Chapter 2

The shuttle needled it's way through the massive expanse of the Kuat Drive Yards, and Trun watched as construction droids and normal workers swarmed over the partly-assembled hull of an Imperial-Class Star Destroyer. Construction was proceeding swiftly, as it was on all the berths in this facility. Oddly enough he wasn't here for the briefing on Rebel activities he'd conducted planetside, nor for the reported espionage efforts by the Rebels, but rather to meet his wife. They had meant to meet on Alderaan, but his second child had decided to appear into the world two weeks early, so Senator Organa had interrupted the voyage, insisted that she be placed into the best Med Centre on the planet at his own expense and called her husband on his own priority HoloNet transmitter.

It had taken Trun not very long to whistle up transportation with his position in Intelligence, but his other daughter had been even more of a hellraiser when he'd told her that it would be some time before they could meet her new sister. Thankfully the Director had, upon hearing the need for the trip, told him not to let himself be seen at his post for the next week at least, having earned it through competent and loyal service for the last four years.

Now he was on a direct approach to the Naval Med Centre and he was not above using his Imperial Intelligence priority override codes to get there even faster. The grassy plains and forests of the planet itself came closer as the shuttle approached the city. Bypassing the spaceport, Trun's pilot landed the shuttle near the VIP entrance and without bothering to acknowledge the man, Trun grabbed his daughter and together they raced out of the shuttle and into the building.

Reception was handled by a droid that by his annoying and obstructive manner reminded Trun of a Gungan.

"I am sorry Sir, but without a proper authorization or proof of relation I cannot give you the location of Varan Trun."

Decidedly bothered by this and not in the mood for the usual niceties, Trun decided to pull out the hammer.

"Override Code Alpha-Alpha-One-One-Three-Eight-Enable."

It was an override code he'd been given for emergencies only, when he had to convince anyone within the Imperial bureaucracy stupid enough to disobey him. Director Isard would probably rip off his head and spit down his throat for using it like this, but right now he didn't care. The Droid keyed the code into it's terminal and was told to release the information.

Trun didn't even dignify it with a response after he was given the information and merely ran towards the room indicated. He was brought up short not by another droid but by the presence of no lesser a person than Senator Bail Organa himself. They had met only a few times before when Varan had taken him to a few receptions and the like, and Trun was well aware of the quiet, disguised form in which Director Isard had questioned him the next time he had reported for work after each occasion. Still, he liked the Senator. He might be a bit headstrong, but he served the Empire well and was, when you came down to it, a good man who really cared about the beings he represented.

Even though his only daughter was an adopted War Orphan, his father's smile was genuine when he greeted the now Senior Captain.

"Captain, I see you were promoted."

Trun only nodded in thanks and stepped inside, dragging Linto behind himself. Varan, even more beautiful than he remembered, was fast asleep, with his as of yet unnamed second daughter safely cradled by her side, a medical droid standing watch. He considered waking her, but decided not to. She had done the most exhausting thing any human woman could do, and she deserved the rest.

"I want to stay." Linto whispered.

"Your mother needs her sleep." Trun replied.

"I'll be quiet, promise."

The way she looked up at him, with her mother's eyes did him in, so he admonished her not to make a sound and watched as she tip-toed her way towards the bed, silently pulled up a chair and laid her head to rest next to her sister's tiny body, silently whispering towards her. With a smile, Trun turned and left the room. Organa was waiting outside.

"Daughters are why King Avantes went mad." Trun said with a dopey grin on his face coming from the haze of a new father, so he didn't notice how Organa's head snapped over. The Senator felt bad for what he had about to do, but this reference to an ancient playwright from Director Isard's homeworld could not be a coincidence, because he'd been alone when the Director had stated this, neither Trun nor his wife had been present. Could it be that the new assignment in 'administration' was far higher up than he'd suspected?

He felt bad about using something from a moment like this, but there would be a few very, very, very discreet inquieries made, and he would have to watch his words even more when talking to his very own chief of staff. He had more than once been tempted to give the position to someone else and have Varan Trun be moved to some other high-profile position just so that he could do his work with the Remnant with less cloak and dagger, but for one, he would have had to find a good explanation because she was so blasted good at her job and second, he liked her. She cared about her work, cared about the beings in the sector in spite of the Empire's institutional humano-centrism that saw entire sectors of non-human systems 'represented' by someone who'd never left Coruscant in his life. He had even considered bringing her into the fold, but that was of course not an option now. Still, what was that saying about seizing opportunities as they presented themselves? If need be, Trun might be a good conduit at some point, a connection with Imperial Intelligence could always be useful. Still, the man had just become a father again, so he deserved some support.

"Luckily my own daughter is quite the little princess, but they probably all are at that age."

Trun nodded. "How old is she now?"

"Four years and a few."

"Then enjoy it while it lasts, Senator." Trun said with a smirk, thinking about the little hellraiser that was now so dutifully guarding her new sister. Though not so little any more, all things considered. She was almost eight years old after all, and he already worried about the later years.

"Thank you for doing this, Senator." he said earnestly.

Organa waved it away. "It was nothing."

Trun was aware of the Senator's own less than normal history with having children and decided not to push it, and anyway he was far too honestly grateful to object to what Organa had done.

"It was the right thing to do, and these days it's all that matters." Organa went on, aware how dangerous this impromptu fishing expedition could quickly become.

The younger man on the other hand had yet to return to his usual measured self control.

"Very true, Senator. The Rim is teeming with rebel activity despite the best pacification efforts of Lady Paqua and the Imperial fleet. We still have a few heavily fortified Separatist holdouts."

Bail tried not to wince, but official language aside, the man was correct. The Imperial fleet had brutally crushed a few holdouts and destroyed several cells, that had only been isolated cells or groups that were not even aware the Remnant existed, so the effort as a whole hadn't suffered overly much, but even though Organa knew that would take generations to topple the Imperial throne, the casualties on the way there were bound to bother him.

"Not for long. Those holdouts are on borrowed time, since they can't or won't reinforce each other, and those that could theoretically survive, which they will not of course, would do so because they would be too small to be noticed. The lone ship here and there, or the odd missed organic infantry unit on some sort of backwater Rim World."

There were numerous examples of how 'pacified' worlds suffered under the heel, but as much as that pained Bail, he knew that there was little he could do. The Rebellion, Remnant and other, needed to gather it's strength. The Republic Navy might be able to overwhelm any local Imperial contingents, but the moment they annoyed Palpatine enough to send Paqua in to hunt them instead of enforcing Imperial authority against the Hutts and various restive systems in their direction, they were dead. The Republic Council knew this all too well and had adjusted their strategy and tactics. This had only been reinforced by the disaster on Tierfon. Speaking of which...

"Well, the presence of the Fleet certainly helps. Especially in our relief efforts on Tierfon."

Trun waved that away. "Rest assured Senator, the damage on that world isn't as great as was... initially reported."

Definitely Intelligence, Bail decided. No one else would be crazy enough to openly say to an Imperial Senator that the reporting from Tierfon was bogus. But this was getting dangerous, so he decided to change things back to a topic they could talk more openly about.

"But enough of the Galaxy as a whole. Allow me again to congratulate you on your second daughter, Captain."

"Thank you, Sir. I only fear that if she is anything like her sister or her mother, then I will have my hands full once she discovers the other half of the species."

Bail laughed. "Gods, this is my worst fear too. That my daughter goes and runs away with some fighter pilot or Corellian scoundrel."

Trun shuddered and made a theatrical wave of his hands.

"Please no. That's a fate I want for neither of my daughters."

He couldn't know that Bail had had a similar conversation with Anakin Skywalker when he'd last seen him two years ago, and the Jedi Knight and Republic General had used similar words when referring to Leia. A protective father if ever there was one.

"I fear that daughters tend to do exactly what we do don't want them to do, and all to often they are encouraged by their mothers."

"But we love them anyway." Trun said, smiling towards the door and clearly anxious to get back inside the room.

"But we love them anyway." Bail echoed, and he meant every word of it.

tbc

So, according to what I know, Leia always felt that Winter was the more regal and princess-like of the two, and that Star Wars Tales issue that contains a few snapshots from their childhood certainly supports that. Therefore I am going with that here. That being said, TTL's Leia is going to be somewhat less refined and diplomatic but at the same time a hellishly powerful Jedi. Put that together with the sort of training and specialization I have in mind for her...hehehe.

Anywho, this is far shorter than I wanted it to be, but the ending kind of fell into place, and I decided to cut it there. Up next: Trouble in SPAAAAAACEfaring technology for the Remnant and proposed solutions, as well as some rumours from the Outer Rim.