*** Chapter 15 ***

Padme would be perceived as experienced politician while in her throne room on Theeds, her time in the Lake Country welcomed a contrast to formal political life. For a short time each summer, the political decision making on Theeds would come to a halt and Padme along with her parents and siblings would retreat. Her time in the lake country would be the one time a year where she could truly be a child.

The Life and Times of Amidala, the People's Queen, By: Softa Jiane, Oralist and Historian

Han and Chewie had very little expectation as to what was to occur on Leona. The Falon's computer was limited. The plant was so small and useless, it had evaded imperial notice, but it was populated enough that a rebel base would have drawn too much attention. It was, like all the planet's Han had been visiting, in the outer rim.

Han entered the planet's atmosphere and requested a docking bay.

"What do you mean all the docking bays are full, who even comes to this planet." Han was frustrated, he had his doubts about even coming to this planet and Chewie had objected outright.

"Captain, you misunderstand, we do not have docking bays on Leona, just an open-air landing pad, but the fees are reasonable. You'll be on landing pad 1." The grainy, slightly broken voice on the com terminated the conversation.

Han was a bit taken a back, during his time in the rebellion, there had been a few scouting missions without a docking bay, but those were rare and as a smuggler, docking bays were essential to smuggling goods. Having an open-air landing pad did not conceal illicit goods with any efficiency. In addition, open air was a security risk, allowing open access to the Falcon to whoever may be walking by.

As the clouds cleared, Han looked down at the planet. It was mostly a scrubby brown broken up by small bodies of green water disproportionate to the rest of the planet. As the Falcon raced down to the surface, Han was able to make out that the brown dirt was slightly darker than the brown shrubs that accounted for the planet's foliage.

The one advantage to an open-air docking bay is that is made a quick easy landing. No tight corners or slots to maneuver. Han set the Falcon down but did not instantly go to open the door. He instead punched the comm unit, hoping to message Leia, or at least check for a Holo. The screen did not light up and he was unable to put in Leia's frequency.

"Chewie, did you put the Comm Unit back together." Han asked to his Co-Pilot.

"GRRRRRWEREEWW."

"What do you mean the Comm Units down?"

"HRRRRRERREREHEHR."

"I couldn't get the Comm Fib Wire. I was being shot at."

"RRRRRRTENTTTTER."

"Oh no, you took it apart, you figure out how to fix it."

"RRRRRRRTERERRRER."

"Yeah, by the time we leave."

The argument could have gone on for a lot longer had they been stuck on the Falcon careening through space at light speed. Arguing was a sort of deep space past time, but now that they were planet side, there was very little reason to continue the argument. Han punched the airlock next to the door of the Falcon and entered into the chilly dim exterior of Leona.

"Hello there, I'm Shamus Montague, Mayor of Kuela, capital city of Leona ." Said a stout little man with white hair and a mustache. His clothes were made of a brown, homespun cloth just a tad darker than the planet itself. He seemed to be waiting on the landing pad.

"I've never been greeted by the mayor of a city before." Han looked beyond where the mayor was standing to the "City" which seemed to consist of just a few dozen small squat buildings.

"I greet all the off-world visitors to Kuela, it's my job." The Mayor explained. "Who might you be."

"Han Solo and this is my first mate, Chewbacca." Han did not offer any additional information, even as the mayor looked at him, waiting.

The silence had long grown awkward when the mayor asked, "What brings you to our little planet, we don't get visitors often."

"I thought we'd stop by for a drink, and we need Comm Fib Wire." Han was casual in his explanation, but just by landing on this out of the way planet, he had attracted attention.

"Long way to come for a drink and you could have gotten Comm Fib Wire on pretty much any populated planted in the galaxy." Shamus noted.

"Can you show me where to get that drink?" Han changed tactics. He was starting to suspect that the Rodent on Vitolo had been trying to lead him off the path. Certainly Leona could not be the center of an intergalactic conspiracy preventing the New Republic from purchasing spacecraft. Even so, Han had been around long enough to know that nothing was ever as it seemed.

"I'll take you to the finest pub in Kuela,"

"Anything else available, how about the least fine pub in Keula?" Han asked, mostly in jest, but also interested. What he was looking for was not likely to be occur in the finest pub.

"Ok it's the only pub in Kuela, so it's your only option for a drink." The Mayor explained.

"Right, well I guess we are going to the finest pub in Kuela." Han agreed.

The Mayor started walking into the town and Han and Chewie followed, Han pulled his jacket closer to his body in attempt to ward off the chill from the aggressive wind. The Mayor seemed unfazed by the climate.

When they reached the Pub, Chewie growled, and took his leave from the party in order to find the Com Fib Wire. These unproductive New Republic missions were not Chewie's speed and he typically preferred any activity besides drinking in the seedy pubs on the back-water worlds they spent so much of their time.

The pub itself, called only Kuela Pub, was unlike anything Han had ever experienced before and that was a feat. Han had been to a countless number of pubs, taverns, lounges, cantinas and bars over the years.

This one, was by far the smallest. A wooden bar on one side of the room with seating for four and two rustic wooden tables, each also seating four. Behind the bar there were a couple of bottles of clear and brown liquid, but the options seemed limited. The pub felt more like the dining room of a small private residence than any place Han had had a drink. There were only two occupants of the bar, a man on one of the stools, nursing a small glass. His long dark hair hung greasy off his head and his skin had a yellow tint to it. Han knew the look; the man was not far off from drowning at the bottom of the bottle he had been living in for years. Han also knew that this was the least helpful person in the bar, drink had dulled their sense for long enough that they had stopped noticing the nose attached to their face, let alone this mystery of the inability to buy spacecraft.

The other occupant was a lady a decade or so older than Han. She had long blond hair wrapped up into a simple twist on the back of her head. Like the mayor, she wore brown homespun clothing and she had a comfortable stance. Her skin was wrinkled, but it gave her a sense of gravitas rather than age. In this setting she was likely the proprietor and only bar keep.

"Shamus and visitor…." She said, her voice had a huskiness about it that it made it feel substantial.

"Mira, this is Han Solo, he came all the way from…. Where did you come from?" The Mayor asked Han.

"I didn't say." Han did not offer anything else, knowing this probably made him seem even more mysterious and therefore dangerous to these simple people.

"Well, he's come all the way to our little Planet for a drink." The Mayor explained.

"Has he now, I don't get off worlders often, but I make the best hooch on the planet." Mira explained.

"You make the only hooch," The mayor mumbled.

"And it's the best," Mira exclaimed loudly as she pulled out two more little glasses and poured in the homemade liquor and set it on the bar.

Han had had enough drinks in the galaxy to know the etiquette and waited for the mayor to pick up his glass before he took his own. "Cheers," The mayor said grimly and then held his glass up for just a second before he tipped it to his lips and swallowed the contents in one gulp. Han followed the motions, grimacing as the rough liquor hit his throat. He had had worse over the years, but he could count the instance on one hand.

"You've had your drink." The mayor stood from his stool and headed to the door, waiting for Han to follow.

"I'm going to have another, unless I am breaking sort of Leona rule on how much outsiders are allowed to consume."

"No, no, not at all." He looked between the door and Han, unsure what he was supposed to do.

"It's alright Shamus, he seems harmless enough." Mira assured as she poured Han a second glass of the clear liquor.

"I'm sure he is," Shamus said as he looked down at the blaster laying against the blood strip that lined Han's thigh.

"Don't you need to go over the Crofward farm, something about busted irrigation." Mira's voice was smooth and persuasive. Han was hopeful, did she have a reason to send the mayor away, so she could talk to Han without this man ease dropping.

"Right, I guess I do." The mayor said, took a moment to look Han up and down and then without another moment of hesitation pushed open the door of the pub and walked out.

Once the door closed again, Mira knocked her closed fist in front of the drunk at the bar. If he had noticed Han and the Mayor he had not shown any sign, but this seemed to stir him from his inebriation. "Vic, go home and take a shower, you smell." Mira yelled at the man while she took his glass away.

"Huh," He said lazily, the slur in his voice evident with even this short word.

"Home, now, your cut off." Mira rapped her knuckles on the bar with each word.

"Hmmm," the drunk said, as pulled himself off the stool and stumbled out of the pub. Mira, on his heels, locked the door behind the man.

Han unconsciously checked for the blaster on his hip.

"Your fine, I'm not going to do anything," Mira said as she noticed Han reach down.

"What then, you just want to scare me off the planet." Han replied.

"I'm more curious as to why you are here to begin with. You're not Imperial, you don't look it and they always thought our little planet as more hassle than it's worth. Our only crop is a tasteless fibrous root with little nutritional value that produces harsh liquor at best and tasteless soups at worst. The Bantha we raise here are tough, flavorless and expensive and we are so isolated that any sort of manufacturing makes little sense from an economic prospective."

"I could've told you I wasn't imperial." Han added, but did not provide additional information, he was interested in what she would reveal.

"You could be New Republic, but they seem busy enough that it's unlikely they would come knocking when the Empire never did."

Han was surprised, he was sure this would be one of the planets that had yet to hear or care about the war.

"Oh, don't be surprised, sure not everyone keeps up with the news on our little planet, but for those who have lived off world for anytime, it sure beats news of who's Bantha is fowling this week." Mira explained.

"You've been off world?" Han asked.

"Judgmental, but yes, in my younger days I worked for a trading company based on a mid-rim world called Naboo."

"Why'd you ever come back?"

"Ahhh, you ask good questions, but like all stories, it makes more sense if I start for the beginning. It's kind of a long story." Mira said as she took down another small glass and poured herself of glass of the liquor.

"I have time, and you seem to have the time." Han postulated.

"That I do." Mira swung around the bar and took a bar stool. "I left Leona, oh has to be nearly 30 years ago now. The Old Republic was still around, but the galaxy was in the middle of the Clone wars. I had won a spot at a University on Naboo to study Chemistry. Naboo's not Coruscant, but from someone from this place, pretty much everywhere is somewhere."

"I'm getting your whole life story, aren't I?" Han huffed.

"I don't get a lot of visitors and I like to talk. Anyway, it cost a small fortune to just to get off this rock and University was not cheap nor easy. I had a little bit help from the Old Republic but by my second year, the funding went away almost competently, there was a war to fund after all, and I needed to find work. There was a small trading company on Naboo, just 30 or so people and they let me do small things, office mainly, around my study schedule. Soon, school fell by wayside and I took a full-time position at the trading company. I did logistics, booking ships, scheduling cargo and stuff like that. I traveled a bit but mostly I stayed on Naboo. When the Old Republic fell, and the Emperor took over, it was almost a non-issue. Our company was small and didn't do anything amazing, mostly spare parts for household appliance and some cargo ship parts and Naboo was always shielded from the worst. I worked at the House of Madden, under Saren Madden for nearly 15 years, mostly happy. The pay was good, Naboo never lost its novelty, I could always catch ride on cargo ship on my Holidays for free. Madam Madden was a good boss, but she died and her daughter Rajel took over the over the company."

Mira paused and took a swig of the liquor, Han realized it was more for effect than anything, a chance to change the ton of the story.

"Rajel had served the Empire it's early days and she admired what it had done. When her mother died, and Rajel had freedom to take over the family business, she saw it as an opportunity to build her own mini empire. Rajel Madden was not a fair boss, fair pay meant less opportunity for her to grow her business. Rajel demanded her employees work more for less. Being tenured meant nearly nothing, Rajel instead choose to build management from her former Imperial cohorts. The company grew rapidly and in the five years after the death of Saren, the company had grown to nearly 1,000 employees and the cargo had graduated from spare parts to full starfighters. I was the most miserable I had ever been. I was working nearly around the clock and woman I had been with for nearly a decade left me. I was never around and when I was, I was grumpy, exhausted and depressed. The beautiful planet of Naboo which I considered my home, in some ways more than Leona, lost its luster. By that point the Empire had grown and the opportunities to find employment with anyone else besides the Empire was essentially nonexistent. So, I returned home, and my life is dull, but I'm happy." Mira stopped, it seemed like an ending.

Han took the small glass and drained what remained. He fished a couple of credits out his pockets and placed them on the bar. "Thanks for the story, but it's not exactly what I'm looking for."

"Stories not over," Mira said as she refilled both of their glasses.

"It turns out when you work with the same 30 people for 15 years, you become like family, especially if your family far away is in some remote part of the galaxy you never get to. We stayed in contact, mostly just holos on birthdays and holidays. The ones that stayed with the house would call and vent about how bad things were and then we would reminisce about the good old days. That lasted for a few years and then we got busy and for five years I heard very little from friends off world. That was until six months ago, when my friend Ziekle had called. Ziekle had stuck with the House Madden, he was one of the last of our group and he had achieved a position in her management, despite the odds. He called to explain that Rajel Madden was not just interested in building out a shipping empire, but she was interested in being the Empire. With the actual Empire gone, Rajel could start her bid for power."

"I've not heard of her," Han took a sip of his drink, attempting to determine if any of this was true.

"You wouldn't, none of this is common knowledge. Rajel is not stupid and she is extremely patient. You see, she realized that she didn't need to actual fight a full-on war, she just needed to make sure that what remained of the Empire did not survive and that the New Republic was starved for resources. Then, she would be strong enough to step in."

"That's why no one will sell us starfighters?" Han questioned.

"Yeah, the House of Madden has placed a moratorium of anyone selling space craft to the New Republic."

"But how are the enforcing it, it makes no senses?"

"You don't get it, the House of Madden may not be a household name, but something like 70% of all spacecraft passes through her control. Is she says no, everyone else must follow or risk destroying their business."

"Son of a …. Why me tell me this. How'd I end up here" Han had no issue holding back his anger.

"Well, you see, Original House of Madden, the small group I worked with, well we were pretty agnostic when it came to politics, especially the intergalactic kind, because they never seemed affect us. As long as we were free to trade, we were free. When Rajel came along and we realized we were not free anywhere else, we became real opinionated real quick about our politics. No love was lost when the Empire fell and knowing that Rajel Madden could be an equal threat, well we decided to something about."

"What'd you do?" Han asked, curious.

"We told you."

"I don't understand."

"My friend Ziekle figured that at some point one of us, well not me because I live here, but one of the others would run into someone from New Republic and they would send them to me. Leona so isolated that any visitor would raise enough suspicion and I know exactly when I need to tell this story. And, if they come here, they'd live long enough to get off planet and tell someone."

"Clever, report the threat to a bigger entity."

"Pretty much, so you who told you to come to Leona?"

"A giant rodent?"

"Oh, Lin-Lin, good to know she's still alive, she had quite the habit of getting into trouble."

Han elected to not tell Mira about the fate of her friend. Someone else could deliver the bad news.

"Anything else." Han said and took another sip from the tumbler.

"No, that's the story. The House Madden is threat, it needs to be stopped.

"Thanks, for this." Han said with a nod.

"Hmm, don't think me, just make sure this information gets somewhere."

Han nodded and then walked out of the pub and into the brisk winds of Leona. The walk was short, but it gave Han enough information to realize that the sort of investigation needed was over his head. There would need to a proper intelligence investigation into the house of Madden.

When Han got back to Falcon he noted that Chewie was already there.

"You get the Comm Fib Wire," Han yelled out as he secured the air lock.

"RRRRRRRIROWLELDID,"

"Great, any messages."

"RORORORORRMMMRR."

"Leia, called."

"RRRRRRRRREWEWER."

"Alright, alright." Han replied as he started the holo. Leia's youthful face appearing.

"Han, I was hoping to actually reach you, but I guess this will have to do. I'm on mid rim planet called Naboo. Luke's here, kids exhausted though. This place is beautiful, but it already seems like it's going to be a lot of work. You know drill, if you can get away, come find me. Anyway, I love."

The message ended and Han immediately attempted Leia. He was relieved to hear the familiar click when a Holo called had been answered.

"Master Solo, oh it is so great that you have called." The modulated voice of C-3PO filtered into the Falcon.

"Goldenrod, can you get Leia, it's important."

"Oh, Master Solo, I'm afraid that's not possible."

"And why is that?"

"Princess Leia went on an errand to find Master Luke and she has not yet returned."

"Well, did she say where she was going," Han demanded, he never had much patience with the droid and now he had none.

"Oh, I'm afraid not, Master Solo."

"Ok, Ok, tell her to call as soon as she returns."

"Yes Master So….." Han terminated the connection before the droid could finish his sentence.

"RRRRRRRREEREEEE."

"Yeah, I'll tell you what happened, but first we need to set course to Naboo." Han was worried, the House of Madden may not have gone public yet, but have top New Republic officials arriving on Naboo it would be too much of an opportunity to pass up for any wannabe empire. And with Leia on some sort of errand, things seemed wrong.