Tag for Rogue One. Short missing scene that I thought should have been after the credits.
Powder Keg
"It is a time of Civil War..."
—Opening scroll of Episode IV: A New Hope
Bail Organa watched the HoloNet newsfeeds stream by on his personal monitor with intense interest. The Battle of Scarif—as it was already named by the media—had sent a shockwave across the galaxy. The Rebellion had struck openly for the first time, and had scored a remarkable victory against the Emperor's heretofore unrivaled military might.
The Imperial military was on alert, waiting for more attacks from a shadowy Rebel Alliance that they had once dismissed, but now believed was suddenly everywhere. It was like they believed rebels were lurking with bombs behind every corner and stowing away on every unmarked shuttle and ship.
Riots had broken out on the lower levels of Coruscant, where long suppressed nonhuman minorities now saw a trace of weakness in Palpatine's oppressive regime. Imperial troops were being deployed in the capitol. The Senate had convened an emergency session.
Organa, however, was dwelling on more personal matters. He'd lost good friends in the battle, and now saw reports that Admiral Raddus and his crew had been captured after the carrier had been disabled over Scarif. He feared for his fiery old comrade's safety.
Even more profound was his concern for Leia. He'd received no word at all since the battle. He knew from his agents in the military that a corvette-class ship had escaped the area at the last moment, but nothing since.
Leia would not fail, though, he had to believe. His daughter's tenacity rivaled her mother's. Organa smiled faintly to himself: what he wouldn't give to have Padmé Amidala's steadfast presence with him now.
Shaking off the sudden wave of nostalgic sadness, Organa turned his attention back to the present. He could do nothing now but wait for Leia's return—hopefully with Kenobi in tow—using his skills as he did best, pulling carefully on the threads of the Galactic Empire's bureaucracy, to help the cause. The existence of the Death Star battle station must become public. The longer it stayed cloaked in secrecy, the easier it would be for Palpatine to deploy it against an unsuspecting populace, and the tighter the Empire's grip would become.
Perhaps the surprising events at Scarif would help, in the long run. Senator Pamlo and the others who wanted to disband the Alliance might be swayed into staying in the fight just a little longer.
"Your Highness?"
Organa turned to find one of the Royal attendants at the door of his study.
"A secure transmission for you, Sir."
"Thank you, I'll take it here," Organa replied. Perhaps Leia, at last.
He waited until the attendant departed before toggling the holo-communicator. To his surprise, it was not his daughter that appeared in the flickering projection.
"Mon Mothma?" He was surprised. It was highly unusual for her to transmit directly, secure transmission or no. "Is this about Raddus? I am planning on speaking to some of our allies in the Senate about arranging a hearing—"
"It's too late for that, Bail," Mothma said. Her features seemed haunted, as though she were carrying more weight on her shoulders than normal. "He was executed last night."
Organa was stunned. "What? But...he is a hero of the Clone Wars. The Imperial military wouldn't dare! The Senate—"
If possible, Mothma's visage looked even more strained than it had a moment before. "The Emperor issued a decree last night disbanding the Senate. Nadea Tural and a dozen others were arrested this morning."
Sinking back in his chair, Organa shook his head in disbelief. "I cannot believe it. The galaxy won't stand for it."
"They don't have a great deal of choice," Mothma replied gravely. "But, I've received word that Chandrila, Thrad, and Elom have denounced the action, and are breaking away from the Empire. More may follow."
"The Emperor will never allow that," Organa said.
"Then you understand what this means."
"War." Organa deflated slightly. The conflict he'd predicted had come upon them sooner than he had feared.
The Alliance was not ready.
"You should leave Alderaan, at once. They will suspect your involvement with us, if they don't already know. You won't be safe."
"I cannot leave until Leia and...my friend arrive, but I will speak with the Queen immediately," Organa said, signing off. His wife needed to be aware of the danger they now faced, even though Alderaan's small Royal Guard was the only armed force on the planet. It wasn't enough to challenge the Empire, or even to offer to the Rebellion.
He feared for the future of his home.
SW SW SW SW SW SW
The mottled blue hues of hyperspace racing past the shuttle's viewport cast a cold glare across the small shuttle's passenger compartment. Mon Mothma stared unseeingly out of the port as she considered the vital decisions before her.
The Alliance she had spent so many years building and consolidating had just stepped out onto the galactic stage, much sooner and more dramatically than she or her colleagues had ever anticipated. The event would serve as a rallying cry to countless human and alien communities who had toiled under occupation and repression since the end of the Clone Wars.
It would also undoubtedly trigger a brutal crackdown from Palpatine and his puppet governors.
Open war had broken out overnight and Admiral Raddus' execution, along with General Merrick's death in combat over Scarif, suddenly left Mothma short of several key advisors. Most of Blue Squadron and its pilots had perished in the fighting, as well.
It was these losses that had prompted her unusual departure from Yavin IV. She had not traveled freely since her flight from Chandrila two years earlier.
There's a bounty on your head.
Jyn Erso's jibe echoed in her memory. It was not an invalid point. The Empire had branded Mothma a traitor. She had spent most of the previous two years effectively imprisoned at Base One. It had been too risky to personally call on other Rebel encampments as she once had.
This trip was different, though. She had an important request to make, and she wanted to make it in person.
"Senator, we've arrived," The shuttle pilot called from the cockpit.
"Thank you," she replied calmly.
Outside, stars stretched into infinite lines as the craft dropped back into normal space in a blur of pseudo-motion.
Much of the Outer Rim was sparsely populated, which made it the perfect area to hide important Rebel assets, such as shipyards and starfighter training areas. This particular facility was their largest spacedock, where the magnificent Mon Calamari city ships were being hastily converted into warships. A handful of smaller vessels had already entered service with the Alliance—one of which Raddus had taken into battle at Scarif. Four much larger cruisers were visible out the forward viewport of Mothma's shuttlecraft, nearing completion under the relative cover of darkness at the edge of the galaxy.
"We have you on our screens now, please identify," a stern voice crackled from the comlink.
Her pilot toggled the transmitter. "This is Alliance One-Nine. Sending clearance code, now. Request immediate permission to dock."
A moment passed as their codes were verified. Just off either wing of the shuttle, Mon Mothma saw several X-wing fighters fall into formation.
"You are cleared for landing, Alliance One-nine. Approach Docking Bay Four."
The shuttle entered the cavernous docking bay of the largest cruiser and glided to a soft landing near the center of the bay. By design, there was no greeting party to meet her as the hatch hissed open. Her movements had been kept a closely-guarded secret ever since she'd departed Yavin; not even the cruiser's command crew she was arriving.
She motioned for her aides to remain behind as a polite Mon Calamari lieutenant escorted her to a waiting turbolift. In moments, she was on the command level.
The environment was much more humid than on the hangar deck, and her robes quickly grew damp in the clammy air. Not every area had yet been converted to support humans or similar species, and the bridge of these larger cruisers were still primarily manned by Calamari officers exclusively.
On the elegantly spartan bridge, she spotted her objective. Captain Ackbar stood near the helm console, conversing quietly with the ship's pilot.
"Thank you," she nodded to the lieutenant. He bowed and stepped out, heading back the way they'd come.
Ackbar turned at the sound of her voice, his eyesockets twitching rapidly in what she'd learned was a Calamari expression of surprise. "Senator! This is an unexpected pleasure."
"Captain," she stepped forward and clasped his flipper in both hands. He accepted the human gesture with a quick bow. "It's good to see you, again. I see you've made great strides since your last report."
"Indeed, madam," Ackbar nodded and motioned out the large viewports. "This group makes six cruisers operational, and we have four more nearing completion at our dock in the Rishi Maze."
The arrival of the huge Mon Cal city ships had been a blessing to the Alliance, giving them capital ships capable of engaging even the Empire's feared Star Destroyers. It was a gift Mon Mothma wasn't sure the Rebellion deserved, given their failure to liberate Mon Cala from Imperial occupation.
"May I speak to you in private, Captain?"
Ackbar nodded and gestured out another hatchway. "Of course."
He led her down a set of stairs to a large, empty briefing room just behind the bridge. A large hologram of the star system dominated the center of the compartment.
Mon Mothma stopped near the holo-projector and spoke quietly. "Have you heard about Admiral Raddus?"
Ackbar's head dipped in sadness. "This morning. The crew is deeply affected. Raddus was a revered leader among our people. His loss is unfortunate."
An understatement, she thought. Personally, she found the gruff old admiral's loss devastating. "The fleet will need a new commander, sooner rather than later, I fear. The situation will soon be grave, and I don't want a power vacuum."
"Understandable," Ackbar nodded. "Raddus will be difficult to replace."
Mon Mothma favored the taller being with a smile. "Actually, I already have a candidate in mind..."
END