StarWars!AU

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From Indiana Darling

.

"Well, well, well," drawls Charlotte. "If it isn't the Dark Lord himself come to taint my ship."

"Have you considered growing up, Princess."

"I organized this mission. Tell me, how much were you involved in yours? Oh, right, not at all. Your better half did all the work, as usual."

The Storm Lord attends his next agenda. "Take her away."

.

"In here," orders Charlotte.

"But-what--"

She shoves them into a maintenance hallway.

A sanitation worker trundles by.

Charlotte does an incredible imitation of a mouse droid.

The worker checks their comm, wheels back--

Jackson and Chuck arm themselves--

Charlotte holds up her hand.

The worker joins them in the hall.

"Sasha," greets Charlotte.

"Princess," replies the worker, handing her a bag.

"Thank you." Charlotte starts on her dress.

Jackson splutters.

Alexi covers Chuck's eyes.

Sasha unzips her jumpsuit--she's wearing a uniform underneath.

"This plan finally paid off." Charlotte's also in a uniform and fixing her hair.

"That it did." Sasha changes her shoes.

Charlotte straightens her jacket, casts a critical eye over her reflection.

"Only two," remarks Sasha.

Charlotte turns to Jackson, Chuck, and Alexi with her jaw set to 'I'm going give orders know and you're going to listen'.

Jackson scowls.

"Ginger, walk two steps behind me on my left. Scruffy--"

"Oi!"

"You walk behind the Wall." She smiles apologetically at Alexi. "You're gonna have to play prisoner, sorry."

Alexi sighs.

"What's the plan?" asks Chuck.

"The lot of you do /exactly as I say." Charlotte debates in her head. Finally, "We're going to walk straight to your ship and fly right out of here."

"Are you /nuts?" hisses Jackson.

Charlotte looks at him with the full weight of Princess of Alderaan.

Jackson shuffles his feet.

"Do we have an understanding?"

"Yes," grumps Chuck.

Alexi grunts.

Jackson grumbles.

"Where's your ship?"

"Main hangar," says Chuck.

Charlotte thinks.

"Do-able," says Sasha.

"Alright." Charlotte adjusts her hat one last time. "Sasha?"

Sasha takes position by Charlotte's right hand.

Charlotte takes a deep breath and leads them into the main hall.

They come up on a squad of troopers in three turns.

"You lot," orders Charlotte. "With me."

The troopers turn on their heels and fall into formation around Alexi.

They march down to the main hangar.

"My word," sneers Charlotte. "What a pile of scrap."

Jackson stays. calm.

"Remain here," says Charlotte To Jackson and Chuck. "You, two." Motions them to follow her up the gangway.

"What about the tractor beam?" hisses Chuck as they march out of sight.

Charlotte looks down her nose at Alexi. "Flight deck?"

He grunts, leads them to the front of the ship.

Chuck eyeballs the orange sun glowing softly just below the mesh of the ceiling.

"Access the computer," orders Charlotte.

All systems 'go' except for--

Charlotte makes a sound of disgust. "The tractor beam's interfering with the main systems."

Sasha hands her the comm.

Charlotte thumbs it on, mutters, "Stupid antique." Clears her throat. "Disable the tractor beam."

""Tractor beam disabled.""

Charlotte smirks. "Copy." Turns off the comm. "we can leave any time."

"My friends're still out there," says Chuck.

"Why aren't they here?" Charlotte demands.

Jackson ruffles. "Tamsin went to turn off the tractor beam and the droids were helping us find you, /Princess."

Charlotte glares. "Good thing we have as much time as we want." To Chuck, "Call them back, please."

Chuck opens his comm. "Typhoon? We're getting ready to leave. Have eyes on Tamsin?"

""She's heading your way,"" reports Cheung.

""And so are we!"" chirps Jin.

"See you guys soon."

""Bye!"" replies Hu.

Chuck turns off the comm.

Charlotte thumbs hers onto a private channel with the troopers. "I need some droids down here." Closes it, waits a moment, reopens the channel. "Copy." Turns it off. "Now they won't wonder why droids are boarding and no one'll send any others."

.

Mako creeps from the ceiling, slips into the floor, and out of the ship from an exhaust port.

She sees Tamsin.

She sees Lord Blue.

She sees Lord Blue's lightsaber swing.

She sees Tamsin's lightsaber deactivate.

She sees Tamsin's empty robes.

She stifles a scream behind her hand.

The back of her neck prickles.

She crawls back up the exhaust port, bolts the cover back in place, and drifts to the flight deck. "We can leave as soon as the droids return."

The colour drains from Chuck's face.