The Adventures of the Crimson Hawk, Part 3

Leia's suite was twice as big as her room at home in Aldra House. The walls were a soft pale pink, with pink and pale gold drapes and a soft pink and gold canopy bed with a mattress she sank into when she sat on it. The thick furnishings were all upholstered in the same pink and soft gold, with ruffles that cascaded to the floor. The view from her massive French windows showed clear to the harbor. Delicate vines and flowers were painted all along the walls, and even up to the ceiling. The latest in gas lights stood by her bed and on the beautifully carved antique writing desk, covered by stained glass.

There was little time to admire the view or explore the house. No sooner had her trunk and suitcases been brought up and stowed in the roomy closets and dressers than it was time to enjoy the pleasures of the bath. Aldra House had bathrooms, but they were small and musty, added as afterthoughts. It certainly didn't have a bathroom as large, or a tub as large, as the one Leia enjoyed. Sabine, the maid she'd seen earlier with the red-orange hair braided with purple and blue ribbons, scrubbed her until her delicate skin showed pink and her velvet-brown hair glowed warmly in the oncoming twilight.

Her mother came in just as Sabine was finishing her hair. “Leia,” Breha said, “you look amazing. Young lady,” she smiled as the girl, “you have an artist's touch. My niece looks simply ravishing.”

“Thank you, miss.” The girl had a slight Irish lilt to her youthful voice. “I'm hopin' to make enough money to attend an art school and become a real artist me'self someday.”

“Keep doing good work like this, and I might see if I can lend you a hand.” Leia's hair had been swept into elegant braids and ringlets that cascaded down her back, with amaryllis tucked into the crown. Her white gown had a bustle trimmed with lace and ruffles and a lacy wrap with silk flowers flowing like a waterfall to the frilly skirt. The sleeves were all puffs and organdy frills.

Leia grinned. “You don't look bad yourself, Aunt Breha.”

“Do you like it?” The small, dark-haired duchess turned around in her equally fancy turquoise gown, with it's black ruffles and over-skirt. “I had it made just before we came here. It's my first time wearing it.”

Sabine smiled. “Oh, it's lovely, Your Grace. You wear it very well.”

“Thank you, Sabine. That will be all.” Breha nodded at the girl. “I can take it from here. We'll likely need your services later, after the ball.”

“Yes, miss.” Sabine bowed quickly and hurried out of the room. Leia swore she saw her looking furtively down the hall. She met a tall boy with short, blue-black hair and a stable boy's livery before hurrying off.

Aunt Breha smiled. “Ahh, I believe our little Sabine has a suitor. Not a bad-looking boy, if a bit wiry.”

Leia shook her head as she removed a locked box from her trunk. “Didn't look like a romance to me. They were awfully serious for young people in love.”

Breha chuckled. “Young people tend to be serious when they're in love.” She pulled the string of pearls and the dainty pink cameo across Leia's neck and added pearl and gold drop earrings. “There. Now you'll be the envy of every girl at the party.”

“I don't want to be the envy of anybody.” Leia rolled her eyes. “The only reason I'm going at all is to talk to Mon Mothma and find out more about the situation with the roads and the taxes.” A hint of a smile played on her lips. “And to see Luke, of course.”

“Of course.” Breha gathered her black lace fan and handed Leia her pink one. Leia swept a frilly white silk parasol into her hand. “We must discuss those bandits with Govenor Tarkin. I appreciate their aims, but not the way they're going about them.”

“I don't know.” Leia sighed. “The Crimson Hawk may have been a rogue and a scoundrel, but he never really hurt us. And at least the money will hopefully be going to the poor.”

Breha couldn't help her smirk. “I think you're quite smitten with him. I saw the way you looked at each other on the road. You had a real spark.”

“Me?” Leia tried to hide her blush. “He was the one who flirted first, and badly, I may add.”

Breha's smirk widened. “You didn't need to reciprocate, dear.”

“Please.” Leia stood abruptly. “There's no room in my life for scoundrels.”

Her father poked his head in. “I hope you're not talking about me, dear.”

“Of course not, Bail!” Breha swept over to her husband. “We were talking about the Crimson Hawk. Leia and I were wondering what he looks like under that mask.”

“I'm sure he's just an ordinary fellow trying to make a living.” Bail gave his wife a small kiss. “Are my two favorite girls ready to go downstairs? Mon Mothma's guests are waiting for us.”

“Of course, Uncle.” Leia took her uncle's right arm, while Breha claimed her left. “We have the best-looking escort at the party.”

“In this old thing?” Bail wore a fine suit of soft cornflower blue, with a dove-gray cravat and high top hat. “Haven't worn this in years, but it's too warm for my good uniform.”

“You look fine. So much less stuffy than some of those old officers.” Breha kissed his cheek again. Bail blushed, prompting a giggle from Leia.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Mon Mothma's ballroom was small but elegant, wide half-circle windows offering sweeping views of the riverfront. The room was decorated to be in tune with the river and cliffs, with its soft tan and brick-red walls and looping trim and bottle-green chairs and lounges. A crystal chandelier sparkled in the vaulted ceiling. It was also filled to the brim with people in fancy gowns in shades of white, pink, and lavender and men in dark, sober suits or the gunmetal gray uniforms of Coruscant.

Leia picked out Sir Benjamin Kenton right away. He was chatting with Mon Mothma and another woman. She was small, but attractive, with thick braided hair dyed blue at the ends. She was dressed in the soft woven caftans of the African lands. Her reddish, freckled skin was enhanced by gold circles and dots all along her temples and brow.

“Bail!” She waved her hand at the two. “There you are! I thought you'd never come.”

“Leia!” The woman in the caftan reached over and gave her a big hug. “I'm so glad all of you are finally here. I was hoping you'd come. All this coronation business will be a lot more interesting with you and your uncle to argue it every step of the way.”

Mon Mothma smiled. “I see you already know Lady Ahsoka Tano, the best reporter the Theed Daily Star ever had, and an old and dear friend of mine. I've been arguing with her since she was apprenticed to Rex Fettson, the paper's top crime reporter.”

“I'm sure you'll do plenty of arguing yourself, Ahsoka.” Leia looked her over. “That outfit is amazing. It's so dramatic! Where did you buy it?”

“Went to visit family in Nigeria. They insisted I bring something back from the old country.” She turned to the Grand Duke and Duchess. “I'm glad to see both of you, too. We didn't know if you'd be able to come, what with all the unrest in Naboo and Alderaan's neutral stance.”

Bail picked up three glasses of white wine from Cedric's tray as he passed. “We've seen some of that 'unrest' first hand. We encountered bandits on the way here, and we read about the destruction of the Erso Shipyards and the delays with the new airships.”

Ahsoka's eyes roamed around the room, making sure no one heard what she said, before continuing in a softer voice. “There's a reason the launch of Vader's airship fleet has been delayed. They've had problems with 'accidents.' Machines breaking down or being blown up, equipment going missing, crystals being stolen. If it was just one or two incidents, it would mean nothing, but it's happening at least once a day now.”

“I've heard about this.” Sir Benjamin shook his head. “It is an experimental craft. Accidents are likely to happen.”

Mon Mothma narrowed her eyes. “I've told Vader he needs to increase factory safety. He says it would cost too much. They're spending millions of credits on this new process for curing khyber crystals as it is.”

Cedric rushed over, his narrow cheeks pale. “Senator Mothma, Governor Tarkin has arrived. I'm afraid he brought that terrible Baron Vader along. Shall I send them outside? I don't want Vader destroying any of the good china because someone said unkind things about his mother.”

“No, Cedric.” Mon Mothma sighed. “I invited them. I'm sure Tarkin will keep Vader in line.”

Leia couldn't help shuddering as the duo strode into the room, ignoring Cedric's nervous announcement. “Hello, Senator.” The Baron gave them a small bow. “Duke, Duchess.” He turned to Sir Benjamin. “Kenton. I'm surprised to see you here. I heard you fled to the Tatoonie badlands after the Jedi Guards were...disposed of.”

Sir Benjamin remained cool and calm, but Leia could see his color rising under the silvery beard. “I came back a few years ago to manage a local shipping company. We're delivering some of your khyber crystals tomorrow, in fact.”

Leia craned her neck, trying to look for her new friend. “Where are Mr. Skywalker and Mr. Solo? They said they'd be here.”

“Oh, they'll be around a bit later.” Sir Kenton shrugged. “They had a few last minute details to take care of at our workshop in Corellia Manor.”

“You're all invited to the official launching of our newest military marvel tomorrow, the Death Star, at the fair at Naberrie Palace.” Governor Tarkin barely nodded at Sir Kenton. “We would be honored if you and your employers would come. Solo Shipping did haul the lion's share of the crystals, despite all the inconveniences on the roads. We're holding a tour of the gondola, so the general public can see what their tax dollars have bought.”

“Inconveniences on the road!” Breha fluttered her fan. “We had a close encounter on the road with your Crimson Hawk. He was a vulgar young man. He even had the effrontery to seduce my niece in front of us!”

Leia rolled her eyes. “I don't know why you're worried. He did a very poor job of it.”

“There's something about that outlaw.” The Baron's mechanical voice sounded thoughtful. “The way he's able to anticipate our every move. We've twice been close to discovering his hide-out, only to learn it's been abandoned or they were never there to begin with. It's uncanny. Almost as if he was one of the Jedi Guards.”

Bail's face fell. “You forget, Baron, that I was friends with many of those guards and with Queen Padme before her untimely death.” The Baron let out a hiss when Padme was mentioned, but otherwise said nothing.

“So was I.” Mon Mothma's coppery brow darkened. “Queen Padme and Baron Skywalker were two of the most beloved rulers Naboo ever had. The Jedi were the Royal Family's personal guards and the guardians of the land.”

“The Jedi Guards.” Breha sighed romantically. “How I do miss them. They kept peace in the Alliance for a thousand generations.”

“Until the Naboo Royal Family was murdered, and they turned on the people.” Baron Vader's hiss was rather smug. “I myself aided in destroying many of them, before they could wreck further havoc.”

Leia noticed that Ahsoka had vanished, well before Vader's arrival. Sir Kenton was also long gone. She didn't see him in the hall he'd been looking towards. She sidled up to Vader, trying to block their exits. “I'm sure you're very proud of yourself.”

Baron Vader's hiss became more of a growl. “We think the Crimson Hawk is either a former Jedi Guard or is working with former guards to create anarchy. They've already rescued dozens of Wookie laborers from the camps in Sullust and Arkansis and have stolen thousands of dollars worth of gold and jewelry on the roads. We know there's at least two groups out there devoting themselves to overthrowing my master. Rest assured, my men and I will make sure that neither group succeeds.”

“How do you propose to do that?” Leia snapped. “You can't even find the Crimson Hawk!”

The Baron fixed his goggle-like eyes to stare at Leia, adjusting the sickly green right lens. “I'll be increasing both the rewards for the capture of the Crimson Hawk, the Golden Eagle, and both rebel groups, as well as the patrols on the road and in the factories. There will be no one to stop us this time!”

Even as the words left Vader's respirator, the brilliant lights from the gas lamps and chandelier suddenly flickered, then went out. Leia directed a smirk at Vader. “Except that.”

“I'm going to find out what's going on.” Mon Mothma made her way through the crowds to Cedric, who had joined several other, larger men in waiter's costumes at the gas lamps. Vader stomped after her, demanding that the lights be turned on immediately, or there would be hell to pay.

Breha giggled as her husband pulled her closer to him. “Bail, please! I know we're married, but this is a bad place for that!”

That was when Leia heard gasps and squeals around the room. Light, leather-clad fingers deftly removed her pearl necklace and earrings. She felt someone's breath over her bare shoulder. “You're the most beautiful, most spirited woman I've ever met,” the breath whispered. “Meet me at the stone bench under the flowering cherry trees in the garden in twenty minutes.” Soft lips gently placed small kisses along her shoulder. “I'll tell you what I can there.”

“The Crimson Hawk.” Leia turned around, her parasol at the ready. “What...”

But there was no one behind her. Breha let out a wail as a diminutive figure removed her black crystal beaded necklace with its turquoise drop pendant and her turquoise bracelets and combs. Leia swore she heard the thief say “I'm sorry, Duchess. Really, I am. I don't mean to hurt you, but we need this money.” Hands the size of beef steaks yanked off Ahsoka's beaded necklaces and wide gold hoop earrings.

A tall man with brownish-red hair sticking out of his hood tugged at Golden Eagle's yellow sleeve. “Come on, kid. We have to catch up with the others, before Tarkin figures out what's going on.”

The Baron was way ahead of him. Leia noticed six men in the white and black uniforms of the Coruscant Army making their way through the room carrying candles. At least twenty more surrounded the perimeter. Leia poked several men in the rear, pushing them out of the way.

“Find them!” Vader demanded. “Find them and bring them to me at once! They'll be taken to Plageius Square and hung!”

The lights came back on...just in time for Leia to hear a strange sound, like a flash of light, and hear soldiers scream as a bright blue light sizzled through them. The Golden Eagle's weapon was glowing with an unearthly blue fire. A wire on his back was attached to a pack covered in bubbling cobalt tubes.

The Crimson Hawk was also engaged in a duel, his ordinary metal dueling sword silvery against the moonlight. It was unmistakably them. They wore the black vests and red and gold blouses she'd seen them in earlier, their faces still covered by masks and goggles.

“What do you think you're doing?” The Hawk watched in shock as Leia hurried up to them, brandishing her parasol.

“Somebody has to save your skins!” She brought the steel shaft down on a soldier's shoulder, enough to stun him. Another soldier got jabbed hard in the side. “Get out of here, you two!”

“Hawk!” Vader brandished a heavy vase. “You and that apprentice of yours will hang before the night is over!”

“The night ain't over yet, Vader! I'll see you in hell!” He turned to Leia as the ladies gasped at the language. “See you in ten, Your Worship?”

She rolled her eyes at his smirk. “Keep talking like that, and you'll never see me again.”

“I doubt that.” He kissed her hand. The Golden Eagle blew a kiss to one of the men running in the opposite direction. Breha, Ahsoka, and Bail joined Leia as the Hawk tossed a steel rope onto a tree limb. They swung off the balcony before the soldiers could hurry over with their muskets.

Tarkin glared at Leia. “Your Grace, you saw those men. You aided them. You were an obstruction to justice!”

“I did no such thing.” Leia glared at him. “I wanted my pearl necklace back. That belonged to my mother.” She pulled out her fan. “My goodness, isn't it hot in here? I must go outside for a bit of air. Would you excuse me?” She ducked away from Tarkin before he had the chance to ask her any more questions.

Fortunately, she managed to slip into the garden without further comment. The soldiers barely noticed her. They were too busy looking for two men in gold and red blouses and black vests.

The gardens seemed to go on forever, winding around Chalindria Court like a grand maze. The flowering cherry trees were well away from the house, closer to the cliffside, with a fine view of the river and the surrounding homes. The stone bench was nestled under the largest of the trees, over a bed of fuzzy green moss.

She'd only been there a few minutes when she heard rustling leaves. Her eyes flew upward...just in time to see a red and black blur tumble head-first from the branches. “What an entrance!” Leia knelt beside him, ignoring the dirt stains she was getting on her white gown. “Are you all right?”

“Sure.” He dusted off his tight black trousers with the red stripes. “I've made worse entrances.”

Leia looked over her shoulder. “First of all, I want my necklace back. Second, you need to get out of here. They're probably combing the gardens for you. If they catch you with me...”

The moonlight illuminated the string of pearls with the cameo on the end that dangled in his hands. “Is this what you were askin' about?” His voice had a vaguely Irish lilt that sounded exceedingly fake. “I don't mind givin' it back. We got plenty of other treasures tonight.”

He rubbed her hand, much as he had earlier that day. “Why are you doing this? Who are you?”

“I'm no one. All I'm doin' is helpin' a friend.”

“Why did you want to see me again?” Leia frowned. “I'm the enemy. I know you're a thief, taking money from nobles. Isn't there another way to help out?”

“The money has a purpose.” He stroked her cheek. “Most of it goes to releasing Wookie slave laborer from the labor camps. The rest goes into a secret project of mine.”

“Secret project?” Leia raised her eyebrow. “Vader's working on a 'secret project,' too. Do you know anything about that?”

“Aye, lass, some. We keep an ear open when we're in town. We have connections.” He smirked. “Vader intends those khyber crystals for something big. There's more to that airship of his than transporting troops.”

“Khyber crystals...” The young duchess gave him a smirk of her own. “You'd seem to know something about those. The Golden Eagle's sword was made of khyber. The way it glowed...”

“Right again, lass. Me boys n' the Eagle n' I have been workin' on a process that, if heated long enough, will allow them to be used to cut any surface, run any steam-powered machine.” He grinned. “Including an airship. It would cut delivery times in half and be able to carry people to any destination, even across the sea, to South America or the US.”

“Vader has his own airship,” Leia went on. “We know it's not going to befor pleasure cruises, that's for sure.”

“Aye, lass, there's the rub. We don't know what it is for yet.” He stroked her cheek. “We have a good idea, though, especially after the destruction of the Erso Shipyards. No regular gunpowder could cause so much damage so quickly.”

“And what then?” She wished she could touch his cheek, but it was covered by the thick black mask. All she could see were his moist pink lips, a scar slashing underneath. She'd seen that scar somewhere before, she knew. “You could get killed, or end up in jail.”

“That's only if they catch us, sweetheart.” He gently pulled her closer. “Don't you worry your smart head about us. We know every nook and cranny and back alley in Naboo. Vader will never find us.” He added, almost to himself, “We'll be leaving soon, anyway.”

Their heads were almost touching. “I'll never see you again,” she added before thinking.

“Aww.” The smirk returned. “You're fallin' for me, sweetheart.”

“No, I'm not. I'm...” He pulled her into a kiss before she had the chance to finish. He tasted...surprisingly sweet, like ripe strawberries, freshly picked on a sunny day. His skin smelled of sweat and oil and chemicals.

Even as they pulled away, she heard the Baron and his men crashing through the garden. “Crimson Hawk...” Her dark eyes opened to an empty stone bench. Only moonlight was there now, illuminating where the Hawk had sat before. The leaves above her rustled, and she heard faint cursing, just as Vader and his men hurried by her.

“Duchess,” the Baron snapped, “what are you doing out here? All guests were told to remain in the ballroom until the miscreants were found and arrested.”

“We were?” Leia opened her fan, flapping it hard and fluttering her eyes. “It was so beastly hot in that ballroom, I simply had to get a breath of fresh air. Anyway, what are you doing here?” She gave him her sweetest smile. “Perhaps you're meeting a beautiful woman for a romantic rendezvous?”

“Several reliable witnesses told us they saw you sneaking about with papers in your bosom, talking to a man in a hood.” Vader crossed his arms. “There's some truth to this. I can sense it. You're blushing, Your Grace.”

“I am?” She only fanned herself harder. “It is rather warm tonight.”

Vader tilted his one round lens towards her, looking like a menacing pirate in a round patch. “We distinctly heard a man's voice.”

“That was me. I do very good male voice impressions.” She stood, shaking off her dress. “Really, gentlemen, all this interrogation is completely unnecessary. I shall complain to my uncle about it when we return to the main house.”

Vader ignored her complaints. “Men, search the area. Don't rest until you've found those masked menaces and brought them to me.” He turned on his heel to Leia. “You're hiding something, Your Grace. I will find out what it is. I have my ways.”

“I've heard of your 'ways.'” Leia fluttered her fan. “Torture, murder, and worse! I'm getting hotter just thinking about it. I'm going back towards the main house. Perhaps,” she tapped him on the shoulder with her fan, “there will be cooler heads there.”

The moment Vader turned his back and went after his men, Leia hurried to the tree. She scanned the branches for any sign of the Crimson Hawk, but her view was obscured by pink flowers rendered a soft lavender in the moonlight. The leaves no longer rustled.

She was about to turn back when she stepped on something hard. A golden chain was caught on her heel. Her fingers twined around a man's gold chain, an intricately-carved wooden eagle pendant dangling on the end. The clasp of the chain was broken. The girl suspected it had fallen from the Crimson Hawk's neck when he'd gone back into the tree. She saw it under his vest when they...

Leia shoved it into her breasts. She couldn't let Baron Vader find it. It would be evidence of the Crimson Hawk's presence here.

The young duchess gently touched her lips and blushed all over again. The glow she felt when the Hawk kissed her was evidence enough.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

For the next few hours, Leia tried to have a good time. Her aunt fluttered around her when she got back like she'd been assaulted. “Aunt Breha, I'm fine.” She held out her necklace. “The thieves must have dropped this. I found it out by the lily garden, near the front entrance.” She made sure to give a location that was as far away from the cherry trees as possible.

Henry and Luke finally appeared around the same time she returned to the ball. Both wore simple suits, Henry's white and black with a red blouse, Luke's white with a yellow blouse. Henry leaned heavily on the tallest, hairiest man Leia had ever seen. His thick arms and legs strained the fabric of the tight black and white valet's uniform. “Duchess Organa,” Luke said, “this is Henry's valet, driver, and manservant, Charles Bacca. Charles, this is Duchess Leia Organa of Alderaan.”

Henry patted Charles' back. “He's also my mechanic, chief bottle washer, first mate, and best friend. We've known each other for years, ever since my days at sea.”

“And proud of it,” he might have said. It was hard to understand him, with his thick native accent. “I've known Henry since he saved me from slavers when he was in the Coruscant Navy.” He nodded at the waiters serving drinks and hors d'overs. “I'll get you settled down here, then see if I can find something for myself.”

Henry nodded. “See if you can grab some for me, too.”

Luke smiled. “I'm going to find my friend Wedge. You met him earlier, Leia. He doubles as a waiter and house boy for Senator Mothma and for us when the yacht isn't in use.” Luke's blush and his starry eyes gave him away. “We sort of...we're very good friends.” The dreamy look on the boy's face made Leia suspect they were a lot more than “just friends.”

Charles gently lowered his crippled employer onto a plum-colored velvet bench by the window. “Here ye go, Han.” He placed a pillow behind his back. “Nice n' comfy. I'm gonna go see if I can find us some vittles.” He bowed for Leia, towering over her even when bent over. “Nice to meet you, miss. Do you want anything to eat?”

Leia shook her head. “Nothing for me, thank you.” She settled down on the bench next to Henry as Luke went off to talk to several young men in the crowd. “Look,” she began, “I'm sorry we got off on the wrong foot this afternoon. My aunt should have been more considerate.”

“That's all right, Your Worship.” He smiled at her. It was a genuine smile, and it lit up his whole face. “What brings your family to Naboo? Checking out the new airships?”

Leia shook her head. “No, we're just here for the Diamond Jubilee events and coronation.”

“Ah.” Henry took what appeared to be champagne from a waiter as they passed him. He handed one glass to Leia and sipped the other. Leia couldn't help noticing that his black bow tie was askew under white jacket and red shirt and his face was red with perspiration. The gold-rimmed glasses nearly hung off his nose. He wiped his brow. “It's too damn hot for May. I need to start putting more ventilation in my workshop.”

“Is that why you were late?” Leia sipped her champagne. It tickled her nose as it passed through her red lips. “What are you working on?”

“A method to break down khyber crystals so they can be melted and heated. The resulting liquid boils more rapidly than water. Engines powered by khyber crystals would run at least six times faster than those that run on coal or wood.” He pulled out a pencil from his pocket and started sketching blueprints on his damask napkin.

“When concentrated, they can cut through any kind of solid matter. Old Man Kenton was a Jedi. He says that's how they made their electrical swords, the ones that could cut through anything.” He grinned. “The steam is also light enough to possibly power airships, stronger ones than Vader's.”

Leia raised an eyebrow. “I've heard people talk about airships in Alderaan. Vehicles that can fly like balloons. I've seen small balloons for two or three people, but not the larger ones.” She leaned her chin on her hand. “I'd like to fly in one someday. I've always wanted to see the world like a bird does.”

Henry sipped his champagne. “When we finish the Falcon, you'll be one of the first people who get to ride it. I'm hoping to make a whole fleet like her. She'll cut shipping times in half.”

Mon Mothma joined them, sipping champagne. “Hello, Mr. Solo. Didn't expect to see you here. I know how you feel about parties.”

“I wanted to apologize to Duchess Organa for my outburst earlier.” He gave her his most charming smile. “Luke's been pushing me to get out more. I've been...busy...with work.”

“Are you going to attend the Lothal Art Exhibition on the grounds of Nabarrie Palace tomorrow?” The older red-headed woman put the glass back down on a passing tray. “I'm hoping to find some new artwork for the hallway in the west wing myself.”

“Yeah, I'm going.” Henry shrugged. “Charles, our handyman Rusty, and I have a booth demonstrating our new steam engines and the blueprints for the Falcon. Luke's gonna be involved in the fencin' exhibition. He n' Ol' Kenton have been training for weeks.”

“I would love to go to the Exhibition.” Leia smiled. “I remember it from when I was younger. They always have woodcarvers and painters and fencers and riflemen showing off their skills, and there's the exhibition hall. Some of these people do amazing work.”

“It really is wonderful. Last year, Ahsoka and I bought three lovely paintings for the day parlor and some beautiful wood carvings to send to her family in Nigeria.” Leia noticed that Mon Mothma's smile didn't quite reach her eyes. “Speaking of Ahsoka, you might want to come and visit us in the day parlor after the party's over. We have...something we need to discuss.”

“All right.” She turned to Henry as Mon Mothma went off to chat with her aunt and uncle. “You know, Henry, you two missed all the excitement. We had a visit from the Crimson Hawk and his men.”

“I know.” Leia raised an eyebrow as he gulped his champagne rather quickly. “Cedric told us the moment we arrived. Ol' Goldenrod was never good at keeping his mouth shut.” The tall businessman shook his head. “That fool's gonna get himself killed one of these days, pulling stunts like that.”

“I agree that the balcony incident probably wasn't the best way to leave.” Leia put the empty wine glass on a side table. “He says he's giving the money to the peasants. I heard he's rescued people in trouble, too. What he's doing is crazy and illegal, but at least it's something.”

“So what is that going to get him?” Henry leaned further over her, waving his hand dismissively. “A one-way ticket to a firing squad. I doubt he's any more noble than I am. What good will it do him or the people of this country if he gets caught?”

Leia raised her chin. “How would you know what the Crimson Hawk's like?”

Her companion shrugged. “We're have a lot in common. We're both profiting off of the fat cats and looking out for number one, and we take care of our own.”

“Would that 'own' include Luke?”

“Charles, the old man, and the kid are the closest thing I have to family.” Henry played with the stem of his glass. “I took them in when they didn't have anywhere else to go after the kid's family was killed.”

Leia nodded. “I can understand that. My aunt and uncle are the only family I have.”

Henry gave her that little smile and held up his nearly empty glass. “Here's to family, then.”

“Here's to the people we love.” Leia clinked glasses with him as Luke arrived, his gentle, tanned face flushed. Leia could see Wedge Antilles off to one side, his own uniform jacket on backwards, buttoning his trousers. Luke waved to him, his face dreamy. Wedge waved back. The black-haired captain's grin told Leia everything she needed to know about where Luke had gone to.

A handsome young blond man in the stiff gray uniform of a Coruscant military officer bowed before Leia as Luke sat down between her and Han. “I must say, you are the fairest flower at this entire gathering. May I have the honor of requesting this dance?”

Leia gave him a wan smile. “Certainly.” He took her slender hand and whisked her off into the waltz sweeping around the ballroom.

Luke couldn't help noticing the look of longing in Henry's hazel eyes. “What do you think of her, Han?”

“I'm tryin' not to, kid.” Henry gave Luke the famous smirk. “I don't know. You think a duchess and a guy like me...”

Luke gave him a watery grin back. “No.”

~*~*~*~*~*~

Leia crept across the halls. It was well past midnight. The party was over. Most of the guests had gone home. Henry, Charles, and a still-distraught Luke had left over two hours before, Henry promising to see them them at Nabarrie Palace the next day.

As she got closer, she heard voices in the day parlor. To her surprise, several people were still awake. “Hello, Lelita.” Her uncle sat in the big wing chair by the fireplace. “Glad you finally got away.”

“Leia.” Mon Mothma's green eyes were deadly serious. No trace of the smiling woman in the blue gown at the party remained. “What we're about to tell you is in strict confidence. It cannot go outside this room.”

Leia sat down, frowning. “This is about the rebels, isn't it?” She turned to her uncle. “Is that why we're here? I wondered why you took such an interest in the coronation. You hate Palpatine and everything he stands for.”

“Leia,” Mon Mothma continued, “what do you know about the destruction of the Erso Shipyards and the thefts at the Khyber Crystal factories?”

“Only what was in the papers.” Leia raised her eyebrow. “Does this have anything to do with the rebels in Coruscant and Naboo?”

“It has everything to do with it.” As Leia looked around, she recognized other people, many of them quite prominent in Coruscant society, others servants or people in work uniforms. “Welcome to the Rebel Society. We're here to stop Palpatine from committing further atrocities in Naboo and around the Alliance.”

“Good.” Leia sat up straighter. “I want to help.”

“I knew you would, Lelita.” Bail sat next to her. “That's the real reason we're here.”

Ahsoka was perched on a couch to her right. “It was our people who stole Baron Vader's blueprints, Leia.”

Leia frowned. “And most of them died.” She looked up at Ashoka. “What happened to them?”

“Destroyed.” Mon Mothma's voice was soft. “The remains of four of the six were found among what very little was left of the Erso Shipyards in Scarif City.” Her eyes roamed to Bail. “They not only killed civilians, but their own people. General Orson Krennic was one of their top military advisers. Galen Erso was a local scientist and shipbuilder who was forced to work for them several years ago. He designed many of the Naboo Empire's fastest and strongest war ships as well as the Death Star Airships.”

“We have to find out more about the planned airship fleet. I don't think the Death Star Airship Line is merely for transporting soldiers across the sea.” Mon Mothma turned to Bail. “I'm asking you to do something very risky, Bail.”

“I'll do it.” Leia spoke up before her father could. “I'll get the plans.”

Mon Mothma's lips were a thin line. “Are you sure you can do this, Leia? You'll have to insinuate yourself into Naboo society. It may be dangerous.”

“I'm a woman, and a socialite.” Leia held her parasol tightly. “People look at me and don't think twice. I'm in the perfect position. I can listen in without attracting too much attention.”

“I agree.” Ahsoka nodded. “Leia's small, but she's tough. I know she can take care of herself.”

Her uncle sat down next to her. “Leia, you know what this means. Vader is a dangerous...er, person. Or whatever he is now. Trials are rare in this country, and usually swift.”

“Uncle Bail, I want to help.” Leia took his hand. “I want to make a difference.” She gave him a small grin. “I was planning on doing some investigating of my own anyway. Vader has to be stopped, before anything else goes up like Scarif did.”

“Very well.” Mon Mothma waved her hand at the river glistening in the moonlight outside her window. “Lothal will be a wonderful place to start. Tarkin gave us the perfect in with the ship demonstration. You'll know Rebel Society members by the words 'May the Force Be With You.' The old Jedi saying.”

Leia nodded. “I won't fail you. I've done some similar work for Uncle, listening at parties and conversations.”

Breha took her niece's hand. “Just be careful, dear.”

Leia hugged her. “I will, Aunt. Don't worry.”

Mon Mothma nodded. “Let's all get some rest. We have a big day ahead of us.”

Bail accompanied his wife and niece to their rooms. “So much for our quiet little vacation and discussion about the road situation.”

“I'd rather have the excitement.” Leia's dark eyes happened to slide to the window. She could see a cylindrical brick building through the window, its ivy-covered brick just barely peeping out through the trees. The lights were on in the windows. “That must be the workshop Luke told me about.” She pointed a pale, slender finger at the sight. “They seem to be up awfully late.”

“Henry is probably working on his new invention.” Bail smiled. “He told me about it at the party. Sounds rather ingenious. I'd rather have the khyber crystals cured the old-fashioned way myself. I heard they could be a bit...unstable...when not done by hand.”

“I'm sure we'll hear about it when we meet them tomorrow.” Leia sighed. “I hope we do see them. I did like dancing with Luke tonight, and I had a nice conversation with Henry. We only argued two or three times.”

Breha put an arm around her niece. “Did any of them seem...interested?”

“Auntie!” Leia sighed. “It's only been a day. Give it time.”

“That's right, Breha. The girl has important work to do. We're going to be here all summer.” He put his arms around the two women who meant the most to him. “We have all the time in the world.”

The Adventures of the Crimson Hawk, Part 4

They met at the dock where they'd arrived early the next morning. Leia wore her favorite white day dress with the pink daisy print and the bow in back and the cunning white sunhat with the pink and white daisies. She made sure her pink and white steel-shafted parasol was at the ready. Mon Mothma and her aunt wore suits in shades of pale gray and blue. Her uncle settled for his lightest dove-gray suit and bowler hat. Cedric still sported his gold uniform.

“Couldn't we take the train to Lothal?” Cedric sniffled into a well-worn piece of linen. “I get terribly seasick, and it's so windy on the waters.”

Senator Mothma frowned. “The trains are already full with travelers going to the Artists Festival. Those who can afford them, that is. Most trains are private affairs nowadays. Peasants and workers usually travel by boat or coach.”

There was a very different boat waiting for them at the pier when they arrived. “I'm afraid there's been a change of vehicles.” Mon Mothma lead them to the gangplank of a slightly older yacht than the one they'd ridden on yesterday. “Captain Antilles called out with the flu. I hired a private vessel to take us to Lothal.”

The vessel was smaller than the one that took them to Naboo and a bit older, faster but with fewer amenities. Leia was surprised to see a woman in the orange and white Naboo uniform make her way to the gangplank. She was followed by a handsome man with brown hair pulled back into a bun and a rakish grin, a tall Lascar with a turban and a bushy gray beard, and a short, elderly pug-nosed man whose orange and white uniform seemed cobbled together from several older ones that barely fit.

“Captain Syndulla, at your service, senator.” She was a few years older than Leia. Her long, thick black braids fell to her hips, dyed green at their ends. Emerald-green eyes glittered. Dark skin was dotted with tiny cocoa-colored freckles. “This is my crew. Welcome to the Ghost.”

“You have an excellent reputation, Captain.” The Lascar helped them all aboard. He had a rough, firm arm. Leia was nearly knocked off her feet. “We'll require your services for the return trip as well.”

“Thank you, Senator.” Captain Syndulla gave her a small bow...but Leia couldn't help notice her lean over Mon Mothma and whisper something in her ear. Mon Mothma just gave her a small nod before moving on.

The ride to Lothal was lovely. It was a perfect, sunny day, bright and breezy. Leia spent the time with her aunt and Mon Mothma, pointing out the fine old homes that sprawled on the river like cats napping in the sun, as ferries, fishing boats, and other yachts sailed by. She sighed. “It's so beautiful here. How could anyone want to spoil it with factories and warehouses and smokestacks? It would hurt the fishing, drive people out of their homes, and ruin the view.”

“I agree.” Mon Mothma opened her pale yellow parasol. “But you have to remember, most of the country can't afford homes like mine and the others on the shore. People need jobs. I'm afraid those homes are becoming a bit old-fashioned in the industrial age.”

Lothal was a charming old village. The bright-painted half-timbered houses were almost leaning into the water, their thatched or wooden roofs pushing against the baby blue sky. “Our people are mostly farmers or fisher folk,” Captain Syndulla explained as they pulled into the small harbor. “We're also very popular with artists, writers, and other romantic, creative types, due to our location on the river.”

The Captain threw anchor in Lothal's tiny harbor. Leia mostly saw a few small fishing boats and yachts like theirs nestled amid the weathered wooden piers. “There used to be so many more.” The gray-bearded Lascar dropped the heavy metal anchor as easily as a woman would drop a handkerchief. “This whole harbor used to be so thick with boats, you could walk from one to another and never get your feet wet.”

“What happened?” Leia frowned as the handsome man with the brown bun and goatee helped her and her aunt down the gangplank.

“Baron Vader increased regulations after the Coruscant Empire invaded Naboo.” Captain Sylendulla followed them. “Everything in Naboo – all fish, game, and crops – are now the property of Baron Vader and Prime Minister Palpatine. Many fisherman were recruited to work in the factories as well.”

A simple but elegant carriage drove up to them, lead by two dappled grays. The tall boy with the short blue-black hair Leia saw with Sabine last night was driving. “Hello, Ezra!” Mon Mothma waved up at him. “I'm glad you were able to get here on time.”

“I have relatives in Lothal, Miss Senator.” The boy gave them a rakish grin. “I wouldn't miss this for the world.”

Mon Mothma nodded at him as the Captain's crew helped them into the carriage. “Everyone, this is Ezra, my best driver and stable boy.”

Captain Sylendulla grinned. “And my adopted son. You be good, Ezra. Don't eat every single honey cake you come across at the fair. Mind your manners, and help the ladies. Don't get caught up in all those games of chance. I want you to have at least two or three credits of your last paycheck left after today.”

Ezra sighed, rolling his eyes in the time-worn tradition of young people whose parents had just given them eight hundred orders they'd heard too many times. “Yes, Hera, I'll be a good boy.”

The young man navigated them past seedy waterfront fish markets and taverns to the newly-built cobblestone streets lined with fine row houses and gilt-trimmed mansions. As they continued down Naboo Street, the houses were gradually replaced by shops and tiny cafes with wrought-iron tables busy with people in fine white and pastel summer outfits enjoying cakes, sandwiches, and iced coffee.

As they wound their way through town, the buildings eventually became more run-down and shabby. They finally gave way to small, worn houses with dirty thatch roofs and peeling shutters. Here, the people went about their daily business slowly. Trash lined the streets, and the air reeked of soot, sour water, and unwashed bodies. Their clothing was threadbare, and many children were shoeless. There were people of all nationalities, all colors. Leia recognized quite a few as Charles' native Kashyakkians.

“Where are we?” Leia sneezed. “This is horrible! Look at all these poor people.” She indicated a ragged group of children playing in a small patch of grass strewn with rusted pipes and broken bottles. “Those children should be playing in a proper park, not on the streets. And they're so thin!”

“This is the Old City, Your Grace.” Ezra's voice was steady, but there was an undercurrent of anger. “I was one of those kids. My parents worked for a radical newspaper. They were caught and executed for speaking out. I ended up on the street, stealing food and living under the old newspaper office, until the day I met Hera and Kanan. Hera took me in, got Senator Mothma to give me a job. Kanan taught me how to drive and to run a ship.”

“You're one of the lucky ones, my boy.” Breha smiled warmly. “I wish every one of those poor urchins could have a story that ended as happily as yours.”

Ezra gave her a gentle smile of his own. “I know, Your Grace. I miss my parents every day, but Hera and Kanan have been good to me. I'm hoping I'll make enough money to enter school next year. I want to start up a newspaper of my own someday.”

Cedric threw a handkerchief over his nose. “Could we please move on? I'm afraid my nostrils are much too delicate for such a terrible place. Besides, this is hardly worthy of people of finer quality.”

Ezra shrugged, but Leia could see his smirk. “Ok, sir. Just thought they'd want to see the town.”

“Next time Ezra, please take us through another route.” Senator Mothma sighed. “I want to do something to help the poor too, but it can be dangerous here. Crime runs rampant in this part of town, and they're a lot nastier than the Crimson Hawk and his men. People have and do get killed.”

“Oh, dear!” Cedric's nervous British accent rose to a whine. “Please get us out of here as quickly as you can! I don't want to be a statistic!”

“I'm sure we'll be fine, as long as we stay in the carriage.” Breha waved her fan, trying to distill the rising heat. “I do wish the Festival was closer to the town.”

“The Baron moved it out to the Nabarrie Palace grounds to show off his new toy.” Mon Mothma shook her head. “I wish he wasn't so secretive about what this airship actually did besides fly.”

“It's flying!” Leia grinned. “Isn't that enough? I may hate Vader, but I'm looking forward to this tour. I can't wait to see a real airship close-up. Maybe we'll even get to go for a ride.” She sighed dreamily. “Wouldn't that be wonderful? To see the Alliance like a bird does, hovering among the clouds...”

Cedric groaned. “I don't like that idea. There's so many things that can go wrong. If men were meant to fly, they'd have been born with wings.”

Bail chuckled. “I'm sure it'll be fine, Cedric.” He put an arm around his daughter. “I'm looking forward to it too, Lelita.”

“So am I.” Breha squeezed her daughter's hand. “It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see progress in action.”

Though the houses on the edge of Lothal were still very old, most of them were in far better shape than those in the Old Town. They gave way to extravagant mansions and fine shops and restaurants, decorated in the baroque and Colonial style of a century before. Ezra finally stopped them at what appeared to be a green park bordered by a stone and iron gate. Leia could see the bustle and the people strolling inside, even as he parked their carriage among others on the dirt road. “Here you go, everyone Nabarrie Palace and grounds.”

Leia gasped as they drove through the gate and down the winding paths, barely listening to Cedric rambling about the history of the building. Nabarrie Palace was three times the size of Aldra Castle at home. “Like Chalindria Court,” the lanky blond butler began, “it started as a medieval fortification, but expanded to fit the needs of the current rulers. While the central portion bears a closer resemblance to the castles of old, with turrets and towers, the wings are more recent. Their grand classical design are based after Versailles and other elaborate homes for royalty in France and Austria.” The carts pulled into a dusty patch of grounds intended as a parking area for carriages.

“It's lovely!” Trees awash with pale pink, green, and lavender blossoms draped over booths made from plywood and paper as they strolled along the dusty cobblestone paths. “Look at these!” Leia lifted a small hawk, carved in reddish wood and painted scarlet and black, from one seller. “It's so lifelike!”

“That's our own Crimson Hawk, miss.” The seller, was a stocky fellow in a slightly dirty white shirt and dark trousers, a blue apron tied around his waist. He had thinning gray hair and bright blue eyes. The top of his head barely came to her waist, and Leia was not a tall woman. “He and the Golden Eagle are the protectors of Naboo. When the people of Naboo are threatened by invaders, they swoop down from the skies and use their special magic to drive the invaders away.”

“Ah, yes.” Bail picked up another, larger carving. An eagle, painted in shades of soft gold, was poised in flight. Its eyes were made from two brilliant cerulean crystals. “I know this story. The Hawk and the Eagle were shape-shifters. They could become anything or anyone, look like anything. The Hawk could become the Eagle, and vise versa. They shot beams of light from their eyes and wings that destroyed their enemies and saved the good and just.”

“The Crimson Hawk...” Leia looked up from admiring the hawk's realistic-looking wings. “Do you know anything about the Crimson Hawk, the bandit who's been stealing from nobles on the roads?”

Breha nodded, waving her fan. “He stole from us just yesterday! Imagine the cheek of him!”

The man gave them a gap-toothed grin. “That's our national hero you're talkin' about. Every true Naboo native loves him. He only robs nobles from Coruscant, and he's been known to give money to widows and orphans, and to charities that aid the poor and homeless. He's even rescued Wookie slave laborers from Kashyakk.” He retied his apron. “The nobles secretly love him, too. They want to know who he really is.”

Leia turned the Hawk over in her hand. “How much is it?”

He looked up at Leia with a beady stare. “For the most beautiful lass in all of Naboo, a mere ten credits.”

“I'll take it.” She handed him the money and put the hawk in her purse.

“Leia,” her aunt scolded, “that's too high for something so small.”

“But it's hand-crafted!” She pulled out her fan and waved it across her face. “It's so beastly hot today! I think I'll go see if I can get a lemonade at the drinks booth.”

“All right.” Breha frowned. “Don't wander far, dear, and don't talk to strangers. You don't know the territory.”

She laughed, leaning over and giving her aunt a fond kiss. “I'll be fine, Aunt Breha.”

“I'll go with her.” Bail smiled. “I'd like a lemonade myself.”

“Perhaps I'd best stay with the women...” Cedric began as the group began to splinter in opposite directions. “How rude! They forgot about me.”

“That's not hard to do.” The man pulled down shades and turned the sign on his booth to “closed,” then started to pack up his wares. “Come on, old friend. We have work to do.”

“We?” Cedric's eyes widened. “What do you mean 'we,' Rusty? I'm not getting involved in any more of your adventures!”

“Promised the boss I'd help him with a few...things...today.” Rusty headed for a large, rickety old cart in the back of the parking grounds. Cedric peered in, eyeing the explosives and the coppery machine belching smoke tied down in the back. “Said he'd need a distraction.”

“Distraction for what?” Cedric's eyes widened. “If we're doing something illegal...”

“Let's just say we're helping people who need it.” Rusty yanked him onto the driver's seat, then grabbed the reigns. “Hold on, golden boy.”

“Why? What are you...aack!” The carriage took off so quickly, Cedric was nearly flung into the cab with the copper instrument. He barely managed to get hold of the side, clutching his good straw hat to his head. “Where are you taking me, you overweight blob of grease?”

“The Industrial Arts field, across from the airship.” He threw a camera into Cedric's hands, one much smaller than typical. “Can you handle this?”

Cedric stuck his nose in the air. “I've taken photos for Senator Mothma at several government meetings in Theed Town. I took over the job when poor Allan Kayton died.” Cedric sighed. “He wasn't always the most pleasant person, but even he didn't deserve to be burned to a crisp at the Erso Shipyards. I told him he shouldn't have taken that job with the military.”

“He didn't.” Rusty pulled into the fields where the carriages were parked. “He was working for some group of rebels. They found out something big. That's why Vader burned the shipyards. We just need to figure out what.” He shrugged. “After we get those Wookie slaves off the Death Star.”

“We? What do you mean 'we?'” Cedric pointed at himself. “Surely you don't mean 'you and I.' I'm not going on any more of your adventures!”

“You already are.” He climbed into the back of the carriage. “Help me get this out?”

Cedric groaned. “If we're arrested for this, it's all your fault!”

The shorter man shrugged. “You're only arrested if you're caught.” A wide grin spread across his scruffy face. “We ain't been caught yet.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The fair was split into four areas. Her aunt and Mon Mothma followed the women to the Home and Domestic Arts, where women displayed home-spun cloth and beautiful, hand-made quilts, dresses, and tapestries. Light-weight shawls and scarves hung off chairs and on splintery wooden racks. A food area showed off booths piled high with cakes, candies, tarts, fruit, spices, nuts, jams, jellies, and pickles. She barely looked at the oil and watercolor portraits and still lifes hanging in the Art Gallery, or the artists who cut silhouettes or sculpted busts for a fee.

No, there was only one area she wanted to see. Vader would be here, she knew. Her father was already there when she arrived at the Industrial Arts area. Indeed, that was where most people seemed to be heading. She poked and prodded her way through the crowds, occasionally applying the tip of her parasol to slow rears.

The balloon loomed over the horizon. It was impossible not to notice it. The gondola of the airship looked like an ordinary steamship...if that steamship were made of shiny dark steel, with a sharp prow that heavily resembled the barrel of a pistol, and fins on either side that gave it the look of a floating shark. The balloon itself was magnificent, held with curling bronze trim. The ship was more like the grand vessel of a queen, with its wide observation deck, sparkling stained-glass roof, many windows, and star-shaped trim. The black and red paint stood out in stark relief against the harsh silver of the metallic surface. It was flanked at the end by an old stone fortress that was now being used as offices and a control tower.

There were booths clustered around the air field, many showing off the latest in steam or oil-generated engines, tools, replica ships and automobiles, and even a few smaller airships and balloons. Leia noticed many tall, muscular men in dirty shirts, suspenders, and trousers checking the pegs that held the ship down, polishing the

“Leia!” Luke hurried over, waving his gloved hand. He looked like a pirate from the history books, in his flowing white and yellow blouse, tight tan trousers, and high nut-brown boots, a wide-brimmed tan hat with a dashing yellow feather perched on his head. “I'm so glad you're here!” He hugged her. “Henry brought a mock-up of the engine from the Falcon for display. He's over by his booth now with Charles.”

She grinned at him. “What are you doing, hitting the high seas to loot a few ships?”

Luke blushed. “Uh, no. This is my costume for the fencing exhibition. It's at the Park Stage across the path from the airship.” He waved at a large, flat wooden stage covered by a thin roof and flanked by dozens of benches. Large groups of people were just starting to congregate there. “I have to get over there. Why don't you see Henry at the engine? He'll probably be coming over to watch Ben and me, anyway.”

Leia nodded. “All right.” She gave him a small kiss. “Good luck, Luke!”

Luke's gentle face turned the color of the Crimson Hawk's blouse. “Thanks!”

Bail was already there when she arrived. Charles and Henry were fussing around what looked to Leia like an assemblage of pipes and wires. Both wore rolled-up white blouses splotched with grease, dark trousers, and aprons. Henry also had a black vest and his ever-present round spectacles, which were nearly falling off his nose. To her surprise, Rusty was there too, wheeling a second machine over to the group. “This one goes there,” Henry complained, waving a wrench at the back of the machine, “that one goes there, all right?”

Charles nodded. “Henry, I designed this thing with you. I know it as well as you do.”

Leia smirked. “Or probably better than him.”

“Hello there, Your Graces.” Charles bowed. “We're working on our revolutionary new engines.”

Henry nudged it with his cane. “If we can ever get it running.” He finally whacked the cover...and it whirred to life, attracting quite a few people.

“Gather 'round, all!” Rusty attached a small balloon to the engine. “See the marvel of the age! This machine will process, cure, and liquefy khyber crystals, creating three times more steam than one that runs on coal or oil!” Indeed, the large balloon was filling rapidly. “Imagine, an air balloon that can carry not one, not two, not three, but as many as a thousand passengers daily! And not only across the river or the Tatoonie Badlands, but to far-away cities like London, New York, and Shanghai! You could go to New York to catch a show at Union Square, then come back to Naboo in time for breakfast!”

“Pretty brilliant, isn't it?” Henry gave her that smirk. “Charles, Rusty, and I developed it.” He nodded at the shorter man. “Rusty's my handyman, blacksmith, and mechanic. I pretty much share him with Mon Mothma. If something needs to be fixed, he's your man. No one knows more about machines than him.”

“It's very ingenious.” Leia watched as the engine puffed harder. “How does it work?”

“I'm sorry, Your Grace. I'm like a magician. I never reveal my secrets.” He raised an eyebrow. “I'm surprised you're interested. Most women in your position would find all this boring.”

“I've dealt with machines before.” The young duchess shrugged. “Aunt Breha thinks it's unladylike, but Uncle Bail says I have hands that need to keep busy.”

“She does.” Bail laughed. “She was always getting into things as a child. Wanted to see how the boiler worked. Wanted to see how the lights turned on. Asked a million questions and got into everything. I thought it was better to just let her get dirty and help out.”

“I'll bet.” Henry smirked. “Most royal girls spend their time eating watercress sandwiches and weak tea at garden parties and working on their embroidery. Never knew one who liked mechanics.”

“I'm not fond of weak tea, and if I'm going to have a sandwich, I'd rather have something in it along with watercress.” Leia rolled her eyes. “And to my aunt's embarrassment, my embroidery is terrible. My floss always gets tangled.”

Henry's smirk remained as Bail asked Charles about the engine and the idea of applying it to several factories in Alderaan. “You know, Your Gracefulness, you don't look like the type who'd get their hands dirty. You're too pink and soft, like that frilly thing you're wearing. Are you going to a fair or getting married?”

Leia stiffened, straightening the pink and white dress. “It's the latest fashion. At least I don't look like I stepped into a grease pit.”

“I've been doing work. Which is probably more than you've been doing.” Henry glared at her. “Have you ever done a day's work in your life?”

Leia glared at him. “Running a country, even a small one, is a big job. I've been working with my uncle, studying what he does. The line of succession falls to women in Alderaan. I'll be Grand Duchess when he dies. What have you done for your country? Shipped a few crystals from here to there?”

“I've done more for this country than you could ever dream of, sister.” He started limping towards the seating area in front of the stage. “If it weren't for my shipping business, nothing that's made in these factories would get sold. I'm planning on leaving with Charles as soon as I make enough money. We're going to take Solo Shipping to France, Germany, England. Maybe even back to the US. We're going world-wide.”

“I'm sure.” Leia sighed. “You know, you could stay. This country needs strong leaders like you.”

Henry pointed at her. “But what about your needs?”

“My needs?” Leia shook her head. “I don't know what you're talking about.”

“Come on.” Henry hobbled along next to her, somehow managing to keep up, despite his lame leg. “You want me to stay because of the way you feel about me. I saw the way you looked at me last night.”

Leia raised her eyebrows. “You're imagining things.”

“Am I? Why are you following me?” The lazy smirk returned. “Afraid I'd let you go without a good-bye kiss?”

Leia's glare was deadly. “I'd just as soon kiss your Wookie native friend.”

“I can arrange that!” Henry stormed off, growling “You could use a good kiss!” as he limped away.

Too angry to pay attention, the young duchess didn't see Henry hurry backstage without a trace of a limp. Charles and Wedge were already there. “You boys ready?”

Wedge wore one of the gray Death Star Lines uniforms. The square-breasted, black-buttoned tunic was too tight across his chest, the pants too stretched. “Hobbie and Wes just rounded up all the crew. They're stripped and tied up in a tool shed near the park offices at Amidala Pond.”

“Good.” Henry's lazy smirk grew wider. “Now, all we have to do is wait for the kid to finish, and we'll spring the trap.”

Leia angrily dropped down next to Bail at one of the front benches that were reserved for royalty. The benches were mostly full now. Women in fine white and pastel lace gowns and tiny, flower-and-veil-laden hats chatted with men in soft pale suits and straw toppers with grosgrain striped ribbons. Children in middy dresses and sailor suits ran between benches, laughing and chattering, their plump faces sticky with pink cotton candy.

The crowd cheered as Luke and Ben Kenton emerged. Ben's outfit was less showy than Luke's. He wore what appeared to be a white tunic with a tan vest with heavy brass buttons, tight tan trousers, black boots, and a long, heavy brown cape with a hood that covered his face. Ben introduced himself and Luke, doing all the talking. As he explained about the ancient art of Naboo sword technique and sword fighting in the Alliance, Baron Vader and Governor Tarkin arrived, flanked by at least four Naboo army soldiers in white uniforms and three of their officers in gray. They ejected a family who were sitting in the back benches and sat and watched the show, flanked by rows of gleaming, colorless uniforms.

Ben blinked in shock when Vader took a seat, missing his last three lines. “Well,” he said, “perhaps actions, in this case, speak more than words. The Jedi Knights once said that the Force directed their actions, their movements. And that may have been true, but it was also the result of years of practice.” He turned to Luke, drawing an unusual bluish sword from his hip. “Engarde, black-guard!”

“Touche!” Luke called, taking up a similar stance. Leia watched eagerly as the two flashed across the stage, their swords flying faster than the human eye could follow. Blades clashed as sun glinted off the metal, giving them a golden glow. Luke's sun-colored hair seemed like halo around his head. Ben's was barely visible under his heavy cloak. Both were sweating, at least what was visible of Ben.

Luke finally managed to get behind Ben, tugging the sword of his hand and into his own. “You've done well, my apprentice.” Ben bowed for him. “I've taught you everything you can learn. I think you're ready to go up against other combatants, ones perhaps even more learned than I.”

They managed to get two more spectators up on stage. One was one of the men in the light suits from the crowd, a private school teacher from Alderaan who taught fencing to his students. Luke easily disarmed him within minutes. He had more trouble with one of Vader's men in white, a tall fellow with dark hair just visible under his heavy helmet. He had height, weight, and likely experience on Luke, but the boy had his youth and flexibility. He managed to duck around the man and get him from behind.

Leia craned her neck, nodding at Vader. He watched the spectacle with interests, his green glass eye never leaving Luke's lithe form. “I wonder why he doesn't go up there?” She craned her neck to get a better view of his entourage. “I heard he's one of the best fencers in Naboo.”

Uncle Bail grinned. “Maybe he thinks he's above showing off in front of a crowd.”

“Thank you.” Luke bowed for his competitor and the crowd as the defeated soldier left the stage. “I have time for one more sparring partner before I have to turn this venue over to the local officials. Anyone?” He scanned the crowd, shading his eyes. “Isn't there anyone who thinks they could defeat me?”

Not a single person raised their hand. Leia didn't know what came over her. She was royalty. They did not show off. Still...it couldn't hurt...

“I'll do it.” She raised her hand. “I'll take you on.” There was a murmur in the crowd. No one had expected the next challenger to be a woman, and a royal one, at that. Some of the men guffawed. Several women looked outraged; others were amused or shocked.

“Come on, girl!” called a British and quite female voice from the back of the audience, where most of the peasants were. “Show 'em what you're made of!” The rest of the crowd chuckled as her friend, a swarthy man with wild black hair and a thin mustache, gave her a nudge.

“Oh, I will.” Luke handed her the other sword. “Don't think I'll go easy on you, Skywalker. I've been taking fencing lessons since I was a child.”

“You're one up on me, then.” Luke shrugged. “I've only been training with Ben for a few years.” He bowed to her, then put out his sword. “Enguarde!”

She and Luke slashed and parried up and down the length of the stage. “I have to give you credit,” she said as she just ducked away from one of his thrusts, “for someone who's only practiced a few years, you're good.”

“Thanks.” Luke lunged for her. She just missed the rounded tip. “Ben and I practice a little every day. It can be tiring, but he says it's the only way for me to get any better. I've studied every book on fencing and the Jedi in the Corellia Manor library, too.”

“That explains your technique.” She finally managed to disarm him, holding the sword to his chest. “I think you need to practice harder.”

The entire audience was in an uproar. Women gasped in shock...when they weren't cheering loudly for a woman beating a man at his own game. The girl in the back with the straight brown hair and long, slender face whistled. She nudged her handsome friend with the mustache, who rolled his eyes. She noticed Henry clapping in the back, his grin more proud and impressed than lazy. A beaming Uncle Bail called “That's my niece who did that!” over the crowd.

One of the crew members from the airship signaled Luke out of the corner of her eye, making a fluttering sign with his hands. Leia couldn't help notice he looked a bit like Wedge, the missing yacht captain. Luke nodded and stepped up to the stage as the roar of the crowd died down. “I'm afraid that's all the time we have. We'll be here again tomorrow, same time, same stage.”

Bail helped Leia off the stage and tugged her away, ignoring the entreaties from men to fight with them or date them or marry them. “I'm so proud of you, Leia. You were wonderful up there. You truly upheld the honor of the Organa House and Alderaan.”

“I wasn't being too...precipitous...was I?” Bright scarlet continued to creep across her cheeks. “I know how most people feel about women, much less something as primitive as fencing, in this country...”

“Nonsense! They're just jealous.” He lead her back to their seats as Baron Vader and Governor Tarkin and their men made their way to the scaffold.

“Thank you, Duchess Organa and Mr. Skywalker.” The Govenor clapped, his narrow, pinched face looking faintly amused. “Now, it's time for the moment all of you have been waiting for since we reopened the Khyber Crystal Works two years ago. We are now entering the age of progress and presicsion. Man has conquered the water, the mountains, the desert, and the jungles, but there remains one trail he has yet to dominate – the sky.” He and Vader moved from the stage as the men quickly moved the scenery, giving everyone a clear view of the airship. “Behold, what we hope to be the flagship in Naboo's new airship armada, the Death Star!”

“Well,” Bail said as the crowds oohhed and ahhed over the the vehicle's size and grandiosity, “the name is certainly intimidating.”

Leia shook her head. “I have a bad feeling about this.”

“By special invitation, we will be holding a grand tour of the Death Star Airship. Those of you with invitations may line up at the silk rope, beginning in ten minutes.”

Bail nodded. “That would be us.” He took Leia's arm. “Shall we, dear? The others will probably meet us there.”

Cedric was with Mon Mothma and Aunt Breha when they made it to the line. “There you are!” Aunt Breha clucked over her. “On one hand, I'm shocked that you went up onstage and made such a display. There are proprieties to abide by when you're a duchess, my dear.”

Leia lowered her head. “Yes, Aunt Breha.”

The older woman placed her hand on Leia's shoulder. “On the other hand...I'm proud of you. You trounced that boy but good.”

“So am I.” Mon Mothma gave her a smile as elegant as her pale yellow suit. “Put in a good show for all of us strong women.”

The line was growing longer, snaking past Henry's engine booth and back towards the stage. Henry, Luke, Ben, and Charles were just slightly behind her in line. She chuckled as Charles slapped Luke on the back for a job well done, nearly knocking him to the dirt path. The feisty young brunette who had called out encouragement to her at the match was there as well, along with her dark-haired companion. She wore a peasant dirndl of dove gray, her simple gray scarf pulled over her hair, a fan hiding most of her face. The gentleman wore a soft sapphire-blue suit and a hat pulled low over his eyes.

Leia's eyes widened as a guard in a gray uniform lead them through the gilt-edged door. It looked like a miniature version of your better cruise ships, all light, gleaming metal scroll work and carvings. The furniture was all wicker or lightweight wood covered in Asian-style black lacquer. The brilliant white walls and towering, rounded windows gave it a rather breezy air.

“This is the main lobby and entrance.” Tarkin swept his hands around the room. “On your right, as we make our way down this corridor, are the main quarters for the officers, the Captain's quarters, and the state rooms for generals and other heads of state.”

Leia raised her hand, but then fluttered her fan and smiled girlishly. “Excuse me, sir, but aren't you going to show us the cargo hold?” She laughed. “Surely a ship this size, being a naval vehicle and all, must have some place they store their guns and other weapons.”

Baron Vader removed his one green glass eye, wiping it like a monocle. Leia was startled to see that the while the skin underneath was mottled and scarred, the eye itself was a vivid sapphire-blue. Like Luke's eyes, she thought. “The cargo hold,” he rasped, “is hardly the place for a lady of quality.”

“Then perhaps,” added the woman with the brown hair and the gray scarf, “we can see the Captain's offices? Or maybe the main cabin, where the ship's wheel and navigational equipment are?”

“No,” Vader hissed. “They're top secret. Not for the public.” He reattached the monocle to the helmet. “Tarkin and I will show you the main dining hall and the crew's quarters.” The black-clad man-machine started towards a high arch that passed as a door. “Follow me. Stay with the group. Don't go wandering off. The Empire will not compensate for those who get lost during this tour.”

The young duchess couldn't help noticing that the group had become considerably smaller since they'd started. Luke, Han, and their group had all vanished. So had the young woman in the scarf and her handsome friend. “Uncle,” Leia muttered as they rushed to keep up with Vader's long strides, “how are we going to create a distraction and get away from the group?” Her liquid-dark eyes roamed around the long, sterile white hallway. “We have to find our contacts. They could be anybody!”

Uncle Bail stroked his thick black goatee. “There has to be some way we can break off from the main group.” He saw Breha chatting animatedly to a worried-looking Cedric. “Take Cedric with you. Say you need to go to the bathroom or lost your glove or something.”

He fell back, taking his wife's arm. “My dear, you've barely spent time with me all day. Perhaps we can sit down in the crew's quarters and chat while Vader and Tarkin drone on about this monstrosity.”

Breha fanned herself. “While I do find all this fascinating, it is beastly hot, and we haven't spent much time together today.” Her lip stuck out petulantly, but her smile showed she only half-meant it. “One of the reasons I agreed to this trip was to get you away from all those affairs of state and have you all to myself.”

Leia grabbed Cedric's arm. “It's so stuffy here! Why don't we go see if we can find a bit of air somewhere?”

“But Your Grace,” Cedric wailed, “we're not supposed to leave the group! I'm sure Baron Vader has his reasons for wanting everyone to stick together. Don't you want to see the crew's quarters and mess hall?”

“Maybe later.” She steered him back around, tugging him towards the entrance to the hall. What she hadn't counted on was the two soldiers clad in their stiff white uniforms and shining black buttons, their guns polished and ready in the early afternoon light.

Her fan was flipped out and fluttering before Cedric could even open his mouth. “Hello there, gentlemen,” she purred coquettishly. “It's so terribly hot in here! I don't know how you can manage to stand around in those heavy uniforms. You must have nerves of steel.”

The soldiers didn't even look at her. “We do alright, miss,” said one in a low monotone.

“Maybe you could do a little better outside?” She got closer to them. “We could get a lemonade together.”

“Sorry, miss,” said the other, in an almost identical monotone, “but we can't leave our posts. Not regulation. We're still on duty.”

“Well, you won't be on duty forever.” She leaned closer to them, trying to ignore the acrid scent of metal polish mixing with hair oil and sweat. “There's a whole fair out there. We could have a little fun.”

“Your Grace!” Cedric's voice went up at least six octaves in shock. “You barely know these men! Why don't we just leave them to their duty? We'll find another way to the bathrooms.”

Leia stopped and sniffed. “I'm sure we could...” The men started sniffing too. Something was wrong. She could...sense it. There was danger. Her delicate nostrils picked up the scent of burning wood and lacquer and smoke.

“Fire!” Cedric waved his hands in horror at the thick, acrid smoke coming from a room down the hall. “Fire! And everything in here is metal and wood! We'll be burned to ashes! I'll die! I'm too young and handsome to die!”

Leia covered her nose with her handkerchief. “You boys might want to go find you boss and get that put out, before it reaches the gas jets and we all blow to hell and gone before we get a chance to be burned to a crisp.” That got them out of her way fast. They nearly ran into each other as they dashed down the hall.

“Your Grace,” Cedric coughed as they rushed down the hall, “I don't think this is the kind of distraction your uncle had in mind!”

“Do you think I set this?” Leia grabbed his hand, dragging him towards the back rooms. They dodged many frantic workers with hoses and huge buckets of water, running into each other and over the hoses, spilling water everywhere and creating even more chaos. “Looks like someone else wanted to make a distraction, too.”

“Well, it's effective.” Cedric dabbed at his watering brown eyes. “I just hope your aunt and uncle and Senator Mothma aren't harmed. They were still on the tour.”

She could have sworn that two of the men she ran into were familiar. One had floppy gold hair; the other had straight dark hair and a narrow chin. When she turned to inspect them further, they were gone, rushing back down the hall with their buckets.

Leia stopped momentarily. “Cedric, you're right. We really should go find them, make sure they're ok, especially if there is a fire.”

“Of course there's a fire!” Cedric waved a long, yellow-clad arm at the fumes that continued to drift from the rooms behind them. “I can still smell the smoke!”

“Yes, there's smoke.” Leia returned her handkerchief to her purse. “But I haven't seen any flames.”

“There has to be fire somewhere.” Cedric turned around. “It's likely in one of the rooms.”

She pushed two men aside, then whacked two more across their heads when they tried to attack two of the men with buckets. Both men were familiar. One had a straw hat with a wide brim that shaded his face...but the long nose and wisps of reddish hair gave him away. A smaller figure wore a daisy-trimmed bonnet, but the blond hair that stuck out of it was done in a man's style. The duo knocked over two more men who reached for her. She gave them a salute and hurried off, a fussing Cedric following after.

Four tall men with thick, dark beards and some of the thickest arms Leia had ever seen hurried after them with more buckets. They closely resembled Henry's valet Charles, with their mountains of hair and towering heights. Three more followed them. These men sported dirty, slightly tattered older uniforms that were too tight for them and silver metal collars around their thick necks. Leia wanted to inspect the collars, but they disappeared down the hall before she had the chance.

As they hurried to the end of the hall, Leia nearly tripped over someone familiar on his way in the opposite direction. “Rusty!” Cedric reached out and grabbed the back of his friend's collar with his long fingers. “What are you doing here? I'm sure you didn't have an invitation!”

“I'm workin', Cedric.” He tugged at his collar. “Did'ja have to almost strangle me?”

“I'm sorry, but you were flying down the hall at such a rate.” Cedric glared at him. “Did you have something to do with this fire?”

“Me?” The little man tried to look innocent. “Why would I set a fire in here? It's a thing of beauty. That was some fool tourist who went down the hall for a smoke and forgot to use the ash trays.”

“I think you're involved in this.” Cedric crossed his arms. “You're always involved in some crazy adventure. You were the one who just had to take Master Anakin on that ride through a battlefield in a small frigate when the boy was nine years old!”

“There was no way I was going to miss taking part in a major battle.” Rusty shrugged. “Figured it might do the the kid some good. Going to war builds character. Besides, the tyke was the one who took down that enemy battle cruiser.”

Cedric waggled his finger at his shorter friend. “You're lucky his mother never found out before she died. She would have had a heart attack right then and there!” He sighed, remembering. “She was such a sweet, kind woman, too. I wish I could remember what happened to her son afterwards...”

Rusty coughed as Leia rolled her eyes. “Share the good times later, gentlemen. Right now, I need to find...er, meet a few people.”

She was about to turn around and go back down the hall when she saw a long, gray-gloved hand wave through the smoke. “Come with me!” The young woman she'd seen at the fencing exhibition and in line beckoned at her, her blue eyes imploring. “And may the Force be with you!”

Cedric raised an eyebrow. “May the Force be with you too, young lady. I haven't heard that line in years, since Rusty and I worked with some of the Jedi Guards during the final campaign of the Alliance Wars. It was so...”

“Cedric, she's my contact!” She turned to Rusty. “How are you with keeping secrets?”

Rusty's grin was from ear to ear. “Better n'you think, young lady.”

“Good. You're coming with us, then.” Leia helped the young woman knock out the three men who were guarding the door in the hall with her parasol and the butt of the other's gun. The trio followed her to a set of narrow wood and metal stairs. The stairs took them past two very small porthole windows. The scene outside was just as chaotic as inside. People were bringing hoses and water and pitchers of iced tea and lemonade. Several of the firemen wore red blouses and black vests. They didn't look like the firefighters she'd seen polishing their carriage in Lothal.

The stairs took them to the top deck. Leia would have stayed and admired the view further, but the young woman continued to beckon them. The trio were lead into a wide room with curved walls and copper-trimmed portholes. Unlike the utilitarian walls in the downstairs hallway, these were covered in an elegant green-sprigged gold wallpaper and cherrywood and gold leaf. The thick pipe leading to the main air bag hissed, its tubes incongruous with the heavy, dark wooden furniture and massive bookshelves.

“You're Duchess Leia Organa?” The woman nodded. “Jyn Erso. I am...was...the daughter of Galen Erso, the owner of Erso Shipyards.” Her male companion took her hand and kissed it. Jyn rolled her eyes. “This is Captain Cassian Andorez, late of the Spanish army.”

“Who are they?” The captain waved at Cedric and Rusty. “Are they with you?” He had a thick, lilting accent that betrayed his Castilian ancestry. The dark eyes darted all around the room, as if he expected Vader himself to come upstairs any minute with guns and swords.

“Yes, they're with me. You can trust them.” Leia ran her hands over the consoles, with their rows upon rows of shining brass instruments. “What is all this?”

“The controls for the greatest instruments of mass destruction ever seen in Europe, maybe the entire world.” She handed Leia a book, a slightly battered steam ship repair manual with thick cardboard covers that depicted a small steamship on the water. “This is how we smuggled the blueprints.” She lowered her head, blinking blue eyes that threatened to fill with tears. “Dad...” she murmured. “Poor Bodhi, and Allan...they didn't deserve that.” Cassian put an arm around her as she choked back a sob.

“Allan?” Cedric's long face bobbed up with a start. “Allan Kenyon? Tall, dark-haired, round head, sassed everyone and everything? He was a friend of mine. Used to work for Governor Tarkin, before he quit and joined the shipyards as the owner's secretary.” Cedric's eager smile fell. “He was among the bodies the Imperials found when they combed the remains after the fire. He was close to where it started...they said he never had a chance.”

Rusty handed a slightly grimy handkerchief to his taller friend, who blew his nose like a trumpet as he wept noisily. “Ol' Al was a buddy of mine, too. Used to have a beer with him every now and then at Maz's Tavern.”

The Spanish man nodded. “Allan and I were amigos for years, since he joined the Rebel Society. That is why he left Tarkin. Bodhi, too. He was nice senor from Jedha over the Aldra Mountains who never step on ant in his life. He saw the cruelty that was committed when the Khyber Crystal Works opened, quit the Works, and joined the Rebel Society.”

“We're doing this for them.” Jyn's fingers clutched at the book in her hands. “For Dad, for Allan and Bodhi, and for Chirrut and Baze.” The girl's severe expression softened into a very pretty smile. “Chirrut and Baze were a monk and a guardsman who used to work at the temple in Jedha, before it was destroyed. They...we became friends. Mon Mothma wanted to find out what Vader was really doing with those airships. We were sent to my father's shipyards to steal the blueprints, so we could find a weakness and possibly take this new fleet down for good.”

Rusty raised a thick eyebrow. “So this Rebel Society of yours is behind all these acts of sabotage on the Airship and at the shipyard and factory.”

“We are behind sabotage on Airship and factory, yes.” Cassian's handsome, swarthy face hardened. “But not bombing of Erso Shipyard. That was Vader.”

Leia brown eyes were incredulous. “Vader?”

Jyn's intense gaze landed on Leia. “Yes. Instead of shooting balls or powder, this ship shoots a bolt of light created by a steam engine filled with liquid khyber crystals. It can blow anything to hell and gone in an instant.”

Cassian's nearly black orbs were haunted. “We saw it. We saw the laser blow main shipyard building, where everyone was working on new battle cruisers.” He jerked his head up at the two servants. “Allan was not killed by explosion. He was first shot by Vader's men before the shipyard blow to bits.”

“The others never made it out.” Jyn's voice was a flat monotone. “Bodhi died in the blaze. Chirrut was shot by Imperial soldiers while trying to defend us, and Baze died protecting him. We just barely survived.”

“My brave senorita, she only get bumps and bruises.” Cassian rubbed his arm. “Me, I come out with broken ribs, broken ankle, many bad burns. Still,” he took her hand gently, “we are lucky to be alive, no?”

The look Cassian gave Jyn as their eyes met...it was pure love, admiration, adoration. It was similar to the look her aunt and uncle gave one another right before they made themselves scarce to canoodle in the meeting room before her uncle's cabinet arrived. Leia wondered if a man would ever look at her like that.

“What I don't get,” Rusty added as he took his sodden hankie back from Cedric, “is why Vader would blow up the shipyards in the first place.”

“He found out Dad joined the Rebel Society.” Jyn managed to tear her gaze from Cassian to the servants. “He and his crews built several faults into the Death Star that would allow it to be destroyed easily. That's what the blueprints are for. They'll tell you where those faults are.”

“Si, Senorita Organa.” Cassian took the book and pushed it into Leia's hands. “You must go. Take these to your Tio Bail, and to Senora Mothma. They will bring to Rebels.”

Leia tucked the book in her white silk drawstring purse. “Why can't you do this yourselves?”

“We are wanted criminals now. Vader knows someone, they take those plans.” Cassian's fingers wrapped around Jyn's smaller ones. Her smile was blinding. “We're going to leave country as soon as we're off the ship. We will return to my native Barcelona. I know people. We will have small apartment, live new life.”

“Bless you, Your Grace!” Jyn squeezed her hand. “As Chirrut used to say, may the Force be with you!”

That was when Leia heard the blasts. “You two!” The three crew members Leia and Jyn had rendered unconscious downstairs were back...with quite a few reinforcements. “The women are under arrest for assaulting an officer. I've seen the man on wanted posters. He's one of those Rebels who destroyed the Erso Shipyards!”

Cassian pulled a pistol from his pocket. Jyn removed a larger one from her purse. While the two shot at the guards. Leia slammed them over the head or across the chest with her metal-shafted parasol, enough to knock them out.

“Leia!” Jyn tossed her a pistol. “You'll need this. Get out of here! Get those papers to your uncle!”

“I will! I promise!” The cabin was becoming smoky with gunfire. Leia jabbed a white rear end, trying to get them out of her way...only to realize when the clouds cleared from her vision that the rear was clad in pale gold, not white.

Cedric rubbed his rear. “Must you poke quite so hard, Your Grace? I may never sit down again!” He pushed his rear at Rusty. “Does it look all right? Is there any permanent damage?”

“There is a very small hole in your pants that you could probably get one of the housemaids to fix.” Rusty rolled his eyes. “Otherwise, you're fine, Mr. Drama Queen.”

“Enough, you two.” Leia tucked the book under her arm and started shoving the duo down the stairwell. “Come on. We have to get this to Uncle Bail, and fast!”

The smoke had begun to diminish by the time they made it back to the main hall. “I wish I knew where the tour went.” Leia closed her eyes, trying to remember.

“I have an excellent memory.” Cedric pointed down the hall. “Your uncle said he was going to take your aunt to the crew's quarters to sit down and get some air.”

Even as Cedric spoke, the daunting black visage of Baron Vader rose in her vision, as if he was an evil sorcerer who had appeared in the puffs of remaining smoke. One of the men whom had attacked her, Jyn, and Cassian in the main cabin saluted his superior officer.

“Your Excellency,” he began, “while two of the thieves who stole the plans escaped, the third is still at large, as are the plans themselves. We didn't find them on the other two thieves before they fled.”

That was when Leia heard the laughter. High-pitched laughter, that held a touch of madness. As the smoke at the end of the hall cleared, it revealed a slender figure in a red blouse and a black vest with silver buttons. The mask and goggles gave him an eerie look, like a mechanical figure from a futuristic novel. He was flanked by three of the furry-bearded men she'd seen earlier, all now carrying pistols and small, sharp knives.

“Vader!” Leia started. The voice was supposed to be a high-pitched cackle, but she'd heard it somewhere before, and recently. “I'm the Crimson Hawk! You want me?” He laughed. “Come and get me!” More smoke surrounded him and his entourage, filling the hallway. By the time Vader and his men made it to where he'd been standing, he was gone.

“Find him!” Vader hissed, steam gushing from every pipe. “Find that traitor and bring him to me! I want the honor of killing him myself!”

“Perhaps we should flee as well.” Cedric shook her shoulder. “I believe this is no longer a safe place for people of our quality. Bandits and spies! What next?”

Rusty was already making his way towards the exit. “Yeah. I sorta told Henry n' the kid I'd meet them outside after we were finished in here.”

Leia smacked her way through the crowds...until she heard someone gasp outside. She'd just gotten a soldier over the ear when she looked up and saw the Crimson Hawk himself standing on the top of the roof on Nabarrie Palace, flanked by a taller, more slender man with a silver mustache visible under the hood. He wore a cloak over his white shirt and vest, despite the hot day, and carried a glowing sword similar to the Hawk and Eagle's.

“Vader!” He called from the crowd. His voice was higher and lighter than the Crimson Hawk she'd kissed at the ball. The younger Crimson Hawk grinned. “It would seem that we have the high ground now.”

“You only think you do!” Vader nodded, sending ten of his men battering through the door and into the ancient keep. “I'll have you now, Hawk! There's no escape!”

“You'd be surprised, Vader,” called a much older, more careworn voice. “You're only going to make yourself look foolish again, as you did last night at the Senator's party.”

Vader shook his fist. “I'm the ruler of this land, as appointed by our soon-to-be Emperor himself. I make the laws to be obeyed, not broken by one ignorant jackanape and a few worthless rebels!”

The Hawk only laughed. “Your precious Emperor has no more claim on the throne of Naboo than you do. He forced the true queen from her throne. You murdered her regent, the man whose titles you stole.” Leia did notice that his older friend seemed to wince at that line.

“I did not steal them!” Now Vader sounded rather like a petulant middle-aged man arguing with his wife. “They've been mine for years. Look them up at Nabarrie Palace, if you dare show your face there.”

The duo on the tower bowed. “Alas, Vader, we must dispense with the pleasure.” The older man chuckled. “I'm afraid we have other things to do. Duty calls. You know something about that, having once been a Jedi and all.”

“I was a Jedi,” Vader hissed, “until they attempted to take down the Naboo army and were killed. And now, I'll have the pleasure of killing the last remaining members of that order.”

“Perhaps another time.” A carriage barreled through the crowd, knocking people and booths helter-skelter. The Crimson Hawk and his older friend bowed before the crowd before tossing two metal-anchored ropes on a tree near-by and swinging right into the back of the speeding vehicle!

“Stop them!” Vader's hissing was sounding more and more like a deflating balloon. “Stop them, before they get away!”

The crowds went insane! People were attacking guards, throwing pies and cakes in their faces and tossing quilts and knitted blankets and shawls over their heads. Leia ducked behind one of the pie booths, pulling Cedric and Rusty with her. “Here.” She thrust a lemon cream pie into Cedric's hand. “You see a soldier, throw this at him.”

“But Your Grace,” Cedric wailed, “the soldiers are here to help us! They're our fighting men, and good ones, besides. Not to mention, we're wasting perfectly good pies!”

“Not that good if they lost to Coruscant.” Leia took a taste of an almond tart before hurtling it at an officer in a stiff gray uniform. “Not bad. Seemed a shame to waste it, but it was for a good cause. The Naboo army needs some color in their uniforms. That gray makes them look the same all over.”

Rusty was throwing pies and cakes and cookies everywhere, having a fine old time. “Come and get us, you Coruscant bilge rats!” He somehow managed to get a Strawberry Cake with flowery icing right on the head of an officer coming towards them. The man's pistol shot went wild, spooking a horse that ran into the crowd, causing even more chaos.

Cedric licked apple from his fingers. “I think it's time we found your parents and Senator Mothma.” He just managed to duck an oncoming nut tart. “This place is no longer appropriate for people of our quality.”

“You might have somethin' there.” Rusty's last almond tart landed at the foot of three oncoming soldiers, all of whom slipped on it and fell into each other. “We're out of ammo, and this place is getting a little too busy for me.”

Leia grabbed Rusty and Cedric by their collars, pulling them under the pie seller's table. “You two have to get these to my parents, or Senator Mothma.”

“But Your Grace,” Cedric sputtered, “what about you? What will I tell your aunt and uncle and my employer?”

“Don't worry about me, Cedric.” She gave him what she hoped was a reassuring smile. “I can take care of myself.”

“I know who to get these to.” Rusty tucked the book in the pocket of his apron. “Come on, you ol' worrywart. Let's go see my boss.”

“But...but...” Cedric was still sputtering when Rusty dragged him out from under the table. Leia didn't see where they went to. She was too busy calculating her own next move. Her eyes darted around the blur of ruffled skirt bottoms, white button-down boots, shiny oxfords, and pale trouser cuffs.

She was about to shimmy out from under the bright red woven tablecloth when it was swept away. Two soldiers in uniforms so white the sun glinted off them towered over her. Another pair surrounded the table, their guns drawn and pointed directly at her.

“Well,” she started, dusting off her dress, “what is this all about? May I help you gentlemen? Perhaps you might want some pies? I made three apple tarts just this morning...”

“We don't want pies.” The tallest soldier shoved his gun in her face. “This is one of the ones who started the fight. She helped the Crimson Hawk escape. Vader asked for her personally.”

“I don't care what Vader wants.” Leia smacked him as hard as she could in the groin with her parasol. He screamed at the sharp tip and went sprawling.

The young woman had just started sprinting across the airfield when she felt something slam her across the head. “She won't give us trouble for a while.” Hands gathered her into two arms in glossy fabric. “Inform Baron Vader that we have a prisoner.”

Those were the last words she remembered hearing before she blacked out.