The Trace Which Remains

Chapter 15: ... to burst into flames...

Code-name Alpha burst into a relieved smile as the doctor turned the corner. She had arrived just in time. Borsk Fey'lya was pressing harder than ever for Vader's trial to commence.

Thankfully, Alpha had kept his appearance secret even to the members of the League of
Vengeance, so that fool Zeta hadn't gotten a chance to blab his identity to the Alliance. They were being far too lenient with Vader- but to all intents and purposes, Alpha had nothing to do with the situation.

Only when the trial began would he come forward with his testimony- and Dr. Devix was here to help. "Do you have the records?"

"Right here in my case, my boy. Soon the galaxy will learn that Vader was not just a murderer..."

A satisfied grin twisted the grey-haired woman's face. "... but also a rapist."

****

Leia heard intense arguing through the door of Mon Mothma's office- clearly she hadn't activated the privacy controls. She had been summoned to the office for a conference involving Borsk Fey'lya- Fey'lya whose voice was now echoing through the hall.

"It is outrageous that you and the rest of High Command are still permitting Organa to serve as Vader's arbiter! If she is Vader's daughter, then we cannot be certain that he will not make her twist the truths! For all anyone knows, he is using her to regain power! The Empire has fallen- it is likely that he just wants to take control of the winning side!"

Mon's voice was clear and firm. "Councilor Fey'lya, if you cannot contain yourself, perhaps it is you who should be relieved of your duties in this trial. Princess Leia and I have already spoken of this, and her rationality and commitment to this Alliance has never been in question."

Leia walked in, her voice calm, her bearing chilled. "I wonder if my client's prosecutor believes this case to be any different than that of any Imperial defector."

"Of course it's different. Darth Vader is the engineer of millions of deaths- and the executioner of billions more."

"No sentient doubts that many have fallen to Vader's blade- but consider this, Borsk. Some of our own people have performed acts of war similar to Vader's. Vader killed out of a military duty- it was what he was commanded to do. Or do you mean to deny that millions were killed aboard the Death Stars? By all technicalities, many of those deaths were classifiable as war crimes- many of the dead in the Death Stars, as well as each Star Destroyer shot down, each base annihilated, were prisoners. Many of them were innocents or members of our own Alliance."

Leia saw Fey'lya's ears flatten, and his voice lowered. "No single person in the Alliance is guilty of as much innocent death as Vader is."

Mon Mothma intervened. "Actually, Councilor... there is at least one."

"Who?"

With a sigh of regret, Mothma continued. "Myself. I have led millions into battle- and to their deaths. Thousands of worlds have fallen to the Empire as a result of my merely visiting them. Palpatine feared my influence- so he made examples of the innocents on the worlds I visited."

Resting her head on one hand, Mothma closed her eyes. "I returned to Dantooine after its destruction- I saw the bodies of children shot apart."

"I knew Anakin Skywalker briefly before the end of the Clone Wars- and a person cannot change so much that death no longer affects them. If they do not care about the dead- then it means they never did."

Fey'lya was clearly frustrated at having his argument so thoroughly defused. "M'lady, there is a very real difference between unintentionally causing death through unavoidable circumstances and flat-out murder."

Mothma shook her head sadly. "Not to the heart of the one who feels responsible."

Leia cleared her throat. "It seems to me that there's an even greater danger in over-punishing Vader than others may realize. Consider this- first, if we give Vader imperfect justice, what sort of precedent are we setting for other prisoners of war? And secondly, what sort of PERMISSION are we giving the remains of the Empire to treat their prisoners? If Cmdr. Skywalker was captured by the Empire, there is no doubt that they would try him for war crimes just as heinous as Vader's. Do we want to be like the Empire? I understand now- the greatest danger to the Alliance- to each person- comes from within. If we became like the ones we fought against, then are we truly any more in the right?"

"A compelling argument, Princess- but I assure you that I do not seek unnecessary retribution for Vader's crimes. The death sentence has been performed upon individuals guilty of a fraction of a percent of Vader's crimes. I do not find that death would be unreasonable for a man guilty of trillions of deaths."

Mon Mothma stood, and her two guests rose as well. "Thank you for bringing your concerns to me, Councilors. I hope that the both of you will continue to serve well in your positions. I will serve as well as I can in mine."

****

Dr. Severeth munched on a stick of kalari as he read his datapad, wandering the hall between his private quarters and his office, when he caught sight of her.

She didn't look anything like she had- but she was a born actress, performing like a natural in any makeup, any disguise. She stood opposite the hall from one of the Rogue pilots, chatting as though she had nowhere else to be.

He ducked into a side hall, carefully guarding his emotions and his energy. Plagueis's journals had taught him many skills- skills that she had never bothered to instruct him in.

Abruptly, he knew.

He had to spy on her- not an easy task.

****

Leia invited Borsk Fey'lya to the mess hall for a chat. As they sat down with mugs of tea- in Leia's mug, yessmina tea, in Fey'lya's, stim-tea- Leia struck up conversation.

"I was not trying to discredit you, Borsk. I understand that you are only doing your job and what you feel is right."

Fey'lya made a sound in the back of his throat that, in a human, would have seemed like a growl. In the Bothan's case, it was the equivalent of a weary sigh. "You have many good points regarding this case, Princess- I was quite worried that your proximity to the personal situation would blind you to the real issues at hand."

"I am quite aware of my father's history."

"Indeed." Fey'lya blew on his tea to cool it. "If I may ask, how did you discover about your connection to Vader?"

Leia forced herself not to scowl. "The night before the battle of Endor, my brother revealed it to me. He had just come to grips with the truth himself- above Bespin, Vader had told him, but Luke didn't trust him. Instead, he asked the Jedi Master Yoda if it was the truth. Only the day before the rendezvous at Sullust was it confirmed."

"I can understand how it might be... difficult to come to grips with such a dishonorable past."

Leia sat up straighter. "There is nothing dishonorable about my brother's past. As for myself, I try to make my actions speak for themselves- I do not care to assume that my actions are automatically honorable."

"A wise strategy." Fey'lya sipped gingerly at his mug. "I must admit, however... I was quite shocked when you revealed your connection to Vader."

"I had to. My brother was attacked brutally because of this situation. We came into the open because someone out to get us knows the truth- and will tell others that hate my father, in order to hurt him- or us. My brother was hurt because our enemies know that it would devastate our father."

"I was not aware that your brother was attacked."

Leia downed her tea in one gulp. "Maybe you should see the mess they left behind. Do you think you can stomach it?"

"Princess Leia- I am a spy by nature, and I have seen great travesties during this war. I am confident that I can handle a crime scene."

****

Luke sat up in his bed in Myka's office, noticing that the doctor seemed in an even more foul mood than usual. "What's wrong?"

Myka quickly checked Luke's stats, sent a touch of healing energy through Luke, and muttered hastily, "I'm not going to be around for a while. You don't know me, I was never here, you've never heard of me."

"Are you in danger?"

"No." Myka's nostrils flared. "You are. Morata is here."

"Your former master?"

Myka nodded. "I have to disappear. I'm leaving you in Damnyou's care- he's a perfectly capable medical droid. I designed him myself."

"Where are you going?"

"I can't tell you that. You need to forget about me, Skywalker- forget I even existed. And don't trust ANYONE that you don't know. Period. Morata can disguise herself as any humanoid species, either gender, any age. You won't know it's her until you're dead." Myka rushed out before Luke could ask any further questions. He dug deeply into his training to calm himself- not another setback...

****

Fey'lya was clearly shocked when Leia led him to the supply closet where Luke had been assaulted. Leia watched him cautiously step around the debris and blood. The gory, dangling wires on the ceiling seemed like gruesome mockeries of the vines that predatorial trees on Kashyyyk suspended to capture unsuspecting prey.

He turned his back on the hideous sight, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. "This is... very disturbing indeed, Princess. I assume that this was also a sexual assault?"

Leia cringed. "Yes... my brother was assaulted by five men in this room, while a sixth guarded the door. The sixth then turned the other men in to Mon Mothma- four have been detained and will be charged with war crimes, torture, and sexual assault, as well as acts of terrorism."

"It is well that they will be. I can easily sympathize with you and your family. I discovered a family member dead in a scene similar to this one- it is what motivated my definite commitment to the Alliance."

With a sigh, Leia shook her head. "I've never understood what people find so... irresistible about hurting others. In war, it is understandable, although not excusable. But within one's own faction..."

They were interrupted by a shy, "Oh!" coming from the open, tape-barricaded door. They turned to see a small, grey-haired woman carrying a datapad and various supplies.

"Miss Devix," Fey'lya greeted her.

"Dr. Devix, if you will. I've volunteered to perform forensic work for the Alliance while I am here. I'm just here to gather samples."

Leia raised an eyebrow. "A friend of yours, Borsk?"

"A witness, Highness."

The woman's grey eyes hardened as she looked at Leia. If Leia was petite, this woman was absolutely tiny. She stood no higher than Leia's shoulder. "So you are the daughter of the man who killed my husband. I was pregnant at the time- my child was stillborn as a result of my grief." The woman coolly entered the room, brushing past Leia and quickly prying flakes of dried blood and semen from the floor.

"I'm sorry to hear that, doctor."

"You had better be. Vader has no right to have children- not when he took so many people's families away from them."

Awkwardly, Leia bowed. "I suppose I will leave you to your work."

"Please do."

****

Mon Mothma decided around 21:00 that it was time to turn in for the night. This entire week was quite taxing.

Two guards escorted her from her office to her quarters, stopping by the mess hall briefly for a light supper of Corellian sauced meat wraps. She began to eat the portable food on the way.

She was on the second wrap when they turned the corner- and she promptly dropped the wrap on the floor, causing it to splatter sauce on the floor.

The sauce was the same color as the blood pooling on the floor from the dead body slumped against her door.

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