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The next evening...
It was an upscale restaurant, usually frequented only by high standing politicians and the wealthier population of Theed. As Leia passed through the glamorous entrance of the restaurant, she noted the carefully polished crystal sign above the door that bore the restaurant’s name: Crystal Bay.
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Though not a stranger to the most extravagant of settings in the least, Leia couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable. Senator Garand, who had recently been elected into the High Council of the Senate from what she had heard, had mysteriously summoned her to meet him here. The armed guards standing at attention on either side of the entrance indicated that he was most likely already inside and waiting for her…
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Leia had never met Garand before, and was in fact rather curious to know what business he might have with her. Though she maintained a very powerful presence on Naboo and lived in the capital city of the planet, she rarely had anything to do with the planetary government... if she could help it.
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A waiter in a crisp looking tuxedo approached her. “Ah, Ms. Solo. The good Senator has been expecting you…”
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Leia straightened the skirt of the flowing white gown she was wearing, and then followed the waiter into the dining area, slowly taking in the elaborate décor of the restaurant as they went.
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This small dinner meeting was probably costing the government a small fortune…
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Not that she would have expected any less. As of late, it seemed the government’s favorite hobby was inventing new, innovative ways to fritter the people’s hard earned tax money away.
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After the Sith attack on Naboo had leveled Theed, the city had undergone much reconstruction, and not just physically… several sweeping changes in the structure of the government had taken place as well, and the entire chain of command and many of those who were in it had changed. The concept of a ruling high council had been turned into a reality, the Queen’s influence in the government had been nerfed, the election districts and the way elections were conducted had changed… all in the name of promoting a freer, more democratic society.
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It wasn’t that Leia didn’t like the new system, in theory it was supposed to be a fair and effective democratic organization. The system wasn’t exactly ‘new’ anymore anyways, it had been in effect for a considerably long time now… Naboo was getting along well enough under it. Yet still, there was just something about it that made her want to keep a weary distance, and she had never been able to put a finger on it.
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The waiter led her into a small private room in the back of the restaurant, apparently reserved for such functions as the one she was attending. When she entered the room a young man who couldn’t have been older than 25 rose with all of the poise of a well versed diplomat to greet her… as he took her hand and lead her to her chair as a gentleman would she noted his bright blonde hair, and the way his finely tailored suit managed to somehow compliment his muscled frame.
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She’d met plenty of his type before. Young pretty boy who had everything going for him…
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“Ms Organa Solo? It is a pleasure to finally meet you, after hearing so much about what you’ve done both for Naboo and the galaxy. I am honored to be in the presence of your greatness. Allow me to introduce myself, I am Luka Garand… recently appointed to the High Council of the Senate. I speak on their behalf this evening.”
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He was gallant, confident. Everything the masses wanted to see in their public figureheads. He was also trying to butter her up… but why?
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He wanted something. That had to be why she had been summoned to meet him here… For a man with as little experience as him, he was doing an admirable job of hiding it. He certainly had talent as a politician, she would give him that much. But Leia had been reading through the fake visages of politicians and diplomats since she was but a child, and her eye for such things was too sharp to miss it.
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Leia settled into her chair, and clasped her hands in her lap. If Garand was like every other politician in the galaxy, he would open with the usual polite small talk while they sipped their drinks and waited on their food. Then they would be too busy eating to talk business… they wouldn’t actually get to why they were there in the first place until much later, over a cup of caf. It was a way of controlling the pace of the meeting, giving a slight edge to the hosting politician. Leia however had no intention of playing the usual games of custom… she had better things to do than play political games just for the sake of following ‘customs’. She leaned forward to address the Senator. “So what is the occasion, Senator?”
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The look on Garand’s face told Leia that he had been hoping to put their serious discussion off for awhile.
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“You certainly have made yourself scarce around the government ever since the…. invasion. Some people are beginning to think you don’t like us anymore…”
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Leia shrugged.
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“I’ve had my own issues to deal with. The government has been doing an admirable job of administrating the planet; neither I nor the Jedi have a place interfering in a body made to serve the interests of the people. We all have our places, and mine is not in the government buildings of Theed.”
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Garand raised a questioning eyebrow.
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“Aren’t the Jedi supposed to serve and protect? It seems to me that by working in tandem with the government, you would be able to do so more effectively.”
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Now where was he going with this? A high ranking member of the senate wouldn’t go to the trouble to set up a meeting with her just to discuss old arguments.
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Leia sighed. “Alright, what do you want from me?”
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Garand blinked innocently. “You think I requested your presence here only to demand something of you…?”
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“I doubt my presence here was requested merely for the benefit of my company” Leia answered bluntly.
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Garand paused for a long moment, obviously carefully wording what he intended to say next.
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To Leia’s surprise, he replied by motioning for his bodyguard to leave the room. When all four had exited the room and the door had shut firmly behind them, Garand leaned across the table. He seemed slightly taken aback…
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“Very well Princess, I see you are not in the mood for small talk tonight. I’ll get right to business…”
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Garand pulled a piece of folded durplast from the inside breast pocket of his jacket and handed it to Leia, then leaned back in his chair and watched her expectantly.
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Leia unfolded the paper apprehensively, as if at any second a monster with sharp teeth would jump out of it and latch onto one of her fingers. It seemed to be a formal letter of sorts, from… Corellia?
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To the Government of Naboo, blah blah blah useless formal nonsense… we hereby propose that our two respectable planets open peaceful negotiations, in hopes of achieving a peaceful and mutually beneficial relationship between our two worlds in these hard times.
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An Imperial aligned world, seeking open peace talks with Naboo!?
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“uhh…” was the only reaction Leia could muster at first. She looked up to Garand, her eyes demanding to know the answers to all of the questions that her mouth seemed unable to voice. The young senator nodded to the letter in her hands.
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“We were surprised as well. You know as well as anyone else how incredible the prospect of an Imperial world… Corellia, no less! Seeking to open peaceful negotiations with a Jedi harboring planet like Naboo is…”
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Leia shook her head.
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“I don’t like it; it’s got to be a trap.”
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Garand had an unreadable expression on his face. She didn’t like that either, she decided…
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“And that is why you are the perfect choice to see this thing through.”
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Leia blinked blankly.
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”What!?
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Garand smiled grandly.
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“Jedi Master Leia Organa Solo, the High Council of the Senate hereby requests that you accept this mission and travel to Corellia to meet with the planetary officials there in search of peace.”
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Leia glared hotly at Garand.
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“You must be more naïve than I thought, if you think I am going to agree to blindly run off following a bunch of specific directions the Imperials wrote on a little note, promising peace love and happiness if we do respond accordingly. Just how stupid do you think I am!?”
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Garand frowned.
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“If anyone is right for such a mission, it’s you. You’re a Jedi, you can elude danger, and put up a bigger fight if attacked than any contingent of soldiers from the Naboo army. You’ve got prestige and respectability; your presence would affect them more. You are a highly skilled diplomat: no matter what obstacle in negotiations might arise, you’d be the one to overcome it the easiest. You have the most experience with the Imperials; you understand them better than anyone else we could consider sending…”
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“Yeah, and I bet I’ve also got the biggest price on my head too. I’m not doing this, it’s a death wish! If you are really interested in pursuing the matter, try contacting Corellia and suggesting a meeting place in a neutral space zone, where everyone is on equal grounds. And don’t ask me to attend… I hold no official rank in any government anymore, and I’m not that keen on changing that fact.”
Garand wore a scrutinizing expression now. “So your final answer is a no…”
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Leia did not reply, and Garand sighed and leaned back in his chair. He pulled a comlink out of his pocket, and double clicked it. Immediately the door opened and his four bodyguards filed into the room.
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“…Sir?”
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Garand rose from his chair and stretched. Leia chose to remain seated and watched as he began to pace the small confines of the room.
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“Seems we have a small hitch in our plan, Captain. I think its nap time…”
It happened so fast that Leia had no real chance to react. Not only was it the last thing she ever would have expected, but she was also unarmed. There simply was no time even for a Jedi Master such as herself to react as the Captain swiftly pulled his gun from its holster, aimed at her, and fired.
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There was suddenly a sharp pain in Leia’s right arm, and she looked down to find a dart stuck in her bicep. It had obviously unloaded a serum of sorts into her arm upon impact…
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Stunned, Leia gaped at Garand with a pure look of bewilderment.
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“You…. shot…”
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The tranquilizer took full effect and Leia never finished her sentence, instead collapsing to the floor. She was out cold.
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Garand gazed down at the fallen Jedi Master, stone faced.
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“Hurry and get her wrapped up, even though we’re going out the back door we can’t risk anyone recognizing her.”
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“Yes sir” the Captain replied with a snappy salute, and the four stealth ops soldiers in disguise swathed Leia in blankets. Two of them each took an arm and hoisted her up between them.
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“Remember, my date grew seriously ill and we thought it best to get her home without any hassle… let’s go.”
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One of the guards chuckled as they carried Leia out.
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“And Joe bet me fifty credits we couldn’t take a fully alert Jedi Master down with a single dart. Ah well, he better pay up real quick when we get back; I’ve got some sabacc debts to pay off from last night’s game…”
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And that was how Leia found herself on a mid sized ex-Republic transport, headed for Corellia whether she liked it or not…<o ="">
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