AN: This part of the story runs alongside chapters 39-42 of Ahsoka and the Rebellion, but only selected events are covered that were not in that story during that part of the timeline. We can see this part of Shaak and Maris as a companion volume that adds depth to the events taking place in that story. Shaak and Maris will conclude at roughly the same time frame as Ahsoka and the Rebellion, with both stories serving as the lead-in for the sequel. The existing text in the story titled "Ahsoka, Shaak, and the Second Empire" is going to be reworked and published under a new title yet to be finalized. The events seen in that earlier work will be left more or less intact but more depth and detail will be added. I am greatly looking forward to doing this work …
Thanks to new followers: Stni, Roborge, Llyr'Llefelys
Chapter 43: One Proud Lady
Felucia, Shaak's home, 0 ABY 8 months 5 days, 7 hours
One morning on Felucia, Shaak called Leia Organa Skywalker – her newly adopted name – to her home in the woods near the Assembly Hall. She had decided this was the right time to bring her up to speed on what had taken place with her mother, the former Queen Breha of Alderaan. As the princess arrived, she curtsied to Shaak when the Master met her at her doorstep.
"Ah, Princess, I've been meaning to get to this, and I hope you will be excited about what I am going to tell you."
"What is it, Master Shaak?"
"I'll just get right to it. Your adoptive mother, Breha, is alive and well."
"Whaaat?" Leia's jaw dropped upon hearing the news. "How? I mean, what happened?"
"Well," Shaak started, "I'm only learning some of the details myself, but it turns out she was not on Alderaan when it was destroyed." She paused a minute. "Please come inside, so we can talk in private."
"Yes, sure." Leia followed Shaak inside the house and took a seat in the main room, her mind having many questions.
As they took seats, Shaak made a few gestures and soon two cups of warm tea were floating over to them. Leia happily grabbed the one intended for her.
"Thank you, Master. I've always loved your herbal teas."
Shaak chuckled. "My pleasure … now, let me give you everything I know about your mother and what has taken place."
"Please."
"It seems that she has been living on Lianna for the past eight months or so. I'm not really sure why, but I suppose she will tell you when you see her."
"Lianna? Why there?"
"It seems she has become quite friendly with Queen Valles over the past year or so."
Leia ran this over in her mind. There were those on Alderaan who were suspicious of Lianna and its place in the Empire as a major supplier of arms and ships. She'd even heard they were partially involved in the construction of the Death Star.
"Queen Valles? You mean Valles Santhé, the arms dealer?"
"Yes. She's much more than that, and she's recently decided to reestablish the monarchy on her home world and has named herself the Queen."
Leia scoffed at this. "And they are okay with that? I'd heard they were governed by an elected legislature. Their leader was a good friend of my late father … oh, what was his name … ah, Dragoo. Willis Dragoo. So he's okay with Valles as the Queen?"
"Indeed he is. His family is well-established on Lianna and Valles is quite popular there, from all accounts."
"But they say she's quite greedy and power-hungry. And my mother is her friend?"
Shaak took a deep breath, then drank some from her cup.
"Leia, I think you will need to take all this up with Breha. I haven't spoken with her myself, and I only learned of this from a recent discussion I had with Valles."
Leia nodded, but felt more than a bit uneasy over the news. She was happy to hear that her mother had survived, but inwardly alarmed that it appeared to have something to do with Valles Santhé. She thought back to her first meeting with the woman, a reasonably formal occasion where Willis Dragoo and her father were together on Coruscant, and the lady just happened to show up. Oh, how I'd like to have a talk with her.
"Okay. First, thank you for letting me know about this. Do you have a contact for her?"
"You'll need to see Valles for that. I do not."
Leia groaned inwardly. "All right. I guess there's nothing else for me to do. Can you at least get me an invite to go and see her on Lianna?"
"Yes, my contact for anything I need on Lianna is Duchess Berit. She'll send a ship over here and then take you to Lianna City, where you can get an audience with the Queen. Berit is a nice lady and she's been most helpful to me."
Shaak paused again, while finishing off her tea.
"Leia, I'm sure you know about how Santhé Corp is helping us as we carry out the rebellion. When you meet with Valles, show her every courtesy and full respect that the leader of a planet is due. She and I are working closely together."
Leia nodded, and gave a tight grin.
"Okay, I understand. I'll be on my best behavior", Leia chuckled.
Lianna, the City, 0 ABY 8 months 5 days, 15 hours
Leia didn't have to wait long. Once Shaak had contacted Berit, a Liannese shuttle craft arrived on Felucia after being given the landing code from the Order's spaceport. Leia was contacted on her com device and she had dressed professionally for the occasion, picking out a dark dress with long sleeves and a skirt that hit just below her knees. Her dark hair was down, but neatly tied together behind her back. She completed the look with a pair of elegant black boots.
The shuttle ride over was uneventful, and twenty minutes later, she had arrived at the City. Berit's assistant had made the calls and it turned out that Valles (who had returned from Hapes Sector the night before) had an open slot in her schedule for later that afternoon at her office atop the Santhé Tower. Leia arrived about fifteen minutes ahead of the allotted time, after being given permission to ride the lift to the 215th level. Upon arrival at the top floor, she was asked to wait in the lobby area as she was early. Leia was offered some caf, which she gladly accepted, hoping it would calm her nerves. This would be the first time she had ever met with Valles one on one and she was more than a bit concerned over how it might go.
About ten minutes later, the personnel at the front desk signaled to her.
"Miss Organa? She will see you now."
Leia nodded, and followed the receptionist (one of three on duty at this time) through a portal that led to a single desk, where Valles's trusted assistant was seated. Leia came before her, and she stood.
"Hello, I'm Lasivia, Chairlady Santhé's personal assistant."
"Pleased to meet you, madam," Leia replied, feeling somewhat encouraged by the reasonably friendly face behind the desk.
"Is this your first visit to Lianna?"
"It is, and I'm quite impressed. Everything is so … organized," she heard herself say.
"Ah," Lasivia chuckled. "We take great pride in that."
She glanced at her desk, where a light came on, signifying that Valles was ready.
"Enjoy your stay. She is waiting to see you."
"Thank you, Lasivia," Leia smiled, then walked over to the portal, which slid open, revealing the vast expanse of the Queen's office, with its incredible views through large transparisteel panes. As she entered, Valles stood, then came around in front of her desk. Leia stepped up to her, then curtsied.
"Your Majesty," she managed to say.
"Please rise," Valles smiled, then extended her right hand, to which Leia bowed and took carefully, kissing it gently. She then remained silent, waiting for the Queen's next move.
Valles chuckled softly, then spoke. "Welcome to Lianna, Princess. I am glad to meet you."
She then gestured in the direction of the luxurious lounge area, to which Leia proceeded to take her seat. Valles was not exactly dressed in regal fashion, having opted for a bright red dress with big white polka dots, that hit around her mid-thigh. She was also shorter than Leia realized, at least 10cm lower in height than the Alderaanian. Valles calmly walked over toward her customary chair, one that had been replaced, with the new one resembling a throne of sorts, at least in a corporate sense. Taking her seat, she began.
"Leia, your mother speaks highly of you, and I can readily see why. You are elegant, poised, and, from all accounts, quite precocious, having served in the Imperial Senate at such a young age. So I can see that Breha has raised you well."
"Thank you, your Majesty. How is my mother doing?"
"She's well. It's been a difficult few months for her. She needed time to grieve, but now she's ready to move forward."
"Can you take me to her?"
"Yes. I will do that, but first I wanted to tell you a few things about your mother, who has become a close friend of mine. Leia, she almost feels guilty for having survived when almost everyone else did not, including her husband."
The princess nodded, and felt her eyes growing a bit misty. "Thank you for looking after her, your Majesty. I am grateful she had someone to lean on."
"Please, call me Valles. Your mother and I are on a first-name basis, so I see no reason why we shan't be as well. But …" Valles paused for effect. "I am sure you have many questions."
"I do. I guess … what I am wondering about … is why did she come here in the first place? Alderaan and Lianna aren't exactly neighbors, nor are we allies."
Valles half-laughed. "I guess you make a good point. But your mother and I met through a mutual acquaintance … Queen-Mother Vestalia of Hapes."
"Hapes?" Leia found this odd, as the Hapes Sector tended to shut itself off to outsiders. "How exactly?"
"Well, it just so happens that our Hapian friends aren't quite as private as many seem to think. My family has been close to the Ta Chumé for generations. Vestalia is almost like a mother to me these days and she has great regard for Breha as well."
"Hmm," Leia also paused. "I must admit, I was unaware of everything my mom had going on beyond Alderaan."
"Oh yes. She has many contacts, and I am proud to be among them. Might I get you something, Princess? Something cool to drink perhaps? It's going to be a warm day …"
"Oh, no, thank you, your Majesty, er … Valles. But I would love to see my mother."
"Of course. I shall take you to her. One second, please."
With that, Valles rose and walked back to her desk, whereupon she tapped a couple of places on the surface, then spoke.
"Please have my x1 ready, outside my office."
She then returned to Leia, who was becoming somewhat intrigued by her hostess. The two of them compared notes on Alderaan and Lianna, with Valles expressing total sympathy for the loss of what was Leia's home. Soon, the TIE craft had arrived and Valles led Leia to her private landing platform. The princess stood open-mouthed as she realized Valles was about to pilot a starfighter, much like her brother Luke was doing for the rebellion.
"Hop in, Princess," Valles laughed, as she had settled into the pilot's chair. "And strap yourself in, this thing really moves."
Once Leia was aboard, Valles engaged the twin-ion engines and the ship slid away from the Santhé Tower. At that point, she took control and the ship shot away from the City and roared as its speed quickly increased to something greater than orbital velocity.
Leia was somewhat stunned that the Queen of the planet had little regard for traditional royal decorum, and then noted Valles's skill as a pilot. In her smart dress and heels, she cut quite a figure behind the controls, but it was clear she knew exactly what she was doing.
"I thought you were taking me to see my mother," Leia shouted as so to be heard over the engines.
"I am!" Valles answered. "Just hang on, we'll be there shortly."
It started to dawn on Leia that they were headed to the orbital platform, which she had spotted earlier when she had arrived from Felucia. A few more minutes and the platform had come into view. Valles had ascended above it, but then the TIEx1 followed its gentle curve for a few hundred kilometres, then finally slowed and the Queen dropped the ship down to the platform and a small landing area that had a free space available. Once they had landed, the ship had been pulled by a tractor beam onto a platform with a moving belt, which took them into an enclosed area. At this point, Valles then popped open the hatch and pulled herself out of the TIEx1. She then extended her hand to Leia and assisted the princess, who was quickly on her feet.
"This way," Valles directed, and Leia followed her over to another portal, that opened to reveal what appeared to be something of a transport tube system for traveling along the orbital platform. She and Valles got into an unoccupied car, and Valles tapped a few buttons on the console.
"We will be there in about one minute. Breha is staying close by."
Lianna, Central Orbital Platform, 0 ABY 8 months, 5 days, 17 hours
The transport car had stopped, and Valles and Leia had exited and were in what appeared to be something similar to subway station down on the planet's surface. Everything was well lit and Leia followed Valles, who waved a hand, causing a repulsor bench to appear.
"We're going to ride from here, dear," Valles explained. "We are now in my orbital palace."
After the bench had proceeded through a few portals, they arrived at the ante room where most guests were received. Valles picked up her com device and spoke into it.
"Breha, darling, I have someone here to see you. I think you'll want to take this one," the Queen chuckled.
Soon, Breha had come to greet them, wearing an elegant pink gown that trailed behind her for about a metre, with her shoulders bare and soft slippers on her feet. Her hair was down and swinging freely. She seemed to be in good spirits, and when she first glimpsed Leia, she threw her arms open wide as her daughter ran to her embrace. The two hugged and kissed for a few seconds, Leia feeling joyful to see her mother again at last.
As Breha released her daughter, she turned to Valles.
"Thank you, Valles, dear. I've been waiting for this …"
"I know you have," Valles chuckled. "If you need me, I'll be in my suite. I'm going to get in a nap."
As they watched Valles walk away, mother and daughter turned to each other.
"Mom … I am so gratified that you survived. But I have so many things to ask you."
"I'm sure you do, darling. Please, let's sit together."
Breha led her through two more portals and they came to a luxurious lounge area with large transparisteel windows that looked down over the planet's surface below. Leia glanced through it and was enthralled.
"This is fabulous, Mother. Do you spend all your time up here?"
"Oh, no. I'm being introduced, slowly, into Liannese society. Valles has been such a dear. People are mostly sympathetic toward me, but I'm done with looking back. I want to move on and I'm so glad you made it. Tell me all about it …"
Leia proceeded to catch her (adoptive) mother up with the rebellion and the role of Shaak Ti and Ahsoka, also about her learning that Anakin was her natural father and Luke her brother.
"How much of that were you aware of, Mother?"
"More or less, all of it. Bail and I wanted to find the right time to tell you, but it never came up. Things were just so dangerous and we were fearful that you might get swept up into things and we wouldn't be able to protect you. But as for Shaak Ti and her Order, she first visited us on Alderaan years ago, when the rebellion was just getting started. I'm very glad that you are under her care now. Few people in the Galaxy are finer than she."
"Yes … I agree. She's a little bit different, but she is a kind soul, I can see. And Ahsoka, she's just the best. She's kept me out of trouble more than once." Leia paused to look out the window and the lights of the planet below, as the area of the platform they were on started to grow darker as dusk was setting in.
"Mother, I am curious about your friendship with Valles. I'm not totally sure I would trust her. I think she's playing her own game, even though she says all the right things."
Breha sighed for a second. "Leia, darling, I have no reason to doubt her right now. She loves her world and its people and they love her, and this is a wonderful place to live. I've decided to make it my home. Valles has given me the run of all of her estates and she has over forty of them in various places down there."
"But Mother, how do you feel? I know you must be greatly hurt."
"Of course, dear, how could I not be? I've lost so much … you have as well … but we cannot do anything about that now. I feel like the Galaxy is going to change, however, and it's coming soon. Your friend Shaak has much to do with that."
Breha picked up her tablet and tapped out a few things on it.
"Leia, I'm a bit hungry, would you like to join me in some hors d'oeuvres?"
"Sure. I'm willing to try them. This is typical Liannese cuisine?"
"Yes, and it's simply delicious. There are so many great places to eat down in the City, but Valles has made sure that some of their menus are available up here. I've been able to order some things ahead so that they are available when I want them."
Leia laughed, and reached over to pat her mother on the forearm. "Seems like you're still living like a queen. I'm happy for you and glad that Valles is treating you so well."
"Oh, she is, darling. I couldn't ask for more. She's so generous. Say … how would you like to spend tomorrow with me down in the City? We'll stay at the urban palace and spend some time sightseeing. There are many museums and the parks are just wonderful. Everything is so clean and the air so fresh. You almost wouldn't know it's a city and over a hundred million people live in it."
"Really?" Leia's jaw dropped. I just never knew that could be possible. These people have done a wonderful job."
"Well, you know, I'd never been here before until just two years ago. But I fell in love with it and the people are quite interesting. They have their own unique traditions, mostly based on what parts of the planet they live in. It gets cold up north, and hot near the equator, as you might expect, but they also control the weather here so that it rains only on certain days and everyone seems to know the schedule."
"Wow. I'd always wondered whether that was really possible …"
"Oh, yes. You know, Bail had been here before and he'd told me I ought to come, but I never was able to get away. It would have been so romantic for us to do it together …" Her voice dropped slightly as she thought of her late husband, whom she had loved dearly.
"I'm sorry, Mother," Leia said softly, as she took Breha's hand and squeezed it gently.
"No … it's okay. I'll be fine … so! Shall we make it a day tomorrow? Or does Shaak expect you back?"
"I can stay a day. In fact, I'd love to. I'm just so happy you're still with us. Please show me around the City. But, as for Shaak, she likely knows that we'll want some time together. Fortunately, she's very close by … over on Felucia."
"Oh … that is close. You know, I've never been there. I'd always heard it's rather hot and humid … but if you're not going to be far away, we'll likely have more chances to catch up with each other."
"I'd love that, Mother."
About two hours later, Valles had returned and she made them an offer. The Queen had gotten out of her daytime dress and was more regally attired, in a fabulous turquoise ensemble of double gowns and a sumptuous robe, and a glittering golden tiara over her hair, which had been styled into a long braid that hung down her back to her buttocks.
"Oh, how lovely, dear," Breha exclaimed. "Are you planning on a public appearance tonight in the City?"
"Mmm, not thaaaat public, but I'd be delighted to have both of you as my guests. Leia, if you'd like, please go through the closet in my suite here and pick out any piece you'd like for tonight. My compliments."
Leia blushed a little but was touched by Valles's attitude. She's good, I'll give her that …
Lianna, the City, 0 ABY 8 months 5 days, 20 hours
After Leia went to look through Valles's walk-in closet, and finding at least fifty beautiful outfits, she settled on a white satin gown that was somewhat low-cut and paired it with a black fur wrap around her shoulders. Even though Valles was likely a couple of sizes smaller, the loose-fitting garments worked fine. Leia was no more than about 10cm taller than the Liannese queen so it worked out well – which, she realized, Valles had already taken into account.
When she re-emerged a bit later, Breha had opted for a gown and robe in her favorite shade of blue and seemed thrilled, yet totally relaxed, to be sharing an evening with her daughter and her new best friend. Valles complimented both of them, remarking, "How honored I am to have the best of Alderaan with me tonight."
"So how are we getting to the City," Leia asked, somewhat jocularly. "I don't think we'll all be able to squeeze into that starfighter you brought me up here in."
"I should say not," Valles laughed loudly. "I can't even get my outfit in there with me in it. No, for this occasion, nothing less than one of my Royal Shuttles will be suitable."
The Organas then followed Valles out of the guest suite and entered the ante-room for the orbital palace, where an elegant repulsor throne soon arrived and it had two extra seats so that they could share it with the Queen. Once mounted, they were whisked down the broad corridor of the platform for about 200 metres, and then to where the shuttle had docked. The hatch had opened and they slid right in, then dismounted and proceeded to the elegant lounge area for the short ride down to the surface. Everywhere there were the VSR emblems – in the Liannese royal colors of turquoise and yellow – that left little doubt about whose craft it was. As Leia looked around, she smirked a bit, then nodded. She sure doesn't miss any details. This is one proud lady.
The ride was short, and about 10 minutes later, the speedy royal shuttle had landed on the roof of the urban palace. As the three of them debarked from the shuttle, attendants were rolling out carpet on the rooftop so that none of the ladies' gowns had to touch the rough surface underneath. From there, it was a quick limo ride over to the Santhé Tower and a ride on the lift up to the tenth level, where they would be welcomed in the Queen's Room eatery, where Valles's private dining room awaited.
The three of them were served their meal, a light affair consisting mostly of Liannese fresh-water and Vaynaian salt-water marine fish and mollusks, accompanied by large salads with Liannese veggies and bits of crisp spicy croutons. Everything was fit for Valles's consumption and she tended to eat lighter than most, wanting to keep her svelte figure. A bottle of light Livornian wine was poured for the three of them as well. When they were finished, Valles led her guests into another part of the restaurant – which was more of a private club that featured spice-tasting and some games of chance. All Liannese nobility and elected officials, along with high-ranking managers in the planetary government, were members and Valles had made sure that this was the place to be – on any given night, even if she were not in attendance herself.
They were in a small ballroom, which seated about thirty and had a bandstand that featured a jazz combo of four musicians playing as they entered, for which Valles stood briefly and enjoyed, while Leia and Breha took their seats to the right of the podium, where the Queen planned to give a short address. When the trumpeter finished his solo, the band soon concluded the selection and were given polite applause from those seated in the room. Valles began …
"Good evening, everyone, and welcome to my room." Polite laughter ensued, then she continued. "I do hope you have been fortunate tonight and I kept telling them that gambling and spice don't mix … ah, but Willis insisted."
She shot a glance over at the Prime Minister, who laughed loudly and gave his Queen a salute.
"Well, anyway (more laughter) … I would be remiss if I didn't call attention to my wonderful friends who are in attendance tonight. There's Berit, over there, and dear, I understand you out-performed your pal Janne on the slalom yesterday. And yes, the Duke of Batesta is with us … Finjab, nice to see you. And the lovely Countess of Kalpania, too. Marjana, I am most grateful to you for taking the lead on the project … which I will be getting to in a little while."
Valles paused, and looked around the room some more, then continued.
"Everyone, I've a couple of major announcements to make this evening, and the first of these is that we will be sponsoring the creation of a special world I've purchased just for this occasion. Yes, over in the Ash Worlds Sector, which has only been with us for this past year and I'm thrilled to have them in the Liannese orbit. In that sector, we have now taken up ownership of the abandoned planet Nechako and we are planning to remodel that one and make it more suitable for agriculture … and you may ask why we are doing this, and the answer is simple. This world has been prepared and we are going to call it New Alderaan. Yes, you heard that right. Due to the most unfortunate circumstance awhile back, the original planet was destroyed and we lost many good friends and fine people, but there are plenty of survivors, and two of them are here tonight. Please recognize Queen Breha and her daughter Princess Leia."
The two of them rose and received polite applause. Leia turned briefly to her mother and gave her a look of astonishment. Breha patted her on the shoulder and smiled. She spoke briefly. "Thank you, your Majesty, and the survivors of our world are most grateful for the chance to start over. I will now become the Queen of New Alderaan."
After Breha and Leia sat down, Valles continued.
"Yes, I think this is a wonderful development and I couldn't be happier for Breha, and no one is more deserving. So, now, my other announcement. First, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to the governors and nobles in Topagnia, Fulan, Cumbria, and Kalpania, for agreeing to deed over the needed land from each of their districts. We chose the intersection of these four to be the site of our new planetary capital city. The planetary government will be moving from Lianna City and all new everything will be constructed in the new location, which, I have been informed, will be named Vallesia, in honor of your Queen and I am indeed most honored. The government will be moving, but Santhé Corp and Santhé-Sienar will remain in the City. We expect everything to be complete about one year from now."
This plan had been in the works for about two months, but Valles had been clearly inspired by Queen-Mother Vestalia's setup on Hapes and the time seemed right for the new capital city to be built, thus taking some of the pressure off Lianna City, which was steadily growing more and more congested. The City would still be the focal point of the planet's economy and maintain its role as a cultural and educational hub in addition to its position in commerce. As was her custom, Valles carefully gauged public opinion about building the new capital of Vallesia beforehand, with an emphasis on the architectural beauty she wanted to see, and this would also include a fabulous new palace for her as the center of the new city, and that would be close to the new home of the Legislature and the offices for the various Ministries. The four districts from which the Capitol Territory would come from were to be compensated for the land they would be ceding over to the Crown and of course there would be a massive expenditure for new infrastructure to support all of this, particularly regarding the Water Board and the facilities to be built onto the existing system in that area of the planet. The four districts currently shared a common "four corners" point where their borders intersected, which was mostly undeveloped land, and this was a partial factor in the choice of the site.
Valles then asked for a short holovid presentation showing various plans for the new city, which drew appreciative comments from her audience and then she concluded her remarks. Following that, she invited Leia and Breha up to her office on the 215th level, where they had some after-dinner caf and were admiring the view of Lianna City by night.
Leia was more than impressed by Valles's gesture in agreeing to finance the development of New Alderaan, and her mother's excitement over the plan.
"Well, Mother, I don't know what to say, but I'm so happy for you and there are many communities around the Galaxy where Alderaanians have settled. They will be so thrilled by this news."
She then smiled at Valles. "Thank you, your Majesty. It's such a wonderful thing to do. But I'd never heard of Nechako before. What can you tell me about it?"
Valles chuckled. "It was the site of a onetime agricultural community, but some twelve years ago, the Empire greatly damaged the world and it became arable no more. There were fewer than a million people living there and most of those who survived moved to other worlds, some to Lothal. I've tried to learn more about this and one of my most trusted advisors, Countess Kyver, is seeing to their welfare and helping arrange compensation payments for what they've lost. As for Nechako itself, we are currently terraforming the planet and preparing the atmosphere. The Water Board has sent several consultants over there to oversee how things will be developed. We are investing about a half-trillion credits in the effort."
Breha spoke up at this point. "Dear, Valles has given me full oversight power on this whole project. I have to sign off on every phase and facet of it. I'm quite pleased about it all and it's given my life new purpose. I hope that someday, you, and maybe your brother, will become part of it."
Leia smiled and reached over to grasp her mother's hand, which she squeezed.
"Of course, I'm happy for you, Mother. And I would love to help, but I'm also committed to Master Shaak and her plans right now. She's very inspirational and is now the leader of the rebellion against the Empire."
Valles smiled and took each of their hands in hers. "I'm well aware of the Master's plans. There are going to be some changes made … at the Galactic level. That's all I can say about it at present."
Aboard Duchess Ana's Yacht, 0 ABY 8 months, 3 days
The Concordia was traveling through hyperspace on the way to the SE Outer Rim. Duchess Ana, Countess Ry, and Lady Qi'ra of Crimson Dawn were relaxing in an elegant sitting room on the third deck below the upper promenade deck, which also connected to the flight deck or bridge. The ship had eleven decks in all and was quite spacious. Ana was most proud of her vessel and had spent large sums keeping it looking its best. Qi'ra was appropriately appreciative of Ana's hospitality, which had been quite extensive. While they sat, she thought back to the lovely guest bedroom and her bath at the Duchess's palace in the Livornia District of Lianna. These Liannese spend lots of money on what they care about and don't seem to mind letting others know. Clearly, Ana wants everyone to understand that she is a big deal on her home world. This trip had better be productive if I am to retain her trust – something that took years to earn.
Meanwhile, as she traded pleasantries, Ana sipped her light wine – made from her own vineyards – and considered what they were doing and where they were going. Qi'ra had given them the name of the planet they were traveling to – Excarga – and there wasn't much to go on, other than it had been a source of raw materials of various kinds and there had been two battles for the place during the first year of the Clone War. Apparently, some type of ore is there, but my sources aren't providing much help. But I don't think she's all that interested in what's actually happening on Excarga … what of the artifacts she mentioned? Ry seemed quite interested in these as well.
From Ry's point-of-view, her relationship with Ana had become as important to her as her relationship with Queen Valles. Ana had urged her to discuss her past in more detail with the Queen, and Ry was wondering just how to approach her on this. Ana had also implied that it would be better for her to handle this herself, without the Duchess's assistance, thus Ry told herself she had to take care of it. Valles doesn't much like being blind-sided on things and I have to wonder now just how much about me is being discussed privately among the other nobles. Duchess Berit in particular, who is looking for any opportunity to score points against Ana with the Queen. Perhaps if one of Qi'ra's treasures here pans out and could be valuable for Her Majesty …
Ana rose from her seat and beckoned to both Ry and Qi'ra. "Ladies, would you like to accompany me to the galley? I've been informed that a special treat has been prepared for us."
Ry glanced at Qi'ra, who smirked in return, fluttering her eyelashes. The Corellian was dressed in a loose-fitting pale blue silk gown, similar to the ones Shaak Ti favored when at home on Felucia, while Ry had on a polka-dot dress in black and white that contrasted nicely with her curly hair, that now had a reddish tint. Ana had pulled on a light satin robe in pink over a short yellow gown.
"Sure," Ry replied. "I know it will be tasty."
The Concordia's galley was far more than a full chef's kitchen. It had a small bar with rounded stools attached to the floor that swiveled, a feature the Duchess asked for so that she might sample what her chefs were preparing and if it was suitable for her guests, especially if one of them was Valles. Ana told herself that she cared greatly about Valles, not because of her position of power, but more due to their long-standing friendship. She mightily wanted Valles to be a successful ruler, and for Lianna to thrive under her enlightened leadership. And she also knew that Valles very much liked having contrasting viewpoints on various matters so should could make informed decisions.
As she led them into the bar area, her head chef was standing behind the bar in the uniform of the Concordia's kitchen staff – all-white garments with navy-blue trim. He lowered his head in deference to Ana as she approached.
"Good evening, my Lady. I trust you and your guests are enjoying the voyage?"
"We are," Ana chuckled. "Of course, you know Countess Ry. This is Lady Qi'ra, our guest during her stay on Lianna.
So, Bernando, what do you have for us tonight?"
"A tasty tart, made from your delectable citrus, mixed with Livornian apple."
"Ah," Ry smiled. "I can't wait!"
Qi'ra laughed as well.
Soon, three small portions, about 10cm in diameter, were served to the group, who eyed them hungrily. Qi'ra bit into hers first and savored the slightly sour, slightly sweet mix of flavors that were mixed into a strudel-like consistency within a flaky butter-based crust.
"Perfect," Ana exclaimed, after she had taken her first bite.
"Yes," Ry laughed, turning to glance at Qi'ra and Ana. "My compliments to the chef!"
After finishing the treats, Ana motioned for them to follow her. They went through a couple of portals, and arrived in a cozy little room, where waiting for them were three glasses and a bottle of dark wine that had been left on a small high-top table, which was surrounded by comfortable leather-covered raised chairs. They took their seats and Ana opened the bottle and poured a small amount of the wine into each glass. She then raised hers in a toast.
"To our fortunes. May we get all that we desire …"
"And none of what we deserve …" Ry laughed, and was joined by Qi'ra. This had become something of an inside joke with the Duchess and spoke to the fleeting nature of fortune and success in what was always an unpredictable Galaxy.
Herios Sector, SE Outer Rim, 0 ABY 8 months, 4 days
The next morning, the ship had arrived in the Herios Sector, on the Southeast Outer Rim, which was roughly 12 hours from Lianna. They were now in orbit around the planet Excarga, a mineral-laden world that was not being exploited by the Empire at this particular time, and unbeknownst to both Qi'ra and the Liannese, was actually a key supplier to the Rebels and their clandestine ship-building activities on Corellia and Chandrila.
Ana, Ry, and Qi'ra had all awakened and dressed in similar outfits, comfortable long-sleeved tunics worn over slacks in dull colors (olive, wine, and gray), complemented by smart-looking boots. Ana and Ry weren't sure if Qi'ra wanted to proceed to the planet's surface, but she said nothing as they stared out of the viewport from the lower observation deck. Soon, they could glimpse another ship in the distance that had an interesting shape. Ana turned toward Qi'ra and stared at her for a second, expecting an explanation.
"Yes, my Lady, this is what I've brought you and Ry to see. Aboard the Vermillion are the artifacts I've told you about."
"Oh …" Ana said, as her jaw dropped slightly. "I guess we didn't realize …"
"Okay," Ry spoke up. "So are we going aboard, or what?"
Qi'ra picked up her com and spoke. "Vermillion, this is Lady Qi'ra, aboard the noble yacht Concordia. Please make preparations to dock with us."
Soon, a long tube-like structure had been extended from the midships hatch of the Vermillion, which reached across to connect to Concordia's forward lower deck. Once the pressures had been equalized, the dock was complete.
"This way, ladies, if you please," Qi'ra said with a smirk, happy to now be in a familiar location. Ana and Ry followed her, both looking around at various features as they proceeded aboard the Vermillion. Soon, they came to a lift and rode up to what their hostess referred to as the "gallery" deck. Stepping off the lift, Ana and Ry stared into what appeared to be a large open area, with various stations that contained enclosed objects.
As they walked together into the room, Qi'ra started pointing out individual items, most of them in transparisteel cases. First was a large green-tinted object that, at first, looked like a large Kyber crystal. "This is the Rur Crystal, a onetime computer core from an ancient ship once used by a group called the Ordu Aspectu."
"I've heard of them," Ry noted, "but I can't remember much else."
Qi'ra opened the case and passed her left hand over the object, which changed colors to bright white, giving off a glow.
"How did you come by this piece?" Ana asked.
"I bought it, for ten thousand credits, from an archaeologist, a lady named Aphra."
Ry and Ana glanced at each other for a second, but neither could place the name.
"Ten thousand?" Ry said softly. "Seems like a large sum … do you seriously think it's worth that much?"
"To the right buyer," Qi'ra smiled, giving Ry a wink.
Continuing on, they came to another item. Mounted on a stand, this one was light brown in color and resembled a pair of sharp horns pointed toward the floor.
"Aphra called this one a thought dowser …" Qi'ra noted. "I'm not exactly sure what it does …"
Ana approached it and felt that it was calling to her in some way. You want this, Duchess … your Queen will reward you once it is in her possession … She stopped for a second, then glanced at Ry.
"What?" the Mandalorian asked her quietly.
"I'm not sure. I'll tell you later."
Ana then turned to Qi'ra. "How much did this one cost you?"
Qi'ra chuckled. "Not much. I'll give it to you for a small sum, as a gift to my esteemed hostess."
"Yes," Ana replied. "How long have you had this?"
"A few months."
"A thought dowser? How did she know what it was called?"
Ry stared at Qi'ra, her interest starting to peak.
"She didn't say, but I got the feeling …" Qi'ra paused, realizing both of her guests were growing intent, and it was at that moment that she realized both of them were Force-sensitive. She'd suspected Ry might be from their earlier meetings but now she was sure, and she felt the same about Ana, and further, she realized this might be the secret behind the Duchess's success on Lianna. Ry and Ana waited patiently for her to continue.
"That … she'd had an encounter with someone. Someone powerful."
"Any idea who?" Ry asked.
"No. She kept quiet about that."
"I see," Ana remarked. "I want this piece. I'll give you two thousand."
"Done!" Qi'ra replied, triumphantly. "I'd kind of like to get it off my ship, anyway, because there's not much I can do with it."
The tour of the gallery continued, but the only pieces of interest to them were a pair of old lightsabre hilts – but no crystals in them – that were inscribed with Jedi symbols, which Ry recognized, even if Ana and Qi'ra did not. Ry thought about getting them for her personal use, and offered to buy them. Qi'ra sold them both for five thousand credits, and that was that. As they returned to the Concordia, Ana wasn't sure what to make of all of this, and thought about informing Valles. But knowing that the Queen might just want to impound the Vermillion, so that her own scientists and archaeologists could peruse and research the collection, she decided to leave things as they were for the time being. Ana felt she had the trust of Lady Qi'ra and this might serve her well at any point in the future.
The voyage back to Lianna was uneventful, and Qi'ra boarded the Concordia's shuttle craft, which dropped her in Lianna City, then continued on to Livornia. Once Ana and Ry were back in the Duchess's palace, they proceeded to her master suite, changed into some soft gowns and robes, then settled down together on the sectional sofa. They kissed tenderly, then looked at each other. After a few seconds, Ana broke the silence.
"So, I expect you'll be reaching out to the Queen …"
"Yes," Ry nodded. "But I'm curious about that thing you bought from her. Have you got any plans for it?"
Ana chuckled. "I just might. It seemed to call to me through the Force. It told me my queen would want it. For some reason."
"Yeah … really," Ry laughed. "I'd love to see the look on Valles's face when she learns about it."
"Uh huh," Ana chuckled. "Oh, well." She leaned in for another kiss, her robe opening slightly as Ry embraced her. The two then stood, holding hands gently. It was time to get some rest …
Lianna, the City, 0 ABY 8 months, 25 days, 13 hours
After Valles had returned home from Baldavia and concluded her business with Breha and her daughter, she had many things to attend to. The time in the Hapes Sector had cleared her mind and she had been gone for about seven days, much of it spent with Vaston, and the two had seemingly grown ever closer. She asked him to keep the details confidential from his mother, however, as she knew that Vestalia would likely be thrilled at the prospect of having her as a daughter-in-law and this was not a step Valles felt like taking at this time. Any royal wedding will have to wait for my formal coronation and then perhaps a bit later on – if it's going to happen.
A few days after the Queen's announcements of New Alderaan and Vallesia City, she decided to get away again, meeting with Vaston on the Belladonna after she had taken a trip to the Corporate Sector. He was there on other business, using his own yacht Taq Murageri. Once he had realized Valles was there, he arranged to send his yacht – with several members of his harem – back to Hapes so he could join with her. They proceeded to enjoy a ten-day voyage together on Belladonna (which he greatly preferred to his own boat) exploring Outer Rim worlds, some of which were in her expanding empire. The love between them continued to blossom and she was blissfully happy, now considering a wedding with him at some point in the near future, perhaps at the new palace that would be built for her in Vallesia City.
The Queen returned home about eight months and twenty days ABY. A few things had piled up in her absence, and thus she devoted three whole days attending to them. These included meeting with Willis Dragoo and the Legislature, who were greatly interested in supporting their Queen and assisting her in any capacity she might need. The business seemed to be non-stop meetings regarding the planet and its governance. These included a session with the Water Board, where they hashed out the budget for upgrade and repair of facilities all over the planet. Valles saw to these expenses from her personal budget – which was where all the tribute money went. From those accounts, she could funnel payments to any of the "protected" worlds in her direct orbit, a list of planets that was growing rapidly. The expenses recommended by the Board ran to trillions of credits, but she knew that putting off this work would only make it more expensive in the long run, and Valles had a tendency to micromanage much of the planet's affairs. This was especially true when concerning her growing empire on the northeast Outer Rim, which was well understood and tolerated by Emperor Palpatine.
Once she was done with most affairs of state, which she conducted from the urban palace in the City, she wasted little time heading to Santhia where she could rest in seclusion. The other matter she had to attend to was regarding her public relations priorities. As Queen, Valles had now become the symbol of Liannese culture and the planet in general, especially to other parts of the Galaxy. One important area of this was ensuring that the younger generations of Liannese citizenry felt connected to her and their government overall. Valles had regular opinion surveys of the population conducted and these were tabulated in each of the 75 administrative districts for the planet. Those that saw her as "excellent" or "very good" tended to be around 70-75% of the people as a whole and she carefully monitored these results on a quarterly basis each year.
Getting timely feedback was something every competent leader needed and she especially wanted to hear from those with more negative or less than stellar opinions of her. Those answering as "poor" or "not good" had to be taken into account, and even though she knew that no one could please everyone, it was important to see where any potential problems might lie. Once her coronation had been taken care of – the scheduled date was another six months away – she intended to set up regular events where she would stage "meet and greet" events to connect more personally with the population of each of the 75 districts. Valles wanted these events to be monthly and tickets were already being sold in advance in some districts. These were going fast as the people generally held a high regard for her and were excited to have her appear locally. By ensuring her public standing, Valles knew she could keep all of Lianna's elected officials, as well as the nobility, in line behind her. Valles held a short meeting with the managers of her royal staff and covered this area extensively. One thing they appreciated from her was no ambiguity when it came to how she felt about the various responsibilities they had. Becoming a member of the staff was a highly sought-after position, which paid well and carried much prestige.
After a couple of days at Santhia, Valles contacted Breha Organa, who was mostly staying at the orbital palace on the central platform, some 400 km above the planet's surface.
"Breha, darling, might you come down to Santhia? We have some things to review over the New Alderaan plans."
"Surely, my Queen."
A couple of hours later, Breha arrived and was shown up to the fifth floor of the Santhia palace, a place she had become quite familiar with, and like most other guests, enthralled with as well, due to its relaxed atmosphere and beautiful surroundings.
"Come, my friend," Valles called to her after having detected her arrival in the Queen's suite. "And grab a bite or two with me out on the terrace."
"Don't mind if I do," the Alderaanian sang out joyfully. "What a beautiful day down here. I would prefer to stay here the rest of the week. I hope you will have plenty of time …"
"Well …" Valles smiled at her, then patted her on the shoulder. "Tomorrow is rainy, so you might enjoy that side of things as well," she chuckled.
"Anyway, I have been asked to go to Coruscant my His Majesty, but I don't expect to be gone more than a day and a half or so … Breha, I wanted to get a feel for your plans regarding New Alderaan. I don't think you'd want to wait on this, what with the momentum behind it. Several inquiries have come my way over the past month."
Breha chuckled and beamed at Valles, who was wearing a cheery orange-and-yellow short dress, with her hair in four long pigtails like a young girl.
"Oh, I agree totally. When does the final preparation complete?"
"They tell me the atmosphere is now where we want it and the planet will be mostly temperate. We have completed the principal rivers and the underground water table. The two oceans have been seeded and there are going to be multiple aquatic life forms, some are being imported over from Mon Cala."
"Oh, really?" Breha nodded her head forward. "I didn't know you were in a partnership with them, too."
"Oh, sure … they are another protectorate world of ours now, and will be close neighbors of yours, along with the Lothal system. I would expect you will develop good relations with all of them."
Breha again looked lovingly at Valles, whom she had grown most fond of. "I don't see why not. Say, dear, I am also intrigued by your new capital city plans. Will you be moving embassies and the like there as well?"
"Yes. And in that spirit, the governments of other worlds in the Galaxy will be able to provide exquisite estates for their dignitaries to reside in when they come to visit us. I very much want to provide Vestalia such accommodations when she visits, for example. The new location is so wide open, we will have the ability to build everything on a unified design."
"I'm so looking forward to seeing it."
"We've started to see the City as becoming a bit larger than we had originally planned for, so this plan ought to take the strain off its facilities. I'll still keep the urban palace, as it has so much history behind it."
"I understand, and I would imagine it has a place in the hearts of those in the City as well. I've been talking to various friends I've made since moving here. There was a large amount of joy when you decided to reestablish the monarchy. It seems Liannese are a people that love their pageantry."
"Oh, we do …" Valles laughed. "You're becoming one of us."
"Dear, it's quite cozy out here on the Outer Rim … I never would've believed that before."
"That's been my aim for a while, now. To tame some of the baser elements that give it a bad reputation. It's very much a work in progress."
"So you've created something of a federation, it would seem. How far does it go?"
"Hard to say at this point, and we are in negotiations to bring the Corporate Sector into it. Their leadership – a rotating body that gets a new president every two years – can see the benefits of greater respectability. At this point, my aims are concentrated on the Northeast Outer Rim. This is an area that can pool its resources, and the Emperor has given me the go-ahead – in fact, I gained that prerogative a few years back. He and I communicate well together."
Breha thought about this for a minute. I wonder just how she has this relationship with Palpatine. Valles is very charming but his reputation is such that it would seem to be of little use.
"That's great, dear. I hope it continues."
Valles simply chuckled, then gave her a look that said, I've got this, but she wasn't willing to go into any detail.
Breha thought for a second, then figured: I'd better stay in my lane, here …
Coruscant, the Imperial Palace, 0 ABY 8 months, 29 days
Later that day, Valles had boarded Bella Donna and was on her way to Coruscant. Part of her wondered what had caused the Emperor to reach out to her, but she wanted to show him that she was properly responsive so she replied ahead that she would "be there soon." The trip from Lianna normally took about eight hours and she had plenty of time to get some sleep in along the way. As she lay down, Valles started wondering. What does he want to see me about? I feel like something's happened and this might get complicated.
Upon arrival, Valles played it low-key, as she had before, skipping any fanfare that the Queen of Lianna, leader of a world that was a key part of the Galactic Empire would be expected to receive. She was there for only one reason. As she entered Palpatine's suite, away from the throne area he usually did business in, she was dressed all in black. A soft robe over a plain silk gown, with one of her light golden tiaras on her head and her hair hanging loose. As they met, she curtsied to the Emperor, and he lowered his head before her. Immediately, she could feel it – this was a different Sheev. Gone was the need to portray himself with dignity and elegance. Instead, he was clothed in black, with a hood partially covering his head, the way Darth Vader was used to seeing him.
"Can we sit for a minute, dear Queen Valles?" His voice was scratchy and rasping.
"Surely," she responded pleasantly. "Are you feeling all right?"
He led her to a sitting area, then pointed to a soft two-seat couch, which Valles promptly filled, pulling her flowing garments to her left side as she sat. Seeing her, he did his best to smile, then began.
"My friend," he heard himself say. "You are looking well."
"Thank you, Sire."
"Valles … I suppose you are wondering why I asked you here today. I know you are a very busy lady. But I needed your counsel."
"You have but to ask, Sire." She glanced at him, doing her best to conceal any concern. "What seems to be troubling you?"
"Normally … I would not discuss these matters with anyone … yet, I feel you are someone I can trust."
"Absolutely," she gave him a solemn expression as her eyes met his.
"Valles … you are a very intelligent lady and I know you have detected something … something is not as it should be."
He took a deep breath, but wheezed as he exhaled. "I've not told you of this before … but about two years ago I had a visitor … a strange lady in white, but she would show all the colors when her gown moved."
Valles stared at him, then asked, "was she human?"
He thought about it. "I'm not sure. She appeared as human, but rather tall, over two metres."
Valles was about to comment, but he raised his left hand, wanting to continue. "Then she spoke. She called herself the Empress and Protector of Group Seventeen and the other twelve groups of galaxies of the Eastern Flank."
Valles turned her head at an angle as she listened, then waited for him to continue. "And that her name was Madam Su. I was sure that I was having an hallucination."
He looked at her, gauging her reaction. She nodded, then gave him her best sincere look, and muttered.
"I see … I can imagine. Group Seventeen. What is that, anyway?"
"It appears to be where we are located."
"And the Eastern Flank? Of What?"
For the first time, Valles was a touch confused, but, as she could readily see, so was the Emperor. Neither of them had any clues as to what the mysterious Madam Su was referring to. He remained silent, so she ventured another inquiry.
"Sire, you said you thought it was an hallucination … do you still think that?"
He started to smile, but then shook his head. "No. Because something else happened. She said my time was coming to an end. I grew angry and attempted to destroy her but she absorbed all of my energy and then reversed it. I had to stop because she would have ended me right then and there."
Valles shook her head, not wanting to believe any of this. From the looks of things, Sheev had an encounter with an extra-Galactic alien presence of some sort. He was reading her thoughts, and indicated his sympathy for her confusion.
"My lovely Queen, I once was sure I had been dreaming … until I found this …"
With that, he held up his right hand and the little white pyramidal object flew into it.
Valles was a bit astonished. "W…what is that?" she stammered out.
"At first, I thought it was a type of holocron … similar to the Sith, but, as you can see it's all white."
"Might I see it for a second?" She asked, fascinated by the object. As he handed it to her, she felt a stirring in the Force.
She glanced at him. "Did you feel that?"
"I did not … perhaps it speaks to you?"
Valles felt the object in her hands for a couple of seconds, then glanced back at Palpatine.
"Did you feel anything?"
He nodded. "It contained a message, from Su herself. She said that 'Group 17 would be getting new management.' Strange, yes?"
"Indeed … new management … I hope you don't think she was referring to me?"
"I don't think so … but I have no idea whom else it might be."
"Sheev … I think we should proceed carefully here. But was that a message in this ... holocron?"
"Not exactly, it was what she told me before she vanished … but the holocron showed me a series of events from earlier in my life – I have no idea how she knew about any of this – and then she said that I would not want her to pay me another visit … it may end badly."
"Ooh," Valles said softly, as she considered all of this. Madam Su? What to make of this … I will have to spend time meditating on it. She turned back to him.
"Of course, we have no idea when she may return. You say she just appears and disappears as she pleases. Could this be a form of matter transfer? Does she have a ship somewhere?"
"I don't know," he had to admit, something he would never do with anyone else, but Valles had become the only one he felt he could trust.
"So …" she tried to sound confident, but needed more information, not a position Valles liked to be in. She also knew she didn't want to think about Shaak and her plans, at least until she and the Emperor had parted company. But she figured, why not at least ask?
"Do you want me to become Empress? I'm not really ready …"
"Oh, no … of course not," he tried to laugh. "That will have to wait … but … it might be sooner rather than later."
"You don't think … this Madam Su will return and make good on her threat? Look, I just have to wonder, here. What is her true aim, anyway … how long has she been around? Excuse me, but this just sounds so …"
Palpatine scoffed. "I understand. Well … that is all, my dear Queen Valles. I just wanted to see your beautiful face, hear your sweet voice, and enjoy your delectable aroma. I feel better now."
"Well, Sire, I'm happy to be of service …" she chuckled.
"I'll show you out," he cackled.
On her return trip, Valles had much to consider, but, realizing there was little she could do at this point, resolved to continue with her plans. She opted for a long soak in a hot tub, then crawled off to bed and slept until they had dropped from hyperspace and were in Lianna's orbit. As she awakened, the Queen yawned and looked around her bedchamber on the Belladonna.
"Ah, home again … much to do, as always. Madam Su, I suppose we will meet someday. I look forward to it," she said, to no one in particular. And no one heard, at least not on the yacht.
Felucia, 0 ABY 9 months, 20 days
One morning, while hunting for her breakfast, Maris ran into her favorite pair of rancors – "Ay-cee" and "Ay-gee" – and they essentially complained to her about all the changes taking place to their habitat on Felucia. Their conversation was, as always, somewhat limited, but thanks to the Force techniques she'd learned from Shaak, Maris was able to read their emotions and express her sympathy in kind. She essentially told them they would be protected. After bagging a game hen and returning to her small home, while outside, using her lightsabre to field dress the carcass, her com device lit up and she saw it was a transmission from The Wheel. Varda was ready to return to Felucia, but she needed Maris to come and get her.
Maris responded quickly. "Looking forward to seeing you again. What happened to your ship, Cloudlee?"
A minute later, the answer came. "Laid up for repairs, here on The Wheel."
Maris groaned, then sent the following. "Okay, I'm coming. Once I'm in-system, I will raise you."
The Wheel, 0 ABY 9 months, 20 days
About three hours later, the Forager dropped out of hyperspace near The Wheel. Maris asked for a landing slot and was given one on Level 26. She sent the location over to Varda, saying, "I'd like to visit with Verenia while I'm here. Let's meet at Players Club."
Maris boarded the station's internal transport and rode until she reached Level 5 and saw the sign for the club. The Gamoreans on the door nodded to her as she entered and let her pass. The Zabrak was well dressed in a thick silk dress in a red-and-black pattern, and she wore a new pair of rancor-hide boots that had been spit-shined. Taking her seat at the bar, she asked for whisky. A bottle and a shot glass were brought, and she laid a 50-credit chip down.
"I'll start a tab."
"Yes, madam," the bartender nodded in response, taking the chip.
A few minutes went by and Varda had not yet shown herself, so Maris asked, "Say, is Jimbo still working here? I knew him a few years back."
"No, I don't recall the name. I've only been here a few months. I can ask my boss."
"Yeah, if you don't mind. Tell him Maris is asking."
"Sure thing, ma'am."
He went over to serve another patron, and she sat back a bit, noticing the newer stools that now had short backs, allowing the occupant to lean against them, clearly a change meant to encourage longer stays at the bar. As Maris looked around for familiar faces, she decided to contact her Twi'lek friend, sending a text in Basic.
Varda finally arrived a few minutes later. Seeing Maris at the bar, she ambled over.
"Hey! Good to see you, friend."
Maris turned and smiled at her. They clasped hands. The Zabrak dismounted her stool and opened her arms wide. The older human did the same and they hugged for a few seconds.
"Well, aren't you a sight," Maris laughed. "Still got the dress Master Shaak made you, I see."
"Absolutely," Varda chuckled. "One of the best-made garments I've ever owned … so how are things on Felucia?"
"Never better. Things are really rounding into shape. But I think we'd better get a more private spot to sit."
"Yes," Varda chuckled.
Maris turned to the barkeep, telling him to keep the change from the fifty. They soon found an open booth, and took their seats. At this point, Verenia had responded to Maris's text, asking where she was. Maris sent word back that she would be at the Dew-Drop in about a half hour.
As Varda placed a drink order, she asked, "so what's going on with you … personally?"
Maris laughed, then smiled. "The Master is promoting me to Master of the Order."
"And that's what you always wanted … congratulations are in order!"
"Yeah … thanks. I guess it is."
"So, how are things with you and Ahsoka?"
"They're good. She's been a real help."
Maris poured herself a shot, then downed it. "Well … anyway, things have really moved forward, you may not recognize the place."
Varda smiled. "I'm looking forward to seeing it. I've missed all of you, especially Master Shaak. How is she?"
"She's her, you know what I mean?" Maris chuckled, while meeting Varda's gaze. "Things are taking shape. Shaak will be happy to see you, though. I'll let her fill you in."
Varda realized that Maris probably didn't feel comfortable talking about Order business on a place like The Wheel, but she was most curious about how far along Shaak's plan for the rebellion had progressed, and what Ahsoka's and Maris's respective roles in it were. She then figured her friend would talk more openly once they were on their way to Felucia.
Maris then added, "Varda, I am planning to visit with Verenia while I'm here, probably for an hour or so." She then downed another shot, and chased it with a big swig of ale, then asked, "So what's it going to take, to get your ship running again?"
Varda sighed. "More than I have at the moment. About ten thousand credits, give or take. I must admit that I've been a bit lax in seeing to the maintenance. Shaak will likely scold me."
Maris chuckled. "Yeah, she might. But she's got bigger things to think about right now. I'll pay this off for you and we can get you up and flying again. So, how is it working out for your friends from Yemer?"
"Well, Maris, I have relayed what you told me about three months ago. That Master Shaak has a plan, and that things are going to change. And, due to that, the Siluans will be able to return to Yemer and begin to live openly."
"Yes. I do believe that, and many other things will also change."
Glancing at her com, Maris took one last shot, and then noted, "Varda, I've promised Verenia I would meet with her while I'm here. I'm going to see her now. So, here's what you can do. I'm going to wire any monies you need to get your ship fixed, so please tell them to do the work."
Maris tapped a few times on her com device and then showed the results, which she forwarded over to Varda.
"Your credit is now good for another fifty thousand. This can also go toward helping your friends and their return to Yemer in the next few weeks."
Maris then stood and took a deep breath.
"I will return in about one hour. Please meet me at the landing platform on Level 26, where Forager is. We will then leave for Felucia. May the Force be with you."
Varda then stood and the two women hugged briefly. She stood and watched Maris depart, now feeling quite a bit relieved, but also most anxious and curious about how events would play out.
To be continued …