She's a Rebel [Star Wars | Luke Skywalker] *EDITING*

The Parting of the Ways

I must have passed out at some point, because I wake up on a bed in a grey room. An oxygen mask is hooked around my ears and placed uncomfortably over my nose and mouth. A venous cannula is injected into my right hand, pumping what I assume are painkillers into my bloodstream, welcome relief to the throbbing pain in my right shoulder and my back. There's a soft beeping too, and I glance over at my left arm, an electrode stuck in and leading to a heart rate monitor.

I obviously wasn't the highest priority, as I'm still in my dirty khaki clothes, which is understandable considering the state Zach, and others, are in.

My eyes move to the blurry figure sat next to my bed, and as they slowly adjust to the room, Leia's face comes into focus.

"Hey, Nat," she says sadly, smiling softly.

"How long have I been here?" I ask, though it comes out as a croak, my throat throbbing.

"A couple of hours. You're back on Home One now," she replies. She's still in her white diplomatic gown, maybe a different one, and my eyes move to Luke's jacket folded in her crossed arms, resting on her lap.

"Where's Luke?" I demand immediately, attempting to push myself up, only to fail, and she purses her lips and shakes her head.

I look away from her, tears welling in my eyes, a sick feeling of guilt rising in my chest. I told him to get on the transports. I saw one crash, and the other clearly hasn't arrived yet, and they haven't heard anything. Something bad has happened.

What if he was on the one I saw get shot down? I watched him die, right then and there in front of me, and I couldn't do anything about it.

But then again, what if the Empire captured the transport he was on as they were fleeing Corellia? What if he's with Vader and the Emperor right now, being tortured and turned into a Sith Lord?

I don't know which one I'd prefer, I'd much rather have neither scenario exist and instead have him beside me right now, but if I really had to choose I'd prefer him to be dead, rather than be experiencing a living hell at the hands of the Emperor.

And then I think of Cho and Ami, such close allies I fought so many battles with back on Tatooine. They're gone too. And then Joanna and Moroff, new allies that I would have liked to have known for many years in the future, gone too. And Rhea and Uma, sacrificing themselves while trying to get us out. Gone.

I hate to wonder how many other troops from Erso Base One lost their lives in what can be argued was such a pointless mission in the first place, seeing as many troops were already getting the civilians out safely.

And then suddenly my mind goes to Zach, and I see it all over again. The explosion, the stumps of mangled flesh and shattered bone that were once his legs, his face screwed up in agony as he screamed and swore in pain, the way I had to keep him above water, the feeling of his hand in mine on the U-Wing afterwards.

I glance down at my hand once again, the one with the cannula, and find it covered in dried blood, a lot of it crusted under my nails.

"Where's Zach?" I say, pushing myself up again to get off the bed, but Leia jumps up and places her hands on my shoulders, gently pushing me back onto the soft pillows propping me up.

"He's in a room down the corridor," she tells me. "You need to relax, Natalie. You've been through a lot."

"But-"