A/N: HELLO PEEPS! Chapter 44, comin' atcha!
This one was fun to write, so feel free to laugh or grin or just shake your head in borderline amusement...it's up to you!
Man, I've been SO BUSY lately. I've had an English research paper, a Bible essay, a Geography presentation (due May 2nd), studying for a minimum of 4 quizzes and one test, I've signed up to help with the school play this month, rescheduled three piano lessons and two ballet practices *catches breath*, art stuff for our Spanish classroom, AND a SOCIAL LIFE on top of it. Raise your hand if you're stressed out just from reading that. *raises hand*
Anywayyyy, I hope you guys like this chapter - it's got some important thingys in it that you might wanna notice. But first- REVIEWS!
LPK9: Hi! Aw, thanks for checking out my story! Yeah, I definitely recommend going back and reading from Ch. 1, because you're right - it's a pretty long story XD
Aw, thank you! That means a lot :) Hope you stick around the story!
changingdestiny40: Hi again! Thanks, glad you liked it! Yeah, that emperor...full of surprises. Vader might realize before, after, or not at all about the twins...you'll have to see for yourself, I guess ;)
Yeah, Leia definitely wasn't having fun, and neither was Luke. Stormtrooper armor is just downright pointless - I think Vader had it made for dramatic effect XD
Hey, cool idea! Unfortunately, all my chapters are prewritten, meaning I've had this story written for a while - I just go back and proofread them and add the author's note :p sorry...but that really is a good idea! I would totally consider keeping that in mind for a future chapter or a headcanon type deal...or maybe you could write a story like that! I bet you'd be able to blow it outta the water ;) Don't worry though - we'll see some reactions in a future chapter that isn't too far away ^_^
Guest: Hi! Was that sarcasm I detect? :P Either way, thanks for reading! And Han shows up in this chapter, if you were actually being sarcastic XD
Alright, this story shall now continue its slow descent into madness. Have fun!
WHEEEEEEEEE!
"Don't. Move," Leia ordered, placing a warning hand on Luke's shoulder. The twins, still fully clothed in Imperial stormtrooper armor, sat hunched behind some crates (in the cargo hold) that were strategically stacked high enough to hide two small people.
The shuttle was already docked inside the Devastator, and the twins couldn't hear anything yet. They knew, however, that the team of scanners would show up any second.
Leia had a plan, but Luke didn't know any of the details, much less if it would work. He decided to focus on the fact that Leia actually had a plan this time. It was a baby step in the right direction.
Some muffled noises broke the suspenseful silence, sending Leia's stress levels off the charts.
Next came the tell-tale groan of the shuttle's ramp lowering, and soon enough, the twins could hear loud footsteps of several people.
Luke wasn't exactly sure how Leia remained calm, but he scooted a little closer, hoping to pick up on part of her confidence. The young farm boy could hardly comprehend the magnitude of danger this endeavor contained, and entering blindly into Darth Vader's lair of evil wasn't the most appealing way to spend his free time. Leia should be petrified with anxiety. . .so why wasn't she?
A quick glance at Leia told Luke that he was wrong. Leia was gnawing furiously at her bottom lip, her eyes were wide and staring blankly at the wooden crate in front of her. She had taken off the helmet again, insisting it made her feel claustrophobic.
"You good?" Luke whispered. Leia didn't quite look at him as she nodded.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just. . .yeah. It's fine."
Luke eyed her with sympathy. Leia knew exactly what she was getting herself into, including everything it would lead to in the end. But still, she kept her head up and pushed through. Luke admired her for it.
"—aboard?" someone was saying, outside the cargo hold. Leia and Luke went rigid; Leia hastily jammed her stolen helmet back on and shot to her feet, beckoning Luke to join her. He stood up with enormous amounts of caution.
The twins, by now very skilled in the art of eavesdropping, turned their trained ears to the door, listening for bits of conversations.
"We'll start from the front and make our way back," said a male voice.
He must be with the scanning crew.
"Why the front?" someone else questioned.
Annoyed, Man #1 replied, "Because there's likely to be more damage to the cockpit, if anything."
"Why's that?" Man #2 asked.
"Because I said so. Now get up there!"
The two men, accompanied by the clomping footsteps of perhaps two or three others, made their way past the cargo hold, fortunately not stopping to look inside.
Leia and Luke glanced at each other. They waited until a hiss sounded from the other end of the shuttle—the cockpit door sliding open. It was followed by the surprised yelps of the scanning team.
Earlier, the twins had made sure to close the cockpit door, therefore trapping all the smoke inside. Now, the two teenagers bolted from the cargo hold while the Imperials were momentarily caught off-guard by the smoke.
Leia was the first one to the ramp, and Luke was mere inches behind her. Both children practically tumbled down the ramp. . .right into a crowd of stormtroopers.
The cloned Imperial soldiers gave the twins an odd look, but it only lasted a second. Since Luke and Leia had the armor and helmets on, the stormtroopers didn't detect anything too odd right away.
"Are there any life forms aboard?" a trooper asked, all business.
Luke turned to Leia, who awkwardly cleared her throat.
"Uh. . .no, no life forms," she said, attempting to speak in a lower voice. "The. . .the scanning team is still looking around. . .but, everything seems. . .um. . .ship-shape." Leia finished with an equally awkward salute.
Luke bit his tongue and swallowed the laugh that threatened to burst out.
"Uh. . .alright," said the stormtrooper, hesitantly saluting back. "Good work, soldier. Back to your post."
Leia started walking away, then halted.
"My. . .post?" she asked. "Uh. . .I know where that is. . .but can you tell me? That way, I can see if you're right."
The squadron leader appeared mildly impatient, and he answered, "The command deck, soldier."
"And where exactly is the—" Leia started, but Luke took her by the shoulders and started guiding her away.
He said, "Uh, sorry about him. He's a. . .um, stormtrooper in training. Still a little dysfunctional, if you know what I mean." Luke made a "cuckoo" motion around his head.
Leia gave the group of stormtroopers a thumbs up as she and Luke walked away. Once they reached a sleek hallway, the twins broke off into a run, stopping only when the docking bay was far enough behind them.
Luke nudged Leia's arm, whispering, "Maybe next time you should let me do the talking."
Leia laughed good-naturedly. "You're probably right. In my defense, I've never pretended to be a stormtrooper before."
Then, though, the siblings had to cease their chatting, because the hall was becoming more crowded.
Sharp-looking commanders and lieutenants popped up here and there, hurrying down the gleaming passageway. The most frequent hallway visitors were the stormtroopers, who made their way down the hall every few minutes—sometimes in a group, sometimes just one.
Leia was still getting used to the whole thing. She was constantly turning her head around, observing every inch of the hallway.
I'm in DARTH VADER'S Star Destroyer.
The Princess was having a hard time processing the adrenaline that swirled through her body. For example, the Imperials never gave the twins a second glance. Of course, it was because of the armor, but Leia's heart still jumped whenever someone looked her way. She almost expected the Imperials to suddenly notice that there were not clones under that armor.
Then there was the height problem. Luke and Leia were both about two feet too short, and 4 sizes too small. The armor sat rather loosely on their bodies, sliding around and making a lot of noise. Leia, especially, felt like she was somehow reaching up in order to stand in the armor. The only things that fit well were the helmets, and they definitely weren't made with convenience in mind. The twins couldn't make out details of any objects; most things just appeared as different colored blurs.
Leia, during her hallway observations, noticed a small alcove tucked in a corner. She abruptly pulled Luke into it and leaned against the wall.
"Wow," she breathed. Luke tilted his head, most likely giving her a confused look.
"What?" he asked.
"I don't know, I think I just need a minute. This is. . .a lot."
Luke nodded before giving the hallway a quick once-over. When the coast was clear, he turned back to Leia.
"Yeah," he agreed, "no kidding. By the way, where's your bag?"
Leia squinted for a moment, perplexed. Then she reached around to her back and pulled out her brown satchel. Luke blinked underneath the helmet.
"H-how. . .where?" Luke asked, peering at Leia's back. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but he'd been wrong before.
"Turns out, there's a really narrow compartment back there—it's disguised pretty well, huh? I found it when I was putting the armor on earlier," Leia explained casually.
"What? Why would there be a compartment in the armor? Especially back there?"
"I have no idea. Probably used for storing rations or something if the stormtroopers ever end up isolated somewhere. It seems weird, but who am I to question Imperial regulations?" Leia finished with a sarcastic eyeroll.
While her satchel was out, Leia dug through it to steal a glance at her chrono. However, as the princess was searching the bag's contents, a small object fell out and rolled across the floor. Luke picked it up, eyeing it curiously.
"You dropped this," he said. Leia looked up and frowned. She stepped forward, gingerly accepting the little item.
It was a small, grey cylinder. There were a couple tiny buttons on the outside, and something resembling a speaker was located on the top. On the side, there were some interesting white and red markings. Upon further inspection, Leia realized the markings were the remains of the Imperial insignia.
An old Imperial comlink.
"Uh. . .Luke? This isn't mine," Leia said with an unsettled expression.
"Are you sure? It came out of your bag."
"What. . . ?" Leia kneeled down, carefully sorting through everything else in her satchel. It was exactly as she'd left it; nothing was missing or added.
"Where did it come from? I could've sworn this wasn't here before. . ." the princess trailed off.
Technically, that comlink could've been there for days without Leia noticing. She had only taken inventory of the things she absolutely needed; Leia hadn't bothered to go through the whole bag.
"Did you see where it was when it fell?" Leia prodded.
Luke nodded. "Yeah, that side pocket. Why?"
"You didn't put it there, right?"
"Nope. I've never owned a comlink in my life."
"So if you didn't leave it there. . .and I didn't leave it there. . .who did?"
~•~
Han Solo, for the millionth time that morning, blew out a bored sigh. Actually, it was perhaps more restless than bored, but to Han, there was no difference. At least, not as of recently.
The young pilot had been lying there in the sand for an hour straight, and he still couldn't figure out his problem. What was his problem? Well, to put things simply, the twins were his greatest problem at the moment.
Han hadn't yet gone back to the Lars homestead. He wasn't scared exactly. Just. . .nervous. What would Luke's guardians say when they found out? And how could Han possibly explain it all to them?
Oh, hey, just so you know, your nephew and his twin sister stowed away on an Imperial shuttle. And they're on their way to Darth Vader's ship. Ya know, just sayin'.
Han visibly winced. No, he couldn't explain the twins' actions to anyone—not even himself. For now, he would have to sit tight and trust the Force. Or, that's what Ben Kenobi had told him. Personally, Han would much rather hop on the Falcon and stop that shuttle in its course. Trusting in the Force wasn't helping very much.
Chewbacca roared a concerned question from beside Han.
"Yeah, pal. I'm fine. But Luke and Leia might not be. . .and that's what bugs me."
"They're perfectly alright, actually," said Ben's passive voice. Han jumped at the sound and sat up with a frustrated groan.
"How many times do I have to tell you not to do that?" Han growled. Ben only smiled and took the liberty of sitting down next to the younger man.
"My apologies. But it's true. Luke and Leia are unharmed, just as I said they would be. You must trust that they know what they are doing."
"And how, pray tell, do I do that?"
"You sit, and you wait, or you busy your mind with other things. For instance, lying here in your own pathetic daydreams is not going to help the matter. Might I suggest you find a hobby or two?"
Han turned around to see if Ben was serious.
"Are you kidding me?" asked Han, shaking his head in disbelief. "There's nothing to do out here in this wasteland."
Obi-Wan chuckled. "On the contrary. What do you think Luke has done for nearly fourteen years? Sit in the sand and complain?"
Han glared at the old man. He didn't see how there could be anything to do out in the desert, besides walking around and attracting the attention of Tusken Raiders.
As Kenobi remained next to Han, the pilot intently studied the sand. Sand, everywhere. A desolate, endless, barren desert, full of nothing but the occasional homestead and dangerous desert creatures. There was no shade to be found, leaving everything and everyone exposed to the daily scorching heat of two Suns.
Han wondered how in the nine Corellian hells Luke lived on this planet for almost fourteen years, never leaving and doing the same thing pretty much every day. How could anyone survive on Tatooine their whole life, let alone a wanderlust teenage boy?
Instead of feeling sorry for Luke's uneventful childhood, Han Solo turned his thoughts to the twins and where they were now.
"I wonder what those kids are doing right this second," Han marveled, not particularly noticing that Kenobi was listening. "They must be on the Star Destroyer by now."
Chewie growled a question, which Han quickly denied.
"No, Chewie, you know I can't do that. That's for emergencies only," he pointed out. Yet, Han was clearly mulling over the idea a bit more than he was before. Did this technically qualify as an emergency?
When Chewbacca barked out another question, Han stopped to really think for a moment.
Suddenly, the realization dawned on him.
"Oh Sith," Han mumbled. Louder, he said, "I completely forgot to tell her!"
Obi-Wan cocked his head in mild amusement and asked, "If you don't mind my asking, what did you forget to tell who?"
Han stood abruptly and began pacing in discouraged circles around "Ben".
"Five days ago, just before we all got onto that Imperial shuttle, I put a comlink in Leia's bag. It was supposed to be a back-up plan in case we got separated, and I meant to tell her about it. I guess with everything going on. . .I-I just. . .forgot."
"And I suspect you have a connected comlink, then?" Obi-Wan asked, no evidence of surprise in his voice.
"Yeah, I'd stolen them from a couple of Imperials a few years back—don't ask—and was keeping them in case they'd ever come in handy. I swear I was gonna tell her!"
"Of course. She has the comlink, correct?"
"I think so. . .but I doubt she knows I gave it to her. Who knows what she'll do if it suddenly starts going off on Vader's ship."
"Well, my advice is to wait. Nothing can be done now. I do not recommend calling Leia unless there is a desperate emergency."
Han didn't seem to approve of that idea. He had made up his mind that it was a desperate emergency—he needed to know what was going on.
"Why? If I called her now, I could find out if they're alright and where they are."
"Moments ago, you were telling your copilot that the comlink was not to be used unless there was an emergency. I think it would be wise to—"
"What if they're with Vader?!"
"Precisely! Would you want to jeopardize their safety by giving away their identities?" When Han closed his mouth and looked at his feet, Obi-Wan said, "I thought not."
But still, the idea did feel somewhat compelling to Han. Maybe he would call her. . .not now, but soon.
~•~
"Should we see who it calls?" Luke asked, eyeing the comlink with obvious suspicion. He sounded like he was hoping Leia would say no.
Leia shook her head, which Luke was relieved to see. "No, definitely not. What if an Imperial answers? We'd totally blow our cover."
Luke's response was a hesitant nod of agreement.
Suddenly, Leia jumped past Luke, kicked her satchel into the alcove's corner, and leaned casually against the wall. Before Luke could ask what has gotten into her, a stormtrooper marched up to the duo, stopped, and took a closer look.
"Are you TK-110?" asked the soldier, looking at Leia's disguised form.
The Princess cleared her throat and replied, "Uh. . .TK-110? Yes, that's me! What's up—I mean, what news—I mean, uhm. . ."
The stormtrooper interrupted her with, "Right, well, our prescence has been requested by Lord Vader. He's issued a squadron to fully search the ship for Princess Organa and her accomplice."
"'Accomplice'?" Luke whispered under his breath, appalled. Leia cast him what would be a dangerous look, then turned back to the clone.
"Oh, Princess Organa? Is she on the ship? When—"
"Never mind that, just be at the control room in five minutes. Lord Vader's orders."
With that, the rigid stormtrooper strutted off down the hallway, not bothering to check if "TK-110" was following.
Leia and Luke exchanged a petrified look. Then, Leia put her satchel in its place behind her back, clipped the comlink to her belt, and started down the hallway. Luke took a second to make up his mind, but eventually he went after his sister.
The events that followed would change their lives forever. And thus began the greatest journey the twins would ever take together.
A/N: Ah, we meet again. What did you think? Confused yet? XD
Basically, the climax of this whole shazam is closing in on us - and it only took 44 chapters! :p And how many chapters left...
*checks clipboard*
Too many. I'll probably combine a few so things don't drag on forever, but we're finally reaching the fun part of the story! So if you've come this far, I recommend sticking around, heh.
Wellllll, I think I'll leave you alone now. Once again, I hope you liked the chapter - don't forget to drop a review down below and give me your opinion XD
That's all, folks! Byeeeee!
-Lia :)
