"Is this little thing really worth nothing to the Rebellion?" Leia asked.

Mon Mothma shook her aged head, her short brown hair shaking slightly. Her white gown shone in the light. "Nothing at all. It is a weapon of evil. If your portent brother were able to translate this, he would entirely agree with me."

Leia nodded, her beautiful brown eyes surveying the pendant carefully. "Luke told me about everything. I feel so bad for him."

"Tell you? About what?"

Leia started. "Oh, he didn't tell you? Well, I suppose I shouldn't pass it along. I'm sorry. It's just a personal thing that happened to him on Tatooine."

Mon Mothma nodded nobly. "Yes. I understand."

At that moment Luke stepped into the room. In Leia's opinion, he looked terrible. His hair was mussed, his clothes uneven, and bags lay underneath his eyes, proving an obvious lack of sleep.

"Hello, Commander Skywalker," Mom Mothma greeted him. "So good to see you again. You're a hero; you have saved the New Republic from yet another near disaster from the Empire."

"Thanks," Luke murmured. He looked at Leia.

"Um, will you excuse us for a moment?" Leia said hurriedly. "I think Luke needs to speak with me alone."

Mon Motham nodded. "I will see you two later," she replied, then left.

Luke looked down at his sister, alone at last. "Leia." He looked at her. "Thank you. You've been..."

Suddenly Luke broke down and cried. He hugged his sister, and rested his head on her shoulder. She was surprised at his brother's emotions, but she accepted them and held him with love. She understood, in a way only a sister could.

"Luke, she'll always be here for you," Leia whispered. "She'll never leave your side."

Luke stepped back and sniffed. His face was now pink, and he looked overly terrible, now. "You've been so supportive. I just had to thank you for that."

"You're welcome," she muttered. She hugged him again. She truly loved her brother, like Han only in a different way, and she hated when something happened to him. Like a chain reaction, she felt his moods and carried them on through her. So now a wave of depression flowed through her. She released him the second somebody stepped in.

It was Han. "Hey, kid, I've ... oh."

He had seen Luke's face. "Luke, are you okay? What happened?"

Luke was silent, so Leia filled in for him. "He's fine, but I'm sure he really doesn't want to talk about it. Maybe later."

"Should I leave, or..."

Luke opened his mouth. "No, Han, you can stay. Don't leave."

Luke wanted all the support he could get. And he just stood there, surrounded by his best friends, and cried more. Leia watched him cry endlessly. She knew the pain. Alderaan. But to Luke, she knew it was more than that. It wasn'tonly the girl of his dreams, it was the one he loved, worshipped.

After awhile, Luke calmed down and let Han and Leia soothe him. But although he stopped crying on the outside, Leia knew he'd never stop crying on the inside.

Luke lay in bed. He'd been in there several hours, staring up at the celing. He couldn't forget her. Ever. His mind wouldn't leave her face. He'd just been lying here ever since Leia and Han had left.

And then he heard a voice. "Luke?"

Oh, now he was hallucinating too. You don't just see her everywhere, now you have to hear her, too.

But then there was a blue light. A blue light that filled up the room with its presense and warmth. And he felt her now, too.

"Dilaaana?"

Luke turned his head to see a figure standing by the door. He knew that face. It was her, only she was transparent, illuminated, like Ben had been one time. "Hello, Luke," she said quietly.

Luke threw the covers off and sat up. "Dilaaana," he whispered. "Oh, I miss you so much."

"Luke, I just wanted to see you, one last time."

"One last time?" Luke exclaimed. "You can't leave me, again. You're everything to me, Dilaaana. You're my life. I've let you go once, and you're not leaving again."

"Luke, I - I have to." Dilaaana's hair shimmered with a blue illumination. "I'm glad I was a part of your life once. Even though it was for only a day. I remember you back on Endor. You saved us. You nearly saved my father. He'd be proud."

The everpresent tears sprung back to Luke's eyes. He surpressed anger. "Damn Jlenet," he murmured. "He murdered you. For absolutely no reason."

"He wanted to kill you, Luke," she said, "but he took it out on me. He couldn't get you, Luke. You're blaming yourself; don't. It couldn't have been helped.

"I have to go, Luke."

"No. No you don't." Luke shook his head wildly. "You're staying, you're sitting right next to me, and you're going to stay there."

"I can't, Luke. I'm sorry."

Luke trembled. "But you'll come back, right?"

"I'll try. Maybe eventually. You know I'd have stayed by your side always."

"Yes, I know."

"Goodbye. I'll be with you, always. I love you."

Suddenly, a blinding blue flash filled the room, and the figure of Dilaaana vanished, leaving Luke alone and in the dark.

He stared at the spot where she had been. "I love you too, Dilaaana," he whispered, knowing no one was there to hear it. He was alone again. Because although she said she'd try to come back, he knew that that would be the last time he'd ever see her. Her blonde hair, green eyes. Dilaaana.

Remember our conversations, how we were in love. How we shared those kisses that lasted forever. How the world seemed to stop when we spoke, when you whispered in my ear. How everything was simply perfect when we held hands.

I remember.

Back to the creative corner...