❝ you hurt me in ways you'd once promised
you never would. ❞

―

"NO, I don't have a landing permit.  I'm trying to reach Lando Calrissian." Han spoke into his transmitter as they soared through the clouds. Carina anxiously chewed on her lower lip, she didn't have a good feeling about anything to come.

More disruptions were made as they caused the Falcon to rattle roughly, "Whoa! Wait a minute! Let me explain."

"You will not deviate from your present course."

C-3PO glanced over at Carina, "Rather touchy, aren't they?" Leia narrowed her eyes slightly at Han, her voice slightly edged as she spoke, "I thought you knew this person?"

Chewbacca barked a response directed at Solo, who merely swallowed thickly, "Well, that was a long time ago. I'm sure he's forgotten about that."

Leia gave the male an incredulous look while Carina began to slightly bounce her leg up and down, the closer they got to their destination the more nerves wracked through her.

"Permission granted to land on Platform Three-two-seven."

"Thank you."

Han switched off his transmitter before licking his lips, "There's nothing to worry about. We go way back, Lando and me." Leia gave Solo an unconvinced look, "Who's worried?"

Carina took a deep breath as Han steered the aircraft down onto their designated platform, landing safely before shutting down the Falcon.

Leia stood from her seat before beginning to make her way off the ship with Chewbacca and Han. 3PO gazed intently at Algora, who was still unbuckling her seatbelt.

"Everything alright, Miss?"

Carina mustered up a half smile for the droid, "Yes, just fine."

The duo treaded down the open ramp to see Han greeting a shorter male, Carina stepped into her daughters side. Leia glanced up at the brunette, pursing her lips as she noticed the hidden worry shining in her eyes.

"How you doing, you old pirate? So good to see you. I never thought I'd catch up with you again. Where you been?"

Carina narrowed her eyes at the unknown male, he was nervous, scared, and guilty. The brunette glanced around, countless thoughts wandering her mind. Algora clenched her jaw slightly, she couldn't exactly feel Vader's presence very near, but he wasn't very far either.

The mother didn't understand, she'd seen his cruiser jump into lightspeed, so why did he still linger in her thoughts?

Lando glanced over at Carina, swallowing nervously as he noticed a cautious expression plastered onto her features.

Leia began to walk, approaching the two men while Algora hesitantly followed after with her droid at her side. Lando gazed intently at the princess, slightly intimidated to meet Carina's eye as he smiled at Organa, "Hello. What have we here? Welcome. I'm Lando Calrissian. I'm the administrator of this facility. And who might you two be?"

Leia blinked at him, "Leia."

Her mother narrowed her eyes significantly, "Carina Algora." The woman quirked up a brow at him, "You seem nervous."

Lando forced a smile to his lips, "Only because I'm in the presence of two beautiful women." Carina hummed softly, a cold look caressing her features, "I bet."

Lando turned back towards Han, giving Carina the chance to whisper to her daughter, "I think we should leave."

Leia glanced up at the brunette, "And go where? We can't go anywhere without that hyperdrive working, we won't be here long."

Before Carina could part her lips to speak again, her daughter was walking off to join Han and Lando. The mother let out a heavy breath, why was it no one ever listened to her?

Carina fought an eye roll as she walked a few feet behind the trio as they crossed the bridge, listening in to their conversation.

"What's wrong with the Falcon?" Lando questioned Solo, who kept Leia near him before responding, "Hyperdrive."

"I'll get my people to work on it."

"Good."

Lando turned towards princess Organa, catching her eyes as he spoke, "You know, that ship saved my life quite a few times. She's the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy."

Now Carina rolled her eyes.

Han hummed softly, "How's the gas mine?  Is it paying off for you?" Carina shared a glance with Chewie as the group stepped into the passageway, the door closing behind them as they all descended down the stairs.

"Oh, not as well as I'd like. We're a small outpost and not very self-sufficient. And I've had supply problems of every kind. I've had labor difficulties—" Lando halted his sentence as soon as he caught sight of Solo grinning widely at him, "What's so funny?"

"You. Listen to you, you sound like a businessman, a responsible leader. Who'd have thought that, huh?"

Carina placed a hand on her lightsaber as they continued treading through the halls, she was very well aware something was up, but she couldn't very well leave her daughter or friends here to fend on their own. So, she simply followed, hoping when it was time she'd be able to get them out of the situation at hand.

"Yeah. I'm responsible these days. It's the price you pay for being successful."

Han glanced back at Leia and Carina, giving the two a look before looking back ahead. Carina fumbled with her fingers slightly, nothing was helping to calm her nerves.

The mother glanced back to see 3PO no longer following behind them, the brunette furrowed her brows before looking over at Chewbacca, "Chewie, could you go find 3PO?"

The Wookiee let out a howl before nodding, turning to go back the way they had just come from.

Where could he have gone?

―

Carina placed one leg over the other, leaning back on the couch as her daughter gazed out the rather large window. The mother clenched her fists, "Chewie hasn't found him yet."

Leia sighed heavily, "Something's off here."

Carina blinked at the princess, "I could've told you that from the moment we landed here, oh wait. I did."

Leia ran a hand over her face, "Yeah, I'm starting to think we should've turned right back around." Carina pinched the bridge of her nose just as the door to the room slid open, a grinning Han stepping into sight, "The ship is almost finished. Two or Three more things and we're in great shape."

"Are we?" Carina harshly muttered while Leia approached the male, "The sooner the better.  Something's wrong here. No one has seen or knows anything about 3PO. He's been gone too long to have gotten lost."

Han smiled at her before setting his hands on her shoulders, leaning down slightly to peck her forehead, "Relax. I'll talk to Lando and see what I can find out."

Carina scoffed loudly before standing from her seat, "He's hiding something."

Leia nodded in agreement with the brunette, "Yeah, and quite frankly, I don't trust him." Han peered over at Algora before setting his eyes on the princess again, "Well, I don't trust him, either. But he is my friend. Besides, we'll soon be gone."

Leia searched the males eyes, parting her tainted lips before speaking, "And then you're as good as gone, aren't you?"

Han's smile fell from his face as he didn't know how to answer her, only inching closer towards her. Carina shook her head, "I will start enforcing a rule where you stay at least three feet away from her, Solo."

Han rolled his eyes, "Oh c'mon, it's not like you're her mother."

Carina hid a sly grin, feeling slight amusement course through her, "I can certainly act like it though."

Leia chuckled softly before the door opened once again, this time revealing Chewie who was holding a box full of droid parts, or more specifically— 3PO's parts.

Carina's eyes widened while her feet moved to approach the Wookiee, "What happened?"

Chewbacca set the box on the table before barking out a response as the other three humans listened. Han pulled his brows together, "Where? Found him in a junk pile?"

Leia pursed her lips, "Oh, what a mess. Chewie, do you think you can repair him?"

Chewbacca glanced over the droid parts before shrugging. Carina raked her fingers through her locks as Han chimed up, "Lando's got people who can fix him."

"Absolutely not." Carina snapped rather harshly at Solo. A beep occurred before Lando stepped through the doorframe, smiling at the group of friends, "I'm sorry. Am I interrupting anything?"

"Yes."

Leia shook her head, "Not really."

Lando smiled widely at the princess, taking in her appearance before complimenting, "You look absolutely beautiful. You truly belong here with us among the clouds."

Leia kept the uninterested glint in her eyes, "Thank you."

Lando extended out a hand for the princess to take and Carina instinctively inched closer towards her daughters side. Lando darted his attention between the two women, "Will you join me for a little refreshment?"

Chewie barked at the male before he added, "Everyone's invited, of course."

Carina hummed patronizingly as Han held out his arm for Leia to take while Algora stood with Chewie. Lando glanced down at 3PO's scattered parts, "Having trouble with your droid?"

Solo shook his head reassuringly, "No. No problem.  Why?"

The group stepped out of the room as they began to tread down the halls. Carina felt a familiar chill run up her spine but ignored it for the time being when the presence of her son began to feel closer.

Luke, she could feel him. His presence was much stronger than before, but, why? Thoughts ran through her head as she dwelled on her oldest twin while Lando spoke with Leia and Han.

"So you see, since we're a small operation, we don't fall into the... uh... jurisdiction of the Empire." Lando explained to which it sparked a question in the princess, "So you're part of the mining guild then?"

"No, not actually. Our operation is small enough not to be noticed... which is advantageous for everybody since our customers are anxious to avoid attracting attention to themselves."

They stepped into another corridor, inching closer and closer towards the door at the far end. Carina hissed to herself as she felt herself begin to feel overwhelmed with such emotions at once, her mind not allowing her to think properly as her breathing escalated.

"Aren't you afraid the Empire's going to find out about this little operation and shut you down?"

Lando licked his lips anxiously as they began to approach the dining room, "That's always been a danger looming like a shadow over everything we've built here. But things have developed that will insure security. I've just made a deal that will keep the Empire out of here forever."

Carina rubbed her temple, too many feelings overpowering her as Lando opened the door. Algora stilled almost immediately, her muscles tensed as she could feel his gaze burn into her.

She heard blaster shots go off and she could only imagine it came from Han before his weapon had been taken. Carina felt her saber begin to rattle in her utility belt before it slipped right away from her.

The mother finally looked up to see the Sith Lord with his hand extended, and her saber in his palm. Carina clenched her fists until she felt her nails itch her skin. The brunette turned only to see countless stormtroopers surrounding them. There was no way out of this without risking Leia or Han. Risks she couldn't take.

Years of bottled up emotions were swarming through her, crashing down on her like a wave. Barely keeping her head up as she attempted not to let it drown her.

"I believe it's time we spoke, don't you, Carina?"

Algora felt anger surge through her, the brunette turned, knowing her daughters and Han's eyes were plastered onto her as she watched Vader, "I have nothing left to say to you."

Vader swallowed thickly, he expected this reaction. The anger and resentment flaring in her eyes, the way she held herself. He could feel her fury radiating from where she stood. She'd grown stronger.

"You may say that, but I think otherwise." Darth eyed the brunette for a second longer, taking in her features as his eyes lingered on the scar that once matched his own. She still looked as remembered, perhaps even better. "Skywalker should joining us soon."

Carina's eyes went wide with horror, her lips slightly parted as she allowed his words to sink in.

He knew.

He knew about Luke. No, no, no. The mothers lower lip began to tremble as she realized why Vader was here, he needed Luke. He knew he was their child, meaning Palpatine knew too.

Carina took a menacing step forward, the last thing was about to allow was for her son to be used as a pawn, let Palpatine sink in lies and manipulate her son for his own cause? To hell with that.

Hatred shone in her eyes as she violently spoke up, "If you so much as lay a finger on him, I will finish what I couldn't years ago and kill you."

Darth hummed softly, he always knew Carina would be the over protective mother type. He always sensed it. He truly did admire the love she had for their son, he always knew she'd make a wonderful mother.

The doors finally shut behind them as Han and Leia along with Chewie shuffled closer towards Carina. Lando kept his gaze glued to the ground as Vader spoke, "I admire how long you were able to keep him hidden."

Carina was a mere second away from grabbing the plate before her and chucking it at his head.

"Over twenty years, you truly did your best. Faking your death for half of those years as well."

Carina shook her head, struggling to contain herself as she spat out at him, "I hope you rot alone."

Darth barely flinched at her tone, licking his lips as he didn't bother hiding his true expression since it was all kept behind his mask. "Take Algora to a cell, I'll speak with her when she has calmed down."

Boba Fett moved as he took ahold of the brunette's arm, but Carina didn't tear her eyes away from her husband, "He won't join you."

Darth gazed intently at her, "Just as you once thought I wouldn't?"

Carina felt her chest begin to physically ache, she did not know the man before her. Nor did she ever want to know him.

"You're right, I should've never tried to have seen the good in you."

Vader watched as his wife was escorted out of the room, a part of him bothered by her words while he attempted to not let it show. The task at hand was about to get much harder.

―

AUTHORS NOTE,
how were so close to my original act already is beyond me