You just never know... ;)
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Standing on the main landing pad of the Royal Palace, Bail and Breha Organa clasped hands and watched the Imperial Shuttle touch down obtrusively on the grassy area beside the lake. It was a surprising choice. Surely, it would be easier to park on the landing pad.
Bail watched from a distance as the ramp lowered and a squad of Stormtroopers spilled down, taking up a formal military stance on either side of the ramp. A spike of dread shuddered through him when he saw Darth Vader stride purposely from the ship, a towering inferno of evil. He stopped at the bottom, hands on hips, and seemed to gaze into the distance.
Bail followed his gaze and realization struck like lightning.
Obi Wan.
Vader wasn't there for them at all. Or even for Leia.
He was there to confront Obi Wan once more.
###
Body rigid with tension, Leia wasn't even aware of her white-knuckled fingers bearing her nails into the tender flesh of her palms.
"You know how to shoot a quad gun, Your Highness?"
Surprised by the question, Leia vowed to figure it out. "I can shoot anything."
"Okay, get to the top gun."
She unstrapped, sprinted to the core of the ship, and hurled herself up the ladder. When she pressed the power button, the seat swiveled with startling speed to one side, throwing her off balance for just a moment. She engaged the safety restraints, placed the headset over her ears, and looked over the controls.
"You in?" Han's voice was a bit too loud in her ears.
"Yes."
"Okay, stay sharp. Making the approach vector."
She could hear nothing of the battle chatter but Han's voice as she waited, poised for action. It seemed an eternity before he spoke again.
"Coming in fast at 0900!"
She pivoted towards 0900, blasting the entire way, but missed the incoming TIE fighter by a hair. With a grunt, she released a frustrated breath she hadn't realized she had been holding.
"Don't sweat it, Sweetheart," Han burst quickly in her ears. "You'll get the next one."
She allowed her disappointment to ebb away.
"1200, hit that mark!" Han shouted.
Reflexes on point, she spun, waited until the target was in sight then fired hard, delighted when the TIE burst into a brilliant flash.
"I did it!" Her grin was almost as brilliant as the TIE's explosion.
###
From the upper balcony of the Royal Palace, Bail and Breha watched the lightsaber battle that raged on in the fading light below them. From this distance, all they could hear was the sharp crash of the sabers as glowing red and blue struck, retreated, and struck again.
They would remain on Alderaan. Their fate would be no different from that of their people.
Memories poured into Bail's mind…the smoke that seeped from the Jedi Temple…the young boy, murdered by the Clone troopers…the filtered voice that told him it was time to go. He had felt so powerless as he grieved for the guardians of the galaxy, so horrifyingly slaughtered by those thought of as allies.
He had not seen a lightsaber in action since that long ago day, the day that his daughter had come into being.
Things had come full circle. Father and brother here now. Might Vader sense something? Might he guess that his progeny were so near?
The thought brought sheer terror to his soul. Upon deciding to raise Leia, he had known he would love her and care for her. But, he could never have guessed that she would become his very heart.
His attention returned to the present. Vader seemed to be bearing down on Obi wan, who was not as young and spry as he had been. He had aged more than Bail would have expected, no doubt a combination of the harsh climate of Tatooine and his own regret and despair.
Something seemed to change in the scene before him…Obi Wan's posture shifted and, as Vader swung his blade forward, as if in slow motion, Obi Wan stood up straight. His blue blade rose in front of him, leaving him open and defenseless, and Bail knew. He almost cried out, but his breath caught and there was no sound.
The red blade streaked across Obi Wan's midsection and Breha did cry out in shock. She grabbed his arm in a strong grip that did not even penetrate Bail's awareness.
His vision went dark for the briefest of seconds, as if his eyes refused to register what they knew to be true.
And then…the red blade shrunk and receded, the dark cloak turned, and Vader disappeared into the distance.
###
A casualty of the Death Star's bright, blinding destruction, the Imperial Shuttle was thrown into a tailspin. The engines were offline. The environmental controls had been blown to slag and all oxygen had been depleted. The crew and the Stormtroopers were dead, floating in the nothingness where gravity had been sucked away. Only one passenger remained.
The one passenger who required no oxygen. The one passenger with a breath mask that supplied his lungs with everything he needed to survive.
With mechanical arms that were stronger than his former limbs of flesh and blood, he pulled himself through the ship, using whatever he could to gain purchase. Finally, in the cockpit, his black, gloved finger pressed the button that would send out the Imperial distress call.
###
They had done it! Leia was giddy with relief and joy. Focusing on destroying fighters had distracted her from her fears, but now she could breathe. Alderaan, her family, her friends, all the people of the planet were safe! Luke had fired that final shot and destroyed the Death Star!
She heard footsteps below and canted her head down to see Han with the widest grin across his handsome face. Undoing the restraints, she lowered herself down the ladder, skipping the last few rungs to fall firmly to the deck. Before she could think, he swept her into his arms and lifted her from the floor into a breath stealing hug. Feet dangling, her mind blanked and all she felt was Han's warm body against hers. It felt too good, better than she could have imagined. A rush of heat flew through her and she could feel her cheeks burning. The embrace seemed to go on for an awkward amount of time, Leia's arms wrapped around his shoulders, his tightly clasped about her waist.
And then, swiftly, she was replaced on the floor with a quick thud of her feet. Her eyes averted almost of their own accord and she heard him clear his throat noisily. Face still stinging hotly, she forced her eyes to his.
He ran a hand through his hair and a few strands remained at rebellious attention. Before either could speak, the comm in her pocket beeped. She fumbled to pull it free and finally spoke into it.
"Organa."
"Leia!"
Her father's reassuring voice brought a smile to her face. "Father! You're all right?"
"Yes. Mother and I are fine. And Alderaan is safe. The bad news is…Obi wan is…gone. He was killed by Darth Vader."
Leia sobered instantly. The last of the Jedi…vanquished.
"The Empire will soon send a garrison here and lock down the planet," Bail said. "Where are you?"
"I'm onboard Solo's ship." She glanced at him and his eyes were intent on her.
"Perfect. Get to the base. I will meet you there."
"Yes, Father."
"Be safe. I love you."
"Be safe. I love you, too." She flicked off the comm and stood silently, thoughts in turmoil.
"Where's this base?" Han asked.
She turned her eyes to him. "Yavin IV."
His brow crinkled slightly then smoothed over. "I'll lay in a course."
She nodded and followed him to the cockpit. Inside, the Wookiee roared a triumphant greeting that Leia could only guess at translating, but could tell was positive. She smiled broadly at him and he stood and enfolded her in his furry arms, much more gently than one might have expected. She returned the embrace, grin widening, and felt a sudden burst of camaraderie.
When they were all seated, Han spoke tersely to Chewie. "Plot a course for the Yavin system."
He barked a quick question.
"The Rebel base."
Chewbacca nodded and began adjusting settings. Han busied himself at the pilot's station and Leia sat back and watched them both, observing the controls for future reference.
Her joy faded suddenly as she realized what this all meant. She was leaving Alderaan, quite possibly forever. Her family was going underground, into hiding. The Empire would seize Alderaan as a traitor planet. If they could not defeat them in her lifetime…she might never go home again.
She hadn't realized her expression had betrayed her until Han's voice jostled her from her thoughts.
"What's wrong?"
She was surprised by the concern etched into his features. "I'm just thinking of what is to come."
He glanced at the navicomputer then back at her. "And what exactly is that?"
"I start a new life," she replied grimly. "With the Rebellion."
His eyes remained on her and he seemed to ponder this for a moment. The navicomputer beeped before he could respond and he turned back around, pressed a button, and pulled the lever to propel them into hyperspace.
She watched the stars elongate to starlines and they were on their way to Yavin IV.
Chewbacca adjusted some settings, growled at length, and Han nodded distractedly. The big Wookiee stood and left the cockpit. Han's chair swiveled back to her.
"Can't believe the Kid made that shot." He shook his head, a fond smile crawling across his cheeks. He caught her watching him and the corners of his mouth quickly turned down. It made her smile to herself. He spun away.
He was quite the conundrum. She recalled his stubborn insistence that she join him on his ship, in case Alderaan were to be destroyed. He kept himself removed from the cause of the Alliance, and everyone around him, save for Chewie. Yet, he gave these small indications that some things…some people, mattered to him. She could tell he liked Luke. It was hard not to like such a genuine, enthusiastic young man.
Why had he been so hell-bent on taking her with him? She had the sudden realization that her death would have meant his freedom.
"Han?" she called quietly.
"Mm?" He was busy checking a readout on his console.
"Why did you take me with you? If I had perished on Alderaan, you would be free."
His chair spun to her and his eyes were wide with surprise. He was quick to cover the reaction. His gaze flitted to the floor, back to her, then to the floor again. Leia could almost see the gears turning in his head as he formulated a response.
"Needed a gunner," he answered gruffly, eyes forced hard. He turned back to his current task.
A gunner. But, she had seen the momentary softness in his eyes, before he slammed down that tough mask again. He cared, there was no denying it. Why and how much remained a mystery.