KINDRED SOULS

This is a companion piece to Images From the Past, but it can also stand alone.

Leia Organa was lying in her bed, soft satin sheets surrounding her body. It was very late - very early, actually - but she could not sleep. Her mind kept returning to the events that had transpired during that evening.

It was one year since the destruction of the Death Star. One year since the Alliance had scored a major victory in the battle against the evil that was the Empire.

One year since her Alderaan had been destroyed.

There had been a banquet commemorating the anniversary of what was now known as the Battle of Yavin. The survivors had attended, and those who had been lost were honored. Leia had worn a beautiful gown of deep blue, and for just a little while she had felt like she was back home on Alderaan, at one of the countless royal dinners her position had demanded she attend. But the feeling had not lasted long, and in it's place there came a quiet sorrow that had threatened to overwhelm her mind and body and soul.

She had felt so alone tonight. So very alone. An orphan Princess without a home. But then she had found Luke, dressed in an elegantly formal version of his Alliance uniform, looking equally lost. Leia smiled gently, and let her mind drift back to the banquet, trying to pinpoint when it was, exactly, that her relationship with Luke had changed?..

****************

He was standing in front of a huge screen that was displaying the hard numbers of the Yavin victory and loss. Names of the fallen scrolled across the screen in an endless loop. Luke was transfixed and did not hear Leia when she approached him.

"How are you doing tonight, Luke?" she asked him, and he nearly jumped, startled.
"I'm fine," he said, unconvincingly. He looked at her then - really looked - and his eyes went wide. Leia chuckled, seeing the farm-boy beneath the pilot uniform.

"You look?very, uh.. nice," he stammered, and Leia's grin increased.

"So do you."

He blushed, averting his eyes from her face to once again stare at the information screen. After a moment his face turned pale, and Leia followed his gaze, realizing immediately what it was that had affected him. There on the screen were the statistics of the Empire's casualties - those killed when the Death Star exploded. The numbers were staggering.

Leia's eyes filled with understanding and sympathy. "You saved us, Luke. If you had not succeeded, the entire Alliance and many other planets would have been destroyed. Just like Alderaan."
"I know," he said softly, his eyes never leaving the screen.

Leia wanted to reach out to him, to put her arms around him and give him comfort. She knew that his status as a hero made him uneasy. People expected greatness from him, now - and there were those who would accept nothing less. Leia knew it was a terrible feeling; to be burdened by the weight of your own reputation. She suddenly felt very ashamed in her earlier self-pity. Luke had lost everything, just as she had. His home, family - even his best friend. She wondered if that was why she always felt Luke understood her; why he had always been so easy to talk to.

Just then, beautiful music began to echo through the Banquet Hall. Leia recognized the piece immediately - it was music from an Alderaan composer. Her heart nearly broke, then she felt Luke's hand touch hers.
"What's wrong?" he asked instantly, as if sensing something was hurting her.

"That song," she said softly, fighting tears. "It's one I grew up with. My father would put me on his feet when I was little and dance with me until I was old enough to follow the steps."
Luke's eyes scanned the dance area that was quickly filling with couples. He hesitated to ask Leia to dance - he had never been much of a dancer. But he felt compelled to do so then. He could almost feel the depth of her sorrow, and he wanted desperately to comfort her.

"Leia, would you like to dance? With me?" he asked quietly, holding a breath for fear of what she would say. He hoped the request would not cause her more pain.

Her large brown eyes looked up at him, and he noticed that they were glossy with unshed tears. She smiled and nodded, and he took her hand and led her to the dance floor.

It was awkward at first, because he did not know the proper steps. He doubted standing on Leia's feet would be appropriate. But after just a minute, he was moving gracefully, almost instinctively, with Leia gently leading him through the dance.

Leia was taken aback at how natural it felt to be with Luke at that moment. She looked into his eyes, and he gazed back with the same amazed expression she knew she must also be wearing. Ever since the first day she met him, Leia knew that Luke was very special. Standing there in that oversized Stormtrooper uniform, announcing his intent to rescue her - she had felt so relieved. She had teased him, yes, but she had been grateful. She had learned later he had disobeyed Obi-Wan Kenobi and risked his life to find her. He had saved her from what would have certainly been a terrible death. And although she did not fear dying, she did not wish for it, either. Luke had saved her life. Indeed, he had saved them all with his incredible shot through the heart of the Death Star.

And when he had volunteered to fly in that battle over Yavin, her heart had gone out to him. Standing there in the control room she had felt as though a piece of herself had been up there in that X-wing with him. They had only just met, but she somehow knew that Luke was meant to be in her life.
Even now, as they moved across the dance floor, she was amazed at the intensity of the bond of friendship they shared. She could almost not feel his hand in hers, as though Luke was simply an extension of her own person. A lost piece of the puzzle that was her Soul. And she instinctively knew that Luke was feeling the same.

The music began to subside and slowly the couples began to disperse. Luke and Leia remained standing together a moment longer, looking into one another's eyes as though searching for something lost. Then ,at the same moment, they realized they were the only ones left on the dance floor - and all eyes were upon them. They looked around the room, then back at one another, embarrassed to be the center of attention. Then they both began to laugh, and just as they were about to leave the floor they saw the flash of a holo-cam. They turned to see Wedge Antilles grinning like a madman, holding up a small holo-cam.
"That is going to be one great holo!" he declared, walking over and slapping Luke affectionately on the back. "You looked really good out there together." He held up the 'cam. "I'll make a copy of this for you."

Leia smiled, Luke blushed, and the two of them hurriedly moved to the center of the crowd, trying to blend in and escape the curious looks people were now giving them.

The remainder of the evening passed slowly. Leia was pulled into several boring conversations about Alliance politics while Luke spent as much time as possible with his pilot buddies. Every now and then Leia would glance in Luke's directions, and each time he would be looking at her, as well.
When the hour was getting late and people were beginning to trickle out, Leia found Luke outside on a balcony, staring up at the beautiful starlit sky as if mesmerized.

"So I guess we survived it, huh?" she asked, moving to stand beside him against the railing.
He looked down, not meeting her eyes.

"Actually...I really had a good time tonight."

She heard the unspoken meaning behind the words as clearly as if he'd said them aloud.
"I did, too."

They stood in silence for a long time, gazing out at the stars, comfortable to just be together. After a while, a voice came over the loudspeakers, announcing that the doors would soon be closing for the night. Leia and Luke turned, looked at one another, silently communicating. He took a step towards her and touched her hand. She hesitated, but only a moment. Then she squeezed his hand and smiled and they walked out of the Banquet Hall together, toward the shuttles that would take them back to the Alliance ships waiting for them high above the planet.

****************

Leia rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling, her thoughts in turmoil. She was in love with Luke Skywalker, she was certain of that now. And she knew he loved her, as well. But she was a leader of the Alliance. She had an obligation to a cause greater than herself. Personal entanglements - it was simply not an option. And Luke - Luke was a pilot and an officer. Maybe even a Jedi some day, if the rumors of his innate abilities were true. She knew in her heart that a romance between them would not work. But she cared for him so deeply. His touch had been gentle, loving. Almost healing. She did not regret the time they had spent together. But to maintain a relationship? No. It simply was not possible. A small voice in her head confirmed that decision, speaking to her silently, guiding her, giving her strength.
She turned her head and looked at Luke's sleeping face on the pillow beside her. Relaxed in slumber, his features took on a different, but very familiar, look. She felt a sudden wave of sadness wash over her and she could not have said where it came from. Without waking, Luke's arms found her and she melted into his embrace, pressing her back against his chest. Feeling his warm breath on her neck, and his warm skin touching hers - the emotions inside her welled up. She silently cried tears of sadness, of joy, of a love found and lost.

Tomorrow they would talk. Tomorrow they would put this night behind them, push it to the back of their memories until it was all but forgotten. They would remain friends. No - Leia somehow knew they were far more than that. They were Kindred Souls - two people brought together by a common destiny. It just did not feel right for them to be anything else.

She closed her eyes, almost laughing at herself for her choice of words. She sighed deeply and readjusted her head on Luke's strong arm.
It didn't feel right..?

Who did she think she was? She almost sounded like a Jedi.

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Thanks for reading, and I do apologize if anyone found this subject more than a little disturbing. Please take a moment to review! I absolutely live for reviews! *lol*