"Rebel Apprentice"
Rating: PG
Twelve-year-old Leia decides it's high time she start rebel-rousing, but her father is not so eager for her to start growing up.
Chapter 2
It was late when Bail Organa finally made it home that night. Leia was waiting for him in the library, their favorite place to relax. They both loved to curl up on the couch, surrounded by so many books. Whether they read, played games, or just talked, it was nice to do so in such learned company. Bail sagged onto the couch with a groan, and Leia settled at his side, her arms around his neck, giving him a welcoming kiss. "It's good to see you, Leelee," he sighed. "I'm sorry I missed dinner."
"That's all right. Was it a whiskey day or a wine day?"
He rubbed wearily at his eyes. "Definitely a whiskey day."
Leia scrambled off the couch and went to a cabinet set in the wall, where she poured her father a drink. Returning to the couch, she handed him the glass and said, "I think you need to order a case of the whiskey, Papa."
He raised an inquiring eyebrow. "An entire case?" he asked. "Why so much?"
"You'll need it after our weekend with Governor Naraud."
Smiling, Bail tapped the tip of his daughter's nose. "You're very wise, Princess."
Assuming a regal air, Leia formally replied, "Thank you, Viceroy," then settled back down on the couch, nestling against his side. She remained silent, watching him while he slowly sipped his drink, then said, "I saw you on the news today talking about what happened on Cyrene. What is this going to mean?"
"Well, they were tax resisters, which is a form of nonviolent civil disobedience. A provactive act, certainly, yet the Empire's decision to annihilate the capital city seems way out of proportion to the seriousness of the offence. "
"It was the largest mass action the Empire has ever taken against civilians," Leia commented.
Bail's eyes narrowed, and she instantly realized she had misspoken. She had read that statement off the StealthNet, a comment one of the Alliance leaders had made. Her father had to wonder where she would have heard it. She held her breath, waiting, but at last Bail sighed and let it go, sipping again at his whiskey. Leia struggled not to let her relief show, but she mentally noted that perhaps her father knew she was sneaking onto the StealthNet.
After a long pause, Bail spoke again. "It is also surely no mistake that Cyrene is largely populated by non-humans."
Leia gasped in dismay. "I hadn't thought about that!"
"No," said Bail fondly, "I don't suppose you would. You just don't see people in terms of their species, do you?"
"So the Empire picked Cyrene in order to make a point about non- humans?"
Bail nodded. "They also hoped to further the divide between humans and non-humans."
"That's terrible!" Leia lamented. "So what is the Alliance going to do?"
"There will be a series of protests and demonstrations across the galaxy, including one here on Alderaan organized by the University cell. But you and I will not attend."
Leia scoffed. "What's the point of demonstrations? They don't change the Empire's mind."
"Even though the Empire attempts to curtail free speech, we still should exercise it whenever we can," Bail pointed out. "Demonstrations, marches, public debate - these things are the lifeblood of any democracy, the way ideas are shared and issues discussed. We can never forget that, even when we live under tyranny."
"I know, I know," Leia grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest. "But I'd rather be doing something. Like pouring fish sauce in the fuel tank of the Imperial Consul's speeder."
Bail frowned in disapproval. "I sincerely hope you're joking."
Leia answered with her most innocent smile, though it looked a little too practiced to be truly effective. "Still," she said brightly, "a demonstration is better than nothing. Why won't we attend?"
"Because we already have plans for the weekend."
"Oh, yes! Governor Naraud!" Leia sat bolt upright on the couch, fists planted on her hips. "Papa, he's supposed to be taking over Cyrene!"
Another piece of information Leia shouldn't know, but Bail refrained from commenting on it. "I know," he said simply. "I contacted his office to see if he might cancel the visit, but they said he and his family are still coming." He sighed deeply. "I suppose it's for the best."
"For the best?" Leia cried, pushing herself farther away from her father. "Papa, he's a murderer!"
Bail paused, watching her, waiting for her to calm down enough to listen to him. "Don't you think it's better for us to have good relations with the man who will be running Cyrene? We may be able to use our influence to encourage restraint on his part."
"Papa, he's an Imperial! He's not going to listen!"
"Then perhaps he'll talk, and we'll learn something that might avert future disaster." Before Leia could protest again, Bail leaned forward, taking her hand in his. "Listen to me, Leia. I know this weekend will be difficult for you, but you must conduct yourself in a proper manner. Especially after what's happened, you must be very careful. You cannot do anything that might offend the Governor. Is that understood?"
Leia lowered her eyes, struggling to control her emotions. "Yes, father."
He raised her chin so she could see him. "Mouth shut, eyes and ears open. Right?"
Leia sighed and nodded. Standard operating procedure with her father. He knew that adults sometimes said important things around children, thinking they wouldn't understand. Bail and Leia worked as a team when they met with Imperials. It was his tiny way of letting her help the Alliance, but Leia noticed that the "mouth shut" part only applied to herself and not to him. Bail Organa was a master of chit- chat. He encouraged people to talk, and Leia was supposed to listen and observe to pick up on anything her father might have missed. But she thought she was old enough to open her mouth occasionally, too.
"Papa," she began, "I've been thinking."
Her father's dark eyes glinted with wry amusement. "Have you, now?"
Her lips turned down briefly before she managed to compose herself. "It seems to me that a lot of what I learn in school, while interesting, is not very useful if I'm going to help you with the Alliance. I think I need... more specialized training."
"Indeed?" he asked. He still had that infuriating glint in his eye. Sometimes Leia thought her father didn't take her seriously enough. "And what are you proposing?"
Straightening her shoulders, Leia said, "I'm proposing that I quit school and work with you."
Not surprisingly, Bail's face hardened. "You are not quitting school."
"But Papa --"
"Your studies may seem irrelevant, Leia, but you cannot be an effective leader without a basic education."
"But do I really need to be studying classic literature every day? And physical education -- I'm playing smashball when I should be learning basic fitness and survival training."
"I know you're eager to help the Alliance, but you're not old enough, and the work is too dangerous --"
"It was dangerous when Cyrene decided not to pay their taxes!" Leia shouted. "The Empire didn't care that they killed kids when they bombed the city. Even babies died! Nobody's safe, Papa! If I'm old enough to be killed by the Empire, I ought to be old enough to fight it! If they're going to shoot me out of the sky, then at least let it be for something! You risk your life for the Alliance. I should have that right, too!"
Bail stared at her, his eyes wide, and for a moment Leia thought she saw tears in his eyes. But if they were tears, he did not allow them to fall. Shaking himself, he cleared his throat. "I know you think you're ready, and I respect your passion, but I am your father, and I say you're not ready. We'll talk about it again in a couple of years, but for now you will stay in school." His eyes softened once more. "Don't be in such a great rush to grow up, Leelee."
"Don't call me Leelee," Leia cried, jumping to her feet. "I'm not a little girl!"
Again Bail waited, that "calm down" pause as Leia thought of it. But she refused to give in. Gently he said, "I know you're not a little girl, but neither are you old enough. And that's final."
Leia's fists clenched so hard, she could feel her fingernails digging into her palms. She knew she could not win this argument with him, but he was wrong. She would just have to find a way to prove it. "Fine," she said between clenched teeth. "Good night, Father."
She turned on her heel and stalked from the room, blind to Bail's worried gaze.