Supernova || Luke Skywalker

Ten

The force was soft that morning. Calm and still around them. The rest of the hanger was filled with chatter. Scouting trips were returning to base along with supplies. The word was that the leaders were trying to find a new base. After the destruction of the Death Star it was not safe to currently stay in this moon base. They needed to relocate and preferably soon. Dozens of ships had been sent to scout out potential planets and today some were returning.

Lian was meditating quietly next to his ship. Luke at his side trying to do the same. The blonde was struggling. Lian could feel his frustration and impatience. He opened his eyes and turned, putting a hand on Luke's shoulder. The blonde jumped at the touch and opened his eyes. 'Calm'. A robotic voice stated. Bodhi had finished his work on the ship and had given Lian his datapad. The keypad and the mic was very helpful.

Luke huffed, blowing his fringe out from his face. His hair was getting long. Lian's was too but neither of them cared. "I'm trying. I just"- he threw up his arms and sighed.

'You are concerned'. Lian's fingers typed fast but the voice still sounded disjointed. He huffed at it.

Luke's lips twitched at the sound. "Yeah. I don't know what to do. They expect me to be this Jedi but Ben only gave me three days of training. I have no idea what I'm doing".

Lian thought for a moment. 'Do you want to pray with me? I find that it helps. The force will always guide us. Do not worry. It has never let me down and it won't let you down either'.

"How do you pray?"

'I am one with the force and the force is with me. I fear nothing as it is all as the force wills it'.

Luke repeated the words quietly then took a deep breath. Lian put down the data pad and reached over to take the other man's hands in his. Luke met his gaze as he spoke it again. "I am one with the force and the force it with me".

"And I fear nothing as it is all as the force wills it", Lian finished softly, eyes crinkling over his scarf. Luke's eyes widened at the gentle voice.

"You spoke".

Lian blinked. He had. It had been complete reflex to speak the prayers out loud. It was what they had done back in the temple. He glanced down shyly then his gaze flickered back up to meet blue eyes. One hand let go of Luke's to tug down his scarf and expose his face. He smiled, teeth flashing and scars moving. "I am one with the force and the force is with me", he repeated. Tone still barely above a whisper.

Luke swallowed then beamed. "I am one with the force and the force is with me", he repeated.

"I am one with the force and the force is with me", they spoke in synch. Word only loud enough for the other to hear. Lian gripped Luke's hands and closed his eyes. The words flowing through him as he let himself focus on the force. His mind emptied out and he settles into the familiar half awake state of meditation. Just letting himself drift with the force. Next to him, their hands still joined, he could hear Luke muttering the words slowly to himself as he endeavoured to reach the same state. It took him a while, much longer than Lian. But eventually he made it and Lian felt his mind empty. All emotions emptying into the force.

It was hours later when he was brought back to the present by the arrival of Bodhi. Lian hadn't noticed his presence until Bodhi was snapping his fingers in the air between them. He startled and blinked blearily. Bodhi smiled at them, eyes flicking down to their still joined hands. Lian felt himself flush and pulled up his scarf to cover his face. His fingers felt cold without Luke's warmth. Luke seemed slightly disappointed at the loss but smiled back in greeting anyway. "Bodhi. Hello".

"Hi Luke", Bodhi replied. "You've been here for hours. It's mid afternoon". Luke turned to glance out the hanger doors. The light outside was the bright afternoon with a tinge of gold as the day moved on.

"Kriff", Luke muttered, hastily scrambling to his feet. He dusted off his clothes. "I was due to help Han with the coupling in the jumpers". He gave the two of them a small wave before jogging off towards the millennium Falcon. "I'll see you later!"

Bodhi folded his legs up and dropped into the now empty space. He grinned widely at Lian as he pulled a roll of bread from his pocket and tossed it over. Lian caught it and bit in to it harshly. "Lunch. Thought you'd need it". Lian hummed and chewed. Bodhi eyed him. "That looked comfortable".

Lian swallowed. "I spoke to him".

"What?" Bodhi turned his head to head better.

"I spoke to him".

"You spoke to him?" Bodhi repeated. Then he beamed and patted Lian congratulatory on the shoulder. "I'm glad you're comfortable enough now with him. He's nice, isn't he?"

Lian hummed and nodded thoughtfully. "It was only prayers. I couldn't say anything else".

"One step at a time right?" Bodhi reassured. "What was it the other monks would say? I fear nothing because it is all as the force wills it?" Lian nodded. "It's good to have faith". Bodhi drifted off, eyes going blank for a second as his mind focused on something else. Lian finished his bread then waited for a minute.

"Bodhi", he stated. Bodhi blinked and brushed his brown hair behind his ear as he came back to the present.

"Huh. Oh. Um", he seemed nervous. "You know how I've finished repairs on Rogue one? Well I've just had a meeting with the Princess. She wants us to think about maybe taking up missions. Just cargo stuff mostly, but moving up into intel and maybe fighter further on if we wish. Because we fly an imperial ship, she put forward the idea of us checking out the other rumoured bases to find a location we can move to. I told her that I'd have to talk it over with you".

Lian felt his stomach drop. Anxiety hitting him like a bomb. He was just getting used to life here at the rebel base. Before this, he had never even left Jedha. Now his city was in ashes and his family dead. He didn't want to back out there. This moon base was safe, secure and he didn't have to have more stormtroopers come to kill him. Of course he knew that the safety was a thin thread. That it was limited and running out. But he was still sacred. He glanced over at the Falcon where the distant figures of Han and Luke were working on the ship. Luke's hair glowed golden in the light. He glanced up as if feeling Lian's stare and smiled before returning to his work. Lian swallowed and turned back to Bodhi.

Resolutely, he nodded. "They need us. Don't they?"

Bodhi sighed. "I don't want to fight".

"I don't want to fight either. Cargo seems okay. Intel maybe". Lian tugged at his scarf. Inhaling deep through the fabric. "The force wills it. It will guide us". He straightened and pushed his anxiety down. "I am one with the force and the force is with me and I fear nothing as it is all as the force wills it".

Bodhi nodded and took a steadying breath. "We will stay together. Cargo first. Then maybe scouting trips. I'll teach you to fly. Hopefully you'll fly better than you can shoot". Lian narrowed his eyes at the reminder. Bodhi's lips quirked. "I supposed we aught to go and tell Leia".

Unedited

Someone said that they were having trouble picturing Lian's facial scars. So here some basic sketches above. One is with his short hair from when he first woke up after Scarif and the other is as his hair grows.

Enjoy.