Supernova || Luke Skywalker

Two

Lian stared at himself in the mirror of their small room. He had been discharged from the medics and had been moved into the room Bodhi had been given. It was a small room. With stone walls and two small bunks pressed into opposite corners. A narrow window looked out onto the landing area of the base. If Lian looked out he would see the battered shape of the familiar imperial ship that they had stolen. It was parked in the corner near the doors. The scotch marks from the bomb and blaster fire were visible in the light, even from a distance. It made him shiver to look at it, yet there was some familiar comfort in it too.

He sighed and turned his attention back to his reflection. Ami was right. The wounds had turned into nasty scars. His trousers were thrown over his cot to be mended. His black outer robe was un able to be salvageable and was crumpled in a ball on the floor. The material so burnt and torn that it was nothing but scraps. His red under robe was a littler bit better. He frowned as he messed with the red skirt now round his waist. The top part was completely ruined but there had been enough of the length to refashion into a long wrap around skirt. It was still a dark crimson and brushed just above his ankles. Lian adjusted it and glanced at the scars.

The blaster wound on his thigh was a long red line, just like the one on his face. It wasn't so bad. His legs dotted with a few distorted white scars of shrapnel wounds. The truly scary part was his back. Bubbly burn marks stretched up from his lower back and across his shoulder blades. It was more concentrated on his right side. The side that had been closest to the bomb when it had gone off. It reached round his ribs and up over his shoulders before joining the scars over his neck. It was a wonder that his spine wasn't too badly damaged, or that he hadn't bled out before Bodhi could get help. Lian had a feeling that the force wasn't done with him yet.

A knock sounded on the door as he scooped up the black shirt Bodhi had found for him. It was soft with short sleeves. He tucked it in to the crudely sewn waist band of his new skirt and snatched up his scarf, winding it round his face and neck to hide the scars from sight. Only the slight tip of the long blaster wound near his eye was visible. Satisfied, he grabbed his staff from where it was leaning against the wall (he had cried when he found out that his staff survived) and unlocked the metal door.

Bodhi smiled at him slightly as he stepped inside. He was followed by a small woman with long brown hair tied in one long braid encircling her head like a crown and dressed in simple white clothes. There was a steeliness in her eyes but her expression when she smiled at him was soft and warm. Bodhi put the ration bars he had gone to grab from the canteen down on his bed before stepping closer to Lian. He seemed nervous, uncertain and confused. Lian could feel it bubbling in the force next to him. "Lian", he mumbled, fingers picking at his grey trousers as he looked between the small woman and him. "Lian this is Princess Leia", he introduced. "Um, Princess, this is Lian".

Leia smiled warmly and Lian realised that she was younger than he had first thought. She was about his age. She held out a hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you Lian", her voice was soft and held no judgments. Lian shook her hand. His long fingers completely engulfing hers. She had clauses on her fingers from blasters and a straightness in her shoulders of leadership.

"I've wanted to meet you for a while", Leia continued as he dropped her hand. "But I wanted to wait until you were out of the medic so not to overwhelm you. Would you take a seat? I don't want you two to be uncomfortable". Lian and Bodhi shuffled over to Lian's cot and sat down on the edges. Leia smiled. "That's better. I was feeling very short there. You're both quite tall". Lian smiled a little under his scarf. Leia must have noticed the slight crinkling of his eyes as her smile grew. She perched on the edge of Bodhi's bed and relaxed her posture.

"I wanted to talk to you before the other commanders did. You're the heroes of Scarif. They would try and turn you two into symbols for the rebellion but from I've heard, you might not like that". Leia took a breath. "So I wanted to ask you what you wanted".

Bodhi and Lian exchanged wide eyed looks. Bodhi licked his lips. "Um neither of us did this for anything. We only did it because it was right. Neither of us expected to get out of Scarif alive and we were the only ones who did. We don't want any medals. We don't want a ceremony. I want to go home but Jedha isn't there anymore".

Leia was watching them with such understanding of their pain that Lian felt tears welling up in the corners of his eyes. He had been recounted about what had happened while he was asleep. How the Princess had to smuggle the plans out via droids and had been captured by Darth Vader. That Alderaan had been destroyed. How she was rescued by a boy called Luke Skywalker and a smuggler. Luke Skywalker who later was the one who blew up the Death Star. He hadn't met the new hero of the rebellion but he had heard about him. Let him be the golden boy, the symbol. Lian didn't want it.

He reached out and took her hand, squeezing them in a silent apology. Sorry we couldn't save your planet. Sorry we weren't quick enough with the plans. Leia wiped her eyes and squeezed back. Her resolution and strength reminded him of Jyn, and the grief stung his chest.

"Whatever your choices are", she nodded at the two of them. "I wanted you to know that you have my support. We all owe you a great debt".

Lian turned over to Bodhi and whispered in his ear. Bodhi hummed thoughtfully. "We have no where to go", he voiced slightly shakily. "We would like to stay with the rebellion but no ceremonies or medals. Lian doesn't like too much attention".

Leia accepted this. "Would you be willing to fight for us again".

Lian and Bodhi exchanged looks. "No", Bodhi shook his head, his unbound hair waving. "I don't want to be a fighter pilot. I can't, not again. Lian said that he doesn't mind fighting but he can't shoot". Lian scowled at him and elbowed him for the reminder. Bodhi let out a slight laugh at the face, his anxiety temporarily fading.

Leia smiled. "Would you be willing to do supply runs? You can work up to them". Lian and Bodhi nodded. She relaxed slightly. "Also, I heard that you are a force monk", she turned her attention to Lian.

"He's a guardian of the Whills", Bodhi corrected. "People of the force who protected the kyber temples of Jedha". His face fell at the reminder that those temples were now gone. Lian paled and tugged his scarf.

Leia winced but pressed on. "A friend of mine was training to be a Jedi before his master was killed. I'm sure if you could spare any knowledge then he would be grateful". Lian paused in surprised. He thought that the Jedi had been killed. His mind flashed back to Chirrut and Blaze. Those two would have been delighted to find a Jedi. Chirrut would have tormented them with the force. They had the knowledge. Lian wasn't as force sensitive as Chirrut. He didn't know what he could offer.

Leia was waiting for an answer. He made a small waving motion to Bodhi and the man nodded. "He'll think about it", he said.

Leia nodded. "I understand, the two of you are dealing with a lot". She stood. "Thank you for talking with me. If you have any needs, feel free to come and find me. I wish to be friends". Lian and Bodhi both smiled slightly as she left. Their minds still reeling with all the new information they had been dealing with the last week.

Unedited