They flew over the glittering city without detecting any followers. They zoomed up to the fine apartment tower without any Purple Guard awaiting their arrival. They marched to the elevator in silence and stepped out onto her floor. As Leia predicted, Ren Entada was already there, standing outside her suite at parade rest as though he had teleported from one building to the other.

Chewie unlocked the suite, and Leia watched through her peripheral vision that Ren Entada didn't shift his eyes to her. He simply snapped at attention and waited for her to enter, then stepped around to follow the two inside.

Leia was already in the middle of the living space and turning to grin with arrogance when Chewie hooted obscenities and shoved his furry palm against the man's chest. Ren Entada flew backwards again and hadn't quit landed yet when Chewie slammed the door shut and locked it.

But Leia swallowed her patience and waited, because she knew how things worked a bit more than Chewie did. Ren Entada was a ranking member of the Purple Guard, and this was Coruscant. She lifted her chin and didn't bat an eye of surprise when Ren Entada unlocked the door from the outside and marched right on in.

Chewie spun and barked. Ren snapped his feet together and shifted humble eyes towards the Wookiee. "If you insist. Then I shall stand sentry with one arm. But I'd be more useful to you with two."

Chewie warbled a long riotous complained and Leia lifted her chin. "Chewie, may I have a moment alone with Mr. Entada?" Her eyes slid to the man with ice in her throat. "We need to discuss a few parameters."

Chewie ruffed and turned for the hall, muttering a reminder that he had superior hearing and she wouldn't even need to yell.

Leia turned in her grand suite and stepped to an easy chair in the sitting area by the big window. Ren Entada hesitantly stepped to follow, but set his feet back together and remained standing at a respectful distance. His expression and shoulders were easy with confidence, but he remained at near attention as if a waiter or office staff.

Leia crossed her legs and gestured toward the hall. "As you can see, my home is quite secure. Perhaps your team could focus instead on security at my office."

Ren nodded his chin to gather his words. "There are five of us, Lord Chamberlain. Chewbacca makes six. Two sentries will stand twelve hour shifts at your home. Two sentries will do the same at your offices. Chewbacca is most welcome to assist me in the 24 hour security of wherever your person may be, but it will be my decision to ascertain if and when you are secure enough for me to take my leave."

"So you have truly assigned yourself as my shadow." She grinned angrily. "It's hard to believe there isn't an ulterior motive here."

Ren pressed his mouth with humility and blinked at the floor.

Her gaze shifted to the cityscape out the window, "And if I want to be alone?"

"I can keep a respectful distance, madam." His mouth flickered the humored truth. "I'm not here to invade your bedroom."

Daggers darted out of smiling eyes. "Smart."

"I recognize how uncomfortable this must be. Please understand - this is for the security of the, erm, Republic."

"Funny," she eyed him again and her smile died. "It sounded like you were about to say it was for the security of the Empire."

A black brow flicked with admission. "We are, all of us, on a new learning curve."

She arched a brow. "So you are an Imperial."

"The war is over," he said, meeting her eye with strength. "Now, I am no more an Imperial than you are a Rebel, Lord Chamberlain.'

Bi-partisanship.

Leia sighed hard through her nose and averted her eyes.

"Clearly, I need to prove my intentions to you." He rolled his shoulders back and reached into his breast pocket. Leia's eyes flicked to him. The Rebel instinct had her first thought that he might be going for a blaster, but her budding Jedi skill assured her this man wasn't a physical threat.

Yet.

"By way of anticipation for this contingency, I brought a gift." He stepped over only enough to hand her a datacard, eyeing her with raw honesty as it waited in the air for her to take.

Without breaking the gaze, she pulled the card from his fingers. Ren stepped back again, resuming his place between furniture on the other side of the sitting area.

"What's this?" She had no datapad to read it with, and so folded into her hands on her knee.

"A complete background check on myself and my staff."

Her brows knitted.

"I'm not here to spy on you." He said with a hidden grin. "After our meeting this morning, you would be stupid not to order background checks on all of us." He shook his head. "And you're not stupid."

She sat the card on the side table with poise. "Is this going to tell me anything I can't find out myself?"

"Smallish bits, perhaps," he admitted lightly. "I offer it more to spare you the drama of learning things you think I might be hiding."

Leia lifted her chin. "Why you?"

"The structure of the cease fire predicates on a clear vision of bi-partisanship throughout the galaxy. Purple Command felt it prudent that the figurehead of our new neutral government is guarded by both former banners."

When she glared at him, he angled his chin and worded it another way. "They like the optics of it."

She pushed to her feet, "Yes, but why you?"

His jaw rippled.

"Is it because you're Alderaani?'

"In part. I'm sure that was a factor in their choice. Beg your forgiveness, my lady, they had few trustworthy Imperial volunteers from which to choose."

She clasped her fingers together in front of her and repeated it again. "So why you?"

He thought on this before he spoke, and met her eye as he explained it. "Because the galaxy is torn in two, madam... And has been for a generation. Whatever our differences in politics, I think the one thing you and I agree on is that we have to stop shooting at each other. Regardless of your insurgent history or my Imperial loyalty, I do recognize what you're trying to do here: the daunting task of sewing the galaxy back together. And you have such an influence that I can almost believe it could be possible. So, for as long as you are working toward that goal without the intent of further bloodshed, I am honored to shield you from harm so that you can."

She sighed through her nose and turned toward the big window. She strolled a few steps away to look out at the Senate Dome and the Imperial Palace, and crossed her arms at her chest. She thought long and hard.

"And I am an Alderaani," he said. "Though I didn't agree with your father's politics, he was still my King. And therefore, you are still my Princess."

Leia wished she could feel that were true. She sighed with resolve and eyed the Imperial Palace out there in the cityscape. "Will you be requiring an office? Or a bedroom?"

Ren swallowed quietly. He lowered his eyes to the carpet. A grin flickered. "That would be . . . convenient."

She angled her chin to her shoulder only enough to nod him dismissed. She listened to his fine shoes pad on the carpet to the hall and disappear down the same corridor as Chewie.

Staring out at the cityscape with no humor on her mouth, she patted belly, and closed her eyes. Calm down, Han. It's just politics.