FIC: Cat in the Cradle (SW, gen, "What Remains" series)

[winter]

This was supposed to be something else, but Han and Leia demanded their installment first. Lando and his action figures will have to wait.

Assumes that the mother Leia remembers is Lady Organa. Lyrics (C) by Harry Chapin. 386 words, 15 minutes including editing.

Previously in this series: Aere Perennius

CAT IN THE CRADLE

There was a saying: as rare as seeing the stars on Coruscant. But now Han was seeing them as he landed his speeder at the balcony to Leia's apartment. They still had not repaired the battle damage in the industrial quarter, and the power shortage meant that Coruscant's lights were running at less than quarter-strength. Not enough to light up the sky at night.

The stars were beautiful, as always.

Han opened the door quietly, not wanting to wake Leia. Repairs to the Falcon had kept him at the spaceport long past midnight, and he was not looking forward to the lecture.

He need not have bothered. Leia was awake and sitting on the sofa. The data pad she held threw strange shadows on her face.

"Hello, stranger," she said with a smile.

Han grinned. "Hello yourself. Shouldn't you be sleeping?"

"Maybe I got too used to your snoring."

"Yeah, right." He hung up his jacket and rubbed at his eyes. "What kept you up, anyway? Didn't know there was a crisis on."

"There isn't." Leia's hair was down, and it made her face look longer, older. "I really couldn't sleep. Right now I'm reviewing records of the Emperor's rise to power - when we write the Constitution, we should put in safeguards so that it doesn't happen again."

"Probably a good idea." He perched on the back of the sofa, looking over her shoulder. The pad showed a picture of a young girl, dark-haired and dark-eyed, pale and determined. Han wondered if he had seen her before. "She's pretty. Who's she?"

Leia leaned back, propping her head on his thigh. "She's the woman who put Palpatine in power - she called for the vote to make him Chancellor, and later her representative proposed the first set of emergency powers. Later, my father and Mon tried to use her influence over Palpatine to push through some resolution to curb him, but I guess she wasn't as good a puppet for them."

There was something familiar in those eyes, hidden behind layers of ceremonial make-up. "She doesn't look like someone who'd do that."

"I don't know if she was good or evil." Leia sighed and shook her head. "All I know is that our lives would've been much easier if Padme Amidala Naberrie had never been born."

~FINIS~

when i hung up the phone
it occurred to me
he'd grown up just like me
yeah
my boy was just like me


Next: Childish Things

Comments

[shoiryu.livejournal.com]

Oh god, ouch. Ouch, man.

[artaxastra.livejournal.com]

Owwww.

And yes. That's exactly what Leia would think.

[azarias.livejournal.com]

Leia can untangle web upon web upon knotted mess of political necessity, self-interested, backstabbing, and cultural clashes. But I don't think she can see layers in people without a lot of effort and time.

[nayami.livejournal.com]

I think Leia would have trouble understanding Padme's viewpoint because they're so different. You did a good job of capturing that part of Leia.

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

I can so see that happening, though I would think Bail would remember Padme with kindness, as she was one of their allies...

I hear they missed a lot of significant scenes with Padme, Mon Mothma and Bail in RotS, but gah! That's still painful to think on. Poor old Padme.

[arabwel.livejournal.com]

Damn, can only echo the massive ouch in there.... but this is some brilliant characterization you have here. *hugs*

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Brilliant, and of course I'm seconding the "ouch", especially since I just rewatched TPM - with those scenes between Padme and Palpatine - and AotC. But it's exactly what Leia would think. (Channelling her inner Anakin without being aware of doing so.*g*)

[ripedecay.livejournal.com]

Ow, ow, ow. Your Leia is just right, but ouchies.

On a silly note, I love your Han as well ♥

[dphearson.livejournal.com]

Ugh!

Damn!

What a punch to the gut! Interesting, what secrets and lies that are passed down, and what survives to be remembered.

[merrymaia.livejournal.com]

Ouch.

And very much in character.

[a-blue-moon-cat.livejournal.com]

The irony is palpable in that last line. :( *shivers* Glad I am that Han can see through to what's underneath.

[polgarawolf.livejournal.com]

*Winces so hard she recoils*
Oh, man, I bet that comment would've come back home and bit her hard when she and Luke finally found out who Padme really was (circa the Joiner King trio, in the EU).