Disclaimer: I don't own the GFFA, obviously. I'm just playing with it.
Warning: There is a love story here involving an original character and a cannon character! (However, I took the Mary Sue quiz just to be on the safe side, considering she's a strong female character who is good at what she does. I scored well below Mary Sueism range-so Mary Sue haters, take heart. This story is safe-I hope!)

Setting: 2.5 years post ANH


Hearts are Meant To
By KnightMara

"Looks like there's hope for our dwindling ranks after all," Wedge's voice chirped as he strode into the barracks assigned to Rogue Squadron.

The others were gathered on one of the bunks playing a modified-and therefore highly risky and unpredictable -game of sabacc. The cards had been randomly programmed, with no interference field to stop the shift in values. Based on the languid postures of the pilots on the bunk, this game had been going on for some time, and would be for some time longer if people didn't start dropping out of the game soon. Wondering what the ante was, Wedge studied the pot a moment and was surprised to discover that it consisted of a pile of ration bars.

Lifting an eyebrow curiously, he asked, "Are we playing to win, or to lose, gentlemen?"

Luke looked up from his hand wearily. "Take a look at the pot, and you tell me."

Utterly taken aback, Wedge nodded with feigned comprehension. "Okay. Different."

Wes laughed. "Hey, you can't give these things away."

"So you're going to bet them off your hands?"

"Precisely."

Wedge was still a bit confused. "So then why are you all playing so seriously?"

Luke swore as his cards suddenly changed values. "Because the first one out gets the pot."

Shaking his head as he plopped down on the adjacent bunk, Wedge muttered, "You guys are insane." Whacking Wes on the back of the head for the fun of it, he added, "And giving sabacc a bad name."

Wes rubbed his head and scowled at him briefly before returning his gaze to his hand.

"So what's this about our dwindling ranks?" Hobbie asked, keeping a close eye on the game.

"We're getting some new blood, boys," Wedge announced enthusiastically.

Luke sat up abruptly. "Hey, how'd you find this out before me?"

Before Wedge could answer, Zev reached over and patted Luke's arm in mock-sympathy. "'Cause we've already decided that you're number is up." He pointed to Wedge. "Meet your replacement."

Wes sniffled dramatically. "We're sure gonna miss you, Boss Wanna-Be."

Luke leaned toward him. "Come here, I don't think Wedge hit you hard enough the first time."

"Relax, Luke," Wedge remarked mirthfully. "All bets on your imminent demise aside," he paused long enough for Luke to shoot him a dry smirk, "Narra just told me in the corridor. He wasn't able to find you all afternoon." Indicating the ongoing game, he added, "Now I know why."

"Hey, Zev," Hobbie called, pointing to Wedge. "Deal him in. He could use some ration bars."

"Are you kidding?" Luke asked in disbelief. "He's Corellian. Probably has a bunch of chip-cards stashed up his sleeve already."

Wedge remained silent at that, and the others exchanged amused glances.

"So when do we get to meet this new blood?" Zev asked.

"Dunno," answered Wedge with a shrug. "They're arriving on the next shuttle, from what I heard. Other than that, can't tell ya'."

Luke nodded a second before throwing his cards down on the bunk. "Well, I want some lunch," he sighed. "So, I fold." As the others watched with expressions that fluctuated somewhere between relief that the game was over and thankfulness that they hadn't been the one to call it, Luke scooped up the pot and moved off the bunk. To everyone's amazement, he then dumped the armful of ration bars into Wedge's lap. "In honor of your impending promotion," he quipped with a sly grin. Then he strode without another word out of the room.

The others watched his departure before turning their gaze to the baffled Wedge.

Wes chuckled. "Well, now I'm sure of it. He's definitely dead."

******************************************


Luke helped himself to a dish of something that seemed more or less edible and walked over to an empty table. Looking around the mess hall of the Alliance's temporary base on Ithull, Luke sighed. In the past two years, every base had proven to be temporary. This was just another on the list. A few teams had been sent out to find another suitable location in case they were forced out of this one as well, and the probability of that happening seemed more likely than ever. Reports of potential sites had been sent back, including one in the Hoth system. The Rogues would probably be dispatched to check it out eventually. Luke shivered at the thought. Having grown up on a desert planet, a snow-covered base was not high on his list of favorites at the moment. He glanced down at his clothes, wishing he hadn't left his jacket on the bunk. Dressed only in his khaki pants and sleeveless shirt, he was downright cold. Then again, according to Leia, he was always cold.

Leia. The thought of her brought out a jumble of mixed emotions. The past two years had wrought changes in their relationship, a relationship that he was unable to explain sufficiently. In the beginning, it had been clearly adoration on his part. After all, she was the princess that he, a farm boy, had rescued from certain death. It would have been impossible for him not to fall for her, given the circumstances. She was undeniably beautiful, charismatic, witty, and she could hold her own against the might of the Imperial forces as well as she could against the roguish advances of one Han Solo. Everything about her screamed for his attention, and for the first year of his service to the Rebellion, he did everything in his power to win some attention in return. In the process, he'd become her dearest friend, her closest confidante, and her savior whenever Solo pushed the envelope too far. But he hadn't won her heart.

Strangely, however, this didn't seem to matter. Instead of feeling crushed or defeated, he felt that it was oddly right that she'd never reciprocated his initial feelings for her. He couldn't fully understand how this change in perspective had come about, but it had, and he'd accepted it. While he couldn't exactly view her as just one of the guys, the idea of a romantic relationship with her seemed almost as incomprehensible as a relationship with one of the Rogues. She was his best friend. Attraction just wasn't an issue.

And yet, he loved her. He would risk his life for hers. Her happiness meant the world to him.

He shook his head in confusion as he dug into his plate of food. He had some serious issues to sort out, or so it seemed.

"Now, you are just way too cute to be looking so seriously disconcerted."

Luke nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of the throaty female voice that had just spoken. Glancing up to his right, he found himself staring into a pair of mirthful brown eyes. Eyes that belonged to the young woman who was grinning lopsidedly down at him, one slim brown hand on her hip and the other holding her tray. Luke raised his eyebrows and stammered, "S-sorry?"

The young woman merely smiled in return, a large dimple forming in her left cheek. She pointed to the seat across from him at the table. "Do you mind?"

"No, not at all," Luke replied, strangely unable to take his eyes off of her unfamiliar face.

"Thanks," she said, taking a seat.

Resolving not to stare at this stranger who had so unexpectedly invited herself to his lunch table, he looked back down at his food. Eating mechanically, he stole glances at her every few moments, trying to peg down her purpose for coming here and her possible identity. Unconsciously, he was also trying to commit her features to memory. Her black curly hair had been pulled away from the soft brown skin of her face and tied in a loose knot at the back of her neck. Delicately arched eyebrows rested above dark brown eyes with the longest lashes he'd ever seen. The dimple in her cheek disappeared as she ate, and he found himself hoping she'd smile again just so it would return.

She caught his eye on one of his glances. She stopped chewing, her lips curving upward at his gaze. "Yes?" she asked. Her voice was like smoke and satin.

"I'm sorry," Luke answered, grasping at dignity as he lowered his own fork. "I didn't get your name." It was the most sophisticated response his brain could come up with.

She smiled once again, to Luke's immense pleasure. "Genna," she replied. "With a G. Not Gina, or Gene, or Jenni, as I've been frequently called by obnoxious people who care less about your identity and more about what you could possibly do for them. It's Genna, plain and simple."

Luke bit his lip, suppressing his amusement at her unexpected response to his question. "Okay, then. Genna it is."

She nodded. "And you are?"

"Luke," he responded. "With an L."

Again, she flashed her stunning smile at him, and he wondered why he was so mesmerized with it. Or with her. So far, all he knew about her was her name. That, and the fact that she was stunning. Even in a standard flight suit.

Taking another bite of her food, she cocked her head to one side and studied him for a moment. "So tell me, Luke with an L, why were you so perplexed earlier? Pondering the mysteries of the universe?"

Luke chuckled lightly. "Hardly," he said, pushing his food around with his fork. "More like pondering the mysteries of relationships, if you must know."

"Tsk, tsk," she responded, shaking her head and giving a dramatic sigh. "Say no more. I know your story, friend. You're having problems with your girlfriend, and you were sitting here contemplating how you could possibly make things right again. And now I've come along and I've just let loose a whole new set of problems. Because now she's going to see you talking to me, and it's obvious that you're absolutely smitten, so she's going to get jealous. And now you two are going to have a fight, and the situation is going to get worse than it was when you first came in here. And of course, it will be all my fault, and I'll feel truly guilty about it once I leave. Because now I've made your life that much more complicated, and you already seemed so deeply concerned about things when I first walked in."

Luke laughed. "You know, you are amazing."

Genna leaned in toward him. "Not even close, was I?"

Luke put his hand over his mouth and imitated intercom static. "She's hyperspace-jumped to the wrong system, Commander," he teased.

"But it was a good story," she countered.

"True," Luke acknowledged. "I gotta' give you points for that."

"Aha," Commander Narra's voice called from across the room. Luke and Genna both turned as he approached the table. "There you are," he spoke to Genna with a warm smile.

"Sir," she replied, with a nod.

"Luke," said Narra, turning toward him, "I see you've met one of our new recruits. Genna Cage will be testing in the sims in about half an hour. I'd like you to be there, and maybe run up against her and some of the others."

Luke nodded, dumbly glancing back and forth between Narra and the young woman who was gazing back at him with a similar look of bewilderment.

"Miss Cage," Narra continued, turning back toward her with a grin, "prepare yourself. No one's beaten Lieutenant Commander Skywalker. Yet. But I must say, I'd be interested to see how you perform against him. Not many TIE pilots survive long enough to switch sides as you have. That alone makes your record pretty impressive."

Finding his voice, Luke retorted with a grin to match Narra's, "Celchu hasn't beaten me."

Narra laughed. "But then again, Tycho wasn't a female. That alone speaks volumes in terms of her moving through the Imperial rank and file."

Gazing back at Genna, Luke had to admit that he was impressed. Not only was she stunningly beautiful, but she was apparently a skilled pilot. As her eyes met his, he was able to read a challenge in them. Smiling, he conceded, "Well, then, I'd be happy to run against her and find out just how good she really is."

"Good," responded Narra. "See you in half an hour."

Luke watched him leave, and then turned to see that Genna had taken her last bite and was getting up from the table.

Tucking a tendril of her curly hair behind her ear, she winked at him. "See you in the sims, Lieutenant Commander," she said before walking her tray to the trash receptacle.

Placing his elbows on the table and resting his chin on his hands as he watched her go, he sighed. "Indeed."