The Jade Arrow dropped out of hyperspace in a flicker of pseudomotion, and found itself in a bit of empty space just outside the Dolis system.
'And where's that again?' Cora asked her mother.
'First Order space,' she said curtly. Her attention was focused on the navicomputer.
Luna leant over Mara's shoulder, before a growl - an actual, feral growl - from Mara warned her to back off, which she hastily did so, retreating to the safety of Cora's chair, sitting on the arm rest. Cora stroked her thigh consolingly. 'Don't be too mad at her,' Cora said sweetly. 'She doesn't like interruptions when she's hyperfixating.'
'That includes talking,' Mara said pointedly, then sat back in her chair, looking at the computer readout pensively. Neither Luna or Cora dared speak. 'They're close,' Mara said quietly.
Luna and Cora shared a look, each daring the other to break the silence. Eventually Cora said, 'how can you tell?'
Mara leaned forward, her action so fast that it made both younger women jump. 'I've been trying to triangulate their signal, and I know they're within a few sectors - but there are spacial anomolies that are making jumping difficult. I have to either stick to the hyperspace lane-'
'-not gonna happen-' said Luna and Cora in unison.
'Or keep trying to jump about, checking every system. Or,' she tapped her chin, biting her lip just like Cora did.
'Or what?' Luna pressed.
'We could try a ping.'
'No,' Luna said at once. 'It's too risky.'
'Not if we use New Republic code,' Cora chimed in.
'Deep in First Order space? The First Order will still pick it up and be on us before Face even gets the message.'
'They'd need to decode it first,' Mara replied, 'by the time they do that, we'll either be in contact with the rest of your people or long gone from here. It's a risk, but one I think we should take.
The three women looked at each other, each doing the same mental calculations of just how much a risk it was. What if the spy on the Nest had managed to attain the command level communication codes? Luna thought to herself. What if the First Order had managed to crack the New Republic's communications and could listen in to any message they wanted? Luna hated theorising in the dark. She had no idea what had happened in the galaxy at large since their flight from the listening station. The New Republic could have completely capitulated, the entire galaxy under the sway of the First Order. And who knew what had happened to the rest of the Nexus. The one comfort she had was that the tracker still worked, so the ship was still in one piece, at least. Then she blinked, realising exactly what Mara was asking her to do. 'You want me to give you the Squadron's own command codes.'
Mara looked at her steadily. 'It's our best shot.'
Luna ran a hand through her hair. The side of her head hadn't been shaved in a while and it was getting soft and fuzzy. She didn't hate Mara any more, and it's not like she didn't trust her. But still, there was a general trust and trusting someone with command level intel. She looked down and saw Cora looking up at her, her brows knitted with concern. There was no expectation there, she knew Cora well enough to be able to read that much into her expression. Just support, for whatever she chose. Still, she wondered how hurt she would be if she admitted that she still didn't trust her mother completely. She took a deep breath and stood, walked over to the navicomputer console and typed in the frequency and encryption code. There, it was done. She had placed her faith in an ex Imperial Inquisitor and ex First Order servant of the Knights of Ren. she just hoped that Face or Zatt or Fenn would be able to receive and decrype the ping before the First Order could.
Mara nodded at her, then turned back to the flight controls, typing in her message, then sending it off into the ether. 'Done.'
'Now what?' Luna asked.
'Now we wait,' then Mara reached under the console and fished out a book, opened it and started reading. After a moment she looked up, surprised that the other two were still there. 'You should go practice,' she suggested to Cora.
'Ugh,' Cora sighed dramatically and collapsed deeper into her chair.
'No "ugh". You need to keep your skills sharp. Go.'
'Fine,' Cora's tone suggested it was anything but fine, but she stood and took Luna's hand, leading her out and down to the cargo bay. Luna felt a little thrill at the thought of watching Cora practice. She still hadn't quite got used to the thought that her girlfriend was Force sensitive, and it brought her so much joy to watch her practice. Luna opened a crate that she knew to contains sweet foods, picked out a packet of chocolate coated nuts, closed the crate and sat atop of it, watching Cora go through her stretches in front of her. As she rattled the packet, Cora looked at her, stretched out a hand and Luna watched, grinning broadly, as several nuts floated out of the packet and into Cora's hand. So. Cool.
Chewing happily on the sweets, Cora reached for the lightsaber on her belt, the blade springing to life with a familiar snap-hiss, bathing both women in its purple light. She went through her routine poses, light and the sound of the blade humming almost lulling Luna into a hypnotic state, dazzling her, mesmerising her. And then, slowly, a little at first, then bursting like a dam, sadness overwhelmed her.
In a moment Cora's lightsaber switched off and she was beside Luna. 'What's wrong?'
'I don't know,' she said, but she knew, and as much as she didn't want to say it, the words came out of her. 'I'll never get to be a proper Jedi.'
'Oh.'
'I'll never get to feel what it's like to do what you do,' she sniffed, trying to will the tears back in. 'I'm not jealous,' she added hastily. 'I don't wish I could take your powers or anything like that, it's just, sometimes, it makes me feel sad that I'll never really know, and it feels like I've wasted my entire life, trying to be something I never will be.'
Cora jumped up onto the crate and wrapped her arms around her. 'I'm sorry, sweetie,' she said into her hair. 'I wish I could give you that. I wish I could give you everything. I just want you to be happy.'
'You do,' Luna said between sobs. 'You make me so happy. It's stupid to get so worked up over something I never even expected to have.'
'It's not stupid at all,' Cora hugged her extra hard.
'I'm sorry,' Luna whispered.
'Don't ever be sorry for this. Not for anything,' she kissed her forehead, trying to convey all her love for her. Then she parted, thinking. 'you know, in a way, you can touch the Force.'
'Pretty sure I can't,' Luna said with a sad smile, wiping her face.
'Maybe not like me,' Cora admitted. 'But the Force is everywhere, in everyone, in all living beings. It's in me. In you. Between this crate and us. Between me and you,' Cora placed her hand over Luna's heart. 'It's in here,' she said softly.
Luna felt a warmth spreading from her chest. She knew that feeling now; Cora was helping her, in her way, feel better, happier. Part of her, some strange part of her mind, didn't want Cora's help, didn't want to give up her sadness, but a part of her loved that Luna was using her gift to help her ease her pain. She loved that she was being touched by the Force. 'I love you,' she whispered.
Cora's eyes went wide, but just for a moment, giving way to the biggest smile Luna had ever seen. 'I love you,' Cora leaned down, her lips brushing Luna's, but then sat bolt upright, her face taut with alarm, looking up to the cockpit.
A second later, Mara's voice called out. 'Contact!'
The two women raced up the stairs and into the cockpit.
'Is it the Nest?' Cora asked, though the pit in her stomach already told her the answer. A quick look at the radar lacked identifying signals, but there were too many icons for it to be the Nest.
'Not unless they changed ships,' Mara replied, strapping herself in to her harness. 'We have fighters incoming.'
