Lisa sat alone at the officers' mess hall. It was more like a miniature restaurant, really – warmly decorated and comfortable, and with very passable food. The RDF treated its officers as well as it could. But usually, this sort of treatment only made Lisa feel lonelier.

Unless Claudia was around, she always found a seat by herself.

I can't believe I'm doing this, she thought, watching her coffee splash around in a half-empty mug.

The upstart new pilot, the young maverick without a care for authority, was a totally different person now that she'd spent some time with him. Rick Hunter wasn't as vehement as she'd always thought. He was quiet, and a little shy, but charming.

And in some odd way, he seemed interested in her.

This is killing me! she frowned. The reflection in her coffee made her look ugly and distorted. I wish I could tell someone…but I can't tell Claudia. Not after everything I've said about Hunter…she'd never stop laughing. 'Oh, how cute…Lisa's got a crush on the pilot…'

Well, I do not! I'm just going to watch an innocent little movie with a friend from work.

That stupid movie; the very thought of it made her sick. She hadn't been able to eat all day because of it. She really wished she could avoid the movie part.

It had taken her ages just to sleep a night without some horrible dream. Her mind would conjure up images, a new one every night, of her beloved fiancé Karl Riber. He died thousands of times in her mind. Sucked into a Veritech's engine intake, shot to death in a firefight, bursting apart from a de-pressurized space suit.

The aliens were the worst dreams. Horrible demons from Hell that lurked under the surface of the barren Red Planet, pouncing forth to maul poor Karl. He would fight his best, but his ammunition would always run out and he would fall. Lisa saw him gashed, bitten, impaled and dismembered by the beasts. He always cried out for her when he died.

No one had ever found the real reason Mars Base was abandoned. Lisa's only limit was her imagination. And ever since the tragedy, she had avoided anything that might remind her of Karl's death.

I shouldn't even be doing this, she sighed. Why am I even trying? I have nothing in common with Rick. I haven't even dated since Karl left me. And I feel…

A few young ladies walked by Lisa's table with lunch trays. They glanced at her spot, which had plenty of room, but kept on going.

I feel so guilty about it.

She took another sip of coffee. It was bitter and it turned her stomach. She was hungry, scared, sick, and absolutely alone.

I don't care what happens. I don't want to be alone anymore.

Ben Dixon's car was possibly the worst looking and most unsafe thing on four wheels. There was no question about it. Ben's car gave ugly cars a self-esteem boost.

It was at least thirteen years old – which was how far Rick and Max could trace the car's model. Ben couldn't remember the actual year it was made, so there was a chance it was fifteen years old, or more. It was a boxy, awful-looking sedan with four doors, painted lime green. Except for the driver's door, which was an even uglier shade of dark brown. And even though it was the only part that'd been replaced, the door had a massive dent in it.

None of the hub caps matched – for that matter, none of the tires matched. The "sunroof," a rust spot that Ben had sawed open and covered up with plexi-glass, was drafty, and wasn't for driving in the rain. It was a "summer car," as Ben liked to put it.

It was one of the few cars that'd survived life on the SDF-1. By some miracle, the old vehicle had been into space and back again. It was still driving, and Ben loved it.

But today, Roy was having one heck of a time getting it started.

"Try it now!" he called, tapping the alternator with a hammer.

Rick sat in the driver's seat. He turned the key; the car still wouldn't start.

"Hold it!" shouted Roy.

Rick slammed the door as he stepped out. The door didn't shut right; he slammed it harder and it finally latched.

"Still nothing?" he asked.

"No," Roy said with a smile. "This thing's being stubborn, all right. I've gotta get it out of here, too. The neighbors have a thing against keeping junk heaps in your driveway."

And Roy was right; the car had been in front of his apartment flat for almost a week. It wasn't exactly the image his neighborhood wanted to display.

"We oughtta just finish it off," Rick smiled. "Take off the tires and put it on blocks."

"That does not sound constructive…"

Roy went to another part of the engine. Rick watched a few neighbors walk by an stare with contempt at the ugly car. He wished he could do more than just stand around.

"Oh, by the way," Roy said. "I shouldn't have bugged you the other day. Sorry about that."

"…Nah, you'd know best."

"Gimme that wrench over there, would you?"

Rick shrugged, picked up a wrench, and handed it in. Roy spun around and almost bumped his head on the hood latch.

"Thanks," he said, and he loosened one of the hoses connected to the engine. He pulled it off and showed it to Rick. It was dried up, cracked, and dripping fluid.

"Is that oil?" asked Rick.

"It should be," sighed Roy. "But I've never seen green oil before…"

He threw the part into his open garage. "Hey," he said, leaning on the car's bumper. "I think I know it all sometimes, but I'm just getting by."

"Yeah, well, you're doing a lot better than I am."

"I think you're doing just fine."

A car full of teenagers drove slowly by Roy's place. A few of the kids decided to hang out the window and shout some insults.

They watched the car drive off. Rick barely noticed it, though; his mind was still on his argument with Roy.

"He was a pretty good guy," said Rick. "Pops, that is. Seemed like it anyway. Just kinda doing his best at what he loved. You're lucky you got to hang around him so much."

Roy took a deep breath. "Well, I don't know…I think maybe you were luckier than you thought."

"Oh yeah."

"No, I'm serious." Roy smiled at his friend. "No offense, but your dad was a total idiot."

They laughed, but Rick was interested.

"Oh yeah?" he said.

"Yes, without a doubt. Guy couldn't get anything right. He blew his marriage, wasted all his money, didn't watch his health…I'm glad you weren't around to see all that."

"Oh, come on! He wasn't that bad. What about all that time he spent with you?"

"He was teaching me all the wrong things. That's why I left! I couldn't stand the guy anymore."

Rick sat back against the car's door. It made a dent in the rusty metal. Rick hopped back off, and luckily the dent popped back out.

Roy looked back at his friend. "Was that out of line?"

"Hmm?"

"You know."

He thought for a second. "No," he smiled.

"A lot of people look up to you, kid. It's not always a picnic being in your shoes…but you handleyourself really well."

"Thanks, big brother."

Lisa had never been so nervous in all her life. She was on the sofa in Rick's living room, shivering from the rainy night outside. She didn't have a clue how to act.

This time, a cup of hot tea was in her hands. She was sotense she could barely drink it – but at least it wasn't coffee.

A warm blanketfell gentlyover her shoulders; she almost jumped with surprise.

Rick looked over the sofa at her. "I can't believe you walked all the way here," he frowned.

"Cabbies are on strike," she said quietly. "Something about wanting an extension to 'No Cab Day…'"

"I saw it in the paper," grinned Rick. "They want a week now!"

They both laughed, horribly uncomfortable.

Lisa sipped her tea again. "Is there honey in this?" she asked.

"And a little sugar. Is that all right?"

"Yeah…yes, thank you. It's very good."

A chime sounded from back in the kitchen. Rick got back up. "That's the popcorn!" he said. "I think we're about ready to start this movie."

"Can't wait," Lisa smiled; her stomachgrewqueasywhen she looked at the television.

In a few moments he was back, seated beside her on the couch with a big bowl of popcorn and some giant sodas.

"Just like the real thing." He looked at his small television and laughed. "Except for the screen anyway."

"I like this better!" said Lisa.

"Heh, that's good. Oh wait – forgot one more thing."

Rick reached around on the floor until he came up with a TV remote.

"If you…get sick of this, just let me know, all right?"

Lisa smiled and nodded. "Okay…thanks."

Claudia opened the door to Roy's garage. "Hey!" she called out. "Your door was unlocked, so I – what in the world is that!"

Ben's car was inside the garage with its hood up. Old, rusted parts were all over the floor. A bunch of work lights were shining down on the engine.

Roy climbed out from under the car. "Hi there!" he grinned. "This…is a nightmare."

"Yeah...sure is." Claudia stepped into the garage and looked the car over. "What's it doing here?"

"I had to push it in here and shut the door. Neighbors were getting angry."

"This thing is yours?"

Roy laughed. "Of course not! It's Ben Dixon's car. I told him I'd help fix it."

"Oh…why?"

"None of the mechanics in town will work on it anymore. They can't figure out how it was running before now."

Claudia giggled. "Can I help?"

"Nah, I need a break." Roy slammed the hood down. "Have a seat."

She hopped onto the car beside him. Roy gave her a kiss. "You look nice," he said. "Going somewhere without me tonight?"

"Mm-hmm!" she smiled warmly. "Well…I was, anyway. Lisa and I usually go out for coffee tonight. But I showed up at her place and she wasn't home."

"Think she's all right?"

"Sure. She's fine…there was a note on her door saying she needed to go for a walk.

"Hmm."

Roy pulled a remote control from his pocket. He pressed a button and his garage door slid open. It was pouring rain outside. Cars were driving by and hitting deep puddles, splashing water onto Roy's front yard.

Claudia sighed. "Sometimes…she likes to walk in the rain."

Roy put his arm around her shoulder. "Are you worried about her?" he asked.

"…Yeah…I'm concerned. She's so young…and she acts like it's all over for her."

"Rick acts that way sometimes, too."

Claudia rested her head on Roy's shoulder. "They're so unhappy…it's like they're giving up."

Lisa had managed to wrap herself in three more blankets and the pillows from the sofa. Her hands were covering her eyes, but she was peeking through her fingers at the television.

Quick! Where are the controls to the bridge?

…I think I just blasted them!

The hero of the story, Luke Starkiller, wasn't the traditional macho action guy that Lisa had expected. Luke was a young man, no older than she was. A thin boy with wavy hair; he reminded Lisa of Rick.

To his misfortune, Starkiller was trapped in an enemy battle station. He'd just closed a metallic blast door and shot the controls, only to discover that he was stuck on a ledge. The fall would suck him into vent shafts and mean certain death. And to make matters worse, the beautiful princess was at his side.

The evil Strike Troopers began open the door. Time was running out.

Lisa shut her eyes and buried her face in the couch cushions. "That's it!" she cried. "All right, I'm not watching this. That's enough."

Rick paused the video. "Aw, you can watch this part."

"I can not."

"Sure, this is a good part."

"It is not a good part," Lisa twitched, her face still hidden in the back of the sofa. "They're going to get sucked into the vents and die."

"Aw, come on." Rick put his hand on her shoulder. "Hey…there's still, like, forty-five minutes of the movie left! They can't die, right?"

"…They could be horribly disfigured."

Rick gently tugged on her until she let go of the sofa. Her face was red, and she smiled meekly.

He gave her his hand. "It'll be all right. Trust me?"

Lisa blinked her glassy emerald eyes. She slipped a cold hand into his, sat back and tried to relax.

Luke Starkiller pulled a line of rope from his belt. He swung thecable over his head and tossed itinto the abyss. A grappling hook attached to the robotic equipment overhead.

The blast door began to slide open. The princess looked at Starkiller, and kissed him on the cheek. "For luck," she smiled.

She wrapped her arms around him, and the two swung to safety. Luke set foot on a platform across the chasm, and escaped the evil Empire once more.

Lisa blushed deeply; an excited chill ran down her spine. She looked up at Rick. He was staring at the small TV with anticipation, and a spark of life in his eyes.

"So it's settled, then."

Claudia firmly placed her pen down on a notepad. Roy sat with her at his kitchen table, looking a little preoccupied. He still hadn't gotten Ben's car to start.

"We're going to try for a second date," Claudia said. "You talk to Rick tomorrow after he lands his Veritech, and I'll have a little heart-to-heart with Lisa on our coffee break."

"And we're not pulling any punches," said Roy. "I'm going to tell him straight-up…'Rick, I'm sick of your whining, so I'm putting you in close proximity with Commander Hayes until the two of you fall in love."

"Exactly," nodded Claudia.

"And you expect Rick to agree to that."

"No…but I don't expect Lisa to agree to it, either." Claudia sighed and tapped her fingers on the notepad. "At least it'll clear my conscience a little."

"Yeah," smiled Roy. "And Rick'll be so mad at me, he'll never want to mope around again."

"…Do you think it'll work?"

"I hope so."

Roy reached out and took Claudia's hand.

"Did you really have to write that down?" he chuckled.

"Hey, it helps me relax!"

"I thought you were the one who was relaxed! You're more of a wreck than Lisa is!"

"…Oh, go fix your stupid car."

Thousands of soldiers stood at perfect attention. They were fighters in the Rebel Alliance, facing gargantuan odds against the evil Empire. But they had won the day, thanks to a brave young hero named Luke Starkiller.

He faced the army from the top step ofan old temple. Thousands of years before, the Knights of the Republic had learned the mysterious ways of the Force and protected their own people. Luke was destined to join them; to rekindle the fire of their lost religion and return hope to the galaxy.

The princess approached him, as beautiful as he had ever seen her. As she carefully wrapped a hero's medal around Luke's neck, she smiled at him fondly.

The soldiers of the Alliance erupted into cheers. Young Skywalker had risen from obscurity, taken on the impossible, and become their savior.

The television screen went black, and the credits rolled.

Directed by Greg Lookins

Lisa almost jumped out of the sofa. She'd been glued to the little T.V. emphatically for over an hour.

"That…that's all?" she cried. "That's the end?"

Rick caught her slipping bowl of popcorn. "Yup," he grinned. "That's the movie. Gosh, I still love it after all these years…"

Lisa sat back against the cushions, looking totally defeated. Her eyes were beginning to well up with tears.

"That can-not be the end. I don't believe it…that's all there is?"

"Well, sort of…" Rick began.

"But what happens to Luke Starkiller? Does he ever become a Knight? Does he destroy the Empire? They don't tell you!"

"Yeah, I know, but…"

"And what about his buddy, Solo! Him and the big furry guy! What happens to them? And what about Dark Invader! It looks like he lived at th end! He could've lived, right? What if he comes back? Oh my gosh, and what about the princess! Does she fall in love with Luke? Do they get married?"

Rick stopped her before she could go on. "You'll have to find out!" he laughed, and took her hand. "There's two more movies after this one!"

Lisa stopped. She calmed down almost instantly, but she was still moved to tears by the film's ending.

"…What's this?"

"Two more," Rick smiled. "Two sequels. They're called The Empire Comes Back and Return of the Knight."

Lisa looked back at the rolling credits.

"…They are?"

"Mm-hmm."

"…Are they going to play now?"

He laughed again. "No! No, they're totally different movies! But they keep the story going, you know? They tell how it ends."

Lisa stared blankly at the scrolling blue text on the T.V. screen.

"Rick," she sighed. "I have got to see those movies."

They'd spent the whole evening in Rick's apartment. For a long time, they sat on the couch and recounted their favorite bits of the movie; Rick was just as excited as Lisa was. They shouted out "the space port!" at the same time, and both laughed a little harder than they should have.

Lisa confessed that she hadn't eaten all day; Rick wouldn't stand for it. Since it was so late, he made her a little breakfast of eggs and toast and had some for himself. They ate together at his kitchen table. Neither one of them seemed very comfortable, until Rick accidentally spilled a heaping pile of salt onto his eggs. They both had a good laugh about it.

By the time Lisa was ready to leave, it was almost one o'clock in the morning. Rick wouldn't let her walk home in the rain, especially in the middle of the night. And Lisa didn't want Rick to bother walking her all the way home. They both agreed that Lisa should stay at Rick's place for the night.

Lisa found herself wrapped up comfortably in blankets, on the sofa by the television. She was wearing a pair of Rick's sweatpants, which he insistedhad never been worn. Judging by the ugly color, he was probably telling the truth. But the thought made Lisa blush anyway.

"This was really fun tonight," Rick smiled, as he knelt beside her.

"It was," sighed Lisa. "I can't believe I almost didn't come…I was that worried."

"I'm sorry," said Rick. "I hope this didn't make you uncomfortable."

"No...no, not at all…I've been scared long enough. You helped me through it."

"I'm glad."

She thought to herself for a moment. "That sounds pretty silly, doesn't it?" she giggled.

"No, it's not silly. Everybody's afraid of something."

"Yeah, I suppose…but after a while…you've got to sort of…get over it. Otherwise you'll never get on with your life."

"Like when Luke lost his aunt and uncle," grinned Rick.

"Yeah…just like that."

"It probably wasn't easy," Rick said, "but once he let go…he found out where he really belonged."

Lisa blinked her eyes tightly, but she couldn't stop the tears from rolling down her face. She reached out of the blankets, draped her arms over Rick's shoulders and hugged him tightly.

"Thanks so much," she breathed.

"What for?" he asked, and held her in return.

"Helping me let go."

She looked up and met Rick's eyes. He was quiet, caring; his smile was almost bashful. When she looked into his dark eyes, the smile disappeared. He seemed afraid. Lisa was absolutely terrified…couldn't he see that? What was he afraid of?

But he was; almost shaking with fear. He wasn't the hero Lisa had always imagined. He was young, inexperienced and nervous, just like she was.

It was strangely comforting.

They gently kissed, stared at each others' eyes, and kissed again. Lisa kept her arms around Rick as tightly as she could. She told him about Karl, about how she waited and he never returned. She told him about the nightmares and the monsters. She cried, wiped her eyes and said she was sorry.

He told her she was the bravest person he'd ever met. They shared another kiss, and Rick laid her back into her bed. He held Lisa's hand as she drifted to sleep.

She wasn't visited by any nightmares. She dreamed of Rick Hunter, rescuing her from an evil Empire and swinging her to safety.

a/n:

If you're even still reading this, you are AWESOME. It's been forever since I've had time to write for my RT stories. I know people are waiting to find out what happens…I'm sorry guys and gals, and I'll try to make it come together faster.

Thank you again! Your comments are welcome and very appreciated.

Random Star Wars Fact: George Lucas' original story was supposed to follow a man named "Anakin Starkiller."