Luke, Han and Elena reached the vent over the Falcon's hanger after eight minutes of determined crawling. They surrounded the vent cover, which was fortunately directly over an area behind a large pile of crates, stacked so high it would shield even the height of Chewbacca.
Luke lifted up the vent cover silently and pushed it aside. Han dropped out first, crouching behind the stacks. After a moment he signalled for the others to follow him. Elena swung her legs over the edge and dropped gracefully to the ground, rolling smoothly to her feet. She moved out of the way, making room for Luke to drop down as well.
As Han peered around the corner of the crates Luke reached up with the Force and moved the vent cover back into place. It clicked back into place with barely a sound and Luke moved to flank Elena. They both focused on Han as he signalled for them to move forward. Luke closed his eyes and sank into the Force, folding it around first Han and Elena as they dashed around the corridor, through the Falcon's shielding and up the ramp into the ship. Finally he wrapped the Force around himself and the light bent around him as he followed his companions around the corner and to the Falcon.
Mara and Leia changed turbolifts quickly, using the Force to divert others attention, as they headed down to the hanger where the Falcon was berthed. Once there they headed out and around the hanger to the same pile of crates that had concealed their companions only minutes earlier.
Leia cloaked herself in the Force and blurred up the ramp into the Falcon, Mara arriving seconds after her. Mara hit the button for the ramp to close and they hurried to the cockpit.
Luke was settled in a meditation pose when they arrived there. Han mouthed 'Force stuff' to them as they bundled in. He pulled Leia into an embrace and they spoke for a few moments in a low voices as Mara hugged the diminutive Princess of Alderaan.
"You alright?" she asked in a low whisper.
Elena nodded shakily, a little pale now the adrenaline had worn off. "I'm fine," she responded. "Thank you for coming to get me out."
"Any time."
"Alright then," Han interrupted. "Let's get this show on the road. We've got 180 seconds until we come out of hyperspace above Alderaan."
If possible Elena became paler. "Alderaan!" she gasped.
Leia wrapped the smaller woman in a hug. "It's fine," she reassured her. "We've got it covered. Trust the Force."
Mara gently tugged on her arm. "Come on Leney," she said affectionately. "Let's get you some food and drink."
The two young women, one red-haired, one dark-haired stepped out of the cockpit. Han looked back at the twins.
"You two are on guns," he ordered.
Luke and Leia nodded and ducked out of the cockpit. Han settled himself in the pilot's chair as Chewie folded himself into the co-pilot's spot.
"Alright pal," he said calmly. "Let's get this show on the road."
They began to fire up the engines, engaging the shielding as the Death Star shuddered around them.
"We're out of hyperspace," Leia said over the comm.
"Let's go," Han said. Chewbacca dropped the Falcon's cloaking device and there were cries of shock around the hanger as the freighter was revealed. It lifted up off its struts and soared out of the atmosphere shields just as the blast panels began to close.
On board the Falcon Han transferred the power previously used to maintain the cloaking device to the engines and shields, soaring away from the Death Star. Alderaan glowed in the distance, an elegant blue orb floating in space. The armoured space station was headed straight for it.
On the Death Star's bridge an alarm sounded. Governor Tarkin turned from where he had been contemplating Alderaan.
"Report," he demanded.
"Sir," a young Lieutenant said. "There has been an unauthorised departure from Hanger 3498. A report that a modified Corellian YT-1300 light freighter uncloaked and managed to get out before the blast doors closed."
"Check on the Princess's status," Tarkin ordered.
"Yes sir."
The Lieutenant spoke on the comm for a moment while Tarkin returned his gaze to the lone blue planet in the void.
"Sir!" the Lieutenant sounded terrified. "Detention block 1138 reports that the Princess was moved on your orders only twenty minutes ago."
"What?" Tarkin whirled.
"The Princess," the Lieutenant stammered. "Is no longer in her cell. She was taken away by a Captain and a Lieutenant."
Tarkin turned back to the viewscreen just as the small freighter casually, insolently looped the loop in front of the bridge, turned to face the bridge and then accelerated away from Alderaan.
"Tractor beam that ship!" Tarkin spluttered. "The Princess is aboard."
The bridge erupted into activity.
"Governor!" an ensign called. "The tractor beam is not operational."
"Shoot them down."
There was another frantic burst of activity.
"Sir, the Sergeant Gunnery says that none of the gun emplacements are working," another Lieutenant called. "They've all been sabotaged."
Tarkin whirled, breathing heavily. "Follow that freighter," he ordered. "And send fighters after them. Disable but do not destroy that ship."
The Death Star began to move ponderously towards the freighter.
On board the Falcon Chewie growled.
"They're coming?" Han asked.
Chewbacca affirmed loudly.
"Good," Han pressed down on the accelerator. "Let's make them work for it. 4 clicks to the rendezvous point."
4 clicks away onboard the flagship of the Rebel fleet Anakin Skywalker straightened up from his position and pressed on the comm.
"Launch fighters," he ordered calmly. "Fleet move into attack position. Move out from behind the planet and prepare to de-cloak."
Decks below, the blast shields opened and the X-Wings and Y-Wings, piloted by Rebels and Jedi, soared out from within the ships, lurking just behind the planet. Behind them the Alliance Fleet moved ponderously out from behind the small planet at the edge of the Alderaan system and assembled in their position. They lay in wait.
On board the Death Star Tarkin was yelling at his subordinates for them to move the Death Star faster, to gain, to reach the tiny freighter speeding its way in front of them. Behind him his subordinates worked frantically to complete his orders.
Darth Tenebris stood as a silent figure, brooding at the edge of everyone's line of vision as he awaited the outcome of the chase. There was something…strange about the freighter. He extended his senses towards the freighter, aiming to probe, and possibly influence, the people inside.
He was reaching the perimeter of the freighter when he met a Force shield around the entire freighter. Tenebris pushed against it strongly. Most shields of that size wouldn't have lasted against one of his probes, even with the distance he was probing from. Instead the shield, which had a distinctly feminine feel to it, pulsed and flung him backwards, like a warning shot.
He reeled back into his body and scowled. A powerful female Force-Sensitive protecting the freighter that held the Rebel Princess of Alderaan. His master needed to know about this. He swept off the bridge into the communications room and put in an urgent signal to Coruscant, before kneeling down on the pad.
"Lord Tenebris," his master's voice addressed him and he bowed lower. "What is it? I sense a grave disturbance in the Force."
"My Master," he replied. "Princess Elena Organa has been rescued by Rebel operatives as we entered the Alderaan system. They managed to escape the Death Star on a light Corellian freighter and are headed towards the edge of the system. Governor Tarkin is pursuing them now. They have disabled the main weapon and several of the guns so we are unable to destroy them."
"What of this is importance Darth Tenebris?" Sidious demanded, anger colouring his voice.
Tenebris bowed lower. "I began to probe the freighter but a strong Force-shield surrounded the entire ship," he explained hastily. "When I attempted to break the shield it flung me back. Whoever was maintaining the shield was a powerful female."
"A female?" his Master demanded incredulously. "You must capture this ship and its two female passengers."
"Yes my master."
The communication was cut off and Tenebris rose, striding out of the room and down the bridge to Tarkin's position.
"What is it Tenebris?" Tarkin demanded.
"The Emperor has declared the capture of that ship and its occupants our highest priority," Tenebris replied. "There is a powerful Force-Sensitive aboard who could prove an asset to the Empire in the future if they could be held and persuaded to join us."
"Very well," Tarkin sighed, irritated.
The two men, Sith and Governor, returned their attention out the front viewscreen, to where the speck that denoted the Corellian freighter still raced away from the doom bearing down upon them.
Onboard the Falcon Luke, Leia and Mara stood by the hatch, changed into their flight suits. They carried their helmets under one arm, preparatory to be put on. Artoo beeped by Luke's leg, his third leg extended to race after his young master when the Falcon touched down. They weren't concerned about the Tie Fighters. None of the Imperial fighters could match the Falcon at its top speeds, especially not when it had a head start.
Padme moved up next to her husband as they stood on the bridge of the Alliance flagship. She placed a hand on his shoulder and he covered it with his own. They exchanged glances and then Padme nodded.
"Uncloak," Anakin ordered.
The Rebel fleet moved to ready positions as on each ship the lever was pushed down to uncloak. The fleet shimmered into existence in front of the planet and the fighter squadrons soared out from behind the planet, weaving between the ships as they formed up, preparing to race towards the Death Star.
Han rapidly decelerated, swinging the freighter round as they sped towards the fleet. They slipped through the atmosphere shields as the landing gear extended and they had barely touched down when Luke slapped the button for the ramp to extend.
He dashed off first, Artoo-Detoo following him, as they headed to his X-Wing, which was the closest, followed by Leia and Mara whose astromeches were already wired in to their fighters.
R2 was pulled into the fighter as Luke scrambled up his ladder hopping into the cockpit. Leia and Mara began pulling themselves up their ladders. C3PO had followed them off the Falcon, and as soon he was off the ramp retracted and the Falcon soared back out of the atmosphere shields to join the battle. Behind the ship three X-Wings followed him, forming up into their formation as they swept towards the battle that was preparing to be joined.
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