Disclaimer: I don't own any of this.
Spoilers: Uh, a few references to the Star Wars Comic series from the 80s if that counts.
Hearts are Meant To: Chapter 2
"I need a shower," Luke groaned as he and some of the other Rogues headed toward their barracks. Tired, sweaty, and nearly cross-eyed from too much time spent in the sims, he wanted nothing more than to get cleaned up and take the rest of the day off.
"Man, they really gave you quite a run in those sims today, didn't they?" laughed Wes.
Luke narrowed his eyes at him, but said nothing as they continued walking.
"So, what do you think of them, Boss?" Wedge pressed, walking up behind Luke.
Shrugging his shoulders as nonchalantly as he could, Luke replied, "Not bad, I guess."
"Not bad?" cried Zev in disbelief. "That girl was amazing."
"So was the kid," Wes added.
"I agree," said Wedge. He quickened his pace to match Luke's stride and walked beside him. "I'd say Genna and Dack are definitely Rogue material."
Luke thought a moment. "Genna, yes," he conceded, "although I want to talk to Tycho before I make my final call on that one. Dack," he paused, "I'm not sure. He seems a little too excitable, if you ask me."
"And you were never like that, were you, Luke?" Wedge teased putting a hand on Luke's shoulder. He immediately removed it disgustedly. "Ugh, Luke. Get a shower. You're gross."
"Ha ha," Luke replied with exaggerated sarcasm. "Next time YOU can fly one of those things 'til you can't see straight."
"For someone who enjoys flying," Wes put in, "you sure get cranky."
"Go kiss a dug," Luke snapped without much venom.
While the others laughed, Wes grabbed Luke's forearm and began dragging him toward the barracks. "Okay, this man needs a shower, some food, and a serious change of attitude and clothing," he hollered, "on the double!"
Even Luke had to grin as he was being pulled, and he quipped, "Janson, you are certifiable!"
Wes stopped and gave an exaggerated salute. "That's why I'm a Rogue, sir!"
Wedge grinned and nudged him. "You'd better watch it there, or Luke'll send your rear back to Red Flight."
Luke chuckled. "Yeah. Let Narra deal with you."
"Ha!" countered Wes. "My ego's far too great for Red Flight!"
Zev piped up. "Is it just me, or are we all a little bit punchy this afternoon?"
Luke threw back his head with a huge dramatic laugh before throwing his arm over Zev's shoulders. "Just another glorious day in the life of the men and women bound and committed to service in the Alliance!" he said with pronounced dignity.
"Luke," Zev replied, scrunching his nose at him, "you really stink."
With that, Luke threw his hands up in the air in exasperated surrender. "That's it! I give up!" Turning around to face the group, he increased his pace while heading backwards. "It's been real, guys. But I'm afraid you'll just have to find someone else to abuse for now. I'm going to take my offensively smelling self out of your presence, and I'm going to leave you all here to laugh about it. See you guys at dinner." Waving a hand in a grand gesture of farewell, he turned back around and sprinted toward the barracks.
As he jogged, thoughts of today's run in the sims raced through his mind. Zev and Wedge were right, Genna WAS amazing. She was fast, capable, inspired, resourceful, innovative, and calm under pressure. And she was downright hard to kill. It was no wonder she had survived for so long as an Imperial. She was just that good. And to think, she was only a year older than he was. He recalled watching her exit the sims, her face calm and expressionless even as thin beads of sweat trickled off of her forehead. She had simply grabbed a towel, flashed him a polite smile, and sat on the bench to await her results. He couldn't recall ever seeing such incredible poise but once, and that had been displayed by the Princess of Alderaan. But while Leia was regal and diplomatic, Genna had an unmistakable edge that made her absolutely captivating.
Wait! Why was he doing this? Why suddenly draw comparisons between his best friend and a new recruit whom he hardly knew? This was ridiculous.
Shaking the thoughts from his mind, he tried to focus on the others who had been tested in the sims today. There had been five new recruits, and only two had seemed close to Rogue material. Meaning, only two of them were good enough and insane enough to fly in the Alliance's most maniacal assembly of pilots, affectionately deemed Rogue Squadron. The young kid, Dack, was one of them.
The other was the young woman who suddenly appeared at Luke's door as he rounded the corner.
He skidded to a halt.
"Getting some exercise, Lieutenant Commander?" Genna asked in her rich, smoky voice as she leaned on wall by the door, still in her flight suit.
Breathless, Luke grinned and replied, "Earlier at lunch, it was Luke with an L. Now it's Lieutenant Commander?"
"Hmmm," she nodded, returning his grin. "That was before I knew you were a superior officer." Stepping away from the wall and toward him, she added, "Possibly my commanding officer."
"Possibly," Luke stressed, feeling very self-conscious about his filthy appearance all of a sudden. "That remains to be seen."
She raised her chin in testy opposition. "Don't trust me?"
Luke folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the doorjamb. "How do you know it's a matter of trust? Maybe you're just not good enough," he challenged, trying to maintain the upper hand here, but strangely feeling like he was five years old.
Mimicking his stance on the opposite doorjamb, she remarked, "Oh, I know I'm good enough."
Luke arched an eyebrow, stirred by her unbelievable tenacity. "You're that confident?"
She narrowed her eyes at him, amusement twinkling from behind her defiant scowl. "You want another go at it?"
Luke chuckled, shifting his gaze away from her. She was daring him, and Luke had never been one to walk away from a dare. Yet, he was tired, hungry, and knew that he could very well get beaten this time around if he went for it. He wasn't ready to suffer that kind of humiliation. Especially not in front of a woman who was suddenly becoming more and more attractive to him, although he couldn't fathom why. Her ego was atrocious! He risked an upward glance at her, prepared to handle the situation maturely. Stars, she was stunning!
She flashed a taunting smile at him at his lack of a verbal response. "Afraid I'll beat you this time?"
While that was true, he couldn't admit it in front of her. He glanced back down at his boot as he kicked the floor with his toe. He couldn't look at her. Each time he did, it felt weird. His heart rate would start to pick up again, his cheeks would warm, and he would become little Wormie again. Force, he was supposed to be Lieutenant Commander Luke Skywalker, leader of Rogue Squadron, and not some stupid farm boy! What in the stars was she doing to him?
"Look," he finally managed, trying to pull himself back into some semblance of the Alliance figure that he was, "while your offer is very tempting, I must say no. I just want to get a shower and some dinner." He paused. "And I'm supposed to meet someone," he lied in addition, trying to strengthen his case and look less like a wimp.
"Really?" she responded, pulling herself away from the doorjamb. "Well, then I'm sorry for keeping you, Lieutenant Commander." She smiled politely at him, then winked as she turned away and headed down the corridor.
Stunned, Luke could only watch her go, wondering why his heart was suddenly thudding in his chest. Oddly, he really didn't want her to go, and part of him wanted to call her back just so he could continue to talk with her. The other part-the more sensible one, he reasoned-acknowledged that he really wasn't in his best form at the moment anyway. Better to get a shower and a nice change of clothes before trying to engage an attractive woman in deep conversation.
"Luke, you're falling for a complete stranger," he murmured to himself under his breath. "Get a grip!"
Taking a deep breath, he palmed open his door and stepped inside. He really needed a shower. A cold one.
***************************
It was a cleaner and somewhat calmer Luke Skywalker who plunked himself down with a tray full of food in front of Han Solo.
"Hey, how're ya' doin', kid?" the Corellian asked.
Luke shrugged, picking up his fork and going to town on a Bantha steak the Rebellion's cooks had somehow managed to procure. "Fine, I guess," he said around a mouthful of steak. "How 'bout yourself?"
"Gotta' fly Her Worship out to the Hoth System in the morning," Han groaned, not even bothering to hide his irritation.
"The Hoth System?" Luke asked, staring. "What's out there besides ice?"
Han shook his head. "Trouble."
"I doubt she'll be that difficult, Han," Luke laughed.
"I'm not just talking about the Princess, junior," Han corrected. "It's a recon mission. The Alliance is actually looking into establishing a permanent base there."
Luke's fork froze between his plate and his mouth. "Please, tell me you're joking."
"Nope," Han replied with another shake of his head. "They think those ice caves will be the perfect hiding place. And let's face it, the Imps'll be crazy to look for us there."
"But I nearly froze to death on that Force forsaken planet two years ago," complained Luke. "Like hell I'm going back there!"
Han raised an eyebrow at him, his eyes twinkling with barely suppressed laughter. "And I thought I was upset about this mission. Luke, is this a bad mood I see?" Before Luke could respond, Han's gaze shifted to someone standing just over Luke's head, and he called, "Hey, Your Worship, the kid here doesn't like your Hoth idea."
Mortified, Luke spun around to see Leia standing behind him with a puzzled expression. "What's wrong with it?" she asked him. "They'll never think to look for us there."
Staring back at her intense gaze, Luke realized he wasn't going to get out of this, and he might as well speak his mind now. "That's because no intelligent species would ever think to live there," he countered with a surprising lack of patience in his voice. "The whole planet is frozen, remember?"
"Luke," Leia replied with a sickening expression that rested somewhere between patronizing and reprimanding, "we're Rebels. We're adaptable. I really didn't think you'd have this much of a problem with it."
The combination of her schoolteacher voice and Han's smug expression nearly turned Luke's stomach and he shifted his focus to the ceiling. Cheeks slightly hot with shame and embarrassment, he muttered, "I just don't like the cold, that's all."
"Miss the desert heat, eh Junior?" Han asked with a smirk.
Luke only scowled and went back to attacking his steak.
Leia laughed as she sat down beside him. "Boy, somebody's in a bad mood. I'd have thought you'd be happy with those new recruits that just came in."
"What new recruits?" Han asked.
"A handful of pilots just joined up," Luke replied as he chewed, not looking up from his plate.
"Any good?"
Luke shrugged noncommittally.
Leia chimed in, "Well, from what I've heard from Narra, a few of them might be candidates for Rogue Squadron. One of them is supposedly the best pilot ever to come out of the Imperial Navy."
Han snorted. "I seriously doubt that, Princess."
"And why is that?" she asked with true curiosity. Luke's eyes also focused on the Corellian.
"Because you're lookin' at the best pilot ever to come out of the Imperial Navy," he replied with a fiery gleam in his eye.
Leia was clearly startled. "What?"
Han and Luke both looked at each other in surprise, then back at her. "You didn't know?" Han asked.
"No," Leia answered defensively. She then turned to Luke. "You knew?"
Luke nodded. Of course he knew. Everyone knew. The story of how Han was kicked out of the Navy for trying to rescue Wookies from slavery was legendary. Heck, that was where Chewie's life debt to Han came from. That was why so many people respected Han Solo, even with his smug attitude and mercenary-like love of money. Once Luke had heard the story, it had spread through the base with epidemic proportions. Han, himself, had been quite upset to discover that so many people knew this little tidbit about his history, and Luke had paid handsomely for blabbing about it. Luke stared at Leia in disbelief. Stars, how had she not known?
Leia looked from Han to Luke and back. "How did I manage to fall out of the loop?"
Han jerked a thumb at Luke, who had gone back to eating his steak with feigned innocence. "Crater-mouth over here told everyone about it a long time back."
Luke blushed. That wasn't the first time he'd been accused of having a mouth like a crater. Apparently, old habits die hard. "I said I was sorry."
"Wait," Leia interrupted. "You told everyone else about it, but you didn't tell me?"
Luke's last bite of Bantha steak suddenly became very difficult to swallow. He tried to give her his most apologetic look even as he fought against choking on his meal.
Leia only responded with a teasing glare. "First you complain about Hoth. Now I find out you forgot to fill me in on the local gossip?"
"You should be ashamed of yourself, kid," Han added with a grin.
Luke threw his head back with an exasperated sigh and rolled his eyes. "When did this become Abuse Luke Skywalker Day? Did I miss something on the schedule? Because that seems to be the current theme in my life right now, and I really don't need-" He broke off as his gaze fell upon a group of pilots gathered at a table several meters away. Seated in the center of the group, laughing at the overt advances of the male pilots gathered around her, was none other than Genna Cage. Luke could only stare. Her damp hair was glistening in the light of the mess hall and falling in tiny corkscrew curls all around her face. She must have taken a shower, too, Luke thought. His reaction to the idea made him immediately regret thinking it.
"Who's that?" he heard Han's voice ask. Luke noted that the Corellian had leaned over and was following his gaze.
"One of the new recruits," Luke replied tonelessly.
"She's quite a looker, isn't she?" commented Han in response with a nudge to Luke's shoulder.
"She's also one of the best pilots ever to come out of the Imperial Navy." Again, Luke's voice was flat as he ignored Han's nudge. He was experiencing a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach. Or was it the center of his chest? Not to mention, his throat suddenly felt tight. He didn't like seeing these guys all over her, or her response to their attentions. Or Han's sudden interest.
"That's the one?" Han asked in disbelief.
Almost at the same moment, Leia remarked, "Someone's jealous."
Luke immediately turned his gaze back to Leia, prepared to defend himself against such a ridiculous accusation. Unfortunately, his throat was too dry to speak. He grabbed his cup of water and took a huge gulp before saying, a bit too sharply, "Not me."
Leia responded with a sly smile. "Fine. Then I'll leave you two gentlemen to drool while I prepare for tomorrow's mission." She rose from the table with a grin.
Luke picked up his tray and rose as well, making a conscious effort to ignore the table that Han was still staring at with rapt interest. "Well, as fun as that sounds, I'm not exactly in a drooling mood." He tried not to notice Leia's disbelieving look, but he found himself continuing defensively, "And I have to go speak to Narra and Celchu. So if you'll excuse me."
He left a bit too quickly and too stiffly, but he needed to get out of there. The mess hall had suddenly become far too small and uncomfortable, and he desperately wanted to get his mind away from the dark beauty who had managed to snag his and the rest of the pilots' attentions. He needed to focus. He needed to forget about her and get back to leading his squadron.
Somehow he knew it wasn't going to be easy.
************
Review, comment, or critique away. BTW, the reference to Hoth pre-ESB was from the old Star Wars comic. Luke crash lands on the planet before the rebels ever decide to build a base there.
Spoilers: Uh, a few references to the Star Wars Comic series from the 80s if that counts.
Hearts are Meant To: Chapter 2
"I need a shower," Luke groaned as he and some of the other Rogues headed toward their barracks. Tired, sweaty, and nearly cross-eyed from too much time spent in the sims, he wanted nothing more than to get cleaned up and take the rest of the day off.
"Man, they really gave you quite a run in those sims today, didn't they?" laughed Wes.
Luke narrowed his eyes at him, but said nothing as they continued walking.
"So, what do you think of them, Boss?" Wedge pressed, walking up behind Luke.
Shrugging his shoulders as nonchalantly as he could, Luke replied, "Not bad, I guess."
"Not bad?" cried Zev in disbelief. "That girl was amazing."
"So was the kid," Wes added.
"I agree," said Wedge. He quickened his pace to match Luke's stride and walked beside him. "I'd say Genna and Dack are definitely Rogue material."
Luke thought a moment. "Genna, yes," he conceded, "although I want to talk to Tycho before I make my final call on that one. Dack," he paused, "I'm not sure. He seems a little too excitable, if you ask me."
"And you were never like that, were you, Luke?" Wedge teased putting a hand on Luke's shoulder. He immediately removed it disgustedly. "Ugh, Luke. Get a shower. You're gross."
"Ha ha," Luke replied with exaggerated sarcasm. "Next time YOU can fly one of those things 'til you can't see straight."
"For someone who enjoys flying," Wes put in, "you sure get cranky."
"Go kiss a dug," Luke snapped without much venom.
While the others laughed, Wes grabbed Luke's forearm and began dragging him toward the barracks. "Okay, this man needs a shower, some food, and a serious change of attitude and clothing," he hollered, "on the double!"
Even Luke had to grin as he was being pulled, and he quipped, "Janson, you are certifiable!"
Wes stopped and gave an exaggerated salute. "That's why I'm a Rogue, sir!"
Wedge grinned and nudged him. "You'd better watch it there, or Luke'll send your rear back to Red Flight."
Luke chuckled. "Yeah. Let Narra deal with you."
"Ha!" countered Wes. "My ego's far too great for Red Flight!"
Zev piped up. "Is it just me, or are we all a little bit punchy this afternoon?"
Luke threw back his head with a huge dramatic laugh before throwing his arm over Zev's shoulders. "Just another glorious day in the life of the men and women bound and committed to service in the Alliance!" he said with pronounced dignity.
"Luke," Zev replied, scrunching his nose at him, "you really stink."
With that, Luke threw his hands up in the air in exasperated surrender. "That's it! I give up!" Turning around to face the group, he increased his pace while heading backwards. "It's been real, guys. But I'm afraid you'll just have to find someone else to abuse for now. I'm going to take my offensively smelling self out of your presence, and I'm going to leave you all here to laugh about it. See you guys at dinner." Waving a hand in a grand gesture of farewell, he turned back around and sprinted toward the barracks.
As he jogged, thoughts of today's run in the sims raced through his mind. Zev and Wedge were right, Genna WAS amazing. She was fast, capable, inspired, resourceful, innovative, and calm under pressure. And she was downright hard to kill. It was no wonder she had survived for so long as an Imperial. She was just that good. And to think, she was only a year older than he was. He recalled watching her exit the sims, her face calm and expressionless even as thin beads of sweat trickled off of her forehead. She had simply grabbed a towel, flashed him a polite smile, and sat on the bench to await her results. He couldn't recall ever seeing such incredible poise but once, and that had been displayed by the Princess of Alderaan. But while Leia was regal and diplomatic, Genna had an unmistakable edge that made her absolutely captivating.
Wait! Why was he doing this? Why suddenly draw comparisons between his best friend and a new recruit whom he hardly knew? This was ridiculous.
Shaking the thoughts from his mind, he tried to focus on the others who had been tested in the sims today. There had been five new recruits, and only two had seemed close to Rogue material. Meaning, only two of them were good enough and insane enough to fly in the Alliance's most maniacal assembly of pilots, affectionately deemed Rogue Squadron. The young kid, Dack, was one of them.
The other was the young woman who suddenly appeared at Luke's door as he rounded the corner.
He skidded to a halt.
"Getting some exercise, Lieutenant Commander?" Genna asked in her rich, smoky voice as she leaned on wall by the door, still in her flight suit.
Breathless, Luke grinned and replied, "Earlier at lunch, it was Luke with an L. Now it's Lieutenant Commander?"
"Hmmm," she nodded, returning his grin. "That was before I knew you were a superior officer." Stepping away from the wall and toward him, she added, "Possibly my commanding officer."
"Possibly," Luke stressed, feeling very self-conscious about his filthy appearance all of a sudden. "That remains to be seen."
She raised her chin in testy opposition. "Don't trust me?"
Luke folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the doorjamb. "How do you know it's a matter of trust? Maybe you're just not good enough," he challenged, trying to maintain the upper hand here, but strangely feeling like he was five years old.
Mimicking his stance on the opposite doorjamb, she remarked, "Oh, I know I'm good enough."
Luke arched an eyebrow, stirred by her unbelievable tenacity. "You're that confident?"
She narrowed her eyes at him, amusement twinkling from behind her defiant scowl. "You want another go at it?"
Luke chuckled, shifting his gaze away from her. She was daring him, and Luke had never been one to walk away from a dare. Yet, he was tired, hungry, and knew that he could very well get beaten this time around if he went for it. He wasn't ready to suffer that kind of humiliation. Especially not in front of a woman who was suddenly becoming more and more attractive to him, although he couldn't fathom why. Her ego was atrocious! He risked an upward glance at her, prepared to handle the situation maturely. Stars, she was stunning!
She flashed a taunting smile at him at his lack of a verbal response. "Afraid I'll beat you this time?"
While that was true, he couldn't admit it in front of her. He glanced back down at his boot as he kicked the floor with his toe. He couldn't look at her. Each time he did, it felt weird. His heart rate would start to pick up again, his cheeks would warm, and he would become little Wormie again. Force, he was supposed to be Lieutenant Commander Luke Skywalker, leader of Rogue Squadron, and not some stupid farm boy! What in the stars was she doing to him?
"Look," he finally managed, trying to pull himself back into some semblance of the Alliance figure that he was, "while your offer is very tempting, I must say no. I just want to get a shower and some dinner." He paused. "And I'm supposed to meet someone," he lied in addition, trying to strengthen his case and look less like a wimp.
"Really?" she responded, pulling herself away from the doorjamb. "Well, then I'm sorry for keeping you, Lieutenant Commander." She smiled politely at him, then winked as she turned away and headed down the corridor.
Stunned, Luke could only watch her go, wondering why his heart was suddenly thudding in his chest. Oddly, he really didn't want her to go, and part of him wanted to call her back just so he could continue to talk with her. The other part-the more sensible one, he reasoned-acknowledged that he really wasn't in his best form at the moment anyway. Better to get a shower and a nice change of clothes before trying to engage an attractive woman in deep conversation.
"Luke, you're falling for a complete stranger," he murmured to himself under his breath. "Get a grip!"
Taking a deep breath, he palmed open his door and stepped inside. He really needed a shower. A cold one.
***************************
It was a cleaner and somewhat calmer Luke Skywalker who plunked himself down with a tray full of food in front of Han Solo.
"Hey, how're ya' doin', kid?" the Corellian asked.
Luke shrugged, picking up his fork and going to town on a Bantha steak the Rebellion's cooks had somehow managed to procure. "Fine, I guess," he said around a mouthful of steak. "How 'bout yourself?"
"Gotta' fly Her Worship out to the Hoth System in the morning," Han groaned, not even bothering to hide his irritation.
"The Hoth System?" Luke asked, staring. "What's out there besides ice?"
Han shook his head. "Trouble."
"I doubt she'll be that difficult, Han," Luke laughed.
"I'm not just talking about the Princess, junior," Han corrected. "It's a recon mission. The Alliance is actually looking into establishing a permanent base there."
Luke's fork froze between his plate and his mouth. "Please, tell me you're joking."
"Nope," Han replied with another shake of his head. "They think those ice caves will be the perfect hiding place. And let's face it, the Imps'll be crazy to look for us there."
"But I nearly froze to death on that Force forsaken planet two years ago," complained Luke. "Like hell I'm going back there!"
Han raised an eyebrow at him, his eyes twinkling with barely suppressed laughter. "And I thought I was upset about this mission. Luke, is this a bad mood I see?" Before Luke could respond, Han's gaze shifted to someone standing just over Luke's head, and he called, "Hey, Your Worship, the kid here doesn't like your Hoth idea."
Mortified, Luke spun around to see Leia standing behind him with a puzzled expression. "What's wrong with it?" she asked him. "They'll never think to look for us there."
Staring back at her intense gaze, Luke realized he wasn't going to get out of this, and he might as well speak his mind now. "That's because no intelligent species would ever think to live there," he countered with a surprising lack of patience in his voice. "The whole planet is frozen, remember?"
"Luke," Leia replied with a sickening expression that rested somewhere between patronizing and reprimanding, "we're Rebels. We're adaptable. I really didn't think you'd have this much of a problem with it."
The combination of her schoolteacher voice and Han's smug expression nearly turned Luke's stomach and he shifted his focus to the ceiling. Cheeks slightly hot with shame and embarrassment, he muttered, "I just don't like the cold, that's all."
"Miss the desert heat, eh Junior?" Han asked with a smirk.
Luke only scowled and went back to attacking his steak.
Leia laughed as she sat down beside him. "Boy, somebody's in a bad mood. I'd have thought you'd be happy with those new recruits that just came in."
"What new recruits?" Han asked.
"A handful of pilots just joined up," Luke replied as he chewed, not looking up from his plate.
"Any good?"
Luke shrugged noncommittally.
Leia chimed in, "Well, from what I've heard from Narra, a few of them might be candidates for Rogue Squadron. One of them is supposedly the best pilot ever to come out of the Imperial Navy."
Han snorted. "I seriously doubt that, Princess."
"And why is that?" she asked with true curiosity. Luke's eyes also focused on the Corellian.
"Because you're lookin' at the best pilot ever to come out of the Imperial Navy," he replied with a fiery gleam in his eye.
Leia was clearly startled. "What?"
Han and Luke both looked at each other in surprise, then back at her. "You didn't know?" Han asked.
"No," Leia answered defensively. She then turned to Luke. "You knew?"
Luke nodded. Of course he knew. Everyone knew. The story of how Han was kicked out of the Navy for trying to rescue Wookies from slavery was legendary. Heck, that was where Chewie's life debt to Han came from. That was why so many people respected Han Solo, even with his smug attitude and mercenary-like love of money. Once Luke had heard the story, it had spread through the base with epidemic proportions. Han, himself, had been quite upset to discover that so many people knew this little tidbit about his history, and Luke had paid handsomely for blabbing about it. Luke stared at Leia in disbelief. Stars, how had she not known?
Leia looked from Han to Luke and back. "How did I manage to fall out of the loop?"
Han jerked a thumb at Luke, who had gone back to eating his steak with feigned innocence. "Crater-mouth over here told everyone about it a long time back."
Luke blushed. That wasn't the first time he'd been accused of having a mouth like a crater. Apparently, old habits die hard. "I said I was sorry."
"Wait," Leia interrupted. "You told everyone else about it, but you didn't tell me?"
Luke's last bite of Bantha steak suddenly became very difficult to swallow. He tried to give her his most apologetic look even as he fought against choking on his meal.
Leia only responded with a teasing glare. "First you complain about Hoth. Now I find out you forgot to fill me in on the local gossip?"
"You should be ashamed of yourself, kid," Han added with a grin.
Luke threw his head back with an exasperated sigh and rolled his eyes. "When did this become Abuse Luke Skywalker Day? Did I miss something on the schedule? Because that seems to be the current theme in my life right now, and I really don't need-" He broke off as his gaze fell upon a group of pilots gathered at a table several meters away. Seated in the center of the group, laughing at the overt advances of the male pilots gathered around her, was none other than Genna Cage. Luke could only stare. Her damp hair was glistening in the light of the mess hall and falling in tiny corkscrew curls all around her face. She must have taken a shower, too, Luke thought. His reaction to the idea made him immediately regret thinking it.
"Who's that?" he heard Han's voice ask. Luke noted that the Corellian had leaned over and was following his gaze.
"One of the new recruits," Luke replied tonelessly.
"She's quite a looker, isn't she?" commented Han in response with a nudge to Luke's shoulder.
"She's also one of the best pilots ever to come out of the Imperial Navy." Again, Luke's voice was flat as he ignored Han's nudge. He was experiencing a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach. Or was it the center of his chest? Not to mention, his throat suddenly felt tight. He didn't like seeing these guys all over her, or her response to their attentions. Or Han's sudden interest.
"That's the one?" Han asked in disbelief.
Almost at the same moment, Leia remarked, "Someone's jealous."
Luke immediately turned his gaze back to Leia, prepared to defend himself against such a ridiculous accusation. Unfortunately, his throat was too dry to speak. He grabbed his cup of water and took a huge gulp before saying, a bit too sharply, "Not me."
Leia responded with a sly smile. "Fine. Then I'll leave you two gentlemen to drool while I prepare for tomorrow's mission." She rose from the table with a grin.
Luke picked up his tray and rose as well, making a conscious effort to ignore the table that Han was still staring at with rapt interest. "Well, as fun as that sounds, I'm not exactly in a drooling mood." He tried not to notice Leia's disbelieving look, but he found himself continuing defensively, "And I have to go speak to Narra and Celchu. So if you'll excuse me."
He left a bit too quickly and too stiffly, but he needed to get out of there. The mess hall had suddenly become far too small and uncomfortable, and he desperately wanted to get his mind away from the dark beauty who had managed to snag his and the rest of the pilots' attentions. He needed to focus. He needed to forget about her and get back to leading his squadron.
Somehow he knew it wasn't going to be easy.
************
Review, comment, or critique away. BTW, the reference to Hoth pre-ESB was from the old Star Wars comic. Luke crash lands on the planet before the rebels ever decide to build a base there.