Chapter Nineteen

Saera glanced over at Glynn, then back at the flimsy with a rough map scrawled on it. When they'd gotten off the ship a Rebel had handed it to her with instructions from Luke to meet him in the ness hall.

But how would I have felt if Luke had told me to beat it while I knew he was going to meet some other girl.

BUT GLYNN DOESN'T LIKE ME!

I am a dorky little 19-year-old girl from Tatooine who dragged him halfway across the galaxy to find the man I love. Glynn is a 26-year-old space pilot who's been to probably hundreds of worlds...OK, not in the Gaellia...But, he's been to at least dozens of worlds, and he's a once-potential Jedi, and he's handsome and witty and funny and compassionate and...

Wait, handsome? Glynn's...handsome?

Well, we already figured out that whole 'physical attraction' thing. That's not the point. The point is, he does not, and never will, feel anything but friendship towards me.

She realized she was tugging at her hair and made herself stop. Well, it wasn't her fault. She was nervous.

They were there. Behind those doors...Luke!

-

"Saera! It's so great to see you!" Luke wrapped her up in a hug like she'd hoped he would, but she wasn't as ecstatic as she'd expected. For one thing, her heart didn't go all flippy. Sometimes, when she used to see Luke, her heart would jump up and down in her chest, but right now it wasn't. She'd thought it would, not having seen him for upwards of three months, but...it didn't.

Another reason was because she could sense Glynn watching her. She could tell he was glaring at them, and she couldn't get the image of hurt navy eyes out of her head.

And she could see a bunch of Rebels on the edges of the room watching them and whispering among themselves.

"It's great to see you, too."

"So why are you here? Who's that?" He broke off the hug and nodded over at Glynn.

"Oh, he's...a friend. Come over here, Glynn." He seemed hesitant but came to her side anyway. "Luke, this is Glynn Torshnar. Glynn, Luke."

Glynn thrust his hand at Luke. "I'm the pilot."

"He's a friend," she said pointedly.

"Have we met before?" Glynn was looking at Luke strangely as they shook hands.

"Sorry, I don't think so."

"Oh." He was still looking at Luke very oddly.

"Well, Saera, you didn't tell me why you're here."

"Oh, it's, um, a long story. Probably long enough to match yours. I'll tell it to you later." She grinned.

"Right. Well, let me show you around. There's some people you should probably meet. Come on."

-

Luke led Saera and Glynn down a few corridors, pointing at areas of interest. There didn't seem to be many. Glynn tried to stay next to Saera but couldn't help falling behind. It was too depressing to see her looking at Luke with shiny eyes.

"I can't show you much for, you know, security reasons. But there are a couple sections, and you're going to want to meet our resident nut case." Luke brought them into a big hanger full of mostly smaller, one-man ships.

"This is the more permanent hangar, for ships that are going to be here on a long basis. The place you two came from was for things like courier ships or supply ships. My X-Wing's over there--" he pointed to the left," but there's someone I have to introduce you to." He went in the opposite direction.

Ooh, an X-Wing have we? How speeeeecial.

NO WAY.

They'd just come into a corner of the hangar, and sitting right there was what appeared to be...the Millenium Falcon?

"This is the ship that saved my life, the Falcon."

So it was the Millenium Falcon. That meant...

"Chewie, come here, and bring Han, please." The big Wookiee came into view from around the other side of the ship and let out a loud growl. "Um, right. I still can't understand him." Skywalker smiled apologetically.

As Chewbacca went inside the ship, Glynn suddenly realized that the last time he'd seen that big, bulky form was on Tatooine...Mos Eisley cantina...

"That's where! I lost you guys to them!"

"What's he talking about?"

"I don't know. Glynn, what's wrong?"

"I just realized why he looks so familiar! You and the old man, in the cantina. He picked Solo and Chewbacca instead of me. I was going to get you guys off planet, to Alderaan, I think. But he just...passed me over."

"Sorry, I don't remember."

"Oh, I don't think you saw me. But I remember you, you had trouble with an alien--"

"And Ben took care of him. Yes, I remember that. First time I saw a lightsaber in action."

"The alien had a lightsaber?" Saera seemed incredibly confused by all this. "Are you talking about Ben Kenobi?"

"Yes, Ben Kenobi. He had the lightsaber--"

"Hey, Kid, what's you want?" Solo had suddenly appeared next to Luke, Chewie in tow.

"Oh, Han, this is an old friend from Tatooine, Saera. And this is Glynn. You've met him?"

"Ah, no, just the Ben guy. But I've heard about you, and the Falcon. What pilot hasn't? 'She'll make point five past lightspeed,' right?"

Solo grinned. "See, Kid? He's heard of her."

"Yes, Han, I'm an ignorant Tatooine farm boy. You don't need to keep reminding me." The words were defensive but the tone playful.

"So why'd you get Chewie to drag me out here? Just to meet these two? Not that it wasn't a pleasure." He grinned lopsidedly at Saera, who in turn blushed and smiled back. I'll keep my eye on him...

"I'm gong to take them to see Leia next."

"Ah, off to bug the Princess." Solo rubbed his hands together in exaggerated glee. "Count me in."

"I thought you might say that. You coming, Chewie?"

The Wookiee emitted a low growl.

"Says he's got too much to fix from the last run we made. I don't think he appreciates my flying sometimes, even if it does save his skin. But it's not my fault we keep getting sent on those things."

"Hey, it's not mine either."

"Well, you one of them. Officially, at least."

"That doesn't mean I have any say. Talk to Leia, she's higher up. We've all got to contribute, anyway." Skywalker glanced over at what must have been clueless expressions on Glynn and Saera's faces. "Sorry. Rebel stuff. Come on, we'll figure out exactly all the connections we seem to have on the way."

-

Han let out a low whistle. "Small galaxy."

So far, from what Saera could figure out, stormtroopers had been after a droid that had crash-landed on Tatooine. Luke and Owen and Beru had bought said droid, but when Luke was with old Ben and droid, afore mentioned stormtroopers hand burned down the Lars homestead, hoping to find the droid. Luke, Ben, and droid plus droid's counterpart had gone to Mos Eisley in search of a ship. Among candidates were the Gaellia and the Millenium Falcon. Obviously, Han Solo's ship was chosen to take Luke and co. to Alderaan, only to arrive and find Alderaan had been destroyed. In the next twelve or so hours they'd been captured by the Death Star, rescued a princess, escaped again (losing Ben in the process) and blown the thing at Yavin.

It was all very confusing.

"Well, I hope none of that was classified," Luke said.

"If it had been, they would've told us. Or maybe they didn't think we were dumb enough to tell non-Rebels," Han added dryly.

"You know, and you're not a Rebel, technically."

"Don't you forget it. You don't stop to notice and poof, I'll be gone."

Luke rolled his eyes, smiling, and Saera was pretty sure she was the only one to see it. All this banter between them was pretty interesting.

"But wait a second." Saera thought back to something said earlier. "What hasany of that got to do with lightsabers and Jedi? Well, besides the fact that Glynn was almost a Jedi. Did you know that you were talking to a Force-sensitive, Luke?" Saera said it expectantly, waiting for Luke to bombard Glynn with a thousand questions.

"Really?" Luke seemed interested, but it wasn't the over-the-top reaction Saera had anticipated.

"Well, yeah." Glynn seemed embarrassed. "I mean, a little. I could have never actually been a Jedi; I wasn't strong enough. They tested me, though. But I'd be dead like the rest of them if I'd made it."

"Not all the Jedi died."

"What do you mean? They were purged by...Vader, right?" Saera asked, lost again.

"He missed Ben. And he missed me."

Saera clapped a hand over her wide-open mouth and stopped in the middle of the hall. "Ben Kenobi was a Jedi? YOU'RE a Jedi?"

"If you could only see your face right now..." Luke stopped walking and so did Han and Glynn. All three of them were looking at her with the same amused expression. "Yes, Ben was a Jedi. And his name wasn't really Ben, it was Obi-Wan. I'm not really a Jedi yet. He only trained me for a very, very little bit."

"Do you have a lightsaber" Saera felt giddy and silly, suddenly the one with a thousand questions. He wasa JEDI! Wow. And she'd thought Glynn's past was weird.

"Yes. It was my father's. He was a Jedi, too. That's how I have the power. Btu I guess he got...purged. Ben was killed by Vader too, so I suppose he didn't miss him in the end..." Luke's face was serious and his jaw clenched.

"I'm sorry, Luke." She reached out a hand to touch his arm.

Han Solo threw up his hands. "I give up. You're a former Jedi hopeful. You'rea Jedi in training. The old man was a Jedi! What is this, 'Jedi Anonymous'?"

"Relax, Han. There's still you and Leia and Chewie and Saera. They're not Jedi."

"Great. A ratio of four to three. Somehow, I don't think that quite holds true for the rest of the galaxy. And who evens says this junk is true? Come on, if we don't hurry up, Rieekan and Mon Mothma will have her Worshipfulness in another meeting." He started walking.

"Eager to see someone?" Luke teased, following and dragging along Glynn and Saera.

"Hey." Han grinned, jabbing a thumb at his chest. "I was promised prime annoying opportunities."

-

OK, things could be much, much worse. I could be stuck in a small white room alone with Skywalker. At least Solo's here, his presence seems to have eased the tension a bit.

Of course, things could be much, much better. He could be stuck in that room alone with Saera, and she could be madly in love with him and not care a vrelt's rear about Skywalker...

This weird Jedi/Mos Eisley connection has just jumbled everything up even more.

They were at the Princess of former Alderaan's quarters. Glynn would really much rather not be here. He didn't really want to be here, even if she was a princess, but he wasn't about to go anywhere without Saera.

Skywalker pressed a buzzer and the door promptly opened, revealing a golden-colored protocol droid.

"Master Luke! What are you doing here?"

"Hi, Threepio. Do you know if Princess Leia has a few minutes?"

"I believe so, if her schedule is correct, sir--"

"Ask her if she can talk for a while. I've got some people for her to meet."

"Yes, Master Luke. Mistress Leia! Your Highness!" The droid disappeared back into the quarters.

"Threepio was one of the droids that crash-landed on Tatooine, but he really belongs to Leia."

Glynn found interesting that Luke referred to the Princess as merely Leia. Maybe something was happening between them. He couldn't help but hope so before realizing how crushed Saera would be.

Do I really want to be the rebound relationship?

If I want ANY relationship, I've still got to tell her.

Later, later.

You'd better, Torshnar. Do NOT just let her slip away. Not without saying something, anything.

"Luke. Captain Solo." Princess Leia had appeared at the door.

"Your Supreme Hignessness." This was interesting. The Princess was denying it too much to be anything but happy to see Solo, and he was incredibly eager, but both were desperately trying to seem irritated by the other's presence.

Love triangle? Skywalker wants Princess, Princess wants Solo, Solo wants Princess, but no one says anything?

"Princess, this is an old friend, Saera Mernoai, and her friend Captain Glynn Torshnar. Princess Leia is the one who pulled the strings to get you down here."

"Thank you, your Highness," Saera said.

"A pleasure." She smiled warmly, shaking Saera's hand, then his own.

"I was hoping you had a free moment or two to spend with us, help us welcome Saera and Glynn to the base, that sort of thing?" Luke seemed anxious.

"Why not? It seems we all get so little time to just enjoy one another's company." Princess Organa smiled again, but it was a tired smile. Glynn found himself wondering how old she was. She looked about the same age as Saera, but in her eyes was something that seemed much older, much more...exhausted.

She's from Alderaan, he remembered. And she was on the Death Star when they blew it into oblivion. It must have been torture for her.

They walked slowly back to the mess hall, all five of them, bunched up in the narrow hallway. People had to squeeze by to get past. Solo was making some joke about Hutts. Although she probably couldn't tell herself, the Princess was leaning slightly towards him. Sadly, Glynn noticed that next to him, Saera was doing the same thing to Skywalker. All four of them seemed totally unaware that they'd paired into couples, with Glynn left on his own at the edge of the group. Unless I grab the droid or the Wookiee. The thought made him shudder.

Solo delivered the punch line, causing the Princess to roll her eyes, a small smile playing along her lips. Saera and Luke burst into laughter. Glynn followed suit, though he hadn't been paying attention to the joke. Seizing an opportunity that had suddenly presented itself, he threw his arm over Saera's shoulders and pulled his mouth up next to her ear.

"I don't get it," he whispered as the laughter died.

Saera shrugged. "Neither do I." He suspected the shrug was meant to serve a dual purpose, one being to get his arm off her shoulders, but he let it sit there, not slipping away. He was also conscious that, while the smuggler and the princess seemed somewhat oblivious, Skywalker had noticed the arm and appeared confused.

Oh, didn't think it was like that, huh farm boy? Well...you were right. Gods, howI wish you weren't, though...

"You're beautiful," he whispered, confessing what he hadn't been able to before but also glad to have any excuse to pull her closer.

Saera flushed pink. "Uh, thank," she replied as the Princess made a witty retort to something Solo had said.

He had the sudden urge to tell her right there. He knew he could do it. It would be so quick, so painless. Bu he wouldn't, not in a random rebel hallway, in front of people he'd known for less than a time part.

And then she was holding him. He had to look over at her to make sure he wasn't imagining it. But now, she had her arm around his waist! It appeared to have just been slung casually around him and settled there, but it was so amazing that, seeing and feeling it, he still wasn't sure if it were true.

Incredulous, he loosened his arm so it hung around her shoulders instead of being perched on them. Her grip remained steady. He looked at her, hopingto catch a glimpse of her face, but she was turned the other way in some heated debate with Solo and the Princess. He was Skywalker's face instead. Luke was looking them both up and down as the walked down the hall entwined in each other. He had realization and... worry on his face?

Glynn dropped his arm. How could he treat Saera like a...toy to show off? That was what he was doing, trying to get Skywalker to see they'd bonded. Trying to show what he could do. Trying to imply more.

Saera's arm dropped, no reason for it to still be there. She was still not looking at him.

Oh well.

That would've been amazing, if she'd left her arm there without his influence. It could have made his entire month. Maybe his entire three months since he'd met her.

I can only hope for so much in one day.

That wasn't so bad, now was it? I'm spoiling you updating so quickly, anyway. :P

Freetrader - I like my grandma. :P And see, Glynn and Luke met, just like I promised. Maybe not as explosive as you might have been expecting, but now everyone knows everything (except for how Glynn loves Saera).

A/N: The next few chapters will be MASSIVELY ANGSTY and I had trouble writing them, because to have angst you have to hurt people, so I had to hurt people. :( Mostly, it's Glynn-angst, but there'sa bit of Saera coming up, too. Just a warning.