Corvus, 9 ABY
Mists drifted through the skeletal pillars of a forest long considered one of the most beautiful and expansive in the galaxy. As Ahsoka Tano glided silently through the ghost forest, she suppressed a wave of sadness at the devastated trees, nearly all of which had succumbed to an inferno that had burned for over a year, slowly consuming everything in its path. Shelving her sadness in service of her greater purpose, she moved through the mist, as ghostly as the trees themselves, dancing from tree trunk to tree trunk. Ahead loomed a walled city surrounded by a stubble of stumps cut down to ensure that no enemy force could catch the city unaware. Inside that city lay what she sought.
Ahsoka reached the eaves of the forest, and she unclipped her lightsabers from her belt. She walked slowly through the mist blanketing the clearing, ready to ignite her lightsabers. As she moved ahead, a metallic clanking rang through the mist, and the chatter and bustle of soldiers rushing to their positions told Ahsoka that she had been spotted. She paused before the walled city, allowing the mists to drift past her. She lifted her head up, scanning the dozen soldiers aiming their weapons at her, ready to fire at the order.
A male voice called out, "Who goes there?"
Ahsoka regarded the man, who had the look of a career soldier gone to seed. She tilted her head and called out in response, "I'm here for Morgan Elsbeth."
"And who the hell are you?" the man retorted.
Ahsoka pointed her lightsaber toward the man and nodded her head gravely. "Tell her that Ahsoka Tano has come to bring her to justice. She has something that I want."
The man laughed immodestly, and Ahsoka watched, waiting for him to make a sudden movement. As the laughter died, he called out, "Ahsoka Tano? The Jedi?" He laughed derisively, then raised his hand to set the signal for his men to fire.
Ahsoka smiled, scanning the guards who had trained their rifles on her. The man smirked down at her, brimming with confidence.
"She has two days," Ahsoka called.
"Fire!" the man called.
A storm of blaster bolts tore through the mists spreading across the field, and as the firing subsided, the man squinted into the mist, looking for the collapsed Togrutan body lying dead in the mud. The mist cleared where she had stood, but there was no body in sight.
Coruscant, 9 ABY
"Leia Organa-Solo," a man called out jovially, his arms were spread wide, his handsome features beaming. He wore an elegant, loose tunic draped over light-blue pants, and he strode forward from the Chancellor's office, grateful at the sight of his old colleague.
"Aven Bryton," Leia replied, smiling warmly. The outspoken Chandrilan had been a friend during the Rebellion, and he had proven a valuable ally and aid in many a diplomatic negotiation during the early stages of the reconstruction. Beside her, she felt Han stiffen.
She opened her arms to receive his embrace, and when they pulled apart, Aven turned to Han and nodded, "General Solo."
"Not so much anymore," Han said gruffly, extending a cursory handshake.
Aven returned the handshake, unperturbed by Han's gruffness. Aven quickly pivoted back to Leia and said, "I have to say, when the Chancellor told me you had agreed. . ." he exhaled, and Leia had the sense that this was the first genuine smile he had displayed in some time. He said, "Well, it's the first good news we've had in a while."
"I am happy to help," Leia said, and she chanced a sideways glance at Han, who was doing little to hide his distaste for the entire scenario.
Aven noticed Han's distaste, and he raised his eyebrows. But instead of dwelling on the discomfort, Aven interjected, "The Chancellor is inside, as is Yishun and Justid. We're ready to debrief." Aven glanced again at Han and said, "I'm sorry, Mister? General? - Han, but as this is a critical campaign meeting, we will have to ask you to return later for you to debrief the Chancellor on your. . . excursion. . . to Nevarro."
Han suppressed a scowl at Aven's pause before the word excursion. He retorted brusquely, "Well, who am I to disrupt a committee meeting."
Leia flashed a wounded look at him, but Han had already turned away, bounding down the hallway back to the reception area. She turned back to Aven, who had an inquiring expression on his face. Leia did not feel like addressing the tension, and instead said, "Let's see what the Chancellor has to say."
Leia settled herself into the chair before Mon Mothma's desk. Through the sweeping, curved window beyond the ornate, wooden desk, the glittering Coruscant skyline radiated in the night sky, its incessant traffic blinking and flashing like a pulse. Yishud sat to her left, and Justid sat to her right. She took a quick look at Aven, settled off to the side, stealing surreptitious glances at Yishun as Yishun shuffled through his papers to get the agenda in order. As they awaited Mon Mothma's arrival, Leia became aware of the holoprojector running the Central Galactic News Network's nightly broadcast at a quiet volume. As she waited, Leia turned her attention to the words in the broadcast.
. . . the second and third waves of the Republic aid package has arrived, and thousands of Nothoiins have already been recovered and repatriated back to their planet. The Nothoiin government confirms that nearly 10,000 Nothoiins remain missing, and Republic infiltrations into Black Sun territory have resulted in several skirmishes, multiple arrests, and, per Republic reports, numerous additional evidence of Black Suns movements. In a news conference, Director Madine discussed increased policing of migratory corridors and trafficking lanes, but Director Madine declined to give details owing to the sensitive nature of the Republic's operations.
Aven Bryton glanced up at the news, then glanced at Leia. Leia caught the movement and turned toward him. As he became aware that Leia was also watching the news while they waited, he smiled, and she smiled back.
In other news, the government of Kuat has announced that Elvyn Bolsko, media magnate, industrialist, and trillionaire has gone missing. The government indicates that Bolsko's last reported location was on Bespin nearly two weeks ago, at which time Lando Calrissian, governor of the Bespin Mining Corporation, reported that he had met with Bolsko regarding business arrangements with Kuat. Since that time, neither Bolsko's offices, nor his family, including his son, Senator Bolsko of Kuat, have seen him. The family has posted a million-credit reward for evidence on his whereabouts.
As Leia listened to the report, her forehead creased into a frown. Aven Bryton had gotten up from his seat and stood before the holoprojector, watching the report as it showed images of Bolsko, an elderly man with a hardened face and sophisticated dress. Leia knew Bolsko well by reputation; his vast media empire had dragged Mon Mothma's campaign through the mud at every opportunity. Bolsko had been a huge supporter of Senator Brasaar, along with several other Senators from former Imperial worlds. Bolsko had stood trial during the Tribunal over his ownership stake in the Kuat Driveyards, one of the principle producers of Star Destroyers during the Imperial era. Despite copious anecdotal evidence, the prosecution had been unable to pin anything conclusive to Bolsko, and he escaped the Tribunal with a damaged reputation and a lost ownership stake in the Kuat Driveyards. Upon being bought out, Bolsko used his fortune to consume as many media entities as possible, creating a vast conglomerate of news outlets that dominated information throughout the Core. As Leia mulled over the story, her unease grew beyond what she would have expected from hearing that a political enemy had vanished. But why. . .
Before Leia could explore her unease, Mon Mothma entered the room, and Yishun and Justid rose from their chairs. Leia followed suit, and Bryton, who was already standing, drifted back to his seat.
"Please," Mon Mothma said, gesturing for them to return to their chairs. She paused beside her chair and beamed at Leia, saying, "What a relief it is to see you, Leia. Thank you so much for joining our campaign. I recognize what you will be sacrificing to do so, and it is not lost on any of us what this appointment may cost you."
"Thank you, Chancellor," Leia said, settling into her chair.
Mon Mothma turned to Yishun, who launched into his debrief. "To bring you up to speed, we currently stand at a statistical tie with Senator Brasaar. His lackluster performance in the final debate halted our freefall, but the race crystallized into a dead heat. Brasaar attacks everything we do, and it's virtually impossible to respond to everything. Our polling indicates that by bringing you into the campaign as Vice Chancellor, our numbers jump significantly, which would virtually seal our re-election. There are few political figures that hold such high favorability as yourself, and your support of Mon Mothma's leadership is virtually guaranteed to deliver a second term."
"Unless. . ." Aven interjected.
Yishun and Justid both turned toward him, frowning. Mon Mothma turned toward him, her eyebrow raised.
"Yes, Aven?" Mon Mothma replied, a subtle note of warning in her voice.
"Leia's reputation is flawless; her heroic exploits and her accomplishments legend. However, if the news leaks out that your husband took an unsanctioned trip to the Outer Rim to investigate Imperial activity when he was supposed to be helping the Nothoiins, it will give Brasaar a flashing red target to hammer us on," Aven explained.
"Yes, Director Solo's behavior was indeed rash, but thanks to his intelligence. . ." Justid began, until Yishun interrupted.
"Intelligence that would send our campaign into a tailspin if the public were to find out," Yishun interjected. "While I am usually quick to disagree with Aven, I have to admit that he has a point."
Mon Mothma turned to Leia and asked, "Will Han be willing to follow orders and remain committed to helping this campaign? We cannot afford anymore unsanctioned action."
Leia winced inwardly, but her practiced diplomacy obscured the gesture. "Yes, Chancellor," she said. She turned from Aven to Yishud and explained, "Han understands the risk such actions carry for the campaign. With his report delivered, he plans to return to his post."
"And what do you think his reaction will be when he learns that he will be removed from his post and relegated to data analysis here on Coruscant?" Mon Mothma asked.
"I. . ." Leia began before hesitating. She searched, but found no way to answer the question diplomatically.
"I see," Mon Mothma said quietly.
Leia turned away, considering the question. Han would be livid. He would rage at her decision, and his resentment would flow fast and furiously. "Truthfully, I expect him to quit before I expect him to take a desk job," Leia said quietly.
"Oh," Yishun said, taken aback.
"Han is not one for sitting still," Leia explained. "And our son is about to begin his Jedi Training. But then," Leia paused recognizing that she was perilously close to betrayal. "If he were to accept retirement and return to Yavin, perhaps. . ."
"My apologies, Leia," Mon Mothma said gently. "I did not wish for this to turn into a referendum on your husband's actions. If he does accept retirement, he will be honored publicly and given every accolade."
"I'm sure he'll love that," Leia said, failing to keep the sarcasm out of her voice.
"Or not," Aven added. "He'd be free to have it whatever way he liked it."
"I wouldn't word it like that to Han," Leia said, frowning.
"At any rate, we hope that in addition to Han transitioning out of Republic intelligence, we also have the matter of your renunciation of your knighthood to discuss," Yishun began.
As Yishun launched into his discussion of the process, as well as how they would cover the action in the media, Leia's mind drifted off. In her mind, she could see Han's anger and betrayal. He was already furious at her for agreeing to the Chancellor's request, and without his own work to throw himself into, he would become increasingly restless, creating fertile ground for his resentment to grow. Mon Mothma's words echoed in her mind:
After everything you've given to the Rebellion and the Republic, nobody deserves the right to watch her children grow and thrive more than you do. I ask this not because I wish to take any of that away from you. I ask because I fear for the survival of the Republic.
She turned her attention back to Yishun's discourse, her heart breaking at the realization that so long as the Republic struggled to persist, it would need her - a Princess, a Senator, a hero, a Jedi, and a master diplomat. She sighed, recognizing that there might never be a way out of such service.
Han Solo sat in the captain's chair of the Millennium Falcon, his leg on the command console and his gaze absently following the traffic pulsating around the city's central landing platforms. His jaw clenched, and he fidgeted with a hydrospanner that Chewie had left out after he wrapping up maintenance. As he twirled it in his fingers, his mind swelled with resentment as he played out scenarios where he told Leia exactly what he thought of her joining the Republic again. As his frustration mounted, he lost his grip on the spanner, which slipped from his hands and came down hard on his foot.
"Goddamnit!" Han shouted at the sharp pain on the top of his foot. He leaned forward to massage the spot where the spanner hit him, when a notification pinged. Leaning forward to continue massaging his foot, he reached his free hand over to the console and switched on the projector.
"Solo?" a woman's voice asked. "What the hell are you doing?"
Han shot up to see Sabine Wren's face, her expression puzzled at Han leaning over. "Ah, Sabine," he said, sitting back and wincing at the pain in his foot.
"Throw your back out, old man?" Sabine jabbed.
"Ha," Han grunted irritably. "Dropped a spanner on my foot. Got any more jokes?"
"How long do you got?" Sabine shot back.
Han waved her off and said, "I'd rather hear about that medallion."
"Fascinating mineral, gorsythe," Sabine said.
"What did you learn?" Han asked.
"Well," Sabine said, turning away to review something that Han presumed was on a screen to her left. "As you know, gorsythe imbibes elements from its environment. I looked up the Annals from the Tribunals, and the report on gorsythe medallions indicated that the Emperor's inner circle all had them, and the Emperor relied upon this very property to gain insight into what his subjects may or may not have been doing. Ironically, we learned it from your friend Gideon when he spilled his guts in an attempt to get out of the death penalty."
Han registered Sabine's bitterness when she mentioned Gideon. He knew that Gideon had overseen the decimation of her planet, and the few Mandalorians he met all had a personal vendetta against the man that Han thought had been settled upon Gideon's execution. Han nodded, saying, "Gotcha. Anything else?"
Sabine turned away to scan the data on her screen before continuing. "One other thing to know about gorsythe is that it sings."
"It what?" Han asked, perplexed.
"Some of the technical details are beyond me, but apparently the researcher who initially analyzed the medallions was a big music guy," Sabine explained. "He had something playing, and when the music hit a certain pitch, all the medallions began to resonate. He said it sounded like singing. He even catalogued the precise frequency and a bunch of other gibberish as he experimented with sound. It's an obscure footnote in the Annals, but it made me wonder."
"Wonder what?" Han asked.
"What use could the Emperor have found for that," Sabine mused.
"Fascinating," Han said, uncertain what to do with that information. "Did you learn anything from this particular medallion?"
"Well, it's badly damaged, and the first thing I checked for – DNA – was inconclusive – probably a result of the fire burning away any organic material. Definitely a Kuati – you can see that from the mineral/atmospheric profile imbued into the gorsythe, along with several other planets," Sabine explained.
"Great," Han grunted. "What else?"
"Here's where it gets interesting," Sabine said. "Along with the M/A profile for Kuat, we also found the profile for Nevarro – no surprises there, since that's where you found it. There was Coruscant, and Chandrila – also no surprises for somebody who might have a gorsythe medallion. But the last two were a bit more interesting."
"Yeah?" Han asked, nodding for her to continue.
"Thakwaa," Sabine said.
"That's the middle of nowhere," Han blurted.
"Weird, right? But. . . can you think of a better place to hide a stash of beskar?" Sabine asked, her expression darkening.
"Aside from a vault in the bowels of Kuat, no. And that's not far from Nevarro, is it?" Han admitted. "What about the other planet?"
"You're gonna love this – Bespin," Sabine snorted.
"Bespin?" Han blurted again, astonished.
"That's right," Sabine said. "And I don't reckon you're current on the news, are you?"
"Not up to the moment, no," Han explained.
"Well, the latest gossip bomb is that Elvyn Bolsko," Sabine paused, smiling at Han's shocked expression. "Yeah, that Bolsko – he's been missing for two weeks. And he was last seen on. . ." Sabine let the sentence hang, urging Han to complete it.
"Bespin," Han growled. "I told Lando not to deal with that son of a bitch," Han added bitterly.
"Your buddy never met a credit that he didn't love," Sabine smirked.
"So, Bolsko goes missing for two weeks," Han said, putting the pieces together. "And he's last seen on Bespin. This medallion belonged to a Kuati, and the data suggests he spends time in the middle of nowhere. And you suspect there might be some beskar on Thakwaa?"
"Only one way to find out," Sabine smiled.
"Han?" a woman's voice spoke.
Han turned around to see Leia standing in the doorway to the cockpit. Leia was glancing at Sabine's face projected above the Falcon's control panel. Suspicion crept over Leia's expression as she looked from Sabine to Han, and then back to Sabine.
"What are you doing?" Leia asked.
"I'll leave you to it," Sabine said, and her feed cut out.
"I, uh," Han spluttered.
"Why were you talking to Sabine Wren?" Leia asked, her suspicions flaring.
"Oh, she had an interesting theory on Bolsko's disappearance," Han said, flailing for an explanation.
"And why the hell would Sabine Wren be calling you to gossip about Elvyn Bolsko?" Leia said, her jaw tightening.
"Uh," Han said, and he saw Leia's gaze boring into his. He knew that she'd sense the lie as soon as he said it. His shoulders deflated, realizing that there was no way to shield the truth. "I ran an analysis on the gorsythe medallion I found on Nevarro. The Falcon couldn't do much with it, so I sent it to Sabine. I figured a Mandalorian with tech knowledge would want to know if there was more beskar out there. She just told me the results of her analysis."
Leia glared at him, her nostrils flaring and her eyes burning. Han receded against her ferocious expression. After a tense, uncomfortable moment, Leia said through gritted teeth, "Unbelievable."
"The Mandalorians have a right to know. . ." Han began, but she cut him off.
"You shared classified information with somebody outside the government, and that person fed it back to you," Leia explained. "You went outside the proper channels, and – let me guess," Leia paused, and Han could tell she was building up a head of steam. "Sabine thinks she has a lead on some missing beskar, and she was telling you where she thinks it is."
"Sounds about right," Han said innocently.
"Don't even think about it," Leia said, stepping forward, pointing her finger at him.
"Think about what?" Han said defensively.
"I just came out of a meeting with the Chancellor where they expressed their biggest reservation – your behavior," Leia snapped. "I tried to vouch for you, and you go and do this?!"
"Oh, excuse me. I'm so sorry your precious Chancellor doesn't like that I went and did my job," Han shouted, pointing back. "Maybe if she was less interested in politics and more interested in doing her job, I wouldn't have had to. . ."
"She's removing you from your post," Leia said, her jaw tight.
"She what?!" Han roared.
"You heard me," Leia said. "She's removing you from your post and affording you every honor she can in recognition of your service."
Han stood dumbfounded, his breathing heavy. Leia glared at him, her expression livid. Her voice quiet and controlled, she said, "I think it's best if you take our son and Kira to Yavin and enjoy a nice, long holiday. When the election is over, you and I will figure this out, and you. . ." She paused, and Han could see her disappointment and anger welling as she added, "You will stay in your lane."
"Oh yeah?" Han snapped, his defensiveness and frustration mounting. "I'll do you one better. Screw this honorable discharge crap. I quit."
"What a child," Leia spat. She spun around and stormed out of the cockpit, leaving Han awash in impotent rage. He looked around for something to punch, only to realize that a broken hand would be his only reward. He clenched his fist, inhaling, as he fought the urge to scream. But as he exhaled, the exchanged popped back into his mind:
This medallion belonged to a Kuati, and the data suggests he spends some time in the middle of nowhere. And you suspect there might be some beskar on Thakwaa?
"Only one way to find out."
The image of Sabine smiling, her symmetrical features and almond eyes twinkling through the holoprojector feed, burned in his mind. He leaned over and picked the hydrospanner off the ground, then flipped a series of switches to initiate the Falcon's pre-travel analysis.