Star Wars: Lightforce

Chapter 26

The startled officer looked in her direction, still holding the child by the arm. Relief spread across the little girl's face when she saw Leia.

"What do you think you're doing?" Leia demanded of him.

"Clearing thieves off the streets, ma'am. No need to bother yourself with this vermin," he replied, not releasing the child but seeming to respond to Leia's unmistakeably authoritative voice.

"This child is no thief. I bought her that fruit. Unhand her immediately," Leia barked, separating the officer from his prize with both hands.

The other uniformed men began to move towards them. Han dropped Leia's jacket and he and Chewbacca drew their weapons, keeping them low, observing for the moment. Han didn't want to start anything more attention grabbing than Leia had already started unless it all went wrong. She could bring a whole platoon of troops to it's knees with that voice but he wasn't sure how long the stunned obedience would last with this particular group. He watched her body language and listened to her tone as she manoeuvred the little girl behind her and the officers into a group as if she were giving them a troop inspection. He shook his head and the corner of his mouth creased into a smile. A foot or more shorter than any of the men in front of her, her tone and expression demanded their full attention.

"You are a disgrace to that uniform," she continued, looking from one to the other. "Security Forces are meant to protect people not bully them. They especially don't strike defenceless children." She put one hand behind her back and motioned to the little girl to move towards Han, who beckoned silently to the child to run to him.

The child safely out of the way, Leia turned her thoughts to the enclosed vehicle. She had to make sure no more children were inside. She continued her grilling, uncertain herself as to how long these men would put up with her. Getting close enough to study them she now didn't believe they really knew whose uniform they were wearing. They looked like hired guns, not military personnel, and the only reason they were paying attention was the shock factor of her abrupt interruption and the tone of her voice.

Her blaster was tucked underneath her tunic and annoyingly inaccessible in a hurry. Her eyes flicked to the officer's weapons, noted their position and way they were attached. She had begun to draw a curious crowd so decided to gamble on the fact that the officers wouldn't fire on her in front of them.

"I don't think you know what uniform you are wearing. What's your rank and designation?" She fixed the officer last in line with her eyes as she moved closer to the vehicle, putting her back to it and signalled Han behind her back to ready his weapon. He read her warning and knew she thought she was treading on thin ice.

"Get ready, Chewie. She's about to blow it." Leia had manoeuvred herself so that the officers were now facing away from Han and wouldn't see him come up behind them.

"Lieutenant of the Alderaan Security Forces," the officer gave his false rank.

"If you are really from Alderaan, you would know who I am." Leia remained authoritative, holding them as long as she could. If she could just open the back of the vehicle before they blasted her off the face of Takodana... The men looked at each other, confused.

"Open this vehicle and let me see how many more so called thieves you have."

"Step away from the vehicle, ma'am," one of the officers demanded.

"I am the Commanding General of the Alderaanian Security Forces, Lieutenant and I order you to open the back of this vehicle." Now I've blown it. Leia thought. The officers looked at each other, then at her small frame and smirked. Non-uniformed and tunic-clad, maybe it was a little difficult to believe. Her credibility vanished.