Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
And now...farewell to kindness, humanity and gratitude. I have substituted myself for Providence in rewarding the good; may the God of vengeance now yield me His place to punish the wicked. — Alexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
THE HOLOGRAM was burned into her head, expanding. Leia hoped it wouldn't turn into another memento of destruction and death. Of another mistake that could have been prevented if people would have listened and not turn their eyes away in fear of seeing the ugly truth speaking right towards them. The resemblance had been too strong and the first intels Captain Kun had been able to send them indicated enough that in the Unknown Regions, the First Order had created something so similar to the Death Star that it could only be a weapon with a related purpose. Maybe even the same. She couldn't let this happen again. Alderaan... Gone, in front of her eyes. A planet of innocent people, who had paid a price they never agreed on. Days, nights, months, years, no matter how much time left, Leia had wished she could have done something. Something more.
Han, Luke, Mara, Amilyn... they all had explained and tried in their own way that her homeworld's destruction had never been her fault. Alderaan's fate had been sealed the moment the Death Star had been finished, but if she hadn't let herself get caught that day... Leia had never sulked in scenarios or world's of what-could-have-beens. They were of no use and no one could change the past. But those possibilities often had a way to sneak up on her in the distracting silence of the night, until the moment Han would pull her into his arms and mute her thoughts.
The light in her office was dimmed, enough to highlight the hologram building itself until she saw the face of her old friend — and someone who looked as tired as she felt.
"Leia. It's good to see you."
Alondra Dione smiled at her. A rare view in those times, as Leia knew. Since Alondra had been elected as Chancellor, the Queen of Odessen had not seen many friendly faces. Formal smiles and etiquettes were nothing new to either of them, but both women understood how one false decision, how one small stone could break the surface of peace to the wild ocean of fighting and war. Politics were no different from battlefields, only the weapons were words and often proved to be deadlier and more dangerous than blasters or lightsabers.
