A bit of a short, filler chapter, but I wanted to split the three parts (for the three Original Trilogy movies), so I wanted to finish A New Hope off in this chapter.
Hope you enjoy! :)
Chapter 9
It was a much smaller group that landed in the hangar bay than that which had taken off, though this could easily be forgotten, given the sheer volume of noise that hit Merlin the moment the cockpit of his X-Wing cracked open.
Merlin jumped from the cockpit and was immediately tackled in a hug by a relieved Lance, who clung to him tightly in relief.
"You just had to do it in the most reckless way possible, didn't you?" he rasped hoarsely, voice muffled by Merlin's hair.
Merlin grinned sheepishly in responses, returning his brother's hug with the same ferocity. While Lance and Merlin remained in their embrace many of the returning pilots and those who had remained behind at the station clapped Merlin on the back as they passed, calling out congratulations as they did between whoops and shouts.
Over Lance's shoulder Merlin caught sight of Excalibur as its ramp lowered and Arthur emerged, Leon close behind him. Pulling back from Lance with a wide grin, Merlin ran to Arthur who, upon spotting Merlin, felt a matching grin spread across his own face.
"I knew you'd come back!" Merlin burst out when he reached Arthur, almost bouncing in place with excitement.
"Well, I couldn't let you take all the credit, Merlin," Arthur threw back, grinning from ear to ear.
The others had reached them by this point, not that either of the two seemed to notice.
"I knew there was more to you than money!" Gwen squealed, seeming to realise what she was saying mere seconds after she said it and slapped a hand over her mouth, eyes wide.
Before Arthur could respond, or Gwen could begin apologising, the sound of sniggering could be heard. Arthur turned with an eyebrow raised to see Merlin attempting, and failing, to hold back his laughter.
"Shut up, Merlin," he groused, dragging Merlin into a headlock.
Sniggers turning into full-blown laughter, Merlin twisted out of Arthur's hold, making a break for it as Arthur gave chase, both of them still running on the high of their success as they giggled like children.
"Of course he wasn't going to stay away, Gwen," Morgana remarked, her usual smirk replaced by a wide grin. Linking arms with Gwen, the two women began to walk away, Morgana adding "Merlin's still here," as they went.
Lance watched Merlin and Arthur acting like a pair of rowdy teenagers as they chased each other around the hangar. It would seem that, for now at least, Morgana was right.
Watching Merlin's face, flushed with happiness, he conceded that it might not be such a bad thing. After all, he mused with a sigh. It had been quite a while since he had seen Merlin so happy.
In fact, he wasn't sure he ever had.
The Rebel base came alive that evening, the celebrations in full swing as everyone took the opportunity to celebrate their victory before returning to work the next day. After all, they had won the battle against the Death Star, but not the war. The Emperor and Darth Vader were still out there, along with many other prominent Imperial leaders.
The party had been preceded by a grand award ceremony, in which Merlin, Anthur, Leon and Will were presented with glinting gold medals of valour by Morgana, who was visibly holding back a grin the whole time.
Merlin, in face of the party atmosphere filling the (formerly) secret base, found himself pulling away from the others, thoughts being drawn back to Gaius' voice echoing throughout his cockpit. He found himself back in the now deserted spacecraft hangar, sitting on the parts transport cart Arthur had been using to load his reward money mere hours ago.
Had it only been that long? It felt like days.
Staring at his new medal, still hanging around his neck, as he turned it between his hands absentmindedly, Merlin's thoughts drifted back to Gaius voice. He'd been distracted with the attack that he hadn't had much time to dwell on his mentor's death.
He hadn't known Gaius for very long – at least, known him in more than name – but the old wizard, as they had used to call him on Tatooine, had soon grown on him and within days Merlin was looking up to Gaius almost as a father figure.
"Thought I'd find you in here," Merlin felt Arthur settle in next to him on the cart. With a nudge to his shoulder, Arthur continued. "Never thought I'd get one of these," Merlin glanced sideways at Arthur, to see him staring down at his own medal, a small, self-deprecating grin on his face. "Was never exactly the one who sprung to mind at the word 'valour'. Too much of a coward, I suppose ," Arthur paused for a moment, considering his next words carefully. "I really was going to leave, you know. But when it came to it, I just… couldn't. I couldn't leave all of you to risk your lives fighting. Not while there was something I could do to help."
"I knew you'd be back."
Arthur's head snapped around to meet Merlin's steady gaze. "Really?" he asked softly, something almost vulnerable in his expression.
"Never a doubt," Merlin affirmed with a gentle grin. Arthur continued to stare at Merlin, seeming to search his face for something. "You're a good man, Arthur," Arthur scoffed, breaking eye contact to stare at the ground. "You could be a great leader here, you know? If you stay."
There was silence between the two for a moment.
"You really think so?"
Merlin turned to meet Arthur's gaze, noting that strange expression in his eyes again. "I meant what I said before," Merlin said seriously. "Well," he began, tilting his head in mock thought. "As long as you stop being such a prat."
"Merlin!"
