Three days of hyperspace, and they were close to Alderaan. Luke spent most of his time training and in lessons. The last day of their trip had Luke pacing up and down the small ship. They were only a few minutes out of hyperspace, and he wasn't sure he could wait any longer. As he paced through the aft of the ship near the crew quarters, he couldn't help but hear the sounds that were coming from Ahsoka's cabin.
"Fulcrum, you need to know that I've been getting reports of a lot of Fleet activity. It seems like the Empire is redistributing some of their ships into the Core." The voice was unfamiliar to Luke. A woman's, maybe a slight bit younger than his teacher.
"The Core?" Ahsoka responded. "That doesn't make any sense, Specter. Why would the Empire move their ships away from the Rim?"
"I don't know. But my contacts with other cells have reported a forty percent drop in the Empire's number out here. Moving that much of the Fleet has to mean something."
There was a moment of silence. "I'll see what I can find, Specter. I've got other matters to attend to. Fulcrum out." After a moment, Ahsoka called from her room. "Eavesdropping is hardly a smart thing to do around a Jedi, Luke."
As the door to her cabin slid open, Luke shrugged. "You were talking with one of the cell leaders." He remarked.
She nodded. "Yes, I was. But that's not a concern of yours, Luke. We're due to drop out of hyperspace in a few minutes." She gestured down the corridor towards the cockpit. "Shall we?"
Luke nodded, and he followed her to the cockpit. As they strapped in, the alert light to signal the transition to realspace started blinking. Luke paid attention to the navicomputer as they dropped from hyperspace, the change in the hum of the Riptide flittering through his body.
They dropped out of hyperspace in high orbit around Alderaan. What Luke saw on sensors, though, was not what he usually saw in orbit around Alderaan.
"Tag them, Luke, quick!" Ahsoka snapped as she hit the sublight engines.
Luke started his active sensor scan, pinging each of the ships in orbit. Three Star Destroyers. One Imperial-class, the Dominion, and two Gladiators. The latter two, a more boxy Star Destroyer that was a stopgap between the older Republic models and the newer Imperial ones, were positioned to escort the Dominion. He also noted an escort carrier, which was disgorging TIE Fighters. "Got them, Ahsoka. What's the Empire doing here with a Fleet?"
"I don't know. I'm taking the ship into atmosphere." The ship pitched on a descent course. "Are any ships moving to engage us?"
Luke studied the readouts on his sensors. "No, they've assumed a position over the capitol. IT looks like they're set up for a blockade."
"If they haven't noticed us, or just don't care, that's at least a small favor in our direction." She trimmed their course slightly. "We're heading to the estate. That's far enough from the capitol that we won't attract much attention."
The slow descent into the planet was accompanied by the hum of atmosphere against the ship. Luke wanted to ask a thousand questions, but he wasn't sure he would like the answers.
"Luke," Ahsoka's voice was soft. "We'll find out what happened. We will make sure everyone is safe. But you need to focus on the present." She reached across to touch his shoulders. "Don't bottle up your feelings, but don't let them rule you." Luke looked over to Ahsoka, then nodded. "Good. How's the comm chatter looking?"
Luke pulled a headset from the station, and started to scan the usual frequencies. After a minute or so of listening, he found a formal channel for the Alderaanian Planetary Security. It was just a repeating message, one that he had to listen to several times before relaying.
"The Empire is here for security reasons. Grand Moff Tarkin will be addressing the planet shortly, explaining the situation and giving a summary of the Empire's next step for Alderaan the Empire."
Ahsoka groaned. "That isn't good. Let's land and figure out what's going on."
The mountain estate of House Organa was beautiful, picturesque. It had stood in this spot for milennia, in some shape or form. These days, it had the rounded coronets and earthy colors that had been in architectural fashion about two centuries ago.
They set the Riptide down on one of the landing ports that was carved out of the mountain. The Riptide, though not a particularly large ship was about the largest that the hangars could support.
As Ahsoka powered down the ship, she grabbed her weapons and a cloak. "Best grab your blaster. We don't know what to expect here."
Luke nodded, and as they headed to the landing ramp, he grabbed a holdout blaster and slipped it in his boot. "I'm more worried about the fact that we didn't get any comm traffic from the estate."
"We'll take a look around." Ahsoka said as she lowered the boarding ramp.
The ramp lowered, and Ahsoka took the lead. Luke followed her, keeping an eye out for anything unusual. What was waiting wasn't an unusual sight.
Winter Retrac, however, was an unusual woman. The young white-haired woman had her arms across her chest. "Good, you made it past the blockade. We need to talk."
Luke looked between Ahsoka and his friend. "Winter, what happened?"
"About eight hours ago, the Imperials arrived, and stormtroopers made an insertion into the capitol." She looked to Ahsoka. "Mother is waiting. We need to talk about this as a family."
Even though Winter didn't show it on her icy expression, Luke could feel her apprehension in the Force. "Winter, where's our dad?" The ripple that ran through her as he asked gave him the worst suspicions.
"We should talk about this with Mother." Winter insisted. She led them out of the hangar and up the stairs to the estate proper, the Winter Retreat of the Organas.
Winter led them up into one of the studies, where Breha Organa was presently filling a glass full of amber liquor. The Queen of Alderaan was an intensely striking woman, with dark hair in the latest styles, and wearing a simple green dress. She looked at the glass of alcohol, and poured it back into the decanter.
"I've been trying to drink this for the last three hours." She looked up to look at the newly arrived trio. "I'm due to expect troopers by the evening. The Empire is going to put Alderaan under martial law."
"What?!" Luke crossed the room in three quick steps, standing on the other side of the desk. "They can't do that. The Imperial Senate would-"
"The Senate has been dissolved, Luke." She closed her eyes, and shook her head. "It's going to be announced tomorrow. The Empire doesn't see the need for it now. They arrested Bail."
Now it was Ahsoka's turn for an outburst. "They couldn't! If they arrest the opposition leader in the Senate, there would be outrage!"
"The Empire seems to believe that the sector governors can keep control. For the safety of the the Galaxy, they said." This time, Breha poured the liquor and downed it. "Sithspit, that is vile. Why does Bail like it?"
"That's not all," Winter said. "Father's being held on charges of treason. The Empire thinks they have enough evidence or can at least prove in the public eye that he was supplying the rebel cells on the Outer Rim."
"They wouldn't be wrong there," Luke murmured. "What about us?"
Breha sighed. "That is the problem." She set her jaw, then looked to Ahsoka. "You need to take my children off planet. Find a way past the Imperial blockade, and get them into hiding. I must stay to keep Alderaan safe."
Winter nodded. "Of course, Mother."
Luke wanted to say he would stay, that they would fight the Empire. But he knew that it wasn't in the Queen's nature to fight. She would keep her people safe as best she knew. "Yes, Mother."
"I'll find ways to keep in contact." She looked Luke right in the eyes. "So long as we can stand, we will. It's our duty to work for freedom wherever we can."
He nodded. "We'll be back to liberate Alderaan." He promised.
"We have a lot to prepare for." Winter said. "It's going to be a nasty time getting off planet."
Wilhuff Tarkin wasn't a particularly impressive figure, and to be truthful, he didn't mind that much anyways. Though tall, his thin frame and bony face made him appear like some primitive world's idea of a phantom. His hair had thinned and grayed since the Clone Wars, and through perfect execution of his philosophy-the Emperor's own doctrine's intervening-had risen to the rank of Grand Moff. He was the highest ranking member of the Moff Council, and while the Emperor these days mostly sequestered himself in the study of his religion, Tarkin had assumed command of the Galaxy.
The Senate building of Alderaan was a stately, colorful, decadent thing that Tarkin found very little interest in. He simply walked to the podium that had been erected at the steps in front of the Senate. The crowds that had gathered were held back by a wall of stormtroopers and hovertanks.
Tarkin placed both hands on the podium. He knew the feed for the amplifiers were on, and spoke with the careful precision he always did.
"Citizens of Alderaan. As you well know, I am Grand Moff Tarkin, Governor of His Imperial Majesty. It is through his will and infinite generosity that I am here today, to address gave concerns. For nearly seventeen years, the Galactic Empire has stood and protected its citizens. The Clone Wars are long past, a product of greed and corruption in our Galaxy.
"The life of our Empire has been a short one so far, measured against the great span of history, but we have endeavored to make our Empire a safer one. For the first time in centuries, the endless meddling of the Trade Federations and their like have been brought to heel. Slavery has been ended, and we stand united as a great power."
Tarkin took a second to pause, pleased with how it was going so far.
"But there are some who do not think this is enough. They seek to bring back the decadence, corruption, and filth of the old regime, for their own greed and hungers. Many of them sat in the Imperial Senate, trying to influence our government and twist it to their own designs. One of them was Alderaan's own Bail Organa, who was conspiring with terrorists, insurgents, and criminals."
That drew boos from the crowd, and Tarkin could already see some of the rousing begin. He didn't mind iit. In fact, some opposition to efficiently crush would only reinforce the Empire's will.
"Prince-Consort Organa willfully and deliberately aided and abetted notable insurgent cells, something we could not abide once we found out. But this is just a latest symptom of the corruption that has attempted to infiltrate the highest seats of government. The Emperor and the Moff Council could not allow this. This is why, in a supermajority decision, the Imperial Senate has voted to disband, granting power to the Moffs and sector governors."
If the arrest of Bail Organa had roused the crowd, now it was ready to brew into a full-out riot. Tarkin was more than assured of his security and the ability of the troopers, members of the 226th Legion who all had outstanding records, would be able to hold off any rabble.
"The security of Alderaan, the Empire, and the Galaxy at large must be ensured. The Imperial Navy, Army, Marines, and Stormtrooper Corps will be spread throughout the Empire, ensuring peace and stability for as long as it takes us to ensure a permanent stability in the Galaxy." With a curt nod of his head, he turned and headed back towards the Senate building, ignoring the boos and jeers that followed him. He knew control would be re-established shortly. Then it was on to bigger plans.