Chapter Thirteen:
Leia couldn't remember the last time she had actually had a day off from the senate where her mother didn't have a schedule already planned. But maybe Padmé was feeling generous due to Leia still getting used to having Damielle in the house too, because so far the elder Vader hadn't called for her daughter.
Leia didn't hold anything against the other teenager: she was an honest worker, if a little... curious. Leia didn't quite feel comfortable leaving her work lying around when Damielle was present.
Well, at least not all of it. Still feeling burnt from Padmé's butting in on the time with Bail, Leia had begun compiling a more in-depth list of supplies the Alliance could possibly need. It was something she could do quietly, and today she considered passing along some key information to Bail, though Leia was understandably nervous about that.
But Leia wasn't ready to openly rebel. No, she needed more time... time to figure out what she wanted to do with her life.
"Princess?"
Leia looked up from her computer terminal, the surrounding library lit by the sun in a golden hue. There in the doorway stood Damielle, dressed in a much more casual outfit per Leia's request.
Leia saw no need to make her handmaiden wear a dress at all times. When they had company or needed to take care of business, that was one thing, but for just being around the house Leia let Damielle wear casual attire if she so chose.
"Yes Damielle?" Leia answered, meeting the other's green gaze.
"It's about lunch time; would you like me to make you a meal?" Damielle asked.
Leia glanced at her chrono. "Is it that time already?"
She considered, patting her chin with a stylus. She was about to reply when her datapad pinged an alert that a message had just come in. Leia glanced at it, and then took a closer look when she saw the sender.
Careful to keep her face neutral while Damielle was there, Leia picked up the 'pad and opened the document.
Leia,
I hope you will forgive my timing, but I was rather hoping we could meet this afternoon. Perhaps in the park, or I can meet you anywhere you'd like, but somewhere we can speak in private... if you can get away. I don't want to create more tension between you and your mother, but this concerns something we spoke of not too long ago. Please, contact me when you get this.
Bail.
Leia frowned a hair, wondering what exactly he was referring to. They had spoken a few times, after all...
A sound from the front room drew Leia's attention, and minutes later a blue and silver astromech droid rolled into Leia's library, tootling curiously at her.
"Hello Artoo." Leia greeted the astromech, and when he went on speaking, she began shuffling through her drawers. "Hold on, let me find the datapad Luke rigged for me..."
Luke had long ago created a datapad for Leia with which she could translate Artoo-Detoo's binary language. Oddly enough, Luke seemed to be able to understand the droid without one, and Leia wondered how much of that was learned and how much was instinctive intuition via the Force.
The reminder of her twin brought a pang of worry to the brunette, and she slowed her motions a little before she covered it up by withdrawing her find. "Here we go. Alright, ask me again, Artoo."
Have you seen Master Luke? Artoo repeated dutifully.
Leia blinked at the squat droid. "No... didn't you know?"
Know what, Princess?
Leia bit her lip, and then looked to Damielle. "Leave us please."
The redhead bowed and left silently, and once Leia had confirmed she was gone, she used the Force to shut the door. Then she turned back to Artoo, rising and placing a hand to his dome.
"Artoo, Luke... he didn't come back," Leia murmured.
He what?! Artoo squealed. Is he lost?
Leia sighed, feeling like a teacher telling a child there was no gift-bringer for the winter holidays. But then again, Artoo was kept in the hangar bay staff by their father— who seemed only to keep Artoo because he was handy— so the droid really wouldn't have heard. Not that many others had, Leia recalled. Her family was keeping Luke's absence under wraps at the moment.
Artoo had certainly proven his worth over the years as far as Leia was concerned, but since she didn't regularly work on ships and mechanics like her father and twin brother, she didn't have frequent contact with the droid.
Luke on the other hand... he and Artoo had formed a deep bond, one that had begun when Luke was still in his single-digit years. Luke had found his way to one of the hangars that housed ships and other mechanical things that had been commandeered and taken in by the Emperor but not disposed of. At this discovery the youth had taken to working on one thing or another there, and over the years Luke had spent many hours there venting his fears, frustration or other emotions in the form of grunt work.
As for Artoo, the droid had found the boy one night working on a starfighter, weeping as he went after a particularly harsh day of Vader's training. Or rather, the blunt and open disapproval of the lack of progress Luke had been making.
"No Artoo," Leia said sadly. "He ran away."
Artoo stared at her for long seconds, and Leia could practically feel the sadness rolling off of the mechanical being as the poor thing leaned forward slowly and let out a mournful whistle.
Leia couldn't help the emotion that clogged her throat, and in the face of such open and innocent sorrow, she couldn't remain straight-faced. Leia closed her eyes, cold tears that she had kept at bay all this time finally surfacing to slip in silent tracks down her cheeks.
Leia knelt beside Artoo-Detoo and leaned against him. "I miss him also, Artoo. He's my best friend... my twin. And I can't be angry with him for trying to get away from..." Leia paused, and then spoke the last bitterly, waving hand, "all this."
Artoo warbled softly, and Leia went on. "But it's still so lonely without him. I have no one to talk to anymore, and I wish... I wish I could leave too, but that would never work. But at the same time I am terrified for Luke. What will Vader do when he finally catches up to Luke, Artoo?"
Artoo looked to her, his photoreceptor blinking steadily for a moment. If Master Vader hurts Master Luke, I will do what I can to help Luke.
Leia did a slight double-take. "What do you mean?"
Master Anakin was a wonderful human to serve under... Artoo replied, and Leia heard the wistful tone in his remarks. But ever since... he became Darth Vader, he isn't the same, and I miss my old master. But Master Luke is my friend too... since Mistress Padmé reprogrammed Threepio. I will protect and help Master Luke if it costs me my mechanical life.
Leia regarded the mechanical being, seeing again why he had been kept around. Such a droid as this was indeed a rarity to be found. Leia found it deeply touching— and comforting— that he would be willing to risk everything for Luke. And that gave Leia cause to smile, albeit softly.
"I hope that day never comes, but if it does, I know I can trust you," Leia whispered, biting her lip and glancing at her computer. "But for now, can you do something for me?"
Anything for you, Mistress Leia.
"I have a... secret file on my computer I need you to make a copy of in case I need a backup." Leia spoke so her voice wouldn't carry beyond the two of them.
Artoo whistled in surprise, and then wheeled over to her terminal to plug in. Leia watched as the droid happily and easily did as she requested until at long last he unplugged and rolled back over to her with a confirming twitter.
"Thank you, Artoo." Leia patted his dome and then glanced at her datapad. "I need a way out of the Palace..."
Artoo looked to her, bleeping questioningly.
"I need to meet a friend, but I don't want Mother to freak out and blow things out of proportion." Leia sighed, sitting in her chair once more.
Why not take your new friend and go for a walk, and then slip out via the worker's entrance in the lower-level gardens? Artoo suggested.
Leia turned to regard the squat droid. "Aren't those locked and shielded?"
They can be unlocked. Artoo replied leadingly. I will see to it that one of them is shut down and the security notice dismissed.
He rolled away before she could stop him, and once he was gone, Leia shook her head with a quiet laugh. It was no wonder Artoo had managed to last this long. He had spunk, that was for certain, and wasn't afraid to push boundaries and do what he felt was needed.
Leia considered the rest of his suggestion and pursed her lips, thinking it over. A walk to the gardens would not require any guards, since she would not be leaving the building... but nor did Leia want Damielle to come along for the meet with Bail.
She could always send Damielle on a job, she supposed.
Her mind made up, Leia called her handmaiden back in and soon after the pair were making their way to the lower-level gardens.
00000
Luke's arm stung sharply and his head throbbed, but he willed himself to ignore the pain as the Millennium Falcon finally came into view. Luke drew to a stop and exited the speeder, making his way onboard swiftly.
"Han?"
A clang sounded from deep inside the ship, and Luke followed the noise. "Han?"
A head poked up and around an open floor panel, and Han's hazel eyes gazed back at Luke. "Yeah, what is it?"
"Please tell me the Falcon is ready to fly?" Luke asked, one hand covering his arm.
Han narrowed his eyes at Luke's state of being. "Not yet... why? What in space happened to you?"
"The Jikati pirates are looking for us, and I had a run-in with three of them." Luke admitted.
Han swore colorfully and ducked back down. "We can hustle then. Why don't you go help Chewie with the housing unit?"
"Alright." Luke turned and did just that, coming up beside the Wookiee and nodding in greeting. "I'm here to help."
[Good, can you hold the part so it stops slipping as I try to secure it?] Chewbacca instructed.
Luke nodded once and complied. As the Wookiee worked, he noticed Luke's bloodied arm. [What happened to you?]
Luke sighed. "The pirates caught up to me, or rather a scouting group of them did, but it won't take long for Zolar to follow up on them."
Chewie sighed, withholding his question on whether Velius had told Han. Chewie knew that the young man had already done so: that was why he was here. Han would have sent Velius to help somewhere he could be supervised since their timeline was now shortened.
[How did you get back so quickly?] Chewie asked as an afterthought once half the housing unit was bolted in place.
"The pirates I met are dead, so they didn't need the speeder... and I did," the young man answered.
Chewie turned his head toward Luke as he tightened yet another bolt. [Death tends to follow Inquisitors everywhere they go. Even, it would seem, when they try to avoid it.]
Velius' shoulders slumped and Chewie saw something odd flickered across the boy's gaze, but it was gone so swiftly that Chewie couldn't identify it.
"I know," Velius finally whispered. "But can we not talk about that, please?"
Chewie lifted a brow, but then acquiesced.
00000
Leia had to make two rounds of the gardens before she finally found the correct door Artoo had rigged for her. Only then did she turn to Damielle.
"I think I would like lunch now. Please go start on that, and I will be along later." Leia instructed.
"Yes, Milady," Damielle murmured, and she walked away.
Leia finished her current circuit of the garden to keep up appearances should anyone be looking. As she neared her destination, Leia looked surreptitiously about and then detoured swiftly and silently to the exit. In the dark shadows of the short hallway, Leia noticed that where there should have been an active security camera, there was nothing but a dead camera courtesy of Artoo.
With a tiny smile, Leia pulled out a hooded robe she'd smuggled under her gown and donned it. Once she was outside the walls, Leia walked calmly along for several meters before she pulled out her datapad and told Bail to meet her at a cantina near Dex's Diner, which was a good half-hour walk away from the Imperial Palace.
She was gratified to get a swift reply and Leia continued her walk, utilizing her training as a Shadow to blend in with the crowd and appear unimportant. It wasn't completely unusual for people to wear hooded robes, after all.
Leia felt a sliver of apprehension the further away from the palace she moved, wondering if she would be noticed missing, and if she could get back before anyone realized she really was.
But Leia pushed on, keeping a level head until she at last entered the correct facility. She paused briefly in the doorway, unaffected by the few stares sent her way by patrons already inside. Once her gaze roamed the place and confirmed that Bail hadn't come yet, Leia took a seat in a corner booth.
A waitress came to take her order, and Leia chose something simple that she could pretend to sip to keep up appearances. After another ten minutes, the door opened again and though the figure who strode through was also hooded, she recognized his presence.
Leia saw Bail's hood turn her direction, and she nodded once deliberately.
The senator walked her way and took the seat opposite her. The waitress returned for his order, and while the pair waited, Bail spoke softly.
"Are you alright? Have they... hurt you?"
Leia's brow furrowed softly. "No, not really."
Bail relaxed. "Good. That is good to hear."
The man's drink came then, and the pair spent a moment playing the part of two friends there for a drink for a couple minutes. Then Leia straightened, leaning across the table some.
"Why am I here, Bail?" Leia asked softly.
"Do you remember our conversation in the Senate not too long ago?" Bail replied evenly. "When you admitted to a lower level you and the... um, your brother were afraid of?"
Leia's brow lifted, and she shifted uncomfortably. "Yes... why?"
Bail's lips lifted minutely, and he moved a hand across the table to rest above hers. "I think I have a way to get proof of things that go on down there."
Leia hesitated, but she couldn't deny that she was intrigued. "What do you have in mind?"
Bail released her hand and reached into his robes to pull a small container out of a hidden pouch. "Open it."
Leia frowned, eyeing the simple wooden box in indecision before her need to know bested her wariness. Besides, she trusted Bail.
Leia lifted the clasp and then the lid, opening the container only enough to get a proper look. She had to take a moment to study the two items within before squinting up at Bail.
"...what are they?"
"Spy droids that one of our techs put together," Bail replied. "These things are small enough to be able to roam around undetected and they can record and send data out on an untraceable frequency only the Alliance has the codes to."
Leia felt understanding dawn and she looked to the tiny spider-like droids in a new light. "I can see that now. But why show them to me?"
Bail again reached across the table, but stopped just short of taking her hand. "We need you to get them down there for us. We don't know how to get to sublevel twelve, Leia, only those who have been there do."
Leia's heart skipped a beat. "I can't go down there, Bail, I already told you."
"Leia, we need our help... I need your help." Bail pleaded gently, but his eyes were earnest. "I know it's dangerous, and scary, and I am asking a lot of you... but you need to be brave, and be your own person. I will help you however I can, and protect you the best I am able."
Leia shook her head. "Let's forget that you are with the Rebellion for just a moment: I can't just go down to sublevel twelve! I'd need a valid reason to avoid instant suspicion, and I don't have one. And even if I did... I don't know if I can stomach returning to that floor."
Bail considered. "May I be blunt?"
Leia was wary, but nodded once.
"If Prince Luke could attempt to break away, why can't you do so also?" Bail whispered.
Leia balked. "How did you know... it's not been made public!"
Bail gave her a patient look. "I have my resources, Leia. I know he's missing... and I am actually proud of him for trying to make it alone."
"Until he gets caught!" Leia snapped, unintentionally harsh.
Bail tilted her head, hearing the underlying fright: fear of Luke's future... and if he had one.
"Leia, doing the right thing is rarely easy," Bail murmured. "But it's always worth it in the long run. The question you need to ask yourself is what are you willing to do to see yourself out of the life you live right now?"
At Leia's instinctive attempt at a rebuttal, he carried on over her, pointedly. "You are the only one who can change your reality, Leia. You can fight; you can make your own destiny, no matter the obstacles. I have seen you grow, have watched you blossom from a little child into a stalwart and beautiful young woman. You have greatness in you, Leia, not because of your birthright, but because of your strength of character. You are a true leader, a fighter... a winner. And if you were my flesh and blood, I would be the proudest father in the galaxy."
Leia stared for long seconds, simply computing the man's words before she lowered her gaze to the box in her grasp. Such kind, honest words... the kind of words that should have come from her own father or mother, but hadn't for years. The desire to be strong like Bail— like Luke— warred greatly with her fear of retribution from her parents.
Unfortunately, her fear won out, and Leia shook her head. "I... I can't."
Bail sighed softly, and Leia began sliding the container back to him, but he held up a hand. "Keep them with you just in case. I understand your fear. You just need the right push, is all."
Leia almost refused... but something in her caused the princess to tuck the container into her robe anyway. Then she recalled what else she'd come here for, and produced a datachip.
She slid it across to Bail. "Information you may find... useful. I will deny any involvement if you try to use my name as a source."
While his eyebrows rose in surprise, Leia stood, left enough credits on the table to cover both drinks and then left.
