FLYING SOLO ➳ luke skywalker

FIVE! YOUR HIGHNESS

PRINCESS Leia. That was who R2-D2 had found. The second she heard her name, the second Luke asked where exactly in the space station the princess was, Analia broke out in a cold sweat.

"I'm afraid she's scheduled to be terminated," C-3PO said.

Luke's face fell, and in turn, Analia's stomach dropped. 

"We've gotta do something," Luke said.

Now, this should have been fine with Analia; the poor princess was scheduled for execution and any decent person would want to save her. And if it was anyone but the princess of Alderaan, Analia wouldn't hesitate to rescue them. But, well, it was the princess of Alderaan. In rescuing her, Analia would be taking a very, very big risk. Bad enough she had ended up on a ship with Ben Kenobi, but Princess Leia?

"What are you talking about?" Han demanded.

"The droids belong to her," Luke explained. "She's the one in the message. We gotta help her."

"What message?" Truthfully, Analia did not care about the message. She was just desperate to stall for time until Old Ben returned. From Ben Kenobi to getting stuck in an Imperial space station to potentially being roped into a mission to rescue the princess of Alderaan, Analia was sure her luck couldn't get any worse.

"R2's carrying a message from the princess," Luke elucidated. "She was asking for Ben, that's why we needed to get to Alderaan. But if she's here, we have to help her."

"Now look, don't get any funny ideas," Han argued. "The old man wants us to wait right here."

Luke brushed him off, stepping up beside C-3PO. "He didn't know she was here. If we could just find a way into that detention block."

Han slumped back in a seat. "I'm not going anywhere."

Analia nodded firmly in agreement. Please, please, please, she silently begged.

"They're gonna execute her," Luke said. "Look, a few minutes ago you said you didn't want to just wait here to be captured. Now you want to stay?"

"Marching into the detention area is not what I had in mind!"

"But they're gonna kill her!"

"Better her than me." Han swivelled around in his chair, and Analia nodded in agreement once more. Look, she felt bad for the princess. Really, if it was anyone else, she would have been more than happy to help. But Analia had a years-long policy of saving her own skin before others', and she wasn't about to switch up now.

Luke turned away, jaw clenched in aggravation. To Analia's relief, it seemed as though Luke was going to give up on arguing with Han, but she saw the exact moment an idea sparked in the boy's stupid blue eyes. He leaned on Han's chair, dropping his voice to an enticing whisper.

"She's rich."

Chewbacca grumbled, intrigued. Analia wanted to put her blaster in her mouth.

Han's face lit up, and he slowly turned in his chair. "Rich?"

It took all of Analia's strength not to shoot Han and then herself.

"Rich, powerful," Luke nodded. "Listen, if you were to rescue her, the reward would be . . ."

"What?"

"Well, more wealth than you can imagine."

"I don't know, I can imagine quite a bit."

"You won't get your money if you get killed," Analia cut in, growing desperate now. She could feel sweat pooling in her armpits.

Han got suddenly to his feet. "And I'll get killed if I don't get my money," he said, rounding on Luke. "Alright, kid. You better be right about this."