Sorry this chapter's so late! I've been really busy and have been using all of my free time to write and edit this chapter, but I was never completely happy with it. I figured it's as good as it'll get, so I hope you all enjoy! Thanks for reading! :)

Chapter 5: Fleeing the Rebel Base

Alarms blared, seeming to become more demanding and insistent each time they sounded off. Rebel troops reacted instantly, scrambling either to fight back against the Empire or to escape on a transport ship before the base was destroyed. A small number of Rebels remained behind, determined to defend their fleeing comrades. These few were frantically attempting to keep the Rebels organized and heading out in their fighter ships to hold off the Empire from entering the base. Leia observed the commotion and took a deep breath, attempting to calm her nerves.

We've gotten way to comfortable here. We should've left a long time ago. The Princess inwardly scolded herself, as she watched the Rebels moving in a daze. She usually was the one to insist they move frequently, but she thought that maybe this place was different. After all, no one else dared settle on the hostile ice planet. Still, she had to admit, she should have anticipated Vader eventually discovering the planet they settled on. While she hated to admit it, Lord Vader was intelligent. Leia had no doubt that he was the one to locate the base.

She clenched her fists, irritated that despite every attempt to keep this base a secret, Vader still managed to discover the base. She couldn't help but wonder if this discovery was due to the recent bounties put out for Luke. The Empire was offering extremely generous amounts of money to anyone who captured the boy, and Lord Vader had taken a personal interest in searching for him. There were bounties on the others, of course, but none of them were nearly as large as Luke's. She wondered why—

"Leia!"

Her head snapped up from her work, and she glanced to the right. She saw Serena frantically running towards her. Serena looked anxious—Leia could see that by the look in her eyes, and her frantic attitude. Clearly, the girl wasn't quite as confident in this situation as Leia was. It was understandable. Leia had dealt with situations like this before, while Serena never had to command anyone before in a battle. She'd been promoted to Lieutenant during a relatively peaceful time for the Rebellion. Still, Leia had faith in Serena, and knew she would do everything in her power to help.

Serena stopped in front of the princess, clearly exhausted and out of breath. Leia saw General Rieekan beside her. The General spoke, "Mon Mothma is safe. She's about to leave as we speak."

"Good." She quickly returned to the terminal. She'd been adjusting security protocols, hoping to slow down any invading forces entering the base.

"Should we go with them?" Serena asked, looking uncertain, as if she was torn about her decision. Clearly, some part of her wanted to stay and fight, but Leia could clearly see how nervous she looked.

"I can't leave just yet. I have to finish this!" Leia stated with a determined look in her eyes, "But I won't make you stay here. I won't be able to leave until the very end of this battle."

"If you're not leaving, then I'm not either!" Serena smiled at her friend. Leia simply nodded, grateful to have someone by her side.

"I will stay, as well." The General agreed. He quickly moved towards some of the Rebels still in the room, helping them organize, and prepare the evacuation.

Serena stood by Leia awkwardly, looking uncertain.

"If you're going to stay, you can help me with this." Leia ordered, noticing Serena's uncertainty.

Serena nodded, and began working at the empty terminal next to Leia. The princess seemed completely devoted to her work, and Serena attempted to figure out the best way to provide the most defense. Unfortunately, the base was more designed on keeping the Rebels from freezing to death instead of defense. The Rebellion couldn't afford to do both, and keeping the cold out was more necessary at the time. There were only a handful of things the two girls could do to help. Regardless, she knew Leia would want every possible advantage, so she continued to work diligently.

She thought of Luke—Serena wanted to see him, and make sure he was alright, but she couldn't just leave now. Besides, he could have already left with the others. He was still recovering somewhat from his injuries. Still, she couldn't shake the nagging feeling that Luke was still here, and something told her he wasn't just waiting to evacuate. He wasn't the type.

It wouldn't surprise me if someone told me that Luke was out there fighting. He's stubborn like that. She frowned at the thought, unhappy that he would risk his life so soon after almost losing it.

Luke, I hope you're alright. She thought, but then pushed her fears aside and focused all her attention on increasing the defenses inside the base.

The two girls had been working for a while, before finally giving up. They had increased the defenses to the best of their ability, and the control room seemed quite empty now after the time they spent on the terminals.

General Rieekan approached them as he noticed they finished. He turned to them and requested their help in organizing the few groups of pilots they had left. Serena and Leia immediately moved to assist him. It was easy enough to help the pilots find their ships, and to tell them what they were required to do. Serena felt guilty ordering these men to go and fight, while she remained relatively safe in the base, but she knew she was needed here more than out these. Besides, her horrible flying would hardly be helpful out there. She'd be more likely to accidentally hit another ships, and she doubted anyone would want that.

After a short while, Serena heard a familiar voice, "Mistress Serena, Princess Leia, it is good to see you're both alright."

Serena turned, "Threepio? What are you doing here?"

"Master Luke has left to join the battle, and Artoo left to retrieve him. I was left alone."

So Luke did join the battle. I hope he's alright. She nodded, "Well, I'm glad to see you're alright. What about Han and Chewie? Have you seen them?"

"Indeed. They were still attempting to repair the Millennium Falcon, from what I understand."

She let out a relieved sigh. Everyone important to her was still alive and well, as far as Threepio knew. She hoped they would remain so for the duration of the battle.

As she moved away from the golden droid, however, she heard a loud explosion and watched as a part of the ceiling caved in. The whole room seemed to shake, and she stabilized herself on Threepio, who seemed to not feel the effects. However, he was still panicking. She ignored his protests, and moved towards Leia and General Rieekan. They both seemed stunned, but alright. The ceiling had caved in far away and even though it damaged some of the equipment, it hardly mattered now that they were fleeing.

"General, with all due respect, I think it would be best for you to evacuate now." Leia said simply, but with a tone of authority she only could have perfected as royalty. The explosion had not harmed anyone severely, but she noticed how nervous many of the recruits remaining looked. She doubted they would even be helpful in the state they were in. Besides, there wasn't much left to do.

The General considered Leia's request for a moment, before finally nodding slowly, "I think you may be right, Princess. Although I believe you both should do the same."

"There will still be men in here who need my help, General. If we lose you, this wouldn't be worth it. We'll stay here and make sure all these men escape, as well. Don't worry about us." Leia said confidently, though she certainly didn't feel so.

Serena nodded, supportive of Leia's choice, though she couldn't help but feel anxious of the Princess' choice. She hoped it was the right one.

Finally, the General conceded, "I suppose you're right." As he was about to leave, he turned back, "I expect to see the both of you on the evacuation ships soon, though."

Serena smiled, "Yes, sir."

He nodded, and left the room, followed by a great majority of the remaining Rebels in the room. He left Serena and Leia a small force to continue directing the troops outside and maintain the defenses.

Threepio looked around nervously, "We will be leaving soon, correct?"

Serena didn't answer his question, not knowing the answer herself. They would leave when there was nothing they could do to fight back anymore.

Han raced through the empty corridors, glancing for any sign of his sister or the princess. He knew they were both too damn stubborn to leave the base, even when there was nothing left to do. When he contacted the transports to make sure they were alright, he'd been informed they had not yet arrived. Even though he knew he should be leaving soon, he couldn't get them out of his mind and decided to go looking for them before they got into trouble.

He dodged a wave of steam coming from a broken pipe, and continued down the hallway. He could see that they were losing power quickly, as the lights occasionally dimmed and flickered. The smuggler could hear laser blasts coming from different directions, and knew that the Empire was gaining ground in the base quickly, so he made his way to the command center, knowing that was where Leia would be, at least.

He entered the room just as another explosion hit, causing the passage way to almost collapse. The walls cracked, and more pipes fell loose and vented steam into the room. It was getting more dangerous here by the minute, and he suddenly felt more determined than ever to ensure the two girls were safe. He quickly moved away from the unstable doorway, and relaxed significantly as he saw both his sister, the princess, and Threepio all speaking. He made his way over to them, determined to get them out of here and into safety.

Leia was looking at a control board, but Serena immediately noticed him.

"Han!" She called out, running over to him and hugging him tightly. She was so relieved to see he was safe and unharmed. Han quickly hugged his little sister back, glad to see she was alright as well.

"You alright?" He asked all of them, noticing how anxious they both looked.

Leia seemed surprised to see him, but she nodded before asking, "Why are you still here?"

Han rolled his eyes. Clearly, she thought he'd just take off and leave them in danger. He was slightly offended, "I heard the command center had been hit."

Serena smiled, happy to know Han cared enough about the both of them to personally make sure they were safe.

"You got your clearance to leave." Leia said, seeming slightly stunned that he was still here. She expected him to be long gone by now.

Han deflated slightly at seeing how little Leia thought of him at the moment, but he continued to retain his cocky attitude, "Don't worry, I'll leave. But first I'm gonna get you both to your ship."

Threepio eagerly agreed with Han, "Your Highness, Mistress Serena, you must go with him. It's our only hope."

Serena nodded, showing she was happy to go with him. Leia, on the other hand, seemed slightly reluctant, but eventually gave in. She turned to the head controller, who was diligently working to defend the base, "Send all troops insSector twelve to the south slops to protect the fighters!"

After her order, another blast shook the room.

Han was getting impatient, "Come on. We gotta get out of here!"

Serena looked nervous. She heard the voice over the intercom announce that the Imperials had entered the building, "Listen to him, Leia."

Leia made one final order, "Give the evacuation signal for all remaining troops, and get to your transports!" She looked exhausted, but she didn't even have a moment to rest before Han grabbed her hand and led them all out of the room.

Han ran as quickly as he could, forcing Serena and Leia to run at a sprint through the hallways. Threepio continuously called for them to wait, but Han ignored the droid, focused on keeping the two girls safe.

Threepio was far behind, as they continued to race through the corridors. Han finally released both the girl's hands, and led them through the corridor. Once Serena found out where her brother was taking them, she felt confident enough to run slightly ahead of him, determined to escape the base with her life. She could feel adrenaline pumping more fiercely than ever, when she heard the blasterfire becoming louder with each moment they remained in the base.

After a short while of sprinting through the corridors, an explosion shook the corridor they were traveling through. Serena froze as she watched the ceiling just ahead of her started to crack and give way. She heard Han call out something to her, but she wasn't able to react in time. The walls started to crack, and finally the passage collapsed.

Serena just simply stood there, too stunned to move. She couldn't react in time, and even though she felt Han grab her and pull her back, she felt a severe pain in her leg as one of the supporting beams fell on top of it. She cried out in pain, attempted to free her trapped appendage. However, the beam was heavy and she was unable to free her leg on her own.

Fortunately, Han quickly rushed to help her, lifting the beam with Leia's help. They both looked at her in concern.

"Sis, are you alright?" Han asked, looking very worried about her.

She groaned in pain, "Ugh…I can't move…my leg." It hurt horribly to move it, and she groaned as Han quickly lifted her off the ground.

"We have to get moving." Leia said, nervous that Serena couldn't move it. That wasn't a good sign. Still, Leia could hear the blasterfire getting closer, and knew they would all be in for a lot more pain than a broken leg if they didn't get moving.

With Serena leaning on him for support, Han pulled out his comlink and said, "Transport, this is Solo. Better take off—I can't get to you. I'll take them on the Falcon."

Just as Threepio managed to catch up to the trio, Han picked up his sister and ran ahead, with Leia on his heels. Serena was grateful she wouldn't have to walk any further. Her leg felt numb, but she was starting to feel a throbbing sensation slowly building intensity the longer they ran. The Lieutenant had a feeling her leg was broken, and cursed her luck. This was the worst possible time for something like this to happen.

The golden droid turned around, frantically shouting, "But…but…but…where are you going? Come back!"

Just then, Serena felt something dark and powerful entering the base. She didn't know what it was, but she could practically sense the person entering the base. She closed her eyes and breathed in and out, attempting to calm herself. She suddenly felt nauseous, and shook her head, attempting to shake off this feeling. The pain in her leg was getting worse, and she winced, focusing on that to ignore the dark sensation. She had to escape, and she was more desperate to do so now more than ever. She wouldn't allow this new threat to harm anyone here, though she didn't know how she could stop them. Clearly, whoever this person was, they were much more powerful than anyone she'd ever encountered before.

Threepio was getting frustrated, "No! Wait—wait for me! Stop!"

The three had gone through the door not long ago, and unintentionally slammed the door in Threepio's face.

"Han, wait! Threepio…" Serena announced, and Han rolled his eyes in frustration before turning around and opening the door.

"Come on!" He ordered the droid, and continued running towards the hangar, where Chewie was waiting.

The wookiee would no doubt be very angry at being forced to wait for so long. Especially while the base was under attack. Still, he knew his best friend was also worried about the two girls, and supported Han's decision to look for them. Hopefully, the Falcon would be able to take off easily enough.

Finally, the smuggler caught sight of the wookiee, who looked extremely relieved to see them all in one piece. He let out a growl of relief, until he saw Serena being carried by Han.

"What happened?" He asked, taking Serena as Han handed her over.

"A corridor collapsed and crushed her leg. She'll be fine. We gotta go!" He explained quickly, and ran up the ramp, hoping to take off before the Imperials discovered the hangar. Both Leia and Chewie followed without hesitation.

As they entered, Chewie took Serena to a small room they used to treat injuries. He gently laid her down on the cot, and made sure she was alright. She looked strangely pale, which seemed strange. A leg injury was surely painful, but he doubted it would be making her nauseous. The wookiee had no time to continue checking on her though, as he heard Han calling out to him.

"Thanks, Chewie." Serena smiled, "I'm alright, now. Go help Han." She still looked pale, but Chewie knew he had to help and quickly ran to the cockpit.

Serena closed her eyes. The evil presence was still close. No matter how much she tried to shake the feeling, she couldn't completely get rid of it. Even when she focused on the now throbbing pain in her leg, she still couldn't manage to completely forget about it. She just hoped Han would get them out of the base soon.

She'd been sitting quietly for a while, and still hadn't felt the ship move. Wondering what was taking so long, she activated her comlink and contacted Leia, knowing that Han would be took busy.

"What's going on?"

"The ship wasn't completely repaired. Your brother and Chewie are trying to get it running, now."

Serena's heart started beating faster, pumping with adrenaline from worry, "We can't stay here. We can't." She could hear the fear in her voice, and attempted to hide it, but she doubted Leia would be convinced, "Where's Threepio? Is he alright?"

"He's here, and he's fine. Don't worry. We'll make it." Serena could tell Leia was attempting to soothe her, but the princess didn't sound so convinced.

However, just as Leia finished her statement, Serena heard the engines suddenly come to life. With hope, she glanced out the small window in her room to see the Falcon moving away from the hangar. She glanced around, but her temporary relief faded once more when she saw Vader stepping into the hangar. The foreboding presence she felt earlier intensified greatly when she finally laid eyes on its source. She closed her eyes and felt the tension leave her body. They had been very close to being captured by Darth Vader, and she knew that would not have been pleasant.

As the Falcon glided over the battle still raging below, she thought of Luke. Was he still in one of those fighter ships? She hoped not, as she watched some of them get destroyed before her very eyes. She looked away from the window, unable to bear the thought of Luke dying like that.

However, despite her fears, she couldn't help but know that Luke was still alive and well. She didn't know how, but that thought reassured her, and she finally relaxed on the cot. While the pain in her leg was getting worse, she was grateful for it in a way, because it distracted her from her fears, at least for a short while.

Once again, I apologize for the long wait. I've been way to busy, but things have finally calmed down :). Well, sort of lol. I move into college in about two weeks, and I'll now be busy packing and getting ready. Don't worry—I'll be sure to make time for writing, because we're getting closer and closer to my personal favorite part in this story! :D Thanks for reading. If you enjoyed, why not leave a review? ;)