• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

“Are you aware that he fled Coruscant?”

Organa frowned in uncertainty. “It sounds as if you’re suggesting that he wasn’t permitted to leave of his own free will. Was he under arrest?”

“Not arrest, Senator. Internal Security had questions for him, some of which were left unanswered. ISB requested that he remain in Imperial Center until matters were resolved.”

Organa shook his head once. “I knew nothing of this.”

“No one is questioning your decision to house him, Senator,” Vader said, gazing down at him. “I simply want your assurance that you won’t interfere with my escorting him back to Coruscant.”

“Back to—” Organa left the rest of it unfinished and began again. “I won’t interfere. Except in one instance.”

Vader waited.

“If Senator Zar requests diplomatic immunity, Alderaan will grant it.”

Vader folded his arms across his chest. “I’m not certain that privilege still exists. Even if it does, you may find that refusing the Emperor’s request is hardly in your best interest.”

Again, Organa’s confliction was obvious. What is he hiding?

“Is that a threat, Lord Vader?” he said finally.

“Only a fact. For too long the Senate encouraged political chaos. Those days are ended, and the Emperor will not permit them to resurface.”

Organa showed him a skeptical look. “You speak of him as if he is all-powerful, Lord Vader.”

“He is more powerful than you know.”

“Is that why you’ve agreed to serve him?”

Vader took a moment to respond. “My decisions are my own. The old system is dead, Senator. You would be wise to subscribe to the new one.”

Organa exhaled with purpose. “I’ll take my chances that freedom is still alive.” He fell silent for a moment, deliberating. “I don’t mean to impugn your authority, Lord Vader, but I wish to consult with the Emperor personally on this matter.”

Vader could scarcely believe what he was hearing. Was Organa deliberately attempting to obstruct him; to make him appear inept in the eyes of Sidious? Anger welled up in him. Why was he wasting his time chasing fugitive Senators when it was the Jedi who posed a risk to the New Order?

To the balance of the Force.

A nearby holoprojector chimed, and from it emerged the holoimage of a dark-haired woman with an infant in her arms.

“Bail, I’m sorry I’ve been delayed,” the woman said. “I just wanted to let you know that I’ll be there shortly.”

Organa looked from Vader to the holoimage and back again. As the image faded he said: “Perhaps it’s better if you spoke with Senator Zar in person.” He gulped and found his voice. “I’ll have him escorted to the conference room as soon as possible.”

Vader turned and waved a signal to Commander Appo, who nodded. “Who is the woman?” Vader asked Organa.

“My wife,” Organa said nervously. “The Queen.”

Vader regarded Organa, trying to read him more clearly.

“Inform Senator Zar that I’m waiting,” he said at last. “In the meantime, I would enjoy meeting the Queen.”

More than seven centuries old, the palace was a rambling and multistoried affair of ramparts and turrets, bedrooms and ballrooms, with as many grand stairways as it had turbolifts. Without a map, its kilometers of winding corridors were nearly impossible to follow. And so where walking from the droid-maintenance room to the hallway that accessed the south gate had seemed a simple matter, it was in fact akin to negotiating a maze.

“The droid’s more clever than it looks,” Archyr said when it finally dawned on them that the two machine intelligences had been walking them in circles for the past quarter hour. “I think it’s leading us on a wild gundark chase.”

“Oh, he would never do that,” C-3PO said. “Would you, Artoo?” When the astromech didn’t answer, C-3PO slammed his hand down on R2-D2’s dome. “Don’t you even think about giving me the silent treatment!”

Skeck tugged the ion weapon from his belt and brandished it. “Maybe it forgot about this.”

“No need to threaten us further,” C-3PO said. “I’m certain that Artoo isn’t attempting to mislead you. We don’t know the palace very well. You see, we’ve only