Considering the whole thing that blew up recently with Disney's TOS which I just discovered, I thought I'd adapt my disclaimer a little from now on, just to be sure. (For more details, please go over to ArchiveOfOurOwn. org, where the Organisation for Transformative Works released a clear and informative statement on this.)

This story is an unlicensed, derivative work based on the Star Wars franchise that belongs to Lucasfilm, completely independent from Disney or Disney products and not affiliated with Disney or Disney products in any way. It was made with no lucrative intent whatsoever and falls under the copyright exception of fair use

Edit: As mentioned in the summary, this work is on temporary hiatus due to personal reasons. (Nothing serious, don't worry about me!) I have every intention to continue it and finish it eventually, but I am unable to do so at the present time. All my apologies!

Despite her involvement with the Rebellion, and her knowledge of the base, Leia had actually never set foot on Yavin IV before. She knew the coordinates, the access codes, the location, but that was all. As such, she was pleasantly surprised by the sea of green that unfolded in front of her eyes as the Millenium Falcon began her descent.

"Home Base, this is Leia Organa, I repeat, this is Leia Organa," she said. "Permission requested to land."

Her codes were accepted, and the smuggler that accompanied her let himself be led to a landing platform, his Wookiee copilot next to him. The third member of the crew wasn't in the cockpit with them; Leia didn't really care where he was.

What a strange bunch they were, those three, Leia mused as they silently followed the guidance of the officers through the comm. She really hoped bringing them here hadn't been a mistake. She doubted they could afford to go to the Empire with that information, if their reaction to facing Darth Vader was any indication... but she didn't trust them. Giving them the coordinates had been a tremendous risk, one that sat deep and heavy in the pit of her guts. She hoped she wouldn't have cause to regret it.

Of them all, the Wookiee – Chewbacca, she thought she remembered – actually seemed the most reasonable. Leia couldn't understand everything he said, unfortunately, but his deep growls and his gestures were eloquent enough. The smuggler, Solo, was a bit more of a liability, but she'd met his type before. Talking money and being beautiful would be enough to win him over.

The third one, however, was the one who worried her the most.

Luke Skywalker. He looked somewhat familiar, but she had no idea what to think of him. He seemed volatile, quick to anger, emotion-driven in his decisions. On one hand, his talk, clearly pro-Imperial, was deeply alarming. He made her think of a few officers she'd met on Alderaan, on the rare occasion the Empire came to pressure them into a regulation or another: aggression-prone, arrogant, with a loyalty to their hideous regime that bordered on fanaticism.

On the other... she had seen his reaction to Darth Vader. She had witnessed his panic when he learnt the Emperor's second-in-command was on the planet, seen him throw himself at him with a lightsabre that looked very much like a Jedi's. Vader, too, had seemed interested in him. And she had caught parts of the conversation between the smuggler and him, before she and Chewbacca had come into the cockpit to coordinate the jump. Vague memories of an old broadcast, at least a couple months old, came up in her mind, and she wondered if it was possible that she had seen him there.

There was more to this boy than what it seemed at first glance, she was sure of it. Nevertheless, he remained an unknown, a potential disaster, and she wasn't comfortable bringing him to such a secret and important place.

It was a bit late for such thoughts, however. And it wasn't as if she had much of a choice.

At last, the ship touched down on the ground. The ramp opened, revealing a high stone platform surrounded by the lush green of jungle vegetation. There, an officer was waiting for them with a small wagon, no doubt to transport them on the base. It the entirety of the massive rock pyramid towering over them was occupied by their troops, Leia could see why that was necessary.

They crossed half the hangar, passing by several X-Wings, when Leia finally saw a familiar face there, easing some of her anxiety. She jumped off the wagon and went to greet him. From the corner of her eye, she could see the others stand up, hovering behind uncertainly. She was glad they had the sense not to run off on base.

"Your Highness, it is an unexpected pleasure to see you," General Willard said, a silver fox with thick eyebrows, warmth and concern in his eyes. She'd met him and the rest of the current High Command council often on Alderaan; for the most part, they were close friends of her parents', and they had often been invited at the palace, before there had been an active Rebellion to talk about and they had to go into hiding. "Your father called us to warn us of your arrival, but he didn't have much time to explain."

"I bear unfortunate news, Commander, although I feel I should wait to be in front of High Command proper to speak of it in more detail. For now, it should be enough to say that I have been compromised."

Willard nodded, frowning. "Let us make haste, then." He shot a look at her companions before addressing her again in lower tones. "And these gentlemen?"

Leia bit her lip.

"I will vouch for them," she replied, hoping once more that wouldn't turn out to be a big mistake. "It is only thanks to them that I managed to escape Darth Vader's custody."

The General's eyebrows shot up, his eyes widened. He glanced at the Falcon crew, then back at Leia. "We are truly indebted to them, then."

"We are. In exchange, I promised them shelter and compensation, which I have no doubt they will want to negotiate."

Willard nodded. "I understand. They should come with us, then."

As the General led them through the corridors, she shot a glance above her shoulder. Solo and Chewbacca were walking a few foot behind her, the smuggler raising an inquisitive eyebrow when she crossed his gaze. Skywalker was trailing a bit further back, looking around with a guarded frown as if he were trying to map the place, and looking like he'd rather be anywhere but here. Leia had to hold back a sigh.

She really, really hoped she wasn't dooming them all.

The hall in which they were meeting was huge, with high stone walls surrounding what looked like it had been a wide empty space before they came, plunged in a darkness only kept at bay by the light of their instruments. The partition walls they had erected to keep different areas separate for their sensors, comm units and analysing machines didn't even come close to reaching the high, arching ceiling, and they were dwarfed by the enormity of the place. General Willard took them zigzagging between the instruments, their footsteps echoing in the place in spite of everything they had set up, until they arrived at a wide, round holotable.

Leia took a place around it and greeted the other members of High Command that were present. Most of them were familiar: Carlist Rieekan, who was Alderaanian like her, white-bearded Jan Dodonna, that she knew to be a genius of starfighter tactics but hadn't met personally, the debonair figure of Admiral Gial Ackbar, and of course Commander-in-Chief Mon Mothma, the head of the Rebellion and one of her parents' closest friends, whom Leia greatly appreciated and admired.

"Princess Leia," she opened the meeting. "It is a joy to see you again, although the circumstances are worrying."

"They are, and I will explain it all in a moment, but I believe we should first address the matter of my arrival. These three men," she said, turning back to look at the Falcon crew, "saved me and accepted to bring me here at great peril for themselves. They should be rewarded for it."

Mon Mothma nodded, looking in their direction too.

"Gentlemen, you have our deepest thanks. What are your names and what can we do for you?"

Luke still look sullen and guarded while Chewbacca had a hand on his shoulders; despite her experience in reading sentient beings of many different species, Leia couldn't tell what he was thinking. It was Solo who took a step forward and lightly bowed his head before responding.

"I'm Han Solo, captain of the Millenium Falcon, and these are my crewmates Luke and Chewbacca. We were promised eight thousand credits for a job that, granted, we didn't get the chance to do, but I dare say bringing the princess to safety should be worth the same. I would also like to know if your Rebellion has need of smugglers with no love for the Empire and space to shelter them, 'cause we're all of that and we could do with a place to stay."

Leia didn't miss the dark glare Luke threw him, but it had no heat to it, and he didn't speak up to protest.

Mon seemed amused; Leia was sure none of her rescuers saw that on the subtlety of her facial expression, though.

"That can be arranged. The Alliance is always in need of skilful and resourceful men."

"We, ah, we'd rather not serve as soldiers, ma'am, if you don't mind. Supply runs and cargo jobs were more what we had in mind. I'm sure this isn't an unusual request and you must have other independent contractors."

Leia lightly pursed her lips. She was rather sure that hadn't been Solo's intention, but that had sounded like a clumsy attempt to fish for information. Mon Mothma, however, didn't comment on it, just gracefully inclined her head.

"I am sure we can work something out to our mutual convenience. Do you need sleep accommodations?"

"No, just a corner somewhere to keep our ship. We've got all we need otherwise."

"Very well. An officer will show you around the base. Please stay within the areas you have clearance to tread. Someone will come back to you soon to negotiate the details."

The smuggler marked his assent, and Willard let him and his two companions of the meeting room again. Mon turned to Leia again, concern written more clearly in her eyes.

"Now that we are among ourselves, please tell us what happened."

Leia took a deep breath.

"The Empire is building a new weapon. One, I'm told, capable of destroying planets."

All High Command opened wide eyes. Gial and Jan even let out gasps.

"How?"

"That is impossible! No weapon has the firepower to do such a thing!"

"Tell us what happened from the beginning," Mon asked, interrupting them. Leia was grateful: she hadn't seen the plans, she wouldn't be able to answer them. It was just as unfathomable to her. "From what Bail told us, you were leaving Ralltiir and trying to find a way to bring them supplies, is that right?"

"Yes. When I was still on Ralltiir, a local Rebel managed to approach me. His name was Basso, and he was the one who brought me that alarming information. I then managed to leave Ralltiir with considerable difficulty, because Darth Vader wanted to inspect my ship, suspecting it – rightly – to hold incriminating evidence of my involvement with the Rebellion."

She pursed her lips, a twinge of concern seizing her as she remembered the frightening talk she had had with him before he was lowered in the bacta tank for his grievous injuries.

"We then headed to Kattada, which I knew to be neutral ground and a haven of smugglers who could help me. During the trip, Basso told me everything he knew: that they call it the Death Star, that it is nearly complete, that Grand Moff Tarkin is in charge of its construction and command. According to him, he carried its plans in his brain thanks to an hypnosis technique of his people, and was going to teach us how to retrieve them once we were all in safety."

She glanced at Mon, then looked away again, staring at the holotable instead.

"Unfortunately, Vader had tracked the Tantive IV to Kattada. I only escaped thanks to the smugglers I brought here, whom I had originally commissioned to bring my shipment to the Ralltiir Rebels. My ship was captured along with all its crew and shipment."

Mon nodded, giving Leia a nod of understanding.

"So you can no longer return to Alderaan, or to the Senate."

"I am as much in need of shelter as the men who brought me here," Leia confirmed with a pang to her heart. It was a sobering thought, no longer being able to come back home... and for a long time, too, as the Empire would be seeking to arrest her until the end of the war.

A hand on her shoulder made her look up again. Mon had come closer and was now looking at her with understanding. Leia's throat closed up, and she swallowed.

"There's all the space we need here, Leia. We were lucky to find this place, it is actually quite comfortable, though it is plain by necessity."

Leia smiled at her, touched by her concern. She had known she was running a risk by working for the Rebellion. All in all, this was far better than it could have been. But reality was catching up with her, anyway, and it wasn't pleasant. She already missed the mountains of her home planet, simply because she knew she wouldn't see them again for a while.

"I'm afraid we should also refrain from contacting the Viceroy in the next few weeks," Carlist chimed in, bearing the same worried frown as the rest of them. "With the princess being compromised, he and the Queen will be under particular scrutiny. We will, of course, send him a message to tell him Her Highness has arrived safely, but I believe other communications are not worth the risk, even with our usual precautions."

That made Leia's chest ache even more, but she knew he was right. She nodded, wondering when she'd see her home or family again.

.

His hands in his pockets, Luke kicked some non-existent rocks, trying not to look too sulking on the way back to the Falcon. They were still docked on the landing platform, but had been promised a place in the Rebel hangar. Joy.

He looked around him. The vegetation was not merely green, but a very vibrant shade of it, with from time to time a colourful flower to add some diversity. Luke felt as though it was going to attack him any moment. The air was so moist it was suffocating, which didn't help the ants crawling through his limbs.

A Rebel base. He was on a Rebel base. He still had trouble to believe it.

It was... quite different from what he'd imagined, too. He hadn't spend a lot of time thinking about it, but he supposed in a corner of his head he'd pictured it somewhat similar to the Academy, with typical Imperial grey walls, all square and angles and minutely set up. He hadn't expected the imposing ancient temples, the damp warmth of the jungle, the improvised installations, the clever layout despite a clear lack of funds. The organisation was the one thing that was as he had it pictured, and yet... despite that this was all too clearly a military base, and how everybody he had seen had seemed even busier than in Imperial territory, the atmosphere felt less strict, nearly laid-back, without losing any of its efficiency. It was jarring, to say the least. Luke found himself intrigued.

He sat in the cockpit as Han and Chewbacca manoeuvred the Falcon into the Rebel hangar, guided by the officers of the control tower. He supposed it would be better than to have to walk through the jungle all the time, if they were staying here for a long while. But it did mean they were staying here, and that still wasn't something he was happy about.

Chewie and Han left to explore the areas they had been allowed to explore, leaving him behind with Weefour for company. Luke was grateful for it; he loved his crew mates, and was very grateful for them, but he was feeling like having some alone time now.

He hovered in the hangar, feeling aimless, lost. A shiver ran through him, and he regretted not putting on his cloak. The temperature was colder here, and so less suffocating, but it was no less humid. The cold seemed to seep inside his bones, somehow worse than even Tatooine nights.

His little droid companion softly whistled. Luke looked at him.

"You also feel out of place? 'Cause I certainly do..."

Weefour bleeped and rolled closer to him.

Luke walked around, stopping to stare at one of the X-Wings but not daring come too close. So that was the infamous ship that caused them so much trouble. It was strange, to see one so closely. How many of them had Luke taken down in battle...?

"Luke?"

He jumped, turned around, searched the source of the voice. His hand went to his hip where he kept his blaster.

But the figure walking towards him was a well-known one, and Luke relaxed. Dark hair and moustache, a bright orange flight suit, a few centimetres taller than him...

"Biggs!"

He threw himself at him, both of them laughing. Biggs squeezed Luke's upper arms.

"It's so great to see you here! When did you arrive?"

"Just now, actually," Luke answered, grinning as wide as his friend. "In the junk pile right over there. She doesn't look like much but she's never failed us yet."

Biggs snorted.

"Yeah, I see what you mean. We flew worse, right?"

"Right." Luke smiled, remembering all their stupid stunts on Tatooine.

Stars, he'd missed Biggs more than he'd realised. He hadn't expected to meet him here, even knowing he had joined the Rebellion; seeing him in good health, alive, seemingly happy, took a great weight off his shoulders.

"So how'd you land here with that ship anyway? I thought you were serving in the, you know." He lowered his voice. "With the Imps."

Luke did his best not to wince.

"I... quit. Was forcibly defected, more like," he said. "Long story. But anyway, you'll never believe it. We rescued an Alderaanian princess from the Empire."

"What? Princess Leia?" Biggs opened wide eyes. "What happened?"

"Yeah, that's her. She's... something. And she promised us shelter here, so... we're probably staying for a while."

Luke tried his best not to let out just what he thought of such a perspective. Fortunately, Biggs didn't seem to pick up on it, just pat Luke on the back.

"That's fantastic! Stars, Luke, it's been so long. There's so much we need to talk about."

He took him towards the exit of the hangar, in the sun, which was a wonderful idea in Luke's mind, as his teeth had nearly begun to chatter.

"I know! I want to hear everything. Is Hobbie here too?"

"Yeah, we've stuck together ever since leaving the Academy. I have to introduce you to the peeps in Red Squadron, you'll get along terrifically. I'll slip in a word to Command, we could use one more pilot, it'd be great if you were allowed to fly with us..."

Luke slowed down, lead falling in his guts as inexplicable anger rose in him. Of course Biggs thought he'd defected. It was a natural conclusion to make. He had no reason to be so upset at the mere idea that someone could mistake him for a Rebel.

"No, no way in hell," he said, a bit drier than he'd intended. He swallowed, tried again. "Biggs, I'm not serving. Me and my crew, we're more... independent contractors."

Biggs threw him a confused look.

"What? But I thought you'd defected from the Navy? You didn't come here to join...?"

An electronic noise of protest interrupted them, for which Luke was thankful. Weefour had followed them as they started walking in the jungle, and was apparently not appreciating the landscape, as a creeper had been stuck in his wheels.

"Oh no! I'm so sorry, buddy. Don't move, I'll fix that up in a minute."

He knelt down next to the little droid and lifted one side of him, carefully fishing for the plant that had entered the mechanism, coiling itself around the wheel.

"He's an imperial astromech?" Biggs asked, frowning.

"Yeah," Luke replied, biting his lip. The vine had stuck itself deep, maybe it'd be easier to break it... "This little guy and I, we've been through a lot together."

"And you're sure he's not a plant?"

Luke turned his head to look at Biggs. He had his arms crossed, all the excitement gone from his face as he warily looked between Weefour and Luke.

"Yes. We've checked for bugs and trackers," he said, pulling on the plant a bit too strongly. Weefour wailed, but it broke, and Luke only had to clean it up before the droid was fully functional again. Luke patted him on the dome, then rose and looked his friend in the eye.

"I can't go back to the Empire, Biggs. I don't really want them to find me, either. I'm not here to betray your base."

Biggs winced, looking sheepish.

"I'm sorry, Luke. That's not what I meant – I'm genuinely glad you're here, you know."

Luke managed to give him a tight smile, but avoided his gaze. It was stupid, to be upset about such a tiny thing. It was a natural thing to worry about – they had also wondered if Weefour wasn't carrying tracking equipment. But for some reason, rage wouldn't uncoil from his guts, a boiling feeling deep inside him that he couldn't let go of. He took a deep breath, then another.

The silence stretched between them as they walked on, awkward. Luke was looking down at the path, clearing it so Weefour wouldn't trip on vegetation again... and if it felt good to kick rocks and leaves away from the path, all the better.

"Speaking of the Empire, you didn't tell me how your posting was," Biggs asked, tentative but clearly curious. "Did they really assign you to Black Squadron? Did you really serve under Darth Vader?"

Luke closed his eyes, his anger suddenly flaring at his friend's nosiness, even though there was absolutely no reason for it. His heartbeat picked up, and he suddenly wished to be alone, away from Biggs, away from any intrusive questions.

Or even completely innocent ones. What was wrong with him?

"Yeah," he said. "That's where they put me."

There was silence again, but Luke couldn't bring himself to elaborate. That time was over, he thought with intense bitterness. Biggs could have known it all for himself if he hadn't defected, if he hadn't joined the Rebels. Luke didn't owe him anything.

He closed his fists, annoyed to notice his hands were slightly shaking.

"... Right," Biggs said, clearing his throat. "We should get back inside. Wait a second, you just arrived, didn't you? I know what you're going to love. We have water showers here!"

"Water showers?"

Luke had known they existed, and he'd always thought the concept incredibly wasteful. Still, he was incredibly curious; everybody said it was so much nicer than sonics...

"Yeah, jungle planet, water's not what's lacking," Biggs laughed. "Come, I'll show you where they are. Then maybe we can go meet the squad for dinner."

"Sure," Luke replied without much enthusiasm. He wasn't too keen on meeting the other Rebels, but he had wondered about Hobbie. Right now, though, the shower sounded really great. He'd have gladly gotten a nap on the Falcon, too. He felt weary and tired, deep into his bones.

But he didn't say anything about it, following Biggs back into the maze of the huge stone structure instead.