A dream is just the beginning...

Part 29

- So what ...- Leia tried to pick up the topic as they sat in silence in the cantina - I guess you are not proud of yourself.

Luke did not speak. He just looked at the table and in his heart felt somewhat responsible for what happened. He didn't want to talk, his thoughts revolved around Mona. He really loved her. Even now, after all this time.

He knew that she felt terribly hurt and deceived. The pain with which she spoke the words could be seen. One thing he just didn't understand was how it happened. Suddenly, his musings were interrupted by Leia:

- Well...guys...- she suggested something - maybe, after all, let's have some constructive discussion.

- I don't think there's anything to be .about," - Han commented.

- And yet I believe it is. All the more so because we have all fallen here. Each in his own way, of course.

- Yeaaaah...,"-  muttered Luke

- What I don't understand is , what must have happened in her room? - asked Hana

- Well... - he began - ...I think I said too much.

- And turning to Luke he asked :

- What is your relationship with my sister?

- You know, I probably wouldn't want to talk about it now,"-  the boy replied, - "I'm going to go look for her,"- he got up from his chair and left the cantina.

- What happened? - Leia asked Han

He remained silent. She didn't want to give away the details of her conversation with Mona. After all, it was none of her business. But he felt nailed because of his unspoken tongue. They would not rise to the occasion today.

He realized that he had failed. He had spoiled his sister's date, and he had soured her on her boyfriend. All at once, and he still came off as a cheater. It probably couldn't have been any worse.

- Yes... it didn't work out for me,"-  he confessed

- Apparently. And so for the future... - she suggested- ...no more secrets and remember with pain you do not discuss but embrace it.

- That's your rule ... princess,"-  he sarcastically bit back

- Not mine...but important,"-  she looked him in the eye

*

Luke went to Mona's room, noticed that the door was open, the communicator lay abandoned, the jacket was hanging in place. She deposited the letter on her personal table.

She was not there. It was both strange and not, given, her nervousness , but it got him thinking. If she's not here then where could she be. He went to check on the Falcon and met a Wookiee who was again tinkering with cables. He entered the ship and checked all the rooms. But here too there was no sign of her presence.

- Mona... where have you been holed up ? - he thought

Finally, he decided to notify Han and Leia that Mona had disappeared. Han was even more annoyed. Leia still went to the medical center. And even there she didn't learn anything, all three met at the Tautanui. They discussed what they should do. Han approached the officer on duty and asked if he had seen anyone similar to his sister.

- Yes... some time ago a , very similar girl fell here. She got on one of the Tauntauns and galloped through the southern entrance. I tried to stop her, because the weather today is not suitable for solo excursions. The wind is blowing furiously, the temperature has dropped a few degrees.

- What a stupid girl!!!! - cursed at himself for allowing such a situation to happen

- Does she have a communicator.... Luke?"-  he asked in exasperation

- No, it's in her room. She didn't take her jacket either,"- he revealed, but he didn't look at his friend's face anymore, he knew that it was already enough for him

- I'll take a tauntaun and look for her in Sector 4," - he replied, throwing on his hooded jacket.

Han was also getting dressed in a hurry. He no longer wanted to say anything. His irritation was reaching its zenith. He quickly took the tauntaun and nodded at his friend. The two of them launched themselves into the windy, unfriendly ice desert.

*

Mona galloped the tauntaun fast and fierce. She led sharply and pulled back the reins so as not to have to fight anyway with the nervous animal. Her skirt blew in the wind. Snowflakes poked into her skin like needles. Her hands were almost freezing. Her hair was in disarray. Tears streamed down her cheeks, she couldn't control herself.

 Everything she had believed in up to that point had just shattered into thousands of little pieces. Snow splashed underfoot, the wind pierced fiercely through her insides. Only now the girl felt the nasty cold. She did not stop her gallop , however, it became increasingly difficult for her to fight, against the strong icy wind. 

Suddenly her tauntaun stumbled and lost its balance. Mona flew out of the saddle with momentum and landed on the snow. She felt a headache flare her skull, she froze with rage, fear and anger. And then she lost consciousness. A nasty wind was blowing over the ice desert, snow was falling and a storm was gathering.