AN: Thanks to everyone reading!
You can't and that is final!" Luke shouted.
"You aren't in charge of me, Luke. I am a big girl and I am going to do this with your permission or not," Ari answered.
"If I had known you were going to volunteer I would have made sure to have asked about it in private," Luke growled.
"Luke, this is my fight too," she told him as she continued down the hall, Luke glaring at her from behind.
"You could be killed!" he exclaimed.
Ari looked at him, sadly for a moment. "That is a risk I am willing to take," she told him softly.
"It is a risk I am not willing to take though," he answered, hotly
"This isn't up to you," Ari remarked, turning to face him one hand on her hip. "It is my choice, Luke. I want to be up there with you, making a difference, fighting for a cause I believe in."
"There are other ways to fight, less dangerous ways," Luke reminded her.
"Luke, I am one of the best pilots from-"
"This isn't Beggar's Canyon and those fighters aren't womprats. Ari, you couldn't even kill womprats, how do you think you can handle killing a person?" he asked
"We'll find out," she told him and continued down the hallway.
Luke caught up and grabbed her arm, which she pulled away from. "Please, Ari?" he asked.
She couldn't look at him, knowing that the look in his eyes would make her loose her will to argue with him.
"I have to do this," she told him finally, and they kept walking, silent for a moment.
"How did you get this?" he asked, touching the lightsaber at her side gently, still trying to figure out how he could change her mind.
"It was my mother's," she answered quietly.
"Your mother's?" he asked, confused.
"She was a Jedi, or at least trained to be one," Ari replied. "I never really knew until Saber told me…" she stopped herself with a blush.
"Saber couldn't talk…" Luke reminded her, not unkindly.
"I know, but just…" Ari sighed and shook "It is too confusing to try and explain now."
There was a short silence between the two as they walked then Luke stopped and turned towards Ari. "You can't do this," he told her.
"Luke," she sighed, exasperated. "Yes I do. This is something I truly need to do. It is my duty and my destiny."
Luke just shook his head. "How can you know what it is? No one knows."
"They need pilots, so I am going to test in the simulator and I am not letting you stop me," she told him and brushed past him, walking briskly down the hall.
Luke caught up to her. "What can I do to change you mind?" he asked
"Not a thing," she answered simply.
Seeing that this wasn't working, Luke grabbed her by the shoulder and spun her to face him. He opened his mouth to speak but Ari beat him to the quick.
"Luke, nothing you say or do is going to change my mind so accept it," she told him, eyes blazing for a moment before they cooled. "I am not a child. This is my choice. I have to live with the consequences."
"Or you could die from them," Luke answered. "You've never even flown a Y-Wing," he added, trying to think of reasons to have her stay on the ground.
"I'm a fast learner. Besides, it isn't that different from an X-Wing, which is supposed to be a lot like our T-16s."
Luke stopped and stood in her way. "I won't let you."
"You can't stop me," she answered.
Ari just brushed by him ignoring him calling her name as he tried to catch up after waiting a moment for her to turn around or stop. She started to quicken her pace, grabbing a flight helmet from a rack, tucking it under her arm as she moved past a few others who were getting on flight suits.
"Ari!" she heard Luke exclaim as he tried to push through a few pilots who were blocking his way.
Ignoring him she quickly scrambled up the ladder and closed the canopy as she saw Luke rush towards her. He reached the ladder as the canopy closed completely and she pulled her helmet on. She thought she could hear Luke calling her name outside but that was all. The canopy had a screen over it so he couldn't see in and she couldn't see out. It helped her this way though, for she knew that if she looked into his sad eyes she wouldn't be able to say no to him.
"I thought I heard the Tatooine troublemakers land here," a laughing voice came over the intercom in her helmet.
"Biggs?!" Ari exclaimed happily, surprised.
"The one and only," he answered. "Looks like you two both got off Tattooine."
"The stories we both have...." Ari replied with a smile.
"I can't wait to here them all." There was a short pause.
"They might even match yours, you ship jumper," Ari teased good-naturedly.
"I figured Luke would tell you. Speaking of Luke, he isn't looking to pleased at the moment," he commented. "I can see him from up here where we run the simulators," he told her before she could ask.
"He just doesn't want me flying. He says it is too dangerous. Of course though, he wants to be flying an X-Wing," she told him annoyance in her voice.
"He just worries," Biggs reminded her gently.
With an exasperated sigh, Ari answered, "Well, I don't mind that but I am in charge of my life. This is what I have to do, what I need to do."
There was a slight pause but Ari knew that if she could see him, Biggs would be nodding. "We all have our own paths. So how did you get put into a Y-Wing?" he asked, voice lighter, more casual.
"Well, Luke asked about being a pilot and when I expressed my want to join in, they said they would need a few Y-Wings to be in the dogfight with the TIES while the X-Wings attacked the Death Star."
"I heard talk about this thing. That it is huge."
"Oh it is. I saw it and I swear, there is no other space station like it," Ari told him.
"I guess you and Luke do have a lot to tell me," Biggs replied, smile evident.
"Yeah, we do. It is going to be great to be flying with you again," Ari answered.
"Let's see what you think when I get this sim going for you," Biggs laughed and Ari could hear him typing in a few things.
"Let's go for it," Ari grinned, scanning over the instruments that were now coming to life, lights coming on as she checked over the systems to get a feel from it.
"This is a bit different from your T-16, but I figure you can handle it," Biggs remarked. "Starting in three...two...one," he counted down. All of a sudden the sensors were going crazy with readings and Ari found herself in the midst of a convoy of TIE fighters.
"Banthas 'n nerfhereders Biggs!" she exclaimed as she took control of her ship. She was soon shooting TIEs out of the sky, turning, looping, speeding and slowing. It would have made most people sick, though Ari wasn't most people.
She got hit once and the 'ship' rocked and she almost lost control. She found her bearings again as she blasted him, hitting her mark.
After that, Ari tried to ignore any other blasts though she saw her shields taking hits. She knew she had to concentrate on flying and shooting the best she could.
Ari soon only scanned her vitals and scanners, taking shots, feeling a sense of excitement, but also some fear, forgetting she was in a sim.
She was reminded as the canopy went dark and the scanners and instruments turned off.
"What the..." Ari muttered, a bit confused.
"Not bad Airie," Biggs came over the intercom again.
Ari had to laugh. "Well, Darklighter, I will take that as a compliment from your great Academy trained standards." She had always felt closest to Luke, but Biggs was second.
"Hey you blasted an entire TIE fleet. And you only got killed once."
"Not really comforting," Ari replied, dryly.
"Well, you are definitely one of our better pilots. I had to see how much you could handle."
"Thanks. So when are we going to see you?"
"Soon. I am going to start Luke's run and then we have the briefing. Check in with Dodonna with your flight number and for a suit. Welcome to the Alliance!"
AN: Please R&R everyone! Let me know you are all still enjoying it so I know to keep updating!