~Lando's POV~
"Did he really say death?" Han panted for the thirtieth time, apparently misunderstanding the entire purpose of running, which was to render the runner incapable of breathing, much less talking.
Not that this was particularly new, but Han would not shut up. Lando knew it was a nervous reflex, born out of cold days when the little ones needed the big ones to say something about their gnawing bellies and hot summers where the big ones had to joke about their lack of clean water. He knew that, in some way, Han's insistent chatter was because of a life lived in righteousness; and any other time he would understand.
But yes, Anakin had said death.
So Lando ran beside Obs, the both of them taking up the rear of their escape party as they ran through the halls. That was who they were, the protectors, the matriarchs, the two sacrificial fools who made sure everyone else made it in time.
Not for the first time, Lando was proud of who he was and how alike he was to Obi-wan Kenobi, even though he knew his life would hold a long string of pains because of it. Anakin was the other half, leading them towards the escape pods as the heat of coming doom chased their heels. Lando could feel an itch at the back of his neck. Sweat trickled down his back, warm and salty where it left a trail of stinging apprehension down his spine.
They had to outrun the heat.
How did someone out run kriffing heat?
Obs had such a tight grip on his arm that Lando was sure all the blood had stopped circulating moments before. He wanted to shake off the intruding arm but knew that it would be impossible. One: they were running at top speed and his entire body ached, so the insistent tingle didn't much matter. Two: because he knew that Obs would rather be devoured by the fire than release his arm and that wasn't happening on his watch.
Someone stumbled up ahead. Lando couldn't see who it was before they were swooped upright just as the escape pods came into clear view. Asajj was already ushering Mara into the pod ahead of her. She barely glanced at the rushed party. "I knew this was a bad idea," she quipped snarkily as Anakin passed her. He flung open the doors with a violent jerk of the Force and fairly shoved Leia in before she could protest.
"Isn't everything we do?" Jinx deadpanned, his eyes searching their faces as if to commit them to memory.
"We've got to go!" Ahsoka growled urgently. Lando glanced over his shoulder as flames ripped though the hall where they had just been, greedy and all-consuming. The rattling of the ship upped itself a notch, sending his already aching knees into screaming agony. Bones and ligaments apparently didn't like being vibrated viciously.
Then a hand grabbed the front of his collar and yanked him inside none too gently. He tripped over the threshold into the escape pod, and flipped unto his back just in time to see Han stumble inside after him. They locked eyes.
His face was a mask of resolve, but his eyes wavered with remorse. Lando closed his. He didn't know if he could handle seeing the world another second, if the foolishness they had harbored would come back and beat him into oblivion. The Rebel fleet was running right into destruction. They would get to Courascant and would be destroyed because they weren't there.
We failed, he thought in a dazed sort of anguish. This mission was doomed from the start. Obi-wan ushered Nava inside and with only the minutest hesitation, slammed the doors closed. They all sat there, gasping, their eyes blown wide with astonishment t how quickly the world had spun out of kriffing control.
Lando didn't know who-or what-pushed eject, but all he would remember was the sudden blissful pain as his head hit the wall behind him, and he could see no more.