chapter four

THE BLAZING HEAT OF the Tatooine desert was not missed by Amora.

The cantina wasn't air conditioned by any means, but it had provided a nice shelter from the planet's blistering suns. She had almost forgotten about the dry air sweeping through the outpost, blowing sand into unsuspecting eyes, but she certainly remembered now. Stepping outside was like stepping directly into the lava of Mustafar, only much more uncomfortable and inconvenient. At least stepping into lava would provide a quick, easy death. Tatooine only tortured you until you wished there was lava.

Amora raised her hand to cover her face from the rays as the trio quickly hurried away from the cantina as fast as they could. If they were noticed by any stormtroopers, then this whole deal would be for nothing.

"You'll have to sell your speeder," Obi-Wan informed Luke, using his hand to shield himself from what his hood couldn't cover.

"That's okay, I'm never coming back to this planet again," Luke replied from over Amora's shoulder. The group stayed tightly knit.

They took a few more steps before Amora spotted the droids.

"Artoo! Threepio!" she called over to them without breaking stride. "C'mon!"

Artoo turned around at the sound of his name and beeped in delight. Threepio still didn't hear her.

Amora laughed at Artoo's response. "Yes, Artoo. We're heading to Alderaan!"

She turned back around to face where she was walking, expecting the droids to follow.

They walked about a minute longer to Luke's speeder, Amora falling behind him. He sighed as he placed his hands on the side of its exterior.

"How am I supposed to get someone to buy this?" he asked as he looked up at Obi-Wan, a slight whine in his voice.

Amora scanned the crowd around them, searching for anyone that could be eyeing the speeder. She suddenly noticed the loud alien from earlier, the one who was interested in buying. He had a wide, slimy face and stood across the main path in a small group of humans.

Before Obi-Wan could answer, Amora stood on her tiptoes and placed a hand on Luke's shoulder. Leaning forward she whispered into his ear and pointed forward, "Something tells me that slimeball over there would love to buy it off you."

She felt Luke tense under the close proximity and held his breath until she moved away. Amora smirked at his reaction and resisted the urge to laugh. She pushed him forward when he didn't move.

"Yeah, okay..." he breathed out as he walked forward, leaving her with Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan chuckled at their interaction, stepping towards the wall of the building next to them in order to stay out of the way. She followed him without thinking.

Amora lingered by his side awkwardly, hyper aware of his presence. He just made her feel insecure, like she didn't deserve to speak to him.

She bit her lip uncomfortably at that thought. He would probably laugh in her face if he knew she thought that; he was the kindest and most accepting person she knew. But that's what made him so intimidating. He seemed too good to be dealing with a girl like Amora. She held in anger, far too much anger to be a Jedi. And she could never seem to believe in hope. Any positivity that danced through her mind seemed unrealistic beyond measure, and she killed it before she could believe. A man like Obi-Wan Kenobi certainly knew better people.

She glanced up at him, unsure of what to say to break the silence. She hadn't seen him face to face in a long time, only over hologram, and even that wasn't live. What could she say? There wasn't much to tell him.

"Amora, I can hear your thoughts, you know."

She snapped her head towards Obi-Wan, jaw dropping slightly in embarrassment. Her cheeks felt even hotter than the desert they stood in. She was mortified at the thought of him listening in to her insecurities.

"W-what?"

"Your thoughts. They're rather loud," he spoke with a mischievous smile.

"I'm sorry," she blurted out.

Amora immediately cringed at her awkward words. I'm sorry? Who says that?

"If I'm to be honest, I'm not quite sure what to say, either."

She peered up at him from under her eyelashes, grateful that he ignored the topic of her self-doubt. "Really?"

"Really," he confirmed. "Last time I saw you, you were this high." He raised his hand to a position that only reached Amora's waist. "And now, here we are, and I see you as you truly are. You've grown into a leader. It suits you well. I can see you've found your passion."

Amora was stunned into silence by his words. Compliments were a rare luxury when you spent your life fighting for survival. The words almost didn't register with her. They were much too foreign, unexpected. Yet they came from the only person she could ever hope to hear them from.

"Look at this," Luke's voice rang out as he approached the duo, showing the money he'd received. "Ever since the XP-38 came out, they're just not in demand!"

"It'll be enough," Obi-Wan reassured.

Amora blinked. She was still confused by the kind words Obi-Wan spoke to her moments ago. She looked up at him, but he had already turned back around to locate the docking bay.
Shaking her head, she followed him closely, Luke picking up the rear.

They followed Obi-Wan through the tight alleys of Mos Eisley, crowded with all sorts of criminals and smugglers. The dark clay surrounding them casted a gentle shadow across all the life forms, turning even an innocent hitchhiker into a mysterious lone ranger.

"If the ship's as fast as he's boasting, we ought to do well," Obi-Wan spoke over his shoulder to the two young adults.

The sounds of the droids could be heard behind them as they approached the docking bay, meeting Chewbacca at the entrance. Amora greeted the Wookiee with a nod and a smile as he led the way to the ship. He roared back in appreciation... at least she hoped. She did not speak Wookiee.

As they entered the docking bay, a large starship came into view. It took up the length of the entire bay, a gorgeous vessel that had clearly been through battle. Laser blasts peppered the ship all over, not to mention the natural weathering that tore down the ship from years of use and care. It was nothing like the common X-wings or T-47s that the rebellion used for stealth. To put it simply, Amora was in awe of the Millennium Falcon.

Luke, however, seemed to disagree.

"What a piece of junk!" he exclaimed loudly, staring up at the ship in disgust.

Amora glanced over her shoulder at the boy, and a smile tugged at her lips before she could stop it. At some point, he had slipped on a brown poncho that draped dramatically over his frame. Did he really think it was that cold in space?

"She'll make point five past lightspeed," Han defended as he emerged from underneath the ship, rag in hand. "She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts, kid. I've made a lot of special modifications myself."

Amora met Han's eyes as she placed her hands on her hips.

"But, we're a little rushed, so if you could just get on board, we'll get outta here." he spoke with a fake smile, gesturing backwards towards the Falcon.

"Alright, I'm sold." she stated as she stepped past him towards the boarding ramp. She could be stepping into a bounty hunter's ship, for all she knew. But they were pressed for time, and Amora would much rather have to take down a bounty hunter than spend another second on Tatooine.

She heard Luke's footsteps from behind her, so she slowed down before reaching the ramp. He approached her side and they boarded the ship together. She glanced over at the boy with a smirk.

"Costume change?" she teased.

He narrowed his eyes jokingly at the girl as he pulled his poncho tighter around himself. "Hey, don't come crying to me when you get cold."

Amora rolled her eyes as they entered the ship's main corridor. "Fair enough."

They took a right through the corridor with Obi-Wan trailing behind, Amora taking a moment to admire the unfamiliar design. She had never been on a ship like this before. The closest would be the rebellion transports, and even those were a little too confined. This ship was different. Even just from the hall, she could tell this ship was a home.

She started towards the main hold when the sudden sound of blasters rang through the ship. Amora sucked in a sharp breath and felt her muscles tense at the high-pitched noise. She rushed into action, yanking her blaster out of its holster in case they were attacked on board. She ran back to the boarding ramp, heart pounding, as Luke and Obi-Wan flew past her into the main hold. Artoo and Threepio rolled and pattered behind them. She barely registered Han flying past her as well, running rapidly into the cockpit.

"Close the hatch!" he yelled back at her from deep within the corridor.

Without hesitation, she lunged towards the hatch and slammed her hand onto the button. She barely missed a laser that brushed past her waist from the docking bay, hitting the padding of the corridor behind her.

The floor began to rattle and rumble, signaling their departure from Tatooine. Amora stumbled slightly as the ship picked up, tumbling into the wall next her. Placing her hands on the wall for support, she straightened herself up, took a deep breath, and jogged into the main hold. She stood in the entrance as she found Luke, Obi-Wan, Artoo, and Threepio wrapped around a miniature table.

Artoo is safe.

She let out a sigh of relief at the sight as she leaned her back against the doorway.

Luke looked up at her from between Obi-Wan and Threepio with a twinge of fear covering his features. It wasn't surprising. She doubted Luke had ever been a wanted-by-the-Empire criminal aboard an on-the-run starship while being shot at. It took a second for Amora to realize he was looking at her for reassurance.

The ship lurched sharply upwards, sending Amora harshly into the wall next to her. But she picked herself back up, mustered up as much positivity as she could, and nodded confidently back at him with a tiny (yet fake) smile. She knew they would leave Tatooine unharmed, yes, but she also knew they weren't actually safe. But she didn't want him to know that. Fear didn't protect you from reality. If she could take away some of his worry, she would.

He visibly relaxed, nodding quickly back at her, and Amora placed an arm on the wall to hold herself upright. The group fell into silence in the tense atmosphere.

Squeezing her eyes tightly shut, she soon grew uncomfortable at every second that passed in silence. She didn't like not knowing what was going on. She pushed herself lightly off the wall.

"I'm... just gonna..." she trailed off as she backtracked out of the main hold and turned down the corridor to the cockpit. The noise from the hold told her that Luke and Obi-Wan were following.

She took a seat behind Chewbacca after entering the cockpit as her companions came in from behind.

"Stay sharp. There's two more coming in," Han stated. "They're gonna try and cut us off."

"Why don't you outrun 'em? I thought you said this thing was fast!" Luke exclaimed.

Amora couldn't help but clench her jaw in annoyance at his complaint. It wasn't that easy.

"Watch your mouth kid, or you're gonna find yourself floating home!" Han snapped. Amora couldn't blame him. "We'll be safe enough once we make the jump to hyperspace. Besides, I know a few maneuvers. We'll lose 'em."

A few explosions burst outside the window, shaking the whole ship.

"This is where the fun begins..."

He found this fun?

"How long before you can make the jump to lightspeed?" Obi-Wan pressed calmly from behind her.

"It'll take a few moments to get the coordinates from the navi-computer."

"Are you kidding? At the rate they're gaining?" Luke scoffed.

Amora huffed out in frustration, turning to the boy with a glare. "I don't see you flying this thing..." Luke either didn't hear her, or just didn't listen.

"Traveling through hyperspace ain't like dusting crops, boy." Han yelled back. Amora couldn't help but agree with the man. "Without precise calculations, we could fly right through a star or bounce too close to a supernova, and that'd end your trip real quick, wouldn't it?"

A red light on the ship's console began beeping loudly amongst the explosions.

"What's that flashing?" Luke asked while pointing at the console, completely ignoring Han's speech.

Amora gaped at him and slapped his arm away. "Cut it out!" He glared back at her while cradling his arm.

"We're losing our deflector shield," Han informed. "Go strap yourselves in. I'm gonna make the jump to lightspeed."

Chewbacca roared to Han, something Amora couldn't understand, but she listened anyways. She slipped out of the cockpit behind Obi-Wan, who followed Luke back to the main hold.

Once the three of them arrived, Luke collapsed dramatically into the lounge seat across the room while Amora went to check up on the droids. Obi-Wan stayed hovering in the middle of the room.

"I hope you two don't mind," he started as they both looked up at him. "But I think it would be best for me to rest. This is the longest day I've had in years, and my old body is struggling to keep up."

Amora smiled at the man softly as she stood up from her kneeling position. "Of course. We'll come and get you if anything interesting happens." she spoke, a teasing tone in her voice.

Obi-Wan gave her a sincere look of thanks before exiting the main hold into the far corridor, patting Luke on the shoulder as he left. How he knew where the crew quarters were, she didn't know, but she certainly didn't doubt the Jedi.

Amora turned away from the exit to place her attention on the droids.

"Mistress Amora! It's such a pleasure to see you in one piece! Why, I have much to tell you!"

She sighed in defeat, facing Threepio to give him a strained smile.

This is gonna be a long trip...

~  ☼  ~

author's note -

that's another chapter done! question - do you guys prefer longer or shorter chapters? i'm getting through this a lot quicker than i expected tbh. we're about halfway through episode four rn so it should be done in maybe a week or two? then after that i plan to write some chapters that happen in between four and five. i already have some ideas in mind and can't wait to write them! anyways, i hope you enjoyed the chapter! vote and comment if you liked it! thank you for reading! :)

ps - shoutout to @/ivonnereyess for voting! it means so much!