Chapter 6:
"You can go on home Sabé." Jorran Komour said with a smile. "I know this can't be too exciting for you." The ambassador had been busy preparing for various meetings and diplomatic functions. After meeting Bail Organa, his wife had stayed with Jorran in his office, helping in any way she could. He loved being with her, but he had noticed that Sabé seemed unusually distracted.
"No, my love, I want to stay and help you. The children are still with their tutors anyway, I want to be with you." Sabé flashed her husband a loving smile that she hoped would convince him of her sincerity. While she did loved helping her husband, Sabé's desire to stay in the consulate had more to do with the puzzle that was Bail Organa's daughter than a desire to work with Jorran today.
Jorran shook his head. "I know that smile, Sabé." He said lovingly. "That is your 'something is really bothering me, but I don't want to talk about it' smile." He got up from his desk and walked over to where his wife was sitting. "What's wrong?" Jorran knelt down to look directly into Sabé's eyes. "Don't tell me it's nothing, because I know you better than that."
Sabé stood quickly and walked a few paces from Jorran. The intensity of his gaze and his loving demeanor was breaking her emotional walls. She did not want to discuss her feelings, but she knew her husband would not let it go.
The former handmaiden turned away from Jorran hoping he would not see the tears that were forming in her eyes. "It's silly Jorran; it's not worth mentioning."
"It's worth it if it's bothering you." Jorran's voice was calm and patient. "Please don't shut me out," he pleaded.
With that, Sabé's reserve crumbled. She turned to her husband and began to weep. Seeing her distress, Jorran quickly embraced his beloved and held her as she cried.
After a few moments, Jorran spoke again. "Sabé, please tell me what's wrong. You were fine until you met Senator Organa. Did he upset you in some way?" Sabé was not easily brought to tears; she was always very strong. Seeing his wife this way was very upsetting. Jorran went over the conversation with the senator in his mind and was hard pressed to remember anything that could have upset Sabé so much. "You can tell me anything, you know that."
Sabé took a deep breath to help return some semblance of emotional control. "Padmé," she finally whispered.
Jorran was confused. He knew that his wife's friend's untimely death was an emotional wound that never had healed. He knew that she was still eat up with guilt that was never hers to bear. However, he had no idea how meeting Bail Organa had stirred up these feelings. "Padmé? I'm afraid I don't understand."
Sabé looked into the eyes of her loving husband. She did not want to tell him, but she knew she owed him the truth. "I told you, it's silly. It wasn't Senator Organa that got me upset, it was Princess Leia."
Jorran broke from the embrace slightly to look into Sabé's eyes. "Princess Leia?"
"I've never seen her in person until today. She looks like Padmé." Sabé knew how this must have sounded to her husband, but she had to tell someone. "She doesn't just look like her; even a couple of her mannerisms are the same."
"Well, Leia is a princess; she was raised as royalty. She would have been taught to carry herself with a regal bearing." Jorran explained. "I can imagine that seeing someone with a few of the same features as Padmé and with royal mannerisms would be upsetting. I'm so sorry, Beloved; I know how hard it must have been for you."
Sabé shook her head. "You don't understand, her eyes, it was like I was looking directly into Padmé's eyes." Sabé crossed the room to a chair and sad down dejectedly.
"I'm so sorry." Jorran repeated, not knowing what to say to comfort his wife.
Sabé could not help but smile at her husband's attempts at making her feel better. She knew that he hated to see her unhappy. Wiping the last few tears that had fallen, Sabé stood quickly and flattened imaginary wrinkles out of her dress. "I told you it was silly.," Sshe said with a forced laugh.
"It wasn't silly," Jorran protested. "I can't imagine what you went through when she died."
"It's been eight years; I need to find some closure badly. If I just knew how she died."
"The official report said that it was an undiagnosed heart condition," Jorran explained. Sabé knew all of this; he wondered why she had to ask.
"Yes, the official report with Emperor Palpatine's seal stamped on it said that," Sabé scoffed. "You, more than anyone else, should know better than to completely trust the 'official report'."
Jorran nodded, thinking about his father and brother's death which was ruled an accident—something he never believed. "What do you think happened?"
"I don't know. I just know that the last time I saw her, a month before her death, she was fine; and the baby she was carrying was fine as well." Part of the official report on Padmé's death had included the fact that she was pregnant. It was a shock to the people of Naboo, and had caused rampant speculation. Sabé wished that her friend's condition had remained a secret to protect her reputation. The people had no idea she was married.
"Sabé, sometimes these things happen and there's nothing anyone could have done to prevent them." Jorran explained gently.
"I know that Jorran. I just find it convenient that the leader of the opposition to Palpatine's actions in the Senate just happens to turn up dead a few days after he crowned himself Emperor." Sabé, like her husband and many others on Alderaan, had never been enamored by the Emperor's grand speeches and soothing promises.
Sabé took a deep breath to help fight back the tears that were threatening to fall. "If only I was there. Maybe I could have…"
"Could have what?" Jorran interrupted. "If she was murdered, you would have probably been murdered too. I'm sorry if this sounds selfish, but I'm glad you were not there to be killed. I love you."
Sabé walked up to her husband and kissed him. "I love you Jorran, I wouldn't trade my life with you and the children for anything. I just wish I knew more about what happened."
"I know, Beloved. I just wish you could find some kind of peace." Jorran had no idea how to help his wife; he could not understand why she could not move on after so many years.
Sabé smiled weakly. "I know you do, my love, I hope so too. I guess seeing a girl that looked so much like Padmé and her being about the same age as her child would have been just set me off. I'm sorry."
Jorran brought his wife into his arms. "There's no need to apologize, My Love."
Sabé just stood there enjoying the feeling of being in her husband's embrace. In it, she always felt loved and protected. "I guess Leia got her eyes from Senator Organa, his is the same color."
Jorran wrinkled his brow in confusion. "You didn't know?"
"Know what?"
"It's not something that has been officially announced, but it's no state secret." Jorran hesitated, he was not sure if this would help the situation. "Princess Leia was adopted."
Sabé was surprised. "I didn't know that."
When Jorran looked into his wife's eyes, he wished he never told her of the princess's adoption. He could almost see the wheels turning in her head. "Yes, when she was brought into the Organa household it was just a few days after the formation of the Empire. no one really paid any attention, seeing as how the focus was elsewhere."
Sabé remembered those days clearly. Everyone was glued to their HoloNet transmitters seeking information about the new government. Those that supported the new direction watched excitedly while discussing the possibilities with family and friends, and discussing how great it felt to be a part of something so much larger than themselves.
Those that did not support the new direction, sat silently in front of their transmitters In utter shock and disbelief—mourning the loss of the dead Republic. In such a tumultuous time, the sudden appearance of a royal heir was not noticed by the majority of the citizens of Alderaan. When Leia was officially brought out for her first public appearance, three months later, she was immediately accepted into the hearts of the citizens of Alderaan. The people loved their princess.
Sabé got a sudden inspiration. "In the middle of all that, why would the Organas adopt some anonymous baby?"
Jorran sighed, he was not sure if he liked where she was going with this. "What are you thinking Sabé?"
Sabé broke away from her husband and walked toward the window. As she stared out onto Coruscant, Sabé's mind was racing trying to fit together the pieces of the convoluted puzzle. "Think about it for a moment. Bail Organa was Padmé's best friend in the Senate; she told me so herself." Sabé turned back to Jorran with a big smile on her face. "Padmé was nearing her due date when she died or got killed. What if the baby she carried didn't die with her? What if she was adopted by Padmé's good friend, Bail Organa?"
The ambassador had to admit, the scenario did sound logical. However, he knew verifying this theory would be close to impossible. The Organas were very secretive when in came to their daughter.
"Sabé, I'm not sure…" Jorran trailed off weakly, not knowing what to say. He sighed. "Even if this is true. How does it change things? If Senator Amidala was killed, the Organas would not want Princess Leia's biological mother known, to protect her from those responsible for her death."
Sabé nodded in agreement. "You're right, I suppose." The former handmaiden laughed bitterly. "You know, it's very possible that I'm wrong and Princess Leia isn't connected to Padmé in any way."
"Maybe."
"It's possible that I want so badly for it to be so, that I'm looking for connections that aren't there." Sabé's voice was small and weak. "If I am right, though, I want to get to know her while she's here."
Jorran knew that dissuading his wife from this course of action would be impossible. For reasons he could not explain, he was nervous about Sabé getting to know the Princess. He was not really concerned about what Bail Organa would think. His fear was elsewhere—elusive. "Be careful, Beloved. Coruscant is a dangerous planet for those who are too curious."
Sabé smiled in agreement. "I will, my love, but I have to know."
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"The princess is missing. Repeat, the princess is missing. Alert all consulate security and inform Senator Organa." Lieutenant Sobrel was trying to remain calm. For a Royal security officer, this was his greatest fear. Princess Leia Organa had disappeared when they walked through a large crowd. It had not taken long for the team to realize that she was missing, and they had acted immediately.
Sobrel knew the dangers the princess faced while alone on Coruscant. He had been stationed at the Alderaanian consulate for three years. He knew about the very unpleasant underworld that still existed despite a few Imperial attempts to clean up the undercity. Scenarios ran through his mind as he gave orders to fan out in all directions. Could the princess have been kidnapped? It was not uncommon for underworld groups to kidnap the children of influential beings to hold for ransom.
Sobrel's thoughts were interrupted by the chattering of the protocol droid. "Oh dear, where could the princess have gone?" Wild beeping from the astromech droid joined in the panic.
The Lieutenant had enough. "Droids, go back to the consulate." With that he ran toward an alleyway, leaving the droids behind. He could hear the protocol droid's protests, but was glad that it was not following.
As Sobrel ran down the alleyway, he could hear shouting in the distance. He reached the end of the alley and saw a group of stormtroopers, with weapons aimed, surrounding something that was on the ground. A small break in the line revealed that something to be the princess.
The Lieutenant looked up to get his bearings; to his horror, he realized where he was; right in front of the Jedi temple. This was not the place to be found by stormtroopers. He was grateful they did not shoot Princess Leia on sight. It had been known to happen over the years.
He heard commotion in the distance; the rest of the Royal security team was closing in on his location. The stormtroopers heard it as well; they immediately trained their weapons on the incoming team. Sobrel knew that this situation could get very bad, very quickly. If one of his team made a move to raise their weapon, the stormtroopers would begin firing.
"My team, halt!" Sobrel ordered, hoping to diffuse the situation. Sobrel let out a small sigh of relief when he saw his team comply. The stormtroopers, however, were not lowering their weapons.
"All of you, drop your weapons immediately!" The stormtrooper commander's tone was deadly serious. Lieutenant Sobrel motioned his team to comply. After the stormtroopers confiscated all of the weapons, the commander addressed Sobrel. "This is a restricted area. Who are you working for?"
"I am Lieutenant Sobrel of Alderaan Royal Security." He indicated the little girl that was roughly being brought to her feet by one of the soldiers. "This is High Princess Leia Organa, we were charged with protecting her."
"Why was she found in a restricted area, alone?"
"A few moments ago, we got separated from the princess. She must have followed that alleyway behind us to get here. She just arrived on Coruscant this morning, and had no idea this area was restricted." Sobrel always found addressing a stormtrooper unnerving. He hated not being able to see their faces to gauge their reactions. Although, he somehow suspected that if he could see their faces, their expressions would probably be blank and emotionless. That was exactly how Emperor Palpatine liked his soldiers.
The stormtrooper commander gave no indication whether he believed Sobrel's explanation. "We will be taking all of you into custody. Our superior will decide what is to be done with you."
The stormtroopers began putting stun cuffs on the team. When one of them put cuffs onto the princess, Sobrel spoke up. "There is no need to take Princess Leia into custody. She is just a child."
"All of you will be taken into custody."
The stormtrooper's tone was final; Sobrel knew that there would be no negotiating with them. As they were being led away, he hoped that the soldiers' superior may be willing to let him explain.
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"Lord Vader, welcome
back to Imperial Center."
Vader barely acknowledged the major's greeting as he walked past him. He did not want to be on the Imperial capitol, but his Master had ordered him to return. He always wanted Vader to make an appearance during Empire Day. Sideous told Vader that it was important for leaders to remain visible to remind the people of their rulers.
The Sith lord was not looking forward to all of the ceremony associated with Empire Day. Sideous told him that ceremony was very important in maintaining order. The people crave the structure and tradition that is associated with ceremony. It helps subjects feel like they are part of something and they are participating in something larger than themselves.
He knew he had better things he should be doing. The Outer Rim was in chaos, as always. The Hutt control of many Outer Rim planets had to be stopped. He hated those gluttonous, slave trading primitives. He longed for the day when the Outer Rim would be under the control of the New Order. Until the, there would be no peace.
As he walked deeper into the military substation, he was aware that the major was following nervously behind him. He knew that the major was waiting to give his briefing. Still striding purposefully, Vader did not turn around as he addressed the major. "What do you have to tell me, Major Nol?"
Nol coughed nervously then forged ahead cautiously with the briefing. Vader listened without comment as the major informed the Sith lord of military matters in the Imperial Sector. Nol also told him of the terrorist threat, but assured him that proper security was in place.
When the major was finished, Vader was about to dismiss him when the Sith lord felt a tremor in the Force. He could tell that it emanated from something nearby. Vader quickly followed the tremor until he came up upon the holding cells. Most of the cells were full of the usual lowlifes and malcontents that Imperial Center was infested with. At the end of the row of cells, however, he saw a child huddled in the corner in a cell of her own.
"Major Nol, why do you have a child in this cell?" Vader stared at the little girl who was trying her best to remain brave, but failing at the moment. He could feel this girl's fear, that must have been the tremor that he felt. Still, his feelings told him that there was something else. For some reason, the Force surrounded this girl like a blanket.
"We just picked her and her security team up about fifteen minutes ago," Nol explained. "She was found loitering near sector M4-239. The security team that arrived after she was apprehended claims she is the High Princess of Alderaan; we are verifying that claim as we speak."
Imperial Center sector M4-239 was well known to the soldiers stationed on the capitol; it was the Jedi temple. The entire area surrounding it was considered a dead zone; no one was allowed there. A few curious pedestrians had even been shot.
Lord Vader continued to stare at the tiny girl. "Why wasn't I informed of this immediately?"
Nol had not had much face to face time with the second in command of the Empire. However, Vader's reputation had preceded him. The Sith lord could feel the man's fear; Nol knew now that he had made a grave misstep.
"Lord Vader, I deeply apologize. It seemed such a trivial matter." The major answered, trying hard not to stutter.
Vader turned his head sharply toward the frightened officer. "Do not presume. Anything regarding that sector is, most definitely, not trivial."
The major bowed his head. "I apologize, My Lord, this mistake will not be repeated."
"See that it doesis not."
Turning away from the frightened major, Lord Vader returned his gaze to the girl locked up in the holding cell. She had recovered some of her calm; her fear was no longer spiking wildly. There was still fear, but much of the previous fear had turned into a sort of curiosity. Vader knew that this girl had listened intently to his and the major's conversation with much interest.
"You said she had a security escort. Where are they?"
Nol, happy that he had been spared the wrath of Lord Vader, was glad that his superior was returning to the business at hand and not Nol's failure. "They are on the other end of the cell block."
With one last glance at the princess, Vader stalked down the cell block to where the team was being held. When they reached their destination, Nol relayed to Vader the details concerning their arrest. The major pointed at the leader. "This is Lieutenant Sobrel of Alderaan Royal Security. According to the report, he and the rest of his team arrived on the scene after the girl was apprehended."
"Lieutenant, explain why your charge found herself, alone, in a restricted zone." Vader demanded.
Pushing back his fear, Sobrel tried to explain. "Lord Vader, the princess just arrived on Coruscant this morning. She was doing some shopping and we got separated from her. We searched for her; when we found her she had already entered the restricted zone."
Using the Force, Vader probed the Lieutenant's mind for any hints of deception, there were none. Knowing he would not get any answers from this security officer, the Sith Lord turned quickly and walked toward the princess's cell. When he reached the cell, he demanded that the ray shields be lowered and that the princess be retrieved.
The three walked down the cell block hallway. Vader could tell the girl was terrified at the prospect of going anywhere with him, but he was impressed with how she was handling herself. She was walking with her head held high, not allowing any outward show of fear. Her bearing seemed familiar.
A commotion in one of the cells interrupted the procession. "Lord Vader, where are you taking her?" Lieutenant Sobrel demanded.
Vader stopped and turned to look at the prisoner. "The princess is to be questioned."
Sobrel began shaking his head. "No, you can't do that! She's just a child! This is an outrage! She is the daughter of Senator Organa and she's High Princess of Alderaan."
A cold rage overfrom the Alderaanian's disrespectful tone came over Vader. Using that rage to feed the dark side of the Force, the Sith lord gestured with his hand. Suddenly, Sobrel began to gag and convulse slightly. His face began to turn a bluish hue as his body was denied oxygen.
"Please, don't do this!" A crying Leia yelled.
"You're a good person, Anakin, don't do this." Startled by the sudden memory invasion, Vader let go of the whimpering man and a thud could be heard as the man fell to his knees gasping for breath. Despite much effort in ridding himself of his former existence, sometimes flashes of memories would break his control and dominate his mind momentarily. He hated these moments; he especially hated the memories of her. He despised Anakin, so he despised all of Anakin's memories.
Vader took control of himself and turned to look at the girl. To his surprise, this girl was staring up directly into his mask. Many people, in situations such as the one she was in, would have been too afraid to look at his face. The Sith Lord had to admit, her courage intrigued him. Vader addressed the nervous Imperial major. "Take the girl to your office; cuffs will not be necessary."
As the group left the cell block, weak sounds of protest from Sobrel could barely be heard.
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The room was fairly small and utilitarian. Unlike her father's office, Leia could see very few personal touches which identified its owner. Another look revealed the only personal aspect of the Imperial major's office, a small, deactivated holo at the corner of the desk. Leia's quick activation of the holo revealed an image of a smiling, blonde, woman holding a toddler. Knowing that she probably would get in more trouble if she was caught touching the things on the desk, the princess returned the holo to its previous, deactivated state.
The only source of light, at the moment, was a small desk lamp which produced frightening shadows on the walls. Leia was trying to remain calm, but the princess found that was becoming more and more difficult with each passing moment. She felt guilty for bringing the security team into this situation. If it was not for her explorations, they would not be held in that cell. Whatever Vader did to Sobrel was her fault, she knew it.
The princess had never met Lord Vader until now. He was always the mysterious figure that brought fear in the hearts of the enemies of the Empire, and its citizens. Vader was usually on the Outer Rim, he almost never went to any Core worlds. However, for some reason, Leia always knew that someday she would meet him. The princess never was certain if she was afraid or fascinated by the prospect.
Leia had never thought her first meeting with Lord Vader would be under these circumstances. Now that she had met him in person, the princess knew first hand firsthand why he was the most feared man in the galaxy. Leia remembered what he did to Lieutenant Sobrel; somehow, Vader had choked him without laying a hand on him. The princess heard many stories of Lord Vader's mysterious powers but she always dismissed them as superstition. Now, she was not certain.
Leia jumped when she heard a noise on the other side of the door. She knew he was coming. The princess called on every lesson on Royal comportment that she had ever heard. She decided that she would behave like the princess that she was and not show fear. What would Mother do if she were here? Knowing the answer, Leia stood quickly before the door opened and faced the door to calmly, yet defiantly, meet whatever fate awaited her.
Lord Vader slowly strode into the room with Major Nol trailing behind him. The small amount of light in the room created a large, looming shadow of Vader which filled the entire room and fell upon the princess. Leia fought to remain calm as regarded her for a few seconds. Finally, he spoke. "Now, young Princess Leia, we have a few things to discuss."