LOST KINGDOM ─ star wars

XXXIII. The Past Revealed

Chapter Thirty-Three
Luke

I burst from the surface and begin coughing up water, trying to get air into my lungs. My efforts are undone when I'm pulled under another current, swirling and tumbling under the surface until I manage to break through the water and start the process all over again.

I grew up on Tatooine, a place where water is a scarcity, especially in large quantities. Between my lack of knowledge of how to swim and these strong currents, this waterfall might be the end of me. After I break through the surface again, I look to see if Vader is still at the cliff's edge. He isn't. Good.

I'm pulled under the water again, and as I'm being dragged further away from the cascading waterfall, a large object hits me in the face. I grab hold of it and realize with a water clogged sigh of relief that it's my lightsaber. I try not to think about my severed hand that's floating around in this water somewhere, or the fact that Vader could be lurking around waiting for me, or pretty much anything other than myself and the water trying to drown me.

"Leia!" I call out as I am being pulled under yet again, trying my best to send the message out through the force. "Hear me, please! Leia!"

-

Leia

We've made it to the Falcon. Iris's people were successful in fixing the problems with the ship, Han tells us as much as he and Chewie get it ready for take off. While they do that, Holly and I are trying to devise a plan with Aylin on how to find Luke. He wasn't in the storage room like Iris and Aylin had said, he's nowhere to be found.

Holly starts to panic, looking towards me helplessly. "What if he's—"

"He's not," I assure her. "I would be able to feel it."

The force! Of course! I could try to find him using the force. I've never really done this before, I've only ever seen Jayce and Luke do it, but now is as good a time as any to try. I shut my eyes and take in a deep breath, focusing on Luke, sending the question of his location into the cosmic force around me. Suddenly I see water in my mind, churning water, like from a waterfall. Within that water I see Luke, struggling to stay above surface, calling out towards me.

"Luke." I whisper, opening my eyes and running towards the cockpit.

"Go towards the waterfall!" I order Han. "Luke's there, I sensed him."

Han gives me a nod and lifts the ship off the ground, circling around the palace, then diving straight down into the cloudy mist of the falls. We fly as low as we possibly can, hovering slowly over the tumbling currents so we don't miss him. Holly has appeared by my side, desperately looking through the window to see if she can find him, growing more worried by the second. As we continue to fly over the water I spot a bobbing figure trying to reach us, and with a sigh of relief, I point towards him. "There he is!"

Holly and I run towards the other side of the ship, lowering the ramp. Luke grabs onto the side and tries to lift himself up, but he's unsuccessful because of his missing right hand. Holly and I both stare at the missing limb for several seconds before we both grab onto an arm and haul him up, ushering him into the security of the Falcon. Once we're completely on board, we yell to Han and he takes us into the air and out of the atmosphere.

Holly inspects Luke's injury for a moment, tears lining her eyes, then she pulls him into her embrace, hugging onto him like life itself depends on it. Luke practically melts in her arms, burying his face in the crook of her neck, cupping the back of her head with his now only hand.

"There are some TIES on our tail and if we want to make it to light speed someone needs to blow them to hell!" Han shouts from the cockpit.

Without saying a word, Aylin makes a run for the guns, leaving the rest of us in the passenger area while she, Han, and Chewie try to take care of the TIES. Holly helps Luke sit down and begins wrapping his wound in pieces of her shirt she tears off, and while she does that, Luke sends my mother a dark glare.