ACROSS THE STARS || STAR WARS AU

Houston, We Have A Problem

"This should be a good spot," Leia pointed to the shrubs that surrounded the dried-up creek bed.

"Why did we have to go so far away from the ranch?" Luke asked, stepping over the patch of rocks left behind in the arroyo.

"For what we're about to do next requires the utmost concentration, even more than what you're used to. Your sole focus has to be on your opponent," Leia explained as she broke off two sturdy branches from a nearby tree. "There is no room for distractions. In a normal duel, any distraction would mean certain death."

Luke flinched at her words. "D-Death?"

Leia nodded, handing him one of the branches. "Your opponent would use this distraction to gain the upper hand. I'm not sure how duels are fought on Earth, but in my galaxy, they are fought to the death. That is their entire purpose."

"We don't fight duels here. Or at least, not anymore." Luke's shoulders slumped forward, slouching just like the drooping branch he held in his hand.

"I can sense your anxiety, which is why we are not using actual lightsabers," She tried to reassure him. "We're using something that won't maim you."

Leia raised her branch, getting into a fighting stance. "Copy my stance."

Luke gripped the branch with both hands just as Leia did, raising it to the side of him. With his knees slightly bent and one foot out in front of him, Luke's stance mirrored Leia's almost perfectly.

Without any warning, Leia launched forward, striking her brother on the shoulder with the branch.

"Hey! I wasn't ready!" Luke rubbed his shoulder, not sure if it was the surprise of her attack or the whack that made it sting.

"What? Did you expect a countdown?" Leia smirked.

"Well, no. But-"

"Not only do you have to be prepared, but you have to be fast." She raised her branch again. "Let's try this again now that you know what to expect."

"Okay," Luke complied, returning back to his stance. However, no sooner had he done so, Leia charged forward. This time, Luke was ready for her strike and blocked it with his own branch.

Yet, the force of her swing was stronger than he expected and his branch went flying into the air. He watched in surprise as gravity pulled it down into the sand left soft by the water that had once been there.

Leia brought a hand up to her mouth, trying to cover her embarrassed laugh. "I'm sorry. I might have been a little too rough there."

"No kidding!" As Luke bent over to pick up the branch, he turned his head to the side just in time to see Chewie running towards him.

"Chewie!" He exclaimed as the dog began barking wildly. No sooner than the dog arrived, the roaring of a truck hammering through the desert could be heard. The familiar truck pulled up to the arroyo and an even more familiar man stepped out, swaggering up to the siblings.

"Han? What are you doing here?" Leia crossed her arms. "Shouldn't you be fixing the ship?"

"Relax, I left Lando to do it. He doesn't have class today," Han replied.

"How did you even find us?" Luke inquired, knowing they didn't tell Owen and Beru exactly where they'd be at.

"I stopped by the ranch and Owen told me you guys went off into the desert. From there, I just let Chewie track you down." He rubbed his dog behind the ears. "See, who needs space magic when you've got Chewie?"

"So what are you doing here?" Leia asked again.

"Can't a guy just stop by and watch? I'm curious about this training." Han raised an eyebrow behind his sunglasses.