But all Leia could see was the clear denial of the obvious truth. They were soldiers, created in labs nonetheless; she couldn't see how she could possibly be wrong about this.

She looked up at him expectantly, curious at what someone younger than her would think to teach her. He might have looked twice her age, but she was a child that had been ripped from her parent's arms at seven and dragged around the battlefield with no dolls for her to play whit, only the blaster in her hands as the horrors of the galaxy replayed before her eyes. No one had the right to act around her as if she was someone that had been sheltered all her life and didn't know any better; when they had no idea of the horrors that were hidden deep within her memory.

"Are you scared?"

"No."

"Well, you should be. Because if you're not scared in a war, then you haven't grasped the serenity of your situation."

For someone who claimed to know a lot about the Jedi, he sure didn't know the most important. Jedi weren't allowed to feel fear.

He sat down on a chunk of masonry, low enough to be at the eye level with her. Leia noted that it might have been thoughtful of him, but if he believed, that him; towering over her was intimidating to her, he was deeply mistaken.

"Yes, I take orders from General Skywalker. It's called the chain of command, or else we'll be running around like nuna. And you take your orders from him, too, because you're his Padawan. With me so far?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Again, technically speaking she was older than him. She was not a child to be codled.

"Want to learn the most important things about being a soldier? I mean the things they don't teach you at the Temple." How ignorant of him to assume that she had spent all her life at the Temple when in reality she had barely spent there half a year.

Also, why would he think that being a soldier was of any interest to her?

The Jeid did that too. Make assumptions. They never once asked her if becoming a Jedi was something she wanted.

"Sure." She said simply. She had to admit she was a bit curious, about what he wanted to say that he deemed so important for her to know.

"One, orders. You follow orders. They keep you alive." Leia had never been one to follow orders, not when as a princess-a title she despised-she had the power to be the one to give them. Even when she had been with Luke, they had made their own set of rules, since there was no one left they could trust. And putting their trust in the wrong person had almost gotten them killed on more than one occasion.

"Two, you're part of a team. We look out for our buddies-I cover your back, you cover mine."

Luke had always used to have her back as she his. But that was because they had trusted each other completely. And Leia wasn't one to trust easily.

"And three, an officer's rank doesn't give you automatic respect. You earn it. It's not just Skywalker's rank that makes us give him one hundred percent. It's because he treats us with respect, and he puts himself on the line with us."

Rex paused as if to let everything sink in.

Leia tilted her head thoughtfully. "I can see why you would think that's important for me to know," she began, "But the reason I don't follow orders is that, in my experience, the people who give them never hold my best interest at heart. And while I know what's it like to be a part of a team, I also know what it's like to lose someone from that team. And for respect, it always has to go both ways, but so far Master Skywalker has shown me nothing but the opposite," Leia turned to look at the distance. "And the thing about fear… In my experience, you feel it only when you have something important to lose. And while that had been the case with me not so long ago. After losing everyone, you learn to not let people in easily. What's worse is that even with your guard up someone, in the end, manages to break through, and when you lose him too…" She turned back to see the completely thrown look on Rex's face. "You can't blame a person for not being afraid in a completely unfamiliar place with nothing to lose," she smiled sadly, knowing that he was currently studying the scar on her left cheek and wondering for the first time, just how exactly she had gotten it.

It wasn't something she had gotten from an accident.

"I hope you can understand that," Leia said as she turned away.

She didn't like it when people stared at her scar. It was faint, yes, running smoothly across her cheek, but it was still there. A reminder.

"You're no older than twelve." Said Rex, as if that baffled him.

"And you're no older than ten. Yet, you can't say you don't know what it's like to lose someone. After all, you lose your brothers, not comrades-brothers every day in battle, while I lost mine only once. "

Though with losing Luke, she hadn't only lost him but also lost herself. Because it was true-Luke hadn't been her comrade-he he had been her family.

She still couldn't understand what exactly was it about Luke that made them click so instantly and completely. She had grown to know Luke better than she had herself. He had been her protector, brother, and her best friend all in one. That's why it completely wrecked her when she lost him. And not only that, but only moments later she had found herself in a completely different, yet at the same time familiar, universe, she knew she didn't belong in.

Without him. Without anyone.

When Rex didn't speak for a long time, Leia began to feel awkward. She wasn't one to share information about herself voluntarily, even if she knew it was necessary for people to trust you; and something about Rex told her he wasn't one to blab the things she told him to the next person he met. However, she felt like she had said too much, revealed too much, thus she was beginning to regret it. It made her feel exposed and it was not a feeling she enjoyed.

"Don't linger on what I said too much, I just hope we can have an understanding."

Rex cleared his throat, "Sure thing, kid." He said roughly.

When he didn't move Leia raised an eyebrow.

"Right. Come on, let's walk the perimeter," Rex said, standing up and beckoning her to follow. She almost sighed in relief.

"At least we don't have to worry about civilians," Rex spoke, clearly intent on clearing the unease that still surrounded them both by changing the subject. "That's the worst thing when you're fighting in an urban area-the risk of civvy casualties. That limits our track. The tinnies don't have any feelings about killing noncombatants, of course, and they keep shelling, so we're handicapped by our rules of engagement."

Leia nodded. She was glad to hear that. What had made her most apprehensive about the rebels had been their extreme methods, which often risked putting innocent civilian lives at risk. She knew they couldn't help it, but it was still something she liked to see being avoided.

Rex suddenly stopped. Leia looked around, confused before she noticed it too.

There was as a huge orange ball of some kind, like a shield you could barely make out in the far distance. Translucent and glowing slightly it was slowly moving and swallowing buildings on the far edge of the city.

"That can't be good," Leia said, unconsciously voicing her thought out loud.

"That's going to make things damned near impossible," Rex said.

Leia glanced at him, then back at the rapidly expanding thingy.

"What is it?" She was sure she had never seen anything like it.

"It's an energy field," Rex explained. Leia turned to look at him to only see him staring back at the way of what she knew was the battalion's makeshift operating base. "There goes our edge. Cannon won't penetrate that. And we don't have the numbers to draw the droids pinned down." Okay, Leia had to admit that sounded bad. "Come on, back to base."

"You must have a plan."

"We've always got a plan. And another… and another. Just have to keep trying until we find one that works, and hope we don't die before that."

Leia had to break into a run, just to keep up with Rex, as was his intent to get back to the base as quickly as possible. Leia hated her small height and the short legs that came with it. So inconvenient.

"I hope you're right about knowing how to handle yourself littl'un," said Rex.

"Well I'm long used to things trying to blast me, so maybe this is not that different."

Leia wanted to feel as confident as she sounded, but found that she couldn't. Not when, for the first time, she was completely alone.

oOo

Upon seeing the holochart of Crystal City, the enemy's strategy became painfully clear to Leia. She stared at the moving points of light that marked the droid troops. They were advancing behind the leading edge of the energy shield, moving back to the center of the city. The worst was, that one column was heading straight for the artillery position in the square.

Leia didn't particularly like their current odds and her first instinct was to mentally reach out to Luke for his opinion. Only, to once again remember that Luke wasn't with her anymore.

It was almost funny how even after months, she still couldn't get used to his absence.

Luke is dead Leia, you have to finally realize, he's not coming back.

"It's hard to pinpoint the field generator precisely, but it's got to be in this area somewhere. The field's elliptical, which means it's probably within this radius," Obi-Wan Kenobi said. He prodded his forefinger into the meshwork of light and made a loop to indicate the range of the position. "Cannon's not going to make a dent in that, so I say we save our ordnance for later. In the meantime, all we can do is try to engage them in confined spaces."

That was the plan? Leia thought while hanging on Obi-Wan's every word. That can't be the plan, she decided.

"We'll draw them into the buildings," Rex said. Okay, Leia seriously needed to get a hold of herself and stop being unreasonable. Luke might not be with her, yes. But she was sure that these people were more than capable of forming a better plan than an eleven-year-old boy. "They've got to find us to fight us. They can't fire their own cannons from inside the shield, so let's make their defenses work against them."

Still, it was a stupid plan, which made her wonder what Luke would do.

The answer came quicker than it usually did.

He would probably try to sneak in and destroy the shield's generator, she concluded wistfully.

"What are you smiling at?"

Leia almost jumped at Anakin's voice. What was his problem again? And was she smiling? Yes, she was, she realized.

Leia scowled at him. "I was thinking that it would be smarter to just take out the shield."

"And how do you propose we do that?"

"Well, by destroying the generator of course."

"Suicide mission," Rex said before Anakin could scoff at her. "Not that I couldn't get plenty of volunteers from the ranks, but we'd probably waste a lot of men getting nowhere, and at least we know we stand a chance if we can pin down the tinnitus inside buildings. They're not good at fighting house-to-house."

"I could do it." Leia volunteered while studying the holochart. If she had been with Luke she would have done it without a single thought. But without him, she felt helpless. Which had to stop.

Besides, she knew how to be sneaky.

Leia felt Rex's gaze on her before he spoke. "You don't have to prove anything, little'un."

"No. I can do it," She insisted with more certainty. "I just need to pass by the enemy undetected. No more difficult than the usual." Sadly, she sounded more sure than she felt.

"Very well, Anakin, take Leia and penetrate Sep lines," said Obi-Wan. Leia almost heaved in displeasure. She knew Anakin was supposed to be her Master and all, but why did she have to go with him, if he had made it clear that he had no intention of accepting her as his Padawan?

Obi-Wan stabbed his finger into the holochart again. "Rex and I can stage a diversion here, and that should make it easier for you to slip through."

"We'll need to defend the artillery position, sir," Rex said. "But if we can't draw them into the buildings, they'll just roll right down the street into the square and take out our arty pieces, and there'll be very little we can do about it. And then it'll be ended for all of us."

Leia continued to stare at the holochart, trying to think of a way to actually pull this off when she felt Anakin move. She lifted her head to see Rex follow Anakin out of earshot.

Leia grimaced inwardly. She hoped she was right and Rex wouldn't mention anything they had talked about to Anakin. It was mortifying enough that she had revealed such a huge chunk of herself to him, of all people. Leia never justified herself to anyone, but Rex had caught her in a moment where her walls had been crumbling for a bit. This whole past half-year she had felt as if she was on hyperdrive. And finding out, that Luke's father was chosen as her Master had been just the starfruit on top.

Leia scowled at the holochart. This is ridiculous. What made her think all of this was a good idea? After all, she absolutely loathed the monster he had a chance of becoming. And yet, here she was.

Leia felt Anakin behind her but swiftly moved away before his hand could come down to rest on her shoulder. The nerfherder knew no boundaries.

"If we survive this, Princess, you and I are going to have a long talk."

"Princess?" Leia said bewildered.

"That's what you get for acting entitled."

Leia gritted her teeth. Entitled? Her? When he was the sole suspect of ending up as someone who claimed to be the father of a boy he harassed, just because he didn't share the same beliefs as him?

Oh please.

"Got it, Master. Let's go."

As if someone as cocky as the person before her could ever become someone like Vader.

oOo

Leia followed Anakin trough the abandoned city towards the advancing edge of the shield in silence. The farther they walked, the more agitated Leia became. They diverted into another tower and climbed to the twentieth floor since the power was out and that meant no turbolifts. By the time they made it to the top Leia felt exhausted and ready to snap at anyone, especially him.

Leia scanned the city, but couldn't see more than the usual, since Anakin brought only one pair of microbinoculars.

"Well?" She urged him impatiently.

"I thought you were the one with the plan..."

Leia scowled at him. "Oh please, you knew this was better than nothing, otherwise you wouldn't have come."

"Aren't you a smart one."

Leia rolled her eyes.

After awhile Anakin sighed in resignation. "Okay, we have to penetrate the shield, and then the line of tanks. Double barrier."

"And how exactly you propose we do that?"

Seemingly irritated Anakin whirled at her, "Weren't you the one with all the answers?"

"Me? You're supposed to be the Master, remember?"

"I don't have time for a spoiled little brat!"

"Who are you calling spoiled, you twisted murderer!" Anakin stilled.

Okay, that was not what Leia meant to say.

"Sorry, Master, I don't know why I said that." Stupid, stupid, stupid. She could not believe she actually said that. What next, she was going to accuse him of being a Sith? That certainly would't raise any alarms.

When Anakin didn't say anything Leia became uneasy.

"Master?" She asked uncertainly. He was unnaturally still and the look on his face made Leia chill to the bones.

"Master, you're scaring me." That seemed to snap him out. Still, the coldness in his gaze as he looked at her made Leia shudder.

Desperately wanting the old Anakin back, she decided a distraction was worth a shot. She looked back at the still expanding shield.

"How about we go trough the middle?" She said, it being the first think that came to mind.

Thankfully, Anakin took the bait, but the slight edge in his expression remained.

"So you think you can pass yourself as a droid now? Just stroll in, say 'Copy copy,' and hope they don't notice?"

"Well, no." Said Leia watching her Master warily. Could it be that… No. There was no reason to jump to conclusions without any proof.

After awhile, his face cleared as he seemed to realize something. "You just have to turn the problem upside down," He looked at Leia and she was glad, that his gaze didn't hold the same hostility it had before. "If we can't cross their lines, we let their lines cross over us."

oOo

"This is stupid." Leia remarked for what felt like the tenth time.

They were currently under a piece of debris, crawling slowly and then, at Anakin's command, stopping again. Orienting under it was almost impossible, so Leia didn't have the patience to bother anymore. All she saw when peeking from under it was rubble anyway.

"Yet effective since the shield just past us."

"That might be true, but it's still stupid." And uncomfortable. Leia's neck was aching and catching a breath while being weighed down by that thing seemed harder than one would think.

Anakin ignored her, which agitated Leia even more.

"Okay…ready, Leia? In three…two…go."

Leia almost groaned but did as told. They edged a few meters forward and then stopped again.

"Do we really still need this thing? I mean, we already passed the shield, so let's just locate the generator."

"No, Leia wait..." But she didn't listen, already moving her legs in standing position. Anakin had no choice but to stand with her. However, because of her much shorten height, he had to crouch almost the whole way.

"Okay that feels much better." Her legs felt as if they haven't been used to walk for some time.

"Just be careful."

Leia was just about to reply that she was always careful when they hit something. The conduit tipped and they fell over. Leia's field of vision now included a droid of some kind. Who, she maid add, was pointing his two laser cannons straight at them. Great.

"It's a droideka!" Yelled Anakin, forcefully pulling her to her feet. "Run!" He drew his lightsaber and flicked the blue blade into life.

How come everyone thought, they could just boss her around?

Instead of doing as Anakin had ordered, Leia pulled her own lightsaber and lit it up.

"I thought Jedi didn't run!" Leia objected, getting into position with her own illuminated blue lightsaber.

She was never going to run again.

The droideka scuttled back a couple of meters on its metallic crab legs, it's cannons clicking into position.

"No, you run!" Anakin barked, grabbing her by her elbow and pulling her along as he sprinted. She had no other choice, but to follow as the droideka opened fire. "Zigzag-don't let it lock on. Run!"

The pressure was making her want to snap at him so badly, but she decided she was better on following his orders. At least for now.

They dodged and jinked, leaping into the air while also spinning around to deflect cannon fire with their lightsabers. Which meant, that the droideka couldn't get a lock.

They were out of its effective range when it coiled to pursue them, rolling after them like a ball. Anakin gestured widely at Leia.

"Stop dead when I say," he yelled. "'Saber ready."

Even if that made no sense, whatsoever to Leia, she decided not to argue for once and do as she was told. He seemed to have a better experience whit these things anyway.

They ran as hard as they could, Leia trying desperately to keep up with him. "In three…two…stop!"

Leia did as he said, skidding to a halt as the droid rolled between her and Anakin for one critical fraction of a second too long. They both slashed it to pieces with their lightsabers before it had the chance to unroll and deploy again.

Anakin stared at her for a moment and Leia stared right back at him, not willing to be the one to drop her gaze, while at the same time, trying to control her erratic breathing.

"Now you understand why you have to follow orders. Think twice and you'll be dead."

Leia scowled at him. "I think I handled myself just fine. It's just your way of communicating I have a problem with."

"Well then, it will just be something you'll have to get over, won't you?"

"Me? You're the one who's constantly on my case for no apparent reason."

"That's because I don't trust you not do something stupid, that could jeopardize the whole mission. And so far I seem to be right."

Leia narrowed her eyes.

"Oh yeah? Well, guess what, I don't trust you either." With that, she turned away and headed in the direction of the generator. Not caring, if Anakin came after her or not.

The thing was, it was not Anakin she was currently mad at, but herself. Leia never used to have a problem with running. Not when it meant surviving. It was Luke who had no flight instinct, making Leia the more rational one of the two. Which also meant, it was her job to keep track of Luke and make him listen whenever the situation at hand was pointless.

But the day she lost him, she had been so scared of getting caught. So when Luke urged her to run while he stayed to fight as a distraction, she did.

She was always gonna regret that most. Leaving Luke, when she should have stood by his side and faced the threat–together.

"And there it is." Drawled Anakin leading the way once again.

Leia could see it too. Across an expanse of open ground, a temporary building - an assembly of some kind stood conspicuously new and unweathered. As they edged closer, Leia felt the energy shield stronger.

"I'd have thought they'd hide it, but maybe they're getting lazy or-,"

"Or it's a trap," Leia guessed. She sized the generator up and down and then glanced at the space surrounding it suspiciously. "It's too easy."

"I believe you might be right," Anakin agreed, which surprised Leia.

Anakin snorted at her disbelieving look, then motioned at the ground. "You can see small projections, just visible above the soil-antennae if you concentrate hard enough."

Anakin was right, she could see them.

Okay, so all she had to do then, was move through the field without setting any of them off. Easy.

"Where are you going? Wait!"

"There's no time!" Leia shouted while concentrating on a small piece of land and jumping onto it. When nothing happened she then picking another at least a few feet away and swiftly moved again.

"Be careful!" Anakin warned, moving after her. Leia ignored him, focusing instead on the task at hand. It was good that she was perfect at keeping her balance while also being able to move quickly, but discreetly.

Leia let out a relieved breath when she reached the generator.

"Stay there, I'll set the charges!"

She crouched down and pulled one of the many demolition charges, she had carried all the way, from her pocket. After successfully attaching one, and then a couple more on the flat surface, just to be sure, she stood up. A faint beep-beep-beep carried on the air with the mesh of lights blinking in synchrony.

"Done!" She shouted, feeling great satisfaction.

"You're not supposed to gloat until you've made it back safely with your head still attached!"

"Alright, alright," Leia said, rolling her eyes while moving back, toward Anakin.

She couldn't understand why he wouldn't just admit that-

She stumbled, then froze in place.

"Uh, Master?"

"Stand still!" he instructed. Yeah, like she didn't know that already. "Don't move. Stay right where you are…I'm coming…stand absolutely still, youngling…"

"Stop telling me what I already know!" Leia snapped. She was nervous enough herself without him making it worse.

"I said stand still!"

But she lost her balance.

Leia fell back and landed right on top of one of the antennae. She didn't even have time to brace herself for an explosion and… nothing happened. Leia frowned in confusion, but then she felt it; the ground shivered. Then-like massive seeds erupting trough the soils-orange droids of some kind pushed up to the surface and shook off the dirt.

Leia cursed. There were dozens of them.

"Droids!" Anakin called. "Leia, they're serenity droids!" Yeah, Leia wasn't sure what he wanted her to do with that knowledge.

"So?" She ignited her lightsaber and sliced the head off of one of the droids, then ducked as she moved to the second one.

"So you should be glad, that it hadn't caused a detonation, or else you would have been dead!"

Well, Leia didn't exactly need a reminder of how many times she had evaded death by now.

Leia battled the droids furiously while doing her best to lure them after her as she moved backward, which drew them farther away from the other anteannea-she didn't want to risk more of them popping from the ground.

Leia ducked, cutting the last one into pieces, Leia glanced at Anakin to see, he too, got rid of the last of the serenity droids.

He looked at her, scowling as if it was all her fault somehow.

"Would you stop doing that! I already know you don't want me as your Padawan, so you don't need to blame me for every little thing that happens, just to justify your decision!"

"That's not what I'm doing!"

"Oh really? Well, it certainly feels that way." Leia said, turning away and marching off. Getting some distance not only between herself and the generator, but Anakin included.

"Where are you going?"

"I need to put some distance before I can detonate the charges. Wasn't it you who said that I have to make it with my head still attached? Not that it would matter where you're concerned." She couldn't stop the hurt and disappointment from seeping into her voice. She cursed herself, not understanding why she felt that way.

"Leia…," started Anakin, trailing after her.

She whirled on him.

"What? You're going to say that I'm too young? Too inexperienced? Or is it that I don't follow orders? Whatever it is, keep it to yourself until we get back to the Temple. I'm sure the council will love to hear all about it, but I don't have to."

Leia pulled the detonator she carried, out of her pocket and pressed on it.

An explosion sounded in the distance, that she paid no mind to, making the shield successfully disappear. Instead of cheering, Leia found herself once again disappointed. Because on top of that, what she found most annoying, was that she had momentarily managed to kid herself into believing this could actually work. That she could, somehow find a middle ground with Anakin as her Master and give him the benefit of the doubt Luke would have wanted to give. To be able to stay close to Luke at least in this way, because she wasn't sure how else she could keep herself grounded in this new reality.

Leia slumped on the nearby rock, hugging her knees to her chest, as she looked up at the sky, desperately trying to keep the tears at bay.

She felt Anakin sit down beside her, which only made her mood worsen.

"I'm sorry," said Anakin, momentarily surprising Leia, but then her skepticism returned.

"Are you? I mean, what should you feel sorry for?" Anakin didn't know her. Not that he had a chance of ever really knowing her, even if he wanted to. She's made her choice and she was going to stick with it.

"I'm sorry for not being able to be what you need me to be."

Leia scoffed, "And who would that be?" How could he claim to know, if Leia wasn't sure herself?

"That's just it, you don't know. Just like you don't know me."

"Yet I feel like I should," she heard Anakin murmur softly, more to himself than anyone else.

Leia turned to look at him in confusion, but he wasn't looking at her. Instead, he was staring up at the shuttle which was softly approaching them.

"Come on." He said, standing up.

oOo

Back at the hanger deck, in the Jedi cruiser, Leia stood in front of a group of clone troopers as she retold the whole ordeal. They sat on the ammo crates, helmets stacked on the deck, giving her their full attention. But Leia knew what they were doing, having spent enough time with the rebels after a battle. Or at least those, who had survived. Still, she couldn't help but retell the story, relaying in great detail all of Anakin's great 'teachings'. She might have made a few things up along the way for her own amusement, but he deserved it after the way he acted.

Leia sensed the moment Anakin came up behind her. The clone troopers standing to attention. Having finished the story anyway, she turned.

"Humility is a requirement for a Jedi," Anakin said soberly.

"Then I'll just have to write it down with the other qualities my new Master doesn't seem to possess and won't be able to teach me by his own example," She answered cheekily. Muffled chuckles could be heard among the troopers as they tried not to laugh. Anakin did not seem all that amused and scowled at the few who were dumb enough to.

Rex slapped his gloves together with a loud clap that almost made her flinch.

"Come on, you lot," he barked at the troopers. "You haven't got time to warm those crates with your backsides. What are you trying to do, hatch something? Get back to work." They scattered.

Leia wondered what he meant by 'work', it's not like they had any enemies nearby at this particular moment.

"Don't they ever get any time off?" There had always been a celebration of some kind after a successful battle at the Rebel Alliance's base. Or at least, some time to grieve the ones that were lost. And she knew, there had been some losses amongst the troopers today, having felt their grief through the Force.

"They're soldiers," Anakin said. "It's the job."

"Isn't it your job too? Aren't you hurt all the time just like they are?"

"You're right, Padawan," Anakin said. "We all handle our loss in our own way. Thank you for thinking of the men's welfare." Leia heard it for what it was-a closure on the topic that wasn't to be discussed further.

Anakin was directly facing her and she took the opportunity to study him further. He looked a lot like Luke, with only a few differences here and there. But what she found most interesting was the pain in his eyes, the pain he was trying to hide, but Leia could still see. Leia wondered briefly if it was that pain that made him turn to the dark side.

Could have made him turn to the dark side, Leia. Could. There is no reason to believe what Vader said is true, don't forget that.

Anakin looked away and Leia followed his gaze to see Obi-Wan walking slowly towards them while deep in conversation with Master Yoda.

Anakin moved toward them and Leia followed him, meeting them halfway.

"Master Obi-Wan," Anakin said, bowing. "Master Yoda."

Yoda gave a brief smile and a nod to Leia as she bowed too, then fixed Anakin with a critical stare. "Trouble you have with your new Padawan, I hear."

"I was explaining the situation to Master Yoda," said Obi-Wan, then turned to stare at Leia weirdly. Leia guessed that Yoda had brought him up to date whit her 'peculiar' situation. It's not like Master Kenobi hadn't known. The whole Council did. But she doubted he had made the connection until now.

"If not ready for the responsibility of a Padawan you are, especially one like Leia, then perhaps to Obi-Wan she should go…" Leia knew what he was doing, long used to psychological games by now. She knew there was next to no possibility that Obi-Wan would train her either, not when Mace Windu had expressed great interest in being the one to train her from the very beginning.

"There are no problems, Master, " said Anakin calmly, completely confounding Leia. "Who could possibly make such a far-fetching judgment about a youngling's future in such a short time, anyway? That would be rash. Unfair, even. It's our duty to nurture talent and support it."

Leia's eyebrows rose in surprise. She knew he wasn't talking about her. Clearly, there were some unresolved issues between Master Yoda and Anakin.

If Master Yoda felt the barbs in Anakin's comment, he didn't show it. "Mature, your judgment is becoming. Certainly teach you, she will, as much as you teach her."

"I shall do my utmost, Master."

Yoda briefly looked at Leia and she understood the unvoiced question. She nodded, confirming her choice to stay with Anakin.

Seemingly satisfied, Yoda turned to look at Anakin again. "Then go with you she will, to the Teth system."

"Has fighting spread that far? I didn't think the Separatists army had any presence there."

Leia had a bad feeling about this.

"No army. But kidnapped, Jabba the Hutt's son has been." And here it was.

The galaxy seemed intent on playing cruel jokes on her.

Anakin didn't seem particularly happy either. "You want me to rescue a Hutt?"

Momentarily forgetting her own displeasure Leia glanced at Anakin, curious by his reaction, having detected something like disgust in his voice. Had he known Jabba too? Or was it just the Hutts in general, he seemed to have a problem with.

Obi-Wan dived in immediately. "We need Jabba's backing to fight this war, Anakin. If we can't use Hutt-controlled routes, we can't fight in the Outer Rim. It's that simple. I'm going to negotiate with Jabba while you retrieve the hostage."

"Hostage…"

"His baby son. Rotta."

Jabba had a son?!

Well, that was a huge surprise to Leia. She wondered how he had felt in the future, once he had found out his father was dead. And killed by an eleven-year-old, nonetheless.

The haunting memories that tried to push their way to the surface, brought a new feeling of dread in Leia, as she hastily pushed them back down. She was glad that there was enough tension between the group for her own feelings on the matter to go unnoticed.

Leia took a few steps back, coming to stand beside Rex, who had followed discreetly.

"Why don't I get the troops organized," she offered, hoping for an escape, as a way to hide her own perplexing emotions on the matter. "Ready when you are, Master." Remembering to bow she did so by a whisker and walked away, but not before hearing Obi-Wan's reply;

"I'd better get under way," he said. "Mustn't keep Jabba waiting."

Leia was glad she wasn't the one going with Obi-Wan. She didn't exactly look forward to coming back to Tatooine. Not if she could help it.

oOo

It took a while for Leia to find Anakin again.

She had decided to check the machinery space of the docking bay lor, once she had tried everywhere else, having thought that it would be one of the places Luke would have gone to hide, so it was worth a shot. She found she had been right when she swung the hatch open to only find Anakin inside.

"Do you know how long it took me to find you?" She asked accusingly. She hated the reminder of just how similar Luke and Anakin seemed to be. "Stop brooding, because we're ready to go."

"Have you heard of knocking?" Anakin snapped, before visibly calming himself. "I'm just thinking, that's all."

Leia rolled her eyes. "You mean moping? You're not the only one bothered by helping Jabba, you know. And I don't mean only me, everyone else is too."

She didn't tell him that it was futile anyway. Even if they were successful, in the end, the war was still going to be lost.

Anakin seemed too lost in his own head to answer her, so Leia just sighed.

She watched him warily, wondering what exactly was it about Jabba that made Anakin so… Distrustful? Angry? It was hard to tell exactly.

"It's got to be done," Anakin said at last. "I don't feel anything about it. Only think how we're going to do it."

Sure he was. Leia frowned. She wondered who he was trying to lie to; her, or himself.

"Let's go," he said.

Maybe it was both.

oOo

**Edited**

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