By Leela Starsky.
CHAPTER NINE.
Luke had just finished the final pre-flight check when he saw her approaching across the flight deck. For a moment he considered using the Force to obscure her from anyone else who happened to be on the flight deck but, at this hour of the night, there really wasn't anyone else around. Besides, using the Force would alert Yoda, and Luke didn't want the Jedi Master joining them.
He met her in the ring corridor as she boarded the Falcon and asked, "How are you feeling?"
Leia smiled tightly and replied, "Same as ever." Then added emphatically, "Relieved to be doing something at last."
Smiling, Luke touched her face. "I love you," he told her, his voice thick with emotion. "Always have, always will."
She took a step back, putting a little distance between them, and Luke sensed a resurgence in her concern that he might love her in a way that would damage their relationship. Luke drew her into an unconditional embrace, and reassured her, "You're my sister, Leia, and I am so glad I found you!"
He felt her relax and return the embrace wholeheartedly.
"I love you too, Luke," she whispered, and Luke had trouble reconciling this princess with the one he had been arguing with in the medcentre a few hours ago. The one who could accept that Yoda had done something to her in the debriefing, but flatly refused to believe her brother's explanation of why the Jedi Master had intervened.
That she had started to Force-choke Mon Mothma.
Luke had felt it, Yoda had felt it and, fortunately, Mon Mothma had only just started to feel it when Yoda had rendered the princess unconscious. Leia was treading a fine line, Luke knew and, holding her now, felt sure that she, as much as the child she was carrying, was the reason Yoda had come with them.
But rescuing Han was something that had to be done, and there was no way Leia would let Luke do that without her.
So they headed for the cockpit together and Luke asked, "How did you get away?"
"I came to get soup," she said smugly, throwing him a grin over her shoulder. "Told them it was the only thing I could keep down. Which is true," she added as an afterthought. She settled into Chewbacca's seat and asked, "What about you?"
"Gizela knows I'm going," Luke said as he brought the ship's engines online. "Gave me a kit of stuff for Han." He paused then added, "Made me promise to bring you back safe."
Leia gave him a wary glance, then busied herself with the pre-flight protocols. When that was finished she turned and smiled at him.
"Let's go then."
Continued in the next instalment… "Tatooine."