Saga Pieces of Air -- ESB-era short story, Luke, Leia & Han -- Complete 3 September

Wonderful!! You had me hooked with the first three paragraphs! Well, honestly, you grabbed my attention with the before ESB era tagline - I'm always hunting for some really good Luke stories from this timeframe.

Another very well written story - love it so far! Will you please add me to your PM list? Thanks!

 

I need to stop reading fic so late a night so I can actually leave a good review. It seems that Luke will heal physically but wil the mental anguish really ever fade?

 

I just found that story- and you write so well! I loved reading this.


It seemed so fragile, Luke thought. The games they played, building who they were, what they believed, in the middle of a war where it could all be gone in an instant and all that would be left were memories, so flimsy and forlorn.
This one was just one of my favourite parts in your story. You really have a gift with words- and you made me shiver with that sentence.

Please update soon and, could you add me to your PM list, too, please?

*Abeja*

 

Oooh, I like! Your insights are wonderful.

Could you please add me to the PM list?

 

Jade_eyes: Hm, I'm not entirely sure what you mean. I actually started this fic a few months ago, so if there are similarities with Jedi-2B's story, they're coincidental. Thanks for the comment on Leia and Han's characterisation.

dancing_star: Thank you, very glad you enjoyed the update.

PonyTricks: Aw, leave the poor boy alone. He can't help it if the author's making him mope.

dollfin220: Thank you very much.

Golden_Jedi: That passage came me some problems, so I'm grateful to hear you liked it. Thanks for reading!

snowspeeder_gunner: Great to hear! I'd like to see more Luke and Wedge fic from this era around, but my Rogue knowledge is quite limited, I'm afraid. Thanks for reading, and I'll add you to the list.

dianethx: Leia and Han do like to argue at this point... well, most points, actually. Thank you very much!

VaderLVR64: Thank you.

strwbrystarshine: Thanks! Glad what Luke's going through came across. There's more angstin' to come, too.

Angelmine_29: I like this timeframe too. Thanks for reading, and I'll add you to the list.

StarFighter5: I do that too, and then wonder why my spelling is so bad. Thanks for reading.

Abeja: Update coming up shortly. Thank you for the reply, glad you enjoyed the first couple of parts. Will send a PM your way.

Blue_Milkshake: Thanks! And will do, no problem.

 

---

He was released from the med bay a few days later, restricted to light duties only, no flying. That meant paperwork ? [i]flying a desk[/i], the Rogues called it, a fate worse than death. That didn?t seem quite so funny now.

It was good to be out of the infirmary, at least. He?d worked hard to get back up to scratch, spending hours exercising until his legs didn?t threaten to dump him on the floor at every second step.

He still was less steady than he liked, forced to walk at a slower pace that usual, and with a slight limp the med droid said would vanish. His legs still ached quite severely, but he kept that to himself, not wanting to be further confined to sick bay. The med droid wasn?t going to return him to full duty for at least a week as it was.

Luke spent his first day reading over the reports that had accumulated on his desk in the time he?d been incapacitated. He found it unnervingly hard to concentrate. His legs began burn after sitting for too long, and Luke had to get up. The air felt cold, despite the heavy cold-weather gear he wore.

Leia came in late in the afternoon. He saw her white-booted feet stop in the doorway. ?Luke??

?Down here,? he said.

The feet came forward, then disappeared as Leia came around his desk. She looked pale, her dark hair held back in neat braids. ?What are you doing down there??

Luke shrugged, not quite looking at her. ?More comfortable.?

Leia crouched next to him. ?Are your legs hurting??

?It?s fine,? Luke said.

She looked at him dubiously, but, unusually for her, didn?t pursue the matter. ?What are you working on??

Luke lifted the datapad he held in his lap. ?Reports. Paperwork waits for no man.?

?Or woman,? Leia said with a smile.

Luke tilted his head in acknowledgement.

?Luke,? Leia said after a while, hesitantly, ?I wanted to talk to you about your wingmate. The man who died.?

?Pag,? Luke said shortly. He suddenly felt even colder.

?Yes,? Leia said. ?You know they held a service for him.?

There was a silence. Luke said, ?No, I didn?t.?

?It was in that first week. You were in and out of consciousness.?

?I see.?

?I?m sorry, Luke ? ?

?It doesn?t matter. I didn?t know him very well, anyway. We weren?t friends.?

?Luke, what happened to him wasn?t your fault.?

Luke shook his head, not looking at her. He wanted to get up, walk away, but didn?t trust his legs to let him stand, and didn?t want to make a fool of himself in front of her. ?I don?t want to talk about it.?

Leia was silent a long time. ?All right,? she said. ?If you change your mind??

?Yes. Thank you.?

?All right,? Leia said again. She paused again, then said, ?I should go, unless you want me to stay.?

Luke didn?t look at her, said nothing. She rose and left.

[hr]
Luke had a nightmare about the crash that night. They?d started in the med bay, and always ended in Luke waking, gasping, shivering with lingering cold. He couldn?t remember the details of the dreams any more than he could remember specific details from the crash itself except in random, confused flashes. Somehow that lack of remembering made it worse, not better. He felt as though if he could just remember what was in the dreams, they might stop.

He motionless in the darkness after he woke. His legs ached furiously, his heart was still beating rapidly in his chest, and he thought for a while he was going to be sick.

He turned on his side. His room felt cold, and very empty. The silence, broken only by his ragged breathing, was eerie. It was too much like the silence as he bled alone in that tiny broken cockpit, a dead man behind him, wind seething outside.

Luke clenched his teeth to stop them chattering, and closed his eyes.

[hr]
There was a briefing about the new arrangements for transport in the morning. Luke slouched at the back, bleary and in pain. His leg was bothering him this morning: perhaps he had lain badly on it in addition to the nightmares last night.

Afterwards there was meeting of squadron commanders and fleet command. Luke attended with Wedge

 

Yay! Another update! And it looks like I get first post for once!
My poor, poor Luke though. He needs some
And with a guaranteed dose of Han and Leia.
Yay! Maybe they can help him, being his best friends.
Great update! Perfect characterizations as usual.

I hope it's not too long before the next post. I can hardly wait!

 

Great update!

I love the new character; hopefully she can help Luke!

Keep up the good work!

 

My poor darling boo is having a time of it. Love that Leia is being so supportive. Nakari seems to be sparking some ... interest

 

You've done such an incredible job of portaying our favorite characters!

He was released from the med bay a few days later, restricted to light duties only, no flying. That meant paperwork ? flying a desk, the Rogues called it, a fate worse than death. That didn?t seem quite so funny now.


You had me hooked from the very first passage.

 

Luke had a nightmare about the crash that night. They?d started in the med bay, and always ended in Luke waking, gasping, shivering with lingering cold. He couldn?t remember the details of the dreams any more than he could remember specific details from the crash itself except in random, confused flashes. Somehow that lack of remembering made it worse, not better. He felt as though if he could just remember what was in the dreams, they might stop.

He motionless in the darkness after he woke. His legs ached furiously, his heart was still beating rapidly in his chest, and he thought for a while he was going to be sick.

He turned on his side. His room felt cold, and very empty. The silence, broken only by his ragged breathing, was eerie. It was too much like the silence as he bled alone in that tiny broken cockpit, a dead man behind him, wind seething outside.

Luke clenched his teeth to stop them chattering, and closed his eyes.

I had to quote it all again... This pasage was just so real...

 

Poor Lukie. He needs something to take his mind off his troubles, and give him an entirely NEW set of troubles. A woman? A night of drinking Whyren's Reserve with Han? An encounter with Vader? A kiss from his.... sister?

 

Nakari sat across from him in the mess hall as he ate a late evening meal alone. ?You look wrecked,? she said.
?Thanks,? Luke replied wryly.
?You know what I mean.?
Luke rubbed his forehead. ?I haven?t been sleeping well.?
?Yeah?? She tilted her head.

Wow, he actually admitted to not being invincible? Maybe Nakari is good for our hurtin' hero.

Poor Luke!!!!!!

 

Wow, I just found this, but it's an interesting and complex work about the various aspects of healing.

 

loved it. could you please add me to the pm list?

 

He suddenly, desperately wanted to feel warmth for a change.

It's sad. He doesnt even remember what it feels like to be warm anymore. Perhaps this talented and kind pilot can help. He needs someone to help shake the feelings of guilt involving Pag's death.

 

I'm so enjoying your Luke, K_A because he's so real - a kid who's been through more than he can deal with and whose personality doesn't make it easy for him to ask for help. It shows in the way you write his dialogue - those truncated sentences in which he says nothing about his pain. It only comes out in his thoughts and even then he can't quite get at WHAT is really the problem.

Is the leg pain feeling worse because of his mental anguish? That's the message I'm getting. It really is brilliant writing.

That meant paperwork ? flying a desk, the Rogues called it,
LOL That was great.

The Luke-Wedge dialogue was cool, too. And I liked the subtle way you wrote the interchange between Nakari and Luke. The fact is she can offer displacement but not a cure. However I SO sympathise with his desire to be warm and to be able to FEEL something that is nice again. That is so human.

I also admire the way your narrative style matches Luke's voice - showing us this is strongly from his point of view. The dramatic tension in that is wonderful.

 

Another excellent update - looking forward to the conclusion - hope it's really, really llll-ooo-nnn-gggg.

Wonder what's up with Luke's leg? Typical that he wouldn't mention anything until he absolutely had to... Nightmares and guilt with leg pain - not a happy mix.

Thanks for the PM!

 

I was on vacation.

This is wonderful. I loved how you show Luke being so lost and guilty. Even the denial of his injuries and yet how they keep cropping up while he's thinking about going back to flying is quite telling.

He turned on his side. His room felt cold, and very empty. The silence, broken only by his ragged breathing, was eerie. It was too much like the silence as he bled alone in that tiny broken cockpit, a dead man behind him, wind seething outside.

Great description. Loved it.

 

I like this, I really do

 

Update?
Pretty please?
Pretty please with whipped cream, candy sprinkles, and a cherry on top?

 

That were some great sentences- how something that has been so familiar before, twists into something different with a diferent meaning.
I enjoyed this part very much. You can write Luke very well- and it is a joy to read your story.
Update soon!
Abeja

P.S: And I am sorry for not replying earlier.

 

Still alive. Sorry about the delay in posts ? DRL has been most uncooperative. But I?m here finally.

dancing_star: Thank you! More very soon.

snowspeeder_gunner: Glad you liked Nakari, although unfortunately she doesn?t have much of a role in this last section. Thanks for the feedback.

Jade_eyes: Luke?s not having much fun at the moment, no. Thanks for reading!

VaderLVR64: Thank you!

Golden_Jedi: Glad you liked it!

PonyTricks: As I?m sure Luke and Leia later do, let?s just pretend that never happened.

Blue_Milkshake: Luke torture is fun, though. Thanks for reading.

DarthIshtar: Thanks for stopping in, glad you enjoyed it.

Tatooine_Ghost: Welcome, and will do.

StarFighter5: Good thoughts? more on that very soon.

Tahi: You?ve nailed what I?m going for with Luke here ? that he?s going through a lot, and at the moment he?s finding it hard to express that. He kind of needs someone to point it out to him?

Thank you very much for your feedback. Update soon.

Angelmine_29: There?s more on the leg pain soon?. And you?re very welcome. Thanks for the reply.

dianethx: Hope the vacation was a good one! I?m glad you?re enjoying the story. The conclusion will be posted very soon.

JediKaren: Thank you! Great to hear.

dancing_star: Well, considering you asked so nicely?

Abeja: That?s no problem at all ? I?m very grateful to have your reply, whenever it?s posted. Thanks so much for the feedback.

 

Last post! Thanks to everyone for reading along the way. I hope you enjoy the conclusion.

---

There was checkup scheduled for the next day. Luke didn?t go. He had paperwork to do, he thought, and chose to ignore the edge of bitterness in his own thoughts.

Wedge was off with Rogue Squadron on a mission, escort duty for a supply run through potentially hostile territory. Luke sat in his office, imagining Wedge and the rest of the pilots out there in their X-wings, fingers dancing over the controls, the sureness of flight.

He headed to the mess hall for a late meal in the evening. Nakari entered after he?d found a seat and made as though to join him at his table, but Han appeared out of nowhere to take the chair opposite Luke. ?Sorry, sweetheart,? he said, with a smirk in Nakari?s direction, ?seat?s taken.?

Nakari shrugged, unconcerned, and went to sit with her squadron mates.

?Han,? Luke said warily. ?What are you doing??

?Sorry, kid,? Han said, sounding anything but. ?If you were anyone else, I?d say go for it. I know you, though. It won?t work. You?ll just end up feeling worse.?

?I don?t know what you?re talking about.?

?Sure you don?t.? Han surveyed the mess hall, turned up his lip as he often did when faced with Rebels en masse, and stood. ?Let?s take a walk.?

?I?m eating.?

?C?mon.? Han helpfully grabbed Luke?s arm, pulled him up, and led the way towards the west end of the hall, where a thick doors closed on an exterior exit. Han pulled a couple of thick cold-weather jackets from the storage compartment by the door, threw one in Luke?s general direction, and palmed open the heavy doors.

Luke pulled on the jacket reluctantly. It was slightly large for him, the sleeves touching his knuckles, the gloves too bulky for his fingers. The air outside was frigid. Luke crossed his arms, blowing out sharply at the shock of the cold. ?So,? he said.

?So,? Han echoed.

The stood in the protected lee of the entranceway, out of the powdery snow that piled up beyond the line of the roof. Luke hadn?t been outside since his recovery. The bitter cold brought back some unpleasant memories, more intense than he liked. Luke concentrated on keeping his breathing even, and sank down into a crouch.

Han leaned against the duracrete wall, looking over the snow-covered plain spread before them. ?Taken one of the snowspeeders for a spin yet?? he asked.

?You know I?ve haven?t been cleared.?

?That didn?t stop you from walking when you decided you were ready,? Han said.

?That?s different.?

?How?? Han was watching him. ?Come on, spill. How is that different??

?It doesn?t matter.?

?Oh. It?s different, but it doesn?t matter how.?

Luke didn?t reply. Han crouched, poking at the powdery snow with his gloved finger. ?There?s nothing wrong with being scared to go back up.?

?That has nothing do with it.?

?Really?? Han glanced at him and shrugged. ?If I?d nearly been killed because my ship didn?t work like it was supposed to, I?d be thinking twice about going out again. Be stupid not to.?

?I haven?t been cleared to fly. It has nothing to do with whether I?m afraid to.?

?Why haven?t you been cleared?? Han rubbed his gloved fingers together.

?Because my leg hurts.?

?You seem to be walking on it okay. You?ve even lost that limp you had.?

?What, am I lying?? Luke came to his feet angrily. ?It still hurts.?

?Yeah. Maybe you should be thinking about [i]why[/i] it hurts.?

Luke stared at Han, while Han crouched, still looking at something off in the snow and the ice. Luke turned away, closed his eyes. Against the darkness of his squeezed-shut eyelids, he saw the fire and smoke of the falling airspeeder that plagued his nightmares, the coldness and the helplessness, his ragged breathing, the silence from behind.

?There?s nothing shameful in that, you know,? Han said. ?I?m just saying.?

Luke breathed, in and out, until he could trust his voice. He turned, pressing his gloved fingers to the hard duracrete wall. ?I tried to use the Force,? he said. ?I tried to use the Forc

 

I liked that very much. The honesty and caring that Han and Leia showed in their unique ways.

Loved this glimpse into Luke's healing journey. Your Luke is always "real."

Sorry to see this end... as I always am to see anything of yours come to a close.

Hope the bunny bites again soon.