Chapter Twenty
As Picard and Beverly bid farewell to Michelle and Deanna, they boarded the airbus with Leia Organa-Solo, her husband Han and the wookie Chewbacca. The airbus merged with the nearest traffic flow going their direction; looking around him at the continuous city that stretched from horizon to horizon made Picard feel very small. In his travels, he thought he had seen large cities, but none of them even began to compare to the city-planet he found himself on now. In contrast to the vista of metal, glass and other building materials before him, even the largest of the cities he had seen before were little more than quaint, provincial villages.
Turning to Leia, he said, "Your highness, I familiarized myself with Coruscant from the data-banks aboard the Redemption on my way here, but can you tell me about it from the point of view of someone who has lived here?" Leia turned her eyes to Picard from the question she had just answered from Beverly and said with a smile, "I think you and my brother Luke would enjoy debating about points of view. Coruscant has been the socio-political center for our entire galaxy for as long as we have recorded history for. It has been and always will be. No one knows how long ago sentient life settled here or for how long it has been the seat of whatever government was in power at the time. In the days of the Old Republic to the turbulence of the civil war when Palpatine renamed it Imperial Center, to our current times of the New Republic, Coruscant has existed. Luke once told me about when he first met See Threepio and was asked by him what planet he was on. He told me that he told Threepio, 'If there's a bright center to the universe, you're on the planet that is farthest from it,' even there on the outer rim where Luke had grown up, Coruscant was known as the center of things."
"From my point of view, living here is no easier or harder for me than living on my homeworld of Alderaan before it was destroyed by the first Death Star. I've always been in cities large and small, from my earliest conscious childhood memories. People of all races are born here, they live, start families of their own, and die all in the fullness of time and still Coruscant exists." Han spoke then, "What Leia says about the whole point of view thing is right on the mark. I don't really know where I was born exactly. On Correlia somewhere is all I know, but my earliest conscious memories are of living aboard ship and going to a planet to run one kind of scam or another. For me, living here was a real adjustment since I lived on a ship for most of my early life. I joined the Imperial Academy to get away from my roots, to try and make my own way in the galaxy but ended up living on a ship again. The only difference was that I owned the ship and freely chose to live on it and travel wherever there were credits to be made."
Chewbacca woofed in laughter and spoke; as he did, Emerald came over to stand next to Picard to render translation. "[Brother-Han is too modest. While he has never been as comfortable as Sister-Leia, he loves living here in the thick of things. Back in our smuggling days, I lost count of the times that Brother-Han was always talking about making that one big score that would set him up for life and he could then live in any city of any planet he wanted. As for myself, my life-debt to Brother-Han makes anywhere he is, home to me though I do miss the tranquility of the forests on my homeworld Kashyyyk from time to time.]"
Han and Leia both chuckled out loud when Chewbacca growled something else that sounded rather terse. Emerald said, "Forgive me Chewbacca. I didn't mean to put words in your mouth but I am a protocol droid and all I did is to render your point of view in terms more fitting to the diplomatic tenor of the conversation. There really was no cause to threaten violence." Picard looked on at the laughing people in front of him and over to his droid, "Violence Emerald?" Emerald turned her head to Picard and said, "Yes sir. Chewbacca said that if I ever make another Threepio spin to his words, he would pull my arms from their sockets and beat me with them until I ceased functioning." Picard looked back towards Han as he said, "Not to worry Admiral. Chewbacca was only saying, in his own way, that he didn't appreciate your droid changing the exact content of his words although I have to say it was essentially correct, that translation."
During this exchange, the ziggurat that was the Imperial Palace slowly came into view. Beverly gasped out loud as she saw the sheer scope of the building and said, "That's where we'll be staying?! A person would need their own site-to-site transporter just to get around. How does anyone do it?" Leia looked back to Beverly and said, "It is impressive when you first see it but it's actually easier to do than you might think. There are several elevators on each floor and those sections of the palace that aren't in use at this time, and there are quite a few of them, are completely sealed from outside and are almost under constant surveillance from specialized probe droids inside to ensure that no one can sneak in. Only very special V.I.P.'s like you Admiral Picard and a few other Ambassadors at Large live in the diplomatic wings. Even though I haven't been in office as the Chief of State of the New Republic for many years now, as a token of gratitude from the New Republic, my family and I which includes my brother Luke, his wife Mara, their son Ben, Chewbacca, Han, myself and our children, Jacen his wife Tenel Ka, Jaina, Anakin and his fiancée Tahiri Veila all have apartments set aside for our use whenever we need them. As flattering as the gesture is, we hardly ever use them. Luke, Mara and Ben usually stay in the Temple as do Jaina, Jacen and Anakin when they're not on assignment for the Order. Han and I maintain an apartment of our own elsewhere in the main city, as does Chewbacca."
As the airbus slowed down to enter one of the docking ports, Picard's head tipped further and further back as he looked up and up and still further up at the exterior walls of the Imperial Palace. When the airbus landed, he and Beverly went to pick up the bags they brought with them when some valet droids entered the compartment and picked them up before their owners. Picard was about to object when Beverly said softly to him, "Remember Jean-Luc, this is how things are done here. Just remember what you told Armis, when in Rome do as the Romans." Picard nodded his head and withdrew his objection before it was voiced.
With a parting kiss, Han bade Leia goodbye, shook Picard's and Beverly's hands again and left with Chewbacca in tow to take care of things elsewhere. Leia led the way to the nearest bank of elevators and when the party entered and the doors closed, she punched the buttons to the diplomatic wing. After a few minutes of both vertical and horizontal motion, the door opened. Picard and Beverly followed closely behind Leia with Emerald bringing up the rear. They stopped at the third door on the right from the elevator. Leia said, "Admiral Picard, there are a variety of ways to code your rooms to you and your wife. There are standard code cylinder, biometric and voice print authorization. Take your pick. This door will enter directly into the main living area. Your personnel effects have already been moved here. Palace Security has already swept your rooms and your private office for listening devices and found nothing."
Jean-Luc and Beverly chose code cylinders as their method of entry and entered their new residence. When they did, Picard was in mild shock at the amount of space, equivalent to a combination of the Enterprise's bridge, ready room, conference room and then some, laid end to end with no dividing walls between them. Leia pointed out the main living area, bedrooms, 'fresher station and kitchen to the pair and said, "Supplies have already been provided and stored in the kitchen and pantry. Whenever you need anything replaced or if you need something that wasn't thought of in the initial planning stage, please don't hesitate to ask the main computer or your protocol droid. As part and parcel of your tenure here as Ambassador at Large there will be no cost to you or the Federation of Planets for anything, so please make yourself at home. You have a private office adjacent to the main living area right over there," Leia pointed to a red door as she spoke. "Your office has a dedicated terminal that allows access to the planetary network and you can also view unclassified Senate proceedings from there as well. Later this week when you go to your first Senate gathering, you'll be in the Jedi Order's platform with me where you can be properly introduced to the assembled Senators. Later, you'll have your own platform from which to observe the proceedings whenever you wish; if I might make a suggestion at this time Admiral?"
Leia could sense in the Force that Picard was nearing a point of informational overload by this time as he said, "Please do your highness! I could use any suggestions you have to offer." Leia smiled and said, "For tonight, rest; have a quiet dinner with your wife, maybe take in a movie on the holonet in the main living room and relax. Starting tomorrow, you can begin interviewing applicants for your Chief of Staff and other aides. You have all week to settle in so please don't feel as though you have to have everything organized and in place until you're good and ready. Once your staff is selected and in place, they will keep you abreast of events that concern you as well as begin circulating your name in the diplomatic circles. I'll leave you to begin settling in." Handing over a piece of flimsiplast she said, "Here's my private comlink. Feel free to ask for my assistance whenever you need it. Also, I'll organize a dinner engagement with your former crewmates, Deanna and Michelle after you've been introduced in the Senate and they've had a chance to be assigned a Master. Once you get used to everything here, I think you'll enjoy your time here very much. For now, have a good night and I'll check back with you in a few days to see how you're settling in."
On her way out, Leia turned to both Jean-Luc and Beverly and said, "Two last things before I go, one, do check out the sunset. You have a small balcony facing the sunset and two, may the Force be with you." With that, Leia left the two slightly bewildered people to begin the new chapter of their lives.