I enjoyed a thranta ride near the palace and noticed how many happy faces there were. Alderaan was so safe feeling. Despite the storm troopers that patrolled the streets, the people lived happy lives so different from the survivalist lifestyles in Tatioone. Luke and Leia would be very different if there home worlds had anything to say about it. Leia was a princess, raised by the best with the best. I allowed the taxi man to help me off the huge thranta and I paid him for the ride. Still playing (and enjoying) the tourist. I joined the small group of people touring the outside castle gardens admiring the tall spires and balconies all guarded by the palace guards. I easily gave the group the slip and scaled a small wall. Silently I leapt from tree to tree up to a second floor garden. This close to the palace I hid in the middle of some large bushes and meditated.
There were thousands of people in the palace as I stretched out my consciousness. I was careful not to become different that the Force's natural flow. Drifting like smoke in fog, invisible. There was a tug at the force and I followed. It was reaching to the far side of the palace, making me concentrate. I saw two young girls being chased down a hall by two women. The Force flowed densely around one of them and I recognized the same power found in Luke—Leia. As much as it was a comfort to feel her, I needed to find a dimmer signal. I scanned broadly but couldn't sense anyone else bright in the Force. This wasn't unexpected of course, Ferus would be stupid not to learn to mask his power, and he probably avoided using or touching the Force. I opened my eyes and peered through the bushes. Some aristocrats were arguing in the room nearest the garden and there was a single guard by the door leading to the garden. I knew I should move somewhere else and try again but there was one thing I wanted to do first. Closing my eyes once more I felt for familiar presence. Bail. He was sitting at a desk alone except for the door guards. I wanted to hug him, Yoda and Obi-Wan had tried to comfort me but had been too hurt and busy to do much. It had been Senator Organa's shoulder I'd cried on when the tears had come. He comforted me like a child not as a Jedi Youngling. I'd only met him once but he'd given me what I'd needed at the worst time on my life. I broke my connection and snuck out of the plants. I knew Ferus wouldn't be far from Leia so I slowly, carefully made my way around the palace, taking paths that only a Jedi or someone with a jet pack could, paths that wouldn't be watched. After a long aggravating search, I found a piece of roof close enough to Leia's room I could easily sense her and flat enough for me to easily lay on. I trusted my instinct to wait and settled down breathed slowly.
I waited hours, saw nine year old Leia get finally coerced into bed and quietly laughed when snuck out. She took a way out the window so quickly it was obviously often used. I knew she was safe by intuition given by the force. I knew someone would be watching. Sure enough I could sense an alert presence watching. I'd found him. The Princess didn't go far before scrambling up another wall into another room. I slithered away from my hiding spot and moved where I could see her and her white haired companion giggling on the bed. Now I just needed to follow the fading presence of Ferus Olin and decide how to approach him. If I snuck up on him, he would never tell me anything. I focused and put a guard to sleep and slipped into the palace halls. Now I'd identified Olin's presence in the Force, I could find him despite how muffled his Force was. He was still a Jedi and we were connected. I was like a shadow nearing his room, startled by my own stealth, the Force was with me. I focused and saw him in my mind's eye: he looked like an aristocratic buffoon, a perfect disguise on Alderaan. I decided to leave and watch him in the morning; I wanted to see his eyes. I returned to my hotel room.
The next morning I watched and followed Ferus Olin. He was known as Fess Ilee here and he followed the set patterns most of the palace inhabitants did. So a few days later I 'convinced' a doorman I was to serve breakfast in one of the many dining room (the one Olin ate in) and started my plan. I figured the only way I get the true Ferus was if he captured me thinking I was a threat. Then I could reveal who I was. I was sure of a few things; one that Ferus would take me somewhere private to interrogate me, and two that if he attacked first I could defeat him if the plan went sour. All I had to do was get him suspicious enough to keep an eye out but not enough to call the guards. I'd have to give him something he'd investigate himself. So when I walked into the dining hall dressed as a waitress and served drinks the same way I'd watched in it done I was sure to get a good look at Olin's eyes. To anyone else they would seem dull and shallow, but he couldn't hide from me. I saw deep sadness (not surprising to see in any Jedi nowadays) and a clever mind full of calculations. I could see the small practiced effort he put into keeping up his façade. I made quick glances at him, glances so quick and frequent is would take someone with training to think anything of it. I could sense him go a little on alert, not quite sure what the threat was but knowing something was off. I waited until I was sure he was looking at me and then subtly lifted my palace skirt an inch revealing street boots. He noticed I was sure and I left quickly after making sure I didn't give him a clear view of my face. Now he'd be left with suspicions but no clear picture of who to watch out for. Nothing he could alert others with but something I was sure he would investigate.
I listened to maid gossip and thanked the Force for my luck. One of the usual maids, Kiyla, was sick and without any promptings from me, they assumed I was her stand-in. It was perfect! No one cared enough to inquire more but they'd tell that story if Fess Ilee came asking. I was sweeping a hall (I had to finished the day's work to make the story stick) when Fess came up to me. I almost giggled when he asked me if I usually worked her, sounding just like an aristocrat hitting on a random maid. No one would ever guess he was investigating. I kept my eyes down, "No sir, I'm just here because another maid is ill." He looked disappointed but I could tell he saw it as a perfect excuse. He was probably worried that poor Kylie was some sort of victim! He cleared his throat finishing the play, "That's too bad; I was hoping to continue seeing your pretty face." Perfect acting, I had to give him props for that! He winked and walked off, hands behind his back completely natural. Oh he'd be watching Leia's window tonight! I collected my pay (unforeseen bonus to the plan) and left.
