Sleeping Alderaani
by Zawiah

Thanks to Wedge and Jaded for the Challenge that started this.
Disclaimer: like somebody used to say - Lucas owns the sandbox, we only play in it.

Once upon a time, there lived King Darth Vader and Queen Amidala in a kingdom called Alderaan. They have just been blessed with a pair of twins, Luke and Leia. All the people in the kingdom were invited to celebrate the birth of the twins at the castle.

All? Nay! They forgot to send the invitation card to a nasty and spiteful wizard by the name of Palpatine. He was not happy with that, so he invited himself to the celebration.

The people were delivering presents and gifts to the twins at the castle banquet hall. Yoda the Jedi gnome was giving Luke the gift of magical powers when the evil wizard Palpatine turned up. The happy banquet turned deadly silent at his appearance.

"I am not happy that you've forgotten to invite me over your party," he said. "So I'm going to punish you all! On the 17th birthday of the twins, they will die, and so will you!"

With that he waved his arms and zapped the twins in their cradles, and then he disappeared in a poof of clouds.

The queen fainted. The king was furious. The twins cried. But Yoda still had a gift to give Leia.

"No, die they will not," he said. "Live they will, as long as together they are not. Strong in the Jedi magic is Luke so safe is he. But meet they are before 17, then Leia... asleep she will fall. Yes, deep sleep she will be, and deep sleep you all will be too, until love's first kiss she will wake up to. Break the spell it will."

~+~+~

King Vader was sad, as was everyone else in the kingdom. He ordered the knight Obi Wan Kenobi to take away Luke to an unknown place, where he was to stay away from his sister until they reached 17.

Palpatine got to know about Yoda's counter-spell and schemed to undo it. He tried to find out where Luke was being hidden but Obi Wan was wise, and Luke was hidden well.

Luke grew up on the barren far-away land of Tatooine with Obi Wan's relatives, Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru. Obi Wan never told them who Luke really was nor about his magical powers. He had fears that Palpatine might catch word of his whereabouts should anyone knew who he was and told Luke about his powers. Luke may want to try out his magic powers and then Palpatine may find out about that.

~+~+~

The Princess Leia had grown up to be a beautiful young lady, but nary a young man was allowed to be near her for fear that one of them may be Luke. One handsome young man by the name of Han Solo heard about this from his friends. They dared him to go see and kiss her. He rised up to their challenge, and with the help of his tall and 
strong friend, Chewbacca, he climbed up the tall wall fencing the princess's house from the rest of the world to see her.

He succeeded in climbing up, but did not succeed in climbing down. He fell down, rolled on the ground to stop right at the startled princess's feet. The princess looked at him in puzzlement as she had never seen anybody climbed into her secluded garden before. Han blushed at his clumsiness, and smirked sheepishly lop-sidedly at her. She saw his smile, and turned away in embarrassment. She turned again shyly to look at him again.

Han studied her face, so mesmerized was he by her beauty, he forgot to get up and kiss her, until he heard some people coming. It was the old stormtrooper-guardsmen. Han quickly got up and turned to run. The stormtroopers blocked his way. He dodged their capturing arms, dived and rolled up to a tree, and climbed it up quickly to jump 
over the tall walled-fence, landing in his furry pal's strong arms.

"Come on, Chewie, we're outta here!" he jumped off Chewbacca's arms, running and urging his friend out of being caught by the royal guards.

~+~+~

Meantime, Palpatine was searching high and low for Luke. He was growing desperate as it would soon be the twins' 17th birthday. He sent spies everywhere, but none was successful in finding the young prince with the magic powers.

He was passing the barren land of Tatooine when he noticed a young man at Uncle Owen's house. The young man looked familiar and extremely bored. Palpatine wondered if this young man was Luke. He decided to find out.

Palpatine came over to the young man and greeted him.

"Why are you not happy, young man?" he asked the bored Luke.

"I seemed to be stuck here," Luke complained. "I can't go anywhere. Uncle Owen wouldn't let me!"

"I'll help you get out of here," Palpatine offered. "I need a young man to rescue a beautiful princess."

"Ooh!" Luke exclaimed. "I've never met any princesses before! Can you let me be the one to rescue her?"

"Of course!" Palpatine smiled. Luke thought _That's the ugliest smile I've ever seen!_ "But you need magic to save her. I want to know if you can do this."

Palpatine rolled up his sleeves. He showed Luke his empty hands. Then he used his magic powers to lift off a 
nearby stone. He just pointed at the stone, and the stone hovered up by itself.

"Wow!" exclaimed Luke again in awe. "But I can never do that." he moaned.

"Then you cannot save the beautiful princess," the wizard looked disappointed and started to walk away.

"Wait! Please don't go!" called Luke. The wizard stopped. Luke looked around to see if Uncle Owen or Aunt Beru was nearby or not. Then, satisfied they were not, Luke said, "I'll try lifting that stone."

"Try not," said Palpatine. "Do, or do not. There is no try..."

Luke rolled up his sleeves. He showed his empty hands to the wizard. Then he pointed at the stone. It hovered up by itself. Luke was amazed.

"I - I can do it!" he exclaimed yet again. "I have magic powers!"

"Good!" the wizard cackled. "You can follow me to save the princess!"

"Gladly!" Luke laughed. "I'll go pack!"

"No, don't bother," Palpatine stopped him. "We're short of time. I'll find you better and beautiful clothes."

Luke was happy to hear that. He followed Palpatine to Alderaan. Palpatine gave him a stormtrooper's uniform to wear.

"But these are not beautiful!" complained Luke.

"Silence!" snapped Palpatine. He stopped himself from zapping bolts of lightning onto the whining Luke. "Uh... you need to wear this to save the princess. Try it on!"

"Try not," Luke threw back the words at the wizard. "Do, or do not. There is no try..." Palpatine felt maybe he should zap Luke a little then, but he restrained himself as Luke put on the clothes.

~+~+~

In Alderaan, Han's young friends were teasing him for not being successful in kissing the princess. Han was outraged. He felt he must proved them wrong.

"Just you wait!" he waved his finger angrily at his laughing friends. "I'll show you! I'll even marry the damn princess!"

His friends did not believe him and laughed even louder. Han was hurt.

"Come on, Chewie," he called to his best friend, the only one who felt sorry for him and did not join the laughing. "I've got a plan."

Han took Chewie to a back cabin in his ship, and took out a stormtrooper's uniform and weapon from an old chest.

"I'll sneak in as a stormtrooper and steal a kiss from the princess!" he told Chewie. Chewie moaned.

"Of course I'll be careful!" Han snapped, carrying the stuff out. "You're beginning to sound like my mother. Besides, you know what a careful person I am..." he said as he flung the stormtrooper suit and weapon onto his bed.

~+~+~

Princess Leia was in her bedroom in her castle, thinking about that handsome young man who had landed at her feet a few days ago. She sighed. He was agile too, and she liked the way he smiled - lopsidedly. She blushed again. She must have fallen in love! She wondered how to meet him again.

As she was pondering this, she heard her door being knocked. She got up to open it. A stormtrooper was standing at the door. He was not the usual height for a stormtrooper.

"A little short for a stormtrooper?" she sneered.

The stormtrooper snapped out of his mesmerized gazing at the beauty of the princess.

"Oh, this," he took off his helmet. "I'm Luke Skywalker! I'm here to rescue you!"

"You're who?" she asked. Before Luke can repeat his name, the curse striked. Princess Leia felt her head being heavy and suddenly felt unconcious. Luke caught her before she landed on the floor.

"Princess?" he called. He carried her and put her on the bed. He pat her cheeks. She would not wake up. Luke was scared. Then he himself felt sleepy. Before he could do anything else, he slumped to slide down the side of Leia's bed, as unconcious as the sleeping beauty.

~+~+~

A little later, Han arrived at the castle, disguised as a stormtrooper, expecting some guarding stormtroopers to halt him and ask his identification. Not that he was worried about not being able to show one, since he had a forged one on him. But nobody stopped him. There was not even a movement in the castle. _Strange!_ he thought. 
_Where did everybody go to?_

He kept on walking, wishing Chewie was around to accompany him because this was starting to be eerie. He saw stormtroopers. They were at their posts, but they were leaning against the walls or on each other, sleeping. _Huh! Asleep on duty! I bet they're gonna get an earfull when their commanding officer caught them!_ Then he saw 
the commanding officer sleeping at his office desk. _What's going on here?_ he wondered.

He went on and saw many more palace people, all of them sleeping awkwardly as if they had been knocked unconcious while they were performing their duties.

Han was wondering whether he should turn and leave this eerie palace, but the thought of his friends laughing again at him made him more determine to find the princess.

He soon found her room, with the door left ajar. There was a stormtrooper with his helmet off sleeping on the floor at the side of her bed. _Aw, darn! A suitor got here before me!_ He thought. _But that ain't stopping me from kissing you, Your Royalness!_

Han stepped over the sleeping stormtrooper and stood besides the sleeping princess. He took off his stormtrooper helmet, and gazed upon her beauty.

_Siths, you're beautiful!_ he sighed.

Suddenly he heard somebody coming. _Oh no! Not everyone is asleep!_ he thought. He took out his blaster, set for stun.

"Stop! Don't kiss her!" A wizard appeared at the doorway. Han saw him _Can't be her father! He's too ugly!_ and quickly disobeyed him.

"Too late!" Han smirked after the quick kiss. The wizard Palpatine was furious.

The princess stirred awake. So did the sleeping stormtrooper. "Wh- what happened?" they both inquired groggily.

"Now you've broken the spell!" Palpatine roared to Han. "You pityful scruffy-looking nerfherder! You shall die for this!"

"Who's scruffy-lookin'?!!" Han retorted annoyedly.

Palpatine threw a bolt of lightning from his fingers towards Han. ZAPPP!!! Han jumped out of the lightning's way. The bolt hit the wall of the room, leaving a smouldering hole in it.

"Woah!" Han looked at it and then at the wizard. _This guy means trouble!_

Han shot at the wizard. The blasts just bounce off the wizard's outheld palms. Suddenly Han's blaster flew out of his hand. _Siths!_ Han cursed.

The wizard aimed his hands at Han, preparing for another bolt. Han looked around quickly to jump for safety.

"NO!" a feminine voice was heard behind Palpatine. He turned. It was the princess.

"Don't hurt him!" she pleaded. Palpatine sneered at her. Han was startled. _She's defending me?_

"Oho! You love him, don't you?" Leia nodded vigourously. Han was surprised even more. Luke, who had stood up wondering what to do, was disappointed to see this. He thought of winning her love, but it seemed somebody had beaten him to it. Luke turned to go away from all this, when Palpatine saw him walking away from the corner of 
his eyes and zapped Luke instead.

"YAAARGH!!!" Luke screamed and fell. That snapped Han out of his startleness. He could not let the wizard zap the poor kid in the back like that. _Not when I'm around!_ He jumped onto Palpatine, stopping the bolts from hitting the boy. _I'm gonna regret this in the morning!_ Han thought to himself as he tried to wrestle the wizard down.

The wizard wrestled Han down instead. For an ugly old man, he was very strong!

"Now," Palpatine announced with mock sadness. "You shall die..."

Han braced himself to roll aside or anything to avoid the incoming bolts, when suddenly the wizard was hit by one instead. Palpatine fell, revealing Leia with Han's smoking blaster in her hands. She had shot Palpatine down.

"That's for zapping my love!" She declared.

Then Luke used his magic powers to lift the unconcious wizard to throw him out the bedroom window to a long, long drop out to the ground.

"And that's for zapping me!" he said.

Han who was lying prone watched in stunned silence. _If that suitor can do that, I'd better get out of here! Jealousy can kill!_ He was getting up when Leia came to kneel over him.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"Yeah," Han replied. "Sweetheart, you're one tough princess!"

Leia blushed. Luke was toying with the idea of zapping Han out of the competition, when King Vader appeared at the doorway.

"Leia! Luke!" the king called out joyously upon seeing both his offsprings together. "Are you all right?"

"Father!" called back Leia. _Uh oh!_ Han thought himself to be trapped between two royalties and the door to the only way out being blocked by the huge black king. _I'm gonna loose my head for this!_

"Who are you?" Luke asked. "How did you know my name?"

"Luke, I am your father."

Luke was shocked. If the king was Leia's father, and he was also Luke's father, then Leia must be his...

"NOOOOOO!!!! It's not true! That's impossible!!!" He suddenly cried out surprising everyone in the room.

"Search your feelings, Luke, you know it to be true!" His father tried to soothe him. Luke sobbed. It was true. Leia was his sister. He could not marry Leia because Leia was his sister.

"Son," Vader called. Luke looked up to him. The king held out his arms, offering Luke a hug. "Come to me. It's been a long time since I last saw you, let alone hug you."

Luke obliged and let his father hug him. It felt good. He hugged back his father tightly.

Vader looked up from Luke to the princess, releasing Luke from the hug yet still had his arm across Luke's shoulders, and then turned his attention to the other young man who looked as if he was wishing himself somewhere else.

"Who are you?" he asked Han.

"He's my love, Father," Leia answered before Han could open his mouth. She hugged Han. Han wished she would not do that in front of her very big Father, who could easily have him skinned alive and then send him down to the deepest level of the dungeons to live for the rest of his skinless life.

"What's your name, son?" The king ordered Han to reveal himself.

"Han Solo," Han tried to sound defiant.

"Han Solo," Vader spoke the name in his deep, rumbling voice as if to see how it sounded to his ears. "Did you kiss my daughter?"

"Uh," Han looked uneasy. He looked at Leia whose arms were still around him. _Heck! Just tell the truth. I'm already doomed as it is._ "Yeah..."

"Was she asleep when you kissed her?"

Han was puzzled at the question, but replied again cautiously. "Yeah." _Han, my boy, what have you gotten into now?_ He wondered if he could survived the jump out of the bedroom window to escape all these. He braced himself for the 'kill'.

Instead the king laughed. He did not sound the least angry.

"Han, you've broken the spell to my kingdom!" King Vader seemed to be telling everybody in the room instead of Han alone.

"Oh, joy!" Leia squeaked and hugged a surprised and speechless Han tighter.

"Congratulations, my boy!" The king shook Han's hand. "We'll hold the wedding in a week's time!"

Han was still trying to grasp all this new information when Leia kissed him. It seemed to make him realize all the news was good news.

_I wish those pirate friends of mine could see me now!_ he rejoiced. Then something dawned on him. _Siths! I should have bet more with that old smoothie Lando!_

A week later they had a glorious wedding. This time the king made sure ALL the people good and evil were invited.

And they lived happily ever after.

The End.


 

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Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, I just draw them... I never meant to do any harm on anybody. Allah will punish me if I do!