For You [p.d]

4

I follow closely behind Leia as we exit the ship and take in the surroundings of the Resistance hangar. There are X-Wings scattered all around, with mechanics working on some of them, there Is a paved pathway for us to walk along. With Leia's arrival many of the members are saying their  welcome back's and hellos, but I can't ignore the looks and whispers that I am getting from people as they pass by, obviously confused why a random girl is hanging out with their general. 

Leia must notice them too, "Don't mind them, they usually get excited when there Is a new person on base, they love getting into other people business." I laugh and continue to walk next to her as she shows me the different spaces where the fighters practice and the pilots train. People are laughing everywhere and I can't remember the last time I have seen this much joy from a group of people, you would never have guessed that a war is brewing in this atmosphere. 

Im drawn out of my trance when Leia introduces me to some girl who seems only a few years older than me. "Elise, this is Lieutenant Connix, you'll be working with her on communications and controlling." Connix gives me a large smile and shakes my hand, Leia excuses herself leaving me with my new acquaintance. "So where did you come from?" she asks innocently. "Um well I lived on Tatooine, that's where I ran into Leia and she asked if I wanted to join." My answer seems to have shocked her when I hear her gasp. "You got join without going through the academy?! That's crazy, I've never heard of that happening here, I'm so jealous." She was a lot more peppy than me and that was evident when she took my hand and insisted that I meet her friends. "Elise, meet my friends Tallie, Jess, and Paige. Elise just came back with Leia, she's going to be working with" I am met with three girls around my age, they seem as if they are all pilots of some kind. I kindly wave at them but don't say much. "I didn't know we were getting new recruits from the academy, thats cool, how many more of you guys are there?" the girl who I think is Jess says. 

"Oh I actually didn't come through the academy, Leia knew my mother and ran into me while getting something on Tatooine, luckily she invited me to join her back here." I feel like I'm going to have to tell that story a lot. Jess and Tallie look at each other wide eyed. "Well lucky you I guess, not even our best pilot got to skip academy." They start joking about whoever their best pilot is but I start to ignore them and realize how suspicious I seem to all these people. Paige speaks up to me for the first time "Leia gave us your room number, we can go show you if you would like?" I smile and realize that I may not be alone anymore, for the first time I might have friends by my side. "I would love that." 

As we are walking down the hall they start giving me the inside scoop of the place. "So this is the girls hall, the guys is on the other side, there is a large bathroom connected between the two, but each room has a small shower for you and your roommate." Tallie explains. "There are a few couples on base, and their rooms are on the opposite end of the base as well as the rooms of those are are higher ups." The hallway is short and filled with light, we are coming up to my room number, 23, and my paper says I am rooming with Connix. "Oh thank gosh I have a roommate, I was getting tired of the silence" she says while laughing. "Well all I've lived with ever is silence, so I may not be too fun." I say, joking, but when I am met with weird faces from the four girls I realized they don't get that I'm joking. "Oh i'm just joking, I'm glad I'm with some one..." The other girls look at each other and start laughing and I can't help but feel super awkward. Paige pushes open the door and shows me the room, which is two small beds, a lamp in between, and a pretty big closet on one of the walls. "Do you have any of your stuff with you, or is it still on the ship?" Paige says after sitting on the bed that seems to be Connix's. "Oh uh, I didn't have anything, all I have is this." I say as I pull out my blaster which makes the two girls in front of me jump, and the pilots by the door laugh. "Oh my! Well we provide everyone with blasters, you don't have any clothes?" I shake my head and Connix and Paige left to go grab me some, leaving me with Jess and Tallie, who haven't talked to me much. They are obviously suspicious. Jess speaks up, breaking the silence, "Where are you really from, Elise?" Tallie elbows her in the side but that doesn't stop her from walking in front of my bed, eyeballing me. 

"Like I said before, Tatooine. I understand why you could be suspicious of me, but do you really think Leia would bring someone into the base who she didn't trust." For a second Jess just stands there but then puts her hand out to me, I take and she pulls me up from where I was sitting and smiled at me. "I like you." she states, making me smile. "You're not too bad either." I say and wink at her. Tallie comes over to us and turns to me smiling also, "Well we better leave you so you can get settled in, but us and a group of other cool people are having a bonfire tonight we really want you to come. Maybe it could get people more comfortable with you?" My stomach does summersaults as I excitedly nod my head feeling super excited. 

They leave and a few minutes the other two girls drop off my clothes telling me how excited they  are that I am coming tonight. I take a look at all of the clothes I was given and the only problem was that they were all short sleeves. I start to freak out at the possibility that people will see my forearm tattoo that all of citizens from Religne had to get when they turned 15. If anyone saw it, my lies would be shown, and if anyone knew about the Religne culture they would know that my tattoo represents royalty. I start to think about the horrible possibilities that could come out of it, I take off my jacket making sure that my saber is attached to the inside of it, which it is. A knock is heard from the door and I frantically shove everything under my bed and yell "Come in." I relax when I realize It's Leia and take my saber back out from under my bed and she laughs at me as she sits down besides me. 

She hands me this beige arm wrap that some fighters use to protect their skin, but it's perfect for hiding my tattoo. "Thank you so much, for everything." I start to tear up, everything thats happened in the past 12 hours was pretty overwhelming. "My darling, anytime, Connix told me you're going to the bonfire, that's good a lot of people your age will be there so go make some friends. But, things here spread very fast so be careful with everything you say and even do." I nod and slide on the wrap she gave me with a smile. After a bit more pep talk she left me to get ready for the party of some sorts since its starting to get dark. 

I pull on the grey pants given to me and the corresponding white shirt with the resistance logo on the side, I keep my jacket on with my saber hidden behind me. My blonde hair is pulled up in a ponytail and for the first time in a year my face doesn't feel as if its caked with sand. As I look in the mirror everything started to seem so real, that this is what my life is now, and I can't help but think that my mother would be proud.