Yet not one stepped forward, because the platform was surrounded by stormtroopers, blaster rifles in hand, their white armor grimy and mud-splotched.
An Imperial official climbed the short ramp that led to the Tantive IV. His eyes were as dead as his tone. “The ‘humanitarian’ mission from Alderaan?”
“Yes.” Leia had prepared a few things to say—some lofty, some defiant, depending on their reception. Any of those careful speeches would’ve sounded so hollow spoken in front of this hungry crowd. “We, ah, we’re ready to get started.”
The official shrugged. “Fine.” With that he made a swift hand motion, and all the stormtroopers went into resting stance.
What happened next seemed to Leia like an avalanche in the Grindel Range, or maybe a flash flood. A rush of people, vaster and faster than she’d ever imagined, surged toward the landing platform, cresting at the edges where they climbed or jumped or pulled others up. Within seconds she and her crew were surrounded by wide eyes and outreached hands. She could hear nothing but their shouts—“We need food!” “Water purification systems? Do you have those?” “Anything, please, give us anything!”
Captain Antilles was trying to push them back. From the corner of her eye she saw another crewmember struggling to set up the first of what would’ve been her many orderly distribution tables—and at the ramp, the Imperial official standing like a stone amid the struggling crowd and smirking at the melee.
It was the smirk that got her. Leia’s fear burned to ashes in a blaze of anger. She leapt onto the table and shouted, at the top of her lungs, “Everybody STOP!”
Everybody did. Probably that was only due to their surprise at a tiny teenaged girl giving orders, but Leia would take what she could get. Captain Antilles snapped a loudhailer module from his belt and handed it up to her.
“Listen to me,” she said, module set to full projection so that even the crowds in the far distance would hear. “You don’t have to rush. You don’t have to fight. We have food here for everyone.”
Barely. She’d thought the rations they brought might feed people for a season or more; this community was so large and so impoverished that they’d devour these supplies within a couple of weeks at most. Still, it was better than nothing…and nothing was all these people had.
She continued, “Give us a few moments to set up our distribution platforms. Maybe—maybe you could spend those moments finding the people in the most need, like the elderly and the sick. You could bring them forward so they can go first and not have to stand around waiting, because you’ll still get everything you need. Everything we have. Got it?”
Murmuring went through the crowd, and at first Leia wondered if they would storm the Tantive IV after all. Then the closest individuals began shuffling back to give them space. In the distance, she spotted people bringing forward a few small children and an elderly woman, with more surely to come.
“All right.” Leia hopped down from the table, skirts flying in a way 2V would certainly have called inelegant. Shouting at the top of her lungs on top of a table would count as inelegant too; it wasn’t exactly how she wanted to be perceived as a leader.
But as she handed the loudhailer module back to Captain Antilles, he looked at her differently. There was no more tilt to his head. Apparently, every once in a while, leadership meant abandoning decorum and yelling as loud as you could. The captain said, “We’ll be set up within minutes, Your Highness.”
Leia acknowledged him with a nod and got to work.
They could’ve programmed droids to do the distribution, but she left them for the labor of hauling out the crates of rations. She wanted these people to see a living face smiling at them, living hands giving them something. You aren’t forgotten, she thought as she held ration packs out to person after person after person. The Empire won’t let us save you, but we can still help.
Such things couldn’t be spoken aloud while she was surrounded by armed stormtroopers. Yet she felt the message came through.
After the rush of distribution, a few people stayed behind to be seen by the ship’s medical droid. The 2-1B could repair broken bones or stitch up wounds, and Leia was grateful for that much, but what these people truly needed was relief from desperation. She had only been able to provide the smallest measure of that, for what would be a very short time.
“Terrible scene, this.” Captain Antilles stood next to her, his hands clasped behind his back. “It reminds you how fortunate we are on Alderaan.”
“Yes, it does.”
Leia had always imagined herself very aware of the wrongs in the galaxy. Her parents had been honest with her about the cruelty of Palpatine’s rule. However, knowing about the suffering was very different from witnessing it. Coming here, she’d felt righteous; being here, she knew herself helpless.
How am I supposed to turn away from this? How am I supposed to fly away from Wobani knowing that these people are left behind?
It came to her in a flash: I won’t leave them behind.
The Empire had given her permission to land. Next, they’d give her permission to load the Tantive IV with as many refugees as it could hold, and fly them away from this place for good.
“Passengers?” Captain Antilles frowned as if trying to translate the word from an alien language. “Your Highness, with all due respect—I understand why you want to do this, but it’s well outside the parameters of our landing clearance.”
“Yes, but I’m going to talk with the Imperial official in charge of this zone. When I explain that we’re actually helping to solve his problems, I’m sure he’ll agree to it.” Already Leia had cleaned her gown and rebraided her hair, in order to make the most regal impression she could. Really she ought to have brought a change of wardrobe along. She’d have to tell 2V that when she got back. It would make the droid’s day.
Captain Antilles shook his head. “Imperial officers aren’t known for flexibility.”
Leia had never dealt with an officer on her own terms before, but surely they couldn’t be more difficult than the palace majordomo. Besides, it wasn’t as though she had to negotiate with a grand moff or anything. According to the records on file, the person in charge was a mere major. She smiled to herself. In any game of cards, a princess trumps a major every time.
Although the captain still appeared wary, he nodded and pointed toward another officer standing around in the now-empty cargo bay. “Lieutenant Batten, you’ll accompany the princess on her journey.”