Madonna Litta

tale, as Artoo nestled up beside him, humming ina subaudible register to comfort. Ben, too, kept his voice even, so that the sounds could give solace when thewords did not. "The Organa family was high-born and politically quite powerful inthat system. Leia became a princess by virtue of lineage—no one knew she'd beenadopted, of course. But it was a title without real power, since Alderaan had longbeen a democracy. Even so, the family continued to be politically powerful, andLeia, following in her foster father's path, became a senator as well. That's not allshe became, of course—she became the leader of her cell in the Alliance against thecorrupt Empire. And because she had diplomatic immunity, she was a vital link forgetting information to the Rebel cause."
That's what she was doing when her path crossed yours—for her foster parentshad always told her to contact me on Tatooine, if her troubles became desperate." Luke tried sorting through his multiplicity of feelings—the love he'd always feltfor Leia, even from afar, now had a clear basis. But suddenly he was feeling