She's a Rebel [Star Wars | Luke Skywalker] *EDITING*

The Deal Gets Worse

Chewbacca barks loudly as a high-pitched whistle screeches loudly throughout the starkly lit cell he, Zach, Threepio's parts and I have been thrown into. He slams his fists into the wall and grabs the bars running across the ceiling, flailing wildly. The blaring whistle and the upper lights shut off, leaving us in a dark, dimly lit room.

Chewie groans sadly, rubbing his eyes and pacing back over to the bench where Zach and I are sat, and then over to the platform in the centre of the room where the packing case containing Threepio's shattered pieces has been discarded.

"It'll be okay, Chewie," I say quietly, reaching up and patting his arm. He moans despondently as he sits down, trying to sort out Threepio.

"Where do you think Han and Leia are?" Zach asks from beside me as I kneel down next to the packing case, and I shrug my shoulders.

"I dread to think," I murmur, glancing over at him as Chewie pulls Threepio's torso and head from the case, grumbling to himself. I watch as the Wookiee clumsily shoves Threepio's head onto his torso and begins fumbling with the wires, and I lean forward to help him, biting my lip in concentration. I press two connectors together, and his eyes suddenly spark. He begins to speak, but its unintelligible, slow and low, and Chewie barks at me angrily, upset by the noise.

"Calm down!" Zach snaps at him, annoyed at his sudden outburst, and I press the connectors together once again, ignoring the two of them.

Threepio's recognisable rushed voice returns, and he begins babbling on about something. "Mmm. Oh, my. Uh, I, uh - Take this off! I, uh, don't mean to intrude here. I don't, no, no, no... Please don't get up. No!"

I shift the connectors, trying to rectify his speech, but he shuts off again, and I huff angrily.

"For God's sake," I hiss, flicking my hair from my eyes, the darkness and muggy atmosphere of the cell not helping one bit.

"The one time you want him to talk properly, huh?" Zach mumbles from behind me.

Chewie barks at me again, and I roll my eyes.

"I'm trying, okay?" I say, pulling the back panel off of Threepio's torso and adjusting some of the connections on his circuit board.

"Stormtroopers?!" Threepio exclaims, his head jerking round in a sudden movement, causing me to jump. "Here? We're in danger. I must tell the others. Oh, no! I've been shot!"

"Threepio?" I ask, frowning at him. "Can you hear me?"

His head swivels to look at me. "Oh, Miss Hawkins!" he cries. "Please help me!"

"I'm trying, Threepio," I assure him, nodding at him, as if I understand what's it like to be reduced to a pile of body parts and wires.

The door behind us slides open, revealing a stern-lipped Imperial Commander with brown hair and green eyes and two Stormtroopers, and I take a deep breath.

"Natalie Hawkins?" the Commander questions, and I nod, standing from kneeling next to Chewie and Threepio's body parts. The two Stormtroopers step forward and grab my arms firmly, and the Commander takes his blaster and presses it into my back. "Move."

"Where are you taking her?" Zach demands, and Chewie growls at the Imperial troops, standing from the platform.

The Commander turns and points his blaster at Chewie, and I lunge forward and grab his wrist, pulling it away from Chewie before he has time to shoot.

"Stop!" I yell, and he turns and glares at me, whipping the end of the blaster across my face, hitting my nose hard.

I recoil from the pain and fall limp, the Stormtroopers gripping my arms tighter to hold me up. I taste blood, my lip is bleeding, too.