Suns Among Stars

Book Two:The Light of Love

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A/N1:Major AU story!

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A/N2: I do not own Star Wars.

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A/N3: Please note that this is the SECOND BOOK in a Trilogy.

Please read Book 1: A Man Among Boys first.

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Chapter One:

"Break formation!" Luke Skywalker ordered as a trio of TIE fighters converged on him and his wingman, Wedge Antilles.

"Copy that," was the clipped reply.

Luke and Wedge split apart like two halves of a body of water against a rock. As the trio of enemy fighters flashed past between them, the third member of Luke's flight group came head-on to make piecemeal of two TIEs.

"Nice shot Rogue Three," Luke called as he, Wedge and Tycho Celchu regrouped.

"Thanks," Tycho replied.

Luke checked his scopes for the remaining four members of his pilot roster. Not yet a full squadron of twelve, the Rogues were merely called "Rogue Flight" but their effectiveness as a team was impossible to deny.

Not that Luke was full of himself, or that he and his pilots were cocky… well, unrealistically anyway… but their success time and time again had proven it for them. Luke almost wished he could keep the Rogues at seven. He wasn't itching to add any more men to his roster… because that meant more men who could die under his command.

Luke had yet to lose a pilot, which he was grateful for, yet he couldn't stop thinking that it was inevitable that the Rogues would experience loss.

With a sigh, Luke returned his attention back to the task at hand.

"Rogue Four, how is escort duty going?" he asked.

"I think the Shiny Pearl has another two minutes before she can make the jump, Boss," Wes Jansen replied.

"Right, just keep with her, and once she jumps let me know," Luke instructed.

"Will do."

Luke watched as Rogues Four and Five— Derek 'Hobbie' Klivian— played escort for the Rebel transport that was carrying supplies to the base on Helska Six.

They had already been flying with the transport because Alliance High Command predicted that the Pearl would be targeted. Sure enough, the Empire had been waiting when the Rebel transport had come into open space above Dantooine, where the original courier had agreed to meet to exchange supplies.

Now Luke and his pilots were fending off each new wave of TIE fighters, though Luke had split his team into two. He, Wedge, Tycho and the final member of Rogue Flight, Kasan Moor— designation Rogue Seven— were battling the TIEs and keeping them from converging on the Shiny Pearl while Wes and Hobbie stuck with the transport should any enemy ships make it through the first team's screen.

So far it was working, though Luke knew they couldn't keep this up forever. The Star Destroyer that had deposited the TIEs was rapidly gaining ground on them, and if the Pearl got stuck in the Hindrance's tractor beam, the transport was as good as gone.

Luke thanked the Force that the Star Destroyer was one of the smaller classes, but it still packed a good amount of firepower. Substantially more than the seven X-wings it was flying against.

"Luke, we may have trouble," Tycho called over the link.

"What is it?" Luke asked, looking at his scopes.

"That Star Destroyer is changing course to intercept the Pearl."

Luke thinned his lips as he took note of Tycho's observation for himself. The Hindrance was indeed moving to intercept.

Luke opened a hailing channel to the Pearl. "Rogue Leader to Captain Tanta."

"Go ahead, Rogue Leader."

"You've got company coming from aft," he warned them. "How soon until you can make the jump?"

"We're almost there." Tanta replied grimly. "But we may need you guys to distract them for a moment."

"We'll do our best," Luke promised. "Get out of here as soon as you can make the jump. We'll get out on our own and meet you at base."

"Got it. Good luck," Tanta replied before signing off.

Luke switched to a squadron-wide frequency. "Alright guys, new tactic: let's give the Hindrance hell."

"I like the way you think, Boss!" Wes quipped happily.

Luke smirked, shaking his head as he peeled off to engage the Star Destroyer. Not to anyone's surprise, the larger ship filled their forward viewports with turbolaser fire.

"Stay alert guys!" Luke called, quelling a stab of worry that his men wouldn't make it out. He kept his emotions firmly under control, fully aware of how crippling fear and other such things could be. "Let's make it rain: take out anything you can, just cause a lot of damage!"

"Call the Imps and let Wes tell them a few jokes!" Kasan joked and, despite the situation, there were several chuckles over the open line.

"Hey!" Wes returned with mock anger. "I am a great comedian, thank you very much!"

"Focus…" Luke reprimanded mildly.

"Yes, sir!" the men all chorused.

Luke felt a surge of pride. His men knew when it was time to do their jobs: they could joke, have fun, pull pranks… and in the next second be as serious as General Madine giving orders before an operation. It was what Luke loved most about his friends.

Luke gave himself over to the Force, something he'd become increasingly familiar with in battle. To his dismay, it seemed the only time he could almost effortlessly call upon the mysterious energy field.

He swooped, dove, juked, and jinked to avoid the deadly barrage of laserfire being shot their way from the Hindrance.

He spotted an explosion to starboard, followed by a shout over the comm. link.

"Yeah!" Zev crowed.

"Good shot, Zev! Keep it up boys, the Pearl should be jumping any moment now!" Luke encouraged.

Don't make me a liar now, Tanta… Luke thought at the Pearl's captain.

Luke barrel-rolled under the cross-fire of two turbolaser mounts, spinning into a steep dive toward the bridge of the Hindrance. Partway there, he loosed a salvo of shots from his quad laser-cannons, which simply bounced off the forward shields.

Undeterred, Luke pulled out of his dive right at the edge of the shield, and skimmed the hull, instead taking out one of the gun turrets shooting at his men. Luke was so close to the exploding thing that he ended up flying straight through the fireball that resulted.

"Luke, are you alright?" Tycho asked worriedly.

"Yeah, I'm okay," Luke assured him. "Right Artoo?" he asked in retrospect.

Booeep! Artoo Detoo confirmed.

Luke smiled. The astromech had turned out to be a loyal and trustworthy companion, especially when it came to flying. The droid was able to handle Luke's crazy maneuvers, and accepted most of Luke's orders with no fuss. Luke recalled one of the maintenance crewmembers asking if Luke wanted a newer droid because Artoo, as the man had put it, was 'a little beat up'.

Luke stood by, now more than ever, what he'd said then: not on your life!

"The Pearl's away!" Wedge announced suddenly, breaking into Luke's reverie.

"Good!" Luke breathed in relief. "Alright boys, let's get out of here. Break into our usual wing groups and get going. You know the drill."

"You don't have to tell me twice!" Hobbie returned, peeling off with Wes to where they could jump.

Luke waited for all of his men except Wedge to get clear. One by one, his pilots made safe jumps to hyperspace, and Luke thanked the Force.

"Ready Wedge?" Luke asked.

"Yes sir!"

"Let's go home." Luke put actions to words, and pulled back on his hyperspace lever, watching as the pinpricks of stars turned into the mottled lines of hyperspace.

00000

She craned her neck as X-wing after X-wing entered the hangar bay, waiting to spot the one with the tell-tale blue-and-silver dome of Artoo Detoo.

She pouted as she thought of when Luke would paint her suggested marking onto his X-wing so she could spot his much easier. He'd told her that he would do it when he got permission, but she did not understand why he had to do that: it was his ship, wasn't it?

Princess Leia Organa held her hand to ensure she did not go running off before the starfighters had settled and were shut down. After months of having a father who led a group of pilots, she understood it was a matter of safety.

Still; she waited impatiently for the final X-wing to enter, and once it did her sapphire gaze was riveted upon it. Following the ship's movements, she bounced up and down where she was, unable to contain her excitement a second longer.

"Alright, it's safe to go," Leia announced when Luke's X-wing was in place and the canopy began lifting.

As soon as the adult's hand released her, she was off in a whirl of flowing black pigtails and delighted squeals.

"DADDY!"

The other pilots, in various stages of exiting their own vehicles, looked on with mixed expressions of humor or acceptance as the little girl navigated the obstacle course that was separating her from her target.

"Daddy, daddy!"

Luke Skywalker lifted his head, spotted her, and instantly grinned. Whipping his helmet off Luke exited his cockpit, making it to the floor just in time to receive the enthusiastic greeting of his daughter.

"Shmi!" He caught her and lifted her up into his arms, where she crushed him into a tight hug.

Shmi Skywalker buried her face in her father's chest, holding him with almost desperate need. He had been away for almost two days, and it had been so lonely without him.

"I missed you Daddy," Shmi whispered.

"I missed you too, Sweetheart," Luke assured her.

He kissed her head lovingly and then set her down, offering his hand. Shmi took it eagerly, holding fast as Luke led her back through the forest of X-wings.

"Hiya Shmi!" Wes greeted her with a hand to her head. He mussed her hair affectionately and Shmi giggled, pulling away.

"Uncle Wes!" she complained.

"Just giving you helmet hair like us," Wes assured her with a playful wink.

He ambled off with Hobbie— who gave Shmi a jaunty wave and broad smile— to find some food in the mess hall. Kasan and Zev also gave Shmi warm hello's as she and Luke passed, both seeing to it that the needs of their ships were being met by maintenance workers before they joined their fellow pilots.

"Well, if it isn't our youngest Rogue!" Wedge greeted as he and Tycho joined the Skywalkers as they passed the two front-most snubfighters.

"You know, all she's missing is the attire," Tycho mused aloud.

"Uncle Wedge! Uncle Tycho!" Shmi beamed, releasing Luke's hand to grab each man in an eager embrace.

The sight, while warm to Luke's soul, also sent a small pang through Luke's heart.

Rogue Flight had become a plethora of loving uncles for his daughter, and she adored each man in return. In fact, there were so many 'uncles' in her life now that Luke had to wonder if she wouldn't grow up to be a complete tomboy.

And while he wasn't opposed to that— if that was what she wanted, then he would love and support her in her wishes— but he had to wonder if there would be a mother figure in her future.

At least she had Leia, who was like an aunt to Shmi now. But still; the ratio of men in Shmi's life to women was a little— no, make that a lot— out of balance. And while Luke wasn't specifically searching for a wife or anything, he did hope that someday he'd be able to find a woman to call family… and not in the sisterly fashion he had established with Leia.

But if that same woman could not accept Shmi, and vice versa… he'd keep looking. Shmi's happiness and well-being came first for Luke.

"Hey, you alright?" a quiet voice asked as Shmi continued to talk with Wedge and Tycho, who were now swinging her along between them as they all traversed their way out of the hangar and toward the mess hall.

Luke felt a gentle smile tug at his mouth, and he glanced over to Leia, who he only now realized had joined him.

"Just thinking," he admitted evenly. "There aren't a lot of female role-models in Shmi's life. I'm just a little worried about that, is all." He flashed Leia an apologetic look. "Not that I'm not grateful for you spending time with her, it's just…"

Leia rested a hand on his arm to halt his explanation. "I understand, Luke."

He gratefully patted her hand where it rested on his arm. "Thank you."

"Personally, I think she's doing just fine," Leia informed him. "She she behaves wonderfully while you're away, and she's always eager to learn new things. She loves working on your ship with you, and I'm certain that if you took her to the sims she'd be flying like an ace."

Luke grinned at the thought of Shmi in the X-wing simulator. "Maybe I could take her some time."

"You know she'd have a field day with that," Leia seconded.

They shared a quiet laugh, and then Leia turned business. "So… did everything go alright, aside from fending off a Star Destroyer?"

"Yes." Luke nodded. "The Pearl got away with minimal, if any, damage."

"You guys are the best," Leia praised. "Captain Tanta says you kept his pathway clear almost the entire time."

Luke shrugged sheepishly. "Just doing our job."

Leia smirked at his Farmboy-humility. "Well, we're grateful for it."

They arrived at the mess hall, at which point Shmi returned to Luke, who took her through the food line.

Minutes later they sat down at the same table the Rogues usually reserved when eating together, Leia right alongside them. Banter and regular conversation was plentiful as the group of friends released tension after two days on duty.

"I still think Wes could have done much more damage to the Imps had we let him tell them jokes," Kasan said around a mouthful of food.

Everyone laughed while Wes affected a wounded look, placing a hand to his chest.

"I'm hurt that you don't appreciate my stellar talents," he sniffed. "And just for that, I'll tell you some new ones I picked up from the Renegades…"

There was a chorus of groans around the table, but that only encouraged Wes, who grinned from ear to ear as he started in on his 'new' routine.

"What do you get when you cross a fruit with a bounty hunter?"

More moans.

"Mango-Fett!" Wes beamed proudly.

Luke glanced to Shmi as she giggled amid the rest of the men slapping foreheads or shaking heads. Zev went so far as to bang his head on the table.

And amid it all, Luke knew he wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

"One more!" Wes announced cheerily.

"NO!" Three Rogues shouted in sync, but of course Wes ignored them.

"What does a rancor say after eating a Wookiee…"

(A/N: I got my two jokes from the internet.)