Leia

As Leia spat at him with a quick-witted response, a smirk shaped itself between both corners of Anakin’s mouth. “You’re right. My mistake, milady; not like I can use an entity known as the force.” Sarcasm fell from his lips as he spoke with self-assurance and conviction before returning his attention to the R4 droid. “Come on; you can do it." Anakin murmured under his breath as his gloved hand gradually skimmed itself across the droid’s side. When it booted itself up seconds later, a muted but boastful smile that was almost unnoticeable formed. 

It was bizarre being around Leia. All Anakin had ever desired was to protect and be with his wife and child, but not even the force could have helped him prepare for this. In a way, it was like glimpsing into a mirror. Leia’s wit reminded Anakin of himself, which was one of the numerous reasons it was much more challenging to be close or even just around her, compared to Luke. Anakin let out a short sigh as he studied the woman’s mind. "I sense your words are not entirely candid” His voice was bleak, as it dropped in a low tone.

Anakin can remember the day vividly when Padme told him of her pregnancy; it was perhaps the happiest time of his life, minus marrying her or finding out he was to be trained as a Jedi. Though fearful of what was to come of their child if the truth came out. Those small yet valuable moments have turned into his demons. The feeling of affliction swam through his veins, consuming his emotions with pain that devoured Anakin’s every thought. Holding on to Anakin does Vader no good. “We both share the same hate for me." 

As Leia watched Anakin work with the droid, she once again felt tears cling to her eyes. Luke was right, there IS still so much good in him. She knew how powerful the pull of the dark side is. She knew how persuasive and pure evil Palpatine is. Even the strongest in the force wouldn’t have been able to overcome. Hell even she wouldn’t have been. This was the first time Leia had actually SEEN her father as Anakin, not Vader. The only man . . . machine she ever knew him to be had been the bane of her existence. That evil hadn’t been her father. THIS was her father. The wonderful friend, Jedi and man Luke had told her so much about. If these parts of him weren’t still in him, it’d not be nearly as easy to try. Leia couldn’t help but hope if he cared this much about a droid, he’d end up caring this much about her. However, in all fairness, she wasn’t there yet either, it was going to take some time for both of them but the man she saw in front of her now, gave her so much hope.

This feeling didn’t last long with his next comments. Was he trying to say she was lying? Did he have any idea how hard it was for her to even BE here? For her to take the step she just did and he can STILL push her away. Her smile dropped to a frown as she dropped his hand, getting up from where she was kneeling and letting out a loud sigh, once again crossing her arms across her chest. “Not entirely candid?!” She questioned, it was clear from her tone she was hurt by it. “It took A LOT for me to come here today. After all of the hurt and pain you caused not only me but my friends and the people I love. How DARE you question my words.” She sneered as she started to pace around the room, placing a hand on the top of the R4 unit. “You know, you can give so much love and devotion to a droid but when it comes to human beings” She shook her head in disbelief. “You think it is easy for me to admit to myself the infamous Darth Vader is my father? Trust me, I don’t like it either! but I am trying, dammit!” She now found herself raising her voice a little. He was so frustrating and stubborn, she had to have gotten it from somewhere. 

“I am trying to believe there is still good in you. I feel it but then you have your moments where I doubt my own force abilities.” She explained, running her hands along the droid and looking away from him for a brief moment. She never pursued being a Jedi but Luke taught her enough to be able to control it. Leia just wasn’t the Jedi type. Her services were needed in leadership, something she got from the only man she ever knew as her father and her real mother. She was destined to lead the Resistance. “You don’t hate Vader.” Leia quickly quipped, even if it broke her heart to hear him say that. Once again, she saw human emotions radiating from him; wishing it was remorse for what he’d done. “You hate Anakin, hate him for still being in there somewhere.” She pointed to his heart with her finger, poking it gently.  “So don’t expect me to feel sorry for you, Vader.” She snapped. 

As partial as Leia was to Alderaan, Naboo reminded her so much of it. Full of the beauty of the galaxy. Like Alderaan, Naboo was peaceful, a far cry from all the war she had seen. She didn’t regret it for a single second. She did what she had to do. The Rebellion needed her help and then later the Resistance. Despite the success over the Empire all those years ago, it didn’t stop her from putting her guard down. There would always be evil to fight but the rise of the first order was something she couldn’t help but blame on herself. As hard as Leia fought to not turn out like her father, her family was inevitably cursed by the dark side. First, her father and then her son, which resulted in it feeling like deja vu all over again, only this time, it hit much more close to home. Watching her son fall to the darkside was one of the most difficult experiences of her life. At least with Anakin, it wasn’t something she was part of, which she knew she had her mother and Obi Wan to thank for that. Whenever she’ d struggle trying to understand why her mother would give her up, she’d think about that. At first it didn’t make sense to her because it made her wonder if her mother didn’t want her, which she knew it resulted in giving her sweet adoptive parents a hard time. She’d run away to Naboo once she was old enough to understand, begging to let her stay with her and questioning why she couldn’t. However,  it wasn’t like her mother wasn’t part of her life. She still came to visit her too sometimes. Bail and Breha made sure of that. It was her favorite part of the week whenever she got to visit her mother.

When the war broke out, those visits got less and less until eventually they stopped all together. It wasn’t by choice, it was necessity. It was then Leia had learned to survive on her own so when the Rebellion needed her help, she had a feeling it was going to be the last time she’d ever see her Bail and Breha, who she had started to also consider her parents,  for awhile but she still never anticipated what would come next. When Alderaan got destroyed, it was as if a piece of her heart went down with it. She’d never forgive her father for what he did. It was a senseless killing of an unarmed, peaceful planet. It was an indication of just the kind of evil the Rebellion was facing. No one was safe. The future of the galaxy felt like it rested in her hands. 

She wanted her mother to stay safe and the safest place for her was Naboo. Despite the status of the galaxy, Naboo managed to also remain peaceful. The only way she was going to keep it that way was to keep her distance so it wouldn’t draw attention to the Empire nor the first order. She couldn’t pick a better place for her mother if she tried. Her mother was the most beautiful woman she’d ever known. Kind, gentle, loving, all things good and similar qualities to her adoptive parents. Leia would never be able to thank her enough for the childhood she was able to grant her, despite everything. No matter how angry she was at first, she knew her mother loved her, she could never question that. Padmé never let her doubt that. Her loving nature reminded her so much of Luke, who never gave up on anyone and always saw the good. It had been way too many years since Leia was able to see Padmé so with the Resistance victory, after congratulating her troops for a job well done, she hopped the first starship she was able to find and headed to see her mother on Naboo. 

She had almost forgotten how beautiful it was but she felt the calmness through the force the instant she stepped onto the platform. It was a welcomed feeling, one she hadn’t felt in too many years. She closed her eyes and took in a few breaths, enjoying the atmosphere and letting the force guide her to her mother. She smiled when she saw her, quickly making her way over to the balcony above the water, “Mom? It’s me, Leia.” She stated gently, not hesitating to wrap her into a hug, “It’s been too long, but you have no idea how happy I am to see you. I’ve missed you so much.” She whispered against her ear, hugging her even closer.

/

he expected a reaction from her at the mention of ben but, perhaps not one so…vicious. hux jerked forwards as leia grabbed the collar of his shirt, a physical threat if he ever saw one. there was no fear in his gaze, however, just a smug smile at the fact he’d so easily made her loose her cool, while he retained his. 

it wasn’t a completely alien suggestion. armitage knew there were some people capable in sallow hills that were definitely not on that list, which had struck him as interesting. what if the perpetrator was someone who hadn’t been considered? armitage straightened up his clothes once she let go, listening to leia talk or, rather ramble at him. “don’t be mad,” was his reply, still vehemently denying his involvement in anything. leia could cook up her theories all she wanted, could petition and tell anyone that would hear yet it wouldn’t matter, as hux would always bring up her motive.

he had been staying low-key here for a reason. “i wouldn’t frame him in such an obvious way. you wouldn’t know if i had,” hux was smart, after all, and was a little offended that the general would think he would pull something so on the nose at a time like that. 

“if i had one, i’d have probably used a vibroblade. that’s if i’d done it, and those are in short supply,” reaching into his pocket, he produced a cigarette. “what would i do with one, though? keep it in my fridge? i always thought you had more brains, general. seems i was incorrect,”

She eyed him suspiciously, trying to wrap her mind around everything that was going on inside of her head right now. She really resented the fact he pretty much had her right where he wanted her and damn him for being so freaking calm while she was on the verge of losing it. Her son was her biggest weakness and this bastard knew that. It didn’t help her son didn’t know who she was resulting in her feeling extra sensitive. It means he won even if he didn’t really win and her letting him bring her to this place where she just physically  threatened him was embarrassing and shameful. This isn’t who she was. She took in another deep breath, stepping back from where she had a grip on his shirt to cross her arms once again, the annoyance she felt very obvious. He was so irritating and she wished so badly she could just at the very least slap him but again, she already let him win once, it was time to get a grip.

“Well then I can assume you’re satisfied with yourself, aren’t you? Wouldn’t that be the point? Arrange the crime in such a way to steer the blame away from you? You did it to make it look like you didn’t. It’s the oldest trick in the book, Armitage.” She sneered, though at this point with the way the investigation was panning out, he didn’t do it and it was nothing but pursuing her own vengeful agenda, that she still hated Hux for calling her on. “I am not the one suggesting you used a vibroblade, asshat! You volunteered that yourself, besides,” her eyes fell down to the cigarette for a brief moment before resting back up at him, “We both know you’d be smarter than to hide the murder weapon yourself. I suspect you disposed of it. You wouldn’t be able to have a weapon like that around here and be able to get away with it. The --” 

She was cut off by a knock at the door, holding her finger up for one moment, she invited the person in. After a quick briefing, she nodded her head as they left, her eyes narrowing to turn her attention back to Hux. She was wrong and it was official. This whole pointless effort pursuing something on her end was nothing but baseless and really just a waste of time. “Well then, today must be your lucky day. It seems there was a confession and it turned out to be credible so looks like you got what you wanted. Happy?” She scoffed in sheer resentment, gathering up everything she had on Hux into one pile as neat as possible before placing it back onto the desk. “Try not to gloat about it TOO much.”

“okay,” she sighed, letting leia guide her to a seat. abby didn’t want to burden leia with this. it was her problem, she should be able to find a solution on her own. but maybe she liked the idea of relying on someone, sharing the weight on her shoulders. doing that with her friends when they were still her friends, alive and well, had been the only way she’d survived this long. “no, i live alone. and i doubt they would remember me, i’m probably not the only one who got food around that time.”

abby listened, wishing with every inch of her broken body that the words coming out of leia’s mouth were the truth. abby had always tried to do the right thing, but the problem was that she was the one to decide what the right thing was. she’d become top scar killer, because she thought they deserved to die. as terrible as the cult was, it was not her place to make that choice. she was the one that got to decide it had been fair to kill joel. a life for a life. and it had cost her friends their lives. she felt very, very small with every word.

“i’m not, though. one of the good ones, i mean.” abby could feel her hands shaking, could feel the way air struggled to find its way into her lungs. she was a liar and a killer and it wouldn’t be fair to let leia believe otherwise. even if abby wanted the woman to like her. and she wanted it so desperately. “if they looked into my life before coming here… my history would be more than enough reason.”

she looked away, took a deep breath before speaking again. if leia walked away she would be okay. she’d been okay before meeting her and just because it was nice to have someone again it didn’t mean abby wouldn’t be okay. she would be.

“i wasn’t just some kid stuck in a war i was… ruthless. a shitty person who did shitty things just because i could. i killed innocents because my people disagreed with their people. i killed to protect the ones i loved i…” she swallowed hard, white-knuckled hands gripping the edge of her seat. “i told you my father was killed. it happened when i was fourteen. there was a girl who was immune and he was going to use her to create a vaccine. he never even started the operation.”

Leia furrowed her brows as she listened to Abby speak. She could feel her heart breaking with each confession coming out of her mouth. She definitely wasn’t who she thought she was but not in a bad way. Leia frowned in reaction but not faltering from Abby. She wanted her to know she was here for her despite the vulnerable, horrible past she was sharing. Leia appreciated the fact she trusted her enough to share this with her. It was a connection she was missing since she arrived on this planet. She did have her mom but it wasn’t the same. She knew her mother almost had to force herself to know her, or maybe force was the wrong word more like restarting. They missed a lot of years together and it was going to take time to build that back.

Between her mother and Abby, Leia already saw the potential to learn and grow within herself. For example, the struggles she had with her own father and in that moment, Leia saw Anakin as Abby. She couldn’t just excuse everything she’d done just because ‘she was good now’ that’d be hypocritical to her own father. However, in her defense, her father wasn’t exactly part of the light side currently. She rested a hand on Abby’s shoulder, giving it a small squeeze. Her story was putting so much into perspective, she bit her lip. What made all the things Anakin did as Darth Vader so real to her was because she witnessed it all firsthand. If it was anyone else, Leia could easily say redemption is just as important as anything else and it wasn’t fair she wasn’t holding Anakin to those same standards. She sighed. “Oh, Abby, “she cooed, rubbing at her back, “We all succumb to revenge especially when it comes to protecting the ones we love. You wanted to avenge your father’s death, you can’t hate yourself for that. Sometimes we are put into environments that bring out the worst in us. It doesn’t make some of these things you just shared right but you know they were wrong and that is just as important as doing the right thing.” She offered her a sympathetic smile, “what girl found you? The one who your father wanted to use to make a vaccine with? I don’t think it is fair you hold that burden entirely. We are all responsible for our own actions. You know . . . I am not the most innocent person either.”

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KATE  didn’t bat an eye at the mention of galatic wars.    she had no reason to.   sure,  it wasn’t her  normal thing.   but she knew kara,  she knew clark.   she wasn’t surprised that there was more out there,  that they were being dragged here as well.   ❝i understand how personal feelings can affect us,  more than a lot of people.❞   the things she’s done for beth.   but never alone.  each and every decision she made to save beth,  she had back up.   bette,  julia,  even catherine had backed her once.   ❝but i will  not  run an investigation on a sense of vengeance.  there are names on that list that i know well.  names i suspect didn’t do it,  and names of people more horrible than most can comprehend.   but  corruption  comes when we let ourselves be blinded from fairness and fact.❞

╷╷╷  abby.   kate doubted more than anything that abby hadn’t done this.  but she needed to check,  to ensure.   and to make sure that if it was abby,  that the girl was protected.   zsasz.   serial murderer,  sociopath,  and with the skill set to do this.  but she couldn’t let his past blind her for now.

╷╷╷  ❝what you’re telling me tells me that hux is a political mover.   he does things for gain of himself.   power,  control.   this kill doesn’t fit  that  m-o.   it’s brutal,  vengeful.   and identifying markers were removed.   that’s not a political kill.   we will speak with him,  get his alibies if any.  find a motive.  but we won’t punish someone simply for their past or because we want it to be them.❞

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Now it was her turn to feel offended by the observation but she tried not to let it show. Maybe because deep down, she knew she was right, this was guided by vengeance for her more than anything else and she really resented she continued to get called out on it. She was failing herself more than she ever anticipated she would.Making her no better than her opponents, especially Hux. The thought caused her to feel uneasy as she took in another breath, furrowing her brows at the woman in front of her. She could understand her position. It was one that didn’t allow for personal feelings to be involved something she didn’t realize she might have been implying until now when really she was just trying to defend herself and her own actions. “I wasn’t . . . asking you to,” She stated slowly, “I completely understand your position and I was by no means trying to tell you what to do. I was merely . . .” she cut herself off again, another sigh escaping her lips. “Listen. You don’t need to lecture me on where you stand in this investigation. I am not asking for any favors or doubting your competency, I . . .” she paused again, questioning herself before moving forward. Leia was getting almost a little bit too defensive and Kate didn’t deserve it. So what if she was partially right for her real motive behind this ‘tip off’ it didn’t mean Hux still didn’t deserve to be investigated.

“This isn’t about revenge, Kate, and it isn’t about my son. Contrary to what you may currently believe, this isn’t some political vendetta,” all right maybe it was just a little but he really was acting suspicious, “I apologize if you feel I am wasting your time but I just wanted to bring to your attention the suspicious behavior in case you might decide it is useful so do with it what you will but you are much more skilled than me when it comes to solving a murder so I will leave you to it then.” She offered her a smile as she stood up, nodding her head in acknowledgement. “Thank you for your attention at least and hearing me out. Let’s hope the case cracks soon, hmm?” Deep down, she knew it wasn’t Hux either. This wasn’t his style. Hell the man was practically a cuddly ewok compared to the blatant sociopathic efforts of whomever killed the victim but she was far too prideful to let herself admit that, at least not out loud.

Padme looked over at Leia and smiled softly. “It’s alright if you call me mom.” she said softly. Padme would have never thought that she would have met her kids ever again but when she finally did she could see so much of her within her daughter. A lot of things she would of have never thought would be possible especially something like this. It was as if she was given a second chance at a lot including knowing her children as well as try and make amends with Anakin. 

“I’m doing alright. It just mostly thinks of the past. Between this whole investigation on my mind I’ve been trying to make amends with Anakin. And I promise you that I will be careful, but that also means that you have to be careful as well.” she said calmly. When she went on to say she felt guilty she shook her head, “Don’t think like that. There was nothing you or anyone could have done to change what happened. And in times things will become more clear and it won’t happen over night. Your not the only one who lost a lot, because I feel I have as well but this is the second chance I get” Padme said.   

“All right then, Mom it is.” She added with a smile, reaching over for her hand to take it into hers. It was going to take some getting used to for both of them. This was a chance she was sure she’d never get. An opportunity that Leia knew must be happening for a reason she just isn’t sure of the reason yet. She wished so much her family could reunite as one but all of the horrible things her father did, Leia still struggled coming to terms with the fact that man was her biological father. Her mother is so kind and sweet, she was sure she probably believes the best in Anakin. She’d be willing to try for herself and for her mother especially. Leia only knew her for a little while but she already looked up to her. 

It was so comforting hearing her concern for her. She didn’t have parents that cared about her well being for years and as much as she could take care of herself, it was nice having someone that she knew had her back. When she mentioned trying to make amends with Anakin, Leia hung her head in both disappointment and sadness, “Right, Anakin, um Mom, there is something you should know about him too. . .” no, she wasn’t going to go there, not right now. She didn’t want to spend any of the little bit of time she had with her mother talking about the trauma her father caused her as Darth Vader, besides, it was sure to break her heart. She wanted her mother to be happy so she cut herself off with a smile, “but that’s a story for another time. I am always careful, it’s practically my middle name.” She grinned in encouragement. “But thanks for caring, I don’t know how you do it, we have only known each other for a short while though it feels like much longer,” that same feeling reminded her of the way she had this feeling Luke was her brother before he told her. The force is a very strong ally, “but you always know the right things to say. I’ve felt so alone and having you here has really been  . . . comforting.” 

Though that word didn’t seem like nearly enough to express the way she was feeling. Leia wasn’t a person that got vulnerable easily and sharing this moment with her mother where she is admitting to feeling alone was a release she didn’t even know she needed. She couldn’t even imagine how Padmé was feeling in that moment. She lost decades just with her alone. She gently ran her fingers over her hand, “I know . . .Mom,” she smiled, the name still taking some adjusting especially to the woman in front of her that looked younger than she did, “I am so sorry for everything that was taken away from you. But I am here with you now. It’s a chance I don’t plan to waste. There is this man on the suspect list, his name is Hux and he was a General in the First Order . . . Palpatine’s side.” She explained assuming she wouldn’t recognize who or what the First Order was, “I think he has something to do with this and if he finds out you’re my real mother I don’t want to think about what he would do so I am wary my war from back home has still managed to follow me here somehow. Don’t underestimate him.” She warned. Nor Anakin either. She thought to herself trying hard not to mention it outloud.

“i tend to be more creative with the way i spend my free time,” lucifer said, the outburst gone as quickly as it had started. usually, people were at the very least startled when he showed his less human side. the side that was ruled by passion, emotion, and not by every little human rule of behavior he’d learned during his time on earth. here, even that seemed ineffective. “and far less lethal.”

 he narrowed his eyes. “Is that so? and why would that be, hm? because you wouldn’t be so careless that you would leave your victim’s body out in the open?”

lucifer did not think the woman had done it, that part of him was still intact, the part that could recognize true evil with a single glance, and this woman was not it. “yes, well, as hard as i am to miss, i find that most people appreciate the reminder.” he backed up, if only to avoid having her hand on his face. 

“If you wanted an excuse to touch, all you had to do was ask, dear.” forget the fact that he’d been the one to invade her personal space first. ”in any case, i’m flattered, but as this is an investigation i cannot get involved with the suspects…” he let his eyes wander down, “unless you ask nicely, of course.”

Of course he was. For some reason, Leia didn’t find herself to be too surprised by this. He definitely seemed the smug, cocky type. She still gritted her teeth at his response in regard to the lack of investigation if she knew how to answer his questions,  “No, because clearly the suspect would have already been identified and all of us would just be wasting our time now, wouldn’t we?” She felt slightly taken aback. No one had yet to consider her a suspect. She wasn’t sure if she should feel insulted or not. It was a very brutal death, someone not ruling her out as a person that was capable of doing something like that could almost be flattering if she was a killer herself. “And something tells me you don’t get missed too often, do you?” She questioned with a playfully fake smile. She could tell this guy’s type, the kind that considers himself irresistible to everyone and probably doesn’t get rejected too often.

When he backed up, she glared at him in annoyance. Was he being serious? First, he accused her of actually wanting to get involved with him and secondly, accused her of actually being a suspect. She scoffed at his remarks, crossing her arms across her chest and rolled her eyes. He actually left her speechless and that isn’t something that happens too often. She found herself easily resenting him for it. “Excuse me? Better watch who you’re calling a suspect, Pretty Boy.” She scolded him almost dismissively, turning her attention away from his face, starting to stir her straw around in her drink, “Secondly, the only time I’d consider getting involved with you is in your dreams . . . IF you’re lucky.” The hand that was once on his face, she rubbed against her pants as if in attempt to rid her hand of the ‘filth’ She took a sip of her drink before looking back over at him, “Besides, how do we know YOU aren’t a suspect? You’re exactly the kind they’d be looking for. Dangerously charming on the outside, creatively . . . less lethal on the inside.” She smirked.

     He turns to completely face the stranger, but doesn’t lower his arms still crossed on his chest. ❝ I’m not trying to scare people. ❞ His wings twitch again, a clear sign of his discomfort, although this time he makes sure not to touch her with them. He doesn’t mean to harm people with them but Simon’s rarely ever in control of anything in his life, least of all his stupid wings. 

      ❝ I’m not one of the suspects! I just. Someone on the list. They’re not on the list anymore. But they were! And who’s to say that they won’t be on there again? I have to figure it out who really did it before something bad happens. ❞ Again. To Baz, to both of them, because he refuses to see his partner so bloody and torn up again. Doesn’t want another memory like that. 

      Simon involuntarily winces at her question. No one has ever been so blunt about their curiosity before, and he doesn’t ever know what to tell them. He’s not a mage because he’s lost all his magic, which would make him a Normal. Human and nothing more. But he doesn’t fit into that category either thanks to the extra appendages. He shrugs in response and looks away from her, his eyes focusing on the one of windows of the White Rabbit. Not one person that’s gone in did he recognize, and he wishes Penny were here to help solve this. He sighs and forces himself to look at the stranger again.

      ❝ I’m just…a Normal. These were a mistake. A spell gone wrong and all that. I’m sorry for hitting you with my wing before, I swear I didn’t mean to. ❞

Leia still quirked her eyebrows in curiosity at him. He still seemed awfully suspicious to not be a suspect, crossing her own arms and continued to observe him, nodding her head slowly, “A little quick to jump on the defensive there, don’t you think?” She questioned him sincerely. She wasn’t trying to make him uncomfortable. She could tell by his body language, his wings seemed pretty new to him and maybe caused him to feel a little bit insecure. She could be completely off but her instincts were telling her otherwise. “Ah a friend of one of the suspects, that was my first thought.” She reached out to gently touch at one of his wings, cautious not to get too close since she wasn’t aware of what they could be capable of. “Does this friend of yours share the same . . . um appendages?” She asked for lack of a better term. If he or she did, Leia was sure she would have noticed them walking around town by now. “It’s not Hux, is it?” She asked with a cautious frown. She’d never know his friends nor would she expect him to have any. 

Hearing his friend was no longer on the suspect list caused her to give him a sincere smile, “Well, good for you both but if that is the case, can I ask why you’re here? Shouldn’t you and your friend be celebrating? Unless you’re here TO celebrate?” She shook her head, “I am sorry it isn’t any of my business. Your friend is lucky to have you. You better not let your friend forget it and tell them to stay out of trouble.” She teased. She looked back at the wings, “Ah that is new equipment, huh? All right, I GUESS I can forgive you just watch where you flap those things, okay? I would hate to see you draw attention to yourself or back to your friend.” Offering him a playful wink, she followed his gaze through the window, quirking an eyebrow again, “It’s okay to go in, you know, they won’t bite.” She jokingly assured him.

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MORE dangerous than this investigation gives him credit for?   kate tried not to take it as in insult on their validity,  on the fact that they are taking  every  suspect seriously.   because she doubted that’s what leia meant by her words,   even if it stung just a  bit.   but kate knew what she was doing,  as did steph.   and she was sure that the woman was just coming forward to try to help.  

╷╷╷ she wrote down notes on what the woman was saying.   fought opposite of (in what?)   suspicious when questioned (what questions were asked?  were they loaded?)   tried to push blame (is he innocent or bluffing?)

╷╷╷  she set the notebook down,  leaning against the bar in a more relaxed position.   ❝please,  if i’m calling you leia just call me kate.   it’s good to meet you,  i’ve been meaning to stop by and say hi to the neighborhood watch.❞   to check in on,  to see how they run things.   but she wouldn’t say that  aloud.   she knew she took protection and justice a little  too  seriously sometimes.

╷╷╷  ❝i can assure you,  stephanie and i are taking every suspect  very  seriously,  and even people who aren’t necessarily high on our suspect list.   i can’t do much with the information you’ve given me,  though.   where and how did you fight against him before?   who is he shifting blame to?❞   why not come to us first before questioning him and prepping him for lies?   again  -   not something to be asked aloud.

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Leia nodded her head when Kate requested she call her Kate, of course that was only fair and she could tell by the assurance Leia might have offended her just a bit unintentionally when she brought up more dangerous than he was given credit for. She didn’t mean any disrespect by it and it was in that moment what she had to say might not be taken lightly.  Leia smiled, “Of course very well, Kate it is.” She found herself taking the seat next to Kate on the bar to be on eye level and to find a place to rest her hands as she took in a few deep breaths. “It is a real honor. I can’t believe for as long as I have been around, I have yet to step foot in here until now. I am not much of a drinker, I guess.” Something that surprised her considering having to deal with Han and then when Ben was being the most defiant teenager she was sure she’d ever have to deal with. Now he seemed so sweet and kind, two things he obviously didn’t get from her. 

“I apologize I hope you know I meant no disrespect I know you two have it handled I just meant he is THAT dangerous, that is all and I want to make it clear just HOW dangerous.” When she asked about their past, Leia took another deep breath before continuing, “There was a . . . war, a galactic war, good vs evil to determine who controls the galaxy. He was on the side of evil. The type that wouldn’t hesitate to destroy an entire planet to make a point. Lives are expendable to him and his cronies. He knew exactly what to say and how to say it to get what he wants.” She looked down when asked who is shifting blame to. How does she tell her her son who was the very leader of that evil side she just shared? It would make her look like this was personal and honestly? It was. Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, another small sigh escaped her lips, “My . . . my son, who isn’t even on the suspect list by the way.” She was quick to add, hoping it didn’t pique her interest there might have been someone they missed. “That is a long story for another time. I didn’t come to you because . . . because . . . this is personal evenmore so with him inflicting blame on my son. Number one in an investigation, leave emotion out of it and look at all things objectively but I didn’t see a lot coming out about him and besides, you both have your hands full with several others. I just felt it was a situation where I needed to take care of it myself, surely you understand, right? Aren’t there people on this list that you feel personally about? whether to protect them or get the vengeance deserved?”

once again abby was taken by surprise by leia. by her calm demeanor, by the way she hadn’t automatically assumed the strange violent girl she’d met was guilty. she remembered the way everyone at the wlf base had assumed owen was guilty of killing one of their own, without thinking he’d have a good reason. like they hadn’t known owen for years. compassion had been owen’s downfall. abby desperately hoped the same could not be said for the woman standing in front of her. 

“no, it doesn’t.” she lowered her hands as she approached. eyes searching her surroundings in case anyone else was watching or someone had followed her. “no more than usual. even if the bulletin board says otherwise.” she couldn’t help feeling a little choked up. she would never hurt an innocent. she’d always believed that of herself. no matter how nasty and awful she got, she wouldn’t hurt someone who didn’t deserve it. “no, i  — i don’t know. i wish i could tell you what happened. i won’t tell you i’m innocent, because i’m not. but i was home. just me and my tv and some nasty fast food. all i know is i didn’t hurt that man.”

Leia’s heart really went out to Abby. There was just something about her that caused Leia to feel a connection to her, almost as if . . . she was the daughter she never had. Maybe, in a lot of ways, she reminded her of Rey. Rey had a sort of innocence but independence about her. It is what made her special and what helped Leia just manage to. . . . trust Abby. As someone who always considered herself to have good instincts, she had a good feeling about Abby. She’d been through a lot but that didn’t make her a killer but even if she did do it, it wouldn’t be intentional and even if so, Leia wouldn’t have been able to turn her in. She’d probably help her cover it up or at least take the fall for her. Wouldn’t that be something?

Leia smiled again, moving to gently wrap her arm around Abby, “Well then why don’t you humor me?” She questioned, motioning for her to come sit down. She felt a little bit disappointed that Abby may not have any further insight into what went on to help clear her innocence but if she says she was at home watching TV, she was home watching TV but Leia made a note to herself to check it out otherwise. “Is there anyone that can confirm this? anyone that you live with or maybe the person that might have served you at the drive thru or the restaurant?” She suggested with a small shrug of her shoulders. “It’s okay, sweetheart, call me crazy but I believe you.” She smiled sweetly, gently rubbing at her shoulders in comfort, “I know you wouldn’t hurt someone intentionally. I have good instincts about people and well . . . you are one of the good ones,  I can tell. Sure you’re a little rough around the edges,” she teased playfully poking at her side, “but you’re not a killer. We just need to get everyone else to believe you and I am going to do my darndest to prove it. Let’s start with  . . . what do you think you did that put you on the suspect list? Could someone have seen you leaving the crime scene? Do you possess any weapons of brutality that might cause suspicion? and if you do, why does anyone know about them?” She joked.

/

she motioned for him to sit down yet, hux did not. instead, he kept his gaze focused entirely on leia, cool and collected, a sharp contrast from the venom he so easily spat with his words. this was absurd. surely there were actual murders in town who preferred a much more hands on approach? ever the mastermind, armitage’s preference was to design weapons of mass destruction, and then cause un-controllable havoc with the single touch of a button. he’d done enough dirty work in his younger years to be able to afford such a luxury. 

this piss-poor interrogation had only begun and armitage had soon realised that there was nothing stopping him from walking out. what would leia seriously do? report him to the two heading the investigation as law and order wasn’t present here, much to his disdain and then what - lock hux up? it couldn’t possibly be more miserable than the pitifully mundane existence he currently had. would they vote on a public execution, perhaps? a good old hanging in the towns square?

“what’s stopping me from simply walking out?” hux questioned her back, not particularly happy to be dragged into this whole thing. “we both know i prefer to sit behind a desk and order other’s to do the fighting for me, such is befitting of my rank,” he gave a crooked smile. “if i recall, your son is much more skilled in physical violence,”

She resented him more by the minute but the way he was not the slightest bit worried about clearing his name caused Leia to start to doubt her own suspicions. However, isn’t this what he is good at? Causing her to doubt her own instincts? Manipulate into thinking the way he wants her to? She was stronger than this why was she finding herself so easily susceptible to his way. of thinking. Maybe because she still couldn’t get what he had said out of her head. The idea of innocent until proven guilty would be more her style on top of jumping to an accusation of murder when not only did she have nothing on him but there was nothing evidently linking him to the crime or that he was even at the scene considering he wouldn’t answer her question about where he was that night. Not that she’d trust him to tell her the truth anyway. She scoffed, leaving her arms crossed as she stared him down. She was definitely stewing for a few minutes over what he just said. For someone that always had a quick remark, she couldn’t figure out why he wasn’t wrong. “I could give you a reason if you really wanted one. Don’t underestimate me, Hux.” She warned. She could utilize the force if she really wanted to but she had to be the bigger person, she had to rise above the temptation. 

He was making it increasingly difficult but what was stopping her from calling his bluff? She walked from behind the desk to open the door, holding it open for him as she motioned him out with her hand, “you’re right, what is stopping you from walking right out of here? I have no authority over--” her face dropped into what she couldn’t deny sheer rage when he mentioned, Kylo, not her son, Ben but Kylo. She gritted her teeth before grabbing at his shirt, “Don’t you DARE talk about my son like that again, you leave him out of this. Kylo Ren is and never was my son. That is in his past, no thanks to you.” She let go, gently shoving him towards the wall. “You framed him, didn’t you?” That would be helpful if Ben was actually a suspect, “I mean obviously you didn’t do a very good job.” She stated with a smirk, “that is why this doesn’t seem to fit your style . . . you tried to make it look like someone else did it while trying to keep your hands clean. I got to know something . . . what did you use to chop off the leg?”

Padme had been in the bookstore focusing on writing. But of course, she couldn’t quite focus on her writing when all she could think about was the investigation that was now in progress around the whole town. She leaned back in her seat staring at the blank screen trying to think of what to write. Padme knew that something as simple as an investigation of a murder that had taken place shouldn’t bother her as much as it did. Padme had lived through an entire war. She had faced so much in her life, but maybe it was bothering her so much because an innocent person had been fallen victim. 

The female had been pulled out of her thoughts when she heard the door up. She turned to look over at who had entered the place and noticed Leia walking in, “It’s alright if you do. I mean it’s a little hard to get used to but I don’t mind it at all” she said softly and ran a hand through her hair.

“I’m over here” she called out to her motioned her to come over and take a seat at the table she had been sitting at. “What can I help you with?”she asked her softly turning her full attention to Leia instead of her writing since she hadn’t got anything done anyways even if she wanted to.

@nctacommittee​

She had waited so many years for quality time like this with her real mother who was everything she had hoped she’d be and more. Having more of her family back in her life caused her to go into over protective mode. With Hux being around and a suspect and her . . . father whom she knew was teetering on the darkside, she wasn’t about to let anything happen to her mother. She was actually surprised that Anakin wasn’t a suspect or maybe he was and no one picked up on it. He was probably nothing more than a moody loner to most people but Leia knew what he was capable of and she found him to be that much more dangerous than Hux. This was her first murder investigation in all the time she has been here and she just wanted to be able to talk to someone about it. Her mother seemed the perfect choice, very kind, understanding and always reasonable.

When she heard the voice answer her, Leia instantly felt more comforted than she had in days. How easy it was to fall into that relationship with her was almost scary but maybe that is because it was something she had been missing for so many years. There is something about a mother’s love and care that she wasn’t able to get from anyone else no matter how close. It was probably a lot to get used to. Her and Luke were probably nothing more than a twinkle in her eye as young as she was. She didn’t want to put such a tall expectation on her so soon. “I understand it is strange for me too, I haven’t called someone mom in . . . many, many years.” She said sadly, looking down at her feet for a bit after taking a seat across from her mother. “I can call you Padmé if you prefer it’s whatever you feel most comfortable with. We will get there.” She smiled, letting out a small sigh from her lips. “What can’t you help me with?” She joked with a small chuckle but the distress in her voice remained obvious. 

She sighed again, trying to find the right words to get out what she wanted to say. “How are you holding up with . . . everything? Please be wary of everyone, promise me? This investigation is a bit overwhelming. I’ve never done anything like this before and I feel . . . guilty. Guilty that this happened on my time and I have absolutely no clear leads. For the first time I’m really starting to doubt myself in regard to my own duty. This is very personal to me because it’s like I let this happen so this is my one chance to make it right and to ensure it will NEVER happen again. You must stay safe because I feel I have already lost so many people I love and I can’t lose you too.”

╷╷╷╷╷ ᴋᴀᴛᴇ && ʟᴇɪᴀ ᴏʀɢᴀɴᴀ ┆ 𝐰𝐚𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐥

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PROFESSIONAL. that was the first thing kate thought about the woman who walked into the bar.    she was professional.   which was more than a lot of people who had been coming in and out.   demanding information,  demanding that they be cleared,  demanding that their friend be cleared.   it was infuriating.   is this why the gcpd didn’t get shit done?

╷╷no.  the gcpd didn’t get shit done because they were corrupt through and through,  no matter what jim gordon did.   that’s why they didn’t do shit.   that’s why gotham needed the bats.

╷╷  ❝pleasure to meet you,  miss organa.   and trust me,  you aren’t barging in.   not any more than anyone else is,❞  she said with a wave of her hand.   in fact,  she’s pretty sure that steph was dealing with someone currently who had just fully barged in.

╷╷  armitage hux.   she went for her notes,  digging through them until she found the name.   they knew little about him.   he worked for the research center,  which was suspicious enough for kate.  ❝right,  we’d really appreciate whatever information you have.❞

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Leia smiled. Instantly feeling comfortable with the woman. At least someone leading the investigation was approachable and seemed reasonable enough so maybe they’d be able to work together in some fashion. “Please. Call me Leia.” She stated with a nod of her head. She wasn’t much for formality unless it deemed necessary but here she was no longer a General nor a princess,  it was a title of her past. Hux was right. She didn’t have much of anything on him, just his rotten reputation and his known evil nature but maybe she was giving him more credit than he deserved. Hux was a wannabe, simply a puppet to Snoke and the will of the First Order. He was the type that was so useless once he did the bidding he was used for, he’d be no longer needed. 

“I believe the man is more dangerous than this investigation is giving him credit for. We have a ... history.” She stated slowly, wasting no time to clarify just what KIND of history so nothing was misconstrued. “Not like that! just back home, we. . . fought on different sides. I know the sort of manipulative jerk he is and he shouldn’t be underestimated. He will do whatever it takes for power and that includes murder.” She explained as she cleared her throat before continuing, “I actually attempted to interrogate him myself and he acted very suspicious.” All right, not anymore suspicious than she would expect from him but that wasn’t important. “He would evade my questions and push blame on someone else,” that someone else was her son so of course it bothered her more than it would have had it been any other person. “He is using this martyr act that I fully believe is an attempt to distract any blame from him because why would he be so willing for someone to turn him in if he did it? But I am not buying it, Miss Kane.” Using the same style of formality Leia had just told her NOT to use with her, “and if he didn’t do it, I am sure he knows who did and offered them some sort of personal gain from it. That’s what he specializes in. She sighed. She was sure none of this was convincing but she wasn’t done with her own research yet. “By the way, I am head of neighborhood watch, I am sure you ladies have it handled but if there is anything I can help with, please let me know.”

leia organa. general organa, princess organa - whatever you wanted to call her. she looked younger than when he’d known her but that stubborn look in her eyes let armitage know that it was her. he folded his arms, looking at her from where he was sat with cold green eyes. there’d been a murder something to spice up this boring town if you asked him but - he’d been named as a prime suspect.

why? armitage had no idea. didn’t think he knew the victim, was it someone he worked with? what would he do to protect his own, personal research? kill? with the push of a button, he’d ended millions.  with a word to phasma, he’d killed his own father with not a lick of sympathy. some people deserved their fates, after all.

many would say he did to. armitage felt his nostrils flare at his first name being used. nobody did that, strictly nobody. he’d beaten the last subordinate to do so. it was the only thing he could remember his mother say, apart from run. his name. armie. nobody else was allowed that privilege.

“organa,” he spat back, obviously not happy with proceedings. where was the formality, the process? she’d never operated within the confines of regulation, and he should’ve have expected her to now.

“i thought innocent until proven guilty would be more your style? you know you have nothing on me but your own wretched vendetta,” hux didn’t need to look at the file to know that. “turn me in, waste more time. it’d make it so much sweeter when you’re proven wrong,”

Of course he was going to be stubborn and cocky. She expected nothing else from him though call her crazy but she almost found it strangely . . . comforting. It helped her feel more at home. Finn had been the only person she’d met that was actually FROM home considering both Rey and Ben don’t know who she was. She purposefully threw herself into this investigation more than she should have looking for a distraction from the hurt she felt as a result of Ben and Rey not remembering her. It caused her to feel alone. Being alone was never something that would bother Leia. She was strong and spent most of her adult life without her adoptive parents. Maybe that was because she always had an army behind her that supported her, that she supported that felt like family. Hux was not and never would be someone she considered family but the comfort of knowing he was a familiar presence from home, it helped add to her confidence. 

His words . . . she wasn’t going to show him that they got to her but he was right. Innocent until proven guilty was the way it SHOULD be and this vendetta she had against Hux caused her to rush to judgement. It was everything she stood against but she couldn’t control the anger she felt. The influence she had on her son whether it had been his on Ben or Ben on his, Hux is NOT someone that should be underestimated. She rolled her eyes. Like hell he was going to prove HER wrong even if the back of her mind she knew this didn’t fit his MO at all but that didn’t mean he could know someone that did. “Charming as ever, aren’t you?” She stated unamused. It could be a trick in attempt to distract her from getting the facts. “Oh I’ve got plenty on you with all the trouble you caused in the First Order which proves you’re capable of something so evil. I wouldn’t be too cocky if I were you.” She scolded, motioning for him to take a seat in the chair, “If you think you’re just going to walk out of here unscathed, you’re gravely mistaken.” She warned, “we’ve only just begun.” She took her own seat at the desk, placing the file in front of her and interlacing her fingers together, “Now. How about we start by you telling me where you were the night of February 14th since we both know a dance isn’t your style. Exercising your power hungry nature, maybe? In attempt to brings others down to your level of a miserable existence?”