Dedicated to GiddyJawa

     Over the next nine years, Kyra Kryze – now living under the name Krystal Organa – learned that some things were stronger than blood. As she grew into a teenager and then a young adult, the Organas showered her with love and affection, making her feel as if she were truly one of their own. They trusted her with a secret that only a handful of people knew: Leia Organa – whom Queen Breha and Senator Bail Organa had adopted – was the biological daughter of Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala, as well as the twin sister of Luke Skywalker, who was living with his aunt and uncle on Tatooine. Shortly after arriving on Alderaan, Kyra locked her armor and lightsaber away, saving them for a future in which she could use her real name without worrying about being incarcerated – or killed – for her powers.

     She adopted the Alderaanian culture and traded her raven locks for a shade of brown that was similar to Leia's, though she still refused to alter the color of her eyes. As Kyra had grown, so had the Rebellion. Those in Bail's inner circle knew Kyra by the name she had been given at birth, others knew her by her pseudonym, and most knew her only as Phantom. After spending a couple of years helping Ahsoka Tano create and maintain the Rebellion's communication channels, she joined the Alderaanian military and served the planet she had come to call home. In between serving as a soldier and dabbling in espionage when Ahsoka could not handle the intelligence networks alone, Kyra searched for other Force-sensitive beings that had either survived – or been born – after the Jedi Purge.

     So far, she had been unable to find others like herself, and the auras she had sensed were faint, which meant they were either suppressing their powers to avoid being found, or they had yet to discover their abilities. Now, Kyra quickly changed into her dress uniform, which consisted of gray trousers, a gray tunic, black boots, a silver blaster and vambraces, a gray holster, and a dark blue cape that started at her left shoulder and fell diagonally across her chest. Kyra did not wear her dress uniform very often, but today was a special occasion. She was going to be promoted to the rank of captain during a ceremony that would take place later that afternoon.

     After pulling her hair into a tight bun, she rushed out of the palace and met the Organas on a docking platform. Bail wore the same uniform as Kyra while Breha was dressed in a white and blue gown, and Leia was wearing black pants, along with a white shirt underneath a maroon-colored vest. They all watched as a white and blue shuttle landed, the vessel transporting Breha's sister, brother in-law, and nephew, who had flown to the capital city for Kyra's promotion.

     "Anything good today?" Kyra asked as she stood next to Leia, who had been in the woods watching ships come and go from the planet's capital?

     "A trade ship and an Aquillian Ranger," Leia answered.

     "Probably scouring for pirates," Kyra claimed in a low voice.

     Leia's expression brightened as she smiled, "That's what I said!"

     "Don't encourage her," Breha scolded, and Kyra quietly apologized before glancing at Leia and winking.

     Both halves of the royal family plastered smiles onto their faces and woodenly greeted one another before heading off to the promotion ceremony. As Kyra stood at attention on stage – bright lights shining and trumpets blaring – she tried to ignore the hundreds of thousands of eyes that were focused on her by listening to Senator Organa's voice. After what seemed like an eternity, Bail pinned the rank insignia to her uniform. She saluted the senator and Captain Raymus Antilles before shaking their hands and following the two men offstage as the crowd cheered. Once they were behind the curtains, Bail stopped and turned towards Kyra, smiling as he kissed the top of her head.

     "I am very proud of you, Kyra," he said in a low voice. "I'm sorry it took tragedy to bring you into our home, but I'm glad that you are here. Now, let's go see what your Uncle Kayo has to say about the Empire today."

     Kyra laughed bitterly and replied, "Let's just get this over with. The more we let him talk, the quicker they leave."

     Before attending the function at which the royal families would gather, Kyra changed into a teal jumpsuit with wide pants and sleeves, a high collar, a capelet that ended just below the small of her back, and a cinched waistline that featured the symbol of Alderaan. Kyra tried to avoid wearing formal dresses because she found them restrictive and irritating. Outfits like the one she was wearing now could still be considered formal attire, but also reminded her of the Jedi robes she had worn as a child. She braided her long hair and coiled it high atop her head, politely turning down the handmaiden's request when she offered to help her get dressed.

     Because Kyra had learned to be self-sufficient at a very young age, it felt wrong to let the handmaidens do the work for her, seeing as she was not a true member of the royal family. Kyra slipped into her high heels and took a deep breath before heading to the docking platform, sitting next to Leia in the enclosed speeder that brought them to the function at the heart of the city. Every time Celly, Kayo, and Niano Organa visited, they made sure to remind Leia and Kyra that they were not Organas by blood. Both princesses featured fair skin and lighter hair while the rest of the Organa family had olive skin and jet-black hair.

     As server droids provided food and beverages, Kayo said, "Profits have been good. After the disaster of the Republic, the Empire is finally lining some pockets."

     "There are still some issues that we need to address," Bail politely reminded his brother-in-law. "Slave labor, taxation of the Outer Rim—"

     "I didn't come here to end slavery, Bail," Kayo replied, cutting the senator off with a chuckle. "I came to eat your food. Save the bleeding heart for the Senate."

     When Bail looked as if he wanted to say more, Breha touched his arm and asked if he wanted a drink. The senator sighed and nodded as he glanced at C-3PO, who was interpreting for multiple species at once. Kyra, who had been quietly listening to the conversation, went off to grab her own drink before moving to a table near Leia and the other children. A protocol droid with the designation Y-O brought a small fruit for Leia, and when the young girl thanked the droid, her cousin Niano scoffed.

     When the boy asked why Leia would thank the droid, she shrugged and said, "It's good manners."

     "You don't need manners when you're talking to a lower life form," Niano replied with a sneer.

     Kyra opened her mouth to scold the boy, but Leia beat her to it, "Then I guess I don't need manners when I'm talking to you."

     Niano's expression darkened, and as he tried to think of an equally insulting retort, Kyra chuckled quietly, taking a sip of her drink to hide the amusement on her face.

     "You know the difference between you and me, cousin?" Niano asked after a moment, glaring at Leia. "I know things. My father says they never let you leave this planet. They don't want anybody to know about you because you're not one of us. You're not even a real Organa. And neither is your sister."

     Leia's eyes narrowed as she clenched her jaw and stated, "You're scared of your father. You want him to like you, so you repeat what he says even though you don't really know what it means. You think being like him will make people frightened of you, but really, you're the one who's scared. You've never made one decision for yourself in your entire life, and you never will. I may not have seen much, cousin, but I can see that."

     Kyra nearly choked on her drink, her shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter as she high-fived Leia under the table. Niano's lower lip quivered as he tried to hide the fact that Leia's words had hurt him, but he quickly ran off to find his parents. Shortly after, Kyra found herself in a private room with Bail and Breha, the trio listening to Leia as she defended her actions. The senator and the newly promoted captain stood behind Breha so the queen remained unaware that they were not nearly as mortified by Leia's words as she was.

     "He was being horrible to everyone," Leia claimed, crossing her arms over her chest. "He's rude to the droids and Krystal."

     "You have to rise above, Leia," Breha replied, her tone calm and even. "You owe him an apology."

     "I'd rather be digested by a jakobeast," Leia stated before turning on her heel and marching onto the porch.

     Breha sighed and asked Bail to talk to his adopted daughter before heading back to the gathering. Kyra started to follow the queen, but Bail gestured for her to join him and Leia on the balcony.

     After a moment, the senator said, "I wanted to live out way past Kathou when I was your age. Chase purrgil, you know? I had a whole plan."

     "What happened?" Leia asked as she turned towards her father.

     "I got older. Had to find some other adventures. Started chasing your mother instead," Bail answered, smiling when Leia giggled. "This is your future, Leia. In a few years, you'll be off to university, then Junior Senate."

     Leia wrinkled her nose, "The Senate's boring. It's people in itchy clothes arguing. I don't want to be a senator."

     "Which is why you'll probably be one of the best," Bail replied.

     "I'm not even a real Organa," Leia said quietly after a moment, looking at the ground beneath her feet.

     Bail's brow furrowed as he kneeled in front of Leia, "Don't ever say that. You are our child. You are an Organa in every way, as is your sister."

     "One day, this planet will look to you, Leia. There are many ways to lead. You just have to find yours. Plus, imagine the look on Niano's face when you get to boss him around for real," Kyra added, causing both Leia and Bail to laugh. "But for now, we will apologize."

     After Leia assured her father that she would apologize, albeit begrudgingly, the senator got to his feet and left to cater to his guests. Leia sighed, and when she turned to face her sister, Kyra saw the mischievous glint in her eyes. They sprinted into the woods, Leia taking off her maroon-colored vest as Kyra discarded her cape and heels. As the sisters reached Leia's favorite tree, Kyra abruptly stopped, pulling the young girl behind her when she found a strange man waiting for them.

     "Hello, girls," Vect Nokru said from where he leaned against the ancient tree, his eye-searing orange and yellow shirt clashing with his black trench coat.

     "Why are you here?" Kyra asked warily.

     "Just waiting for the Princess," Nokru answered, taking a couple of steps toward them. "I have to admit, I wasn't expecting reinforcements, but luckily I brought backup of my own."

     Kyra quickly backed away from the bounty hunter and turned around, only to find that Nokru's accomplices had surrounded them. She urged Leia to run, but the girl stood frozen in fear, so Kyra picked her up and sprinted towards the city. The captain heard leaves crunching as the bounty hunters gave chase, and she pushed herself to run even faster, trying to ignore the sound of her heart pounding in her chest. She ran along a dirt trail, but when two of the mercenaries split up, she ran deeper into the woods, sliding under a fallen tree and down a small embankment. Even barefoot, Kyra nimbly navigated a grove of fallen trees, leaping over the exposed roots while a bounty hunter cursed as he tripped and fell.

     She wedged herself between a pair of trees that had grown close together, forcing the thugs to go around. When Kyra made her way back to the dirt path, she found an Alderaanian guard with his back turned to her, no doubt part of a unit that Bail and Breha had sent to search for her and Leia. When she caught the guard's attention, she set Leia down and instructed him to get her back to the palace. The guard had only taken a few steps when Kyra spotted Nokru hiding behind the large trunk of a nearby tree, aiming his blaster at Leia. Kyra sprinted towards the guard and tackled him to the ground as Vect fired, the shot hitting her instead of Leia and causing the world to go dark.

                                                                    ...

     When she came to, Kyra quickly realized that she was no longer in the woods, but a medical bay. The white lights seemed too bright, and when she sat up, the room spun and she had to close her eyes. The next time she woke up, she found Bail and Breha standing over her, a concerned look on both of their faces. When Kyra bolted upright, she knew the injury she had sustained from the blaster shot was beginning to heal because the world did not tilt on its axis.

     "What happened? Where's Leia? Was the guard able to help her escape?" she asked as Breha gently forced her to lean back.

     The Organas shared a glance before Bail said, "You were stunned. We found you in the woods, lying next to the guard. He was dead and Leia was...gone."

     Kyra lowered her face into her hands, collecting herself before stating, "I'll find her."

     "Kyra, I don't know if it's a good idea—" Bail started, but she cut him off.

     "It's my fault she was taken. I shouldn't have allowed her to go into the woods, let alone encouraged her," she replied.

     Bail dismissed the medical staff before he stated, "Kyra, it is not your fault. There was nothing you could have done."

     "If I didn't have to hide my abilities, I could have done everything!" Kyra yelled frustratedly. "Instead, all I did was get one of my men killed and allowed Leia to be captured."

     Bail sighed and glanced at Breha, the two communicating silently for a moment. Eventually, Breha nodded and sat beside Kyra, stroking her hair soothingly.

     "If you truly believe you can find Leia, we give you our blessing," Breha finally said. "But you will not be able to find her alone."

     "We have already reached out to Master Kenobi," Bail added hesitantly. "He was...reluctant to leave Tatooine when we contacted him, but I think you might be able to persuade him. You're one of the few people who knows how important Leia truly is. If she is discovered..."

     Kyra nodded, "I understand. I will not fail you. Or my sister."

     "I know you won't," Bail replied as he set a small wooden box on the bed. "If you must go, then take this with you."

     Kyra opened the chest and stared at her lightsaber, which she had been locked away after arriving on Alderaan. A thick lump formed in Kyra's throat, and she struggled to swallow for several seconds. She took a shaky breath and embraced her adopted parents, hugging them tightly for several seconds before finally letting go.

     "May the Force be with you, Kyra Organa," Breha said. "Remember that no matter what happens, no matter where you come from, you will always be one of us."

     Once again, Kyra found herself at a loss for words, so she showed her affection by kissing Breha and Bail on the forehead before heading to her room. There, she changed into an outfit more suited for the desert: a white tunic, tan pants, brown work boots, and a brown trench coat. Once she had finished braiding her hair, she stared down at the weapons that were laid out on the bed, including her twin WESTAR-35 blasters. After a moment of indecision, she slid a dagger into each boot, holstered her military-grade blaster, and attached her lightsaber to her belt – making sure it was concealed by her coat. After saying one last goodbye to the queen and the senator, Kyra boarded an Alderaanian shuttle in search of the biological father that she had not seen in ten years.