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[imahologram]

for whatever miscellaneous bullshit your little heart can come up with.

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[diplomacme]

"Bored out of my mind, honestly. Some of these reports are good bedside reading material, at least."

She moves her report out of the way a bit too gratefully.

"There's been a rash of bandit raids on a nearby moon. Luke volunteered to look into it, since our security forces are stretched thin here. Honestly, I think he was getting a little bored of staying in one place as well."

Padmé's eyes twinkle with warmth as she leans forward a little.

"How are you, Leia?"

[imahologram]

"If they're anything like what I have here--" and for a moment, her gaze shifts to the datapad waiting for her next to the bed--"you'll be in danger of nightmares."

From muja fruit, maybe not, but stranger things have happened. And a lot of those strange things have happened in the government, as Mother well knows.

"I'll have to send him a holo next." Leia rests her chin on her hand, the sort of casual slouchiness she can't get away with outside her family. It's so good to talk to her mother; she always misses her presence when they're apart. "I've been fine--better than fine. I was hoping I could tell you and Luke at the same time, but if I have to choose, I'd rather start with you."

[diplomacme]

Her smile flickers slightly. 'Nightmares.' The war is over, but the galaxy still bears the scars and darkness lingers on the corners.

But Leia's casual slouch and her smile ease Padmé's heart. In that moment, she sees both the little girl her daughter had been and the woman she's become. Her children have always been bright spots in her life that lit up even the time they spent on backwater planets hiding from the Empire. Leia's calm, her bright smile, always sets Padmé at ease.

Padmé matches Leia's excitement with a warm smile.

"What is it?"

[imahologram]

She regrets, a little, mentioning the subject--perhaps Mother hasn't been sleeping well lately. (When have any of them slept well? The galaxy's scars are their own.) But it's easy enough to slip past that to better news. If Mother's reaction is anything like Dad's, the thought of nightmares will vanish.

When her mother actually asks what it is, though, Leia feels herself grow a little shy. It's not her usual state, but this isn't her usual news. For a moment, she glances down at the tabletop, her smile a private, inward one. But she doesn't want to miss Mother's reaction, and she returns to her mother's holographic face.

There's no way to do this except to say it outright, and so she does. "You're going to be a grandmother. In about seven months."

[diplomacme]

Padmé's first reaction is shock as she absorbs the news. Her little girl is having a child of her own. It's hard for her to wrap her head around at first. But as the news sinks in, a smile spreads across her face. A joyful, happy smile to match Leia's.

"Oh-- oh, Leia!" She places a hand over her heart and tears form in her eyes. "Oh, Leia, that's wonderful!"

She pauses, her smile fading slightly for an expression of incredulity. "You've known for two months, and you didn't tell me? I have so much planning to do!"

By 'planning,' of course, she means 'planning every single traditional Naboo celebration for the birth of a child' plus how to spoil her grandchild rotten.

[imahologram]

Leia imagines she can feel her mother's gladness, even across all these light years. She can find her family at a distance--her parents and brother are small, warm points of light out there somewhere, and so is Han, for that matter--but discerning something as specific as moods within the Force is a little more difficult. But she can remember what it feels like to be near her mother in such a happy moment; she wraps it around herself in lieu of her mother's arms.

"We haven't known quite that long," she promises her mother, laughing a little. "We were so busy, I didn't really notice...anyway, it's only been a few days since I was sure."

Of course, they also told Dad, but shhhh.

[diplomacme]

Her smile softens, and her eyes shine with an equal mix of warmth and tears.

"I wish I could go to you right now." But, unlike Anakin, she's a more recognizable figure. Han and Leia are on a mission, and she would jepordize it.

A thought occurs to her that makes her smile widely again.

"Your father is going to be over the moon when he finds out."