Surprise and happy Thursday! One to chew on today, and a shorter one to follow tomorrow. Thanks to all who are following and commenting. I couldn't do it without you!
Onward to the evacuation...
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Leia watched Luke stroll through the hangar. He had changed into a pilot's uniform. The orange of the flight suits sometimes blurred one man from the other, but she supposed Luke's suit was newer, so it was brighter. She wondered if he had packed his desert clothing.
It was so odd, seeing him in orange. She glanced quickly at Captain Solo, who was pacing in front of the ramp of his ship. He seemed to have his own kind of uniform, for he was dressed largely the same as the first time she met him. The black spacer's vest was familiar, and Leia rubbed the sleeves of her Death Star gown briskly with her hands.
One of the transports had already left and the place seemed so much emptier. For the first time, Leia thought she understood how large the population of the ancient settlers must have been. Had they died off, little by little, or left? How sad, she reflected, to be among the last.
Luke wasn't walking rapidly, and he kept his eyes on the Falcon, his helmet tucked under his arm. He was coming to make his goodbyes. And his body language told her he was reluctant. No jumping and shouting this time, no wild grins. A lot had changed in the past week for both him and for Leia, but they had become a constant to each other. It was hard to leave what little they had gained.
It was true, what Dr. Renzatl had said about the four of them, that, in a way, they belonged together. But- Leia shook an annoyed thought away and watched Han stop his pacing and slowly amble in Luke's direction- maybe it was her fault. Wasn't it she who said we have no time for sorrows.
"They trust you to be able to find the new base in that thing, huh?" Han said, jerking a thumb towards the X-Wings when Luke was in earshot. He was almost teasing; maybe he was reluctant too.
Certainly not about Luke's piloting ability. "If he can blow up a battle station, then I'm sure he can fly the X-Wing to the new location," Leia said.
"I don't know," Luke grinned. "I used a targeting computer for that."
Leia wasn't having any false modesty. She did not smile. "You shut it off, remember?"
"After I knew what I was looking at," Luke joked. "I might have to stick my head out the cockpit, shout out "anyone see the Rebellion?"
"That's what nav'puters are for," Leia reminded him, still unsmiling.
Luke gave it up. "R2 will be along, too," he said. "So I'll have company."
"If you call that company," Han snorted.
"I do," Luke stated simply. "C-3PO is on the next transport- is that yours?" he asked Leia.
She shook her head. "No. That one's carrying non-sentients. I'm one of the last."
"I'm the last," Han stated. He glanced at his chrono. "One hour fifteen and this place will be empty. That's what Dodonna's paying me for, to be clean up duty. If I rustle up the Empire and they nail me, he'll save a few credits."
"That's why the non-essentials are going first, to test the proverbial waters," Leia said, lifting her sleeve to note the hour on her own chrono. "If the Empire has already gathered out past orbit, he'd rather use tools as bait than soldiers."
"Sure, or all that activity could catch their attention and the last one is when they arrive," Han said dryly. "I'd send sentients off first thing is what I'd do."
"Which is why he's general and you're not," Luke shot back. "How far did you make it with the Empire?"
"Not too far. Lieutenant. It seemed like my next raise would be the rank of dead, so I quit while I was ahead." Han reached out and rubbed at a dark stain on the landing thruster. "Not like I'd ever make Moff," he said, still cynical. "The whole system is bull shit. Palpatine isn't too fond of Corellians."
"It goes deeper than that," Leia said. "He ordered the bombing after the tribute refusal. Didn't the Corellian Senator disappear?"
Han seemed to not care. He shrugged. "I don't know."
"A Moff represented Corellia in the Imperial Senate when I was there," Leia added. "He was appointed. Not elected."
"'Course he was. Moffs eat out of the Emperor's hand. That's how he controls the planet. Corellians aren't too fond of the Emperor, for that matter."
"There are a lot here, I noticed that," Luke said. "Wedge is Corellian. And speaking of him, I better get going. I wanted to say safe skies, and... I'll see you. Right? Hopefully. Is it true we're going different places?"
"It's possible," Leia said. "Coordinates are sent once a ship is out of orbit, so the pilots don't even know. We're breaking off into tiny segments on remote systems. If the Empire manages to find one, we'll still be active elsewhere."
"Declare war and then hide," Han summarized. "Ever play that game when you were a kid? Throw a rock through a window and run away?"
Luke looked doubtful. "That's a game?"
"It's vandalism," Leia said. She eyed Han darkly. "Once again, I'm surprised you made it to adulthood."
"I did, though. Got good aim, too."
"I suppose you spent your childhood jailed."
"Nope," Han was grinning. "I'm also fast."
"Well, " Luke interrupted, "I'll be deployed soon. That's what Wedge is doing while he's grounded. Building up a new squadron, and then we'll probably be sent to patrol a world that seceded. Protect it from retribution from the Empire."
"Gods," Leia said. "You'll have the stress of battle all the time."
"It's patrol," Luke repeated. "The world systems have their own standing navy. From what I understood in Dodonna's briefing, we're to stay just out of system, monitoring."
"Til someone throws a rock," Han said.
"The systems that have something the Empire can lose," Leia clarified. "Economics is a strong factor where they decide to attack. They'll leave the world alone that exports natural resources. One they can enslave, like Kasshyyk..." she trailed off, and looked thoughtfully at Chewbacca, who was double-checking that hatches were sealed before liftoff. Wookiees hailed from Kasshyyk, and she wondered how such a fierce and friendly being wound up a partner of a smuggler instead of an Imperial slave. "That's when the rocks get thrown."
"So," Luke said. He moved awkwardly, the helmet tucked under one arm allowing only the other to circle upward, a one-armed embrace. "Bye, Leia. I got your comm."
She returned his hug, smiling against his neck at the promise of a call. "Please be careful."
"Bye Han." Luke was going to offer just a hand, but he changed his mind as Han lifted his and gave him the same hug.
"See ya, kid."
"Stay away from the Hutt." Luke turned to leave.
"You know I will."
"I know." Luke called over his shoulder with a sad smile.
"I better get ready, too," Leia said quickly as Luke ventured over to bid farewell to Chewie.
Han called loudly after her, causing a tech to turn around and glance between the two, "You got nothing to pack!" But Leia's steps were hasty.
She waited in John Branon's room. It was empty, just a stone chamber. They should know how to look, all of them, but Luke had departed and Han was busy with preflight, and maybe the others weren't looking very hard. Her comm dinged twice, but no voices came down the hallway.
Did that mean something? she wondered. Was she right? Was she scheduled for Dodonna's transport? Had he been informed? She kept checking her chrono. When the rumbling in the sky quieted she swallowed bracingly and went back to the hangar.
The ramp was up. She moved to in front of the Falcon's mandibles where she would be seen and waited calmly with her hands folded in front of her.
The ramp began to open, and soon Chewbacca was following it's slow descent, his body gradually unfolding until he could stand straight. He growled something at her, and Leia imagined he said, "Princess?" or "What are you doing out here?" or simply, "We've been waiting for you."
"I missed my transport," she said as regally as she could. "May I join your flight?"
Chewbacca scanned the whole hangar, sniffing, but then he gestured with his head and she followed him into the cockpit. He said something to Han.
"She did, huh?" Han said without turning around.
Chewbacca answered him. Leia listened closely, but she was unable to even make out breaks in sounds indicating a word.
Han acted like Leia wasn't even in the cockpit. "You may be right about that, pal."
Leia dropped into the navigator seat, listening with a frown as Chewie said something else. A question apparently, for Han answered, "I don't know. Got a suggestion?"
Chewie responded with four staccato hoots.
"Guess we'll take the stink for it, then," Han said.
Leia grew tired staring at the back of Han's head. "That's rude," she said. "Talking in front of me like that."
"What makes you think we're talking 'bout you?" Han said innocently.
"You said she."
Han swept his arm about the cockpit. "I call the Falcon a lady, too."
Leia fumed, reviewing the one-sided conversation in her head to catch Han, but it had been too vague.
Han turned in his seat to look at her. "What are you doing, Princess?" he said with a sigh.
"Flying with you," she said in a clipped voice. "I have no other choice."
Han turned back to the console. "Guess not," he said. "Get cold feet?"
Leia's brows knit. "For what?" she scorned.
"Seein' Vader again."
The answer was completely unexpected. "Of course not," she said. "I fell asleep." She snapped the safety belt across her lap.
Han's head moved in a slow, sarcastic nod. "Sure you did." The ship began to move, ascending at a steep incline, and Leia watched the tree line fall away until it was just a band of green below them.
Chewie and Han worked together, tossing one word to each other signifying the task each was doing. There was no sign of the Empire.
"Everyone is away safe, then," Leia said softly, and no one answered her.
"They send those coordinates?" Han said after a time, and Chewie growled.
Han stood at the nav'puter, and Leia had to turn her knees to the side to make room for him. "We'll see where these take us," he said.
Leia put out her hand. "Wait," she said.
Han glanced down at her fingers curled around his wrist. "Wait for what?"
"For... I have a procurement."
"Look," Han put a hand on the back of his neck. "What I said, about nothing to pack, I was just stating a fact, all right?"
"Are you apologizing, Captain?"
"Maybe."
Leia let him know there were no hard feelings by closing her eyes and huffing out her nose; she had barely noticed the jibe. "I need to go to Dantooine."
"Dantooine? What the hells is on Dantooine?"
"I told you. I need a supply. It's not exactly a military item. Dantooine is close and the Empire is done with it."
"What do you need?"
She warded him off with a shake of her head.
"That's why you bailed on your transport?" Han wanted to know.
"I'm sorry it will make you late."
"No you're not. Chewie, ease up while I pull the coords for Dantooine."
Leia observed while Han grumbled unhappily, but he reset the nav'puter with new coordinates.
"How long?" Leia said.
"Far enough," Han grumbled. "Nine hours in hyper. And there I was, Highness, thinkin' I should be flattered."
"Flattered, Captain?"
"Yeah. You put some effort into making sure you saw me again."
Leia rolled her eyes. "That's not it at all."
"No? You got a better reason?"
"Yes."
"Yes?" He waited a heartbeat. "But you're not sayin'. All right," Han said, leaning against the nav'puter and crossing his arms. "I'll play."
"No, you won't play!" Leia erupted. She wanted to jump out of her seat but the restraints held her down "It's not a game. It's never a game, do you understand? You don't throw and hide! Not me, not my window-" She heard herself like from outside her body; words just popped out, like truths she didn't know she possessed. "-so just fly in your ship and leave, and-"
Abruptly, she stopped. Muscles in her chin started jumping, ones she discovered she had while under the pain of interrogation, but damned if she was going to let some smuggler, some...man... not when she had refuted Darth Vader... and what did he mean, cold feet?
Chest heaving, she directed her eyes to the view out the cockpit.
"Can't." Han's voice was unnaturally quiet, in tune with the soft rustle of his clothing as he resumed his seat and strapped in. "Got you on board." Louder, he spoke again. "Punch it, Chewie."
Chewie's answering roar sounded definite, and Leia thought he might have said, "We're with you, Princess," or, "hurrah, destination Dantooine," or "Han, stop being an idiot."