Chapter 68
Disclaimer: Same as before. I am not making any money from this. It is just for fun. Ari and her family are mine though, so please don't use them without permission.
AN: I want to thank everyone for their great reviews and continued interest. After such a long wait, here is the next chapter. I will be updating more frequently now that real life has calmed down.
When Luke saw Ari, he couldn't help but smile. "Hey."
"Hey," Ari greeted him back, uncertain of what else to say.
"I thought you had to go to the meeting," Luke replied.
Ari shook her head. "I have to go, but I wanted to see you more. We were all really worried about you." She looked at him for a moment then on impulse, hugged him. Even though she hadn't liked to see Leia kissing him, she was happy to see him alive and well.
She felt his arms wrap around her in a tight hug and she held him a bit tighter. "Force, Luke I was so worried about you. You better not go off and do anything like that again," Ari told him sternly as she pulled back slightly.
Luke's blue eyes met hers for a moment before they looked down. It was clear something was bothering him.
"Luke?" Ari asked. "Is everything okay?" She shifted so that she was at eye level with him, but even like that, her eyes didn't seem able to catch his. "Luke?" she tried again. Finally, he looked up at her.
"I will try not to do anything like that again," he told her. While his voice was quiet, yet firm, Ari sensed that something was amiss. She wasn't certain what it was. After a moment, she realized it was something in his eyes. Something in the way he was looking at her. As if to memorize how she was at that moment. It made her shiver, feeling as if the frozen cavern's temperature was now reaching deep inside her to her very being.
The announcement came over the intercom once again, but for the moment, neither of the pair moved. They were just looking at each other, both for different reasons.
"You should get going before they start it without you," Luke finally spoke up.
Ari nodded in response. "I'll come back to check on you," she assured him.
Going to the doorway, she stopped and glanced back at Luke, who was laying back, bright blue eyes still open though. "Get some rest," Ari told him, pretending to be firm.
Luke smiled slightly and did as she said, closing his eyes with a small sigh.
Taking one last quick look, Ari hurried to meet the others at the command center.
Ari came in halfway though the conversation, standing next to Chewie. Leia and Han were there, speaking to General Rieekan.
"It could be a speeder, one of ours," Han remarked. The senior controller sat at the station with Rieekan who was standing next to him. The group was standing around the console, and since Ari had almost ran to make it on time, she was sure that she hadn't missed too much of the conversation.
She nodded to Rieekan and the controller as she entered, but stayed silent.
"No. Wait -- there's something very weak coming through."
The group was silent as they listened to a strange sound. It was definitely electronic, beeping and clearly there was a transmition being sent. Ari shook her head slightly, more to herself. She had no idea what it could be.
Then Threepio spoke up from the control panel a few yards at a control panel. "Sir, I am fluent in six million forms of communication. This signal is not used by the Alliance. It could be an Imperial code."
The others seemed to take this into consideration, continuing to listen to it.
"It isn't friendly, whatever it is. Come on, Chewie, let's check it out," Han waved his partner to follow and they hurried from the control room.
"Send Rouges Ten and Eleven to station three-eight," Rieekan commanded, and then hurried out of the control room with Leia.
Ari hung back for a few minutes, as if hoping to hear more, but the transmition had become just static. A feeling seemed to brush against her, as if someone had bumped into her. Whatever this thing was, she had a bad feeling about it.
Even though she knew she would not be allowed to go with Han, she followed him, quickly catching up to him.
"Kid, no," Han said before Ari could even open her mouth to speak.
Ari scowled, folding her arms. "No, what?" she asked, knowing that he probably thought she wanted to go with him.
She was right. "Listen, Ari, you should stay with Rieekan and the Princess. Chewie and I have this covered."
"I wasn't going to ask to come with you," she remarked, and noticed a flicker of surprise that crossed his features. She continued by saying. "I was wondering what you were going to do."
"I am going to find it, get a look at it, and figure it out from there," Han shrugged.
"You mean you don't even have a plan?" she asked surprised.
"I do. It is called making it up as you go," he smirked. "Now, I have to get ready. I'll be contacting everyone soon."
Ari sighed again, waiting impatiently near the central communication console. Leia and General Rieekan had gone to talk to a few other ranking officers, to tell them what they had already told Ari. They had to be prepared to evacuate quickly. If this was an Imperial transmition, it was almost a certainty that the Empire would be upon them in just hours.
Glancing at the communication operators, Ari looked at the chrono near it. Han and Chewie should be almost there, she decided.
As if reading her thoughts, the next few moments quickly escalated. Leia and Rieekan entered, just as the chief operator, one of the few other women at the base, Toryn Farr flipped a few switches and Ari knew it had to be Han contacting them.
Leia quickly took her seat, pulling on a headset, though everyone could hear what was occurring. They heard Chewie give a bark and growl, then a few shots, though it was impossible to tell if it was from Han or the mysterious transmitter.
That was cleared up quickly when Han spoke up over the comlink. "Afraid there's not much left." "What was it?" Leia asked, voicing everyone's clearest concern. "Droid of some kind. I didn't hit it that hard. It must have had a self-destruct." For a moment, all was silent, knowing what this meant. "An Imperial probe droid," Leia replied, a statement, not a question. There was no other explanation, and everyone in attendance knew that. "It's a good bet the Empire knows we're here," Han answered. Ari glanced over at Leia and Rieekan. They had been waiting for this day, knowing it was only a matter of time before they were found. None of them had expected it this early though. After just moments, though it seemed much longer to Ari, who had millions of thoughts running through her mind, Rieekan spoke the words they all knew were coming. "We'd better start the evacuation." AN: Please Read and Review everyone