Title: The Politics of Endorsement
Timeframe: 23 ABY
Disclaimers: I own nothing. All characters and places belong to Disney.
"Aww, Master Skywalker," Borsk Fey'lya says, standing to greet Luke. "Please sit." The Bothan gestures to the chair in front of his desk.
"Senator Fey'lya." Luke responds evenly. Taking the offered chair, Luke waits till the other is seated, allowing himself a moment to get a sense of the Bothan. Fey'lya's request to meet was not normal, and Luke couldn't figure out why the Bothan would take time away from campaigning for Chief of State to talk to Luke.
Fey'lya took his time gathering a datapad and some flimsi from the drawers in his desk. Then he took even longer arranging the items in front of himself. "Have you spoken to Senator Pooja Naberrie?"
"I have not." Pooja Naberrie was also making a bid for Chief of State, and Leia had publicly backed the Senator from Naboo. Luke's sense of unease over this meeting only increased. If Fey'lya hoped Luke would come out against the other senator, the Bothan was mistaken. Luke intended to refrain from publicly commenting on the election.
"I suppose you will be supporting Senator Naberrie." It was not a question.
"I have not decided."
The Bothan's brown fur rippled, and he gave Luke a pointedly unfriendly smile. "Let me help you decide then, Master Jedi." With deliberate movements, Feyl'lya collected a couple of the flimsi's he had placed before him and handed them to Luke.
The unease turned to stomach-churning dread as Luke accepted the documents. The first was a data profile of a Bothan named Verik His'le who had unfortunately been caught, tortured, and finally executed at the hands of the Empire when his mission for the Rebel Alliance had been compromised. The second was the Imperial agent whom Bothan intelligence believed responsible for the compromised mission and the Bothan's subsequent death—an Arica Devlin.
"This incident happened nearly twenty-four years ago, and it's highly unlikely with the terms of peace detailed in the treaty that the Empire will allow you to extradite this woman for a crime that has since reached statutes of limitations," Luke said, handing the flimsi back to Feyl'lya.
"Are you implying you've never heard of this before today?" Fey'lya sneered.
"I assure you I've never heard of or met these two individuals."
Fel'lya picked up another flimsi, and the Bothan's expression made it clear he thought Luke was lying. This time, Luke could tell, even before the flimsi was extended to him, it was an image of a woman. "Perhaps this will jog your memory."
Luke accepted the image. It was indeed a young woman who was no more than sixteen years old with long red hair, and despite the slight pixilation due to it being an image captured off of an old security tape, Luke knew her!
Fel'lya's office, though spacious, suddenly seemed to be closing in on Luke. He couldn't keep the shock from his expression or stop the audibly sharp intake of breath. After a long moment staring at the image of Mara, Luke forces himself to meet the senator's eyes again. "So why am I here?" He has to fight to keep the anger and rising panic from his voice.
"So, you do know the young lady," Fey'lya says, sounding too pleased with the situation. He reaches his hand out for the image, and Luke reluctantly hands it back to him. The senator once again takes his time arranging the documents in front of him before standing and walking from behind the desk to lean against the front. "I've always considered myself a fair and reasonable man."
"That's not the answer to my question," Luke states.
"Patience, Master Jedi." Fey'lya was clearly enjoying himself. "Do you know New Republic law is very clear on what we do with spies."
"And pray tell, what was your role before the New Republic established those laws, Senator?" Luke spats.
The Bothan's fur rippled, and his eyes bored into Luke. But when he finally spoke again, his voice had a slight purr to it: "As I was saying, I wouldn't desire that Jedi Knight Mara Skywalker be convicted of a crime that carries a death sentence. Or that the Alliance's own decorated veteran be charged with aiding and abetting a wanted spy."
"Just one thing," Luke cuts in. "You seem to have forgotten the twenty-year statute of limitations."
"Not on Bothawui," the Bothan smiles. "Not when we're talking murder."
"She was not the one to kill him. Your file makes that very clear."
Fey'lya snorts, "She was responsible for leaking the details of an Alliance mission, and a Bothan died. Murder, and therefore must be held accountable." He pushes himself away from the desk and returns to his chair. "So, I'll be requesting an indictment from Bothawui at the end of the next forty-eight hours…" he trails off.
"Unless?" Luke asks, knowing he was not going to like where this was going.
"You convince your sister to remove her support of Pooja Naberrie."
"And if I don't?"
"I sincerely hope you enjoy life behind bars, Master Skywalker. Because I have no doubt proving an aiding and abetting charge will not be that hard in this case." A toothy smile. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a campaign to run."
Luke barely paid attention to his surroundings as he left the Senate rotunda. In doing so he earned quite a few rude comments from aides and senators alike that he bumped into, and being too agitated to care, Luke didn't bother offering apologies.
How dare Fey'lya!
Luke should not have even been surprised. Fey'lya had been playing sleazy games since he had first been appointed to the original advisory council. Sure, the Bothan had never fabricated evidence, even with the whole mess regarding Ackbar, the fabricating had been Thrawn's doing, but Fey'lya never missed a chance to elevate his status if the evidence could be worked in his favor. This way, if Leia removed her support for the other senator, Fey'lya had plausible deniability when asked about a soon-to-be-former Chief of State's change of heart in the candidate she was endorsing.
Once outside, he hailed an air taxi.
"Where to, sir?" The droid flying the taxi asks.
Luke gives the address to his and Mara's apartment building and climbs in.
The air taxi takes off and angles sharply for the nearest lane of traffic. Before cutting an air-limo off to once again jump to another air-lane, this time heading towards the old Imperial Palace sector. Luke faintly hears the air-limo driver yell curses at the droid and at Luke, but that's soon lost in the general sounds of the city.
The taxi comes to a stop by the walkway outside the massive apartment building, and Luke pays the fee. "Have a good day, sir," the droid states.
It was perhaps the longest and shortest elevator ride Luke had ever taken. Though by no means the most terrifying one, that prize still went to the elevator ride with Vader to meet the Emperor. Today was a different anxiety-filled ride, as Luke's mind raced to come up with something to avoid playing Fey'lya's game.
Luke had barely entered the security code and stepped into the apartment when Mara greeted him. "I could sense you coming blocks away," she says, going in for a kiss.
For a moment Luke forgets about the meeting and allows her scent and the softness of her lips against his to fill his mind.
"What's wrong?" She asks, pulling away and looking worriedly into his eyes.
Taking her by the hand, he leads her to the sofa. "Does the name Verik His'le mean anything to you?" He asks as they both take a seat.
Mara pursed her lips. "Vaguely," she says, still holding his hands in hers. "Wasn't he a Bothan?"
Luke nods. "And the name Arica Devlin?"
All the color drains from Mara's face. "I haven't told you about that alias." Pulling her hands out of Luke's, she uses both to push her hair away from her face. Though there was no hair in her face, it was purely a nervous reflex Mara would do. "What's going on?"
"Fey'lya is blackmailing us." Luke takes a calming breath. He needed to calm down so he could think. "We have forty-eight hours to do what he wants before you're charged for His'le's death, and I'm charged with aiding and abetting an Imperial spy."
"That's ridiculous! We didn't even know each other back then."
"That won't matter," Luke warns. "My guess is he knows I assisted, or was the brains behind it, when we broke you free from house arrest to go find the Emperor's storehouse. Not to mention, since being married, you have shared a lot of information on your previous life."
Mara is on her feet and pacing. "Okay, what does he want?"
"He wants Leia to revoke her endorsement of Pooja Naberrie for Chief of State."
"Why not just ask her himself?"
"That breaks campaigning laws. This way I talk to her, and he can claim he had nothing to do with it."
"Why that no good son of a Sith…How does he kriffing sleep at night?" Mara stops pacing and glances around briefly before picking up a Rodian made stone statue. "Is this important to you?" She asks.
"It's yours," Luke answers, curious.
"How about this?" This time it's a flimsi mache bust Jaina and Jacen had made for a school project.
"The twins might wonder what happened to it."
Mara shrugs and sets it up on the floor in front of her. "It's Fey'lya's head now. And this," she states angrily, before pounding the mache bust with the statue, "is what I'd like to do to that Bothan's face!"
"Feel better?" Luke asks.
Mara looks at her handiwork and sighs. "No, I'm just a bad aunt." With all her anger spent, Mara returns to the sofa and allows Luke to pull her close to him.
"Any ideas?" Luke asks after a long few minutes.
"That doesn't include you helping Fey'lya break the law?" Mara asks. "Just two. The first option is we take the Jade Sabre and claim asylum in Imperial space."
Luke snorts. "Asylum for you, maybe." Even with the peace treaty, Luke highly doubted any of the Moffs or Pellaeon would be eager to accept him without someone deciding the galaxy would be better off with Luke dead.
"Okay. Option two is we run and hide in the unknown regions."
"That sounds perfectly," Luke sighs, "romantic." His mind conjuring up the horrors they'd run into. Not just what they had experienced when they had joined the Chiss in visiting the remains of the Outbound project. There were other reasons a good portion of the galaxy remained unexplored.
Mara pats Luke playfully on the stomach. "Where's your sense of adventure, Skywalker?"
"I guess I'm just not that excited about being a fugitive for the rest of my life."
Mara rolls her eyes. "That prospect didn't seem to bother you at nineteen."
"What can I say?" Luke asks, sounding defeated to his own ears. "I was bored and dumb."
The couple sit there for a long time, watching the traffic speed by outside and the sun get low behind the cityscape.
"What do you know about Pooja Naberrie?" Mara asks, breaking the silence.
"She's from Naboo. She and Leia used to be friends in the Imperial Senate and have gotten back in touch again since Pooja returned to public service last year."
"How does she feel about the Jedi? Cause we know Fey'lya isn't gonna approve the creation of a council without overwhelming support from the senate if appointed Chief of State."
Luke shrugs. "All I know there is she wasn't/isn't a fan of Palpatine."
"Perhaps, you should go meet with her."
"Mara, forty-eight hours is hardly time to get a meeting set up with a senator."
"It's enough time when your name is Luke Skywalker," Mara assures.
"To what end?"
"Get her opinions on the Jedi for starters," Mara states. "Then, I don't know, see if the Force gives you anything on her. If you get a bad feeling from her…then you can go to Leia with a clear conscience."
"And if for some reason she ends up being the most honorable politician in the galaxy. Unlikely. We're back to awaiting execution and life in prison."
"I'm sure it wouldn't take much for Fel'lya to up yours to a death sentence as well."
Luke looked at his wife incredulously. "I didn't say I was in a hurry to die."
"Oh," Mara says innocently. "I mean, you didn't like the idea of the unknown regions because that would mean living as a fugitive. So, I just assumed…" She trails off, trying desperately to keep a straight face.
"You know what horrors await out in the unknown regions?"
Mara smiles. "Sounds exciting," she says. "And better than getting executed."
"Fine. I'll make a request to Pooja's office first thing tomorrow morning." Luke gets up from the sofa and heads for the kitchen to start dinner for him and Mara. Not that dinner would be a very involved process, simply reheating leftovers.
"Be sure to emphasize it's Luke Skywalker requesting a meeting!" Mara calls after him, still laughing.
"When this meeting with Pooja winds up being a dead end. I'm resorting to rebel tactics."
"Those are?"
Luke pokes his head out from the kitchen and gives her a mischievous smile. "Breaking in and stealing the evidence."
Luke hears Mara get up and come join him in the kitchen. "And what is the prison sentence for stealing and destroying evidence?"
The warmer dings, and Luke pulls out two plates of food. "Umm," Luke utters, trying to recall. "Five years in maximum security prison if convicted."
Mara opens the fridge and pulls out two drinks. "Death or five years," Mara muses. "They're really making this a tough choice."
The couple sits down at the small table, and for the next few minutes neither says anything.
"You want to join me if I secure a meeting with Senator Naberrie?" Luke asks.
"You saw what I did with that flimsi mache bust," Mara says in-between bites. "I don't think I trust myself around politicians at the moment. Besides, one of us should give the Solos a heads-up."
"Don't let Leia contact Fey'lya whatever you do."
"I can handle your sister, Luke."
"Without physical violence."
"You know I've grown rather fond of Leia, and even Han," Mara's tone is indignant, but her green eyes betray her. "Were you serious about stealing the evidence?"
"I'm sure it won't come to that," Luke says.
"The Force?"
"No, my persistent optimism has returned."
Mara sighs in relief. "That's good. I don't think this marriage could handle two cynics." Mara stabs at her last piece of meat with her fork. "Though perhaps you should meditate. I'd feel a lot better if that optimism was backed up with the Force."
Luke nods in agreement. "Care to join?"
Mara smiles but shakes her head no. "There won't be any meditating if I join."
Luke makes a deliberate show of checking the chrono. "It's quite possible we only have forty-one hours and seven minutes left of freedom together. You really want me to spend even a few hours of it meditating?"
Leaning across the table, Mara kisses Luke and then says in a near purr, "Yes. And later, farmboy."
The next morning, Luke placed a call to Senator Naberrie's office.
"Name and the nature of your request," a young female aide says upon answering.
"Jedi Master Skywalker. I'd like to set up a meeting with the senator today."
"Afraid that's not possible."
"Why?" Luke asks.
"The senator is busy preparing for her rally tomorrow."
"Could you let the senator know Luke Skywalker is asking to meet with her." Blast Mara if this works.
"Please hold."
Luke sighs. He finds himself tapping the console with his fingers and watching the minutes on the chrono tick by. Hopefully, Fey'lya wasn't lying about waiting forty-eight hours. What would happen if this meeting with the Naboo senator did happen and word got back to the Bothan?
Finally, the aid returns. "Senator Naberrie would be happy to meet you in her office at 11:30."
"Thank you."
Upon entering Senator Naberrie's office right on time, Luke found the woman standing in front of a large portrait of a young woman who, based on the elaborate gown and striking white and red makeup, at one point had been the queen of Naboo. "Thank you for seeing me on such short notice," Luke says.
Pooja glanced briefly at Luke before returning her attention to the painting. "My aunt," she explains.
Luke looked at the woman depicted in the image again. "You look very much like her," he offered. For a woman who, according to every major holo-news report Luke had read and listened to in the last two hours prior to returning to the Senate rotunda, was expected to achieve a decisive victory, Pooja seemed reflective and almost sad.
Pooja smiles, "You're too kind, Master Skywalker. Unfortunately, she and the baby passed away when I was still a young girl."
"I'm sorry to hear that."
"Our family had no idea she was expecting till her body was returned to Naboo." With a heavy sigh, the woman turns away from the image. "I guess it was a small mercy. My aunt would have been devastated with what the Empire did with what little was left of the republic after The Clone Wars ." She motions for Luke to take a seat and then follows suit. Sitting in the chair behind the desk, she continues. "My aunt's dedication to the ideals of diplomacy and the old republic is very much like your sister's. I don't think Leia understands how much her support means to me and the campaign."
"Leia wouldn't give it if she didn't think you were the best choice," Luke says.
Pooja nods solemnly. "I am surprised that someone with your reputation hasn't publicly expressed support for a candidate."
"I feel it's best to remain neutral, at least publicly," Luke explains.
"And privately?"
After yesterday, I've not been given much choice. "That's to be determined."
"And the holdup?" Her presence radiates a sense of curiosity and a calm self-assurance.
"What's your opinion on the Jedi?" Luke decides to be straightforward. "And more so on my hope to create a Jedi Council to oversee," a brief pause, "the rather headstrong Jedi Knights."
She nods as if she expected that response. Folding her hands, she places them on the desk in front of her. "I assume you mean the likes of Kyp Durron, who has taken it upon himself to play something of a vigilante."
Nodding, Luke says, "Him and others."
"Senator Fey'lya believes this council will be a way for the Jedi to consolidate power."
"Perhaps, Senator Fey'lya should look in the mirror," Luke retorts. "I know where he stands. I need to know where you stand."
Pooja appears taken aback by Luke's sudden shift in tone. After studying Luke for a long moment, she says, "I'd support the creation of a council."
This was possibly the first time that Luke could recall he'd gone into meeting someone looking for a reason to dislike the person. There was no uneasy feeling from the Force regarding Pooja. He had no sense that the woman sitting across from him was lying. Luke should have been relieved that once again Leia proved to be an excellent judge of character. He wasn't.
"If I didn't know better, I'd say you look disappointed," Pooja says.
Luke attempts a smile. "Let's just say in less than twenty-four hours it won't really matter who I support in this election. But I thank you for your time," he says and stands.
"Mistress Mara, what an unexpected pleasure," C-3PO says upon answering the door at the Solos', "and Artoo!" He exclaims, noticing the astromech droid next to Mara.
"Figured you two would like to catch up," Mara says, at the same time R2-D2 tweets an affirmative. "Are Han and Leia home?"
Threepio nods and motions for Mara and Artoo to come in.
"Who's at the door?" Han asks, emerging from the hallway. Before Threepio can answer, Han takes one look at Mara and yells, "Sweetheart, I think we've got problems."
"That obvious?"
Han nods. "Let's sit." He says and moves towards the nearest chair. "Where's Luke?"
Mara goes and sits on the sofa. "On his way to meet with Senator Naberrie," she replies, just as Leia enters the living room.
"Mara!" Her sister-in-law says in surprise. Leia was petite in size, but anyone in a room that the once Princess of Alderaan and now Chief of State entered took notice.
"I'm afraid Han is right," Mara states, as Leia takes a seat beside her. "This isn't really a social call, and I'm sorry for bothering you on your day off."
"Are you okay? Is Luke okay?" Mara feels the other woman stretch out into the Force for her twin.
"We're both fine, but…" In as much detail as Mara could recall, both from what Luke had said about his meeting with Fey'lya and her assignment so long ago that resulted in Verik His'le being executed by the Empire, she brings the Solos up to date on the situation.
"I ought to march right into that smug bastard's office…"
Mara shakes her head no and puts a firm restraining hand on Leia's shoulder. It would not help the Skywalkers if Leia was seen threatening a man who could potentially succeed her as Chief of State.
"The kid's sure Fel'lya's got enough to convict you both?" Han asks.
"He has security footage of me. Stupid, amateur mistake."
"But Luke aiding an Imperial spy is absurd!" Leia seethes.
"Fey'lya knows that," Mara states. "However, a good prosecutor in front of a jury questioning Luke about my past…" She trails off.
"How much does he know?" Han asks.
"A lot," she confesses. "I'm not in the habit of keeping secrets from him about my days as an Emperor's Hand."
"Still, it's understandable he'd know things. You are married," Leia reasons.
"What happens when Vader gets brought up?" Mara counters. "The general population and a majority of the current senate have no clue about that relational tie, and combined with everything else."
Leia's eyes harden. "The man who tortured me, tortured Han, cut Luke's hand off, and then stood by as the Emperor electrocuted Luke within a fraction of his life before intervening." She's visibly shaking with anger.
"I agree with you," Mara says, gently. "However, in a court it's all about who manages to present the evidence in the most compelling way."
"Still, Fey'lya has a lot of nerve," Han interjects. "Besides, I would have thought with your role with the Smuggler's Alliance, Mon Mothma would have absolved you."
Mara shrugs. "An oversight, no doubt."
"The terms in the peace treaty then," Han suggests.
"She'd have to still be an Imperial for the terms to apply to her or have aided the Alliance," Leia whispers.
"It's all moot anyway," Mara states. "It's the Bothawui planetary government who will be prosecuting me, and we all know how the Bothans get when it's one of their own."
Han makes a face but nods in agreement.
"Verik His'le was a good man too," Leia states, reverently. "
"You knew him?"
Leia nods.
"I'm sorry." Most days, Mara thought she was over her past. But something always came up and reminded her how much she'd done in service to the Empire that had hurt people who hadn't deserved what happened to them. In this case she had just reported her findings back to Palpatine, and someone else had pulled the trigger, but it was looking like that wouldn't matter.
Perhaps she deserved death. She'd spent years after Thrawn had been defeated telling herself, and even Luke, that if details ever surfaced about her actions under the Empire, to let justice prevail.
But Fey'lya wasn't seeking justice. He was just hoping for a career advancement.
Leia smiles and takes Mara's hand and gives an affectionate squeeze. "It was war, and the Alliance was still so new and split in multiple factions. Some working together, but mostly they were working separately at that time." Leia takes a deep breath. "He met with my father once for advice, and they worked together for the next few months. Till one day we heard Verik had been detained and executed."
"That's all well and good," Han states. "But not getting us anywhere."
A long and tense silence ensues.
"Wait!" Leia exclaims. "I know how to make Fel'lya back off."
"How?"
Leia gives Mara an apologetic look. "You and Luke aren't gonna like it."
"We have just received confirmation earlier this afternoon that Jedi Master Skywalker and Jedi Knight Skywalker have publicly endorsed Senator Borsk Fey'lya for Chief of State."
The Rodian holo-news anchor nods. "This is indeed a surprising turn of events, Andra. This comes mere weeks after Chief of State Leia Organa Solo announced she was endorsing Senator Pooja Naberrie."
Andra discreetly pushes back her right lekku behind her shoulder and flashes a coy smile. "I would not want to be at that family dinner this weekend. If you know what I mean."
Luke shuts the broadcast off. "Well, we won't be leaving for the unknown regions, at least," he says, leaning back against the sofa.
"I wish I could see his face right now," Mara says, resting her head against Luke's shoulder.
"I don't."
Mara finds his hand and grasps it. Leia had been right that the Skywalkers had not liked her plan, but as long as they were both willing to bet Fel'lya hadn't started any public investigations into the two Jedi, an endorsement of the Bothan should halt his schemes. After all, moving forward with the charges would reflect poorly on Fel'lya's campaign and possibly spark an investigation into the senator as well.
The holo-port chimes just then.
"Right on time," Luke says. They get up, and with a knowing glance at Mara, Luke accepts the call. The blue-tinged image of Borsk Fel'lya appears. "Senator Fel'lya, what an unexpected surprise," Luke says, his voice saturated with fake charm.
Fel'lya glares at Luke before he himself puts on an aura of civility and politeness. "I must say I was surprised to receive you and your wife's endorsement this afternoon. I wanted to personally call and tell you how grateful I am to know two of the Republic's finest have my back."
"I trust this means you've reconsidered," Mara says.
The Bothan's response is a curt nod. "I trust that if I'm elected, the New Republic and the Jedi can come to an agreement. I'll be in touch." With that, the transmission was cut, and the Bothan's image disappeared.
"Well, Master Skywalker, it appears our gamble paid off."
"And do you feel like it was a win?"
Mara grimaces. "I'd say we managed to earn a consolation prize. You think he'll work with the Jedi?"
"Time will tell."
Three weeks later:
Luke was ushered into the newly appointed Chief of State's office.
Fel'lya looked up from his datapad and stood. "Master Skywalker, would you care for a celebratory drink?" He gestures towards the liquor stand and moves to pour himself a glass.
"No, thank you." Luke waits for the Bothan to return to his desk before presenting the package he brought with him to the new Chief of State.
Fel'lya looks quizzically at it, then at the Jedi.
"A gift from my wife," Luke explains.
The Bothan nods. "Thank her for me." Then, with great care, he proceeds to open the box. Another look at Luke upon seeing the contents before he pulled out the flimsi mache bust of a Bothan's head. "Quite the artist Jedi Skywalker is."
Luke smiles. "Careful, it's fragile around stone." Mara and the three Solo kids had spent a particularly rainy day on Yavin 4 crafting and painting the gift.
"Duly noted." Fey'lya studies the bust, then looks at Luke as if trying to figure out if there was some hidden meaning.
Luke keeps his expression unreadable and lets the silence linger. Finally, as Fel'lya was reaching for his drink again, Luke said in an icy calm voice,. "Just so we understand each other moving forward," he begins. "If you ever blackmail my wife and me again…" He leaves the implied threat hanging.
Fel'lya's hand releases the glass, and the two men lock gazes. The Bothan is the first to look away, and he quickly takes a sip. Probably wishing he could down the rest while somehow keeping the pretense of composure.
"And congratulations, Chancellor, on your victory. May the Force be with you." Luke gives Fel'lya a respectful nod before turning and leaving.