We Remain
Title: We Remain
Author: kerrykhat
Fandom: Star Wars
Rating: PG
Summary: It’s been a little over two years since the Hellmouth sucked her in and spat her out on Tatooine and Luke found her.
Disclaimer: Joss Whedon owns "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and related characters; Lucasfilm owns "Star Wars" and related characters; I own nothing.
Word Count: 2005
Author's Note: Response to the prompt, "friends" at tth100. Will clean up later, since my muse decided to kick it into high gear with an hour left to post. Also, will probably end up being a new series because I don't have enough BtVS/Star Wars series floating out there. It takes place several months before A New Hope.
Buffy raced through the deserted hallways of the high school, as fast as the confined space would allow. She could hear the Mayor following behind her, but she didn’t dare turn around and look. It would cost her what advantage she has staying ahead of the Demon Formerly Known As The Mayor.
Sliding a little into the turn, she bounces off a locker before sprinting towards the library and the explosives underneath. Giles had volunteered to set them off, but she’d brushed aside his offer. She didn’t want him near the explosion. She was already sacrificing too many people to get this shot of killing Wilkins. She didn’t want to potentially add somebody else to that list.
Panting, she tore through the deserted library, reaching the windows just as a large shape burst through the doors. Ducking her head, she leaped through them, rolling when she reached the ground and ignoring the glass digging into her skin. “Gotcha,” she gasped, reaching the detonator and plunging it down before covering her ears.
She felt the heat of the explosion blossom outward. Even protected, her ears ached from the blast and began to ring. Smoke filled her nostrils and she tried to cover her mouth and nose with her graduation gown without removing her hands from her ears. Counting slowly to ten, she turned around to survey the damage.
Flames engulfed the library and were starting to spread to other parts of the school. Buffy watched in semi-sick fascination, taking a couple of steps closer to get a better view. A muffled thump came from the building and part of the walls caved in, leaving Buffy with an unimpeded view of the carnage.
“Damn,” she whispered, impressed in spite of herself. From burning down a gym to blowing up a school. She was really acing this whole delinquent thing.
She didn’t realize the danger until too late. A wave of energy rippled outwards from the destroyed library, slamming into her and knocking her to the ground. Buffy barely had time to catch her breath before the undertow started dragging her closer and closer to the burning building. She opened her mouth to scream but…
~*~*~
“Buffy? Buffy?”
She heard a voice faintly calling her name, cutting through the nightmare and slowly pulling her out of it. Buffy screwed her eyes shut and inhaled deeply. Dry air, without a hint of smoke, filled her lungs and she held it for a moment before exhaling.
“I’m alright, Luke,” she replied, not opening her eyes. Buffy didn’t like it when Luke caught her in the middle of one of her dreams. It meant that he would be asking questions, and as much as she loved him like the little brother she never had, she didn’t like talking about the ones that haunted her dreams. “Go back to bed.”
“Can’t. We’re getting an early start to see Biggs off, remember?” he asked, and Buffy started cursing silently. “I came in to see if you were awake, and--”
Buffy interrupted him with a groan before he could get too far. “Gimme ten minutes and I’ll be ready to go.”
“You mean twenty, right?” he retorted and laughed when Buffy half-heartedly threw a pillow at him without looking. “I’ll check-in in fifteen.” The brat closed the door before Buffy could find another projectile to launch at him.
Scrunching up her face in distaste, Buffy slowly rolled out of her bed and landed with a thump. Her room on the moisture farm was sparsely decorated, other than dirty clothes strewn about the floor. Stumbling to the dresser, Buffy pulled out the drawer and ran through her options. She didn’t have that many pairs of clothes, and she grabbed the nicest tunic she owned. Shivering in the cool morning air, she quickly pulled on her outfit and started untangling her hair into something somewhat normal looking.
Buffy just finished braiding her hair back when Luke knocked at the door again. “I brought you some caf,” he called out. Unable to help herself, Buffy grinned and opened the door to accept the peace offering.
“I’m just about ready,” she told him after her first long, glorious sip. Caf wasn’t coffee, but it was the closest equivalent in this galaxy and she’d take what she could get. You didn’t get to be picky about these things on Tatooine, where you fought for everything you got.
She quickly downed the caf, swinging by the kitchen to drop off the mug before going to the garage to join Luke in the speeder. He drove in silence to Anchorhead, much to Buffy’s relief. As much as she hated the thought of Biggs leaving for the Academy, she was perversely grateful that his friend’s loss was keeping Luke from quiet.
Hanging her arm over the side, Buffy watched the early morning desert landscape speed by. It’s been a little over two years since the Hellmouth sucked her in and spat her out on this planet, and she still couldn’t get over how the desert changed from one moment to the next. She knew living here chafed Luke, but there was something comforting about it for Buffy. Something that spoke to her on a deep level.
As far as planets went, from what people around her said, Tatooine was on the sucky end of what this galaxy had to offer. Desert, gangsters, Sand People, and womp rats just to name a few of the occupational hazards. But Buffy had been lucky. Luke’d found her in the desert, shortly after she’d been dumped there, and Owen and Beru had taken her in with only a few questions asked once Luke vouched for her. When people asked who the newest resident of the Lars household was, they replied that she was Beru’s niece on an extended visit. Since Beru wasn’t local and most folks didn’t venture farther than Mos Eisley, nobody really questioned the story.
The speeder slowing down jerked Buffy out of her contemplation, and she realized that they’d arrived. She hopped out of the vehicle and waited for Luke to lock it up before walking over to him.
“You ready?” she asked quietly, bumping him with her shoulder.
He nodded, not looking up at her. “Yeah.”
She reached and gave his hand a squeeze before walking towards the shuttle. Her eyes caught a tall, dark-haired figure standing slightly apart from the crowds milling in the loading bay.
Biggs caught her eye and gave them a wave. “I was starting to get worried you wouldn’t show up,” he teased, wrapping his arm around Buffy’s shoulder.
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Luke answered, somehow managing to mostly contain the bitterness in his voice. Not only was his best friend leaving, he was going to be enrolling in the Imperial Academy, the one place he had his heart set on attending.
“What Luke said,” Buffy echoed, leaning into Biggs and snaking an arm around his waist.
“Hey, Luke, before I head out, I got something for you.” Biggs dug around in his pocket before pulling out a set of keys. “I talked to my dad, and he said I could sell you my skyhopper. I won’t need it and that way you can get some more flight lessons in before you take the tests. Here’re the terms, if they work for you.” Biggs handed over the keys with a piece of flimsiplast.
Luke’s eyes widened when he saw the figures written out. “Biggs, I can’t…”
“Yes, you can. You’re the best pilot out of all of us, even if you’re uncle refuses to admit it. I know you’ve been saving up, and trust me, my dad doesn’t need the money. Please,” Biggs added, when he saw that Luke wasn’t about to yield just yet. “Out of all of the crew, can you think of anybody who can fix and fly the thing like you can?”
The defiant look left Luke’s eyes and he gave Biggs a rueful smile. “Thanks, Biggs. I promise I won’t wreck it.”
Biggs clasped hands with Luke to seal the deal before tugging Buffy to the side. “Excuse us,” he apologized. Luke made an overly exaggerated grossed out face, more suitable for a five-year old before turning around and giving Buffy and Biggs some privacy.
“That was a nice thing you did there,” Buffy said, deflecting a little. She hated goodbyes. Some part of her irrationally believed that if she found ways to keep putting them off, she wouldn’t have to actually say them.
“The only reason I feel comfortable leaving him behind is knowing you’re gonna watch is back and beat Fixer up if he gets out of line,” Biggs told her solemnly, although his eyes glinted a little with humor. He leaned down and gave her a soft kiss on the mouth. “I’ll miss you,” he murmured against her lips.
“You better. I don’t want to hear from Gavin that you have a girl in every port,” she teased him.
“Just this one,” he promised. “I don’t know about HoloNet privileges, but I’ll try to send something to you when I can.”
“Good.” Buffy gave him a half smile. “Don’t do anything stupid like crash your Tie-Fighter on your first time up.”
“Promise.” He leaned back down and gave her a slow, prolonged kiss, his moustache tickling her upper lip.
“You better get going, or they’re going to leave without you,” she whispered when they broke apart, her hands fisted in his shirt.
“Yeah,” he replied somewhat breathlessly. Reluctantly, they pulled apart and Buffy backed up to stand next to Luke to watch Biggs board the shuttle. He paused to wave one last time at them before disappearing inside, leaving his girlfriend and best friend behind.
The drive back was about as silent as the drive to Anchorhead, each caught in their own thoughts. Once they arrived back on the farm, they separated to go about their separate tasks: Luke helping program the vaporators, while Buffy helped Owen with the seemingly neverending repairs.
The worked helped keep Buffy’s mind off of Biggs, at least until the evening right before dinner. The emptiness hit her and she stumbled a little. It wasn’t the same as Angel, but it still hurt. She and Biggs had been together for almost a year now, and while she wasn’t sure she loved loved him, there was enough there to sustain them. She just didn’t know if it would be enough for the long-distance thing they were attempting.
Needing air, she went up to just outside the garage to watch the suns set. A few minutes later, Luke sat down next to her.
“If I go to the Academy,” he began, “what are you going to do?”
“First, I think you mean when, and second…” Buffy’s voice trailed off and she gave a shrug. “Maybe I’ll follow Tank and enter the Army, since we all know I suck at piloting anything other than a speeder.”
Luke gave a short laugh, which sounded almost like a choke. “I’m sorry, Buffy, but the thought of you taking orders is just ridiculous. You’d cause a mutiny within a day.”
Buffy mocked glared at him. “I’m offended by my perceived lack of rules-following-ness.”
“Even if it’s true?”
She punched him lightly on the shoulder before sombering. “I don’t know. Probably stay around here for a while longer. And besides, from what the smugglers and pilots have been saying, I’m not sure I’d be happy with the Empire.” Even though Tatooine was on the outer reaches of the Empire, news of the stormtroopers and their occupation of planets like Lothal trickled down their way. Even if it was the only way off of this rock, Buffy wasn’t sure it was an option she felt comfortable taking.
“I’ll find something,” she told him, leaning her head against his shoulder. “I’m not about to let you have all the fun.”
She and Luke lapsed into silence and watched the first sun slowly slip below the horizon.
Author: kerrykhat
Fandom: Star Wars
Rating: PG
Summary: It’s been a little over two years since the Hellmouth sucked her in and spat her out on Tatooine and Luke found her.
Disclaimer: Joss Whedon owns "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and related characters; Lucasfilm owns "Star Wars" and related characters; I own nothing.
Word Count: 2005
Author's Note: Response to the prompt, "friends" at tth100. Will clean up later, since my muse decided to kick it into high gear with an hour left to post. Also, will probably end up being a new series because I don't have enough BtVS/Star Wars series floating out there. It takes place several months before A New Hope.
Buffy raced through the deserted hallways of the high school, as fast as the confined space would allow. She could hear the Mayor following behind her, but she didn’t dare turn around and look. It would cost her what advantage she has staying ahead of the Demon Formerly Known As The Mayor.
Sliding a little into the turn, she bounces off a locker before sprinting towards the library and the explosives underneath. Giles had volunteered to set them off, but she’d brushed aside his offer. She didn’t want him near the explosion. She was already sacrificing too many people to get this shot of killing Wilkins. She didn’t want to potentially add somebody else to that list.
Panting, she tore through the deserted library, reaching the windows just as a large shape burst through the doors. Ducking her head, she leaped through them, rolling when she reached the ground and ignoring the glass digging into her skin. “Gotcha,” she gasped, reaching the detonator and plunging it down before covering her ears.
She felt the heat of the explosion blossom outward. Even protected, her ears ached from the blast and began to ring. Smoke filled her nostrils and she tried to cover her mouth and nose with her graduation gown without removing her hands from her ears. Counting slowly to ten, she turned around to survey the damage.
Flames engulfed the library and were starting to spread to other parts of the school. Buffy watched in semi-sick fascination, taking a couple of steps closer to get a better view. A muffled thump came from the building and part of the walls caved in, leaving Buffy with an unimpeded view of the carnage.
“Damn,” she whispered, impressed in spite of herself. From burning down a gym to blowing up a school. She was really acing this whole delinquent thing.
She didn’t realize the danger until too late. A wave of energy rippled outwards from the destroyed library, slamming into her and knocking her to the ground. Buffy barely had time to catch her breath before the undertow started dragging her closer and closer to the burning building. She opened her mouth to scream but…
~*~*~
“Buffy? Buffy?”
She heard a voice faintly calling her name, cutting through the nightmare and slowly pulling her out of it. Buffy screwed her eyes shut and inhaled deeply. Dry air, without a hint of smoke, filled her lungs and she held it for a moment before exhaling.
“I’m alright, Luke,” she replied, not opening her eyes. Buffy didn’t like it when Luke caught her in the middle of one of her dreams. It meant that he would be asking questions, and as much as she loved him like the little brother she never had, she didn’t like talking about the ones that haunted her dreams. “Go back to bed.”
“Can’t. We’re getting an early start to see Biggs off, remember?” he asked, and Buffy started cursing silently. “I came in to see if you were awake, and--”
Buffy interrupted him with a groan before he could get too far. “Gimme ten minutes and I’ll be ready to go.”
“You mean twenty, right?” he retorted and laughed when Buffy half-heartedly threw a pillow at him without looking. “I’ll check-in in fifteen.” The brat closed the door before Buffy could find another projectile to launch at him.
Scrunching up her face in distaste, Buffy slowly rolled out of her bed and landed with a thump. Her room on the moisture farm was sparsely decorated, other than dirty clothes strewn about the floor. Stumbling to the dresser, Buffy pulled out the drawer and ran through her options. She didn’t have that many pairs of clothes, and she grabbed the nicest tunic she owned. Shivering in the cool morning air, she quickly pulled on her outfit and started untangling her hair into something somewhat normal looking.
Buffy just finished braiding her hair back when Luke knocked at the door again. “I brought you some caf,” he called out. Unable to help herself, Buffy grinned and opened the door to accept the peace offering.
“I’m just about ready,” she told him after her first long, glorious sip. Caf wasn’t coffee, but it was the closest equivalent in this galaxy and she’d take what she could get. You didn’t get to be picky about these things on Tatooine, where you fought for everything you got.
She quickly downed the caf, swinging by the kitchen to drop off the mug before going to the garage to join Luke in the speeder. He drove in silence to Anchorhead, much to Buffy’s relief. As much as she hated the thought of Biggs leaving for the Academy, she was perversely grateful that his friend’s loss was keeping Luke from quiet.
Hanging her arm over the side, Buffy watched the early morning desert landscape speed by. It’s been a little over two years since the Hellmouth sucked her in and spat her out on this planet, and she still couldn’t get over how the desert changed from one moment to the next. She knew living here chafed Luke, but there was something comforting about it for Buffy. Something that spoke to her on a deep level.
As far as planets went, from what people around her said, Tatooine was on the sucky end of what this galaxy had to offer. Desert, gangsters, Sand People, and womp rats just to name a few of the occupational hazards. But Buffy had been lucky. Luke’d found her in the desert, shortly after she’d been dumped there, and Owen and Beru had taken her in with only a few questions asked once Luke vouched for her. When people asked who the newest resident of the Lars household was, they replied that she was Beru’s niece on an extended visit. Since Beru wasn’t local and most folks didn’t venture farther than Mos Eisley, nobody really questioned the story.
The speeder slowing down jerked Buffy out of her contemplation, and she realized that they’d arrived. She hopped out of the vehicle and waited for Luke to lock it up before walking over to him.
“You ready?” she asked quietly, bumping him with her shoulder.
He nodded, not looking up at her. “Yeah.”
She reached and gave his hand a squeeze before walking towards the shuttle. Her eyes caught a tall, dark-haired figure standing slightly apart from the crowds milling in the loading bay.
Biggs caught her eye and gave them a wave. “I was starting to get worried you wouldn’t show up,” he teased, wrapping his arm around Buffy’s shoulder.
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Luke answered, somehow managing to mostly contain the bitterness in his voice. Not only was his best friend leaving, he was going to be enrolling in the Imperial Academy, the one place he had his heart set on attending.
“What Luke said,” Buffy echoed, leaning into Biggs and snaking an arm around his waist.
“Hey, Luke, before I head out, I got something for you.” Biggs dug around in his pocket before pulling out a set of keys. “I talked to my dad, and he said I could sell you my skyhopper. I won’t need it and that way you can get some more flight lessons in before you take the tests. Here’re the terms, if they work for you.” Biggs handed over the keys with a piece of flimsiplast.
Luke’s eyes widened when he saw the figures written out. “Biggs, I can’t…”
“Yes, you can. You’re the best pilot out of all of us, even if you’re uncle refuses to admit it. I know you’ve been saving up, and trust me, my dad doesn’t need the money. Please,” Biggs added, when he saw that Luke wasn’t about to yield just yet. “Out of all of the crew, can you think of anybody who can fix and fly the thing like you can?”
The defiant look left Luke’s eyes and he gave Biggs a rueful smile. “Thanks, Biggs. I promise I won’t wreck it.”
Biggs clasped hands with Luke to seal the deal before tugging Buffy to the side. “Excuse us,” he apologized. Luke made an overly exaggerated grossed out face, more suitable for a five-year old before turning around and giving Buffy and Biggs some privacy.
“That was a nice thing you did there,” Buffy said, deflecting a little. She hated goodbyes. Some part of her irrationally believed that if she found ways to keep putting them off, she wouldn’t have to actually say them.
“The only reason I feel comfortable leaving him behind is knowing you’re gonna watch is back and beat Fixer up if he gets out of line,” Biggs told her solemnly, although his eyes glinted a little with humor. He leaned down and gave her a soft kiss on the mouth. “I’ll miss you,” he murmured against her lips.
“You better. I don’t want to hear from Gavin that you have a girl in every port,” she teased him.
“Just this one,” he promised. “I don’t know about HoloNet privileges, but I’ll try to send something to you when I can.”
“Good.” Buffy gave him a half smile. “Don’t do anything stupid like crash your Tie-Fighter on your first time up.”
“Promise.” He leaned back down and gave her a slow, prolonged kiss, his moustache tickling her upper lip.
“You better get going, or they’re going to leave without you,” she whispered when they broke apart, her hands fisted in his shirt.
“Yeah,” he replied somewhat breathlessly. Reluctantly, they pulled apart and Buffy backed up to stand next to Luke to watch Biggs board the shuttle. He paused to wave one last time at them before disappearing inside, leaving his girlfriend and best friend behind.
The drive back was about as silent as the drive to Anchorhead, each caught in their own thoughts. Once they arrived back on the farm, they separated to go about their separate tasks: Luke helping program the vaporators, while Buffy helped Owen with the seemingly neverending repairs.
The worked helped keep Buffy’s mind off of Biggs, at least until the evening right before dinner. The emptiness hit her and she stumbled a little. It wasn’t the same as Angel, but it still hurt. She and Biggs had been together for almost a year now, and while she wasn’t sure she loved loved him, there was enough there to sustain them. She just didn’t know if it would be enough for the long-distance thing they were attempting.
Needing air, she went up to just outside the garage to watch the suns set. A few minutes later, Luke sat down next to her.
“If I go to the Academy,” he began, “what are you going to do?”
“First, I think you mean when, and second…” Buffy’s voice trailed off and she gave a shrug. “Maybe I’ll follow Tank and enter the Army, since we all know I suck at piloting anything other than a speeder.”
Luke gave a short laugh, which sounded almost like a choke. “I’m sorry, Buffy, but the thought of you taking orders is just ridiculous. You’d cause a mutiny within a day.”
Buffy mocked glared at him. “I’m offended by my perceived lack of rules-following-ness.”
“Even if it’s true?”
She punched him lightly on the shoulder before sombering. “I don’t know. Probably stay around here for a while longer. And besides, from what the smugglers and pilots have been saying, I’m not sure I’d be happy with the Empire.” Even though Tatooine was on the outer reaches of the Empire, news of the stormtroopers and their occupation of planets like Lothal trickled down their way. Even if it was the only way off of this rock, Buffy wasn’t sure it was an option she felt comfortable taking.
“I’ll find something,” she told him, leaning her head against his shoulder. “I’m not about to let you have all the fun.”
She and Luke lapsed into silence and watched the first sun slowly slip below the horizon.