\\A.N. Jaina just went into labor, the Vong have found the secret base, and the order to evacuate has been issued./

Chapter 10

The hanger bay was frantic as the order to retreat had been issued. Jaina landed her ship, and saw Christal land her X-wing across from her. Feeling a jolt of pain in her stomach she jumped from the x-wing to the hanger floor. "Christal!" she yelled, "Over here! Over here!"

Christal, her long blonde hair waving, turned her head toward her. "Coming!"

Snow was now falling from the ceiling- heavy fire from above was now starting to collapse the entire base. Jaina dodged clumps of snow and turned away from her ship, heading to where her dad had docked the falcon.

Jaina? Where are you? Jaina felt Zekk's mind through the Force, trying to focus in on her. 'I'm coming!' Jaina thought, 'Meet me at hanger 5!'

The sickening smell of burnt rock and melted snow offended Jaina's nostrils as she ran through the endless snow tunnels. Panic had swept through the base, and the overall fear of everyone still inside the crumbling structure ebbed at her mind. Pain still radiated through her body, now it focused on lower section as she ran. With every step she took the pain increased; as did her fear.

Finally she got to the hanger. Gritting her teeth she ran up the open ramp of the Millennium Falcon. Jaina was immediately greeted by C-P3O, whose golden frame rocked back and forth as the very ground beneath them trembled. In the protocol droid's hand was a small white comm.

Jaina grabbed the comm from the droid's hand, "Hello? Mom? Dad? You there?"

Through the crackling static Jaina was able to pick out the sound of her mother's voice, "Jaina? Take off! We can't reach you!"

Panic swept through her, "I won't leave you! Can you get out?"

The comm hissed and crackled with static, "Yes! I'm getting out on a troops transport, your dad is here too. Take off!"

Jaina looked around, where was Zekk? "I can't leave without Zekk! Where is he?"

"Down on the surface, the transport broke apart before he could get it to landing bay."

Jaina ran to the cockpit and raised the ship's ramp, "I'm headed out," Jaina said, "See you at the rendezvous point."

Taking the controls in her hands she guided the ship through the hanger doors. Where was he? Scanning the horizon Jaina gazed down on the war on the planet's surface. The troops were retreating and the Yuzzon Vong was mercilessly mowing down the stragglers with laser fire. No wonder Zekk hadn't been in the hanger waiting for her! He was out here on this desolate ice cube!

It was in that second he saw him, his green lightsaber bobbing right and left- fending off laser and plasma fire. Squinting, Jaina could see what he was doing. He was holding the Vong back while the rest of the refugees were running for a waiting transport ship. Zekk was a dark spot in the snow, and he was outnumbered by at least a dozen other black spots that were advancing on him at a frighteningly fast pace.

Jaina slowed the engine of the Falcon as she swept down to where Zekk stood, she lowered the boarding ramp. It was an old trick, but it usually worked. She angled the controls and flew directly over Zekk, trusting to the force that he would be able to make the jump.

Less than a second later a familiar voice yelled out, "I'm in! Raise the ramp!"

Jaina exhaled a painful breath and punched the Falcon's engine to push them up through the planet's atmosphere. "We're not out of this yet," She mumbled.

Zekk jumped into the co-pilot's seat and immediately took over his side of the controls, "I know. It's a big mess up there." He glanced over at her, "Are you alright?"

Jaina shook her head, "No," she glanced over at her husband, noting the blood on his face and in his hair; and the rips in his clothes. "You?"

"I've been worse," He muttered.

In that second the Falcon broke free of the frosty planet's icy atmosphere and hurdled itself into the fry of a massive dog fight above. Explosions rocked the ship as Jaina weaved between frigate and fighter as the coordinates came to the nava computer.

"I always hate this part,"Zekk said, his breath rushing between his teeth as a laser blast hit them squarely on the left quarter. "Shields down to fifty percent!"

Jaina acknowledged the news with a grunt. She couldn't concentrate, the pain in her abdomen was becoming more persistent. All she wanted and needed was a piece of dark space. At last, she found it.

Breaking free of the slaughter, the nava computer's alarm rang out- alerting them that it had the coordinate. Jaina locked it in, and punched the Millennium Falcon into the silent safety of hyperspace.

TBC

Sorry it has taken me so long to update. Truthfully I didn't know where I was going to go with the plot...until yesturday morning when I woke up and it came to me!