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The hangar was full of X-Wings, Y-Wings, Fighters, and the Falcon. Being here reminds me how much Rebel funding goes to the aircrafts. No missions today; all duties completed. The hangar was a nice place to hang out, but I already fixed my X-wing and helped the others with theirs.
*Beep-Bop-Boup* "You're right, R-2. Leia or Han should be free by now." I walked off to find them, R2 rolling behind me. Leia was in a meeting, but Han and Chewie were free. "Good to see you, kid. Don't you have Jedi business to attend to?" Han said. He was fixing the Falcon's stabilizer for the 10th time this month.
"No, I'm free." I told him. Han looked up from his work. "Great! You can help Cheewy with the engine. It's acting up again." Wrench in hand. He pointed to the Falcon's entry ramp. "Sure." I went inside to help. After 2 hours of smoke and smog, we finally fixed it.
"You need to con-* coughs*.vince Han to get a new engine." I told Chewbacca, who roared in agreement. We went out to tell Han we're done. "Good, give me a minute. Set up a game of Sabacc. Han asked. Chewie and I cleaned up, then cleared the table and set up the cards."
I wanted to get alcohol, but Chewie blocked my path. He pulled out a note from one of his pouches. The Note: From Leia/To Han; If you let Luke get drunk, I will break up with you. Then BREAK YOU. (That made me laugh.) Chewie, if Han doesn't listen, take Luke to detox and tell me.
"Come on, Chewie, I'm not a kid. I promise to go easy." Chewie, let me pass. I took 3 beers as Han made it to the deck. We played seven rounds; Chewie won 4, Han won 3, and I didn't win a thing. "Again!" I threw my losing hand onto the table. "You guys are cheating." "Keep telling yourself that. You won't win."
Han said smugly to me as he reshuffled the cards. The console beeped. Han went to check it. "Chewie, we got a supply run to make." Chewie hollered something back. "Yes, a mission. Get your furry but ready." I was going to get my gear when Han grabbed me by the shoulder.
"Sorry, kid. You can't come." He said, which surprised me. "What? Why? I can help. The Empire knows you're aligned with the Rebellion now. You can't travel like before." I protested. Why was Han refusing my help? "Kid, Chewie and I have connections in the underworld, but this run will put us deep in imperial territory. "
"Exactly why you need me!" I added to my defense. "Kid, you're one of the most capable people I know. Without a doubt, Vader will come for you." Han said in his unusually serious tone. "Oh" I mumbled. I forgot about Vader's sudden obsession with me. Even as far as the Outer Rim.
Vader appeared out of nowhere, trying to capture me. "Listen, I know you want to help, but if you're not needed. I'm not risking you like that." He said firmly. I didn't want to stay; regardless, Han was right. There's no need to summon that monster. "Fine, be careful." I told them.
"We will try. Chewie to the cockpit." I walked off the ship and waved them goodbye. I went to Leia's room to see if she was done with her meeting. When I made it to her room, she wasn't there. She must still be in that meeting. While wandering the base, I bumped into someone.
"Watch it, you- Luke!" I looked up at a familiar face: tanned skin and a black mustache. "Biggs!" I smiled at him. "How have you been?" I asked him. "Great. How's deep cover going?" I asked. Hoping for some intel. "Pretty good. I'm up for a promotion in a few months. Working under Darth Vader."
As much as that name haunted me and my friends. Gaining a spy close to Vader would be phenomenal for the Rebellion. " That's exactly what the Rebellion needs. Did you tell the High Command?" I asked eagerly. "No, my debrief hasn't been scheduled yet." He answered. "That's good to know. " I added.
"What are you doing now?" Biggs asked me, putting an arm around my shoulders. "I'm going back to my bunk. Why?" I answered. "How about you and me? We'll go for a flight. What do you say?" It was tempting. Being a spy meant I didn't see Biggs for weeks or months. I do miss spending time with him.
"Okay, let me go change first." I said. "I'll meet you in the hangar bay." He told me before we split up. In my room, R2-D2 was in his charging port. I tapped his dome to wake him up. He twisted and turned, then got up. "Beep. Boo. Boh. Boo." "Hey, buddy, ready for some fun?"
"Beep. Boo." "We're going flying with Biggs." "Master Luke, please return before head count this evening." 3-PO said, announcing his presence. "Don't worry, 3-PO. I will. Come on, R2." After I changed into my flightsuit, we left for the hangar bay. "Skywalker, you're not on duty today."
Deck Master Daytho said. "I'm going for a flight. Should be back in 3 hours." I told me cheerfully. "Be safe out there." he replied, raising his cap to me. "Have a nice day." I said, walking to my X-wing. "Luke, you made it!" Biggs said with a smile on his face. "I checked out your X-wing. Pretty good maintenance; you got there. "
He complimented me. "Thanks. Let's get flying." I told him. "Right behind you." I did my pre-flight routine and waited for the all-clear from R2 to take off. I started the ignition sequence. "Rogue-5, you are clear for takeoff. I repeat, you are clear for takeoff." The Deck Master told me.
My X-wing rose off the ground, out of the hangar. I went into the sky, through the atmosphere, and finally into space. It was a breathtaking sight when you weren't fighting for your life. Then another X-wing was right next to mine. "How about a race to the nearest asteroid and back." Biggs asked.
"You're on!" I replied. This was going to be fun. Biggs and I raced to the asteroid, then next, and after that we showed off our skills as pilots. By the time I stopped to look around, I wasn't sure where we were anymore. "Biggs, we should back," I told him through the comms. "We shouldn't miss head count."
"It's still early. How 'bout another race?" Biggs suggested. "We can race tomorrow or on the way back." I insisted. Now I was positive I didn't recognize this star system. "Biggs, any idea where we are? " I asked him. "Give me a minute." As waited for him to respond. A tremor passed through my ship.
On my screen, a message from R2 and a warning flashed. Warning: Flue leakage and Engine damage. R2: We need to land. "What! How?" How could my engine be damaged? I checked it this morning. "What is it, Luke?" Biggs comms in. "My engine's damaged. I need to land."
Stay calm, breathe; you're still in the sky. I reassured myself. "There's a planet nearby. Think you can make it?" Biggs informed me. Sending the route to my navi computer. "It's doable." I said. R2, keep the ship running as I flew us down. Biggs followed. It was a bumpy landing, but a landing nonetheless.
I took off my helmet and jumped out of the cockpit. "R2, you good, buddy?" R2 gave me a happy beep. They were in a swamp or forest. It was dense and pretty dark; if it weren't for my orange flight suit, I'm pretty sure I'd disappear here. I was about to check my engine when Biggs came out of his ship with a flashlight.
First pointing it at my face. "Wow. Too bright." I told him, covering my eyes. "Sorry, kid." he turned the light to the sky. "Since when do you call me kid?" I asked. Biggs never called me that. "It's a new development. Like it? " He asked. "I prefer if only Han calls me that." I told him.
"Fair, I'll go check your engine." He told me. "No need. I'll get my toolbox and R2. I can do it myself. " I told him as I started climbing back into my cockpit, but Biggs stopped. He smiled at me. "I know you can, but there might be predators out here. You can use your Force connection to sense them, right?"
Biggs said, and he was right; it was better safe than sorry. "Okay, I'll be back to fix my X-wing." I told him, then grabbed my flashlight to go into the forest. I flashed it in front of me, looking for any danger. Honestly, this place still seemed kind of peaceful. Now that I was paying attention, there was no life near me.
I thought I heard a zip or something. I was wondering, far away from the X-wings. I kept trying to find life in the Force, but there was nothing. Any life I did sense was frightened or hiding. As if there was an apex predator nearby. The silence broke; something was passing through the brush.
Some huge animal ran right past me. Then I heard something worse than an apex predator. The breathing, HIS mechanical breathing. "No." I whispered, horror filling my stomach. I flashed the light in every direction, yet all the light revealed were trees. I turned and assumed I ran into a tree trunk.
Until my flashlight illuminated the terrible truth. Darth Vader was staring down at me.
I bolted, struggling to cut my flight suit with my vibro-knife. Throwing the bright orange away, I sprinted back to the ships. Running in this darkness was hellish. I managed to find our landing site. Biggs was still working on my X-Wing. "Luke, you're back?" I ran to him. "Biggs! Biggs! We need to go! Run! Call the Rebellion! Darth Vader's here! DARTH VADER'S HERE!"
I shook him frantically. Then I climbed into my X-wing to get to R2. "R2, time to move!" He didn't. "R2?" Looking closer, I saw that his lights weren't on. "Luke, the radios aren't working. We need to go." Wait, that can't be right? "Why isn't your radio working? My radios didn't take any damage either. "
I jumped into the cockpit to test it myself. "Luke, we don't have time." "Let me just check something." I threw him my knife. "Cut up your flightsuit. It's too obvious." I tried to activate the navi computer, but it wasn't working. I decided to check the control console. It was already unscrewed, and the wires were -
Biggs yanked me out of the cockpit, and my train of thought. "Let's move!" He told me. "But R2." I protested. "Vader's after you. R2 will be fine." He was right; R2 would be safer here. "Okay." Biggs didn't hesitate to drag me away. We ran through the woods. Biggs had the only flashlight.
Trees, bushes, and branches crumpled and crunched under our feet. Eventually we made it to a clearing, and Biggs stopped. "Biggs! Why did we stop?" I asked, panicked. "Just catching my breath." he told me. "We can't stay here long." I said, looking ahead, ready to keep running. Ahead, I saw a flash of red!
A red light was a hundred feet in front of us. I grabbed Biggs. "BIGGS! WE NEED TO-" A sensation in my legs stopped me mid-sentence, a stinging sensation. " to- un..." turning into a growing numbness. "Wh-a... is" My mouth wasn't working; my legs gave out under me. Biggs caught me.
I can't feel anything. It's a paralytic! "Relax, Luke, everything's under control." Biggs said gently, placing me on the ground. " .a.er!" I struggled to say. Biggs was holding something: a white cylinder in his hand. A hypo-syringe!? How? Why? Vader was coming for me, and Biggs just attacked me!
The only functional parts of my body are my brain and eyes. "I know you're confused right now. You just need to trust me." Biggs said. Trust him? Trust him? My stalker is on his way, and he stabbed me with a paralytic. I was helpless when he finally came. The Sith Lord's breath filled the air.
I swore I could sense a smile under the mask. He spoke, "You've done well, Agent Darklighter." (Imagine the Imperial theme playing or put it in the background. ) Luke paled at the truth; it all made sense now. "We should head back." My engine fails./ "I checked out your X-wing." Sabotage.
/Biggs pointing the flashlight to the sky. A signal. He led the way during our flight./ "I'll check your X-Wing. Scout ahead..." The wires were cut. Biggs cut them and shut R2 down.
I'M SUCH A FOOL. How could Biggs do this to me? The betrayal was finalized when Biggs bowed and said, "Thank you, my Lord." How could you!? I wanted to shout, yet couldn't. Biggs sold to the Empire! To Vader! The monster touched my cheek, and I could not even recoil.
"Help me secure, Skywalker." Vader ordered. My fate was sealed.