Luke Skywalker finds himself on the mysterious planet Earth whilst on a mission to locate stolen kyber crystals, which are necessary for him to craft a new lightsaber. With little knowledge of the planet, he seeks help from cynical university studen...
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Luke felt cold.
The chill was not unfamiliar to him, but he was not at all eager to place where he had sensed it before. He knew, deep down, that it was similar to the energy emitted by his father, but he did not understand why.
Avery wasn't dark. Avery wasn't evil. She was a little selfish at times, sure, but when it really mattered, she always helped others in any way she could. She had been so generous to him on Earth, which according to her, was uncharacteristic, but then again during their time together here. She had been dedicated to her squad and her missions, only complaining a little when she was sent out into the cold, yet she thought quickly and selflessly during the avalanche misfortune. Luke had seen true evil before, yes, and was maybe even related to it by blood.
Avery wasn't evil.
He's reminded of that as she hides her face in the crook of his neck, and although she's not making any noise, he can feel her hot tears falling upon his skin. He says nothing, understands the way she processes things now, and holds her securely, yet loosely enough for her to pull away whenever she wishes.
Finally, she does exactly that, wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her night shirt, and looks up at him. She doesn't look scared, just distraught, and if it weren't for the shaking of her hands, Luke would have assumed she wasn't afraid at all.
"I wanna talk," she choked out, as if the words pained her, "'Bout what happened. Please."
"I'm not sure how much longer this flimsy little cot will hold the two of us. Let's sit on my bed," he offers, wrapping an arm around her waist as she stumbles over her own footsteps.
"I want—," she starts, but then squeezes her eyes shut.
Somehow, Luke knows what she means.
He motions for her to crawl underneath the covers, pulling them up to her chin and tucking them into her sides
"No," she says, looking at him frustratedly.
"No?" and he can't help but to feel somewhat amused, because even though she's clearly upset, she's still just as stubborn.
"You too. Please," she adds.
Oh. He nods and slides underneath the covers as well, trying to give her as much space as possible between them. He uses his elbow to prop himself up, resting his chin on his palm, and waits patiently for her to speak.
"Sorry. I was cold," she explains, not meeting his eyes.
"Yeah," he chuckles quietly, "Me too."
That, unfortunately, is true. He did feel cold. He had felt the painful bite he had learned to associate with the dark side. He had felt something so wicked it was nauseating, and if Avery had felt that too, then he wanted to make sure she never had to again.
