Chapter 2: Alderaan

"R2, patch into the mission reports for today," said a soft and quiet voice that, obviously, did want to be heard. A loud whistle and beep answered her, and the girl could not help but cringe as she looked around at the room - more specifically at the door.

"Not so loud." The girl reached over and adjusted a knob on the droid's controls and the next beep that issued from it was considerably softer. "Better."

A few seconds passed before the droid beeped again and turned toward the girl as a hologram materialized from one of its lenses.

"The mission was successful, senator. We have recruited three more rebel parties on the outer rim territories. But, in the process, we have lost five of our pilots and a negotiator. I fear that the empire may soon begin to see through our tactics. They have already sent patrols to the Cloud City and while it seems they have found nothing, it was a close call. I advise we focus solely on our senate affairs until they no longer look this way." The man in the hologram recording bowed before the projection fizzled out.

The young girl sighed heavily, running her fingers through her chocolate locks. Though most of her hair was plaited and twisted atop her head in the royal Alderaannian fashion, the lower section flowed in loose waves placed carefully over her right shoulder. "It's getting worse…"

"Precisely why such transmissions are for the senate's eyes only."

The girl froze and knew, without looking that her father's advisor was frowning at her from the doorway. She sighed and turned with feigned confidence. It faltered at his cold disappointment.

For a long moment, the man said nothing. He watched Leia, carefully waiting for his will to outmatch hers. It was a game he knew he would one day lose. The girl was headstrong and had a strong sense of right and wrong. While her constant intrusion into senate affairs was true problem, her desire to help that drove such actions, was admirable.

Finally, she sighed and crossed her arms with as much regret as one who didn't think they were wrong could muster. "Then I should be on the senate."

"Perhaps in time." Rialo answered. "For now, however, your actions are still condemnable." He took the young girls arm and gently pulled her out of the room making sure that the R2 droid was following.

"I think I'm quite ready now."

"So I see." They turned a corner and Leia balked for a moment. "Perhaps you can convince your father of that this time." The gilded door of the Senator's office slid open before them. "I would start by proving you can take responsibility for your actions; do not try to escape from his punishment."

The pair entered, Leia hovering a step behind, as Bail turned in his chair to greet them. "Need I even guess what she did this time?"

His advisor only chuckled and stepped behind the princess.

Senator Organa sighed. "Leave us." The advisor nodded and turned on his heel disappearing through the doors.

"Leia?" Bail said, calling attention to his daughters wandering gaze.

"Yes, Father?"

"Why do you insist on doing this? The rebellion is not something you should concern yourself with. You have your own classes, your own training, your own duties to the people."

"Yes. Dress-making and cooking and looking pretty while I wave from the balconies." She rounded heated eyes toward him. "I'm your pretty symbol of faux peace while the rest of the galaxy wages a losing war!"

"Is that what you think you're doing?" he asked calmly.

Leia didn't bother to answer. Deflection didn't seem to be working.

"Yes, Leia, you are a symbol. Of the brighter future we are all aware we are fighting for." Bail stood slowly and crossed the path to his daughter. "You are the future leader of Alderaan. The people will look to you to guide them. To keep their spirits lifted in times of sadness, or crisis." He paused with a sigh and placed a hand weighted with his own burdens on her shoulder. Leia started momentarily under the pressure and met her father's eyes.

"But I want to help end this rebellion so they can be truly happy. What help is it to lie to them while I face no struggles or hardships?'

"A leader cannot take on every task themselves. Sometimes the best thing you can do, is be seen. Do you think our people would take solace in their lives if I was constantly darting off to every battle? Risking life, limb, and their comfort just to be on the front lines?"

"But -"

"No," he continued, drawing himself up and leading her to the window. "They need our leadership, here and present to know that everything is alright. To know that no matter what rages on out there, here is safe and home. As Princess of these people, you should take that duty as seriously as you do manipulating my droids." He turned again to look at his properly chastised daughter and smiled. "You do this to help and I admire your focus. Perhaps one day, you will be more ready to have a seat on the senate, but if you cannot learn to see the forest beyond the trees I am afraid you cannot be helpful to anyone."

Leia sighed and pulled her gaze away from the window. She almost wished he would have just yelled. His disappointment was a blade to her heart, fostering icy shame that sped through her.

Gently, Bail embraced his daughter, sighing again. She was destined for great things and so much like her mother than she knew. But he saw where that bravery lead Amidala, the world in which she became embroiled; the way the political system she could not fix broke her into a fragile woman. He could not let that happen to Leia. Not yet. She may not have his blood, but she was his. His to protect from more than the empire.

"I know I cannot keep you from being you," he said after a while. "And I do not plan to. This is not a reward – I will double the guard around you and you will have no leisure activities for the next fortnight – but I will speak to Mon Mothma to include more lessons on government to your curriculum. Show me you can do as I ask, that you can be the Princess you have it within you to become."

Ariala sat, legs crossed in her hold as the ship made its final approach toward Alderaan. By the will of the Force, the other stops had gone routinely, and the traders had secretly exchanged information and weaponry vital to the rebellion. Now, they crawled the last moments through hyperspace.

Her senses were already flung outward, feeling the brief flickers of planets and life through the galaxy as they sped past, so she knew, even before the shuttle dropped to sublight engines, that they had arrived. The sudden slam of life from the planet was so much more than she had ever experienced on Tatooine that it overwhelmed her meditations and for a few moments, she felt the Force threatened to swallow her up. It was so much stronger here, if only because there was so much more for it to blend with, that the young Jedi had to close herself from it to maintain her sanity. As she did, the door to the cargo hold opened and the captain stepped in.

"We've made it. Come look. Bet you've never seen anything like it."

She had no idea how much that was true.

As they made their way to their bridge, down a thin hall of closet-sized sleeping quarters, lavatories, and a counter area that could be called a kitchen, Ariala could glance peeks at the blue planet from small windows but the overall view from the front of the ship took her breath away.

She had not seen Tatooine as they took off, but even so, she knew the desert planet could never have looked so vibrant. White streaks of clouds lazed over oceans and twisting masses of green. Interspersed between them all, frosty white-capped mountains tried their best to stab the sky. "I've never seen snow…"

The captain chuckled and clapped the girl on the shoulder. "Well you're here now. The northern mountains are a great hiking spot if you get the chance. Just dress warm. Snow is very cold." The captain and her co-pilot laughed and even Ariala allowed herself a small chuckle at her own expense.

"We'll be landing just outside of the capital," the captain continued as her co-pilot communicated with the traffic controller and maneuvered the ship in to land. "There are plenty of transports from there to wherever you plan to go." She pulled a holo-map from her pocket and gestured to a point on the map.

Ariala let her eyes scan it quickly, but the map was solely topographical and provided little detail for her desired locations. She simply nodded at the information and returned her attention to the window.

xxxxx

As the unloading process began for the little ship, Ariala slipped into her cloak and ducked out of the ship, merging easily within the bustle of the space station. At first, she was simply carried along by the flow of foot traffic, but eventually, she wiggled herself free in a large common area and had a chance to take everything in. The great station was built into several closely ranged mountains, platforms and fueling stations jutting out in a neat spiral, the lowest ones still far above the station mezzanine.

The room, large and circular with pathways leading from nearly every side, sported a great stained-glass roof, through which the sun played a rainbow of colors on the marbled floor. That too, she could tell, was carved of the mountain's stones, most likely reused rock from the platform installation. Around the room, shop owners had set up temporary stalls, most selling supplies and parts for the incoming pilots. A few, clearly catering to the travelers, sold trinkets and art or even roasted meat on sticks – samples of the local favorites. The latter called to her, reminiscent of the fried sand skitter sticks so popular in Hutt territory. But she turned away from them, limited on the credits Ben could scrape together for her sudden trip, and instead purchased a sightseeing map from another vendor.

The Palace, it showed, lie at the edge of the capital mountains where the peaks melted into grassland and river. A long distance from the station – most likely for the royal family's safety – and quite more than she could hope to accomplish on foot. Sticking the map disk in her pocket, she turned her attention toward finding a driver and made her way. She directed them not to the palace itself, but to a location a few hours walk from the gates, choosing to avoid suspicion by immediately going to the Royal home. As such, the sun was midway across the sky by the time she reached the towering gates of the Royal Palace. From the ground level, she could barely see the palace proper, the high towers built toward the top of the mountain and far beyond sight.

"Hello, I am C-3PO human-cyborg relations. How may I help you?"

She brought her attention suddenly back to eye-level and was surprised to see a glittering golden droid standing just beyond the ray shield gate. Behind him, carved into the mountain, she noticed an unassuming door through which he must have exited. She turned back to the droid.

"I am here to see Senator Organa."

"Do you have an appointment?"

"No."

"Then I am afraid you will not be able to see the Senator today," the droid answered quickly. "Civilian counsel has already ended. You may return tomorrow between eight and ten in the morning. Senator Organa would be quite happy to hear your complaints, concerns, requests, or recommendations."

Ariala bit her lip. She had nowhere to go nor any funds for a place to stay should she be turned away now. It was a long shot, but -

"Could you pass on a message to him for me?"

"Certainly."

"Tell him the old General is Forcing his hand." It was a hodgepodge of keywords she hoped would ring enough bells in Bail's head to at least pique his curiosity.

The droid nodded as much as his stiff upper body could allow. "Yes ma'am. I shall tell him." He turned away only to realize she had not moved. Cocking his head, 3PO added, "Did you have something else to say?"

"I believe he will make a request for me..."

"But—"

"I will wait." Ariala countered quickly with as much confidence as she could muster. In truth, she had not expected nearly as much security or obstacles. Even speaking to the Hutts was a simple matter of looking mean enough to catch their attention. She prayed again to the Force that the message was enough.

The droid looked around - a shocked expression would have fit his emotionless face perfectly - before walking away constantly looking back at the girl. "Oh my."

He reentered the small door before vanishing from sight within the winding entry hall. Once safely inside, 3PO retrieved a comlink from a console on the wall. "Senator Organa, if I may pass along a message from a visitor?"

The line was silent for a moment before Bail's voice answered back in the affirmative.

"There is a young woman at the gate who says the old general is forcing your hand and desires to wait for your response."

In his office, Bail frowned, immediately certain this was a threat from the empire. Who was the Old General? His mind ran through a list of the most notable Imperial Officers but there were hardly any generals that warranted his attention. Besides, forcing his hand to do what? Per his advisors, the alliance had pulled back on their rebellious activities and no run-ins with the empire had been for more than routine inspections. He turned back to the comlink. "Did she say anything else?"

"No, sir." 3PO answered, sounding as perplexed as the Senator.

Bail stroked his beard and strolled to the window. As a precaution, his office did not face the front of the Palace so no matter how hard he peered down, he was unable to see anything other than the river tumbling by below. If this was a threat, it could also be an attempt on his life. That she had made such a statement without leaving surely meant she wanted entrance to the Palace. But that was not the empire's style. Palpatine preferred to make clear and large examples of those he felt undermined or betrayed him. A lone assassin with thinly veiled threats would most likely be the work of a smaller faction, perhaps aware of his secret ties to the rebellion. Which brought him back to a possible threat.

He could simply turn her away and increase security. The idea that she would just take no for answer seemed slim, again if it was a threat. The possibilities rolled around his head, his years of careful political chess forcing him to take his time.

Downstairs, with each passing silent minute, Ariala felt her nervousness rise. It was possible the droid had simply traversed all the way up the palace to deliver the missive in person, but she worried that she had been too vague and Bail would only throw her out in confusion. She closed her eyes and carefully opened herself to the Force, gritting her teeth as the consciousness of so many pressed against her. She had no idea what Bail felt like in the Force, he was as strange a lifeform as everything else about this planet, but she had to try to find him.

With great focus, she isolated the presence of the flora and fauna, grew familiar enough with their rhythms before pushing them to the back of her mind, effectively silencing them to her notice. Now, she was only aware of the planet itself – far too massive to silence – and the sentient creatures. She narrowed her field of focus to the palace and slowly probed inside. The droids – for she was sure there were at least some present – passed without her knowledge but the milling organic lifeforms rolled about as she searched the palace. Groups, she ignored for she doubted Bail was, in the middle of the day, chatting idly amongst his friends. A few solo sparks caught her attention and she pressed further into the minds before determining who they were not.

It all passed within the span of only a few minutes, but to her timeless form, it could have been ages. With each mind she lived years at fast forward and it was only her skill to push aside what she did not need that kept her from feeling too guilty about the intrusion. Finally, after countless tries, she found him, his mind honed and heavily churning with thought over the strange visitor. Threat and empire and danger floated to the surface of his mind and the girl cringed. She really had not thought about that.

Taking a deep breath, she focused her full energies on the aged senator. Friend, ally, aid, she whispered into the Force, letting the possibility of those words work slowly into his mind. She could have done more, could have tried the classic 'Jedi Mind Trick' to bend him to her will, but she could not allow herself to take that route. This was already bad enough. The Force was not for her selfish purposes.

Fortunately, the gentle suggestions were enough and she felt the Bail's mind work over the new ideas. She would not tamper with him beyond that; she withdrew quickly. If he still doubted her, she would try again tomorrow – as much as that was not ideal.

Firmly settled within her own mind, Ariala opened her eyes and, again surprised, saw the door opening again and the golden droid, flanked by a half-dozen guards, reemerged.

"Senator Organa will see you," he said once he reached the gate. "However, he insists you submit to thorough screening by the Royal Guard."

The Jedi looked at the burly group and nodded. This was as good as she could have expected.

"Very well. Please remove your cloak and prepare for a full scan."

The Jedi did as she was told, folding the cloak over her pack and letting the gate system scan her person. Immediately the machine beeped violently as it passed over the saber hitched to her belt and the guards took an offensive stance.

Only the golden droid seemed calm. "We will now remove all suspicious items. Please do not move."

Again, Ariala did as she was told, watching as long metal arms opened from the gate and plucked the saber from her belt.

"Please place your bag and cloak here, "3PO continued, gesturing to a small platform in the gate, as the saber was passed to the guard leader. He twirled it, confused, before shoving it into a waiting boxy droid.

The items were scanned and again, beeps and whirs alerted the guards of a possible weapon, this time her map holodisk and one other she did not recognize, most certainly placed into her bag by Ben. Again, the items were thrust into the boxy droid, the front panel closed, and the contents more vigorously examined. All the while, Ariala waited patiently on the other side of the static gate.

Finally, the droid deemed the items safe and they were returned to the head guard, Ariala's pack and cloak taken by another. The gate was deactivated and Ariala was immediately taken by two more of the guards. They were not overly aggressive and in soft waves she felt that they believed she posed little threat. Each guard guiding her by the arms, the young Jedi was finally lead into the Palace.

The main entry level was rather bare, carved directly into stone and illuminated by glittering white crystals. A long royal blue carpet lined the entire path while occasional photos of the former monarchs hung on the walls. The path wound around, up, and back through the mountain until they finally reached a small lift platform that carried them to the higher levels.

The sun glittered through large picture windows up here and as they moved passed floor after floor, Ariala felt small in the growing grandeur. Suddenly her used robe and flowy clothes seemed too modest for her surroundings. She glanced again at the glittering droid and her distinctly dressed captors. Even they seemed levels above her.

The lift finally stopped in the cooler upper levels of the mountain palace and they small troop stepped off, immediately into the wide conference room. Bail sat there in an oversized chair, guarded by another six of his finest security. Ariala cringed inwardly again.

"Senator Organa," 3PO introduced, shuffling to stand by his side. "I present lady - " he stopped realizing a name was the one thing had not gotten.

"Ariala," she quickly supplied. "Of the outer rim." She added in lieu of her surname. While Bail clearly trusted his staff with his life, she was not so willing to reveal her Master to them.

"Lady Ariala of the outer rim." 3PO finished.

She was gently lead to a seat opposite Bail yet far enough to prevent any sudden attacks and most of her guard fanned around the room. She realized, with a sinking feeling that they had no intention of leaving.

Bail regarded the young girl before him slowly, doubting his own eyes. Her tanned skin and ocean blue eyes were the only things that saved her from being a spitting image of his own daughter. Even the low timbre of her voice was a dead ringer for Leia's.

He was pulled from his thoughts – staring Ariala would have said as she tried to fidget under his unblinking gaze – as the lead guard placed her items on a table before the Senator. He did not look at anything besides the saber.

Carefully, he lifted it from the table and locked eyes with the girl again.

Ariala knew he was debating how she had gotten it. She refused to answer, simply meeting his gaze, calmly.

He ignited the blade and seemed genuinely surprised by the amethyst sword. His guard took the offensive again. "I have not seen one of these…" Bail trailed off and looked again at the girl before him, her words echoing in his mind again. The old general forces your hand.

Kenobi…

Ariala felt his fear slip away almost all at once as he put two and two together, regarding her with something akin to nostalgic confusion. With a wave of his hand he dismissed his guard and the golden droid, not speaking again until the door slid close behind them.

"Most Jedi wielded blue or green," he said, twisting her amethyst blade in figure eights through the air.

"Those didn't quite appeal to me."

Bail smirked. "Well of course. Appearances matter most importantly in a deadly weapon." He retracted the saber and placed it back on the table moving instead to the holodisk she did not recognize. "And this?"

"A message, I would assume, from my master." She wondered if the contents were more of the same as the note but quickly brushed that from her mind. Ben would not have risked such sensitive information falling into just anyone's hands. "You may view it if you want. I imagine it is for you, after all. He is the one who sent me here."

Bail eyed her again for a second before opening the disk. A red screen leapt from the disk, ancient writing and a flashing counter. Ariala's heart dropped, certain that somehow, someone had slipped a weapon into her bag, but Bail only laughed loudly at the content and responded in what she assumed was the spoken language that matched the text. Instantly the counter stopped and the red screen faded away to reveal a small Ben Kenobi hologram looking up at them.

"Senator Organa, it has been many years my friend. I am sorry, that after all this time, I cannot be with you in person. This communication should have come with a friend of mine."

Eerily, he turned and waved his hand precisely where Ariala currently sat and for a moment she wondered how likely it was that this was not a prerecorded message. She brushed the hologram with her still partially opened mind but felt nothing from the disc or the image within.

"I have raised her for the past seventeen years, after she was rescued from the empire. She is trained in the ways of the Force but there is only so much one can learn on such an isolated planet. I ask that you take her in, and teach her, as I did.

"This places a great burden on you, and for that I sincerely ask your forgiveness. She is a skilled fighter and has been gifted with a quick mind. I believe she could be as much a use to you as you can be to her. I ask you to grant this old man this final request.

"May the force be with you…especially in these dark times." Ben bowed and the holographic message ended.

A long, thick silence stretched after the message ended. Bail was still staring at the spot where Ben had been, sadness etching deep lines into his aged face. Ariala resisted the temptation to comfort him.

Her position was not yet confirmed and the wrong step could send her back to Tatooine, tail between her legs. Instead, she waited.

Bail could have cared less at that moment about the girl sitting opposite him. Seventeen years had passed and Obi-Wan had gotten old. Bail ran a hand absently through his own graying beard. They had both gotten old. He had not heard from the Jedi since that day, each taking their own, secret transport to whatever reaches of the galaxy they deemed best. Yes, he knew where the Jedi had gone to and why but time could have easily stolen him away. To see him now, even in the little recorded message, made him remember what he had spent so many long years fighting to restore. Tiredly, he lifted his eyes to the girl and once again took her in.

Now that he looked closer, he saw small differences from his own daughter; Ariala had a rounder face, slightly protruding ears, and only mildly wider nostrils. And of course the blue eyes that watched him with barely concealed worry. Great intelligence mingled with her youth, and he saw the two swirl in her eyes, oh so similar to His.

Bail immediately shook that thought from his head. This was not Anakin's child. He had the girl, his girl, and Obi-Wan had very clearly taken a boy. And there were only two – he witnessed that himself.

Then how had Obi-Wan come to raise a second child looking so much like them?

Of course, his mind quickly reasoned, the Jedi had always been of a kind heart and didn't the recording say he rescued her from the empire? Perhaps she was just that – an unfortunate orphan the retired Jedi felt was strong enough to take on the Jedi ways. Bail scoffed at the idea but it settled his internal discomfort enough that he clung to it. He looked back to the disc and sighed. If Obi-Wan was taking these many risks…

"I suppose I would be the bad guy now to turn you away," he said aloud, leaning back in the chair.

Ariala chose to again remain silent.

"He's asking an awful lot of me to shelter you. The empire is already angry with me but he sends a Jedi to my doorstep." Again he laughed mirthlessly. "Always the Jedi way; planning for something so far ahead that the rest of can't see." He sighed. "Alright. Let's start by finding you something to do."

The girl visibly unwound and released the breath she hadn't realized she was holding. "I have some farming and cooking skills," she offered. "And decent skills with wildlife care."

Bail shook his head. "That seems a waste of your real skills, now doesn't it?"

Ariala shrugged.

"It's been a while since I've had even a Padawan watching my back." His fingers tapped a console in the large chair and almost immediately the guard leader strolled into the room. "Dardan, how would you like a new recruit for your security team?"

The guard looked at Ariala, and back to his senator, clear disbelief on his face. However, he said "I can whip anyone into top shape."

Bail chuckled. "You might find she's more than ready for the task." He turned back to the girl. "Dardan is the head of my entire security team, responsible for guarding every life - droid and human – within and around the palace. Go with him and earn your keep."

"Yes, sir," both she and Dardan responded. The guard turned to her once more, jerking his head toward the door. "Let's go."

Ariala stood, hurriedly gathered the items from the table – under both of their watchful eyes – and followed the man from the room.

Dardan stalked ahead with a long stride the shorter woman struggled to match, especially as she took a better look at the glamour of the palace. The stone walls glittered with natural mineral veins and all lighting was provided either by the sun through the massive triple paned windows or by more of the softly glowing crystals she had seen in the entryway. The floor was marbled much like the space station's, and the same blue carpet from the entryway traversed seamlessly through every passage. The attendants bustling wore gentle, natural shades, and most were donned in dazzling white robes or gowns. It would have been blinding had it not blended so well with the natural landscape.

In contrast, her tan tunic and leggings were woefully out of place. She hurried after Dardan, almost eager to be out of sight. "Will I be getting a uniform like yours?" She asked as she fell in awkward step beside him. Just reaching his shoulder, she felt like a child next to him.

Dardan glanced over and shook his head. "This uniform is for the family's protective unit, one of the highest levels of our rank. You'll be starting with the general group." He pointed to a motionless soldier, guarding an unmarked door, that seemed to blend in with the walls. He wore a swirled ivory one-piece outfit, with slightly flared legs stuffed into brown boots. A matching belt broke the monotony of the one-piece and a high collared, half cape flowed down his back. The outfit was practical, non-descript, and a pale comparison to the sleek pleated robes and trousers Dardan wore, but Ariala did not complain. She nodded and if he had expected her to seem upset, the slight smile on her face came as his own disappointment.

"The newest graduates have been at their tasks for a few months now, so you'll have to learn quick to catch up with them." Dardan watched her as they took the stairs down several flights and down another corridor. Again, the girl only nodded. "They've trained years to be even accepted and I don't want you thinking you are somehow equal to them just because you have the senator's blessing."

"Of course."

He scowled. "If you fall behind in any way, I won't hold back punishment."

"As I would expect." She looked up at him as they reached the main security office. "I will do all within my power to match the excellent skill of your guards."

The guard rolled his eyes and decided she was clearly not taking this seriously. Most likely she was just some other senator's illegitimate child in need of straightening out but too high in rank to get sent to the Academy. He pushed open the door and watched her enter unprompted. He would squeeze her and she'd break or be gone in less than a month.

The so-called backbreaking training Dardan had organized was a laser-focused crash course on what the other cadets learned over years. Of course, he personally trained her, starting the mornings with lessons on the etiquette and decorum of the palace. In less than a week she had it perfectly memorized. The layout of the winding, split-leveled palace she knew in three days, and the names, faces, and quirks of the sprawling royal family and Imperial Senate she knew within two.

In the evenings she trained her body, working with their weapon of choice, a blaster sword that combined the close-range effectiveness of a sarrassian iron blade with the deadly accuracy of a blaster, perfecting her hand-to-hand combat, and building her reflexes.

The Force, of course, aided her in the progress, but Dardan had no idea of her skills and struggled to hide his frustration at his increasingly growing impression of her. By the end of her first month, Ariala was allowed to join Palace Division squad 286.

A fancy name, but frankly, palace division squads were cadet ranked, the immediate next step after training completion. They did not do much around the palace, mainly guarding already locked doors, patrolling for anything unusual, aiding with the other areas as needed, and filling out larger convoys for the royal family's trips away from the palace. The entire exhibit was more of a show, the groups of at least six guards marching in unison through the halls, stopping, looking around and continuing off, but she did not complain.

The cadets were friendly and the time around the formal schedule of the palace gave her structure in the otherwise unfamiliar setting. The young Jedi still struggled to fully embrace the massive living Force swimming through Alderaan, and welcomed something more familiar to ease her into things.

For the sake of teambuilding, the squads were 'recommended' to spend on and off shift time together. They were assigned team quarters, identical shifts, a singular meal time, and – the part the Jedi disliked most – a buddy system for their off time. Her partner, Antsul was closest to her in age being only two years older, with a playfully braggadocios personality that reminded a little too much of Luke. She supposed she could have had it worse, but through no fault of his, Ariala felt her heart breaking every time he flashed a lopsided grin. His constant presence also made it nearly impossible to lose herself in mediation, the boy seeming to quite dislike long silences. Only in the dark of night was she able to calm her roiling thoughts.

She understood the necessity of it, of course. Up until their assignment most of the squad members had never seen each other or interacted. The teams were constructed by Dardan but they were expected to work perfectly in sync.

Each member of her squadron had a story, some greater reason why they chose to join the guard. Most of her squad, she learned through one of their late night conversations, joined the guard after failing initial acceptance into the Academy. Whether for finances, experience, or just settling, they took the smaller, local position as a compromise. Corseam, the captain of their group, planned to reapply for the next semester and was confident at his being accepted. Tyrald, his second, was in line for promotion if the captain made it in and already treated the others as though he ran the ship. Is rather cocky attitude rubbed Ariala the wrong way at times, but she tolerated the flaw in light of his impressive skill in combat training.

Despite her larger aspirations, Ariala found herself in no rush to move on from the contingent, feeling for the first time in her almost eighteen years, that she was nothing more than anyone else.

The grand hall glowed with the soft blue of two dozen holographic bodies, each intently staring forward at the young woman at the podium. A display flashed behind her, in time with her clearly rehearsed speech, her voice echoing over the technically empty room.

Leia looked out her faux audience, the familiar stoic faces of this council meeting frozen in cold silence.

Her recent classes on legislation and government had progressed to this, simulated council meetings based on previously resolved matters. This particular assignment covered the debate of Alderaan serving as neutral territory between the separatists and republic during the Clone Wars. The final decision had been to remain fervently loyal to the republic, rejecting any, and all, interaction with the fractioned group.

Leia had chosen to persuade them to go the opposite route.

"...must be made to feel that their position matter to the republic!" She brought her opened palm down hard on the podium. "Were they not once our allies? Trade partners or friends? Should we so easily turn the idea of peace away just because we disagree with their methods? They believe the republic to be corrupt – as a member of the Senate, if Alderaan opened herself to hear their worries, we can, together, offer the chance to change!"

The slide behind her shifted again, a painful scene of a recent battle. Clone trooper, droid, and Umbaran corpses littered the open field and behind them, native flora burned, painting the sky red.

"General Grieves and Count Dooku may have more sinister goals, and their violent tactics are most definitely not to be underestimated or tolerated, but how many lives have been forced into their service simply because the republic has not been there to save them? The council, the true council behind this movement, seeks only independence. I implore you to see beyond the shadows that seek to control them and see the people trapped in the middle.

"Alderaan can become a beacon to stop this war. Please, vote for temporary neutrality so we can put an end to the massacre."

She fell silent and the holograms sprang to life, muttering and shouting gibberish over each other, while a score card rapidly tallied her grade on the screen. The princess refused to watch the scrolling numbers until they came to a stop. The council holograms faded as the program ended, leaving only her, the instructor, and the grade to fill the room. Leia turned slowly to the 29/38 emblazoned on the screen.

"Congratulations princess," came the voice of her tutor, a middle-aged woman sitting in the back of the room. "Based on the records that supplied the senate personalities, you would have swayed the vote to your favor." She stood and slowly crossed the room. "Would such a move have been the right decision is something we cannot synthesize, but your research and persuasion were enough to make it happen." She smiled as she closed the gap between the two of them. "I believe your father would be proud. It seems you have his gift of heart."

Leia couldn't help the huge smile on her face. This was only her third success since she started this curriculum but each win was a step closer to really being a force to help her people.

As though reading her mind, Mothma gently took Leia's hand. "I will pass this along to your father, princess, and see if he has plans to accelerate your path. I think you could benefit from more direct training."

Leia forced her cheering heart to be calm and nodded as calmly as she was able. "I would appreciate that."

"The final formation, sir." Dardan passed the thin tablet across Bail's desk, small dots representing his squads for the upcoming Green Celebration. The annual 3-day celebration started with a traditional parade in which the entire Royal Family took to the streets to interact with the people.

Though the event was generally quite safe – as it was not at all rare to see the Alderaanian rulers out and about on any given day – but with escalated tensions in the galaxy and the possibility that Alderaan was under a rebellion-focused microscope, Dardan and Bail were triply concerned with the possibility of attack. The Green Celebration drew visitors from several surrounding planets and the increased population was ideal for mischief.

Bail ran his eyes over the tablet, tapping the blinking dots and flipping the images around to get the full view.

Three squads took position along each side of the royal caravan, two each at the front and back, three each further ahead and behind, while the private force, rode the caravan – enough to protect each family member. Bail frowned at the crowded rig and shook his head.

"We need to project an image of confidence. Having us so crowded in by security will only make the people afraid."

"I will not take the chance that you can be harmed, sir."

"Just you, then. Put the other forces at the front and back." He made the quick changes and showed his head of security. Begrudgingly, Dardan accepted.

"Good." Bail turned his attention to the tablet again. "You have Corseam's squad on the rear guard?"

Dardan nodded. "Corseam has run the rear for the past two years and his team would be a good fit for crowd control."

"Move them with Kasiri's squad on the west side."

"Sir, that puts them in the direct line of a blaster attack," Dardan blustered, barely able to remain respectful. "They're completely untested in combat - "

"Move them."

Dardan drew himself up, face stiff. "I'm afraid I can't, sir. They are too inexperienced for such a vital position. I will not put the family at further risk."

Bail looked up, sighed and met his guard's eyes. "I have great faith in your teaching. I'm sure they will be fine."

"With all due respect, sir, I highly disagree. Corseam and his second are well trained but rest have only been out of basic training for less than three months. If not for the empire drafting from my finer picks, they would not be on this assignment at all." He threw up his hands, frustration rumbling through him. "They haven't even been part of a royal contingent yet!"

The Senator shook his head. Under normal circumstances his captain would have been more than correct and if he knew what the Senator did, perhaps his mind would change as well. But that was not his information to share. That Ariala was, in all respect, a Jedi, was still a secret to his staff. However, if she was anything like the young Commander Tano he served with so long ago, he was certain she was better utilized toward the front lines.

"I know you mean well, but this is a direct order, captain."

For a minute, it seemed Dardan was going to again protest, but his unbending loyalty won out and the man said stiffly, "Yes, sir."

xxxxx

The walls of the training center seemed to rumble under the agitating churn of the Force. Ariala paused in her blaster training, her target block already blackened from previous shots, and glanced toward the door. Somewhere on the other side, she felt Dardan's anger pulsing.

"You lose your nerve, rookie?"

The deep voice pulled her attention back and she turned toward one of the other cadets, a towering Iktotchi from a different squad. His young horns curved only to his chin, not yet the heavy tusks of his race. He was in line beside her, her unofficial competition, and was clearly annoyed at her sudden pause.

She scoffed and turned back to the board. "I was only getting bored of beating you." She raised the blaster sword and fired a clean three shots to the quickly darting targets.

The Iktotchi smirked and moved to tackle his own course, shot suddenly stuttering off to the side as Dardan burst into the room, the sliding door nearly breaking through the wall as he pushed it open impatiently. The room fell into abrupt, tense silence as he scanned over the crowd. "Corseam!"

The watchful leader bounded over, skidding to a halt in front of the captain.

"You and your team, come with me." Dardan did not wait, turning on his heel and storming from the room. Without waiting to be rounded up, 268 fell into formation and followed, trying desperately not to seem nervous.

Ariala watched from her position in the center of the group. "Wonder what's gotten under his skin…" Antsul prodded her with his elbow, hissing for quiet. She met his wide eyes and shrugged, but remained quiet as he marched them to his office and filed them inside.

Immediately, Corseam parted himself from the group, stepping forward as shield and sword for whatever was about to happen.

Dardan regarded them, eyes lingering on the two youngest, before scowling and turning away. "By Senator Organa's request," the way he stressed the word, Ariala was sure he had been ordered, "you are to take the right center flank of the parade route tomorrow." Dardan wheeled around. "Do not think you can slack off!"

"Yes, sir!" They answered in unison.

"This goes against everything I believe and I will not have you greenbacks putting our entire nation in jeopardy just because some of you," he glared pointedly at the Jedi, "have gained some favor with the Senator." He turned on Corseam, jabbing a finger in the leader's chest. "If even a single insect breaks through your team, you won't be around long enough to accept that Academy position. Now get out."

All too eager to oblige, the squad slipped out of the office exchanging terrified and confused glances. Antsul opened his mouth but Violles, the only other girl on the squad, shook her head and they retired to their quarters in silence.

xxxxx

Despite the heavy shielding of the palace, the semi-removed location, and high altitude, Leia and her maidens could still hear the rambunctious churning as the pre-Celebration parties began in the streets.

The princess could not stop grinning as her maids fussed about her, smoothing near invisible wrinkles from her elaborate dress, powdering her porcelain skin, and twisting her chocolate locks into a maze of braids she knew she'd later struggle to undo. All of the fuss only heightened her excitement. The Celebration was the greatest festival of the year! How could she not get swept up in it?

Outside, fireworks blasted non-stop, over two dozen bands and musicians played to growing crowds, music disjointed as it failed to blend into the shop owner's own amplifiers blaring the latest hits. Shuttles twisted dust funnels from above as they orbited, waiting to land, while twice as many transports, speeders, and pack animals squeezed through the packed streets.

She knew that the best vendors were already lining the streets and some of her favorite foods were being coated with the final layer of sweet sauce. The energy was infectious and Leia practically vibrated impatiently in her seat as she was made ready.

"You must be still, Princess," the head handmaiden chided with a smile. "It will not be worth your father's scolding if everything is not right."

"Oh, please hurry. I wanted to get a look at everything before the parade started. It will be impossible to get away after."

"I will pretend I didn't hear that."

Leia smirked and nodded gently. "Yes of course. Hear what?"

The handmaiden returned the smile. "Of course." She stepped back with her team and allowed the princess to stand. "Come along, then."

xxxxx

His red eyes stared forward silently as the crowd around jostled and shuffled him, vying for a better position. The caravan was still at the edge of eyesight, pausing yet again for the family to pass small favors and kind words to their subjects. Senator Organa stood at the head of the decorated hover platform, his flowing, embroidered, navy robes adding length to his tall figure. At his right, his wife, Queen Breha dressed in matching hues, waved serenely too the crowds, focusing attention to the mother and women in the crowd. She took their hands, kissed their cheeks, and exuded perfect regal strength. He scoffed. It was never real.

He let his eyes flow to the other side of the rig and smiled; the little princess. She hadn't inherited her parent's height, so even at eighteen she seemed dwarfed by their stature. The lack of height she made up for in exuberance. It was because of her the ride stopped so frequently, as she leaned far over her security detail to toss the small items deep into the crowd, often unsettling the sensitive rotators. She seemed unperturbed by it, gladly taking a tray of sweets from a citizen and passing them amongst her family.

Slowly, the parade continued, edging toward his position. The crowd redoubled their efforts to get closer, effectively hiding the small, single-shot blaster he slipped from his sleeve. I better get double for dealing with this rabble.

He pushed forward with little regard for the group around him, stopping just behind a cheering family and leveled the blaster carefully.

The cold wave of disruption in the Force ran over Ariala, her eyes suddenly darting around. "Something's wrong…" If her squadmates heard her, they made no sign, but she could feel it. The Force was trying to warn her. Malice…she felt greed and hungry intent bubble up between harmonious jubilation. Intense focus…

Princess.

"Leia."

The blaster made barely a sound over the din of the crowd, but the red beam darted toward them. In one swift movement, the Jedi flung aside her blaster, leapt to the caravan and countered the shot, amethyst blade humming in her hands. "Stay down!"

The crowd erupted in panic as the blaster bolt ricocheted over their head and realization of the attempt swept through them. The platform drew to an immediate stop; Dardan pressed the family to their bellies while the contingent aimed wildly into the crowd for the assassin. Only Ariala's quick reflexes made out the retreating figure already on the other side of the crowd. "There!" She pointed, flipping from the perch.

"No!" Bail snagged her half cape and hauled her back. "Stay here. Protect my family."

"The assassin - "

"Let them take care of it." Already the squad captains had peeled away, closing in like a pincer around the lone shooter.

Ariala nodded, her heart pounding with adrenaline. She could still feel the Force rumbling with the displeasure.

"Guards!" Dardan's call pulled her focus. "Form up! Protect the family. Maneuver 34!"

To be continued….