Chapter 36

AN: Thank you again Steph for handling this two week hiatus. Everyone I hope you are enjoying the story! Keep reading and reviewing for more chaps. J

Ari awoke with a start, heart racing, clutching the sheets. She had just relived the battle, but in it, Luke had been killed. With a sigh, she flopped back on the bed, but she was unable to fall back asleep though she was still exhausted.

She slipped out of bed, wearing the nightgown that Leia had placed out for her and pulling the robe that had been with it as well. The stone floor was cold on her bare feet as she silently walked down the hall, coming across a room with large open windows. Seeing the pink starting in the sky, Ari walked over and sat down on the ledge, comfortably.

She pulled her knees up, resting her chin on them, looking out over the jungle and at the slowly rising sun. She was alone and was enjoying the peace and serenity until she felt the presence of someone else, who was watching her. She didn't turn around though or change from how she was sitting.

Luke stood watching Ari for a moment, her silhouette against the brightening sky. He stepped forward a moment later and began to approach her.

She finally turned, blue eyes meeting his and she smiled slightly at him.

Luke smiled slightly as he sat down quietly beside her. "Hey Ari."

"I am surprised you are up," she commented softly.

Luke sighed a little, looking out over the jungle. "I couldn't sleep," he replied.

"Me neither," she sighed slightly, shivering slightly in the cool morning air.

"You find it cold here?" Luke asked noticing her shiver.

Ari nodded. "It is a lot different from Tatooine, though in a way it reminds me of the way Naboo was in the mornings…or at least what I can remember about it."

Luke nodded slightly. "I'd like to see Naboo someday."

"I should take you there. If it is how I remember it, it is beautiful."

"I'm sure it is," Luke answered with a smile.

Ari nodded and looked back out over the jungle , closing her eyes as the first rays of sunlight warmed her face.

Luke turned slightly, reaching his arm out to tap lightly on the lightsaber attached to her waist. "Tell me about this," he said quietly.

"It was my mother's," Ari replied after a moment, almost as a whisper.

Luke's eyes came up to her face quizzically. "How did your mother get it?"

"From what I could tell she was training to be a Jedi Knight. But her parents pulled her back from that life and she became a handmaiden instead."

Luke raised his eyebrows in surprise to this news. "That must have been shocking to find out."

Ari nodded. "It really was. I mean, I just never thought of my mother being like that before."

Luke turned back to the sunrise a frown creasing his forehead. "Neither did I."

"I wish I could have known before….you know," she muttered. "There are just so many question I would ask her."

"I know," Luke murmured, deep in thought.

"Like it was for you to find out about your father."

Luke nodded. "And Ben."

"Yes, that was a surprise. I wonder what he was doing on a place like Tatooine," Ari thought aloud.

"I don't know, Ari," Luke replied leaning back on his elbows. "But he was one of the last Jedi."

"I wonder what will happen now."

Luke shrugged slightly, and then turned to look at her. "Did Ben know about your mother?"

Ari nodded. "He was the one that told me."

"He was?" Luke couldn't have looked more shocked. "When did he tell you that?"

"After everyone had slid out from the compartments and you and Han were busy. He told me when we were hiding in there and then he was the one that instructed me to stay on board."

"Ben knew you were there too?" Luke asked giving her an odd look.

Ari nodded. "He seemed to not be surprised at all. He also knew about my family before I told him."

"Yes, Ben would know that," Luke agreed, he paused slightly, lost deep in thought for a moment.

"I followed you from Mos Eisley," Ari admitted. "I was watching you slightly in the Cantina."

"You what?!" Luke whipped his head and stared at her incredulously. "What were you doing in that place?

"Following you," she stated simply.

"But you shouldn't have been in there," Luke answered as if that was the most logical thing in the galaxy.

"But you were in there," Ari pointed out.

"That's different," Luke insisted.

"How?"

"Well, it's just…" Luke sighed abruptly. "It's just not the safest place for a.."

"For a girl?" Ari questioned

"Well…you know Ari," Luke answered, not wanting to look her in the eye.

"You don't think I could handle myself?"

Luke sighed. "It's not that, it's just…"

"Just what?" Ari asked, crossing her arms, leaning back watching him.

"I don't want to see you hurt," Luke finally answered, shoulders slumped looking almost defeated.

"I am fine," Ari replied, voice softer and she moved a bit closer to him to catch his gaze.

"I know…" he answered, looking up and Ari was shocked at how intense his blue eyes were. "I just worry about you."

"I worry about you too," Ari admitted. Luke smiled at her slightly, now just a few inches from her.

All of a sudden Ari's heart jumped as she locked eyes with him. Luke was so close she could feel his breath against her skin.

As if in a trance, Luke moved closer to her and he kissed her first on the cheek, soft and lingering. Ari was shocked and her skin seemed to tingle from his touch.

Ari allowed herself to close her eyes as Luke had done, opening them only to have him kiss her jawbone in the same fashion, quiet and tender. Ari closed her eyes once more as she felt her skin, almost burning painlessly with his lips, silently begging him to not stop.

Her pleas fell on deaf ears as Luke pulled back, opening his eyes. Ari opened her own as she felt his lips leave her skin, making her feel almost cold.

For a brief moment, their eyes met, blue orbs searching the others, before Luke turned his head to the side and Ari did the same. There was a long moment of uncomfortable silence between the two of them.

"I need to go," Luke finally spoke up, glancing at her for only a moment before sliding off the ledge and Ari kept her eyes on the sunrise until his footsteps faded into the still dark stone hallways.

In that moment she pulled her knees up to her chin, arms folded and she buried her face in soft robe sleeves, slightly comforting on her heated cheeks. She bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from crying but the tears slid down anyway. Silent, yet from deep inside her.

She was so wrapped up in her own emotions she missed the sound of approaching footsteps.

"Hey there," Han smiled, walking over to her. "It seems like you and Luke were getting pretty close," he teased, having seen Luke pull back from the kiss and Han had stood back for a moment before approaching Ari.

Ari furiously wiped away her tears as Han sat down across from her, the same place Luke had been sitting moments before. It was at this moment that Han saw she had been crying.

"Woah, are you ok? What's wrong?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Nothing is wrong," Ari was lying through her teeth.

"People don't cry unless something big is going on," Han continued, not letting the matter go.

Ari sighed, sliding off the ledge, wrapping the robe around herself a bit tighter. "I am fine, I promise."

"Listen, Ari-" Han started again but was caught off by the shrill whine of an alarm. Both Ari and Han glanced around as the sound echoed down the halls, almost deafening and Ari clapped her hands over her ears.

"The Imperial fleet has come out of lightspeed, evacuate base, evacuate."

Han and Ari shared a glance and Han ran towards the Falcon. "Kid, if you come now we can get out of here."

"I need to get something," Ari shouted over her shoulder and ran as fast as she could, bare feet pounding on the cold stones as Rebels poured out of their rooms and into the hangers to get into their fighters and transports.

AN: I have been asked about some of the romance between Ari and Luke…hope this helped answer some, and left you with some thoughts. J