Leia frowned, confused and glancing back to the redhead. Who was the Commander? Why would he allow her to see Luke?
The redhead narrowed those green eyes, glancing to the door. "Wait here. Watch her."
She strode meaningfully out, expression like thunder, leaving Leia with the distinct feeling that she was about to be marched back down to her cell again absolutely none the wiser. She looked quickly back down, whispering Luke's name again, hand to his cheek. No response. Aware of his eyes on her, she turned sharply back up to the medic, who grinned and stepped forward, unabashed.
"Please forgive me; protocol isn't my strong suit, a malady shared by most medics, I'm afraid. I'm Hallin, the Commander's physician." He took another step forward, still smiling genuinely, expression expectant.
It occurred to Leia that he hadn't recognized her. She had no guards here and still wore her own civilian clothes...he didn't remember who she was. She glanced mutely back down; as well as being the mysterious Commander's, was this man also Luke's physician--was that why he was here? Why assign a medic to him, let alone one of this status? More importantly, why was Luke here at all, and not in the Detention Centre? These were too highly-placed to be any rank and file commander's quarters, and even if they were, what was Luke doing here? Was he here so this commander could keep a close watch on him, assigning his own medic at the same time? She stepped forward graciously, intending to find out. "Leia. I'm a friend of Luke's...a close friend."
"Ah," the medic acknowledged. "From the Palace?"
Leia had to fight to hide her frown; how could the man possibly believe that Luke had friends within the Palace? "Do you...you do know who you're treating here?"
The medic raised his eyebrows in surprised response, as if sharing some secret. "Yes...do you?"
Leia hesitated, unsure what to make of that, though her tone remained indignant, giving away none of her confusion. "Of course I do. I just told you, we're old friends."
The medic backed down completely at this. "Of course--forgive me, I'm afraid I'm new to Palace life; protocol and such. Who does and doesn't know."
Bringing her most regal, authoritarian air to bear, Leia smiled graciously as she spoke. If there was one thing she could do, it was stately formality. "I quite understand. How is he?"
Hallin stepped forward, still obviously unsure who she was, but probably recognizing a well-bred upper-class accent and attitude when he heard one, and automatically going into medical-mode. "He's...he's stable now. Comfortable."
Leia glanced down to hide her frown; Comfortable..? Why would the Empire want their number one Most Wanted enemy comfortable? Why would they put him in lavish, extensive private apartments in the Imperial Palace, completely unguarded, doors wide open? She stared at the man for several long seconds, trying unsuccessfully to pull the pieces together.
"I'm sorry...why is he here?" she finally blurted, unable to hide her confusion.
Fortunately, Hallin completely misunderstood, turning to check the medical readouts. "Oh, the Emperor commanded that he be brought back to his own quarters to recover after surgery. I would have preferred that he stay in the dedicated medi-center but...well, you cant' really argue when the command comes down. I'm sure you know that he's been on an extended mission, away from the Palace for some time apparently. I suppose he thought it would be best for the Commander to recuperate in more familiar surroundings, now that the last of his surgeries is complete."
He glanced meaningfully down at Luke's right side and Leia, still thrown from the medic's referral to Luke by rank, only now noticed the perfect prosthetic replacement for his severed hand, a clean white medi-strip wrapped about the point where artificial skin was grafted onto real flesh. She reached tentatively out to touch it; it felt warm beneath her fingers, skin on skin.
"It's the very latest prosthesis, almost as many nerves as the real thing--and the skin is lab-matched. Quite amazing," the medic enthused, completely missing the one real point; he shouldn't have needed it, Leia thought.
"Why did you do this?" she said at last.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, you didn't know? I'm so sorry, the Commander...lost his hand in...a recent...action."
The medic was right; diplomacy wasn't his strong-suit.
"Yes, I do know, and I know who did it. I know everything." Leia couldn't keep the anger from her voice at the medic's carefully modulated reply, as if the Empire had nothing to do with Luke's injuries.
"You know?" he hedged, visibly uncertain how to react to such a direct manner and obviously dubious as to how much she truly knew.
"Vader's many things, but moderate isn't one of them," Leia said.
.
.
"...Yes." Nathan Hallin hesitated as he looked the rather curiously-dressed woman up and down again. He was becoming used to all manner of unexpected individuals here in the corridors of power, though the Commander's sprawling apartments housed only the same few, ever. This was the first new face that he'd seen in here since his arrival...but then ther seemed to be a lot of breaks from routine happening today, with the absent guards and doors which were usually locked and guarded flung wide open. Perhaps she was another 'Military Aide,' as Commander Jade was; she certainly had that edge to her, that sense of no-nonsense competence which was, frankly, a little scary.
Still, he was deeply uncomfortable at the woman's direct mention of Vader. It had been made patently clear to him that Skywalker's parentage, his identity, even his name, wasn't general knowledge within the Palace...and just as clear that the Emperor intended to keep it that way. Yet this woman seemed to know; Hallin wondered momentarily just how close a 'friend' she really was, that she'd know so much about him. In truth he knew nothing of Skywalker's past save what he'd learned over the last few days, mostly from Commander Reece, the ex-Imperial guard who had been assigned years ago as Luke's Adjutant--and even that was guarded. There were, in fact, things which Hallin had been told not to mention even to him, and there was clearly a great deal that he was keeping from Hallin. It occurred suddenly that perhaps this woman who seemed so willing to speak her mind, could enlighten him further. "The Commander's relationship with his father is rather...volatile, don't you think?"
She blinked. "I'm sorry?"
Commander Reece chose that moment to come bursting into the room with the towering, blue-skinned Chagrian Chancellor Amedda, no less, trailed by two Imperial Officers.
"Hallin, you're sure that the Commander couldn't have woken this morning?" Reece walked briskly forward, all business, eyes pausing only briefly on the unknown woman, who glanced between them in silence.
"Quite sure." Hallin turned to his medical readouts, activating a screen to check his facts. "Yes, quite sure. He hasn't yet regained consciousness."
.
.
Leia had retreated a step as The Emperor's chancellor, Mas Amedda, had entered the room, knowing that her chance for any further information was lost. She turned back to stare at Luke, mind swimming in a sea of confusion, still trying to fathom the meaning of the medic's question, so casually spoken, The obvious conclusion to draw was that Luke and Vader...but that was wrong, of course. He was wrong, or she'd misunderstood. Yes, misunderstood; the whole morning had been strangely surreal. The conversation carried on about her, distant to her ears.
"I'm telling you, Chancellor Cordo said that he'd been in here this morning, speaking to him," the older officer said, his tone that of someone being asked to validate the same question over and over.
Amedda frowned at that. "The Emperor's Aide?"
"Yes. He said the Commander was awake and had ordered Leia Organa to be brought up here. I'm just doing as I was told by--forgive me--the ranking officer present."
Strangely, this seemed to make the Chancellor hesitate for long seconds, his eyes turning to Luke again. Finally, he made up his mind. "Well the ranking officer isn't awake, and I'm telling you to take her back down. If the Commander wakes and asks to see her again, which I seriously doubt, I'll have her brought up again."