Prompts: Fake Dating/Marriage & Hurt/Comfort


In a final world, the largest steps may be taken without a blink: acquaintances, allies, friends. But in the middle of a war comes the harsh reality that any close relationship is strained, any bond is forged and all are tested.

Some, despite the odds, hold true.


The nondescript ship they'd hired was the last place one would find a princess, so it was perfect. Add to that the fact that Tatooine was also the last place to look, and that she was wearing her hair in a plain bun tucked under her hood rather than her elaborate styles, and it became almost impossible that someone should recognise Leia in these clothes.

That didn't make Qi'ra any less nervous. "We need to sell this, remember."

"I remember." Leia cast a look at herself in the mirror, grimacing at the beige robes she was wearing to blend in. Behind her, she saw Qi'ra make the same face. "Though there are plenty of people trying to fly under the radar here. I doubt anyone will look too closely."

"Better safe than sorry."

Leia nodded. She could respect that.

"What are our aliases again?" She turned back to Qi'ra as the beep went off that warned they'd be reverting to realspace, and headed to the cockpit.

"My contact was unfortunately obnoxious and gave me limited options, so I am Rey Salli and you are Anna Salli, my wife."

"Your contact was obnoxious?"

"He knew this was supposed to be a quick job but decided to make us work for it."

"We have to pretend to be married?"

"If you can stand to do so."

Leia smiled. "I think I can, yeah."

QI'ra met her gaze. "I'm only here because you're paying me, remember."

"I know." Leia tamped down her disappointment. "And I appreciate that you keep sticking with the Alliance despite how poorly we do pay."

"You pay—" She faltered. "Better than other jobs."

No they didn't.

Leia glanced at the monitor. "We're reverting to realspace in five, four, three, two, one—"

They flashed into space above Tatooine, a yellow-brown dustball hanging in the viewport, two suns burning furiously in the distance. Despite what a miserable world she knew it to be—and despite Qi'ra's stories of her own experiences there—she smiled at the sight of it.

This wasn't a Rebel mission. This was a personal mission. She wanted to meet the brother she'd only just discovered, but she hardly wanted to lead any enemies tracking her towards him unless necessary. So… Qi'ra was helping.

Anchorhead had no spaceport, so they aimed for Mos Eisley instead. The comm crackled with a hail. "Unidentified transport, please give your name and passenger details."

Imperial. Whether it was the Imps or the Hutts who had a grip on the spaceport seemed to change with the winds.

Qi'ra replied; her voice wasn't known for borderline treasonous speeches. "This is the personal ship Dragonstar, owned by myself, Rey Salli, and my wife Anna."

"Your wife also bears the name Salli?"

"Yes."

"What is your business on Tatooine?"

"Business and distant family calls. My, uh, second cousin once removed and his wife invited us over."

They could hear the long sigh on the other end and knew he could not be bothered to verify that. "Cleared. Be prepared to provide evidence of identification upon entry."

The comm clicked off. Leia cast a glance at Qi'ra. "The Empire are really pushing back, aren't they?"

Qi'ra didn't take her eyes off the viewport, and the spaceport growing larger in the scope. "Stay alert."

They landed, and as they walked down the ramp Qi'ra took Leia's hand. She jerked with surprise, but didn't have to fake the smile she gave her.

Qi'ra, against her will, smiled back.

They approached the door to the bay. Stormtroopers patrolled beyond, in the spaceport proper, and Leia tried to show no unease. An officer came to meet them at the door. "Identification?"

Qi'ra handed it over. He scanned it, and found no faults. "Continue."

Leia nodded and smiled. "Thank you."

He didn't even look at her before he marched away. Rude, but thank the stars for it.

They rented a speeder and were hunting for Anchorhead by the time the suns began their descent, their long fabric head coverings flapping behind them in the wind. Of course, that was about the time Leia realised they were being followed.

"Qi'ra," she murmured, leaning perhaps a little too close to her in the pilot's seat. But they were pretending to be married anyway, and there were eyes on them, so… "I think a bounty hunter is following us."

Qi'ra tensed up and glanced in the speeder's mirrors. There was indeed a dark shadow on the horizon—far enough away that it could have been a trick of the light. But Leia knew when she was being followed, and she knew this desert was barren enough that they wouldn't run into anyone else if they weren't being followed.

"We can't lead them to your brother's home, and it's hard to lose someone when there's such a large open space," Qi'ra murmured. "We could try to outrun them."

"Or, we have to fly through the Jundland Wastes to get there anyway," Leia pointed out. "We could hide in the rocks, and lose them out there."

"They'll be after you, of course."

"I'm not that important."

"There's only one of them, right?"

Leia squinted. She couldn't see very well, but she was pretty sure—"Yes, there's only one."

"There you go. You're not that important."

Leia wasn't sure whether to laugh or scowl. She settled on laughing. "Fly faster and we'll lose them over there."

Qi'ra hit the accelerator and they shot off even faster. Fast enough that the speeder shuddered like flimsi in the wind and Qi'ra looked tense as a tow cable, but Leia put a hand on her shoulder and she relaxed.

Qi'ra said, "We're out of sight now, you know. Of them and the Imperials. We don't need to pretend."

Leia pulled back her hand and nodded. "You're right. We don't need to."

Qi'ra winced. "Leia—"

"Keep flying. We've lost them, but I don't trust that they won't catch up again soon."

She kept flying. Leia kept her hands in her lap, perfectly proper. They came up to the Wastes and flew between the great walls of the canyon, watching it crook up towards the sky in massive hunks of sandstone.

Qi'ra's hand slipped on the controls, sweaty from the heat, and Leia caught it automatically. She didn't miss Qi'ra's intake of breath but also didn't let the touch linger, withdrawing quickly.

!I'm glad you trusted me to come and meet your brother," Qi'ra offered. "Even if I'm leaving soon."

Leia felt herself shutter her heart, almost on instinct. "You're a valuable asset—you're reliable, discreet and professional."

"Yes. Professional."

"We would very much like you in a more permanent role, but until then—duck."

"Duck?"

"Duck." Leia grabbed Qi'ra's shoulders and threw her back, the bolt aimed at her head barely missing it. The speeder dived to the side—a last minute manoeuvre stopped them hitting the rocks.

"Is that the bounty hunter!?"

"They must've known a shortcut." Leia drew her blaster. "You fly."

She scanned the sky—there. A few metres above them, where the canyon wall sank. A figure crouched with a sniper rifle, their back to the suns, but she thought she could take them out even with her eyes dazzled—

She fired off a volley of shots. They missed. She fired again.

Qi'ra shouted. The speeder swerved. Her aim struck true, the bounty hunter falling to the canyon floor, but Leia dived across the speeder to grab the controls and bring them to a halt as Qi'ra gasped and clutched her shoulder.

Leia grimaced.

That was… a lot of blood.

"Is he dead?" Qi'ra gritted out. Leia barely heard it at first, too busy yanking open the medkit for bacta and gauze.

"I said, is he dead."

Leia peeled the ruined clothes back from the wound. It looked bad. "Yeah. He's dead."

Qi'ra relaxed.

Leia started cleaning the wound, gripping her hand and squeezing it when Qi'ra hissed. "I… can't do too much for this here. We'll have to wait til we get to the homestead. It's not far."

Qi'ra leaned against her as they switched seats, and Leia tried to ignore her own heartrate. "Was he after you?"

"I don't know."

"Check."

Leia went to check. The bounty puck that stared back at her when she went through his things wasn't what she expected.

"It's for you," she told Qi'ra when she returned. "From Crimson Dawn."

Qi'ra peered at the bounty. "Not much there."

"Better for staying alive."

"I know. I'm insulted, but glad."

They sat together, staring at it a little. Qi'ra was deadly still.

Leia put a hand on her good shoulder. "Lie back. I'll make a bed. Then we'll get to the homestead as fast as possible." The sunset was tinting the world with colour now, and the shadows of Qi'ra's delicate face were cast in red and gold.

Qi'ra studied her, suspicious of her tenderness, but eventually she consented to lie back, a slow sigh seeping out of her as she did.

Leia took the controls and flew on, keeping a close eye on her companion, until the sunset enveloped them both.