Chapter 25:

Moff Malix had many plans when he came to Alderaan. He was thrilled that the Emperor, in his infinite wisdom, trusted him with the task of turning this rebellious planet into the most prized world in the Empire. He was happy to be a part of the Emperor's grand vision for the galaxy.

One thing he never expected was to fall in love; but the moment he saw Breha Organa, his heart was taken and there would be no getting it back. While he, on some occasions, had to correct her, he tried his best to not be cruel about it; but she had to learn that he was in charge.

Even though there were many challenges to come, things were finally beginning to work out for the governor.

The people of Alderaan seemed to have finally accepted their place in the Empire. The new Imperial school curriculum had been fully implemented and it was a resounding success. Children all over the planet were beginning their school day by bowing to the Emperor's holo and repeating a loyalty oath. Even secondary school students were racing to apply to Imperial sponsored universities.

He had also been making positive strides in his personal life. Breha, who had been sullen and stubborn for so long, was beginning to show some sign of life. She was finally beginning to smile. Two days earlier he actually heard her laugh; he had never heard anything more beautiful in his life. Of course, she was not laughing for him.

His sister and niece were on Alderaan. The Malix family was finally together again, just as they always should have been. Even though there was some tension when Lissa first arrived, that was finally beginning to melt away. He hoped that soon his sister would agree to become one of his advisors; he needed her input on many projects he was working on.

It was all going so well, but the news he just received put a damper on all of his plans. There had been an assassination attempt on Leia Vader, and her father was on a rampage. During his briefing earlier Malix had been informed by a dispassionate representative of the Moff Council that some intelligence that was gathered in the hours after the attack--intelligence that made his position on Alderaan even more precarious.

He had tried so hard to keep Alderaan out of Vader's sights. He knew that the Emperor's second in command still resented the planet and its former ruler for taking his child from him. There had been talk for several months that Vader was waiting for an excuse to return to Alderaan to deal personally with Queen Breha.

Malix had been fairly certain that those were merely rumors, but if the intelligence gathered by the Imperial government was true, all hopes that Vader would continue to ignore the planet would be dashed.

The governor did not expect that his situation could so quickly change by the action of a madman halfway across the galaxy. He knew he had to do something, but he was not sure what he could do.

After the comm, Malix racked his brain for hours trying to find a solution, but he could not think. At just a little after midnight, he decided to take a walk around the palace grounds. He needed some fresh air to soothe his troubled mind.

After an hour of wandering aimlessly, the governor's mind was far from untroubled. Various scenarios were tormenting him; there was far too much that could go wrong. He did not know what to do. He felt helpless, and Moff Fius Malix hated feeling helpless.

His musings were interrupted by the sound of light footsteps coming toward him. He was surprised when he saw who it was that was also up so late. "Nora."

"Uncle!" She exclaimed. "You surprised me."

He approached her and saw that she was very nervous but was doing her best to hide it. "I seem to be doing that a lot lately." It was just a few hours ago when he found her in the gardens speaking with Breha. Earlier, he had wrestled with himself on how, or if he even should address that incident; but all thoughts of that were quickly dismissed when the he received the news from Imperial Center.

Nora gave her uncle what he had learned to be her most manipulative smile; he had seen it more than once since she arrived on Alderaan. Just like all women, she learned from an early age how to get her way by being charming. "I couldn't sleep."

What Fius' niece had not learned was that such things did not work on him. "It's late, you should be in bed. Does your mother know that you are wandering the palace at night?"

"She's asleep, I slipped out."

As the girl stood before him, he knew that he had to address what happened earlier that evening. Now was not the time to have secrets within his household. If his family was scheming with Breha behind his back; he needed to know about it. He put out his arm for her to take, "Walk with me, dear."

Nora's smile disappeared and she glanced around nervously, "I probably should be getting back."

"Walk with me," He insisted in such a way that it was impossible for her to refuse.

Nora nodded and reluctantly took his arm. "Yes Uncle."

The pair walked in silence for a few moments before Fius began. "You're nervous."

"No."

He sighed; this was not the night to test his patience. "Above all, I hate it when people lie to me, especially my own family."

Nora stopped walking, "Uncle please, I'm not lying."

"You haven't been around me much, so you do not know my expectations. I will then give you this one warning; lie to me one more time and you will be punished."

"I won't lie," she insisted breathlessly.

Malix could see the fear in her eyes; and he was glad to see it. The girl knew that he was not a man to underestimate--At least her mother had taught her that much. His hand went to her shoulder and gripped it tightly; he then stared directly into her terror filled eyes. "Good, now answer me this, what did you tell the queen when you spoke with her earlier?"

Nora began to stutter, "Like she said...we...we spoke about the gardens."

There was nothing Malix hated more than to be lied to...especially by a woman, and even worse, one under his own roof. With his free hand, he slapped his niece; but not as hard as he could have. He wanted to demonstrate to the girl the consequences of disobedience, but not do any permanent damage.

Nora's reaction was immediate; she cried out and tried to run away. Her uncle's ever tightening grip stopped her. "I warned you, you can only blame yourself for that."

There was no stopping Nora's tears, "She asked me why I wasn't going back to school; I told you it was because you took me out of the academy. She then asked me if you had ever hurt me; I told her no."

Finally, he heard the truth in her shaky voice. Fius smiled at her, "Very good answer, my dear."

"Uncle, let me go; I beg you."

"Apologize for lying to me."

Nora bowed her head, "I'm sorry Uncle; I won't do it again."

Satisfied, Malix released her. "Very good, return to your suite."

Zara had not seen her Rebellion contact for months. She had, on occasion, received a few brief communications from him, but he had not stepped foot on Alderaan in a while. After Leia's assassination attempt, Zara's was surprised to receive a message that he was indeed on the planet and wanting a face to face meeting with her.

Zara knew that she was taking an incredible risk by leaving the palace, but she had to find out what her contact wanted from her. She hoped for good news, but she prepared herself for bad. It had been a very long time since she had heard anything positive.

Leaving the palace was even more difficult than normal. As usual, she waited until very early morning when the palace's Imperial security was not as tight and left for her and her contact's designated meeting place.

Even with the decreased security, the handmaiden knew that she was taking her life into her hands every time she spoke with Doran Melkor, but she could not sit by while her people, and her queen, were being held at the throat by the Emperor and Moff Malix.

She arrived to find her contact even more nervous than usual. "How long have you been on Alderaan?"

"I arrived just this morning."

"You shouldn't have called me; not now. Security is even tighter than usual ever since the measures the Emperor put in place after Princess Leia's attack." To even speak the words aloud nearly made Zara's emotional reserve crumble. When she found out that the princess had been attacked, the handmaiden wept. She loved that little girl so very much; but she also knew what the news would do to the queen.

However, Queen Breha surprised her with her calm. Zara had not seen her so resolute for a very long time. Of course, she grieved over what had been done to Leia; but the hopeless despair was gone. The handmaiden was glad to see it, and she suspected that it had something to do with the queen's message to the Jedi in exile that her husband had told her about.

Her contact looked away as he spoke. "She's not a princess; she is Vader's daughter. It is best that you remember that."

Something about his tone and demeanor did not sit well with her. There was an edge to his voice that had been missing in their previous conversations. A horrible thought crossed Zara's mind--so horrible that she could barely speak it. "Doran, answer me, did your organization have anything to do with the attack?"

Doran smiled bitterly, "It's interesting, you keep saying 'your' and not 'our'. You are just as much a part of this as I am."

Zara felt as if the entire world stopped. She wanted her contact to immediately deny it; but his hesitancy to do so frightened her more than anything. "Dear goddess, this can't be true."

"Calm down, I don't believe it was us."

"You don't believe?"

Doran paused as he gathered his thoughts. "They don't tell me everything; as I don't tell you everything."

The handmaiden knew that she was in the dark about many things; but to hear it so bluntly made shivers go up her spine. All of Zara's previous fears about her own safely vanished. She was not afraid of being caught; she was more terrified that she was associated with those who would try to kill a child--and not just any child, the adopted daughter of the queen that she swore to serve.

The Rebellion operative tried to explain, "Many of the more militant senators have risen to prominence within the organization. After Bail Organa's execution, there has been a change of leadership. His former allies have lost their influence."

"So we're now terrorists."

"As I said, I do not believe that it was us; but I'm still looking into it." Doran took Zara's hand as a gesture of comfort, it did not work.

"I cannot do this."

"Zara, you can't quit now. Those words should not be coming out of your mouth; you know far too much to be let go easily."

Zara looked up and met the gaze of the man before her, "Is that a threat?"

"No, but you cannot afford to be left on your own, especially now. You are committed to this cause; for the rest of your life."

Lissa Malix remembered clearly the day her brother returned home from his prepatory academy. He had already been accepted in one of the finest universities in the Republic, but had three months before his freshman semester began.

Lissa had been married and moved out of the family home for a few years by that point, but her mother begged her to visit as often as possible while Fius was there. She knew why, the Malix matriarch was terrified of her own son.

Even though no formal charges were filed against Fius for the brutal rape and murder of his former girlfriend, no one in his family believed he was innocent. They knew the truth; it was the vast Malix fortune alone that kept him out of prison.

However, no one spoke the truth aloud, especially her parents. After the case was dismissed, it was never even discussed. Lissa supposed that everyone wanted to forget, especially their mother.

Like she had been for most of Fius' life, Lissa was put in the middle of him and their parents. When he returned home from prepatory academy, she came over to their house almost every evening to make certain things were running smoothly. If something unpleasant needed to be said, her parents would tell her so she could break it to Fius. He always seemed to take bad news better from her.

After her brother went off to university, it was hoped that things would be better. Her mother told Lissa on many occasions that she was glad that Fius was out of prepatory academy because, "He was around too many bad influences there." The family believed that with the past behind them, everyone would be able to move on.

Things did not turn out exactly as they hoped. While no problems were reported while he was in university, every time he came home for visits, Lissa saw things in her brother that disturbed her greatly.

It was small at first, a few strange comments here and there; it was very hard to put her finger on exactly what the problem was. Her parents did not see it; they raved over his grades and his many prospects after graduation. For a while, Lissa thought she was seeing something in her brother that was not there; but eventually she would come to realize what her mother and father refused to see. Fius Malix was insane.

As the years wore on, Lissa watched as her brother's behavior became more and more erratic while in private. In public, he was a rising star in the later Republic. There was even talk of him being appointed as a representative; but it was only when the Empire was formed that he really hit his stride professionally.

In the years since the rest of her family's death, Lissa Malix did everything she could to love her troubled brother from a distance. She cared for him greatly, but she also knew what he was capable of and it frightened her to the very core. She learned, when dealing with him, it was best to choose her battles.

But now, her brother had crossed the line; she could not let what he did go unaddressed.

As she made her way toward the Imperial wing of the palace, she was already planning how she would approach her brother. She could not forget his previous threats regarding Nora; but she could not stay silent while Fius used her daughter as a punching bag.

Going through the stormtroopers that guarded his office was not difficult; he told her when she arrived that she was always welcome at his office. Lissa wondered if that would be the case after today.

The first sight that greeted her when she entered the office was her brother hunched over a datapad while holding a glass of what appeared to be some kind of whiskey. He looked up and glared at her when she arrived.

Before he had a chance to say anything, she addressed him coldly, "Fius."

He roughly put down the datapad he was holding, but did not let go of his glass. "I'm busy Lissa."

"You're drinking, you're not busy." As she got closer to him the smell was unmistakable. This struck Lissa as odd; of all of Fius' flaws, drunkenness never was one of them.

"I'm warning you, I am in no mood for you today."

Lissa knew that she could not allow herself to appear as frightened as she was, especially after hearing his tone. He was upset about something already, and he would not take this confrontation well. Still, she was already committed; she could not back down now. "You attacked my daughter."

Fius narrowed his eyes, "You did not teach her the right way to address an elder; I was merely correcting it."

"She is hurt and terrified; she refuses to leave her room." Nora had returned to their suite in tears. Lissa was about to scold her for sneaking out, but was stopped by the horrific sight of her sixteen year old daughter's bruised cheek. She immediately knew who did this; there was no one else in the palace that would dare attack the governor's niece.

Fius leaned back in his chair and took a sip of his drink, "There is a dinner tonight, and I expect her to be there. If you cannot coax her out of her room, I will drag her out of it," he added with a cruel smirk.

It was all Lissa could do to not attack her brother physically. If she had a blaster, she probably would have shot him. "Why are you doing this?"

In a flash, he threw the glass against the wall and stood. Lissa flinched and prepared for the expected strike; but instead of hitting her, Fius roughly ran his fingers through his short hair and began pacing the confines of the office. "I am tired of being undermined. Now it seems I'm getting it from my own family."

This was not the first time that Lissa had heard her brother rant and rave. Usually, she would patiently listen to him and tell him that everything would be all right. She had spent a good portion of her adult life dealing with Fius' dark moods and was sick to death of it.

She sighed, "I'm sorry that the queen did not fall madly in love with you. I'm sorry that there are no parades in your honor on the streets of Aldera. I am so sorry that your position is not working out like you planned. That is not Nora's fault!"

Fius stopped pacing and again glared at his sister, "I thought you learned a long time ago that I was not to be spoken to in such a manner."

She did not let that stop her, "You always enjoyed attacking defenseless targets, didn't you? That's why you went after Nora; you knew that she couldn't fight back."

"I could have you arrested for this."

"Yes, you could," Lissa began, "This position has given you everything you have ever wanted, hasn't it? You have servants to order around, stormtroopers to be your own personal vengeance squad, and the authority to execute anyone who might disagree with you. You have the power over life and death on Alderaan; and it has intoxicated you."

She then stopped and examined the sight before her. Gone was the overconfident swagger he usually displayed. "But something has changed. I can see it in your eyes; you are afraid--terrified even. Has something gone horribly wrong?" She asked in a mocking tone that her anger had brought forth.

Instead of the rage Lissa expected, her brother's only response was to sink down in a nearby chair and put his head in his hands. "Get out."

Her first inclination was to unleash a verbal barrage, but seeing him so distressed stopped her. Lissa was still angry at her brother for what he had done, but his defeated posture gave her pause. She grabbed a chair, placed it in front of him, and sat down. Like she had done many times when he was a child to calm him, Lissa took Fius' hands in hers and held them firmly.

Her voice was gentle and even as she spoke, "Fius, I am the only one in the entire galaxy who might show you just a little bit of compassion--far more than you deserve. What has happened?"

He did not answer at first; but when he finally spoke, his voice was weak, "You know of Leia Vader's assassination attempt."

"Yes." She supposed that there was no one within the Empire that was unaware of the attack on Lord Vader's daughter.

"Intelligence reports are indicating that the attacker was Alderaanian."

"I can't believe that," Lissa exclaimed.

Fius shook his head, "A representative of the Emperor told me just last night. From what I've been given, the intelligence is sound."

"Leia Vader used to be High Princess of this planet, she was beloved."

"That was before her true identity was revealed."

"Even still, I have a hard time believing that an Alderaanian would do something like this." The very idea was preposterous; this planet was well-known for being a place of peace and tranquility. Lissa figured that was the only reason why they accepted the Emperor's rule without any violent uprisings.

"Alderaanians attacked Breha."

"You were the real target," Lissa reminded him.

"Does that sound like something a pacifist would do?"

To prevent him from beginning one of his all too common rants against the people of Alderaan and their refusal to accept him completely, Lissa tightened her grip on his hands to keep him focused. "If it was an Alderaanian that did this, what does it mean?"

Fius' shoulders slumped, "Lord Vader is on a rampage. If it was someone from this world that did this, the blame will be shifted to me."

"How do you figure?"

"I am the Imperial governor," explained her brother. "I was appointed to keep the people of this world in check. If, despite everything that I have done to keep order, one of them tried to kill Vader's daughter, I will be blamed."

"What will happen to you?"

"Lissa, no Moff has ever survived being replaced."

"They would kill you?" Lissa was well aware that serving the Empire held risk; and the higher the position, the greater the danger. However, she did not imagine that their lives were worth so little if they failed.

Fius nodded, "Yes, I was told that in no uncertain terms when I took this position."

As Lissa processed this new information, her brother broke from her tight grip on his hands, got up, and resumed pacing the room. "I know there is a part of you that thinks that I have it coming; but let me make this clear, you are in just as much danger as I--everyone in this palace is in danger."

"How?"

"If Vader comes here, he will bring his own enforcers with him--the most elite troops the Empire has. He will take over the palace, and I will be executed. Then, anyone in my government will be next..." Fius stopped pacing and looked meaningfully in his sister's eyes, "All of my advisors."

"I'm not an advisor." Lissa remembered her brother suggesting it when she first arrived; but she most certainly did not take the job.

"As far as the Empire is concerned, you are. That is how I reported your status."

"Why?"

"I had hoped you would eventually agree to my offer."

Lissa stood immediately and shouted, "I don't believe this! What about Nora?"

Fius turned from his sister's gaze, "Intern...I thought it would be a good opportunity for her until she marries." He shook his head, "If I thought you two would be in danger, I never would have done it."

"You should have thought! You know how ruthless the Empire is!" Lissa stopped her verbal assault as the reality of their situation came crashing down. "Forget about me, Nora may die because of you."

"I know that, Lissa."

"Let her leave now."

"No, the ships to and from Alderaan are now being watched constantly; it would draw too much attention."

Lissa threw her hands up in frustration, "So, we're supposed to just sit here and allow this to happen?"

"I will make it right, I promise you."

"Forgive me Fius, but I don't trust any of your promises."

The governor came over to where his sister was standing and took her hand. "If the attacker is Alderaanian, I may be able to placate Vader by discovering who it is and finding any co-conspirators."

"How will you do that?"

"If I have to search every home personally, and interrogate every housewife, I will do it."

"That's your solution, become even more monstrous?" The look in her brother's eye was unmistakable. She knew that he was not bluffing; Fius would do as he promised, and much more.

"I don't have time to be a benevolent ruler. Do not forget, my dear sister, while you may be uncomfortable with my methods, they may be the only thing that keeps Lord Vader from this planet."

It was nearly dawn when Zara finally made it back to Aldera Palace. As she had done before, the handmaiden carefully slipped through one of the holes in the security perimeter and climbed over the tall hedges that lined the palace gardens, all the while praying that no one would see her.

Even under the extreme circumstances, it was difficult for Zara to focus on her mission to return to the palace unseen. She was tormented by the questions that arose during her meeting with Doran Melkor.

She was upset and angry--angry with her contact for not being forthcoming and angry with herself for getting involved in an organization that would possibly attack a child to score a political point. She hoped that Doran was right and it was not them; but the nagging sensation in the back of her mind refused to leave her alone. Zara prayed that she had not made a horrible mistake.

Deep in thought, the handmaiden was startled when she heard a voice coming from the shadows. "You are certainly in a hurry."

Zara recognized the voice immediately. "Moff Terik, I didn't see you there." She hoped that he had not seen her, but it seemed that this guest of Malix was always where she was--at the worst possible times. She remembered her last encounter with him when he lied for her. She still did not know if he was truly protecting her, or if he was doing it for some other unspeakable purpose. Whatever it was, she knew that Terik was dangerous and she wished that he would leave Alderaan.

He appeared out of the shadows. Instead of the amused grin on his face that she had seen many times before, the governor appeared to be serious. He came up to where she was standing and regarded her for a few moments before reaching out to briefly touch the handmaiden's face. "Have you been crying?"

"No," She lied.

Terik frowned, "What's wrong?"

"I must go." Zara wanted to get away--from Terik, from Malix, and even from the palace. For the first time since she had entered the service of the queen, the handmaiden wanted to even run from that.

In the light of day, she would have immediately dismissed those thoughts as treasonous; but after all that had happened that night, Zara was at her breaking point. The last thing she wanted to do was deal with this man.

Terik's gaze was unyielding as he spoke again, "I heard about Lord Vader's daughter; I'm sure the queen is taking it hard."

Zara nodded, "She is."

"I heard the child will make a full recovery. That is good news, at least."

"Yes it is, very good news." Zara's mind was barely on the conversation; she was preoccupied with her own raging emotions.

Terik then came closer. He smiled briefly as he again touched the handmaiden's cheek. "I saw you running to the palace."

Zara did not want to play this game anymore. "You did?"

"Yes, I did, I was concerned for you. It is a chilly night to be out."

"I had an errand to run for the queen." The words sounded hollow as she spoke them, and she knew that only an idiot would believe them. Moff Terik was not an idiot and she knew it.

For just a moment she wondered what he would do if she confessed everything to him--her associations with a rebel group, her desire to kill Malix despite her pacifist upbringing, and her growing inclination to just give in knowing that the Imperial machine was far too large and monstrous for one such as her to fight.

Instead of calling Zara on her obvious lies, the Moff only nodded. "Of course, you must have misplaced your pass that allows you to leave the palace's security perimeter. It's a good thing that there are many locations where it can be breached, or you would have a lot of explaining to do."

Before Zara could formulate a response, footsteps could be heard coming toward them. Terik cursed under his breath and took the handmaiden into his arms. He bent down and whispered in her ear. "Please forgive me, My Lady."

In a flash, the governor's personality that Zara had seen in private changed. He aggressively clutched the handmaiden toward him and roughly kissed her. His grip was so tight that it was impossible to break away.

He only stopped when another voice was heard, "What are you doing here?"

Terik grinned at his colleague, "Returning from my suite; I wanted to give the handmaiden here a proper goodbye before we parted. She is so full of spirit."

Malix glared at the handmaiden suspiciously. "I just received a report; the palace's perimeter was breached. Do you know anything about that?"

Zara did not have time to answer before Terik intervened. "She's been with me for most of the night, in my suite. She was quite agreeable."

The handmaiden was furious with the insinuations, but knew it was the wisest course of action to stay silent.

Malix continued to glare at her as he took in what was said. Finally, he turned his attention to Terik, "I'm sure she was."

With that, Malix walked away leaving a very angry handmaiden with the other Moff, "How dare you imply that I would willingly share your bed."

Terik again bent down to whisper in Zara's ear. "I wouldn't complain if I were you. I just gave you an alibi--the only alibi that Malix would believe."

"What game are you playing?"

It was only then that Zara was released from his embrace; but he did not let her go completely. With surprising gentleness, Terik put his hands on her shoulders and kissed her on the forehead. "The same as always. Goodbye my dear, until the next time."