Star Crossed

VII

Leia kept her head bowed as she prayed to the heavens. It had been a while since she sent out a prayer, but after the loss of her home planet, she felt it was time.

"Their deaths will not be easily forgotten." There was a gravel to Jo's voice, even as she whispered it cracked under the pressure of grief. "And Alderaan will live on... inside of us." Her raised her gaze to the night sky. Looking to the stars was different when she was on land. It didn't seem all encompassing from below, but maybe that's why she liked it more.

"If I hadn't-" Leia started, but Jo wouldn't let her doubt herself.

"They were set to destroy Alderaan whether we told them anything or not." Jo looked sharply at Leia's profile. Her white skin had a faint blush along the cheeks, and her bottom lip wobbled ever so slightly. "Do not put that weight on your shoulders, Leia. It is far too heavy for one person to carry alone." 

Leia slowly lifted her chin to look at her best friend. She began to open her mouth, but realized there was nothing for her to say.

Jo realized that as she turned her gaze back to the stars. She could no longer look out and try to spot Alderaan. In its place now was a gaping hole, reminding her that the beautiful place she grew up and all its people were no more.

Gone were her chances of ever reuniting with her family. All the questions she wanted to ask them, all the mysteries just waiting to be uncovered... But she couldn't dwell on that- on any of it- not when there were so many more lives to save.

She raised herself to her feet, though her movements were slow, weighted down by the sudden realization that she could never go back to her old life.

As she lifted her chin, she placed a hand on Leia's shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "You're not a Princess anymore, Leia." Jo's words were soft to lessen the blow. "You are Senator Organa now, of the late planet Alderaan." The title came at a price, and Jo knew that, so she delivered the news with remorse. "Your father would be proud." She kept her gaze ahead of her as Leia's shoulder shook under her grasp. "He was always proud of you."

She let her hand slip from Leia's shoulders, and turned to give her some privacy as she mourned. She didn't travel far. She merely stepped away and kept her back to Leia. She knew she still had a duty to Leia, even though the person who hired her was dead. Everyone who knew of their arrangement died on Alderaan, but that didn't make Jo any more free. Her alliance was to Leia, and it was an alliance she intended to keep until she died.

~

"R-2, make sure all the transports are in order. C-3PO, get down to the brief room and make sure all vital information is backed up on our transport than delete it from the mainframe." Jo ordered the droids as she moved around her and Leia's shared quarters. They were packing to leave Yavin, now that the Empire knew where their current Rebel base was they were no longer safe.

"Yes, Princess." C-3PO answered while R-2 just gave a grumble of beeps. Once the two droids left, it was only Leia and Jo in their quarters.

"I'm going to miss this place." Jo told her fondly as she packed up her clothes. "I wanted the chance to explore it a bit more. There's so much here-"

"There's still time." Leia offered as she paused her packing. "We could take a trip around-"

"Leia," Jo sighed as she turned to her friend. "You know as well as I do that there is no time." She reported sadly. "We don't know when they'll execute their next attack. We have to leave the second we can." 

Leia knew the girl was right, but was too saddened by the realization to say anything.

They both went back to packing. They didn't have much, they had to move every few months so they packed light. But for the Princesses, they still had quite a bit.