Star Wars the Truce at Bakura - Kathy Tyers [37]
“When Senator Palpatine declared himself emperor, my father began to work toward reform. Change proved impossible. The Empire has never been interested in reform. It only wants power and wealth.”
Gaeri’s mouth twitched. True enough, if one-sided. The Imperial system discouraged change and built economic stability. She shifted on her repulsor chair.
“I was little more than a child when I began serving my father as a diplomatic courier and not much older when elected to the Imperial senate.” She glanced sidelong at Governor Nereus. “The Rebellion was already active, and as the Emperor surely guessed, I was not the only young senator involved. My father had barely thrown in his open support when I was captured by the Emperor’s henchman, Lord Darth Vader, and taken on board his first Death Star.
“The Emperor claims that Alderaan was destroyed as an example to other rebellious worlds. That is only partially true. I stood on board the Death Star. I saw the order given. It was given to terrify me into revealing information.”
Governor Nereus rocked forward. “Princess Leia, that is enough—unless you wish to be arrested for your crimes here and now.”
Princess Leia’s chin tilted defiantly. “Governor, I have only strengthened your position. The Empire rules by fear. I have just given the Bakurans one more reason to fear you.”
But not respect him. Gaeri crossed her ankles, willing for the moment to listen, if not to accept the Rebel point of view. That could have happened to Bakura, if the Rebels hadn’t destroyed that Death Star. Two senators in Gaeri’s field of vision shot covertly suspicious glances toward the governor.
“After the destruction of Alderaan,” Princess Leia went on softly, “I fled to Alliance headquarters. I have lived with its leaders, moving frequently as the Empire continues to try to wipe us out. We mean to help you,” she called. “The Alliance has sent one of its ablest military leaders, Commander Skywalker of the Jedi Order.”
Jedi? Caught with her defenses down, Gaeri reached for a pendant on her necklace, the half-black, half-white enameled ring of the Cosmic Balance. According to her religion, Jedi had upset the universe by their very existence. For every height, there had to be a depth. She believed that every time an individual learned to wield so much power, that diminished a hapless counterpart somewhere in the galaxy. The power-greedy Jedi had puffed up their abilities without regard for the unknown others they destroyed. Their disappearance had become a morality tale, and the deaths of both her parents left her profoundly religious. At least in the Balance she’d found comfort.
But had some of the Jedi survived? Commander Skywalker looked so young, not at all like her idea of a Jedi, except his intensity. He’d stared right at her when she spoke. He might be listening to someone’s thoughts.
Was a single Jedi so powerful that the Cosmos had brought in the Ssi-ruuk, reducing so many humans to droid-powering circuitry, to balance his rising powers?
He turned. Blue eyes probed her again.
She blinked and glared, and she didn’t look away until he did, so she got the satisfaction of seeing his composure falter. He glanced at her again, then shifted his booted feet and stared at the ground.
With that threat dispelled for the moment, she stared a little longer. Something about him reminded her of Uncle Yeorg.
Chewbacca leaned against the bank of lockers, openly returning the stares of six stormtroopers. He thought he could guess their intention: to confiscate the group’s weapons and leave them helpless. One trooper had started walking over a few minutes ago. A single teeth-bared growl had sent him back, but that wouldn’t last. Luke’s astromech droid stood near the arch with his antenna rotating. Artoo wouldn’t be much good in a fight.
Chewbacca didn’t mind the odds, though. One armed Wookiee against six stormtroopers should be just about even.
He heard bootsteps. Another Imperial strode up the