Hearts of Rebels | Star Wars Fanfiction

Chapter Twenty Six

Rhea and R2-D2 had already gone down several corridors and tried to bypass countless security doors. They didn't have any other clue where Leia, Han and Chewbacca could be. They were huddled together by another door, R2-D2 was twisting the terminal with one of his many appendages trying to override the lock. With one quick beep R2-D2 alerted Rhea that several life forms were closing in on their location. Rhea kept her finger close to the trigger of the blaster with the thought that it might be Leia and the others. Hurried footsteps began echoing down the hallway becoming louder and louder as they got closer to Rhea and R2-D2. Before Rhea could jump out with her blaster pistol a familiar roar bounced off the walls. The roar of a familiar wookie. 

Leia, Chewbacca (C-3PO still hanging on his back) and a man Rhea didn't recognise rushed past her. C-3PO gasped in surprise of his droid friend, he was apparently still functioning.

"Artoo! Artoo! Where have you been?"

Chewie turned round to confirm the droid was R2-D2 and in the move he noticed Rhea and
acknowledged her presence with a guttural bellow and a wave to follow him. She gladly followed the familiar being.

"Turn around, you wooly!"

C-3PO complained as Chewbacca turned back round so C-3PO could face his astromech counterpart.

"Hurry, hurry! We're trying to save Han from the bounty hunter!"

That gave Rhea the context she needed. The carbonite she'd seen earlier with the bounty hunter must of been Han frozen in it. He did know just how to get himself into the best of trouble. Taking two more turns down the hallways they arrived in an open space with a brown door on the far side. Leia leapt over the few steps and towards the door nearly hitting her head as she rushed through the still sliding door. The others were behind her, close enough to watch as a green ship took off from the platform and quickly blasting into the distance of the cloudy sunset.

In absolute anger Chewie fired at the ship howling his anguish to the sky whilst Leia merely stares at the empty platform in shock and sadness. C-3PO breaks their dark moods with his fearful droid cries.

"Oh, no! Chewie, they're behind you!"

As suddenly as C-3PO had alerted them, blaster bolts were already flying through the air and searing the walls. A squad of stormtroopers raced from an elevator across the room to stop the rebels from escaping. Leia, Chewie and Rhea immediately raced through the door firing at the Imperial troops to cover their escape. The man who was unknown to Rhea made a break for the elevator besides them and almost smashed the control panel. He motions for them to run in and they jumble together in the tight space, barely any breathing room for them all.
The door slams shut behind them and they all let out a short lived sigh of relief as the door opens almost instantaneously and they file out heading for their next objective.

They come round a corner and they all catch the welcoming glimpse of the Millennium Falcon before the platforms one door quickly slides shut. Stormtroopers had already arrived and were quickly raining laser bolts at the group who all quickly take cover in the alcove of the platforms door. Chewie destroys walls and decorative lights with the furious fire of his bowcaster and Rhea takes precise and accurate shots at each stormtrooper who is unlucky enough to enter her sights. The man, whom she learned was called Lando Calrissian in the elevator from a quick discussion, desperately punched in the same code at the doors control panel.

"The security codes has been changed!"

He placed his hands on his head in annoyance and gave one last attempt with his now useless code.

"Artoo, you can tell the computer to override the security system"

C-3PO hopefully exclaims to the little droid pointing to a computer socket just below the doors control panel. R2-D2 scoots forward with a proud beep connecting one of his arms to the socket. Meanwhile, Lando yells into his intercom warning the residents of Cloud City to pack up and leave before the Empire occupies the planet. Just as he finishes R2-D2 suddenly had what seems to be a droid seizure. He wildly screams and his circuits light up, smoke begins to seep from the multiple panels his body harbours. Seeing his droid friend in need of rescue, Chewie stops his devastating bowcaster and pulls R2-D2 away from the socket severing the cause of his seizure.  

"Don't blame me. I'm an interpreter. I'm not supposed to know a power socket from a computer terminal"

C-3PO complains after R2-D2 let out a series of angry and accusatory beeps. After the stormtroopers had been taking care of, Lando led the group down the corridor going through a public area of the city to get to another access point of the Falcons platform.

Once they reach the door R2-D2 quickly gets to work, connecting to the control panel and working his way through security protocols to open the platforms door. After a beeped question C-3PO berates the little droid about his work.

"What are you talking about? We're not interested in the hyperdrive on the Millennium Falcon. It's fixed! Just open the door, you stupid lump"

R2-D2 let's out a triumphant beep and the door slides open.

"I never doubted you for a second. Wonderful!"

The group quickly rushed through the door, Chewie and Rhea lag behind blasting covering fire for the rest until R2-D2 spins around, spouting out a thick cloud of smoke. Blaster bolts from the battalion of stormtroopers begin to blast everywhere but where the group are as their vision becomes obscured. After what seemed like days they reached the Millennium Falcons boarding ramp. Lando and Leia station themselves on each side and fire into the doorway, the smoke is beginning to disappear and the stormtroopers start to file out through the door. R2-D2 rushes into the ship and Leia follows suit. Chewie takes the empty position for covering fire as Rheas next to enter, instead she turns on her heel barely missing a laser bolt and yells to Lando over the battle.

"Wait what about Luke!"

"We won't leave him behind!"

Lando ducks and fired a clean shot into the stormtroopers chest.

"Just get in!"

He yells back. She runs back up the ramp with no complaints, Lando follows and Chewie finally lumbers up the ramp, not before forgetting C-3PO was on his back and he had to bend down.

"Ouch! Oh! Ah! That hurt. Bend down, you thoughtless... Ow!"
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