I apologize for the delay Darth Real Life did his best to keep my muse scared off but Lea-El my Padawan lent me hers. In the days to come I hope that her tale will find its place on the boards.

Chapter 3

Behind enemy lines

Post 1

oOo

Shuttle Messenger

Once more Padmé was wading through the bureaucratic red tape. Leaving Coruscant was almost as hard as arriving and twice as nerve-racking. Part of her problem was she was divided on where she should go next. Part of her wanted to go rescue the Jedi on Bespin and part of her wanted to stay and try to beat the darkness out of her husband. The one thing that Padmé was sure of was that she could not stay on Coruscant. So far Padmé had been listing a common hyperspace route for her flight plan. When she got to the end of it she would be forced to decide.

Padmé meditates as she waits for her turn to depart hoping to figure out where to go next and the Force showed her two paths laid out before her.

As she looks down the first, she sees the galaxy from a distance the stars in the Imperial held areas seem dim as if the Empire's oppression affects even them. An Imperial strike group destroying a small shuttle in its desperate attempt to escape Bespin... The shadows cast by the Empire continue to grow for a short time, then a light is rekindled and it pushes back the gloom. Padmé was shown something she never thought to see, Obi-Wan and Anakin, now clothed in his black armor standing together in battle and moving in tandem once more. Watching as they killed the Emperor… Then she sees Anakin sometime later leaving and she is showed him alone on a small world in self-imposed exile… The Empire quickly becomes a Republic again and goes back to the old status quo… The Jedi Temple standing restored along with all of its traditions… A young Jedi standing before the council hands over her lightsaber and leaves the Temple tears streaming down her face. A young man who she obviously loves meets the now former Jedi… A proposal in the Senate to decrease or disband the Army of the Republic and after great debate it passes. The light in the galaxy grows for a time only to be consumed by greater darkness coming from without. It seems to move unhindered as it sweeps over all the stars of the galaxy and smothering nearly all of their light and in time, some of them start disappearing into the darkness. In the distance Padmé sees a group Jedi fighting strange warriors. She can't make out many details about the combatants in the dim light but one by one she sees the Jedi fall. With each death the scene grows darker, till the last glowing blade dies out leaving absolute darkness.

As silent tears slip down her cheeks Padmé turns her mental gaze toward the second path. Again Padmé sees the galaxy from a distance with the stars in the Imperial held areas dim. The shadows that spread out from the Empire grew darker and lasted longer but the light that flashed up was far brighter. Slowly pushing back the last shadows. The sight of the Emperor as he fell down a giant reactor shaft to his death... A New Republic being built, trying to escape its predecessors weaknesses... Great fleets standing at the ready to protect... Two teenagers practicing lightsaber technique while a younger boy sat off to the side watching. As she watches a couple enter the room and the children stop their practicing and running to greet what were evidently their parents. Something told Padmé that this family was important but she wasn't given enough detail to be able to recognize them.When the greater darkness appears on the galactic rim at first it seemed like the results were going to be the same. Then the darkness's progress slowed and in places it was all but halted. The light was refusing to be consumed. In a garden like those on Naboo a small child with reddish blond hair and blue-green eyes sits playing happily.

Opening her eyes Padmé followed the instructions she had been given by Space Traffic Control on autopilot. Her mind was to busy trying to interpret what she had been shown. In the first path things improved faster but that improvement was short lived and with it brought dire consequences. It was like the darkside, easier but at a great cost in the end. Where as the second path would be harder and take longer but would prove worth it in the end.

'A Jedi must be patient. The best things never come easily.' Padmé thought. Setting the hyperdrive to set course to Bespin. 'Until then I will just have to make myself useful in other ways. To ensure that our freedom will last in the long run.'

oOo

Coruscant Senatorial District

Bao let out a low whistle as he walked into the Senatorial Apartments Tower I. As he walked up to the security desk he straitened his shirt realizing how out of place he looked.

"Can I help you?" Asked one of the Bell-men/Security officers.

"I nee' ta talk ta Senator Bail Organa's Aid." Bao said doing his best to pronounce the name just as Angel had said it to him.

"The Senator's Aide is very busy right now, why don't you tell me why you need to speak with him?" The Officer asked aware that with the surprise return of the Princess everyone that was connected to the Alderaani delegation was very busy. He wasn't about to bother them on just the word of a street kid.

"I can'na do tha' Sir. I 'ave stric' or'ers. I 'ave to talk to his Aide." Bao said his nervousness starting to get the better of him. The man before him was too much like a law officer for his liking. He had been hiding from his kind for a long time. He also realized that the man before him wasn't going to risk his job without a good reason. "She said she'd done t'e har' part Sir and tha' I'd get'a keep t'e reward."

"Reward for what?"'Could this have something to do with the Princess' mysterious return?' The officer wondered.

"She di'na say, Sir." Bao said starting to think that she had lied to him. The only good thing was that at least he would be able to sell the speeder.

The Officer could see the boy's disappointment. He decided to take a chance and call one of the Junior Aides down. "Alright. Give me your name and go sit down."

Bao swallowed then squared his shoulders. "M' name's Bao." With that he went and found a secluded place to sit, where he wasn't out there for every one to see. After what felt like forever the officer called out his name. Peaking out of his hiding place Bao saw that there was a young richly dressed woman standing next to the guard.

When the Aide caught sight of Bao she looked at the officer as if to say, 'you bothered me about this?'

The Officer ignored the Aides look. "Bao, this is Kairra, she is one of Senator Organa's Aides."

"Ma'm," Bao said trying to pull off a respectful bow. "I 'm supose'ta deliv'r to th' Senator a 'nother pres'nt from 'n Angel. She said she 'ad done t'e har' part and tha' I'd get'a keep t'e reward, Ma'm."

The young aide blinked. By now they had all been told that the young princess' believed that her being kidnapped had been a bad dream brought to an end by a kind Angel. "Come with me." Ordered the dumbfounded aide as she turned and quickly led the boy to the Senator's apartment. "Stay here and don't touch anything." Kairra said leaving Bao alone in the apartment's huge foyer.

Bao hadn't thought that he could feel any more out of place than he had in the Lobby downstairs. He had been wrong. This was ten times worse and there was nowhere to hide. Just then a tall man came charging into the foyer making Bao jump.

"I apologize, I did not mean to startle you." The obviously important man said stopping just inside the large foyer giving Bao enough space to not feel trapped. "My name is Bail Organa and I am the Senator to Alderaan. Kairra said your name was Bao and that you had something for me?"

"Y's Sir, t'e Angel said to giv' you t'is an' I'd get a reward." Bao said handing the Senator the package that he had kept hidden under his shirt.

Bail carefully opened the box and withdrew the note inside.

Angel's chase away bad dreams for the innocent.

They also make them become reality for the guilty.

I hope that this will help you bring them to justice.

Angel

Looking in the box he found two sets of travel I.D., an address and several kinds of blaster power packs.

"Kairra," Bail said raising his voice just enough to be heard in the next room.

"Yes, Senator?" Came her instant reply.

Looking at the young boy standing before him nervously. He realized that Bao was even thinner then he had first thought now that the package was not helping to fill out his shirt. "I have something I need to handle. I want you to personally see to the needs of our new friend. Fresh clothes, something to eat and a place to rest until we can properly discuss the reward I owe him and his Angel for giving me my daughter back."

Bao's eyes went wide when he realized what Angel had meant when she said she had done the hard part. Fear quickly bloomed. Fear that this powerful Senator might think that he had been involved with the kidnapping.

Bail quickly spoke to put the Bao at ease. "I am in your dept young Bao. You see this," Bail said indicating the package. "It should be enough for Coruscant Security to arrest the men that kidnapped my daughter. Without it they would have most likely escaped justice. Kairra, tell Breha what has happened and see to Bao's comfort."

"Yes, Senator." Kairra said with a well-practiced bow and with that the Senator was gone.

oOo