Armed men in black moved around the government district. She knew what she saw, but she couldn't assimilate it. The crowd as they walked from the financial district had thinned, and Han slipped them in one hundred and ninety floors up, opening the door manually and peering out a long while before they hit the building's sidewalk.
If Alderaan's life was destroyed but the buildings still stood: that's what she saw.
"Is this- security?" she said, and then wondered from what.
The government district was not quite empty, not quite echoing. This was Imperial City; space was at a premium. The Alderaani residents might have been moved, but something would take their place soon enough.
"These are Imps," Han said, his voice so low she almost didn't hear it. "A guard detail."
"From what?" Leia thought it again and this time uttered it aloud. It seemed so useless; obviously there wasn't much here except for the litter that blew past her feet on the sidewalk.
She stood against the rail and looked. "They're down further, too."
"I'm sure they're up as well. Good thing we didn't use a speeder."
"I'm going to my residence," Leia said firmly. "I won't be turned away." She meant the Imperial guard, but it was a message for Han as well. She didn't want him trying to talk her out of it.
"Yeah, we'll get you there. Let's re-enter. Noisily, from another entrance."
"Noisily?" Was he going to battle his way in? They turned around and headed toward another building entrance.
"We gotta meet them somehow."
"I would think to avoid them," Leia said.
"Avoid arrest. How long ago did Danneria say she moved?"
"Two weeks, I think."
"Maybe some are still emptying their apartments."
Leia nodded. Pretending to be movers seemed like a good cover.
"What's the highest floor?" Han asked, peering up.
"Two hundred twenty-six."
"A guard on the roof," Han calculated. "What's an Imp's favorite number?"
"Ten." Amusement touched her, though she barely registered it. It would come back later. Han's question proved a) that he had gone to school and b) that even on Corellia the adage The Empire counts by ten helped children learn their arithmetic.
Han nodded, grim. "Let's go introduce ourselves."
"Intro- What?!"
He tugged on her arm and pulled her up the corridor towards a guard, who stopped in his tracks from his pacing.
"Hey there," Han said smoothly. His grin was asking a favor but the guard noticed the blaster holstered at his thigh and raised his weapon.
Han put his hands up halfway. "Nothing like that, buddy," he said. "Sorry, wasn't thinking." Leia fought not to roll her eyes. He was telling the truth right there, she knew it.
Han was conversational. "The blaster is for down level. I don't normally come this high. I'm a little oxygen starved." He smiled, and wiped a hand shyly through his hair before slinging his arm around Leia's shoulders.
"The thing is, my girl and I," Han started. He wrapped his elbow around her head in a gesture of too-rough affection, almost a choke hold but not quite. It showed her braids but not her face, and Leia made herself relax into him, as if this was how her guy behaved.
"You shouldn't be up here," the guard said.
"- she just moved from A-D, and... well." Han kissed her forehead. "Her family don't like me, see. They think- well, never mind what they think. The thing is, she just moved. And they're not letting me see her. A move aint' a do over, is it? The Emperor is tryin' to beautify the city, they decide suddenly I ain't-"
Han turned sideways, showing his unarmed side, and rested his elbow on her shoulder, which amazed Leia that his arm interlocked with her neck so perfectly. His other hand pressed her head to his chest and she could hear his heart despite the wind almost two hundred floors high.
"We've never been this high, have we, sweetheart?" Han said into her hair. He rested his cheek on her head and spoke to the guard, who had lowered his weapon. "Alderaan ain't never done much for us here. We had the idea, we're forbidden, you know? And we stole away to get high above it all. Be together, without families and apartment levels. Go where- for just one night- none of that matters." He kissed her head again and snuggled his cheek.
Leia wrapped her arms around his waist and burrowed her own face in his chest. "Please?" she said to the guard, her face still hidden.
"I can't wait to get my hands on you," Han said, his voice low and - sensual. It surprised Leia, and she almost lifted her head to check his eyes but he held her to his chest, and she remembered, they were introducing themselves. It was quite an elaboarate introduction, but it seemed to work.
"Alright, gods damn it," the guard snapped. "Kriff, get a room." He waved them on.
"Thanks, buddy." Han broke his embrace to shake the guard's hand. "This's a week's pay, but it's worth it."
The guard looked at the credit chip Han had placed in his palm.
"Got a suggestion?" Han asked. "Can we go higher?"
"Next guard is two hundredth," the man said gruffly.
"I know, the Empire counts by ten," Han beamed.
"You can't afford to meet another. Try the north side."
"Thanks, buddy," Han called out. "We won't forget this."
"I'm sure you won't," the man said dryly.
They walked arm in arm in sight of the guard. Out of earshot, Leia said in pseudo-fondness, "My con man."
Han chuckled. "Cost me my CTC pay."
Upon Bail Organa's second election to the Republic Senate at the age of twenty-five, he had purchased an apartment in the government district. He was only courted by the queen then, and couldn't afford a top level apartment. Though there were ten levels above his own, he soon bought out the other apartments on his floor, and Leia knew the entire two hundred twelfth level as her family's residence. In the years she spent the Season on Coruscant, the building had added four more stories.
As Senator, spending the Season here alone while her father was safely exiled on Alderaan, she was watched; she knew that. Her father's outspoken beliefs caused her to fall under suspicion. And her maidens had all been told, by the Viceroy himself. "It could get dangerous," he told them, and offered them the opportunity, with complete understanding, to leave the service of the House of Organa. None had gone. Probably some had wanted to.
Their loyalty was unquestioned. It was quite possible they shared the same values as the royal family they served. They were privy to conversations and information, and maybe listening to the Queen discuss politics intimately with her Senator husband convinced their thoughts. Leia never had reason to believe any of her maidens or her father's attendants had passed information to the Empire.
That was a remarkable achievement, she realized now.
Han removed the indicator light panel of the lift tube and they sailed past the two hundredth floor with no problems. "They're bored," Han said.
The door was deceptively normal.
"What are the odds they think you're comin' back?" Han wondered.
"I'd say none," Leia answered. "There's nothing here."
"Sentiment."
"I don't think that holds value in the Empire. Why is the door like that?"
"What's wrong with it?"
"It's unhurt."
"Door's don't have feelings, but yeah, I see what you mean. Somone let 'em in."
An icy fear crept through Leia. She put her arm on Han's. If it would just stop, this fear and violence, but each new thing brought another level. "This district has been emptied, too. Like A-D."
Han spoke in a hush. "Palp canceled the government."
"I had secretaries." Leia needed a big breath. "They lived here."
"Oh."
Her breathing was shallow. If there were bodies inside-
The difficulty of comprehending what happened to Alderaan was the magnitude of the significance: everything. There was nothing to see. Proof lay in what wasn't: no one answered comms, the bank holosite wouldn't load, suddenly the red andapa in the Chandrilan zoo was the only number of its kind left in the galaxy.
Luke's story came back to her, about the discovery of what the Empire had done to his aunt and uncle. The dread he must have felt, seeing the plume of smoke as he drove home. The odd solace he found in the fact the bodies burned where they had fallen. "They were already dead," he nodded to himself while he told her. How many times did he need to repeat that?
She didn't want to see what she imagined inside, and her mind raced to find whatever assurance it could.
"There's no smell," she said. Alderaan hadn't reeked of death either, but that had been a laser. A body left behind would decompose.
"It's you that's got to open the door," Han said.
Leia couldn't speak. She wasn't sure she could go in.
Han was gruff but nice at the same time. "You're just finding out about it after the fact. But you've got to, right? You'd want to."
Yes. If her secretaries were dead- yes. They were; or jailed. She would add their names to her list because that's what made them matter.
He squeezed her right hand, the one that would open the door, and then let go.
She nodded, and put her palm on the ID panel.
The door opened, in its familiar noise, at its familiar pace, and with it's familiar smell, perhaps a bit stale. You're home, it said.
The first thing she saw was the Thought bowl on the ground, its tokens spilled.
Han's blaster was out. He motioned for her to stop, in case anyone happened to be inside and came to investigate. Leia held her breath, and she thought Han did too.
He listened a minute. "Have any droids here?" he whispered.
"It would have been Threepio," she answered. But it wasn't the Season, and instead Threepio attended her on the Tantive IV and he had followed R2, with the plans, to Tatooine after she knew she would be captured. She closed her eyes and counted the bodies. On the Tantive IV, here, and on Tatooine. Luke's aunt and uncle, General Kenobi...
"Too bad," Han made a bad joke about the protocol droid. "Let me make sure."
Blaster leading the way, Han moved through the rooms. Leia waited for him to return, and she kneeled on the floor put the tokens in the Thought bowl. Just so they were gathered together. The irony did not escape her.
He returned. "It's clear."
Cushions were slashed, curtains torn down from rods, drawers emptied and their contents strewn. Leia's eyes were wide, comprending what happened but not why.
"Why is it still furnished?" she wondered. "Why is it still here?"
Han said, "Lights," but the room remained darkened. "Your account isn't active."
"Autodraft," Leia said. "Bank of Alderaan." She wanted to laugh. She felt lightheaded.
"You all right?"
She realized he was standing beside her. "I don't want your pity, Captain."
He slipped her hand in his and just kept it tucked. He didn't squeeze it or let it go this time. "It's not pity." He was irritated, which meant he was honest, and it took root in her heart. "I don't know what it is. If it's even for you. I think I just need to hold your hand."
Leia closed her eyes and they just stood there, her hand in his, and she focused on that.
Han gestured with the free hand holding the blaster at the ransacked rooms. "You know what this is? This is them not finding the plans. Not on your ship, and not from you on the Death Star."
Eyes still closed, voice bitter, Leia said, "This is me, my far-reaching touch of-"
"Don't. This is how good you were."
"This is not something to gloat over." Her words sounded anguished. "They burned Luke's-"
"Can't set the whole building on fire, can they. Stop it, Princess. Stop looking to pile on the blame. You know what you needed to do, and you did it."
You all impress me, her father had told the maidens. I honor you. I'd like to think I had the same strength were I in your position.
"It's been some time," Leia said haltingly. "I don't und-"
"I know what they're doing," Han said with a confident nod. "They're plundering the apartments. The bored Imps. Level by level. Takes time. Can't be too obvious. But I bet there's a load shipped out every night."
"That can't be-"
"S'what I'd do. I'd be ringleader."
"But they're Imperial soldiers-"
Han gave a harsh laugh. "That's exactly why they're doin' it." He finally gave her hand a squeeze. "Go through it," he encouraged gently. "Maybe there's things you don't want them to have."
Leia thought about it. Below her sense of guilt was a weird sensation of pride. Her maidens would never have behaved in such a manner. The Emperor commanded loyalty, and failed to receive it.
"I'll pull what I want," her eyes found Han's briefly. "They can have most. It gives me great pleasure to know the Emperor's pride is nothing but a lazy, corrupt, self-serving group of men. I hope he discovers this fact someday."
The only reason she didn't take more than she did was because of the walk back to the distant port authority. She found a large backpack in a closet. In it, she packed the Thought bowl and its tokens, a shattered wall holo of her parents, a kaf mug, the items on the 'fresher counter, clothes and shoes. Her jewelry was already missing, as were all her files from her office. She'd been looted the first search, she realized.
"Did you have Senator neighbors?" Han said.
"And Moffs, ambassadors. Generally high ranking government officials."
"These apartments will become rewards."
"Corruption starts at the top," Leia said dully.
"Exactly. I really like that outfit," Han said.
She had changed her clothes, from the mixed fashion statement of a smuggler and a soldier to an outfit she had favored as a senator and princess. The pants and tunic were deep red, fitted at the ankle, waist and wrist, while the legs were billowing. The long vested cloak was gently shimmering like spider silk, adorned with beautiful stitching the same color as her tunic. When the vest was opened, the pattern of stitched, graceful rosettes was revealed, but when relaxed the gathered fabric merely appeared deeply textured.
"Thank you." She opened the vest so he could see the embroidery. "Does it make the proper statement for when I speak to the press?"
"Better than my red socks creeping out of your boots," he laughed. "The cloak- yeah. It's beautiful."
Leia nodded. She held out a slippered foot. "And I can run in it."
He smiled appreciatively. "A very important detail. Ready?"
She nodded again. As they got to the door, she turned for one more glance. "My father bought this place when he was twenty-five."
Han said nothing; he probably didn't know how to answer.
"It's too bad I'll never see the tables and chairs again. We lived here; I'd lke them. But whatever else it was is gone. There's no Republic, no Senate. No Alderaan. The walls don't mean anything."
Han slipped his arms between the straps of the backpack. "Wonder who Palps will award this one to," Han mused. "The Organas of Alderaan. Quite the prize I imagaine, considering." He looked at her like he wanted to apologize, but couldn't resist his train of thought. "Maybe he'll reward Darth Vader with it."
Leia slipped her hand in Han's. Her breathing was easy, and she was glad she came but also ready to take her leave. She wanted to laugh again, at Han and not the hysteria of evil, so she did, and she thought she sounded like herself, a little sad and wry.