Who Are You?

A Scorching Welcome

"They're not going for it, Chewie."

It had been a few moments since they had sent the codes, and everyone was still holding their breaths.  Padmé watched Luke nervously as he sat silently next to her, he was extremely stiff and he seemed to be occupied with something.

"Shuttle Tydirium," the filtered voice started, "deactivation of the shields will commence immediately. Follow your present course."

A calmness filled the tense ship as everyone relaxed back in their chairs, everyone except Luke.  Padmé had expected her son to join his friends' lead, yet a grim look was slowly overtaking his formerly set face.  Han didn't notice as he began to shout,

"Okay!  I told you it was gonna work-"

He was cut off by the sound several TIE Fighters following their unassuming shuttle, Padmé turned back to Luke only to watch as he weakly whispered the phrase,

"I'm sorry."

"Alright, don't worry!  I'll get us out of this!"  Han shouted as the ship sped up. 

It clearly wasn't designed to be chased, as evident by the faint smell of smoke filling the air.  Everyone was on edge and yelling (and barking in Chewbacca's case) at each other when a transmission started coming through,

"Shuttle Tydirium," a new voice called, "do not continue to the surface. I repeat do not continue, we have orders to contain you and bring you before Lord Vader. If you do not comply we will be forced to open fire!"

"Wait, I thought we were in the clear, what happened?!" Han called out confused, while still attempting to out run the TIE pilots.

"Yeah, guess those codes weren't worth the price, I'd demand a refund if I WASN'T ABOUT TO DIE!"  Leia angrily screamed back at him as she strapped into a chair near Padmé.

"They won't be able to get us once we reach the surface, TIEs aren't meant for trees!" Han argued back.

A large growl escaped Chewbacca after hearing Han's plan,

"Well what do you suggest, Chewie? Let them shoot us? Well I'd take the chance!"

Padmé worryingly listened in and asked the panicking Threepio to translate,

"Oh my, yes, well it seems Chewbacca is concerned about landing. Seeing as we would be entering the atmosphere at such a high speed, there is an extremely high possibility that we will burn up."

"Burn up?!" Padmé strapped the still motionless Luke to his chair, before doing the same to herself.

"We are NOT going to burn up!" Han shouted. "At least I hope not."

"Still, we need to risk it," Leia agreed, "or else we can all look forward to being shot down-"

"Wait!" Luke sprung to life.

"Everyone, hold on!" Han exclaimed as they entered the atmosphere.

"They aren't going to-"

Padmé held onto chair tightly as the smell of smoke filled what was left of the air, the heat was overwhelming and everything grew dark.

***
The bright light nearly blinded Padmé as she struggled to open her eyes, her left arm was aching and it was hard to breathe without coughing from the smoke.  Her chair was charred and lying on its side, but the straps still held her in place.  The ship was missing the entire cockpit and half of the seating area, fearfully Padmé ignored her pain and rushed to look for everyone.  Her heart sank as she froze in place, Luke's seat was missing. 

"Luke!"  She screamed first.

Suddenly, a voice called back,

"Padmé?  Are you here?"

Padmé exited what was left of the shuttle only to find her daughter and an extremely shaken Artoo,

"Leia thank goodness you're alright!"  Padmé couldn't help but embrace her confused daughter.

"Yeah, well it seems only me, you, and Artoo landed here.  I just woke up right over there and I saw no sign of anyone."  Leia explained.

"Okay, first thing first we need to find them-" Padmé was cut off by the sound of speeders approaching. 

Leia pushed her into some nearby bushes along with Artoo and joined them as several Scouts came to inspect the crash, quietly they listened in.

"Well, it doesn't seem like there are any signs of survivors on this end.  They must have all be in the other half, we need to keep looking." 

The Scouts sped off in search leaving the rebels behind,

"Well," Leia stated, "at least they don't know where everyone else is either."

Padmé nodded and decided to let her daughter take the lead as they went off further into the forest in hopes of reaching the others first.