Author's Note:
So I have to thank my reviewers! Y'all are awesome, and each of you made my day! I'm sorry it took to so long to get this chapter ready. Work has been insane.
Rexwriter: I laughed for minutes straight! I shall now demand to be addressed as Chancellor LittleLlamaGirl. (LOL. Seriously considering revising my pen name.)
Again, I make no money from this story just enjoy seeing my favorite characters act like my favorite characters. Star War belongs to Lucasfilm/Disney, not me.
"Glad you decided to join the the rest of us Alliance working stiffs," Han said, smirking at Lando, now sitting in what Han would always think of as Chewie's seat.
"Knew you were down a copilot, and since the gas mine was well in hand, I'd thought I'd come help you out for old time's sake."
The pair grinned at each other even as they powered up the Falcon's ignition sequences. "Hobbs and Tiyet, you strapped into the guns?"
"All set, General."
"We have the fighters fired up and ready to go," commed Captain Jeeken.
"The roar of the Falcon's engines echoed around the hangar bay and soon melded with the screaming burn of the Nubian fighter's engines.
"On my mark," Han said. "Three, two, one!"
The Falcon soared in a tight arc off its pad and shot out over the waterfalls to whip around the perimeter of the palace a trail of yellow fighters like sparks blazing up in his fiery wake.
"Let's blast these Imperials out of sky," Han called over the comms as he zoomed past the wide palace windows toward the Tie squadrons raining destruction on the city of Theed."
Sprinting, Leia ducked in the shadow of a doorway a few meters from the family home she'd sheltered in, if only for a few moments.
She planned to thank those kind, brave citizens later—if she survived. She needed, desperately needed, the tiny span of relative safety their compassion provided. It gave her time to pry open the fist of shock clamped around her heart—one fear fraught finger at a time. Seeing what she had done aided by the Force, shook Leia to her very core—in spite of how vital she knew her every strike, every Imperial kill had been in saving the lives of the innocent.
She leaned against the the cool stone deep within this dark alcove. Flashes of red laser fire and the scream of Tie Fighters assaulted her senses.
'Luke,' she sent. 'Where are you?'
'Not far. I'm reaching out to you. Focus on the Force, and let it guide you to me.'
'I'm coming.'
"Be ready, troops," Captain Selet directed as the Lamabada class shuttle touched down on the battle scarred palace courtyard. The clank of its landing gear echoed across the now grave-like silence shrouding the Palace. It blended with the distant thunderous blasts of the strike on the city of Theed. "Kill everyone you encounter except Advisor C'nnem, Sian Baemek, and Pooja Naberrie. If you manage to take out the rebel scum, make sure they disappear entirely."
"It will be our pleasure," growled a trooper.
"Go!" he ordered as the ramp lowered. A dozen white armored boots trampled the cracked and shattered cobblestones. Above this assault team, a new wave of Tie Fighters soared low enough to provide cover before zooming away to ravage the city of Theed anew. Laser fire and torpedoes slammed into one beautiful structure after another, the rumbles and explosions like a cry rising from the once pristine city.
Leia jogged up the smoke darkened ally toward the light of Luke's presence. She stopped, coughing on the thick fumes from a burning speeder, and hid under a ripped and fluttering awning. Leia leaned into the wall, the gritty soot coating her hand, it's cracked and ragged surface warm to the touch.
As the smoke cleared, she spotted Luke crouched under an overturned speeder amidst a clump of shattered cobble stones. She ducked back into shadow as a few Tie Fighters zipped over head firing at random, sending glass and fire flying from nearby buildings.
Leia closed her eyes once more, reaching out with the Force as yet another Imperial ship's engines screamed overhead.
She felt, more than saw, the Tie Fighters veer away, and ran full tilt toward Luke. She dove under the speeder, and huddled beside her twin.
"Glad you could make it," Luke grinned.
"You started the party before I could arrive. What kind of brother does that?" Leia said, still struggling to catch her breath.
The roar of a familiar ship echoed over head. Luke and Leia peeked just beyond the speeder in time to see the Falcon soar above them, blasting every Tie Fighter in range, a trio of yellow Noobian fighters in his wake.
"Well look who finally decided to show up," Luke grinned.
Leia grinned back. "About time."
"Where to now?"
"The civilians are either under cover, or out of the city proper now with guards." Luke said. "Yet the Tie Fighters are still focused on the city."
"I don't understand why they aren't firing on the palace," Leia wondered.
"They want to destroy Theed and the people here. There must be something want something they want at the palace," Luke guessed.
"Look! There's a shuttle landing." Leia pointed up from just under the shadow of the speeder.
Luke nodded grimly and pulled the Force to himself. "Be ready to move."
A moment later, the speeder lifted from them and began to rotate, so it once again sat a few meters above the ground.
Luke jumped in and powered up the speeder.
"Hop in."
Brows raised and expression grim, Leia clambered over the crumbled door to the open air speeder, "Aren't we going to be easier to be shot in this thing?"
"Yes," agreed Luke as he leapt in the driver's seat and jammed his foot on the accelerator. Leia slammed back against her seat as Luke began zigging to avoid the fire of the few Tie Fighters that were not seeking to turn back Han and yellow Noobian fighters blazing after any and all airborne Imperials.
"Then why are we doing this?" Leia asked, pulling desperately on the Force to release the panic blooming in her chest before she froze up in the face of this insanity.
"Look at the shuttle," Luke said, weaving to avoid a section of road a second before it burst into a could of dust and flames just in front of them.
"Troops," she gasped, "heading toward the palace!"
"Whatever they want, they have to have a way to get it off world, and we're going to make sure it won't be in that shuttle."
"Luke, you don't mean?" yelled Leia over the speeder's roaring engines as they sped directly toward the shuttle.
Luke rammed the steering lever and bent it in at full throttle.
He clambered up on his seat, reaching for Leia's hand. Luke pulled her up beside him. Wrapping his arm around her waist, he said. "Deep breath, Leia. Focus on the Force and."
The speeder surged through the smoke of the many small fires blazing throughout the courtyard as Luke tensed before shouting, "Jump!".
Luke, pushing off and using the Force, propelled himself and Leia several meters up and away from their speeder.
They were moving slower than they should Leia realized—or was it that her senses had sharpened? She focused on the Force, pushing against the approaching ground as she once would with her hands. Luke released her and landed in a crouch. She felt herself slow even more—just enough to get her feet and hands in a safe landing position as Luke held his hands out toward her.
She could feel him using the Force, slowing her fall. She had barely made contact with the broken stones of the plaza when the speeder slammed into the shuttle sending sparks and metal casings flying around.
"Are you hurt?" asked Luke. He scrambled over where Leia was struggling to get her feet under her, as though something held her back.
"No but this stupid dress is," a rip cut her words short as she pulled free. A gash down the right side of the gown freed her. "Ruined," she finished, shaking her head at the absurdity of everything as the tattered edges of the ripped dress fluttered down her exposed right leg.
Luke chuckled a moment before a few of the straggling Storm Troopers raced back toward the sparking craft.
"Looks like we have company," Luke said. He scrambled to his feet, the snap hiss of his ligthsaber sounding just seconds before he raised it defensively in front of him. Leia reached out, the wind whipping her dress' ragged new slit around her now bare leg, and tugged a pair of blasters from some of the approaching storm troopers with the Force.
One Imperial was able to keep his grip on the renegade weapon, but the other, surprised to feel his blaster buck in his hand, lost his grip, and it soared into Leia's palm even as Luke was batting away the bolts of other Storm Troopers rushing down the palace steps to provide back up to the few troopers crouched behind the now ruined shuttle.
"Nice," Luke commented as several troopers fell from Luke's redirected shots. She adjusted the setting on the blasters hoping some troops could be kept alive for questioning later.
"Thanks." Firing two stunner shots, she took down a pair of troopers, chipping away at the number of Imperials blocking their entry into the palace.
Overhead from several different locations, recorder beacons, having witnessed this newest battle, blasted off into space.
A trooper threw a grenade toward them. Luke, not slowing in his deflection of blaster bolts, swept his arm out, and the bomb flew into the wide hole in the the sparking shuttle.
Leia, sheltered behind the shield of Luke's flashing saber, drew on the Force—its power becoming more familiar and welcome to her with each breath.
Leia lowered her eyes, and pulled the Force through her, allowing it to guide her aim and her finger as she squeezed off shot after shot toward targets she sensed more than saw. Between Luke's deflection of bolts and her fire, the remaining troopers were now down to two when the grenade in the shuttle blew.
"Down!" Luke shouted, pushing Leia to the ground just as the explosion roared sending fire, heat, and metal panels flying.
Leia saw a jagged metal shards flying toward them. She pushed against them with as much power in the Force as she could gather, but the shards only wobbled a bit mid flight.
Sensing her actions, Luke rolled to face the danger. He Force grabbed a larger panel sticking up from the court yard and swung it up in front of them. "Help me hold it," Luke panted.
Leia focused on the flow of energy surrounding them and drew it to her, holding up the dented and beaten panel serving as a shield for herself and her brother. Looking within herself and at the world around her she soaked in the Force and pushed.
As the blast dissipated, the shielding, no longer needed, clattered to the ground metal spikes stuck midway through like some strange torture device.
"I can't believe what we're seeing," Fixer said.
Ships were dogfighting in the sky while other cameras showed Luke and Princess Leia standing, no winning, a fight with a ring of Storm Troopers.
"Did princess Leia just use the Force to pull that blaster from the trooper?" asked Camie.
"No way," said Ree. "Luke must have done that for her."
"But he's deflecting blasts with his saber and Force pushing that. Oh blast! Is that a grenade?" Shrieked Windy.
"And he's just knocked it into the shuttle he rammed that speeder into."
"Noooo!" everyone shouted as the screen blacked out again.
"The recording stopped there?"
Ree beat at the receiver controls. "Come on!"
"So far there's not been a gap. Give it time for another recording probe to blast off and start sending data."
"It's playing the text of the Princess's speech again," Deak said. "Somtehing's wrong with the recording relay this time, though. The text has switched from black to yellow, and there's no backdrop."
"What's with the funny angle?" Fixer mused. This transmitter looks like it's alignment and color got knocked wonky during it's trip."
"It looks like the words are drifting out to space with no backdrop," Deak observed.
"Weird," Tank said.
"In a way they are," Ree said. "They're traveling our galaxy now. I just hope we're all listening."
"Links back up," said Fixer. Looks like we didn't miss much besides the shuttle being turned into that crater.
"They're still, going," said Camie, awe coloring her voice.
"The Force has got to be with them!" Deak said.
Leia and Luke leapt back to their feet and raced past the two guards that had been knocked flat by the blast, Leia, pulling their weapons from the courtyard where they'd dropped them during their fall, headed up the steps. A blaster in both hands, Leia was suddenly grateful for the freedom of movement the unintended slit in skirt now gave her.
"I'm really impressed," Luke said nodding toward her blasters, his saber at the ready as he kept pace with her.
"I had a good teacher," she said with a smile, "Where to now?"
The beep of an Artoo unit stopped both short.
"Oh my, Master Luke and Mistress Leia, thank the maker," Threepio said, stepping out from the communications hub they'd hidden in since the attack began.
"Artoo has continued to try to break though the communication blackout without success."
"Don't worry about that for now," Luke said. "Can your sensors track the Queen."
A sad beep sounded.
"I'm afraid, Artoo says he cannot track the Queen," Threepio explained.
A few more beeps later, Threepio added, "Well, why didn't you start with that? Don't you think that might have been a better use for your time, you mindless philosopher?"
"What?" asked Luke and Leia in unison.
"Artoo, says he attached a tracker in Mistress Pooja's dress, and he should be able to take you to them as long as she is with the delegation."
"Unplug and let's go," said Luke.
With a few whistles and a whirl, Artoo disengaged and pulled away.
"Oh my, Artoo," Threepio said distressed, and he attempted to keep up with Luke Leia and his counterpart. "I don't know what these good old days are you are referring to, but I am glad of this memory wipe I had if they were anything like this!"
"Got 'em on the run," Han said. "Let's chase them out of orbit."
"You sure you wanna go near that Star Destroyer?" asked one of the pilots.
"Not really, but I don't want them getting any ideas about turning their turbo lasers down to the planet's surface. Enough people down there have been hurt already."
"We're with you, General," commed Boyyan.
"I'm hoping that back up scramble code we sent got through. Wouldn't mind a little help," muttered Han after he cut communication and looked up, his lips a grim line, at the Star Destroyer his tiny group soared toward.
"Halt!" shouted the queen's guards as a dozen Storm Troopers turned a corner, aiming weapons at the Queen, her retinue, and the Imperials with them.
"You have your orders!" shouted the trooper.
A trooper rolled a pod across the hall as blasters fired from both ends of the hall.
Clattering to a stop, it exploded, a bright blue gas burst forth. "Sleeper fumes," cried Panaka.
Panaka and the Queen's guard shot the glass out of several nearby windows, but the group was already coughing and falling to the ground only seconds later.
In a few moments, all with the Queen collapsed, leaving only the confused Storm Troopers who had served as Advisor C'nnem escorts standing and holding their hands up in surrender a second before their fellow troopers turned fire on their former fellow soldiers.
"Sorry, men," the lead trooper said after the last trooper fell. "If you weren't a part of the plan, we can't take a chance you could be captured. It's nothing personal," he told the corpses, before turning to his troops.
"Gather the prisoners first then drop the rest out those windows. It's a long trip down that waterfall."
"This way," Luke said, sprinting up the flight of stairs and rounding the corner.
Three troops carried Pooja, Sian Baemek and Peluch C'nnem draped over their armored shoulders. Most of the other troops dragged the unconscious Queen and her guards toward the paneless windows. Only a few Storm Troopers stood guard, so when Leia ran into the hallway and rained shots at the troops, the few that did not get shot, dropped their burdens to the floor, retreating with the three troopers in the lead. Luke rushed ahead, deflecting the shots of the few troopers attempting to return fire and shoving other troops into the walls with the Force. Abandoning the fight, the troopers disappeared around a corner with only a small rear guard covering their escape.
Leia and Luke skidded to a halt in front of the blast door a second before it slammed shut in front of them.
"Can you get it open?" Luke asked to Artoo. He glared at the now blocked entrance to the lower level power facilities for Theed's palace.
A few beeps and warbles later and Threepio, doubt clear in his voice, asked, "Are you quite sure?"
After an indignant raspberry, Threepio threw up his hands in mechanized exasperation, "I realize you lived here for the first four years of your miserable life, you lout, but,"
"Threepio?" prompted Leia.
"Apparently there is a shortcut. A secret passage to an escape very near the only place they can emerge from the palace via this route."
"Lead the way," Luke said.
"It may be time to cut your losses. Your resources are needed as are your troops. I advise you to hold these fighters off only as long as necessary to gain the captives we wish. Once they are in your custody, jump to the coordinates we sent you."
"Understood Admiral Nalan," General Rantu acknowledged.
"There's no signal from the shuttle, Sir," said one of the Storm Troopers guarding the group from this river side road they'd emerged from.
"We'll have to find another way off this planet I fear."
"There they are," Luke shouted as they rushed forward.
Leia hit the guard holding Pooja with a stun blast sending both crumbling to the ground. Luke reached out to cushion the fall with the Force.
"There," shouted the squad leader, pointing to a Bongo floating nearby. They dumped the captives in the back of the transport, and the four remaining troopers clambered in. The Imperials activated the ship and dove under the water.
Luke and Leia chased after them, scrambling into a similar craft. Threepio, pushed by Artoo, tumbled headfirst into the rear seats with a muffled cry of dismay. Artoo rolled back to gain momentum and zipped forward to land in the padded rear seat on his side
A moment later, the overhead shields glowed golden, and Luke dove after the Imperials and their two remaining captives.
"You're the Naboo expert here, Artoo," Luke called back to the droid that had just now righted himself next to the still kicking legs of Threepio. "What are we up against here?"
"Oh dear," said Threepio, his voice muffled. "Artoo says that the Bongo you are operating can take you throughout the planet's core, but he estimates your chances of running into very dangerous wildlife if you descend much deeper at almost one hundred percent."
The droids legs kicked furiously. "I do believe I'm stuck. This is so humiliating."
"We'll get you out as soon as we can." Luke promised, seeing the spark of light from the Imperial's craft as he dove even deeper.
"What can I do to help?" Leia asked desperately wanting to end this mad chase.
Luke raced forward
"Concentrate, Leia. Draw on the Force and use it to watch for trouble."
"I wish I knew why we needed to catch these monsters so badly. We saved Pooja. These other two are Imperial tools."
"I can't argue with that," Luke replied, grinning.
"Then why are you smiling?" she asked annoyed.
"Because you sense that we need to catch these guys as much as I do, and because," he paused for effect and then in the sing-song voice children have ever taunted each other, he sung, "You're using the Force, now."
Leia glared at him for a moment, then laughed, shaking her head. Until, that is, a dark shadow passed just a few meters above them. "I think we've just passed into the large sea life zone."
"Blast I wish these things had weapons," said Luke as he swerved to avoid a school of shuttle sized fish.
"They've dived into a cave in that rock formation."
"I'm on it," Luke said, aiming at another entrance at the far end of the outcropping of rock."
"But he entered from the other side 50 meters over, Luke," Leia pointed out as they slid within the shadows of the far cave entrance.
"I know, but reach out."
Leia grimaced but did as he asked, and a sense of the tunnels formations, their connections and endings seemed to dance before her slowly closing eyes. "I see! This will cut them off."
Luke swerved up and over several twists and bumps in the rocks.
As they swung down a narrow tunnel, a wide sphere of water surrounded by crystal covered stone opened up around them. The cave walls glittered like stars in the light of the Bongo's front lamps and the upward shining cabin light.
Even amidst the urgency of their frantic chase, there was a moment of awe for the twins as they were encircled by a sparkling arcs of crystal.
"Look out," Leia said, pointing to several sparkling crystals swirling around in the water and heading right toward them.
"Looks like we may have found a tool we can use to slow them down," Luke said with a grin. With one hand he continued to steer the bongo and with the other he pointed to the rocks and making a fist, and several crystals gathered together and zoomed beside the vessel.
"Leia, see if you can pull some of those loose crystals with us. It's kind of like what you did with the blasters , only keep them close to the ship.
Breathing deeply and closing her eyes, Leia nodded. She reached toward the shielded but clear top of the Bongo, focusing on the energy swirling overhead.
Zipping in line toward her outstretched hands, a small clump of crystals formed above each open palm. She closed each of her hands seemingly around nothing, but outside the Bongo, the clumps of crystals drew close.
Leia, eye's widening in wonder at what she was doing, completely missed the overhanging rock that knocked away the clump of crystals linked by the Force to her right hand.
"Ahh,' she said, and refocused on bringing the left hand clump closer to the side of the ship.
"Sorry," Luke said. "I know it's a lot to get used to he said side slipping around a startled fish, "but you're doing great!"
Leia nodded and then pointed with her free hand, "There!" The beams of what had to be the another Bongo's front lamps glowed in the tunnel opening before them.
Luke slowed and cut their lights, "They'll be here soon, but I think I have just enough time to show you how to do a few tricks with these souvenirs we just collected."
"I'm all ears," Leia said as the faint light of the other vessel began to brighten with approach.
"Why are you fools doing this? This wasn't the plan." Adviser C'nnem demanded. Struggling against his bindings, the Imperial officer snarled. "You are betraying the Empire!"
"No," said the Storm Trooper in command. "We are saving it from fools like you! Your plan and authority have been countermanded by Imperials worthy of the name. You and your Noobian lapdog are to be delivered to our strong new leadership, so all may witness what happens to those who fail their Empire."
"I have ever been loyal to the Empire," Sian protested "We were doing all we could both within and outside the law of the Naboo to ensure continued Imperial rule." He leaned forward, his mouth forming further protest until a blaster was leveled at his face.
"And you failed," said a Storm Trooper, his voice ice. "But it wouldn't have mattered. Even Peluch here had decided you were expendable, hadn't you, Peluch?"
Sian gaped at Peluch C'nnem.
"He couldn't have it look like just one side of the Noobian ruling council was targeted now could he? That would have raised too many doubts about Imperial interference. And everyone dead meant he could pick any rulers he wished to replace the leadership of the Naboo."
Peluch opened his mouth to protest when the commanding trooper ordered, "Gag them."
A few moments later rough strips cloth were ripped from the men's own garments.
"No, you can't do this!" morphed into an angry, "Hmmmmrrr," as C'nnem struggled to spit out his gag.
The troopers efficiently and enthusiastically completed their tasks.
"It's too bad that sleeping gas wore off so soon. It's bad enough navigating these blasted tunnels, but having to listen to you, fools," he spat. "The Empire takes what it wishes and does not need to explain. The fact that both of you do not understand that even as you betray and are betrayed is evidence enough that you should be cut from our Empire like the disease your kind are."
"Commander. What?" asked trooper piloting the Bongo as several shining projectiles slammed into their ship.
Water poured in from a cracked seal on the hatch.
The Imperials continued to flee through the caverns as several more crystal pounded into their hulls.
A few shattered in a spray of brilliant sparkling stone, others bounced away, but one spear-like point slammed into the rear compartment hull sending water in a misting spray around it's edges.
A light blinked on and barreled toward them and more shards, a floating ammunition pile, soared in front of it.
"It's them, you fools! Get us out of here. We have to get back to the surface!"
"Great shot! That one got through the hull!" Luke exclaimed as he zoomed after the fleeing ship, no longer carefully navigating the Bongo but grazing jutting rocks and scraping the sides of the caverns as Luke and Leia sent crystals into the Imperial Bongo.
"See those sparks inside their ship. They're going to have to either abandon the Bongo or get to the surface fast."
"If they have to abandon, the Storm Troopers should be fine. Their armor can seal to maintain oxygen in space if needed. I'm sure it will do the same thing underwater. The others though?" Leia wondered, her brow furrowed.
A few beeps later and and aggrieved and muffled Threepio said, "Artoo says that Bongos on the surface of Naboo sometimes have emergency kits with rebreathers for up to four passengers."
"I hope they know that," Leia said. She pointed at the black smoke bubbling up from the damaged engine as the ship burst out of the stone tunnels into open sea.
"I don't think that's their biggest worry right now," said Luke his, face growing pale as a trio of fish with jagged boned spines jutting from their back rammed into a Rancor like creature twice as tall as the one he fought at Jabba's palace. Even the smallest of its attackers was the size of the Falcon.
The damaged Bongo sluggishly pulled up and away from the assault.
Artoo screamed as one of the attacking fish turned away and headed toward them its wide jaw opening in a perfect circle of teeth. Luke dove under the creature and flipped away at full speed.
A sicking crunch erupted from the rear of the ship and sparks flew everywhere.
A roar boomed out behind them as the ship broke free of the transparasteel grip of the creature's jaw even as water began pouring in through the cracks in their own hull.
"Find those rebreather's, will ya?" Luke asked as he frantically fought with the controls.
Leia popped open a compartment under the control panel and
pulled the rebreathers from their casings.
She started to pass one to Luke when she saw him tugging at the controls his face drawn and pale.
"Luke, what's wrong?" she demanded. "Controls are jammed. I can't. Wait," He slammed his mechanical hand against a panel. "It sparked and smoked. A second later the bongo roared forward straight toward the rocky formation they just left.
"We're going to have to leave the ship." Luke said, taking the rebreather from Leia and gripping it with his teeth.
"That ship with teeth is still following us!" Leia shouted, waving her hand toward their massive pursuer.
"I know," Luke gritted out around the rebreather as it barreled toward the cavern wall. "Which means well have to jump out at exactly the right moment."
"What is it with you and jumping out of transports?" Leia snapped, biting down on her rebreather in frustration.
Luke looked over at her and shrugged. Crouching up on the seat once more Luke motioned for her to follow.
Glaring, even as she was fighting back panic, Leia crouched beside him.
"Artoo, be ready."
"What about me?" wailed Threepio.
"We have you," Luke said, "I hope." He added as he punched the roof shielding control.
Icy water crashed over them them in less than a heartbeat. Luke grabbed Leia's hand and used to Force to thrust himself and Leia away as he yanked Threepio free in his Force grip. Artoo fired his recently repaired boosters to blast away from the careening watercraft.
The little Astromech shot a tow cable around Threepio's leg midst his watery protest, and aimed his boosters to send him toward Luke and Leia. Luke pointed to Artoo and Leia nodded. Both grabbed onto his blaster free front leg as their Bongo crashed into the rock face erupting into an underwater fireball. The explosion consumed the front half of their would be attacker, leaving a half a massive fish floating in a pool of singed blood.
Luke and Leia looked at each other, eyes wide and amazement on their faces as Artoo popped out his sensor disc and began to alter course.
"Everyone got your flight suits under the Civie clothing you wore on Naboo?" Han asked as the blue of the Noobian sky faded to the black of space.
"We're all set, General."
"Make sure you jet away if you get hit. Eject when you have to. No unnecessary heroics."
"Will do, General," Boyyan replied.
The Falcon streaked after a flight of Ties, all guns blazing as several battle groups formed up and soared after the rapidly retreating Imperials.
"Han," they're firing up the weapon on that Destroyer."
"Break off the attack," commanded Han. "Stay close enough to keep any more ships from reentering the atmosphere, though.
The Imperial fighters chased Han over the moon's mining colony.
"Naboo fighters. Your actions have proven the justice of our cause. We see you were prepared to overthrow us all along."
Han skimmed just over the clear domes of the mining sites, his escort soaring around and beside him. They wove through the stone and metals spires as they dodged Tie Fighter blasts.
A pair of torpedos sent an exhaust stack crumbling before him and the thick yellow gas from mining burst forth and engulfed his and his companions in an almost liquid cloud of deep gold before bursting back into the stark black of space once more.
A squad of Tie Fighters broke away from their targets to engage the Falcon, sending droids squealing and scrambling away, their great ore bins toppling and spilling to the lunar surface below.
"We're not the Naboo," Han smirked over the comms. "A group of rebels scum like me decided to boost a couple of ships from the Queen to kick your butts back into orbit."
"Fire at the Falcon," ordered General Rantu.
"Bit redundant, General," Han observed. "Since they aready are." Han cut communication and swerved behind a nearby mountain of unprocessed ore, seconds before the Destroyer's blast vaporized it to dust .
"You had to bait the Wookie, didn't ya," grumbled Lando as he adjusted some controls.
"He ain't firing at the planet," Han pointed out as he whipped the Falcon to the side, just before the next blast blew a new crater into the moon's surface only meters behind him.
Han pulled up, angling toward open space at full speed, when a fleet of ships popped out of hyperspace right in front of him.
"What!" He yelped. Han jerked away barely missing full impact with a great sliver cruiser. He scraped along the edge of the vessel sending sparks flying and paint peeling from both ships.
His comm lit up a moment later and a long angry roar sounded.
"Chewie?" asked Han as soon as he was in clear space, and able to swallow his heart back down to his chest and out of his throat. "Is that you?"
Lando laughed as he saw the Alliance ships tear into their Tie attackers as Chewie shouted words there were no polite translations for in any language.
"I'm sorry, pal. Nobody gave me the coordinates to the fleet's secret jump point. Since, ya know, it was a secret." Han shouted back as he took up his spot in the Alliance fleet, weaving in and out of the ships whose firepower could now provide an even fight with the Destroyer.
Han swerved aside as pilot rescue droid jetted out of the medical frigate, a grin spreading across his face. "Now the fun begins," Han muttered to himself as he punched the accelerator.
A few moments later a pair of ships arrived displaying the galactic truce flag.
A nanosecond later, another ship popped out of hyperspace projecting the same symbol.
Then four more ships arrived the same sign lit up the darkness of space just in front of them.
The rebel fleet and the Ties were shaken from their attack as more and more ships winked in.
"Naboo system. It seems your communications have been shut down. We are coming from the Seltane System to help you restore communications."
"We of the Entrent System came to offer the same service," chimed in another vessel's green skinned Captain.
"As do we in the Girvoin System. We also are sending signals from our ships as we speak. Is there any assistance needed here for the free and open election the Empire has so graciously allowed the Naboo System? Is there anything the rest of the Galactic community should know?"
Han grinned. They're powering up their weapons," Han observed.
"It's even better," Lando said. "Many of those ships are from worlds who've only just decided to join us. This is their first public stand against the Empire."
Han stroked his chin. He flipped up on the comm and sent his message out to the fleet.
"A slight misunderstanding, isn't it, General?"
"More like a miscalculation. Much like the one you are making by fighting against the Empire. We will crush you all."
The Judgement powered up it's hyperdrive engine, and turned away from the rest of the fleet, its remaining Tie Fighters retreating back into the wide fighter bay. Once all Tie Fighters disappeared within the ship, it blinked out of sight.
