Luke and Leia - Rebels [2]

21: Taking Action

With the main power systems in the Falcon shut down it was mainly quiet, and Leia didn't like the quiet one bit. She finished welding a valve shut on the inside of one of the smuggling compartments and took her gloves off, tossing them up onto the floor and running a hand across her face.

After a moment of respite Leia hopped up onto the floor and stood up with a small stretch. Movement to her right caught her eye and she saw Han working on a leaky pipe, his face stuck in a concentrated frown as he tightened a bolt. She huffed and turned away, grabbing the gloves and walking into the main hall to grab some water.

Being around Han ever since they'd landed inside the cave had been an ordeal for reasons Leia didn't want to identify. She scowled to herself and downed the cup before taking a long breath and going back to the main area. She could do this, she could do this. But why was she suddenly so focused on staying focused around him?

But either way she could feel her annoyance fading, and she simply sighed and got back to work. She grabbed her welding goggles from the gaming table, accidentally making eye contact with Han as she did so. He stared at her for a second and she stared back, her heart skipping a beat, before he turned away and got back to work. Her annoyance returned and she pursed her lips and picked up her welder.

Squeezing in between two electric panels, Leia got to work welding another power valve. She slipped her gloves and goggles on and got to work, her tongue between her teeth in effort as she did so. She deactivated the system powering it first by disengaging a lever near it, then started up her welder and began melding two pieces of metal together so the wiring inside the valve would be more secure and less prone to sparking or fraying.

As Leia worked her mind wandered, thinking about where in the galaxy Luke was at the moment. Probably the middle of nowhere, chasing a dream he'd had on the verge of death. Leia sighed to herself. He had a tendency to follow his heart more than his head, a trait Leia never fully understood. She was quicker to anger than him but he was quicker to just about everything else, including pride.

She shook her head lightly, recalling all the times throughout their lives where Luke had gotten himself into trouble by not thinking clearly enough and Leia had been there to drag him out of it. But this time she wasn't there, and she worried about him because of it.

Stop it, he'll be fine. You two have been apart for longer than you will be now and you've both survived just fine. Leia chastised herself. Besides, she had more pressing things to worry about like the Empire breathing down their necks.

Han had been lucky, finding an asteroid with a chasm large enough to hide them, but their luck wouldn't last long. On the other hand, they deserved a bit of a break because the hyperdrive was nothing but smoke at the moment.

Leia suppressed a shiver when she thought about what would happen to them if they were captured, especially her. She recalled her meetings with Darth Vader, and the fact that she'd had more than one and was still alive was more than suspicious. It was clear the Imperial leader had an interest in her and Luke, probably because of their Force sensitivity. But unlike her brother Leia didn't have the time or patience to explore her own power, which was a blessing and a curse because it meant she was less useful for Vader but it also made Luke more of a target as he strengthened his own.

But no, he'd never join Vader, Leia knew more than anything. Luke was smarter than that and kinder than that, and she couldn't imagine in her wildest dreams him being cold and heartless enough to join Imperial ranks. Besides, he had way too much of a stake in the Rebellion now for him to betray it so deeply.

Also, if he even thought about doing anything that insane, Leia would kill him dead before he'd be able to do it.

Leia finished welding and took her goggles and gloves back off, attempting to reengage the system by pulling the lever back down. She grunted and yanked at it but it wouldn't budge.