Leia was honestly glad that her dad had gotten down on the ground. It would have been weird standing up in the middle of the room and looking at all of her parents. Luke probably would have been fine, though. He could talk to anyone, at any time, no matter what was going on. Sometimes it was helpful, sometimes less so.

They had gone over the plan earlier that morning: Leia was going to lead out with a statement about why the Rebellion was so important to her. The important thing was for her to be super honest and a little vulnerable. It would mean more coming from her because Leia wasn't a sit-down-and-talk-about-our-feelings person. That was the pathos of their strategy, with a hint of ethos laced in.

After that, Luke would come out with the actual argument, the logos. They had been planning for ages exactly what type of reasoning would win over Sola, Obi-Wan, Mom, and Dad. They knew if all four of them weren't on board, they were going nowhere. It was all or nothing, so they had written out all their reasons and narrowed down the best ones. Again, the ethos would be woven into this section.

Some kind of objection or questioning was expected. Luke and Leia tried to plan ahead for every possible barrier that might be raised against them. This was it.

As soon as their dad opened the table for them to speak, Luke turned to Leia. He didn't know what she was going to say; she said she was going to plan it herself. In actuality, Leia had decided to wing it but didn't want to tell her brother. There was no plan, just a prompt she had decided would speak to the parents.

She looked around at all of them. "When the Empire first formed, did you expect it to stick around this long?"

Shaking her head, Padmé answered for all of them. "I don't know about 'expect.' I certainly hoped it would have been dismantled by now."

Yeah, that made sense. It was idealism with some optimism integrated with it. That's usually how her mom worked. "If it had gone away by now, what would we be training for?"

"Well, the Empire isn't the only threat out there," Obi-Wan pointed out. "It's as your father said: just because someone is opposed to the Empire doesn't mean they support the Jedi or the Rebellion."

"But that's not what we've been training for," Leia insisted. "We've been training to fight the Empire because they've been hunting us down. Jedi," she clarified. "Even Padawans like us."

Her gaze trailed out the window for a second, but she forced herself to stay focused. "You've been in this fight for as long as we've been alive. It's supposed to be over by now, but it's not and we're here. We haven't been training to live in a peaceful world, we've been training to survive in a dangerous one. You keep saying we're lucky to live somewhere that's safe, but you also keep saying that most of the galaxy isn't like that.

"We've watched you do this. You two are the strongest leaders in the Rebellion, and one of you is a Jedi," Leia said to her parents. "If you care so much about this fight, then you can't expect us to shy away from it. We're your kids. This fight belongs to our family and it's our job to be a part of it."

"What makes you say that?" Anakin asked, wondering. "Did someone tell you this or did you realize this yourself?"

"No one needs to tell us anything when we've been raised by you," she argued, meaning all four of them. "Just because we can stay on Naboo for the rest of our lives and be safe doesn't mean we should. There will be time for that later."

Anakin didn't respond, but she saw his smile grow just a little. Years ago, Anakin wouldn't have dreamed that there would 'be time,' much less that his child would believe it. He was so used to making every peaceful moment count because it was so rare in his life. His children hadn't lived that way, though. Clearly, the Naberries had done something right.

This wasn't coming from forced expectations, as Anakin, Padmé, and Obi-Wan had grown up with. Luke and Leia were like Sola: they saw a need and felt compelled to address it. This was a choice.

Leia looked at Luke, who took over the proposal. "We've learned about the fight we're going into. Not just from our lessons, but by the stories we've heard, the ones you've told us. We've been training, we've been studying, and we made it a priority. We decided this was more important over everything else in Lake Country because we knew that one day, we won't be in Lake Country.

"We're the children of Padmé Amidala and Anakin Skywalker and the students of Obi-Wan Kenobi. We can hide as long as we want, but we won't avoid it forever. The Force doesn't work like that."

Obi-Wan and Anakin exchanged glances and tried not to laugh. Luke had always been perceptive about the Force, and this was no exception.

"Ezra is out there," Luke went on, pointing on the window. "He's as old as we are and he hasn't been training since he was five. Yes, we know," he said to Obi-Wan before he could speak. "No one should have to fight so young, training or no training. He still is, though, not because he has no choice but because he chooses to anyway. He could hide and stay safe, but he's fighting the Empire and he's helping. He's not being a burden or a liability. If he can do that after being dragged into the war at fourteen, we can do the same."

"You said we had to jump into the deep end to continue our training, right?" Leia asked Obi-Wan, who was still trying not to grin. "Did you mean that?"

He nodded. He knew better than to say things he didn't mean around Luke and Leia. They always took him up on what he said. Always.

"We have to start somewhere, sometime," Luke pointed out, looking at his dad. "The Empire isn't going to wait for us to be ready, just like it didn't wait for Ezra. Either we take this head on or they beat us to it."

Padmé felt a tug in her chest as she looked at her children. It was so easy to see Luke and Leia as passive children who needed to be protected, but they weren't passive and they were growing into adults. The older they got, the more decisions they were capable of making. If they chose to shed off their protection and safety, Padmé wouldn't force them to do otherwise.

Little did the twins know that the parents had done a bit of rehearsing themselves. Obi-Wan went first. "I'd argue on one point: you are ready to fight."

Luke and Leia weren't expecting that. In fact, they had expected a lot more resistance leading up to this point.

"You say that the Empire isn't going to wait for you to be ready, but I dare say you are. At least, as far as fighting is concerned," Obi-Wan clarified. "Neither of you are lacking in combat or the Force. You have much more to learn to master both aspects, but both of you can use either when needed. Experience is what you need now."

"What Ezra lacks in formal training, he's made up for in practical training," Anakin assessed, taking over the conversation. "Keeping you safe in Lake Country has shielded you from most of the danger the Empire presents, but it also prevents you from engaging with other allies. You have to build from the base up. You have the training needed to start building, so the question is where to start."

This sounded like it was going in the right direction, but Padmé had a point to make first. "Realistically, you can't jump into an army and expect to thrive right away," she told the twins. "There is a certain amount of military training that you should have, which is something we can't give you here."

"We've come up with two ideas," Anakin told Luke and Leia. "Maybe one of them will sound good to you.

"The first is a more traditional method Jedi would use to train their Padawans during the Age of the Republic. Obi-Wan did this with me, and maybe you will want to do it too."

"What is it?"

"Nomadism," Obi-Wan answered. "For a few years, Anakin and I travelled across the galaxy, helping others where we could. If this is what you wanted, our travels would take on a more militaristic tone."

The twins almost didn't believe what they were hearing. "We just... go?" Leia asked, her eyes wide. "Just like that?"

He nodded, slightly amused by their shock. "We would stop by Naboo when we get the chance, but other than that, there are many systems in the galaxy who are not formally a part of the Rebellion, but could probably use a helping hand. Specifically, the helping hands of three Jedi. You would be exposed to multiple different militias and forms of government, many of which you've been studying with Sola."

"We understand that part of your frustration for the past year has been how confined you are here," Padmé told them. "This is a solution to that. Letting you wander free without any past experience traveling wouldn't be responsible of us as parents, but Obi-Wan is willing to travel with you as a guide."

They all looked to the Jedi Master, who nodded. For years, he had been content hiding his existence from the Empire, but if it was time for Luke and Leia to reveal themselves, even on a small scale such as this, then Obi-Wan would be with his students.

"Our thought is this would last for two years," Anakin suggested, and the twins looked back at him. "When you turn eighteen, you can make the decision of whether to join the Rebellion or continue somewhere else. We'd appreciate if we heard your final answer, but you don't have to run it by us. It would be your decision only."

Luke and Leia looked at each other. Two years of travelling with Obi-Wan, and then it was off to the Rebellion for good?

But then again... "You said there were two ideas?" Leia asked. If the first idea was this good, what was the second one?"

To their surprise, it was Sola who piped up. "The second one comes with a little more independence," she announced, pulling a piece of paper from her pocket. She tossed it up in the air, and Luke caught it with the Force and pulled it to him. It was easier than getting up and grabbing it.

Leia looked over his shoulder as Luke read the title aloud: "'Royal Naboo Security Forces?' You mean the feds who patrol through town?"

"Yes, and the soldiers who guard the capital building, as well as the politicians and representatives of Naboo," Padmé added, "and occasionally the handmaidens and footmen of the elected royals, and... the pilots of the Nabooian Fleet."

That was the kicker. Luke's mouth shot open, and Anakin grinned. He had a feeling Luke would do that.

Sola sat back in her seat and grinned. "I actually learned a lot about this when your mother was elected queen. Anyone who wants to serve as a government security officer of any kind has to undergo two months of boot camp, or sometimes longer, depending on the position. I was going to be a handmaiden until I learned they had to train for six months. For the two month camp, you train for six weeks and test for the final two. After that, the capital offers contracts in positions they think you will be best at, depending on how well you test."

"So the patrols we see all the time are the ones who barely passed the tests?" Leia asked.

Shaking her head, Padmé answered, "They likely did not rank as high during testing as the people who serve at Theed, yes. I imagine with your training, you will place on the upper end of the spectrum."

"That does bring up a good point, though," Obi-Wan interjected. "In this case, you would be working within the government, and at this time, Naboo is still publicly a part of the Empire. Boot camp would do much to teach you how to conceal your abilities under pressure. That being said, for the duration of boot camp, your lightsabers will remain in the house. You won't need them while training, and if you do..." he thought about it for a minute. "I wouldn't be surprised, actually. If something that extreme happens, I'll figure it out then."

"Your military training would be more direct this way," Anakin went on, laughing slightly at Obi-Wan's conclusion. "Travelling with Obi-Wan means you would be exposed to other militias but not a part of them. This way, you would only see one army, but you would know much more about it internally. This is one of the give-and-takes of these two ideas."

"The other give-and-take is time," Padmé warned them. "After boot camp, Naboo will offer a four-year contract. You wouldn't be able to join the Rebellion until you turned twenty, and there aren't any loopholes in that deal."

They looked back at the flyer from Sola. Leia stared for another moment before asking, "Just so we're all on the same page: two months of boot camp, and then we work in Theed for four years, in the army, by ourselves, and then we can go?"

"Then you can go."

"You mean I can finally get into one of those fighter jets?"

"Maybe. If the capital decides to give you that offer."

"I can finally get into one of those fighter jets?!?"

Padmé laughed, grinning ear to ear. "Yes, possibly."

Luke jumped up, punching the air and cheering. As for Leia, four years of working by themselves? Near-total independence? She was in.

"There is one last thing you should know," Sola warned them. "Boot camp starts next week."

"NEXT WEEK?" they asked at the same time, pausing their celebration. Leia looked back at the flyer. "Doesn't our paperwork have to be in two weeks in advance?"

She nodded. "Yes, which is why I already submitted it. We had a feeling this would be your preference."

Luke breathed easier, but Leia looked at her parents. "Wait a minute. You had this all planned from the beginning?"

"We had the options planned, yes. We just wanted to cover the bases."

"So you let us do this whole presentation for no reason???"

Anakin shrugged. "It was good practice for you. You did really well."

"DAD!!!"