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fic: poised beyond their reach
31 March 2020 05:44 pmLeia reaches Tatooine without being stopped. [ao3]
It felt, some would later claim, like the twin suns had merged and reached out to engulf Tatooine fully in their fiery embrace. And it was true, all agreed, that there had been a strange wind in the air that day. But none could quite agree what day that was. Only that she came, quiet and unobtrusive, and although change followed much later, it trailed her like a well trained eopie.
Ben felt her like a hard ball of misery and regret, twisting in his gut. Skywalkers. Always shouting. He smiled regardless. Skywalkers. Always moving. He stood, his joints creaking, and decided it was a good day to head into Mos Eisley. He was low on supplies after all, especially if he was going to be having a guest.
She found him in the cantina, burning fierce-bright as a star. Her face - even if she hadn’t radiated like a supernova in the Force, he would have seen Padme in her face and Anakin in the set of her shoulders before she ever opened her mouth. And behind her - at her shoulder. A shock of fear rushed through him, and then desperate, aching affection. He caught Rex’s eyes first, and Rex caught the girl’s elbow, gently steering her over.
All clear, safe, Rex signaled as they approached, then, to Ben’s surprise, pulled him into a warm, gentle hug.
“Rex,” Ben sighed, in greeting, pushing down the urge to nuzzle into him like a child seeking affection. “My name is Ben here,” he told both of them seriously. “I knew something was coming, so I’ve picked up supplies. It’ll be cramped with three of us, but we’ll work something out.”
“Just like that?” Leia asked, wilting slightly. She’d been expecting a fight; so much like Anakin at that age, wanting to help to do something, anything but sit and watch.
“I knew your parents for many years, and while we did not discuss this specific outcome, we always knew that you would eventually need training that Bail and Breha could not provide.”
Leia nodded, the fire in her catching once more. That spark, Ben imagined, never truly went out. She might bank her flames for a time, and adversity might stifle her light down to embers. But so long as she breathed, there would be a candle throwing out light. It was a comforting thought to Ben, whose own flame had been carefully guarded against the Dark for so many long and lonely years.
It felt, some would later claim, like the twin suns had merged and reached out to engulf Tatooine fully in their fiery embrace. And it was true, all agreed, that there had been a strange wind in the air that day. But none could quite agree what day that was. Only that she came, quiet and unobtrusive, and although change followed much later, it trailed her like a well trained eopie.
Ben felt her like a hard ball of misery and regret, twisting in his gut. Skywalkers. Always shouting. He smiled regardless. Skywalkers. Always moving. He stood, his joints creaking, and decided it was a good day to head into Mos Eisley. He was low on supplies after all, especially if he was going to be having a guest.
She found him in the cantina, burning fierce-bright as a star. Her face - even if she hadn’t radiated like a supernova in the Force, he would have seen Padme in her face and Anakin in the set of her shoulders before she ever opened her mouth. And behind her - at her shoulder. A shock of fear rushed through him, and then desperate, aching affection. He caught Rex’s eyes first, and Rex caught the girl’s elbow, gently steering her over.
All clear, safe, Rex signaled as they approached, then, to Ben’s surprise, pulled him into a warm, gentle hug.
“Rex,” Ben sighed, in greeting, pushing down the urge to nuzzle into him like a child seeking affection. “My name is Ben here,” he told both of them seriously. “I knew something was coming, so I’ve picked up supplies. It’ll be cramped with three of us, but we’ll work something out.”
“Just like that?” Leia asked, wilting slightly. She’d been expecting a fight; so much like Anakin at that age, wanting to help to do something, anything but sit and watch.
“I knew your parents for many years, and while we did not discuss this specific outcome, we always knew that you would eventually need training that Bail and Breha could not provide.”
Leia nodded, the fire in her catching once more. That spark, Ben imagined, never truly went out. She might bank her flames for a time, and adversity might stifle her light down to embers. But so long as she breathed, there would be a candle throwing out light. It was a comforting thought to Ben, whose own flame had been carefully guarded against the Dark for so many long and lonely years.
