| merry Christmas :) I’ll be active here and Aragorn when the holiday season ends

After disappeared.

Although, for the time being, Luke couldn’t help but feel a certain tension in his chest.

“Understood.”

Luke said, turning on heel to Artoo. “You heard her.” The droid beeped with question. “Time to get cozy.” The two of them moved in tandem - - Luke leading as the astromech scurried at his boot.

In a single flick, the secret compartment opened - - Skywalker and R2-D2 soon

“All wings report in.”

“Hatchet Six standing by.”

“Hatchet Four is standing by.”

“Hatchet Two sitting by.”

“Hatchet Three is wondering why he’s standing by for this Bantha f—“

“Hatchet Five is waiting for the Cap’n to comment on why we were woken up for this.”

“Everyone shut your traps.”

Scattered across the 𝙂𝙖𝙡𝙖𝙭𝙮 attempting to bring their fascist 𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙧 to fruition once more. It was half the reason Luke was traveling the Galaxy - - he and 𝙍𝙤𝙜𝙪𝙚 𝙎𝙦𝙪𝙖𝙙𝙧𝙤𝙣 had hunted many remaining remnants, but there was always 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚.

Artoo gave a pensive 𝙛𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙥, Luke held up a gentle black gloved finger - - a silent signal to his droid companion that they were in no 𝙙𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧.

Of course, danger was always 𝙖𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙, that was a given. The Death Star II was destroyed, but the entirety of the Imperial Fleet was not.

From this stranger, and from whoever was coming to join them.

The saber upon his hip began to ache and rumble - - that confident Kyber within it being too dormant for so long. Only a month since 𝙀𝙣𝙙𝙤𝙧 - - and yet to it it had felt like 𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙨.

“You have my trust.”

“I can do that.”

Luke says, a nod to the other. His hands move to the hood that lay idly upon his shoulders, bringing the length up and over his head. There - - slightly within 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙁𝙤𝙧𝙘𝙚 he could feel the sudden shift. Like the rise and fall of the sun, tension began to tingle into the air.

Bringing himself out of the internal trance of gazing inward with 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙁𝙤𝙧𝙘𝙚. He stood, moving with ease across open floor until he was behind the cockpit area.

“We’ve arrived.” He said more as a confirmation than a question.

As she disappeared, Skywalker leaned back closing his eyes to meditate more. It could be overwhelming at times, he thought he had learned as much already, but after defeating 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙀𝙢𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙤𝙧 - - there was still much to know.

It wasn’t until they rocketed out of hyperspace did Luke reopen his eyes.

Luke gave her a solid nod, there wasn’t much more explaining to do really. The Jedi, for all intents and purposes, were still legend amongst the greater galaxy. Those with in the Rebellion knew of Luke, knew of his deeds on 𝙀𝙣𝙙𝙤𝙧. But across the systems, word was only that. 𝙒𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙨.

“Yes.” Luke says, maybe a little too straight forwardly, before realizing his tone. “Well, uh 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙁𝙤𝙧𝙘𝙚 doesn’t change your perception to food or drinks. It may give you an advantage, maybe even the will to drink 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 than others. It more so. .changes the internal you.”

Explaining who he was, and what he did felt like a larger story than he’d like to lead on. But. .given their 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 he figured it wouldn’t hurt.

Something in 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙁𝙤𝙧𝙘𝙚 had brought them together, best to pay attention to that. “I’m a Jedi.” He says, waving a hand. “I uh. .have abilities.”

Her voice brought Luke out of his trance. Artoo gave him a concerned 𝙨𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙥 and 𝙛𝙬𝙤𝙤. “I’m alright, buddy.” He said in a quieter tone.

He shifted his gaze to her, giving a forgiving smile. “Sorry, I sometimes. .𝙙𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩.” Skywalker said, in his best apologetic tone he could give.

Sure, he could almost hear Leia’s thoughts from a Galaxy away - - but that was different. That was 𝙛𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙮.

“I don’t believe we’re alone.”

“I think I’m right where I’m 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙𝙚𝙙, Dar.” Skywalker assured the other, as kindly as he could. There was. . .𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 or someone coming - - Luke couldn’t tell. That part of The Force. .sensing a stranger. .was not something he had yet 𝙢𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙙.

It wore mighty armor and spread wings that seemed to expand endlessly, and although it spewed fire - - it came ice cold. The same sort of cold he felt on the second Death Star. .

This was all inside his mind, to her, it would seem he was merely meditating.

His eyes were closed, like some sleep fueled trance.

Deep within him, the whirl of the Force played amongst his thoughts. During his time on Dagobah it had manifested itself as the infamous Dragon of his homes twin suns.

Luke had managed to find his seat. As she punched electrodrives and brought engines to life with such thematic roars

As she turned, she’d see him sitting, his dark cloak draped over him like a hug. With one hand extended, the black glove he wore rested upon the dome of the droid.

“On arrival, I promise, I am beyond good for them.” Or at least Leia was, and being the brother of a Princess wasn’t something to flaunt about. But being a boy from Tatooine - - he couldn’t help it.

“Just Luke is fine.” He said between a laugh, almost like a huff of breath. “Thank you for this.”

“I have a 𝙜𝙪𝙞𝙙𝙚.” Luke said with a smile. “And they’ve brought me here - - to you.” He nodded forward to the other. “Who are you?”

“I could use some.” Luke says, keeping his tone at a flat level. The saber on his hip shines for a moment with the sway of his robe, before it is covered again by the same dark cloth.

“Waite in the crate?”

@chissdescendancy.bsky.social

“It’s alright. I’m not here to hurt you.”

He said, digging some out of the belt that laid beneath his robe. “So I’m sorry if the resemble a terrible past.”

“Nine grand.” He repeated. “Here’s two grand for allowing us to board.” Luke offered her his dark glove.

“We’ve run into our fair share of them.” Luke said, giving a nod, and the look on his face read something of history.

𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙡𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙮 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚. .𝙇𝙪𝙠𝙚, 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙡𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙮 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚. .

“That’s doable. Imperial Credits are still the norm, although I hear things are 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙜 on Coruscant.”

𝙁𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮.

“Calm down, Artoo.” Luke said with a chuckle, his gloved hand tapping the dome of the droid. He followed the other as they boarded her star ship. “I’m Luke, by the way.” He said formally, finally removing the lengthy hood from his helm. “This is R2-D2.”

“If I say yes, does it increase our budget?” Luke said with a slight smirk, a tone he had picked up being around Han. Leia would smack him upside the head for sure.

Artoo rocks back and forth like an excited toddler, a 𝙛𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙥 and 𝙛𝙬𝙤𝙤𝙥 and possibly even a 𝙗𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙥 that could only translate to:

“Curiously.” Luke began in a quiet voice. Artoo whistled something of a hello, perhaps letting excitement get to him more than he should. “We need to go there as well. Strange, isn’t that?”

The man and his droid walked forth, each of them seemingly in stride with one another.

“How much will it cost?”

His hood split just for a mere second to flash a kind face to the stranger. “Yes, Artoo. I think we 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 found our ride.”