Unsurprisingly, the drew a lot of eyes as we landed on the outskirts of one of our local landing pads. We had more ship berths at the starport, Z-base, but for now, it was primarily a military installation. Eventually, as the city grew, I was hoping to establish some sort of military base. It would be nearby and dedicated to the Skyforged and its assets, serving as a secure storage facility for military hardware, far away from civilians. At that point, Z-base would be converted into a civilian space, pulling ships away from the city and making it quieter and less congested.

  Either way, the shining ship got the attention of a lot of curious people, and once we landed, we had to shoo away some overly eager citizens. Eventually, we might show off some of the shiny ships we were keeping, but this one was Luke's, and therefore not up for tours. Of course, one of the other two H-types was already reserved for Leia, once we eventually broke the news of her parentage.

  It turns out that, after accessing the logs of all three H-types, they were all owned by Padme, gifted to her by the queens and kings of Naboo. I was pretty sure they were making fun of her for losing them so often. But she had in fact used all three of the ships, though only as backups, while the one I was giving to Luke was her primary, all the way up until she passed.

  Ahsoka and I waited for about twenty minutes before Luke and Leia arrived on a speeder, my speeder, which was fine as I had let him use it to get around the city before. Luke guided the speeder along the ship, both Leia and Luke stepping out, eyes wide as they looked up and down the luxury starship, taking in every glorious meter. While they were looking, Ahsoka lowered the aft boarding ramp, which I descended, ducking slightly.

  "Impressive, isn't it?" I asked, Luke and Leia both looking over at me.

  "It is… I recognize it, a Nubian ship, correct?" Leia asked. "They were popular among the Senate for some time. Or rather, as popular as such a rare ship could be."

  "Nubian… like Naboo?" Luke asked, tilting his head. "Like where my mother was from?"

  "That's correct," I responded. "C'mon in, one of the rooms has been converted to a small meeting room."

  I led them inside, stepping into the climate-controlled interior as the boarding ramp closed behind us. As we walked through the starship, I turned to look at Luke.

  "No Han or Chewbacca?" I asked, waving my hand along the door control panel.

  "They are working on the , just a few berths that way," Luke responded, pointing across the simple spaceport. "Apparently, you guys have a decent list of parts on order."

  "YT-1300s are CES ships," I pointed out with a shrug. "A lot of their parts are cross-compatible."

  We only had to walk a few feet further into the ship before arriving at the modified meeting room, which consisted of a small table and a few chairs. Once we were settled, Ahsoka activated the rooms' several security systems, which scanned for listening devices and similar problems. In all honesty, I didn't think it was quite necessary, but it was cool to see how they worked. Once we got the all clear, I explained where we had been.

  "Clan Galti, a Mandalorian ally, did some research and found a hidden deep space storage facility, which they believed held stolen Mandalorian goods. So, together we raided it." I explained with a shrug. "Among other things, there were a bunch of Naboo ships, starfighters included. There were also three H-types, one of which, this one, Luke, is yours, by right of inheritance."

  That caught the younger man off guard, confusion showing on his face while he puzzled out what I meant. He must have been as tired as I felt, as it took him a bit longer than was flattering for his eyes to go wide.

  “Wait… this ship… It was my mother's?" he asked, gripping the armrests of his chair. "And you're giving it to me?"

  "Of course, who else would it belong to?" I pointed out. "Not like we would return it to Naboo, they wouldn't appreciate it half as much as you. Not to mention Palpy has it locked down pretty tight."

  "I noticed that while researching my mom," he responded with a frown. "I couldn't get much information out of the sources. Not even Rebel intelligence knew much about what was going on politically or otherwise."

  "I'm not surprised, Grandpa Palpy is also from Naboo," I explained, Ahsoka, Leia, and Luke all looking at me with wide eyes. "I'm kinda surprised he cares, tbh. I would assume Vader would be more obsessed about it, but no."

  "What?" Like asked with a frown. "Could that be the key to…"

  "Probably not," I responded, answering his unspoken question of whether Naboo would help him turn his father back to the light. "Taking him somewhere familiar is just likely to bring up memories that would be better off buried, at least if you're trying to turn him back. He has twisted the memories of his old life too much."

  For a long moment, Luke was silent, standing up from his chair to look at some of the ship's internal systems, clearly needing a moment. When he returned, he sat heavily in his chair, and Leia put her hand on his.

  "Thank you, Deacon, Ahsoka," Luke said, his eyes full of emotion. "This is an incredible ship.. I don't know what to do with it."

  "It would make a great favored ship for a Jedi Master, since it's heavily shielded and unarmed," I pointed out with a smirk. "Until then, we can keep an eye on it, keep it fueled and ready for you to come claim it. Or you could fly out of here in it, it's entirely up to you."

  "I… really wouldn't have a place to put it," Luke admitted with a nod. "Maybe Alpha Base, but… I would probably be asked to lend it out for diplomatic missions or something. Please, keep it here and take care of it."

  "I'll probably have it stored back on the Fury," I explained. "A more stable, controlled environment, easier access for the maintenance crews, and we have dozens of small hangars dotted around the inner ring that are too small for most ships but should fit this perfectly."

  "Thank you, Deacon. This is an incredible gift," Luke said, once again looking around at the interior. "I think I can already feel the connection… I might spend some time meditating here."

  "It's your ship, you're more than welcome to," I assured him with a smile, before looking to his sister. "Princess Leia, I know you came here to discuss something, but before that, I have a gift for you as well."

  The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  I reached behind my chair and pulled out a briefcase-like container, clicking it open and gently pushing it across the table so she could spin it around and see for herself. Inside were the two Alderaanian statues we had recovered from Jabba the Hutt. In the time since we had robbed and killed the crime lord bastard, we had done our research on the artifacts we pulled from his personal vault.

  The statues were, as far as we could tell, representations of two gods from Alderaan's central pantheons, back when such things were worshiped. The statues were only a few thousand years old, and while they weren't overly detailed, their simplified style was pleasing to the eye.

  Leia immediately recognized the statues, her eyes going wide as she reached out to pick one up, but instead decided to only run her fingers over it.

  "Where did you find these?" She asked, looking up at Ahsoka and I. "Unless I'm mistaken, these were missing for years before… well before Alderaan was destroyed."

  "We found them while on a mission," I explained with a smile. "Among other presumably stolen valuables. I just want you to understand that this is a gift from Deacon to Leia, and I suppose to other Alderaanians. Not a political move or anything like that."

  "I understand," She acknowledged with a nod. "I thank you deeply for this gift, Deacon. To see something returned after so long… when pieces of our heritage are so rare now… This is an incredible gift. Thank you."

  I nodded, and for a moment we were silent as Leia examined the statues quietly. Eventually, she shook off the deep emotions she was clearly dealing with, carefully closing the container and focusing on me.

  "I should also thank you for not being upset that I came here uninvited," She said, wiping at her eyes, something we all pointedly ignored. "I know you guard the location of this planet closely…"

  "It all comes down to trust, Princess Leia," I said, reverting to the political tone, since she had done the same. "I trust you and a few others to not reveal our location. You are welcome here, as are Han and Chewie, as well as General Syndulla. I would ask you to clear your astronavigation data, but since Luke already does that, you shouldn't have to worry as long as you're traveling with him."

  "I appreciate your trust," she said with a smile, though it did not last long.

  I leaned forward, almost sensing her internal conflict, her expression shifting to one of concern and uncertainty. It took her a moment or three to finally collect her thoughts and continue.

  "When I was here last, I got a chance to meet with Master Yoda," She explained. "What we talked about… I'm afraid I'm having a slight crisis of faith."

  Out of everything she could have said, that was not what I expected. Part of me had wondered if she was starting to figure out her connection to Luke, or perhaps she was here to beg us to join the Rebellion, or several other possibilities. That Yoda had managed to shake the unshakable Princess Leia was not on that list. I shared a look with Ahsoka before leaning forward in my seat.

  "In what, exactly?" I asked.

  "What the Rebellion is fighting for," She explained, shaking her head. "The restoration of the Senate. About what my peers expect, about what they think about this Rebellion. Master Yoda said the Senate was dying, that it was filled with corruption and blind to the needs of the galaxy… is that true?"

  "Yes," I said simply. "It is true. By the time the Clone Wars started, the Senate was self-serving, corrupt, blind, and near powerless."

  "But, wasn't that because of Palpatine?" She asked, an edge of desperation in her voice. "Isn't he at the root of the decay?"

  "In some ways, yes, but in others, no, he was simply waddled into the mud and made his home," I responded, shaking my head. "The Senate was broken before he arrived. He and his master merely used it as a catalyst to rise to power. They saw an opportunity and took it."

  "His master?" Both Luke and Ahsoka asked, their eyes wide with concern.

  "He is dead, Palpy killed him before everything kicked off," I assured them, my hand coming to rest on Ahsoka's. "But they did work together from the shadows before that."

  I considered my words for a moment before shaking my head a bit and continuing.

  "Okay, that's a bit of an oversimplification. In truth, the Sith had been working behind the scenes of the galaxy for a while, hidden by the veil of the dark side," I explained, leaning back in my seat. "But they could never really get close to the Senate, at least not in the way that Palpy did. See, he was uniquely skilled at hiding himself in the Force and eliminating his presence. Without that talent, the Jedi, even as blind as they were, would have spotted him eventually. No other Sith could do what he did. So yes, the Sith were responsible for some of the galaxy's woes, but the direct corruption of the Senate? That was there before they arrived."

  The group absorbed that new information for a long moment before Leia refocused on what she was looking to learn.

  "But is it really so broken? Surely with the right laws and reforms…"

  "Princess, do you endorse slavery?"

  My question caught her off guard, and for a moment, she looked offended, before she controlled her expression back to a frown.

  "Of course I don't endorse slavery," She responded. "I hope that was rhetorical."

  "What about piracy? Sell dangerous and addictive drugs to minors? A repressive and controlling criminal regime? Planets collapsing under the strain of heavy taxes, with no support from those they pay them to?" I asked, not giving her a real chance to respond. "Because that's what the core worlds abandoned the Mid and Outer Rim to. They were starving and choking on taxes, dying at the hands of pirates, and getting kidnapped from their homes to be sold. They still are really."

  Ahsoka was wincing beside me, knowing exactly what I was talking about since the harsh reality had been especially hand-delivered to her and the Jedi. They had been stuck in their high castle, frozen by indecision and bureaucracy, "unable" to help the people they were sworn to.

  "The Republic Senate was in charge of the whole galaxy," I continued. "The Hutts and other crime syndicates were wringing the Rim for all it was worth. Meanwhile, the Senate was so busy adjusting the electrum rods they had planted in their collective assholes that they couldn't hear the Outer Rim screaming."

  "The Hutts are too entrenched to move with anything less than war," Leia responded, and I simply shrugged in response. "You would have the Republic wage war with a criminal syndicate?"

  "I would have them do their jobs," I responded with a frown. "I would have them fight a militant group responsible for stealing, slavery, drug sales, rape, kidnapping, and everything in between. A multi-system criminal-based that denies the laws of common decency."

  "But the Republic was a peaceful government," She explained, as if that fixed everything. "We didn't have an army until the Clone Wars!"

  "A government that can't protect its people isn't a government, it's a sham," I said, shaking my head. "Your peaceful negotiations didn't mean a damn thing to a Hutt, or a pirate, or a slaver, or a drug peddler. They laughed at your government and just kept doing their thing."

  "So we should rule with an iron fist? Build fleets of warships and wipe out our enemies with no mercy?" Leia asked, her tone carrying the hysterical edge of someone whose worldview is coming undone. "People would feel constantly threatened, we would be no better than the Empire."

  "Princess Leia, I know you are too smart to not know that there is a middle ground," I pointed out gently. "A government can be prepared, without being militant. Having enough ships to patrol and protect your people is not the same as ruling with an iron fist. Do you see my people complaining? They live under a whole fleet of warships, and it makes them feel safe knowing the Skyforged is there to help defend them. I know you are more than smart enough to understand that, just because a government has an army and a navy, does not make it some sort of warmongering dictatorship. I mean the Rebellion is proof of the necessity by itself."

  "What do you mean?" She asked, tilting her head. "How does the Rebellion prove anything?"

  "Well, for one thing, if negotiation and peaceful discussion were enough to solve all your problems, the Rebellion wouldn't be necessary, would it? You could just talk the Empire into submission," I pointed out, shaking my head. "In the same vein, if violence, and gathering the ability to enact violence, is inherently despotic and dangerous, then the Rebellion is, itself, evil. And since I highly doubt you're about to advocate for tearing the Rebellion apart and attempting to negotiate Palpy to surrender… on some level, you can't deny I'm right."

  Leia winced at my words, clearly following my logic enough to understand and at least partially agree with me. After a moment, she leaned forward, her eyes tight.

  "If the Republic is doomed and unfixable, then what should we do instead?" She asked, partly doubting me, partly hoping I had an answer. "What could we possibly do instead?"

  "I'm sorry, Princess, but I don't have the answer," I admitted with a shrug. "I'm not a politician, nor do I have any sort of education about political science. But you don't need to know how to fix something to see that it's broken."