Chapter 10

Leia was standing next to the Millennium Falcon. After her mother had disappeared with that lady from the Alliance, the captain, the Wookie, and Luke had set about repairing the Falcon. Leia wasn't much help, but stayed close to Luke handing him tools as he requested. She wanted to stay near her brother in case their mother returned. Luke's head was stuck into the underside of the Falcon, fixing some part or another.

"Skywalker!"

Leia turned around. Walking towards her was a young man she recognized as Biggs Darklighter. He was wearing the orange jumpsuit of a pilot. He smiled as walked up to them.

"Biggs!" Luke shouted as he walked over to join the other two. The two men hugged. Biggs was Luke's best friend. The three of them had grown up together attending school in Anchorhead back on Tatooine. Luke and Biggs had done everything together from shooting womp rats to racing skyhoppers through the canyons.

While Luke and Leia weren't aware of the complete truth about their father, they were told of his name when they were around ten years old. Luke had been excited to learn about his father, so he told Biggs about it despite the warnings from his mother.

"Skywalker? That sounds like a much better name than Lars!" Biggs had said. Luke agreed, and thus Luke's nickname had become Skywalker. Once Biggs had let the name slip in front of Leia's mother. She had been furious and demanded the boys to cease using the nickname. They both sullenly agreed, but still continued to use it when they weren't around the twins' mother.

"Luke!" Biggs said back in the present. Luke's smile was huge as he looked at his friend. "I don't believe it! How'd you get here . . ." Biggs then noticed Leia standing nearby. "Leia!" he said happily as he walked over to her and also gave her a hug. "I always knew you'd make it off that rock, Luke. But Leia too? What are you two doing here? Are you joining the Alliance?"

The twins both looked at each other. Neither one knew what to say. It was Luke who spoke up.

"Listen, I've got some stories to tell you," he said to Biggs.

"I bet," Biggs replied. He still had a smile on his face. "Listen you'll have to tell me all about it later. I've got to go to a briefing. There's some serious things about to go down." He paused and took a good look at Luke. "You going to go out with us?"

Luke looked surprised. "What?" he asked.

"Luke you're the best bushpilot in the outer rim territories. We could use a man like you out there with us," Biggs continued. Leia could feel the excitement and hope from Luke. "Hey let me know when I get back!" Biggs trotted off, disappearing in the direction their mother had gone. Leia looked over at her brother, he still had a big grin on his face.

"I wouldn't get your hopes up too high, kid," Han Solo said. Leia turned to found that he was nearby. He had apparently walked over during the reunion with Biggs and had gone unnoticed.

"What's that suppose to mean?" Luke asked.

"Hey no offense, I just don't see mommy dearest letting you go," Han said. Leia frowned noticing that the light that had been shining from Luke had dimmed just a bit. Luke looked back the way Biggs had gone. Then he started off in the same direction. Leia was quick to follow him.

Leia found herself in a large room, but it was jam packed with people. The vast majority of the individuals wore the orange jumpsuits of pilots, however there were others there in various uniforms along with a variety of droids. On the back wall was a large display screen. An elderly man with white hair and a beard was talking. The screen was displaying schematics and blueprints. Leia guessed it was from the large battlestation, the Death Star, they had escaped from earlier.

Leia noted Princess Winter Organa stood off to the side in the front. A few others stood there as well, looking a bit more important than the rest. Luke had taken a seat in the back amongst the pilots. She didn't feel like Luke and she should be here. She wanted to call out to him, but she also didn't want to draw attention to herself by interrupting the meeting. So she stayed in the back listening.

"Only a precise hit will start the chain reaction which should destroy the station," the old man who was leading the briefing stated. A murmur went around the room. Leia heard a scoff from behind her. She turned around to find Han Solo leaning against the entryway with Chewbacca next to him. Han rolled his eyes. Leia turned around to see that Luke had been talking with a pilot sitting next to him.

"Man your ships!" the old man said. Everyone in the room started to move. "And may the Force be with you!"

Leia found her way back to the hangar. She wasn't sure how much time had passed between the end of the briefing until now. After the briefing she had left to go find her mother. She was unsuccessful. The thought occurred to her to ask Winter Organa for help, but she couldn't find the princess either.

The hangar was full of noise and bustle. Flight crews were rushing around doing last minute preparations and unlocking the power cuplings. Leia made her way back to the Millennium Falcon, not really sure where else to go. She found Han Solo and Chewbacca loading small boxes onto the ship.

"Have you seen my mother?" she asked. Han stopped and looked at her.

"No, but you should get out of here," he said. "This whole place is about to blow. You heard what they said. No point in waiting around here."

Leia wasn't sure how to respond, but at that moment Luke walked up wearing an orange pilot jumpsuit. He looked at the captain and the Wookie.

"So you got your reward and you're just leaving then?" Luke asked.

"That's right, yeah! I got some old debts to pay off with this stuff. Even if I didn't, you don't think I'd be fool enough to stick around here, do you?" Han said. "Why don't you come with us? You're pretty good in a fight. I could use you. Your sister is welcome to come too." Han nodded towards Leia.

Luke got angry. "Come on!" he said. "Why don't you take a look around? You know what's about to happen, what they're up against. They could use a good pilot like you. You're turning your back on them."

"What good's a reward if you ain't around to use it? Besides, attacking that battle station ain't my idea of courage. It's more like suicide."

"All right. Well, take of yourself, Han." Luke said a bit sadly. "I guess that's what you're best at, isn't it?" Luke turned and walked off. Leia looked back over at the captain.

He looked hesitant, but then called out to Luke. "Hey, Luke! May the Force be with you!" Han looked over at Leia and smiled. "I don't suppose you would want to join me? I have a feeling you'd be a fast learner with a blaster."

Leia let out a small smile. She shook her head and then turned to go after Luke. However, after she gone a few steps, she stopped and turned back around. Han Solo still stood unmoving just watching. He winked at her. Leia assumed she would be disgusted by such a gesture, but instead she finds herself a little bit heartened. She gave him a small wave before she turned back around and continued on her way.

Leia found Luke standing under one of the fighter ships with Winter Organa standing next to him. The two were talking, but Leia was too far away and the hanger too loud to hear what they said. Luke looked upset, and Leia could feel it. Leia pondered what she would say to her brother to cheer him up, but she never finished the thought. Winter walked up to Luke, gave him a small kiss on the cheek, and then walked off. Leia stopped in a bit of shock.

What was that? She asked herself. She knew Luke and Winter had hung out a few times during the journey to Yavin IV, but surely nothing beyond that. Perhaps it was just friendly. Leia tried to convince herself, but she could feel her brother's warmth over the kiss through their connection.

"Luke!" Leia watched as Biggs ran over to Luke and patted him on the back. "I knew you'd decide to come out with us."

Luke smiled, "Of course I'll be up there with you!"

"Are you . . . Luke Skywalker?" a man asked as he walked over to Luke and Biggs. He also wore an orange pilot jumpsuit. His helmet appeared to be more decorated than the other pilots. Leia hurried the rest of the way over to Luke and Biggs. She walked up right as the other older man walked away.

"I've got to get aboard my ship," Biggs told Luke. "Listen, you'll tell me your stories when we come back. All right?" He started to walk away.

Luke called back to him, "I told you I'd make it someday, Biggs!"

Biggs looked over his shoulder. "You did, all right! It's going to be like old times, Luke!" Then Biggs disappeared into the hustle of the hangar. Luke was like a shining star, excitement and joy radiating from him.

"Luke!" Leia said. Luke turned to his sister, as if it was only now he noticed her there. Suddenly she could feel his guilt wash over him. "So you're going out there?" Leia asked.

"Yes," Luke said. He wasn't backing down.

"What are you going to tell mom?" she asked.

"I don't know," Luke said walking over to the ladder of his ship. Crewmen were scrambling all over getting it ready. R2-D2 was being lowered from a crane into Luke's ship. "I was hoping you'd tell her!" Luke said as climbed up to the cockpit.

"Wait, what? Luke!" Leia cried. Yet Luke's attention was already on the two mechanics talking to him about R2-D2. He sat down in the cockpit and smiled down at Leia. A crewman walked over to Leia informing her she needed to leave the area as the ships would be taking off soon. She was going to kill her brother when he got back. She huffed and then marched out of the hangar. She had no idea what she would say to her mother.