Summary: Leia decides she needs to save Luke from Darth Vader's trap, leaving Han with Boba Fett.

Disclaimer: Scenes and lines taken/paraphrased from the ESB script. Song from Netflix's 'A Series of Unfortunate Events' that I attempted to make fit. These stories aren't exactly a series of unfortunate events, more stories with unfortunate endings (for the heroine). Couldn't stop my brain from trying to make the song fit Star Wars. Eventually I just had to say 'good enough!' Rhyming is hard. :P

...

You may think Princess Leia should slip away, and save Luke below Cloud City.

Darth Vader rejected, his son led astray; the trap met with adversity.

But there's no happy ending, not here and not now, this tale is all sorrows and woes.

You may dream that justice and peace win the day, but that's not how the story goes.

-Lyrics adapted from 'That's Not How The Story Goes'

...

Leia, heart in her throat, watched helplessly as a huge metal tong descended into the circular vat. It lifted the steaming block of carbonite, Han frozen in a scream. Her eyes were fixed on it, unable to tear herself away, not until she knew. Not until there was some sign he survived.

Around the platform, Imperials watched the process, uncaring of the result. Only the bounty hunter, Boba Fett, shared her and Chewie's desire for Han to live. But that was a cold comfort. Over the hiss of steam and whine of hydraulics the regular inhale and exhale of Darth Vader's respirator, black form almost lost in the gloom, punctuated the sharp staccato of her heartbeat.

Multiple Ugnaughts rushed forward and pushed the block away from the large vat and towards the platform. They slid the coffin-like structure onto a hover-lift and attached an electronic control box. Task completed, they scuttled away. The so called 'friend' Lando Calrissian stepped forward and adjusted some knobs, examining the life signs.

She held her breath, waiting for the verdict, hope dangling by a thread. His arms snugly around her, she felt Chewie do the same.

Calrissian shook his head, and for a brief moment panic and heartache tore through her. A part of her reached for Han, desperate to sense the connection she'd begun to let herself feel for him. Not believing that he could be dead.

Unbeknownst to her, Darth Vader's eyes jerked in her direction.

"Well, Calrissian, did he survive?" Vader's deep, cold voice penetrated her panic.

Is he alive? He must be. Please let him survive! She prayed to whoever was listening.

"Yes, he's alive," Calrissian answered in clear relief, "And in perfect hibernation."

Leia and Chewie both let out their breath in shared solace. Weak in the knees, she was more grateful than ever for Chewie's support. Without him, there was no telling how she would be handling this moment. Together, they would be trapped on this floating prison with Calrissian. Together, they would plan and organize their escape.

"He's all yours bounty hunter." Vader addressed Boba Fett, uncaring now that the experiment was a success.

Together, they would save Han.

Darth Vader turned and ordered, "Reset the chamber for Skywalker."

Leia finally ripped her eyes away from Han to stare at Vader. She had forgotten, almost, that everything they had gone through on this wretched city was to entrap Luke. Would he really be so fool headed as to mount a rescue? She instantly dismissed the silly question. Of course he would. The real question was how would he even know to come? Vader was so sure that he would. And if he was ordering the chamber to be reset, did that mean…?

An Imperial officer approached and reported, "Skywalker has just landed, My Lord."

No…Luke!

She steeled herself, pushing down the grief over Han as she had once done over the destruction of Alderaan. Later, she would allow herself to feel. Now was not the time for tears. She wrapped her anger around herself like a cloak of armour. If Luke was here her future was clear. Her focus had to be escape. Han was alive and Boba Fett would ensure it stayed that way, for now. But Luke…Luke needed her help.

Their stormtrooper guards began herding them towards the entrance to the factory, Chewie unwinding his arms from her. She gave him a determined look, hoping to convey to him that they needed to escape, and soon.

As they were pushed forward, Leia strained her ears to hear Vader's response.

"Good. See to it that he finds his way here." She managed to catch over the loud whirring of the carbonation chamber resetting.

She had to warn Luke. He was walking right into Vader's trap. Somehow! Calrissian would transfer them back to their 'room', there had to be a way to overpower the guards. All they needed was a chance.

The plans beginning to whirl in her mind came to a screeching halt at Vader's next order.

"Calrissian, take the Princess and the Wookiee to my ship."

Indignation and fear shot through her, and for once she seemed to agree with Calrissian, given his outraged reply.

"You said they'd be left in the city under my supervision."

Darth Vader turned to threaten Calrissian.

"I am altering the deal. Pray I don't alter it any further."

A spike of ice went down her back as she realized something deeply unsettling. Beyond briefly giving his attention to those he was giving orders to, Darth Vader had been watching her. It wasn't until he'd had to turn more completely away from her to threaten Calrissian that she'd noticed the lack of… something hovering around her. But what could it mean? What more could he want from her?

Calrissian's hand instinctively went to his throat. He grimaced, but joined them and the stormtrooper guard; escorting them to Darth Vader's ship, of all places. She couldn't help the sneer that formed on her face at Calrissian. So much for his assurance that Vader's interest was solely focused on Luke.

As they were marched out of the room, now that she was aware of it, she felt Vader's eyes on her once more, the hairs on the back of her neck standing up uncomfortably.

They were shepherded out of the factory; the crisp white halls a stark contrast to the dark, verging on pitch black carbonation chamber they had come from. It took her a moment to blink the spots from her eyes, momentarily blinded. Calrissian and the stormtroopers were joined by some of his men as they led them down the hall.

Ahead of her Chewie walked, Threepio hanging awkwardly from his back. At the front, she could see Calrissian urgently whispering to one of his men. She had a feeling he was up to something, but couldn't bring herself to care, too focused on Luke and the danger he was walking into.

Luke was in the city now, according the Imperial Officer. That meant with every step they took away from the chamber, Luke took one towards them. There had to be some way she could warn him!

Ahead of them their escort paused, the sound of blaster fire echoing down the hall.

He's here!

The stormtroopers around them picked up speed, shoving them first down one corridor then turning down another; obviously hoping to avoid the fire fight. Chewie and Leia dug their heels in as much as they could to slow them down.

As they neared the end of a hall, some instinct told her to turn around.

Her very being lit up at the sight of the unruly mop of blond hair, hope and fear warring within. "Luke! Luke, don't –" She dove towards him, desperate to reach him. A stormtrooper grabbed her roughly and pulled her away. "-it's a trap!" She wrestled with the arms constraining her. She looked up just long enough to see Luke racing towards her and for one heart stopping second, their eyes met.

The moment stretched, and in that instant, it seemed as if multiple futures played out before her. Different actions she could take from this point on, the possibilities too numerous for her to grasp; the very idea of what she was seeing too much to conceive. The stormtrooper jerked her back and through a door, breaking the moment.

Briefly, she managed to break free. She lunged back and gripped the edge of the door frame yelling, "It's a trap!" before she was dragged through. The door sealed and locked her away from him.

In another time, in another place, that could have been the end of it. The last chance she had before his destined confrontation; before she was distracted by the chance to save Han. But in this moment in time, as she continued to struggle against the stormtrooper, an image stuck in her mind. Not of Luke frozen in carbonite, as she would've assumed, but of Luke trapped on the end of a gantry, Vader looming over him. Vader's red lightsaber illuminated his terrified face, pain making him pale; and pressed protectively against his chest, the stump of his right hand.

Leia shook her head in denial; that would not happen. She refused to let that happen! Darth Vader would not take another of her loved ones from her. Not again!

Instinct screaming at her, she knew she only had one chance to make a difference, one chance before she lost him.

Leia went limp in the stormtrooper's hold. Surprised, the trooper fumbled with her and was pulled off balance. An instant later, using her bent knees and lower center of gravity, Leia barreled into him and through a side door, seconds before it sealed shut, cutting them off from the others. Chewie's cry of alarm cut short.

On the ground, they grappled for advantage, her cuffed hands making fighting difficult. Perhaps it was desperation, perhaps it was the heat of the moment, but she was able to leverage the blaster at just the right angle to get a fortunate shot off.

Leia lay there for a moment on top of the dead trooper, panting, thrilled at her victory.

Some would call the sequence of events luck. Some would say there's no such thing as luck.

Hands still cuffed, she searched the trooper for the release key. When she didn't find it, she let out a frustrated growl and grabbed the blaster. It was awkward, holding it like this would make aiming difficult, but she would make do.

There was no time to lose, she had to find Luke.

...

In the dark factory chamber, Luke Skywalker cautiously, but resolutely, picked his way along. Steam and smoke curled around him, filling the darkened alcoves.

On a walkway above him, a menacing shape was outlined in the darkness. Undeterred, confidence flowing through him, Luke approached.

A deep baritone rumbled from the shadows, "The force is with you, young Skywalker. But you are not a Jedi yet."

Luke's only response was to ignite his lightsaber, blue blade cutting the gloom.

When he was almost level with him, Vader ignited his own blade, the red glow illuminating the ominous shadow that was the armoured giant.

...

Leia cautiously stepped into the carbonation room, blaster at the ready.

She'd been forced to enter through a side door, after finding the main one sealed. Trapping Luke, she'd thought. Thankfully, she'd gotten lucky once again and on a whim had opened a door that led her to the Ugnaughts. It hadn't taken much threatening to get them to lead her to a maintenance hatch.

She'd ended up near the very same spot she'd been standing only minutes earlier. When it had briefly felt like everything was crashing down around her. But now she had a goal and a blaster, she was no longer helpless. And she would save Luke!

Leia looked around, hoping for some sign that Luke had escaped the carbonation process. She approached the edge of the pit, nausea threatening over the memory of Han.

Of what she'd confessed, "I love you."

And his response, "I know."

The arrogant nerf-herder. She thought, tears briefly threatening in pained fondness.

She tore her eyes from the pit, a fierce hissing drawing her attention. Looking up, she noticed one of the thick cables had been cut clean through and was now dangling limply, steam rapidly escaping. She let out a breath of relief; it looked like she wasn't too late here, Luke was still free.

The room was eerily silent, beyond the hissing steam. She looked around the platform and frowned.

No sign of either Luke or Vader.

She wished she found it reassuring, but the image of Luke trapped on a gantry kept her searching for signs of them.

Below she heard a ringing crash, as if something had been knocked over. Leia rushed to the edge, blaster drawn. She peered down, and was just in time to see Luke go through a side hatch.

"Luke!" she cried, desperate to reach him. But once again, she was too far away.

Determined to get to him, she quickly searched the area for a way down. The edge of the platform was a sheer drop, with no ladder or stairs that she could see. Not even a hydraulic platform! She paced the edge, anxious to get down there, knowing she was running out of time. Then she spotted it. Off to the side, some cable had been piled up out of the way. Wrapping the blaster strap around her shoulder, she grabbed the end and began to unspool it over the edge. Using the controls for the carbonation process as an anchor she wrapped the cable multiple times around it, hoping it would remain in place.

She barely gave it a test to see if it would hold her weight before launching herself over the edge; urgency driving her actions. The cuffed hands made it difficult but not impossible to descend, her legs taking most of the weight.

She reached the bottom faster than was safe, landing with a hard, teeth rattling thud. Barely pausing long enough to get her bearings, stumbling in her haste, she grabbed the blaster and raced through the dark tunnel she'd seen Luke enter.

The passageway was littered with equipment. Pipes and control boxes scattered along the walls, making navigating quickly and quietly difficult. Frustration ate at her. She had to make it in time! She could feel it, some unnameable sense of hurry, hurry, hurry.

Then she saw it, the end of the tunnel opening into a large observation room. She slowed her pace to a crawl, cautiously approaching. The hum and crash of lightsabers echoed in the enclosed space.

Her heart leapt into her throat at the sight that greeted her. Luke and Darth Vader, lightsaber's lit, facing one another. Vader's back was to her, her view of Luke partially blocked by his black bulk. For a brief moment, neither of them moved, Luke's panting breaths and the steady wheeze of Vader's respirator the only sounds.

Vader's lightsaber twitched.

She watched, wide eyed and shocked, as a piece of the wall came flying at Luke. He batted it away with his lightsaber, dodging another piece that quickly followed. In awe, she watched a pipe fly at him from behind, only for it to deflect off of him as if it had hit an invisible shield.

Her amazement was broken, however, when next a small tool rocketed at him, smacking him hard in the shoulder. Luke cried out in pain and stumbled.

Shaken, she tore her eyes to Vader's unmoving back. The dark armoured shadow was just standing there, lightsaber pointed at Luke, as machinery and equipment began to fly at him in greater speeds.

Both distracted as they were, neither noticed her quietly taking aim.

She braced herself against the entrance, making herself as small a target as she could, grip tight on the blaster.

Luke, bruised and bleeding, backed up towards a large floor length circular window, Vader mirroring his steps. Partially hidden by the entrance, she waited for her moment.

Briefly, this reminded her of another time Vader's back had been to her. A shot she could have taken, almost wished she had taken, long ago on Vrogas Vos. He had been in her sights then, she'd almost brought an end to his reign of terror. Only concern for Luke had stayed her hand. She'd abandoned her blinkered obsession with killing Vader in favor of saving Luke. Now… Luke's life was on the line once again. And this time she'd take the shot.

Luke stumbled, knocked off balance, exhaustion weighing him down.

Sensing Vader's distraction, she carefully aimed between his shoulders.

Another large chunk dislodged itself from the wall.

She fired.

The blaster shot rang out, Vader stumbled forward with a cry, wild triumph flared through her, and Luke turned terrified eyes onto her.

"Leia!" he cried.

Undeterred, she fired again, determined to take Vader out. Slightly hunched over, a black clad hand shot out, hand harmlessly deflecting the shot. She fired again as he straightened, determined to get at least another shot in. She knew she could hit him! But again he blocked, back still mostly to her.

"Princess." he growled, partially turning towards her. She felt her blaster give a sharp jerk, as if attempting to jump out of her hand - as Han's had. She stopped firing and pinned it against the wall, holding on with all her strength. "You should have stayed with the Wookiee."

"Leia," Luke panted, pale in his shock, his bruises even more stark against his skin. "Get out of here! Run!"

"I'm not leaving without you." She fiercely hissed back, eyes never leaving Vader, blaster still trembling in her grip.

Vader tilted his head, the lenses of his mask angled to meet her eyes. He seemed to regard her for one long moment; some dark cloud hovering over her determination, trying to break it down. Testing her. With a snarl she managed to fire one more bolt, shaking the feeling off. His red lightsaber rose to meet it, and some instinct just barely had her ducking back into the entrance in time to dodge. The bolt harmlessly splattered into the wall, exactly where she'd just been standing.

"Leave her alone!" She heard Luke cry, and peeked out in time to see Vader pivot and barely manage to deflect the blade.

"Yes," she heard Vader goad, "release your anger."

Luke didn't reply, just snarled and went on the offensive.

Vader's movements were stiff, his cloak charred and armour damaged. His shoulder guard had absorbed most of the blast, but she could see that she injured him.

The blaster steady in her hands once more, she took aim again, waiting for the right moment. She could feel that nameless 'something' hovering around her, watching her. Vader was obviously being careful not to turn his back fully to her.

She watched in awe as Luke viciously attacked Vader. She'd never seen him wield his lightsaber with such confidence and skill before. Perhaps he could do it, for a moment she dared to hope, maybe Luke could actually beat Vader. Get revenge for his father, for Alderaan…for Han.

"Good. Your anger has made you strong." Vader intoned, blocking Luke one-handed, his other angled towards Leia. "But not strong enough."

Vader shifted to a two-handed grip on his lightsaber and suddenly the fight shifted. Vader's blows began to drive Luke back, and she could see him straining under each one. Vader herded Luke deeper into the room, the large glass window now haloing the fight.

His attention now mostly on Luke, she knew her chance was coming.

One of his slashes left Luke stumbling back. Vader moved in, intent to finish the fight. Somehow, she knew the exact instant he turned enough of his attention away from her and fired.

Vader twitched to the side but was unable to dodge completely and cried out as it glanced off his shoulder.

Luke took his chance, lightsaber coming down high in a slashing cut.

Vader barely recovered in time, forced onto one knee, lightsaber held in his uninjured arm, and blocked Luke. His respirator was working overtime, breaths coming quicker than she'd ever heard before. Luke strained against the red blade, trying to force it down.

For one moment, Luke looked as if he was about to succeed. But in the next, Vader raised his left hand. And, to her complete and utter shock, Luke was sent sailing across the room. He smacked into the wall with a sickening thud, hand cracking against a metal strut and lightsaber flying out of his hand. He lay unmoving, dazed.

She gasped, about to run to him, when a fierce growl startled her. Vader staggered to his feet, lightsaber sending red sparks of melted durasteel floor scattering.

"You have interfered," he turned towards her, a weighted darkness paralyzing her in place, "for the last time."

The blaster fell from her limp fingers, cuffed hands grasping futilely at her throat. Invisible hands grabbed her, dragging her into the room.

Her eyes were wide in fear, she'd heard of his legendary ability but had never witnessed it herself; the ability to make you choke on nothing. She couldn't see Luke anymore; her world narrowed to Vader. Darkness began to encroach on the edges of her vision, tunneling her awareness to the black outline of the helmet, the sinister red glow of his eyes, the sharp corners of the mask, all illuminated in the blood red glow of his lightsaber.

"No!" Luke cried and knocked bodily into Vader. They both stumbled, and Leia fell to her knees, gasping great gulps of air.

She didn't see what happened next, but heard the sound of a body sliding across the ground. She looked up to see Luke on his knees pressed against the glass, Darth Vader's lightsaber at his throat.

Leia went white, panic fuelling her as she dove for the blaster. She never reached it. An unseen force slammed into her and sent her hurtling back down the tunnel. Luke's anguished cry of "Leia!" echoing after her.

She landed and rolled with a grunt, clipping the edge of some equipment with her hip. One final roll, head over heels, and her back slammed into a box, breath driven out of her. She couldn't breathe and hunched over, desperately trying to force air into her lungs.

She didn't know how long she sat there gasping; it have been for a minute, it could have been five, when the sound of shattering glass reached her.

She gathered her feet under her and staggered down the tunnel, going as fast as she could, breath returning to her in painful gulps. When she reached the end she found a horrifying tableau. The large circular observation window was shattered and gone, as if a great force had exploded it outward. A fierce wind gripped the room, sucking much of the scattered machinery out the window. Luke was at the edge, Vader a few steps farther away than he had been a moment before.

With a shout of, "Luke!" she watched helplessly as, while struggling to stand, he gave Vader a grimace of a smile and voluntarily let the wind take him over the edge.

Vader was unmoved, the dark figure standing rocklike while the wind howled, outstretched hand falling limply to his side.

Leia staggered into the room, thrown off balance and barely avoided joining Luke by grabbing onto the piping that encircled the area.

The howling ended, the room falling eerily silent. The only sound was Vader's respirator, the regular beats slowing down to normal levels. Vader stepped forward and peered over the edge. He stood there, for a long moment, while she was in shock.

He couldn't be dead.

Luke was not dead! She refused to believe it!

Movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. A little grey cylinder jumped into Vader's hand and he negligently clipped it to his belt. Luke's lightsaber. His only heirloom from his Father.

Perhaps it was the shock of what she'd just witnessed Luke do, but she found herself frozen in place, unable to move as Vader turned to face her.

"What…" She whispered, unable to comprehend it all.

Vader stiffly rotated his injured shoulder, and she accused, furious, "What did you do to him!?" He didn't answer at first, except to begin walking towards her. "Why did he just…" Voice thick, her anger deflated, she couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence.

When he reached her, his hand shot out and roughly grabbed her upper arm. That seemed to shock her from her stupor, as she cried, "No!" and lunged towards the window, denial sharp in her mind.

Vader's iron grip had no give to it, as she knew from past experience, but still she struggled. "Luke!"

He turned her an began walking, practically dragging her back down the tunnel, "He is not dead, Princess." He stated, surprisingly subdued. "Not yet."

She was forced to begin to jog to keep up, as his pace continued to increase. "What? What do you mean? After what he just…" She hissed and was forced to cut herself off as her injured hip bumped into a trolley of tools. They were sent scattering with a crash. She almost fell over but Vader's grip on her arm kept her up, forcing her to do a limping hop to keep pace.

Recovering, she demanded, "Answer me!"

"You know he is not."

"What are you talking about?" She scathingly replied, "How could I possibly-"

He cut her off, "Just as you knew Captain Solo survived."

She was surprised into silence at that, unsure how to respond. Yes, a part of her was certain that Luke wasn't dead. She was fairly certain it wasn't just denial. But how could it not be wishful thinking? She may not have been as surprised as Chewie by Han's survival, but that didn't mean anything!

"I knew no such thing." She hissed and tried to wrench her arm from his unmovable grip. To no success.

She felt it once again, the hairs on the back of her neck stood up, the feeling of being watched by Vader intensifying even if his mask wasn't facing her at all. "Search your feelings, Princess. And you will have your answer."

She shook her head in disgust, unwilling to understand what he meant.

They emerged in the bright white hallways of the city. Once again the stark contrast between the sterile hallways and the dark factory a shock to the senses.

"Prepare my shuttle." Vader barked to the stormtroopers stationed in the hall.

"My Lord," One of them approached while another hurried to execute the order, "you're injured. I can-"

"Later." Vader growled, his grip on her arm tightening fractionally. She winced in pain, deep bruises forming under his grip. Orders given, Vader turned and marched down the white hallways at even greater speed. Leia was forced to jog even faster to keep her own feet under her, under no illusion that he wouldn't just drag her along if she couldn't keep up. Even the stormtroopers were almost left behind by his ground eating strides.

"Leia!" She heard a voice echo all around her, causing her to stumble.

"Luke," She whispered, her eyes gaining a faraway look.

"Hear me, Leia!"

"He's…" She cut herself off and glanced uncertainly at Vader. Only now noticing that he'd stopped walking and was looking down at her.

"He's alive." Vader confirmed.

His helm tilted as he regarded her for one long uncomfortable moment, the light catching the red of his lenses. She didn't know what he was looking for but before she could decide how to react. To both the validation of his assurance Luke was alive, and to Luke talking to her, he resumed his long strides.

Leia was forced to reach up with her cuffed hands and grab onto the arm with a white knuckle grip in order to maintain her balance as she jogged along. Even the stormtroopers began to jog slightly to keep up.

Normally, she would have been verbally attacking Vader right now. Instead, her mind was whirling and trying to understand what had just happened. Luke had talked to her, somehow. And Vader had known immediately. What did it mean? An uneasy feeling began to grow at the implications.

Before long, they exited the building onto a windswept walkway; Vader's shuttle sitting, warmed up, on the far platform. The clouds around Cloud City were lit in a gorgeous purple haze. But it was not the picturesque view that caught her eye, no; it was the speck of the Millennium Falcon, chased by multiple Tie fighters, escaping into the clouds.

She staggered and almost fell as Vader pulled her up the ramp, the Falcon lost from sight. He shifted his grip and righted her, almost negligently. Without pausing for a second, Vader dragged her into the cockpit of the shuttle, hand still vicelike on her arm.

"Out!" He ordered and the pilots practically leaped from their seats to comply.

As soon as they were past, Vader roughly pushed her into the co-pilot chair, seating himself in the pilot's.

She heard shouts of surprise from behind them as, with a few adjustments to the console, Vader took off with the loading ramp still down. She looked back to see some of his own troops falling off the edge. One of the officers staggered and slammed the controls, closing the ramp.

"What do you think you're doing?" She turned to Vader, incredulous.

He didn't answer her at first, just flew the shuttle to the edge of the city.

The temperature in the cockpit suddenly plummeted as Vader gripped the controls so hard she heard a faint crack and growled, "Stubborn boy."

He turned sharply to her and demanded, "Where is he."

"What." Was all she could reply, nonplussed.

"Do not play games with me, Princess. You know where he is."

"And why should I tell you." She snarled, suddenly furious, scared at what he was implying.

The ship dove over the edge of the city, beginning to skim the relatively smooth bottom.

"Your death will be long and slow if you do not." He threatened in a voice deeper and more menacing than she'd ever heard before.

She shivered in a sudden chill but raised her chin, defiant.

"I'll tell you nothing." She hissed at him, furiously refusing, spite and hatred staying her hand.

A dark weight pressed down on her once more, a feeling she had begun to associate when Vader was around. It was always hovering around him, the cold dark cloud. She'd first experienced it on the Death Star, but her mind shied away from that memory. It was only after repeated exposure to him here, on Cloud City, that she began to realize what he was doing. As during the fight she'd interfered with in the factory, he was trying to influence her with the Force. She winced as the pressure increased but steeled her heart and mind. Irrationally refusing to give him something he wanted.

Her vision blurred for a moment, Luke's voice reverberating in her head, "Leia…please…" He was barely holding on, she could feel it.

Almost as if he could tell something had changed or sense her indecision, Vader partially lifted the painful pressure and quietly rumbled, "Is his death truly preferable to you?"

She turned away from him and closed her eyes, debating, unsure if she should give Luke's location. She'd seen him voluntarily step over the edge. Would he thank her? She didn't know what Vader had said or done to make Luke shift from violently attacking to stepping into certain death. One thing she knew for sure though, together they had a much better chance of surviving Vader than apart.

She unclenched her hands from her lap and whispered, "Very well."

Decided, she brought her cuffed hands up and arched an eyebrow at Vader, silently demanding how he expected her to fly.

"Good." He did not release the controls to unlock the cuffs. To her shock, he simply twitched a finger and the binders unlocked. She frowned down at them and thought If only I could learn to do that.

Shaking the brief flight of fancy off she brought her hands up to the secondary controls and turned the ship had to port, guiding them towards Luke, inexplicably knowing exactly where he was. As Vader had said she did.

So focused on Luke, she almost didn't notice Vader observing her. The intent stare just as intense as it had been in the carbonation chamber.

Squinting, she was just able to make Luke out on one of the lower antennas, barely hanging on. Just as they got within range she sent the ship into a sharp dive away from the city. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Vader jerk, Luke finally lose his grip and begin to fall. She smoothly brought them level with Luke.

With a wave of Vader's hand the loading ramp extended and Luke landed heavily into the waiting arms of the stormtroopers.

Leia breathed a sigh of relief, hands relaxing their white knuckle grip of the controls.

She still didn't know why Vader was interested in her, but if she did, she'd be horrified at the direction his thoughts were taking: Their connection is strong…too strong for an untrained force sensitive, as she is. It is almost as if…

..Fin..

Note: Thanks for all the positive reviews! I haven't written anything in 10 years so this was just supposed to be a warm up as I work on a longer Leia fic. With all the positive responses I've decided to focus a bit more on this and post every other week until Christmas (that's only 4 more chapters, I'm trying to keep my goals easy and achievable for now ;) ). Next up, ROTJ!