Disclaimer: I don't own any part of Star Wars or it's characters, I am just borrowing them.
The Light of Hope
Sunlight filtered through the canopy leaves, permeating the very air with the smell of morning. Luke was used to waking up early, farming was a strenuous occupation, he rose to find that he could not move either his arms or legs. The induced paralysis was not due to any long held ailment of his, but the slumbering form of Princess Leia of Alderaan.
'No wonder I felt so warm last night, I can't believe she stayed with me the whole night. Hopefully, she got some rest, I can't imagine my stench helped any.' Trying to extract himself from the iron grip of Princess Leia was easier said than done. 'Damn, she's got quite a grip, I wonder if she trains regularly?'
Succumbing to the inevitable, Luke tried to rest more of the blankets on top of the prone maiden. 'At least she won't catch a cold, but I really wish she hadn't picked that exact spot to leave her leg.' Having a knee pushing into your groin was not the best feeling a male could experience, but it did cause certain portions of the body to tense up rather nicely.
'Well nothing I can do, I guess a few more hours of sleep couldn't hurt. Hopefully, we can get back to base as soon as possible.'
Although Luke was determined to fall back asleep his baser instincts would not let him, 'Damn all those early mornings, I can't get back to sleep. Might as well enjoy it, I mean how often does a princess sleep next to a farm boy?'
Luckily for Luke, Leia awoke at the constant shifting of his body. 'Hmm…why is it so warm here? And why does the ground feel so soft?'
"Good morning Princess, I am sorry if I awakened you."
'Oh, Damn forgot about last night, well time to face the music.'
"Good morning to you as well Luke, what time is it?"
"I believe it is half past 8, would you like to break camp and head to the base?"
'No, I would rather stay here in the warmth of your embrace, but I can't really say that can I?'
"Of course, let me freshen up and we will be on our way." Removing herself from the warmth of Luke's body, Leia moaned and shivered involuntarily. "Take the blankets Princess, it is much too cold for you to be walking around that way."
"You are most generous Luke, thank you. Won't you be cold then?"
"I will be fine Princess, thank you for your concern though." Smiling at Luke, Leia went in search of a location to wash her face and brush her teeth. "Be careful, Princess."
"I will be fine Luke, make sure that we don't leave anything here, okay?"
"As you command, Princess." Sighing at his formality Leia nonetheless smiled at his charm. 'That man will never understand how much his actions amuse and warm my heart.'
While Leia was busy cleaning up, Luke was doing some cleaning of his own. Dousing the fire, and making sure that he had not left anything behind. 'That should be all of it, hmm…the blankets almost forgot about them. Well I can get them when the Princess comes back.'
Suddenly without warning a scream echoed throughout the valley, 'That sounded like the princess, damn it all, I knew I should have went with her.' Racing through the jungle at a breakneck pace, Luke would seem a blur to the casual eye. 'I hope to all that is good in this world that she is safe.'
Accelerating even faster Luke soon was tearing the leaves off the trees as he passed, what he found when he located the princess was something that would be with him for the rest of his life.
Luke witnessed a scene that seemed surreal, the Princess of Alderaan was wrestling with some form of otter. It seemed the otter took the last visages of the Princess's clothes, leaving the helpless maiden in her undergarments.
"Luke, don't just stand there, give me a hand!"
"Hmm…wha..oh of course Princess. I will be right with you." Wrestling against an otter may seem simple but both Luke and Leia used all the energy they had to retrieve her clothing. "That was one tough otter, I wonder what he wanted with you clothes though Princess?"
"I believe he was searching for the candies that were inside my jacket, they probably smelled wonderful to it." Nodding his head Luke soon found his gaze directed at the scantily clad princess, "Ahem…my face is up here Luke, Luke?"
Blushing madly at his error of judgment, Luke apologized profusely even going so far as to bow so low he touched the ground. "Get up Luke, the scolding was merely in jest, I know you meant no harm. Let me get changed and we can go on with our business."
Nodding furiously, Luke turned quickly and walked back to their camp. 'Wow, what a strange incident, first a rabid otter then jokes from the princess. I wonder what will happen next?'
Having nothing to do, Luke took the time to train in the use of the Force. 'Ben told me to trust in the Force, to trust in my feelings? I did it when he was around, but how will I ever learn without him? Ben, why did you have to leave? There was so much more you could have taught me, why? Why does everyone I ever care about suffer because of me?'
Hanging his head in shame Luke could find no answers to his deepest of fears, it seemed the light in him flickered and waned as time goes by. Even the most powerful forces must have support, no one person can be an island. One must have friends and family to care for him/her, people who would listen to your problems and not make fun of you for simple mistakes. 'But what is the use? I mean if I do find such a great family, they will only suffer needlessly because of me. It seems I am destined to be alone, alone and forgotten, much like all the great heroes in time.'
Feeling even worse than before, Luke looked at his light saber, 'One stab would do it, no one would mind, why should more people suffer for my existence?'
'Because you are the last hope of the universe, though you wish for death there are many in the universe that see you as the only beacon of light in a dark world that grows ever more sinister. Believe in your ability to protect yourself and your loved ones, because someone who has something to fight for, fights all the greater. And with the evil you face, it will take all the power you have inside yourself to defeat it.'
'Ben? Is that you?'
'I have always been here Luke, and I will continue to stay by your side. As I told Vader, if you strike me down I will come back all the greater. What he doesn't know is that I live through you Luke. You who I have rested all my hopes on, please do not take your life so lightly. I wish you peace and happiness, whether they come to fruition or not is entirely up to you.'
"Luke? Are you alright?"
Snapping awake from his mental conversation with the late Obi-wan Kenobi, Luke found the Princess standing before him clothed and irritated.
"I have been calling you for the past 5 minutes, are you alright?"
"Yes, Princess. I am fine. Shall we get underway?"
'Thank you Ben, for teaching me there is something I should be fighting for.' With a meaningful glance in Princess Leia's direction, Luke promised himself that he would protect her with all of his strength. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"I am fine Princess. Follow me."
Author's notes: Well there goes chapter 2, how are you liking the story so far? Anyways, please Read and Review…please??? Peace I'm out.
