Chapter Text
The doors hissed open and Leida winced at the noise. The shocked face of a short dark skinned woman filled the sights of her blaster. Their eyes met and in that moment they both knew the woman was already dead as Leida slapped the trigger.
Nothing happened.
No burst of red. No woman lying dead on the ground by her hand.
Instead the woman dropped down, firing her blaster.
An explosion ripped apart the console as Leida ducked behind it. Her attention shifted to the blaster in her hands with all of its strange buttons and levers. “Shit.” She was frantic in trying to figure out what could be wrong with it. But she had never handled one before, all she new of them is what she saw in her holodramas back home. And those dealt more with love than fighting.
Sobs and screams emanated from the girls around her. Their voices pleaded with the force, the rebels, and anyone who would listen to let them live. Beside her Jaina let out a constant mutter of, “it doesn’t work. We’re doomed. I want to go home.”
Pushing a button in the hopes to make the blaster work she swore as it instead detached a small black box. She fumbled to grab it as it fell to the floor. Leaning forward and barely out of cover to catch it before it scattered across the floor.
Rubble filled her vision as the ground in front of her exploded, red light searing her retinas, but the magazine graciously in hand. With trembling fingers she tried to reinsert it.
Upside down.
No.
Turn around.
Okay, in it goes.
Raising the blaster above the burning console she slapped the trigger a few more times in the general direction of the door, to no effect.
She heard one of the rebels, a woman, probably the one she tried to kill, bark a few orders and someone answered in the affirmative. The next second a small round canister bounced across the floor moving past the relative protection of the now destroyed console.
Her mouth barely opened to form the word “grenade" when it exploded feet away.
Leida was dead. She must be dead, she thought to herself. The entire world had gone white and her eyes couldn’t focus on anything. All sound had died away from a deathening bang.
But could dead people feel?
A punch to the face sent her toppling to the side as her blaster was wrenched from her grip.
Slowly the world came back to her. Fuzzy at first when she saw the woman standing above her, the barrel of a blaster aimed at her face came into focus soon after. Her lips were moving, and after a few moments Leida realized she must be saying something.
The words came as if from across a vast chasm, “... hands up. Turn around.” Leida hissed as she turned over, her front stung as if she had belly flopped into a pool, and her exposed skin burned where it rubbed against her scratchy uniform.
“You there. Get cuffs on these-” the woman paused for a moment. “Fuck. They’re all kids. Imperial bastards.”
“Right away Cinta.”
Leida whined a little as the metal of the cuffs were placed around her wrists and she was hoisted back up to sit against the now smoldering console.
Cinta gave her a sly smile as she picked up the blaster Leida failed to use and gave it a look. “You nearly killed me. But,” she flipped a switch on the side of it, and pulled the trigger sending a red bolt into a corner, “you forget about the safety.”
Leida nodded slightly feeling the need to be sick. “It was courageous of you though. Also very foolish.” Cinta let out a sigh and looked up at the destroyed console. “Damn, they aren’t going to be happy about that.”
Leida’s whole body started to feel jittery and pain shot through her as the adrenaline started to fade away. White hot pain shot through her body from her leg whenever she tried to move it. When she winced from the pain her face protested at the movement. “Ow” she hissed through her teeth, and winced in more pain as the handcuffs rubbed across her burned skin.
Jaina spoke up. “What are you going to do to us?” Her voice was full of concern and worry.
Cinta let out a sigh and rubbed her nose. “You will be sent to a prisoner camp. You will remain there while your release is negotiated with your families or with the empire as part of a prisoner exchange.”
Leida felt herself grow cold at that. Her life being sold yet again. Her breathing started to hitch and she wanted to run. Leida let out an animalistic growl from the thought and pain.
“Hey, hey, hey.” Cinta crouched in front of her, her eyebrows creased in concern. “Are you doing alright?” Leida tried to lie and say yes. Instead she let out a pained whimper as she tried to bring her knees into her chest. “You’re alright. We’ll get you to medbay and you’ll be fine.”
Leida nodded, feeling miserable. She could imagine a new price scrawled across her forehead. Five Leidas for one rebel trooper. Even that price might be a little high.
Cinta turned to one of the others. “How is securing the base going?”
A man wearing a large radio whispered into it before reporting. “Finishing sweep and clear. Security is believed to be neutralized.”
“Medivac?” Cintra asked.
“First medivac of high risk casualties are already off. Waiting for the final sweep and clear to be complete before moving walking wounded, ma’am.” Cinta nodded and turned to watch the room.
As they waited for what felt like hours, the rebels started to explain what the process was going to be like for them. They would be spending lots of time in the prison camp before their releases could be arranged. The other girls have settled down when they learned that they won’t be killed. Even the term “prison camp” felt like a loose definition after serving on one of the army’s many communication relay stations. For however bad it was described, it sounded like rebel prison had more liberties than the empire ever afforded them.
Jaina actually asked if they were allowed to put on plays. Apparently having enjoyed doing them in school before she was forced to conscript in the Army after one of her essays was deemed problematic to the empire when applying to college.
The radio operator looked up and nodded at Cinta. “Alright everyone, line up. You two.” She gestured towards a couple of the rebel soldiers. “Escort them to the transport.” Leida made to join them but Cinta put a hand on her shoulder. “Not you, we need to get you checked out in medbay.”
Leida shifted slightly as she sat down. Wincing from the pain in her leg. The girls on her shift looked a little sorry for her as they filed out. Eventually a crew with a bunch of tools came into the room.
Cinta looked at a couple of scraggly men handling them. “Cassian, Basso, are you two good to get everything out of here?”
Basso looked slightly peeved at the destroyed console. “What did you do to this one!”
Cinta chuckled and gestured towards Leida. “She tried to hold off all of the rebels by herself with just a single blaster.”
Cassian raised an eyebrow. “Did anyone get hurt?”
“Nah. Would have killed me if she knew how to disengage the safety. But she took a punch to the face and a flashbang for her troubles.”
Cassian shook his head. “Lot of trouble for one so young. How old are you?”
It took a second before she realized she was supposed to answer. Through swollen cheeks she answered “fourteen.”
A hint of darkness spread across all of their faces. Basso muttered, “that's why we fight.”
“If you got a handle on this I’ll get her to a med transport. Let the Captain know where I am at.”
Cinta helped her onto her feet, keeping both blasters on the other side of her as they walked through the base. She was gently asked to close her eyes at some parts. But Leida couldn’t help herself from looking.
Bodies were strewn across the floor. Mostly that of the Empire, though a few rebels laid dead. The empire soldiers looked so much younger then the rebels, who ages ranged widely from still a teen to in the latter half of their middle ages. The empire had a bunch of conscripts only a few years older by contrast.
Leida remembered the first time she had been to a hospital. She was seven and on a vacation with her family to Chandrila and she had a compound fracture on her right arm. A little too adventurous when seeing how much of her weight the higher branches could support. Her dad rushed her to hospital as he was the one watching her. Mom eventually rushed in when they were finishing up her cast, explaining how a holo call into the senate kept the news from reaching her.
Everything was calm in the Chandrila hospital. Doctors went back and forth at a lazily pace. Nurses took the time to idly chat to set patients at ease. It was clean and sterile.
That was not the case here.
Teams of doctors ran across the room holding surgical tools as they performed surgery in the open room. The beeps and hisses of machines filled the air with the gasps and moans of the injured. The walls were painted in sections so that the various green paints used did not match each other. In some spots the floors and walls were smeared with blood.
The in-processing nurse took one look at her and pointed to the hallway away from the worst of it and to the relative calm. Snapping her cuffs to a chair Cinta left for a moment before coming back with some medical supplies.
With a pair of scissors she cut the pants just above where the blaster hit her and Leida winced. “Nasty burn isn’t it..” Cinta got serious as she cleaned the wound, applied ointment and bandaged it up.
Cinta looked pensive for a moment before asking, “do you have any family?”
Leida felt herself deflate some. “Somewhere I guess.”
“They’ll ask this when you get to the prison center. But for people as young as you, we want to give you a chance to return home if possible. So they’ll-”
Leida glared at the woman who could have, and would have been justified in killing her hours before. “I don’t want to be sold back to the empire.” Leida bared her teeth.
“What do you mean by-”
“Cinta! Cinta, are you here. Oh thank the force.” Leida’s mouth went dry as she heard the voice. Her head snapping towards it and growing wide when she saw Vel sprint down the hall with a lack of care that was shocking, even on her aunt who always lacked decorum. Vel lifted Cinta up in a bear hug and kissed her before setting her down. “I thought! Those bastards.”
“What? What's wrong?” Cinta looked shocked at the stress on Vel.
Leida croaked out “Aunty,” but was too shocked by the turn of events to properly enunciate anything. Instead it came out as a soft cry.
Vel held Cinta's face and scowled. “I was told you were in medbay and nearly dead.”
“Cassian said that?”
“No. Thomas I think it was. What about Cassian-”
“Aunty Vel.” Leida’s voice shook from the strain and worry about how her aunt would react to her working for the empire. She almost worried that it was someone else when Vel didn’t respond immediately. Instead Vel’s back stiffened and her relief filled face was replaced with shock as she turned around.
“Oh my.” Then in a flash Vel was by her side with a handkerchief out. Sucking on one end before dobbing it on her face. After a brief moment of frantic motion she paused then hugged Leida.
Leida felt tears start to roll down her cheeks as she awkwardly returned it with a one arm hug. “Aunty Vel.” The tears are starting to come more easily.
“Leida I can’t believe it's you. You… you. I’m just glad you’re here.” Her eyes suddenly turned worried as she looked down at Leida with an appraising eye. “Are you alright? What happened, what's wrong?”
Cinta laid a hand on Vels shoulder. “Leida was it?” Both Vel and Leida nodded an affirmation. “Worst of it is a mild burn on her leg from a blaster. But, uh- is she really your niece?”
“Yeah. Little Leida.” Vel chuckled slightly.
“Oh kiff. Well I also flashbanged and punched her.”
“Why?”
Leida felt a lump in her throat form, and before Cinta could answer she rasped out. “I tried to kill her.” She watched with bated breath to see what Vel would do. If she would be sent back with the other empire soldiers. To be sold back to the empire in a prisoner swap. Her breath started heaving with that thought.
The world was starting to go blurry as she lost track of it all for a moment until she felt Vel holding her hand. Her handcuffed hand had been released from the cuffs and Vel was holding it to her own stomach. “…in, hold 3. Out, hold 3.” Leida was trying to keep track of the breath movements. Failing quickly for a while, then succeeding for a little while longer before losing it again. All the while improving.
Vel was by her side telling her how to breath, and that she was doing great. When Leida finally calmed down, Vel smiled at her. “It’s alright Leida. Cinta won’t hold a grudge. Will you?”
Cinta smiled as she fumbled with the hand cuff. “Nope. At least if you don’t, uh.” And gestured to her face, “hold that against me.”
Leida smiled slightly. “Deal.” And her face grew grim. “What happened to mom and dad?”
“We can have that conversation later.”
“Aunty Vel. Please.” Leida begged.
“Not right now Leida.”
Leida was open-mouthed in horror for a second before continuing. “But you said you will always tell me the truth.”
Vel took a deep breath. “Alright, fine. Your mom is alive and with the rebellion. Perrin is- I’m sorry, he’s- The empire-” Vel stomped her foot a bit and rubbed her thumb against Leida’s hand as she watched the girl’s eyes grow watery.
“He’s- dead. I’m sorry.” Cinta grasped Leida’s shoulder as a sign of support. “I’ve been told that he meant the world to you.” Leida wanted to disappear. Or go back to the days before everything went wrong. To hug and hold her dad again. “Mon is around. She’s in the base.” Leida grasped Vel’s hand tighter. “She is going to be happy to…”
“Not right now dear.” Vel stopped her girlfriend from continuing on as Leida started to shake slightly and her breath grew more ragged. Vel brought the girl into her arms and rubbed circles on her back, like she used to do when Leida was just five and scraped her knee.
“She left before we were taken.”
Vel stiffened slightly and paused in rubbing her back. “Yes.”
“She left for the rebellion and left us for the wolves.”
“Yes.”
“She cares more about the rebellion than me and… and.” Leida hickupped before she could finish.
Cinta swallowed before talking. “We took a vow. So when the rebellion calls we answer.” Leida could no longer hold it in any longer and started sobbing. Sobbing for the father who died. The childhood in cinders. And a mother who didn’t even care to tell her to run. Not when she was destroying her life, not when Leida was going to ruin her own.
Leida did not remember much from when she was led through the rebel base. She had a vague sense of walking past her mom, but Vel pushed them past her. She thinks that maybe Cinta stayed behind to explain something but it was hard to tell what was real. The fear and sadness she has felt for a long time became unbearable and spilled out in the safety of her aunt's arms. Now she just felt completely drained of energy.
After a while Leida started to feel a bit more energized and she took in her surroundings. Vel was by her side holding her hand. They were sat on two small beds which were lashed together to make it act as one larger bed. Cinta was going around the room picking up a few things and putting them in a bag.
“Is she your wife?” Leida croaked out.
Both Vel and Cinta blushed. “Not quite. Cinta is my girlfriend.”
“Oh.” Leida paused to watch Cinta collect her items. “Aren’t you supposed to get married first… before you, you know…” Leida looked down before spreading her fingers out on both hands into v-shapes and sliding them together in a lude manner.
Vel’s voice gained an octave as she started talking. “Oh you know adults. I do make my own choices and all. And really, contrary to what you might have heard.” Vel slapped herself in the face. “You know about stuff. I’m not going to explain this.” Cinta started giggling and gave Vel a kiss on the cheek before walking to the door. Leida couldn’t help but chuckle slightly at her aunt's antics.
“Enjoy your conversation.” Cinta looked over at Leida. “Vel has told me a lot about you. I look forward to getting to know you better. Bye.”
Vel stood up and smiled at her. “I’m glad my suffering makes you happy.” Leida laughed.
“Uhm, where should I go?” She rubbed the back of her neck.
“We will find a space for you. But for tonight you can stay here.” Vel went to her locker and took something out of it. “I got something for you, a while back.” She held up a dress. More on the casual and informal side of things. But it was pretty and far better than a ruined uniform she had on.
She took it from her aunt and smiled. “I can’t wait to wear it.”
“You can wear it now. I’ll go get us some food.” Vel slid out of the room.
Leida frowned slightly as she put it on. It was her style. Probably not going to be overly practical while on a military base. But it made her feel like a person. Even if she felt like a shadow of the person she once was. And the dress served to highlight that.
It was baggier on her than it should be. Hanging off of her more than what her civilian clothes used to. She never realized that she lost that much weight, whether it was due to poor nutrition, stress or some combination of the two.
Looking into a mirror she looked different as well. The recent fight left her face grimey and skin raw. A once youthful face had turned gaunt, with bags forming under her eyes. With eyes that hardly looked like her own. Having lost their spark of youth, in its stead the steeliness of someone who had seen too much took their place.
She let out a sigh when Vel entered the room again, and forced a smile back on her face. Vel laid a tray of food on the room's sole small and cramped desk. The food looked far more appetizing than what she had been forced to eat for the past few months. A piece of flatbread and some actual distinguishable meat, rice and vegetables. A far cry from what she grew up with but leagues better then what the empire provided them.
They sat and ate in silence for a while before Leida spoke up. “So Cinta seems nice.”
“Yeah she’s great.” Vel smiled and looked off in the distance.
“I’m happy you didn’t get stuck in the,” Leida lowered her voice and mimicked the cadence of the elders she was once so taken in by, “great and honorable tradition of Chandrilan marriages.” Her shoulders slumped as she finished and stabbed the last bit of food.
“Did your marriage go through?” The tone was cautious.
“Thankfully not.” Vel let out a sigh of relief before Leida felt anger swell up inside her. “Because it wasn’t what I was told. I thought it was some great act of love from the parents. You know, make sure that we always have people there for us. Be part of a big family to always keep us safe. Choose a partner that will maximize our happiness. But no. That's not what it is at all about. It’s about the parents. Ensure that they have what they need. Be it power, connections or- or money! Fucking money! HOW EXPENSIVE OF A- A- FUCKING WHORE WAS I TO HER?!” Leida stood up and tried to pace only to be stopped by a wall, so she beat her chest to emphasize the last sentence.
“It was killing her to do it. To look at you and know- know she was selling your future. But it had to be done. For the rebellion.” Leida glared down at her aunt whose words lacked conviction. “To protect you too.”
“Protect me? She left us behind to get captured. You said it yourself. Dads dead. And she was already gone. Not a word of warning to us.” Leida stared at her aunt, daring her to say something.
“Her handler, the bastard he is, only gave her an emergency meeting signal. Then extracted her before she knew what was happening.”
“I don’t care!” Leida shouted at the top of her voice. “She should have done- something!” Vel looked around the room as if it had ears. And Leida suddenly felt foolish when she realized the sound of feet from beyond the door weren't hard to make out. This wasn’t home. A place where she could vent her feelings at the top of her lungs. Leida stomped and huffed, wiping her eye, but staying silent.
“Thats alright-” Leida fixed her aunt with a deadly glare and turned around. Behind her she heard her aunt sigh and start picking things up. “We will have to have this conversation later.
Leida stared at the wall, trying to make sense of everything. Only to run in circles around her head. The day had worn her down. From the terror of the fight, to emotional relief and turmoil. Not caring to get out of her dress she climbed on top of the bed, staring at the wall. Willing sleep to take her.
The mattress sagged as Vel sat down close to her, to rub circles on her back. Like she had done many before. Eventually an uneasy sleep found her.