Do Not Go Gentle → Luke Skywalker¹

viii. vexation

     Before her was undeniably the Death Star, the very thing she could not escape, the cause of her displacement, the cold-blooded death machine that had ended too many innocent lives. Her eyes were wide as her fragile voice managed to cry out, "Han, turn the ship around."

     He furrowed his brows in confusion, not understanding her frightened reaction. Why was the girl acting so strangely, he thought, what's wrong with her? He questioned her motives, not moving his hands from the controls, "Why? It's just a moon."

    The ship began to creep closer, the captain not heeding the warnings of the young commander. Luke tried to calm the girl down, moving her behind the two pilots, his eyes questioning her as he moved her, but she refused to look at him in fear of removing her eyes from her worst nightmare.

       He did not know that she had just broken down in the next room over, he did not know that she was close to anyone on Alderaan, he had only known that she was close to Leia. He knew that Leia was not on Alderaan.

      Lora's hands became fists as she watched with bated breath, her mind screamed that it wasn't real, that maybe she was overreacting, but her heart knew the truth. The true shape of the 'moon' was soon revealed as the ship was and Ben Kenobi caught on quickly, "That's no moon! It's a space station."

      Luke squinted wondering what it really was, he didn't believe it could be a space station, how could anyone ever build something that large? But he did believe that it would take something truly terrible for Lora to react the way she did.

     Han nonetheless resisted, rolling his eyes at the both of them, "It's too big to be a space station."

     Lora moved up once more, Luke watching her helplessly as she refused to stay back. Her voice was commanding, almost shouting as she spoke, "It's not just an ordinary space station, it's a planet destroyer, it's the Death Star! We need to leave now."

     As he watched Lora command Han, her eyes alight with a raw burning fire, Luke muttered under his breath, "I have a very bad feeling about this."

     Chewbacca released a small roar, prompting Han to bite back, "Don't listen to her furball."

     Han moved his head toward Lora, his tone almost teasing, his expression indifferent— as if it wasn't a life or death situation, "And how do you know that?"

    Lora rolled her eyes, finally taking her eyes away from the window. Her jaw was clenched tightly, if Han didn't move from his seat or turn the ship around, she was going to make him, "Because I'm a rebel commander! Is that what you wanted to hear you arrogant piece of s-"

     Luke rushed forward, covering her mouth with his hand. Just like Lora had done to him in the cantina, if she didn't know any better she would have bitten him, but Luke only wanted to help. She calmed down, Luke's hand removing itself from her mouth slowly, just in case she was about to shout again. He stood directly behind her, prepared to hold her back if she tried to attack Han.

     Luke doubted that she would, or he at least hoped she wouldn't, but he didn't want to risk it.

    Ben watched it all with careful eyes, his connection to the force reminding him of who was on that space station. He could feel it in his entire being, like a gentle song in the back of his mind.

      It was then he knew what fate had lied before him. He knew that the gentle reaches of the night would take over him soon, but he never predicted that he would not be the one to train the young man before him.

      And that hurt him greatly, but the force always had other plans, and these plans could not be swayed.

    Han shook his head as he laughed, greatly amused by the fire that Lora had breathed moments before. He also found it hilarious that he finally got her to admit who she was, the angry look on her face as she attempted to spit out vile insults making the game worth it.