A/N Once again, thanks for the reviews! I am flattered that you have taken to this story. . . . really, and truly flattered. I hope you continue to enjoy it as much as I have enjoyed writing it.
Hearts are Meant To-Chapter 21
By KnightMara
"What's wrong?" Wedge asked, watching Luke as he walked down the hallway toward him.
Luke paused a second before replying, "We're evacuating the base."
"What?"
"And Ithull, too," Luke added.
Wedge could hear his heart thudding in his ears as Luke spoke. They were on the run again? "What happened?"
"Grey was our spy," Luke answered. "But there was a second, the one who killed him and escaped. They know our location."
"So all this was for nothing then?" Wedge remarked bitterly. They'd risked a lot to establish this base. And for what? To be on the move again?
"The manufacturing plant is underground in the Eastern Hemisphere, so that stays," replied Luke. "With the heavy shielding those rocks provide, even sensors wouldn't pick it up. If the Empire decides to visit Derra IV, all they'll find is an abandoned half-constructed base in the Western Hemisphere. I doubt they'd waste their time snooping around more than they feel they have to."
"So we'll still be getting our replacement ships?"
"Hopefully."
Wedge sighed. "We need another victory," he said quietly. "Bad."
"I hear ya', Wedge," Luke agreed with a nod. Drawing a deep breath to change the subject, he asked, "Have you seen Genna around?"
Wedge was momentarily startled. "She's out?"
"Yeah, Grey confessed. No sense keeping her locked up," he said, shrugging his shoulders.
As he spoke, Wedge watched him closely, narrowing his eyes at him when he stopped.
"What?" Luke asked, noting Wedge's stare.
"You're speaking in that too-casual tone," Wedge answered with a sly grin. "Something happened between you and Genna, didn't it?"
"No," Luke responded, too quickly.
Wedge burst out laughing. "I knew it! So tell me, was it a good something or a bad something?"
"Wedge, please," Luke pleaded before his eyes suddenly moved to stare at something just past Wedge's shoulder, and he stiffened abruptly.
Wedge spun around to see what it was that had affected Luke so strangely. And there, walking toward them, was the object of their conversation herself. Seeing Luke, she paused mid-step and seemed to tense as well.
"Hey, Genna," Wedge called to her, hoping to ease the tension. "They decided to spring you at last, huh?"
"Yeah," she answered tonelessly, shifting her gaze to Wedge. "Thanks for all your help, Antilles."
"Don't mention it," he responded, wondering what exactly had transpired between Genna and Luke to warrant such awkwardness between them.
He watched as Genna's eyes glanced from Luke to Wedge and back again uncertainly. Finally she spoke, "Well, I'll see you guys at the meeting." And with that, she walked past them and turned down another corridor.
Wedge, baffled turned to Luke who stared after her. "You didn't go and say something stupid about her former ties to the Imps, did you?"
"No," Luke blurted before spinning around and weakly driving his fist against the wall. Wincing at the pain, he groaned, "I knew this would happen."
Now very concerned for his friend, Wedge crossed the corridor to lean upon the wall Luke had just abused. "Force sake, Luke, what happened?"
Luke's response was muffled as he rested his forehead in his hands.
"What was that?" Wedge pressed.
Exasperated, Luke looked up at the ceiling. "I kissed her, okay?"
"You what?" This was hardly typical Luke Skywalker behavior.
"I know it was stupid," Luke lamented. "I just don't know what came over me. It was like my mind had nothing to do with it. Suddenly I was kissing her. Then my brain caught up, I panicked, and I left before I could see her reaction. Apparently, either the kiss or the leaving was a mistake. And judging from the way she acted just now, I'm afraid it was the former."
Wedge fought to suppress the smile that wanted to creep on his face at his friend's sudden boldness, and his apparent difficulty in handling the aftermath. Moments like these explained why Solo was so fond of calling him "kid." In so many ways, Luke was innocent and inexperienced, making Wedge feel years older. "Relax, Luke," he finally said, somehow managing to keep a straight face. "If a girl doesn't like you, they generally let you know. They're pretty good at that, and typically, they're blunt and cruel. They live by the motto that hearts were meant to be broken, and they're referring to men's hearts, not their own."
Wedge was rewarded with a wry smile from Luke. "Interesting perspective," the young commander muttered.
"Comes from experience," Wedge explained with a shrug. "The fact that Cage said nothing to you and seemed very uncomfortable tells me she's torn somehow. I mean, the way she acted, I thought you'd done something to hurt her feelings."
"Like leaving too soon after the kiss?" interrupted Luke.
"Maybe. I doubt it was the kiss itself."
"So I should go talk to her?"
"It's a start," Wedge answered with a slap on the shoulder. "Now, what's this about a meeting."
Wedge watched in amazement as Luke suddenly became the commander of Rogue Squadron once more. "Gather the Rogues," he informed Wedge. "There's a meeting in room 27 regarding the evacuation."
"Got it," Wedge said with a nod. "I'll get the Rogues, you talk to Cage." When Luke arched a disbelieving eyebrow at him, Wedge added, "Do it. I don't like working with a mopey commander."
Shaking his head but smiling nonetheless, Luke took off down the corridor after Genna.
Hearts are Meant To-Chapter 21
By KnightMara
"What's wrong?" Wedge asked, watching Luke as he walked down the hallway toward him.
Luke paused a second before replying, "We're evacuating the base."
"What?"
"And Ithull, too," Luke added.
Wedge could hear his heart thudding in his ears as Luke spoke. They were on the run again? "What happened?"
"Grey was our spy," Luke answered. "But there was a second, the one who killed him and escaped. They know our location."
"So all this was for nothing then?" Wedge remarked bitterly. They'd risked a lot to establish this base. And for what? To be on the move again?
"The manufacturing plant is underground in the Eastern Hemisphere, so that stays," replied Luke. "With the heavy shielding those rocks provide, even sensors wouldn't pick it up. If the Empire decides to visit Derra IV, all they'll find is an abandoned half-constructed base in the Western Hemisphere. I doubt they'd waste their time snooping around more than they feel they have to."
"So we'll still be getting our replacement ships?"
"Hopefully."
Wedge sighed. "We need another victory," he said quietly. "Bad."
"I hear ya', Wedge," Luke agreed with a nod. Drawing a deep breath to change the subject, he asked, "Have you seen Genna around?"
Wedge was momentarily startled. "She's out?"
"Yeah, Grey confessed. No sense keeping her locked up," he said, shrugging his shoulders.
As he spoke, Wedge watched him closely, narrowing his eyes at him when he stopped.
"What?" Luke asked, noting Wedge's stare.
"You're speaking in that too-casual tone," Wedge answered with a sly grin. "Something happened between you and Genna, didn't it?"
"No," Luke responded, too quickly.
Wedge burst out laughing. "I knew it! So tell me, was it a good something or a bad something?"
"Wedge, please," Luke pleaded before his eyes suddenly moved to stare at something just past Wedge's shoulder, and he stiffened abruptly.
Wedge spun around to see what it was that had affected Luke so strangely. And there, walking toward them, was the object of their conversation herself. Seeing Luke, she paused mid-step and seemed to tense as well.
"Hey, Genna," Wedge called to her, hoping to ease the tension. "They decided to spring you at last, huh?"
"Yeah," she answered tonelessly, shifting her gaze to Wedge. "Thanks for all your help, Antilles."
"Don't mention it," he responded, wondering what exactly had transpired between Genna and Luke to warrant such awkwardness between them.
He watched as Genna's eyes glanced from Luke to Wedge and back again uncertainly. Finally she spoke, "Well, I'll see you guys at the meeting." And with that, she walked past them and turned down another corridor.
Wedge, baffled turned to Luke who stared after her. "You didn't go and say something stupid about her former ties to the Imps, did you?"
"No," Luke blurted before spinning around and weakly driving his fist against the wall. Wincing at the pain, he groaned, "I knew this would happen."
Now very concerned for his friend, Wedge crossed the corridor to lean upon the wall Luke had just abused. "Force sake, Luke, what happened?"
Luke's response was muffled as he rested his forehead in his hands.
"What was that?" Wedge pressed.
Exasperated, Luke looked up at the ceiling. "I kissed her, okay?"
"You what?" This was hardly typical Luke Skywalker behavior.
"I know it was stupid," Luke lamented. "I just don't know what came over me. It was like my mind had nothing to do with it. Suddenly I was kissing her. Then my brain caught up, I panicked, and I left before I could see her reaction. Apparently, either the kiss or the leaving was a mistake. And judging from the way she acted just now, I'm afraid it was the former."
Wedge fought to suppress the smile that wanted to creep on his face at his friend's sudden boldness, and his apparent difficulty in handling the aftermath. Moments like these explained why Solo was so fond of calling him "kid." In so many ways, Luke was innocent and inexperienced, making Wedge feel years older. "Relax, Luke," he finally said, somehow managing to keep a straight face. "If a girl doesn't like you, they generally let you know. They're pretty good at that, and typically, they're blunt and cruel. They live by the motto that hearts were meant to be broken, and they're referring to men's hearts, not their own."
Wedge was rewarded with a wry smile from Luke. "Interesting perspective," the young commander muttered.
"Comes from experience," Wedge explained with a shrug. "The fact that Cage said nothing to you and seemed very uncomfortable tells me she's torn somehow. I mean, the way she acted, I thought you'd done something to hurt her feelings."
"Like leaving too soon after the kiss?" interrupted Luke.
"Maybe. I doubt it was the kiss itself."
"So I should go talk to her?"
"It's a start," Wedge answered with a slap on the shoulder. "Now, what's this about a meeting."
Wedge watched in amazement as Luke suddenly became the commander of Rogue Squadron once more. "Gather the Rogues," he informed Wedge. "There's a meeting in room 27 regarding the evacuation."
"Got it," Wedge said with a nod. "I'll get the Rogues, you talk to Cage." When Luke arched a disbelieving eyebrow at him, Wedge added, "Do it. I don't like working with a mopey commander."
Shaking his head but smiling nonetheless, Luke took off down the corridor after Genna.