Vader arrived on the partially completed moon-sized battle station. The station's Commander, already feeling completely overwhelmed by what he was to do with so few people compared to the size of the project, was horrified to learn that the Emperor was coming to personally witness the completion of the project. Visions of a terribly painful death crossed his mind as he assured Lord Vader that everyone on the station would redouble their efforts to get the thing finished. Once rumors flew that the Emperor was coming, they would probably do even more.
The main briefing room on the headquarters frigate was crowded, filled to bursting with the rebel commanders and their lieutenants. Wedge Antilles leaned against the rail of the top level so he could see into the pit of the room where the holographic image of the half-completed Imperial Death Star rotated with the nearby planet, moon, and deflector shield. Lando and Han met at the base of the pit, where aides were preparing for the speech by Mon Mothma. Han was amused by the insignia attached to the uniform shirt Lando now wore with his blue cape.
"Well, look at you, a general, huh?"
Lando shrugged, "Someone must have told them about my little maneuver at the Battle of Taanab."
Han answer was sarcastic, but friendly. "Well, don't look at me. I just said you were a fair pilot. I didn't know they were lookin' for someone to lead this crazy attack."
Lando snorted. "I'm surprised they didn't ask you to do it."
"Who says they didn't? But I ain't crazy. You're the respectable one, remember?" They sat down on one of the lowest benches.
Beth joined Wedge on his perch and stared down at the image. He winked at her.
"You crazy too? By the way, congrats on the commission. Don't think I mentioned it before."
"Thanks. Yep. Heard you're Red Leader as always. Strike team. I was recommended by Madine. . . " She cut off as Mon Mothma, a handsome woman in her fifties and the Alliance leader, signalled for attention. The room fell silent.
"The Emperor has made a critical error, and the time for our attack has come." The silence of the room was broken by the excited shifting of bodies in seats. "The data brought to us by the Bothan spies pinpoints the exact location of the Emperor's new battle station. We also know that the weapon systems of the Death Star are not yet operational. With the Imperial fleet spread throughout the galaxy in a vain effort to engage us, it is relatively unprotected. But most important of all, we've learned that the Emperor himself is personally overseeing the final stages of construction of this Death Star. Many Bothans died to bring us this information. Admiral Ackbar, please."
The salmon-colored Mon Calamari Admiral stepped forward and indicated the model.
"You can see here the Death Star orbiting the forest moon of Endor. Although the weapon systems on this Death Star are not yet operational, it does have a strong defense mechanism. It is protected by an energy shield which is generated from the nearby forest moon of Endor. The shield must be deactivated if any attack is to be attempted. Once the shield is down, our cruisers will create a perimeter, while the fighters fly into the superstructure and attempt to knock out the main reactor. General Calrissian has volunteered to lead the fighter attack."
Han's sarcastic 'Good luck' was tempered by the look of respect on his face. Lando returned the look and Han added, "You're gonna need it."
Ackbar called General Madine, a Corellian about the same age as Mon Mothma, to the center stage. Madine changed the model to that of an Imperial shuttle.
"We have stolen a small Imperial shuttle. Disguised as a cargo ship and using a secret Imperial code, a strike team will land on the moon and deactivate the shield generator."
The assembly began to mumble, no one noticing the pair that stood unobtrusively in the doorway on the lowest level.
Lando leaned over to Han. "I wonder who they found to pull that off."
General Madine turned to look at Han. "General Solo, is your strike team assembled?"
Han gulped, ignoring the staring people around him. "Uh, my team's ready. I don't have a command crew for the shuttle."
Chewbacca raised his hairy paw to volunteer, then slapped Han so hard across the back that he barely saved himself from landing on the floor. Han looked up at his copilot.
"It's gonna be rough, paI. I didn't want to speak for you."
Chewie waved it off with a huge growl. From the doorway a voice came. "You can count us in too." The crowd parted to let Leia and the prince in. Chewbacca grabbed them and forced them to sit one on either side, setting Leia between him and Han. Han grinned and slid his arm around the young woman.
"That will just about do it, Sir"
Madine smiled. "Then we should get moving." The assembly broke up, moving toward the doors. Beth fought the crowd, eventually reaching the pit floor, and threw herself at Luke, who caught her happily. She kissed him hard, whispered something in his ear, and pushed away from him. "I got too much work to do right now, gotta brief the team before the General gets there." She waved a computer notepad in the general direction of Han. "See you all in a bit." and ran out the door Luke and Leia had entered by.
Luke and Leia stared after her, then looked at Han, who pushed passed them to leave.
"Come on people. Now that we've all chosen to die young, we've got work to do."
They all headed out.
The strike team was loading the stolen imperial shuttle, Lando was preparing for the attack with his squad leaders, Leia was off somewhere doing something, Han was directing the loading team, he had absolutely no idea where Chewbacca was right now and the prince himself was parked on the nose of his fighter taking a well-earned fifteen minute break. Beth was involved in moving supplies into the shuttle, the entire loading team's back to him, about 15 meters away. He watched them, and at the same time, let himself feel the force around the ship. Where his touch passed Leia, there was a bright star; Han was a pleasant nothingness, like most normal people. Leia's star reached out and batted him away, Han had no reaction, like most normal people as well. Beth was so insensitive to it that she couldn't even sense when someone was staring at her back. He felt over the hangar, careful not to intrude on those who could sense him, then let it flow over the strike team. He could hear the conversation, listened a moment and moved on.
Luke returned attention to the force flow over the group of people. He passed over them once, then again as he felt another star. A tiny one, very bright, very immature, but one he'd never detected before. It too reached out to touch his wave, and at the same time, he could see Beth stiffen and turn around to look at him. She smiled and shook her head, turned back around and spoke to the woman next to her, who glanced back at him as well. He passed over yet again, and then recognized where and what the star was. He jumped off the nose of the fighter as Han called a break for the loading team. Luke came up over Beth where she had collapsed to the ground with the rest of the group.
He stared down at her as she grinned up at him. "We need to talk for a moment."
"Sure." Beth made no attempt to stand.
"In some degree of privacy." He wasn't smiling and suddenly she wasn't either.
"Okay." Beth stood up and looked at Han flat on his back a few feet away. Han nodded.
"Use the Falcon." Beth followed Luke. A minute later they were in a cargo bay of the Falcon. She looked up at him expectantly.
Luke said what he was thinking flat out. "I don't want you to go."
Beth stared at him wide-eyed for a moment, then her temper got the better of her.
"You imperious. . . Just because I can't fly, you think I'm helpless. Fine, give me 30 seconds alone with your fighter and you won't be flying either and it'll take you six hours to figure out why. Give me a minute and a half and you'll blow up under attack and never know why and I'm not even the absolute best mechanic. I actually have command responsibilities on this mission, I was recommended, I got it on my own, not because I'm Leia's friend or your girlfriend. Don't you dare mess this up for me." Luke actually backed up under the force of the tirade. Now he had to both placate her and convince her not to go. He put up his hands.
"Beth, it's not that. I love you. I don't want to lose you. I just want you someplace safe."
Her anger started to ebb. "It's not any safer up here. Three good shots from a star destroyer and this ship is gone. You really think there won't be a defense of an unarmed station? Besides, what about you? What about me losing you?"
He gave up on his original plan. "You win. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have tried to talk you out of going. Marry me."
Her anger was gone. She just stared, speechless again, he noted.
"Now. Please." he added.
Beth found her voice again. "This is awful sudden."
"No, it isn't. I've been thinking about it for a long time, waiting for the perfect moment and I finally figured out that there is no perfect moment. If I wait for that, I'll die a bachelor. So marry me before we go or as soon as we get back." He'd pulled the signet ring off his right hand and was clutching it as he grabbed her left hand. He stood there a moment as Beth opened, then shut her mouth, then he dropped to one knee.
"Please, marry me."
Beth laughed, but didn't pull her hand away. He looked ridiculously solemn. "Yes. I'll marry you. We can hunt up the offical as soon as we get back. Now will you stand up before Lando or Han comes in."
"Too late." a voice from the door intoned, fighting back its own laughter. Han was standing there. She had barely enough time to register who it was before Luke was on his feet and pulling her in for a kiss. She struggled briefly, then gave in. After he thoroughly kissed her, Luke tried to put the ring on her finger, but it was too big. Beth pulled out the chain that Tether's ring was on from under her jumpsuit.
"Put it on here and we can get it fixed when we get back. You better come back."
"You're damn tootin' he better come back cause Leia's going in with him and I have this nagging feeling that if both don't come back, neither will. Congratulations. It's about time." Han clapped Luke on the back and gave Beth a hug. "Dodonna's looking for His Highness here and I'm looking for you, girl. It looks bad when the lieutenant takes a long break." Beth glanced from one to the other and headed out the door. Luke caught Han as he was about to follow.
"Take care of her if I don't come back."
Han was about to give a flippant answer when he actually registered the expression on the prince's face. He said seriously.
"Luke. She isn't helpless." He paused a moment. "Did I miss something?" He paused again, then, confused by the hint of panic in the younger man's eyes, he fell back on a touch of levity. "I'll marry her myself. I can handle both Leia and her at the same time. Always wanted two women waiting on my every whim. Chewie might get a little jealous though." He was relieved to see the panic fade out of Luke's expression, and the tension broke. Luke smiled. They hugged, then headed out to where they were supposed to be.
Just before they left, Han caught Leia's attention and pulled her into a quiet corner.
"What can I do for you, smuggler."
Han grinned. "I've been thinking, maybe we should see about making our relationship a tad more official. Besides, if we wait for the perfect moment, it'll never come."
Leia peered at him suspiciously. "Are you asking what I think you are asking? If so, what brought this on?"
Han grinned wider, making up for his nervousness. "I'm asking you to marry me. I had too much time in Fett's ship and the cell at Jabba's to think about it." his eyes slid away from hers, then back. "And I got the idea from Luke, who realized the same thing about 30 minutes ago. I walked in on him proposing to Beth. . . You want me on my knees?"
Leia laughed at the vision. "No. I'll marry you when we get back. By the way, was Luke on his?"
"Yeah, he even had a ring. Of course, if he doesn't come back, I promised to marry Beth too."
"You did? What does Beth think about that." Leia was eyeing him suspiciously again.
"She doesn't know. I was teasing and he knows it. He's just worried about her. I'm not all that thrilled about you running off with him and challenging Vader either, but I'm not stupid enough to try to talk you out of it. Just promise me you'll come back and not stay there."
"I think I can keep that promise. I won't change sides at this point."
"Good. Give me a kiss and let's go."
Leia did and they did.