The Other Half (an AU L/L story)--The story that started it all!

An explanation of the other half of the title. In the 6 months since I joined this board, I have become infamous for my somewhat brutal tactics towards my characters. More of an urban legend than anything else, even outside the boards. This is the story that started all that. A story of war, peace, love, hate, forgiveness, dark, light and every other cliche. But it's not cliche. It's a labor of love and very addictive for author and reader alike. So, please enjoy!

 

Princess Leia Organa lay prone on the slab of metal that passed for a bed in Imperial detention centers, trying to summon her strength.

The interrogations, fierce and thorough, had left her body broken and her spirit resolved to defiance. She was too exhausted to move, but she dared not sleep for fear that she might wake up dead. She had not even the strength to weep for Alderaan, for all the lives and futures lost in the blink of an eye.

In less than an hour, she would be nothing more than a memory, yet another faceless martyr to the Rebel cause, as so many already had been.

It was not a prospect she relished, but it was just as well. She had failed those who trusted her the most--her father, when she failed to reach General Kenobi; her homeworld, when she foolishly assumed that Tarkin would exercise even a modicum of mercy and logic when she finally supplied the location of the Rebel base.

No one would ever know how she died. She would probably be exonerated, held up as an icon to inspire her comrades. They would urge the Alliance members on with words such as "honor" and "dignity" and "never again." They would say that Leia Organa was a victim of the Empire's injustice.

Perhaps it was better that they would not know the truth.

There were shouts and the sounds of blasters being fired outside and her clouded mind vaguely registered that something must be wrong. Perhaps her execution would be postponed.

Over it all, she could hear the clang of boots on decking, signalling that someone was approaching.

The door hissed open and she forced her eyes open. Shadowed in the doorway was a stormtrooper. She summoned her strength and pushed up onto her elbow.

The trooper stood, silent and awkward, just inside the door as if unsure as to what he should be doing.

Leia arched an eyebrow. "Aren't you a little short for a stormtrooper?"

"Huh?"

She started. This was certainly not protocol.

"Oh, the uniform."

He reached up and pulled his helmet free. The first thing she noticed were the eyes, ice-blue and intense. They were somehow familiar.

"I'm Luke Skywalker," he breathed. "I'm here to rescue you."

 

A very interesting start!

 

Great start.

 

* * *
"We can't keep running forever."

Luke glanced over his shoulder and grinned at the diminutive princess trying desperately to keep up.

"We could try."

"Then consider this," she panted. "I know my way to the detention block and the officers' observation gallery. You know your way from the hangar to the level above and the detention block. Given the size of this thing, we have a very good chance of getting lost."

Luke uttered a low curse and skidded to a stop. "You have a point there."

Princess Leia slumped against the corridor wall and squeezed her eyes shut. "Another good point is that the Imperials will be most likely suspicious of two civilians attempting to run a marathon on a space station that not even the Senate knows about."

Luke nodded and swiped his hand across his brow. It came away grimy and damp. "And we smell as though we did laps in the garbage system."

Leia nodded shakily. "Either way, we don't fit the image of anyone who should be on this station. I suggest we keep a low profile and make our way back to the hangar. Your friends should be able to meet us there."

Luke gripped her arm lightly, forcing her to meet his gaze. What he saw horrified him.

Her liquid brown eyes were glazed and bloodshot, a clear aftereffect of interrogation drugs. Studying her features, he could see the discoloration of bruises and half-healed lacerations.

"What did they do to you," he breathed.

She looked away, clearly ashamed. "I'd rather not discuss it. Let's just say that the destruction of Alderaan was the last in a long line of brutal tactics." She pushed up her sleeve and he was stunned to see several patches of bruised flesh where she'd been drugged. "Most of them were from interrogation, but the last one was the drug they gave me in preparation for my execution. I convinced the medic to give me only enough to keep me sedated until I was back in my cell."

She glanced up and forced a smile. "Of course, I didn't know that I'd have to lead a group of wet-behind-the-ears commandos on my own escape." She buried her chin in her chest. "I also didn't account for reality. I barely had the strength to sit up when you barged in."

He shuddered deeply. "Why didn't you tell me?"

She shook her head in little jerks and her shoulders hunched. "I would have slowed you down," she bit out. "We need to get the plans to the Alliance as soon as possible, self-preservation not necessary."

Luke reached up and brushed a loose strand of hair back into place. "I'm so sorry," he said quietly.

Impulsively, he drew her into a gentle embrace. She rested her forehead against his collarbone and returned the gesture.

After a long moment, she pulled back and extended a hand. "I don't believe were ever properly introduced. I'm Leia Organa."

"I'm Luke Skywalker."

She pressed her lips together and the corners of her mouth turned up in a faint smile. "An auspicious name. Well, Luke, I think we need to be getting back to the ship."

 

Nice work DarthIshtar! I like where you're goign with this story! More please!

Peace.
-LadyCallie

 

I'll be watching this one. We don't often see L&L like this. When they are together, it's usually after Bespin or after everything's over with and Leia has children. Looking very forward to the next post!

 

Nice job! The interactions between Luke and Leia are great!

 

More please?

-LC

 

Welcome aboard, all! Thanks for the reviews so far.
* * *
The faint tremor of acceleration indicated that the *Millenium Falcon* had finally made it to hyperspace. Leia sighed in relief, then sank onto the gaming table's bench and let her head drop onto its checkered surface.

There was quiet laughter from her left and Luke draped a blanket over her shoulders. "I know exactly how you feel," he said wryly.

Leia let her head roll to the side so she could send him a half-hearted glare. "No, you don't," she said quietly. "Not unless you've been through some of Darth Vader's delicate inquisition, had your homeworld destroyed, and failed in the most crucial mission in Alliance history."

Luke slid onto the bench across from her and smiled sympathetically. "I can't say that I've had those particular trials, but how can you say that you failed? You retrieved the Death Star plans and are bringing them to the Alliance high command. What detours you took on the way there don't particularly matter."

Leia shuddered. "I failed the men who died protecting me on the Tantive IV. I failed the people of Alderaan..." Her voice broke. "I failed my father."

Luke reached over and lifted her chin so that she met his gaze. "None of that was your fault and I won't have you thinking otherwise."

She blinked back tears and smiled slightly. "I met you three hours ago and I already feel like you know me too well."

"I know the feeling," Luke said quietly. "Of course, maybe that's because I've been hero-worshipping you since the moment I ran across your message to Ben."

She sighed. "So that's why you came to my rescue. An overinflated sense of heroism. Typical male."

Luke laughed. "I felt connected to you somehow, as if I were meant to cross paths with you."

"Lucky you," she teased.

"'In my experience, there's no such thing as luck,'" he countered.

Leia frowned deeply. "What time did you barge into my cell?"

"About 1353," Luke replied. "Why?"

"At 1400 I was to be executed. Standard Imperial procedure means that I would have been taken out of my cell at 1355. When you came storming in, I thought you were the guard who was taking me to my death. I'd say that constitutes as luck."

He shuddered. "Not luck, just the will of the Force."

She reached across to take his hand. "I don't know how exactly to thank you," she said quietly.

He smiled wryly. "I'm sure you'll find some way."

Leia straightened. "You're a hot hand on a weaponry system," she remarked. "Were you at the Academy?"

He snorted. "Not even close. I'm nothing more than a Force-strong bush pilot off of a backwater world who happened to buy the only pair of droids in history to be toting along the plans for a superweapon."

Leia's eyes crinkled in amusement. "That'll be a story to tell the grandchildren." She sighed. "We can always use snub-jockeys. I think with your skills and my recommendation, we could land you a place in the squadron that goes against that thing."

Luke's jaw dropped. "You can't be serious."

She rolled her eyes. "It's not much, but it's a start at repaying the debt."

He grinned. "Let's just call it even."

 

cool, is this AU or just the in the middle stuff?

 

This is emr stuff (in-the-middle; sorry, I took latin for three years so I refer to everything as en media res or emr. I'm a total geek and what's worse, I'm an English major).

 

Cool! This looks like fun!

 

Good start! I like it! It seems like there aren't very many L/L stories out there, so I'm glad you're writing one!

 

Very nice...

En media res? I don't even want to remember *that* stuff...

But you're doing very well here, so I'll sit back and wait for the next post.

 

All good things are compounded in moments of pure insanity. Hence this next section.

Hope y'all are enjoying it so far.
* * *
The inhabitants of the Yavin base were not concerned with protocol tonight.

It was mere hours since the destruction of the Death Star and not a single person was adhering to duty. The exultation was too much.

Leia opened her door to find Luke standing rather nervously outside.

"I noticed you were holed up in your room, so I've come to order you to have some fun."

Leia smiled genuinely. "Yes, sir. Though, may I mention that I outrank you?"

"Nevertheless," Luke said with a touch of irritability, "I have come to escort you to the premises."

"Can I at least make sure I'm presentable first?"

He reached behind her and yanked out the fastening pins. Her hair tumbled down, framing her face.

"No," he said firmly.

Leia laughed. "So that's what they mean by letting your hair down."

He grinned. "In a manner of speaking, yes." He offered her his arm and she took it. "Off we go."

The officer's mess was a mob scene. The tables had been shoved against the walls to create a dance floor. Many couples were already moving to the upbeat music.

Leia couldn't help but smile. For once, the members of the Rebel Alliance were forgetting the urgency of their situation, the threat of the Empire, the duty shift that started in five minutes, and simply enjoying the fact that they were alive to worry about such things.

"I think the food is over here," Luke shouted over the din.

"If we can get through this crowd," she countered.

He seized her hand and led her through the crowd to the table against the far wall.

"Kid!"

Leia turned to see Han waving. They both returned the greeting as he made his way to them.

"Try the ryshcate," he urged. "It's the only thing worth eating here."

"Naturally Corellian," Leia clarified.

Han grinned. "Naturally. All perfect things, myself included, hail from the Corellian Sector."

"I think I'm going to be sick," Leia mumbled to Luke.

He handed her a warm piece of ryshcate and she bit into it. The rich taste and sweet aroma nearly made her weep.

"All right, I'll concede the point," she said around a bite.

Luke wiped a crumb from her chin. "No talking with your mouth full, Leia. Didn't they teach you anything useful at the Royal Court?"

Leia swallowed. "Flogging peasants and being bossy comes with the territory; other than that, I don't think I need any instruction."

Luke shot her a mischievous glance. "How about dancing?"

"Don't even go there," she countered.

"I'm willing to take my chances."

Leia shoved the rest of her ryshcate into her mouth and took his hand. "You're on, farmboy."

However, as soon as they reached the dance floor, the music ended and a more traditional piece came on.

"I don't think I know this one," Luke admitted.

Leia's brow furrowed as she attempted to remember where she'd heard the piece before. A memory of the court dance instructor came to mind and she buried her face in her hands.

"Oh no," she moaned. "It's the p'qa."

"The *what?*"

She looked up. "A very traditional ballroom dance from Raltiir." Taking him in the dance position, she grinned. "I'll teach you, but you'd better have fast feet. You do three diagonal steps, then a hop-turn, then repeat the process until the music stops."

"If I'm not mistaken, we'll have an audience."

Leia grinned. "What, you scared?"

"After you," he countered.

The main beat came on and she took off at a furious pace. Luke, surprisingly, kept up fairly well, but they kept getting their feet entangled and Leia was soon laughing harder than she could remember.

"No, right, right," she sputtered.

"You've got to be kidding me."

He took her through a fast spin, then resumed in the wrong direction. Leia kicked him none-too-gently in the shins.

"The other way," he said incredulously.

"I can't believe that with directional skills like this you ever managed to hit the Death Star."

He laug

 

"I considered you a friend the moment you uttered the words 'I'm here to rescue you.'"

Awwwww!! Great part! This story is so up-beat and fresh! I love it! Wonderful work!

Peace.
-LadyCallie

 

I'm glad you liked that. Just to warn you, this story will not always be so upbeat. It's just that we very rarely see our favorite characters in a happy moment. It often drives me crazy, because a friendship as deep as theirs is formed by the trials and refined by the terpsichory. And if anyone's wondering, the p'qa is the polka. This scene was inspired by a memory I have of a very good friend of mine. He and I never had so much fun as when we were on the dance floor, doing swing or polka with reckless abandon. It's the kind of experience that makes life-memories.

 

You're so right about that. It's not offen that any SW characters have happy moments, at least not in the fics I read.

More please?
-LadyCallie

 

Very nice post. I have wonderful memories of polka dancing with an uncle of mine when I was a little girl. I love seeing Luke & Leia having so much fun!

 

Really cool!!

 

A little more please?

-LadyCallie

 

My apologies to all for the delay, but I had my wisdom teeth out yesterday and I've been working like a dog beforehand to finish a paper for my history class before that happened, so I didn't have any time to write. Well, what kills you only makes you stronger. Here's another installment.
*********************************************
"Don't you ever sleep?"

Leia glanced wearily up from the datapad and smiled at Luke. "Not if I can help it," she countered. "Why are you still up?"

He set his helmet on the floor and took a seat opposite her. "We just got back from duty patrol. After that scouting party, we aren't taking any chances."

Leia nodded. Two days ago, an Imperial shuttle and a flight of reconnaisance fighters had done a fly-by of the world where the latest Alliance base was. The members of Rogue Squadron had destroyed them, but the chance that a task force would show up to investigate was a dangerous reality.

"Find anything?"

Luke shook his head, yawning. "Not even a homing marker."

"A small comfort," she mumbled.

He reached over and snagged the datapad. "What are you reading now?"

"Reports from the Ketarn Battle Group." She tapped the screen. "They ran into another Victory-class Star Destroyer. Say that's the weapon of choice for the Empire these days."

"But," Luke prompted.

Leia sighed. "Intelligence says that there may be something major in the works."

"Another Death Star?"

She shook her head. "Thankfully no, but something a lot more dangerous than a Victory Star Destroyer."

"Fairly arrogant of them to name their latest design 'Victory.'"

Leia grinned. "You'll just have to go out and prove them wrong, won't you."

"I'll do my best." He checked his chrono. "Have you eaten at all today?"

"No time," she said. "Between command meetings, briefings, debriefings, and trying to get through this page for the last 2 hours, I haven't bothered."

"Me either." He shut off the datapad. "Come on, my treat."

She sighed and replaced the datapad in its drawer. "The usual place?"

Luke grinned. "Of course. The best survival rations and stale water our extremely limited budget can buy."

"As long as the other money goes towards things such as keeping your fighter from spontaneously combusting with you inside, I don't mind."

"I appreciate the concern," he countered.

She stood and pulled on a light jacket for the trek to the officer's mess. "Maybe we'll run across Solo and he'll take pity on us."

"No such luck. He's still on the run to Kitli."

The corridors were, naturally, deserted. At 0130, the only people up were those on duty or too wired to sleep.

A blast of warm air met them as they reached the door leading to the main courtyard. "Thank the Force we hit this base during the warm seasons."

"You call this warm," Luke teased.

Leia snorted. "Yes, farmboy. On some worlds we actually have cold seasons."

"Did Alderaan?"

Leia smiled wistfully. "Some parts, such as the continent of Thon, never seemed to have such problems, but Aldera was beautiful in the Winter. The Palace there was almost delicate and ephemeral because whoever designed it insisted on a lot of windows and with the snow, it was almost surreal." She sighed. "There was a folk tale that a princess was once trapped in a castle of ice and was rescued by a handsome warrior who killed her captor. I used to pretend that the Aldera Palace was my ice castle and that I was only waiting for my knight."

She glanced over at Luke. "Of course, my knight would have frozen to death in my ice castle. Perhaps it's best that we met on the Death Star."

Luke grinned. "A cross between the ice castle and burning sands. Wise idea."

Leia yawned. "I'm not sure I can stay awake any longer. I might fall asleep in the jarek noodles and have to kill anyone who saw it."

Luke took her elbow and steered her back towards the barracks. "I agree. Food can always wait. Let's get you tucked in for the night."

"Yes, Father," she teased.

He whacked her arm gently. "D

 

"Farmboy's honor."

Awwwww! Luke is such a sweetie! :: What I give to have him say that to ME! LOL!

Great work! This story is so good!
-LadyCallie

 

Warning to all, this is not one of those short, happy segments.
*********************************************
The dawn was stained red.

The battle for the Khirva Valley fortress had been intense, long and exhausting. It was difficult to call it a victory for either side because of the cost of the designation.

Leia awoke to great pain in the makeshift field hospital that the Alliance had hastily constructed after nightfall had halted the fighting. The details of her arrival were as hazy as the morning light that warmed her face.

The moans of the dying drew her further into consciousness as she wondered if she were among that category.

A quick survey of her senses yielded the facts that she had been wounded in the side, shoulder and right arm. She had a deep gash in her right leg and someone was gripping her left hand tightly.

She stretched her fingers slightly and the person on the other end of the grip started awake.

Luke blinked several times, then his ice-blue eyes focused on her face and he smiled wearily.

"So, you're finally awake."

Leia attempted to return the gesture, but her split lip prevented her from succeeding.

"How did I get here?"

"The way most of those here did."

Her brow furrowed in concentration. "Please tell me I didn't collapse during the command debriefing."

Luke winced. "Unfortunately for your dignity, you did. Luckily, no one thought any lesser of you for it."

"What time is it?"

"0621."

Leia groaned and pushed herself up on her elbows. Luke caught her around the shoulders and helped her sit up.

"Are you sure you want to move?"

She set her jaw and nodded. "The command force will be meeting at 0630 on the southern perimeter. I have to be there."

"No, you don't," he countered gently. "Much as we hate to admit it, the Alliance can survive without you for a few days."

Leia shook her head. "Not yet. As long as I can still move, I have to help get us out of this mess."

Luke sighed and slipped her arm over his shoulders. Standing, he hauled her up gently and she tested her weight on her right leg.

"Tolerable," she conceded.

Luke snorted. "I bet."

Leia made a face at him. "Why are you suddenly so belligerent?"

Luke frowned. "Not belligerent, overprotective."

"At least you admit it."

Luke turned her in his grip and pushed her gently onto the bed. "It's a five-minute walk to the southern perimeter. Rest until then."

Leia sighed. "I don't suppose you happen to have a mirror."

"I don't suppose you'd want to look in it," Luke countered.

Leia ran a hand over her mud-and-sweat-streaked face and grimaced as her fingers encountered the tenderness of bruises. "I suppose you're right."

She glanced over at his relatively unmarked face. "How in the stars did you manage to emerge unscathed again?"

Luke rolled his eyes. "I'd say luck if it weren't bad for the Jedi image." He reached over to wipe a trace of blood from her lips. "Besides, I wasn't at ground zero."

Leia winced. "True. The ground forces don't typically head straight for the maintenance hangars, even if they're on the way to the command center."

Luke checked his chrono. "Speaking of which, I'll be escorting you to the southern perimeter now."

Leia pushed to her feet. "About time."

Four minutes later, she hobbled up the last slope to the checkpoint at the edge of the southern perimeter.

Commander Rieekan's eyes widened as she came into view and Leia blushed slightly.

She could only imagine what she looked like. Hair in disarray, face streaked with mud, perspiration, and blood; her sleeveless undertunic had been abbreviated to treat her wounds and her jacket was in shreds. One leg of her slacks was cut off above the knee and the bandaging over the gash was soaked through.

He took her hand gently and kissed the broken knuckles, a remnant of the vicious hand-to-hand combat they'd resorted to the night before. She had earned those particular badges of honor against the jaw of a belligerent major and had been rewarded for h