The Planet Kattada, in a Galaxy Far Far Away
Once Basso had been removed from the bacta tank and the doctors assured Leia that he was recovered enough to speak, Leia came to talk to him about what had just happened. "Are you sure you want advice from me?" Basso said. "I'm no officer."
"Maybe not, Basso," Leia said, "but you're the only one with the experience I need. Captain Antilles knows ship-to-ship combat -- he's run his share of blockades. But he's never had to deploy ground troops. You're the closest thing to a veteran that we have. Please, I don't know what to do next." Studying past battles and even her classes in Fandom hadn't completely prepared her for this. When she got back to Fandom, she was definitely going to pay more attention in Kerrigan's classes.
"But you know that you have to do something, right?" Basso said. "You know that people will die."
"I don't like to think about it," Leia said. "In the heat of the moment, with Mia's life at stake, it was different. This...planning seems so cold-blooded. I'd like to avoid bloodshed, if it's possible."
"It's not," Basso said, drawing the blanket he'd been given more tightly around his shoulders. "You have to understand that -- accept it -- before you do anything else. Death is the natural result of war. If you send in troops hoping that they won't have to fight, you'll be sending men to their deaths needlessly. Once it's too late for talk, you have to commit to the fight. You have to accept that men -- on both sides -- will die. You just have to hope that more will die on their side than ours, and that our ideals will survive to see a future where war isn't necessary. If you're not willing to pay that price, then you'd better walk away."
Leia began to pace the medical center. "Walking away would only postpone Imperial aggression," she said. "Another Imperial patrol will arrive, and then Mia's people will suffer. And the Emperor will know for certain that I support the rebellion. Alderaan will come under attack. My crew can't take on those stormtroopers. But how can I ask the people of Kattada to fight? My presence has already resulted in the death of their leader."
Basso stood up. "You won't have to ask them," he said. "They'll fight. They'll fight for the rebellion or for their lady. They're ready. You have to decide whether you'll lead them to victory. Or disaster. Some will die well like the lady. She had real courage. Others will go like the Imperial, crying and begging. Those are the hardest once to take, but every death will take something from you. You have troops willing to fight and die for the cause. You have to decide if you're willing to let them."
Leia was quiet for a long moment, staring at the floor. "Thank you, Basso," she finally said. "Rest now."
He started to shrug off his blanket. "Let me --."
"No," Leia said firmly. "You have to stay alive. At least until the doctors on Alderaan can unlock that hypnotic implant and retrieve the secret information you have stored in your brain. I just hope that whatever it is will take us a step closer to that future you mentioned. The one where war isn't necessary."
* * *
Basso had been right. The people of Kattada were eager to fight against the Imperials. Leia drew up a strategy with Antilles to draw them away from their ship, then gave the order to fight, watching as the crew of the Tantive IV and the Kattadans began the battle.
A few hours later, Antilles came to give her a report. "We've broken through their lines," he said. He watched as Leia picked up a rifle. "Your Highness? What--?"
"I have to be there," Leia said. "I set this in motion." She took a few steps, but Antilles grabbed her arm to hold her back. "Let me go! Soldiers are dying!"
"That's what soldiers do," Antilles said, not obeying her command. "Throwing your own life away won't change that. And your presence in the fight will only distract them from the job they must do. You're not a soldier in this war, Your Highness. You're a leader, a symbol. In the long run, your death might make you a martyr, but its immediate effect would be to demoralize your troops and knock the fight out of them."
Leia didn't want to admit it, but she knew he was right. She left him take the rifle from her, fighting back tears as she listened to the screams and blaster fire in the distance.
She wasn't sure how much time passed before Antilles gave her another report. "We've just received word from the front. The battle is over."
Now that the danger was suitably contained, Leia went to see the results of the battle. There were dead on both sides, but the remaining Imperials had all been disarmed and were being taken away by the Kattadans. "Our people will have the Imperial ship dismantled and all traces of the battle hidden before another patrol arrives," Mia's father told her. "Not a word of what transpired here will pass anyone's lips. But you must be away -- soon."
"Yes," Leia said quietly, nodding. "And...I'm so sorry for your loss, sir. I feel responsible for your daughter's death."
Mia's father took her hands in his. "Please, Your Highness. Put away your sorrow. Mia died for a cause she believed in, and the victory led us would have made her proud."
"Proud...," Leia murmured. "Thank you. And I promise what you have done here will not be forgotten."
* * *
Leia walked through the corridors of her ship, deep in thought over the battle. She heard a voice call out to her. "Your Highness?" Basso said, coming up to walk beside her. "We'll reach Alderaan soon?"
"Yes, Basso," she said. "Then this will finally be over."
"Will it?" Basso said.
Leia shook her head. "No, you're right," she said. "I can't bear the thought of more nights like last night. But this is just the beginning, isn't it?"
"For my people -- and others -- it began some time ago," Basso said.
They'd reached the bridge, and Antilles greeted Leia. "Ah, Your Highness. We're approaching Alderaan. You'll be home soon."
"Thank you, Antilles," Leia said. "Remember, not a word of what happened on Kattada to my mother. Or my father, if he is here." She was hoping he would be, though it was dangerous for him to come to Alderaan now because the palace was under close surveillance. "And one more thing," she added. "When we arrive, see to Basso. I'll find my own way home. Things are happening at last. I'm not sure what the future holds for us, but...I want to walk through the hills and see the T'iil blossoms one more time before everything changes." It'd be the last time she'd make that walk, not that she knew it yet.
[NFB due to distance. From the Star Wars: Empire comic #5 "Princess...Warrior, Part 2."]
"Maybe not, Basso," Leia said, "but you're the only one with the experience I need. Captain Antilles knows ship-to-ship combat -- he's run his share of blockades. But he's never had to deploy ground troops. You're the closest thing to a veteran that we have. Please, I don't know what to do next." Studying past battles and even her classes in Fandom hadn't completely prepared her for this. When she got back to Fandom, she was definitely going to pay more attention in Kerrigan's classes.
"But you know that you have to do something, right?" Basso said. "You know that people will die."
"I don't like to think about it," Leia said. "In the heat of the moment, with Mia's life at stake, it was different. This...planning seems so cold-blooded. I'd like to avoid bloodshed, if it's possible."
"It's not," Basso said, drawing the blanket he'd been given more tightly around his shoulders. "You have to understand that -- accept it -- before you do anything else. Death is the natural result of war. If you send in troops hoping that they won't have to fight, you'll be sending men to their deaths needlessly. Once it's too late for talk, you have to commit to the fight. You have to accept that men -- on both sides -- will die. You just have to hope that more will die on their side than ours, and that our ideals will survive to see a future where war isn't necessary. If you're not willing to pay that price, then you'd better walk away."
Leia began to pace the medical center. "Walking away would only postpone Imperial aggression," she said. "Another Imperial patrol will arrive, and then Mia's people will suffer. And the Emperor will know for certain that I support the rebellion. Alderaan will come under attack. My crew can't take on those stormtroopers. But how can I ask the people of Kattada to fight? My presence has already resulted in the death of their leader."
Basso stood up. "You won't have to ask them," he said. "They'll fight. They'll fight for the rebellion or for their lady. They're ready. You have to decide whether you'll lead them to victory. Or disaster. Some will die well like the lady. She had real courage. Others will go like the Imperial, crying and begging. Those are the hardest once to take, but every death will take something from you. You have troops willing to fight and die for the cause. You have to decide if you're willing to let them."
Leia was quiet for a long moment, staring at the floor. "Thank you, Basso," she finally said. "Rest now."
He started to shrug off his blanket. "Let me --."
"No," Leia said firmly. "You have to stay alive. At least until the doctors on Alderaan can unlock that hypnotic implant and retrieve the secret information you have stored in your brain. I just hope that whatever it is will take us a step closer to that future you mentioned. The one where war isn't necessary."
* * *
Basso had been right. The people of Kattada were eager to fight against the Imperials. Leia drew up a strategy with Antilles to draw them away from their ship, then gave the order to fight, watching as the crew of the Tantive IV and the Kattadans began the battle.
A few hours later, Antilles came to give her a report. "We've broken through their lines," he said. He watched as Leia picked up a rifle. "Your Highness? What--?"
"I have to be there," Leia said. "I set this in motion." She took a few steps, but Antilles grabbed her arm to hold her back. "Let me go! Soldiers are dying!"
"That's what soldiers do," Antilles said, not obeying her command. "Throwing your own life away won't change that. And your presence in the fight will only distract them from the job they must do. You're not a soldier in this war, Your Highness. You're a leader, a symbol. In the long run, your death might make you a martyr, but its immediate effect would be to demoralize your troops and knock the fight out of them."
Leia didn't want to admit it, but she knew he was right. She left him take the rifle from her, fighting back tears as she listened to the screams and blaster fire in the distance.
She wasn't sure how much time passed before Antilles gave her another report. "We've just received word from the front. The battle is over."
Now that the danger was suitably contained, Leia went to see the results of the battle. There were dead on both sides, but the remaining Imperials had all been disarmed and were being taken away by the Kattadans. "Our people will have the Imperial ship dismantled and all traces of the battle hidden before another patrol arrives," Mia's father told her. "Not a word of what transpired here will pass anyone's lips. But you must be away -- soon."
"Yes," Leia said quietly, nodding. "And...I'm so sorry for your loss, sir. I feel responsible for your daughter's death."
Mia's father took her hands in his. "Please, Your Highness. Put away your sorrow. Mia died for a cause she believed in, and the victory led us would have made her proud."
"Proud...," Leia murmured. "Thank you. And I promise what you have done here will not be forgotten."
* * *
Leia walked through the corridors of her ship, deep in thought over the battle. She heard a voice call out to her. "Your Highness?" Basso said, coming up to walk beside her. "We'll reach Alderaan soon?"
"Yes, Basso," she said. "Then this will finally be over."
"Will it?" Basso said.
Leia shook her head. "No, you're right," she said. "I can't bear the thought of more nights like last night. But this is just the beginning, isn't it?"
"For my people -- and others -- it began some time ago," Basso said.
They'd reached the bridge, and Antilles greeted Leia. "Ah, Your Highness. We're approaching Alderaan. You'll be home soon."
"Thank you, Antilles," Leia said. "Remember, not a word of what happened on Kattada to my mother. Or my father, if he is here." She was hoping he would be, though it was dangerous for him to come to Alderaan now because the palace was under close surveillance. "And one more thing," she added. "When we arrive, see to Basso. I'll find my own way home. Things are happening at last. I'm not sure what the future holds for us, but...I want to walk through the hills and see the T'iil blossoms one more time before everything changes." It'd be the last time she'd make that walk, not that she knew it yet.
[NFB due to distance. From the Star Wars: Empire comic #5 "Princess...Warrior, Part 2."]