Something's going to happen. That's what Bail Organa had in his mind, when he was being escorted to his cell.

When they reached a hall, he realized it was a courtroom. A courtroom that he had not seen or heard of being in use since the Empire was born, three years ago. It was ironic that it was same courtroom that was used for the trail of Barriss Offee after she bombed the Jedi Temple and used the trail as an act of protest against the Jedi and the Republic. But her protests were used by then Chancellor Palpatine to portray the Jedi as corrupt and self-centred, and the Republic as weak and ineffective.

He wondered if this trail would be also broadcasted and what allegations would he be charged with. Certainly the whatever evidences that would presented here, if any, would not be in his favour.

He was taken out of his ruminations by entrance of seven more prisoners escorted by multiple guards. Saying that he was shocked would have been an understatement. He saw Mothma, Amidala, then saw Dodonna and gazed over the others. They were also shocked to him and each other.

A chill ran through spine as realization dawned upon him. This was the end of the Rebellion Alliance against the Empire. There might be other leaders handling the Rebel activities, but all important and vital figures arrested and possibly incarcerated or executed, the Rebellion would be effectively worthless and wrecked. Any chance of revival or regaining of current level of strength, which was still not enough, would not come for years, if not decades.

Grand Vizier Mas Amedda and his two lackeys came in as the judges of this trial, while many officers from different branches of Empire also came and reporters of many sanctioned news agencies started flooding in the audience area.

"So, this is how it is..."

Padmé was still reeling from the being affronted by display of pompousness and bogus thing that they would call a trial. She remembered her comment to her colleagues when the Republic was disbanded and Galactic Empire was formed.

"So this is how liberty dies...with thunderous applause."

Would there be any applause when they would be tried and judged according to Emperor's orders and whims? How would other members of the Rebellion react? How would her parent feel? Could she and fellow prisoners survive this?

"... as the proceeding of this trial..."

She tried to hear Amedda's speech, but her mind was still muddled with questions. She certainly didn't think that there would a trial. And a trial publicly broadcasted, for sure.

"... Major Partagaz will act as chief prosecutor for the case..."

She was now sure that she and her colleagues could make most of this unfavourable situation, even if it meant her death. If it was a public trial, they could try to plead their case in a way that would they could gather more support. She was definitely no fool, as she had already seen how easily public can be fooled and how easily voices can be crushed. This was a game of narrative and perspective. A game that was played by Palpatine earlier and won by him as he was a manipulative master of it. So they had to salvage what they can and choose the games that could win, or at least evenly matched.

But what she really worried was why. Why Palpatine would even allow this trial actually happen? Especially if it was to be broadcasted publicly. What would he even achieve with this? This could be dangerous, even for him. If evidence was not fully conclusive, true or fake, it could backfire on the Empire. So why? She had to tread carefully here.

"My Lord, may present the first piece of evidence against Senator Bail Organa?", asked Major Partagaz formally to Amedda, and he got a nod of approval as reply.

A recording was shown on the holo-projecter at the centre of the room. The recording was few months ago. Two figures talking with each other, one was Organa himself and other was Moff Ryder Azadi, Governor of the Lothal sector. They were talking about a factory in Lothal which produced a sizeable chuck of new generation of TEI star-fighters. The conversation hinted at the factory being a potential target for the Rebellion, and Azadi mentioned about a resistance cell that can attack the factory.

Padmé was already calculating ways in which any involvement of rebels could be refuted as the conversation in the recording mentioned didn't contain any hard evidence towards both men's active involvement in anything "traitorous". But when she looked at Bail, she was confused to see his face in defeat. Utter defeat.

And soon, its reason was clear to her. The conversation in the recording took an unexpected turn. Both men in the recording started talking about how an attack would hamper the Empire's military machine, how Lothal could be freed from the Empire and how Lothal resistance movement could help other resistance movements.

Padmé was still for few moments, shocked and confused, and when looked at Mon, she had similar expression, no matter how hard both women tried to stay composed. This was serious. Dangerous. Not only for her and the ones being tried here, but also to the whole Galaxy. Her safety was last of her concern now. This would certainly give the Emperor more reason to reign terror on the Galaxy, which much more than he already had.

"As you can see, My Lord, our esteemed Senator Organa here, has been planning to undermine our and the Emperor's effort for peace and order by conspiring with the terrorists.", addressed Partagaz to the court.

Mon Mothma was livid. This was serious security breach. But how?

She, Bail and Padmé already knew that if caught, their lives are to be forfeit. But this recording showed her if the issue of this information leak was not to be addressed immediately, there would be nothing salvageable left.

And worst thing was they could not anything. Except to openly accept it and give the worlds across all the Galaxy a piece of her mind before going down.

But she had to remain calm. She forced herself to remain calm. She knew herself, she was the most proactive of them, the woman of action. And that was the reason why she worked well with Bail and Padmé. Besides their shared ideas and concerns, they balance each other out. Bail was a pacifist, an idealist, with very naive approach regarding military operations, while Padmé was a mix of both Mon and Bail, both active and passive, both calm in nature but also aggressive if needed, but more importantly, a voice of reason and virtuousness.

The proceeding of the court went on as similar evidences presented against all other accused. And along with them, some cherry picked detailed reports of rebel activities also presented for sole reason of showcasing the causalities and damages occurred to both Imperial personnels and civilians.

And their hands were figuratively tied. They were on enemy grounds. Rules were set against them. At most, they could do was carefully dodge accusations and make some of the evidences, if any, look circumstantial, at best. There were obligations binding them, safety of fellow undiscovered Rebel members, secrecy of neutral parties and, more importantly, prevention of blowback to their home worlds.

She could only hope that everything would be fine with the rebels and somehow they would move forward. Push forward...

(Dantooine – One of the Rebel Base)

Ahsoka tried to read her Jedi Master's expression. Years under her Master had made her somewhat able to read his expression, if not his mind. She herself didn't know what to feel at the same time. Anger? Sadness? So, she looked up to his master for guidance, as always.

Everyone in the room were erupted, shouting their own choice of words at the holo-projecter broadcasting the trial. It was on the shortest and swiftest trial she ever heard of. Any the only trial anyone ever heard of since the rise of Empire, of course.

The evidences were damning. Recordings of dealing, planning and negotiations of those who stood accused accused. Discussion of Organa and Bail of Lothal, secret negotiation meeting between Mothma and the Hutts for hyperspace lanes in outer rims, and dealing of Amidala, Dodonna and members of Banking clan, namely Rush Clovis, for financing of rebel armaments. With more recordings and documents presented to support the evidences, this nightmare was too unreal. The efficiency and credibility of the whole thing was simply mind-numbing. Sith spit, they didn't even had to fabricate anything.

But Ahsoka thought her anger reached its peak when the one presenting the evidence of dealing of Padmé and Banking clan, he even implied that the Padmé had been using her womanly charms to influence the other party's decisions. Sure, Ahsoka knew Padmé was certainly beautiful, for Empire's xenophobic standards, and she certainly never shied away from less than wanted advances from others. But Ahsoka had also witnessed her friend's handling of such situations and outlook on such matters.

Ahsoka was definitely wrong when she thought she had felt anger earlier, when the announcement of the verdict. They were found guilty, no surprises there. But when they announced the execution of all the accused, she was furious. Fury felt flowing through her every vein of her.

Her friends and comrades were to be executed, publicly. To be slaughtered like shaaks to be devoured by others.

"We need persuade the High command to attempt a rescue mission. Or at least what left of the Command."

She watched Obi-Wan leaving with fire and determination in his eyes, and she followed her Master. For she knew in her heard, if they didn't do anything, all hope might be lost.

She already lost too much. Her friends in the Clone wars, and her only family that she knew and her first Master, Shaak Ti, in the Purges. She could not lose anyone else. She just could not.

AN: We all know that any criminal trial by court under Empire would anything but just or fair.

I wanted this chapter to be a little bit of political drama. Just wanted everyone to know that Star Wars isn't just about Force users and lightsabers. There are trillions and trillions of beings affected by the action of few.

All minor characters and details I picked from legends might not be accurate, as I have not consumed all the SW media to be canonically right.

Also I didn't want to introduce Vader just yet. The kind of version of Vader I will be bring up in upcoming chapters is kinda of a... different, little OP. But with a lot of baggage.

Wait for the next chapter: "Unexpected Rebellion Of Another Kind"! :)

I hope you like it and your feedback is most welcome. May the force be with you!