Chapter 11- Uneasy Feelings
Lena didn't like the feelings she was getting through the Force. Something about Nereus she didn't like and from what her father was thinking, he didn't like Nereus either. The smile he gave was insincere and as cold as Hoth, but Lena could see they had no choice but to hear the man out and defend him like they had promised. Two things were certain; he hated rebels and he hated Jedi. Which one he hated more Lena wasn't sure of. But she could be certain that he was corrupt and had no qualms about killing all the Rebel Alliance and every Jedi he saw there, right down to Cora.
Lena stretched out with the Force once again. Nereus was talking to Talon and Leia and Lena got a flicker that this man changed ideologies whenever it suited him to do so. If the alien invaders came tomorrow, he'd sell them out to save his own skin. But if the Rebel Alliance won, then this man would become the most ardent of rebels. "Yeah. He could jump into our camp, all right. Or he could torpedo it. Want to place bets?" Han asked as if he knew what Lena was thinking.
"Probably not, but for someone who doesn't use the Force, you are very astute, Han," Lena said as they entered a shuttlecraft and sat down.
"Your instincts are not usually wrong, Lena. Use the Force, but remember, not at the expense of the moment," Talon warned, touching her face gently with his large rough hand.
"Yes, Papa. Threepio what do Papa and Leia need to know about protocol?" Lena asked the golden droid.
"I'm afraid that is not in my programming, Your Highness. What? Master Luke downloaded the data files from that probe into your memory banks? Why didn't you say so, you overstuffed recycle cylinder?" Threepio asked when Artoo gave a chirp. Threepio was out of sorts since he had been fitted with a restraining bolt and now he sounded like a sulky youngling instead of a droid. Artoo gave a long lengthy reply. "All I am able to ascertain is that Bakura was once governed by a prime minister and senate, but all real authority now rests in the Imperial governorship," Threepio said.
"Tell us something new," Han said. Before Threepio could answer they came to a huge complex.
"This is the Bakur complex," the pilot's aide said, looking at Chewbacca. From what Lena could guess, she had never seen a Wookie before and Chewbacca's height was rather offsetting. "The complex includes guest and resident housing, Imperial offices, a major medical center, and the grand old parkside building that was our seat of government under the Bakur Corporation," the woman said in a rehearsed monotone.
"It's quite impressive," Talon said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully as he looked at the building. Lena had to admit her father was right, but it also was a reminder of what they had to do to sway the Bakurans away from their misplaced trust in Palpatine's Empire.
The air car they were in came to a rooftop landing pad. "The corporation wing of the Bakur Memorial Building was built over a hundred years ago, overlooking Statuary Park at city center. Please remain seated until the car comes to a complete stop," the aide said as Leia got to her feet.
"Wait, Leia." Han said, gripping her arm and pulling her back down into her seat.
Luke got out of his seat and Leia stayed in her seat for a few minutes. "I believe this archway is suitably secure. Still, we must be certain of safety," Threepio said.
"Listen, if they mean to hurt us, then the entire mission has failed," Leia said as she looked around at all of them.
"She's probably right. Also, wouldn't they have done it already?" Lena asked, as she stretched out again with the Force and felt nothing to raise alarm.
Han glanced around. "Right. Okay. On this side, Luke," Han said.
The car came to a stop and they disembarked and entered a spacious complex that had doormen in purple and gold-trimmed doublets and hose. It reminded Lena of her childhood as Princess Lena of Alderaan. They entered a hallway decorated in black carpeting and gold tracery on the walls that crisscrossed to the ceiling. "Red marble," Leia muttered taking in the glowing red columns.
"Worth a fortune if you could smuggle it out," Han said, nodding his head affirmatively. Lena looked over at her father and sister. They both had looks of concentration. They had to be stretching out with the Force to see if something was wrong and like Lena they weren't feeling anything.
The doorman leading them stopped at a gleaming white column. There were sensors in place and four stormtroopers standing guard. Lena felt a surge in the Force, like an adrenaline rush and, judging by the look on her brother's face, Luke was feeling it too. "They're here illegally. We are the galaxy's rightful envoy to Bakura," Leia muttered.
"Tell that to them," Han said as they all looked at the stormtroopers standing guard. Han's look was downright hostile and Lena could hardly blame him. The whole experience with Han being frozen had soured him towards the Empire and it didn't look as if he was going to forgive them any time soon. Lena looked over at Artoo, who's head was spinning around madly.
"Weapons check," a metallic voice said from beside Leia and Lena looked to see a stormtrooper hovering over her sister. "Leave all ordnance in a security locker," the trooper said, indicating lockers across from them that could only be activated by the palm of the hand.
Leia indicated she was carrying no weapons as Luke took his blaster to one of the lockers. "Come on, Han," Luke said. Han went to Luke and put his blaster, his boot knife, the blaster from his wrist sheath, and his vibroknife inside a cubicle of his own, while giving off a murderous glare. Chewbacca was removing his bowcaster when Han turned to him. "Chewie, stay with the locker. Artoo, you too," Han said. To say Chewbacca was relieved to not be going in to the cponference room was an understatement. The Wookie was ecstatic. Chewbacca didn't go for politics and he hated Imperials no less. Leia led them to the door, only to be stopped by the stormtrooper.
"Stop right there. Those are weapons too," the stormtrooper said, indicating Luke's, Talon's, and Lena's lightsabers.
Talon raised his hand and waved it slightly. "These are symbols of honor. Not an offensive weapon. Let them pass," Talon said. Talon didn't normally like doing Jedi-mind tricks any more than Lena did, but they really didn't have time to waste locking up all their weapons and Jedi Knights had a problem with letting go of their weapons.
"Let it pass. I'd leave the droid at the door. Droid malfunctions nearly killed the first crew of Bakuran colonists," the trooper said, indicating Threepio as he recovered from Talon's mind trick.
"Sir, my function is-" Threepio started to say.
"Thank you. Threepio will wait just inside," Leia said firmly; all of them remembering Threepio's restraining bolt.
A doorman opened the door and they all entered. "Senator Princess Leia Organa and her uncle Prince Cail Organa. And...and escorts," the doorman announced. The door then shut on a large room the size of the Alderaanian treasure crypt that was beneath the Aldera palace.
