Edges of the World

Chapter 27

When Leia found Luke he was already tugging off his helmet, laughing.

All across the base people were shouting as ships landed, the deck crews running about with repair gear and ladders to simultaneously help pilots out of their ships and make quick work of whatever damage their vessels brought with them.

Leia wanted to do a headcount, make note of just how many beings were missing from each squad.

She didn't. That was someone else's job, and sometime soon she'd undoubtedly be given a list of just how many did not make it back, along with information on who they were. Then she'd probably be expected to write letters to their families.

She'd have to ask Madine if there was some sort of letter template. Or if he could do it instead. She was not up for writing personalized detailed letters from scratch the way her counterpart did.

Leia was exhausted, having been through far too much both physically and emotionally for one day, and found it easy to ignore the commotion around her, focusing all her senses on Luke and Luke alone.

He shone, bright and joyous. She could see small beads of sweat fly everywhere as he shook his mop of hair out, and she had to work to contain a laugh. Her brother was too much of a neat freak to ever fling his sweat about in that manner. She liked this Luke's method better.

Of course, it seemed she was not the only one who felt laughter was appropriate for this moment.

He and his fellow pilots were whooping and laughing and shouting good natured insults at each other, the scene reminding her far more of footage she'd seen of racers after their competition had ended than she had imagined soldiers would act.

"Did you see Skywalker take on that last one!" One of the pilots was shouting. "Coming right at me, and Luke just swoops in out of nowhere and blasts that eyeball to smithereens!"

Her stomach twisted as she remembered there had been a pilot inside that other ship. Someone had died, and Luke had been responsible.

How many beings had died today? How many of those lost lives was she responsible for, however indirectly?

Luke turned to her, face lit up with exhilaration. "Leia! Hey! How were things on the ground? We kept the skies nice and clear for you."

She let herself relax, as always finding it hard not to smile when facing her brother's joy. "No casualties. We got everyone back to base." It was amazing how aware she could be that this Luke was not her brother, and yet regard him as her sibling all the same.

"That's incredible!" He placed an arm around her, and while he reeked of sweat it was a familiar smell, her brother all gross after physical exertion.

"You didn't keep everyone away from the planet though. We ran into Darth Vader." Then in a far lower tone she told him, "we fought, but he got away."

He picked up on her upset, and squeezed her shoulders tight.

They were walking together now, along with his unit... to well... somewhere. She did not know where. The hanger was a very large cavern, and most who crossed it rode vehicles to speed their trip. Leia let Luke's arm around her guide her, and simply leaned into his comfortable presence. Seeing him now, interacting with his fellow pilots, she could not help but wonder what kind of life her brother led in this world. What sort of friendships he shared, loves he had known.

He rumbled a laugh, and with a start she realized she had been so tired she had sent her last few musings to him through their bond without really thinking about it.

Leia is my best friend, but really I consider everyone on this base to be my friend. Much better friends than most everyone back home on Tatooine in any case. As for love... well I've been far less lucky on that front than with friendship, that's for sure.