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“Blast,” Luke muttered as he hurried down the corridor. He knew he shouldn’t have taken that turn from the engineering lab; this row of offices looked unfamiliar enough that he was fairly certain he didn’t belong here. The officers would write him up if he got caught.
The Academy wasn’t exactly what he had imagined it to be. He had been so focused on the idea of getting off Tatooine, of being able to fly, that he hadn’t thought about how rules-focused everything would be, how… difficult the work would be. Honestly Luke didn’t think he had any interest in being an Imperial officer.
He supposed it was too late now. He couldn’t exactly go back to Tatooine and admit to Uncle Owen that he should never have left.
If only Biggs hadn’t disappeared so quickly. Luke wondered if the rumors were true, that Biggs had deserted for the Rebellion. Biggs should have told him.
Maybe Luke would have come with.
He was so distracted as he walked that he almost slammed right into the slim girl in white exiting one of the offices. “Sorry!” he exclaimed, grabbing her shoulders and then swiftly releasing her, his cheeks flushing.
She was several inches shorter than him but there was as much imperious disdain in her expression as she looked up at him as in his strictest Imperial instructor. “Please watch where you’re going. That could have been much worse.”
“I’m sorry,” Luke said again, and took in her face more closely. His brain was stuck somewhere at, stars, she’s so beautiful, she’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, but there was something about her that seemed familiar.
It hit him. “Princess Leia! You’re the junior senator from Alderaan. I saw you on the HoloNet.”
“Congratulations.”
Luke ignored her tone. “What are you doing here?”
The princess raised an eyebrow. “You’re a cadet. It’s a bit impertinent of you to ask my business, don’t you think?”
Heat flaring in his cheeks, Luke apologized once more. “You’re right. Sorry. I’m… I’m new here, and I’m not sure I really belong. It’s not anything like Tatooine.”
The princess’ expression softened just barely. “You’re from Tatooine?”
“Unfortunately.”
“Coruscant is quite a ways away. I don’t think the Empire sees many recruits from the Outer Rim.”
“I wanted to be a pilot. Been dreaming of going here since I was a kid.”
“And how do you find it?”
Luke hesitated. How honest could he be with this junior senator from Alderaan, this beautiful stranger that he somehow felt as though he knew? “Not anything like my dreams,” he admitted.
Princess Leia smiled faintly. “Life is never like our dreams, is it?” She cocked her head, as though she had heard a sound, and then pulled him with her into a room three doors down, at the end of the corridor, a dark storage room. She pressed her hand over his mouth as he tried to speak and shushed him.
Startled, Luke tried not to breathe too hard into her hand. It would be his luck that he slobbered all over the palm of this dignified princess two minutes after they met. His eyes slowly adjusted to the dim light but he was still struck by the perfectly bright white of her dress.
Finally she drew her hand back, though she was still carefully listening.
Luke whispered, “Why did you do that?”
The bow of her mouth dipped into a small frown. “I heard someone.”
“Yeah, but why did you pull me in here? You’re in the Senate. It’s not like you’d get disciplined for being in a restricted area like I would.”
“Didn’t we already go over the issue of me not having to explain myself to a cadet?”
“You didn’t want to be seen,” Luke said, unable to drop it, linking the threads in his head as he spoke. “You aren’t supposed to be here.”
The princess continued to gaze up at him, expression tight and unreadable, still with that firm ‘I belong wherever I am’ assurance that he thought must be bred into her. They were standing very close and Luke was struck suddenly by the knowledge of how simple it would be to kiss her, if he could.
Of course he couldn’t. She would have his balls in a vice, he was fairly certain. He wondered how her lips tasted; she smelled very sweet.
“I am supposed to be here,” Princess Leia finally said. “According to some.”
“But maybe not according to the Imperials.”
She shrugged.
Luke couldn’t stop himself grinning. “We’re not supposed to repeat it, but we get a lot of gossip. About the Rebellion.”
“I wouldn’t know,” Princess Leia said loftily.
“Uh huh.” He couldn’t stop grinning.
The princess rolled her eyes and her lips twitched. “Tell me, then, farm boy. What do you know about the Rebellion?”
“I’m supposed to say that they’re criminals and terrorists threatening the Emperor’s hard-fought peace. But I guess… I guess maybe I can see their point.”
Princess Leia had a an unwavering, shrewd gaze that made Luke want to squirm like he was a misbehaving toddler and Aunt Beru had caught him. “Is it such a good idea to tell me that?”
“I don’t know,” Luke said, trying to match her gaze just as firmly. “Is it?”
Her lips twitched again. Luke was pretty sure she liked him, actually. “What’s your name, farm boy?”
Telling her would make it easier for her to report him, if that was her plan, but somehow Luke knew she wouldn’t. “Luke. Luke Skywalker.”
“Well, Luke Skywalker,” Princess Leia said, leaning up to press her lips to the side of his cheek, so close to the corner of his mouth. “Perhaps I’ll see you soon.” She walked smoothly through the door as though she had always meant to be in a dark storage room at the end of a corridor filled with Imperial offices.
Luke leaned back against one of the shelves, clattering the contents. He touched his cheek. “I sure hope so, Princess.”