Pain, Ivy had never known such pain. Her whole body ached from the torture she had been subjected to. She could hear the screams coming from the other cell, and knew Leia was experiencing the same. The men on this ship were not human, none of them were. They had though she would break, but that was less easy than they had thought. She could withstand pain, she was a Corellian, and they didn't crack easily.
She dimly heard her friend's screams diminish as she slipped into unconsciousness. Ivy hoped she hadn't told Vader anything.
Ivy was dragged from her cell later by two stormtroopers by her hair. She shrieked and clawed at them as she struggled to her feet, bedraggled, with red rims under her eyes. Her dark hair, which had been neatly tied up was now loose and sticking up everywhere and her clothing was torn in some places.
"What fresh hell do you have in store for us Vader?" Ivy's voice was hoarse and angry.
But Vader did not answer them, continuing to lead the party along, ignoring the two prisoners who he no doubt knew were glaring at the back of his helmet. He had been amazed by their resistance to torture; they both had to be force sensitive. Neither had told him one scrap of information. Starling had even told him to screw off in about sixteen languages while under torture.
When they reached the bridge, the doors swung open to reveal: "Governor Tarkin, I should've expected to find you holding Vader's leash. I recognized your foul stench when I was brought on board." Leia said coolly.
Ivy had always admired her friend's spunk: now more than ever. Not everyone could still insult the man who had no doubt signed off on their execution forms.
"Before your execution, yours and Miss Starling's over here," Governor Wilhuff Tarkin chuckled darkly. "I would like you to be my guests at a ceremony that will make this battle station operational. No star system will dare oppose the Emperor now."
"The more you tighten your grip Tarkin," said Leia glaring at him, "The more star systems will slip through your fingers."
Tarkin raised a long lean hand to stop her, "Not after we demonstrate the power of the Death Star. In a way, you have determined the choice of the first planet to be destroyed. And it is for that reason that I've had you brought here to the observation deck." He turned to issue orders to a subordinate, "Admiral Motti, have the view screens activated."
"At once Sir."
"Since you're reluctant to provide the location of the rebel base, Your Highness." Tarkin returned to his conversation with them, "I have chosen to test the Death Star's destructive powers on that lovely blue world you see on our view screens. Your home planet of Alderaan."
"You can't do that!" Ivy shouted.
At the same time Leia cried out, "Alderaan is peaceful, we have no weapons, you can't possibly—"
The Governor got right into her face, "You would prefer another target? A military target? Then name the system."
"Never!" roared Ivy, fighting against the two soldiers who strained to keep her from attacking Tarkin, "We won't tell. I wouldn't tell you even if it was my planet on that view screen!"
"Yes," Tarkin seized her chin, "but your planet is much to valuable to be destroyed."
She jerked away with a snarl, "Don't you dare touch me, you filthy piece of Hutt scum!"
"Name the system, Princess Leia." He paid no attention to the senator's daughter's biting insults, which were getting more vulgar by the second. "And your people will be safe."
Leia kept her mouth shut.
"I grow tired of asking this, so it'll be the last time." Tarkin glowered down at her, "Where is the rebel base?"
The princess became fascinated with a scuff mark on her boot, looking if possible, smaller than she already was, "Dantooine," she choked out, "they're on Dantooine."
"Leia no!" cried Ivy.
Govorner Tarkin patted her on the head, "There; you see Lord Vader, she can be reasonable. Continue with the operation, Admiral Motti, you may fire when ready."
"WHAT?!" Ivy and Leia screamed together.
"You're far too trusting." Tarkin smiled coldly, "Dantooine is too remote to make an effective demonstration, but don't worry, we shall deal with your rebel friends soon enough."
"Bastards!" shrieked Ivy, fighting even harder to get at Tarkin as rage washed over her like a red tide, "You-you you're not human!"
"No!" whimpered Leia. "No you can't do this!"
The young Corellian tore free, and despite her aches and pains, charged at Tarkin. Before she could reach him however, she was seized in a vice like grip, "LET GO OF ME! I'M GONNA KILL HIM! I'M GONNA KILL HIM! YOU SON OF A BUGSLUT! YOU BASTARD!"
BOOM! Ivy's tirade was cut off as the planet exploded. Beside her, Leia was sobbing and screaming. Vader set her down, but continued to hold tightly to her arm in case she decided to attack again. She felt numb with horror as she watched the fire die out. She had just witnessed the grisly murder of millions of people, an entire culture. Laying a firm hand on her friend's shoulder, Ivy knelt beside her, green eyes blazing, "And you call yourselves human."
000
In the cell beside her, Ivy could hear her friend still sobbing . Ivy curled up into a ball and let her own tears fall. How could anyone do anything so horrible? They had wiped out an entire culture, an entire race of people. Without realizing it, the young Corellian fell into a weary sleep.
She dreamed she was running, running, running, running as Alderaan exploded over and over. Yet she drew no closer to the view screen. It was as though Ivy was on a treadmill. She was sinking, she was drowning. The torture droid was coming closer and closer. She awoke with a start.
From just outside the door, Ivy heard voices. So, they had come to take her for execution, well, she wasn't going down without a fight. Ivy wanted to make things as difficult as possible for Tarkin. The door hissed open, and before she could register Leia's shout of, "Stop Ivy!", her fist connected with the jaw of the person standing in the door. They toppled over with a crash, Ivy on top of him, fist raised to strike again. It was… a boy? He was staring up at her with a slightly dazed look in his eyes of the brightest blue she had ever seen. "What the?"
"Ivy, he came to rescue us!" exclaimed Leia, "the least you could do is not hit him in the face."
Ivy blushed to the roots of her wild, unkempt hair. "Right, sorry." She climbed off of him and held out her hand, "Sorry about that, I thought you were a plastic boy."
The boy accepted her hand and allowed her to help him up. Shaking his head to clear it he said, "Gee, you certainly don't pull any punches."
Another man and a Wookiee came running around the corner, blasters firing, "Get back! The stormtroopers blew the door we couldn't hold them! We can't get out that way!"
Leia stepped forward and glowered at the man, "Looks like we just lost our only escape route!"
He glared back, "Maybe you'd prefer to stay in your sell, your highness." Ivy recognized his accent as Corellian.
"I'll try and contact Threepio!" the boy pulled a comlink from his belt, "Get behind me!" he shouted at her. Ivy muttered something under her breath but obeyed. "He says there's no other way outta here!"
"This is some rescue," snarled Leia, "you came in here, didn't you have a plan for getting out?"
"He's the brains of the operation, sweetheart!" the other Corellian roared.
"I thought as much," Ivy muttered under her breath. The boy heard her.
"Quit complaining I didn't- Hey!" Leia snatched the blaster out of his hands and fired at an area near the other man's feet.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" Han hollered as he did an undignified skip-jump to avoid being shot.
The princess crossed the hall and pushed the button beside the hole, "Somebody has to save our skins! I opened a hole in the garbage chute. Follow me flyboy!"
"She's crazy!" he exclaimed. "But okay, ladies first!"
Ivy huffed, "How come men only decide to be chivalrous when something dangerous is involved?"
"Just get in!" he shouted, "Do you want to get shot." Ivy rolled her eyes and jumped.
She found herself sliding along a foul slimy tube. Ivy tried to stop herself with her hands and feet, but it was too slippery. She shot out of the end and plummeted with a splash into a foul smelling pool of water. "EEWW!" she tried to shake some of the water off of her dripping clothing. "That was my favorite tunic. I hate Imperials!"
Ivy jumped aside just in time; as with an angry snarl, the Wookiee came tumbling out of the hole. Standing up, also covered in muck, he growled in disgust. She patted the furry arm, "I hear ya buddy."
The Wookiee headed for the door. As he reached it, the boy fell from the tunnel, also landing in the foul water. He rumpled his nose against the smell, "Ugh! Gods that stinks!" he gestured at the Wookiee, "Chewie, move aside, I'll get us out of here." He raised his blaster.
Before the words, "I don't think that's a good idea." Could leave her mouth, he had fired. They dived as the blaster bolt ricocheted around the room. Ivy got up shouting angrily as she tried to wipe the filth off of her clothing, "Don't you idiots think before you blast. Anyone could've told you the door would be magnetically sealed."
"Well I don't see you trying anything," he bit off.
They were interrupted by a loud splash as the other Corellian plummeted from the tube. "A garbage dump, wonderful idea. Oh my, what an incredible smell you've discovered." He reached around trying to find something, "Ah where's my blaster I'm getting out of here. Chewie, get away from that door."
Instantly four voices were raised in protest, "No don't do that!"
"Han wait!"
"AARRRGH!"
"Everybody duck!"
They dove to the ground as another bolt shot around the room. Ivy once again found herself with a face full of garbage, but that was better than being shot.
"Will you forget it I already tried it!" the boy hollered, "The room's magnetically sealed!"
"Put that thing away before you get us all killed!" snapped Leia.
Han Solo shoved the blaster roughly back in its holster, "Oh absolutely your worship. Look I had everything under control till you led us down here! You know it's not gonna take 'em long to figure out what happened to us!"
"OH WILL YOU SHUT UP!" Ivy and the boy yelled together.
Leia, who couldn't resist having the last word said, "Oh it could be worse!"
An ominous creaking stopped them all mid argument.
"Leia, did you have to say that?" Ivy moaned.
"There's something alive in here," the boy added in a nervous voice.
"Can you see anything?" Leia asked, looking down at the murky water in which they were all standing.
"That's your imagination," Han attempted to reassure.
"Something just brushed past my leg!" The boy looked around for the source. At the same time, something popped out of the water, and the young Corellian senator's daughter found herself staring into an eye. She shrieked and scrambled onto the mound of garbage, jabbering nonsensically as she pointed with a trembling hand.
With a startled yelp, the boy disappeared under the water. The others yelled his name, "Luke" starting to throw aside trash to try and find him. He shot up; a tentacle wrapped all the way around his body.
"Luke, grab hold of something." Leia shouted as Ivy yanked at the tentacle wrapped around his throat.
"It's choking me!" Luke Skywalker managed to get out, "Shoot it! My blaster's jammed!"
"Where? Where?"
"ANYWHERE!" Ivy realized a second too late what was going to happen. She and Luke were yanked under the water. Finding a foothold, she tugged at the creature, trying to pull him free. Ivy could hear voices yelling her name, and then a metallic shriek as though two bits of metal were grinding together. It let go, and both she and Luke came up coughing and sputtering.
"What happened?"
Luke vomited up some of the foul tasting water, "I don't know: whatever it was that grabbed me... it just let go of me and disappeared."
Ivy thumped his back, trying to dislodge any excess water in is lungs, "You know you're not supposed to breathe water right?"
Luke glared at her.
The scraping sound came again, "I have a very bad feeling about this." Ivy muttered.
"The walls," Luke managed when he had gotten his breath, "they're moving!"
"Oh kriff!" Ivy swore. Han gaped at her. "This is bad! We're inside a compactor!"
"We'll be crushed!" Leia cried, "Try and brace the walls!"
It was chaos, people yelling and screaming as they tried to find something-anything to stop the walls from crushing them. Leia and Han were holding a metal bar between them, and Luke and Ivy were shoving bodily against them.
Luke was yelling for the droid, Threepio, "Threepio! Come in Threepio!" As he continued to scream into the device, Ivy thought she heard another voice.
"Luke stop! I think I heard something!"
It was the prissy protocol droid, "Are you there sir, we've had some problems."
"WILL YOU SHUT UP AND LISTEN TO ME!" he screeched, "WE'RE STUCK IN A GARBAGE COMPACTOR IT'S CLOSING IN ON US! SHUT DOWN ALL THE TRASH MASHERS ON THE DETENTION LEVEL! DO YOU COPY?!"
"Oh yes sir!" Threepio responded in a panicked voice.
"SHUT DOWN ALL THE GARBAGE MASHERS ON THE DETENTION LEVEL! WE'RE GONNA BE CRUSHED!"
"Artoo Shut them all down!"
"HURRY UP YOU GOLDEN SACK OF POODO!" hollered Ivy, "WE'RE ABOUT READY TO KICK THE BUCKET HERE!"
The walls stopped. They all began to shout, so great was there relief. They were not going to die after all. Starling reminded herself to be a little nicer to the golden protocol droid, even if he was a bit annoying.
"Open the pressure maintenance on unit number-" Luke shouted back to Han, "Where are we?"
"326827!"
"Did you get that?"
"Thank gods," Ivy leaned back and released the breath she hadn't realized she had been holding, "I could just kiss somebody I'm so relived."
