Kashyyyk, Wednesday Fandom Time
Apr. 7th, 2010 10:46 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
likes_scoundrelsWaiting seemed like an eternity before Leia finally received a heavily encrypted message from her father. He was safe, and this time, she wasn't taking no for an answer about joining him. She took Alderaan's fastest ship and met him in orbit over Kashyyyk, taking great care that she wasn't followed or tracked in any way.
Bail told her what had happened, how he, Mon Mothma, Garm Bel Iblis, and Master Kota had been captured by Darth Vader himself and taken before the Emperor. They were to be interrogated, tortured, and publicly executed, crushing all hopes for a rebellion. Leia felt sick realizing how close she'd been to losing her adoptive father.
But she knew the name of the young Jedi who had rescued her now. Galen Marek, her father had told her. She'd been horrified to find he'd been Vader's apprentice, but her own brush with the Dark Side with her alternate universe self left her feeling some sympathy. And he'd turned against his master in the end, giving his life so that the senators and Master Kota could escape, and for that, she sent a silent prayer of thanks to wherever his spirit might be now.
They'd gone down to the surface of Kashyyyk to find out more about Galen and had discovered that he'd been born there to two Jedi Knights who had gone into hiding after the fall of the Republic. Galen's mother had been killed defending Kashyyyk from slavers, and his father had been murdered by Vader, who then took young Galen to be his apprentice. But he'd died a hero.
They were safe for now, but it wouldn't last. The Wookiees had been galvanized by the destruction of the skyhook and were fighting back against any Imperials who dared remain on the planet. The Emperor knew who the leaders of the rebellion were now, however, and he wouldn't stop searching for them. But for now, they were going to finish what had been interrupted on Corellia.
They had found the ruins of what had once been Galen's home and gathered there around a dusty table to finalize the formation of the Alliance to Restore the Republic. Leia looked up to see Master Kota rejoining them, leading the blonde woman who had been at Galen's side on Corellia. Juno Eclipse, she now knew her to be, Galen's pilot and quite possibly more, given how she was grieving his death.
"So," Bail Organa was saying. "Are we ready to finish what he started?" The others nodded. "Then, at last, the Rebel Alliance is born. Here, tonight."
There were relieved smiles, but no cheers. There was still too much work to be done, and too much danger ahead.
"We need a symbol to rally behind," Leia said. She'd been doing her own research on Galen Marek since her return to Kashyyyk, and her study of history, not to mention Professor Rogers's class on battles, had taught her that symbols were very important.
"Agreed," Garm Bel Iblis said.
Leia wiped the dust from the table, revealing a family crest etched into the wood: a sleek, stylized raptor, with wings proudly outstretched. "A symbol of hope," she said. She looked to her father to Mon Mothma to Bel Iblis for approval, then finally to Juno. Very slightly, the woman nodded in acknowledgment.
* * *
Even through Bail and the other senators had escaped from the Emperor, they were wanted criminals now and had to remain in hiding. "Go back to Alderaan," he told Leia. "You and your mother must denounce me."
"What?" Leia said angrily. "I will do no such thing!"
Bail put his hands on her shoulders. "You must," he said. "Or Alderaan becomes a target for the Empire. Denounce me and what I have done, and you'll deflect some -- but not all -- suspicion for now. It's the only way you can represent Alderaan in the senate."
She hated to admit he was right. If she stood by her father openly, the Emperor would come for her next. But her father's next request had her even more torn. "And you have to go back to Fandom," he said.
"I can't -- not now," she protested. "I have to take over your duties, I have to help with the Alliance, I have to...."
"You have to stay out of sight for awhile," Bail interrupted her. "You need to get attention off you. So it's best that you return to school, for a few months at least. Your mother can appoint a temporary representative in the senate."
"But...!" She continued to try to argue. It wasn't that she didn't want to go back, just that there was so much here now that she had to do.
"You'll be safe there," Bail said, cutting her off in a tone that meant he wouldn't take no for an answer. Even if he looked just a little bit uneasy about sending her back to Fandom.
"All right," she said reluctantly. It would be good to see her father (no, the other one) and Jaina and Ben and Tahiri, but she wouldn't be able to shake the guilt about leaving when they'd finally organized the rebellion. Still, she knew Bail was right. She needed to shake attention from herself for now, and she'd be safer in Fandom.
Well, physically safer. Mentally was still iffy.
Bail told her what had happened, how he, Mon Mothma, Garm Bel Iblis, and Master Kota had been captured by Darth Vader himself and taken before the Emperor. They were to be interrogated, tortured, and publicly executed, crushing all hopes for a rebellion. Leia felt sick realizing how close she'd been to losing her adoptive father.
But she knew the name of the young Jedi who had rescued her now. Galen Marek, her father had told her. She'd been horrified to find he'd been Vader's apprentice, but her own brush with the Dark Side with her alternate universe self left her feeling some sympathy. And he'd turned against his master in the end, giving his life so that the senators and Master Kota could escape, and for that, she sent a silent prayer of thanks to wherever his spirit might be now.
They'd gone down to the surface of Kashyyyk to find out more about Galen and had discovered that he'd been born there to two Jedi Knights who had gone into hiding after the fall of the Republic. Galen's mother had been killed defending Kashyyyk from slavers, and his father had been murdered by Vader, who then took young Galen to be his apprentice. But he'd died a hero.
They were safe for now, but it wouldn't last. The Wookiees had been galvanized by the destruction of the skyhook and were fighting back against any Imperials who dared remain on the planet. The Emperor knew who the leaders of the rebellion were now, however, and he wouldn't stop searching for them. But for now, they were going to finish what had been interrupted on Corellia.
They had found the ruins of what had once been Galen's home and gathered there around a dusty table to finalize the formation of the Alliance to Restore the Republic. Leia looked up to see Master Kota rejoining them, leading the blonde woman who had been at Galen's side on Corellia. Juno Eclipse, she now knew her to be, Galen's pilot and quite possibly more, given how she was grieving his death.
"So," Bail Organa was saying. "Are we ready to finish what he started?" The others nodded. "Then, at last, the Rebel Alliance is born. Here, tonight."
There were relieved smiles, but no cheers. There was still too much work to be done, and too much danger ahead.
"We need a symbol to rally behind," Leia said. She'd been doing her own research on Galen Marek since her return to Kashyyyk, and her study of history, not to mention Professor Rogers's class on battles, had taught her that symbols were very important.
"Agreed," Garm Bel Iblis said.
Leia wiped the dust from the table, revealing a family crest etched into the wood: a sleek, stylized raptor, with wings proudly outstretched. "A symbol of hope," she said. She looked to her father to Mon Mothma to Bel Iblis for approval, then finally to Juno. Very slightly, the woman nodded in acknowledgment.
* * *
Even through Bail and the other senators had escaped from the Emperor, they were wanted criminals now and had to remain in hiding. "Go back to Alderaan," he told Leia. "You and your mother must denounce me."
"What?" Leia said angrily. "I will do no such thing!"
Bail put his hands on her shoulders. "You must," he said. "Or Alderaan becomes a target for the Empire. Denounce me and what I have done, and you'll deflect some -- but not all -- suspicion for now. It's the only way you can represent Alderaan in the senate."
She hated to admit he was right. If she stood by her father openly, the Emperor would come for her next. But her father's next request had her even more torn. "And you have to go back to Fandom," he said.
"I can't -- not now," she protested. "I have to take over your duties, I have to help with the Alliance, I have to...."
"You have to stay out of sight for awhile," Bail interrupted her. "You need to get attention off you. So it's best that you return to school, for a few months at least. Your mother can appoint a temporary representative in the senate."
"But...!" She continued to try to argue. It wasn't that she didn't want to go back, just that there was so much here now that she had to do.
"You'll be safe there," Bail said, cutting her off in a tone that meant he wouldn't take no for an answer. Even if he looked just a little bit uneasy about sending her back to Fandom.
"All right," she said reluctantly. It would be good to see her father (no, the other one) and Jaina and Ben and Tahiri, but she wouldn't be able to shake the guilt about leaving when they'd finally organized the rebellion. Still, she knew Bail was right. She needed to shake attention from herself for now, and she'd be safer in Fandom.
Well, physically safer. Mentally was still iffy.
