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Author	Topic: Dogs of War--An Organa family crisis SHORTstory--Updated 8/16
DarthIshtar Title: Former CR Scattergories Hostess Registered: Mar '01	Date Posted: 4/18 12:24am Subject: Dogs of War--An Organa family crisis SHORTstory--Updated 8/16 - Date Edited: 8/16 7:04pm (5 edits total) Edited By: DarthIshtar
	Note: This was inspired by the West Wing season 4 episode "Commencement" and the subsequent episodes. The title is drawn from one of the episodes. And the subtitle of SHORT story doesn't mean this will be a very short story. It just is my first new fic after Lest Ye Be Judged topped off at 364,150 words. *** Leia should have never accepted that second glass of Garwillian champagne, but it was her graduation night after all. Father had advised her to drink in moderation, Mother had rolled her eyes and begged her to not act like a teenage girl and at sixteen, she was of the legal drinking age. It had seemed perfectly natural to celebrate with some of the champagne and, relatively speaking, two glasses meant that she was drinking in moderation. At least, that was what she had thought until she tried to stand. Her knees buckled immediately and she caught herself awkwardly on the arm of the repulsorcouch, overcome by dizziness. “Your Highness?” She blinked in embarrassment at Winter. As usual, her friend was worried enough to go to her aid at a moment's notice. “Don't worry,” Leia sighed. “I just stood up too fast.” “You're sure?” she asked suspiciously. “Yes,” she answered, determined to sound less intoxicated than she was. From the expression on Winter's face, she was not convinced in the least. It was time to change the subject. “I need a 'fresher.” Winter's eyes narrowed and Leia immediately knew that Father would be hearing about this unless she bribed her soon. “I'll come with you,” she offered. “No, no,” Leia protested. “I've got the Worrywart Brigade on-duty. They'll keep me from passing out on the 'fresher floor.” Emli and Sion were always there to make sure she was safe and not making a spectacle of herself. She could already see Emli moving into position and took that as her cue to move out before Winter got any more ideas. Maybe going to the 'fresher wasn't such a bad idea after all. She wasn't feeling well and if she could just hold down her celebratory hors d'oeuvre for another fifty feet.. She made it twenty before she had to sit down. Emli strolled over a little more quickly than usual and took the seat next to her. “Are you all right, Your Highness?” Stars, this was embarrassing. “I shouldn't have had that second glass,” Leia said sheepishly before letting her head tilt back; it didn't help the dizziness much, but the air smelled fresher up there. “That's what Winter told you,” Emli chided. “Are you ready to go home?” It took her a moment to process that. She was still trying to figure out how to keep the room from spinning like the Chianar carousel. “Your Highness?” “'Fresher,” she muttered, too tired to say much of anything else. “All right,” Emli sighed. “Arm over my shoulder, one step at a time.” She managed to lurch to her feet with all the grace of a rancor and slung one arm over Emli's shoulders. “Thanks,” she said. “Just don't tell my Mother.” *** “I'm getting old,” Bail lamented. “When did she grow up?” “I think it happened while you were on Coruscant passing a bill and while I was at Aldera meeting with the thanes,” Breha laughed, kicking off her low-heeled shoes. “I blame Winter,” he countered. “She's always been a bad influence.” That only made the situation worse; his wife did not stop laughing for nearly half a minute. Breha had been in high spirits since the old-fashioned flimisplast diplomas had been handed out. Bail had been morose over the fact that his little one was now a graduate. He supposed that they each had their own strange way of coping with the crisis. “I hope she minds herself tonight,” he muttered to himself. “I remember being her age.” “Yes, but this is Leia,” Breha reminded him. “Has she ever shown any signs of rebellion?” Breha tactfully ignored the fact that Leia had been an unofficial courier for the Rebellion for the last four and a half years. He was not in the mood to remind her of that tonight. “She did break curfew several times,” he pointed out as he finished pouring the drinks. “And she has ignored my every effort to keep her from tormenting Governor Tarkin when he visits.” Breha sighed and accepted the wineglass, but she did not take a sip. “You worry too much.” “I'm her father,” he pointed out. “I accepted the responsibility long before I signed the adoption papers.” It was the first time in over a year that he had spoken of such things—the adoption had never been public and it was not often necessary to bring it up—but there was no denying that under very different circumstances, they would not have been given Leia. Had the galaxy not gone mad, Leia's birth parents would have been the ones to cry at her valedictory address and toast her success while counting grey hairs. Had the galaxy not gone mad, they would have been very unfortunate people. Instead, they were blessed with the need to worry about their precocious Princess. Since they were fully conscious of that fact, they worried more than most parents. “To Leia,” Breha said, lifting her glass. “May she never truly know the darkness that we were unable to prevent.” “To Leia,” Bail amended. “May she have the wisdom to restore the light.” She did not argue with that, but her smile faded slightly as she clinked the rim of her glass against his. “I've been thinking of the next Senatorial elections,” he mused after they had both drained their glasses. “Don't tell me that you've been thinking of her in the next elections,” she pleaded. “Why not?” Bail challenged. “She is no political veteran, but I believe she would do well.” “She is no political veteran,” she echoed. “She's barely more than a child. More importantly, she is still our child.” “I think you give her too little credit,” he retorted. “Leia would make a fine senator.” She leaned across the space on the love seat and kissed him affectionately as she often did when he started talking too much about politics. It was her way of nipping that problem in the bud and it worked remarkably well under normal circumstances. “I can still think of her as my little girl,” Breha murmured once she had pulled away just far enough so she could look him in the eyes. “Can you not indulge me until at least tomorrow?” In many ways, he envied her that ability. He had stopped seeing Leia as an innocent well before her thirteenth birthday. Instead of acknowledging that she was still a child, he had chosen to see her vulnerabilities and take every measure possible to protect her instead. Bail cupped his wife's chin affectionately with his free hand as he let her see a truly genuine smile. “Until tomorrow,” he promised. He was about to seal the agreement with another kiss when a knock sounded at the door. Breha sighed once more and turned towards the door. “Come in.” One of the stewards entered with the dinner that they had requested. “Where shall I leave this, Your Majesty?” “On the table, please,” she requested. “Thank you.” “Yes, Your Majesty.” A moment later, they were once more alone. Instead of reattempting the kiss, he gallantly offered a hand and helped her up. Breha retrieved her wineglass and then followed him to the dining room table. “You know,” he recalled, “when I graduated from secondary school, my parents insisted that I learn to live on my own.” “Well, there is the summer palace,” Breha deadpanned. Before he could respond, there was another knock on the door. This time, it was his turn to sigh and hers to roll her eyes at the Palace staff's ability to interrupt all good things. “They probably forgot the salad fork,” he murmured. “Come in.” The door swung open to admit not the steward, but a full detail of the Palace Guard. Without a word, two of the guardsmen moved to the adjacent rooms, blasters drawn. The others began checking windows or taking up formation around the royal couple. It was an impressive display, but one that was usually preceded by some citywide disaster. “What's going on?” Bail blurted. “We'll explain when you're secure, Your Highness,” Guardsman Sileur said brusquely. “All clear here?” “Clear,” both of the guardsmen who had inspected the other rooms reported. “We cannot be sure that this is not a target,” Sileur replied in a restless tone. “Move out.” “What about Leia?” Breha demanded as they were herded out of the door. “Has anyone alerted her detail?” There was no reply. They all hated to contemplate why that might have been. *** The throbbing beat of the music had now given her a headache, but Leia was within reach of the 'fresher and she wouldn't stop for anything now. She only fell twice once Emli had joined her and if she could just make it five more feet... There. Emli ducked out from under her arm as the stall door opened, but kept a hold of Leia as she stumbled towards the recently vacated spot. Without warning, Emli bucked against her and suddenly, the world was tilting again and turning red. Something punched her hard in the ribs and she joined Emli on the floor, too dazed to keep herself upright. Her chin cracked against the floor, jolting her with the pain and allowing her mind to connect the sensation with the burning in her ribs. It only became worse as Emli climbed on top of her, pinning her down. It was then that she saw the blaster. Shock gave way to fear, but she was too tired to hope that she wouldn't die here. Instead, she reached for the commsignal that would let any guard in range know that she was in danger. She managed to tap it five times before pain turned the world black and dragged her under. * The first sign of what had happened was nothing more than five beeps on a commlink channel at 2200:29 Within five seconds of that, there should have been a guard on-site. By 2201:29, the situation should have been resolved. Protocol demanded that the guard who responded to the call report no later than 2202:00. At 2202:37, after the guard should have reported in, the handheld commsignal's tracker went dark. Winter, the Princess personal companion, was commed at 2203. At 2204:06, Winter managed to choke out five words before collapsing in tears: “Leia gone. Both guards dead.” At 2205:19, a full squad from the Aldera Constabulary arrived to seal off the building. Six guardsmen were allowed to enter at 2206:23. At 2208:03, Breha and Bail Organa were removed from their quarters to a secure location. At 2209, all Alderaan spaceports were closed and the blockade of the city was ordered. At 2210, ten minutes after the distress call had been sent out, there was nothing more than Winter's report to explain what had happened. Nevertheless, those five words had been enough to confirm that calling this a 'worst case scenario' would have been a gross understatement. *** Breha had been raised in the public eye and therefore knew the virtue of putting forward a strong front. She had learned how to withhold tears and control the tremor in her hands when the public demanded an unflinching leader. Tonight, she unlearned every one of those lessons. The tremors returned first, but they were not confined to her hands. They had begun once they left the royal suite without a word of Leia's status. By the time Sileur reported that two guardsmen were dead at the site of the graduation party and Leia was missing from the scene, they had grown exponentially worse. They turned quickly into the sort of heaving sobs that she had forgotten how to cry long before her coronation. It was Bail who remained pale and drawn, but composed enough to ask questions. She never left the inadequate comfort of his arms, but he held her as steady as possible until they had every answer that the guardsmen had to give. Finally, all of the guards except for the four that would maintain the security of the safehouse left and Breha turned in her husband's embrace. His arms shifted so that he was cradling her rather than holding her and her hands finally stopped trembling as they clutched at the front of his tunic. “They'll find her,” he whispered hoarsely. It was an echo of every closing statement from the guards who had come in and out of the room and it was even less reassuring now than it had been over the last thirty minutes. Still, she hid her face against his chest and tried to suppress either a scream or a stream of profanities. After a long moment, the urge faded but did not disappear. Instead, it transformed into a burning sensation in the center of her chest and made it more difficult to breathe. “Fifty feet,” she said in kind. “She was fifty feet from her best friend, five feet from one guard and less than one foot from the other. She sent five distress signals with three of her greatest protectors within fifty feet and no one stopped this.” It was exactly what she had meant to say to the men who had paraded through here, but respect for those who were willing to give their lives for the royal family had prevented that. Instead, Bail was compelled to bear the brunt. “Emli Celchu and Sion Antilles were killed,” he said with the kind of steady calm that he had used on every other difficult opponent. “They stopped this as best as they could.” “Best?” she shrilled. “Our daughter has been kidnapped by people who were willing to kill every person who stood in the way of a sixteen-year-old girl. Their best was never going to be good enough.” “There was always a risk of that.” She could no longer lie in his arms and hear empty reassurances. In a manner that was graceless and almost frantic, she squirmed out of his grasp and scrambled to her feet. Bail let his hands fall to his lap, but made no mood to go after her. “For the love of Taia,” she snapped. “Do not sit there when our daughter is missing, possibly...” She could not breathe and her voice could not produce the word. As a mother, she could not admit that she could have already lost a child. “What the hell gives you the right to treat this as if it were a traffic delay?” she demanded. “It's not my right,” he replied, hands still in a supplicating position. “It is my duty.” “Duty?” she echoed. “Is this a duty comparable to or lesser than the one to not outlive your child?” That brought him to his feet immediately. “I have never forgotten that duty,” he hissed, “and neither I nor the two guardsmen who died tonight believed that Leia's life counted ten times more than our own.” “Then why did this happen?” she shrieked, backing away. “Why is it that we could give her everything, but we could not give her safety?” He approached then, arms reaching for her, but her closed fist thumped against the spot on his chest where she had rested her head and drove him back a pace. “NO!” It was at this point in the argument that she should have left the room to cool off. She needed to breathe open air and let her tension bleed off. Instead, she was trapped here with the man who could give her nothing but excuses. He could not give her comfort and he could not give her any reassurances that their daughter would be fine. For all his political tendencies, Bail was regrettably unable to lie convincingly. “Breha, we gave her as much safety as any parent could,” he said quietly. “Then why?” she repeated. “Because it wasn't enough.” Bail's voice cracked at that and he turned his back on her for just a moment as he did when emotion overwhelmed him. He turned once more and she saw the uncharacteristic tears on his cheeks beneath the anger in his eyes. “It was not enough then,” he said frankly. “We failed her tonight because we are mortals, but because we are rulers, we will not fail her tomorrow.” -----signature----- I've finished reading Breaking Dawn! Morale officer of the ACWDBTTCAOT. "Forsan et haec olim meminisse iuvabit." ~Virgil, Aeneid "Ecce domino" (The pizza guy's here)
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Idrelle_Miocovani Title: Solar Power loving Scattergories Hostess Registered: Feb '05	Date Posted: 4/18 2:48pm Subject: RE: Dogs of War--An Organa family crisis SHORTstory--16.5 years after ROTS
	And the subtitle of SHORT story doesn't mean this will be a very short story. Ish, my dear, I think you're going to be redefining the name "short story". I love this already. You're always amazing at writing Leia and every Organa character. I'm not familiar with West Wing, so I don't know where the inspiration comes from, but that hardly matters as I'm addicted already! -----signature----- "All the world's a stage." As You Like It, II vii, 139 "Actors! The mechanics of cheap melodrama!" Guildenstern, Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead "There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so." Hamlet, II ii, 249-250 Ish's Padawan
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RK_Striker_JK_5 Registered: Jul '03	Date Posted: 4/18 3:45pm Subject: RE: Dogs of War--An Organa family crisis SHORTstory--16.5 years after ROTS
	Oh, WOW! Breha and Bail... poor things. Leia's been kidnapped by some pretty ruthless psychos there. Loved how you switched it from 'normalcy' to a crisis like that Snaps fingers Can't wait for more! -----signature----- E-married to the wonderful DarthIshtar. Now also her Padawan. Member of the Y.J.K. Revolution Staring into the Darkness http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/27537567/p1/?23
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winterseh Registered: Jul '01	Date Posted: 4/18 8:00pm Subject: RE: Dogs of War--An Organa family crisis SHORTstory--16.5 years after ROTS
	WooHoo! Ish is writing my fav character and the story is based on my fav TV show! Please PM me if you will, please?
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JediNat Registered: Jan '08	Date Posted: 4/19 8:18am Subject: RE: Dogs of War--An Organa family crisis SHORTstory--16.5 years after ROTS
	YAY!! Another DarthIshter story! And a great start too! PM list PLEASE! -JediNat- -----signature----- May the Force be with you! I'm a little teapot short and stout here is my handle and here's a note from my shrink he says I'm getting better. Last week I thought I was a toaster oven crazy laughter -Dot
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nabooqueen2008 Registered: Jan '08	Date Posted: 4/19 10:45am Subject: RE: Dogs of War--An Organa family crisis SHORTstory--16.5 years after ROTS
	Nice one...Pm me please! I love Bail and Leia fics. Thanks for the story! ~nabooqueen~
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Fortherea Registered: Feb '03	Date Posted: 4/21 10:51am Subject: RE: Dogs of War--An Organa family crisis SHORTstory--16.5 years after ROTS
	Awesome, this is gonna be good
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misssolo Registered: Dec '06	Date Posted: 4/21 1:54pm Subject: RE: Dogs of War--An Organa family crisis SHORTstory--16.5 years after ROTS - Date Edited: 4/21 2:27pm (1 edits total) Edited By: misssolo
	Brilliant! Bail and Breha a really sweet together, and I love how protective they are. It's the universal "My little baby is growing up" syndrome.... Can't wait to see more. EDIT! Oh yeah, and if you're doing a PM list, put me on it please. -----signature----- Constantly choosing the lesser of two evils is still choosing evil. -Jerry Garcia http://www.nataliedee.com/032806/hats-for-tats.jpg
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DarthIshtar Title: Former CR Scattergories Hostess Registered: Mar '01	Date Posted: 4/29 1:21am Subject: RE: Dogs of War--An Organa family crisis SHORTstory--16.5 years after ROTS - Date Edited: 4/29 1:39am (1 edits total) Edited By: DarthIshtar
	Idrelle_Miocovani--LOL, yes, anything comparatively is a short story after that last monster. Thanks for loving it already and being my first supporter on this adventure. I've never written Leia this young and certainly have not written anything more than vignettes for Bail and Breha. I'm glad you like my interpretation of the Organas. The West Wing is a recent acquisition in my list of addictions, but a worthy one. RK_Striker_JK_5--Yeah, this feels like a prelude to what they must have gone through in ANH. If you think they're ruthless before, just wait for later. I'm glad you liked the switch from 'normalcy' to crisis. Thanks! winterseh--LOL, thanks! The TV show is ruddy brilliant. So, which one is your favorite character here? I originally wanted this to be Leia/Han/Jaina, but it made more sense to me to have this be with Leia and her parents. There is such a different dynamic and a whole new set of risks when you look at what Bail's tie to the Alliance was. JediNat--Yay! You're here! Thanks for the enthuiasm. And thanks for thinking it's a great start. nabooqueen2008--Thanks. I love Bail in all the ways possible and no one writes him and his queen very often. So I'm glad to be doing this. Fortherea--Thanks. I hope it lives up to that comment. misssolo--Thanks, Miss. I think I'm drawn to Bail and Breha because I have created a great deal of fanon regarding Alderaan, everythng from religion to origins to funereal customs and a language. I can do it because we see practically nothing on-screen. Bail/Breha is the same way. I enjoy their protectiveness and their ability to be typical parents. *** The flicker of lights through the blindfold awoke her before her mind even registered the pain. Leia jerked her head to the right in an unconscious effort to block out the light and immediately regretted it as nausea swept over her. She fought back her gag reflex and squeezed her eyes shut against the brightness that had roused her. Cold was the next thing to register after she remembered the fire in her ribs. There was no outside air circulating through that she could feel, but it was kept cold enough to raise bumps on her arms. Instinctively, she began curling in on herself, only to find that she couldn't move her left arm very well. There was a strange, chemical smell that she usually recognized as belonging in an engine room. She was still able to smell the ozone that lingered after a blaster fight. It was probably a combination of the fact that she was still suffering from a blaster burn and that she was still wearing her clothes from that night. Rough hands abruptly seized her under her left arm and she immediately wondered if the throbbing in her head had masked their footsteps or if they had just been waiting for her to wake up. A moment later, she was hauled into a sitting position and another pair of hands gripped her on the other side. The pain had been bad enough when they made her sit up, but once they tried to haul her upright, it came back full force. Her knees buckled, pulling more at the swollen wound that was radiating fire. Her head canted back as she contained a scream, but this seemed to aggravate her captors more. The one on the left shook her as if to bring her to her senses. Instead, it brought her nausea back and she jerked forward, retching. The guards either lost patience with her or were too disgusted to continue, so they let her fall. She landed hard on her knees and when she breathed now, she could not restrain a sobbing whimper. Finally, when the retching had turned to dry heaves, she calmed herself and reached up with one hand to push the blindfold up her forehead. A moment later, she was sprawled on her uninjured side and blinking furiously to clear the spots from her vision. She braced herself for a rebuke or for another blow, but neither came. Instead, they left her there for a long moment before hauling her upright again. This time, they were less rough as if they were afraid that she would lose something other than her lunch the next time. Through it all, no one spoke. If it had not been for the sound of their footsteps and a vague humming, she might have believed that whatever they had given her had made her deaf. They were trying not to have anything but physical contact. By the time they had gone a hundred paces, she recognized the hum as matching the vibration through the floor beneath her dragging toes. The ship's engine was a few decks below or they were docked, since it would have made more noise otherwise. The men were much more careful since she had collapsed, but that was still not saying much. Strictly speaking, she should have been in a medcenter somewhere and she'd need to have the wound taken care of if they wanted to keep her alive... That thought made her heart spasm out of rhythm just once, but her breath came a little faster. If they had no intention of keeping her alive, they wouldn't have to wait much longer. If the infection spread, there might be more complications. They must have passed through an airlock of some kind or descended to a level closer to the engine. The hum of the engine had turned into a throbbing rumble that she usually remembered from older ships. Abruptly, the men came to a stop and released her. She tried to twist as she fell so that she would not aggravate her injury, but the trip had taken too much out of her. She choked off another whimper as she landed and, using her one good arm, levered herself into a kneeling position. The effort made it difficult to breathe. “There's no need for that,” a man said in a bored tone. “She's feisty,” a voice to her left spat. “Tried to take a look at us.” There was a quiet sigh, but the man who had chastised them did not speak again until the guards had left. Leia sat as tall as possible, hands resting on her thighs. Her right arm ached from the earlier fall, but it didn't feel broken. The other arm simply was immobilized by the pain in her side that grew worse when she tried to move. “At this point, people usually beg for mercy or offer me astronomical sums of their parents' money,” her captor said idly. “You killed my guards,” Leia pointed out, voice cracking on the word killed. “I don't think money or mercy has anything to do with this.” “How do you come to that conclusion?” She tried to clear her thoughts and compose herself so she sounded less like a terrified child. Instead, the focusing of her mind allowed her to remember the weight of Emli on top of her and the way Sion's face had disappeared after the first shot found its mark. If this man worked with people who could do that, there wasn't a chance for mercy. She tilted her chin slightly. “If you intend to ransom me, I'm fairly sure that no one would pay you for being senselessly violent. And I am fairly certain that if you were merciful, you would have permitted medical treatment for your hostage.” “And how do you know that I am not simply trying to ensure your cooperation?” he challenged, a note of amusement creeping into his voice. “It is not my place to cooperate,” Leia replied flatly, “and as an Organa, I do not intend to cooperate with a man such as yourself.” Now the amusement turned into a chuckle. “I was hoping you would be as entertaining as your father,” he murmured. “I think my wish was granted.” “I must warn you,” she said without responding to him. “I am no good to you dead.” She could hear a rustle of cloth as if he were uncrossing his legs in order to lean forward to study her. “What makes you think we intend to kill you?” “You may not kill me in the future,” she pointed out, moving her arm just enough so that her wound was exposed, “but you may have already done it.” “All in good time,” the man stated. Another rustle of cloth and then the tread of footsteps. His hand wrapped around her unparalyzed arm and before she could jerk away, a needle pierced the crook of her elbow. She instinctively squirmed away so that the skin tore and he withdrew the needle before trying again, his grip so tight that she could not move against him. Finally, he withdrew. “You may not cooperate,” he pointed out, “but once your family has evidence that we have you, they just might.” *** It was nearly midnight before the door opened once more, but instead of the Captain of the Palace Guard, Winter was ushered in. Breha immediately pulled her into as tight an embrace as her arms would allow and Bail was about to join them when Guardsman Vos caught his eye. He paused as Winter pulled away and kissed her forehead. “Thank Taia you're all right,” he murmured. “Come with me,” Breha insisted, steering her to the table that had recently been spread with enough food to keep them full for the next week. “You've been through quite a deal...” “Thane Selrieen of Crevasse is awaiting your convenience,” Vos explained quietly. “Would you like me to hold him off until tomorrow?” Selrieen had gone from being a pre-Empire ambassador to being one of the governors. He was the only one of the thanes who had opposed the Empire from the start, having lost his eldest daughter in the transition. He was also the only thane to have ties to the Rebel Alliance. His reasons for being the first to comm could be motivated by the fact that he was the only one of the governors who would understand what Bail was going through. Then again, he was also the head of the Council of Thanes. The call could be nothing more than an executive step. “I will take it,” he assured him. Selrieen was famous for his stoic expression and calm demeanor, but this was the closest Bail had ever seen him to genuine horror in the last fifteen years. He immediately knew that Leia was not the only one of Alderaan's noble spirits who was on the man's mind. “Viceroy Organa,” Selrieen greeted. It was to be a business call, then. “Thane Selrieen,” he responded. “I apologize for keeping you waiting.” “I apologize for requiring you at this hour,” the thane stated. “The Council of Thanes has been notified of your family's situation and we have no desire to act in haste.” Meaning that that the Council will wait a few days before asking me if I think we'll get Alderaan's crown princess back. I appreciate the generosity of spirit. He lowered his chin in the long-distance equivalent of a respectful bow. “Thank you.” “Is there any progress?” “None,” Bail murmured. “We have closed every spaceport and barricaded the city. There is a no-fly zone above the city in case they try to take to the skies.” It was something of a bitter joke, of course. Because of the disarmament, they had no weapons. If Leia's captors decided to escape in that manner, the most anyone could do would be to ram them and hope that they could be driven to the ground. The alternative was to allow the Alliance's cell to expose themselves as the only known group on the planet to have successfully smuggled in weapons. “I have notified the Chief of your constabulary that our forces are at your disposal effective immediately,” Selrieen said. “The Council will be meeting tomorrow to organize the search efforts more formally.” “You will keep me apprised of your decisions.” “I will,” he confirmed. Finally, Selrieen fell silent, having taken care of the formalities. He looked away for a long moment and Bail, sensing vulnerability that could not be described by either of them, remained silent. Selrieen's daughter had disappeared as so many others had in that time and the family had never been given a body to bury or a date to commemorate. “I will do everything within my power to help see her returned safely,” Selrieen said at last. For the first time that night, Bail could only see him as a father rather than an official. “As will I,” he agreed quietly. “Thank you for your dedication. Organa out.” He returned to find that Breha had coaxed Winter into eating something. The girl was picking at the plate of cheese and fruit but both sets of eyes kept darting towards the door. “They've found something?” Winter asked as Bail returned. “No,” he replied, “but the Thane of Crevasse is lending us his Constabulary and the Council will be meeting in the morning.” Winter slumped uncharacteristically and he was reminded sharply of Leia. The girls had been so close that Leia could often be seen unconsciously imitating her friend. It was the first time in quite a while that Winter had returned the favor. He had to wonder if some part of her were trying to maintain Leia's influence here until Leia could do the job herself. Breha's hand remained on Winter's shoulder, steadying her. “It's a large city and they have to be cautious,” she rationalized. “Of course,” Bail said immediately. “There is nothing to report yet, but the first priority was to cut off their means of escape. Since that has been accomplished, it is only a matter of time.” It went without saying that the city could be under siege for only so long. Aldera, like Antibes, relied on the trade and commodities provided by surrounding communities. They could not be sure that Leia would not be smuggled out in something as ordinary as a grain-hauler. They could not even be certain that they had acted in time to keep the perpetrators from escaping the city. “We all need to sleep,” Breha announced before either of them could speak again. “I have asked one of the guardsmen to retrieve some personal effects.” Winter turned a knowing look on Bail. “Will you be sleeping?” He should have lied reassuringly, but he could only offer a weary smile. “Probably not,” he confessed, “but I will try nonetheless. Those of us in this room tonight have done all that we can for now. Let us sleep so we can do more in the morning.” -----signature----- I've finished reading Breaking Dawn! Morale officer of the ACWDBTTCAOT. "Forsan et haec olim meminisse iuvabit." ~Virgil, Aeneid "Ecce domino" (The pizza guy's here)
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nabooqueen2008 Registered: Jan '08	Date Posted: 4/29 12:16pm Subject: RE: Dogs of War--An Organa family crisis SHORTstory--16.5 years after ROTS
	oh so sad..Good for Leia to stand up to her captors! She'll come out in the end! But Poor Bail, Breha, and Winter. Great post....update soon! ~nabooqueen~
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JediNat Registered: Jan '08	Date Posted: 4/29 3:08pm Subject: RE: Dogs of War--An Organa family crisis SHORTstory--16.5 years after ROTS
	Leia's captors are really evil! I feel so sad for Breha, Bail, and Winter Thanks for the PM! -JediNat- -----signature----- May the Force be with you! I'm a little teapot short and stout here is my handle and here's a note from my shrink he says I'm getting better. Last week I thought I was a toaster oven crazy laughter -Dot
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canadianjedimama Registered: Jan '08	Date Posted: 4/29 4:12pm Subject: RE: Dogs of War--An Organa family crisis SHORTstory--16.5 years after ROTS
	As always, Ish, your writing just leaps off the screen. Excellent start! Can't wait for more! CJM -----signature----- Lucky member of the Jagateers, my e-sister's of Jag-love! "I like Princess Leia, but that's different Star Wars." Baby Girl on CW Proud co-corrupter of Flowerlady to Twilight... I Wobbler...
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RK_Striker_JK_5 Registered: Jul '03	Date Posted: 4/29 6:34pm Subject: RE: Dogs of War--An Organa family crisis SHORTstory--16.5 years after ROTS
	Excuse me for one second. Goes to bet up Leia's kidnappers Okay... very tence post, here. Oh, the wound... not good. And they're right-what can they do with no weapons? Man, I can't wait to see the next post! -----signature----- E-married to the wonderful DarthIshtar. Now also her Padawan. Member of the Y.J.K. Revolution Staring into the Darkness http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/27537567/p1/?23
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Idrelle_Miocovani Title: Solar Power loving Scattergories Hostess Registered: Feb '05	Date Posted: 5/2 7:45pm Subject: RE: Dogs of War--An Organa family crisis SHORTstory--16.5 years after ROTS
	Oh wow. Leia's captors really aren't all that nice, are they? But then, who would expect them to be nice? “She's feisty,” a voice to her left spat. “Tried to take a look at us.” Hi, Mr. Captor. Meet Princess Leia -- and beware the Organa Stare of Death. You've got me on the edge of my seat, Ish! Excellent chapter. -----signature----- "All the world's a stage." As You Like It, II vii, 139 "Actors! The mechanics of cheap melodrama!" Guildenstern, Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead "There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so." Hamlet, II ii, 249-250 Ish's Padawan
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DarthIshtar Title: Former CR Scattergories Hostess Registered: Mar '01	Date Posted: 5/2 8:06pm Subject: RE: Dogs of War--An Organa family crisis SHORTstory--16.5 years after ROTS
	LOL, why do you think they wouldn't take off the blindfold? The OGOD (or yours is funny, too: the OSOD) is like Medusa's stare. -----signature----- I've finished reading Breaking Dawn! Morale officer of the ACWDBTTCAOT. "Forsan et haec olim meminisse iuvabit." ~Virgil, Aeneid "Ecce domino" (The pizza guy's here)
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Fortherea Registered: Feb '03	Date Posted: 5/18 12:14pm Subject: RE: Dogs of War--An Organa family crisis SHORTstory--16.5 years after ROTS
	... update? Puuuulease? (I'm just showing interest as a stimulus to your writing )
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