The Girl from Somewhere

Chapter 1

It was midday on the planet Calor, the two suns shined without mercy on what little life inhabited the planet. It is said that most people die on Calor from the finite amount of water this planet has. Only few can bare the heat, but most cannot bare the silence and serenity this planet offers.

Nova trudged along the sand planet with little intimidation from the harsh weather conditions. Her family used to say she was a lizard because the heat never bothered her in the slightest way. Nova blamed it on just growing up in the heat, but her family didn't believe that to be any reason for her inability to feel the harsh effects of the suns.

There wasn't anything on the girl's mind other than finding a safe shelter for the night and clean water to drink. She quietly hummed as she used her spear to stab into the sand when climbing over a steep sand dune. As she was making her to the top, there was a sudden crash over the hill that made her stop in her tracks. Whatever it was sounded very close so she cautiously peered over the hill to see a small fighter ship halfway submerged in the sand. What on Calor is that? Nova thought as she bravely walked to the destroyed ship.

She stood at the front of ship with weary eyes as she examined it to see if someone was in there. Seeing nothing she didn't want to stay long as it was getting dark and she still needed to find a place to stay.

"Ugghhhh" she heard from the ship as she walking away. Nova stopped in her tracks and debated if she should keep walking.

"Help me" said the voice, raspy and desperate.

Nova turned around and walked back to the ship cautiously to find a man trying to get out from underneath the ship wreck. She ran to the man and pulled him out from under, he lye still on the ground while she stood over him eying him with curiosity.

After a few minutes, he spoke dryly asking for water. Nova handed him her container of water she had strapped to herself with a little hesitation. He drank all of it in a matter of seconds while Nova was left in shock that this man survived the crash and was actually conscious.

"Thank you," he said after a few minutes of silence and regaining his strength to sit up. "I'm Luke Skywalker," he gave a weak smile to her as he began to stand up. Nova noticed how his shirt was torn and dirty with ash and he had a limp in his right leg. "Could you tell me where I am?" he asked with more energy.

"Calor," Nova replied sharply.

"I can't say I've heard of this place," Luke said as he began to look around.

"It is not well known by many," Nova began to get agitated as she noticed the sun was starting to set. Luke watched the girl as she started to gather up her container and spear from the ground. She is beautiful he thought to himself as he noticed her long black hair and emerald green eyes.

"It is getting late, I have to go," she said with a sense of urgency as she actually looked him in the eyes for the first time since they met.

"Where are you going?"

"None of your business."

"You're not the friendliest person are you," Luke said without expecting a reply.

The sun had already set which made Nova even more on her toes about being in the open at nighttime. "It's dark now. We shouldn't be out in the middle of the dunes at dark." Nova looked at Luke with something in her eyes that told him she was a bit scared.

"Where do you live?" he asked her.

Nova didn't want to let the stranger know that she didn't have a home. She didn't want to herself sound vulnerable. But as if Luke knew what she was thinking, he said "Do you have a place to stay the night? I can tell you that I don't, and I can also tell you that it doesn't look like there is any shelter nearby."

"I don't" she answered back, surprised that she revealed her situation to him. Nova usually never trusted anyone, let alone a man she just met in the middle of the sand dunes. But Luke seemed different, kind of genuine.

"Well then it looks like were stuck here for the night" Luke said, "My ship created this big hole underground, it can fit the both of us here for tonight so that way we won't be sleeping in the open."

"I am not sleeping in that tiny space with you. I barely know you, for all I know you could be crazy murderer."

"I'm a bit crazy, but not a murderer" Luke said with a little smile.

"This can't be happening to me tonight" Nova complained with a sigh.

"It could be worse you know, you could've crashed onto a foreign planet with no shelter for the night with an unfriendly stranger" he said this time with a big smile.

Nova didn't have the energy to react. She just wanted to sleep the day away and its strange events. She reluctantly climbed under the ship and found that it actually did make a pretty good shelter to sleep for the night. Luke followed her in and was little nervous at being so close to her. They both awkwardly tried to get comfortable in such a small space that Luke accidentally hit Nova's side with his foot. "I'm so sorry!" he said with a panic. "It's fine" she said even though she wasn't fine at all. She almost couldn't believe herself when she agreed to climb into this man's crashed ship and sleep for the night. Despite all this, Nova could feel some comfort knowing she had someone with her for the night, someone who looked able to fight.

Luke moved his sides a little to find the most comfortable position and then said, "You never told me your name."

"Nova" she replied simply and then went to straight to sleep.