Asleep within her penthouse that overlooked the Emperor's Palace on Imperial Center, Miranda Tarkin tossed and turned in her sleep. There were no nightmares to speak of for the young woman, but a restlessness seeped its way into her nerve endings that kept her from falling into a deep sleep. Something was terribly wrong.

Her eyes opened with little difficulty and she was wide-awake. The chronometer that illuminated off her nightstand barely caused her eyes to wince. It was 0330.

She shoved the covers aside and slipped into her robe as if there was a destination in mind, but Miranda merely sat at the edge of the bed wondering why her head was so fuzzy. This feeling of being lost was confounding her and it was quickly beginning to grow irritating. Her mind was always razor sharp and calculating, a trait inherited from her grandfather, the late Grand Moff Tarkin. He would have been quite disappointed in her if he had seen his granddaughter in this state.

Who knows. If he had a grave, Wilhuff would probably be turning in it.

beep ... beep ... beep

A call at this time in the morning was not unusual for Miranda, it just didn't happen all that often. Unless it was that damn Moff from the Fondor Sector who didn't understand what the word no meant. Being eligible did not mean Miranda was going to run off to the stockyards and marry someone twice her age that had a rotund gut the size of a Jawa.

She rolled her neck around, rubbing at her eyes to wake up fully and took the call. Miranda was a stickler for keeping appearances up. With no make-up on and hair in disarray, she wouldn't allow that image to be on the receiving end of that call. Therefore, the lights remained off. "Tarkin, here. Go ahead."

A Naval Officer appeared on screen. He was broadcasting from some sort of Imperial Cruiser since there was a glimpse of space in the background and was looking rather perplexed since Miranda was not in view. "I'm here, Colonel," she reiterated forcefully, "Go ahead."

"M'lady. I apologize for waking you at this hour of night back home. I apologize further to be the bearer of such terrible news..."

Miranda heard the tiredness in his voice before noticing the lines of exhaustion under his eyes. He went silent, fumbling for words, gasping for air as if he were a fish out of water. "I was woken up for a reason," she spat, disgusted by his lack of professionalism. "Now let's hear it."

Being scolded by a woman did not sit well with him, but Miranda was not just any woman. Why he held his tongue.

The Battle of Endor did not sway in our favor as we would have hoped. There were casualties on both sides. Many of the Rebels were killed...

She stopped him there, "You said casualties on both sides." Again, that uneasy feeling returned. Even before she asked the question, Miranda knew the answer, "My Father? Is he all right?"

An A-wing impacted against the command deck when the Executor's shielding was damage. There were no survivors.

The darkness was a welcome cover. She had to cover her mouth quickly to force her despair away. Her composure fizzled and her strength dissolved into tears.

A few moments of awkward silence passed.

I'm sorry.

There was little else to be said. Miranda ended the transmission herself. How was she going to tell Mother?

beep ... beep ... beep

She sniffed and thumbed her tears away. "Oh bloody hell. Now what! YES?!"

Dialessce, her liaison with the Ministry of Propaganda, had a brow raised at her outburst. You know then?

"Forgive my manners." She forced herself to her feet and turned on the lights, comfortable with Dialessce on the monitor. The two of them worked together for the last two years.

As stoic of a visage she was attempting to portray now, a drink was needed badly. "I just received the call about my Father seconds before yours." Opening the crystal carafe, the scent of bourbon tickled her nostrils. "I was told little of what occurred at Endor but I know there's more."

Correct, as usual. You've been cleared for that information but you must come to the Ministry for that access. In two standard hours, a meeting will be held with all high-ranking governmental officials. Your presence was requested as was your consul.

"I'll see you in thirty minutes then." She capped the flask as the monitor went blank, just like her emotions. Work had to be done and a clear mind was going to be needed. The scales had been shaken at Endor, Miranda knew this much, but she wondered just how deep the wounds were that the Rebels had created...