I'm about halfway through the script for RETURN OF THE JEDI, which means I'm about halfway done with Ace's journey throughout that movie, meaning I'm almost done this book :((
BUT, I might write an extra couple chapters at the end of her pregnancy and then write a sort of sequel to this about her daughter and have the newest Solo/Skywalker fall in love with everyone's favorite pilot, Poe Dameron himself. However, this is a big maybe, but let me know if you'd be interested in reading something like this!
Also, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR 8oo READS!!! I never thought this story would even get into triple digits and it really means a lot to me!!!
Alright, let's get on with the chapter :)))
Taking a seat beside Luke inside the Imperial Shuttle, Ace took a deep breath, trying to mentally prepare herself for what was going to come. Luke worked on a back control panel, while Leia sat on Ace's other side, while Han and Chewie took the pilot and co-pilot seats respectively, the two of them scrutinizing the controls carefully, neither entirely sure exactly how to fly an Imperial Shuttle.
"You got her warmed?" Asked Han as he settled in.
"Yeah," Luke bobbed his head, "She's comin' up."
Chewie growled a complaint, his back hunched under the roof of the aircraft.
"No." Answered Han, sounding slightly exasperated. "I don't think the Empire had Wookiee's in mind when they designed her, Chewie."
Barking in response, Chewie flipped a couple of switches. Leaning back further into her seat, Ace glanced tentatively at Luke but his eyes were anywhere but on her. Sighing, Ace's gaze traveled out from the window as the interior of the Imperial Shuttle came to life, landing on the Millennium Falcon. Out of the corner of her eye, Ace could tell that Han too was looking at the ship that had been their home for almost their entire lives, wishing that they could be on that rather than the Empire's craft.
"Hey, are you awake?" Asked Leia gently, nudging Han from behind him slightly.
"Yeah," Han seemed to snap out from whatever trance he was in, shaking his head rapidly. "I just got a funny feeling. Like I'm not going to see her again."
"Same." Admitted Ace softly, unable to tear her eyes away from the Falcon.
Chewie, listening carefully to the words of the Solo's, let out a longing moan as he stopped his activities and he too gazed outside. Meanwhile, Leia reached over and put a comforting hand on Han's shoulder.
"Come on, General," said Leia quietly, "let's move."
"Right." Said Han, snapping back to reality with a finality this time. "Chewie, let's see what this piece of junk can do. Ready, everybody?
Ace watched the tender interaction between Han and Leia with a slight desire as her eyes slid over to Luke's form, wishing that he would make some move to comfort her or even acknowledge her. But Luke remained as indifferent and ignorant as ever, his eyes never leaving the back control panel.
"All set." Said the Jedi Knight, not even looking up.
Perhaps something had happened on Dagobah, their one interaction since then had been a kiss and while it had been nice, neither had spoken a word to each other since. Yoda had been a firm mentor to Luke, perhaps his words had rubbed the Jedi the wrong way or something.
"Here we go again." Mumbled Threepio, looking just as terrified of flight now as he had been when he first boarded the Millennium Falcon.
But... Luke had spoken with Leia. Perhaps... perhaps the feelings Ace knew he had held for her back when they all first met and when the princess kissed him on Hoth had returned. Ace immediately tried to shake this idea away, that was ridiculous, Luke had kissed her twice now, if he had still liked Leia, then he would have gone and kissed the princess himself, even if he did run the risk of Han beating him up over that.
"Alright." Han announced, "Hang on."
But, try as she might, Ace could not rid herself of her doubts. Crossing her arms with a bitterness unlike her, Ace fixed her eyes on the windshield, her steely gaze focused on the sky as they flew into the sky and then into space.
For a few hours, they traveled through space, small bits and pieces of conversation were floating through the air. Ace was doing her best to hide her feelings of despair by joking around smiling. At first, she had tried to involve Luke in some conversation, but the blonde boy responded with curt, short answers that drew a halt to any speaking. And then, as Ace occasionally looked at him in concern, she found that his eyes were always looking at Leia with unexplainable emotions.
Ace's doubts only grew stronger.
Finally, as tensions in the shuttle grew stronger as everyone took notice of Ace's anger and Luke's clear refusal to speak to her, the Death Star and ginormous Super Star Destroyer came into view. They were surrounded by hundreds of smaller ships, with the Super Star Destroyer only half constructed. The small forest moon of Endor floated in the background, blockaded by Imperial ships.
"If they don't go for this, we're gonna have to get outta here pretty quick, Chewie." Said Han, Chewie growling his agreement.
"Don't screw this up like the last time you did." Piped up Ace with a teasing grin as Han glared back at her from his seat, "Remember? You asked them how they were doing or some stupid Bantha Fodder like that and-"
"Yes, I remember!" Exclaimed Han, clearly wishing he didn't. "Do you remember how-"
He didn't have time to finish his retort as the radio crackled to life; a transmission from the Empire was coming through.
"We have you on our screen now." Said a Controller. "Please identify."
"Shuttle Tydirium," said Han confidently, without even skipping a beat. "requesting deactivation of the deflector shield."
"Shuttle Tydirium, transmit the clearance code for shield passage."
"Transmission commencing." Responded Han, pressing a few buttons.
Ace drew in a sharp breath, her entire body tense with anticipation as she waited for the Controller's final verdict. Leia and Chewbacca also both listened tensely, the sound of the high-speed transmission beginning, and with it, what could possibly be the very end of the entirety of the Resistance.
"Now we find out if that code is worth the price we paid," Leia said tensely, her posture rigid.
"It'll work, it'll work," Han assured her in a very un-Han like manner.
"I sure hope you're right, brother." Ace murmured, her eyes already scanning the best path for their shuttle in case of an emergency, the star field filled with potential enemies.
Chewie's high pitched whines floated through the air as the Rebel's sat, forced to wait without any other hope.
"Vader's on that ship." Announced Luke suddenly, drawing everyone's attention.
Ace looked at him sharply, unwilling to comfort him as her frustrations bubbled up. "Don't be a laser brain," she told him rather rudely, "How could you possibly know whose on that ship and who isn't?"
She could see Leia's spine stiffen at her words and see the surprise register on Han's face, but Ace ignored it and struggled to keep her calm.
"Now, don't get jittery, Luke." Han interrupted, covering up for his sister's harsh words. "There are a lot of command ships. Keep your distance though, Chewie," he added quickly, "but don't look like you're trying to keep your distance."
Chewie barked a question.
"I don't know." Han told him, "Fly casual."
Ace snorted despite herself. Once again, leave it to Han to offer up some sort of idiotic solution.
"I'm endangering the mission," continued Luke, his eyes fixated on the ship where Vader supposedly stood, "I shouldn't have come."
"It's your imagination, kid," Han assured him, although the space pirate himself looked just as unsure. "Come on. Let's keep a little optimism here."
Chewie barked once more before everything fell into a tense silence once more. Their shuttle slowly but surely floated towards the Death Star as it loomed closer, growing larger with each passing second, just as all of their fears did.
"They're not goin' for it, Chewie." Said Han slowly.
"Shuttle Tydirium," the radio crackled to life once more, "deactivation of the shield will commence immediately. Follow your present course."
Ace breathed deeply, exhaling a breath she did not know she had been holding. Meanwhile, everyone else relaxed, everyone except Luke. The poor boy looked just as tense as he had been in the beginning, if not more so. Chewie barked slightly as their ship veered faster through everything, headed for the moon of Endor.
"Okay!" Exclaimed Han, surprised. "I told you it was gonna work. No problem."
Oof, LACE'S first problem. They seem to be having trouble in paradise... do you guys think they'll be able to make up before the end of the story? If so, how do you think they'll make up?
Thanks for reading :)
-HotDoNotTouch