PANIC CORD ━━━ l.skywalker ¹

12

"Make sure you come back to me, pretty boy," she finally says. Clary's tone comes off jokingly, but she means every word she's said. The longer she thinks about the Rebels risking their lives and Luke being one of them worries her, despite her knowing it's for a good cause. Luke holds her gaze.

"I'll always come back to you."

The tone in his voice is different: it's earnest and sincere. Clary feels her heart race as she tries to scan Luke's expression, as if something in his eyes will give away more to what he may be feeling. She notices his cheeks beginning to flush red, as if he has now realized what he had said. Clary smiles, though, and her heart seems to flutter with a sense of hope at his words. Luke's eyes look into hers once more and Clary feels as if she's being pulled in far too deep. The space between them is growing smaller and smaller, but before Luke can press his lips against hers, a sharp alarm rings throughout the Rebel base. Pulling away, Clary sees a familiar look of annoyance cross Luke's face as a flurry of Rebels rushes past.

Clary smiles, reaching forward as she squeezes his arm tightly. Her fears of Leia have vanished almost completely.

"See you soon, pretty boy," she says. Luke smiles again, the agitation that shone in his eyes now gone as Clary walks past him, back to the Millennium Falcon. Her heart hasn't stopped racing and her chest is still in a flurry. She doesn't mind.

...

Muffled explosions echo above the widening cracks in the ice roof of the hangar. Clary glances up nervously as Han curses, attempting to ignore the noise as he tugs at one of the Falcon's lifters. Chewbacca is attending the wings, screwing on various parts.

"No, no!" Han exclaims suddenly, tearing Clary's attention away from the falling bits of snow as he runs towards the Wookiee. "This one goes there, and that one goes there!" He pulls the wing that Chewie had screwed in out angrily, throwing it back into the Wookiee. "Got it?"

Chewbacca lets out a roar, looking annoyed. Clary sighs, ignoring her brother's frustration and Chewbacca's exasperation before looking back up at the crumbling ice roof. Part of her wishes she was out in the battle, but another part of her knows Han wouldn't allow her in it for a second; he'd rather stick her back on Cloud City than have her fight against the Imperials.

"R2, you take good care of Master Luke, now, understand?" C-3P0's voice sounds suddenly from farther away. Clary turns to see the small droid being lifted into an X-wing fighter. Frowning, Clary steps away from the Falcon, being able to avoid Han's persistent glare, as she stands near the droids.

"And...do take good care of yourself," 3P0 adds quickly. R2-D2 beeps in reply, and then whirls his head at the sight of Clary. C-3P0 turns as well. "Oh, Miss Clary! Hello."

"Hello, 3P0." She casts a thoughtful look at the X-wing fighter. The small droid attached to the top of it gives another whistle in attempts to gain Clary's attention, but she ignores him as she continues to scan the fighter. A part of her seems to be telling that there's more to the X-wing fighter—as if there's more that Luke's intending than just to regroup with the others after the battle of Hoth is over—but she ignores it momentarily as C-3P0 nods to her.

"Can I help you with something, Miss Clary?"

"Oh, nothing." Clary smiles at C-3P0 and the droid hesitates, unsure of how to react. She looks up at one of the workers who had helped R2-D2 into his spot as she calls to him, "Excuse me, but are there any X-wings left?"

The worker grunts, "Why do you ask?"

Clary meets his gaze evenly. "Curiosity. Are there, or are there not?"