Whew! Sorry about the length on this one, but the Muse came after me and I couldn't escape! Anyway, here goes and enjoy. Disclaimer: I own nothing from Star Wars.
Chapter Seven: Deneva, To Arms!
Deneva was now a suffering planet, nothing like the glorious jewel she had left behind. Where there had once been green fields were work camps and factory buildings; it grieved her to see her people enslaved. Aliana guided her fighter to a relatively bare area, hoping against hope that the rumors of a resistance movement were true.
She entered the bar, looking and acting unobtrusively, hoping to listen in on the news. Often the more 'disreputable' establishments, and the accompanying patronage, had more accurate gossip and news than what the Empire allowed on the airwaves, so she ordered a drink and listened.
"They say the Rebellion's winning the war," one of the drinkers observed. She quietly nursed her drink and listened.
"How long do you think it'll take to overthrow the Empire?" another mused.
"Three-to-one odds says the Empire finishes them off within the week." A third drinker entered the conversation. Their banter continued, and she was just preparing to leave when she caught the word 'Deneva.'
"The Empire's got a new munitions factory on some planet called Deneva." She stayed in her seat and listened intently.
"Deneva? Never heard of it."
"Not surprised. The locals there don't really take to kindly to smugglers and bounty hunters. Plus the planet keeps to itself, a quite port of trade but not much else. Several years back they were still neutral in the Rebellion."
"What happened? Why the shift in power?"
"The Imps had the ruling family killed off, and took over. Ever since, several prominent families have gone into hiding, some have fled the planet, and from what I've heard some have formed a resistance movement. They're the only ones who'll truck with us smugglers: food and some small coinage in exchange for weapons and medical supplies."
She forced herself to appear calm and detached as she paid for her drink and left. Unused to the alcohol, she wobbled a little as she made her way back to her fighter. I'll have to sleep this off before I fly, she thought.
Aliana brought her mind back to focus as she landed the ship, and exited the fighter with caution. There seemed to be no one around, but she knew better than to take chances: many Denevans were good at stealth and tracking, and for all she knew the Imperials had similar training. If there's anyone watching me, they're good at hiding. First step is to make contact with the resistance, if it's here. If not, then I'll have to start stirring up trouble. Cautiously, she made her way to a town she'd seen overhead, but even her caution was useless. The first inkling she had of trouble was a feeling of being watched, a swishing sound, then a sharp pain as something hit her head. Aliana fell to the ground, and her vision blacked out.
Aliana came back to consciousness, feeling dirt under her back. She slit her eyes, carefully taking stock of her surroundings: her vision revealed a cavern-like space, with weapons and other supplies stacked in orderly columns. Men in varied uniforms moved around, except for the pair near her, guarding her she guessed. Her hands were bound, as were her feet, but Aliana knew it would be easy to escape her bonds. These guys aren't Imps, and they're not full Denevan military. My guess is that I've found the Denevan Resistance. She opened her eyes the rest of the way and attempted to stretch.
"So, she's awake," someone observed, nudging her with his boot.
"Didn't anyone teach you any manners?" Aliana smirked sardonically, noticing how all eyes were turning to them. Easy, Aliana, no need to alarm them. "I'm no threat to you."
"Really? Who are you, and don't try to lie because we know you're not the Princess." A harsh, grating male voice, one she recognized from her youth, rang out from the shadows of the cavern. Right where he would be, of course, she thought.
"I have no need to lie, Shadow, since your own eyes speak for themselves. However, if you need proof, I would be glad to provide it." With that, Aliana bounced upright, flung her bound arms over the head of one of her guards, and backed into a cavern wall. Hugging her arms around the poor man's neck, bringing him near to strangulation, she smirked at the shadowed visage that moved forward.
"Could anyone else move that quickly, without training? And who would know you for who you were, Shadow, except me? Besides, you forgot the most important thing: where was my body? Did you actually see my corpse, or did the Imps fool you with some badly disfigured carcass?" Aliana shook her head. "You've forgotten your training, and I must confess my disappointment."
"You're baiting me," the man murmured, amazed. "There was only one person who knew how to bait me like that." He moved out of the shadows, and Aliana clearly saw his face: he had aged greatly since she'd last seen him, but the shaggy gray head and predatory green eyes were exactly as she remembered. The operative for the Deneva Intelligence and Espionage simply stared at the young woman in front of him.
"True enough, Shadow," she smirked, raising her arms and allowing her captive to escape. "It was a close call, but I'm back, and ready to wreak havoc on the Imps."
"How do we know she's really Aliana?" another voice called from some distant corner of the cavern.
"I could try to prove myself over and over, but it wouldn't ever be enough. Or you could hear my side of the story and decide on your own whether or not to trust me. In either case, we're not getting anywhere at the moment." Her dark blue eyes swept the caverns, lighting on various patches from the Denevan militias, and several Eagle's Talon badges. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but in a military trial the accused always gets a chance to defend himself. At least, that's how things were when I was still in the Eagle's Talon."
"Very well then, madam," Shadow cut in, his harsh voice holding a faint trace of amusement. "Tell your story. If you are truly Aliana, how did you escape?"
Aliana's face fell; she knew this would come up, but the memories were still painful. "We guessed the Imps would try to remove us sooner or later, but we didn't know when. Pareus and I started planning our escape, and we were nearly ready when they attacked.
"It was only a matter of time before the Imps overwhelmed the palace, so we fled: Mother, Father, Pareus, and I. We got to the garden when Father told us to leave them; he and Mother stayed and faced Vader alone. Pareus and I hid in one of the hedges and watched Vader murder them." Her eyes filled with tears, but she didn't turn away.
"I knew it was going to happen, I'd been in countless battles without losing my composure, but I couldn't keep my mouth shut this time. Maybe it's different when it's someone you care about. I cried out, and the Imps spotted us. Pareus and I got separated as we ran, and I got hit in the leg by a blaster shot. Somehow I managed to lose them in the woods, and I got to the fighter and got away. I spent two years on a desert planet on the fringes of the galaxy, a few months with the Rebel Alliance, and now I've come back."
"I'm convinced you truly are Aliana. You couldn't have come back at a worse time, my lady." Shadow was clearly troubled. "The Imps are backing us into a corner, the people are scared, and the planet is generally in bad shape. We win a few victories here and there, but it's not enough by any means."
Aliana scowled. "Shadow, I've never known you to just give up. You're one of our best, so you should be the last person saying 'it's not enough.'" Her brow furrowed in thought, then her head shot up. "You say people are scared?"
"Most are, yes. There are some who are outspoken, but they're afraid to act on it, fearing for their families." Shadow glanced at her. "I've seen that look before. What's on your mind?"
A small smile graced the Princess's features. "I think it's time to cause some trouble."
A large explosion tore through the night sky as a munitions factory went up in flames. Simultaneously, the Imperial barracks exploded, taking out several enemy soldiers. Caught by surprise, and seeing two different areas exploding, none of the Imperial soldiers noticed the two black-clad figures slipping into the command post.
Aliana and Shadow moved through the command post, looking for any important communications or documents. It had been awhile for both of them, but they still remembered how to run a black op: keep to the shadows, neutralize the opposition silently, remember to get to your objective and out ASAP. Cracking the Imperial codes, Shadow started viewing the database while Aliana stood guard.
"Find anything?" she whispered.
"I'm copying their entire records base; shouldn't take more than a minute now," Shadow replied softly.
"Better hurry, looks like our distraction's winding down."
A few moments later, Shadow held up a data disc, an almost triumphant gleam in his eyes. "Got it."
"Good, let's go." Aliana checked the hall, and the two black-clad figures slipped away and melted into the night.
"Hope this was worth it. We hadn't mounted an intel op like this because we didn't have the resources." Shadow was running through the stolen data, looking for something useful.
"What was the first thing DIE taught you, Shadow?" Aliana smirked; the Denevan Intelligence and Espionage (DIE) had been the sole responsibility of the royal family for centuries on end, and in her time she had been its head (although no one ever knew that).
"'Even mundane things can provide extraordinary data.' I haven't forgotten," Shadow replied, expert eyes flying through the data. He stopped suddenly. "Aliana, look at this."
Aliana scanned the data, blue eyes flicking across the computer screen. "Well, this is something we can use. You see the date?"
"This is a few weeks old. In fact, it's dated two weeks before your arrival here." Shadow looked at her. "Did you have anything to do with this?"
"No, but I wish I did. This must have happened after I left." She brushed a stray strand of dark hair behind one ear. "Still, I think we can put this to use."
"How?"
"Trust me." An evil smirk formed on her face, and she exited the room.
The Imperial garrison commander was shocked beyond words. This is impossible! How could anyone have known? And now the rest of this accursed planet will rebel! Standing in the town square, he stared at the writing that had been sprayed on the Imperial Seal (erected in the square after the death of King Torinos Calion):
The Emperor Is Dead. Deneva, To Arms!
A crowd of people had already gathered, so the commander turned to his troops.
"Disperse these crowds, and get someone here to clean this off. I'll have no dissension on this planet." Trusting that his orders would be obeyed, he strode off. There were ways to crush dissent, ways and ways again. If necessary he would kill some of these wretched people, but for now martial law and hard labor would suffice.