Storms (A Star Wars Fanfic)

PART 4

"When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?" you asked dreamily.

The two of you sat leisurely on the hilltop that hid the Rebel base on Yavin 4. You traced patterns in the soft, lush grass with your fingers. The sun shone brightly on your face, filling your eyes with light. A cool breeze wafted occasionally through the air, teasing the ends of your hair.

His laugh rang through your mind like a magnificent bell, ringing for only the happiest occasions.

"Well...always wanted to be a pilot. Not necessarily a fighting pilot, but...I always wanted to fly. And now I'm here." He laughed cheerfully again. "Isn't that a funny thing?"

You laughed along and gazed out at the view of the trees ahead of you, in the kind of stupor that only nature could give.

"Hey," you heard Luke say next to you. You could see him looking on you with admiration out of the corner of your eye. Your heart fluttered at the notion.

"Yes?" you said, maintaining your dreamy outward gaze.

"You and Wedge. Are you two -"

"No," you said, a bit too abruptly for your liking. You mentally slapped yourself. "No, we...we're friends."

"Oh," Luke said, his tone indiscernible. "Oh." That time, he sounded relieved.

You looked sideways at him, innocently.

"Why d'you ask?" you inquired, batting your eyelashes while simultaneously daring him to come closer.

"I just was wondering," he said somewhat quietly as he leaned closer to you, "if you would ever consider...you know."

His sparkling blue eyes captured you. You wanted to grab his jacket collar and pull him in, feel his lips on yours, entangle your fingers in his soft hair while his hands pulled you ever closer to him...

"Know what?" you dared, but you both knew. You saw color rise to his cheeks as it surely did to yours.

"If..." he mumbled.

"If?"

"I just -"

BANG

You sat up from the hard, stone floor at the harsh sound. You couldn't see anything, but you sensed that you were in a cavern of some sort. It was pitch black.

You tried to stand up but an immense pain shot through your skull, and you collapsed back to the ground with a sharp cry.

"I wouldn't get up if I were you," you heard Luke's voice from a few feet away. You were immediately reminded of your dream, which had almost disappeared from your memory. His voice...the sunlight on the hill...

You looked around.

"What happened? What was that noise?" you asked, your voice groggy.

Suddenly, a light sprang forth from where Luke's voice came. You shielded your eyes, blinded momentarily, then weakly scanned your surroundings.

There was nothing much to be said of the area. It was indeed a cave, and a deep one at that; you could hardly hear the sandstorm outside. A package you recognized as a vacuum sealed care unit sat on the floor in front of you, with its top removed.

"If you lie back down, I'll tell you," Luke said. You turned to look at him and started. His clothes were wreaked with bloodstains and various rips, and he had bandaged one side of his neck. He had been sitting a few feet away from you, but was now coming toward you with a damp cloth and a roll of bandages. You obeyed his order this time; you were feeling quite dizzy and confused. You were quite surprised to find that there was a pillow waiting underneath your head.