ALLIANCE WITH ORGANA

Lady Aletra was kind enough to give them shelter when they need it. She wasn't ashamed of hiding the fact that she had a Sith guest under her wing, her servants would whisper left and right – some would even try to look for someone who was brave enough to even dare enter the chambers provided for the apprentice.

Sern or not, they have heard terrible tales about their Empire – and those who have served the family long enough have never forgotten what happened to Lady Aletra's husband or her daughter, the late Zylas Sern.

Even on a large chamber and the extreme comfort of the bed wasn't enough to have her drift off to sleep. The apprentice didn't get enough shut-eye as per usual, it was already morning and none of the handmaidens came in – Leena didn't mind much, they were afraid of her, wasn't surprising. When the door opened, the Sith turned in hopes to see the brave face but it turns out it was only Quinn with a tray of her usual morning tea.

"Good morning, my Lord." The Captain greeted as the doors behind him closed.

"No one was brave enough to even bring me my morning tea?"

"Vette found them passing each other's jobs in the kitchen, my Lord. I took the liberty of doing such a small task." Said the Captain as he began to pour some tea onto the cup.

The Sith smiled. "Then you are to be commended for that bravery of yours. But I do say, Quinn… stop the stoic act, I can sense your frustration five miles from my chambers. Now, what is it?"

Quinn sighed as he was caught red-handed. When he passed the cup to his Lord, he began to speak his piece. "My Lord, I'd appreciate it if you could speak with Vette. Ask her not to disturb me when I'm working."

The Sith took a small sip. "Exactly how is she disturbing you?"

"She's not wired for military precision." Now she could hear the frustration from his mouth loud and clear. "And there is no filter on that Twi'lek mouth. When I was tracking down agent Voloron, she must have overheard me refer to Moff Broysc, and now she persistently pesters me about him. She keeps slipping his name nonsensically into the conversation just to annoy me. Says she won't stop until I tell her why I hate the man."

She mentally sighed. 'Ah, classic Vette.' "She wants to get to know you, Quinn. It wouldn't kill you to make friends."

"With her?" She takes that as a no then. "My Lord, please. It's neither appropriate nor in the Empire's interest to discuss the matter with non-military personnel. Besides, knowing her, the details of Broysc's collapse at Druckenwell and his and my subsequent conflict will only give her more fodder."

"Alright then. Leave it to me, she'll stop bothering you."

"I was hoping you'd say that, my Lord. Thank you." Quinn approves.

"Now, I would advise you to call Vette for me unless you're willing to help me change into my clothes." Quinn must have put too much sugar into the tea and she began her random teasing. Quinn on the other hand, had his cheeks turn pink once more – having the Sith apprentice laugh in amusement. "A joke Quinn, I didn't mean it."

"O-of course my Lord." Moments after Quinn left her chambers, the apprentice placed down her tea and proceeded to change her clothes. The apprentice's gaze turned to the lightsabers on the table for a brief moment, specifically Arrun's lightsaber.

"Don't look at me like that." She mumbled as if she could feel that he was watching her from somewhere beyond death.

When Vette came in all that was left for her to do was help her friend with the armor.

Vette locked the door behind her before proceeding to assist the Sith with the armor. "So… not fond of the idea of Quinn seeing you partly naked?"

Leena sighed. "Vette, I'm a widow."

"So?" The Twi'lek raised her brow as she began to attach the armor onto the Sith Lord. "I may not have been close to Arrun but, even I know he wouldn't want you to torture yourself like this." Her worrisome glance took a peek into the Sith's saddened expression. "You're killing yourself on the inside, Leena."

"I know my duty, Vette." The Sith assured as she turned around to give her companion a sad smile. "I want us to be free of Baras. It's a miracle that he hasn't touched you yet, and it was understandable on how much he held Quinn around his clutches but – no one suffocates from his control as much as me." Placing her hand onto the Twi'lek's shoulder, she did her best to muster a genuine smile. Telling her that everything will be alright and that everything she's doing was for them. "I love Arrun and when he died a part of me died with him. I don't want to lose you too, Vette. I would kill the entire galaxy… to protect you. We're family. Never forget that."

Vette understood what necessary steps her friend was willing to take for freedom, but how could freedom be worth it if Leena did die in the process?

She couldn't bring herself to even think about it.

What happened to Arrun was a complete tragedy, and Leena was correct – a part of her died with him on that day. Darth Occlus wasn't an idiot either – she knew that Baras had something to do about it, hitting two birds with one stone. The only thing he did wrong was that he did it too soon.

'Always take him seriously.' Tremel's words rang through her head as she proceeded to meet with her grandmother at the great hall, but she wasn't alone. She had a couple of men around her age, probably a tad older and a few girls around her age. The Sith could only assume that they were her remaining cousins that were lucky enough to survive the Battle of Alderaan or who were born afterward.

The grandchildren were rather shocked to see that the rumors around their estate were true, most of them were shocked but a few remained calm in her presence. Aletra broke the silence of the room when she spoke strictly. "Don't just sit there you hens, show some respect towards the Lady Sern!"

Even though Leena wasn't formally acknowledged, she was still the heiress to this household. The few who were calm immediately stood up, to bow in the presence of their lady. The rest did rather hesitantly, there was no doubt that she was a Sern – the rare shade of grey in her eyes gave that away. What made these flock of hens scared was that she's Sith.

"Why are you already wearing your armor, child? Come and join us for breakfast." The Lady Aletra offered.

Leena shook her head, politely refusing. "I have to go and see Kendoh." A Sith working with a Thul, no surprise there.

"Gesselle Organa wouldn't be so please if she knew that a Sern is aiding a Thul."

"I'm not aiding a Thul." The heiress corrected as the eyes of her cousins were all on her. "He's nothing more than a puppet for the Empire to control. I don't answer to him, he answers to me."

"Forgive me, my Lady," One of the men at the table bowed once more as he got the attention of the Sith apprentice. "I am Norin Kurt Sern, we are second cousins."

"Give it a rest Norin," The other spoke in arrogance as he waved that off. "Sith don't listen to reason. The only thing she would bring us is the total destruction of this family."

"Watch your mouth Anthony—" Aletra warned but Leena raised her hand, having the room in complete silence in the hall. The tension grew stronger, even the Twi'lek and the Captain could feel it. No one needed the Force to know how intense this morning has become.

"Organa would mark us all traitors if we allow this… this monster to become the head of this household! She would sell us to the Empire just like those treacherous Cortess nobles!" Anthony didn't need to filter his words.

"You do realize that even if Organa denies my very existence that you will still answer to me, yes?" Leena didn't back down and stood tall and proud in the presence of her relatives. She showed this kind of commanding aura that had some respect for the few members of House Sern, but the rest were scared of what could happen if they ally themselves with a Sith. "Do you think I owe it we owe it to each other? To Organa? To Alderaan? I've been the heiress to this family since my mother was slaughtered in this castle."

"You don't understand, my Lady." He dared speak to her in mockery. "What matters is the survival of this family and right now acknowledging you as its heiress could destroy Sern!"

"You're not the only one thinking of this family's future." She had the word of her grandmother but even that wasn't enough, their traditions won't stop them. Serns were even more skeptical of the idea of a woman being in power – to think that Aletra survived those years with her own grandchildren thinking that way. But the Sith wasn't sure if words mean anything here anymore.

"You want us to treat you like a ruler? Someone who could say no? What, do you need lives at stake to take this seriously? Our traditions don't apply to your Sith ways. I heard conflicting reports… before you even left Dromand Kaas. You're already a widow, are you not, cousin?" The man named Anthony clearly had no respect for the Sith apprentice.

This irritated Vette, perhaps even Quinn who was a protocol man but Leena understood why her cousins were wary of her. The crimes of her mother have not yet been pardoned from their hearts. She destroyed this family's future by slaughtering their grandfather.

"Trust me when I tell you this, cousin, I have lost more than you can batter. I know my duty and I know that there are too many lives at stake, to those who would die for me because they believe I would die for them? That is my duty, cousin. Do you know yours?" Anthony didn't have much to say, but Leena had more. "Your loyalty is to House Sern, I understand that completely. But I am more than your cousin, I am your Lady regardless if Organa acknowledges me or not, you still answer to me. I cannot allow your ignorance and your disrespect towards me to stand."

"Would you even dare to defy the Empire for the sake of this family's survival?" The question of every surviving Sern on the table.

Leena didn't even pause to think for a moment. "I would defy the Emperor himself if he would try to buy and sell my family. I will not risk Sern's freedom."

Power is always fleeting. Words that her mother and even Darth Occlus told her time and time again – but with two very different meanings. She didn't want this, but she had to stand where her mother stood to correct the errors of her sins. Leena was nobody's first choice and there she was, earning a small amount of respect from her few remaining cousins.

"You will have many nobles against you," Her Cousin Norin spoke out. "Thul won't allow it even if they do fear you, and then there's Organa who will try to test your loyalty. And if you even decline Organa's advice, you will lose the benefit of their acknowledgment as your rightful place as Lady of this household."

"I know that, cousin Norin." She knew that she needed to put on an act, that she can't always show what's in her heart. Appearances matter for people like them. Widowed and with no child, to name a successor in times like this is placing a target on oneself.

As the saying goes: Serns are hard to tame.

Thul might want to destroy Organa, and if they can't they will have to destroy the minor players who support their enemies. The ruling requires to let their hands be drenched in blood. Leena already knew that. But regardless if she was Sith nor not, her legitimacy as the most senior member of the bloodline makes her a better choice.

Kendoh was playing her for a fool. Leena was very aware of that and her patience of the idiot was wearing thin. Empire or Republic, it was an insult to even think he could play her in his hands. The arrogance would make the Sith want to cut off his head.

When she arrived at the Thul estate that morning, Duke Kendoh wasn't pleased with all. "I heard you decided not to allow FimmRess to bring the Lady Aletra to me. I am most disappointed."

"Don't cry over it, do your own dirty work." Vette and Quinn approve.

"Don't you know me very well? There was no more dirty work to be done!" The Duke began to become irritated at this small exchange. "You only had to allow my men to take her! By denying my claim to Aletra, you certainly aren't providing me much incentive to help you. Where is my motivation?" He was becoming too demanding for her taste.

"I suspect that self-preservation is an incentive enough, or maybe I should kill you?" Vette was rather shocked by the threat and Quinn seems to have seen this coming.

Duke Kendoh gulped. "Considered me motivated." He then continued if he wanted to live by the end of the day.

"So, FimmRess tells me that lead was fruitful. Although, Lady Aletra was nor the girl's mistress, she knew who was – Gesselle Organa. I should say, General Gesselle Organa. Now you have to track her down, which poses a bit of a problem."

"If you can't solve the problem, you should be afraid." It only takes less than five seconds to ignite a lightsaber.

"Well, I'd better come up with a solution then." She could have treated her kindly if his attitude towards her was different from the start. The apprentice knew he didn't deserve much mercy from her. "Gesselle Organa leads the Organa war against House Ulgo. Her headquarters is protected by an impenetrable force field. No firepower can breach it. The forcefield allows Gesselle and her advisors to be stationed very close to the front lines and maintain a more hands-on command."

Leena sighed. "Sounds like General Organa knows what she's doing, but I grow impatient for an answer, Kendoh."

"These things can't be rushed. Unless… yes, wait. I think I have it." 'He better has a good plan.' "A force field power to maintain itself, yes?"

The Twi'lek held her laughter, the Captain sighed, and the Sith responded as her eye twitched behind her helmet.

"And for a moment I thought you had a plan." She said as she ignited her lightsaber.

Duke Kendoh raised his hands up, begging. "P-please hear me out! If we manage to cut the power… I bet I know exactly where Gesselle is getting her juice! If I'm right, you could just walk through the front door!"

"' IF I'm right'" Leena repeated his words with discontent as she held her lightsaber high. "My patience is wearing thin, Kendoh."

He continued to beg. "I-I'm giving you little reason to! I hope to remedy that… my Lord. Almost all the power on Alderaan is supposed to be the planetary generator. Gesselle must be piggybacking the system to power her force field. Several of my fellows do this to maintain their special security needs. A precise charge at the generator will force fail-safes to fire. The planet won't miss a beat, but ancillary systems like Organa's force fields will have to be manually reset. Which could take some time."

The Sith sighed as she turned to Quinn, knowing he would observe the situation in a matter of minutes. "What's your assessment of the Duke's plan, Captain?

Quinn nodded as he provided. "It's sound my Lord. If the force field operates on an emergency power tap, when the system transfers to backup sources, the tap will have to be re-engaged."

"Your man knows his stuff." The Duke praised in hopes it was enough to save his skin.

Afterward, she turned to the Twi'lek. "Vette?"

"I'll tell you. I just don't trust this guy." She didn't have a reason to lie.

"What a… charming creature you are. Believe me, this is the only way to gain access to the Organa headquarters." He then turned to the Sith assigned to him. "FimmRess, fetch seven-stroke detonator from my arms cabinet and give it to your friend."

"As you wish." He didn't seem so happy about the order when he left. Then again, if she was in his shoes, she wouldn't want to serve the Duke either.

"The Alderaan power generator is located above the straight Valley and it boasts the planet's most advanced security systems. You will have to fight your way in, set the charge, then fight your way out before the boom. It won't be easy."

"Are you trying to make me angry?"

"Forgive me! Just seeking to prepare you the best I am able. Once you've detonated the generator, you'll still have to wake through Gesselle's surrendering army and invade her headquarters before her force field reset. I will be eagerly tracking your progress. Good luck."

As the Sith left the Thul estate, Quinn was calculating how long their travel would be on foot. Even an Imperial like him knew how much his Lord took her work seriously, and how much she was willing to assist her family regardless of their allegiance. He knew it also troubled her.

She was not the typical Sith, he meant that before.

There was this conflict inside of her. She understood that the true war has never been one waged by droids, or warships, or soldiers. That they are only obstacles against which she tests herself. She slowly understood that the true war is waged in the heart of all living things, an inner conflict that mirrors the Force – the light and the dark.

A war that's against her own nature, two sides of the same coin.

Arrun once told her that is what shapes and binds the galaxy together, not these creations of men. A culture's teachings and most importantly, the nature of its people achieve the very definition in conflict. She was part of the Empire, regardless of her Alderaanian blood – she knew that well.

She could feel it again.

The disturbance in the Force.

During their stay in the Sern estate, Quinn did manage to get information from the servants and even the soldiers. With House Ulgo usurping the throne, it was the very key that triggers the civil war – and a peace process was being prepared.

Leena gave specific instructions to Vette, knowing that her skills would be enough to plant the explosives onto the generator. Leena and the Captain waited for the Twi'lek to return. Quinn had his eyes on the datapad, performing more advance calculations to see the mission to succeed – but his attention would turn to his Lord when she decided to remove her helmet, unable to wait any longer for their companion.

By looking into her files some months back, Quinn was very much aware of the twelve-year age gap between them. He was also aware of her past since Nar Shaddaa. She's young but she has great potential, and he didn't need the Force to know that.

When Vette came back, Leena wore her helmet again and they finally proceeded to the Organa headquarters. The Sith didn't want any trouble with the Organa forces but before she could even speak her own terms, the soldiers immediately began to shoot their blasters. Forcing the woman to ignite her lightsaber and her companions to hold out their weapons.

All she needed was a single lightsaber to cut through the Organa soldiers and she knew very well that General Gesselle would not appreciate it.

The deeper their infiltration went, the more soldiers she had to kill.

When they managed to arrive at the very bottom of the headquarters, Leena didn't have much of a choice than to stick her lightsaber through the door and forced herself in. While Gesselle and her men were clearly having problems already.

"General, our standing army outside is being wiped out. Someone or something is on its way here." One of her advisers spoke. As Leena finally entered, she was greeted by two Organa soldiers with their blasters pointed towards her. All she needed was a wave of her hand to send him flying towards the wall, knocking them unconscious.

"My technicians almost have the force field reset, but we're still a sitting duck!"

"There have been several assassinations of House Thul officials whose security systems were downed by the generator explosion. In my opinion, House Ulgo is behind all of this."

"Your opinion is about to change," The Sith got the attention of Gesselle and her men, though she turned off her lightsaber, she didn't want to further complicate the whole situation on the matter and gave her demands. "I'm here for information on Jaesa Willsaam's family."

"Intruder!" Before the man could even fire his blaster, Leena just made it flying, shattering the monitor in the process.

"Gesselle! Get behind me!" One man shielded the general. The Sith could feel a sense of devotion to this one. One that goes beyond professionalism towards the General.

"None of you panic." Said the General. "I'll handle this. Sith, did I hear you right? You've perpetrated all this in search of my former handmaiden?"

"I was about to speak in peaceful terms, but your men outside forced me to resort in violence instead."

"Like me, you'll stop at nothing to achieve your goals." The woman seems to know what she could offer the Sith. "You have decimated by forces outside. They were to be deployed to secure a part of my front that's about to fall. Now I have no reinforcements. You seek information only I have and my front needs bolstering. Perhaps we can help each other."

"Reasonable." The Sith nodded, but she wasn't done. "I will back your men in the front, in return, I will have information that I seek as well as full acknowledgment."

"I'm afraid I don't follow you Sith." Gesselle was rather confused. Leena could sense it.

Slowly removing her helmet, the Sith revealed her face and identity towards the General. Gesselle didn't need a second look to know that this one is a Sern. "Leena Sern of House Sern, the oldest surviving child of Zylas Sern."

"Ah, so you're the heiress that was off-world." This practically changed the rules. "You wish to seek acknowledgment as head of your house?"

"In return for my services, yes." Mere information wasn't enough. After all, this Sith was willing to replace a whole battalion of soldiers she just slaughtered some time ago. "Of course, Lady Aletra will continue ruling in my stead and we will make sure that House Sern will be in the best interest of House Organa. If you could arrange it. I can also grant you the assurance that my affiliation with the Empire will not trouble your house nor this planet."

"Then I will make arrangements. I'm glad we see eye to eye." Gesselle didn't seem to have much of a choice. She couldn't also deny the fact that this Sith is Sern, the eyes were living proof of that and lady Aletra has always been a brilliant ally to their cause with their military resources. "Now, on my left flank, there's a tunnel between my forces and House Ulgo's that have been hard-pressed by the enemy. I have only a ragtag troop defending this tunnel, and Ulgo is about to attack. You must repel the enemy forces."

"No need to worry," spoke the Sith. "I will accomplish it but you'd better hold your end of the deal."

"It is strange to say this to a Sith, but you have my and House Organa's thanks, and I am a woman of my word. What's left of my forces at the tunnel choke point are being led by Lieutenant Dargus. I'll let Dargus know you're coming. He'll contact me as soon as you've succeeded. Assuming you do."

"I'm a Sern." She reminded the General. "I hate to disappoint."

"I have a good feeling you won't. Goodbye, Sith. As uncomfortable as it is to say, I hope we speak again soon." And she did.

It was a rather interesting development to see a Sith assisting her. When Leena finally left the headquarters, Gesselle couldn't help but smile – last time she saw eyes like that were decades ago. Though Serns have been holding up well since the murder of their previous leader, Organa has never lost respect for them even when Aletra held the position as regent.

"General, was it wise to let the Sith perform the job?"

"What's the saying?" Gesselle kept on smiling. "Serns are hard to kill and hard to tame."