Mon Mothma did not enjoy being the bearer of bad news. While there was quite a bit of celebratory rumors going around the base that yes, the rogue band consisting of Jyn Erso and Cassian Andor, as well as others, succeeded in transmitting the Death Star plans, Mon Mothma was in quite the conundrum: she had no actual idea where those plans were now. So there she was, the respected, eternally ethereal- as the late Padme Amidala once described her, she remembers often- Senator and secret Rebellion leader, Mon Mothma, hurrying through the hallways of the Yavin rebel base, tidying up her hair as she tried to piece together what she would say to the council, and specifically, to Bail. The tides of victory were awash in the base, if the ecstatic chatter among scores of orange-suited pilots and were any indication. But they did not know what she knew. They did not know that the fight was only half over with.
She paced past the hangar bay and into a series of passages that would connect her with the council meeting room, the large chamber in the center of the ancient temple that they'd designated solely for being the driest location in the whole structure. It was here that she'd have to relay to her long-time friend and fellow senator, Bail Organa, that his daughter, Princess Leia Organa, had been intercepted by an Imperial ship. A ship that specifically, and quite terrifyingly, was thought to contain the dreaded Darth Vader. Mon Mothma had only waited for confirmation before taking off towards the council chambers.
A "woosh" parted sliding doors into the room. She took a quick glimpse around. Everyone was there and seated, supposedly waiting on her, and everyone who could not physically be present was already loaded up onto a hologram. She did not dare look at Bail, for fear of breaking her calm, collected facade.
"Greetings, council," she announced, taking her place at the gray, visibly unappealing durosteel table. Those present quickly quieted down. She glanced gravely around at her waiting audience. "As many of you already suspect, Rogue One confirmed the existence of and successfully transmitted Galen Erso's plans of the behemoth battle station... the 'Death Star.'" A clamor of voices talking hurriedly and all at once erupted into the room. As she was accustomed, Mon Mothma gave them a few moments. Then she lifted her voice above the noise to continue. "The cost of our success.. was the entire Rogue One squadron. While we did not give them clearance for their mission.. they have done us a great service. We will never forget their bravery and intuition." She paused again, letting the gravity of her words fall in among the crowd. There was a lingering silence before she began again.
"We have cause to celebrate the discovery of the plans. However, it appears they are not yet in our hands."
Then, on cue, confusion among her peers.
"Not in our hands?"
"Where are they?"
"Did they get intercepted?"
"But reports from the Tantive-"
Mon Mothma raised her hand. She then looked at Bail Organa, who stood patiently in his hologram in his designated spot. "The schematics were successfully transmitted to the Profundity. However, I have received news that our flagship was seized by Imperial Forces. The Tantive IV, docked inside the Profundity, did manage to escape with the plans. However, it too was intercepted.. and I have just received confirmation that Darth Vader boarded the Tantive."
She watched Bail's response. Realization dawned on him slowly and painfully. "I'm sorry, Bail. Leia's last known location was aboard the Tantive."
His features darkened, and he drew a hand to pinch the wrinkled bridge between his eyes. "Leia.." he began.
"Is more than capable of defending herself," Mothma finished. "We cannot give up hope yet. She is a fierce, relentless young woman, and Vader will have his hands full if he thinks he can keep her contained for long."
He seemed eased with her words, and nodded. "This is true. But we should begin rescue preparations as soon as possible."
Mothma nodded alongside several of the other council members. "We are preparing a team as we speak. We also need to recover the Death Star schematics. Rescue and recovery is of the utmost-"
She could not finish her sentence, as suddenly the hologram featuring her fellow senator began to crackle and break up. "Senator Organa? What is going on?"
"I'm not-"
The council chambers watched as Bail turned to speak to someone and then his hologram flickered away.
"Try to reconnect," Mothma instructed the hologram technician.
The Twi'lek clacked away at some keys on his control panel. After several minutes of prolonged wait, his eyebrows wrinkled in frustration and confusion. "Ma'am, all transmissions to and from Alderaan have been severed."
"All of them, across the base? Have you checked the Senator's public channel?"
The technician seemed as troubled as she. "Yes, ma'am. All of them. Just.. gone."
Mon Mothma was careful to conceal her confusion as she looked back to the crowd in the council chambers. "It appears we have some technical difficulties. However, we will proceed in forming a squad for rescue and recovery. We must recover the plans to the Death Star. Leia is our only hope."