moghedien
ok so Leia was heading to Obi-wan before the Battle of Scarif, and before she ever knew she or anyone would have the plans. It wasn’t just a last resort, “vader’s bout to get us we gotta go somewhere” decision. the fact that she was going to Obi-wan is probably the reason she was with the rebels and not on Alderaan.
so think in the context that a) Bail was knowingly sending his daughter, who has the genes of one of the most powerful force users ever, to go get a Jedi, b) Bail knew that he was sending the biological child of Anakin to Anakin’s former master and friend, c) Obi-wan definitely would knows who Leia is, d) Bail knows that Obi-wan is keeping an eye on Luke.
I’m not saying Bail Organa knowingly sent his force sensitive daughter to the only fully trained Jedi he knew how to get in touch with and also her force sensitive brother, but Bail Organa knowingly sent his force sensitive daughter to the only fully trained Jedi he knew how to get in touch with and also her force sensitive brother. Because he and Mon Mothma decided things had gotten to this point.
Someone in the tags said “Bail didn’t send the plans to Obi-wan. Bail sent Leia.”
YES. The Death Star plans were a last minute bonus. Bail’s actual plans for dealing with the Empire and the Death Star was LEIA
thebibliosphere
Leia was always his plan, even before the EU went entirely to hell and Disney rebooted it.
While other nobles of similar rank were in finishing school or going off to academies, Leia was learning to fight, she was learning to resist interrogation methods, she was building up resistance to the most commonly used truth serums in the galaxy, willingly dosing herself of a regular basis—that’s why the torture droid on the Death Star doesn’t work, she’s spent her whole young adult life training for the moment when she might be captured and tortured for information.
She was learning ciphers and codes, and using her royal upbringing to maneuver through social circles where lowly resistance spies—the lower classes, the non humans, the poor, the sick, the most vulnerable under Palpatine’s rule—would stick out like a sore thumb and be in immediate danger. She was using her class and privilege to fight back against a tyrannical rule, both as a senator and as a spy. She’s not even aware of her Force abilities at this point, though they probably help in some instinctual level. But other than that? It’s all her.
I’m not sure if it’ll be considered canon anymore, but in the radio adaptation of A New Hope some grimy Imperial shitlord who is tasked with “finding rebels” on Alderaan makes romantic overtures at her, and Leia—then only 18—smiles and plays the political game and says he’ll have to ask her father. Later on over dinner when the bastard threatens Bail over being a part of the rebellion she grabs the blaster out of his hand and kills him. She cries over it, it’s the first time she’s killed a real live person and not just a moving target, but she recovers quickly. Because their cover has been blown, and someone has to get the plans to the rebels. And it can’t be Bail.
It’s her. It has always been about her.
But instead we get the story of a young farm boy from the arse end of nowhere, gifted with special powers, being pulled up by fate and destiny to be a hero. And as much as I love Luke—let’s be real I adore him—I will forever be salty that Leia is perceived by many to be a Supporting Character, in her own god damn story.
