The hologram glowed blue and shimmered as it floated above the central HoloProjector. Teams of men, women and various aliens sat around the projection and paid rapt attention as their mission brief was read aloud. As the speaker continued on, the hologram in front of them changed shape from a star map to a parsec map, to the structure of an imperial ship which moved as she spoke.
"This is the chamber in which the children are held. There are fourteen containers inside, each with their own entrance key. The door code on each container will tell you if it's occupied or not, but we will also be conducting a life scan if time permits to be doubly sure of which containers have children in. They will be quick to send backup once they know we have arrived, similar to our last experience."
The hologram moved again, this time showing the tool used to override the door key. "We will be using identical methods from the last mission to rescue the children. The key device is shown here. It worked perfectly and we were able to rescue all nine life forms. Sources indicate that a similar number of children will be aboard this ship, and that they only have one more stop ahead of them in the before returning to Coruscant. They've recently been to Bakura, now they're at Tibrin. When we launch our attack, if our sources are correct, they will be orbiting Ryloth. From there they are predicted to go on to Aridus before heading straight to Coruscant via the Corellian run. It's vital we step in now before they are out of our reach."
The brief continued on, with pilots being chosen as well as team leaders and rescue crew. The final count called for twenty-five individuals across eight X-Wing ships and two passenger ships who would land and infiltrate. The imperial cruiser which was being used to collect the children was not huge compared to the star destroyers they were used to fighting, but it still would have enough soldiers and firepower on board to do some serious damage to the limited rebel numbers. However, they were determined to bring the Emperor's Project Harvester to an end. The Force sensitives they kidnapped would be given another chance at life, one that was not limited to a Sith academy.
Thin blue screens glowed with information as rebel workers worked around the clock to bring in all necessary intel. They soon had the exact location of the cruiser which was now outside Ryloth in orbit, ready to collect more younglings. The crew were soon ready to depart and rescue the Force-sensitives.
ooooo
Vader had not been expecting this.
Following their presence in the Force, he had pinpointed their location and honed in from several star systems away. Going though hyperspace, he finally emerged at their location which was just outside of the murky orange and green planet of Ryloth. To his surprise an attack on an imperial cruiser was taking place. In seconds he registered the significance of that particular cruiser - it was a Project Harvester delivery ship. It clicked into place - the two bright Force sensitives were indeed children, and they were on that ship headed for Coruscant. Half of his work had been done for him. How they had hidden their presence in the Force was unknown to him, but it certainly wasn't hidden now. He could feel everything in that split second - their fear at the explosions that rocked the ship, their loneliness at their predicament and their boundless love for each other.
An X-wing starfighter approached at high speed and fired several blasts at him. With lightning reflexes, he spun the ship in a barrel manoeuvre to avoid damage. His personal guards ran to the gunning attachments, almost falling as the ship lurched forward into the centre of the fray. He assessed the situation in the blink of an eye and knew the rebels would've won this fight if he'd not showed up. What a relief, he could not let such powerful children fall into their hands. Flying forward, he pressed down on the controls and fired the frontal guns at one of their transport ships. It exploded and dispersed into atoms. Spinning round, he headed back in for a second attack and took out an X-wing, barking orders at his guards at who to fire upon. The Project Harvester cruiser was putting up a good fight, but it was outnumbered for its size. Its cannons were working overtime trying to reload and keep pace with the X-wings. Three TIE fighters dispatched out of the bottom of the cruiser, but Vader knew for such a small vessel they only had a small amount of defence. The rebels didn't usually attack these types of vessels, instead aiming at military targets. However, he had heard a while ago that a previous Project Harvester ship had been attacked by rebels - he would not let them win this round.
He cursed in Huttese as several of the X-wings ganged up against his ship and he was forced to take evasive action, swooping down under the cruiser and back up the other side in a circular motion. His gunners fired, taking out another one of those blasted rebel ships. Vader flipped a few switches as he went back around and sent a voice comm to the cruiser's command centre as two TIEs flew past him, simultaneously firing at an X-wing that spun round to face him. One of the TIE's disintegrated into dust as it was shot down.
"Come in Harvester cruiser. This is Lord Vader. I demand to speak with the captain immediately."
A few seconds passed as the captain picked up the communication signal. A scratchy voice sounded on the other end of the line. "We are receiving you Lord Vader! This is the captain speaking."
Vader could hear explosions in the background of the comm as they happened before him in real time. He could also feel the captain's fear, no doubt dumfounded that the right hand of the Emperor had appeared out of nowhere into the middle of his space battle.
"Good. I'm overriding your mandate Captain and ordering you to take your vessel straight to Coruscant. Evacuate the battle with your-" Vader cut off mid-sentence as the remaining TIE fighters got obliterated by X-wings. "Go immediately. You have some precious cargo on board that I do not want damaged. I will eliminate the remaining rebels."
"Very good Lord Vader. Entering hyperspace now."
The Sith Lord piloted skilfully down back into the fray of the battle and dodged several missiles. When he swung the ship back around, the cruiser had gone, along with the children's Force signatures. He could still sense them, but they were now moving at great speed far away. Good, he was glad they were no longer at the mercy of the traitorous rebels. There were three X-wings and a transport ship left, but clearly, they knew who was piloting his ship. Instead of launching an attack they retreated simultaneously into hyper space. Vader watched as the ships disappeared into nothingness before his eyes. Suddenly the battle was over and everything was quiet. He had been geared up to fight them, but now the adrenaline left him feeling cold.
His troopers left their gunning stations and appeared back in the cockpit with him, waiting for orders. Vader stood and moved back from the pilot's seat.
"Set coordinates for Coruscant. We will catch up with them."
"Yes, Lord Vader."
ooooo
Padmé and Obi-Wan followed the guards with their hoods drawn and their bags held closely. They could not risk anyone recognising them. They'd landed safely in the leafy green capital of Aldera but had been denied access to meet Bail Organa at the royal court as they couldn't provide any proof of invitation for their visit. Padmé had been extremely relieved when her husband had waved his hand with a slow deliberate motion in front of the guards.
"You want to take me to Bail Organa."
"I want to take you to Bail Organa," he had repeated, a little confused with himself. The other guards seemed to unanimously agree that there was no longer any problem with their admittance. She'd smirked under her drooping hood, she forgot he could do that.
They were now following the guard as he led them from the landing pad into the richly decorated interior of the royal building complex. Their footsteps echoed through the quiet corridors and their long cloaks billowed behind them as they walked. The hustle and bustle of Aldera sounded distant and muffled through the thick walls. It wasn't long before they were being granted access to a hearing chamber.
Bail sat at the end of a large ornately decorated room at a big wooden desk and motioned for them to sit. Light flooded into the chamber from grandiose windows nestled amidst classical pillars that reminded her wistfully of Naboo. Bail put away a data pad and greeted them, evidently curious at how on earth they managed to get inside when he was not available to the public today. She could see his eyes moving quickly, trying to asses them both though their faces were obscured. She marvelled at how young he still looked, and her heart ached with how much she had missed him.
"How may I help you? Would you mind telling me your names and where you come from? I have no information on the data pad about this hearing."
Padmé smiled fondly at hearing his familiar voice. Their walk into the room had confirmed that they were alone. It was time. She sucked in a steady breath as she lowered her hood and Obi-Wan followed suit.
The expression on Bail's face was priceless. Recognition, shock, relief, joy. Within moments he was on his feet and embracing her. It had been so long, so very, very long. Padmé couldn't believe he was still here, still safe, still well. She hugged her friend tightly, as if letting go would make him disappear. Tears studded her eyes as she reunited with not just Bail, but an older version of herself.
When they broke apart, she looked up in to his familiar face. He beamed at her and she smiled back just as hard, momentarily forgetting her reason for being here. Then, he turned and embraced Obi-Wan just as tightly. It was emotional, and for the first time since the stormtroopers had invaded their home, Padmé felt a shred of hope and light return. Bail was a very capable and good person. Surely, he and his wife would be able to help them in some way with all their knowledge and the resources of the rebel alliance.
"It is so good to see you alive and well, both of you," Bail Organa said, smiling ear to ear. "We have a lot to catch up on, but come, let us go somewhere more private. We can't have anyone recognising you. We will speak in the private guest area undisturbed and I will have two bedrooms made up there immediately."
"We…don't require separate bedrooms but thank you Bail," she blushed, smiling as she placed a hand over her eight-month swollen stomach.
"Oh," his eyebrows shot up in surprise before he smiled even more and laughed. "I was going to ask about that! Congratulations to you both! There is definitely a great deal to talk about. How nice it is to hear good news in times such as this. But, where are your other children Padmé?"
She looked away, trying to gather herself before speaking. Obi-Wan squeezed her hand in a comforting gesture. She glanced up into his sea blue eyes and was steadied. His presence was a comfort, now more than ever. She took strength from him and squeezed his hand back just as tightly.
"They were taken," she drew a shaky breath and looked back at Bail. "They were taken by stormtroopers. They broke into our home on Bakura. We came here as soon as we knew there was no hope of getting them back by ourselves."
His face fell. "If they're out there, we will find them. Now come, let us talk in private about everything that has happened these last nine years and what we can do. I will call for my wife as well," he gestured for the two of them to follow him. As they left the room, he informed a nearby droid to cancel his schedule for the rest of the day because he was feeling suddenly very unwell.
They followed him through marbled corridors and lush green courtyards into a beautifully serene and spacious guest area. He showed them to a private room which had a four-poster bed, soft lilac coloured furnishings, an en suite fresher and a balcony that looked out over the prosperous city with its green hills, lakes and towering mountains in the distance. They dropped their bags on the floor with a thump before following Bail back out to the large guest area that adjoined the many private rooms. It was set into the marbled ground with sofas, cushions and low tables. There was another balcony that joined the suite, which also had plenty of seating. The area was usually used to house political guests and extended family. Bail's wife Breha, whom Padmé had been close friends with during her time in the senate, joined them. After another heartfelt reunion, a silver etiquette droid similar to C3-PO entered the suite with a tray full of tea and refreshments as they all sat down to talk.
Bail and Breha listened to their story calmly and without interruption. Padmé tried to condense nine years down to as little information as possible - the important thing here was their children.
"…so after I got my job at the shop, everything was perfect. I thought we had so many years left in Namusa. Then, two days ago Leia came home from school looking like she'd fallen out of a tree backwards. She was bruised and filthy, and uncharacteristically upset. We'd scolded her for abandoning Luke when she'd promised to play with him after school. She started crying too, which she never does. The next morning, Obi-Wan left to get berries in the forest and that's when they came. One minute I was in the kitchen with Luke, the next, the door was smashed down…" her voice broke and tears welled up easily thanks to her pregnancy, though no one could blame her for her emotional state.
Oh, how she missed them. There had not been a day in nine years when she had not greeted them in the morning or kissed them goodnight. Obi-Wan put a warm hand on her back and filled in the rest for her.
"Three stormtroopers broke in. They shot Padmé with a stun ray, then the children. But one of them was quick enough to grab one of my old lightsabers which we kept hidden beneath the floorboards. So at least they have that with them. I ran back to the house to find Padmé unconscious and the children gone. Once we had packed our belongings we went to the capital as quickly as we could, but we were too late. The children have gone off world and are now in the hands of the empire. I can no longer cloak their Force signatures when they are so far away… Vader and the Emperor could be hunting them already."
There was a moment of silence as the royal couple let everything sink in. Breha spoke first, voicing a question that her and Obi-Wan had discussed on the ship on the way to Alderaan. Her green eyes met Padmé's and she was touched by the empathy she found there. She took her hand in hers. "Do you know how the stormtroopers found your home?"
"We discussed it earlier," Obi-Wan exchanged a glance with her. "We believe something happened to Leia the night when she returned home so upset. It was most unlike her. We think that she must have used the Force in front of another, which of course, we forbade the children from doing from the youngest age," he sighed, running a hand through this hair. "I should not have been so angry at her. She must have been too afraid to tell us what happened."
Now it was Padmé's turn to reassure him. "If that is what happened then we are both to blame."
"She is only a child," Bail reminded them softly. "And do not put any of this blame on yourselves. Leia didn't know what was going to happen and neither did you. What's done is done."
"If they only took the children and not you, then they must've had no idea who you are. I think you are both right. They were taken because their Force-sensitive powers were discovered in some way," Breha said and Padmé felt deep down that she was right. There was no other explanation for it.
"Well, there's a glimmer of hope here," said Bail, leaning back in his seat. "There is currently a rescue mission happening as we speak, organised by Jan Taylo. She's an alliance officer who we know very well. She has been gathering intel and extracting children taken by Project Harvester."
"Project Harvester?" Padmé's stomach dropped at the name. She felt Obi-Wan tense next to her.
"The Emperor has been taking Force-sensitive children from all over the galaxy and enrolling them in Sith academies to become agents of the dark side," Bail said, glancing at her so as not to overwhelm her. "We have managed to rescue some children from this fate. The ships that abduct them are quite rare and hard to find, but with our intel we know this particular ship is part of the project. It had previously been stationed outside Bakura. There is an extremely high chance that this is where they are. If the mission is successful, which it was previously, then Jan will get the children out of there."
Padmé brought her hands to her mouth in relief and shock. Obi-Wan wrapped an arm around her and they leant into each other. She felt like a rock had been lifted from her chest. There was hope. She placed a hand on her stomach and thanked the Force that they had a chance of getting their life back. Obi-Wan held her tight, his bearded chin tickling her forehead as he placed a comforting kiss there. She held his hand tight and placed a kiss on it too. Their little family might just be okay. There was still a chance to save them before Vader could get to them…
Breha called for some more food from the droid as Bail got up to retrieve a data pad. He then began inputting information and setting up the large HoloProjector which was in the centre of the living space. The light was becoming golden outside as the evening approached. Padmé stifled a yawn. She was exhausted.
"I'm going to see if I can get through to Jan Taylo. With your permission, I will need to inform Mon Mothma that the Skywalker children are alive. They may be the only hope the galaxy has left. I assure you, your secret will be safe with her."
Padmé nodded and looked to Obi-Wan for his reaction. "I trust her."
"Then so do I," he stated, confident in her decision.
Padmé turned back to Bail, who was testing the connection. "But we can't let this information be known to anyone besides you and Mothma. If word ever reached Vader… he'd stop at nothing to find them. Right now, we still have a chance at keeping him in the dark about their existence."
"I agree. We will communicate to Jan that there is very precious cargo aboard, but we will not elaborate on the details. It's connecting now, let's see how the rescue mission is going" he said as the HoloProjector beeped and leapt into life.
A familiar woman with short hair appeared, blue and shimmering. After a warm reunion, Mothma informed them that the mission's crafts were still in hyperspace. They waited on bated breath as live news from the mission filtered through as the evening light faded outside.