Disclaimer: Star Wars belongs to Disney and are a creation of George Lucas. Thanks G-man.

Chapter II

Leia clenched her jaw and stood back as pilots and mechanics scurried around the hanger bay in a routine hurry. The early hours of the morning seeming to have no influence of the pace of the crew as they properly equipped the X-Wings for their secure departure. The scene was loud, haste and a bit disorganized to an outsiders eye, but the Alliance had grown accustomed to being placed in such short time predicaments that they now considered themselves specialists.

Leia jumped when a short mechanic with his hat cap placed low nf his head ran into her shoulder, nearly causing him to drop the power conduit that he'd been retrieving from a recently fueled up craft. He looked up at her, dazed from the line of his work until his eyes filled with recognition then finally shock.

He was young, to Leia's brief observation, and his tired blue eyes reminded her of Luke's.

"I'm sorry, Princess!" he swallowed and awkwardly managed the heavy weight of the conduits tangled in his arms. "I didn't see ya there!"

Leia managed a thin smile and gestured him off, insisting it was fine and that she was the one in their way and not the other way around. He nodded and scurried away, his focus quickly returning to his assigned task.

She briefly amused herself with the thought of Luke working as part of the flight crew and help prep the X-Wings instead of flying them. It was almost funny to imagine, her friend in a tan guise, scurrying around the hanger instead of his now signature orange flight suit.

I wouldn't have to worry about him every time he flew off for a mission.

The Alliance base was by no means a safe refuge for a long period of time, with the Empire constantly creeping up on them, but it was a hell of a lot safer than meeting their TIE's in close combat and trying to blow one another out of the sky.

But Luke would never agree to sitting around and hoping for his assigned X-Wing and pilot to return safely as most of the mechanical crew did. No, Luke would want to be up there, defending the innocent and the ones he cared for. She wondered if that was a heroic trait he received from his father.

She turned to the rising hum of one of the X-Wings as they started up their engines. The squirming feeling in the pit of her stomach reminded Leia of her apprehension and the reason for her being there. She had come in search of Luke to wish him luck but had yet to find him.

"Princess!"

Leia turned to find the leader of the Red Squadron, Wedge Antilles, making his way over with his helmet under arm. He stopped at her side, his shoulders rising and falling with each breath from being hard at work as everyone else.

"Lookin' for Skywalker too, huh?" he grinned and shook his head. "You'd think being leader of the Squadron for this mission he'd be first one here."

She did a quick scan of the hanger again, searching for someone who wasn't there. Somehow she already knew that, but it was Wedge who confirmed her suspicions and made her feel like she'd been wasting her time.

"I doubt he'd changed his mind," she murmured, her eyes drifting to the hanger doors for when she knew Luke would be jogging through with Artoo right on his heels any moment.

"Nah, he's not the type to let fear creep up on his last minute and hold him back. He may show up with one leg in and one leg out with his flight suit half zipped, but he'll be here. You can't hold that kid back from nothin' he's got his head set on." he teased and Leia casted him a short glance, wondering if he was just trying to lighten the mood before the teams approaching departure or he was just that confident in his friend.

"You'd follow Luke into any battle he's determined on, wouldn't you?"

Wedge's smile seemed to tone down at that, his gaze set and more earnest. "Of course, Princess. I trust Luke's judgment completely."

"Because he's a Jedi?" she insisted and the pilot shook his head after a thought.

"Because he's one of the best damn pilots the Alliance has ever seen and a good friend," he said then a smile ghosted his lips. "But don't tell him that. Can't have him gettin' any more cocky than he already is."

Leia let herself smile at that, imagining Luke brush off the praise and insist on Wedge being the better pilot and a more loyal friend. She supposed they were pretty dependent on one another after being the only two surviving pilots after the destruction of the Death Star.

She calmed at the thought that Wedge would be flying out there with Luke on this risky mission. The newly appointed Commander of the Red Squadron will watch out for Luke whenever she couldn't. She was grateful Luke had as much loyal companions as he did.

"I have a feeling he's already aware of your appraisal in him, Commander. He's annoyingly good at that."

Wedge smirked and nodded in agreement. "Sneaky little bashful that one, I swear."

Leia grinned, thinking how she couldn't agree more. "You two fly safe out there." She instructed him more sincerely. "Watch each other's backs and don't do anything too reckless."

Don't do anything that could get Luke killed.

The X-Wing pilot held up his hands. "Sorry, your highness, but no promises there." He chuckled and started receding to return to his vessel. "But I'll keep an eye out for Luke." He disclosed more genuinely. "We'll be back before you can say Calamari," he joked then paused, as if waiting to see if she'd actually take him up on it.

Either to amuse herself or the pilot, Leia opened her mouth and started to pronounce the first syllable. Wedge was gone in the next second, having turned and sprint for his X-Wing. She rolled her eyes, silently admitting that his joking helped lift the anxiousness she'd been feeling before he arrived.

A sudden swoosh of the hanger entrance doors parting informed Leia that someone new had entered the scene. Out of the corner of her eye she saw another pilot pause during ascent up the latter and grin in the newcomer's direction.

If it wasn't the change in the room's atmosphere that gave away who it was then it was definitely the relentless chirps and whistles of a certain astromech that did. Leia spun around; her arms crossed and ready to confront the tardy pair as they approached.

Luke halted in his tracks, Artoo nearly bumping into the back of his legs. Already he was looking guilty for something that probably wasn't his fault.

Leia sighed and reminded herself she wasn't here to scold Luke in his agreement for this mission or to convince him in staying. She thought long and hard about it back in her chambers and decided that silently fuming over it wasn't going to help anybody – Luke especially.

The last thing she wanted was for him to be stressed out and distracted before a mission.

She uncrossed her arms and moved forward, Luke following her action until they were up close. She always hated this – hated seeing her friends away and wishing them luck because Force knows that they'd need it.

"I spoke to Wedge," Leia started, shoving down the anxious feeling that was starting to climb up her throat. "He seems to think this mission will be a breeze as long as he's got the 'Hero' covering his tail. I expect him to do the same for you."

Luke looked clouded, opening his mouth then closing it again. "You're alright with me going then? I thought-"

Leia shook her head and swallowed the response that wanted to claim he'd better stay if he knew what was good for him. "I trust you, Luke." she assured him and tried to smile to show her confidence. "If there's anyone who can go up against three Star Destroyers and hold off numerous squads of TIE's, it's you."

Luke smiled encouragingly at her, his blue eyes revealing his relief at her admission. "Wedge really must've tried to humor you while I was away," he snickered then. "Must have been horrible."

She laughed lightly at that and in good humor swatted his arm. "He had some fine choice of words about you too you know."

Luke was still grinning. "Like what?" he challenged.

"I'll tell you when you get back."

Luke pulled her in for a hug and Leia wrapped her arms around him securely, letting his calming presence wash over her as she tried to forget her nervousness and relax. When he started to pull away to leave, Leia reached out and grasped his sleeve. He looked back at her as if expecting that she'd changed her mind about the operation.

Leia paused too, wondering if now was really the best time to ask him what she's been wanting to for the past few days. When she looked into his confused blue eyes and thought about what was ahead of him, she decided that now was not the right time. She'd ask about her nightmares after his return.

"Sorry," she apologized and let him go but he seemed hesitant to walk away. She waved him off. "It's nothing, really."

"Are you sure?"

A nearby X-Wing's engines came to life and Luke's gaze darted to them like an alarm. He still needed to check with his crew and make sure his fighter was set and ready for take off.

Leia nodded and gave him a little shove. "It can wait for when you get back,"

When he opened his mouth as if to protest she cut him off. "Hurry up before your squadron appoints a new commander and leaves without you. There's no time for standing around," She looked down to his right leg. "Tell him, Artoo."

The asrtomech's blue and silver domed head swiveled in Luke's direction in a flurry of beeps. Luke looked at his droid and frowned, knowing that Artoo was probably ripping him one for being late earlier and how the Princess was right.

Leia watched the back of his bright orange flight suit as he ran off and swerved around the passing mechanics and repair droids. She couldn't quite explain how, but she had a feeling that Luke was going to be all right and she was worrying over nothing. If she learned anything about the Tatooine native from their years spent together, it was that he could take care of himself and somehow always defy the odds.

She watched from afar as Luke was the last to climb into the cockpit of his X-Wing and the heavy canopy slowly fall overhead. For some reason she couldn't get herself to look away even though his image was muddled through the protective glass. A sudden menacing sensation washed over her then, almost causing her to bolt forward and call out for him not to go.

The feeling was gone quickly though and she was able to hold herself back from doing anything that might've embarrassed herself or Luke.

Hoping that it meant nothing, a possible side affect of stress perhaps, she watched as the X-Wings slowly lifted from the hanger floor and up past the ceiling that parted for their departure.

She immediately left as soon as Luke's was out of sight.

Leia cursed her luck and spun on the man that stopped her. She'd been on her way to her room when an officer called out to her just before she could turn the last corner and escape the busy hall. After many near sleepless nights she was going to attempt a quick nap since it was still so early in the morning. She didn't think the Alliance would miss her for an hour at the most.

The officer collected himself quickly after the glare she pointed him and stood properly. "Your highness, the Alliance Council is holding another meeting and I was instructed on informing you."

When she patted her breast pocket to check her comlink she realized that it was missing. It must still be in her room where she had used it last. How uncharacteristic of her to forget when she practically carried it around more than she did a blaster.

I must really need sleep.

"Thank you notifying me, officer. I'll make my way there now."

He nodded and instead of going his own way like she'd thought, he silently kept two steps behind her. She wanted to insist that she didn't need an escort but realized it might appear better for him if he arrived in time with her, ascertaining that he had been the one to find her and completed his assigned task.

She didn't acknowledge him the entire walk across base until they reached the conference room that she'd been in earlier that morning. The older man swiped a card then stepped aside for her to enter.

The first thing that Leia noted once in the room was that Mon Mothma was missing. Silently she was thankful for that but was curious as to what kept her committee friend from attending.

Admiral Ackbar stopped midway through a discussion with another council member and turned to Leia and the officer to her left. "Ah, Princess Leia, glad that we were able to get ahold of you. I take it you went to see the fighter squadrons departure?"

Leia walked further into the room towards the Mon Calamari. "Yes and accidently left my com. back in my quarters, thus missing your call. I apologize."

He waved a webbed hand at her. "It's nothing too urgent I can assure you, though, I would like your personal opinion on the matter. It's more of a diplomacy subject, really."

Now curious, Leia moved to a seat closer to the head of the table where he stood. The room was near empty compared to what it was that morning. Only a small handful of council members were currently present and Leia assumed that they were all called here specifically.

"Has a new planet grown sympathetic of our cause?"

After Hoth many planets and select senate members secretly recognized their cause and became supportive. The Empire pronounced Hoth to be a major Imperial win and was boosted about on just about every holonet frequency. They held nothing back about their victory and released various images and videos of the battle for the Galaxy to watch as the all mighty Empire wiped the treasonous Rebels clean off the snow banks of Hoth.

General Veers had become a very loathed name within the Alliance ranks following the battle.

"Correct, your highness, and thank the Force that it is so," Ackbar dipped in affirmative and the holoprojection at the center of the table came to life.

It felt like a switch had been flipped within her, Leia let her worrying about Luke and her nightmares all slip away as her political side came to life once more. She focused on the planet in blue pixels before her with new determination.

"This planet presents us with much opportunity," Ackbar started out as Leia eagerly listened. "One of the Empire's major Star Destroyer manufacturer plants is here along with multiple of their resource farming mines."

Leia's brows knitted in thought. "I thought this was a diplomatic matter? Are we targeting these Imperial locations next?" she inquired.

"Eventually, but only if we're given the opportunity to approach without alerting the Empire of our intonations since they rule over the sector. But quite thankfully the natives there are willingly to lend us save passage and provide cover if we help them in return. There's been a dispute between the Governor and the ones who work the mines and the workers have had enough."

Admiral Ackbar turned fully to Leia then. "It has been discussed and agreed on that we send a small, elite party down to the planet to meet with the small Rebel cell that has formed there. The specifics of our future involvement will be fashioned and contracted planet side."

When all the eyes in the room fell on her it wasn't too difficult to figure out whom they wanted to send with the team to hold the diplomatic talks. "You've all voted that I'm the one to go? Are you sure?"

General Rieekan spoke up then. "A large amount of Alderaan citizens who were off world at the time of…"

"The Death Star. I understand completely, General. Go on," Leia spoke up, tired of the subject of her planet's destruction be spoken about so pitifully.

Rieenkan nodded his understanding. "Many of the surviving citizens took to this planet because of the work it provided and their acceptance of them since the Empire refused their entry to other planets." He spoke regretfully. "As their Princess, we hope they will act loyally towards you and your cause."

Leia's fingers balled into fist on her lap. Alderaan had been considered treasonous to the Empire, resulting in its destruction, and those who survived were also labeled as so. Neighboring planets were forced by the Empire to deny her people entry. They became people without a home.

"When do we leave?" Leia said, surprising herself and the room with the sharp tone she carried.

"As soon as we prepare a proper team for your mission, your highness." Admiral Ackbar informed her.

Leia nodded and turned her attention back to the planet in the holoprojection, more than eager to load a shuttle and bury herself in her work again. Luke had his mission and now she had hers, though hers wasn't quite as perilous in comparison.

The planet of Sullust was an obsidian world of lava streams and blistering, un-swimmable turquoise lakes. She'd never been there before, and heard little about it until after the destruction of her home planet, but she couldn't wait to see what they had to offer.

Leia prayed that the Force would be kind to them and let things go smoothly on this planet. The Alliance needed this more than they were willing to admit.

AN:

Has anyone played Star Wars Battlefront? If so then you know what kind of planet this is. The amount of times I died here by the elements is quite embarrassing.