I pressed the holo again to see what would happen. More pen-pal letters? But, no. The image shifted once more, another holo of the former queen during her funeral. This was a wider shot, mourners trailing behind her.

And…yeah. She definitely looked pregnant. I’d known that already, thanks to the widely circulated holos of her funeral.

But this was the piece Vader had been especially curious about.

This was the secret thing he’d told me, the bit of information he needed to know more about. And he’d thought Tahn was the one person in the whole galaxy who could elaborate.

I brushed my fingers along the holo one last time, but the image stayed the same. Amidala. The mourners. The funeral.

I couldn’t help but notice…her face looked sad. Hopelessly sad.

See what being “good” gets you?

APHRA:

You had a good life, Commodex. But now it’s over.

Tahn screams again from the other room—

COMMODEX TAHN:

Stop! Please! I can’t…

Oh, my queen…please forgive me…

SCENE 27

INT. BALCONY. COMMODEX TAHN’S HOME. MOMENTS LATER.

APHRA (narration):

It sounded like Trip was wrapping up his work, so I headed back out to the balcony.

TRIPLE-ZERO:

I believe Mr. Tahn is feeling more talkative now, Mistress Aphra.

APHRA:

Good, because I have plenty to talk about.

Commodex Tahn: Amidala’s hologram when she was buried made her appear like she was still pregnant. But you, Mr. Mortician, were one of the very, very few people who had any access to the body. You are perhaps the only living person who knows the truth.

APHRA (narration):

His head snapped up, and he gazed at me through torture-fogged eyes.

That surprised him—the fact that this was the information I was after.

APHRA:

Senator Amidala had given birth to a son.

Right? She wasn’t still pregnant when she died; she’d actually given birth, and the child lived. The Jedi took the boy and put him into hiding. This can all be over if you just confirm what we already know.

A weighted beat as Tahn struggles with this.

COMMODEX TAHN:

Y-yes. She had a son. A healthy boy. They took him away.

I don’t know anything else.

Forgive me, my queen.

APHRA:

Triple-Zero? Finish up.

Triple-Zero sends deadly blasts of electricity coursing through Tahn’s body. Tahn screams—one last time—in pain.

TRIPLE-ZERO:

Thank you for your cooperation.

Oh, I do love my work.

I have to say I don’t entirely approve, mistress. I’m sure he could have told us a whole lot more. Some of it might have even been useful!

APHRA:

No, Triple-Zero. We were here to do the job, not be sadists.

TRIPLE-ZERO:

Hmhh. Kindly speak for yourself.

BEETEE:

BLEEEEEEEEP!

APHRA:

So, there’s a possible Naboo heir out there. Vader’ll be glad to know the full story.

APHRA (narration):

If that was the whole story. With Vader, one could never be too sure.