On the second day of speeches, Nominee Leia Organa Solo took the floor.

Leia spoke of the future. She said that silencing any argument by force would only extend the war, for all sentient beings had the right to be heard, all beings had the right to life, all beings had the right of survival. Leia Organa Solo—and she choked to say her own name—no longer had a System to represent, no longer had a royalty to claim, for Alderaan was destroyed by the Empire. As an original member of the Senate, she understood the depths of politics, and she knew the risks and complications of corruption first hand. As a Jedi in training, of the New Jedi Order, it was her intrinsic duty to use her vast political skills to force a conversation, to facilitate compromise, to control arguments only to maintain fairness, and to forever manage—doing whatever it took—to uphold the Cease Fire.

"From the onset of his Senator-ship, Palpatine sowed the seeds of division amongst us, starting with Jedi Anakin Skywalker and Jedi Obi Wan Kenobi. We all know this. If you want a bloodline to be in charge, you have it. Obi Wan Kenobi was his grandfather and her grandfather. If you want a bloodline to the other half of this division, you have it. Because Anakin Skywalker was my father. And his father."

She let that pause for everyone to calm from the shock of her admission, and concluded.

"The four of us are borne from a family divided by Palpatine. Everyone in this room is borne by a family divided by Palpatine. I ask you to allow me the opportunity to facilitate the healing."

They stayed an hour late that night before ringing the closing bell so that the last of the nominees could get through their speeches. Nik concluded the day with the announcement that voting would commence tomorrow.

And the cease fire held.

Now with a speeder of their own, Luke and Kess took this evening to seek out and find Vanech's whorehouse. The place was closed for business. It took one of the occupants to recognize them through the peephole before the door opened. Many of the women were covered in warm exercise clothes and comfy pajamas as they watched the Newsnets together, intense in their own discussion of political opinions. Not surprisingly, this family had been following the battle and Senate debates, now streaming live on several channels whether the Empire liked it or not.

As the two Jedi (now galactically more famous now than a week ago) walked into the lush foyer and requested to speak with Saffron, the prostitutes all sat up from their couches with big eyes and alarm.

Kess recognized many of them even if they didn't quite recognize her. Frieda pointed at her and blurted, "You're the Togrutan!"

She nodded to admit it. "I am."

They murmured at each other, mostly questioning Frieda for further understanding of the reference. Anacap pointed harder at the vid screen in anger. "Is this what that was about?"

Kess nodded again and realized she didn't know in which political direction these women swayed. She shrugged with sympathy. "It was the only way to stop the war."

Saffron rushed out from somewhere in the back, shushing her staff with a gesture, and demanded answers with cold eyes alone.

Luke rubbed his lips and faced her with respect. "I'm sorry."

Saffron dropped her sights to the floor.

"After Petra's party, someone followed Vanech back to our ship and brought the guard with them. Vanech killed her and escaped with us."

"Laha," Kess put in respectfully. "It was Laha."

Saffron's eyes sliced at Kess and then sliced at Luke for more.

Luke continued, "He agreed to come to Yavin 4 so I could help him relearn some of his old Jedi training. And he did. He struggled, but he did. He agreed to help the Alliance in ways to make this attack end as fast as it could. And what he asked for in return . . . was for us to help you."

"Help us with what?"

"Safety and economic security for 323 employees." He glanced out at this small gathering now listening to this tale from the living room. "I'm assuming there's more of you out there?"

Saffron spoke in a murmur. "We have nine houses." She wasn't responding to this like she'd lost a lover, more like she'd lost a good friend and long time colleague, but it was still a loss.

Luke and Kess gave her all their contact information, including the address of where they were staying on Coruscant, and invited her and any employees to call for help if they needed it. Luke added, "But remember, we're still Jedi. Not hired thugs. Whatever help you need will have to come in a form that fits our principles."

Saffron flashed a smile of wry humor that he felt the need to say that, and nodded again. "I understand." She wasn't exactly grateful, but she thanked them anyway. Luke and Kess bid the others a respectful goodbye and left.

Back in the speeder that still smelled like new plastic, Kess and Luke paused before returning to the foreign home that still smelled of carpet shampoo and paint. Kess watched the people moving up and down the street, the neon lights and crazy clothes. Luke gazed at the buildings that towered beyond his sights through the other window.

"You didn't tell her everything," she said. In truth, he didn't tell Kess anything, but she could sense his careful wording when he was addressing Saffron.

Luke rubbed his lips and looked at his own lap.

Kess looked over at him. "What happened to Vanech?"

"He um, he split off from the unit and went on a rampage, leaving a lot of bodies. Almost like some kind of trail of crumbs for me to find him. . . . I found him in the underworks, sitting by a statue, smoking a death stick. He thanked me for trying to help him . . . and he blew himself up with a grenade."

Kess closed her eyes for a moment at it, but Luke noticed that she wasn't entirely surprised by this report.

"He had lost his daughter," she explained. "That's what turned him."

Now it was Luke to close his eyes.

"She was twelve."

For a moment, Luke let himself feel a shade of Zach's internal torture, but he nodded. Now he understood why Luke couldn't help him. Thinking back, even if Luke understood the source of Zach's pain in the beginning, he wasn't confident he would have been able to reach the man.

Indecisive of what to do next, and unenergetic to do anything anyway, Luke and Kess sat in the parked speeder for a long while longer, staring out of separate windows, and blindly held hands.