Chapter vi
Leia ran shaking fingers across her temples and fought to contain the urge to scream that was welling up inside her. Turning her focus on the screen before her, the princess for the fifth time that day reviewed the data regarding military matériel and the placement of forces on Sernpidal's moon, Helska's northern pole and some transport servicing stations on Bimmiel. Bimmiel's location on the Hydian Way made it an ideal relay point. Helska's rotation kept the base on the pole in light almost all day. And Sernpidal was a fairly dormant system. Nothing significant ever happened there. Try as she might, Leia could not force herself to work on this now. The situation involving her brother was too taxing, and threatening to drive her towards contemplation of the most horrendous end possible for a certain Bothan. Instead, she opted to storm out of the command center and head for Luke's apartment. Her calls from the door were almost immediately answered by her sister-in-law who Leia drew into an embrace. "Mara. How are you doing?" Mara shook her head furiously. "I'm about ready to either tear into the containment center and bust Luke out or tear into Fey'lya." A feral smile spread on her face as she fingered her lightsaber. "I'm liking the latter idea right about now." Leia admonished the fiery redhead with a lop-sided smile. "I think this about the time that Luke would say, 'Anger is of the dark side Mara.'" Mara collapsed onto the sofa, her anger dissolving as weariness began to take her. "I know," she muttered weakly and tried to force a smile to her face. Leia sat down next to her laying a hand on her sister-in-laws knee. "Everything is going to be all right, Mara. Once we defeat this clone then we will be able to show the Security & Intelligence Council that they were wrong about Luke. Right now we need to concentrate on what we can do to defeat his clone." Mara nodded wearily and smiled at Leia. "Yeah. Thanks Leia. I guess I needed that. So, you ready to start a war?" Leia's grin matched the one on Mara's face as she rose from the sofa. "You're welcome. And yes, I am. For Luke."
Leia ran shaking fingers across her temples and fought to contain the urge to scream that was welling up inside her. Turning her focus on the screen before her, the princess for the fifth time that day reviewed the data regarding military matériel and the placement of forces on Sernpidal's moon, Helska's northern pole and some transport servicing stations on Bimmiel. Bimmiel's location on the Hydian Way made it an ideal relay point. Helska's rotation kept the base on the pole in light almost all day. And Sernpidal was a fairly dormant system. Nothing significant ever happened there. Try as she might, Leia could not force herself to work on this now. The situation involving her brother was too taxing, and threatening to drive her towards contemplation of the most horrendous end possible for a certain Bothan. Instead, she opted to storm out of the command center and head for Luke's apartment. Her calls from the door were almost immediately answered by her sister-in-law who Leia drew into an embrace. "Mara. How are you doing?" Mara shook her head furiously. "I'm about ready to either tear into the containment center and bust Luke out or tear into Fey'lya." A feral smile spread on her face as she fingered her lightsaber. "I'm liking the latter idea right about now." Leia admonished the fiery redhead with a lop-sided smile. "I think this about the time that Luke would say, 'Anger is of the dark side Mara.'" Mara collapsed onto the sofa, her anger dissolving as weariness began to take her. "I know," she muttered weakly and tried to force a smile to her face. Leia sat down next to her laying a hand on her sister-in-laws knee. "Everything is going to be all right, Mara. Once we defeat this clone then we will be able to show the Security & Intelligence Council that they were wrong about Luke. Right now we need to concentrate on what we can do to defeat his clone." Mara nodded wearily and smiled at Leia. "Yeah. Thanks Leia. I guess I needed that. So, you ready to start a war?" Leia's grin matched the one on Mara's face as she rose from the sofa. "You're welcome. And yes, I am. For Luke."