The Struggle for Freedom: Chapter 5

A/N: This chapter is going to be short, but the next part is going to be in a series of three chapters. So until the next chapter, please read and review.

Disclaimer: Star Wars will never be mine; only the character I made is mine.

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Grand Moff Tarkin's Place, Slave quarters: An hour after Meghan shows up after her beating

~Aslan's POV~

We have an emergency meeting amongst ourselves on how to get Meghan out of here.

"NO!" Callista protests, "it's too dangerous, if we get caught." she trails off, not wanting to say what could happen.

"Then we'll have to make sure we don't get caught," I shoot back, "this is the only chance for Meghan to have freedom."

The others agree.

The plans were made, and details were laid out.

And that night.

That night we did it.

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Slave Quarters: That night

~Meghan's POV~

I feel someone gently shaking me awake.

It hurts.

The last thing I remember is going to the slave quarters after master gave me a beating.

"What is it?" I whisper while opening my eyes.

A rumble answers me, just as quiet as I am.

"You're getting me out of here? But how?" I ask.

"I know this is going to hurt, but until we get to the X-wing, we'll have to carry you,"

"Aslan?" I ask, confused, and then wince as Arianna gently picks me up.

All the other slaves follow us as I'm carried carefully to the docking bay, where the ticket to freedom lays.

"How are you going to get me to the cockpit?" I ask, thinking it was impossible already, seeing that the ladder that got Aslan and me up to the cockpit would be impossible for me to climb.

"Master is going to be mad at you for doing this," I protest softly.

"We don't care, the most important thing is to get you to freedom, and hopefully we'll never get caught." Is Aslan's reply.

I hear a quiet beep coming from Beeper, the R2 unit that I affectionately nicknamed, wondering what's going on.

I sigh, "It's a long story, but right now-" I'm cut off as I feel myself being lifted from Arianna's arms to another slave, and then passed to the next one, slowly going up the ladder with the slaves passing me from one person to another. The last one gently sets me in the cockpit.

I take a deep breath, and start strapping myself into the chair.

"Good luck, Meghan, and may the Force be with you."

I turn to Aslan, and hug him.

I start sobbing on his chest as the reality what I'm doing sinks in.

I'm scared.

I'm scared to leave the life I've ever known, no matter how horrible it is.

I'm scared about what's going to happen to the others after I leave.

Most of all, I'm scared about what's going to happen to me.

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Same place: Same time

~Aslan's POV~

I've never seen her like this.

Every time that I saw her she was a tough girl.

Even during her beatings, most of the time she wouldn't even flinch.

Even when the wounds are being patched up, she would show toughness that goes beyond her years.

It's amazing to think that she's only around fifteen years old, on the way that she acts.

She acts even better than most of the slaves twice her age.

Now she's breaking down at the time when she needs to keep together at the most.

Showing her age.

Her vulnerability.

And for the first time since I met her, that she's actually scared.

I have to comfort her, somehow.

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Same Place: Same Time

~Meghan's POV~

He gently pulls from the hug, and grabs my shoulders, making eye contact with me.

"This is very important, try to find the Rebel base as soon as possible, they'll help you find a new life. Beeper knows them; he'll back you up. Now good luck, and may the Force be with you." He says softly.

"But-But, I'm so scared, what if I don't make it? What if." I trail off, not wanting to finish the thought.

"You'll be fine, you have the maturity beyond your years, and even if we're not with you, we'll always be in your heart." He says softly, trying to comfort me. "Remember, look for the Rebel Alliance, they'll help you, and you'll be fine on your own, I know it."

I swallow hard, realizing that this is probably the only chance for freedom I'll ever have.

And I have to take it.

"Thank you, everyone, and good luck with you all, too." I say softly as I finish strapping myself in, and close the top.

I take a deep breath, realizing that now I'm in this by myself for the first time.

For real.

That just made the top of my list of things to be scared about.

Automatically, I start flipping the switches, remembering which ones needed to be flipped to start the engines from the simulator.

'Thanks, Aslan, for the training, and May the Force be with us all. Along with the chance of someday having the same chance as I do right now.' I think as I prepare for lift-off.

The chance for freedom.

I feel the aircraft slowly lift off the ground, and let out a gasp of relief.

"Are they gone?" I ask, making sure that all the slaves are gone before I blow a hole through the hanger that'll wake the whole place up.

At Beeper's beep of confirmation, I lock the wings open.

I take a deep breath: 'Here goes nothing.'

And I fire at the doors, slamming the throttle forward a split second later, having switched to engines while waiting for the slaves to leave.

I blow my way out of the door, heading rapidly towards the air traffic that will block my escape.

And bring me to freedom.

TBC.

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A/N: I know it was kinda corny, but you can't expect a fourteen-year old kid to have at least a little fear going out on her own for the first time. Next chapter is: the escape from Coruscant. Will Meghan make it? Until then, please read and review.