Disclaimer: This is a non-profit project and I am not nor will I ever sell or make money on this work. If it is Star Wars it all belongs to the big guy.
The speech I am using can be found in Star-by-Star, page 563 paperbacks, by the very talented Troy Denning.
"This is a war we know how to win. Keep fighting until you can fight no longer, then exhaust the enemy chasing you, and turn and fight some more. Keep fighting. I promise you, we will prevail.
--- Princess Leia Organa-SoloStar Wars
New Jedi Order
Fall of Coruscant
A Senator's Tale
Senator Cal Omas stood by his picture window in the Senators' office building, watching the untold number of speeders still flying their assigned lanes, people going to work or coming home after a long night. At the people who were out for pleasure, maybe out shopping for a special someone they left behind. They were all confident that no matter what happened when they got home or woke up that those they love would still be there waiting for them with open arms and bright smiles. They were confident that no matter how bad the Yuuzhan Vong threat got 'out there' that the military and their elected leaders would be able to keep them away from their homes and families. Cal looked up and saw the Primary shinning brightly this morning, as if to say 'all was well'.
But it's not 'is all well'! He thought as he drove his fist in to the window, the dream is about to end and the nightmare is about to begin!
Cal knew the end was coming soon when Reese and Borleias fell the other day. He knew the end was at hand when he was woken up with the news and taken to a special Advisory Council meeting that Chief of State Borsk Fey'lay called for, so they can discuss on how to handle this crisis. He knew there was little hope when he walks into a Senator Chambers and sees supposedly great leaders acting like an unruly kindergarten class. He knew how big of a nightmare it was going to be when he tried to get more large cargo ship sent to Coruscant to handle the flood of people who would be fleeing when the Vong attacked. Defeatist they called him, wanting to start a panic for his own greed others said.
"Senator Omas you fail to realize we will have 3 of the finest fleets protecting Coruscant. One fleet commanded by General Antilles, another by General Bel Iblis and a third by my own cousin Admiral Kre'fey. I am quite confident that with 3 of our best field commanders and Supreme Admiral Sovv that we will be able to handle any Vong attack!" Chief of State Borsk Fey'lay had snapped at him when he mentioned the idea yesterday.
"Yes I understand but…"
"Then good I will hear no more of this talk of evacuation."
"I am only saying is that we should plan for the worst…"
"Do we even know if they are coming here?" a senator he didn't recognize asked.
"After Reese? After one of our own was found to be a traitor? Do you serious believe that they did all that work to by-pass us?"
"I demand that statement be stricken from the record!" another one stood up saying, "Senator Shesh has only be accused not convicted or even charge yet!"
"The point is we have evacuation plans in place but not enough ships to carry them out." He had pushed on, not willing to be side tracked, "we have been telling the people of Coruscant that…"
"They are safe Senator!" Fey'lay said cutting him off.
So he was forced to work behind the scene to try to get more heave cargo ships here before the Vong got here and that was failing miserably. Most companies claimed that they didn't have enough time to get them to Coruscant, others said they could not find enough crews to risk going into a war zone. A few were at least honest enough to say that Coruscant was as good as lost and sending large and expensive cargo ships there just to be blown up was not practical. There were a few that did have ships already here and their crews were willing to wait around to see if they were needed. Now he needs to find fighter support for the transports when they get set to leave. The Vong loved going after defenseless transports and to be honest most of the ships were big, slow targets. He will need a lot of fighters to cover their escape. How many will be left to do the duty; well that was the question all right. And since he heard the rumor about Anakin Solo…
"Sir?" his aid's voice came over the intercom interrupting his thoughts. He looked out the window one more time before returning to his desk.
"Yes?"
"Sir General Rieekan is here to see you sir."
"Very well I will see him now."
Cal walked over to the door as it opened to admit General Carlist Rieekan, a fellow Alderaan who been with the New Republic since it was the Rebel Alliance. They both severed together at Hoth where Carlist was in charge.
"Good to see you again Carlist." Cal said reaching out to shake his old commander's hand.
"You too Cal. My-my," Carlist said looking out the window at the view, "You sure have come up in the world from a snot nosed pilot I remember." Carlist said with a smile.
"I been lucky that is all and to tell you the truth sometimes I miss the view from my X-wing." Cal said with a small smile.
"Yes at least that back then we knew who our enemies were and who are our friends. Now a days." He broke off as he took the seat Cal waved him into, "Now a days it harder to see the distinction."
"Yes that is true, Senator Shesh actions has caused a great deal of damage."
"Shesh, Fey'lya, and a half dozen other senator I can name. Them and their 'yes' men. Everyone is fighting each other to grab their own so-called share of the glory and bounty. No one stopping to think about what is really important right now!" He sat back in his chair looking old, old and tired to Cal's eyes. "Makes me sick to think of all the blood we shed to build this New Republic, of all the children that had died under my command. Ah hells where have all the heroes gone?"
"Some of us know what is important Carlist some of still know why were are still fighting." Cal said, concern with his friend's condition. Even during the darkest days of the Rebellion General Rieekan, while not always cheerful, always could see the light at the end of the tunnel.
"I know Cal, you and the other are still putting up the good fight. That is one of the reason I came back out of retirement. Wedge, Gram, Leia, and you still know what is important. The other reason is them." He said motioning out the window in to the morning sky. "They trust people like us to make sure they are safe. They just want to get on their lives and hold their families without having to worry about the Vong, without having to worry about dieing." Rieekan gave Cal an odd look. "Of course you understand that all ready, don't you? That is why you called me?"
"Yes, I uh I have heavy transports, cargo ships really on stand by at several positions around the planet. They have supplies of food and water and that is about it. But what I really need is …"
"Fighter support for when they leave after the Vong take over Coruscant." Carlist said as he took the data disk from Cal outstretched hand. "Which will never happen according to Fey'lya and Admiral Sovv." He was quiet as he read through the list.
"Yes I am aware of what they think but I can't risk everything on wishful thinking. Millions of lives are at stake here. I have to plan for the worst case scenario."
"You know that I'm and the rest of the military are under orders not to discuss this kind of action. Chief of State Fey'lya thinks it will cause a panic." He said still not looking up from the list.
"No I was not aware of that." Damn you Fey'lya
"My first duty is to the defense of Coruscant." He said has he pushed a couple buttons on his pad and ejected the disk. He laid down the disk on Cal's desk. "And I am under orders." He got up and headed to the door. "Good thing I learn long ago how to ignore orders that are not only stupid but foolhardy." He stopped at the door and turn to look at Cal or out the window; Cal was not sure which. "I can't make promises about numbers but I will get you some support. Good luck Cal."
"General!" Cal said standing up, Kieekan stopped and looked at him. "Not all the heroes are gone, sir."
General Kieekan gave him a smile and walked out the door.
Cal walked back to the window and again stared out at the traffic going by in the vast numbers that stream by day after day, night after night. Trillion of people of all kinds, the poor, the wealthy, the young and the old who just want to live their lives in safety.
Have I done enough? I'm I worthy of the trust those people placed in my hands?
His desk COM again chirped and this time his aid sounded nervous.
"Sir! This just came in, the Jedi wing had engage the enemy!"
He hurried over to the desk and answered the call.
"Very well, inform C & C that I am on my down. Start making preparations on this end please."
"Very good sir."
Cal started towards the door and again looked out the window.
Did I do enough?
As he head down the hall he had a sad feeling that many hero's will be born today.
THIS IS WHAT WE ALL SHED BLOOD FOR? Cal thought bitterly as he watch the so-called leaders of the New Republic in action. All the orders, all the interference and in fighting that was going on in the Senate as the Vong fleet bore down Coruscant. For 2 and half days the Vong fleets have drove unmercifully on the planet, unstoppable it seems. The Three 'grand' fleets that Fey'lya had loudly and forcefully proclaimed that could easily stop any Vong fleet were decimated. Many elements were cut off from each other or surrounded by Vong ships and getting hammered or in many cases both at the same time. Now the Vong Fleet was nearing the shield that protected Coruscant and all that stood in their way was Gram's fleet or what was left of it.
Maybe between Gram's fleet, the minefield and the shield we can finial stop these butchers? He knew that was wishful thinking, Coruscant was going to fall today. He watched, both sadly and angrily, but unsurprised when many of the senators started fleeing the hall. They knew what the real score was.
"Sir, all transports are in position and awaiting for orders." A young voice said beside him.
He turned to see his only aid left from his staff. After the second day many of his aids either fled on their own or asked to be excused to be with their families. Cal just could not bring himself to refuse them their request. They had a right to be with their families on a day such as the one they find themselves in. So they all left, all except young Luntara. Luntara was a bright cheerful aid from New Alderaan, she was just 18 years old and never been off New Alderaan before coming here. Cal remembers how excited she was to have landed this job and her joy never dimmed over the past year that she has been here. All her family was safe on New Alderaan and as far as Cal knew she had no one special here on Coruscant. He offered to let her leave a few weeks before but she refused saying that her job was here and she would be needed. Now it was just them left trying to coordinate the soon to be chaotic evacuation. She looked tired, her face was streaked with tears tracks and her hair was unruly but she stood tall and carried on her duties with the bearing that he had seen in Leia so many times.
"Thank you, Luntara. Are there any security forces in position?"
"Yes sir, they are reporting large crowds starting to build at the sites. So far the crowds for the most part are behaving themselves but they have stun fences and stun guns in case they start to riot." There had been isolated cases of rioting and looting the first day the Vong showed up and as the Vong got closer the cases of rioting grew worst and more widespread.
"Very good, I hate for them to use violence but we'll need some kind of order if we going to save as many people as possible. Has there been any word on fighter support."
"Yes sir, General Rieekan called a moment ago, personally, he is trying to find fighters but many of the Senators are calling in favors, snatching up elements of the fleet in preparation to leave." She kept her voice bland and even but her eyes told a different story about what she thought of those senators.
"I talk to the Chief of State about that problem, that is going to have to stop. Would you please instruct all transports to start loading now."
"Yes sir!"
Cal tried getting Fey'lya attention but was unsuccessful, so he had to go to his dais. Borsk was talking to C & C on a private channel, even thought he was only a centimeters away it was so noisy in the chamber that he could not hear what was being said.
"Chief of State, I need your help." Cal said when he finally got notice, "I need fighter support for transports but too many of the Senators are asking for escorts."
'I am well aware of the problem, Councilman Omas. I was just talking to C & C to tell them to put a stop to such actions." Started to feel relieved until Borsk went on, "There will be no need to evacuate Coruscant."
"Sir? You can't be serious! The Vong will bring down that shield! We need to start evacuation of the civilian population!"
On screen there were hundreds of flashes as the minefield around Coruscant suddenly sprang to live, trapping hundreds and hundreds of Vong ships and Refugee ships between them and the shield. Cal watched as hundred of ships took killing blows or at least crippling blows. Some collided with each other as they tried to escape others were destroyed when they hit the shields. Cal had hope for a moment that they were going to be safe after all and Borsk even flashed him a confident smile. Then the Vong got smart and stop trying to run and used their voids to intercept the mines. Then after all the mines had been used there were still hundreds of ships left, suddenly as one all the severely damaged ships turn and rammed the shield, overloading them. Cal actually thought he could hear one of the near by shield control stations explode. Cal thought that the senators were unruly earlier, he now saw them in their true form. Panic ensued as senators and their aids ran to the exits, pushing and shoving their way out.
"SIR!" Cal heard Luntara calling him and running towards him. "Sir! The system won't let me in!"
"What?"
"I was trying to contact the transports, like you asked. But the system said all non-military traffic is stopped. I tried your senator override but it won't except it!"
"I ordered all non-military traffic to be cut off." Borsk said when Cal asked him.
"YOU WHAT?!" Luntara screamed at him, "How I'm supposed to save people if I can't talk to anyone, you stupid bastard!"
"There is no reason to worry our military will save us." Borsk said as he turned away to talk to someone else.
The poor girl broke down and started crying. In frustration or for all the lives that will be lost now? Cal wonders as he led the young woman back to rear exit. On the way to the exit Fyor Rodan and two security guards stopped him.
"Cal, I have some security guards who will escort you to where ever you need to go." He said with a hunted look on his face.
"Thank you Fyor, where you going?"
"To C & C, I have to try to stop this senate from grabbing up parts of the fleet. Where are you headed?"
Cal looked down at the young lady next to him, she was still crying but was looking up to him.
"I have transports on stand by Fyor, to evacuate as many lives as I can. I'm going there to help as many as I can."
"Transports? You will need fighter cover to get them off planet." Before Cal could say anything Fyor continued, "I see what I can get you. Do you have their locations?"
"I have a list here Senator Rodan." Luntara said pulling a disk from one of her pockets. Which was good because Cal wasn't sure where his copy was.
"I see what I can do. Good Luck Cal." Fyor said holding out his hand.
"You are a good man Fyor, May the Force be with you." Shaking his hand.
As they walked with the guards to a secure landing pad with a car waiting for them, Luntara seemed to stand straighter and taller. Tears were still streaming down her face but she had a pad out with a list of transport locations.
"Sir I think location Alpha 4 is the closest to us and there are four transports there already."
"Very good that where we will head." He said looking at her out of the corner of his eyes, she was wiping away the tears and looked so old for someone so young. "I'm sorry, I should sent you home weeks ago, regardless of your wishes."
"Nonsense sir, I wanted to be somewhere and do something that makes a difference. You are making a difference and no matter what happens I am proud to be here with you." and then she said with a small grin, "Besides sir, you would be lost without me here to help you. I bet you forgot the copy of the transport list?"
"Well true." he said with a real laugh, he put his arm around the young lady and gave her a brief hug. "I am proud of you Luntara and, although I wish you were some where safe, I am glad to have you here with me."
When they got in the car Luntara gave the coordinates to the transports and Cal sat back looking out the windows. As the car lifted into the air Cal looked around and saw all nine levels of Hell had landed on Coruscant.
