I have a sister.
Luke was in awe; not of her specifically, and certainly not himself, but them, the idea of them- Luke and Leia, twins.
Twins!
It was surreal. Crazy even.
Come on, he begged the Force, how was he supposed to get that out of the vision of the two babies being delivered?
He did a little dance in the cockpit, stomping his feet and screaming silently.
He missed an opportunity to learn the name of his- their- sorry, Leia- mother from Ben, but he'd been too excited. Maybe he'd get another chance.
He couldn't wait to tell her. Tell her that his reaction of falling to his ass when he received her holomessage was not him being clumsy. Tell her that the closeness they shared was more than because they were sandwiched between a smuggler and an empire, tell her the Force-sensitivity was no coincidence, that she had inherited it, too, that she-
Abruptly, his joy froze.
She had inherited it from her father. Luke's father. Vader. Vader was her father.
She didn't know.
He didn't know.
He didn't know?
Their mother hadn't told her lover/husband, whatever Anakin was to her? Admittedly, Luke knew little of pregnancy. Could a mother know if she was carrying more than one? Wouldn't she be, like, bigger? Weren't babies active in the womb? Didn't they kick?
And if a mother didn't know on her own, wouldn't it be obvious to a med droid? He knew it was common for pregnant beings to be under medical supervision. There was a med droid, when he was growing up, who came to a farm to check on a baby's and mother's health. A couple of his classmates had become elder siblings.
His mother hadn't medical care? Why not?
Maybe she was somewhere desolate, placed there by her forbidden love to await the baby and stay hidden so the Jedi Order wouldn't know.
Maybe she and Anakin were apart from each other. He was off fighting the Clone Wars, and out of communication.
Maybe she already sensed his darkness and was trying to protect at least one of her babies.
He'd known she was pregnant, at least that much, for he found Luke.
Easily, probably, if he'd bothered to look. Luke was brought to the Lars, but given his father's name. And he was brought to Tatooine, his father's home!
But he hadn't bothered to look, Luke assumed, until recently, for he could have snatched his son easily from the Lars.
Maybe Anakin was told the baby hadn't survived when he learned of his love's death. Luke nodded to himself. That made sense. Though- Luke frowned. It almost seemed they wanted him to find Luke, if he found out, once he found out. While his twin remained- how had Ben termed it? Yes, safely anonymous.
Like she was more the real threat and Luke just the decoy.
Fuck them, Luke thought. He was so sick of their treatment. She had everything. Safety, anonymity. Wealth, education. Royalty, which seemed a bit excessive. And training, too. Didn't she? Sure she did. Had they called it Princess Classes? Because she was able to get past Vader during interrogation on the Death Star. She had most definitely used the Force, even though she was unaware what it was. "I kept telling him no," she'd told Luke about it on Yavin. "In my head, just no no no."
Luke felt sick. Vader had interrogated her. He'd tortured her. His own daughter. Oh my gods. Luke squirmed in his seat, trying not to gag.
There'd been so many mistakes in the past; Luke couldn't see a way to correct them all satisfactorily. Vader had found his son, and it had made him... happy, in an odd, dark side kind of way. Be with me, son. Wouldn't he be just... floored, to learn he also had a daughter?
If Luke was a decoy, then was she a pawn? Did Ben and Yoda gamble on a Force maybe, and not tell her; see it, allow it... let her be captured, tortured, so she would hate? So she would kill, when they knew Luke most likely couldn't? The things she had said... his Princess, now his sister, was so brilliant and idealistic. Vader is full of hate. And I hate him, too.
When were Yoda and Ben going to tell her? Luke was bitter again, toward them. After he died? Failed? Because he was just a farm boy with a light saber? They were so- clueless, he seethed. They should know that the Force was an equalizer. He could be as powerful as she, without the social trappings she'd enjoyed. He was powerful. And if they had learned together, well it was possible this whole war might mostly be unnecessary.
He let out a groan of frustration. The only thing Ben and Yoda were certain of was Vader could be undone by his own children. One who loved, and the other who hated.
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On a whim he had R2 reset the course for Sullust, so they could make a jump to the Alderaan system. Luke wanted to see it again. He hadn't understood what it meant the first time. It was called the Graveyard now. Little bits of the planet, caught in the gravity of its sun.
All Luke knew when Han brought the ship out of hyperspace was the ride had gotten inexplicably bumpy. Rough. And so was Han's voice, in disbelieving confusion, while Ben had felt faint. All Luke saw was blackness, and stars. Han knew he was supposed to see a sphere, blue and brown and green, but Luke hadn't. And when Ben had said destroyed, by the Empire, Luke couldn't register it.
Somewhere, out there, he thought as he drifted by on sublights, had been Aldera. A little girl had called that place home. She had climbed the winding stairs of a tower and sat by a window, and looked out to a view much like what Luke saw now.
The horrible thing was so many others had called it home, and all they had now was a Princess to make sure they got some sort of justice.
He would like to wave down at the little girl and say hi, Leilei. It's me, Luke. But there was nothing there.
"OK, R2," he sighed. "I'm ready. Let's go find the others."
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R2 let out an admiring whistle, and Luke nodded. He hadn't expected the Alliance fleet to look like this. It looked- professional, like it was a real armada now, instead of the little band of terrorists calling itself an army.
Cruisers- huge, graceful ships, with wide viewports- were scattered about an orbiting station. Freighters, fighters, shuttles, frigates- there were too many to count. He was given permission to land rather easily, as if they expected a lost pilot to show up six months later, but of course Leia had warned them to expect him.
His boot barely touched the tarmac when he was tackled from behind and his cheek hit the ladder rung. "Hey-"
"Boss! Shit of hells! You're alive!" Wedge was hugging him, yelling into his ear.
"I am," Luke laughed, delighted at seeing his old flight partner. They gripped each other by the shoulder and shook. "Good to see you, Wedge."
"What the hells happened, Boss? How'd you get lost? We all left Hoth together. We hit coords together."
"I didn't get lost," Luke assured him. "It's a long story, and I better save it for the debrief."
"I can't believe it's you. Ghosts are coming out of the woodwork. I half expect Zev, even though I know he went down."
"Ghosts? How's things here? Can you help me get where I'm going? This base is unbelievable."
"Through here and you're inside the station." Wedge indicated with his arm the way and Luke followed in step beside him. "It's as boring as the rest," Wedge continued. "Maybe more so. I'm Lieutenant General, if that tells you anything. Departments are separated by levels."
"Wedge!" Luke exclaimed genuinely. "That's big news. Congratulations. Guess I'll be flying way behind you now."
Yeah, well. They're handing out commissions like birthday presents." Wedge returned to filling Luke in. "You aren't the only long-lost one to suddenly make an appearance. The Falcon flew in a few days ago. With the Princess! Man, when we lost her... thought for a few weeks we lost the whole war. Even High Council was moping around."
"You thought we were dead?"
"What else? Her anyway, and Solo. You, we couldn't figure out what could have gone wrong. Malfunction maybe. But with Hoth a defeat, and the Empire stomping around. Princess missed her transport." Wedge tugged on his elbow and they made for a lift.
"But I thought Solo radioed he had her," Luke went along with the story. They stepped inside, joining three tall Mon Calamari with bulging eyes and whiskered faces. Wedge nodded at them.
"How do you know-" Wedge threw him a sharp glance.
Luke remembered too late he probably shouldn't know Leia had left with Han. "We heard all the base comms, remember?" he lied.
Wedge looked suspicious, but swallowed it for later. "Last any of us saw the Falcon she was surrounded by three Destroyers, just sitting. We figured she couldn't get away. Dodonna wouldn't let us go help. She disappeared in an asteroid field."
"Even with the Princess aboard?"
Wedge nodded sadly. "Yeah. That's bothered us a long time."
"So how are they?" Luke asked.
Wedge looked at Luke sarcastically, as if he knew Luke was asking for show. "They're good. Real good. Said they got captured by a bounty hunter on a fuel stop and have been held by Jabba the Hutt."
Luke raised his brows in fake surprise. "Oh," he marveled. "Yeah, that checks."
"Fuel stop, my ass," Wedge snorted. "You know Solo."
"Yeah, but that was hanging over Han. Just that, though?" Luke was trying to figure out how much Leia had said. "The hunter didn't sell them to the Empire?"
"Maybe the Hutt was going to." Wedge was chewing on his cheek, one eye narrowed at Luke. He wasn't buying a moment of it. "You've heard he likes to play with his food before he eats it."
"Yeah, I know a lot about Jabba. He's on Tatooine, you know." He shook his head, marveling to Wedge at the coincidence of it all. "To think, the Princess and Han were a speeder ride from my moisture farm. Jabba didn't hurt them too bad, did he?"
"Well, Solo's in medical."
"He okay?" Luke did want to know. And he still hadn't decided on what he would say to account for all his time lost.
Wedge nodded. "Don't really know what was wrong with him." The lift doors opened and the three Calamari stepped out. Luke got a glimpse of a wall of duroglass and water.
"Is that water?"
"Mm," Wedge answered dismissively. "Calamari sleeping quarters. Anyway, story seems to check out. The Hutt's dead."
Luke pretended to go goggle eyed. "Jabba the Hutt is dead?! You know, he had the planet wrapped in his little fist. Tatooine won't miss him. No one will."
"The Princess," Wedge announced, "resigned her position."
"She what?" This was a bit of a real surprise. "She's not High Council anymore?"
"Nope. I heard she resigned before they took it from her, but there's no denying she's spending most of her time in medical."
"Is she sick?"
Wedge looked at him meaningfully. "Nope," he said bluntly.
"Oh," Luke said, and grinned at Wedge. "Wow."
"You're looking tan," Wedge noted.
"Am I?" Luke said vaguely, and he smiled disarmingly. "I missed you, Wedge."
"Me, too, Boss. Oh, and they brought someone with them. A Soccorran. Said he helped them escape. He got a present too, once he was vetted. Princess vouched for him. Said he was experienced."
"Experienced?" Luke echoed doubtfully. "Working for Jabba is experience?"
Wedge shrugged. "He went against pirates or something. He's okay, though. Wiped us out at sabacc." Wedge indicated he should get out here. "Your debrief is in Room B. Down near the end. When you're finished, if they don't escort you to the brig, come back to this lift and take it to the seventh level. It's where us pilots sleep."
"Okay, Wedge. Thanks. I'll catch up with you later." Luke waved and strode off to find the conference room.
The room was empty still, and Luke waited, standing by the duroglass port and casting his thoughts outward. He wondered where the Empire was stationed. Leia had mentioned they staked out their corner of space. And he wondered if Vader were there, and if he was still chasing Luke as he had on Bespin now that Luke had departed Tatooine.
Vader had acted on orders of the Emperor. Luke recalled Lando had said Han was tested in the carbonite so the "Emperor's prize" was not damaged. Luke grunted to himself. Vader practically had an allergy to Tatooine, didn't he? Now that Luke was back with the Alliance he'd be well protected again, but on Tatooine, he had been wide open. And Vader had let him be.
Ah, Luke learned something just now. He was reluctant to bring Luke before the Emperor. See, Ben? I was right. Would it be possible, to bring Vader to Luke? Away from his Emperor?
Father...
And the answer came quickly. Luke. Luke took a mental breath, thinking what to say, and the door whisked open. Luke turned, annoyed.
"Skywalker?" Rieekan said, noting Luke's expression.
"We all have somewhere to be," General Dodonna said briskly, setting a stack of data boards on the table.
Out of habit, Luke saluted and said, "yes, sir."
"Now, Skywalker," Dodonna said. "Let's establish a sequence of events," he began formally. He stared at the data board stack a moment, and burst out, "What the hells has been going on? You've been gone six months."
"Yes, sir," Luke responded .
Rieekan offered a friendly grin. "We're glad to see you're alive."
Luke grinned back. "Thank you, sir."
"Was there something wrong with the ship?" Dodonna wondered. "Eight witnesses reported seeing you lift off in the Wing during the Hoth retreat. We show the coords were opened by the astromech."
"Yes, sir, they were," Luke said. He thought, until something occurred to him, honesty was the best policy.
"Then why didn't you arrive?" Dodonna wanted to know.
Luke opened his mouth, and Force maybes came at him. He could tell the truth, all of it; how he had been at Tatooine with Leia. But apparently she had not been entirely candid.
He could make up a story. They all seemed to lean in the direction of malfunction. He could get R2 to forge something in his records.
Or he could use the partial truth.
The two men were waiting impatiently for Luke to say something.
"I'm a Jedi Knight, now, sirs," he said.
The two generals were comical as they sat in a stunned silence. Dodonna, who had trimmed his beard to a much shorter length, let his mouth drop open while Rieekan's brows disappeared into his hairline.
Luke nodded sagely. "I had a lead, about the existence of a master, and I went there and trained."
Dodonna's face was reddening. "How did you obtain this information?"
"It was while we were on Hoth, sir. Captain Solo brought it to me. I'm not sure how he obtained it." Because I don't remember babbling deliriously, Luke smiled to himself.
"Why didn't you bring it to us?"
"Well, sir. I might have. But then I got injured and I was in the tank. Then the Empire attacked..."
"That's right," Rieekan nodded. "I remember. You didn't return after a patrol."
"Correct, sir. And when we evacuated, I thought, why don't I just see how good this lead is, and I went there instead of the rendezvous."
"Obviously, the lead was good. Where-"
"I'd rather not say, General Dodonna," Luke answered smoothly.
"Where did Solo get it?"
"I've told you I don't really know. Maybe from one of the runs he-"
"Did he sell it to you?"
Luke stirred angrily. "No, he-"
"Why didn't he bring it to us?"
Luke calmed himself. "He knew of my interest. He hadn't verified the information. It was something he came across accidentally, and he didn't want to involve all of Command in something that would have us chasing our tails-"
Dodonna was trying to rein in his temper. His palms clapped the stack of boards several times as if they needed tidying. "Think again, Skywalker. You went about this all wrong. Instead of consulting with your superiors, you took leave without permission. You stayed away, with no contact, for months-"
"Yes, sir. I'm aware of how it looks. May I remind you of a meeting we had, when you assured me if there was any assistance you could give in my learning to utilize the Force-"
"I remember," Rieekan put in. He turned to Dodonna. "It was after-"
"I don't need a reminder," Dodonna growled. "Yes. I told you the Alliance would back you, Skywalker. I offered our resources. But it seems to me," he indicated snidely, "we shouldn't be kept in the dark. When you go and use one of our resources, an X-Wing namely, and disappear in it for months-"
"Where I went is immaterial," Luke said. "And," he took a steadying breath, knowing this part of his tale would cause more frustration. "I won't say who the Jedi master is."
"That's not immaterial! If there is a Jedi master somewhere out there-"
"Suffice it to say the master who trained me does not want to be found." Luke considered telling them Yoda was dead. Though it was the truth, it seemed over the top, one detail too many. To himself, Luke summed it up, to see how it sounded. He'd found a Jedi Master, alive and in hiding for years, trained with him, and then the master conveniently died when it was time for Luke to return. He wouldn't believe his story if he were them.
"Jedi wants, my ass!" Dodonna bellowed. "A Jedi's duty is to the Republic-"
"The Old one," Rieekan put in. "It could be argued, even by a hack like me-"
"Stop playing devil's advocate, Carlist. I don't care! We are at war. I would think a Jedi's politics would side with the New Republic. I would think their notion of service and protection-"
"Yes, sir," Luke broke in. "You're correct, of course. And the master is on your side. He trained me. But to utilize the Force, even by one being, would attract the unwanted attention of the Emperor, and-"
"You're saying the Emperor can sniff out Force users?"
Luke hesitated. "I've not confirmed the Emperor is a Force user," he said slowly. "But his second in command, Lord Vader-"
Rieekan checked his chrono. "The briefing started five minutes ago," he told Dodonna.
"If they started on time," Dodonna snapped. "Look, Skywalker-"
"I am a Force user now," Luke broke in. "A strong one. I don't wish to call the Emperor's notice to it just yet. That would be premature. I finished my training, and I've returned to the Alliance to serve. I remind you I also am a pilot. I ask to be reinstated. If-"
"Does this change anything, Jan?" Rieekan consulted Dodonna. "To add a Jedi to the offensive-"
"Not if he's not going to use himself," Dodonna grumbled. "Does this master have a plan? Will the Jedi return?"
Luke cleared his throat. "Um, certainly they've returned." He raised his gloved hand. "I'm one. But I, uh, was not given a specific directive."
"Skywalker, excuse us a moment." Rieekan pushed his chair behind him and led Dodonna to a corner. Luke watched their heated discussion with amusement. He did feel sorry for Dodonna. He could completely relate. It'd be like Han having a new and improved hyperdrive system for the Falcon, and never getting around to installing it because he kept having to leave in a hurry.
"We're missing the briefing," Rieekan stated. "And if we decide on your reinstatement, you should be there. Here's how it stands, Skywalker," Rieekan began carefully with a sideways glance at Dodonna. "We're launching an offensive. There's a second battle station, along similar plans to the original Death Star, and that's our target. The briefing is being conducted now. It will involve a ground assault, on a moon, to take out the protective shielding, and aerial against the station, very similar to what you did at Yavin. I'd like you to listen in, and see if you find yourself, as a Jedi Knight, a good fit somewhere. Then let us know."
"We're late," Dodonna grumbled, and he swept his things together and marched out of the room.
"Yes, sir," Luke told their backs.
The two generals didn't invite him to go with them, and they didn't tell him where the briefing room was. Luke got lost. He wandered around, taking the lift first up, level by level. At first he found it rather humorous, but then as a lot of time seemed to pass, he thought it frustratingly ridiculous. He might miss the whole briefing, and that wouldn't help anyone. So he lowered his chin, and closed his eyes, and sought Leia's presence in the Force. Then the way was sure.
He stood outside the door. He could hear a voice. It belonged to a stranger. Luke honed his sense of hearing. The man's voice was explaining about something down on some moon. Then all the room murmured, and he knew Chewie's voice for certain.
Luke was buoyed, hearing it. He needed to enter. But this door was apparently to the front of the room. He wondered if there was a back door, where he could sneak in, and if he should take the time to find it, when he- he felt Leia, same as he heard her; heard her emotions. All good, like she'd received an answer. Her voice said, "General. Count me in," and her voice was smiling.
Luke took it as a cue. Leia was his sister. Something good just happened. She radiated- Luke thought it in conflict to what else he understood. She was going to fight. She was fierce. She accepted risk, danger. Yet she radiated contentment.
Oh, then. Luke knew exactly where he belonged. Dodonna would not like this explanation. How can we use you, Skywalker? Well, sir, I follow Leia. And Han. General Solo. That's all. He palmed the door, and as everyone's eyes turned in surprise at his late entrance, he announced, "I'm with you, too."
He caught Han's eyes with a smile. Still not in uniform, but a general. He'd done what he'd said, and he'd joined.
Leia rushed to Luke, and he took in her new uniform, not white thank goodness, and her halo of a braid, and it suddenly hit him, the unfairness of it all, that they'd missed their whole childhoods.
"What is it?" she asked, like someone grabbing something in the dark; knowing they had a hold of it but not knowing what it was.
He loved their Force connection. He didn't know why it was growing stronger. Because he knew they were family, or because Leia was more open to the Force?
The room was a sea of beings, many not human, and all dressed in uniform. Two stood out. The bare fur of a Wookiee, and the black and white of a Corellian.
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Luke's return made a few things clear to him.
Darth Vader would have to die. As would Anakin Skywalker.
Luke wasn't making the same mistake Ben did. He didn't think of them as separate men, existing at different times, one a victor over the other. No, they were one and the same.
His father couldn't live. There was no way. The Alliance was geared up for an all or nothing assault. The rumor was the Emperor was on that Death Star, and he was the real target. The Empire would die only if its Emperor were gone. And if the Empire was going to die, that meant Darth Vader would, too.
Luke didn't want to be the one to kill his father. But he didn't want anyone else to do it, either.
The atmosphere around Home One, the orbiting station, was many things. It was fatalistic acceptance, urgent desperation, and cheerful aggression. Luke felt none of these. He was more- thoughtful, he would say. Melancholy almost. He looked back, at the start, and was somehow sorry to be where he was.
It was- at one time he would say unfair, when he was younger, immature. Prone to whining. Not unfair, but- a shame. Unfortunate. Just when he had a family; at least a father and a sister, he would have to tear it apart.
"Too bad we came back so late," Han nudged Luke with his elbow. They were on another level of Home One, this one labeled Supply. It had subdivisions: parts, wardrobe, armor and personal weaponry.
"Why?" Luke asked. They were in wardrobe. He held his arms out as a droid took his measurements.
"That shuttle we're landing on the moon," Han tossed the pair of uniform pants, light blue with gold piping, to the floor. "I'm not wearing these," he grumbled. "They should use it to land on the Death Star. Do like you and me did."
"You got tractored in," Luke reminded him. "And we rescued a Princess, not assassinated an Emperor."
"Not too different in operation though, if you think about it."
Luke nodded. It was a good idea, he thought. And possibly the reason such a plan was not in use, if it had even been suggested, was symptomatic of this new Alliance he had returned to. Overly large, smooth and efficient. In a way, it reminded him of the Empire. The sense of innovation was gone. Even the strike team Han had carefully assembled was done from dossiers. Han was given files of personnel; experts. There were the tech splicers and hackers, detonator specialists, even sharp shooters. He'd managed to do it all while never leaving his bed in medical. "I had wires attached to my head," he'd complained to Luke.
Luke pointed to the pants. "You have to wear them. It's uniform."
"I'm a general. I'll wear what I want."
Luke regarded them. "Hm. I'm shuttle crew. Which am I?"
Han shrugged. "Navigator, if you want."
"Sure." It was all so casual. He almost laughed, but then he would think about his father. "Then I won't wear them either," he declared. "I'll stay in my Jedi clothes."
"We'll need these, though," Han selected a long coat in earth-toned colors. "For moving through the forest."
Luke moved to take a coat as well, but Han stopped him. "Nuh-uh. I'm general. You get this."
Luke held it up. It was in the same print, browns and creams and faint dashes of green, but it was a poncho. He made a face at Han. "You were gonna ask us, right? Was that your plan, for us to be on the shuttle?"
Han nodded. "If I'm gonna do something stupid, I want you along."
Luke smiled. "You've come a long way. You used to do stupid things, but you always did it alone."
They parted outside of Supply. Han was going to meet with the strike team in person, and asked a droid for directions to some conference room, and Luke thought he might as well go see Leia. She was in a meeting, he was told. He wondered what it could be, since she had resigned her commission. He sent her a comm text telling her to meet him at the Falcon.
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He shouldn't be drinking, but he was. Hells, I'm just shuttle crew. Leia was drinking too; well, having a glass, Luke noticed. He'd had more than a few. So had Chewie, but he was a Wookiee.
"Did you ever get the feeling you're really dead, but no one notices?" he asked Leia.
She put down her glass and scoffed lightly. "All the time," she said.
"Oh," Luke laughed a little. He tried not to. He understood his question explained how she felt ever since the day Alderaan blew up, and it wasn't funny, but he'd been drinking, and it was just all so... so twisted. And the way she said it. She meant for him to laugh. "I didn't mean that," he told her. "I meant I'm wandering around, and they've all thought we're dead the past six months, and seeing us doesn't change their mind."
"It's because they think the moon strike is suicide. Or noble sacrifice, if you listen to Mon Mothma."
Luke thought about it. "I don't really see a difference," he said.
Leia smiled. Oh, how he wanted to tell her. To sit here, and know, when she didn't- it was hard. After what Ben and Yoda had pt him through, Luke decided he was fundamentally against secrets.
But it would have to wait, until after their father was dead. Because she was quicker than he was. The moment he told her, she would immediately understand she was Force-sensitive, and she would run to Command with a new plan to take down the Empire, and it would involve her.
She'd been raised well, he thought. Same as him. Both were secure in the knowledge they had been loved. They'd been taught compassion, right and wrong. It had nothing to do with the fact that she was a Skywalker. Everyone was susceptible to the dark side. But she felt the war would solve her anger, and that's how she fought. If she truly opened herself to the Force now, untrained, Luke was afraid he'd lose not only his father but his sister, too.
"We've been through tougher, don't you think?" he asked.
"Easily," she stated.
He looked at her, and she smiled again. "What?" she asked.
"How was your meeting?" Luke said.
"Oh," Leia sighed and took a sip. "It wasn't really a meeting. Mon Mothma and General Rieekan were horrified that I volunteered for the shuttle command crew. They were trying to talk me out of it."
Luke was insulted. "What right have they?"
"None, is the point," Leia agreed.
"What else would you do?"
Leia shrugged. "Stand by Mon Mothma's side, I suppose. Be ready to activate victory or accept defeat."
"You could be someone's gunner," he mused haphazardly. "You were pretty good over Anobis." Then he recalled what Wedge had said where Leia spent her time since her return. "Does it have anything to do with Han?"
"Probably." Her eyes moved to the ramp as they both heard the heavy tread of boots. "But you already know, Luke. I made my decision. I won't let anyone dictate my behavior."
Luke nodded. "Hey, Han," he greeted the former smuggler. "I mean General. Want a drink, sir?"
Han looked at the brandy bottle on the table and shook his head. He slid into the booth beside Leia. "No, thanks. I've been told to lay off for a while."
"A while? I'll just finish it off, then. Chewie, hand me your glass. By who? It's not like you to listen." He filled Chewie's glass and the Wookiee raised it in a silent toast.
Han grinned wanly. "My stomach, for one. A med droid might've mentioned it, too." He stretched his arm across the bench behind Leia, not touching her, but including her in his space.
"Oh." Luke held the brandy bottle in the air. "I didn't realize..." he frowned. "You're not a hundred percent?"
Leia turned her face to Han and Luke noticed she squeezed his thigh. "He should recover fully. Right now there's still an imbalance. What's it called?" she asked Han.
Han was looking at the table while she spoke, a far away look in his eyes. Without looking up, he said, "Vestibular disorder."
"Right," Leia said. She turned back to Luke. "It's hard to explain. The brain's sense of balance is affected by its understanding of movement and orientation as given the input by sensory organs and muscles and joints."
"Huh?" Luke said.
Han brought his arm back down and slid in the bunk seat, stretching his long legs out, and twisted a smile at Luke. "Kinda like you right now, kid. I'm always drunk."
Leia tsked. "No, that's not it." She looked at Han again. "Don't say it like that," she scolded. "It's going to pass. But," she directed her speech to Luke, "yes. Right now his brain is misinterpreting information. So he still might feel dizzy, or not see as well, or just-" she shrugged, looking sympathetically at Han, "miss."
"Can't be that bad," Luke tried to brighten the moment. "I mean, you're leading the moon strike."
"I'm a general," Han stated dryly. "I put a team together. I got someone to fly the shuttle. All I gotta do is stand back and watch everyone do their job."
Chewie, who had been listening quietly, put in, "I'll carry a chair for you so you can sit and watch instead."
It won a quick sarcastic laugh from Han. "Thanks, pal."
"So you're not even flying?" Luke asked. "Were you cleared?"
"I'm flying."
"Command has exempted some medical conditions. Based on what we're facing," Leia said. She squeezed Han's thigh again. "You've got a good copilot."
"Speaking of medical conditions," Luke burst out, "how did Lando rate general?"
Everyone laughed.
"False pilot is not a medical condition," Chewie said.
"But it might prove fatal," Luke joked.
Han laughed, but he said, "That's not funny. I'm letting him use the Falcon as a preventative. I figure she'll help him stay alive. Plus, he's got a good copilot, too. A Sullustan."
Leia said, "He wanted to join. He was very earnest. And from what I know of his character, he likes to be important."
"Very true," Chewie nodded.
"It was my suggestion. He'd told me he freed a world from pirate raids by defeating them."
"Oh, so you're the one who told them about Tanaab," Han said.
She nodded. "He told me on Tatooine. He likes to talk."
"And just like that he's a general," Chewie said.
"Well, Han too," Luke said. "Nobody offered me a rank."
"You ranked yourself," Leia told him. "You told them you're a Jedi. If you'll remember, Rieekan has wanted to offer Han a commission since he met him."
"Yeah, but not general," Han said. A sly look came in his eyes. "I was just gonna head up the strike team. But when I heard about Lando I made a push for it."
Leia leaned out from him a bit, her mouth open in mock outrage. "What?" she said.
Han laughed and Chewie shook his head. "One never lets the other gain the higher branch," he said.
"Seriously?" Leia said.
"I still joined, Sweetheart." He rubbed her back. "Just not gonna let Lando outrank me."
"That's the most ridiculous way to become a leader I've ever heard of," Leia scoffed. "Because someone else did?"
"It's all the same in the end," Han dismissed it.
Luke rubbed the holochess table with his palm. "So she's going off to battle, too," he said softly. "Wish we were all going together."
Han looked at Chewie. "Why'd you let him drink so much?"
"Do we have to clear out?" Luke asked. "I'm not sure where my quarters are. Of if I have any."
"I know I don't," Han said. "You can sleep it off here, Junior. We don't leave til 0300."
"Okay," Luke said. He blinked at the holochess table some more, telling himself to treasure this moment. The feel of the bench under his thighs, the general smell of the ship. His sister and two best friends at his side. If he listened to anyone on base it might be the last time he'd do this.
"Do you have a will?" Luke asked anyone, finishing his brandy.
Han nodded. "You?"
"Yeah. Can I have your ship?"
Han's lips quirked. "Chewie gets it."
"Oh. You can have my farm."
"I don't want your farm."
"Leia, you can have my farm."
"Thanks, Luke."
"What do you have in your will?" Luke asked her.
She looked at him archly, and he smiled. "Shampoo. If I don't use it all before I'm killed."
"We'll get you something, Leia," he murmured to her, eyes closed, feeling the warmth of the brandy in his belly. He kicked Han's boot. "Sorry. I've got something in mind."
"Can't wait," Han said. He gave Luke's boot a kick. "Not sorry. Get up, Jedi. I need you presentable in four hours."