CHAPTER 10:
Leia hadn't slept in several days by her estimates. Bright lights, holovids, and blaring alarms with scattered voices in between were a constant assault on her senses. The bright lights didn't fade the holovids. The vivid holovids were of war crimes: rape, murder, burning villages, crumbled buildings, torture, genocide—the horrors of war. Save for genocide—which was only committed by the Imperials—the rebels took part in the same crimes as the Empire and were just as ruthless. Side-by-side these holovids were shown. The voice that echoed off of the walls of the tiny white room spoke of these crimes and accused her of believing war was worth the cost in this fight for freedom.
"No side is innocent. You couldn't be that naïve."
Leia knew that war crimes were committed by the rebels, but she believed these crimes were far and few between and that those responsible were punished. She was guilty of being naïve in this sense, but she was guiltier for focusing more on the ends—peace, the restoration of a democratic governing body of the galaxy—than the means that would bring an end to the war.
"Displaced peoples, refugees forced out of their homes and unable to find a new home; Discrimination and abuse these refugees endured."
The holovids showed the faces of these refugees fenced in in camps—mostly aliens but humans as well—and smaller communities and tribes trapped between the two warring sides. Women and men suffered humilities at the hands of both the Empire and the Alliance; these images of each side committing these atrocities were projected side-by-side, stressing the point that the Imperials and the rebels were no different from each other.
"'Honest' war, guerilla warfare, sabotage, the enemy was not the only one who suffered. Infrastructures were destroyed, homes were destroyed. For every act of sabotage against the Empire brought punishment to those innocent lives. Who do you think was punished when the rebels left the scene?"
Images of burnt-out houses, crumbled buildings, mass executions burned into Leia's mind. She shut her eyes and covered her ears; alarms blared and the voice that followed was louder than before. Her tears flowed freely, and she wiped her cheeks and nose with the back of her hand.
She looked down at her attire. She no longer wore that hated-white dress. Instead, she donned a short-sleeve mock turtle neck and army green pants. She touched her hair. If felt as if someone had braided her hair into Vasen braids. When did this happen?
The bodiless voice brought her back to the present. "We can change this. Embrace your anger, your fear. Allow the aggression you feel flow freely and this destruction of societies can end. Change will come through the government. You have the ability to bring peace to the galaxy if you accept the Force as neither good nor evil. There is no Light Side. There is no Dark Side; only the Force that you can wield to end the war. Peace is within your reach."
Leia sunk onto haunches, holding her ears and squeezing her eyes shut. The assault on her senses ceased and the door slid open. Leia opened her eyes and raised her head. She dropped her hands from her ears. Admiral Bloomstar crossed the room and stood over her.
"The horrors of war are a sin against the innocent."
Leia blinked her brown eyes clear of tears. She took one more swipe of her face with her sleeve. She then bowed her head; her shame and guilt made her feel unworthy of this man who towered over her. Bloomstar crouched down. He lifted her chin and then held her head, stroking the skin behind her ear with his thumb.
"I'm so sorry you had to endure this, Princess. Do you believe me?
His soft voice and gentle touch brought her comfort. "Yes."
"It was necessary for you to face the consequences of your Alliance's fight against the Empire."
"I know. Will you forgive me?"
"Of course I do."
"You are now ready to start your training."
Leia's eyes narrowed and her brow furrowed.
"You…you fear me."
Bloomstar released her head, and his fatherly expression faded.
"I do not fear you. I care for you."
"You need me."
"You're in a dangerous state; your anger and fear are strong. You need to be trained to harness your emotions. Your power in the Force makes you dangerous."
He tucked a loose lock of hair behind her ear. "You would never use your powers against me, would you?"
"No, of course not."
"I will begin your training."
"As a Jedi…or a Sith?"
"Neither. You will learn to harness both the Dark Side and Light Side of the Force. Only then will our dream of a peaceful galaxy will be fulfilled."
"Our dream..."
"Yes, our dream. Let your training begin."
That was the last thing the princess remembered. A sharp current of pain shocked her body awake. Did she finally fall asleep? If she did, it wasn't for long. Admiral Bloomstar was gone, but she was still in the same room only now she found herself kneeling on a circular pedestal. She looked down; her eyes fell to the abyss that surrounded the pedestal. She couldn't see the bottom.
Her knees hurt; she was kneeling on something that dug into her skin under the material of her pants. Leia saw uncooked halli rice between her legs. As she lifted one of her knees to wipe away the rice, a shock of pain caused her body to convulse. She cried out and returned to her previous position. The pain of the rice beneath her was more bearable than the unexpected shock.
The princess looked around and noticed different objects—including some weapons—lay on the ledge under the wall. She twisted her upper body to see what was behind her and was rewarded with an electric current that raced down every nerve in her body. Once again and with haste, she returned to her previous position.
It didn't take her long to realize that every time she shifted her weight, she would be shocked by the platform she knelt upon. Leia did her best not to move as she tried to think of a way to escape the pain. Luke came to her mind, his Force abilities that allowed him to do unbelievable things. The princess closed her eyes and concentrated. Her body rose from the pedestal then dropped back onto the platform. Again, her body convulsed, and she fought to return to her original position.
Leia panted. So she could levitate. What good would that do her if she couldn't get off the pedestal? She glared at the ledge with the weapons. She knew she wasn't skilled enough to levitate herself to the ledge or confident enough to jump; what little levitation she had done exhausted her. She didn't move. The pain she suffered from kneeling on the halli rice and the electrical shocks she received when shifting her weight was never-ending. If only she could find a way to relieve the pain in her knees.
The princess inhaled and closed her eyes again. She lifted her body off the platform once again by using the Force. She opened her eyes and looked down at the rice. The rice flew off of the platform. Leia dropped back onto the pedestal. She gritted her teeth against the shock that ran through her body. Once she returned to her original position, a large smile stretched across her face. Up until this moment, she had no control of what was happening to her. She won this battle.
This battle…who was she battling? Admiral Bloomstar? No…she couldn't be. He was benevolent, caring. He had saved her life. He didn't take pleasure in her suffering, did he? Leia bit her lip. She couldn't answer that question. He was the one to cause her suffering, but he was always sorry. He wanted her to be his ally. He wanted to train her in the Force.
Did she want to learn how to wield the Force?
An image of Darth Vader loomed inside her head. She sank to her haunches only to be shocked again. Leia fought to erase his image from her mind. Darth Vader was dead. He died on the second Death Star after he saved Luke's life, according to Luke. Vader had turned to the Light Side before he died, Luke said. Darth Vader was the one who killed the Emperor. Did Leia believe that now?
For some reason, she felt she had to believe that, that Darth Vader redeemed himself in those final moments of his life.
The weapons and objects lying on the ledge tinged and clattered, bringing Leia back to the present. A large knife flew her way. Leia dunked down only to suffer another shock. A fork sped through the air and pierced her side. She doubled over and pulled out the fork. She cried out as she was shocked again. Leia tried not to move as other objects and weapons flew toward her to no avail. Her efforts were only rewarded with more shocks. While she managed to avoid serious injury, bruises and cuts marred her body. A knife grazed her arm, but she managed to avoid the shock by holding her position. Leia wouldn't be able to take this torture much longer. With the lack of sleep, the images of war crimes she saw, the pain of the shocks, how much more could she take?
Then Luke came to her thoughts. Her brother had the ability to move things. Could she do the same?
The princess focused on the objects. She saw an ice pick lift off of the ledge that targeted her chest. Leia's brow furrowed and the ice pick fell into the abyss. The objects started to fly faster and with an angry look from the princess, the objects froze in the air before falling into the abyss. Her confidence swelled as she stared down the weapons and objects. Perhaps Admiral Bloomstar was right; perhaps she was truly powerful. Perhaps he was right to fear her?
No, Leia didn't want him to fear her. She wanted to be his ally and chase out the corruption in the government and end the war.
A rock slammed into her back, knocking her forward. She winced as she endured another shock. Leia couldn't turn around to face down those torture devices without an electrical current running through her nerves, but she didn't have to. She concentrated and could see the objects on the ledge behind her. While objects from the ledges in front and on the side of her continued to fly at her, she not only blocked those but the ones behind her as well—and without having to turn around. She stayed in her original position, thus ending the shocks.
Leia wasn't sure how long this lasted, but it ended when the final weapon, a blaster, fired at her from behind. She stopped the blast in mid-air and banished the weapon into the abyss. It was silent. Lacking any more energy, she sunk to her haunches. This time she wasn't shocked.
Admiral Bloomstar stood in the doorway and clapped his hands. A walkway stretched out to the pedestal. He walked toward Leia.
I could make him fall into the abyss, Leia thought. But why would she do that?
Bloomstar held out his hand. Leia took it, and he helped her to her feet. Her brow formed a converted "v."
"You've captured Han."
His golden eyes widened. "What?"
"Han is here. Why didn't you tell me?"
"He would've been a distraction to your training."
"What have you done to him?"
"Nothing. Why would you think I did something to him?"
Leia's eyes narrowed. "He's hurt."
"That happened when my men and I rescued him in the swamp."
"And his team? Are they your prisoners too?"
"I never said General Solo was a prisoner. He is locked up, but only for his own safety. He hasn't been very cooperative."
"What about his team?"
"They are safe as well."
"Take me to Han."
"You need medical attention."
"Not until I see Han."
Bloomstar was silent for a moment. "Very well."
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Admiral Bloomstar stopped, and Leia, blindfolded, could hear the cries, and smell a foul stench. The admiral removed her blindfold, and she looked around. Four soldiers flanked Bloomstar. Prisoners were trapped by glass walls in rows. One banged on the glass; it wasn't Han. The glass crackled with blue cracks, and the prisoner flew back and out-of-sight. Leia looked at what was in front of her: A permasteel door that she suspected led to another cell. Her heart began to beat faster.
Bloomstar opened the door, and Leia entered first.
"Han!"