"Catherine what are you doing? Why weren't you on a transport?" Luke asked worriedly as he spotted Catherine in her fighter.

"Couldn't make it the way wound up being blocked." I replied with a shrug.

"Why didn't you go with Han and the others on the falcon?" Luke asked confused and worried at the same time.

"Maybe because I wanted to proved that I am capable of more then they give me credit for." I replied with a frown.

"You can't fly a ship your what? 9?"

"I have you know I've been flying ships since I was four." I replied with a frown.

"Yeah right."

"No seriously. My former Master use to force me to fly in the pod races on Tattooine. I know how to fly a pod racer I should be able to fly any ship. I mean, how different can they be?"

"Is it even capable of flying?"

"Maybe, I don't know, I guess I'll find out soon enough won't I?" I replied with a shrug it wasn't as if I cared.

Luke sighed and took off. "Alright R2 get her ready for take off."

"Good luck Luke and may the force be with you."

"Same to you Catherine. See you guys at the Rendezvous." Luke nodded.

"We're going we're going." Luke said as R2 beeped at him worriedly. Once in flight Luke switched off his computer. "There's nothing wrong R2 I'm just setting a new course." R2 beeped at him confused. "we're not going to Rendezvous with the others." R2 beeped at him in protest and confusion. "We're going to the Dagobah system." R2 beeped at him again and Luke smiled. "That's ok I'd like to keep it on Manuel for a while." Luke replied.

Meanwhile back on the planet below I was still trying desperately to get the ship's engines to start. "You there, in the ship, Stay where you are! Put your hands where I can see them." A storm trooper called to me his blaster aimed directly at me. "Inform Lord Vader that we have captured a prisoner." With that the storm trooper motioned with his blaster for me to exit the ship. I reluctantly did as instructed. After all, there was little chance of escape.

"What have we here?" Vader demanded as he approached.

"We found this rebel attempting to escape." The storm trooper replied shoving me forward.

"Haven't I seen you somewhere before?"

"Yes sir." I replied lowering my eyes to the floor.

"Your Lieutenant Leeson's little girl aren't you?"

"Not anymore." I whispered with a slight frown blinking back the tears that were threatening to fall.

"Come with me." Vader replied.

"As you wish." I replied with a slight bow with that I quickly followed behind Lord Vader.

"I know that you are that little girl I met so many years ago. I never forget a face if I'm not mistaken your name is Catherine is it not?" Vader asked as we boarded his ship.

"Yes sir."

"Tell me Catherine how did you come to be associated with these rebels?"

"It's a long story sir. One I'm sure you don't have the time to spare listening too." I replied with a sigh.

"That's no way to answer Lord Vader girl." A nearby officer replied with a frown hitting me across the face.

To my surprise the officer was lifted up in the air and he began to choke. "If I wanted your assistance I would have asked for it." Vader said ominously. "

"I'm sorry sir, my mistake. I won't let it happen again." The officer replied gasping for breath. Vader waved his hand slightly and the officer could breath once more.

"See that you don't." Vader replied then turning to face me he replied "Now, Catherine, I will ask this only one more time before I am forced to use more drastic, and rather uncivilized methods. How did you come to be on that base? Why aren't you with your father? Why aren't you with Lieutenant Leeson? Or at least at the academy?" Vader asked.

My eyes flashed with anger at the mention of the Lieutenant's name and I frowned. "He isn't my father, he found me as a infant and chose to waise me as his own. Howevea, when Me was three he abandoned me, he wanted nothing more to do with me after his daughter was bown."

"I am sorry to hear that. So why aren't you at the academy?" Vader asked.

"He decided that due to not knowing my pawentage that I would be too much of a secuwity wisk to wet me to be twained at the academy. He wanted me sent to the neawesr detention faciwity and that I was to wemain there until Me was old enough to be executed. Howevea, Me found myself being sold as a swabe on the planet of Tattooine instead. Me was sold to Demon Cruix who raised me until he lost a bet with Boba Fett. Boba then became my masta however, he wefused to see me as a swabe and instead chose to say that he was my guardian not my masta. He twained me to be a Mandelowian wawwia and a wuthwess bounty huntea. Not that any of that twaining did me any good. Me was kidnapped and sowd as a swabe to Jabba the Hutt. Neither Boba owa Demon tiwed bewwy hawd to obtain me fweedom fwom that swug. Me guess neitha fewt dat me was wowth the time owa money to twy and weacue me." I replied my throats starting to swell up and tears threatening to fall. "Me sowwy but I weawwy don't want to tawk about me past anymowa. Go ahead, make me go bye bye, you'd be doing me a favoa. No one cawes about me. Not even my "so called fweinds. Wike the storm troopea said, they took off without me."

"I am not going to kill you. However, I think it's time you were returned to your father."

"Weren't you listening? I have no father. I am an unwanted, unloved and seen as a burden wherever I go. As far as anyone is concerned I can't do anything right." I replied my sadness replaced with anger and frustration causing nearby containers to collapse in on themselves.
Vader could sense a serge of power emanating from the force and couldn't help but wonder if I was the cause.

"Sir I hate to interrupt but we are about to dock in the cargo bay. What would you like done with the prisoner upon our arrival?"

"Nothing. She is not a prisoner."

"But...."

"I'd think twice before you finish that sentence." Vader warned. "She is my guest and you are to make sure our young guest is provided anything she might need."

"Yes Lord Vader."

Vader headed towards the command deck and I followed quickly behind him. Meanwhile back on the falcon Han seems to be trying to do several things as once. Chewie let's out a low howl. "I saw them I saw them." Han replies quickly.

"Saw what?" Leia asks worriedly.

"Star destroyers two of them coming right at us." Han replied.

"Sir, sir, might I suggest that we..."

"Shut him up or shut him down." Han replied irritatedly. Turning to Chewie he replied "try the deflector shield."

"Oh great. Well we can still out menuver them." Han replied flying the falcon towards what looked like a collision course with the nearby star Destroyer.

"Take Evasive action!" An officer ordered.

The falcon is buffeted by laser blasts. "Prepare to make the jump to light speed." Han told Chewie who nodded.

"But sir." 3Po tried to reply.

"They are getting closer." Leia replied worriedly.

"Oh yeah? Watch this." Han replies punching a nearby console which results in absolutely nothing.

"Watch what?" Leia replies.

Han tries the hyper drive again and still nothing. "I think we are in trouble." Han mutters.

"If I may say so sir, I noticed earlier that the hyper drive motivator has been damaged it's impossible to go into hyper space."3Po replied.

Han nods his head and replies "we're in trouble." Han tries several different things but nothing seems to work and he is staring to get irritated. "Well that's not it! Bring me the hydrospaners." He calls to Chewie who rushes to do as he is asked. "I don't know how we are going to get out of this one." Han mutters. Suddenly the ship is hit by a loud thump causing it to learch forward causing all the tools to come falling down on top of Han. "Ow! Chewie!" Han replies irritatedly. "That was no blaster fire we hit something." Han replies worriedly.

"Han get up here." Leia calls to him.

"Come on Chewie." Han motions as he heads back up to the cockpit.

"Asteroids." Leia replies pointing out the window.

"Oh no." Han groans. "Chewie, set two seven one."

"What are you doing? Your not actually going into an asteroid field?" Leia asks shocked.

"They'd be crazy to follow us wouldn't they?" Han replies.

"You don't have to do this to impress me." Leia replies worriedly.

"Sir the possiblity of successfully navigating a asteroid field is three thousand seven hundred twenty to one." 3Po replies.

"Never tell me the odds!" Han replies. With that he flys the falcon into the astroid field.
As the ship is hit by and tossed about by several small astroids Han looks at Leia. "You said you wanted to be around when I made a mistake? Well this might be it Sweetheart."

"I take it back. We're going to get pulverized if we stay out here much longer."

"I'm not going to argue with you there." Han replied.

"Pulverized?" 3Po replies worriedly.

"I'm going to get closer to that big one." Han replies suddenly.

"Closer?" Leia asks in disbelief.

"Closer?" 3Po echoes terrified. "Oh this is suicide." 3Po groans.

"There that looks good." Han says quietly.

"What looks good?" Leia asks confused.

"Yeah that'll do nicely." Han replies not answering Leia's question.

"Excuse me ma'am but where are we going?" 3Po asks his anxiety growing rapidly with every passing minute.

"I hope you know what your doing." Leia says to Han.

"Yeah me too." Han muttered.

After successfully landing inside a small crater in a large astroid Han and Chewie go about trying to fix the falcons issues.

"Oh where's R2 when I need him?" C3Po muttered he tried talking with the falcon's computer. "I don't know where your ship learned to communicate Sir your it has a rather unusual dialect. I believe that it says that the power coupling on the negative axsis has been polarized I'm afraid your going to have to replace it." 3Po told Han.

"Well of course I'm going to have to replace it." Han replied irritatedly as if he had known the problem the whole time. Then looking up to where Chewie was working on repairs he says quietly "oh and Chewie, I think we'd better replace the negative power coupling."

Han notices that Leia needs help with the task that she has been helping with a goes to assist her. She rebuffs his attempts to help and he frowns. "Hay Your Worship, I was only trying to help."

"Would you stop calling me that!" Leia replies irritatedly.

"Sure Leia." Han replies hearing a different tone in her voice.

"Oh! You make it so difficult sometimes." Leia says looking at Han.

"I do I really do. You could be a little nicer though." Watching her reaction he continues "come on admit it sometimes you think I'm all right." Han said with a smile.

Letting go of the leaver that she's been working on she rubs her hand which is beginning to cramp up. "Occasionally when you aren't acting like a scoundrel." Leia replies with a slight smile.

"Me? A scoundrel? Scoundrel? Humm I like the sound of that." Han replies taking Leia's hand and massaging it.

"Stop that." Leia replies.

"Stop what?" Han asks making her blush slightly.

"My hands are dirty." Leia replies.

"My hands are dirty too what are you afraid of?" Han asks.

"Afraid?" Leia replies confused looking into Han's deep brown eyes.

"Your trembling." Han replies taking her hand once more.

"I'm not trembling." Leia try's to deny.

Han pulls Leia closer to him. "You like me because I'm a scoundrel. There aren't enough scoundrels in your life." Han replies with a smile.

"I happen to like nice men." Leia replies trying to deny her feelings.

"I'm a nice man." Han replies.

"No your not your a..." Leia is unable to finish her sentence as Han pulls her into a kiss which is very passionate. She wants to protest but can't find the strength to do so. Han pauses momentarily so she can catch her breath he is about to continue with the kiss when he is tapped oh his shoulder by a very excited C3PO.

"Sir, sir I've isolated the reverse power coupling."

Han turns slowly towards C3PO with a deep frown "thank you, thank you very much!" He replies sarcastically.

"Oh your very welcome sir." C3PO replies Han's sarcasm lost on him.