CHAPTER 3
Breha had never realized just how loud the doorbell was. She shared a look with Sateen - it could be any number of people, but she already felt dread welling up within her. Still, she was not born yesterday and she knew what to do. A good thing she had been too tense to sleep and had had time to prepare for such an eventuality.
She glanced at Neeka. He was looking at her, eyes wide, his mouth half-open as if he meant to say something but could not remember what it was, then he shot a quick calculating look at the window. Oh no, he would not.
"Neeka, I need you to stay here with Sateen. No matter what happens, don't do anything, and let me or Sateen do the talking."
He looked at her pleadingly, eyes scanning her face as if he was looking for something - reassurance ? Breha was too keenly aware of precious seconds ticking by but she took the time to kneel in front of him. "I have a plan", she said, more confidently than she really felt. "It's going to be fine."
He did not believe her completely, she could see it, but he swallowed thickly and nodded. He looked years older than the day before.
Breha could not dawdle any longer so she stood and walked swiftly out of the room without looking back. As she came nearer the hallway she heard stifled voices that grew clearer with every step.
"...diplomatic immunity. If you wish to speak with Senator Organa, I must insist you make an appointment, and of course there can be no question of searching these appartments."
Tarrik was doing his job marvelously, with just the right amount of righteous indignation and haughtiness. Breha could not understand the response, but she did hear a rather irritated male voice in a tone that suggested an argument. Perfect, just the right time for Breha to make an appearance.
"Tarrik", she said languidly as she swept down the hallway, "what is going on here ?"
Tarrik turned to face her, and she saw on the threshold a man in uniform, two other men in white armour behind him. Clones ? She dismissed them from the equation. The officer himself was an auburn-haired man in his late twenties, early thirties, of average height and reasonably good-looking.
"your Highness !" Tarrik exclaimed in feigned surprise. "I'm sorry this has been a disturbance to you. This officer was just leaving."
"Lady Organa, I would appreciate a moment of your time", the officer said in a pained voice.
"Oh, I'm awfully busy - " Breha began.
"Lady Organa, I have here a warrant from the Chancellor himself", the officer interrupted her. He was still polite but there was steel in his voice, and he raised a datapad with the seal of the Republic's highest office clearly visible on it.
Darn. She had thought he might be intimidated because he had sounded hesitant and unsure of himself at first, but he really just was being polite. She had miscalculated. Breha composed a look of polite surprise on her face. "A warrant ? What in heavens for ?"
"To search your appartments and have an interview with you and your household. Perhaps more, should the need arise - but I'm sure it won't." The officer had a cool smile.
Breha gave him a displeased turn of her lips. "And may I know who you are to upset my household when there is already so much chaos ?"
"Captain Ondaru. Pleased to meet you, Lady Organa." He bowed his head with typical military stiffness. "I apologize for the intrusion but this is a matter of state security. May I come in ?"
Well, if it wasn't looking better and better every second. There was no point in denying him entrance, so Breha smiled as graciously as she could and nodded for Tarrik to let the man in. At least he had asked rather than break down the door, so whatever brought him here was circumstancial evidence at worst. Maybe even only presumptions. He stepped inside confidently, followed by the clones... two, four... eight in total. Enough to be intimidating, but they did not outnumber Breha's guard.
"Now", Breha said, "before we continue this conversation I would very much like to know why you want to search our appartments. What could you possibly hope to find here ?"
"We shall see." His smile was disturbing, but Breha refused to be intimidated.
"You realize you are breaking diplomatic immunity", she said starchly. "I hope you have a good reason for it."
He ignored the implied question. "Lady Organa, if you would gather your household in the drawing room while my men conduct their search."
She held out her hand. "I shall be happy to cooperate as soon as I have verified this warrant of yours."
Ondaru looked amused rather than angry, and gave her his credentials without a fuss. "I am pained you would consider me anything less than truthful, but please see for yourself."
"Oh, I don't mean to cast untoward aspersions on your character, Captain", Breha said sweetly. Antagonizing or intimidating him would not work if she had correctly taken his measure but charming him might just work. That, and play for time. Reading the warrant - every last word of it - took a good ten minutes, but Ondaru waited with exquisite patience.
"Everything seems to be in order", Breha said regretfully. "I'm sorry, Captain Ondaru, but surely you understand my surprise. I like to think that my husband and I are upstanding citizens and I hate to think we might somehow be suspected... suspected of what, if I may ask ?"
"I shall be happy to explain myself", Ondaru said, "but perhaps my men could get started ? I'm sure you will want us gone in a timely fashion."
"Far be it from me to obstruct an official investigation. Tarrik, would you gather everyone in the drawing room ? Follow me, Captain."
The drawing room was vast on a planet where space was a rare commodity but it felt crowded with Breha, the two royal aides, Tarrik, Captain Durane and his men, and Neeka. Of course there were not enough chairs for everyone, and it would have been awkward if some had been seated and others not, so everyone remained standing. Breha was fairly certain she had the situation under control, but Neeka was a volatile element. She prayed he was enough of a Jedi to control himself, despite his young age, and that the Captain would dismiss as just a child and not look at him too closely.
His eyes were wide when he was brought in the drawing room with Sateen but he remained mercifully silent. Thank the Force they had had time to groom him into a normal child, at least in appearance - no, thank Captain Durane. She had been a fool to let Neeka's genuine distress convince her to dawdle with the matter of his lightsaber.
"Since everyone is here, I suppose I should explain the situation", Breha said. "This is Captain Ondaru, who is conducting some sort of investigation. The Captain is here with a warrant from the Chancellor, so I urge all of you to cooperate fully with him and his men." Giles Durane gave her a somewhat ironic glance but quickly wiped it off his face.
"Thank you", Ondaru said. "Lady Organa, perhaps you would be so kind as to introduce me to your household ?"
"Of course." Breha's political instincts told her the request was not as innocent as it seemed, but she took it in stride and started to give the names and functions of everyone present. Ondaru seemed to tick them off a list he had on his datapad. "...and this is Sateen Nestswe, royal aide", Breha concluded.
Ondaru nodded. "Yes, very good." His gaze fell on Neeka. "And this young man ?" Neeka paled when the Captain's attention dwelt on him but thankfully he neither moved nor said anything. Too bad she had not had time to brief him on her plans to get him off-planet...
"Oh, that's Kaylan." Breha smiled. "An orphan and refugee. With the war ending, Bail and I wanted to do something for all the people who suffered, and we intend to start a foster program for war orphans. This is the first of many, I hope. The paperwork hasn't come through yet, but it should be sent to me within the next few days." Real fake documents to be precise, put together by the Alderaanian representation at her request after she told them that Kaylan's papers were lost during his transfer from a planet at war. That was the best story she had been able to come up with in such a short time, but it was reasonably convincing.
"An admirable endeavour", Ondaru said politely, and he did not press the matter. "Please let me explain the reason for my presence. First, it should be known that I have been put in charge of the rounding up of the traitorous Jedi in this district."
Breha's blood turned to ice and her heart pumped so hard that her vision grew blurry. She had no idea how she managed to keep a cool exterior. He didn't know anything, he couldn't, or she would already be under arrest. Unless they were just waiting for Bail to be back...
Unaware of the effect he had on her, Ondaru continued, "We have been dealing with the data pertaining to the Jedi Temple, and it appears that Senator Organa stopped there yesterday evening at a late hour." He looked around. "I notice the Senator is not here...?"
"My husband is off-planet at the moment", Breha said. No use denying it, all Ondaru had to do was to check the data for outgoing ships to see the Sundered Heart had left yesterday evening. "But he should be back soon, I know for a fact he wanted to attend the Senate Emergency Response meeting. I'm sure he will be glad to answer any questions you might have then."
"Ah." Ondaru took a few notes on his datapad. "I must confess I'm surprised the Senator would leave Coruscant at such a crucial time. What matter could be so urgent ?"
"It was, in fact, so urgent that he did not have time to give me any details." Breha smiled. "Besides, Coruscant is in good hands with the Chancellor. He did put an end to the Clone Wars, so in a way we're actually safer than before." She hoped she was not laying it on too thick, but Ondaru seemed to appreciate what she was saying.
"Of course, and I'm glad to see someone who understands the efforts made by the Chancellor towards peace. Lady Organa, do you know why your husband stopped at the Temple yesterday evening ?"
Breha bit her lip thoughtfully. "Oh, yes, he mentioned something about that... that's right, I remember. Bail was concerned with the situation and wanted to discuss it with some of the Jedi Masters. A fruitless endeavour to be sure."
"It is known your husband associated with Jedi on a regular basis", Ondaru noted.
"He did", Breha said breezily. He ready admission seemed to startle the Captain. "He did not see their true nature - nobody did, did they ? So he tried to discuss and reason with them, but that never really gave any result despite Bail's best efforts... Now we know why. Who could have suspected ?"
"Did you see Senator Organa after he returned from the Temple ?"
"Only briefly. He stopped by and told me he was going to the Senate."
"Where he never actually arrived", Ondaru pointed out. "Did you notice anything odd when you talked with the Senator ? Did he say anything that could have made you suspicious ?"
Breha tried to look puzzled - it was not too hard. "Suspicious of what, good lord ?"
Ondaru hesitated. "I don't wish to upset you with my assumptions."
"Upset me ? Is it something awful then ?" Breha looked at him earnestly.
"Not so - well - that is..." Ondaru seemed a little uncomfortable. "I do fear for Senator Organa's safety."
That was the last thing she expected and she had no effort to make to look honestly astonished. "But... why ?!"
"If you think about it logically, I'm sure you'll see what conclusions I am drawn to. First, the Senator goes to the Jedi Temple. Then he comes to see you but very briefly and right after that leaves Coruscant. It is quite possible that he may have been taken hostage and be under threat by Jedi who used him to get offplanet. His stopping to see you may well have been his way to say goodbye."
Breha's breath hitched in her throat in relief, and she clutched her heart despite herself. Ondaru completely misinterpretated the sudden sag of her shoulders. "Now, now, Lady Organa, please don't assume the worst. I'm sure the Senator will come out of this situation safe and sound, and the Jedi arrested. There still are a few of these criminals at large, I'm afraid. This is why I had to insist on a search - I had to make sure none of them could be hiding here and threatening you."
"I see..." she could have hugged him, and she had to swallow back her laughter. He had all the clues and had read them entirely backwards. She felt lightheaded and giddy with relief but she did her best to look suitably upset and even went so far as to sway slightly. Tarrik, bless him, caught on and ushered her to a chair. She looked up at Ondaru, who looked at her in dismay. "How dreadful !" Conjuring up tears at will was not nearly as easy as it appeared in holodramas. "But you're not sure this is what happened ? Bail might be alright ?"
"We don't have any certainties at this juncture, of course", Ondaru said, "but what has me concerned is that two well-known traitors, Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi, are still missing. They might be among the unidentified dead in the Temple, but the Chancellor himself fears they might already have got away. Senator Organa's sudden departure seems an odd coincidence, especially since he had been in contact with these two Jedi before." He took a look at her tearful appearance and hastily amended, "but I'm sure the Senator is very resourceful and too intelligent to try and be a hero. I'm sure the Jedi won't dare harm him."
Breha was not really concerned about Masters Yoda and Kenobi, but she knew all too well that Palpatine might get rid of Bail and try to blame it on the Jedi, killing two birds with one stone.
At that moment one of the clones - a sergeant according to his shoulder patch - entered the drawing room and saluted smartly. "Our search is concluded, sir ! Nothing suspicious to report, sir !"
"Good", Ondaru said. He dipped his head in Breha's direction. "I am relieved to see that you are safe, Lady Organa. And well protected", he nodded at Captain Durane. "I shall leave you in peace, but I would very much appreciate if you could inform me the moment you have any news of Senator Organa."
"Of course, I shall." Breha offered him what she thought should look like the face of a bereft woman. "And if you learn of anything..."
"You'll be the first to know, Lady Organa." He saluted smartly, gathered his men and in a minute they were gone.
Breha closed her eyes for a second. She felt like she must have aged ten years in ten minutes. Ondaru was not a fool but he certainly was deeply misguided. That played in her favour so far.
"Well if this wasn't - " Sateen started, but Giles Durane shushed her. He looked at Breha and mouthed something. She blink and squinted at him - lip-reading was not her foremost skill. He grimaced and mouthed the words again, this time exaggerating seriously his lip movement.
Listening device !
Of course, he was right. Ondaru's men may have left a few things behind, either to save her or accuse her. Giles gestured silently to indicate he was going to conduct a security sweep and she nodded in agreement. Sateen, Sheltav and Tarrik had followed the exchange and caught on quickly.
"your Highness, what dreadful news !" Sateen said, a little awkwardly. Acting was not her main talent, contrary to Sheltav who delighted in such dramatics. She immediately tried to "comfort" Breha, her choice of word hilariously inadequate at times. Breha did her best to play the frantic wife, having great fun giving Sheltav her cue until Giles came back to announce that no listening devices had been planted. That did not mean Ondaru was not keeping an eye on them, but at least they could talk freely.
"We need to get word to Bail", Breha said.
Giles shook his head. "We have no idea where he is, your Highness."
"I know." She sighed in frustration. "We need to have a message ready for him the moment he gets back, before he even sets foot on Coruscant. He needs to know what's going on."
"I'll take care of that", Tarrik offered.
"Thank you." In the meantime, there was not much to be done, so she dismissed everyone. She was exhausted. Blood pounded behind her eyes and she felt the onset of a terrible headache. She had been up for the better part of two days now, not to mention the stress she had been under, and despite her worry she needed to lie down for a moment.
On the way to her bedroom she bumped into Neeka. She wanted nothing more than her bed but he looked like he wanted to talk to her.
"What's the matter, Neeka ?"
She could not see his face well in the darkness but he looked horribly embarrassed. "Lady Organa, I..." he looked down at his feet, took a deep breath and looked up at her. "I wanted to apologize about my behaviour. I know everything you did was for my safety, and... and... I don't..." he fumbled for words. "I don't want you to think I'm ungrateful."
Breha really did not want to deal with this now but she felt she had to make an effort. "I know you've been through a lot in the past day, Neeka, and as far as I'm concerned I was not offended. But you really should apologize to Captain Durane, since he is the one you hurt." Neeka winced noticeably at the word "hurt".
"Yes, Lady Organa", he said humbly though without any great enthusiasm. "I will."
She smiled at him. What he had done was very wrong but everyone could lose their temper in such a situation, and he was just a child. So long as it did not happen again, she was willing to forget about it. "I'm sure you'll feel better for it. Don't hesitate to let me know if you need anything else."
He understood the unworded dismissal and pulled himself close to the wall so she could pass and get to her room. It was with intense relief that Breha switched off the lights and lay down on her bed. Moments later she was soundly asleep.
Apologizing to Captain Durane was the last thing Neeka wanted to do, but he had always been taught to bear the consequences of his own actions. It was profoundly humiliating to go to the one person he liked the least in the whole household and apologize to him, but if he was being honest with himself Neeka had to admit he had asked for it. He still felt Durane had not been entirely in the right (he could have hidden the saber instead of destroying it, and he could have asked instead of taking it like a thief) but Neeka's actions were beyond inappropriate.
He was not actually sure what had happened because he had not consciously been trying to hurt the Captain, but he knew the experience had left him with a sickly feeling in his gut. If only he could discuss it with one of the Masters... although if apologizing to Captain Durane was hard, admitting what he had done to the Masters would be even worse. They knew how to look at you with this disappointed expression that told you you had let them down, and it was so much worse than whatever punishment they came up with. At least with a punishment you knew you would be forgiven.
A quick investigation showed that Captain Durane was still in the drawing room, with several of his men. Sateen and Tarrik were nowhere to be seen but Sheltav, seated in a corner, seemed to occupy herself with a datapad. Neeka grimaced - way too many people. But waiting for the Captain to be alone did not seem very practical, in relatively small appartments full of people.
He took a deep breath. There is no emotion, there is peace... there had been far too many emotions in the last twenty-four hours, to tell the truth. There is no ignorance, there is knowledge... well, he still did not really have a clue what was going on. There is no passion, there is serenity... Hum, not so much of that either. Neeka let out a frustrated sigh. The Jedi mantra always calmed him and helped him center himself before - but he had never really needed it before, not as badly as he needed it now. And now it did not work. Maybe it was wrong. After all the Masters had not seen the destruction of the Temple coming, so they were fallible.
To hell with it. The wait was much worse than just doing it, so he should follow Master Yoda's advice and just do it, and who cared if the whole room watched him humiliate himself ? Neeka stepped in the drawing room and stopped in the middle. Captain Durane was giving his men instructions and ignored him, even when Neeka cleared his throat tentatively. Of course he would not make it easy.
"Captain Durane ?"
Either the Captain did not hear him, or he kept ignoring him.
"Captain Durane ?" Neeka tried, a little louder.
This time the Captain turned and looked coolly at him. "Yes ? I'm busy right now."
Neeka felt a little like snapping at him but knew it would make everything worse, not better. Best to apologize quickly and get out of there. "I understand, sir. I just wanted to apologize for my earlier behaviour. I still..." don't think you were right, Neeka stopped himself from saying. "Hum, anyway, I was wrong and I did not mean to hurt you."
Captain Durane pursed his lips and seemed to consider the matter. "Right", he said shortly after a minute. "Just stay out of the way."
Not exactly the reaction Neeka was going for, but he had done what he had to and wanted only to retreat to his room now. Everyone was looking at him and he felt thoroughly humiliated. "Yes sir", he mumbled and left the room as quickly as he could.
He shuffled back to his own room, uncertain what to do. He had nothing to occupy himself with, all of his possessions gone. He had, literally, nothing but the clothes on his back. Throwing himself on the bed he looked up at the roof. It was only mid-morning and he was bored. Neeka sat up on the bed and glanced around him. The room was mostly empty but there was a spare datapad on the bedside table, so he grabbed that. Maybe he could find something to read, but first he wanted to check the news for anything about the Jedi Temple.
Thankfully the datapad was connected to the Holonet, and he did not have to look very hard for the news. Big titles everywhere mentioned both the end of the Clone Wars and the destruction of the Jedi Order, somehow linking the two to make it appear the Jedi had been responsible for the war. A flurry of articles were listed underneath. "Refugees on Coruscant - What Governmental Measures ?", "Senate Emergency Response to Convene Later Today", "Jedi, Terrorists in Disguise ?", "The End of the Jedi Dictatorship", "What Future for the Clones ?", "Chancellor Promises Employment for Clone Troopers", "Clone Troopers to Be Dedicated to Peacekeeping", "Chancellor Palpatine Declares First Galactic Empire", and many, many more.
Neeka read on with increasing disgust all the articles slandering the Jedi. One or two were more nuanced but they were few and far between, and somehow never made it to the front page. The media were clearly biased, although how they had been so powerfully and so universally influenced was hard to imagine. Palpatine was hailed as a hero for ending the war and freeing the Republic from the "deleterious influence of the Jedi". Neeka had to refrain himself from flinging the datapad across the room.
What now ? He sat on the bed dejectedly. He had always known what his future would be. The almost military routine of the Jedi Temple had not left much room for questions or doubts. He had been weeks away from being assigned as a Padawan. a few years later he would graduate as a Knight, go on many adventures - from which he would always emerge victorious - and finally take on his own Padawan. Simple and easy. His biggest worry had been not finding a Master and being cast out, but he knew that with the war casualties the Temple could not really afford to waste potential Jedi, so even that had not worried him unduly.
But now he would never be a Jedi. Heck, he was not even a Padawan yet. So what would become of him ? He was too young to get a job, Senator Organa was right about that. Although further away from the Core, maybe the rules were not so strict on that count... but what kind of job ? He had been groomed to be a soldier and a diplomat, and he had no training in any other profession. Maybe he could be... mecanician ! No, a starfighter pilot ! Or a policeman ! A famous musician ! ...or a cook. The mental image made him snicker. How did normal people decide what their vocation was ?
Neeka sighed and turned on his stomach. The problem was that he did not really want to be anything but a Jedi. Being an Initiate had always made him feel special, chosen. Being ordinary did not hold much appeal compared to that. Too bad the choice was between ordinary and alive or special and dead.
Inaction was killing him. Neeka jumped off the bed and made his way to the kitchen, where he was less likely to bump into Captain Durane. Indeed, he only found Sateen, who was ordering two droids around to get the kitchen in order and lunch ready. She turned and smiled distractedly at him when he entered.
"Oh, hello Neeka."
"Hum, Hello", he said. "I was wondering if I could do something to help ?"
Sateen looked a little surprised but pleased. "Bored in your room, huh ? Well, I was planning on cooking Lady Organa's favourite for lunch, and these droids are great for the dishes but they can't bake to save their lives. I was planning on making a typical Alderaanian cake. Do you want to give me a hand ? Or is it too girly for you ?" She gave him a teasing smile, and Neeka found himself smiling back.
"I'd be happy to help."
Sateen grinned. "Should be an interesting new experience for you. I don't expect you got to do much stuff like that at the Temple."
"Actually", Neeka said, "we did a lot of chores. Laundry, washing the dishes, making the bed, cleaning... that sorta things. Not too much cooking though."
"Really ?" Sateen stared at him in honest surprise, then laughed.
Neeka forgot his Jedi dignity and rolled his eyes. "Does absolutely everyone think Jedi are lazy useless bums ?" he complained.
Sateen frowned. "Why do you say that ?"
Neeka bit his lip. "I, er..." he could not look her in the eyes. "I read the articles on the Holonews", he admitted softly.
"Well, obviously that's all propaganda", Sateen said calmly. She sounded sympathetic but thankfully she did not try to hug him or anything like that, that would have made him accutely uncomfortable.
"But a lot of people believe it", Neeka said. "They blame us for the war. They don't even pause to look at how many Jedi died on the front lines."
"That's just the way people are, Neeka. They are fickle and selfish, and it's hard for them to tell truth from lies. There are many facets to the truth, and propaganda is all about twisting the truth to further one's ends."
"Yeah, I see that", Neeka said bitterly. "I'm just beginning to wonder why the Jedi bothered to try and save everyone in the first place."
"I'm no Jedi, so you're probably in a better position to know the answer to that than I am", Sateen said. She perched herself on a kitchen stool and looked earnestly at him. "But the way I see it, Jedi try to be better and to help people even though they know they might not get much recognition for it. That's a kind of sacrifice that no one ever thinks about, but it's worth a lot when you take a moment to consider it. It means you really care about helping people, rather than your own popularity."
It made sense, actually, but Neeka found it hard to swallow. "So you're saying that in theory I should be ready to help all these people who say awful things about us ? People who're happy that the Jedi got killed ?"
Sateen heaved a deep sigh. "Neeka..." she shook her head. "I'm probably not the best person to have that conversation with, but look, most people just go with the flow. They're not evil, they're not happy to see children killed, but they just don't go out of their way to risk their lives protesting against what happened. Partly because of propaganda, and because they don't want their lives disrupted. It's just the way people are, they're not perfect. I guess the point is you shouldn't judge individuals the way you judge society."
Neeka frowned, not entirely convinced. The issue was a complicated one and he knew he did not see all aspects of it, but there seemed to be something wrong with just forgiving everyone for the destruction of the Temple. "But society is the sum of all individuals, isn't it ?"
Sateen seemed to ponder the issue for a moment, chewing thoughtfully on her lower lip. "Yes and no, because people can be influenced as a group differently than they would be as individuals. When you're in a group, you trade part of your own free will in return for the support of the group, so that there is enough cohesion to act together." She shook her head again. "But it's really a complicated issue, and it's hard even for adults to make sense out of it. Don't concerne yourself too much about it. Maybe the answers will come more easily to you when you're older."
Neeka didn't very much like to be told, essentially, that he was too young to understand, but he was too polite to say as much so he merely nodded.
Sateen brightened. "And now, I think we were about to bake a cake !"
He had been gone barely two or three days, Bail Organa realized as the Sundered Heart loomed closer to Coruscant, but so many things had happened in that time that it felt more like two or three weeks. He could only hope that the situation had not got too wildly out of hand at the Senate, but either way he knew he had made the right decision. Taking Masters Yoda and Kenobi to safety had been paramount, not to mention saving the life of the twins, if not of Padmé. Bail felt a silly smile on his face, like every time he thought of Leia. He was sure she already knew his voice. He could not wait to show her to Breha.
Someone cleared their throat behind him. "Sir, we are now in orbit and your shuttle is ready."
Bail turned to face Captain Antilles, some cousin or other of Breha's who also happened to be the captain of the Sundered Heart. A good man. "Thank you."
"There is also a message for you, labeled absolute priority, from Lady Organa."
Bail's heart skipped a beat. He could think of a half-dozen catastrophic reasons why Breha would need to send him an urgent message, and only years of political experience allowed him to keep steady. "I'll read it now, Captain, thank you."
Antilles handed him a datapad, and Bail opened the message. It required voice recognition in addition to his personal codes, a clear sign that something serious was afoot. He skimmed through the message quickly, barely understanding a single word at first, then a second time more slowly, and a third, and finally sighed in relief. No harm done so far. He had to smile at the notion that this Captain Ondaru thought he might have been abducted by Jedi, although the guess was frighteningly accurate but for a few details. A few details that might save Bail's life.
"Delay my shuttle by half an hour", Bail ordered, still deep in thought. He would have to brief the crew before he left the Sundered Heart. He was not too concerned about their loyalty, Durane had hand-picked every single one of them, but he had to give them an official story in case there was a full enquiry.
In the end it took a full hour, rather than thirty minutes, but by the time he left the Sundered Heart Bail was satisfied his cover story was good enough. From what Breha had told him he would have to schedule an interview with Ondaru, but that could wait. Instead he had his shuttle take him directly to the Senate, where he was admitted after his credentials were thoroughly checked by security several times. Bail went to the Nubian pod, rather than the Alderaanian one. He knew Queen Apailana had arrived before him, since he had been delayed by the necessity to discreetly drop off Master Kenobi, so she could brief him.
He was let in almost immediately and sat discreetly beside Queen Apailana, not eager to draw too much attention to himself.
"Your Highness", he said softly.
She did not look away from the Chancellor's pod in the center of the Senate, but acknowledged his presence with a nod. "Senator Organa", she said in a low voice, barely moving her lips, "I am relieved to see you safe and sound."
"Thank you, your highness, but I was not in much danger."
"You minimize your own courage. Helping... you-know-who... put you at serious risk. But I won't embarass you further by dwelling on the subject."
Bail reported his attention to the Chancellor - he could not bring himself to calling him "Emperor" yet - at the center of the room. The man's frame looked deceptively frail and old, leaning heavily on a cane, his face obscured under a hood. "What have I missed ?"
"There has been one motion to bring back the Republic", Apailana said, "but it received little support and was suddenly withdrawn. I strongly suspect coercion was involved but of course there is no proof."
"Of course", Bail murmurred. "What else ?"
Despite her young age Apailana had an impressive control of herself, and the only thing that betrayed her anger and frustration was the way her right hand clutched at the armrest of her seat, with unnecessary strength. "The Chancellor has been announcing a number of new measures, for the greater good and the safety of all, so that order may be restored in the galaxy." There was barely an ironic inflexion in her voice. "No vote was called, of course. We're already little more than a consultative body."
If the Senate was already stripped from any actual power, things were even worse than Bail had thought. In one masterful stroke, Palpatine had completely turned the tables in his favour. If he was not such a despicable man Bail could have admired such masterful manipulation.
"There's nothing we can do then", he said, and wondered why he had been in such a hurry to reach the Senate. He had definitely made the right choice by helping Kenobi and Yoda.
"All we can do for now is survive and preserve our influence, as much as we can", Apailana said quietly. "Bide our time. People will make a stand, I'm sure of it. Maybe not on Coruscant, but elsewhere. And when they do, we must be in a position to help."
"Maybe we should resign from the Senate", Bail said. "In protest."
"I don't think that would work. If Valorum was still in power, maybe. Valorum may have been misguided but he was a good man. But Palpatine would just seize this opportunity to further reduce the Senate's power."
"But by staying we appear to support Palpatine's policies", Bail said.
"That's true." Apailana stared off in the distance. She was so young and she appeared so much older even beneath the thick layer of make-up... "In the end we have to choose the lesser of two evils."
"Whatever we do, we play in Palpatine's hand", Bail said glumly. "Now that he writes the rules we have few chances of beating him at his own game."
The end of the session came soon after, and Bail headed back to his appartments. He was dying to see Breha and tell her about Leia. He had not dared bring the infant down on Coruscant so he had left her onboard the Sundered Heart, but he did have a few holo-pictures of her sleeping or holding his thumb in her hand.
Breha was outside on the landing strip before the airspeeder had even landed, and the moment Bail stepped outside she hugged him. He hugged her back and revelled in the smell of her hair, in her hands around his back, and in her smile when she finally looked up at him.
"You shouldn't have worried", he said, even though he had been just as worried.
"You either", she said teasingly, and he grinned.
"Breha, I have so many things to tell you ! But let's get inside, shall we ?"
There was always a lot of wind so high up, although at least they got some natural light most of the time - except when the clouds were too thick with pollution. Bail and Breha hurried back inside, where Bail dropped in the nearest seat and sprawled out his legs, happy to relax a little.
"Well", Breha began, "if you got my letter you already know most of what happened here while you were gone, so it's your turn."
"Heavens, Breha, I barely know where to start", Bail admitted. "I met up with - " he glanced around him reflexively, hesitant to even speak the name of a Jedi out loud.
Breha waved a hand dismissively. "We swept the room for listening devices. Three times."
"Oh. Good. Well, I escorted Master Yoda off-planet and met up with Master Kenobi."
"He's alright, isn't he ?" Breha asked. She had met Kenobi a few times and Bail knew she was fond of him although she did not know him as well as he did.
"Yes, yes, never fear." Bail felt his expression darken. "But Padmé is..." he trailed off. He had not meant to say it so bluntly, but judging from Breha's expression she had already guessed.
"My goodness... she was so young... what happened ?"
"She died in childbirth", Bail said, "but she was already unwell when Master Kenobi brought her in. I'm not sure what happened. Obi-Wan... Master Kenobi said she was killed by one of Palpatine's men, but he did not give me much details. I didn't press him, he was crushed by her death. I know he was very fond of her, and I think he blamed himself for not protecting her."
"Whatever happened, it couldn't have been his fault", Breha murmurred.
Bail shrugged. "You know the Jedi. Bloody martyrs, the lot of them." He could not contain all of his frustration at the decisions made by Yoda and Kenobi to withdraw from the galaxy when they were so needed.
"So what happened then ?" Breha asked, tactfully not pressing the issue.
"There wasn't much to do. We brought Padmé back to Naboo, that's the least we could do. The burial was a little hasty, but there was no time, and it went alright in the end. The Queen made a very moving speech."
Breha sighed. "Still, this is so sad. Padmé..." she shook her head. "I still can't believe it. And to lose the child as well, what a terrible blow for her family..."
Bail braced himself. "Ah, about that..."
There must be something in his voice because Breha looked at him more closely. "What ?"
Bail cleared his throat. "The..." he trailed off and glanced around. The staff had been thoughtful enough to give them some privacy so the drawing room was empty, but even so he bent closer to Breha to whisper the truth in her ear. Breha's eyes grew progressively wider as he went on and he felt her stiffen in his arms. When he was done he drew back and waited for her reaction. He had not realized until now how much her approval would mean to him, but the shock was serious and for a long moment she just stared at him, speechless.
"I'm sorry I didn't consult with you beforehand", Bail said nervously. "There wasn't much time."
"But..." Breha fumbled for words. "What about her family ? Don't they have a right to..."
"Yes." Bail sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Of course they do. But it would be dangerous. Master Kenobi has not explained as much to me as I would have liked, but he was certain that, should Palpatine learn of what I just told you, they would be in grave danger."
Conflicting emotions played on Breha's face. Doubt, desire, regret, anxiety all came and went, but Bail could not tell how she really felt about the issue. "Breha ? Say something", he pleaded.
Desire seemed to win the battle. "Can I see the pictures ?"
Bail had to swallow back a victorious grin. The moment Breha saw Leia, he was sure she would fall in love with her. He handed her the little handheld holocube, and Breha played the different shots of Leia sleepîng, Leia eating, Leia playing with Bail's fingers...
"How adorable", she breathed.
"She is", Bail agreed with his patented silly smile.
"And so small... look at that little nose ! And what a wonderful smile she has !"
"Yes", Bail said. His silly grin widened even more. Breha looked up at him and snickered.
"Oh, I see. She's going to be daddy's girl. Don't you think I'll let you spoil her too much, mister !"
"I wouldn't do anything of the sort", Bail said, draped in imaginary dignity.
"Oh, Bail..." Breha snuggled against him. "I can't tell if it's right or wrong, but I do so want her to be my daughter..."
"It's not wrong." He held her closely against him. "We're going to be very good parents, and one day we'll tell her the truth. Then, when it's safe, she can meet with her family."