Jarida Drabbles

Star Wars Au

"Shit, where's the princess?" he demanded, grabbing the collar of the man's uniform and thrusting him up against the wall.

"I don't know," he choked out.

"Merida?" he heard behind him. He turned to face Aster.

"Yeah, do you know where she is?"

"She left on the scouting mission," he replied with ease as he polished a piece of a fighter jet. "They returned not too long ago."

"And she's not there!" he growled, tossing the man he still held onto away and turning on his friend.

"What?"

"You heard me," he grounded out. "She's not there. She hasn't returned yet."

"Crikey. You sure? They're closing the about ready to close the door. Night's soon, and there's one hell of a blizzard brewing."

The pale young man blanched; his skin whiter than his hair. "Damn," he hissed as he ran back to the stables.

"Jack!" Aster called after him.

"Has anyone seen the princess?" he shouted as he ran.

All he got in replies were answers in the negative. A young woman grabbed his arm and pulled him aside.

"What?"

She flinched at his words. "Merida went off on her own. She spotted something and wanted to get a closer look. I lost communication with her. When we were called back, I assumed she got the message, too, so I didn't think - to - to - " Her words were cut off by the sobs that were pushing through her lips.

He rubbed her arms. "It's okay. It's not your fault."

"B-but, I left h-her behind," the petite brunette choked out.

"Do you remember the coordinates of the last place you saw her?"

She nodded and managed to get them out.

"Thank you." He dashed away. Skidding to a halt in front of his tauntaun's stall, he snatched his jacket and zipped it up. After saddling up the creature, he hopped on. He nestled the goggles around his eyes and shoved his fingers into his gloves. Digging his heels into its sides, he steered the animal out of the stall and towards the closing door.

"Hold that open!" he shouted over the wind whistling through the shrinking crack.

"Can't keep door open! You go out there; you're on your own!" called the burly man pushing it shut. What was is name? South...It didn't matter.

"I know!"

"You'll die!"

"Do you have such little faith in me?"

"Yes." He answered without missing a beat, but he pulled the door open anyways.

He smirked. He urged his tauntaun forward into the brewing storm. The door clanged shut behind him. Metal scraped against metal as it was locked, and he was left to is own devises on the unforgiving surface of Hoth at night. Icy wind bombarded his skin as he pushed forward through the white expanse towards the spot the brunette had told him about.

He shouldn't have been devastated when he couldn't see anything once he got there. Granted, the raging storm hardly allowed him to see past his tauntaun's head.

"C'mon!" he urged it.

It grunted sullenly before trudging through the deepening snow. The creature jerked under him. Jack felt its muscles spasm under him before it toppled forward into the snow.

"Great. Just great!" He complained out-loud to no one in particular.

His breath came out in ragged huffs as he crawled through the snow out from underneath the dead animal. Jack pushed himself to his knees and scanned the area. White. Nothing. White. Nothing. Wow, the novelty. Nothing. Whi - Black.

Wait.

The young man jumped to his feet and pushed forward through the snow towards the discoloration. He fell more than once, but he just spat out the snow and kept going.

He felt like laughing when he could make out the body and shock of orange curls tugged out from under the hood. Then it hit him that she was in the snow. Not moving. And he didn't know for how long she'd been there.

Panic and exertion shortened his breath as he struggled to her. He collapsed at her side. Taking several shaky breaths, he pushed himself to his knees and clutched her shoulders. He rolled her onto his lap, gathering her limp form and holding it close.

"Merida! Merida!" he cried. He shook her.

Blue eyes fluttered open.

"Ja..."

"Hey, there you are," he smiled. "Stay with me now, huh? Can you do that? Just stay with me," he begged her, pressing a light kiss to her forehead. He looped an arm under her knees and carefully stood. He turned and looked around. Someone had to be watching him because his footprints had yet to be fully cleared away. He had the right direction.

"Let's find a way to warm you," he whispered as he hugged her closer.

"Worried about me, Jack?" she teased, her voice quiet and breathy. He could barely hear it over the wind.

"No. I was just thinking that if you go and die on me, I can't cash in on that reward."