Chapter 115

It took another minute or two for Ari's body to stop shaking. She still felt a few shudders at times, but nothing like it was before. While she was glad the pain had ended, she was worried about Luke.

"Ari?" Cal's voice broke her from her thoughts and she glanced over at him and he offered her a canteen.

"Thanks," she gave him a small smile, taking a sip of the cool water. It felt good on her parched throat. She didn't even know she had been thirsty until this point. However, she did not take too much from him, limiting herself to just a few more sips.

"Are you feeling better?" he asked.

Ari nodded. She felt better with each passing moment, yet her worries continued to grow. She didn't speak that fact out loud though. "I am, thank you."

He gave a nod as he pulled the canteen strap over his head again. "Anytime." He stood up and then offered his hand to her. She took it and Cal helped her to her feet in one quick movement. Cal and Bren had helped her take her pack off and she felt less burdened and lighter without it on.

Ari glanced at the pack and gave a small sigh as she picked it up, pulling the straps over her shoulders once again.

"You can set it down, if it is too much," Cal suggested, but Ari shook her head. As heavy as it was, she liked having her mother's journal, her own, as well as her other personal items with her. She would hate to lose them.

"I'll be fine. I'm tougher than I look," she replied, and then she paused. She had not noticed it before, but something seemed different. She glanced around at the Rebels, Ewoks and their prisoners of war.

Everything was the way it was supposed to be. Besides, the change was not a bad change. It actually felt good. It was as if there had been a black hole and then in just an instant it was gone and replaced by a star. There was a change through the Force that Ari could not touch on, but it was different. Unlike before things felt right. Balanced was the only word that seemed to even come close to describing the feeling.

Ari glanced up at the Death Star, which was still there. She hoped that the fleet was doing alright. It had only been a few minutes, yet they were going by slowly. Everyone, even the Imperials, were waiting to see what would happen. The tide of war could turn either way now. All they could do was wait.

Then came what they had all been waiting for. The sky light up even more, brighter than the sky over Endor ever had been. Everyone, Rebels and Imperials alike, looked up at the sky and saw the Death Star's final moment. It exploded, scattering debris in every direction. The burning particles looked a bit like stars, but ones that were moving. It reminded Ari of fireworks she had seen when she was younger, on Naboo. She had remembered those being loud though, exploding with sounds that echoed for miles. A more pleasant sound came to her ears this time though. The sounds of cheering reached Ari through the momentary shock she felt.

"They did it!" she exclaimed, her shouts mixing with others. Some in Basic, which she understood and others from the Ewoks, who she could not understand, though she could guess it mirrored hers in emotion.

She turned to the nearest person, who was Cal, and flung her arms around him, laughing, her fatigue, exhaustion and pain no longer there. It had all been worth it for this moment. Cal hugged her back and spun her in a circle, also grinning wildly.

"We did it," he corrected her, then paused looking at her in a strange way. Then, he gently kissed her cheek in a very chaste manner. "I am sure he's okay," he added, giving her another quick hug before two more Rebels appeared followed by half a dozen Ewoks.

While Cal had seemed sad, no one could stay sad in such a setting. Before she was even able to think of something to say, he was laughing and joking with the other Rebels. When three of the Ewoks launched themselves at Ari in a hug, she stumbled to the ground, laughing as she did, hugging the furry aliens.

Ari was uncertain how much time passed, but it did not matter. The Imperials were being guarded and they all knew better than trying to escape. They had no place to go except even further into the forest. The only way off planet would be with the Rebels. It was clear that their captives thought that would be a better fate than attempting to run where they could become a meal for a hungry predator.

The Rebels, in contrast, were not silent. There were hugs and even more, from what Ari saw of Han and Leia. They loved one another and it seemed that the destruction of the second Death Star was what it took for them both to express that to one another.

She heard the horns of Ewoks sounding, but it was a different call. They most likely were spreading word of victory, though Ari was certain that if anyone had not seen the actual explosion of the battle station, they would see the still burning remains of it.

Soon the news would be broadcast all over the galaxy. It might take time to reach all the planets and sectors under Imperial control, but that was alright. Everyone would hear of the fall of the Empire and then all beings could start to rebuild their lives the way they were before the war.

Ari shook her head. There was still a lot of work to be done, but she did not want to think about that now. She just wanted to enjoy the victory. She would not be able to do that fully until she saw the rest of the Rebels to see with her own two eyes that they were alright. She knew that she would be mourning some, but hoped that she would be celebrating with many of them soon.

She sat down on an exposed root of a large tree and set her bag down on the ground again. She sat like that for a moment before she pulled her journal out of her bag, opening it to a fresh page after her last entry. She looked around her surrounding before she started to write, filling up the page, which she then turned, and continued on the next. She wanted to always remember the feeling of victory after all the heartache they had been through. She did not even slow down until her hand started to cramp after six pages were written. One more followed that until she was satisfied and she put it back into her bag in its usual place between two tunics.

"Hey, Kid," a familiar voice spoke up and Ari glanced up as she finished repacking her bag. Han was there with one arm around Leia's waist. In turn, the Princess was leaning against him ever so slightly and they both were smiling.

"Hey," she greeted them both. "Looks like we won," she remarked with a smile, as if it was as casual a remark as one might remark about a sunny day.

"Was there ever any doubt? I was the one in charge," Han replied.

"I guess I should have worried more," Leia teased him, looking up at him. Han pretended to be hurt, giving her an injured laugh. That caused Leia to give a small laugh and she gave him a kiss on the cheek. Han couldn't help but smile at this, no longer able to act as if he was pouting.

Ari looked away for a moment, feeling a bit uncomfortable. She had seen Camie like that with The Fixer, but this was different. Instead, she made extra effort to make sure everything was secured in her bag before she pulled it onto her shoulders once more.

Leia seemed to catch this and spoke up. "We were going to go back to the village. The chief has been very hospitable to us and invited all of us to stay another night. He has a big celebration planned."

"Really?" Ari asked.

Han gave a nod. "Looks like the fuzzballs really know how to have a party. I think Major Derlin is already setting up communication with the fleet to tell them and send them coordinates."

Ari glanced around, looking for the Major.

"Come on, let's go back and help them get ready. It will help the wait go by faster," Leia suggested.

Ari nodded in response. She knew from her time on Tatooine that work always made time go faster. Sometimes it seemed as if the day had just begun before the twin suns were setting.

Ari shifted her bag, and then they started down the path to the village. There were a few Ewoks hurrying back to the village in front of them and Ari could hear the sounds of the other Rebels talking to one another. It seemed almost difficult to imagine that just mere minutes before, they were fighting. The sounds of the forest were returning as animals once again returned to their perches.

Han and Leia were quiet, so Ari was silent as well. It was relaxing and she could slowly feel some of the tension in her muscles lessen. She rolled her shoulders, able to feel a difference even with the pack on her back.

It did not take long to reach the village again and when they appeared, Ewoks there started to cheer and Ari felt heat rise in her cheeks. It was a hero's welcome and something that Ari had never focused on much. She was just doing her duty like the others.

Leia looked touched by such a display and this time Han did not make any comments about their height, fur, or anything else. In fact, he was quiet, a small smile on his face. It was a real smile, not one of his usual smirks, a nice change.

A sound caused Ari look up, trying to see through the canopy of leaves, one hand raised as if to shield some of the sunlight that slipped through, reaching the forest floor where they stood. It was definitely the sound of an Alliance fighter. Perhaps an X-wing. It caused Ari to smile and she started through the forest to meet the first of the arriving Rebels. No, she decided. They were not Rebels anymore. They were now the Alliance.

AN: This is NOT the end. There is one more chapter until the final scene in "Return of the Jedi" and the story will continue past that point. There are still a few more adventures to be had before the story reaches its end.