Tarkin and Leia (RedRose and MalignAligned)

[malignaligned]

Grand Moff Tarkin's boots struck the pristine floor underfoot with a click, providing an almost metronomic cadence as he paced at the fastest speed his dignity would allow. The Princess of Alderaan, a known rebel sympathizer, had been found in a compromising position and taken aboard the station. His station. He had worked tirelessly to bring it into fruition, the secret superweapon that would end the rebellion once and for all. They could hide all they wanted; if he couldn't find them, he would destroy their planet around them. And continue doing so until the universe was wiped clean of their filth.

He tugged at the cuffs of his grey uniform. He would need to inform his valet about the thread that had come loose. Images had to be maintained.

He walked through the security station, automatically checking to be sure everything was as it should be, and stopped outside the cell holding the Princess, and nodded at the guard standing at the end of the hallway watching him intently. At the indication, the guard darted to the desk and pressed a button. The door hissed open. He smiled and said, "Good evening, Princess Leia. I've been looking forward to this meeting for some time."

 

[RedRose]

The day was long and her patience was running thin. She couldn't believe they would treat her like that. She wasn't exactly surprised... Her mind went to her arch enemy, the worst being in the galaxy after the Emperor. Princess Leia knew why she was in this situation, but she wouldn't allow herself to give in. In fact, as she paced, she wondered if she wouldn't be relieved once she would know exactly what they had against her. She was lost in her thoughts when she turned to look at the door, the sound taking her by surprise. She fought a need to arranger her hair. Her dress had to be wrinkled. Perhaps she subconscously compared herself. It didn't matter. She didn't know if she had expected him to bother, but there he was. "Grand Moff Tarkin..." She said surly.

"As you know, this is not a tea parlour." Maybe she was mocking his manners, and perhaps she was envious that he could keep calm. Again, if he was a prisoner, maybe he wouldn't. She was not brave enough to taunt him openly - not yet. She was seething but it wasn't enough. "I am looking forward to freedom. THAT will be a good evening." Her dark eyes shone in anger. She hated that she had to control herself, but this was her way as a princess. How many rebels would already have attacked him? But then, a storm trooper would shoot at them. There had to be another way.

 

[malignaligned]

He gave his captive a thin smile. "I see that your time in this cell hasn't moderated your tongue, Princess. Perhaps I should have it ripped out." He stepped inside the room and stood near the door. A stormtrooper followed and took position on the other side of the portal, his blaster rifle in guard position. "Did you imagine you could practice your subversion and never get caught? Or did you believe that your status would protect you? The Empire cares not for your royalty, girl." He emphasized the last word, putting every ounce of condescension he could generate into it.

"To your point, freedom would be an... unlikely outcome. Unless, of course, you're willing to give up the location of the rebel base."

 

[RedRose]

She shrugged. "I don't believe you have the power to do that. There would be consequences." But she still had to fight an unpleasant feeling. She didn't realize she had taken a step back when he entered. It was not to invite him in, for sure. And it had been before she noticed the trooper, so she had been afraid of Tarkin. She glared at his word. But she didn't protest. If she protested, he would know to give more of the same. It was worth it. She was protecting her people. She realized she was looking at him intently, so she stopped. "There is no rebel base, and you know it. Your Empire just wants our ressources..." There had to be something true to that. Yet, if he did know... She wondered if one of the other captives had spoken, or whether it had happened much before. Crossing her arms, she seemed to defensively want to build a boundary? She was NOT a girl, she told herself. She didn't know why she still thought about it. It seemed he knew what to say. That too annoyed her, but worse: she didn't know what would make him drop his act. He knew her better than she did him.
"You probably tortured a poor man half to death to have this false element..." She glared. "Or one of your henchmen did. Did you watch?" There, she hoped this would go against his honor as an Imperial.

 

[malignaligned]

He stepped forward and gripped her chin to force her to look at him. The height difference meant she was always looking up at him, an arrangement he enjoyed. Moreover, it was appropriate. He was a powerful, self-made man who had risen to the top of the Empire through diligence, hard work, and loyalty. She was nothing more than the scion of a royal family. A black sheep, to be sure, given her connection to the rebels. "Princess, you risk much by speaking to me so. We are not in a place where you or your family have any power. The only power here, the only authority, is mine." He released her face. "If i wanted your tongue, I would have it. However, I do need you to be able to speak when you finally decide to give up your rebel friends, so you may keep it for now."

He smiled. "As for torture, we have droids for that, didn't you know? Perhaps you should meet one." He snapped his fingers at the stormtrooper, who nodded and stepped from the room.

 

[RedRose]

She took a step back. Too late. He was there. She tried to turn her face away but that was prevented too. She hated how she had to look at him - to look up - and how he touched her like it was something familiar. Or something he had thought about. She would have shaken her head if she could. She seemed to freeze until he released her. She then put some obvious distance between them. She gave him a disdainful sound when he said she would denounce her friends. But she didn't agree that she had them. After all, he couldn't KNOW for sure...

She wished she knew exactly what intel had leaked, and how, and why Tarkin was after her.

The only authority is his... she thought. She knew she had to play it right. As soon as she could, if her friends didn't intervene - and they would if they could - she would escape. "No I certainly shouldn't. Only beasts use torture." She frowned. But as much as he played the gentleman, she knew he was a beast. Some said he would hunt for sport, and she wondered if he hunted humans... Anyway. "What do you want from me? Because I have no intel for you." There. She tried not to throw a glance toward the storm trooper as he disappeared.

 

[malignaligned]

He rewarded the taunt with the thin smile it deserved. "You are one to talk of beasts, Princess, as you occupy the slums with your rebel friends."

The floating silver droid entered the room. It was standard practice that the most wicked of its tools were on display, to cow anyone who found themselves on the wrong side of it. The long needles, in particular, looked most menacing, although in practice it was the drugs and the electric shocks that accomplished the most. He considered the woman in front of him. It all seemed such a waste. Beautiful, from a quality family. Literal royalty. He knew Alderaan was a recruiting world for the rebels - everyone in the Empire with any shred of power knew that. When they'd captured the Princess, he'd seen the possibility of using the planet as a hostage to her good behavior.

But now, he had other thoughts. He was as high as one could rise in the Empire's military. But his prospects beyond that were limited. Certainly his influence would provide a lucrative retirement when he finally stepped away. But the idea of royalty appealed to him. And not a position created by force, but a legitimate one. Through marriage, perhaps.

He smiled. "So, you have a choice, Princess. An evening with the droid... or dinner with me." Worst case, either option gets me one step closer to the location of the rebel base.

 

[RedRose]

She wished she could tell him any rebel was superior, in her mind, to Imperials, but she decided not to go down that lane. He couldn't ignore it, and she was still trying to remember she couldn't afford to anger him. Not too much. Just enough. Her eyes were fixated on the droid as she identified it. It was supposed to scare her, so it shouldn't, but she was not a droid herself and as such, she couldn't repress a shiver. No, he wouldn't hurt me, she thought. Not too much... But as long as he kept her alive, well. Who would know? She detested that thought.

He was looking at her, surely hoping for weakness.

She wouldn't give him that.

Her heart was painful. If she knew what he was thinking about, she would be even more frightened. Not even a torture ("interrogation") droid could have disturbed her that much. His smile cut. She found she couldn't think properly when he was there. With him around, everything was scary and disturbing. "What?" She asked without thinking, not quite princess like. Perhaps it was the first time, or almost, that she displayed that other side, the one that went well with rebels. Never, she thought. But... "Why would you want that?" Maybe not something she wanted to know. Not that he would tell the truth. This was dumb. He had to be mocking her before, and it wouldn't get better now.