Missing and Presumed Dead

Epilogue

Leia was alive--alive, safe, and still her.

Just like he knew she would be.

The first thing Luke did was free her from the collar by carefully slicing it off with his lightsaber. He hadn't even gotten off the carbonite slab--he wanted not only to see her, but feel her very presence.

And the moment it was off, feel it he did. It wrapped around him like a blanket, warm and soft. It was strange how he'd gone nineteen years without feeling her, but now the idea of never feeling her again tore at his very soul.

She truly was his other half, and he'd missed her dearly.

Leia gasped, her fingers brushing the sores on her neck, feeling that the vile collar that had separated her from her family truly was gone, before breaking out into a smile and throwing her arms around him.

His heart soared even as his side protested in pain. He involuntarily gasped, causing her to withdraw slightly.

"Luke, what--? Oh." Her eyes strayed from him to their father, who was still kneeling and wheezing on the ground next to the dead body of the Emperor. "I assume this was your work?"

Vader's respirator, now that Luke was fully waking up and coming to grips with the situation around him, sounded awful.

"Father," Luke said worriedly, "We should get you a medic--"

But in typical fashion, he was ignored. "Of course. I ensured that it... was the exact same injury that was inflicted...upon him when he was originally...proclaimed dead."

Luke lifted his bloody shirt up to show her that a bacta patch had already been applied. "He was seriously accurate."

"I'm surprised he injured you again at all." Leia scowled, giving Vader a look. "And you."

"Leia...he needs a medic. We still need to deal with the Prince and the battle that should be taking place over the planet--"

"Battle?" Leia whirled back on him, hands on her hips. "What battle?"

Vader answered. "Artoo...should have sent orders...to clear the problem ships. The Rebellion and their forces...should be fighting with what's left...for control of the planet."

Leia's lips pressed into a thin line. "You're working with the Rebellion?"

Luke sensed a mix of amusement and annoyance from their father. "I told you I would."

Leia turned to look at Han, who had a blaster pointed at the Prince's head--not that Xizor could do anything. Not with his arms cut off just below the elbow. Luke wondered how that had happened--probably his father, if he had to guess.

"The Executor should also be there fighting too," Han added with a shrug. "As long as things didn't go south."

"They did not," Vader insisted, and Luke assumed he'd already checked through the Force.

Leia let out a breath, closed her eyes...and turned back to Vader. "Where can I get in contact with the Rebellion?"

Luke couldn't help but smile. He wasn't surprised.

Leia was ever the pragmatist. Even when she needed to focus on her own recovery, she was instead working to ensure their victory.

"You will see to your injuries first--" Vader began, but Leia cut him off.

"I will do so when I know I won't have the entire Imperial navy coming down on our heads. Besides, Luke said the same about you and you ignored him." She gave him a sarcastic smirk. "So, let's talk when you've listened to Luke, hm?"