Chapter Two
She'd taken a risk, a risk none of the others had been willing to take. She'd approached Bail Organa, given him the message herself, with no disguise. It was worth it, however, if they could get him to join their cause.
Mon Mothma spent a little time in front of her mirror before leaving her apartments. Her hair was down, worn in such a way it could easily hide her face. Her cloak was long and black, the hood waiting to be drawn up. But beneath the black cloak was the traditional senatorial gown of Chandrila, long and white.
Mon left her state apartments quickly, threading her way through the crowded streets of Coruscant. She left the upper levels behind and began to descend. Below the gleaming surface of Coruscant, there was another world. It was dingy, but no less crowded, the beings that stalked the streets pale from lack of any sunlight. It was a dirty place, but that was where the city-planet of Coruscant had first begun. It was there that she was headed.
Cantham House had been the original meeting place for the primitive senate on Coruscant. As the city had risen, a new building had as well, but the old one had been maintained until just fifteen years before, when funding for the historical preservation society had been cut by the Senate. It was still a handsome building however, despite the heavy marks of age that were beginning to show.
Mon entered it silently, heading directly for the meeting room in the center of the building. She stuck to the shadows, not bothering to speak to the others who were filing in. Bail Organa came in last, blindfolded and led by another hooded figure. Mon checked to make sure her hood was up, then stepped forward. *Let the games begin,* she thought and smiled.
*
Bail had gone early to the meeting place described in the note the mysterious girl had handed him. It was the hub of a marketplace in the lower class district of Coruscant. He felt out of place in his finer clothes.
Soon enough, his guide arrived. It was a man, in a heavy cloak. Bail couldn't see his face, especially after the man had produced a blindfold and Bail had allowed it to be wrapped around his head. He could see nothing, but he felt himself being led into a speeder, which pulled into traffic at a normal speed. Bail couldn't tell which direction they were headed until they headed down.
They stopped the speeder five minutes after they'd climbed aboard and exited onto a solid landing platform. Bail was led into some sort of building, down a long hall. The room they stopped in was large and cold, and nearly empty, if the echoing surrounding him was any indication.
A voice suddenly spoke. "Senator, thank you for coming."
Bail recognized the voice of the girl from that morning. "It was not inconvenient to do so, but this blindfold is proving annoying," he replied.
"The blindfold is necessary," the girl said, her tone leaving no room for argument. "You've been called here because your ideals have often been shown in accordance to our own."
"My ideals?" he asked. "If you speak of my belief in democracy and the Republic, I hold by it even now."
"Even when the Chancellor has seized supreme power?"
"More so now," he replied, wishing he could see her, or the man who had brought him inside, or any other being in the room. "Democracy and freedom go hand in hand. If one fails, the other will be destroyed."
"Yes, Senator, we all know your thoughts on the subject. Our question is will you fight for them?"
"Fight for them? I would fight to preserve the Republic, yes. I have done so for many years. If you question my commitment, do not."
It was silent all around him for a moment, then fingers tugged gently at his blindfold. It fell off and he found himself staring into those gorgeous blue eyes again. "Welcome to the Alliance, Bail Organa."
She'd taken a risk, a risk none of the others had been willing to take. She'd approached Bail Organa, given him the message herself, with no disguise. It was worth it, however, if they could get him to join their cause.
Mon Mothma spent a little time in front of her mirror before leaving her apartments. Her hair was down, worn in such a way it could easily hide her face. Her cloak was long and black, the hood waiting to be drawn up. But beneath the black cloak was the traditional senatorial gown of Chandrila, long and white.
Mon left her state apartments quickly, threading her way through the crowded streets of Coruscant. She left the upper levels behind and began to descend. Below the gleaming surface of Coruscant, there was another world. It was dingy, but no less crowded, the beings that stalked the streets pale from lack of any sunlight. It was a dirty place, but that was where the city-planet of Coruscant had first begun. It was there that she was headed.
Cantham House had been the original meeting place for the primitive senate on Coruscant. As the city had risen, a new building had as well, but the old one had been maintained until just fifteen years before, when funding for the historical preservation society had been cut by the Senate. It was still a handsome building however, despite the heavy marks of age that were beginning to show.
Mon entered it silently, heading directly for the meeting room in the center of the building. She stuck to the shadows, not bothering to speak to the others who were filing in. Bail Organa came in last, blindfolded and led by another hooded figure. Mon checked to make sure her hood was up, then stepped forward. *Let the games begin,* she thought and smiled.
*
Bail had gone early to the meeting place described in the note the mysterious girl had handed him. It was the hub of a marketplace in the lower class district of Coruscant. He felt out of place in his finer clothes.
Soon enough, his guide arrived. It was a man, in a heavy cloak. Bail couldn't see his face, especially after the man had produced a blindfold and Bail had allowed it to be wrapped around his head. He could see nothing, but he felt himself being led into a speeder, which pulled into traffic at a normal speed. Bail couldn't tell which direction they were headed until they headed down.
They stopped the speeder five minutes after they'd climbed aboard and exited onto a solid landing platform. Bail was led into some sort of building, down a long hall. The room they stopped in was large and cold, and nearly empty, if the echoing surrounding him was any indication.
A voice suddenly spoke. "Senator, thank you for coming."
Bail recognized the voice of the girl from that morning. "It was not inconvenient to do so, but this blindfold is proving annoying," he replied.
"The blindfold is necessary," the girl said, her tone leaving no room for argument. "You've been called here because your ideals have often been shown in accordance to our own."
"My ideals?" he asked. "If you speak of my belief in democracy and the Republic, I hold by it even now."
"Even when the Chancellor has seized supreme power?"
"More so now," he replied, wishing he could see her, or the man who had brought him inside, or any other being in the room. "Democracy and freedom go hand in hand. If one fails, the other will be destroyed."
"Yes, Senator, we all know your thoughts on the subject. Our question is will you fight for them?"
"Fight for them? I would fight to preserve the Republic, yes. I have done so for many years. If you question my commitment, do not."
It was silent all around him for a moment, then fingers tugged gently at his blindfold. It fell off and he found himself staring into those gorgeous blue eyes again. "Welcome to the Alliance, Bail Organa."