High Heavens (Star Wars - Luke Skywalker)

XX - Before I Go

The loudspeaker was already directing pilots and personnel to their stations, but there was one more stop Mara had to make before she took off. She found Luke standing under one of the Red Squadron x-wings, talking with Leia. She stopped a few feet away from them, letting them have a couple of last words. Everyone deserved a goodbye.

"I don't know, I really thought he'd change his mind," Luke was saying.

Leia shook her head. "He's got to follow his own path. No one can choose it for him." Her words came from a higher place, but Mara could tell she was disappointed like the rest of them.

Luke shrugged. "I only wish Ben were here," he said, eyes downcast.

Leia gave him a half-smile, before stepping towards him and pressing a gentle kiss to his cheek. Luke lit up, watching with a little smile on his face as Leia pulled away, beginning to walk away.

Mara smiled a bit at them. They suited in each other, in some odd kind of way.

"Mara," said Leia, noticing her as she walked by. She came over, resting a hand on her arm. "Are you alright?"

Mara nodded. "Always am."

Leia's mouth tilted in a frown, not seeming to believe her entirely. "Be careful out there."

"I will be." Mara looked over her shoulder at Luke, who was already talking with another pilot. "And I'll look after him, too."

Leia looked grateful, and although she hadn't shown herself to be one for affection, gave Mara's hand a tight squeeze before she was pulled away by another senator. Mara watched her go, finding a bit of comfort in the fact that Leia would probably be on ground control, watching their backs.

Giving herself a nod of reassurance, Mara turned and headed towards Luke.

Yet she found him talking with someone else once again. It was a dark-haired man, this time, also in a flight-suit. He was burly and looked closer to Han's age than Luke's. She wondered how they knew each other, since the smiles and brotherly pushes they shared seem to have come from years of friendship.

Both of them looked towards her when she walked over.

Luke smiled when he saw her. "Mara."

Mara smiled back at him, before looking towards the other man. It took her a second, but she said, "Biggs Darklighter, right?"

He nodded at her. "That's right, Miss."

Mara smiled a bit, piecing together that this was one of the newbies the rebels had recruited from the Imperial Academy; and one of Luke's old friends from Tatooine. She outstretched her hand to him. "Mara Nevaeh."

Biggs took her hand, shaking it, but said, "There's no need to introduce yourself, Commander. I know you from Luke and the others. I'm glad to have a good pilot like yourself watching my back up there."

Mara smirked a bit, but her pride was kept to a minimum. "Good man," she praised. Releasing his hand, she said, "You oughta get to your ship, Darklighter. We're going to need all the help we can get up there."

She was pretty sure she heard Luke sigh under his breath and say, "Don't you know it."

Before Biggs left, he clasped Luke's arm, smiling at him. "It'll be like old times, Luke. They'll never stop us." As Luke laughed, he turned towards Mara, saluting her. "See you up there, Commander."

Mara and Luke watched him walk away, before turning back to each other.

"Hi," Luke said.

"Hey." Mara ducked her head, toeing the ground as she tried to figure out what words to say. Finally, she decided on, "Listen, I wanted to apologize - for what happened earlier, on my ship. I shouldn't have... said what I did. I was just trying to come to terms with... with Elix being..." She sighed, closing her eyes. "With what happened. And you were just trying to help, and I blew you off and shouted and-"