Despite all Odds | Luke SkywalkerxOC| , |Han SoloxOC|

Chapter 4: The snowstorm

A few days later the snowstorm still hadn't fully cleared. Pilot explorations were still ongoing, they were reduced in size though, as only the ones that felt brave and skilled enough to do so left the flight hangars of the main base. Most people stayed inside, trying to shield themselves from the cold as best as possible, seeking refuge in the warm cantina.

It was a few uneventful days, with traffic over the comms having been reduced to a minimum, most communicators went on to do other jobs, as managing the technology or updating the data storages. Claire and Valerie were the only ones on duty for comm. link traffic that morning. The room was pretty quiet, with only the sound of incoming calls cutting through the silence now and then.

"This is comm. base." Claire said when she picked up another call of one of the few patrols going around on their tauntauns.

Valerie sat at the table next to her, her hair open as always, re-applying her lipstick.

"You are clear to go. Good luck out there, it's still pretty heavy." Claire gave clearance to the patrol, then took off her headset to look at her friend.

"It's literally hell out there and there are still people going outside." Valerie shook her head. "Not even the Empire could force me out there, no thank you."

Claire grinned. "Well, someone has to do it, and now that flying around literally means suicide, this is the best option I suppose."

"I really hope it will get more interesting again tomorrow. I can't handle this any longer." Valerie sighed and rolled around in her chair.

"Hey, you haven't seen this Han Solo guy in a few days, maybe you can boss him around some more if he is only doing mischief," Claire replied with a slight smirk.

Valerie looked at her as if she was some sort of alien. "I'm glad I haven't seen that smuggler in a few days. Who knows what he is up to. I most certainly don't wanna know." She shivered and pulled her coat closer to herself. "I swear the cantina is the only warm place in this whole base. Is it time for lunch yet, I'll become an icicle before then."

Claire lifted her eyebrows but stayed quiet.

"What about Mister Jedi and you, hm? Have you seen him ever since that one time in the cantina?" Valerie asked curiously.

Claire quickly shook her head. "No, I'm sure he's busy doing whatever. Why would he even visit me?"

Valerie grinned. "Oh, no reason at all. Second long eye contact more than once is totally normal."

Claire bit her lip. "That was just...I don't know what you mean." But deep inside she wanted to see him again, that she knew. With every passing day, she kept wondering if she should open up to him about her incidents with the cups. Maybe she should tell that to her friend though first. She certainly wouldn't judge her if it was nothing.

"Hey, there's something I have to tell you, Val." She began, but just as Valerie turned towards her, leaning forward in interest, the signal for an incoming call erupted on Claire's headset and she stopped mid-sentence.

"This is comm. base, how may I help-" Her eyes widened as she heard a familiar voice over the speaker.

"Claire, is that you? What are the odds." The voice of Luke Skywalker came through, though muffled what Claire assumed was the ongoing snowstorm outside.

She cleared her throat and quickly replied. "Luke, good to hear from you."

"From you as well." He replied. A quick and slightly awkward pause followed while Claire looked at her best friend whose grin widened with each passing second.