X-Men: A New Hope

Chapter One

Above Tatooine, The Year of the Battle of Yavin

　

When she felt the engines shudder, Leia knew that the Tantive IV was in trouble.

Seething, she pulled on a pair of white gloves, then reached out her hand. The blaster way across the room flew across the room and smacked into her open palm. Feeling worried, she opened the door.

She almost ran smack into the Rebel troops rushing past.

Narrowing her eyes, she used her telekinesis to force her way through and began to run for the escape pods. She could hear the blaster fire that was following her troops, and she knew that she didn’t have that much time before someone caught her, three mutations or not.

Leia reached the hold where the escape pods were held, then cursed. If the Imperials knew there were escape pods onboard – and they most likely did – then they would blast every single one before she even got halfway to the planet.

It was then that she realized there was a soft beeping behind her. Thumbing the safety off of her blaster, she turned and raised her weapon straight at a very innocent white and blue astromech droid.

"Artoo," she whispered in relief, beckoning him forward. "Thank goodness."

R2-D2 waddled forward, twittering softly to himself. Leia crouched, taking out a memory card from her belt. As R2 leaned forward, Leia slid the card underneath his radar eye.

She just hoped the droid made it out of this fight in one piece.

　***

"R2-D2, where are you?" C-3PO demanded, looking around the ship. In reply, he heard a faint beeping. Turning, he tilted his head through to the escape pod area.

Standing over R2-D2 was his mistress, Princess Leia. She looked in his direction, then bent down and made some sort of adjustment to R2. In less than five seconds, she had disappeared, and R2 was heading in his direction.

"There you are!" 3PO exclaimed, but R2 started off in the direction of the escape pods. 3PO looked after him in confusion. "Wait . . . where are you going?"

When R2 didn’t reply, 3PO had no choice but to follow. "Hey, we’re not allowed down there!"

　***

Leia watched as R2 led 3PO away from her current hiding spot, then started off at a quiet run down the corridor. There was still a chance that she wouldn’t get caught, but she knew that if something went wrong, she would have to be ready.

She put her blaster into her belt at an angle she could easily reach, then pulled off her gloves. She had never used this mutation unless absolutely necessary. At an emergency time like this, it qualified for necessary.

She was so focused on the corridor that she almost didn’t hear the footsteps headed in her direction.

She froze on the spot, looking around the corner to see a full squadron of Imperial stormtroopers inspecting every inch of the corridor.

In that instant, she knew that she would be caught no matter what she attempted to do. Sighing, she withdrew her blaster from her belt and looked around the corner again.

It was the wrong move. The squad’s commander saw her. "There she is," he announced, raising his own blaster. "Set for stun."

In a flash, Leia snapped off two quick shots, both accurate and hitting two separate stormtroopers. Before they could recover, she darted down the corridor.

She had only taken five steps before something caught her in her back, and she tumbled to the floor, frozen and stunned.

"She’ll be all right," she faintly heard the stormtrooper commander say. "Inform Lord Vader we have a prisoner."

If she hadn’t been that way already, she would have stiffened. She hadn’t known anyone who hadn’t feared the Dark Lord of the Sith’s name.

　***

"We can’t go down there!" 3PO told Artoo for the millionth time. "We’ll get demolished, or something like that!"

R2 made a whirring noise, then opened one of the escape pods. "Well, I’m not going in there."

R2 made a snorting noise, then entered the pod. From behind 3PO, there was the sound of many explosions, and 3PO started. "I’m going to regret this," the droid muttered, then hunched over and entered the pod.

R2 beeped gratefully, then launched the pod. As they fell away, 3PO finally got a good glimpse of what was going on. "Huh," he commented. "It doesn’t look as bad from out here." He turned to R2. "Are you sure this thing is safe?"

R2 twittered his assurance that the pod was safe as they continued to fall towards the planet Tatooine.

　***

Leia followed the stormtroopers willingly, but on the inside, she was cursing herself for falling into this kind of trap. They ducked through yet another hatch when they were stopped by an Imperial lieutenant and a black-armored figure that Leia immediately recognized.

"Darth Vader," she scoffed. "Only you would be so bold to try and stop an Imperial Senator’s diplomatic ship."

"Don’t be so surprised, Your Highness," Darth Vader interrupted in a growling voice. "You’re a spy for the Rebel Alliance."

Leia opened her mouth to respond, but Darth Vader interrupted her yet again. "We’ve traced messages to this ship from Rebel spies. I want to know what you have done with the secret plans they sent you."

Leia snorted. "I don’t know what you’re talking about," she lied easily. Lying was her second language as a diplomat. "I’m a member of the Imperial Senate on a diplomatic mission to Alderaan – "

"You are a traitor and a part of the Rebel Alliance!" Darth Vader snapped, and Leia jerked back, despite herself. The Dark Lord growled, then made a gesture with his hand. "Take her away!"

The stormtroopers grasped her arms and led her off in the opposite direction.

What have I gotten myself into? Leia wondered, shaking her head in annoyance.

***

Yep, I tried. Unfortunately, I'm terrible at writing the scene before Tatooine, so . . . yeah. *shrugs* Comment and vote, and get the word out about this please!

Also, this was dedicated to KatieGuinn for guessing correctly all four main Star Wars characters' mutations! (Video off to the side shows most of them)

Han Solo: Cyclops with the lasers, Pyro with the fire manipulation (right in photo) and Kitty Pryde/Shadowcat with the "phasing"

Luke Skywalker: Iceman with the ice, Wolverine with the healing ability (in the video, only seen with the claws), and Nightcrawler with the teleporting.

Leia Organa: Jean Gray/Phoenix with the telekinesis, Angel with the wings, and Rogue with the life force thingy (which still creeps me out a little bit, but hey, it works).

Danielle Al Thor: Storm with the weather manipulation, Magneto with the magnetic fields (middle), and Mystique with the shape shifting (left).

I also like to think Chewbacca is similar to Beast. :)

She also got the Avengers reference in the prologue. She is very good. ;)

So, keep your eyes peeled! New stuff will come! I guarantee it.