Amidala and Ahsoka, Ahsoka carrying a backpack with her, walk across the makeshift starport and head for Amidalas ship.
Ahsoka glances at Amidala. "This is an important mission, captain" she says. "If succesful, this could be a turning point for the rebellion."
Amidala is not impressed. "So you and the general told me."
"This rebellion needs more than bloodshed if it is to overthrow the Empire" Ahsoka point out.
"I have no doubts about that" Amidala says. "But that is not the business Im in."
Ahsoka stops. "What business are you in? Killing? Assassination? Murder?"
Amidala turns. "What ever it takes."
"Like Saw Gerrera" Ahsoka says, a bit disapointed.
"I agree with him on many issues, yes" Amidala says. "We wont win this war by playing nice. Or by catering to politicians too afraid to act. There is only one way we can bring the Empire down."
"Starting another fullscale war?" Ahsoka wonders. "Have the Clone Wars all over again? Burn the galaxy to the ground?"
"If that is what it takes" Amidala frowns and turns and heads for the ship.
As Amidala and Ahsoka approaches the old ship, three of Amidalas crew are by the ramp; a nautilan named Mek Var, a human named Ander Kellon and a humanoid droid named Q8-YK1.
"Where are we headed, captain?" Ander wonders.
Amidala walks past them and boards the ship. "Alderaan" she says. "We're heading for Alderaan."
Her crew look at each other in surprise.
"Didn't she say that Alderaan was the last place she would ever visit?" Ander asks.
Mek Var nods. "Yeah… Over her dead body."
Q8 looks at Ahsoka. "I calculate that this togruta is responsible for the captains sudden change of mind."
Ander holds out a hand and shakes Ahsokas. "Ander Kellon. Pleased to meet ya. This ugly greenskin is Mek Var. And the repair-droid here is Q8."
"My pleasure" Ahsoka says. "Im Ashla."
"Ashla" Ander says. "Welcome aboard."
Amidala enters the cockpit where a male twi'lek is in the pilots seat.
"I thought we'd be here for a couple of days at least" the twi'lek says.
Amidala sits down in the co-pilots seat. "That was the plan. But Dodonna had other things in mind."
The twi'lek, named Vex, smiles. "Figures. So where are we headed?"
Amidala sighs. "Alderaan."
Vex looks at Amidala. "Alderaan? Really?"
Amidala begins to start up the ship. "Yeah… Really."
The ship takes off from the rebel base and heads for space. Onboard, Ahsoka is slightly worried since the old ship shakes and makes lots of noises, almost like an old ship caught in a storm at sea.
Ahsoka walks through the ship, spots Q8 and Ander doing repairs to some internal parts of the ship. Moving on, she glances into the cockpit, hyperspace beyond the viewports, Vex asleep in his pilots seat with both feet up on the consol. In another part of the ship, she sees Mek Var cleaning a couple of blasters. Moving on, she finds the last of Amidalas crewmembers, a human female doing some repairs under a floor panel. As Ahsoka moves on, the human woman, named Geru, looks up and wipes her hands while she looks over to the doorway where Ahsoka had stood. Then, Ahsoka finds Amidala reading a datapad in another part of the ship.
"What are you reading?" Ahsoka wonders.
"Your report on the prison facility" Amidala says, almost a bit reluctanty. "It doesnt say much."
"Hence, why we need to use the Jedi listening-post."
"How do we even know it is still working?"
Ahsoka smiles and sits down. "The Jedi built things to last, I assure you."
"Except your Order" Amidala is quick to cut in. "It didnt last, did it."
Ahsoka does not like the remark. "No… No it did not. But it can be rebuilt. It will be rebuilt, one day."
"I hope not" Amidala says, not liking her company. "The Jedi Order forced an archaic way of life onto small children. Children abducted from their families as infants. Brainwashed them. Brainwashed them to abandon love, happiness. Family."
Ahsoka looks at Amidala for a brief moment. "For a greater good" she then says.
"No" Amidala says, shaking her head. "To satisfy dogmatic fools. Old fools, blind and satisfied with their lot in life. No wonder the Jedi Order fell. In the end, it was as corrupt as the senate."
Ahsoka says nothing. The ship shoots through hyperspace.
Ahsoka studies Amidala. "Your mind turns dark. Because of Alderaan."
"I've visited the place twice" Amidala says. "Both times were… tragic… in the end."
Ahsoka senses it. "I can feel it. The heartache. You are… afraid. Why?"
Amidala sighs, depressed. "Bad choices."
"Can they be undone?"
Amidala chuckles. "No… the Jedi would not allow it."
Ahsoka doesnt really understand.
XXX XXX
Amidalas ship flies in towards a beautiful planet. Alderaan. Cutting through the atmosphere and through the clouds, it flies in towards a large city located up among the mountains.
A beautiful garden located within the walls of a grand palace. Here, Amidala and Ahsoka walk along a path and come face to face with Bail Organa and some of his advisors, including Captain Antilles who is accompanied by R2D2 and C-3PO.
Organa smiles warmly. "Padmé… It's been too long."
"For good reason" Amidala says. "Forgive me. How are you?" she then manages.
"Good, good" Organa says. "Life in the senate is tiresome. The corruption is no longer hidden, it takes place in plain sight. Local leaders turn to the regional governors to settle their disputes, rather than going through proper chanels in the Senate. And the regional governors answer directly to the Emperor. But there is hope. More senators are becoming concerned with the entire situation. And that means more planets with resources willing to support you and your troops, captain."
"Its taking too slow" Amidala says.
"I know, I know" Organa nods. "What about you, Padmé? How are you?"
"Tired" Amidala admits. "Im just… tired."
Ahsoka steps forward. "The war is taking its toll on everyone. Which is why we must endevour to turn things into our favour. In the Senate especially."
Organa nods. "Indeed. How can I assist?"
Ahsoka looks at Amidala. Reluctantly, Amidala with a sigh tells Organa.
"We need to find Obi-Wan."
Organa is truly surprised by this. "Is that wise?"
Ahsoka is next to speak. "We are on an important mission that cannot succeed without his help."
"No doubt" Organa says and then looks at Amidala. "But Kenobi went into hiding for a very good reason." He then turns to Ahsoka. "I am sworn to secrecy."
"I understand" Ahsoka says. "But if we are to have any hopes of success, we must speak with Obi-Wan."
Organa turns to Amidala. "Why are you doing this? You know what's at stake."
"I know" Amidala says. "But if she's right, and senators sides with the rebellion because of this, then we can fight them for real. We can hurt them. Hurt them for all they've done."
Organa eyes Amidala. "We fight to restore peace and justice. Not for vengeance, Padmé."
"I fight!" Amidala snaps. "All you do is talk in the senate! You talk all you want about justice. Just let me fight for what ever reason I feel like. And right now, that is all about killing them all."
Organa sighs. "I'm so sorry to see you like this. Im so sorry for what the war has done to you."
"The war?" Amidala says. "The war has done nothing to me that the Jedi have not already done."
Organa shakes his head. "You think Obi-Wan will help you, if you tell him that?"
Ahsoka cuts in. "He doesnt need to help her. He only needs to help me. Obi-Wan is alive, and the captain could lead me to him. And she took me here, because she says you are the only one who knows where he has gone to hide. I need to talk to Obi-Wan. The rebellion depends on it."
Organa gives it some thought. "Revealing his location could have grave consequences. Far more than you realize."
"Please" Ahsoka says. "Let me talk to him. He will understand why. And it will give the rebellion a fighting chance. No matter our motivations."
Organa eyes Ahsoka, then Amidala. "Alright" he says and turns to Ahsoka. "You will find Obi-Wan Kenobi on a backwater planet in the Outer Rim called Tatooine."
At that point, a five year old girl, a princess, comes running through the gardens, a nanny in hot pursuit.
"Daddy!"
The girl runs up to Organa and gives him a big hug.
"Im so sorry mylord" the nanny says. "It wont happen again."
"It's alright" Organa assures the nanny.
Amidala grows tense, clearly uncomfortable by the whole situation. Something that Ahsoka picks up on.
Organa kneels next to the girl. "Run along now, Leia. Go to your mother."
Leia, six years old, turns and looks at Amidala. Amidala doesnt move, doesnt breathe. Leia then walks over to Amidala and looks up at her and then finally takes her hand. Amidala pulls free and quickly leaves the scene. The nanny walks over to Leia and ushers her along. Leia looks over her shoulder at Amidala that is disappearing through the beautiful garden.
Organa walks over to Ahsoka. "Listen carefully. Do not compromise General Kenobi. There is more at stake here than you realize."
"So you said" Ahsoka responds. "Thank you for your help, senator. I will not let you down and betray your confidence."
Ahsoka leaves the gardens, heading after Amidala.
XXX XXX
On Amidalas ship, Ahsoka finds Amidala on her own.
"What happened down there?"
"None of your business" Amidala replies.
Ahsoka sits down and studies Amidala. "The child, the girl, she was remarkably strong in the Force. I admit, I did not expect that."
"Is that so."
"You served with my master during the Clone Wars, did you not?"
Amidala glances at Ahsoka. "I did. Anakin and I were both assigned to Organas battlegroup."
"I seem to recall you were reassigned… because of the emotions between you and my master."
Amidala turns angry eyes on Ahsoka. "That was before you became his padawan, as I remember it. So what would you know of it?"
"I was still young" Ahsoka admits. "But Grand Master Yoda himself picked me to be Anakins padawan. To be Skywalkers apprentice. He told me I would help him find focus and clarity again. But I remember that I failed. There was always something there that my master hid deep inside of him. Sadness. Longing." Ahsoka sighs and looks at Amidala. "Desire."
Amidala shakes her head. "Doesnt sound like something the Jedi Order would tolerate, now does it."
"Desire is a dangerous quality for a Jedi to possess" Ahsoka says. "But not as dangerous as love."
Amidala offers Ahsoka a glance.
Ahsoka turns grim. "I was there you know. The day the Republic assaulted the Jedi Temple. I was recovering from wounds in our hospital ward, when the clones attacked. I saw him… I climbed into a shuttle, draging a young padawan with me, and I saw him." They both make eye-contact, both are reminded of horrible events. "What made him do it? What turned him? Was it you? The girl?"
Amidala is silent. "The girl" she then says. "He did it to save her from the Jedi. So the Jedi would not take her from me…" Amidala wipes a tear from her face. "And now, she must hide from him instead." Amidala looks straight at Ahsoka. "Anakin Skywalker destroyed everything, killed everyone, to keep his children from the greedy hands of the Jedi."
"Children?" Ahsoka says, picking up on Amidals choice of words.
Amidala can barely contain her rage. "As far as Im concerned… all you Jedi can burn in hell."
To be continued…
