Lux had been in the company of the members of the Ruling Council of Onderon for all of ten minutes, and already the situation was looking bleak.

The rich traders and businesspeople who held sway in Onderon's personal commerce guilds had already grabbed their valuables and left to seek out remote hidey-holes in the far reaches of the Arrowhead Mountains or in the caves along the shores of the Inland Sea, leaving the task of saving their world to others. Lux knew that so long as their profits were in danger, they would be staying well out of the line of fire. Chalking them up as allies would be a mistake.

The Onderonians were not a greedy people by nature, nor were they fickle; but when they gave, they gave with the expectation of an eventual return. And if that return was threatened...

They're like rats on a sinking ship, Lux thought to himself, all so desperate to push one another out of the way and get to safety that they stumble and fall over their own grimy paws.

He couldn't bring himself to blame them, however – at least, not as much as he would have any other day. The fleet of warships hunkering just beyond the horizon like a pride of gundarks waiting to move in for the kill was more than enough to sow panic in the brave and the faint of heart alike.

The politicians on the Ruling Council, on the other hand, were shouting so loudly in an effort to drown out any and all points of view opposing their own Lux wondered if any of them were even able to hear their thoughts clearly enough to process them before they spoke – much less agree on anything.

Some called to rally the military; others objected. One person called for the Onderonian monarchy to reach out to its most powerful friends and seek to renew the terms of their alliances in case the Trade Federation was planning more than just a blockade. Another insisted that reacting out of mere paranoia was foolish, and that they needed not depend on any one ruling government apart from their own.

It was all the same questions and answers over and over again, but no one seemed to see that. Part of Lux wanted to fling himself into the rabble without a care for the consequences and yell for them all to quiet down and listen to one another, but he held back. It was not his place to disrupt the debates of the Ruling Council, no matter how heated; only to look on them with a cool eye and interject when matters involving the Senate and Onderon's dealings with the outside galaxy came into play.

"Silence."

Lux turned his head fractionally as Lady Avahla spoke, giving her his attention without completely disregarding the scene unfolding before them. Before long, he realized that he was the only one who had heard her speak, most likely due to the fact that, as per custom, he was standing to the immediate left of her throne. The royal heir had received no reaction from the other squabbling delegates, and she was less than pleased.

Deciding to throw diplomacy to the wind, Lux stepped forward to call the assembly to order. But Lady Avahla beat him to it.

"Silence!"

Lux started, surprised that such a phenomenal roar could come from such a small woman. But the bellow had its desired effect: everyone in the room froze, and, under the force of Lady Avahla's cold, hard stare, they slowly regained their seats.

"Thank you," Lady Avahla continued, turning to meet the eyes each of the thirty delegates in turn. With her hands folded in her lap just so and her expression as demure as ever, it was almost as though she had never raised her voice in the first place. "Now that I have your attention, I invite you all to bring your points to the table. There is something valid in what each and every one of you has to say, and I will not make a decision without taking everything into consideration."

Lux noted the lowered gazes and flushed cheeks with a degree of satisfaction.

"This is an act of war!" came a voice from the far end of the demicircle of chairs. "The Trade Federation means to destroy us!"

"But the Senate will come to our defense!" someone else contested bravely, though Lux thought it sounded more like a question than a statement. "They cannot ignore what is happening here; the Republic has a sworn duty–!"

"The Republic has abandoned us," another voice stated flatly.

The uneasy silence hanging over the room exploded into shocked whispers, and all eyes turned towards the speaker that had prompted them: General Avex Tandin, commander-in-chief of the Onderonian military.

"If the Senate has not reacted already, then it never will," the general continued. "We must prepare for the worst, taking precautions available to us from within our own space alone."

Lux's heart sank as he noticed the rising sentiment of agreement in the room. More and more nods and looks were being exchanged between council members.

"I'm sure they sent someone," Lux pressed, struggling to keep the desperation out of his voice. "Milady, please – you mustn't be so quick to lose faith in the Republic. Let me call Senator Palpatine and ask him what the situation is on Coruscant. There's got to be more to this than we're able to see as of yet."

"We are a small planet, Senator," Lady Avahla reminded him softly. "If we call for help now, we risk losing everything we have built: our reputation with the Commerce Guilds, our standing in the Senate... We have to prove that Onderon can rely on itself, and does not need the backing of the Republic to stand its ground."

"I hardly think our pride is worth the safety of the people!" Steela cried.

Ever the social justice warrior, Lux thought, the corners of his mouth twitching fractionally upward. Contrary to their family's wishes, she and Saw had chosen to stay at the palace over going into hiding – Steela to represent the Gerreras on the Ruling Council, and Saw to attend to his duties as Captain of the Guard.

But the implications of what Steela had said were less than becoming, and everyone present knew that. It was plain as day that she disapproved of the idea, but it also wasn't much of a stretch to think that Steela, as of now the acting representative of the Onderonian trade network, doubted the royal heir's ability to make choices that would benefit the people she served above all else.

Lady Avahla's eyes narrowed fractionally, but she said nothing. Steela lowered her gaze, hiding her hands in the folds of her skirt. Despite the unchecked impulsiveness she was known for (which Lux had long been convinced was a family trait), she knew better than to push her boundaries too far.

"Then pray tell, Lady Steela, what do you propose?"

A hush fell over the entire Council as they waited for Steela's reply. Everyone knew as well as Lux did that she was on dangerous ground, and the terse anticipation for her reaction could have been cut with a blunt vibroblade.

It was then that Lux realized that, beneath her calm, collected exterior, the royal heir was extremely on the edge. He knew it was the only thing that had prompted her to speak that way. Underneath her carefully fashioned mask, she was every bit as frazzled as the rest of them – probably ten times more so.

Lady Avahla had had all of this thrust upon her in an instant. With the news of the blockade over Onderon, the already failing health of her granduncle, King Dendup, had worsened considerably. She had found herself with a system to run in a time of crisis, probably far before she had been ready to take on the mantle.

"Call the Trade Federation," Steela said, rising to her feet. "Tell them we mean business, and that we won't tolerate this any longer. But I beg of you, don't shut out our allies when we may yet have need for their aid. Especially not the Naboo."

The members of the Ruling Council began to talk amongst themselves again, and once more, murmurs of agreement gradually rose up above those of doubt.

"A fair compromise," Lux added without thinking.

Lady Avahla shot him a look out of the corner of her eye, but after a long, charged moment, she nodded. "I agree; it is a fair compromise. Does anyone else have a counterproposal?"

No one did.

Lady Avahla inclined her head. "All in favor?"

Twenty-three of the thirty delegates raised their hands.

"Majority rules," Lady Avahla murmured. Then, she rose from the throne to address the assembly once more. "Very well. I say as ruler in my Lord Granduncle's stead that we will contact the Trade Federation and Senator Palpatine. Hopefully he will have good news for us. Senator Bonteri, make the necessary arrangements."

Lux inclined his head. "As you wish, my Lady."

"General Tandin, have your officers on standby to increase military security to the outer walls of Iziz, the emergency supply depots, city power generators and to all other vital sectors. We need to be ready in case the Trade Federation is planning something more than just a blockade."

General Tandin stood to attention, clicking his heels and giving her a stiff, solemn salute. "Very good, my Lady."

"So we're going to fight?" a voice asked as the general left the throne room.

In that moment, Lux thought Lady Avahla's face looked more like one of the statues of her ancestors than a young face fresh with the loveliness of youth, even as it was being dulled down by the weight of responsibility. "Not unless they make the first move. As of now, these are precautions – nothing more."

Then, a man dressed in the uniform of a communications officer entered the room. Upon having bowed twice at the door in the traditional fashion – arms extended, palms up – he hurried forward.

"My Lady, I bring news."

Lady Avahla nodded, and, upon having taken a moment to catch his breath, the man began to speak.

"We just received word from the Chancellor's office. Two ambassadors were sent to negotiate with the Trade Federation, and they are in orbit now."

There were audible sighs of relief from the delegates.

"We have the coordinates of the lead Trade Federation vessel, my Lady," a security officer interjected from the back. "We are ready to transmit."

"Thank you." Suddenly, Lady Avahla turned to face Lux again. "Senator, I would ask that you go stand back with the other council members."

"But, my Lady, my place is beside–"

She held up a hand, cutting him off mid-sentence. "Do as I ask, Senator. The less people they have on their facial recognition scanners, the better. As far as they are concerned, I am the sole face of Onderon. That may create opportunities further down the line for the likes of you if things begin to go wrong."

"Isn't that a bit..." Lux searched a moment for a word. "Excessive?"

"Perhaps. But there's no harm in being careful." She put her hand on his shoulder in a moment of empathy before regaining her seat. The holoprojector set into the floor flickered to life, and the bronze designs in her crown shone gold like rays of the sun they were meant to mimic.

Lux nodded and stood back. A moment later, a two-dimensional image of the main bridge of a Trade Federation ship appeared on the air above them, rotating slowly on an invisible axis. As the image loaded and turned from plain blue to full color, Lady Avahla sat taller in her seat, her expression turning from unreadable to vaguely threatening.

"At last, you come before us, Your Highness." A Neimoidian dressed in ornate red robes – Viceroy Nute Gunray, no doubtstepped forward, and his grey eyes glittered eerily even through the hologram. "Our deepest condolences for your Lord King – it was not our intention to trouble his delicate health."

So, I guess that means they have eyes and ears here on the surface, Lux thought grimly, crossing his arms. The King put Lady Avahla in charge only yesterday, and it's typical procedure in a time of crisis to keep that secret from all but the Ruling Council and royal court. The Trade Federation would have had no other way of knowing.

Lux scanned the room quickly, wondering who it could have been who let the sensitive piece of information slip. But he shook himself a moment later. You're being paranoid, he told himself. These are the King's most trusted advisors. It's almost impossible that the traitor is among them – if there even is one at all.

"I thank you for your concern, Viceroy," Lady Avahla intoned icily, "though you may not be so pleased when you hear what I have to say. Your trade boycott of our planet has ended."

Viceroy Gunray and one of his officials exchanged a look. "I was not aware of such failure," he said, and while he did not ask her why directly, the lilt at the end of his sentence begging her to continue made the inquiry for him.

"I have word that the chancellor's ambassadors are with you now, and that you have been commanded to reach settlement."

The Viceroy cocked his head. "I know nothing of any ambassadors. You must be... mistaken."

Lady Avahla was silent for a long moment, her eyes narrowing to mere slits. "Beware, Viceroy. The Federation has gone too far this time. This blockade of yours may be legal, but if you overstep your boundaries, we will retaliate."

Though how they would retaliate, Lux realized, she hadn't specified. And perhaps they could use that to their favor.

"We would never do anything without the approval of the Senate," Gunray replied, his voice smooth like midsummer honey. "You assume too much."

"We will see."

Sensing that Lady Avahla had nothing more to say, Lux nodded to the officer from before to turn off the holoprojector.

As the image faded away, Lady Avahla's body snapped to one side, her blue eyes flashing. "Contact Senator Palpatine immediately," she ordered. "The situation is more serious that I thought."

"It may take some time to patch a signal through to Coruscant, my Lady," the officer told her. She raised an eyebrow, the corners of her mouth tightening in disapproval, and he paled visibly. "But I'll do my best."

"The Viceroy was lying," Lux said, returning to his place at Lady Avahla's side.

The royal heir made a very unladylike sound that was just a hair above a snort, and Lux bit back a smile. "Clearly."

Steela came over to stand beside them. "Do you really believe an attack is imminent? There's nothing in the Charter of Commerce about doing more than blockading a system or a hyperspace route to protest. Believe me, I know – I was forced to memorize it as a child."

Lady Avahla's silence was all the answer Steela was given, but also all the answer Lux needed.

"And the Senate would never approve something like that – much less take the next step and legalize it," he added, breaking the silence. "But I will endeavor to find any loopholes in the Charter that could potentially be exploited, Lady Avahla."

Steela nodded. "I'll help you."

"My Lady, we're patching through to Senator Palpatine now," an officer called. Lady Avahla nodded for Lux to step forward, naturally expecting him to take charge of the call. After all, relations with the Senate and other Senators was his area of expertise – especially considering this particular Senator had been something of a mentor to him in the past.

"Hallo, Senator Bonteri – Lady Avahla," intoned Senator Sheev Palpatine as the transmission flickered to life. He offered each of them a polite nod and a faintly unnerving half-grin. (Lux, however, no longer found it unnerving. He had long since learned to see past it.) "I hate to be abrupt, but I sense that there is little time to spare with pleasantries. How have things developed since we last spoke? Have the negotiations been successful?"

"They've worsened, I'm afraid – the negotiations haven't started, because the ambassadors aren't there. The Trade Viceroy claims to know nothing about them."

"Negotiations haven't started because the ambassadors aren't there?" Palpatine echoed, his eyebrows jumping up his forehead bit by bit as the normally smooth gesture was cut off by sudden bursts of static. "How can that be true? I have assurances from the chancellor his ambassadors did arrive."

"As do we, Senator, but–" Lux broke off as the transmission began to fluctuate more rapidly, his eyes widening as he realized Palpatine hadn't received his reply.

"It must be– handiwork– n-n-negotiate– ambassadors... Nobody would–"

Lady Avahla leaned forward in her seat as the image of the Senator for Naboo disappeared entirely, her brows drawn together in concern. "Senator Palpatine?" she called, before turning back to the officer from earlier. "What's happening?"

"Check the transmission generator," Lux ordered, and the officer grabbed a comlink off his belt and began speaking into it.

"A communications disruption can only mean one thing: invasion," Lessut Aleri stated, and Lux's eyes narrowed. He had never liked the man, mostly because he only ever looked out for himself and had been rumored to be involved in a number of less-than-legal trade ventures on Dxun. The details of the matter escaped Lux now, but the rumors of the trafficking of sentients being involved that were still circulating even now definitely did not.

Technically, the man was one of the businessmen, so his being here was unusual. Something – likely with cash incentive – had caught his attention enough to convince him to stay on the council instead of going into hiding with the rest of his allies. But what that was, Lux didn't know.

"The Federation would not dare go that far," Lady Avahla said, but the look on her face told him her words sounded hollow even to her.

"The Senate would revoke their trade franchise, and they'd be finished," Steela added.

"We must continue to rely on negotiation," Lux stated calmly, hoping to diffuse the tension before it could get the better of anyone.

"Negotiation?" another voice demanded. "We've lost all communications! And where are the chancellor's ambassadors?"

"This is a dangerous situation, your Highness," General Tandin said, having returned from briefing his subordinates. "My soldiers are brave of heart and strong of spirit, but as of now consist mostly of new recruits who have never seen combat before. They are no match against a battle-hardened Federation army."

Lady Avahla exhaled a long breath, closing her eyes for a moment. "Then I will not condone a course of action that will lead us to war unless absolutely necessary."

*HAPPY MAY THE FOURTH EVERYONE

EVEN THOUGH ITS LIKE ALMOST MIDNIGHT

BUT HEY I HAD TO SPEND THREE GOOD HOMEWORK/ WRITING HOURS MAKING SOPAPILLAS FOR CINCO DE MAYO TOMORROW

BUT THEY TASTE AMAZING SO EVEN IF IM DEAD TIRED ITS ALL GOOD

Anyways, chapter delves deep into the workings behind the Onderonian throne, but let me tell you that it's just the beginning. This book is going to be very centered around politics, since while I felt like they were a heavy theme in the prequel trilogy, they came to a lot of conclusions that I felt were too simple, and most of them were unexplained. Obviously they wouldn't have had time to explain them without affecting the flow of the movies, but since you can afford that in a book, I'm going to be taking advantage.

I want to get inside Lux's head and look at this whole invasion situation through his eyes, because I'm pretty sure he'll have some insightful comments to make, especially considering what's coming next... 

So yeah, get ready for a lot of Lux chapters and a fair share of Obi-Wan and/or Qui-Gon chapters until I can start bringing in some other characters ;)

The Onderonian people value a ruling monarch as much as decisions made by a council, so the two usually rule in equal parts unless one wants to lean more on the other. This is the case for Lady Avahla, who usually lets the council make the decisions without much interjection. Then, unless she absolutely must shut it down, she uses her power to make them happen. 

This is mostly because she was literally just put on the throne and is only there temporarily, so despite having a vast knowledge of politics and the respect of everyone there, she's simply not comfortable enough to take on an equal share of the decision making yet.

Anyways, I had initially hoped to finish a Stuffy update for today as well, but life got in the way (in the form of those delicious sopapillas) so I guess it's gonna be a Revenge of the Fifth update or a weekend update instead. Or maybe I'll save it for next week, since this chapter was a FULL TWO PAGES LONGER THAN USUAL.

Idk. We'll see XD

May the FOURTH be with you,

Sharron

PS: The image above is actually a fan art of Princess Irulan from Dune, but it fit the description I had in my head of Lady Avahla almost exactly (hair like spun gold, sharp blue eyes and a similar face shape to the one in the pic), so I was like, sure, what the heck XD