The rising sun over the verdant Takodana landscape hit the early morning frost, making it glisten and melt on the ground below as the Falcon flew it's sweeping, rocking path over the terrain.

Chewbacca and Han's long time partnership allowed for their instinctive operation of the controls, knowing what the other was doing at all times, not needing to speak. Han flicked switches, made minor adjustments to controls and silently listened to Leia behind him at the communications console, giving orders and relaying information, efficiently co-ordinating the teams above and below.

He smiled to himself as he listened to her. She liaised with Blake in the castle, swivelling her chair and reaching over to study a holo-map on the console behind her, deeply focused on all teams at once. Her reputation as a formidable leader was widespread but he was used to watching her in the control room, planning their strategy and then allowing her experienced generals to take the lead. She had even followed orders herself when she and Han had gone on missions together, but today, she'd placed her generals in the field and had taken full command of the Alliance, the Falcon turned into her mobile command centre. He loved watching her work. He wouldn't want to be the opposition today.

She placed a hand on his shoulder as she leaned to look out of the view-screen

"No General. Maintain your position." She held her other hand to her earpiece communicator. "I want them to advance first. Commander Blake will inform us when they make a move. All we need to do is drive them toward Luke's team. Once they're in the jungle, you will be afforded more cover." She leant closer to Han. "Stay out of sight for the moment," she instructed. He nodded.

"Got it. I'm flying the trade flight path to Al-Adreen. We'll look like just another cargo freighter," he informed her. She smiled and patted his shoulder, sitting back down. She could always rely on his ingenuity.

"With any luck, we won't have to engage them until the last minute and we can minimise the casualties," she said, almost to herself.

Blake's voice broke into her musing.

"The enemy are on the move, ma'am." Leia didn't even blink at the reference. In a combat situation, it was probably the most appropriate. "The peacekeepers are all in position. They will try to tag the location of the heavier artillery for the air strikes." Leia swung her chair round, hitting her earpiece with a finger.

"General Madine, General Kobar. They're on the move. Wait until they are fully under cover of the jungle and then begin your advance. The peacekeepers will thin out the edges for you. Just make sure they can't retreat." She studied the movements of the troops being relayed to her via Blake's console to her display in the cockpit. "Luke, they're heading your way."

"We're ready," Luke's voice echoed back.

It was a waiting game. Leia sat on the edge of her chair, using her feet to swivel herself as needed, constantly checking data. Blue squadron were flying a holding pattern several miles out, their blinking lights on the console at the far edges of it's range. They would be there in minutes the moment she gave the order.

"How are we doing?" she checked with Han, looking out of the view-screen from her seat. He looked back at her.

"All good. No-one's paying attention to us at the moment. They might wonder why we aren't landing after a few more passes but I'll make something up," he grinned.

She leant forward, forearms resting on her thighs, her flack jacket a snug fit over her camouflage jumpsuit, her hair braid tightly wound round her head. He looked her over.

"What?" She saw his stare.

"You look... prepared." He chose his words carefully. She looked back out of the view-screen, a thin smile on her lips.

"It's the best way to be," she replied.

"Leia, the star destroyer is aware of our presence." Admiral Ackbar's voice came over the comm. Leia sat up, her lips pressed tightly together. "We are sending the squadrons with General Calrissian to engage their tie-fighters. You might want to prepare. It won't be long before they alert their ground troops."

"Understood, Admiral," Leia replied, hitting her earpiece. "General Madine, General Kobar. They know we're here. Prepare to engage," she ordered, turning to look at the display screen to watch the advance. Han glanced back to watch the same display. The red mass of the imperial troops spreading out through the jungle, the green of the Alliance troops behind and in front of them in three little clusters and the individual blinking green lights of the peacekeepers, working their stealth operation. They began, one by one to advance towards the red mass as they singled out the rogue security force stragglers at the edge and picked them off, withdrawing them to a holding area away from the main group. Han imagined them, camouflaged in the jungle, silently picking their unsuspecting victims. Blake had said they were good at covert operations and Leia was utilising their talents to the full. He knew that, as soon as full combat began, she would move in her other platoons. She breathed out sharply though her nose, one ear on the faint static chatter from the Home One just outside Takodana's atmosphere.

"Blake, do we have any co-ordinates for their artillery yet?" she checked.

"Yes, ma'am. 3PO has relayed the information to Blue Squadron and is updating them as we get more accurate reports."

"Good work," she praised.

Her eyes suddenly focused more intently on the display. "They're under fire," she said, switching to a screen on the other side of the cockpit and flicking the comm switch so they could all hear what she was hearing through her earpiece.

"They've spotted us," Madine reported. "We're engaging now."

"Copy," Leia confirmed. "Blake, move the peacekeepers back and let Madine and Kobar move in," she ordered.

"Copy that, ma'am." Leia watched the screen. Little lights blinked out, both green and red. Her eyes narrowed and she ran her tongue over her lips. Han glanced at her occasionally. He knew better than to ask her if she was OK. He knew by now that her Force sensitivity meant that she felt each and every one of their losses.

"We're under heavy fire," General Kobar's gravelly voice reported. "Some help with their artillery would be welcome."

"3PO, relay the latest co-ordinates of those guns to Blue Squadron," Leia instructed quickly.

"Yes, Your Highness. I am relaying the up to date information as we speak. They should have it in seconds." Leia ignored his over explanation.

"Blue Squadron, target the co-ordinates you've been sent. Keep your fire localised to those co-ordinates only if possible. We just need to take out their guns." It would have been so much easier to wipe out the enemy now with one effective air strike but this mission was partly a retrieval exercise.

"Yes, ma'am," Blue Squadron leader confirmed. The cockpit filled with chatter, from Home One, from the two generals liaising with each other and from Blue Squadron as they reported their actions as they took place. A number of red lights were extinguished as the X-Wings flew a partially successful pass, removing most of the heavy guns. "We didn't get them all. Coming round for another pass," the leader reported.

"Princess," Admiral Ackbar's voice contacted her directly. "A group of tie-fighters has broken off from the main group and is heading down to the planet."

"Copy that, Admiral," she replied. Then to the ground troops, "Get ready, we're about to have company."

"Bring it on. We'll be waiting for them," Blue Squadron leader bravely announced. Han appreciated the X-Wing pilots' notorious enthusiasm.

Leia examined the display closely. She didn't like what she saw.

"They're splitting up," she said, irritated. "That' not good." Indeed, the red mass had split into two groups and was moving diagonally forward, either side of Luke's position. "Blake, bring the peacekeepers round and regroup on the other side of Luke's team. Point 45."

"Yes, ma'am. Do you have an idea?"

"Just planning ahead, Blake. Move them into position and hold them there for now," Leia confirmed. Han saw something on his own screen on the console.

"Our flying friends have arrived," he informed her, pointing to his screen. She flicked her eyes to his screen then her hand to the comms.

"Blue Squadron. Tie-fighters at point 56."

"We see them," the leader confirmed then barked orders to his colleagues.

"We've got a couple pretty close to us," Han warned as he spotted two blips on the screen heading in their direction. Just as he spoke, the two tie-fighters flew dangerously close to them, across their flight path. "Woah!" Han exclaimed, having to steer sharply to avoid them. "They don't care who sees them," he noted. "I'd be worried about that." He looked back at her, his eyebrows raised in warning. She nodded, concerned herself at the aggressive flight pattern of the fighters. The Falcon lurched, causing them to grab onto to the nearest thing to steady themselves. "And I'm very worried about that!" Han shouted as they were hit by a laser blast from one of the fighters. Chewbacca growled something about shields. Another blast nearly flung Leia off her chair. "Switch power to the front shields," Han ordered Chewbacca. "We're going to have to join this fight," he announced to Leia as he pulled back on the throttle and veered the Falcon sharply round in the direction of the tie-fighters. Time was she'd have argued with him but she'd learned that if he decided to fight, it was probably the only option.

She sat firmly in her seat and buckled herself in as Han's skilful flying dodged and weaved round the tie-fighter's laser fire. Chewbacca dropped the lower laser cannons and returned fire, as Han chased a target, matching it's flight path as best he could until Chewbacca's shot hit its mark, exploding the tie into a mass of flame and debris. Han was just feeling pleased with their success so far when another two tie-fighters joined the battle, a member of Blue Squadron tight on their tail. The X-Wing weaved and spun after a selected target, continuous laser fire spewing from its open S-foil guns. Han secretly admired the skill of the pilot, too busy avoiding fire himself to voice his appreciation. The X-Wing shot past the Falcon on a diving attack run on one of the tie-fighters, obliterating the target in a smooth sweep.

"Damn, these guys are good," Han finally praised. Leia was pleased they were. It was getting a bit hot out here, the air filled with laser fire, debris and fighters.

The two remaining fighters were proving evasive, Chewbacca's laser fire not managing to touch either of them, the X-Wing assistance not having much luck either.

"Slippery little customers aren't they?" Han said in frustration. "We could do with some extra fire power," he instructed Leia, jerking his thumb in the direction of the gun well. Her heart sank. She hated the Falcon gun turrets. The array's swinging action felt like trying to stay on an out of control narglatch.

"Really? I've just started to feel better and you're going to make me feel sick again," she exclaimed. "Can't you do it and I'll fly?" She hoped he would say yes.

"No!" he insisted, sounding horrified at the suggestion. "I'm the better pilot. You're the better shot." He jerked his thumb again. "Today would be kinda helpful if you think you can manage it," he said sarcastically. She rolled her eyes, unbuckled herself and ran for the gun well, climbing up to the top turret and switching on the power to the targeting computer as she sat down. The seat swung immediately and she grabbed the controls to steady the apparatus and herself.

"There must be a better design for these things," she thought out loud.

"Just pull the trigger will ya?" Han yelled.

"OK, OK. Just shut up and fly," she yelled back. She studied the position of the two tie-fighters on the targeting computer and squeezed the trigger, missing her target by inches as her whole seat swung violently sideways with the force of the cannon fire. Frack. She would have to allow for that.

"What are you waiting for?" Han jibed from below.

"Give me a break," she yelled back. "When was the last time you sat in one of these things? Just let me get my bearings."

Deciding she preferred to shoot by sight, she looked out of the viewport and calculated the trajectory of the laser fire as Han chased them, using a sweeping action. The X-Wing was struggling. Up in front of the tie-fighters, it was trying to avoid being caught in their missile lock. She needed to do something quickly. Feeling the Falcon's smooth movement, she waited for another pass and squeezed the trigger as Han swung the Falcon like a pendulum, spraying a continuous line of laser fire right across the middle of the tie-fighters' bodywork, taking both fighters out at once.

"Nice one, Sweetheart," Han yelled joyously. He turned to Chewbacca. "That woman is one hell of a shot." Chewbacca roared his agreement.

"Can I get out of this thing now?" Leia asked. "It's a bit of a wild ride up here." Han grinned as he switched his own display, choosing to keep his comments to himself.

Leia rejoined them in the cockpit, immediately checking the troop positions on the display screen. The two groups of enemy troops had split quite dramatically and would soon be the other side of the jungle. The peacekeepers seemed to have thinned them a little and a cluster of captives were being held securely to one side of the screen. The lights of the squadrons, both tie-fighters and X-Wings scattered and moved across the display in such a way that she knew the sky was alive with laser fire above the jungle.

"General Madine, General Kobar, what is your status?" She requested an update.

"The enemy split into two groups. We are currently concentrating on one group to the east. Taking fire but still pushing them forward," Kobar's voice returned.

"We are on the other group," Madine added. "There's heavy fire from above too but luckily it's hard for them to pinpoint us in all this undergrowth. Not sure how Commander Skywalker is faring out in the open."

"Luke." Leia turned her attention to his group on the display. She hadn't heard from him for a while. "Report please." She waited almost too long for his reply, her heart in her mouth.

"We're all OK at the moment. The tie-fighters are being kept too busy by Blue Squadron to have noticed us. The enemy split into two and we don't have enough men to split and tackle both. That's going to be a problem if Madine and Kobar can't help from behind." Leia did a quick calculation of numbers. There were indeed more enemy than Alliance at the moment.

"I've moved the peacekeepers near to your location. I'll use them as backup if necessary," she reassured him.

"That would be very welcome," he returned.

"Your targets are almost through the jungle. You should be able to see them within minutes. Just make sure they don't get through to the settlement." She breathed in deeply to dispel the nerves building in her chest. "Luke?"

"Yes?" She thought, I love you. Be careful. "I know. I will," his calm, reassuring voice answered. She breathed out hard. Han gave her a comforting look over his shoulder. There was that half vid-call thing again.

"He'll be alright. He knows what he's doing." She nodded grimly. She'd put her brother in the field rather than in a fighter. She hoped her instinct was right and she hadn't just signed his death warrant.

"Let's help these guys get rid of their mynock infestation," Han suggested, taking her mind off it and veering the Falcon round in the direction of the jungle. He didn't want to take her into the middle of the fight but judging by the way everyone was outnumbered, it seemed there was little choice but to try to even the odds.

"You need me upstairs?" Leia asked.

"No. You do your thing." He waved a finger at her display. "Chewie and I will take care of this." He looked at Chewbacca. "Let's break out the concussion missiles." Chewbacca growled an affirmative and his furry arms moved quickly to ready the missile controls. Han pulled back on the Falcon throttle and increased speed towards the mêlée of fighter aircraft.

"Look out, boys," he announced boisterously to the X-Wing pilots as a whole. "We're going to give them a shake up."

'Staying out of your way, Falcon," Blue Squadron leader called back.

Leia buckled herself in firmly. She'd been on one of Han's hair-raising air assaults before. His extraordinary skill at manoeuvring the Falcon was undeniable but seat belts were a prerequisite.

"Chewie, let's set one off in the middle of that nest." He indicated a small group of tie-fighters clustered together on his targeting display. Chewbacca hit a switch then pressed the button to fire the missile, a roar sounding from the missile ports on the front of the Falcon as it left its casing, heading towards it's target. It was a direct hit to a central tie exploding into several smaller missiles which were expelled in a radius back out from the centre, hitting four more fighters and sending them crashing down to the jungle below. Han, who was following the missile through, spun the Falcon out of the way of the explosions, spinning it's disc shaped body and righting it again just the other side. Leia's stomach churned. She was glad she'd not bothered with breakfast. Flying like this in space was one thing, but here, where the effects of gravity had an influence on the body, it was an altogether different experience.

A cacophony of cheers sounded over the comms from pilots of Blue Squadron.

"Nice shooting, Falcon," the squadron leader messaged. Leia smiled and gave Han a respectful and admiring nod.

"My pleasure, boys. That evens things up a little." Leia looked at the display. There were only three tie-fighter's left. No problem for the squadron to clear up.

Chewbacca growled a warning. He had spotted something on his display. Leia looked round sharply at hers. On the edges of the display, another blip was visible, positioned to the west of Luke's team, behind the rock barrier and the waiting peacekeepers. She watched as more red indicators lit up, radiating out from the original one. They'd been so distracted by tie-fighters, they hadn't noticed another landing craft sneaking in behind their lines.

"Luke. I think you have company," she warned him.

"Yeah. We saw them. A transport just landed a little way off from us. I think they've just dropped more troops," Luke's voice warned. "We've just engaged our first group. I can't see where the others have landed but we could be boxed in if we're not careful."

Leia bit her lip. He was right. Not only that, the new arrivals were shielded from the peacekeepers behind the rocks and were dangerously close to ambushing them. She had to think fast and did another quick calculation of numbers and positions. The peacekeepers would need stronger leadership if they were to be taken into a direct fire-fight. General Kobar and General Madine had enough to take care of as it was. There was only one choice.