I'm so sorry this chapter took so long to write. I couldn't find the words to write what I wanted to describe and consistently had to rewrite it. Plus, I barely had time to write it as I had to write a research paper, reconstruct a cat skeleton, and other addition to that, we've had a lot of graduation events planned so I was super busy. You'd think teachers would slow down this time of year, but they've just piled up the work. :( Hopefully in the summer I'll be able to update a lot faster than I do now. I hope this chapter was worth the wait, but I doubt it's my best. I'm so sorry about that :(

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars. I just own my OC('s).

Chapter 2: Trouble

Serena raced through the halls, her eyes downcast and her head swimming. Her argument with Han had bothered her more than she realized, and she'd realized it quite a bit earlier. It felt like he tore a piece out of her heard when he said he didn't care. Why didn't he care?

The fact that he was actually threatening to leave her behind stung more than she would admit. Still, despite her anger towards him, she was still reluctant to let him leave without her. He forced her to choose between the Alliance and him, and though she'd always chosen family over everything before, this was different.

She actually felt like she mattered here—like she was making the galaxy a better place. With Han, she was always happy and carefree, but she knew she wouldn't feel that way if she left the Alliance. Even thinking about abandoning her responsibilities made her feel guilty. She just couldn't do it. And she had to think about Leia, and Luke.

Especially Luke.

She didn't want to leave him. He'd become as important to her as Han and Chewbacca. The thought of leaving him was too painful, though the thought of leaving Han was equally terrible. She didn't know what to do—either way she was disappointing the people closest to her.

She saw Leia run after Han, no doubt attempting to reason with the smuggler. Serena knew if anyone could convince the smuggler to stay with the Rebellion, it'd be Leia. While Han would never admit it, Serena knew he was attracted to the strong willed Princess. They both butted heads frequently—at least on a daily basis, but Serena and Luke both knew the two felt more than frustration and irritation towards one another. Practically the whole base knew. She knew that, despite Han's constant complaints about Leia, he would miss her too.

She and Leia had become a lot closer, as well, in the last few months, and she realized she would miss Leia almost as much. Even though Leia was very opinionated, Serena actually found it helpful that Leia stood by her opinion and beliefs, even though she could occasionally take her argument too far. Leia was very intelligent and a natural leader, and she was helpful to Serena as she adjusted to her new position as Lieutenant. Serena hoped Leia or something would happen to keep her brother and Chewie at the base.

She would come to regret that thought.

Leia raced after Han, furious. How dare he leave now? Did he really not care that he was hurting his sister? Didn't he care that he was leaving behind his friends? The smuggler stormed ahead, ignoring her completely as she shouted his name. Typically, Han didn't seem to care she was angry. Despite the smuggler's unresponsiveness, she continued to follow him, determined to confront him, and hopefully change his mind.

"Han!" She continued shouting, until the smuggler eventually stopped and turned to face her.

"Yes, your Highness?" He responded mockingly.

"I thought you decided to stay." Her tone was accusing, and she crossed her arms as she usually did when she was frustrated, "That's what you told all of us. Your sister only accepted the position because she thought you were going to be here by her side!"

"Well, the bounty hunter we ran into on Ord Mantell changed my mind." He remembered how quick and unexpected the attack was. He, Chewie, and Serena were assigned to get supplies from the small world of Ord Mantell. He hadn't expected anything exciting to happen, but they could never quite catch a break.

"Come on. The sooner we get this cargo onto the Falcon the sooner we can leave this dump of a planet." Han ordered, attempting to speed up his sister and Chewbacca's progress. He had a bad feeling that he couldn't ignore, no matter how hard he tried. So far, the mission had been a success. They made the successful trade and were on their way. He didn't know why he was so anxious, but he continued to follow his instincts. They were usually right.

Serena glared, tired of her brother's orders, "You know, I didn't have to help you."

She didn't. Serena was very busy with the Alliance ever since she'd gotten her promotion. Han barely got to see her because of her busy schedule. He was happy for his sister, but actually missed her, even though she could be a pain. It wasn't the same when it was just Chewie and him. Because she missed him too, Serena requested some time off, and instead of using her vacation days to relax, she'd gone with him and Chewie on a simple smuggling mission. It was a lot like before they went to Tatooine and got tangled up in the Rebellion. Han actually missed those days. He liked being free to make his own decisions, and wandering the galaxy exploring new planets. He didn't mind the Rebellion, but he wasn't nearly as committed to it as his sister was. Chewie didn't care either way, as long as he remained at the Solo siblings' sides.

Han knew his sister wasn't too fond of smuggling missions. Sshe only came with them to spend time together like they used to. However, Ord Mantell was not a friendly planet, and she wasn't enjoying the trip.

"I should've just taken that vacation." She grumbled, as she lifted one of the final crates. Chewbacca heard her complain and simply shook his head. They all knew that, while she complained, she wouldn't trade spending time with her family for the world.

Han was relieved. When Chewie dropped the final crate in the Falcon, he wasted no time in ordering them to get on the ship. The sooner they left, the less chance they would get into trouble.

Unfortunately for Han, as they were about to enter the ship, Han heard the sound of voices in the distance. Listening closely, he could hear at least five people approaching them. He knew these people were bad news as soon as he heard the voices.

"Quick! Get inside the Falcon!" He shouted, and the two were close enough to the entrance that they could easily escape the bounty hunters before they even saw them. Han, on the other hand, was not so lucky. When he attempted to run to the ship, he was stopped by a barrage of blaster bolts. He wasn't very far from the Falcon, but he knew he had no chance of running into the ship without getting shot or captured. These bounty hunters were much better shots than those stormtroopers. Fortunately, they hadn't seen Serena or Chewbacca, so he hoped that if things went badly for him, they could at least escape and avoid capture.

Still, Han had to think of something, or he was going right back to Jabba. No doubt Chewie and Serena were waiting in the ship anxiously, ready to exit and help him when he made a move. He wondered if their help would be enough.

After a long pause, their leader spoke, "Sssolo. Jabba's been looking for you."

Han knew that voice anywhere. It was Bossk, the same bounty hunter who attacked Serena and Luke while he was in the Imperial prison. The Trandoshan bounty hunter looked intimidating due to his great bulk and height. He dwarfed the other bounty hunters at his side. Han took the time to inspect each of them, and realized that these were mostly hirelings. They didn't look experienced, but they all looked tough. He'd bet money they were all found in the local cantina. Since they weren't trained bounty hunters, Han doubted Bossk would let them live to split the payment. That gave him an idea.

"Bossk," He began calmly, moving out of cover. The instant he appeared the hirelings all pointed their blasters at him. He hoped his plan would work. The smuggler caught a glimpse of Serena and Chewie slowly moving to peek out from the entrance of the Falcon. He quickly shook his head at them, hoping the bounty hunters would not notice. If this plan went wrong, he wanted them to be able to escape, and he hoped they would take the opportunity to do so.

"You have nowhere to run, Sssolo. It would be best if you sssurrendered." The Trandoshan hissed.

"I'm not plannin' on dying today, Bossk. Take me away." He extended his hands out to allow them to place the binders.

The bounty hunters looked confused, and he could only imagine how angry Chewie and his little sister would be. He just hoped they didn't try anything. He didn't want to risk their lives.

One of the hirelings approached him, an angry looking man with tattoos covering his arms. He certainly looked threatening, and he was perfect for Han's plan.

"Y'know, if you took me in yourself, you wouldn't have to split the bounty." The smuggler whispered, as the man placed the binders on his wrists. The bounty hunter looked intrigued by the idea, like he would have never thought of it on his own. Han wasn't surprised.

Still, the man looked hesitant as he glanced at Bossk, so Han spoke again, "He's been plannin' to kill you or leave you behind as soon as you bring me to him. You can't trust him."

"Whadda you know?" The man hissed back. He snarled and brought himself to his full height.

"I've met him before. I know how he works." Han stated, matter-of-factly.

"Bring the sssmuggler to me." Bossk commanded, impatient, but the man looked furious by the time he was ready to turn in the smuggler.

"I don't think so." He gritted his teeth furiously, showing off rows of dirty blackened teeth, "Bossk's plannin' to turn in this one without us, boys."

The other 'bounty hunters' looked at their leader furiously, and Bossk's expression betrayed him. He was not confused;, he just looked furious. That only angered the other bounty hunters more. They all turned to face the Trandoshan, who seemed to know his alliance was falling apart at the seams. Han's captor loosened his grip on the smuggler due to his focus on Bossk. Han was glad his plan was working as planned so far, but he couldn't break free just yet. He just had to wait for the right opportunity.

He didn't have to wait long. One of the bounty hunters rushed at Bossk, intent upon taking him down quickly. Bossk easily dodged the attack and blasted the bounty hunter down. While the other hirelings looked intimidated, it did not stop them from rushing at the former leader. Han's guard still remained, though he looked eager to fight.

Bossk was more skillful than Han imagined. The bounty hunter easily dodged the multiple opponents swings, leading Han to confirm that these men were not trained hunters, but amateurs attempting to make easy money. Despite being outnumbered, Bossk had the advantage. He continued bringing his men down, and eventually Han's guard had no choice but to join the battle. However, before he left, he punched Han right in the face and ordered him to "Stay down".

Han hit the floor, and groaned as he attempted to stand. The man had a good punch and Han was still a bit delirious from it. He didn't know if he could get up. He hadn't anticipated that the hired bounty hunter would think to make sure he stayed. That was his mistake, and one he was paying for now as he felt the pain.

He heard a loud roar, and felt someone pick him up and race back in the direction of the Falcon. Whatever picked him up was hairy and tall, and Han instantly relaxed when he realized who it was. Chewbacca had risked capture to save him.

When he was brought into the ship, Chewie immediately handed him off to Serena, and rushed to the cockpit. Serena dragged him over to a seat and fastened him in. Han groaned once more and grabbed his head, now feeling the headache he would have for a few days.

Serena sighed, relaxing significantly, "That was too close."

He nodded, feeling sick, and not just from the head injury. He never thought Jabba's bounty hunters would be so persistent, even after three years. Clearly, the bounty had increased enough to encourage the bounty hunters to search for him again, and Han hated that he wasn't as careful as he used to be. He just risked his sister and best friend for a small amount of cargo. He wouldn't make that mistake again.

As the Millennium Falcon entered lightspeed, Han knew what he had to do.

Ever since that day he thought about leaving. He took the first opportunity to do so, which happened to be now. Serena would hopefully understand that before he left, and would decide to come with him to pay off Jabba.

"Han, we need you!" Leia's comment brought the smuggler back to the present.

"We?" He asked, unable to resist the opportunity to tease her.

She crossed her arms, looking irritated, "Yes."

"What about 'you need'?" He smirked, looking at her knowingly.

She looked confused, "I need? I don't know what you're talking about."

He frowned, tired of trying to get her to admit her feelings, "You probably don't."

"And what precisely am I supposed to know?"

Han threw his hands in the air, "Come on!" He said, sounding frustrated, "You want me to stay because of the way you feel about me!"

Leia nodded, sounding like she was attempting to pacify him, "Yes. You're a great help to us. You're a natural leader—"

"No! That's not it! Come on!" He moved closer to her, and she looked right back, unflinchingly. He pointed to her knowingly, "Come on."

Leia finally understood what he was implying, and rolled her eyes before she scoffed, "You're imagining things."

"Am I? Then why are you following me?" He was about to continue, but she interrupted.

"Because I know you don't want to leave this all behind!" Leia argued, but he ignored that comment, and continued as if she hadn't interrupted.

"Afraid I was going to leave without giving you a goodbye kiss?"

She looked furious at his suggestion, and spat out, "I'd just as soon kiss a Wookiee!"

"I can arrange that!" Han scoffed and stormed off, finished with their conversation, "You could use a good kiss!"

Leia simply stared where he left, frozen and furious. That smuggler affected her more than she'd ever admit. She couldn't stop thinking about what he said. Did he really want her to feel that way about him? Or was it his way of deflecting her questions? Either way, he knew how to throw her off and deflect her questions. It didn't help that she actually found him attractive, and—

She froze—where did that come from? Clearly, she was tired and not thinking clearly. She left the corridor and decided to find Serena before turning in for the night.

Serena frowned when she realized what time it was. Luke's shift was over. She wondered if he got caught up in other things. It wouldn't surprise her. She knew his schedule was busier than her schedule so she hadn't thought much of it, but after patrol he would usually relax. He hadn't even checked in. Serena immediately felt guilty that she hadn't noticed he was missing earlier, as she had been too caught up in thinking about her brother.

She immediately searched for Leia. Maybe Luke just forgot to check in. The patrols were usually exhausting and occasionally someone out on one would forget to check in. She figured that was what happened, but she decided to check just in case something went wrong.

As she raced down the corridors, she barely noticed any of the Rebels who passed her. She was determined to find Leia before the base closed the doors for the night. She hoped Leia finished talking with Han—Serena didn't want to face him right now. She didn't even want to think about him; her sadness had faded to be replaced with anger. How dare he—

Her angry thoughts were interrupted by Leia calling out her name, "Serena!"

Serena walked up to Leia, noticing the Princess who just entered the corridor. Leia moved closer to Serena and looked furious. She began speaking, "Your brother drives me insane."

Serena nodded, "He drives everyone insane." She felt the familiar surge of anger when she thought about him, but pushed that issue aside. There was a more important issue to address, "Enough about Han. Have you seen Luke? He hasn't reported in yet."
She frowned, "No I haven't. He probably just forgot to check in, but we can check just to make sure."

Leia entered the control room, followed closely by Serena. They scanned the room for any sign of Luke, but no one had seen the Commander since he left for his patrol. They even went to the hanger where Luke exited the base, and the Rebel who guarded the door hadn't seen him since he left. Luke hadn't been heard of for awhile.

The guard spoke, "We haven't seen any sign of Commander Skywalker. If he doesn't get back soon, we'll have to close the doors on him."

Serena felt a lump in her throat. Luke wouldn't just not report back on time. This only meant one thing, and she dreaded to think about it.

Luke was missing.

Finally this chapter's finished. It was supposed to be longer, and I'm sorry it's short. I just couldn't write this chapter and it got so frustrating that I just decided to end it a little earlier so you could all read something. I hope you enjoy it! :) Thanks for reading, and if you don't mind, why not leave a quick review? ;)