CHAPTER ONE
THE COUNCIL CONVENES
DEEP IN THE HALLS of the Royal Palace of Aldera, there existed a room simply known as the inside-outside room. It had been first dubbed this by a young princess who loved the idea of an indoor garden very much but had no word for it. Her brother had been the one to give her the idea of an inside out room, and that was what it was affectionately known as by the members of the Royal Family.
At least until they learned the proper term for it.
That same princess was there this very moment, clasping her hands behind her back as she stared out at the pale skies hanging over Alderaan, the barest hint of lavender and dusty pink disappearing on the horizon as the sun moved further up in the sky. The transparisteel windows and doors the only barrier between her and the gardens she'd come to spend most of her time in.
Bryn Organa had been summoned by the Queen of Alderaan, a role that would have been hers once upon a time, even though she much preferred to be working behind the scenes to help her planet.
Her brother was the one more comfortable in the spotlight, which was why he would make the perfect Prince Consort when this was all over. Bryn was happy to play the role of a courtly Princess with no responsibility except to oversee the development of the shipyards.
To her mother, she was bringing shame upon the family name, but to Bryn it was the happiest place in the world. She could get her hands dirty without fear of a scolding, and the best part was seeing the progress made with the kyber crystals they were receiving from a trade deal with Dantooine.
Her brother's idea, truly. He noticed how restless she was getting after the ascendancy had been solved and sent her to Dantooine to barter a deal with the Jedi Temple there to gain access to kyber crystal in exchange for bringing their issues to attention in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. And some extra funding didn't hurt in the long run.
The Dantooine temple didn't have nearly as many crystals as they'd hoped, but it had helped improve the engines of their cruisers and transports and the other metals they'd mined provided a better shell for their fighters. Not that they'd ever have to use them.
It hadn't been the best deal they'd made, but it'd given them significantly more resources than the Jedi Temple on Coruscant had given them.
Bryn's gaze wandered the high ceilings and gorgeous skylight of the inside-out room, a name she and Bail had come up with when they were barely ten and their father was still alive.
Breha had been gracious enough to allow the former Royal family to still take up residence in the Palace–which was to be expected considering they would be joining their families together officially through matrimony in a month–and so the layout of the rooms and hidden places was still ingrained in Bryn's memory.
And it helped that she didn't have to explain why she had an old HK guardian unit stashed away in the closet of her quarters to her Mother if they'd been forced to clean out their belongings.
She's not sure she would've survived that scolding.
The new Queen was adamant that even if she and Bail were not engaged, she would have continued to let the Organas take up residence in the Palace instead of their many other manors and homes, but Bryn had a sneaking suspicion Breha always knew she was going to become an Organa.
After all, Bail had practically torn through their father's possessions searching for their mother's betrothal ring once the marriage between himself and Breha had been arranged, determined to court her properly before walking down the aisle.
Truthfully, Bryn wasn't sure Bail could've even waited that long. He barely managed to scrape through the allotted year to ensure Breha recovered properly.
Bryn cracked a small smile at the memory, chuckling to herself as she began to twirl the signet ring on her forefinger.
Her mind drifted off as it usually did, bouncing through several different trains of thought before settling on the last time she'd encountered a Jedi prior to Dantooine. Her thoughts were ripped from her by the sound of the door opening, followed by the pitter-patter of footsteps on marble.
Breha Antilles walked in, followed by several of her handmaidens carrying gowns of different colors and her hair up in an elaborate hairstyle decorated with glittering sapphires. "Thank the Force you're here," The Queen let out a sigh of relief, sounding slightly mechanical with her new cybernetic lungs before collapsing in the seat at the table in the middle of the room. Bryn stared at the woman with wide eyes, taking in her appearance.
Breha wasn't wearing any of the gown she usually wore, instead she was dressed in a simple pair of linen pants and shirt, a silk kimono around her shoulders. Dark circles permeated the skin underneath her dark eyes, not even able to be concealed with the elaborate makeup she was wearing. Bryn sat in the chair beside her and Breha clasped the Organa's hands in her own. "I need your help."
"Anything you need, I just don't understand..." Bryn's gaze drifted to the gowns in her handmaidens' possession, each a different shade of blue. She let out a sigh and turned toward her soon to be sister-in-law, "Breha, please don't tell me you woke me up before sunrise to help choose your wedding gown."
Breha's eyes were apologetic, but the smile dangling from her lips was proud. "You grew up with Bail, you'll know what he likes–"
"He's my brother–"
"Which means you know him better than anyone–"
"Couldn't Elara or Reva help with this–"
"Bryn, please," Her grip tightened and the Queen's gaze turned urgent. Bryn's own eyes turned toward Captain Tarrik, who was standing guard at the other end of the inside-out room with his blaster across his torso. When she turned back to meet Breha's gaze, her friend's normally unshakable expression melting into something akin to worry.
No one else would've been able to tell, but Bryn had been raised at court, she'd been raised with Breha. She knew how to read the microexpressions and tiny shifts in mood better than anyone. It was what made her an effective negotiator.
It was a sixth sense of hers.
Bryn stood up from the table, pulling Breha up with her, "Perhaps a walk in the gardens will help clear your head, Your Majesty."
"Oh no," Breha's eyes grew slightly wider, "I'm terribly afraid that these dresses will clash with the beautiful irises my cousin has been growing, perhaps you can show me the new schematics of the freighters we received from Corellia," The Queen gestured for her handmaidens to follow, "I believe you said they were in your personal chambers correct?"
Bryn nodded in understanding, "Of course, and perhaps I may have some suitable alternatives for the reception," They pressed forward until they reached the opposite door of the gardens, "I would hate for the bride to be washed out."
Breha smiled in relief and Bryn turned to Captain Tarrik, motioning for him to follow with a nod of her head.
The ladies continued in silence as they made their way through the winding corridors and towering gates of the palace until they reached the family wing of the palace. It was further west than their original quarters where the Antilles family now resided, but that made it safe.
They were effectively isolated from the rest of the palace, which her mother was more than happy about as it meant she didn't have to interact with her son's future bride and new Queen any more than she was obligated to.
Bail would move over to the central wing with Breha once they were wed, but for now his quarters remained closed and adjacent to Bryn's own, with a door connecting the two on their shared wall.
Bryn smiled and gestured for Breha and her handmaidens to make themselves at home in the spacious room she'd been provided before turning toward Captain Tarrik.
"Make sure no one enters this room," She lowered her voice to a point below a whisper, and Tarrik's brow furrowed before dropping into a salute.
"Of course, Your Highness," The dark-skinned man shot a look down both ends of the corridor, "And if the Former Queen and Prince ask about their Princess?"
Bryn bit down on her lip and twiddled with the ring around her finger, "Tell them I am conducting important business related to the future union of House Organa to House Antilles." She turned to move through the door and paused, whipping back around with a grimace, "Or just tell my mother I'm getting dressed."
Tarrik smirked and nodded, "As you wish, Your Highness."
Bryn smiled and bowed her head in thanks, disappearing into her apartment to continue her discussion with Breha.
The Queen seemed much more relaxed, and was even lounging out on the chaise on the large circular balcony overlooking the caldera. Bryn shut the glass doors behind her with a relaxed smile and shrugged off her sheer shawl as she settled down on the chaise opposite Breha.
"Are you going to tell me what we're really here to discuss or do I have to guess from the wedding colors?" Bryn chuckled to herself and Breha smiled softly as she straightened up on the couch, letting out a sigh of relief.
A piece of dark hair had fallen out from her updo, but it only served to make the woman look more regal, "I couldn't discuss this, not in the open where anyone could hear, but Davik has been called to the Senate."
Bryn creased her brows, "He is our Senator, I don't see how–"
"You don't understand," Breha's tone shifted into something more serious, "Davik is our Senator, yes, and as our Senator he has a place in the Queen's Council. But whenever he is called to Coruscant, someone has to take his place. My Uncle has been doing it for years, but with him in retirement and Davik gone–"
Realization settled over the Organa Princess, "Cara's the only one who can take his place."
Breha nodded solemnly, placing her head in her hands, "I know she's my cousin and I'm supposed to trust her, but I don't even like her!" The Queen jumped up in a fervor and Bryn resisted the urge to smirk, "She already attempted to contest my claim once when I was hospitalized, and now that she has a seat at the table..."
"You're worried that she'll try to undermine you." Bryn finished.
Breha shook her head, the kimono kissing the ground as she paced, "I know she will. And with the recent trading bill with Naboo being discussed today...I can't afford to be undermined this close to the wedding Bryn, I just can't."
Bryn bit down on her lip again and began to turn the wheels in her head. Everyone knew that Cara Thul–now Antilles–had not been satisfied with the outcome of the Ascendancy. Even after her marriage to Breha's cousin, she'd pressed the Council further for a chance to prove her claim, going so far as to insult her now cousin for not finishing the trials.
The Council had politely told her that Breha had in fact, proven her claim and finished the trials, and that any claims after this point were considered heretical, blasphemous and potentially indicative of a coup, which was enough to cause Cara to back down and return to her husband's side, devoid of any real power beyond spreading rumors at court.
With an official seat on the council and Davik gone off world for who knows how long, Cara could do irreparable damage to Breha's reign before it had even properly begun.
"Surely you must have some kind of plan to deal with her," Bryn piped up from her seat, drinking her caf from the breakfast tray Bail's new protocol droid had brought her that morning.
Breha froze in place, her back facing Bryn's, before turning back around with an apologetic look.
The wheels in Bryn's head stopped turning.
"No." Bryn stood up, a finger out in protest as she set her cup down, "No, no, no, Breha, we agreed I wouldn't get into politics."
"I made no such agreement, I merely nodded as you stated your wishes," The Queen smiled, a coy smile that Bryn was sure had been used to get whatever she wanted.
"And as my Queen," Bryn emphasized, "You should accommodate those wishes."
Now Bryn was pacing back and forth on the balcony, tugging at her silk dress and signet ring, "You know better than to stack the council with too many members of the same family! If you add me, that will be the former Princess and future Prince Consort discussing these issues, they could accuse us of usurping!"
And she really did not want to face Cara Antilles every day. Especially on political issues that Bryn had no desire to discuss.
Politics was Bail's specialty, not hers. Bryn was much more hands-on, willing to be the mechanist behind the scenes than the face broadcast across the galaxy. It was why she never wished to press her claim to the Monarchy in the first place.
"Would you just listen to what I have planned?" Breha grasped Bryn's hands again and sat them both down on the sofa, her anxious look replaced with something more earnest.
Bryn let out a sigh and nodded, tucking a spare curl behind her ear.
"Good," Breha smoothed down her clothes and adjusted her posture like she was addressing one of her subjects, "Now, Lady Shreya Baliss has announced her dismissal, which means a spot on the council is opening up. However, she won't leave unless I name her replacement, and until I do, that means I will have two members of the Baliss family on the council and a lady-in-waiting from the Baliss family as well."
Breha gestured toward one of her handmaidens, who unwrapped a datapad from the skirts of one of the gowns and handed it to her, "Now, I've done some research and while it is frowned upon for future Queens to employ former Queens and potential claimants in their retinue, it is encouraged to name those same people to their council to prevent a coup," Breha handed Bryn the datapad, who scanned the information with disbelief, "If I add you to the Council as Ambassador, they cannot accuse me of stacking the Council because I will only have two members of House Organa on it, the same way I had two members of House Baliss."
Bryn hung her head in her hands before lifting her gaze up to meet Breha's hopeful one. "How long have you been planning this?"
Breha let out a sigh of relief and released Bryn's hands from her grip, "I knew Cara would be making her move sooner or later, and once Uncle Cortan announced his retirement from politics at the engagement party, I knew it would only be a matter of time." Her shoulders tensed, and her back straightened like she was suddenly at court. "I knew I had to make my move sooner or later."
Bryn shut her eyes in frustration, pressing her hand to her forehead, "You've been planning this since the engagement party?" With a deep breath, Bryn finally stood up and began to pace, twirling her signet ring around her forefinger like she always did when she grew nervous. "When were you planning on telling me?"
Breha lifted her chin in defiance, "I'm telling you now. I need you, Bryn. And I need you now."
Bryn bit down on her lip, staring out at the golden orb starting to rise in the sky, clouds beginning to form. The deep blue of the lake underneath them was reflected in the skies above her, and here she stood.
Dressed in a lavender silk gown, shoulders bare against the wind, the offer of a lifetime dangling out in front of her.
And she couldn't get Breha's desperate voice out of her head.
"Alright," She whirled around, the same look of defiance that Breha wore now hardening on Bryn's face. "I'll do it." A smile moved across her face, "On one condition..." The Princess moved over toward a dusty blue gown glittering with diamonds, "You wear this for the ceremony."
Breha burst into infectious chuckles.
THE WALK TO THE MEETING CHAMBERS was one of the longest ones in the palace, particularly because it sat in the oldest part of the palace, surrounded by stone and plaster and weathered marble.
It was in the northernmost corner of the palace, and as Bryn strode down the hallway to meet with the rest of the Queen's Council for the first time, she passed several portraits and reliefs of the thousands of Kings and Queens that had inhabited the throne before her mother, before Breha.
At a certain point the line of Kings disappeared and all that remained were the portraits of Queens, the system set in place during the Old Republic after yet another Ascendancy contention.
Except that one had led to a civil war, and thankfully, Bryn wouldn't have to live to see one of those in her lifetime.
As she reached the durasteel door that led to the council chambers, she paused at the most recent portrait.
The cold eyes of Bryn's mother stared down at her, her smile not reaching her eyes. The woman was dressed in her favored black and gold instead of the blue of House Organa, her hair twisted up into yet another elaborate hairstyle, strains of gold flecked throughout the ebony.
Bryn gingerly touched her own dark curls, not as dark as her mother's, sister's, or brother's, instead matching the brunette of her father. They weren't tugged back in an elaborate hairstyle like Breha's or a simple braided halo like her mother wore these days, instead it hung loose around her face, a few twists keeping the bangs out of her face as the golden tiara that designated her status as a princess of the royal house of Organa sat nestled within the hairstyle.
One of the two houses that was allowed to keep the title even if they weren't technically on the sitting throne anymore.
The other house happened to beat her claim for the throne, and was waiting for her inside the chambers.
Footsteps drew her out of her thoughts and she turned to face the newcomer. Bail Organa stood there dressed in a silver tunic and matching pants, a wry smile on his face and a datapad tucked under his arm. "Fancy seeing you here, I thought you wished to stay away from politics."
Bryn shook her head, but couldn't stop the smile breaking across her face as Bail pulled her in for a hug.
She pulled away and gestured to her new ensemble, a bodice made of a light blue brocade with a white silk skirt, "Haven't you heard? I received a promotion this morning."
Bail nodded in recognition, "Ah yes, I thought I heard rumors of a new ambassador replacing Lady Baliss," something twinkled in his eye and he gestured toward the council chambers, "I suppose this is your entrance into the lion's den."
Bryn chuckled and turned toward the door, "I suppose it is," She turned to face her brother with a matching smirk on her face, "Shall we?"
Bail held out his arm and Bryn took it, her brother escorting her into the room of vipers.
The door opened up to reveal a circular chamber with several windows between each pillar, the natural sunlight of the planet illuminating the long rectangular table in the center of the room.
A smaller version of the Alderaanian throne stood at the head of the table, empty at the moment, but would soon be filled by the newly crowned Queen.
Bail would sit beside the throne and Davik would sit opposite him, except now that seat was filled by a brunette woman with an upturned nose and piercing blue eyes.
Bryn knew her job as Ambassador placed her directly next to Bail, which unfortunately meant she would be staring at the woman in the senate seat for the entire session.
"Cara." Bryn acknowledged as she sat beside her brother.
The brunette nodded and twisted her lips into a saccharine smile, "Bryn. I was unaware you were joining us." Cara's smile almost resembled a sneer, "I'm sure Lady Shreya won't be pleased when she learns that you've taken her seat."
"It is a good thing Lady Shreya trusts my judgment, then."
The rest of the room stood at attention as Breha entered with an air of regality. The sapphires in her hair gleamed in the morning light, complimented by her deep blue gown, fabric dangling from the silver clasps on her shoulders, giving the illusion of sleeves.
"Your Majesty," Cara fell into a deep curtsy, which cause Bryn to smirk, "I meant no disrespect, I only meant–"
Breha lifted her hand up to silence her, "It is my fault Lady Antilles, I am afraid I forgot to inform the council that we have a new member in our ranks," Breha smiled as she turned to face her future sister-in-law, "I met with Lady Shreya about her successor, and she agreed with me that Princess Organa would be the best choice."
"The Princess and the Prince Consort at our table?" Cardan Thul, Cara's father, spoke up in protest, "Surely I do not have to point out the implications of such an appointment."
Bryn turned to face the white haired man, ready to defend herself and Breha's decisions when Bail spoke up before her.
"Are you questioning the authority of our Queen, Lord Thul?"
The older man let out a mirthless chuckle, "Of course not, Viceroy. Only the influence a certain royal family has on her. After all, it is no secret that your mother wished for the Princess to sit where our Queen sits now."
"That is enough!" Breha's voice echoed through the chamber, silencing both men–although Bail would never dream of stepping on his future wife's toes–and drawing the attention back to her. "My decision is final, Lord Thul, and if you have a problem with it, you take it up with me. In private."
The older man bowed in deference and shot a nasty look at the Organa siblings before sitting back down in his chair.
Bryn shot a thankful look toward her friend and Breha nodded in return.
"Now," The Queen sat on her throne, everyone following suit in their own respective chairs, "I understand today we are discussing the trade bill with Naboo. With the Trade Federation increasing their prices and the Senate taxing the free trade routes, we have little options left except to enter into a direct contract with them."
"I must advise against such an action, Your Majesty," Lord Thul spoke up, "We have no idea of the consequences that could occur if we go against the Trade Federation, especially if we enter into a contract with one of their biggest suppliers."
"There is always the option of entering into a contract with the Federation itself," Cara spoke up, nearly parroting her father's beliefs, "The Thul's have plenty of credits to help cover the price increase, and we would be happy–"
"Absolutely not!" Bail interjected, cutting off Cara with a scoff, "The Federation cannot be allowed to accrue more power, they have already monopolized most of the Outer and Mid Rim territories, if we allow them to step foot into the Core Worlds–"
"-And so you suggest we go behind their back?" Cara shot back, an incredulous look on her face, "Throw our people, our very way of life into their line of sight? If we enter into a deal with them there is a chance they might leave us alone, but if we create this contract with Naboo, they will most certainly target us next."
Breha seemed to take both points into consideration, a solemn look crossing her face.
"Ambassador," Bryn snapped to attention, surprise bursting across her face at the recognition that the title now belonged to her, "You know better than any of us the condition of our ships, the resources we would need, what are your thoughts?"
Breha's directness caused all the attention to swing at her, and Bryn swallowed the newly formed lump in her throat and lifted her chin up high.
"The contract with Dantooine has provided us with little," She asserted, stating the facts that she was going to present to her brother in a few days time, "It bought us enough materials to repair the worst of the fleet but if we wish to improve and keep up with the rest of the Core Worlds we will need to secure a trade contract somewhere else."
Bryn turned her mind to the few planets she knew they could potentially reach out to, "I would highly advise against entering a contract with the Trade Federation when we have several other planets we could contact. Naboo is one of them, as is Corellia, and we already have a secure contract with them for ship schematics."
"Corellia is being stubborn," Governor Baliss spoke up for the first time in the meeting, the bearded man letting out a sigh of frustration, "Jonash is more than willing to discuss possible trade, but the merchant council refuses to engage with Alderaan until we hold up our end of the bargain."
The Governor leaned forward and met Bryn's gaze, "Answer me, Ambassador, do you believe our ships will operate properly with the resources we've already acquired from Dantooine and Corellia?"
Bryn inhaled sharply and stared at the Council. Everyone's attention was on her again, including Cara's and Cardan's. She turned to face Bail, who raised his eyebrows in a show of faith.
"No." Bryn admitted, trying to ignore the clenching in her chest at the word, "The kyber is providing a suitable alternative to plasma, but with our supplies dwindling...we need to find another supplier or else we will fall behind the rest of the Core."
Breha turned to face Governor Baliss with a victorious smile, "Then it's settled, Ambassador Organa will head to Naboo to discuss a contract with them, and I will send word to Jaina Erso to continue pressing the matter with Corellia. All in favor?"
Bryn raised her hand alongside Bail, Governor Baliss, and several other council members.
"All opposed?"
Cara and her father raised their hands. They were the only ones to do so.
Breha smiled and stood up, "Excellent, this meeting is adjourned."
The council bowed in deference and Bryn traded a knowing look with Breha as she passed by.
"Count yourself lucky, Organa," Cara's lilting voice broke through her reverie, "Any more stunts like this and the Queen herself will come under question." The brunette's lips twisted up into a smirk, "We wouldn't want that would we?"
Bryn narrowed her gaze at the woman, watching her figure retreat down the hallway.
The knot in her stomach tightened, and Bryn had the queer feeling that Cara Antilles was only just getting started.