My Life as Leia

Chapter 56 - Calling In Backup

A/N: Hola! It's been a hot second since I've updated, but get this: SCHOOL'S OUT for the summa!!! No more homework, studying, or unwanted social endeavors for MONTHS. And you know what that means...yep, more time for FaNfiCtiOn! :P

I'm actually off on a mission trip to Jamaica tomorrow, which will last a full week. So I'll have some time during driving and plane rides to be working on some editing and whatnot, and hopefully the remaining chapters of this story will be up before you know it. I know, I know...it's been dragging on for a while now. But anyway.

ONWARD!

WHEEEEEEEEEEEE!

The docking bay was exactly where Leia had thought it would be. However, it was also much more crowded than she'd expected. Stormtroopers filled almost every corner, Imperial officers bustled this way and that, and the collection of ships was unlike anything Luke had ever seen.

"What now?" Luke asked, skeptically eyeing the commotion taking place below them.

Leia was peering through the window as well, analyzing the situation. Her eyes scanned the uneven flow of people from one side of the space to another—what were so many people doing there, anyway?

"It kinda looks like they're preparing for something," observed Luke.

He wasn't wrong. The chaotic hustle was definitely starting to look less casual and more nervous, as if the Imperials really were making some sort of preparations.

What for, though?

There was a rather ominous black shuttle docked near the exit, its ramp lowered. Was it there for a purpose? Had someone recently boarded?

Or. . .

Was someone about to board?

Oh no.

Besides Vader, there was only one person Leia knew of that would travel in a black shuttle.

If Leia's theory was correct, the twins were in absolute immediate danger. As in, they needed to leave. Now. But the last thing Leia wanted to do was freak Luke out, because he would panic and then she would panic and then they'd be found out for sure—

"Leia!"

She turned to her brother. "Yeah?" It didn't come out sounding as calm as she wanted; Leia's voice cracked nervously at the end.

"What do we do?"

The princess chewed her lip thoughtfully. With all those people around, there was no way she and Luke would be able to board a ship. And the Emperor could show up any moment now, and what if the twins couldn't hide their Force-signatures fast enough? They would be found out, and Leia didn't even want to imagine what would happen after that.

But what other way out was there? Was there another docking bay? The Star Destroyer might be equipped with escape pods, but that wasn't a safe or ideal option.

For once, Leia was all out of ideas.

"I don't know," she admitted sullenly, gazing down at the Imperials scampering from one task to the next.

That was a first, Luke thought. Leia always knew. He could always count on her to at least have a plan of action, even if it wasn't entirely logical right away. In fact, he was growing almost happily accustomed to following Leia's bold ideas.