While many parts of her training were gruesome, no one had ever broken her fingers, healed them, and broken them again. Alora finds herself clenching and unclenching her fists as stormtroopers walk her through the halls of the Death Star. When they eventually meet with Leia's escort, Alora quickly steps beside her, walking according to her pace.
Darth Vader walks a step behind them, his breathing making Alora wince.
"Did they hurt you?" Alora asks quietly.
"No." That's a lie. She could hear the screaming from her cell. "You?"
"No." Alora purses her lips as she counts her steps in her head, her fingers tingling at their bound position. "What do you think they'll try next?"
"I don't want to know."
As they walk onto the control bridge, Alora lets out a laugh at the man standing at the helm. Leia's eyes narrow in anger when she recognizes him, saying, "Governor Tarkin. I should have expected to find you holding Vader's leash. I recognized your foul scent when I was brought on board."
"Charming to the last," Tarkin replies. "You don't know how hard I found it signing the order to terminate your life." He grips Leia's chin before his old eyes dart to Alora. "As for you, High General, we have greater plans than a simple execution."
"Wonderful," Alora says dryly. "I've always looked forward to fireworks. Got any of those? I'm surprised, Tarkin. You see, I've always known you to be nothing but a sniveling coward, yet you took responsibility for the orders. How uncharacteristic for you to be so courageous."
His face flushes as he takes a step forward. "Before the princess' execution, I would like you both to be my guest at a ceremony that will make this battle station operational. No star system will dare oppose the Emperor now."
"The more you tighten your grip, Tarkin, the more star systems will slip through your fingers." The grin on Leia's face almost makes Alora feel like everything will be ok, but she can feel something shifting in the air.
She glances back at Vader, his own helmet directed at her.
"Not after we demonstrate the power of this station." Tarkin looks between them. "In a way, you have determined the choice of the planet that will be destroyed first. Since neither of you are willing to provide us with the location of the rebel base, I have chosen to test this station's destructive power on your home planet of Alderaan."
Alora's heart stops cold as her eyes dart to the window to see her planet in front of them. How did she miss this before? Leia does not fair much better than Alora as the general shakes her head. "You know better than anyone, Tarkin. Alderaan is peaceful. I'm the extent of its military power—"
"You would prefer another target?" He asks, raising a brow. Alora falls silent. "A military target, High General? Then, name the system."
Leia purses her lips while Alora stares ahead.
"I grow tired of asking this, as it will be the last time. Where is the rebel base?"
Tears fill her eyes as Alora says, "Don't say a word, Leia."
"Alora—"
"Alderaan is dead anyway, isn't it?" She does not flinch under Tarkin's angry gaze.
"Tell me the base, and this can be avoided, Princess."
"Don't—"
"Dantooine," Leia says. "They're on Dantooine."
Letting her eyes slip shut, a tear falls to her cheek and slips down her face. Alora can practically hear the droplet hit the metal floor.
"There. You see, Lord Vader? She can be reasonable." Tarkin turns to the lieutenant beside him. "Continue with the operation. You may fire when ready."
"What?!" Leia exclaims.
"You're far too trusting. Dantooine is too remote to make an effective demonstration. But don't worry. We will deal with your rebel friends soon enough."
Alora meets Leia's gaze: a silent goodbye. She lunges forward, wrapping her hand around the blaster on Tarkin's waist and twists to shoot the troopers by the controls. Her fingers tingle painfully at the new angle, but she dismisses it as she takes aim. She manages one single shot before her back hits the wall, her throat closed to all air as she claws at her skin as if it would release her.
"You should know by now, High General," Tarkin smirks. "It is hopeless."
Saltwater slips down her cheeks as Alora gasps for breath. When she suddenly has air again, she drops to the ground and looks up in time to scream as the planet explodes before her eyes.
"No!" Alora pulls away from the confines of the small cot, her blanket crumpled around her as she pants, sweat making her hair stick to her forehead. Her dream sticks in her eyes, the planet exploding again and again on a loop. The order echoes in her mind as she tries to stabilize her breathing; she grips onto the small blanket as she pulls up her knees, pressing them against her head.
She looks up as a door opens. The Frog Lady walks in, a questioning look in her eyes. "I'm ok," Alora pants, cupping her face. "I-I'm sorry. It was just a dream."
After Mando had accepted the job, he had left Alora and the Child with the Frog couple. Alora did not argue, only managing to slip off her jacket before collapsing into the offered bed while the couple looked after the Child.
"How long have I been out?"
The Frog Lady replies, but she does not understand. Right, stupid question.
The Child creeps out from behind her legs and climbs onto the small cot, holding his arms up and babbling loudly. Alora sighs and scoops him up, pressing him against her chest. "I've got him," she says. "Thank you for letting us stay here."
The woman nods before she leaves the room, closing the door behind her.
Sitting in the dark with the Child, Alora lies back and wraps the blanket around him before tucking her arm over him. "I've got you," she murmurs, sleep already threatening to claim her despite the rude awakening. After so long with so little sleep, her body keeps telling her it needs rest, but she never listens. At least, she never listens when she can—now, her body refuses to let her deny it.
Her eyes drift closed as she fights to keep them open. "Stay awake," she whispers, but it is no use.
When the door to her cell opens, she is ready. Alora waits as the lone trooper takes a step into the room, just shy of where she wants him.
"Huh?" He looks around before turning back. "General's not here!" He shouts but stupidly takes a step forward.
Alora smirks. "Aren't you a little tall to be a stormtrooper?" Before he has a chance to react, she drops on top of him and pins him to the ground. As he groans beneath her, she takes his blaster but pauses at the sound of a Wookie.
Looking up, she finds one standing and shouting at her.
"Lady, could you get off of me?" The trooper groans. "Look, we've gotta get going. There'll be troopers here any minute."
"You're a trooper."
"I'm a pilot!"
Alora allows him to remove his helmet as she scurries off of him and into the hall where she finds Leia and another man in a stormtrooper uniform. Despite the terrible morning, Alora can't find it in herself to blame the princess; she did what she had to in order to protect her planet, even if it resulted in failure. "Leia!" She cries out as a smile graces her lips. She rushes the princess and flings her arms out with a laugh, relief settling on her shoulders. If she had found Leia hurt, Vader wouldn't stand a chance.
Leia grips her tightly. "We have to get out of here. Kenobi's on board."
"What, here?" Alora pulls back. "Now? Who are you?"
"Oh, I'm Luke Skywalker."
Alora arches a brow. "Have we met before?"
Luke shakes his head. "Don't think so. Ben's been training me though, and he has something for you onboard the ship."
Blinking, Alora takes a step back. "Wait, what? Training you?"
"Yeah, like, Jedi stuff."
"Jedi stuff?!" Alora exclaims, raising her blaster without looking and shooting down the hall. She hadn't heard that word in a long time—the Jedi were gone. The last remaining one is exiled on a swamp planet only known to three people: Alora from her limited training, her adoptive father, and Leia's father. "What do you mean Jedi stuff—they're all dead!"
"How am I supposed to know? We've only known each other for a few days!"
The other fake trooper finally manages to meet them in the hall, his own spare blaster now shooting at the oncoming stormtroopers. "Well, can't get out that way."
"Nice going," Leia snaps. "You've cut off our only escape route."
Alora presses Leia against the wall, ignoring the hammering of her heart before taking Luke's blaster and shooting. Her fingers ache, but she manages to be more accurate than this morning when she missed the console and hit an officer instead. If she had hit her target, Alderaan might still be in space.
With both blasters in hand, Alora steps fully into the hallway and shoots, hitting each of her marks happily. "Die, Imps," she growls. After quite a few hits, she ducks away beside the pilot as Luke hides Leia. She could care less about what he says into the communicator.
"That's the only way out!" Luke shouts.
"Seriously?!" Alora snaps. "Some rescue!"
"When you came in here, didn't you have a plan for getting out?" Leia asks.
"He's the brains, sweetheart!" The pilot shouts.
Alora rolls her eyes and tosses Leia a blaster. "The chute," she says. Leia smiles as she shoots the grate at Alora's feet and proceeds to race over to her side.
"What are you doing?!"
"Someone has to get us out of here, and it might as well be the highly decorated general." Alora grins. "Into the trash, flyboy." She flings herself down the chute.
When she lands in the garbage heap, Alora groans. Deep in her mind, she knows what comes next: the panic of the closing walls, the death of a mentor she doesn't remember meeting before his death, and the destruction of the Death Star. She should remember the way the trash made her nose burn and the way Leia dropped into her arms followed by the others.
Instead, she finds herself in the garbage heap alone, a child's cry echoing in her ear. "Leia?" She calls out as panic builds in her gut. "Leia! Come down!"
Only the childish babbling answers her.
Turning around, Alora finds herself frowning at the pile of trash in front of her, a shiny helmet catching her gaze. She kneels down in the stinking water before wrapping her fingers, cracked and bent, around the smooth surface, lifting it to reveal a small creature she recognizes.
"Kid?" She breathes, a frown resting on her lips. "How are you—"
The Child coos as it presses a claw to her nose. The surroundings melt away as she lets her eyes fall closed: for the first time since Nevarro, her dreams drift away, leaving her with a peaceful, deep sleep.
✦✧✦✧✦
I know this chapter is mostly just flashbacks/dreams, but I felt like it was needed to show just how different Alora is now compared to before.
Hope you enjoyed!
-L