"All flight crew, man your stations." She heard an announcement say. She watched as Luke rounded the corner wearing the orange pilot uniform. She sighed knowing there was nothing she could say to get him not to do this. He doesn't even know her. Her opinion isn't going to mean anything to him.
She smiled when he walked over to her. "Hey. Looks like you are all ready to go. You sure you wanna do this?" She said to him looking at him concern.
" I've always wanted to leave Tatooine and be a pilot and now i finally get the chance." Luke said and it was the same look she remembered seeing in Anakin.
It made her remember of when she saw first Anakin as a little boy on Tatooine. He too wanted to leave and become a pilot and he did. He was one of the best pilots of clone wars.
"Just be safe and may the force be with you." she smiled and he smiled and nodded a her. She watched as he walked over to Han who looked to be packing to leave.
"So, you got your reward and you're just leaving, then?" She heard Luke say to him.
"That's right. Yeah. I got some debts I gotta pay off with this stuff. Even if I didn't you don't think I'd be foolish enough to stick around here, do ya?" Han told him.
She shook her head. She really thought once he was here and saw what was happening he might change his plan. He clearly was a decent pilot. They could use his help.
"Why don't you come with us? You're pretty good in a fight. We could use ya." Han asked.
"Come on. Why don't you take a look around? You know what's about to happen, what they're up against. They could use a good pilot like you. You're turning your back on them." Luke said.
"What good's a reward if you ain't around to use it? Besides, attacking that battle station ain't my idea of courage. It's more like suicide." Han said as he finished putting the rest of his stuff in his ship.
"All right. Well, take care of yourself, Han. I guess that's what you're best at. Isn't it?" Luke said as he walked away.
"Hey, Luke." Han said causing Luke to turn around. "May the Force be with you." Luke gave him once last look and walked away to his ship.
"What are you looking at? I know what I'm doing." He said to the Wookie. "You know you don't have to stay around here either. You are free. You can go back home."
It took her a minute to realize he was talking to her. "No. I have nothing to go back to anymore. Haven't had a home in quite sometime. Figure they could use the help." she told him.
He shook his head. "You don't have to keep giving me that look. You are giving me the same look as the princess. I never told anyone I would stay around and fight some war. I was paid to fly a ship and I have clearly done more than that."
"Hey. If you are okay with your choice than that's all that matters." She said leaving him there. She watched Leia walk away from Luke and decided to follow her and see what she could do.
She saw that her and a few others were standing by hologram map of the area around them. She figured it was going to show them the battle when it started. She heard someone say, "Standby alert. Death Star approaching estimated time to firing range 15 minutes."
She sighed thinking this was it. She just hoped Luke made it back, so she could tell him the truth.
Vader watched from the viewing deck as the multiple x-wings made their way to the Death Star. He chuckled thinking they didn't stand a chance. He watched as the Death Star blasters started to shoot at them. He watched a few of the x-wings blow up quickly, he also saw most of them managing to fly past the blasters.
One of his commanders walked in. " We count 30 rebel ships, Lord Vader, but they're so small they're evading our turbolasers."
"We'll have to destroy them ship to ship. Get the crew to their fighters." he told him as the commander quickly walked away. He was going to make sure. They wouldn't escape this time.
He felt the ground shake slightly from some of the blast and started to grow anger that his fighter's weren't out there yet.
"How much longer until we are in firing range!" He yelled out. If they destroyed the rebel base, there few fighters will not be an issue.
"The rebel base will be in firing range in seven minutes." one of the crew members told him.
He growled for how long this was taking. He looked back out and finally saw his fighters fly in. Finally. I'd like to see them get past these.
He watched as his fighters slowly started to take out more and more of the rebel fighters. He laughed, but then noticed a few of the fighters breaking away from the fight. They weren't escaping thought. This was planned. They are doing something. He thought for a few minutes and realized what they were trying to do. He quickly left the viewing platform. I guess if you want something done you have to do it yourself.
Padme stood there hearing everything that was happening. She was breathing so heavy and probably looked crazy to everyone around her. They didn't know her and she just joined them. Why should she care so much.
"Red six, can you see Red five?" she heard one of the pilots says.
"There's a heavy fire zone!"She heard someone else yell.
"Red five where are you?" the first pilot asked again.
"I can't shake him." She heard someone say and she knew it was Luke.
Oh no. I should have done more. Why didn't I stop him! She put her hand to her face, knowing if he was like his father there was nothing she could have done to stop him. She used to wish he wouldn't do have the stuff he did, but she knew he wouldn't listen and she would never ask. She knew how much he loved doing what he did. Just like he would be upset when she put her life in danger. They both knew what they had to do for the republic.
"Good shooting, Wedge." She heard the pilot saw and then a thanks from Luke. She sighed knowing that he was okay for now.
"Red leader, this is Gold leader. We're starting our attack run." The pilot said.
"I copy, Gold leader. Move into position." The pilot she assumed was red leader said.
She crossed her arms knowing this was it. They were going to begin the attack.
After leaving the viewing platform, Vader made his way to where the tie fighters where stationed. He ordered two of his pilots to follow him. All three of them hopped in their own tie fighter and made their way into the battle. He watched as a few of the rebel fighters made their way to the trench leading to the thermal exhaust port.
"Stay in attack formation." He told his other two pilots.
He watched as the four ships were getting closer, he could tell the one was preparing his blasters.
"I'll take them myself. Cover me." He told his pilots as they made their way behind the rebel fighters.
"Yes, sir." the one told him in response.
They were getting closer and he looked at his blaster screen as one of the rebel fighters got into view. When he saw the shot, he hit his blasters and fired. He watched as the one ship blew up. He prepare his blasters for the next fighter and aimed blowing up that one as well. They are just making this too easy.
He noticed a few more x-wing fighters come in hoping to do what the others have failed. He started to shoot at these ones as well. He noticed one of the ones up front managed to get a shot, He watched him shoot, but his missile failed, just hitting the side. He managed to shoot the fighter before it could get away.
He saw three more fighters make their way and he figured this would have to be the last of them. All he had to do was get rid of them and then the Death Star should be ready to destroy the rebel base.
He saw one of the fighters leave the pack. "Let him go. Stay on the leader." he told his tie fighters.
He saw they were gaining speed on them he shot at the one pilot and now there was one. As they got closer he felt a presence a strong presence.
"The force is strong with this one." He said growing joy in the fact he would soon get rid of another force user.
He started to fire on him, but was missed. He looked at his scene, aiming up with his target. He wasn't going to miss this time. "I have you now."
He heard an explosion and noticed his tie fighters where shot at. He saw shots being fired at him. He looked around wondering where it was coming from, but was hit. His fighter started to spin out of control, but he saw the ship that hit him. It was that beat up old ship that he saw on the death star. He yelled out in frustration trying to stabilize his fighter.
Just when Padme was about to give up and walk away knowing it was over that they have lost , she heard a familiar voice.
"Your'e all clear kid. Now let's blow this thing and go home." She heard Han says as she held back a laugh. He came back. She hoped he would, but she honestly didn't think so. She looked around and saw that everyone else was just as shocked. She looked at her daughter as she shook her head and smirked.
She watched as Luke shot the missile and then him and rest of the fighters flew away from the Death Star before it exploded. He did it she thought. He actually did it. She looked around as everyone hugged and cheered. She left the room, not really feeling like being cheerful thought.
Ever since she found out Anakin was actually alive she hasn't really had the time to stop and think what there life could have been like if things didn't happen the way they did. Seeing Luke out there, it just reminded her so much of Anakin. He would have been up there with him, but instead he was who they were fighting. All these years she wished she could have been there for Anakin have been a better wife, maybe then she could have stopped what happened. If she listened more or actually tried harder when he told her about his dreams, maybe he wouldn't have turned.
Their marriage wasn't prefect and they both knew it wasn't going to be going into it. Keeping it a secret from everyone, not being able to do what normal couples did, and just not being able to see each other as much with the war, was hard for a marriage. When she did get to see him, she didn't want to fight or discuss certain things, that was their time alone and she just wanted to be with him. She also had feelings that maybe the marriage was a mistake, but she loved him and she thought with the love they felt everything would be okay. She sighed and looked ahead as Leia was walking out. The marriage did manage to make two great things she though. She just wished she could have given them a better childhood.
