Chapter 31 - Attack and Infiltration (1/2)

Takodana Planet - Maz Kanata's Castle

The night passed extremely fast and for the engineers and technicians the morning was not welcomed at all and they wished that they could have at least one week more. They had no time for these useless thoughts, though and they kept working using every remaining minute they still had until the time of he attack started.

- ”One hour and thirteen minutes for the attack!”- said a voice all over the installations and many of the workers could only swear and insult the voice who was now the target of their hate and frustration.

In one of the chambers of the Takodana Castle, Leia had been awake for a long time and was watching the still asleep face of his husband who just as usual looked extremely innocent and in her opinion cute. It was just a very contrasting figure of the one that he normally had which was full of cunningness and bravado and she had always loved to stay there every morning and watch this face of the valiant Han Solo that only she knew.

- ”If only you could show this cuteness when you were awake”- she thought pinching his nose which made Han's face contort in dispeasure.

Leia had returned to her chambers very late and even though she was tired, she was still ready to work but she knew that it was better to rest and be at full capacity for the next day. The door had opened and Han had entered and just as her, he looked ready for fighting at any moment but she supposed that he also had the same idea as her.

- ”Everything ready?”- had asked Leia

- ”As ready as it can be”- had replied Han taking off his jacket- ”what about your side?”

- ”People are skeptic... I can see it in their eyes”- had said Leia changing her clothes for more comfortable ones- ”but since there's no other alternative they are just rolling with it with all they have.”

- ”All will go fine”- said Han smiling with a tone that showed he had no doubts at all.

- ”I wish I could share your optimism”- had said Leia- many things can go wrong... the first time I heard about your plan I really wanted to strangle you...”

- ”Haha, yeah. I could see your eyes burning”- Han had laughed at her comment- ”You should have seen your face.”

- ”It's not funny, Han”- said Leia with a angry and worried face- ”do you really thing it would work?”

Han advanced to his wife and put his hands on her shoulders to calm her down. He saw Leia pouting and he felt she hasn't changed at all. In his eyes, she was still as cute and pretty as she was the first time they have met.

- ”I never remember you having such faith in the 'mumbo jumbo' before”- said Leia smiling after hearing what he had said.

- ”In moments like this, I'll believe anything”- had said Han using his most shameless expression- ”but after seen all the things I've seen, it would be foolish to just deny the existence of that power, don't you think?”

- ”I'm sure Luke will be happy to hear.”- had said Leia with shining eyes and teasing voice.

- ”You don't tell him!”- had said Han panicking. Even though he already knew the Force was real, accepting it in front of Luke would make him lose face after years of mocking it.

Both of them laughed and they finished changing and entered the bed holding hands. Leia's smile turned into a sad one.

- ”Still... I'm worried”- said she avoiding Han's eyes.

- ”You know how difficult is to kill me”- said Han with confidence grabbing Leia's chin and making her looked directly at his eyes.

- ”Just like an Mixentorn Rat roach”- said Leia remembering a joke that Lando made once when Han survived an impossible situation in his words

-”It's just another mission”- said Han whose positivism was contagious- ”I'll go and return as usual so you can scold me for being imprudent as you love to do.”

- ”What are you talking about?”- said Han with a hurt expression- ”every time I go on a mission what I really look forward is to your scolding. Haven't I told you how cute you look when you are angry?”

- ”Ha!”- said Leia punching Han's ċhėst playfully- ”Now I understand why you make me mad all the time.”

- ”Of course it is to see you cute angry face”- said Han laughing- ”also, didn't you tell me many times to just go away and never return after we fight?”

- ”You know that no matter how much we fought...”- said Leia with a red face- ”I've always hated watching you leave.”

- ”That's why I did it”- said Han with a ċȯċky expression- ”So you'd miss me.”

Leia punch Han in the ċhėst again to make it change that face but it only made Han to smile wider and then she just put her face on his ċhėst so he could not see her face

- ”I did miss you...”- said Leia and Han changed his ċȯċky grin for a tender smile and hugged her.

- ”You know...”- said Han soflty- ”for someone who complains a lot about me, I wasn't that bad, was I? Huh? Some of it was... good.”

- ”Pretty good.”- said Leia smiling- ”but I'll still scold you when necessary.”

- ”True. You still drive me crazy....”- after a moment of doubt she looked at his eyes - ”If you see him...”

- ”I know...”- said Han and he shared the same sad expression of his wife- ”I'll bring him back...”

They kissed tenderly and they went to sleep knowing that the next day they would have a very long day and they slept in each other arms. And now Leia was looking at him waking up slowly knowing that the battle would be extremely hard. Knowing this she hugged Han one more time and prayed remember him, Luke and all the people who were going to fight that day.

- ”Please... let them all be safe...”- she said even though she knew she was asking too much- ”protect all of them and... protect that person too”

(...)

Even though the night had not stopped the activity in the Takodana headquarters, the dawn brought even more stir as if someone had hit a beehive and all the insects were now going out in a furious buzz. The technicians and engineers were giving the last touches to the star fighters being in the circuits or in the systems. The pilots went running to the barracks to get their equipment and others who had gone earlier were already going to the hangars to prepare to fly. Many of them said good bye to their loved ones and many others left messages behind just in case but now everyone seemed focused and ready for the battle that was about to ocurr.

- ”Good luck out there”- said Poe who was working in his X-wing when he saw Finn who was looking for Han and Chewee.

- ”You too”- said Finn and they shook hands with a smile- ”How you feeling, BB8?”

- ”Ready for another battle with me?”- shouted Poe looking at his partner with affection

- ”I'll be in your care once again”- said Poe smiling.

The little droid was already in Poe's modified X-wing doing some adjustments to make the machine ready for battle. Finn slapped Poe's back and continued his way and arrived to the Millennium Falcon that was being repaired by Chewee and Han.

- ”Hey, Big Deal”- greeted Han while configurating the systems- ”put those boxes in the ship's storage”

- ”Yes, Sir”- said Finn grabvbing the heavy boxes and wondering what were in them.

- ”Chewee!”- called Han and the wookie appeared with some tools- ”check the thermal Capacitator... it's very unstable.”

- ”Greeeeargggorrr”- said Chewee in an annoyed tone.

- ”They did their best!”- replied Han shaking his head- ”they don't know the Falcon as well as we do. Just do what you can we have no time!”

Finn returned for the second round of boxes and he left a circular black sphere fall into the ground. He simply picked it up and placed it where it was before.

- ”Be careful with those, Kid”- said Han looking at Finn with impatience- ”They're explosives.”

- ”Stop teasing him so much, Han”- said Luke who had arrived along with Leia and R2D2- ”they are not activated yet, Finn. Don't worry.”

- ”If you tell him that, he will only do it more”- said Leia looking at Han with a hardened expression.

- ”Tsk... you never let me have fun”- said Han looking at the two siblings with a naughty grin- ”keep working , Kid. I'll be right back.”

- ”R2... help them with the configuration of the systems”- asked Luke.

Chewee came back and saw the arrivals and immediately went to them for a hug. They all walked away some meters and started to talk.

- ”Take care there all of you”- said Leia whose voice trembled a little- ”I'll be with Maz in the attack.”

- ”With Luke and Chewee by my side, Snoke himself would have to fight us if they want to have a chance”- said Han with confidence- ”it's you who should be careful.”

- ”In this attack nobody will be safe so let's all fight in our way”- said Leia

and then she looked at Chewee- ”I'll leave him in your hands. Don't let him do anything too stupid”

- ”We'll be fine, Sis”- said Luke placing a hand on her shoulder- ”let's go for a drink after this like in the old times”

- ”Haha! It will be an amazing sight to see a Jedi Master drunk again”- said Han laughing at the memory of a tipsy Luke.

The three laughed together and then Leia grabbed them all in a hug that she wanted to last for an eternity.

- ”May the Force be with you!”- she said with a voice that seemed to be used for a prayer- ”I love you all!”

The three stayed like that for some minutes and then Leia kissed all of them and saw them got into the Millennium Falcon while having a huge pressure in her ċhėst. Hwever, she just controled her emotions and hardened herself and went to meet Maz who was surely finishing her preparations.

(...)

Star Killer Base

Kylo Ren was putting his armor on and preparing to depart. He clenched his gloves to test the movement restriction and then he put on the metal bracer on his arm to finish with most of his armor doned. He felt the soft sound behind him and he took a glance of the figure that was also dressing up and placing the armor all around her body on the other side of the room. If any Stormtrooper were to see the figure he would immediately recognize the cold and threatening person of Captain Phasma.

- ”How are the preparations?”- asked Kylo Ren using a cold and detached tone.

- ”They are ready since yesterday”- said Captain Phasma using the same tone as his. Even though she had spent the night in Kylo Ren's chambers, her voice did not contain any shred of warm or sweetness like any other person in the same situation. The truth was that she had visited Kylo Ren many times before and this was their typical behaviour- ”today we'll have another victory.”

- ”Don't understimate the enemy.”- scolded Kylo Ren while putting on his cloak knowing that this battle would be different.

- ”I won't...”- said Phasma accomodating her beautiful silver short hair which shone with an hypnotic glint- ”but I don't fear them either.”

She put on her helmet and passed Kylo his. She was a fearless woman who waas ready to kill every second and even now that she was handing the helmet to Kylo Ren, he noticed the calculations she was doing with her posture and distance. If he were to try something, she would be ready to act. Kylo Ren received the helmet with a natural move and made no further action knowing her behaviour very well. If she were a weak woman, she would have never tried to have this kind of relationship with him and even though he would never admit it, Kylo Ren respected that in her.

- ”Don't die”- said she simply while walking to the door- ”but if you do, do it in a glorious way.”

Kylo did not answer and just saw her figure dissapear without giving him a second glance. There were no hopeful nor romantic phrases between them since they did not need them. Their relationship was one of convenience and usefulness. Neither he nor she showed any kind of attachments or feelings since they knew that would only hold them back. They both had their own agendas and goals and they would use each other to get them. No more and no less. Kylo Ren knew that she would sacrifice him with no doubt whatsoever if one day he were to be an obstacle for her and he would do the same with no regrets also.

- ”Three hours for next attack”- said a voice by the intercom- ”all units go to your stations and prepare for battle.”

After placing the helmet and his weapons on his person, Kylo Ren also got out of his chambers and walked in direction to the main quarters to finish the last details with the Knights of Ren. Today may very well be the end of the Resistance and another step for him to get necessary power and escape his fate.

- ”Lord Ren”- saluted an officer when he entered the meeting place. The Four Knights of Ren and the squads under his orders present also saluted and waited for his orders.

- ”Today we destroy the Resistance”- said Kylo Ren with his cold and robotic voice- ”Our mission is different from that from the rest, though. We only have two targets... Luke Skywalker and Han Solo.”

He activated a holgraphic displayer and the people around them could see their profiles clearly. Kylo Ren pointed at them with a decisive expression.