AU where everything's the same except nobody from Rogue One died and I don't cry myself to sleep at night lmao okay let's go

(Let's also just pretend that there are a few weeks between the end of Rogue One and the beginning of Ep. IV)


A long time ago

in a galaxy far, far away...

One of the worst aspects of travelling in a starship was that everything was impeccably clean. From floor to ceiling, the panelling was stark white, made almost blinding by the ever-present lights. What wasn't white was black, so deep and void that your reflection followed you around the ship like a ghost. It was common knowledge that the polarisation tended to make people ill after a while. Long-distance travel was not for the fainthearted, no one told you that you needed a strong stomach as well.

The other, less well-known issue with starships was that they were very, very still. You would never know that you were travelling thousands of kilometres per hour, let alone at light speed. Just as unnerving was the fact that the enormous engines made very little noise. A low hum filled the ship but that was the only indication that they were moving at all. Usually, the stillness and the quiet could drive you mad. At that moment, the passengers of one particular Rebel blockade runner would give anything to stop the world quaking.

A ship was chasing theirs. It was far larger, faster, a mouse in front of a Delasian snarljun. Sirens soared overhead, in and out, up and down, like the ship was screaming. Passengers and pilots alike were trying to get to the escape pods, forgetting in their panic that the Empire would shoot down any shuttle that wasn't one of their own. Everyone was trying to escape, all except one.

Mara Verbanti struggled through the torrent of people, the only passenger heading deeper into the ship. She wove her hands around shoulders, searching for gaps in the crowd so that she could push her way through. Someone accidentally elbowed her in the ribs, another tripped over her as he hurried past. They were in too much of a hurry to apologise but she hardly felt it. Mara had only one thought and it kept her mind clear despite the hell around her. Get to the princess.

A small, insignificant yellow planet glared in the corner of her vision as she sped past a wide window. She'd stood there earlier that day, looking anxiously out at the stars whilst on her break. Below, Tatooine emerged from a total eclipse, her two moons glowing against the darkness. Mara paid the planet little attention, what worried her was the enormous Imperial Stardestroyer growing ever closer.

She turned one corner then another, skirting round a host of Rebel soldiers without breaking her stride. As she turned yet another corner in the maze-like blockade runner, Mara slipped her pistol from the holster at her waist. This was unlike anything she'd ever trained for and in times like this, it was comforting to have a tight grip on the blaster. Hundreds of searing red laserbolts streaked from the Imperial Stardestroyer, darting across the emptiness of space, before striking the Rebel craft. With every hit, the ship groaned and shuddered, causing the hallways to shift at dizzying angles.

Mara reached her destination at last, just as the blockade runner shrieked and dipped forwards. She could hear passengers crying out as the lights dimmed. They'd struck the main solar fin. There was very little time left. Mara slammed her open palm against the control panel beside the door, barely waiting for it to hiss open before she hurried inside.

"Your Highness?" Mara's dark eyes darted around the bleak room, searching for her young charge. She saw Trew first, her second in command. The lieutenant had taken a defensive stance the moment the door slid open but she relaxed when she saw who it was. Beside Trew stood the princess. Leia's white dress meant that she almost blended in with the walls and with the way the ship was shaking, it took Mara a moment to find her. The princess turned, her young face resolute beyond her years.

"They're here."

Mara gave a short nod. The attack had not come as a surprise, the Empire was tightening its grip on the galaxy with every passing day. A few wins had given them the courage to carry on but the Rebel Alliance was barely scraping by. Mara knew very little about battles and plans, her only job was to protect the princess. She saw that Leia clutched something small in her hand. It glinted in the bright light but she didn't know what it was. At that moment, she didn't care. Mara raised her blaster and gestured for the princess to follow her.

"We need to leave. Now."

As if on cue, the lights rose then abruptly dimmed again with a low whooshing sound. Mara felt Leia brush past her and then the emergency lights illuminated the ship. Trew unholstered her own blaster and took off the safety, ready to fight. Without another word, they hurried down the corridor, keeping their heads bowed but on high alert.

Mara took the lead, her sharp eyes constantly moving, on the lookout for any imminent danger. Trew brought up the rear so that Leia had a guard on either side of her. She kept glancing back over her shoulder, making sure that no soldiers would surprise them. More Rebel troops marched past, heading towards the main passageway. Mara watched them leave, already recalculating their route in her head. They needed to get the princess away from the fighting before the Imperial guards inevitably boarded.

An explosion almost knocked them off their feet and Mara cursed under her breath. She wrapped an arm around Leia, pulling her back away from the blast site. They crouched low, close to the wall, but Trew remained standing. She craned her head around the corner, keeping watch whilst Mara checked her blaster again. The captain summoned a map of the blockade runner in her mind. The ship could reach a maximum speed of 950kph and was capable of carrying an entire diplomatic escort. It had a passenger capacity in the hundreds but she doubted there were half that many people still alive on board.

"The shuttles are damaged but they're keeping an escape pod open for you," Mara told the princess, although she was worried Leia wasn't listening to her. The princess was stubborn and strong, making Mara's job as head of the Royal Guard a lot harder than it already was.

"I knew it was only a matter of time before Vader caught up with us," Leia muttered, almost to herself. She dug out her own sporting blaster, taking off the safety and listening for the familiar whir that meant it was armed.

Mara barely registered what the princess said, she was still trying to plot a route around the inevitable fighting. Still, she couldn't help being curious. All she knew was that a mission on a remote, tropical planet in the Abrion sector of the Outer Rim Territories had been successful. A group of Rebels had stolen something from right under the noses of the Empire, some sort of plans. This success had jumpstarted a new wave of zeal amongst the Rebels and the Alliance was more determined than ever. It also meant that the Empire had been chasing them across space for days.

The lights dimmed again. Mara lifted her head, trying to stay calm as she waited for the power to come back on. She felt Trew shift restlessly beside her. The ship groaned as if it was giving in but the lights rose once more. Mara jumped to her feet, placing a hand on Trew's shoulder to warn her that they were going to start moving again. There was no sign of any Imperial troopers yet but there was something else, something far more troubling. Beneath their feet, the ship had stopped rumbling. There was no vibration in the walls, no hum in the air beneath the squeal of blast fire. They had shut down the main reactor. They were dead in the water.

Before Mara could suggest they keep moving, the ship rocked with such force that they toppled backwards. The floor began to rise beneath them, sending the princess and her guards skidding down the corridor until they collided with another wall. Mara's back ached as she tried to get to her feet. Without the solar fin, that amount of movement could only mean one thing. The smaller Rebel ship was being drawn into the underside dock of the giant Imperial starship. They were running out of time.

Mara ignored the pain that rattled her body, thinking only of the princess once again. She reached out blindly, trying to locate Leia. Thankfully, she was close and Mara managed to grab hold of her arm. She helped Leia to her feet, studying her for any sign of injury whilst still maintaining a respectful distance. Even in the midst of a battle, Leia was still royalty and Mara just her guard.

"Are you-"

"I'm fine, Mara. Let's go." Leia cut off her question, far more concerned with her mission than her own safety. They began to run again. It didn't take long to find the rest of Leia's Royal Guard, they were never far from the princess. There were eight of them on duty in total, far fewer than usual but this was just meant to be a short mission, very low risk. Leia and her father had tried to keep the real mission prerogative on a need-to-know basis and her Royal Guards did not need to know.

Without missing a beat, Mara began to bark orders. They needed to find a safe route to the escape pods, keeping the princess away from the fighting. Mara flicked her wrist and four guards sprang away in different directions. They would stand at strategic points down the connecting corridors, following the princess as she moved through the ship and acting as the first line of defence against any Imperial fighters. Mara turned to her second in command and the young man who stood beside her. He had only joined their ranks a few weeks ago and looked very nervous.

"Trew, take Sillion and try to guide the rest of the passengers to the escape pods." With a curt nod, they raised their blasters and hurried off towards the centre of the ship where the majority of the crew were still trapped. They were charged with protecting Leia, but Mara couldn't just leave the other passengers to the mercy of the Empire. "Kranna, find the steward. Do not let him leave without the princess."

A pod was being kept back for Leia, a new model. It was only meant to be a last resort, Mara never imagined that they'd actually have to use it. It wasn't much but it couldn't be traced by the Empire and was sturdy enough to get the princess and her entourage away from the Imperial soldiers and safely into the hands of the Rebel Alliance.

Mara began to guide the princess towards the emergency sector, hoping beyond hope that the steward had kept his promise and was keeping the pod back for Leia. They weren't far now but a sickening thud made them slow to a stop. Just a few corridors away from where they stood, Rebel troopers were taking up positions in the main passageway. They aimed their weapons toward the door. They could hear the metallic latches clank open and the scream of heavy equipment around the hull of the ship. The nervous Rebel troopers readied their weapons, preparing to fight, when suddenly a tremendous blast opened up a hole in the main passageway. Mara felt Leia tense beside her. Her eyes were wide, showing uncharacteristic fear.

"They're here," she whispered. A score of fearsome armoured stormtroopers marched into the smoke-filled corridor. In just a few moments, the entire passageway was ablaze with laserfire. The deadly bolts ricocheted off the walls, setting off sparks and explosions that rattled the adjoining corridors. The stormtroopers scattered and ducked behind storage lockers, firing wildly at the Rebel soldiers. Leia turned to Mara, no longer afraid. "You have to go."

"What?" The sirens still wailed above their heads and the sound of blasters was almost deafening, so for a moment, Mara thought perhaps she'd misheard the princess. Then she saw the expression on Leia's face. "I can't leave without you." Mara had to shout to be heard but she was still painfully aware of how much danger the princess was in, so she tried to keep calm. Just a few meters away, the pitiful screams of the doomed Rebel soldiers rose as more stormtroopers flooded the ship.

Leia knew her window of opportunity was narrowing. Guilt scratched at her throat at the thought of leaving her closest ally but the mission was highly classified. Telling Mara would only put her in more danger. Even if Leia could explain why she couldn't leave yet, her guard would only try to stop her and there simply wasn't time to argue.

"I have to complete my mission." Leia squeezed the small disc until the cold metal dug into her skin. Find a droid, send the message, hope it reached the general in time. That was the only way she would be able to deliver her father's request, she couldn't let him down. "Help people get to safety. Make sure you get in that escape pod."

Mara shook her head, she didn't understand what Leia was talking about. What mission? They were heading to Tatooine to find General Kenobi, but surely that mission had failed? They needed to run, not delve deeper into the ship. "What? No, no, I can't leave you." Mara tried to protest but Leia was already backing away, her mind made up. Her expression hardened, her dark eyes suddenly so stern Mara couldn't believe the princess was only nineteen years old.

"I am ordering you, Captain."

Mara flinched as her title struck her. She was usually the one giving orders. Only a few people could address her in such a way. Mara answered only to the Queen, her consort Bail, and their daughter. Leia was so young, sometimes Mara forgot how much authority her charge had. Still, she had to protest. She hadn't left Leia's side since the day she came to Alderaan, the notion of leaving her now was unthinkable. But she never got to argue. The scream of blasters had finally ceased. The ship rattled again, the floor trembling under the weight of two dozen armed soldiers marching in unison. Mara was the first to sense it, years of training had taught her well. The rumbling grew ever closer until it filled their ears.

"Look out!" Mara grabbed Leia by the arm and pulled her into the next corridor just as a pack of stormtroopers rounded the corner. The princess and her guard ran side by side, hoping to put as much distance between them and the Imperial troopers as possible. But they were outnumbered beyond comprehension. As they ducked into the next passage, they came to an intersection. The corridor opened up into a round room with four different halls leading off from it. The second they stepped into the centre, another barrage of stormtroopers thundered in from the east passageway. Leia and Mara skidded to a halt, their shoes slipping on the polished floor. The stormtroopers raised their blasters but they were faster.

Mara took down three soldiers in a matter of moments, shooting each of them in the centre of the chest with unparalleled precision. Just as it looked like they were going to get out of this mess unscathed, the first group of stormtroopers caught up with them at last. They swarmed the small room through the west passage, blocking two of the exits now. The princess and her guard kept fighting. Leia relied on her blaster but Mara decided she'd do better on her own. She ran at the nearest soldier and jumped, wrapping her legs around his neck and twisting as they fell to grab another trooper with superb grace. She'd been trained since birth, every fibre of Mara's being was conditioned to protect the princess, whatever the cost.

Leia almost let herself believe that they were safe, that they'd won, but then another group of Imperial soldiers rushed into the room and they were swallowed up by a sea of white armour. They fought valiantly but in all the confusion, Leia and Mara were separated. The princess watched her bodyguard fight across the room and prayed that she would listen to her plea, that Mara would get in the escape pod intended for her. Leia had known Mara all her life, she trusted her as she trusted her own father, but she had a mission.

Mara dealt with two more stormtroopers, expeditiously twisting their bodies until they snapped in various places. It wasn't until there were only a few soldiers left that she realised the princess was no longer by her side. Mara looked around just in time to see Leia disappearing down the south corridor.

"Your Highness!" Mara began to panic but swallowed a lungful of air, trying to keep her head. She shot four more stormtroopers in quick succession then tried to push her way across the room. "Your Highness!" Mara called out again but the princess didn't look back. The world seemed to slow down, falling silent at last. Blood pounded in her ears. Mara could feel her heart striking her ribs, her hands shaking despite her tight grip on her blaster.

Her every waking thought for the last nineteen years had been about keeping Leia safe and now she could only watch, powerless, as she disappeared from sight. For a moment, her vision blurred, the ship disfiguring, the unmistakable shape of stormtroopers growing fuzzy. This was her worst nightmare coming alive. Mara called out to Leia one final time but her voice got lost in her throat. Then the world tilted and the present came rushing back.

Mara swore under her breath when a laser shot past her head. She ducked for cover behind the protruding doorframe of the north corridor, keeping her blaster close to her chest. Laser fire shrieked all around her as a group of Rebel soldiers came to her aid at last, keeping the Imperial troopers back. Mara cleared her mind of any fear that still lingered and poked her head around the side of the doorframe just as the princess disappeared around a corner. "Leia!" Mara's baleful cry fell on deaf ears. Her stomach twisted into knots. Her sole directive was to keep Leia safe. She'd never been further away than the next room. Mara pulled herself together quickly. Leia knew the ship's layout, she could find her way back to the emergency pod bay. Mara nodded to herself. Yes, she'd meet Leia there.

With one last blow to the back of a stormtrooper's neck, Mara turned and fled. By some stroke of luck, she didn't see anyone else on her journey through the ship, at least not until she drew closer to her destination. The alarm still groaned but beneath it, the corridors were eerily quiet. The bodies of Rebel soldiers littered the floor. Mara tried not to look at them as she hurried by. Now she knew why it was so quiet.

Soon enough, she neared the shuttle bay, her ever watchful eyes still searching every corner for the princess. The emergency pods were just a few corridors away now. Mara picked up the pace, willing Leia to be there waiting for her. All of a sudden, a door hissed open to her left to reveal ten or so Rebel soldiers, followed closely by a number of stormtroopers. Mara turned on the spot, disappearing into an alcove in the wall before they could spot her. She was so close to the pods, she wouldn't risk fighting. She would just wait for the soldiers to pass her.

Mara flattened herself against the wall. She was so still that she blended in despite her blue uniform. No one noticed her, not even the few Rebel soldiers she recognised. Very soon, they fell to the ground one by one, mowed down by the Empire. Mara raised her chin out of respect but she still didn't run, not wanting to give herself away. She waited for the stormtroopers to carry on to the next corridor but for some reason, they stopped. They stood like statues, lining the walls. Mara's patience was running thin and she was dripping with adrenaline, another second and she would give in and fight her way out. But then she heard heavy footsteps echo down the hallway and her adrenaline turned to cold fear.

The awesome, towering figure of Darth Vader swept into the blinding light of the main passageway. The few remaining Rebels instinctively backed away. A deathly quiet seeped through the hallway. All Mara could do was keep her head down and pray. The right hand of the Emperor had powers beyond imagination, the most feared creature in the galaxy beside his master. His face was obscured by flowing black robes and a grotesque breathing mask, a stark contrast to the gleaming white suits of the stormtroopers. A few Rebel troops broke formation and ran in a frenzied panic but Darth Vader stood unnervingly still amid the broken and twisted bodies of his foes. He grabbed a wounded Rebel officer by the neck as an Imperial soldier rushed up to his side from another connecting corridor.

"The Death Star plans are not in the main computer," the stormtrooper informed his commander. Vader seemed to consider this then squeezed the neck of the Rebel officer, who struggled in vain, clawing at the Sith Lord's gloved hand.

"Where are those transmissions you intercepted?"

Mara could only watch silently as the officer choked. She could see his eyes bulging even from her hiding place. Vader grew impatient and lifted the Rebel off his feet. The man's legs flailed beneath him but Vader's grip was too strong.

"What have you done with those plans?"

"We intercepted no transmissions," the Rebel officer managed to croak out, his fingers still scrabbling at the hand around his throat. Mara knew she ought to be listening but all she could think about was getting to the pod bay. She needed to find Leia, she couldn't care less about whatever plans the Empire was after. She'd been away from the princess for too long, politics paled in comparison. "This is a consular ship. We're on a diplomatic mission."

"If this is a consular ship, where is the Ambassador?"

The Rebel refused to speak and Mara admired his bravery, but then he cried out as Darth Vader crushed his throat. The poor man struggled and choked. A dreadful snapping sound filled the corridor. The officer went limp and Vader tossed him against the wall like a rag doll where he landed in a gruesome heap.

Mara wanted to look away but something caught her eye. The Rebel officer had landed beside another dead soldier. No, not a soldier. The navy blue uniform stuck out amongst the dull greys and browns of the Rebels. It was Lily, one of the Royal Guards. Beside her lay Lux, her partner. They stared emptily up at the ceiling, dried blood speckled their skin. The Royal Guard of Alderaan was renowned throughout the surrounding systems for its strength and proficiency. No member had been killed since Mara became captain, or even before then during her mother's tenure. Seeing her comrades like this was enough to make Mara feel sick. She turned her face away, praying that they had not died in pain.

As Vader turned to his troops, she scuttled past into the adjoining corridor, keeping her head down. She tried not to look at her fallen teammates as she passed them. At last, Mara arrived at the emergency pod bay. The room was long and narrow, there was only just enough room to walk freely around the escape pods that lined the east wall. Mara leaned back against the door once it slid shut. She closed her eyes for a second whilst she got her breath back. The sirens had stopped yowling at last, leaving the ship unnervingly quiet. Gathering herself up again, Mara hurried along the row of escape pods, glancing into each one just in case the princess was hidden away inside. The lights were still low but the backup systems meant there was just enough light to see by. Despite this, she couldn't see Leia.

Panic began to curl its fingers around Mara's stomach. The blockade runner was small in comparison to the Stardestroyer but it was still a big place to lose someone. What if the princess was hurt? What if the stormtroopers had caught up with her? What if they'd killed her? Mara felt bile rise in her throat but she swallowed thickly, trying to keep the feeling back. There was still time, they hadn't been separated long. Leia could be on her way right now, she could be just around the corner.

To Mara's surprise, the door to the shuttle bay swept open just a few seconds after her last hopeful thought. She was so relieved, she forgot they weren't alone on the ship. Mara was almost halfway back down the shuttle bay when four stormtroopers entered. She dug in her heels and immediately turned and fled back the way she came. Mara ducked her head as lasers flew past her, cutting through the air and singeing the walls. The Imperial soldiers' heavy footsteps rolled like thunder through the long, narrow room, their robotic voices calling for her to halt.

Mara reached the other end of the room and turned the corner, hoping that she could circle back to the pods once she'd lost the stormtroopers, but what she found on the other side made her heart stop. Blood pooled at her feet, shining black in the low light. Mara recognised the bodies immediately. Kranna lay face down in the middle of the corridor, her arms and legs at horrifying angles. Further down, Sillion sat propped up against the wall, a dark hole burned into the centre of his uniform. Next to him lay the steward, his mouth hanging open in a silent scream. Trew was nowhere to be seen but before Mara could even think about looking for her, a voice made her look up. Two more Imperial soldiers were coming her way fast.

She choked back her fearful sob, trying with all her might to remember her training. Mara backed away from her fallen friends, hurrying back into the pod bay. The other stormtroopers were almost upon her now. Soon she would have to fight. Fear had its claws deep in her chest but Mara couldn't let it win. Her friends were dead. The princess was still missing. The ship was under attack and she didn't know what they were looking for. Use that fear, turn it into anger. A laser shot past her head and Mara suddenly wasn't so scared anymore. This was what she had been trained for from the moment she was born.

She ran at the nearest soldier and knocked his legs out from under him before he even knew what was happening. The next tried to swing his blaster at her but Mara was faster. She tore it from his grip and flung it at another stormtrooper with such force that it knocked him to the ground. Mara turned and wrapped her arms around the neck of the nearest soldier then bent forward, pulling him over her shoulder.

Another Imperial trooper swung for her and managed to land a punch on her jaw. Mara staggered back but quickly recovered. She shot the stormtrooper and the one behind him. A siren sounded, different than the wailing that had warned them of the incoming Stardestroyer. Mara and the few remaining stormtroopers turned to see one of the pods taking off. For a moment, Mara's heart lifted, thinking it might be Leia, but just before the pod left, she caught a glimpse of two droids hidden away inside, one short and stout, the other tall and golden. Mara and the Imperial soldiers stared at them in shock before they all remembered what they were supposed to be doing.

Mara aimed her blaster at the nearest soldier but it was knocked out of her hand. Before she could react, the stormtrooper thrust the butt of his blaster against her chin. Mara swore and took a step back to try and put some space between them but the soldier was relentless. He struck her again and again as Mara tried to defend herself. He swiped at her, catching her just above the eye. Blood trickled down her forehead but this only served to make Mara angrier. The stormtrooper went to strike her again but this time, she caught his blaster, tearing it from his grip and shooting him with it in one smooth movement. Before she could move to finish the job, a dozen more soldiers flooded the room. Mara was exhausted. The cut above her eye made it hard to see. Her lip was split and her back still throbbed from where she'd fallen against the wall earlier.

The stormtroopers were just a few feet away when Mara hurried along the row to the last escape pod, the one meant for the princess. She snapped the seal on the main latch, waiting for the red warning to flash before she yanked the door open. Mara worked her way into the cramped four-man pod, slamming the door shut behind her just in time. The stormtroopers crowded the small porthole, blocking out what was left of the artificial light. The pod flickered to life automatically, revving and whirring as it prepared for take-off.

Outside, the soldiers banged on the door, ordering her to open up. Another tapped at the control panel, trying to override the system, but it was no use. Mara grinned at the impassive black and white masks on the other side of the glass. She was safe. They couldn't get to her. She would wait in here until Leia caught up with her and then they could escape together. Mara stumbled away from the window, falling into one of the seats close to the door. Her whole body ached but she ignored it, that small hit of relief easing some of the pain. Then suddenly, another explosion hit the shuttle bay. The stormtroopers looked about wildly, their heads turning every which way like a flock of startled birds. Mara's smile slowly began to disappear. The Imperial soldiers stepped away from the door as the emergency pod bay rattled. Mara rose to her feet just as a voice above filled the pod.

Warning! Warning! Emergency protocols initiated! Commencing pod deployment!

Mara shook her head, her voice getting lost somewhere in her throat. She rushed over to the console, pressing random buttons but nothing stopped the overhead warning. Mara swore and went back to the door, pressing her hands against the cool metal. The Imperial soldiers were still in sight. One pressed a finger to the side of his helmet, he was receiving a transmission from another soldier. Mara could only watch in fearful silence as he nodded. Then he raised his hand, asking for silence from the other stormtroopers.

"We have the princess. Move out," he stated in that low, monotonous voice. It felt like all the air had left the room. Mara shook her head, her mouth hanging open.

"No..." she breathed. Not that. Anything but that. The stormtrooper who had given the order met her gaze. His helmet was devoid of any emotion but Mara knew, just knew that he was smiling. She hammered her fist against the glass, screaming for him to stop. But he couldn't hear her. The emergency procedure instructions were still chiming, warning Mara that she needed to buckle herself in, but she wasn't listening. She banged her fist against the porthole, ordering the soldier to come back, to leave the princess alone. The autopilot released the docking clamps with a blunt 'thunk'. Flames licked at the pod door, obscuring Mara's view of the shuttle bay.

Still holding on to one last shred of hope, she ran to the control panel again. The pod was so tiny, Mara had to crouch low, bending almost in half as she skimmed her fingertips over the console. She had no idea what any of it meant, she knew nothing about flying. Mara jabbed at the most important looking buttons, praying one of them would cancel the emergency take-off. She pressed a red button and a small screen in the centre of the control panel fizzled to life. Mara's heart sank as she watched the autopilot plot out her course for her, all the way across the galaxy to a Rebel base on Yavin 4.

The voice finished its instructions. Mara could still hear people on the ship crying out for help even from inside the lifepod. She looked back to the porthole, praying to see someone, anyone who could help her. There was a bright flash, a blinding shower of sparks, and Mara had to shield her eyes as the pod detached from the shuttle bay. Then the lights dimmed altogether. Silence welled up inside the pod. Nothing, and then suddenly it surged forward with enough speed to knock Mara clean off her feet. She fell, hitting her head against the floor with such force that she was knocked unconscious. Her last thought before she sank into sleep was of Leia.

A few miles above her, the Imperial Stardestroyer was preparing to travel. In the bustling command centre, a pilot watched the main view screen. Beside him, the commanding officer's gaze was fixed on the stars laid out in front of them. A lifepod dotted across the screen, sinking down to the planet below.

"There goes another one." The pilot raised his hand, reaching for the controls to the particle beam weapons at his disposal. The captain shook his head.

"Hold your fire." He gestured carelessly to the view screen. "There are no life forms. It must have short-circuited."

The pilot nodded and settled back into his seat. He watched the empty pod fall into the desert planet's gravity field, ignorant of the two terrified robots sealed within. No one noticed the second pod streak away, so fast it looked more like a comet than a spacecraft. No one saw it drop off the Empire's radar, speeding away from the princess and the stricken Rebel ship.


The hangar was alive with activity. New model X-Wings flitted to and fro like bees, some carrying Rebels off to faraway planets, others stuffed with refugees ready to be directed to safe zones. Pilots sat in clumps, laughing with each other to hide their exhaustion. They'd been on high alert for weeks now, an attack could happen at any moment. The Empire had destroyed whole worlds, it was getting harder and harder to sleep at night.

The main runways were kept impeccably clean but behind the red and white striped border, engine parts and dirty rags littered the floor. Engineers wiped their oily faces, just waiting for their shifts to be over. The day was slowly crawling to a close, though the only sign of this was the lazily setting sun and the small strip of soft lilac sky that those still working could see from inside the docking bay.

"Incoming!"

At the commanding officer's warning, a dozen pilots and engineers hurried away from the runway and into the cordoned off safe areas. A U-Wing soared through the wide hangar entrance, floating over the ground like a bird skimming just above the water. The pilot landed expertly and the two engineers assigned to the ship ran forward to assess its condition.

Bodhi Rook was one of them. He watched carefully as Yunlo, his partner, ran diagnostics on the engine. She was so small, she barely reached his shoulders, but she scurried around the fighter with intimidating expertise. Yunlo was one of the only engineers at the base who agreed to work with him, but Bodhi didn't want to get in her way so he stood back, waiting for her signal that meant everything was in working order. There were a few pockmarks and scratches on the hull but otherwise, the U-Wing seemed relatively unharmed, which was something of a miracle. Imperial soldiers were growing more and more aggressive as the war raged on. Bodhi knew this only too well.

The canopy cracked open and the pilot pushed it up from the inside, stretching his arms out above his head. Yunlo immediately scampered up the side of the jet to check on the dashboard and cockpit, muttering strings of numbers under her breath. She was one of the best engineers on Yavin 4, perhaps even in the Resistance, and Bodhi was honoured to work with her. Yunlo had taught him so much in the short time he'd been here. She was hardly a friend but Bodhi was just happy to know there was at least one person on the base who didn't hate him. He smiled tentatively at the pilot as he jumped down from the ladder.

"Any trouble?"

They didn't know each other that well, the first and only time they met was when the pilot, a smiley young man called Deffan, came to ask if an engineer could take a look at his Starfighter before his next mission. That had been two weeks ago, since then they hadn't spoken a word to each other but Deffan vigorously shook Bodhi's hand like they were old friends.

"No, she runs just fine. Thanks, Rook." He spoke earnestly, something that Bodhi wasn't used to. His last superiors had been imposing figures, barely even glancing his way, and that was only when they graced him and the other pilots with their presence. Not that Deffan was one of his superiors, there wasn't much of a hierarchy amongst the Rebels apart from the highest generals and Royals.

Despite this, Bodhi knew he didn't fit in. He'd long since got rid of the Imperial uniform he defected in, it had barely survived Scarif, much like himself. He spent most of his time treading on eggshells around the Rebels he worked with, just keeping his head down, not wanting to draw attention to himself. They treated him well enough, better than he felt he deserved, but his association with the Empire seemed branded onto his skin.

"It was mostly Yunlo." Bodhi scratched his cheek just for something to do with his hands. He forced himself to meet Deffan's eyes, he wasn't going to make friends by being shy. "I'm not much of an engineer, really."

"Well, whatever you did, it worked." Deffan tucked his helmet under his arm and ran a hand through his long hair. Bodhi tried not to look too pleased by the compliment. He wasn't being humble, he really wasn't much of an engineer, but the Rebellion wouldn't let him fly yet and working in the hangar was the closest thing. He did as they asked but he itched to fly, to be amongst the stars again. He studied the U-Wing with a fond smile.

Underneath the bustle of the hangar, Bodhi could hear people whispering. He looked over his shoulder at a group of three Rebels and they stared right back at him. He didn't even bother trying to appear friendly, he'd had trouble with them in the past. The Rebels were all huge and scarred, they'd seen their fair share of battles. They didn't like Bodhi.

Deffan saw him shift uncomfortably and scoffed, shaking his head. "Ignore them. They'll pick a fight with anything."

Bodhi grunted, turning his back on the group of men. "They have it out for me in particular." He'd been reassured by Mon Mothma that there would be no sanctions against him because of his previous employment, but Bodhi knew they still didn't completely trust him. An Imperial pilot was one thing but a defected Imperial pilot was dangerous. He could be a spy, a double agent, and no matter how much Chirrut and Baze vouched for him, he would be held at arm's length until they decided what to do with him.

"They've lost friends, family." Deffan shrugged, trying to be impartial.

Bodhi expected as much from the pilot, he was well-liked amongst the Rebels because he didn't take sides, a rare quality to find in someone during a war. Bodhi wrinkled his nose slightly, his jaw tight.

"We all have," he murmured. Deffan didn't hear him. He was looking up at Yunlo, who was perched on top of the U-Wing. Bodhi had no idea how she managed to balance like she did, she seemed to defy gravity. He wouldn't be surprised if she had glue on the bottom of her shoes.

"Looks good, Rook." She gave Bodhi a firm thumbs up and he knew that meant she was finished. He thanked her and stepped away from the ship, giving her space to jump down.

A sudden shout from across the hangar made everyone's head whip around in unison. There was a commotion in the corner but Bodhi couldn't hear what they were talking about. He and Deffan watched as activity swept across the room like a wave, first a couple of Rebels ran to the door, then a handful, then the hangar began to empty as everyone, pilots and engineers alike, hurried over to the door. Bodhi tried to gauge the mood of the people that ran past but it was impossible.

"What is it? What's going on?" he called to the closest officer. She looked annoyed that he'd stopped her but answered him all the same.

"A cruiser intercepted a lifepod just outside of the system."

Bodhi and Deffan exchanged a look of bewilderment.

"A lifepod?" Deffan repeated. The term had such an anxious air about it. An escape pod meant someone had been attacked and if only one shuttle had been found, that meant the damage was bad. The officer nodded, already beginning to move away as she spoke.

"One of ours." She glanced at Bodhi quickly before she turned and ran after the others. Her unspoken meaning hung heavy in the air. One of ours. Not yours. Bodhi shook it off but his throat felt a little tight. Yunlo jumped down from the U-Wing and they began to follow the others out of the hangar without a word.

The whole base was buzzing, everyone seemed to be heading in one direction. Bodhi had never seen anything like it. He was somewhat relieved to find that people seemed more excited than afraid, but anxiety still wrung his lungs between its heavy hands. Who was this lone survivor? Where did they come from? What did this mean for the Alliance? Bodhi could sense the same questions floating around the heads of the other Rebels. He followed the crowds through the base, keeping close to Yunlo and Deffan, not wanting to get lost. Bodhi still didn't know Yavin 4 that well, he only knew the way to the canteen, the hangar and his quarters, he hadn't had the time or the nerve to explore.

They seeped out onto the courtyard, at least a hundred people all hurrying in the same direction. It was getting dark now. The thick forest that encircled the base looked even more foreboding than usual as the sun set behind the trees. Bodhi could feel that the night air was taut and close, perhaps it would rain soon. A crowd had gathered in the centre of the courtyard, their excited whispers winding up into the air like smoke. Behind them stood a Rebel scout ship. The hull was scarred and mottled, a veteran fighter. That made their story a little more reliable. The ramp was still open, the pilots must have forgotten to close it in their haste. People surrounded a small lifepod. Steam billowed off it in clouds, the metal clunking as it adjusted to the cold climate of Yavin 4. Its hull was scratched and scorched, clear signs that it had travelled very far, very fast.

Bodhi weaved his way through the crowd to get a better view just as the Rebel scouts who had found the pod managed to crack open the door. The panel shrieked as it fell at the feet of the closest spectators, metal grinding against metal. A scout unhooked a torch from his belt and pointed it inside the pod, checking for survivors but keeping a safe distance. A hush fell over the crowd. Bodhi turned his head and found Yunlo by his side. She gave him a small, excited smile and he tried to return it but worry clouded his thoughts. The sight of the burned-out hull brought back unwanted memories of Scarif. Blistering metal, frightened hearts, unbelievable pain. He prayed that whoever was inside was safe, that they'd survived the journey.

One of the scouts shouted to his companion and a ripple ran through the crowd. There was someone in there. The scout looked back at them to see if anyone objected, then carefully made his way inside. He had to crouch low and move slowly, but he was far more concerned for the passenger's safety than his own. When he disappeared from sight, the audience leaned closer in anticipation. Bodhi held his breath when the scout called out for help. Another Rebel wriggled through the small door, being wary not to touch the red-hot metal. They watched in awed silence as they emerged again, carrying something between them. It was a woman, bruised and bloody but alive.