The Young Republic | A Star Wars Story

Chapter 24

I think I've seen this before.

"The future has many paths, choose wisely."

"Hey, Luke."

Luke looked over, squinting and struggling to open his eyes in the light of the sun's glare. Naboo's sun still blazed in the late noon despite the shade provided by the leaves and sticks that shrouded their bodies by overhanging trees and branches.

He winces a little and says, "Yeah?" in a lazy manner. Blondes and light brown hair fell over Luke's forehead and covered the grass in patches. It had gotten significantly longer since the first time Xena met him.

"Are you sure you want rebuild the Jedi Temple?" Xena asks.

Luke furrows his brows, the dawning of 'oh' spread across his face. Then he furrowed his brows even more. And Xena hates that she has to ask this now, here, at this beautiful time in their lives. Just yesterday, one of the greatest moments in life happened - Leia and Han's wedding.

It was lovely. Tranquil and conventional. Everyone had been grinning the entire day since everything was so great, with the possible exception of Solo. While displaying some of the most fearless and careless swagger, the poor man was shaking and perspiring down to his collar from nerves. He was more anxious than Leia was about the wedding, and he wasn't even the princess!

That could be what got his pants in such a twist; he had to make a good impression. He was the scoundrel smuggler marrying a kriffing princess and general and a possible front-runner for becoming the Chancellor in the New Republic that was forming. Again, poor man. Everyone was probably thinking he was marrying for status and money. That he had wooed the princess and was manipulating her into believing he was the man for her. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, all their friends and family knew it was Leia that wore the pants in that relationship, with Han being the swooning puppy-love bloom.

Xena had tried to level with him many times that that was not the case and that those who weren't important had no say in Han and Leia's personal life. It helped a bit. Han listened to Xena without their discussions reaching high volumes. Maybe it was because he resonated a bit more from where Xena came from and how she had grown up on the back burner of any bumb's ship with no real home.

And the day had been pretty and lovely and pleasant from then on. There were dances, drinks, and so much food Xena was sure she would burst from the amount she ate. And, oh, the pudding. It was divine! She and Luke had a swell of a time stuffing their faces and laughing, forgetting momentarily about all the bad they had been feeling just weeks ago.

And it was between those chattering voices and glee that Xena noticed the smallest twinges of - something - between the layers that made up Luke. A fiddle with his prosthetics hand's sleeve, a wary glance here and there. He smiled, like he always does so softly, and had asked Xena for a dance or two. And there was still - something. Something was holding him back, making him hesitate. Something big that swallowed voices and ripped and tore at seams and-

Luke shuffled a bit, still keeping his hands behind his head as a cushion, one leg now propped up while the other lay flat. Xena turned to her side, some of the long grasses tickling her face. Luke looked up at the sky - he wouldn't be able to answer if he looked Xena in the eye.