The Lost Ones

9

Jaina stared morosely at her brothers. She bit her lip, wondering what their mother would say when she got back from seeing the Karnak Alpha ambassador to her quarters. She hoped Leia wasn’t too upset with Zekk.

Jacen paced the living area, muttering to himself. “Blaster bolts!” he said with a dramatic gesture. “Can you believe Zekk thinking the bouquet was a salad? It’s a good thing Tenel Ka was there to head off that other problem. We still probably made a terrible impression on the ambassador.”

“I don’t think it turned out so badly,” Anakin said from where he sat on a large cushion near the door. “Mom will handle it. You’ll see.”

Jaina groaned. “Zekk probably feels terrible.”

“We’ll see him in the morning,” Jacen said, “when we help him look for that central multitasking unit. We can apologize to him then.”

The door to their quarters swished open and Leia walked in wearing a bemused expression. After a moment of anxious silence, all three of her children spoke at once.

“I’m sorry, Mom. It’s all my fault,” Jaina blurted.

“Was the ambassador very angry?” Jacen asked.

“Where’s Dad?” Anakin said.

The barrage of questions snapped Leia out of her daze. “Nothing to be sorry for, Jaina,” she said, giving her daughter a hug. “The ambassador says I’ve got three wonderful children, and they have charming friends.” She stooped to smooth back Anakin’s straight dark hair. “And to answer your question, your father had begun discussing hyperspace trade routes to Karnak Alpha with the ambassador, and decided to stay for some business that was even more important.”

Jaina blinked in surprise at this unexpected turn of events and sat down at one end of a long, cushioned repulsorseat. Leia sat down beside her, and Jacen settled next to his mother on the other end of the seat. Leia adjusted the repulsorseat’s controls to a gentle rocking motion. Anakin dragged his floor cushion over to sit beside them, quiet and attentive.

Leia smiled down at her children. “The ambassador was certainly impressed by the number of young people we had invited to meet her at the dinner. She also said that any adult who was willing to break with her own social traditions just to make a child feel more comfortable should have no problem negotiating an alliance with Karnak Alpha. I’m glad you twins were here with us, rather than at the Jedi academy.”

“That’s great, Mom,” said Jaina, snuggling deeper into the cushions.

“I learned something very important about myself tonight,” Leia continued. “As your father and I walked the ambassador and her children back to their quarters, I realized that my kids were more important to me than any ambassador. When we got to their quarters, the ambassador said she was ready to discuss her planet’s alliance with the New Republic. That’s when I amazed even myself. I said I’d be happy to talk with her about it in the morning—but that for right now I needed to be with my children.”

Jaina gave a low whistle. Her mother was always so wrapped up in her duties as Chief of State, such a response seemed inconceivable. “You didn’t!”

Leia chuckled. “Yes I did, and you know what she said?” She sounded a bit surprised. “She said in that case she no longer had any doubts that we could form an alliance. Everything is all set.”

“If everything’s all set, why didn’t Dad come back with you?” Anakin asked. “What other important business was there?”

“He offered to stay behind,” Leia said, raising her eyebrows, “and tell the ambassador’s children one of your favorite bedtime stories. Can you guess which one?”

Jacen, Jaina, and Anakin all murmured in unison, “The Little Lost Bantha Cub.”

“Then you’ll have to tell us a story, too, Mom,” Anakin said in a sleepy voice.

So she did.