Chamberlain Organa Solo walked the Trade Delegation to the door to bid them a respectful adieu before turning to Winter to meet her next appointment: the Purple Guard. They were no military, but it was their duty was to maintain the cease fire within the Senate Dome while the provisional government worked out the details of the new Constitution. The primary focus of the Purple Guard was to ensure the safety of all members of the new Senate-no matter their political affiliation-and had already taken posts throughout the Dome to ensure 'the people' who represented The People remained safe.

There had been growing pains with that, of course, for the Purple Guard compliment was a mishmash former Alliance Security and Imperial Red Guard forces, now tasked to work together to protect friends and enemies alike. Furthermore, the new sentry uniform of a dark purple helmet and dark purple robe prevented any passerby from recognizing a face to know if the guard was former Rebel Scum or Palpy Jackass. It was working so far -slowly and sluggishly- but it was working, because over and above everything else Alliance and Imperials fought over, the one singular thing most of them agreed upon was that they all needed to stop shooting at each other.

Leia hadn't met with them in an official capacity yet, but since the Chamberlain was the icon of bi-partisan talks and the Purple Guard was the icon of bi-partisan safety, it made perfect sense they would send a team to report status and discuss plans for further organization. Leia was glad to have them-as long as the purple robed sentries stayed at their posts in the outer hall.

Instead of a group, Winter introduced a single man. He was already standing tall and confident as if Reporting as Order was his old hat. Leia didn't recognize the black uniform, cut sharply to accentuate the thin straightness of a human male figure, but she did recognize the Imperial influence in its fashion. Yet the ominous color of the fabric was brightened tastefully with folds of smoky gray in the lapel and cuffs, and the sleeves and slacks were striped lengthwise with dark purple ribbon. She could see the reflection of her ivory gown in the high polish of his shoes.

"Is that the new uniform?" She asked with a friendly smile.

"It is a design still under consideration, Lord Chamberlain."

An Inner Rim accent, Leia noted, taking in the clues of this man. He's probably an Imperial.

"May I introduce Ren Entada of the Purple Guard," Winter said.

Entada clicked his heels and bowed with a sharp flick of his chin. "At your service."

Leia shared a gaze of humor with Winter and gestured him in. She sensed this was a person with which she was going to have to work closely for years to come, and so it helped to get to know him. "Entada," she echoed thoughtfully as she moved to sit behind her desk again. "That's an Alderaani name, isn't it?"

"Indeed," Ren Entada stood front and center of her desk as if to remain at attention. He was tall and thin, with strong cheekbones and strong chin. He looked like he could have been royalty, but Leia didn't recognize him, and his Caucasian complexion did not have the appearance of someone who had been coddled all his life.

There was a hint of shame in his admission, "I was away . . . at the time of the tragedy."

Leia motioned him to sit and folded her hands in her lap. "It's nice to see someone from the old country."

Though Ren Entada seemed to take her offer to sit with a little surprise, he sat with poise, confidently lifting his chin to address her directly. "A rare treat, to be sure."

Leia spread her hands. "What can I do for you?"

"As you know, the Purple Guard has done its best to incorporate bi-partisan members within its ranks to ensure neutrality in its primary mission. We've recently been able to expand our monitors into the realm of tradecraft in order to exploit the information therein."

"Imperial and Alliance spies working together?" Leia smiled a joke of sarcasm, "Sounds like that was a fun project."

He smiled too and nodded. "Certainly no more difficult than yours, Lord Chamberlain."

She bowed a chin in appreciation of that respect.

"The upcoming Senate Ball is an historic event of Galactic proportions. As Purple Guard, it is our charge to ensure proper security of all its attendees up to and during the function itself. We've come to ask for your support to extend certain security measures."

"We're glad to have you. And I have the utmost respect for your daunting task." She spread a hand. "My office will provide whatever the Purple Guard requires."

"Good." He approved of that with a nod of his own, but his gray eyes were sharp. "But it is not your office that is need of the extra protection."

Brown eyes shifted over.

"It's you," he said, and he seemed to know the weight of what he was saying.

Leia kept her cool. "Explain."

"As I mentioned, we've already begun incorporating the data between the various information agencies. There's been chatter that gives us reason to believe you-yourself-Lord Chamberlain, will be a target on or before the Senate Ball. We have investigators researching the matter to identify any specific culprit that we can neutralize, and we will keep you posted of that effort. In the meantime, however, Purple Command has enacted a security detail in respect to your person and privacy."

"A bodyguard?"

Ren Entada nodded severely, yet a spark of haughtiness lightened his eyes.

Leia chuckled and shook her head. "I don't need a bodyguard." She relaxed against the arm of her chair and shrugged a hand. "I already have one."

"With respect, Lord Chamberlain, Chewbacca cannot serve you in the fashion in which it's truly needed at this time."

Her brows popped up. "You don't think so? Perhaps I should arrange an introduction."

His mouth flickered a new smile as he straightened in the chair. Gray eyes leveled on her. "And therein lies my very point." While he showed the respect and formalities deserving of her position, this man was clearly as headstrong as she was. "If he is serving as your bodyguard, why isn't he in this room?"

"He has other things to do," Leia nearly chuckled.

Now, it was Ren Entada's black brows to lift into his forehead. "No self-respecting bodyguard has 'other things to do'."

Leia inhaled a sharp breath but could find no argument to that.

"Additionally, Chewbacca is Wookiee. And while that makes him perfectly suited to protect your person in the case of a bodily attack, he has not the speciatic capability to communicate in Basic, and that makes him limited to identify non-bodily forms of assault or protect you in a crowd."

Leia sighed hard and stared at her desktop.

"As you so noted, Lord Chamberlain, the success of this very cease fire-and the new government we are trying to build upon it-is only as strong as her leaders appear to the rest of galaxy. It is, therefore, of monumental importance we establish instant and critical safety precautions to protect the figurehead of this new government."

Leia closed her eyes and sighed, trying to smile. This poised and proper gentleman clearly had no idea the scuffs, scrapes, and scoundrels she'd already survived. "I don't need a bodyguard," she repeated, this time with strength in her eyes and a grin on her lips.

And Ren Entada gray eyes didn't flinch in her gaze. "Lord Chamberlain, please understand. It is not just your person in need of protection. You now carry another who deserves just as much, if not more, protection as Your Lordship."

Her palm went instinctively to her belly.

"And with the exponentially increased access and risk to which you now must subject yourself -Wookiee or no- Chewbacca cannot do it alone."

She inhaled a deep breath through her nose and nodded at her desktop. "Let me think about it."

"My apologies, your Lordship," he grinned awkwardly as he stood back to his feet and straightened his full height. "Perhaps I hadn't made myself quite clear."

Brown eyes shifted over and stabbed at him.

But he held strength in the gaze. "If you so recall, one of your first declarations as Lord Chamberlain was to grant the Purple Guard the highest reach and authority where it pertains to the safety and security of Senate members and staff." His brow arched with haughtiness, and he grinned a little. "There are many facets of this with which you will retain power and privacy, but you do not have the authority to dismiss the detail entirely."

Leia pinched her lips shut and glared at him under hard eyebrows.

Ren Entada grinned a little more, nodding again as if to bow. "I have posted an afternoon detail outside your office, I shall coordinate with Chewbacca, as I'm sure he will likely be part of this effort," his humor brightened, "and I'll see you at 18 hundred to escort you home."

"Well. See? That won't work for me," she shook her head. "I never get out of here before 20 hundred."

He had half-turned for the door, but stopped, arched a black eyebrow to take that in, and grinned back at her again. "Then I'll see you at 20 hundred."

Leia's mouth wrinkled.

"Have a lovely afternoon." And Ren Entada showed himself out.

Leia fumed for a full beat before launching out of her chair. Out in the office common, she found Ren Entada whispering instructions to a sentry in similar black/purple uniform already standing at parade rest outside her door. Ren completed his instruction just as she emerged, snapped his heels to tuck a sharp Imperial bow for her, and turned to leave the office complex entirely.

Winter eyed her with questions. Several other staffers paused mid-work so eyes could follow the man out and bounced back to the stiff individual now standing guard in a place she could watch their every move. Leia motioned Winter to wait a moment and strolled down the middle common as he left, then poked her head around to the data library.

"Yana?"

Yana was at a terminal, but her body was angled and green eyes stretched to get a glimpse of this Purple Guard authority who had caused such a stir. She turned her eyes to the Chamberlain and flicked her chin. Yes, ma'am.

Leia lowered her voice to nearly a whisper. "I need an old-fashioned, Rebel scum, deep-as-you-can-go security check on Ren Entada and his entire detail."

To this, Yana rolled her shoulders back and nodded with stiff severity. Consider it done.