into the chaos! → luke skywalker ✓

ix. the asteroid field

⋆☆* ✧✰.✦

CAS WAS NOT HAVING A GOOD COUPLE OF DAYS. First Luke had gone missing, and now not only was she flying a ship, but she was flying it straight into an asteroid field. Luckily, Leia called for Han and Chewbacca and they soon saved her from that particular issue. Everything was still going to shit of course, but at least she wasn't the one flying anymore. Cas gratefully handed off the piloting duties and went back to stand in the cockpit doorframe, bracing herself with a hand on either side.

Han and Leia continued to yell at each other, and it was then that the pilot revealed his plan: to lose the Empire in the asteroid field. Threepio told him the chances of survival, which didn't exactly do wonders to make anyone feel better.

"Never tell me the odds!" Han barked dismissively, and for once Cas didn't hold it against him.

As much as she hated to admit it, his plan was solid given their circumstances. Han was a far better pilot than anyone the Empire had on their payroll, he could surely at least find them somewhere to hide until they either fixed the hyperdrive or came up with a proper plan for escape. It was still incredibly stupid, but it was all they had.

Cas gripped into the door jamb on either side of her as Han expertly maneuvered them through the asteroids. The proximity alert sound was so constant that she became numb to it, and she watched on the screen as several TIEs behind them were crushed into oblivion, disappearing from radar. Han was many things, both good and bad, but most of all he was one hell of a pilot.

Most of the time, anyway.

"You said you wanted to be around when I made a mistake," he began to Leia as yet another asteroid bounced off the ship's hull.
"Well, this could be it, sweetheart."

"I take it back," said Leia quickly.
"We're going to get pulverized if we stay out here much longer." That was how Cas could tell she was truly scared. Normally if she were talking with Han, she'd bicker in a sarcastic or angry way, but this time her voice was even and quiet. Leia was scared, and she wasn't the only one.

"I'm not gonna argue with that," muttered Han.

"'Pulverized'?!" Threepio repeated.

"Take it easy," Cas told the droid softly despite her knowing he could do no such thing.
"No one is getting pulverized." She looked to Leia as well as the droid, and the two locked eyes for a moment. Then, the princess gave the smallest of nods, mainly to herself, and turned back to the front viewport.

"I'm going in closer to one of those big ones," Han said after a minute, startling nearly everyone on board.

"'Closer'?" Leia repeated in shock.

"'Closer'?!" said poor C-3PO. Chewie roared, and it didn't take understanding Shryiiwook to know he said the same thing.
"Oh, this is suicide!" Cas, however, thought differently. She took a few steps forward, gripping onto the backs of the two chairs that sat behind the pilot and copilot seats.

"Wait, he has a point," she said, leaning in as if it would help her see the asteroid any better.
"I know I'm no expert, but there's always craters in these things, and the big ones don't move nearly as fast as the smaller ones, right? They just sort of float around." Han chanced a glance back at her, and made a little impressed grunt as he turned his attention back to his flying. He shouldn't have been impressed; Luke had taught her all that.