High Heavens (Star Wars - Luke Skywalker)

XXV - To Coruscant

Mara was in the cockpit of her ship - readying for takeoff - when she heard the unmistakable sound of someone bounding up the loading ramp, followed by a shout of,

"Nevaeh?"

Wondering who it could possibly be this time, she walked out into the main hallway to find Strata Truden in front of her. Her hair was half-braided and thrown up in a messy ponytail, wearing muddied boots and fatigues. Thrown over her shoulder, most notably, was a large bag.

Mara raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing here?" She'd already said goodbye to her, of course, along with Kiiara.

Strata just gave her a classic smirk, hoisting her bag a little further up. "I'm coming with you."

Mara gave her a look. "And did General Dodonna give you clearance?"

"Course he did," she pipped back, and slid by her, making her way into the ship.

Mara narrowed her eyes after the girl, not sure if she believed her, but she was admittedly thankful. It would have been a long, lonely trip all by herself, and she knew Strata well enough to be comfortable around her.

She found Strata already plopped down in the co-pilot's seat, resting her feet on top of the control board. 

"So, where are we headed first?"

"Coruscant," Mara replied, sitting down in her own chair and beginning to flip switches. "And get your feet off my dashboard. Hit the wrong button in this thing, and we'll be flying into a black hole."

Strata laughed, but conceded, placing her feet back on the ground.

"You don't have to come, you know," Mara said, turning towards her. "It's not your mission to bare."

"Yeah, well, I figured you'd miss me, and I need a break from blowing up TIEs."

Mara wasn't sure if she believed that, either, but she could tell that Strata didn't want to say much more on the matter, so she dropped it. For now.

She continued the familiar routine of powering the Starbird, flipping switches and pushing buttons with second-nature fluidity. The ship came to life with a gentle hum, and Mara smiled a bit to herself. Flying something other than an x-wing, for a reason other than a battle, was refreshing. She couldn't help but agree with Strata; they needed a break, every once and a while.

"Commander Nevaeh," came a voice from ground control. "You're cleared for take off. Good luck."

Mara smiled once more, giving them a reply, before angling her ship towards the exit. With a push of the thrust, the Starbird took off, leaving the Massassi Temple behind. As she headed towards the open air, she realized that this would likely be the last time she was ever on Yavin IV.

"You know, I'm kinda gonna miss this place," Strata murmured, looking out the window towards the receding forest canopy.

Mara nodded. "Yeah, me too."

Once they had left the atmosphere, she had Strata start the calculations for their jump to Coruscant. After she was done, she gave Mara an "Okay, punch it," and the stars blasted into streaks of blue and white as they launched into hyperspace. 

With nothing much else to do, at least for the moment, Mara leaned back in her chair, staring out the window. Everything seemed to sink in at that moment, her soul feeling a little heavier all of the sudden. She thought about Alderaan, and Leia's mission, and Ben, and both her parents. She thought about Luke and Han, a bit, too, worried about them and how they would find their place in the Rebellion without her.