Leia was seriously starting to wish that Darth Vader had blown up along with the Death Star. At least then she would have had some peace of mind that the monster was dead. Unfortunately, he was still very much alive and still very much hunting after them. Hence why they were currently rushing to board the Millennium Falcon, practically abandoning their base. She didn't know how he had found them, but somehow he had.

Her initial instinct was to stay behind as long as she could to make sure everyone else got out on time. She had protested against the idea of being among the first to evacuate, but eventually gave in at the thought of what would happen if Vader found her again. The mere thought of seeing him again ignited the panic in her, along with memories that she had fought tooth and nail to suppress.

Sometimes at night, as she lay in bed asleep, she would dream that she was back on the Death Star. The dreams always started the same, with her being shoved into her cell, soon to be joined by Vader himself. She would refuse to acknowledge his presence at first, as she did her best to not appear frightened or show any sign of weakness in front of him.

"Padme…" It was always the same name he called her.

At that, she turned to face him. She had no idea who that was, but she got the impression that he had mistaken her for this 'Padme'. She opened her mouth to tell him so, but never got the chance as she felt something tighten in her throat, preventing her from breathing. It didn't take her long to realize what was going on, having heard reports of Darth Vader's sorcerer's ways before. How he could manipulate the force to choke a person without even laying a finger on the person.

"Did you honestly think I wouldn't see through this disguise of yours?" he asked as he slowly advanced towards her.

Leia wanted nothing more than to back away, to get as far away from him as she could, but found herself unable to. It was almost as if her whole body had been paralyzed.

"Don't think I've forgotten how you betrayed me!" Vader snapped at her. "I loved you! I would've given you the galaxy, but you chose him instead. And now look at me. Do you see what your precious Kenobi did to me? Do you have any idea what lies hidden behind this wretched suit?"

All she could do was listen as she gasped for air, feeling a painful pressure begin to press against her lungs. She thought she was done for, but then Vader took her by surprise and let her go. At once, the spell was broken and she collapsed to the floor at his feet in a heap, breathing heavily to catch her breath. However, her relief was short lived as he reached out with his actual hands this time and hauled her up to her feet.

"I won't let you leave me, not this time."

Then, before she could even fully process what was happening, he had slammed her back against one of the cell walls, pinning her in place against the cold, hard exterior of his armor. She fought to get away, but his hold on her was much too strong. What happened after that was something of a blur, as she had closed her eyes tightly, not wanting to see what was happening. She remembered the sharp, agonizing pain that shot through her when he forced himself upon her. She remembered screaming, lots of screaming. And then she blacked out for a while. The next time she came to, Vader was gone, but the evidence of what he had done to her was obvious.

She shook such memories from her mind, forcing herself to focus on her current reality. Not only was Vader after her, but he was after Luke as well. They couldn't afford to let Vader find them.

No sooner were they on board, then the ship shot out into space, hurtling through various different maneuvers to dodge any and all pursuing imperial fighters. Leia couldn't help but feel uneasy about it all, which wasn't helped at all by the bout of nausea she felt. With Luke's help, they managed to reach the refresher in time for her to empty her stomach of every last piece of food she had eaten so far that day.

Luke was soon called away by Han, who needed him to help man the guns. Apparently they were going to need to blast their way out. She didn't dare venture too far from the toilet as she waited with bated breath for the battle to be over and the unsettling movements with it. And she cursed Vader yet again for his relentlessness, causing her additional discomfort.

It was only after the ship's movements had steadied and she could no longer hear the sounds of gunshots being fired that she got up and started towards the crew quarters. There she was reunited with Luke, who helped her recline back in one of the bunks.

"I take it we got away?"

Luke nodded his head, his eyes looking her over as if to make sure everything was alright. "How are you holding up?" he asked in response.

She shrugged her shoulders as she leaned her head back against the padded wall, her hands reaching out instinctively to rest against her belly. She couldn't help but stare at it. She was nearly six months along in her pregnancy now, something that was made painstakingly obvious by the sheer size of her belly. There was no use trying to hide it, as there wasn't a single thing she could do or a single article of clothing she could effectively wear to cover it up. It was there for the galaxy to see.

"How far are we going to have to go in order to hide from him?"

Slowly, reluctantly almost, he reached out to place a hand over hers. "Until we find somewhere that's safe. I've heard some of the higher ups in the Rebellion talking about building a secret base on Hoth. That should be safe enough."

She had heard the same. Hoth was a barren arctic planet that very few dared to visit. The Empire practically ignored it, seeing as the conditions were considered unfit for most life forms. In theory, it was the ideal place to hide. Relocating there would buy them some time, perhaps a few years if they were lucky. At the very least, it should give them safety long enough for her to give birth.

She shivered, not sure which disturbed her the most; being stuck on a frozen planet or giving birth.

"What's wrong?" he asked, as if sensing her change in mood.

"Nothing, it's just…" she hesitated to share, not because she thought Luke would think poorly of her because of it, but because she herself felt guilty. "Do you really think I'll be a good mother?"

His gaze softened. "Of course I do."

Luke was always so optimistic, always able to see the best in others, even when they couldn't see it themselves. And he never seemed anything less than sincere. It was clear to see that he genuinely thought that. It was one of the things she loved most about him. She only wished she shared in his confidence.

"What if I don't love the baby?" she asked. "What if I'm reminded of him whenever I see it."

He shifted closer to her, and keeping one hand pressed against her belly, raised the other to cup her cheek. "I don't think you'll have to worry about that. I think that, in your own way, you already love the baby, even if you don't realize it. You wouldn't have decided to keep it if you didn't. You wouldn't be going through such an effort to keep it safe and away from Vader's clutches."

He does have a point there, she begrudgingly acknowledged. She had never considered herself the most maternal person. She knew she could be difficult at times. Her tongue was known to inflict just as much damage as her blaster. Sometimes even more. She remembered that her father used to claim that she was just overly passionate. And that was true. She both loved and hated with such a passion that it threatened to overwhelm her at times.

Her heart ached at the thought of her father. And of her mother, both of which she never even got to say goodbye to. It was this feeling of loss that had, at least partially, convinced her to keep the baby. While the baby's conception might have been less than ideal, to put it mildly, it was still hers. She had lost so much. Her family, her world. And in those hours that she had spent locked up on the Death Star after witnessing Alderaan's destruction, she had felt like she was all alone in the world. And then she met Luke. Luke and this baby were her family now. The only family she had left.

"I'm not going to let the Empire take my family away from me again," she vowed.

Luke nodded his head as he reached out to press a gentle kiss to her forehead. "I'm not going to let that happen either." And she knew he understood exactly how she felt. They were the same in that way.