Alternate Life ~ A Star Wars Story

12: Luke Returned

"Let's do this," I speak into the headset, shaking off the reminisces of earlier.

I watch as the clouds begin to dissipate in front of my face, the ground becoming closer. We drive in front of the giant gates of where the last of the Resistance lays. My watch vibrates and I open it up and hear one of my favorite voices.

"Good to see you're finally here," Leia speaks.

"Good to hear your voice again," I smile to the watch. "God, how are you feeling?"

"Don't worry about me, worry about you. Now, the First Order is going to try and open up this door, it won't hold for long, so we need a plan."

"Take out the cannon?"

"We have a plan for that," she answers. "Fend off the TIE fighters?"

"I'll do my best, General."

"It'll give us time to find another door out of here."

"You can count on me."

"I know I can," she beams. "I always knew."

And that's when I begin to hear the crashing on the ground, the fighting as officially begun. The First Order's giant cannon is aimed and beginning to carve into the old base door. That's when I hear Rain on the headset.

"Incoming fighters at 8 o'clock."

I turn myself in that direction and begin to blast at them head on.

Then I feel his presence. He's here, already. I feel powerful, I feel like I need to show him up. I need him to think that I am not struggling without Ben, but truthfully I miss him. Next thing I know, all of the TIE fighters are on me.

"Rain, tell Chewie to lead them all out of here!"

Chewie does several maneuvers that gives me multiple shots on three fighters, I hit them instantly.

He leads them all over the planet and I pick them off one by one until there's nothing left.

"We did it! We did it! Go to the back of the base, I have a feeling they're in need of some help."

Chewie pulls up to what I believe would be the back of the base. I walk up to a wall of rock debris, I hear Poe yelling from the other side.

"Poe!" I scream into the cracks of the rock.

"Chipmunk?"

That's a nickname I haven't heard in awhile. I received that name after shoving my face full of food, my cheeks full. I was so hungry that day after training and he has made fun of me for it since. I stifle a quiet giggle.

"Stand back."

I close my eyes and channel the Force and instantly raise all the rock in the air at once and throw it off to the side. I see Poe, amazed on the other side of the dust.

I run at him and he embraces me, lifting me off the ground, spinning me.

"Poe!"

I hug him back as tight as I can. I smile into his shoulder as we stumble around. I know in the past I haven't been touchy with Poe, but I'm so happy to see his humorous face that I don't even care anymore.

"I can't believe it's you!" He beams. He smiles so wide that you can see the faint line of his dimples.

"I missed you!"

"You have no idea," he chuckles, stepping back shyly. "I'm glad your back."

"Me too! Now... let's begin to evacuate everyone on the Falcon. Where's Leia?"