Chapter 7: Beast Mode
Part 1: BAMF
Leia was pacing the Command Center floor, caf in hand, agitated but unable to articulate why. She just knew she had an escalating sense of foreboding after she had awaken from her nightmare that Han had been killed on Luke's rescue mission.
Never one to wait for things to hit the fan before acting, she had started reviewing Alliance assets in the Corellia system, including Lorel Minor. Unfortunately, no one with the power to help with a rescue was currently alive or in system. She had attempted to dig deeper but ran into a clearance issue that required Colonel Madine's authorization to access. Unfortunately, he was on Home One.
Leia flinched at the early hour but contacted him from the secure room on the holocam.
"Colonel Madine, I apologize for disturbing you at such an early hour, but I need your help for a mission to rescue Luke Skywalker. I fear the mission is in jeopardy and Luke's craft contains sensitive information on the recent whereabouts of the Supreme Leader."
"General Organa, what information do you need?"
"I need your help getting in touch with any assets the Alliance or you personally have on Lorel Minor or Corellia, or that happen to be in that system and could reach Lorel Minor in the next 12 hours."
Madine considered the information. "We might have someone, but they are a deep cover classified asset. It would cost us dearly if we lost them or they were outed. What indications do you have the rescue mission is in jeopardy?"
"I understand Colonel Madine. Unfortunately, I'm not at liberty to say why the mission is in jeopardy."
"Your Highness, I'm head of Alliance intelligence. Surely you can tell me?"
"No, not this time, it's above even your clearance," Leia bluffed. "The rescue crew are due to provide a sitrep soon, I'll be back in touch if we need to consider operationalizing your contact."
"Understood. General, our contact – it would require Mon Mothma's approval to utilize them, ok?"
"Understood. Dismissed." She disconnected with Madine.
Staff had begun to file in a few minutes ahead of the 06:00 sitrep with the Millennium Falcon.
Leia marched back into the Command Center, mind spinning trying to understand her options. She was feeling frantic, convinced Han was about to die.
"Sergeant Chezo, I need a list of all Alliance personnel assigned to this base who are from the Corellia system. You have ten minutes."
"Yes, General. On it."
Leia racked her brain for who else she knew in that system. The Imperial Senator from Corellia was High Command Leader Bel Iblis, but he was away leading a secret mission and couldn't be reached in time. The former Corellian Ambassador to Alderaan been a handsy tool-bag who tried to make a very unwanted pass at her when she had just turned 18. She doubted he had forgiven her for kneeing him in the balls when he wouldn't back off. Actually she wasn't sure he was even alive.
The line beeped with an incoming secure call.
"This is Echo, what's your report?" She asked, heart pounding as she feared the worst.
"Echo, this is Scoundrel (she smiled at Han's code name) with a situation report. We have located Farm Boy, he is ok, but we had to come in hot and my ship has sustained some damage. We are repairing now. We are intercepting chatter that the crash landing was spotted and a search is under way. How copy?"
"Scoundrel, this is Silver Spoon, we copy. What's your plan?" She could hear Han laugh when he heard her code name for this mission. She looked up to see General Rieekan walk in and she waved him over.
"We are currently attempting to make both craft operational Silver Spoon, we could just go in lasers blazin' and take our chances trying to steal another ship."
"Negative, laser brain. How much time do we have before you're operational again?"
"Doubt we're lookin' at much more'n 12 standard hours before we can fly. There's no indication they know our exact location, but I estimate they'll track us down in about the same timeframe."
"Can you make the repairs in 10?"
"You know me Silver Spoon. I can fix her as good as I can kiss you."
"Focus on the mission, Scoundrel. Is that a yes?" Leia furiously fought her lip from twitching against her will into a smile.
"Affirmative, but you knew that already."
Leia rolled her eyes before she glanced at Rieekan questioningly. This was technically his mission. He leaned in to the give the order in her mic.
"Do it Scoundrel and provide sitreps on the hour. How copy?"
"Good Copy. Scoundrel out."
Leia's sense of impending doom had increased further. Objectively Han, Chewie, and Wedge were considered essential members of the Alliance and would be prized captures for the Empire if they were intercepted. Luke was worth more to the Empire than even Leia and Mon.
"General Rieekan, release me from duty in the Command Center so I can scramble a ship and go rescue them."
"Absolutely not, Your Highness. It's too risky. Give them a chance to complete the mission."
"I have a terrible feeling they are all going to get killed. The Alliance can't afford to lose any of them, you know that."
"Princess, we can afford to lose you even less."
"If I can't make something happen in 60 minutes, I'll commandeer a ship if I must. It'd be easier if you just gave the order and saved us the trouble."
"I'll take it under advisement."
Leia nodded. "Sergeant Chezo, do you have my list?"
"General, Captain Solo, and Lt. Antilles are the only two personnel from Corellia."
"Thank you, sergeant." Kriff, so much for using a home-system connections for help. Han had no people and Wedge's were pretty much already fighting for the Alliance. She filed it away as something to follow up on if she ran into a wall.
Leia marched to the secure room to contact Colonel Madine.
"Colonel, I have confirmation from the rescue crew that both their ships are inoperable, and their landing detected. We have to assume the Empire will soon learn of their presence. The bounty on Farm Boy's head is higher than even Mon Mothma's. We must launch a more robust rescue effort. Who is your person in the system?"
"General, it's a Fulcrum agent, one of our most prized. Let me consult with the Supreme Leader. The risk of sending in such as asset..if they were all captured…"
"Thanks Crix. Call me back with an answer in 15 minutes."
"Copy, Madine Out."
"Lt. Embry!" Leia shouted as she hustled back into the Command Center. "Page Lt. Bey to the Command Center immediately! And track down the contractor Sana Starros. I need her in here or on a holo call with me in the next ten minutes"
"General Rieekan, may we please talk in your office?"
Once they were in his office, she paced as a plan started to form.
"Ok this is how it's going to go. You are going to give the order for Lt. Bey to fly me in an U-Wing to rendezvous with Sana Starros and her ship in Drall before mounting a rescue mission on Lorel Minor. Madine is working on scrambling a Fulcrum agent, who might be available. If we leave right now, we could be there in 10 standard hours. Give the order, Carlist. Please."
"Are you telling me as my Sovereign, highness, or asking me as a fellow General? Or as someone that loves the people that might need to be rescued?"
"I can be all three if it makes you green light this. Look, if it's too hot on the ground, we'll stand down on Drall. Give the order Carlist."
"Kriff. Does anyone tell you no?"
"They start there, but I'm very persistent. Is that an order?"
"You can go to Drall with Bey and Starros but Supreme Leader Mothma will want to give the final order before you can go to Lorel Minor."
"Understood."
Embry poked her head in. "Pardon the interruption, Generals, Colonel Madine is standing by in the secure room to talk to you, Your Highness."
Leia ran to the secure room, shouting over her shoulder, "Did you reach Lt. Bey? Tell her to prep a U-Wing for flight immediately. I'll co-pilot." "Where is Starros?"
She arrived in the secure room, out of breath. "Do you have good news for me?"
"Negative, Your Highness. Supreme Leader Mothma has denied the request. This agent has similar…assets to the one in need of rescue, if you catch my meaning. We can't risk potentially losing both on the same mission."
Leia sighed understanding who he was referring to. It was probably the correct call at this point.
"Do me a favor Crix, see if you can at least get the Fulcrum agent to be on standbye within the system. I'm arranging a rescue operation with a rendezvous on Drall in 10 standard hours."
Madine nodded and Leia disconnected without a further word. She ran back to command center, skidding on ice as she entered.
"Embry! Report!"
"Ma'am, Starros just returned to base from a supply run last night. We are rousing her now."
"Good. Please have her prep for a rescue mission to Drall, in the Corellia sector. Tell Bey to meet us there in 15, she'll be co-pilot. We don't need the other ship."
"Copy." Embry was staring at her.
"Go, we need to depart in 15 minutes!"
"Yes, General." Embry marveled at what a bad ass mother fucker Princess Leia was. She was #rebel_leader_goals.
"Colonel Stivers! You will take over command while I'm away. If you have questions, run them by General Rieekan. Understood?"
"Yes, General. May the Force be with you!"
"Thanks, Gareth. We might need the Force." Leia marched out of the command center to gather her weapons and go back before scrambling to the hanger to rendezvous on Starros' ship, The Volt Cobra."
She spotted the gorgeous Starros prepping her ship, dashing around the outside for a quick visual inspection.
"Princess, there better be a good reason you're scrambling me at 06:30 for a last second mission?"
"We need to go on a rescue mission on Lorel Minor to pick up Han, Chewie, Luke, and Wedge. We are going to Drall first. Do you have anyone nearby we might be able to scramble if everything goes to hell?"
"Let's hold that card up our sleeve and not use it if we don't have to. It'll cost us a lot of favors down the line."
Sana looked at the huge canvas bag slung over Leia's shoulder.
"You royals sure don't pack light."
"It's weapons. I raided the armory on my way here. Here comes Lt. Bey. What do you need me to do to prep for takeoff?"
"Run a weapons systems check. Sounds like we're gonna need them. Can you also visually inspect the turrets, make sure nothing is damaged? I saw minor action yesterday on my run."
"Shara, can you do the pre-flight prep?"
"On it!" She called as she rushed up the ramp with Leia.
Six minutes later, the three women sat in the cockpit requesting clearance from Command to depart.
Part II: Girl Talk
Leia, Shara, and Sana were an hour into their journey when Sana turned around to face Leia.
"Ok, Princess. Spill it, are you and Solo kriffing?"
Leia's mouth sputtered open in shock at the crude question.
"No! Where did you hear that?"
"Oh let's see, on base, in Nar Shaada on my last run. In Kashyyk, Corellia. It was all over the holonet too. Tabloids are offering 5,000 credits for proof."
Shara raised her hand, in agreement. "I've heard the same thing Princess. I saw you two kissing outside your quarters! And Wedge and Chewie won the bet before that, so I know they've seen a kiss too. And Solo kissed you in the Command Center last night, which I hear was holovid blockbuster level hot."
"How did that get around so fast? Oh my goddess, this isn't happening." She feigned shock and embarrassment, secretly pleased with how quickly and far word of their fake relationship was spreading.
"For the record, we haven't slept together…just kissing. It's new."
"Is he a good kisser?" Shara couldn't help but asking. She was happily married to Kes and not interested in Solo, but still curious.
"Yes." Leia and Sana answered at the same time. They looked at each other and both burst into laughter. Leia had let go of 99% of her jealousy over Sana and Han's past by now. But damn, Sana was gorgeous. No wonder Han had had a thing for her. Tough as nails, too.
She gave Sana a sly smile, before adding, "Maybe I should be getting the scoop on kriffing Han from you?"
Sana laughed. "Any smuggler worth their spice doesn't kriff and tell, Princess. But I doubt you'll be disappointed."
Shara hesitated a moment, wondering if she was allowed to ask a princess this, "Do you love him, General?"
Leia smiled hugely as her checks reddened and she nodded, giving a small shrug.
Shara and Sana were the closest beings she had to girlfriends on base. She didn't like having to maintain the fake relationship ruse with them, but she had avoided any outright lies so far.
"It's just us ladies here. Please call me Leia on this trip and anytime outside of duty hours. And anyways, you two now know all about my personal life," she laughed.
Part III: The Rebel Alliance Strikes Back
When the Volt Cobra arrived at the rendezvous point on Drall 8.5 hours later, they were met with two X-wings, a Y-wing, two A-wings, and a light freighter.
Upon exiting hyperspace, they had learned from General Rieekan that Mon Mothma had given the order for the rescue mission to also include an offensive attack on a high-value Imperial mining facility that had already been reconned.
Leia ordered the mission crew to huddle on the ground to get their orders.
"Ok, listen up, please! Supreme Leader Mothma has sanctioned an offensive counterattack on an Imperial mining facility, codenamed Operation Girl Power. The facility is located 70 klicks from where Commander Skywalker's X-Wing and the Captain Solo's ship and crew are hidden. They have repaired Captain Solo's ship, but are still working on Commander Skywalker's X-Wing. They will attempt to repair it within the hour, before our arrival."
"Lt. Bey and I will go with Captain Starros in The Volt Cobra to assist with the rescue of the two ships and crew. Lt. Flint, you'll accompany us in your A-wing to provide cover. Lt. Bey, can you pilot Commander Skywalker's X-wing in the unlikely event that Lt. Antilles isn't able to?"
Shara nodded that she could.
"Commanders Dontay, Shuko and, Lt. Bheldy, you will target the mining facility once the rescue operation is concluded on my order. The coordinates have been transmitted to your droids. High Command anticipates few if any casualties on the attack. We'll hit it between shifts." She looked around for any questions or confusion. They were with her so far.
"All 8 ships will then depart for a new rendezvous point, which has also been sent to your mech droids. We depart for Lorel Minor in 10 minutes. Does anyone have any final alibies, women?" No one said anything, but she sensed an edgy excitement and anticipation from the crew as they prepared for action.
"Good, goddess speed and May the Force Be With You."
Part IV: Operation Girl Power
"Silver Spoon to Scoundrel, how copy?"
"Scoundrel to Silver Spoon, good copy. What's your ETA?"
"ETA in 12 minutes. We are seeing increased Imperial ground flight activity in your area. Can you provide cover from your upper turret?"
"Affirmative. Fuzzball and I are currently a klick out disabling our perimeter sensors, the other two are on ship. We can be back in 7 minutes. Is it true you are in my fake wife's ship? Over."
"That would be an affirmative, Scoundrel. We had a lot of time to talk. There's an A-wing with us, call sign Green Grail. What's the status on Farm Boy's ship?"
"Farm Boy's craft is oper..Fuck! Chewie was that blaster fire? Silver Spoon, we are taking fire. Two dozen storm troopers, portable cannon. They will likely scramble speeders. Get your asses here! You copy?"
Shit! She thought they had made it on time.
"Hang in there Scoundrel. Stay on the comms so we avoid friendly fire. Silver Spoon out."
"Sana, do you have any tricks up your sleeve to get us there faster?"
"I'll get us there in 8 minutes. I hope they can hold out that long."
It was possibly the longest 8 minutes of Leia's life as she willed her friends to not make her nightmare come true and hang on a few more minutes.
As they approached the large clearing where the Falcon and X-Wing were concealed, she saw it back up to a cliff leading into a mining quarry and was surrounded by dense foliage on all other sides.
Leia and Shara were in the turrets. Leia on the bottom, Shara the top. She had a powerful sense of déjà vu, as the views and angles from her nightmare matched those she saw now. She once again looked on in horror as she spotted the guys crouched behind rocks.
Without thinking or even lining up her shot, she fired towards a storm trooper that was aiming the cannon at Chewie just as Han shoved the wookie out of the way of the shot. She obliterated the storm trooper and Han safely landed on the ground behind the boulder, the cannon fire going high and wide.
It looked like they hadn't even made it back to the ship, and Luke and Wedge must have fled the Falcon to take cover under the trees.
Leia continued to fire at the imps, mowing down all of them as Sana made one more low tight pass to evade a speeder that Shara downed with one shot. They probably had less than 5 minutes before more speeders would arrive.
"Scoundrel, all clear down there? We are preparing to land."
"Affirmative. See you soon."
"This is Silver Spoon. We have the crew, commence second phase in 10 minutes."
As soon as the ramp lowered, Leia sprinted towards Han, who was waiting with the guys at the bottom of the ramp. She had been so scared her nightmare had been a prophecy and she would never see Han or her friends again.
Leia saw the moment Han spotted her and a huge grin appeared on his face. She a choked sound of relief and launched herself into his arms so hard he staggered backwards.
She looked up at him under her lashes, "You had me worried, Hotshot. Thought I was going to lose you."
Han rested his forehead to hers, "You took that shot that saved me from that Imp that was about to shoot Chewie, didn't you. How'd you know?"
"They didn't make me a general for nothing, you know." She smiled and he chuckled.
"I'm gonna kiss you now."
Before Leia could respond Han wrapped his arms tightly around her waist and hungrily kissed her. Her hands grabbed fistfuls of his shirt against his chest as she poured her relief and intense worry into kissing him back.
She was vaguely aware of a chorus of cheers before she heard Luke exclaim, "Ok you two, break it up! We have to cut and run now! Speeders and an AT-AT incoming!
Leia and Han disentangled, and she turned to look at the rest of the crew.
"Luke!" She gave him a quick hug, careful not to bump his broken arm, followed by Chewie, then Wedge before turning to address them.
She checked her chrono quickly. "Ok, we have to depart in two minutes to get to the rendezvous point. Wedge, can you fly Luke's X-Wing?"
"Negative, I got hit in the shoulder."
"Shara, you'll fly the X-Wing. R2 has the coordinates of the rendezvous."
"Wedge and Skywalker, why don't you come with me. I have a container full of bacta and bone grower. Oh, and you two! General Rieekan ordered me to take a holo of your little reunion and said to give it to you. And you two are disgustingly cute and I hate you both."
Han and Leia both laughed as Leia took the holo.
Wedge and Luke nodded and were about to board Sana's ship when Leia gently grabbed Luke's good arm again.
"Luke! I missed you! Let's catch up when we get back on base. I have a lot to tell you."
"I noticed," He laughed, squeezing her shoulder. "I missed you too."
Leia was expecting a fire fight on departure, but their A-wing escort had been able to pick off the only two speeders that had shown up, and Leia had managed to down the AT-AT as they took off.
"Silver Spoon to Operation Girl Power. You are a go for Phase II. I repeat, you are a go for Phase II."
Leia waited by the communicator anxiously for an update while Han and Chewie prepped for the jump to hyperspace once they cleared orbit.
"Girl Power Leader to Silver Spoon, the target has been destroyed. I repeat, the target has been destroyed!"
Celebratory cries from Echo Base, Home One, and the crew of this mission sounded triumphantly in her ears. They did it!
Notes: This chapter was inspired by the X-Files season 6 episode "Triangle" in which Agent Scully (another total BAMF) goes beast mode to rescue Agent Mulder. And in this story, Leia's nightmare was meant to be a Force vision. I was also inspired for the Operation Girl Power part by the all-women crews I've run into on flights or read about from NASA.
