Author's Note: Hello lovely readers!

I hope you all are remaining safe, washing your hands, and social distancing. If you are taking part in the Black Lives Matter protests around the world, I applaud you and again hope you are remaining as safe as possible.

Thank you for your continued support, your reviews, follows, and favourites; they mean a lot. Once again, I hope you are all remaining safe and enjoy!


Contrary to what most of her family believed, Mary loved the city planet of Coruscant.

She despised the government that inhabited it, but that somehow couldn't stop the rush of exhilaration she felt every time the Verdant descended into the planet's atmosphere and was suddenly surrounded by hundreds of aircraft traveling the skies with them. She loved the business of it all, how she could walk the streets, and no one would know who she was. Grantham was quiet and calm. But Coruscant was energetic, fast-paced, active.

For the smallest moment, Mary felt a tinge of jealousy for Cousin Matthew having grown up in the heart of it all, but she quickly suppressed the feeling. No, Cousin Matthew was a stranger, she reminded herself as Captain Branson eased the Verdant onto the Senate Building's landing bay. She could not trust him. Not yet.

"Let's get this over with, shall we?" Charles Blake said beside her, rising from his seat and made his way toward the ship's entrance.

Mary sighed, gathered her holopad and all but shoved into her messenger bag. "It's a wonder Palpatine continues to hold Senate meetings," she thought aloud, following Charles. "Given that he never attends them, and none of the legislation passed by the Senate is even implemented. Remember we managed to get a majority vote to pass that bill on the redistribution of aid to the mining planets? When Sybil traveled to Kessel for a relief mission a few months ago, she told me the conditions of the miners had not improved, that they were still barely surviving off their own resources. It's painfully obvious the Senate no longer has any actual power – it's just a show so that the planets think they still have power. Even some of the other senators are still blind to it all."

Charles stopped abruptly in the middle of the Verdant's halls and gave Mary a serious look. "Where did all this come from? Just the other night at the gala you were so determined to set forth our new bill. You did, however, half-devise a scheme to escape Imperial Plaza before the Empire Day festivities."

Mary let out a small laugh, but shook her head. "I just have a lot on my mind."

"It is about your Cousin Matthew? About the inheritance issue?" Charles asked gently.

Mary nodded, letting him believe that was the start and end of it. But of course, it wasn't just Cousin Matthew. It was the fact that surely the Empire was watching the whole family more closely than ever, just waiting for one of them to slip up and reveal their true allegiances. It was the fact that her grandmother had asked her to look into the deaths of Cousin James and Cousin Patrick, to ask around the other Alliance senators as to whether they had heard anything about it that went against the Empire's narrative. It was the fact that she had to do all this during a time when the Imperial presence on the planet was at its height. It all made her stomach churn uncomfortably.

"I remember when you were first elected five years ago, you were the youngest senator of your time. You were so determined to put the galaxy to rights. It seemed as if you could do it all with one speech." Charles smiled, reminiscent of the times when everything seemed simpler.

Had it all been simpler?

"I believed it then, too," Mary confessed. How naïve she had been.

"But you shouldn't stop believing it, Mary," Charles said, taking her hands in his. She felt her heart leap to her throat.

"We can change the Empire," he continued. "And once we stop believing that, they have already won."

Mary squeezed Charles's hand and nodded. "Let's give them hell, shall we?"


As Mary expected, there was an enormous military presence on the grounds of the Imperial Plaza. Squadrons of Stormtroopers, officers of the Imperial Navy, and governors all occupied the grounds. She had to stop herself from glaring at them all. It was not right, to have the Senate and the armed forces mix – Coruscant nor any other planet in the galaxy was a police state, although she was sure the likes of Palpatine wouldn't object to it.

With her head held high, Mary clutched her bag a little tighter and marched toward the main Senate building. Above her, hundreds of spacecraft hummed through the air, making a peaceful sound that Mary had always found so comforting. Compared to Coruscant, the skies of Grantham seemed so empty, hollow, as if devoid of life. In the distance, the imposing Imperial Palace loomed, casting a dark shadow against all of the buildings it surrounded. Those grounds had previously housed the Jedi Temple, or so according to her father. He'd said the Jedi were once a powerful group of peacekeepers, whose strength and resources spanned the entire galaxy. Mary narrowed her eyes. If the Jedi were as powerful as her father said, then they should have been able to stop the Emperor's rise to power.

Mary pulled her gaze from the Imperial Palace and focused her mind on her senatorial duties. As she and Charles passed the overbearing statue of Emperor Palpatine, she stopped herself from slowing her pace and gazing up at the marble figure that stood at least fifteen feet above her. That was what they all wanted – the Empire wanted the senators to cower in fear of the Emperor – to submit to the power of the Imperial Navy and Imperial governors.

Mary would not let herself do such a thing.

Charles was right – she still had the power to bring down the Empire, slowly but surely. The Rebellion, her family – it was more power than Charles even realized she possessed.

The sight of familiar faces in the senate halls allowed for some reprieve in all the tension. Before Mary and Charles entered their designated Senate pod, she caught the sight of Senator Bail Organa and Senator Mon Mothma, who were having an intimate discussion in hushed tones. Mary motioned for Charles to go on ahead, and she approached the pair of senators, hyper-aware of the eyes of Imperial officials on her.

"I hope your journeys were pleasant, senators," Mary said cordially with a nod of her head. Both Bail and Mon Mothma greeted her with a smile, though she could tell they had just been discussing something dower.

"Very well, thank you, Lady Mary," Bail replied, his hands clasped behind his back. "Though I practically had to wrestle Leia off me. She's been begging me for years to take her to these Senate meetings."

Princess Leia of Alderaan was only sixteen – Sybil's age, and from the sound of it so much like her. Her youngest sister could be so insistent, especially when it came to the relief missions. Almost nothing could dissuade her from backing down, save for their parents. Mary could remember more than a few times however, when Sybil had attempted to go through with a particularly dangerous relief mission anyway, and she would have gotten away with it were it not for Captain Branson's fear of losing his job. She hoped Sybil hadn't taken it out on the pilot.

"Your Leia should meet my sister, Sybil," Mary said with a smile. "I fear they'd get on a little too well." Yes, Mary had a feeling Sybil and Leia would be good friends, were they ever to meet.

"Well, we're having our senatorial elections later this year," Bail continued. "Leia is planning on running for the job."

"Would you be running against each other?" Mary asked with a small laugh.

"Good heavens, no," Bail laughed. "I shall not be seeking re-election at the end of my term. I have decided to place my efforts solely on other matters." He did his best to hide any emotion, but Mary picked up the slightest of a knowing look from the senator.

"Ah, well, we shall miss your presence in the Senate," Mary said. "And I'm sure your daughter will make a fine senator, should she be elected."

Bail nodded his head in a silent 'thank you'.

"Oh, Lady Mary," Mon Mothma began, "I must apologize for not sending a message sooner, but I'm terribly sorry for the loss of your cousins. Such a tragedy."

"Thank you," Mary said gratefully. She didn't want to bring up the subject on her own, and she was glad Mon Mothma had brought it up herself. "That does remind me, my Grandmother the Dowager Countess told me to pass along her regard, and –"

Suddenly, a light bell chimed throughout the halls, signalling that the Senate meeting would begin in five minutes.

"We three must have a proper catch-up. This evening, if possible."

The other two senators nodded, and then parted ways to join their respective delegations in the Senate auditorium. Mary breathed in slowly, and prayed she would get answers surrounding the deaths of Cousin James and Cousin Patrick. But for now, she just had to get through a Senate meeting.


As expected, Mas Amedda had barely given Charles and Mary twenty minutes to discuss their new bill in the senate chambers, though she was surprised to receive shouts of approval from not only her allies in the Rebellion, but from numerous representatives from workers' unions as well. Their bill aimed to require arms manufacturers making weapons for the Imperial Armed Forces like Blastech to be more transparent about what exactly they were manufacturing. It was an ambitious bill, to be sure, and one that would likely never receive the Emperor's approval. But if Mary could as least get their fellow systems to consider the secrecy the Imperials kept surrounding their weapons manufacturing, it might at least drive some Rebel sympathy.

"Thank you, Lady Mary Crawley and Charles Blake, representing Grantham," Mas Amedda drawled from the centre of the room, clearly ready to move on. "Now, as most of you may be aware, there have been a rash of incidents involving pirates seizing spacecraft bound for relief missions. Most notably a recent incident involving James and Patrick Crawley, the heirs to the Grantham system."

Mary's head jolted up from her bag as she was packing away her holopad, and she leaned a little closer to the centre of the room. As the names of her cousins were spoken by the mouthpiece for the Imperial machine, her hands clenched the arms of her chair.

"As decreed by His Imperial Majesty Emperor Palpatine," Mas Amedda continued, "all relief missions will now be restricted."

A loud murmur made its way through the senate chamber, but no one dared speak up. Many senators had learned that lesson long ago. Mary gazed over at the pod housing the Alderaan delegation, and Bail shot her a weary look.

"They will require prior Imperial approval and a representative conducting the mission must submit an itinerary, flight plan, and manifest of cargo being transported. Some missions may have to submit more information at the Empire's discretion. That concludes the items for today's meeting."

Mary let out a frustrated sigh and leaned back against her chair. Sybil wouldn't be happy about this.

Beside her, Charles shook his head as he packed away his holopad. "Is there nothing in which the Empire won't meddle?"

"No…" Mary said. "But I think that's the point."

"Well, we've said our piece, and by the looks of it we've acquired some new sympathizers. A small win is still a win." Charles gave her an encouraging smile as they left the senate chamber.

But to Mary it didn't feel like a win. It seemed as though every time she took a step forward, the Empire was determined to push her five steps back.


The sun had long set and spacecraft lit the sky like stars when Mary left her senate apartment and hired a speeder to take her a half hour away from the city's core to a small bar nestled between a steel mill and an abandoned garment factory. With a simple glance, one might not even notice it wedged between two more imposing structures, which made it perfect for Mary and her fellow allies to meet without fear of being watched or overheard by Imperial officials.

Of course, Mary would much prefer discussing these matters in her senate apartment than in some seedy bar far from the comforts of the city, but she was convinced the Imperials had all of the senate apartments bugged, and neither she nor her allies in the Rebel Alliance could take that risk. Besides, the pub had served them faithfully for years, so much so that Mary had started to feel a sense of comfort surrounded by the smell of old cooking oil and watered-down beer. Her grandmother would perhaps faint at the sight of her eldest granddaughter in a place like this, but it allowed her to continue her fight for the Rebellion at the very heart of the Imperial's grip on the galaxy, and that was all that mattered.

Soon after Mary took a seat in a booth in the far corner of the pub and ordered a glass of Nabooian wine, she spotted Bail Organa making his way towards her. Gone were his flowing blue senatorial robes, replaced with simple brown slacks, shirt, and a flight jacket. Mon Mothma entered soon after, also devoid of her usual bright white robes. Instead she opted for long weather-proof boots, black slacks, and a flowing tunic. It would be hard to convince any of her fellow patrons they were three Imperial senators instead of a misfit flight crew planning their next job.

"The Imperial's restrictions on relief missions certainly imposes difficulties for us," Bail said, getting straight to the point. Clearly no one was in the mood for small talk. Good, Mary thought. She still needed to find out what her cousins had achieved on their mission – if they had achieved anything. Both thoughts made a lump form in her throat.

"It's almost certain they're imposing these restrictions because of James and Patrick," Mary said in a low voice. "They essentially said as much when they announced it in the senate chamber." She took a breath. "Which begs the question… what did my cousins discover on their mission? Whatever it was, it must have been important enough to destroy any witnesses. They were headed to the Kuat Drive Yards, correct?"

Mon Mothma nodded. "Yes, that's correct. James and Patrick Crawley did indeed carry out a small relief mission to the Outer Rim using the Starbeam, and on their way back to Yavin they obtained access to an Imperial cargo shuttle on Eadu to fly to the Yards."

Mary's brow furrowed. This was the first she was hearing about this. "Eadu? But what did they do with the Starbeam? They couldn't have just left it on an Imperial-occupied planet."

Mon Mothma and Bail looked at each other. "The plan was for James, Lex, and Ellra to drop into Eadu to commandeer an Imperial ship to carry out the rest of the mission to the Yards. After observing what the Imperials were building, they were supposed to leave and meet at a rendezvous point where the rest of the crew would meet them so they could ditch the Imperial ship," Bail explained.

"But Patrick insisted on going with his father to the Yards," Mon Mothma said. "He wasn't going to take no for an answer. So, Lex stayed behind."

Mary shook her head, willing away tears. Stupid, Patrick, stupid. But that was just like him. He craved adventure; he was so eager to work for the Rebellion.

"But, of course, the three of them were discovered at the Yards by the Imperials and destroyed," Mon Mothma continued. "But not before transmitting a series of images to the Starbeam."

Mary felt her heart leap to her throat.

"We believe they were trying to send more but were destroyed before they could be fully sent. The Starbeam was only able to receive three of them." Mon Mothma reached into a small leather satchel and took out three folded pieces of parchment.

Mary's eyes widened. Actual parchment. Almost nothing was kept on parchment anymore, not for centuries. It was so rare to see anything in print, though her father prided himself on collecting old texts and tomes on almost every subject imaginable.

"The images are too dangerous to store on any holopad, of course, so I had them printed," Mon Mothma explained, unfolding them.

"Are there any other copies?" Mary asked.

"Only these and another set on the base."

Mary gazed at the images unfolding before her. It was hard to see in the dim light of the pub, but she was able to make out what she was looking at. Except… it almost didn't look like anything at all. "What is that?" she breathed. The object before her looked like a moon… but as if it was hollowed out, just a shell.

"We don't know," Bail said. "But we're trying to figure it out."

"But see that small object on the bottom left?" Mon Mothma pointed out. "That's an Imperial-class Star Destroyer."

Mary gasped. "So, we know it's big."

Her fellow senator nodded seriously. "But we don't know what it is or what it does."

"But if the Empire wants it hidden from view then it must be important. It must be dangerous," Mary said, hating the way her voice shook.

"Whatever it is, it's clearly in the early stages of being built," Bail said. "So we must find what it is and its purpose before it can be finished."


On the way back to Grantham, Mary's mind was still reeling from the news she had received from Bail and Mon Mothma just two days prior. In those two days, she had hardly gotten any sleep, and though she blamed it on the Empire Day festivities, Mary was pretty sure Charles was starting to see through that lie.

As the blue swirl of hyperspace enveloped her, she couldn't get what she'd seen that night at the bar out of her head. The images of the imposing moon-like structure were practically burned into her memory.

"Mary…" a voice floated in the distance. "Mary?"

She blinked, returning to the present to find Charles giving her a most confused look.

"Are you sure you're alright? You've hardly spoken a word since the senate meeting. And you're usually so quick to voice your disgust when it comes to Empire Day," he said, leaning back against his chair with a small laugh.

Mary appreciated Charles's attempts to humour her, but it all felt wrong. How could she pretend to be feeling normal when her cousins had made a massive discovery before being destroyed by the Empire?

"It's just I haven't been able to take my mind off the new restrictions on relief missions," she lied.

Charles nodded. "I know what you mean. They're sure to tie the whole galaxy in red tape, and you know the Outer Rim planets would suffer because of it."

Mary nodded, and resumed her gaze out of the Verdant's view port. She practically let out a breath of relief when they dropped out of hyperspace. Her planet swirling of green, white, and blue drew ever closer, and she finally felt she no longer needed to constantly look over her shoulder.


There was no saving dinner, Violet thought with a hint of mild amusement as her youngest granddaughter's eyes flared with rage. Sybil Crawley was too much of a lady to actually slam her fist down on the dining table, but Violet could tell she wanted to very badly – her fingers were practically white around her silverware.

They hadn't even gotten past their first course before descending into an argument, and all because Robert had to ask about Mary's senate meeting with the whole family present instead of waiting for a more private moment when Mary could tell them the true circumstances of Cousin James and Cousin Patrick's deaths. It was the whole reason she had invited herself to dinner, after all. But of course, as soon as Mary was about to delve into deeper detail in the drawing room, Mr. Matthew Crawley and his mother decided it was the most sensible time to arrive.

So, here she was, itching to find out what Mary had discovered in the midst of a row that rivaled the Battle of Geonosis.

"How can the they do this!?" Sybil raised her voice, and Violet could feel tendrils of the Force surrounding her, vibrating with such ferocity.

"Sybil–" Robert started, but she was certainly not about to be silenced on the matter.

"Planets have been conducting relief missions for decades without the need for such restrictions. It's cruel to impose them now. The Outer Rim planets already suffer enough without having the supplies they need backlogged by bureaucracy!"

This was becoming too much, Violet realized, and slowly put her hand on the dining table and reached out with the Force to overpower Sybil's emotions. If she had not done so, her wine glass surely would have flown directly into the livery of young William, who did not deserve such treatment.

"Sybil, please," Robert said. He was trying not to raise his voice to match hers. "Now is not the time to discuss such matters."

Sybil scoffed. "You're the one who asked about Mary's senate meeting in the first place."

Robert opened his mouth to speak, but Cousin Isobel cut him off. "You can't argue with that logic."

Violet fought against rolling her eyes. Did she always have to encourage division at the dinner table?

"No, I quite agree with Sybil," Mary replied, picking at her roasted potatoes. "And Charles said as much."

"And the Empire cited Cousin James and Cousin Patrick's deaths as the reason for these new restrictions?" Edith asked, her voice almost breaking.

"One of the reasons, yes," Mary replied, clutching her fork a little tighter. "In an effort to stop similar events from occurring."

Violet usually never thought this, but for once she wanted Mary to shut up. She was skirting dangerously close to the line that would ruin them all. Had she forgotten Matthew and Isobel were present? And why was Cousin Matthew being so quiet? He never hesitated to insert is opinion on any subject, and as Violet eyed him from across the table, she noticed he was refusing to meet anyone's eye.

"Well I can't put off my mission to Jakku," Sybil declared. "It's less than a week away and the villagers there are desperate for fresh water after a drought that's swept through the planet."

Robert and Cora looked at each other. "Sybil, in light of this, I don't think it's a good time to conduct this mission," he said.

"But Papa, I've been co-ordinating with the village elders for nearly a month! We're one of the only planets that has offered to come to their aid!" Sybil cried.

"Sybil, if the Empire catches you…" Mary started. Violet's heart skipped a beat. Mary didn't even know the full consequences of what would happen if Sybil were to be caught by the Empire.

"But I'm not doing anything wrong!" Sybil argued.

Violet felt tendrils of the Force vibrating around them again. So, this is how we're discovered, Violet thought. Because of a row at dinner. Sybil would lose her temper, show her powers to Cousin Matthew and Cousin Isobel, and they'd all be arrested for treason.

"Sybil, dear, perhaps we should let the subject go for the evening," Cora said assertively, her voice heavy.

Sybil sighed at sat back in her chair in a rather un-ladylike manner.

"Cousin Mary, did the Empire say whether these new restrictions apply retroactively to missions already organized by both the aiding and receiving parties?" Matthew said – his first words since the dinner began.

Again, Violet resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Of course, when he speaks up it is only to prolong the topic they should put to rest.

Mary thought. "No, I don't believe so."

"Then Cousin Sybil's mission to Jakku shouldn't require these new restrictions. Besides, from what I've heard the Empire rarely patrols the Western Reaches. It would be an entirely different story were you to conduct a mission to Corellia," Matthew replied simply.

Sybil beamed. "There you have it. I need to conduct this mission, and the people of Jakku need it as well. That's that."


After dinner, Sybil managed to catch Cousin Matthew just as he and her father were entering the drawing room after their round of cigars and brandy.

"I must thank you, for fighting in my corner," she said. "It doesn't happen often in this family."

"Not at all," he replied with a soft smile.

"It's just…" she paused for a moment, making sure to choose her words carefully. She didn't believe Cousin Matthew was an Imperial loyalist. At least she didn't want to believe it, but for the sake of her grandmother and parents' sanity, she continued to tread carefully around him. "After Cousin James and Cousin Patrick, I wasn't sure if Mama and Papa would let me go on any relief mission."

A beat passed before Cousin Matthew answered. "How long have you been conducting them?"

"For just over a year, now," Sybil replied. "Papa's sister Rosamund did them, and then Mama when she first married Papa, and then I took over when I turned fifteen. Mary got a taste for politics at a young age, and that's all she wanted to do, and Edith's obsessed with flying, so it all fell to me."

"And you didn't mind that?"

"No, of course not! It's our duty to help systems less fortunate than our own." She paused. "Why should they have to suffer when Grantham has so much to offer?"

Cousin Matthew smiled. "Very well said. But I do hope I haven't put you at odds with your sister."

Sybil waved him off. "Don't mind Mary, or my parents for that matter. They're just being protective."

"Still, that doesn't mean their arguments for your safety don't have merit."

Sybil scoffed. "Now you sound just like them. And just when I thought you were on my side."

"Just be careful, is all I mean. God knows your father would kill me should anything happen to you on a mission I argued was alright to conduct," he said rather sheepishly with a soft chuckle.

"I did most of the arguing, don't you forget," Sybil said playfully, pursing her lips. "And it's my decision to go. Besides, Papa wouldn't dare murder his own heir for any reason, not when he's just gotten settled with you and Cousin Isobel entering the family."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Cousin Matthew muttered, and Sybil's brow furrowed. What did he mean by that? He couldn't possibly think her father a particularly violent man, nor could he think he wasn't welcome in this family. Mary and Violet were different stories altogether, but the rest of the family weren't like that. She hoped he knew that, but before Sybil had a chance to express it, Cousin Isobel caught her son and said it was time they head home.

As Sybil watched her cousin leave the darkened halls of Downton Abbey, she felt more and more like she could truly trust him, that he would be on their side should her parents reveal their true allegiance to the Rebellion. However, she caught a glance at her eldest sister and grandmother, who gave her cousins the same scrutinized glare. Sybil swallowed hard, and worried that perhaps her trust in Cousin Matthew was misplaced after all.


Finally. Mary practically let out a cry of relief when Cousin Matthew and Cousin Isobel left the room. She waited five minutes, then gave her grandmother across the room a knowing glance. Violet caught her eye and nodded. With every passing second Mary felt as if she could breathe a little easier.

She excused herself from her conversation with Edith and her mother, and then promptly left the drawing room. Stopping herself from rushing, she crossed the main hall to the library, which was still lit by a few lights. Though it was the room in which Mary felt most at home, she couldn't help glance around cautiously, as if the Empire had implanted listening devices. Mary shook her head. You're being paranoid, stop it.

A click sounded from across the room, causing Mary to nearly jump out of her own skin. But it was only her grandmother entering and closing the door behind her.

"Goodness, Mary, if I didn't know any better, I would have thought you were up to no good," Violet said with a small smile.

Mary shook her head. "Sorry, Granny, but I've been on edge since my meeting with Bail and Mon Mothma."

"Then let's get right to it." Violet took a seat on a velvet chaise longue and gestured for her to do the same.

Mary nodded. "As it turns out, James and Patrick did indeed carry out a relief mission, but their main objective ordered by the Rebellion was to observe the Empire's activities at the Kuat Drive Yards." She took a breath. "Cousin Patrick wasn't even supposed to go."

Violet's eyes widened to the size of tea saucers. "What do you mean, he wasn't supposed to go?"

"Patrick was supposed to remain on board their original ship while James and a few others commandeered an Imperial one, conducted the mission, and met again at a rendezvous point. But of course, Patrick insisted on joining his father to the Yards."

Violet groaned in frustration. "If that boy weren't dead, I would wring his neck. Didn't it cross his mind he was the heir to your father's title? If he hadn't gone than we wouldn't be in this whole mess."

"I know, Granny," Mary sighed. "But James and Patrick did discover something at the Yards, something big."

"Well, what?"

"That's just it, we don't know what it is. No one in the Rebellion has a clue what it is or what its purpose could be. Mon Mothma said the Rebellion ship received a few image transmissions before it was… before it was destroyed. She had them removed from any of the Rebellion's computers, so there are only physical copies. From what I could tell, the Empire's building some sort of moon-looking structure, perhaps a base of operations." Mary took care to keep her voice as low as possible. Though the walls of Downton were thick, she couldn't risk any of this information becoming known among the staff or even her own family members. The fewer people knew, the better.

"And how far along is the construction, would you say?" Violet asked.

"I don't know, Granny, but Bail and Mon Mothma believe it to be in the early stages."

Violet nodded sharply. "Good. That gives the Rebellion time, at least. Whatever it is the Empire's building, they need to find a way to stop it."

"Should we tell Mama and Papa?"

Violet thought for a moment. "No, I don't think so. I think we should wait until the Rebellion knows more. If it was important to Robert and Cora's work they would have told them already."

"But Granny, don't you think we owe it to them? James and Patrick were family, after all. For goodness sake, I was practically engaged to Patrick," Mary said, trying again not to raise her voice, which after her senate meeting was proving rather difficult. She felt as if she should be shouting and shouting at the Empire until her voice was lost and her throat became dry. She felt as if she were the only one in the void of space, shouting at her enemies, only for them to take no notice. Nothing felt right, and the more she thought about the more alone she felt, like that void in space was about to destroy her from the inside out.

"I know, Mary, but it puts them at risk with the Empire. You know how closely our exports are inspected, one mishap and it could all come crashing down. It's a wonder they get anything to the Rebellion in the first place."

This time, Mary nodded. Her grandmother was right, of course she was. Telling her parents now when they knew so little would only invite more danger and secrets, secrets they still needed to keep from Cousin Matthew and Cousin Isobel. A lump formed in her throat, and she swallowed hard to stop tears from forming her eyes.

"I just feel so alone, Granny," Mary said, voice breaking. "I know I shouldn't, but I do."

As if sensing the arrival of tears, her grandmother pulled her into a tight hug. "I know, dear. I know how difficult it is to be passed over and to feel alone, believe me. But remember, this is all for the survival of this family… of this system. And the work your parents, the Rebellion, and you yourself are doing is so important. Don't forget that."

Suddenly the library door opened with a soft click, causing Mary to nearly jump out of her skin. It was her father, and she quickly hid her face to hide her red and teary eyes.

"I was just making sure I hadn't missed you leaving, Mama," he said, a slight pause in his voice.

"Oh no, no," she replied, her voice back to its light and jovial tone. "But it's quite late, isn't it?"

"Well, everyone else has already gone up, so I'll say goodnight. I can let Percival know you're ready to be taken home, if you want."

"Yes, that would be most helpful. Thank you, Robert."

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight," her grandmother replied.

"Goodnight," Mary said, her voice barely a whisper.


"I hope my mother and Mary weren't up to anything nefarious this evening," Robert said as he pulled back the heavy duvet on the bed he shared with this wife. Cora was already in her night clothes, resting against the headboard with her holopad. A fire roared just across from them, bringing some much-needed warmth into the drafty room.

Downton Abbey was centuries old, and though the Crawleys tried their best to outfit the estate with all the features of a modern house on Coruscant, central heating was always difficult in a house as big as theirs.

"Why do you say that?" Cora asked, setting down her holopad on the nightstand and turning towards her husband.

"I just found them talking very secretively in the library before I came up," he replied joining Cora in the bed.

"Oh, I thought Violet had already gone home for the evening."

"I thought so too, but she and Mary had escaped to the library."

"You know them," Cora said, a smile crawling onto her face. "Since Mary was a child those two had been practically inseparable."

"Yes, but this seemed different. It looked as if Mary had been crying."

Suddenly Cora sat up a little straighter. "Crying?"

Robert nodded. "I don't know…" he sighed. "Perhaps something had happened during her senate meeting."

Cora bit her bottom lip. "Or it could be about… something else."

"What do you mean?" He asked, but as soon as he saw Cora's expression, he knew instantly. "I don't what to go through this again. Accepting Cousin Matthew as my heir is in the best interest of this family, and that is that. I thought you agreed with me on this."

"I do, of course, I do," Cora said, trying to keep her voice low. "But look at this from Mary's perspective. Her father's two long-time heirs – one being her prospective husband – are murdered, and the next heir is a distant relation and knows nothing of the family. Surely instead, she would be made heir to avoid the dangers that come with integrating a new member into the family."

"But the dangers of upsetting the Empire at a time like this, after they surely now know of James's and Patrick's involvement in the Rebellion, especially with Sybil–"

"I know, I know," Cora breathed, a little defeated.

Robert sighed. "If it's not danger from one side it's danger from the other."

"It certainly seems that way," she replied. "And I'd much rather be on the side that doesn't involve the Empire."