Saga Red Five (Luke/OC) Updated 20 September

Because, Luke Skywalker, that is what you do.

Their arguments definitely remind me of L/M, but in a whole new way. It's the same thing I love about the new canon--everything is familiar, but different.

Or, as Mark Hamill said, everything's changed but nothing's changed.

 

I kinda remember someone else using this sentence just one chapter ago. Ahem. They probably need to communicate a bit more and better, even if that's a long shot now.

Again, this sounds kinda familiar but more, like, from a previous life. Interesting that someone whose past is with the Inquisitors would be so adamant about it. I have a smoky theory about the why, but I'll wait to see how this story unfolds.

Oh, and what JediMara77 said.

 

JadeLotus - I have to echo the frustration of Csillan_Girl in Necessity Beyond Sway. You get me from awwww! To ack! in mere seconds/less than a minute. Must be a sign of talent.

I was so chuffed that Valara was not hampered by her vision loss but then to find out she's not getting reassigned to a squadron. I can believe that would be disheartening.


Valara has issues, seems like. Lots of them with the Empire. And also with not getting too attached or too hopeful or letting yourself be happy.

Luke is so sweet and sincere especially with the worry stone and genuine happiness to see her.
But he is too right not to waste his precious time and energy and no one is worth begging. Luke is wonderful, handsome, lovable, not a desperate jerkface who couldn't get a lady interested if he tried!

Eagerly awaiting more, as if.

 

Luke gave up? That's new! Methinks he'll come around. That flirting though...our boy's growing up.

As for Miss Valara...girl, you're in over your head.

Welcome back, lady, and thanks for returning with a fantastic update.

 

Valara needs to get over herself and realize that she's got herself a good guy in Luke.

 

Thank you all for reading and reviewing!

Exactly! New universe, but similar characters - it rhymes

Stubborn people rarely communicate well, even if most of their problems would be solved if they could just set aside their pride and talk to each other, but where would be the fun in that? And yes...there are deeper reasons for Valara's attachment issues which will be revealed eventually...

That Valara has issues is an understatement Luke's in that transition phase from relatively young ANH Luke to more brash and confident ESB Luke - at this point he's had plenty of attention and isn't about to grovel, as no one should!

Luke never gives up for long, and Valara's underestimated him

Indeed.

 

Tags: @mattman8907 @EGKenobi

2 ABY - Rebel outpost, Hoth

With an air of nonchalance Valara studied the cards in her hand, then looked up at her opponents around the table. Wedge Antilles sat opposite her, cards held close to his chest and an obnoxious smile on his face, as if confident he’d already won the game. Hobbie Klivian and Wes Janson sat to Wedge’s right, although Valara couldn’t remember which was which since they both wore identical expressions of idiocy. To her own right was Dak Ralter, known to Valara only because he’d been one of her students, and she’d recommended his placement with the newly-formed Rogue Squadron some months earlier. Dak was easy to read - he was smiling, which meant he was bluffing.

The last place at the table was taken by Rogue Leader himself - Luke Skywalker, seated to Wedge’s left. It had been over a year since Valara had ended things between them, although they had seen each other in passing and on official business. However their conversations had been stilted and formal; an outsider would never have guessed that they knew each other, let alone that they’d once been lovers. Luke’s cards were lying face down on the table in a neat little pile, and Valara had to begrudgingly admit that he had a good sabacc face. He looked at her impassively, and yet when their eyes met there was something deeper which made Valara look away, feeling exposed and examined.

She plucked a card from her hand and tossed it lightly down on the table. “Queen of Air and Darkness,” she said coolly, without even a hint of triumph at the winning hand she was sure was hers.

Wedge let out a long laugh. “Typical,” he said. “Isn’t that your alter ego, Valara?”

“I’m flattered,” she smiled thinly in response. “But sweet talk won’t get you anywhere, Antilles.” When no one reached for the card she drew another from the pack - the eight of staves - and lay her cards on the table in triumph.

To Valara’s left, Hobbie-or-Wes threw down his cards in disgust. “Pure Sabacc again,” he grumbled.

“Unless one of you has the Idiot’s Array,” Valara smirked, referring to the only hand which would beat Pure Sabacc, consisting of a two, a three and the Idiot card. “Although…” she gestured to Wedge, Hobbie and Wes, which made Dak snort into his ale. Across the table Luke smiled mildly but said nothing as his three wingmates spluttered out denials and arguments over who was the figurative “idiot.”

Valara claimed the pot for herself, adding to her happy little pile of credits as Wedge dealt the next hand. Luke was still watching her, and Valara felt slightly unnerved under his scrutiny, not missing the several empty ale bottles piled up next to him. She took a sip of her whiskey to distract herself.

“So what do you think of the place, Valara?” Wedge asked, gesturing to the ice walls which surrounded them. The planet Hoth had been a good find for Rogue Squadron, located in the midst of an asteroid belt and with an ice core which made detection difficult. The Rebellion had established an outpost which had thus far served as a base of operations for their activities in the Outer Rim. She'd been sent to assess whether further squadrons could be stationed there, and had found herself unable to refuse the challenge of a sabacc game.

“It’s cold.” Valara picked up her cards and studied them.

“You should feel right at home then.” Wedge winked, although there was a hint of malice in his tone brought out by the alcohol. Of course Valara knew why, although it did not trouble her.

“We’re going to recommend they build a permanent base here,” Luke spoke up for the first time. “The fleet can’t keep running from system to system, and we should be able to avoid detection by the Empire.”

“If they can avoid freezing to death,” Valara said, thankful that either way she would remain stationed on Allied Flight.

“After the evening with you V, my icebox of a room doesn’t seem so bad,” Wedge teased as they all placed their initial bets. Valara didn’t know why she looked to Luke, as if she had expected him to defend her, but she quickly looked down at her cards again and discarded one which was useless.

“Don’t call me V.”

The game continued for a few more rounds in silence, but evidently Wedge soon grew bored and latched back onto the topic.

"Hey Va-lara," Wedge said languidly, dragging out the syllables of her name as he threw out two cards. "Settle a bet. On Yavin, you and Luke totally did the deed right?"

She looked up at him curiously, determined not to to give him the satisfaction of an outward response. Luckily, she’d once spent three entire days at the Imperial Academy being berated and provoked until she learned not to react, and it was a skill she’d since been particularly adept at.

"Is that what he said?" she asked mildly as she took one of the cards Wedge had discarded, and gave him a six of flasks in return.

"He refuses to confirm or deny. But he blushes so prettily when asked." Wedge nudged Luke playfully, but he gave no response either, his attention on the cards in his hand.

“I heard there was some action on the dance floor,” Hobbie-or-Wes chimed in, and Valara rolled her eyes.

“There was,” Wedge confirmed. “I saw it - and then they disappeared for the rest of the night.”

“Drop it, Wedge.” Luke’s voice was smooth but firm - his words an order, not a request. Wedge threw her an accusing look, as if she was the reason Luke had snapped at him, but Valara chose to ignore it, doubling her bet.

Luke calmly folded his cards together, and then placed them down on the table in a small pile again. Valara had watched him all night, and was yet to discover the strategy in it since he seemed to do it whether he had a good hand or bad. Looking directly at her, Luke matched her bet, and then raised her by another hundred.

Dak let out a long whistle. “Too rich for my blood,” he said, dropping his cards on the table and leaning back into his chair.

“I’m sure one of you is bluffing,” Hobbie-or-Wes said. “Which means the other is probably not, so I’m out too.” The other pilot did the same, but Wedge ate a handful of puff-nuts and shrugged.

“I think they’re both bluffing,” he declared, matching Luke’s bet and throwing Valara a challenging look. She threw a glance down at her hand, not a bad one, all things considered, but it would depend on what happened in the next few rounds. Not about to back down, Valara threw out enough chips to match Luke’s raise and they went another round.

Wedge went bust, seeking to get rid of a nine of coins which neither Luke or Valara were willing to take so he drew from the deck and went bust again. They were playing Rebel Sabacc, which meant a double-bust was an automatic out. But he took it well, slapping Luke on the shoulder.

“Now you gotta win for the both of us, Boss,” he said in between eating more puff-nuts and drowning his whiskey.

Luke seemed determined, and Valara studied his face under the guise of looking for tells. He looked older than when she’d last seen him, more mature perhaps. The farmboy charm had been replaced somewhat with a pilot’s confidence, although his eyes were still as blue as ever, penetrating her as they stared at each other across the table.

Without looking at his cards he selected one from his little pile, pushing it across the table and flipping it to reveal The Evil One, worth negative 15. It was a bold move, confirming that Luke wanted to switch his negative hand for a positive one but still leaving her in the dark as to what his other cards were. After another round and looking at her own hand, Valara pushed fresh credits into the pot.

“Call,” she said, upending her cards on the table to reveal the face cards of Endurance and Demise, which combined gave her negative twenty-one, and a one of staves bring her total to negative twenty - three away from Negative Sabacc.

Luke in turn revealed his cards - a six of sabres, a five of coins and the Balance card worth negative eleven. A bad hand on zero, but there were still rounds to play, and he surprised her by changing his six, indicating that he was again shifting, this time from positive to negative. Valara took a sip of her whiskey and then raised her bet by three hundred, which Luke matched almost immediately.

“Confident, are we?” she asked.

“He should be,” Wedge cut it. “He’s damn lucky.”

Valara scowled, wondering if Wedge knew how much she hated that word. She pushed out her Demise card knowing that Luke would not take it, and reached for a card from the deck. It was The Star, which at negative 17 brought her total to negative twenty-one.

“That’s a good hand, Valara,” Luke conceded. “Hard to beat.” He discarded his five which of course she did not take, and then chuckled to himself as the card he drew from the deck was also The Star - giving him Negative Sabacc. Wedge, Hobbie and Wes let out whoops of delight and congratulations, while beside her Dak gave a smile although he shot her an apologetic look.

“You’re not using the Force are you?” she asked, only half joking since the likelihood of both Star cards being so close was astronomical.

“No,” Luke smiled at her. “I’m just good.”

Valara sighed and looked down at her cards face up on the table. For her to also reach Negative Sabacc she’d need to draw the Queen of Air and Darkness again, but Valara knew she’d already been played twice in that game and therefore would probably not be near the top of the deck. Still, there was one other option, and Valara gave them all a challenging look as she pushed all of her credits into the pot.

“All in,” she declared, as Luke’s face split into a wide grin.

“Don’t be stupid, Valara,” Wedge scoffed. “Just take the loss.”

“Not a chance,” she said, her eyes still on Luke, who shrugged and pushed in the credits to match hers. Then she took a deep breath before taking her final turn, discarding all three of her cards and taking new ones from the deck.

“Interesting move,” Luke said, leaning forward slightly in his chair. “Victory or nothing.”

Valara didn’t answer, instead focusing on turning her cards over one by one. The first was a two of staves, and Valara felt her heart sink a little. But she pressed on, revealing the next to be a eight of flasks, bringing her total to ten.

Wedge laughed and leaned back in his chair. “Good effort, V, but I told you, Luke’s the lucky one.”

She ignored him, all of her attention on the final card resting on the table. She didn’t like to lose, the credits irrelevant to her since she had few expenses, but the importance of success had been drilled into her from a young age. Failure meant pain, punishment and shame and even though she knew she was free from that life.

“Get on with it,” Hobbie-or-Wes demanded. “The suspense is killing us!”

With a flick of her wrist, Valara exposed the last card. Relief and joy flooded her even as her ears rang out with the disappointed and disbelieving cries from those around her. It was the Mistress card, worth thirteen and giving her Pure Sabacc. In Rebel rules, positive sabacc alway beat the negative.

“I don’t believe it!” Wedge exclaimed, as Dak congratulated her and Valara drowned the last of her whiskey.

Luke was calm, lightly pushing his cards across the table. “You win,” he conceded.

She should have left it there, but the whiskey was warm in her blood and light in her head. “Don’t you know by now, Skywalker?” she asked as she pulled the credit pot towards her. “I always win.”

Luke scowled darkly, his look intense. “Deal another hand, we’ll see.”

But Valara was already regretting her words. She knew she’d treated Luke terribly, given his youth and inexperience. She hadn’t been fair to him at all, her only thought to push him as far away as possible to keep him from getting too close - Valara had learned that mistake the hard way and wasn’t about to make it again.

“I’ll skip this one,” she declared, rising to her feet and picking up her empty glass. “Have to give you boys a chance to catch up before I take your creds again.”

“You’re all heart,” Wedge said sarcastically as he dealt another hand.

“I’m all something,” Valara shrugged as she made her way back to the bar which was located in the next room. It was empty, with the sabacc participants the only ones still awake. Valara shivered, as the bar was without the minimal heating of the rest of the complex to keep the drinks cold. The bar itself had been carved from a large piece of ice, with various alcoholic beverages conveniently lined up on the top. She took her time to select a good whiskey, chip off a chunk of ice from the bar and fling it into a glass with a plop.

When she turned around she almost dropped the glass in shock to see Luke blocking the exit, the door back out to the sabacc room closed behind him. He was leaning casually against the icy doorframe with his arms folded and a small smile on his face.

“Skywalker,” Valara acknowledged him coolly and placed her drink back on the bar. “You surprised me.”

“Couldn’t recognise my - awkward shuffle anymore?” Luke’s smile grew slightly wider.

“I suppose you’ve lost it,” Valara replied, and wasn’t sure if she was disappointed.

Luke approached her slowly. “So here we are, alone again,” he said, his voice low. “Does it remind you of old times?”

“You mean two old times in particular?” she asked, her voice cold even as she couldn’t help but let her gaze drift over him. “Not really.”

“So you’re saying that you haven’t given me a thought in the past two years?” Luke asked, before her now. He placed his hands on either side of the bar, boxing her in, his eyes boring into hers. “No fond memories to keep you warm on cold nights?”

She could feel his breath on her cheek, his body almost but not quite pressing against her, and Valara wanted to lean into him but kept herself in check. She forced herself to hold his gaze.

“No,” she told him, happy that her voice was steady and firm.

Luke chuckled slightly, reaching forward to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “I may not know everything about you, Valara, but I’ve learned a few of your tells. When you look straight at me you’re lying, and when you bite your lip it means you’re excited.”

Valara hadn’t realised she was biting down on her lower lip hard enough to draw blood, and released it with a gasp. Luke dipped his head and brushed his lips against hers, softly at first, and then kissing her deeper until she could taste him, her own blood, and the rich bite of the ale he’d been drinking. Her eyes fluttered closed and she melted into the kiss, igniting feelings in her she’d long thought blunted.

“This is a bad idea,” she said even as she clutched his hair and pulled him closer. But Luke stilled, lifting his head but keeping close, his breath hot in her ear.

“So go,” he whispered and then shifted further, clearing a path for her to escape. “There’s the door.”

Valara took several deep breaths, trying to get a hold of herself. She successfully made two steps towards the door before pausing, feeling as if she should explain or at least try to make things right. She turned to face him again, trying not to get distracted by his adorably rumpled hair, lidded blue eyes or look of desire that sent a bristle of anticipation right through her.

“You couldn’t handle it last time,” she told him, her voice thankfully steady and cold. “And to be honest,” she added, looking for a vulnerable spot she could prod. “It really wasn’t all that memorable.”

But Luke just laughed. "That's not going to work this time, Valara," he said as he advanced on her. She held her ground, surprised and pleased at his reaction as her intention shifted. She held his gaze and bit her lip, this time deliberately.

"You think I'm still that clueless boy you can push away with some well-placed words," he continued, cupping her face in his hands. He leaned in and Valara tilted her head up in anticipation, but he stopped centimetres from her lips. "I'm not a boy any longer."

"No, you're not," she acknowledged, and closed the distance between them.

_______________________


The sabacc participants were too drunk and involved in their game to notice how long she’d been gone, and Valara slipped back into her seat hoping what had just happened didn’t show on her face. She watched as Wedge won the next game and gloated loudly about it, leaping to his feet and performing a strange little dance.

Valara rolled her eyes, self-consciously smoothing down her hair as a new hand was dealt. Luke then appeared from the bar room, a swagger in his step but giving no outward appearance to give them away.

“Here, Valara,” he placed a glass of whiskey down in front of her. “You forgot your drink.”

She stared straight ahead, grasping the whiskey and taking a long drink without thanking him, not trusting herself if she did.

Wedge shook his head and sighed in disgust. “You really are at home here among the ice, aren’t you Valara?”

Luke took his seat again, and Valara couldn’t help but glance at him, their eyes meeting across the table. He smiled, causing a flutter in her stomach Valara knew she could no longer deny.

 

Loved that! You can really tell Luke isn't so daunted and fooled like earlier. And Valara is finding it harder to convince herself that he doesn't affect her in all kinds of scrumptious ways.

 

Hi,
this is a great story. Read it in one go and am sad to see I can't go on
Looking forward to more
Thank you

 

I loved every. single. word. of this chapter

First of all I loved the atmosphere of the card game. The boys are being boys (especially Wedge) and Valara is being Valara, so of course barbs are traded and lots of things are implied without being said, or sometimes are said but not heard.

Then I loved the card game itself (sabacc with rebel rules ), how everyone is trying to read everyone else -- especially Valara trying to read Luke, obviously -- and how the negative/positive cards and the progression reflect everything that is unsaid.

I also loved the description of the bar of Echo Base. The idea that you get to break off a piece of ice from the bar itself for your drink was a nice touch.

And last I ADORED how you depicted Luke's change from wide-eyed farmboy to pilot leader with a slightly macho edge. That's one stage of growing up that was missing from the films IMO, as Luke went pretty much straight from enthusiastic youth to wise Jedi, and I love what you did with his character here.

When do we get more?

 

Thank you! Luke's grown up quite a bit, and Valara finding it harder to resist

Many thanks! I'm hoping to finish before TFA comes out and ruins all of my speculation...

Thank you! I love sabacc because its a great way to delve into the character's minds - everyone's bluffing to some extent, but revealing themselves as well.

This was actually inspired by my recent holiday, where one of the places had an ice-covered bar - this seemed to fit right in on Hoth, and to go one step further by making the entire thing ice - makes getting ice for drinks very handy!

I think a lot of people forget that ESB is very much a bridging movie for Luke - he's no longer starry-eyed farmboy, but he's not a wise Jedi yet - pilot!Luke is brash, confidant and (as Yoda correctly points out) reckless. I don't really see Luke as a macho character at any point in his life, but to quote taramidala, he is a grown-ass man and there is that bold side to him, especially at this point when he is a hotshot pilot, leader, and someone no longer willing to put up with Valara's ****, which she of course responds to.[/quote]

Coming right up!

 

Tags: mattman8907 EGKenobi




Two hours after the sabacc game had finally wrapped up and she was sure everyone was asleep, Valara crept to Luke’s room and knocked lightly on the door. He answered a few moments later, still in his clothes but bleary-eyed and yawning.

“Did I wake you?” Valara asked.

He laughed and ran a hand over his eyes before giving her a look. But then he stepped aside and gestured that she should enter. His room was small, consisting of a bunk and not much else other than another door leading to the ‘fresher. A small desk was built into the wall, and Valara wandered over, flicking through the hand-written journal which lay open as if it was in the middle of being studied.

“Why are you here, Valara?” Luke asked, smoothing down his sleep-mussed hair.

Valara turned back to him and leaned against the small desk, folding her arms. “It seems we have unfinished business.”

"What makes you say that?"

But Valara could see that he was too tired to keep up the facade, his feigned disinterest chipped at the edges. "Before, I said you couldn't handle it," she said. "I think I was wrong."

Luke looked pleased with himself, running his hand through his hair again and giving her a wry look. "Words I thought I'd never hear."

"Well enjoy it," she teased, happy that it seemed to be going as planned. "You'll never hear them again."

Luke yawned, and it seemed to be only half for show. "As much as I enjoy our little chats, perhaps can I save us some time," he suggested. "And assume that you came here to...pick up where we left off?"

Valara smiled and moved closer to him, brushing her hand lightly over the lapels of his jacket. "Assume away."

But Luke's gaze darkened, all vestiges of sleep falling away in an instant. "Maybe its not that easy," he said lowly. "I'm not a toy you can discard on a whim and then pick back up whenever you feel like it."

Inwardly, she felt guilt crowd her, but Valara simply shrugged and stepped back, not quite ready to forfeit. "Fair enough...I'll leave." They stared at each other for several moments, and she couldn't quite force herself to move, or even convince herself that she wanted to. Luke smiled, and she bit her lip to clamp down on the warm feeling that blossomed inside her.

"There's that tell again," Luke chuckled as he stepped forward, gently touching her lower lip where her teeth dug into flesh. “You’re not the bluffer you think you are, Valara.”

"Neither are you," Valara challenged him, raising her chin in defiance. He was not unaffected no matter how he tried to pretend otherwise. Before, in the bar, she had reached out to him but this time he conceded, closing the distance between them and drawing her into his embrace.


Afterwards, they lay together on his small bunk with the blankets drawn tightly around them to ward off the chill. Luke stroked her face and then leaned in to kiss her; it was gentle, his lips moving over hers slowly as he ran his fingers over the skin of her back. His touch was tender despite the coarseness of his hands, roughened from years of manual labour. Valara liked the contradiction, leaning into his caress as she kissed him back with fervor.

When they parted Luke was smiling, his fingers continuing their exploration down her arms. He flipped over her hand and kissed the inside of her palm, his finger brushing lightly against the brand on her wrist, her flesh seared with a symbol she could never forget.

“What’s this?” he asked, tracing it lightly. Valara felt the bile raise in her throat and she pulled away, drawing in her arms against her chest.

“A reminder,” she told him, and thankfully he picked up the warning in her tone. He settled back in the bunk beside her but thankfully said nothing. The brand was hot on her wrist, and Valara covered it with her other hand, grasping around for a lighter subject.

“You’re a bit more...experienced than last time,” she settled on eventually. "Not that I'm complaining."

"There have been...yes," Luke admitted, and Valara smiled to herself. That much, she had guessed.

"Tell me." She shifted closer to him, thankful for the distraction as she remembered one particular topic which had been on her mind.

"Why do you want to know?" His brow was furrowed and he looked reluctant. The teasing from the Rogues earlier had proved he wasn’t one to kiss and tell, and yet...

"Let's call it sheer morbid curiosity."

“Well…” he began, shifting slightly to lie on his back and stare at the ceiling. “Not long after you there was a girl - we were on a mission together. Her name was Nakari. I...cared for her.” His face scrunched up a little and he blinked, swallowing heavily.

He didn’t need to explain what happened - Valara knew. What always happens. She kissed his shoulder and sighed. “I’m sorry.”

“That's when I thought, you know, maybe you had the right idea,” Luke added, turning his face back to her. “About not letting things get complicated. There have been a few women since then.”

"Leia?" Valara asked, knowing she had to tread lightly.

Luke gave her a knowing look. "So that was why you brought it up - you could've just asked, you know."

"The whole Rebellion is speculating," Valara pointed out, a little annoyed at herself for being so obvious. "You haven't exactly said anything so far."

Luke was silent for a long time. "Leia and I are very close, and I love her dearly. But do I feel about her the way I do you, or any of the other women I've been with? No."

Despite herself, Valara felt her heart sink a little bit. "Because it's something more?"

"Yes, but not in the way you think."

"I don't know what I think," she said lightly. Leia Organa was one of the few people Valara both liked and respected - she had a disdain for Imperials and fervor to destroy them Valara quite admired. She’d heard the rumors of course, and wouldn’t have blamed Luke if he was in love with the Princess - so was most of the fleet and, according to the scuttlebutt, the smuggler trash Solo they’d scooped up along the way.

But clearly the topic of Leia was off limits, and Valara respected those boundries - she had enough of her own she would rather keep intact, and so didn’t dare try and breach his.

“So you’re a Commander now,” she said softly, running her fingers lightly through his hair as she gently pushed it away from his face. “You named your group Rogue Squadron.”

“Yes,” Luke leaned into her touch. “I told you I liked the name - you were the first Rogue.”

“Rogue One,” Valara said wistfully.

“Even though I was mad at you at the time,” Luke said sheepishly. “I still thought it was right...you should be honoured even if the Alliance won’t do it officially.”

“There’s that farmboy,” she said, a warmth alighting in her heart. “You haven’t lost him completely.”

“I guess not,” Luke muttered, and for a moment he seemed very far away. Did he want to purge that side of himself, to dismiss his youth as something to be ashamed of and forgotten? Of all people, Valara understood that. But she said nothing, and Luke snapped his attention back to her as quickly as it had drifted, giving her a bashful smile.

“So where do we go from here?” he asked.

Valara laughed. “Always looking ahead, Skywalker,” she chided him. “Can’t you just enjoy the moment?”

Luke shrugged and was unoffended. “I like to know where I stand.”

“Where do you want to go?” she asked, genuinely curious.

"We could be friends.”

“I suppose,” Valara shifted in the bed to lie on her back, resting her head against the pillow. "I've never really had a friend before."

Luke raised himself up, leaning on his elbow as he regarded her. "Not even when you were young?"

"At the orphanage, and...after, you either had allies or enemies. There was no in between." Valara gave him a look to indicate for him to drop it.

“I can be your ally, Valara,” Luke said gently, taking her hand. “No strings, or complications, or expectations. I’ll just be here...if you need me.”

His earnestness should have been off putting, but Valara found herself unable to make fun of him. “And same to you,” she found herself promising.

“But do me a favour,” Luke looked at her pleadingly. “Be nicer to Wedge, okay?”

“I’m completely ambivalent to Antilles,” Valara said with an amused laugh. "He's the one who hates me.”

“But you know why,” Luke prodded her. “Do you blame him?”

“That was a long time ago,” Valara shrugged, and then gave him a teasing smile. “If I didn’t know better I’d say he was jealous.”

“I’m serious,” Luke said, not taking the bait. “He’s my best friend.”

Valara raised her eyebrows skeptically. “What about that good-for-nothing smuggler?”

“Han? Yeah, he’s my best friend, too.”

“Skywalker,” she chastised him. “Only one can be the best - it means better than all the others.”

Luke smiled and kissed her temple. “I don’t think like that.”

“You don’t think like anyone,” Valara grumbled, turning over to face the wall and nuzzling her cheek against the pillow. Luke shifted behind her and she could feel the heat of his body but not the touch of his skin, save for his coarse fingers as they ran gently down her arm.

“I have a confession to make,” he said softly, and Valara stiffened, dreading what he might say. Things had been going so well!

“Oh?” she asked, trying to keep her voice indifferent.

“I...lost my X-Wing.”

It was the last thing she had expected him to say, and Valara turned back around to face him curiously. “How careless of you,” she said lightly.

The corner of Luke’s mouth twitched, but he remained serious as if he was confessing his deepest sins to her. “Lost is the wrong word I suppose - I destroyed her.”

That was intriguing - she knew how much an X-Wing meant to her pilot, Valara more than most since she had once owned that particular ship. “How?”

“I was on Vrogas Vas some time ago for a training exercise, when Vader showed up.” His demeanor became cold and Valara almost shivered even though the temperature of the room had not changed. The name still frightened her, recalling of long hours of training that in hindsight she knew to be torture, and she rubbed her neck trying to will away the memory.

“He destroyed Blue and Yellow squadrons in a matter of minutes, and I knew I couldn’t win in a dogfight. So I…” Luke looked down a bit shamefully, dark blonde hair falling in his eyes. “I rammed his ship with mine.”

Valara threw her head back and laughed. She couldn’t stop, holding her aching stomach as she laughed longer and harder than she’d done in years - perhaps ever. Luke began to laugh as well, a bemused chuckle at first but then joining in, putting his arms around her and drawing her close as the laughed into each other and with each other until they ran out of breath.

Still giggling, Luke gently wiped the tears from her eyes and kissed her nose. “I thought you’d be mad.”

“Why?” Valara shrugged through her dying chuckles. “I would have done the same thing. Except you survived where I probably wouldn’t have.”

Luke sighed, looking troubled as his mirth faded. “It’s a long story.”

“I have time,” she said. “When do you leave?”

“Soon,” Luke brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. “Our mission was to scout the area, but our X-Wings struggle with the cold.”

Valara nodded - she’d been sent to Hoth to establish what ships would be required if they built a permanent base there. “There’s some Imperial-issue speeders we can probably get our hands on. They’re not designed for such low temperatures, but we can probably adapt them. I have to report back to Allied Flight tomorrow,” she said regretfully.

“Well,” Luke drew her closer and into a kiss. “We better make the most of tonight.”

It didn’t occur to her until she’d left the next day that he never told her about what had happened on Vrogas Vas.

 

Oh just. SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! I love the tone of this. The confiding and the comfortableness. You can tell they really are friends beyond and above anything else. Luke makes a terrific friend, etc. LOL Anything TFA comes trotting out will be AU to the head/heart canon you are setting up, have already done so since Shadow of Fate.

 

cool to see you mention the recent comic series Vader Down and i'm betting that "Hand-written journal" is Obi-Wan's Journal Luke picked up near the end of "Skywalker Strikes".

 

I wondered if this was going to be another chapter!! I love their conversations so so much. You've got a lovely touch when it comes to layering the meaning and emotion behind the words. And yes, Luke as a grown-ass man is my favorite Luke by far.

 

I didn't comment on the last update (holiday traveling), but I loved it! This one was great, too.

But that mention of Nakari - TOO SOON.

 

Beautiful unfolding of this relationship. I love how the card game mirrors the "mind game" that Valera and Luke engage in. Luke has certainly gained an incredible amount of confidence and has taken a leader's role both in the squadron and in his advances toward Valera.

 

Thank you! Depending on which way TFA goes, I may have to retreat into AUs and fix-it fics Luke does make a great friend, and they're now making a deeper connection although of course they're still holding back a bit.

You are correct! I wondered if anyone would pick up on that I wanted to incorporate some of what we now from the new canon.

As you can see, I edited it a bit Luke as a grown ass man 2k15 - and I really love characters just talking, starting to share things but of course its a long road.

Thank you! But yes, Nakari - forever bitter, that's me, but it made sense in the context, Luke falls hard for people but afterthat experience it seemed he would pull back a bit.

 

Tags: mattman8907, EGKenobi


3 ABY - Allied Flight, in orbit around Anoat

Luke Skywalker pulled an Alliance-issued cap down low over his eyes as he walked through the Flight Academy, trying to remain inconspicuous. It was difficult, with his bounty poster in almost every civilised system which, much to Luke’s chagrin, had seemed to double as an Alliance propaganda. Madine had made a point that his notoriety had almost doubled their piloting recruits since he had been outed to the galaxy as the man who destroyed the Death Star. Luke had even been asked to autograph the his reward poster on more than one occasion.

He soon found the room her was looking for, happily finding that the lights were already out and the class about to start, slipping into a seat at the back. At the front of the classroom was a holoprojection of X-Wing fighters and the words “Welcome New Recruits” in Aurebesh. In front of him two such cadets were talking in hushed tones, one checking her chrono and muttering that their instructor was late.

However at that very moment the door behind the holo slid open and Valara walked briskly into the room.

“I’m Commander Valara, and yes that’s my first name,” she said, crossing her arms in front of her chest. “No, I don’t have a last name. You may call me Commander or Ma’am, and I prefer the former.” She gestured to the holoprojection behind her. “I am about to show you a very trite and useless film that is meant to make you feel very good about choosing to join the Rebellion and in particular the starfighter program. Try not to let it go to your head.”

Luke smothered a smile with one hand, trying not to attract attention to himself. The two cadets in front of him shared a bemused look as the holofilm began to play - triumphant music, majestic shots of X-Wings in flight, and a voiceover reminding them all of the atrocities of the Empire and the recent victories of the Alliance. His attention to wandered to Valara, where the bottom of the projection played across her face. She seemed to be staring blankly but Luke knew she was watching the gathered cadets, her examination of them already begun. Luke ducked his head and hoped the rim of his cap was enough to conceal his face.

“Alright, enough of that shavit,” Valara declared, shutting off the film in the middle of the final speech imploring the cadets to take up the cause. “Let’s start with the basics,” she continued, clicking her little remote to bring up an X-Wing on the holoprojection. “This is an X-Wing, so named for the shape of the S-foils when locked in attack position. You wouldn’t think I’d have to explain that, but I’ve been doing this for some time and have heard every stupid question you can imagine.” Valara leaned back on the console behind her, her stern countenance relaxing slightly.

“So don’t be afraid to ask me to explain anything you don’t understand - I’ve probably been asked something far more ridiculous and you don’t want to be out there in the dark with your oxygen running out wishing you hadn’t been afraid to look like an idiot in front of your friends. Trust me, I’ve spent years around pilots and have known plenty of idiots. I doubt any of you will crack the top ten.”

There was a general twittering throughout the room, but Valara gave them a stern look. “I’m not trying to entertain you,” she said, her voice slightly sharp. “I’m here to prepare you, and this is lesson number one. Don’t show off in my class, no one is impressed, least of all me. I don’t care how well you flew your father’s speeder or how many points you got playing flight sims in some bar. In my eyes you all know exactly the same: nothing, and it’s my job to make you into competent X-Wing pilots. So listen, ask questions and focus on your training as if your life depended on it, because one day it will.”

The cadets in front of Luke gave each other looks that seemed half fear, half awe. The whole room was silent save for two male cadets in the front row who seemed to be sharing a private joke of some kind. Valara switched off the holoprojection and brought the lights back up, visibly bristling as she stood up and slowly walked towards the pair.

“You think this is funny?” she asked, looming above the formerly snickering cadet with her hands on her hips.

“Yeah,” the cadet said, folding his arms and looking up at her definitely. “You can save the lecture for these saps, sweetheart. Just put me in an X-Wing, and I’ll blow those Imps out of the sky.” His companion laughed and slapped him on the back, but Valara glowered at them.

“Just like that, huh?” she asked, clearly steaming but the cadet was too stupid to notice.

“They might as well give me my medal now,” the cadet grinned. “It will save time.”

“If you’re not ready and willing to die, alone, in the cold depths of space, then this isn’t the place for you,” she told them, her voice like steel. “Go join the communications sector, or become a deck officer, or a systems analyst - there’s honour in those roles albeit little glory. But a pilot is not role you choose on a whim, because the propaganda made it look like oh so much fun.”

She looked up and around at the collected cadets. “The truth is half of you sitting in this room will probably be dead in a year, because you will fly on the front lines and be tasked with the most dangerous missions. If you can accept those odds and have the skills, you just might make it through basic training. If not, I’m happy to arrange a transfer for you.”

Her gaze returned to the troublemaker, eyes flashing dangerously as the cadet squirmed in his seat. “I’ve seen a hundred boys like you - cocksure and absolutely convinced in their own ability. Trust me, they’re usually the first to die.”

Luke had heard enough. “You make it sound so tempting, Commander.”

There was a general murmuring around the room, wondering who would dare question Valara when she’d dealt so effectively with the last interruption. But Luke knew from her smile she had recognised his voice, and she looked up to where he sat.

"Well it seems we have a special guest," she indicated up to him, and Luke pulled of his cap to the gasps and delighted chatter of the class. "I’d wager the reason half of you are sitting in this room,” she added as he rose and walked down to her past awed students. “Luke Skywalker himself."

“I thought I’d come check out the latest batch of recruits,” Luke said with a grin as he stopped beside her. “With your permission, Commander.”

Valara gestured that he should take the floor, and he was relieved to see that she was amused, not annoyed. Luke turned back to the class and rubbed his hands together as Valara resumed her place leaning against the console.

“She’s right, you know,” he said conversationally, throwing the troublesome cadet a reprimanding glance. “Being a pilot is dangerous, and I’ve lost more friends than I can count in battle. It’s hard work, too, so you need to be prepared to study, to learn strategy, how to follow orders and be aware not only of your own life, but that of your droids and your wingmates.” Luke looked around the room at the faces rapt with attention, seeing the same stars in their eyes he’d once had at the thought of flying his very own ship. “But it’s worth it.”

“Sir?” A timid-looking young woman in the front row raised her hand. “I mean, Commander Skywalker?”

“Yes?”

“Is it true you’re a Jedi?” She glanced down to where his lightsaber hung, her eyes then darting with excitement back to his face. Luke looked over at Valara, whose mouth was a firm line, but she shrugged as if to say it wasn’t her business.

“I hope to be one someday,” he told the young woman, thinking back to his mission to Devaron, and the Jedi Temple he’d found there. He’d made a vow that he would return one day, and Luke was as resolute in that promise as the one he’d made to Obi-Wan to become a Jedi.

“My mother told me about the Jedi,” the woman enthused. “She said that they could do the impossible with just a flick of their hand. Is that how you destroyed the Death Star, sir?”

“It helped,” Luke conceded. “But you don’t need the Force to accomplish what at first seems impossible - my teammates in Rogue Squadron don’t have the Force, and I’ve seen every one of them do amazing things in an X-Wing. Or ask your Commander here how she once assaulted an Imperial Base and stole the Death Star plans,” he gestured to Valara. “At the time everyone said it couldn’t be done, but here she is, able to tell the tale, if you ask her nicely.” He winked at her, which earned him a scowl in response. “Very nicely,” he added.

“Sir?” A male Twi’lek raised his hand and Luke nodded to him. “How did it feel flying against the Death Star?”

“Terrifying,” Luke told them, the mere memory enough to make his heart beat faster. “There’s nothing that can prepare you for losing your squad mates up there. That’s the thing about a pilot’s life - you will lose friends, you’ll have sleepless nights thinking about how your wingman died to save your life, and you won’t know if you can handle it until it happens.”

“So..what do you do, sir?” a wide-eyed female Rodian asked. “How do you cope?”

Luke sighed deeply, not wanting to discourage their enthusiasm. “You remind yourself what you’re fighting for,” he told the young woman. “You find happiness in the little things,” he added, throwing Valara a smile. “And you have hope that one day it will all be worth it.”

“Alright, alright,” Valara waved her hand. “I think we’ve scared them sufficiently, Commander.” She turned back to her class. “Now, who would like to see Luke Skywalker show us a thing or two in the simulator?”

Luke laughed as every hand in the room shot up, leaving him unable to refuse.

_________________________________________

Watching Luke in the flight simulator there was no doubt in Valara’s mind that he was the best pilot she’d ever seen. He’d been in there for over an hour, beating sim after sim with apparent ease as the collection of cadets watched on in awe. His reaction times were incredible, almost as if he anticipated the enemy’s movements and there was strange longing in Valara’s mind, wondering what it would be like to see him fly up among real stars.

But it was foolish, she scolded herself, as unproductive and painful as thoughts about ever flying an X-WIng again herself. It only reminded Valara of what she’d lost. When she'd first joined the Rebellion her score in the simulator had been the highest ever - unbroken for years until a fifteen year old Wedge Antilles beat her by one point, and then Skywalker surpassed them both on Yavin.

When she’d recovered from her injuries after retrieving the Death Star plans she’d demanded that Alliance High Command let her try the simulator again, to prove that she could handle it. But she'd been far too slow, unable to focus and distinguish friendlies from the enemy - she'd shot down two of her simulated squad before they stopped the test. They'd offered her the position of Flight Master as a consolation and Valara accepted, despite how painful she knew it would be to send off new recruits to missions she would never be allowed to join.

Watching Luke was even worse - he was the man who had supplanted her so effectively that she really should hate him. It still made her wonder exactly why she didn’t.

“Alright,” Valara said eventually, checking her chrono and shutting down the simulator. “Everyone thank Commander Skywalker for the demonstration, and come back tomorrow ready to work hard.”

She allowed her students a few minutes as Luke shook each of their hands and wished them luck. He had that genuine charm that made each of them feel important rather than simply faces in a crowd, as if he was truly interested in the stories they told him about how they’d come to the Rebellion. But then, Valara considered, he likely was.

Eventually the cadets all drifted away, and they were left alone, with Luke lounging casually against the bulk of the flight simulator. “It’s good to see you again, Valara,” he said softly. “Sorry I disrupted your lesson.”

Valara laughed and folded her arms over her chest. “No you’re not.”

Luke shrugged and gave her a wry smile. “I like to meet the cadets - we were all starry-eyed recruits once.”

Even her, Valara thought to herself, although not with the Rebellion. “Is Echo Base all set up?” she changed the subject and approached Luke.

“I’m on my way there now,” Luke nodded, hooking one thumb through his belt loop and leaning back further against the simulator. “They’ve yet to activate the energy shield, but most of the fleet’s settled there.”

“Well I can’t say I envy you,” Valara said, since it had been decided Allied Flight would remained stationed at Anoat, a few systems away from Hoth. In the event the Empire found the base it made sense to keep the flight ship away from the main fleet. “I hope you’ve found someone to keep you warm since I can’t be there,” she teased.

“Nah,” Luke elbowed her lightly. “Just Wedge.”

“Oh really?” Valara turned towards him, raising one eyebrow. “Well, I had heard rumors...”

“Not like that,” Luke laughed. “The Base is a bit crowded so we have to room together. It’s taken some getting used to, though. He snores.”

“I hate to tell you this, Skywalker, but so do you,” Valara teased. “You’re perfect for each other.”

“Is that why you’re always in such a rush to leave afterwards?” Luke asked, slightly more seriously.

“No,” Valara shifted closer to him, hooking her hand in the crook of his arm and resting her head lightly against his shoulder as they leaned back on the flight simulator. “I just like to sleep alone. I never got the chance in the orphanage - they packed a hundred souls into a sleeping room and it was never quiet, even in the depths of night.”

“You’ve never really known quiet until you’ve been to Tatooine,” Luke said softly. “After dark my Uncle Owen would shut down the generator and then there would be nothing - the desert is silent as a grave at night.”

“Sounds peaceful,” Valara commented.

“You’d think so,” Luke shrugged. “But it’s an oppressive silence - almost too quiet to think.”

Valara found it hard to imagine. She’d lived on Coruscant most of her life, the city with a constant heartbeat where silence was foreign and never fully achieved. It was difficult to picture a desert of sand and rock with not a soul for miles, although it seemed rather appealing.

“I’ll have to go there one day,” she said and squeezed his arm lightly. “You could even play tour guide.”

But Luke stiffened at her words. “I’m never going back there,” he said shortly, and Valara realised it was one of those subjects that was off-limits. They’d worked out a good system over the past few months, and if one of them trod into dangerous territory, they would quickly retreat and say no more about it.

“I finally beat your score,” Valara said, slipping out of his arm and turning to face him fully. “In the simulator.”

Luke laughed and ducked his head, his unease melting away instantly. “Congratulations.”

“It was a hollow victory,” she admitted, running her fingers over the hull of the simulator lightly and looking away. “I know the system now and all the tricks. There’s no one better than me at this simulator, I know every inch of space and every enemy inside it. But put me in an actual ship? I wouldn’t be able to keep up.”

She didn’t realise Luke had moved to embrace her until his arms were already around her, his hands stroking her back and his cheek pressed against her hair. Valara stiffened at first, and then let herself relax into him, having discovered in the past few months that there was little need to keep up her bravado around him like she did with everyone else. Of course, she couldn’t tell him everything, but in the silence they seemed to comfort one another better than any heartfelt confession would.

He would speak sometimes, and she would listen, about his life growing up on the farm, about many nights going hungry during a scant harvest, about his missions and his hopes for the future. He never asked for her to say anything in return, although she could tell he hoped she would. Occasionally she would speak briefly about her life in the orphanage and her time in the Imperial Academy that followed, of the years she spent in the Rebellion before she met him. It was piecemeal information, carefully holding back that which she could not bear to speak. But it was the moments when they held each other in silence that she found the most pleasant - a brief port in the storm that raged around them.

“You know,” he said softly as he stroked her hair. “It’s a shame we never got to fly together.” He pulled back slightly so he could look at her, and Valara saw the longing in his gaze. Gently, he touched his thumb to the side of her eye, stroking the soft skin which bore no evidence of the damage she’d once suffered. “One day, maybe,” he added wistfully.

“Why not today?” she suggested, nodding to the simulator and trying to escape a conversation which had become slightly uncomfortable.

Luke laughed and took her hand, pulling her into the simulator eagerly - perhaps realising that he’d touched a sensitive nerve. The space was small, designed to replicate the close quarters of an X-Wing cockpit, but Luke slid back in the seat far enough to allow Valara to slip in behind him, pressing her back against his chest and his legs bracketing hers. She pulled the controls towards her, and for a moment Luke’s hands covered hers before flittering down to rest on her thighs.

“Show me what you’ve got, Commander,” he said, his mouth so close to her ear he had to speak in a whisper. Valara switched on the simulator and the screens around them lit up in a cloud of stars and blaster fire, throwing them into the midst of a battle. It was the hardest sim but Valara beat it easily, shooting down her enemies as soon as they appeared, ducking out of enemy fire like it was second nature and finishing the program without a hit against her.

“Child’s play,” she declared as the sim reloaded. She relinquished the controls to Luke and leaned back against his chest to give him room to grasp them. It was thrilling, to watch him fly, his instincts to well honed that a streak of envy rushed through her. It must be his Force abilities, she realised, that one subject which they never discussed. Luke must have figured out how much it unsettled her and so never brought it up, although Valara could see how important it was to him. He wore his father’s lightsaber on his hip always, and sometimes she could see him staring intently at someone or something, and knew he was reaching out through the Force. One day, she might be able to talk about it, but there were still too many secrets locked in Valara’s heart that she simply wasn’t ready to share - and she didn’t think he was ready to hear.

“Well done, Red Five,” she said as the sim ended. “But not as good as me.”

“Rogue Leader,” he reminded her, his hands drifting down from the controls to grasp hers. “And you’ve had more practice.”

“True,” Valara conceded sadly. “But this is as close as I’m ever going to get to flying again, so I’ll take it.”

“You will fly again one day,” he said softly, his hands squeezing hers. “I can feel it.”

“Careful Luke,” she warned him, although she did not move from his embrace. “A little hope is a dangerous thing.”


 

Excellent! I loved Valara's no-nonsense instructing style. She is speaking from experience of loss and near-misses and doesn't want her students to make idiotic mistakes by not asking the right questions and/or by being overconfident. Very happy that she revels in Luke's skills as a pilot. It is wonderful that they balance opening up and sharing with giving each other the space/emotional room that's needed when a sensitive nerve is touched.

There may be secrets but I have a feeling they'll come out when it's the best time.

 

I love Luke in the sims, and then him with Valara. I hope they can fly together again sometime.

That pompous guy - was his name Corran Horn?

 

I think this is my favorite chapter so far. I love Valara's toughness and no-BS attitude in the classroom, and I love how she just watches Luke while he mentors the students. Then, when they're alone, how she allows herself to be vulnerable if only for a moment. She's so fully-realized, I truly feel for her. She's trying to hold back from becoming attached and denying it, and yet... Great job on this one, lady!

 

I couldn't agree with all of the above posts more. Loved the last two chapters. Your latest post is nearly perfect. I liked Valara's teaching style, the way you pictured Luke's flying, the way the characters interact, the way you've developed each character individually, the way you bring the alliance alive by depicting the flight academy...
Can't wait to read more!

 

Thank you! She's got the experience, and she does care even though she pretends not to, knowing that sweet words and encouragement aren't going to save these kids lives. And doesn't everyone love pilot!Luke?

Never say never!

[/quote]That pompous guy - was his name Corran Horn? [/quote]

Now that's an idea...

Thanks lady! Those pesky feelings and attachments always seem to get in the way, but can you blame her?

Thank you! I figured the Alliance must have some kind of program, the way they go through pilots!

 

Tags: @mattman8907 @EGKenobi


4 ABY - Alliance medical frigate, deep space


Valara felt a tight knot form in the pit of her stomach as she walked the white hallways of the Alliance medical frigate. Although she’d been stationed on the Home One and not the Medstar-class ship after Yavin, the medward smell was the same everywhere; a nausea-inducing mix of antiseptic, bacta and death. But she swallowed heavily and walked faster, pushing aside unpleasant memories to that dark place in the corner of her mind that was unfortunately getting rather full.

She’d had to bribe a nurse one hundred credits to tell her where Luke’s assigned quarters were, and when Valara knocked on the door it slid open almost immediately to reveal a gold-cased protocol droid.

“Oh, Commander Valara,” Threepio spluttered in that high-pitched voice of his. “I am terribly sorry, but Master Luke is resting, and I have been instructed not to allow any visitors.”

Valara had only met the droid once or twice, and knew she had no hope of convincing him to make an exception in her case - to his mechanical brain she was simply one of his Master’s colleagues but no one of great importance. They’d been too discreet.

“Let her in, Threepio,” Leia’s warm voice called from within, and the droid obediently stepped aside to allow Valara to enter the room. She immediately noticed it was a suite, a collection of lounges around a caf-table to one side, a floor-to-ceiling viewport which opened up to the stars, and a round sitting table near a small kitchenette where Leia sat facing the door.

She was wearing a simple white gown, her dark hair drawn up into a bun and her attention on a small wooden puzzle box in her hands; fingers flowing deftly over the moving parts as she worked towards solving it. Despite her concentration, there were signs of distress around Leia’s eyes and mouth, the very image of a woman struggling to keep herself together. She looked like she hadn’t slept in a week.

Valara hooked her thumbs in the pockets of her trousers and waited patiently for Leia to acknowledge her, feeling rather like she was intruding on a private moment. The rumors were scant of course - capture by Vader, torture, Han Solo gone and Luke severely injured. She could see it all in Leia’s face, that which she kept so carefully concealed. But Valara knew what to look for, knew what it felt like to have your soul fractured and perhaps damaged beyond repair.

“My mother used to give me these,” Leia spoke without looking up from her puzzle box, her voice was characteristically cool and measured “I was always a fidgety child, and so rather than tell me to sit still she would hand me one to keep my mind occupied. She always used to say that any problem could be overcome, if one looked at it like a puzzle box. The solution is always there, one just needs to find it.”

Leia’s fingers shifted two pieces of the box at once, letting out a satisfied puff of air as they snapped into place. “Often she and I would work on them together, even in her throne room, and people would always say how much I looked like her.” The final pieces slid into their respective slots and the puzzle was solved. “Of course, I knew how silly that was,” Leia added as she placed the box down on the table and looked up at Valara. “I was adopted, you know.”

“I know,” Valara said carefully. It had never been a secret, at least on Coruscant. In fact, there had often been sneers among the Imperial Court that Bail Organa had not been able to provide his Queen with a natural-born daughter, and they had resorted to adopting a war orphan. Of course, Valara had been a war orphan too, although several years older than Leia and dumped into one of Coruscant’s many orphanages rather than taken in by royalty.

People would say Leia was the lucky one, but Valara had never watched her entire planet be blown up before her eyes, and she had lost her family before she had ever known them. That made things easier.

“Luke’s resting,” Leia said, folding her hands in front of her on the table and nodding to the chair opposite her. Valara slid into the seat and mimicked Leia’s posture, still not quite sure whether she was being tested or not. How much did Leia know about her and Luke?

“I came as soon as I heard,” Valara told her, unsure of why she wanted Leia’s approval. Luke had disappeared after the evacuation from Hoth, or so the rumors went. She’d had to swallow her pride and ask Wedge Antilles what he knew, and after a few drinks he spilled that he’d spoken briefly to Luke before they’d all left for the rendezvous point.

“Something about he had something he needed to do, and he wanted me to take control of the squad,” Wedge had told her, his casual disregard an obvious front. “I asked if it was a Force thing and he did that little funny smile of his, you know? Didn’t say when he’d be back.”

Evidently Leia, Han Solo and Chewbacca had also failed to check in at the rendezvous, but even after being plied with a few more glasses of whiskey Wedge hadn’t been able to give her any information about where they were, or whether Luke was with them. Then he’d called her a void spider and a hypocrite for coming to him for information, and Valara had taken her leave.

Several weeks had gone by before word reached her of their return - in pretty bad shape, sans Solo and with some smuggler named Calrissian in tow. She’d applied for clearance immediately to hop over to the medical frigate from Allied Flight, an easy enough task now that the fleet had reassembled.

Leia stared at her from across the table, her eyes clear and head held high, and yet Valara noticed the slight tremor at the side of her mouth, the slight movement of her clasped hands trying to keep her grip. Something had changed irreparably in the past few weeks, and the Alliance rumor mill had been flooded with whispers as to what.

“I’m sorry,” Valara said lightly. “About Solo.”

Leia laughed coldly. “Is it around the fleet already?”

Valara shrugged, Leia’s reaction giving her the confirmation she required. “You know what gossips pilots are.” In fact they’d been talking far longer than Leia would like to know; Valara hearing snatches of gleeful conversation among the fleet about the Princess and the Smuggler. They argued often, apparently, in a way that made it clear to everyone that their barbed and pointed words indicated not their distaste for one another, but quite the opposite. It was certainly none of her business what Leia did, but Valara couldn’t help but feel almost proprietary over Luke, as if the idea that he could get hurt made the whole situation her business.

“So where does that leave Luke?” she couldn’t help but ask. Leia’s eyes flashed angrily, and Valara felt a strange pressure in her head but it dissipated as quickly as it had come, and she dismissed it as one of her sight-headaches. Leia composed herself, and gave Valara a long, intense look, as if deciding whether or not she warranted an explanation.

"Luke and I..."

"It's different," Valara nodded. "That's what he said."

Leia looked anguished, her gaze slipping away. “I told him as if I was confessing,” she said softly. Perhaps she forgot who Valara was, perhaps she’d decided she could be trusted - or more likely Leia was hurting and just needed to say it out loud. “Because there’s this connection between Luke and I, something deeper that I’ve never been able to define. I told him…” Leia swallowed heavily, as if the words simply could not be physically spoken. “Luke just sort of smiled and said of course you do. Almost like a...” But Leia checked herself again, shaking her head and letting out a strange little laugh. “But that’s silly.”

Valara had no idea what she was talking about, still shocked that Leia had shared with her so much. Evidently Leia was too, because she looked back it was with obvious regret, her implacable mask falling back into place.

“Is it true that Vader captured you?” she asked, hoping she still had some advantage left.

“Perhaps you should ask Luke,” Leia said, her voice distinctly cooler.

“How is he?”

Leia gave her a grave look. “Different.”

Valara rubbed the skin of her throat, tracing scars that could not be seen.

“I should have killed him,” Leia said viciously. “I should have taken that blaster and hunted him down, even though he deflected fire with nothing but his hands. But if I’d gone after Luke instead of Han we could have fought him together, defeated him.” Leia’s entire body shivered with white-hot rage, and Valara felt her throat inexplicably closing over.

“I didn’t save Han anyway,” she continued, her lips curled into a snarl. “I was blinded by this stupid, nonsensical, infuriating-”

“Leia.” It was Luke’s voice, and Valara looked up to see him standing in the doorway which led to his bedroom. He wore a white medrobe and pants, his right hand held at a noticeably strange angle. He slowly crossed the room and put his left hand gently on Leia’s shoulder, leaning down to kiss the top of her head. She calmed almost immediately, her hand coming to rest over his and squeeze it gratefully.

In that moment Valara knew there was nothing to be jealous over - they’d been right, what they had was different. She didn’t know how, and couldn’t even begin to understand it, but theirs was a connection that went deeper than friends or lovers.

“You did the right thing,” Luke said softly. “I was the stupid one, going after Vader, thinking I could win. They warned me, but I didn’t listen - but they were wrong too, I think. They didn’t want me to know, and now everything’s different.”

Valara wondered how much pain medication he’d had, because his words were nonsense to her. It was clear from her expression that Leia didn’t understand either, getting up from the table and taking Luke’s hand in hers.

“Yes, Luke,” she said as if humouring a babbling child, patting his hand. “Of course. Valara’s come to visit, you see?”

Luke seemed to notice her for the first time and a smile split his face, although she noted it was not quite so large as usual. “Hey, V.”

Anyone else, she would have told them not to call her that, but he’d picked up the habit in the past few months and Valara found she didn’t hate it when it came from his lips. “Hey, Red Five.”

“I’ll let you two...catch up,” Leia said somewhat mischievously, and Valara felt her face flush. Luke looked surprised as well as he accepted Leia’s kiss on his cheek, so Valara knew he’d not told her. Perhaps she’d been as blind to people talking about her and Luke as Leia had been about her and Han? But she decided it didn’t matter, not when Luke smiled at her shyly, and she noticed the similar look of fatigue and agony etched into his features.

Leia paused and touched Valara briefly on the shoulder, looking as if she wanted to say something. But she simply sighed, patted Valara’s shoulder again and left the room, although her meaning was clear enough.

Look after him.