FLYING SOLO ➳ luke skywalker

FOUR! THE DEATH STAR

THE small moon was most definitely the biggest space station Analia had ever seen. As it grew nearer, she felt as though the space station was devouring the Millennium Falcon. The feeling of unease in her stomach grew stronger the closer the enormous station loomed. Her skin began to prickle, like thousands of tiny needles poking her but not quite piercing her skin.

The Falcon touched down in a docking bay, which was overseen by a lengthy control room.

"I've got a bad feeling about this," Analia mumbled.

As soon as the Falcon had settled, a team of Stormtroopers surrounded the ship, each of them armed with blasters.

"Uh, Han . . ." Analia started, voice riddled with anxiety. "Any brilliant ideas?"

"Can you walk?" Han asked her.

Experimentally, Analia applied weight to her injured leg. She let out a small gasp of pain; it definitely hurt, but it was in no way agonising.

"It's bearable," she told Han. "I probably can't run, though."

Han flicked a few levers and pressed some buttons on the control panel before standing up. He rounded on Luke and pointed to Analia.

"Hold her hand. Make sure she doesn't fall."

With that being said, Han hurried from the cockpit, Ben and Chewbacca close on his tail. With his cheeks tinted a dusty shade of pink, Luke hesitantly reached out to take Analia's hand but she brusquely pulled away, grabbing her blaster instead.

"I'm fine, blondie," she brushed him off. "You got a blaster?"

Luke fondled with the lightsaber that was attached to his belt. Analia arched an eyebrow, throwing him a shrewd look.

"What?" Luke said, somewhat defensive.

Sighing, Analia shook her head exasperatedly, then she limped out of the cockpit after Han.

Han had opened a hatch in the floor and ushered the droids, Chewbacca and Ben inside. He looked up when he heard approaching footsteps and silently gestured for Analia and Luke to hurry on. To avoid further injury to her leg, Han picked Analia up and placed her inside the compartment. Then Luke jumped down and Han closed the hatch, submerging the group in darkness. Analia grimaced in disgust.

"It smells like grimy pipes down here," she complained. Her nose twitched in distaste.

"Shut up!" Han hissed.

Analia pulled her collar over her nose in an attempt to mask the smell. Someone stood down hard on her foot, eliciting a small yelp of pain.

"Sorry!" Luke whispered.

"Knock it off!" Han barked.

Footsteps echoed on the floor above, meaning that a team of troopers had probably been sent on board to search the ship. After what felt like a tedious century-long search, when the heat and the stench of the hatch had almost made Analia pass out, one of the Stormtroopers said, "There's no one here."

The footsteps receded and Analia reached for the hatch. Han seized her wrist. Somehow, despite the darkness, he had spotted her movement. Analia couldn't see Han at all, but she had spent enough time with him to be perfectly certain that he was waving an accusatory finger at her.

"Oh come on, man," Analia whined. "I'm dying in here!"

Han waited another minute or so before finally opening the hatch. Light poured inside, the overwhelming scent of dirty pipes and oil subsided slightly, and Analia relished in a gasp of somewhat fresh air.