Sovereign of the Mind
Leia tossed a handful of data cards to Luke as he entered the aircraft hangar. One of them clattered on the hard metal floor. A sly smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as he scrambled to pick it up. To most everyone else he was a hero, a Jedi Knight. But to Leia he would always just be Luke, the eager farm boy who had rescued her from the first Death star. A memory flashed through her mind. Sandy blond hair spilling out as he pulled off a stormtrooper helmet and said "I'm Luke Skywalker, I'm here to rescue you" It pleased her to be playful with her brother now, even teasing at times. After all, they had 2 decades of lost time to make up for.
"This is everything I could find in the Imperial records about Palpatine's dealings on Ryloth. These records seem to confirm that he did, in fact have considerable connections there." Several weeks ago Leia had received a transmission from the Twi'lek Emissary Yendor on Ryloth on her personal channel. The Emperor had maintained a compound on the planet. While the official purpose was unknown, it was most likely a place where he could plot and carry out any number of deranged schemes undisturbed. According to the transmission, it was rumored Palpatine kept a personal record during his rule, stored on a Holocron. He kept several personal bases scattered throughout the galaxy, and the Alliance was actively seeking them out. As Leia and the rest of the New Republic were discovering, Palpatine's reach had extended far beyond the core imperial worlds. Pockets of Imperial resistance still littered the galaxy even as far out as the Outer Rim, where Ryloth was nestled between spice shipping lanes. It seemed like every day Leia was briefed on a newly discovered military installation, or secret weapons factory the Emperor kept tucked away in distant systems. Overall it proved to be an effective strategy, as it would take years if not decades for the Alliance to fully eradicate all the remnants of the Empire.
"Here" Leia leaned in closer and pointed to a dot on one of the maps. " This is the area where the Emperor's headquarters should be. If we're going to believe what the message says. It's still unclear what exactly was the Imperial connection with the planet, as it was under Hutt control until very recently"
"That's it, Leia. That's where the holocron is. I can feel it." Luke's blue eyes were clear as ice now . " This is where Palpatine kept his secret information about Vader. All the evidence, all the reports, it was all classified. Not even kept in the Imperial library. That's why we haven't been able to access any information about our father…"
Luke's voice trailed off wistfully as he tucked the datacards into his pack. Our father. While they had both lost a father they never knew, Leia could sense the toll Vader's death had taken on Luke. Some in the Senate had already called for Luke to take command of the Republic fleet. Leia cringed internally. She wasn't even sure he was ready for this mission to Ryloth, let alone official command. Only a handful of people even knew he was staying in the Senate chambers. In the aftermath of the battle of Endor Leia had taken it upon herself to shield her brother from the inevitable galaxy-wide spotlight. He needed privacy, and time to recover. The truth was, both she and Han had grown increasingly concerned about Luke. He had become isolated, troubled. The medical staff warned them to look out for personality changes, as it was potential side effect from Palpatine's lightning strikes. Although admittedly, none of them could accurately predict the long term effects of Sith lightning.
"I truly hope you find it, Luke. I wish I could go with you. I'm worried. Ryloth isn't even officially part of the Republic." Leia leaned in closer. "I'm not ready to trust the Emissary. He still hasn't told us how he was able to access my personal channel, and the Niktos cartels have been very active in that region. Yendor could be compromised. Just promise me you'll be careful." She reached out and brushed his mind with as much warmth and caring as she could.
Luke smiled and answered silently I will
The blast doors leading into the hangar slid open with a clank and a hiss. Talya Sivron passed the repair bays followed closely by a glossy black R2 unit. After spending several weeks on Coruscant, acting as an aid to Emissary Yendor, she was ready to get back to her crew. She strode confidently up to Luke and Leia, who were waiting outside the senator's personal ship the Lady Luck.
"Senator Organa, Commander Skywalker. I take it we're ready to launch?"
"Greetings Talya" Leia smiled warmly, an eternal diplomat. "Yes, I believe my brother is ready to depart for Ryloth. Please send my regards to the Emissary. We thank him for his assistance in locating the Emperor's Holocron."
Talya nodded curtly. Ryloth had been a sizeable exporter of slaves and spice under the dominion of the Hutts. Now many of the established planetary contracts and networks had fallen into chaos and disarray after Jabba's death. And the Republic, trying to fill the vacuum, had every reason to be on solidly good terms with the Twi'lek government. It was a potentially mutually beneficial relationship. She admired her employer's tenacity, having the insight to leak the information about Palpatine's archives to Leia directly. Best to draw her and Skywalker in on a personal level.
"Of course, Senator. It's been a pleasure."
Talya purposely ignored Luke. Instead she flipped her purple headtails and flounced past him to climb up the ramp into the scout ship. She had had more than enough opportunity to observe Skywalker. Initially he seemed somber and distant, distracted even. Not the conquering hero she had imagined. But as details about the Emperor's storied archives emerged, Skywalker became more engaged, easier to read. His sister, Senator Organa, was confident, brilliant, and bitingly sarcastic at times. Skywalker almost always smiled at the Senator's quips and sardonic remarks. He even laughed sometimes. When they bantered back and forth among themselves, Talya noticed Luke was relaxed, smiling easily. He seemed almost….young again. He admires her confidence, her boldness she noted.
An introspective man like Luke Skywalker wouldn't be intrigued a demure submissive woman. No. For him, she would play the shrew; brazen and enticing. She smiled inwardly as she felt his gaze following her, lingering on her shapely body for a telltale second too long. Ah Skywalker. So predictable. You're just like the rest. This would be all too easy.
To be continued