❝ i lost everything because of you. ❞
―
CARINA NARROWED HER EYES slightly as she felt the ship begin to violently rumble. The brunette looked over at Obi-Wan who shared her worried gaze.
The mother immediately darted towards the cockpit with Kenobi and Skywalker following as her eyes fell on the scattered asteroid collision. She grit her teeth harshly before looking down at Han, "I thought you said we were approaching Alderaan."
Solo glanced over at the radar, "Our position is correct, except— no, Alderaan."
Carina knitted her brows together in confusion as she gazed out into the meteor crowded space before them.
Luke had an incredulous expression embedded on his features, "What do you mean? Where is it?"
"That's what I'm trying to tell you, kid. It ain't there. It's been totally blown away."
The brunette's lips slightly parted as she breathed out, "You said the Empire had taken Leia hostage, right?"
Obi-Wan held a grim expression, "Destroyed by the Empire."
Carina let out a heavy breath as she tried to grasp the fact that an entire planet had been destroyed. Her mind immediately went to Bail and Breha, all the innocent families that lived on that planet, from one moment to another all those lives had been taken.
What kind of army had that power?
Alderaan had always been beautiful and known to be peaceful. Her lower lip trembled as she grieved for her daughter, knowing how utterly broken Leia would be over the loss of her home.
Han furrowed his brows as he heard what Kenobi had said, "The entire starfleet couldn't destroy the whole planet. It'd take a thousand ships with more fire power than I've—"
A signal began flashing on the radar before an alarm started ringing, "There's another ship coming in."
"Maybe they know what happened?"
Carina clenched her jaw, "It's an Imperial fighter."
Chewie let out a noise as an explosion burst before them, the ship shaking as a result before the fighter flew right by them. Luke watched the aircraft, "It followed us."
Carina shook her head in disagreement, "No, that's a short range fighter."
"There aren't any bases around here. Where did it come from?"
Luke pursed his chapped lips in worry, "It sure is leaving in a big hurry. If they identify us, we're in big trouble." Han narrowed his eyes slightly before looking over the control panel, "Not if I can help it. Chewie, jam it's transmissions."
Obi-Wan watched the male, "It'd be as well to let it go. It's too far out of range."
"Not for long."
Carina held a concerned expression as she drowned herself in her thoughts, there had to be a base near by, a fighter wouldn't get this far into space on it's own.
"A fighter that size couldn't get this deep into space on its own."
Luke hummed a response, "It must have gotten lost, been part of a convoy or something." Solo kept his eyes on the fighter that was in the distance, "Well, he ain't going to be around long enough to tell anyone about us."
Luke narrowed his eyes as a small sphere came into view, the blonde guessed it was a moon, "Look at him. He's headed for that small moon."
"I think I can get him before he gets there... he's almost in range."
The closer they got to the supposed moon, the more than moon began to look like something very different. Carina parted her lips in shock, "That can't be a moon."
Kenobi pressed his lips firmly together, "It's not, it's a space station."
Han gave the two friends an incredulous look, "It's too big to be a space station." Luke eyed the moon, "I have a bad feeling about this."
Carina huffed slightly, "You don't say."
"Turn the ship around."
Han swallowed thickly before nodding, "Yeah, I think your right. Full reverse. Chewie, lock in the auxiliary power."
The Wookiee grunted and Carina breathed heavily as they continued to go towards the station. Luke blinked rapidly, "Why are we still moving towards it?"
"We're caught in a tractor beam! It's pulling us in."
"But there's gotta be something you can do." Luke continued to stress as Carina glanced over at Obi-Wan who was giving her a familiar look. The same one he gave her before going off to face Darth years ago. They were going to have to face him again.
"There's nothin' I can do about it, kid. I'm in full power. I'm going to have to shut down. But they're not going to get me without a fight." Han grit through his teeth before Kenobi placed his hand upon the male's shoulder, "You can't win. But there are alternatives to fighting."
―
Carina sent Han a glare before shoving him slightly, the group were hidden underneath the floor panels of the ship as they heard stormtroopers roaming around.
"Stop shoving." Solo harshly whispered before the brunette retorted, "Then stop getting all up in my space."
"You wanna see what's getting all up in your space?"
"One more word and I'll rip your vocal cords out."
Obi-Wan gave the two a look, "Would you stop?"
Carina clamped her mouth shut as the troopers above them spoke, "There's no one here." The mother heard their footsteps begin to sound further and further away before Luke and Han lifted the floor panels as they got out from underneath.
Carina hoisted herself back onto the floor as her son spoke, "Boy, it's lucky you had these compartments." Han glanced around as he responded, "I use them for smuggling. I never thought I'd be smuggling myself in them."
Obi-Wan appeared across from them, watching as Solo spoke to him and Carina, "This is ridiculous. Even if I could take off, I'd never get past the tractor beam."
Kenobi pursed his lips, "Leave that to me."
Han rolled his eyes as he clutched his blaster, "Damn fool. I knew that you were going to say that." Obi-Wan quirked up a curious brow, "Who's the more foolish— the fool or the fool who follows him?"
Carina let out a quiet laugh when Chewie peaked his head out before letting out a whine. The mother glanced back to see two crewmen begin to inch their way into the ship and she reacted quickly, slamming ones head into the wall, knocking him unconscious before Han blasted through the other.
Han smirked before calling out to the three troopers that were guarding the ramp, "Hey down there, could you give us a hand with this?"
Carina kicked her leg out to knock one of the stormtroopers down before doing a rounded kick to hit them in the face as Han punched the other. Carina grabbed ahold of her blaster as she used the metal handle to whack the third trooper in the head, watching their body go limp.
Carina blew her hair out of her face before rolling her shoulders back, looking back at Kenobi with her nose scrunched up, "Do I have to wear that?"
"Up to you if you wish to get recognized."
"So yes."
―
Carina grunted in annoyance as they stood before the group stood before the command office, waiting for the door to slide open as she adjusted her grip on her blaster.
"How can anyone stand this costume?"
R2 let out a beep when the door suddenly opened before them, revealing a slightly shocked officer as Chewie let out a noise before whacking the person backwards. Han quickly blasted the back up officers before treading into the office as 3PO stayed near Carina and R2.
Obi-Wan reached his hand out while Carina was taking off her helmet before she looked down to see her lightsaber that she had given to him to hold onto. The brunette swallowed thickly as she was still having trouble allowing herself to use the powerful weapon but it was a healing process.
Han glanced over at the two while Carina took her weapon back. "If you have one of those why don't you fight with it instead of a blaster you said is defenseless?"
Carina fought back an irritated looked, "You don't know everything, Solo."
Luke entered the command office, slipping his helmet off before glaring at Han, "You know, between his howling and your blasting everything in sight, it's a wonder the whole station doesn't know we're here."
"Bring them on! I prefer a straight fight to all this sneaking around."
"If you have a death wish, simply say that."
3PO glanced over at Kenobi, "We found the computer outlet, sir." Obi-Wan nodded, "Plug in. He should be able to interpret the entire Imperial computer network."
R2 let out a whirl before punching his claw arm into the computer socket and the vast Imperial brain network comes to life, feeding information to the little robot. The R2 unit let out a beep after a long moment before 3PO spoke for him, "He says he's found the main computer to power the tractor beam that's holding the ship here. He'll try to make the precise location appear on the monitor."
The computer monitor suddenly showed the map to the base, "The tractor beam is coupled to the main reactor in seven locations. A power loss at one of the terminals will allow the ship to leave."
Obi-Wan looked over at Carina, he knew the fate that lied ahead of him, he knew what he had to do. The mother would do all she could to prevent him from leaving, which is why she could not know, "Carina, stay with these two, I'll go alone."
Carina furrowed her brows together in concern, "Are you sure?" Obi-Wan smiled at the girl he had always seen as his sister, no matter how much she had grown, he still saw her as the small child that loved beating him in training matches.
He knew that if she stayed surrounded by her children, she would become her old self again. Her children were what kept her going, they were her source of happiness, even if they did not know her.
Kenobi moved, engulfing the mother in an embrace as he knew it would be the last he ever physically saw her, "Luke needs you." he softly whispered so no one else heard.
Carina was severely taken back by the sudden affection since she nor Obi-Wan had ever really hugged, a tight feeling pulled at her heart as she returned the gesture, "Be safe."
Obi-Wan pulled away before looking over at Carina's son, "The force will be with you, always." Luke hesitantly nodded as the Jedi opened the main door before sparing Carina one last look, raising his head as he turned, disappearing down the hall.
Carina didn't like the sudden worry that overcame her, because it never meant anything good. She would see him later, she chanted in her mind as a form of reassurance.
Chewbacca let out a groan as Han huffed in agreement, "Boy you said it, Chewie." The male looked over at Luke, "Where did you dig up that old fossil?"
Carina narrowed her eyes at Han, "What is your problem?"
"My problem is h—"
The male was suddenly cut off by R2 who let out a string of beeps, catching Carina's attention, "What did he find?"
3PO watched the droid curiously, "I'm afraid I'm not quite sure, sir. He says "I found her", and keeps repeating, "She's here."
Carina's lips parted in realization, "Leia." Luke's eyes visibly widened, "The princess? She's here?" Han tilted his head in confusion as he glanced between the mother and son, "Princess? What's going on?"
"Level five. Detention block A A-twenty- three. I'm afraid she's scheduled to be terminated."
Carina grit her teeth in anger as she adjusted her grip on her saber, "Looks like this is turning into a rescue mission."
Han crossed his arms over his chest, "What are you talking about?" Luke looked over at the male before explaining, "The droid belongs to her. She's the one in the message... We've got to help her."
"Now, look, don't get any funny ideas. The old man wants us to wait right here."
"But he didn't know she was here. Look, will you just find a way back into the detention block?"
Han didn't budge at all, "I'm not going anywhere." Carina handed Luke his helmet back, not even sparing Han a look as she spoke, "We don't need him, I have a plan."
Han narrowed his eyes at the mother, "Now hold on a second."
The Algora turned towards the male, "If you're going to help— help, if not get the hell out of my way."
Carina refused to waste seconds when her daughter was on her way to being executed, she would not lose her child.
Luke darted his eyes between the two before chiming in, wanting Han to aid them, "She's rich."
Carina snapped her attention over to her son who kept his eyes on Solo who quirked up a curious brow, "Rich?"
"Yes. Rich, powerful! Listen, if you were to rescue her, the reward would be..."
"What?"
Luke attempted to not trip over his words before responding hesitantly, "Well more wealth that you can imagine."
"You're a horrible liar." Carina deadpanned as Han snapped back, "I don't know, I can imagine quite a bit."
"You'll get it."
"I better."
"You will."
Carina ran a hand over her face as Han huffed, "Alright, kid. You'd better be right about this." The mother shook her head, at least things were slightly interesting with them. Han turned towards the brunette, "What's your plan?"
Carina took ahold of some electronic cuffs before handing them to Solo who eyed them, "Put them on the Wookiee."
Chewbacca let out a growl as Han moved towards him, "Don't worry, Chewie. I think I know what she has in mind." Carina pulled her head back up before sliding her helmet on, letting out an annoyed sigh, "I hate this thing."
C-3PO gazed intently at young Skywalker, "Master Luke, sir. Pardon me for asking... but what should R2 and I do if we're discovered here?"
"Lock the door."
Carina laughed to herself as the two boys followed behind her with Chewie, "And hope they don't have blasters." Han added shortly after.
Luke looked to his side to catch Carina's gaze, "You've done this many times before, haven't you?"
Carina let out a dry chuckle, "I've lost count."
―
AUTHORS NOTE,
i dont wanna write the next chapter