h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 21.333333333333332px; font-family: Verdana; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Chapter Two:/span/h1
h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-weight: normal;" /span/h1
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"The wind hadn't subsided much from the night before, Leia sent out a few men out on armoured snowspeeders trying to track Luke or Sila. She didn't have much hope, not with the storm but she had to stay positive. "Echo Base...I've found something. It's not much. I'm not getting any life signs, but it looks like..."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"Leia heard the radio, "No..." Leia whispered, and seemed to have melted, and she fell to the floor. She had been hoping, praying that Luke would make it. "Echo Base, affirmative. It's Commander Skywalker and Sila Kott . They're dead, should we return them to base?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"Major Derlin looked at Leia, "Affirmative, return with Skywalker and Kott."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;""Acknowledged."/span/p
h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-weight: normal;" /span/h1
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"Leia looked at the two bodies of Luke and Sila, in the medical center. There was no where else to put them, she half expected Luke to sit up and grin, placing his arms behind his head and laugh. She put her hand over her mouth to muffle the sounds of grief that came out. She took several short breaths trying to center herself. She had lost many men during the course of the fight against the Empire, she had lost her entire family on Alderaan. Yet, standing here in the medical room it seemed as if the entire weight she was carrying finally came to bear. The room started to spin around her, she placed her hands out to steady herself./span/p
h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-weight: normal;" /span/h1
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"She thought she heard a voice call out her name. /spanspan style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"Leia.../spanspan style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"She turned around but there was no one there. Feeling a series of chills that weren't coming from the cold she zipped up her jacket, and calmed herself and left, not wishing to look at Luke anymore. Just in time to save her from her own thoughts an alarm blared overhead, "HEADQUARTERS PERSONNEL, REPORT TO COMMAND CENTER" She jogged to the command center, and General Rieekan's head looks up from his console screen, gesturing her over, "Princess, we have a visitor." A crowd gathers around her. "We've picked up something outside the base in zone twelve, moving east."/span/p
h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-weight: normal;" /span/h1
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"A senior controller speaks up, "It's metal"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"She furled her brow, "so it's not native."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;""Could it be one our own?" the senior controller responded, he stopped himself mid thought, then looked back at Leia in horror, "No, wait — there's something very weak coming through. I think it's Imperial."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"Threepio walks towards the control panel from behind Leia, " Sir I am fluent in six million forms of communication. This signal is not used by the Alliance. It is an Imperial code."/span/p
h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-weight: normal;" /span/h1
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"Rieekan wastes no time, "Send Rogues 10 and 11 to station 3-8."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"Leia shot back, "We're short two pilots!"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"Rieekan shrugs, "We're always short something. Pilots, credits, sense."/span/p
h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-weight: normal;" /span/h1
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"A Rebel Lieutenant calls in over a comlink, "Afraid there isn't much left."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;""What was it?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"There's a small pause, "Droid of some sort Ma'am, Imperial I think. It self destructed."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;""Yeah sounds like an Imperial probe droid alright. Looks like the Empire knows where we are now." Leia added/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"Rieekan nods, "We'd better start the evacuation now."/span/p
h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-weight: normal;" /span/h1
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"Alarms ring out throughout the hangar, ground crews and troops running carrying everything they can carry. Armored snowspeeders are lined up in attack formation near the main entrance, to give everyone the time they need to evacuate. Somehow Leia is almost deaf to it all, focusing on giving and receiving orders staring at her console. Every base was a potential target, no place was safe for long, no matter how far out into the Outer Rim or the Unknown Regions they went to. Every evacuation ment millions of credits went to waste as so much had to be abandoned. So many ships. Ammunition, weapons, food, building materials left behind, only to be used by the Empire. Leia gritted her teeth, having to abandon yet another post. She had no idea where they would go next, if there would even be a next time./span/p
h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-weight: normal;" /span/h1
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"Threepio walked up behind her, "Mistress, I think it best if we leave this hangar. Imperial troops are landing and will be here in less than 120 minutes."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"Leia waved the droid away, focusing instead on the little blinking lights on her screen. Rieekan took Leia's shoulder and turned her around, "When I said evacuation, I meant everyone." He said, while looking into Leia's eyes./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"She sighed, "I can't leave everyone, There's so much I can do." Rieekan nodded, "I know, but we need you, the Rebellion needs you to survive. You have to go." A shell went off above, shaking the roof and sending dust everywhere. A staffer blurted above their conversation, "General, there's a fleet of Star Destroyers coming out of hyperspace in sector four."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;""Reroute all power to the energy shield. We've got to hold them until all transports are away. Prepare for ground assault." Rieekan nodded and took off towards the exit./span/p
h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-weight: normal;" /span/h1
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"Leia gathered a small group of pilots, she didn't recognize them all, but so many pilots came and went but it wasn't important to know them all now, "All troop carriers will assemble at the north entrance. The heavy transport ships will leave as soon as they're loaded. Only two fighter escorts per ship. The energy shield can only be opened for a short time, so you'll have to stay very close to your transports." Pilot Hobbie looked on incredulously "Two fighters against a Star Destroyer?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;""The ion cannon will fire several shots to make sure that any enemy ships will be out of your flight path. When you've gotten past the energy shield, proceed directly to the rendezvous point. Understood?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"The pilots all nodded, and in union replied, "Right, Okay."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"As they ran towards their ships she said aloud, "Good luck."/span/p
h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-weight: normal;" /span/h1
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"It was intense inside the command center, but no one wanted to show any fear, lest if one of them broke down they all would. It wasn't looking very good, the Rebels were down men, and the Empire had the might. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;""Their primary target will be the power generators. Prepare to open the shield." Rieekan ordered over the comm. She kept her eyes on the screen looking at the pilots, waiting for further bad news. /spanspan style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"Leia.../spanspan style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;" Again the voice came, Leia turned around quickly to see what or who was calling her name, and again it was nothing. "Are you alright Leia?" Asked a female contoller. "Yes, yes I'm fine." Leia nodded as if to reassure herself./span/p
h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-weight: normal;" /span/h1
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;""Stand by, ion control...fire!" Everyone's eyes glued to the screen looking to see if the Rebel transport would make it away from the planet. The ion blast hits the Imperial Star Destroyers causing it to spin wildly out of control, allowing the transport to race to safety. Leia wears a large grin and everyone inside the command center shares a short cheer. "First transport is away" rings out over the loudspeaker. The cheer is short lived as more news reaches the comlink, "We have spotted Imperial walkers." Leia suddenly felt even worse about their chances. This wasn't the first time they had come up against the Empire's new toy, the AT-ATs, but every time they went up against them, they hardly came back. Their armor was nearly impervious to blasts, their stature gave the soldiers inside a strategic advantage of viewing the battlefield. Their only true weak points were at the joints or heavy artillery. Too few pilots were crack shots, and their stockpile of artillery was nearly non-existent. /span/p
h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-weight: normal;" /span/h1
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"On the screen is just a mess of enemy and friendly lights, she can hardly make sense of it anymore. She keeps thinking of Luke, wishing he were one of the crack shot pilots out there. As soon as the thought crosses her mind she sees two of her own snuffed out on the screen, she closes her eyes, exhaling strongly. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;""Just have to make it long enough to finish the evacuation."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;""Armor's too strong for blasters, We're not getting through" comes a message over the intercom. "Any suggestions?" Leia answered back./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;""Uhh..."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"Leia rolled her eyes, "There's gotta be something. Think." She wasn't a military strategist, she was hardly a brawler, but she was clever. /span/p
h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-weight: normal;" /span/h1
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"Again a voice came like it was whispering into her ear, /spanspan style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"Leia.../span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"She decided not to search for the sound but let it come to her, /spanspan style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"bigger they are, the harder they fall./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"Her eyes widened, and she grabbed the intercom. "Use your cables, go for the legs."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;""Stand by"/span/p
h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-weight: normal;" /span/h1
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;""How did you know to use that tactic?" Asked a senior controller./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;""A hunch."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"It seemed to be working, the pilots took down a walker, at the cost of one pilot. There was only a few transports left to go. Leia smiled to herself, "We're going to make it." She whispered to herself. Another giant explosion above shakes ice into the command center, "I don't think we can transport two transports at a time." /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;""I know Rieekan, it's risky, but we can't hold out much longer. We have no choice."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;""Launch patrols." She orders/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"Leia turned to her aid, "Tell everyone, we're evacuating ground staff. Go, GO!"/span/p
h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-weight: normal;" /span/h1
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"She eyed some of the cracks in the roof, it wouldn't be much longer until the thing gave way. "Mistress Leia, mistress! Please we must go now, this base simply isn't going to last much longer." Leia waved Threepio away, Artoo banged into her legg setting off a series of annoyed chirps. "I think that means it's time to go already." /span/p
h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-weight: normal;" /span/h1
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"Rieekan looked up, "It's the last transport Leia, it's our last chance. Come on." Another blast rocked the command center, knocking Leia over. "Imperial troops have entered the base." Leia got up on her knees and crawled to the intercom, "Give the evacuation signal and get to your transports!" Rieekan grabbed Leia's hand, and ran towards the hanger. "Oh! Wait for me Mistress!" chimed in Threepio, his stiff legs causing him to shuffle comically through the corridors. /span/p
h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span id="docs-internal-guid-8aecb831-83ee-9172-b5a2-ef63e47b0aac" style="font-weight: normal;"br /span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;" The transport ship was primed for departure, a senior officer gestured them on, "Hurry, hurry, Imperials are right behind you." As if on cue several troopers fired on the transport. "Well, let's not all sit around!" Leia barked. Leia sat silently with Artoo, staring off, looking at the black capsule that contained the bodies of Luke and Silo. She closed her eyes again, feeling exhausted, again a voice called out to her. This time stronger. /spanspan style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"Leia...Leia, come to the Dagobah system./spanspan style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;" Leia fell into a deep slumber. /span/span/h1
h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-weight: normal;" /span/h1
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"The wind hadn't subsided much from the night before, Leia sent out a few men out on armoured snowspeeders trying to track Luke or Sila. She didn't have much hope, not with the storm but she had to stay positive. "Echo Base...I've found something. It's not much. I'm not getting any life signs, but it looks like..."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"Leia heard the radio, "No..." Leia whispered, and seemed to have melted, and she fell to the floor. She had been hoping, praying that Luke would make it. "Echo Base, affirmative. It's Commander Skywalker and Sila Kott . They're dead, should we return them to base?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"Major Derlin looked at Leia, "Affirmative, return with Skywalker and Kott."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;""Acknowledged."/span/p
h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-weight: normal;" /span/h1
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"Leia looked at the two bodies of Luke and Sila, in the medical center. There was no where else to put them, she half expected Luke to sit up and grin, placing his arms behind his head and laugh. She put her hand over her mouth to muffle the sounds of grief that came out. She took several short breaths trying to center herself. She had lost many men during the course of the fight against the Empire, she had lost her entire family on Alderaan. Yet, standing here in the medical room it seemed as if the entire weight she was carrying finally came to bear. The room started to spin around her, she placed her hands out to steady herself./span/p
h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-weight: normal;" /span/h1
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"She thought she heard a voice call out her name. /spanspan style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"Leia.../spanspan style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"She turned around but there was no one there. Feeling a series of chills that weren't coming from the cold she zipped up her jacket, and calmed herself and left, not wishing to look at Luke anymore. Just in time to save her from her own thoughts an alarm blared overhead, "HEADQUARTERS PERSONNEL, REPORT TO COMMAND CENTER" She jogged to the command center, and General Rieekan's head looks up from his console screen, gesturing her over, "Princess, we have a visitor." A crowd gathers around her. "We've picked up something outside the base in zone twelve, moving east."/span/p
h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-weight: normal;" /span/h1
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"A senior controller speaks up, "It's metal"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"She furled her brow, "so it's not native."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;""Could it be one our own?" the senior controller responded, he stopped himself mid thought, then looked back at Leia in horror, "No, wait — there's something very weak coming through. I think it's Imperial."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"Threepio walks towards the control panel from behind Leia, " Sir I am fluent in six million forms of communication. This signal is not used by the Alliance. It is an Imperial code."/span/p
h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-weight: normal;" /span/h1
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"Rieekan wastes no time, "Send Rogues 10 and 11 to station 3-8."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"Leia shot back, "We're short two pilots!"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"Rieekan shrugs, "We're always short something. Pilots, credits, sense."/span/p
h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-weight: normal;" /span/h1
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"A Rebel Lieutenant calls in over a comlink, "Afraid there isn't much left."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;""What was it?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"There's a small pause, "Droid of some sort Ma'am, Imperial I think. It self destructed."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;""Yeah sounds like an Imperial probe droid alright. Looks like the Empire knows where we are now." Leia added/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"Rieekan nods, "We'd better start the evacuation now."/span/p
h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-weight: normal;" /span/h1
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"Alarms ring out throughout the hangar, ground crews and troops running carrying everything they can carry. Armored snowspeeders are lined up in attack formation near the main entrance, to give everyone the time they need to evacuate. Somehow Leia is almost deaf to it all, focusing on giving and receiving orders staring at her console. Every base was a potential target, no place was safe for long, no matter how far out into the Outer Rim or the Unknown Regions they went to. Every evacuation ment millions of credits went to waste as so much had to be abandoned. So many ships. Ammunition, weapons, food, building materials left behind, only to be used by the Empire. Leia gritted her teeth, having to abandon yet another post. She had no idea where they would go next, if there would even be a next time./span/p
h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-weight: normal;" /span/h1
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"Threepio walked up behind her, "Mistress, I think it best if we leave this hangar. Imperial troops are landing and will be here in less than 120 minutes."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"Leia waved the droid away, focusing instead on the little blinking lights on her screen. Rieekan took Leia's shoulder and turned her around, "When I said evacuation, I meant everyone." He said, while looking into Leia's eyes./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"She sighed, "I can't leave everyone, There's so much I can do." Rieekan nodded, "I know, but we need you, the Rebellion needs you to survive. You have to go." A shell went off above, shaking the roof and sending dust everywhere. A staffer blurted above their conversation, "General, there's a fleet of Star Destroyers coming out of hyperspace in sector four."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;""Reroute all power to the energy shield. We've got to hold them until all transports are away. Prepare for ground assault." Rieekan nodded and took off towards the exit./span/p
h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-weight: normal;" /span/h1
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"Leia gathered a small group of pilots, she didn't recognize them all, but so many pilots came and went but it wasn't important to know them all now, "All troop carriers will assemble at the north entrance. The heavy transport ships will leave as soon as they're loaded. Only two fighter escorts per ship. The energy shield can only be opened for a short time, so you'll have to stay very close to your transports." Pilot Hobbie looked on incredulously "Two fighters against a Star Destroyer?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;""The ion cannon will fire several shots to make sure that any enemy ships will be out of your flight path. When you've gotten past the energy shield, proceed directly to the rendezvous point. Understood?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"The pilots all nodded, and in union replied, "Right, Okay."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"As they ran towards their ships she said aloud, "Good luck."/span/p
h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-weight: normal;" /span/h1
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"It was intense inside the command center, but no one wanted to show any fear, lest if one of them broke down they all would. It wasn't looking very good, the Rebels were down men, and the Empire had the might. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;""Their primary target will be the power generators. Prepare to open the shield." Rieekan ordered over the comm. She kept her eyes on the screen looking at the pilots, waiting for further bad news. /spanspan style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"Leia.../spanspan style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;" Again the voice came, Leia turned around quickly to see what or who was calling her name, and again it was nothing. "Are you alright Leia?" Asked a female contoller. "Yes, yes I'm fine." Leia nodded as if to reassure herself./span/p
h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-weight: normal;" /span/h1
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;""Stand by, ion control...fire!" Everyone's eyes glued to the screen looking to see if the Rebel transport would make it away from the planet. The ion blast hits the Imperial Star Destroyers causing it to spin wildly out of control, allowing the transport to race to safety. Leia wears a large grin and everyone inside the command center shares a short cheer. "First transport is away" rings out over the loudspeaker. The cheer is short lived as more news reaches the comlink, "We have spotted Imperial walkers." Leia suddenly felt even worse about their chances. This wasn't the first time they had come up against the Empire's new toy, the AT-ATs, but every time they went up against them, they hardly came back. Their armor was nearly impervious to blasts, their stature gave the soldiers inside a strategic advantage of viewing the battlefield. Their only true weak points were at the joints or heavy artillery. Too few pilots were crack shots, and their stockpile of artillery was nearly non-existent. /span/p
h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-weight: normal;" /span/h1
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"On the screen is just a mess of enemy and friendly lights, she can hardly make sense of it anymore. She keeps thinking of Luke, wishing he were one of the crack shot pilots out there. As soon as the thought crosses her mind she sees two of her own snuffed out on the screen, she closes her eyes, exhaling strongly. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;""Just have to make it long enough to finish the evacuation."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;""Armor's too strong for blasters, We're not getting through" comes a message over the intercom. "Any suggestions?" Leia answered back./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;""Uhh..."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"Leia rolled her eyes, "There's gotta be something. Think." She wasn't a military strategist, she was hardly a brawler, but she was clever. /span/p
h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-weight: normal;" /span/h1
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"Again a voice came like it was whispering into her ear, /spanspan style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"Leia.../span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"She decided not to search for the sound but let it come to her, /spanspan style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"bigger they are, the harder they fall./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"Her eyes widened, and she grabbed the intercom. "Use your cables, go for the legs."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;""Stand by"/span/p
h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-weight: normal;" /span/h1
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;""How did you know to use that tactic?" Asked a senior controller./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;""A hunch."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"It seemed to be working, the pilots took down a walker, at the cost of one pilot. There was only a few transports left to go. Leia smiled to herself, "We're going to make it." She whispered to herself. Another giant explosion above shakes ice into the command center, "I don't think we can transport two transports at a time." /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;""I know Rieekan, it's risky, but we can't hold out much longer. We have no choice."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;""Launch patrols." She orders/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"Leia turned to her aid, "Tell everyone, we're evacuating ground staff. Go, GO!"/span/p
h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-weight: normal;" /span/h1
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"She eyed some of the cracks in the roof, it wouldn't be much longer until the thing gave way. "Mistress Leia, mistress! Please we must go now, this base simply isn't going to last much longer." Leia waved Threepio away, Artoo banged into her legg setting off a series of annoyed chirps. "I think that means it's time to go already." /span/p
h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-weight: normal;" /span/h1
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"Rieekan looked up, "It's the last transport Leia, it's our last chance. Come on." Another blast rocked the command center, knocking Leia over. "Imperial troops have entered the base." Leia got up on her knees and crawled to the intercom, "Give the evacuation signal and get to your transports!" Rieekan grabbed Leia's hand, and ran towards the hanger. "Oh! Wait for me Mistress!" chimed in Threepio, his stiff legs causing him to shuffle comically through the corridors. /span/p
h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span id="docs-internal-guid-8aecb831-83ee-9172-b5a2-ef63e47b0aac" style="font-weight: normal;"br /span style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;" The transport ship was primed for departure, a senior officer gestured them on, "Hurry, hurry, Imperials are right behind you." As if on cue several troopers fired on the transport. "Well, let's not all sit around!" Leia barked. Leia sat silently with Artoo, staring off, looking at the black capsule that contained the bodies of Luke and Silo. She closed her eyes again, feeling exhausted, again a voice called out to her. This time stronger. /spanspan style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;"Leia...Leia, come to the Dagobah system./spanspan style="font-size: 14.6667px; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: transparent;" Leia fell into a deep slumber. /span/span/h1