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Description
She would have preferred not to spend so much time on her appearance but this, like so many times in the former Senate, was as much performance as anything else.

Sapphire for Mama. Silver for Papa. Pale blue for Naboo and the secret family there. Cloth from Theed, from Anchorhead, from the mountain communities she used to visit as a child. Every part of her ensemble was a statement.

The Jedi of old likely would not have approved, Leia thought, running her fingers over the string of beads in her belt that Fulcrum had given her when they'd started training, but the Jedi of old really couldn't give their opinions on the matter so why worry? She took a deep breath and faced the mirror.
This was it. She was about to find out if Luke's protestations that Darth Vader wouldn't force him to fight her were true or not. More than likely, she was about to face Vader himself, who probably wouldn't take any chances of her snatching her best friend from his grasp and running.

Lucky for him, Leia was tired of running.

She took her lightsaber from the dresser, marveling at the feeling of the cool, white metal in her hand. A mineral found on Alderaan, and a kyber crystal harvested not far from Naboo. It seemed fitting. Leia turned, having already sensed the presence in the doorway, and met her mother's heartbroken gaze.

"Oh, oh Mama, I know," Leia murmured, shamefaced. "I know, as long as I can remember, you taught me that war is not the way of Alderaan. But we have no choice. Our home is all but lost, we've lost so much, I...I have to fight for our people!" She bit her lip and fought back tears. "Don't be disappointed in me!"

Breha crossed the room in an instant, hands outstretched. "No, oh no my angel, no! I know this is something that you must do. I only wish that it was not you who must lead from the front lines today! If something were to happen-" she cut herself off and embraced her daughter.

Taking a fortifying breath, the queen opened the little pot of red facial paint on the table -- a keepsake from her old family estate, now reduced to volcanic fields -- and dipped her fingers into it.
"Now," she said softly, "This will give your father a heart attack," and she painted two tiny circles on Leia's cheeks, "But it may give your soldiers an extra ounce of courage."
Carefully, she painted her daughter's top lip scarlet, and divided the lower lip after the fashion of Naboo royalty.

"There," she swallowed back tears. "Now you are ready, our avenging angel."

Leia smiled and tiptoed to kiss the woman's forehead. "As ready as I'll ever be. I'm not doing the speech though."

"It's a perfectly good intimidation speech!" Bail called from the hall.

"Papa!" Leia huffed, exasperated, "I'm going to battle! I won't have time to say "I am Princess Leia Organa, daughter of Bail, of Breha, of Padme and of Anakin, princess of a devastated world, sister of a murdered people, and I will have my revenge in this life or the next"! The battle will be over before I'm six syllables in!"

She sensed that Bail was a little crestfallen at this, even though he had insisted that he wasn't the one who came up with the speech.

Shaking her head and exchanging a smile with her mother, Leia stepped out into the corridor and squared her shoulders. "I love you, so much," she whispered to her parents. Then she turned and marched out into the hangar beyond, where rousing cheers greeted her.

"Alderaan!" She shouted, igniting her saber and raising it high, "To war!"

It was time to get her brother back.

Description
She would have preferred not to spend so much time on her appearance but this, like so many times in the former Senate, was as much performance as anything else.

Sapphire for Mama. Silver for Papa. Pale blue for Naboo and the secret family there. Cloth from Theed, from Anchorhead, from the mountain communities she used to visit as a child. Every part of her ensemble was a statement.

The Jedi of old likely would not have approved, Leia thought, running her fingers over the string of beads in her belt that Fulcrum had given her when they'd started training, but the Jedi of old really couldn't give their opinions on the matter so why worry? She took a deep breath and faced the mirror.
This was it. She was about to find out if Luke's protestations that Darth Vader wouldn't force him to fight her were true or not. More than likely, she was about to face Vader himself, who probably wouldn't take any chances of her snatching her best friend from his grasp and running.

Lucky for him, Leia was tired of running.

She took her lightsaber from the dresser, marveling at the feeling of the cool, white metal in her hand. A mineral found on Alderaan, and a kyber crystal harvested not far from Naboo. It seemed fitting. Leia turned, having already sensed the presence in the doorway, and met her mother's heartbroken gaze.

"Oh, oh Mama, I know," Leia murmured, shamefaced. "I know, as long as I can remember, you taught me that war is not the way of Alderaan. But we have no choice. Our home is all but lost, we've lost so much, I...I have to fight for our people!" She bit her lip and fought back tears. "Don't be disappointed in me!"

Breha crossed the room in an instant, hands outstretched. "No, oh no my angel, no! I know this is something that you must do. I only wish that it was not you who must lead from the front lines today! If something were to happen-" she cut herself off and embraced her daughter.

Taking a fortifying breath, the queen opened the little pot of red facial paint on the table -- a keepsake from her old family estate, now reduced to volcanic fields -- and dipped her fingers into it.
"Now," she said softly, "This will give your father a heart attack," and she painted two tiny circles on Leia's cheeks, "But it may give your soldiers an extra ounce of courage."
Carefully, she painted her daughter's top lip scarlet, and divided the lower lip after the fashion of Naboo royalty.

"There," she swallowed back tears. "Now you are ready, our avenging angel."

Leia smiled and tiptoed to kiss the woman's forehead. "As ready as I'll ever be. I'm not doing the speech though."

"It's a perfectly good intimidation speech!" Bail called from the hall.

"Papa!" Leia huffed, exasperated, "I'm going to battle! I won't have time to say "I am Princess Leia Organa, daughter of Bail, of Breha, of Padme and of Anakin, princess of a devastated world, sister of a murdered people, and I will have my revenge in this life or the next"! The battle will be over before I'm six syllables in!"

She sensed that Bail was a little crestfallen at this, even though he had insisted that he wasn't the one who came up with the speech.

Shaking her head and exchanging a smile with her mother, Leia stepped out into the corridor and squared her shoulders. "I love you, so much," she whispered to her parents. Then she turned and marched out into the hangar beyond, where rousing cheers greeted her.

"Alderaan!" She shouted, igniting her saber and raising it high, "To war!"

It was time to get her brother back.