(AN: I'm happy with the reviews I've gotten so far. Let me state that, in response to Misty Sman-Esay, it would be just as difficult in the 'official' story. They could get away with calling her adopted, but the lack of evidence would also provoke investigation. Also, it could be stated that Bail Organa simply spoke in error. After all, Tarkin can be quite frightening [especially his TPT appearance]. One 'reasoning' for my having him try to pass Leia off as his birth-daughter is based on my immersion in The Tudors. Mary and Elizabeth are called 'Lady' instead of 'Princess' whenever they are bastardized, even though they are related through blood to Henry. My guess was that an adopted daughter couldn't be called 'Princess', but then again, I could be wrong)
(To sw1fan, I'm guessing you meant the last chapter, since your review was on that one. But in case you were wondering about the first one, I've gone ahead and revealed them both in this chapter)
Bail Organa needed a moment to breathe. He was on pins and needles since Tarkin had approached him. The last thing he needed was an investigation concerning the young Leia. Though officially she was his daughter, if it were revealed that she had been adopted, it would mean a thorough investigation.
And woe betide them all if the Empire found out that Padme was still alive, living in secret on Alderaan.
Just then, he saw a young Imperial officer walking down the hallway that he had just entered. He was nervously looking this way and that, so Organa made sure to keep himself hidden just a little bit more, to throw off suspicion. But his curiosity was roused by this rather skid-dish looking young man.
As he started to follow the young officer, the sound of foot-steps echoing down the hall got his attention. He quickly ducked back into the niche in which he had been hiding. A robed figure, very reminiscent of a Jedi, was walking down the hallway: rather, he was running down the hallway. Keeping his own distance, Bail followed after him.
There was a sudden sound of a struggle. The young man was gagging for air. A voice spoke: low, gravelly and completely un-human.
"Who did you contact?"
"I don't know w-what you're talking about!" the young officer begged.
"Don't play dumb!" the second voice growled. "You sent a transmission just a few moments ago. Who is Naber-1138? Who is your contact?"
At the last moment, the young man seemed to have suddenly grown brazen.
"You're on the wrong side," he sighed. "We're...everywhere! Long live...the Republic-c-c-c..."
The sound of a sharp snap was heard, and only the hissing sound of some reptilian issued. As Bail watched, he saw the dark-clad figure drag the dead officer down the hall. Though it went against his better judgment, Bail decided that he needed to know who this person was and why he murdered the officer.
Watching from a distance, he saw the strange figure tossing the young officer into disposal unit. Immediately Bail hid as the hooded figure walked past him, returning to the party. Bail, however, walked over to the disposal unit. In the top was the body of the dead officer. As Organa was about to leave, he noticed something on the young man's uniform. He was up-turned, and the underside of his pant-sleeve was showing, which had a series of Aurebesh runes written into it.
It was a code, Bail noted. The runes were so jumbled that they interpreted into mere nonsense. Though it was quite a dis-service, he pulled off the officer's trousers, then checked his jacket. The same runes were there as well, and he removed that and took it with him.
If this information got into the hand of the Empire, who knows what harm might be done.
The events of the past three years rushed through his mind as he sat in the shuttle, going back to his apartment. He had obeyed Padme after Palpatine announced the reorganization of the Republic when she told him to remain silent and 'be good' in regards to the new order. He knew what she meant by it: not true obedience to Palpatine's regime, but merely a preventative measure. Now he would be openly defying that request, endangering both himself and all of Alderaan.
But he had been inactive for too long. Reports coming in from Chandrila, Mon Calamari and Sullust, concerning atrocities done there in the name of the Empire reached his ears almost daily. He could no longer refuse to simply stand by and let this happen. Whatever this uniform possessed, it deserved to be in the hands of someone other than the Empire.
In his office, Bail Organa examined the uniform jacket carefully. Most of the Aurebesh runes were encoded, but there was one passage, on the left-hand sleeve, that looked hastily drawn, somewhat smudged, and was not in code.
Messiana
He walked over to his computer console and clicked it on. He pressed a few buttons on the small key-pad, and the image of a planet appeared onscreen. It was an arid, rocky world, on the near-side of the Mid Rim, known for its rich mineral deposits, which were used in the creation of heavy capital ships.
Perhaps the Empire was going through with this Imperial Star Destroyer project. Bail Organa had heard rumors, and it was by now well-known that Darth Vader often used an Imperial-class Star Destroyer named the Destroyer for fleet actions.
There was only one question remaining.
Who to give this information to?
As he sat, musing, he saw a very familiar ship land just outside of his apartment suite. He could tell it from the sleek, silvery Nubian design. It was no Imperial vessel - the cold, hard, rigid vehicles of war employed by Palpatine's "new order" - but one used by private citizens.
Mostly from Naboo.
Even from where he stood, he could recognize the person who walked out onto the landing platform. He had seen her several times during the events that led up to the Clone Wars, and had become close friends with her. For a brief moment, he thought he saw Padme upon the platform, but that was nonsense: she was on Alderaan.
He smiled, remembering what this old friend had once been before the Republic went to hell in a hand basket.
Propelled by something he could not fathom, he left his apartment suite, found a speeder and decided to speak with her. He brought the speeder to a halt, practically jumping out of the cockpit to keep up with her and her entourage. They were moving quickly, and he had to keep up.
Suddenly they stopped and two or three guards in Naboo uniforms turned around, blasters at the ready. Bail Organa threw his hands up almost instinctively.
"Who are you?" the woman asked, turning around. "Why are you following us?"
"You know me, Dorme." Bail Organa said. "It's Senator Organa, from Alderaan."
The woman looked here and there, and then walked over to Organa's side.
"Come with me." she said.
Bail Organa, with hands still raised, followed Dorme and the group of Naboo guards as they entered the nearby building. Once inside, Dorme ordered the men to secure the hallway, while she motioned for Bail to follow her into a nearby meeting room. Once they were inside, she shut the door behind them.
"It's been a while, Senator." she said at last.
"Three years." he returned. "What brings you to Coruscant?"
"Queen Kylantha has requested that I oversee the election of a new Senator for Naboo." she said. "The Gungan people are not happy with Binks' appointment as Senator."
"Why not?" he asked.
"They hold him personally responsible for the appointment of Palpatine as Chancellor, and therefore his rise as the Emperor."
"But he's not to blame, Dorme. None of us could have suspected Palpatine's true motives, not even the Jedi knew until it was too late."
"The Gungans don't see it that way, and some of Apailana's supporters don't either, after her assassination two years ago." She sighed. "But what do I care? I'm a doctor, not a politician."
"Yes, I know." Organa mused thoughtfully. "So what brings a doctor to Coruscant to oversee a political matter?"
She suddenly became silent.
"It was nice seeing you, Senator." Dorme then made her way back toward the door.
"Does this have something to do with Messiana?" It was a long-shot, to be sure.
But by the way she halted and slowly turned around, Bail Organa knew that he had been correct.
"What did you call me?"
"I-I meant the planet."
She now drew a hand-blaster from out of the folds of her dress.
"How much do you know?" she queried, leveling the muzzle toward Bail Organa.
"About what?"
"About the Rebellion!" she gritted her teeth, prepared to do what she had to.
"I've been in contact with Mon Mothma." he said calmly.
Dorme lowered her weapon.
"I still don't know if I can trust you," she began. "You've been rather quiet about the Emperor's behavior during the last three years. Some of us think you've joined him."
"I offer what support I can for the Rebellion," Organa said in a hushed voice. "But Alderaan does not have the means to go to war openly against the Empire. We're not a war-like people, after all." He then looked about, making sure that no one else was listening to them, and came very close to Dorme.
"If I didn't trust you," he said. "I wouldn't have brought you to Polis Massa three years ago, I wouldn't have trusted you with our secret. Now tell me what this is all about...Messiana."
Her gaze did not flinch as Organa spoke to her, but she eventually turned aside and looked out the window at the air-traffic.
"Messiana is my code-name," she said. "In the Rebel cells, so that I can't be tied to who I really am."
"And who are you, exactly?"
She sighed, hoping that what she was about to say did not endanger the Rebellion in any way.
"I've been working with an informant in Commander Dodonna's staff to locate Darth Vader."
"Why?"
"Because the head is useless without its hand."
"You plan on assassinating Darth Vader?"
"Not I," she said. "Our intelligence have uncovered rumors of a secret project the Empire is undertaking at the Messiana system. From what we've gathered, after sustaining heavy losses in intelligence and man-power, we believe that Darth Vader is in the Messiana system, overseeing the work of this project."
"Then why do you want Darth Vader?"
"My only interest is this secret project," Dorme said. "It's Naber-1138 who wants Vader."
"Who's that?"
"Nobody." she said, her eyes fixated on the air-traffic. Just then, the door chimed. Dorme removed a com-link from the recesses of her cloaked robe. "Yes?"
"Our guest is here."
"Send her in."
The doors slid open, and Organa recognized the nubile form of Nola Valor.
"Why is he here?" Valor asked.
"Why is she here?" Bail added.
"You know each other?"
"We've met." Organa stated.
"But he's an Imperial Senator! He could be on Palpatine's pay-roll!"
"But you're working for the Inner Circle."
"She's a spy, Bail."
"Are you sure he can be trusted?"
"We don't have a choice, Nola. He knows about Messiana."
"How?" Nola's green eyes surveyed Bail Organa suspiciously. "Where's our contact? Where's Zev?"
"He's dead." Organa stated. "An Imperial spy killed him."
The two women bowed their heads in silent respect for their fallen comrade.
"You know what this means?" Nola said, turning to Dorme.
"The Empire might know about our operation. They might even know about us."
"We've come too far to fail."
"Fail at what?"
"Bail," Dorme began. "Nola's been the leader of a Rebel cell here on Coruscant since the end of the War. She's been undermining their efforts right here on the home-front, setting up refugee camps for the non-humans in the Lower City, using her cover as Aloo's assistant to gather information on the Inner Circle's movements."
"Sounds dangerous." Bail stated.
"Unlike you, Senator," Nola retorted. "I don't shy away from danger."
"That's because you have nothing to lose."
"I'll have you know," she began, her words quick and her tone rife with frustration. "That I have at least four hundred people in my care, and over a tenth of Coruscant's non-human population to look out for and protect!"
"And I have billions!" Organa retorted. "My outward obedience to the New Order is what keeps Alderaan alive..." He then paused, taking a step back. "...and a haven for those on the run from the Empire."
"Now if you will excuse me," Dorme said, a little more curtly than she had intended. "I have to go." She then turned to Nola. "Be safe, and good luck."
"May the Force be with you." Nola returned. Dorme then left and, from the dulled sound of feet walking away, her guards went with her.
"Are you a Jedi?"
Nola shushed him immediately.
"It's not safe to say such things!" she hissed. "And no, I'm not a Jedi. But that doesn't mean I have no faith in the Force. I've been in the company of Jedi, I've even had the distinct honor of knowing a Jedi personally, before the Jedi Massacre, so-called 'Purge' by the Empire."
"So have I." he added.
"If you're really with us," Nola whispered. "You will forget this ever happened. I have enough on my conscience as it is without worrying if you're going to betray us or not."
"I need to know who Naber-1138 is."
"I don't know what you're talking about," she replied blandly.
"Whoever he is," Organa returned. "He's going on a suicide mission. I've seen the HoloNet reports of what Lord Vader can do, at least the things the Imperial Bureau of Propaganda will let the people view."
"Nevertheless, he's going after Vader."
Bail sighed. He had come to a dead end. He needed to contact the Rebellion, ask them if they knew how to get in contact with the mysterious Naber-1138. But it would be too dangerous to directly contact them from Coruscant. He had to take leave.
"Well," he said at last. "It's good to know that there are people fighting the good fight so close to home."
"And it's good to know," Nola returned. "That I have friends in high places."
"Just don't expect those friends to come to your rescue if you get captured," Bail warned. "I can't compromise my position as Senator."
Nola said no more, but walked out of the room. Bail would be out shortly, but he would be going in a different direction.
Back home.
(AN: The cat isn't out of the bag yet. Yes, I am trying to build suspense)
(I made up Dorme's post-AOTC career as a physician [and a Star Trek reference in it as well], and the Gungan peoples' ire against Jar Jar Binks. That I might explore in a 'kill Jar Jar' fic that I may write. I don't know, possibly just for lols. I do think, however, that he is responsible for bringing Palpatine into power, as we saw in AOTC. Padme would never give emergency powers to Palpatine, merely because she was interested in finding a 'diplomatic solution' to the Separatist crisis. However, Palpatine got his wish by 'getting rid' of Padme from Coruscant, and was able to pass the Military Creation Act much faster because of her absence and Jar Jar's gullibility. [there's a deleted scene from AOTC that shows just how strongly Padme was opposed to war and the MCA])
(Messiana and Nola Valor are OCs [or OPs - Original Planets - in Messiana's case]. Valor is destined to appear at least twice more in my Star Wars-based ffs.)