Chapter Text
They’d deliberated about the ship for a couple days.
Normally they would take the Falcon. But Chewbacca was concerned about Han coming out of carbon freeze, and thought they might need a better medbay. They also need something Revenant can live in for a couple days while he waits for everybody to come back from Jabba’s barge. In the end, Lando took the Falcon to Jabba’s, parking it at a distance, and they chose a newer ship. One small medbay, one bedroom with a bathroom. It’s sturdy enough to withstand a sandstorm, and nimble enough if they’re in a jam.
So they go out in the skimmer, Luke taking his X-Wing. They send Threepio and Artoo out ahead and shortly after, Leia gets in her bounty hunter getup, tying her hair back. Luke puts manacles on Chewbacca. Leia turns to Revenant, face resolved.
“I’m ready,” she says.
“I know,” he answers. “Radio in if you need us.”
“I will.” Leia hesitates, then holds something out to Revenant. “I made you this.”
Revenant takes it, turning it over in his hands. It’s a japor snippet on a cord, a hexagonal design, a funnel flower carved onto it.
“May peace follow your days,” he murmurs. He looks up at Leia, swallowing, as he places the snippet around his neck. “Thank you.”
“Yes. Well. Be careful.”
“I will.”
Leia turns to Luke. They hug tightly.
“I’m gonna get him,” she whispers.
“I know,” he whispers back.
Leia releases him. She puts her helmet on, sealing it, and gives them a nod. She rests a hand on Chewbacca’s arm.
“Good luck, Chewie,” Luke says. “Try not to kill anybody you don’t have to.”
Chewbacca makes a no promises sort of grunt. He and Leia leave. Luke and Revenant watch them go before Luke presses the button to seal the ship once more.
Luke is staring into nothing. Revenant is fidgeting, trying not too hard to think about anything in particular.
“Your sister’s tough,” he finally says. “She can handle herself.”
“I know,” Luke answers distantly. “But that doesn’t stop me from worrying about her.”
“I know. Me, neither.”
“Did you worry when Mother was working?”
“Your mother had different work than I did. But it was still dangerous, and I always worried about her.”
Luke looks out the window. “How do you feel about it? Being back?”
“I came back, before.”
“Did you?”
“After I found out your last name. I went to Mos Eisley, and to your farm, and to Obi-Wan’s home.”
“Did you go to Grandmother’s grave?”
“I don’t think… I could bear to face her.” Revenant looks at Luke. “Did you want to go see Owen and Beru?”
“I think I’m going to. Just to say hello.”
“They were buried when I was out there.”
“I know. I’m the one who did it.”
They’re quiet.
“I’m sorry,” Revenant says eventually. “For the part I played in that. They were good people.”
“I know. On both counts.” Luke sighs. “I never wanted to come back here but I’m… glad to be here with you.”
They’re quiet again.
“I think I’m going back to Yoda,” Luke eventually says.
“Are you?”
“I told him I’d come back and complete my training. I just didn’t want to do it until we got Han taken care of.”
“You don’t sound excited.”
“I don’t like hanging out with people who try and convince me to kill you.”
“He’s a good person to train-“
“I know. And I am… better for it. I’m calmer. Quieter. But I’m happier training with you.”
Revenant smiles. “I liked training you, too. You and your sister both.” He sighs. “Are you hungry?”
“Yeah, a little.”
“I’ll make you something to eat.”
“Oh, you don’t have to-“
“I know. But I’m going to anyway.”
Revenant has been able to bring a limited amount of rations. Some freeze dried noodles, a couple spice mixes. He goes outside the ship and silently stalks through the desert until he finds a skag rat. His hunt successful, Revenant takes his prey back to the ship. He skins and fillets it, pounding it flat and rubbing it with one of the spice mixes before he drops the meat in the pot with the noodles.
“What are you making?” Luke asks, poking his head into the cockpit, where Revenant is hunched over a jerry rigged burner.
“Noodle pot,” Revenant answers distantly, stirring. He wishes he could taste it to test it.
“What’s a noodle pot?”
“Something I learned from one of the knights at the Temple. It was a cheap way to eat, during the last war. You have a couple spice mixes, some noodles, a pot and some water, maybe some meat. Usually it’s better than the rations.”
Luke sits across from him. “I don’t think I’ve ever eaten skag rat.”
“They’re better if you tenderize and spice them.”
“Did you used to hunt for meat on worlds during the last war for this?”
"I did. Obi-Wan objected on the grounds that I wasn’t sure everything I hunted was safe to eat.”
Luke grins. “Did you ever get food poisoning?”
“From time to time. I always made sure that I tried it before Snips had any, though. I didn’t want her getting sick because of me. Unless we dared each other to eat something. Then it was what it was.”
“Have you heard anything from her lately?”
“No. Deep cover means deep cover, I assume. I think… I think I would know, if she’d been killed. We’ll see each other again when we see each other again. I have faith.” Revenant stirs it a little. “I think this is ready.” Carefully, he pours it out into a bowl and holds it out to Luke with chopsticks. “Here. You don’t have to eat it if you don’t like it, there’s rations as well. Let it cool first before you try it, though.”
Luke takes it. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Do you miss food?”
“I miss taste more than I miss food. There’s no taste to the vials I use. Chewing and eating, you know, I don’t really miss that. But I miss flavor.”
“Maybe after the war they can figure out a solution to that.”
“Maybe. I’m not holding my breath, though.”
Luke looks down at the bowl. “Father, are you really going to leave once the war is over?”
“No. I’m not. If I survive, I’m staying.”
Luke whips his head up. “Really?”
“Yes. I’m staying until I’m asked to leave.”
Luke grins, blinding. “I’m never gonna ask you to leave.”
“I know.”
“You’ll stay? You really will?”
“If I survive, I’ll stay.”
Luke’s still grinning. “We’ll go to Coruscant and get you real prosthetics. Leia’s got money, y’know, Alderaan has offworld accounts, but they all got frozen by the Empire, and she’s said that once she has access to it again, she’s gonna buy you real body parts.”
“She.” Revenant swallows. “She doesn’t have to do that.”
“Sure, but she’s gonna. We’re gonna get you set up in style.”
Revenant takes a slightly shaky breath. “Thank you. Eat your dinner.”
Luke, still smiling, digs in. “Oh, wow. I’m gonna be honest with you, this is better than I expected.”
“Good. I’m glad to hear it.” Revenant looks out the window. “The suns are setting. Do you want to eat outside?”
“Sure.”
They head outside, sitting in the sand. They look at the suns, out over the ridge.
“I used to come out and watch the suns set,” Luke tells Revenant. “I would stand out on the ridge and watch the sky go all purple, and I would think that surely there had to be more than just this. That sand and suns and sky and moisture spikes and banthas, that couldn’t be all there was.”
“What do you think now?”
Luke tilts his head, stirring his noodles slightly.
“I think it’s a lot prettier than I ever gave it credit for,” he answers. He smiles slightly. “And that after we get off this rock, I never want to come back.”
Revenant laughs softly. “Well said.”
The two of them sit in companionable silence as Luke eats, watching the suns go down.