Disclaimer: I do not own. Believe me when I say that fem!Luke would be canon if I did own.
... Hey guys. :) It's been a while hasn't it? *nervous chuckle*
So, in my defense, university sucks and so on and so on.
This chapter is dedicated to the Rogue One team for making a beautiful story. Thank you.
"It's … " there were no words that Leia could think of to describe her awe of Yavin IV. The entire surface of the moon was covered by crumbling ruins that were half buried by massive overgrowths of … trees — if she remembered Uncle Obi's lessons correctly — making a motley of green — green! — and brown, " … beautiful."
Static crackled on the dashboard, "Unidentified ship, you have ventured into a restricted zone. You have 2 minutes to leave the system."
"Shit," Leia said. "Do you think that we're supposed to say some super-secret Rebel code or something?"
A hand reached around her and Chewie to press the button to activate the comm-link and, ignoring Han's indignant "Hey!", Luke said, "Rebel base, this is Prince Luke Organa of—" here Luke's voice wavered almost imperceptibly, "Alderaan. Please allow us to land."
The comm was silent for a few seconds, giving Leia ample time to imagine a dumbfounded and gaping Rebel soldier staring at a comm-station. The sound of a cough filtered through and an older male's voice, rougher and more weary, followed, "Prince Luke, is that you?"
A minor amount of tension in Luke's frame bled out at the question, and he answered, "Yes, General Dodonna. Might my crew and I have permission to land?"
It didn't even take a second for the reply, "Of course, Prince. But—" General Dodonna paused, "you and the crew of the spacecraft you are on will need to submit to a brief inspection."
Luke, clearly prepared for the General's response, sighed faintly, "I had hoped that we would have been able to avoid this, but I am well aware of the need for security."
"Very good, Your Highness, you have permission to land."
Luke leaned back, ignoring Han's glare and hissed "Don't you ever do that again!" like the royalty he was.
"General Kenobi," the awe on the old man's face as he bowed was almost hilarious, "it is truly an honour."
Obi-Wan bowed back, deep and respectful, the way that he had taught Leia, "The honour is mine, General Dodonna. Although I am merely a Jedi, and no longer a General."
A quick glance behind him had Leia hastening to copy Obi-Wan, hiding her smirk behind her hair as much as possible before getting it under control, "This is my apprentice, Leia Skywalker."
Leia straightened up again, catching the end of the curious look that the general shot at her. He said nothing however, instead refocusing on the person standing beside her. A grin, looking almost out of place, broke out on his face and he stepped forward, grasping Luke by his forearms, and pulled him into a rough hug, letting go only when Luke let out a soft grunt of pain. Luke didn't allow anyone to focus on his shoulder, instead greeting the old man with an almost gentle, "Hello General."
"You're safe," here the general's voice almost broke. "When we'd heard about Alderaan … "
Pain flashed through Luke's eyes — not for the first time — but he didn't allow any more than that. He just stood stiffer, minding his injured side only slightly, and said, "There is no time for that now. The Imperials are coming. R2-D2—" he gestured to R2, "has the technical plans of the Death Star. We must begin planning immediately."
Dodonna said nothing and, with a both a proud and sad glint in his eye, began leading the group away. Leia was giggling at the frustrated argument between Han and a Rebel officer — "What do you mean, there's a tracking device on board?!" — when she stopped, a grin splitting her face at the sight of the familiar face just in front of her.
"Biggs!" The name burst out of her and she leapt forward, body almost parallel with the ground, catching the man in a bone-crushing hug. He hugged her back, grasping her close and holding on tightly.
"I'd heard what happened," he whispered to her. "Leia, I am so, so sorry…"
Leia blinked back tears — It's all my fault — and said, "I am too."
Biggs smiled sadly, and, in a clear effort to steer the conversation onto a happier route, said "You wanna look around?"
Leia looked over to where Obi-Wan was waiting patiently. At her pleading look, he rolled his eyes good-naturedly and made a shooing gesture. Leia turned back to Biggs, who had followed her gaze and had started to straighten respectfully for Leia's adoptive uncle. She pushed him, just a little impatiently, "Come on!"
"And this is the hangar," Biggs said, leading her into the massive room.
It was spectacular. Dozens upon dozens of ships all parked in rows and rows as far as Leia could see. She reverently walked up to a BTL Y-Wing, hand stretched out almost reverently towards it, before hearing Biggs' snort. She rolled her eyes at him, and went back to staring at the beautiful machines all laid out in front of her. A particular ship caught her eye, and she drew closer to the red and white painted exterior.
"Gorgeous," Leia stated, eyes shining as she stared at the T-65B X-Wing Starfighter. "What I would give to be able to take her apart…"
Biggs chuckled, well used to Leia's mechanic tendencies, "She's yours, if you manage to pass the test."
Leia whirled around, "Really? Really, really?" At Bigg's amused grin, she nodded, chin almost touching her chest during the downward motion, "Where do I start?"
Leia pulled back, completely relaxed as she drew her fighter into a tight flip that put her easily into the perfect place to take out the incoming TIE fighter. Crowing with delight, she pulled the trigger and completed the exercise.
"Good job, Skywalker," a voice came over the intercom.
The entrance to the test cockpit opened, and a bright face peered down at her. "Good job, Leia," Biggs said as he helped her out of the testing station.
Leia mock pouted at him even while she tried to smile radiantly at every person who patted her on the back as they passed by, "Only a 'good job?' Ouch, Biggs."
Biggs snorted at her expression, "I've seen better; hells, I've done better."
Leia gasped in fake outrage, "How dare you! We both know that I could beat you at flying with both hands tied behind my back, just using my chin to steer!"
A sudden burst of laughter interrupted Biggs' retort, and the pair turned simultaneously to see another man dressed in a suit similar to Biggs' clinging to the side of a different X-Wing for dear life as he coughed and spluttered his way through an epic bout of mirth. Stumbling his way up to the two, he cleared his throat and choked out one last laugh, putting a hand on Biggs' shoulder, "She's got you there, newbie."
"Shove off, Wedge."
The so-called 'Wedge' ignored the comment and grinned at Leia, "Wedge Antilles, Miss Skywalker. Your run through the sims was one of the best we've had in ages."
Leia matched his expression, and held out her right hand for him to shake, "Thank you, Wedge, and please, it's just 'Leia.'"
Wedge shook her hand with a wink, and Biggs coughed from his position beside Leia, "You over here for a reason, Antilles?"
Wedge sobered up immediately, "Suit up, it's time."
The room being used for the debriefing was a sterile white, with no adornments on the walls save for a single video screen at the front, and was just large enough for all of the pilots and the Rebel command to fit comfortably. Leia had been guided towards the back by Biggs, and Wedge sprawled himself in a chair in the row in front of them.
"... heavily shielded, and carries a firepower greater than half the star fleet." General Dodonna was saying to the room of pilots. Leia shifted uncomfortably from where she sat sandwiched in between Biggs and an older pilot with greying hair that she didn't know. She stared at Luke from across the room, only partially paying attention to the General's speech, trying to decide how much the discussions of the Death Star had affected him, but the prince kept his face in a smooth and unreadable mask.
Biggs nudged her, and she zoned back in to hear the end of General Dodonna saying, " … only a precise hit will set off a chain reaction."
Wedge scoffed from his position in front of Leia and Biggs and said none-too-quietly, "That's impossible, even for a computer."
Leia leaned forward to reply, "No it isn't; the second you say anything is impossible, you give up your chance to make it happen."
Biggs nudged Leia again, harder this time, just in time for the two to catch, "Then man your ships, and may the Force be with you."
"One sec," Leia said to Biggs as she caught sight of Han and Chewie, loading boxes upon boxes into the Millennium Falcon.
She walked up to the pair and stopped, expression turning decidedly unimpressed once Han caught her eye and quickly looked away, "So that's it? You get paid, and you're leaving?"
Chewie moaned softly, but continued on with his work. Han didn't even deign to glance away from his work again, "Yeah, sounds about right."
"Come on. You've seen what we're up against," Leia said, trying to appeal to his — hopefully existing — nice side. "You've seen what will happen when that monstrosity is unleashed on the galaxy!"
Han's gaze shifted uneasily, but he held his ground, "What good's a reward if you ain't around to use it? Besides, attacking that thing isn't my idea of courage." He stopped and considered Leia, "Why don't you come along? You're good in a scrap."
Leia shook her head and stepped back, "I'm sorry, Han. But you know I can't do that. Just … take care of yourself." Her face hardened as she spat, "I guess that's what you're best at, isn't it?"
Leia stormed off, no particular direction in mind, only to be intercepted by Luke, who only needed to take one look at her to decipher her distress, "Captain Solo needs to follow his own path, Leia. Even you can't choose it for him."
Leia looked back to where Han was continuing his work with a stubborn look on his face, "I know. It's just ... I thought he was a better person than that."
Luke tilted his head and then said, his smile almost a smirk, "Well, it appears that you'll just have to pick up his slack. You did spectacularly in the new pilots simulations. Best score ever made. Congratulations, Red Five."
Leia choked, "What?"
Luke chuckled at her, and gestured to the cheerful little astromech who was sitting beside him, "It's only fitting that you receive a reward for such a stellar performance."
Leia's mouth dropped open, and remained that way for a good ten seconds before she managed to regain the ability to close it, "You're joking."
The prince raised one eyebrow and said, "It's what R2 wants. I, along with 3P0, only request that you keep him in one piece."
She said nothing, speechless at the sheer enormity of the gift — although R2 would never be merely a gift — that he had bestowed on her. R2 rolled up to her and beeped chirpily, somehow managing to give off the impression that he was smiling at her.
"Are you sure you can handle this ship?"
Leia opened her mouth, ready to reply with a 'yes, sir!' but Biggs jumped in to defend her, "Sir, Leia is the best bush pilot in the Outer Rim territories, and the single best pilot I have ever seen in my life."
The man looked back at Leia, one eyebrow raised as if to question the statement, Leia nodded determinedly. His face softened slightly, and he clapped Leia on the back, "Then I guess you'll do."
Leia relaxed, "Thank you, sir. I'll do my best."
"Force be with you, Skywalker."
"You ready for this?" Biggs asked, his eyes on Leia's — Leia's! — X-Wing. "You just— I mean, it … you know."
Leia faced him, a dozen sentences jumping to place on the tip of her tongue — "Of course I am! We're going to blow that Death Star to smithereens and send the Imps running home to cower under their beds!" — in response. But she hesitated, the reality of the situation crashing down on her. Steeling herself, Leia said, "I know. But I have to do this."
For Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru, for Uncle Obi, for my mother and father … for myself.
Plastering on a playful smirk, she added on cheekily, "Why, you scared?"
Biggs didn't respond the way she wanted him to, "Yes."
There was nothing that Leia could say in response, so Biggs hugged her and said, "You're going to tell me all of your new stories when we get back, alright?"
Leia nodded into his shoulder, and upon pulling away, weakly punched him, "Don't go getting yourself blown up, okay? Force knows that you can't handle yourself without me holding your hand."
Biggs mussed up her hair with a fond "Brat," and then dashed off to where his ship was being made ready. Leia blew out a sharp breath of air, and turned around. She jumped, not expecting to suddenly find herself face to face with Obi-Wan.
Obi-Wan shook his head at her shock, but did not comment on it. Instead, he said with a grave tone, "I know that there is no possibility that I will be able to convince you to stay back, so all I ask is that you be careful and to trust in the Force."
Leia trembled, knowing full well what his unspoken words were. 'There is no doubt that Darth Vader will be there.' She straightened up, tried to smile tremulously, and when her uncle opened his arms, didn't hesitate to rush into them. She clung to him, temporarily allowing herself to feel the terror of her situation. Obi-Wan grasped her close and said, his words almost a prayer, "The Force will be with you, little Leia."
Leia drew back, "And with you."
His face relaxed minutely — although Leia could still see the stress making itself known in every line on his face — and then stepped back to make way for the engineers and pilots rushing back and forth. He raised his hand in a silent gesture of support, and Leia waved back. Something hit her knee and she looked down at R2, who had followed her through the entirely of her winding route to get ready. She placed her hand on his domed head, and looked around at all of the people rushing around, preparing to risk their all on nothing more than a single strand of a hope.
-Well- something — someone, a group of someones, all with different accents and voices — said, -rebellions are built on hope.-
"Hang on tight, R2, you've got to come back." Leia was drawn out of her thoughts by the sounds of a certain protocol droid, "You wouldn't want my life to get boring now, would you?"
R2 whistled cheerfully at his counterpart and Leia laughed, "Don't worry, 3P0. I'll take care of him."
"Thank you, Mistress Leia."
R2 beeped at the two of them, his message clear enough that Leia didn't need anyone to translate for her, and caused 3P0 to start admonishing him even as the astromech was lifted into his place in the X-Wing. Leia square her shoulders, took a breath, and climbed the ladder to the cockpit. She settled down and strapped in, and then began running her fingers over the controls continuously to make sure she knew what they were.
One of the two engineers setting up the ship leaned in and asked, "This astromech is a bit beat up, you need a new one?"
Leia snorted unintentionally, "Never. This little guy is a gift from a friend."
"Ok then."
"Stand by … stand by …" The words came over both the comm in Leia's helmet and the intercom, and the engineers quickly finished up the last of the checks. Leia sat back and closed her eyes, focusing in on the Force. Piloting was fun, it was what she was without a doubt good at. She could do this.
Her eyes snapped open, just in time to see the signal to lift off.
-Be one with the Force, and the Force will be with you.-
AN: Ok, so I have some explaining to do. I have figured out something: the longer I wait to finish a chapter, the less happy I am with it. So, I promise that I will post the next one as soon as possible. Luckily, I have already got an outline finished for it, and am cackling evilly over it as I simultaneously write this. Mwahhaha. Don't worry, I am dedicating the entirety of tomorrow to writing it. There's a good chance that I am going to be utterly sick of the Battle of Yavin by the time I am through tomorrow.
Oh well. C'est la vie.
Just letting you guys know, this story is being cross-posted on Ao3. And I now have a Tumblr in case you guys want to stalk me. Just look up readaholic19 on Tumblr, and you can find me. :)
Please review! Reviews give me motivation!