𝐂𝐑𝐈𝐌𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 - 𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐤𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐬

𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘-𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑 ⸺ 𝐜𝐫𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲.

0002 local hours. Year 7963 (14 BBY)
Royal Palace of Aldera, Alderaan.

⸺ VÆMAS.

⚡︎ ⁺. ◍ 。

      𝓣HE NERVOUS PACE of Senator Organa was starting to get on Væmas' nerves, her fingers repeatedly tapping onto her arm. She exchanged a look with Cal, who laid back against the wall of the living room, arms crossed, and raised her eyebrows with a silent message.

"Don't you want to do something?"

He shrugged under her urging look and ran a hand through his hair before sighing. "Senator, if you would just tell us—"

"Are you sure this weapon is a prototype?" Organa interrupted him, stopping abruptly, rubbing his chin in a concerned move.

"As far as the file indicated, it was only about a single canon." Væmas answered, trying to contain her impatience.

"Sir, if this weapon really is on Christophsis, we have to go there and destroy it before the Empire can use it or produce more." Cal intervened, taking away the words right out of Væmas' mouth and raising an approbatory nod from the Senator.

"Yes, yes you must. I'll arrange for speeders to be left for you outside of the capital. Lady Barrattills and Lord Ker will both be found dead in the morning after a tragic incident. Their bodies will be sent back to Naboo for the funerals, unfortunately too soon for Commander Primor to see. All you have to do is sneak out of the Palace. Senator Mothma and I will take care of the rest."

"When do we leave?" Væmas asked immediately. Maybe it was wrong of her not to keep the hope out of her voice, but palace life was definitely not meant for her. Such large spaces and luxury only reminded of how most people in the galaxy were still suffering from the Empire's control. Destroying that cannon could save hundreds, maybe even thousands.

"Right now, if possible." Organa answered, pulling out of her thoughts. "You will be less visible with the cover of the night. Use the ventilation system, and don't trigger any alarms. Once you are out of the palace, make for the western gate. The speeders will be outside of the wall, with the coordinates to rejoin your ship."

Both Cal and Væmas nodded in understanding. Organa stepped towards the door, then turned to them and inclined his head. "May the Force be with you, my young friends."

Væmas suddenly remembered about Leia. "Senator!" She called him as he was about to leave the room. He paused turned back around. "Your daughter...she's strong with the Force. You should be careful."

Organa's mouth opened slightly, but his face recomposed so quickly that she might as well have imagined the look of surprise. "Thank you."

Once he exited the room, Cal was the first to move towards Væmas' bedchamber. "Come on, we have to get moving."

Once in the ventilation system, they used a different path as a few hours before, needing to go south-west instead of north-west. This allowed them to find a hatch much closer to the ground and enabled them to jump on the top of a building, then jump from roof to roof until they reached the city.

At this hour, only patrols remained in the streets. Even the eventual revelers were forced to stay home because of the curfew weighing on the city of Aldera. They jumped down in a deserted street, although the military pace of the stormtroopers seemed to come from everywhere at the same time.

"This way." Cal whispered in a low tone, inviting her to follow him with a movement of the head. They headed for the end of the street, and as he was about to cross, Væmas felt an enemy presence right in time and pulled him by the shoulder to bring him back in the cover of the dark, right before a patrol passed. A second before, they would have seen him.