Set at the End of Empire Strikes Back...
Once Luke got checked out on the medical frigate, and saw Lando and Chewie off, he headed for his next destination.
The maternity ward.
He walked into the clean, pristine exam bay, where Aphra was lying on an examination table with a scowl. A medical droid hovered nearby, running a scanner over her belly.
"Hey," Aphra managed. Luke nodded.
"Hey."
They stared at one another in silence for a while. The medical droid stood up straight, its ocular sensors swiveling a bit.
"The child is healthy, as is the mother. I will leave you to it."
The droid headed off, the door sliding shut behind it. Once again, Luke and Aphra's eyes found other things to look at for a few moments. Finally, Luke walked up to the archaeologist's side, and took her hand.
Aphra squeezed it back, staring at the ceiling in silence. It was rare to see her so quiet, so still.
"... We're going to be parents," Luke said quietly. Aphra nodded.
"I... Guess," she mumbled. She glanced up at Luke. "I hadn't really thought that far ahead."
Luke shook his head slowly.
"No, I don't suppose you ever have," Luke said dryly. Aphra scowled.
He expected a witty retort or a snappy comeback... But all she did was look down. Suddenly, she seemed so tired.
"Chelli?" He asked softly, resting a hand on her shoulder. She shook her head.
"Luke... I think I need to go into hiding. I think
we need to hide," she said softly.
"What? Why?" Luke asked.
"Because I'm... I'm as big a target as you are," Aphra said, "I'm a weakness. If Vader gets me... Gets
us-"
"He
won't."
"He got Han," Aphra said quietly, "He nearly got you. You can't protect me-"
"I
can," Luke said firmly, "I've learned a lot more. I'll keep learning. I'll get strong enough to... To protect you both."
Aphra stared down at her hands.
"... That's how he fell in the first place," Aphra admitted. Luke sucked in a deep breath.
"How-?"
"I
worked for him, remember?" Aphra stated coldly. "I
know him. I know how he... He was so afraid of losing your mother, and you... It's what Palpatine used to twist him-!"
"That won't happen to me! I-I will
never let that happen!" Luke insisted. Aphra gave him a cold, dark look.
"You just got your butt beat by him, and he wasn't even
trying! He'll take me, he'll take our baby-You can't save us-!"
"So what do you want me to do, Chelli?" Luke demanded. "What do
you want to do?! Do you want to
go to him?! Do you want to-?!"
"NO!" Aphra fairly screamed. Hot, angry tears had been threatening to fall from her eyes for a while, but only now did they pour down her cheeks. Luke stopped short as she sobbed. She cried in such an ugly way, so raw and vulnerable.
"Do you think I would have gone through all that I did if I'd wanted to turn myself over?! I-I held a Stormtrooper hostage with a thermal detonator for Sith's sake! I-I've
seen what Vader is! What he became! And I... I..."
She looked down again, sobbing. Luke pulled her to him. She tried to pull away, but he held her tightly, not letting her escape.
Not this time.
"... I can't imagine that... For our baby," she whispered, "for you... Kriff, what the fierfek did you do to me, Skywalker?!"
She looked up with a hot glare, her emotions mixed and chaotic.
"I could have turned myself over! I could have lived like an Empress! I could have... I could have...!"
She broke down again, crying hard. One of her fists slammed into Luke's chest, again and again. He held her tightly, letting her
bawl her eyes out. His free hand went up to her hair, and he stroked it, trying to calm her. Soothe her.
"... I could't do it," Aphra whispered. "I couldn't... Kriffing... Do it... I've been alone all my life, damnit. And now? Now I'm..."
She sniffled, curling up against him. Luke stroked her hair, and planted a kiss on her head.
"... I couldn't do it either," he admitted.
Aphra sniffled again, and looked up, confused.
"Huh?"
"He offered... To train me. To be my father," Luke said softly. "There was a part of me that wanted to... Just for a moment..."
Aphra stared up at him for a long moment, silent. She finally opened her mouth.
"So why didn't you?" Aphra muttered. Luke stroked her hair again. It helped calm him down.
"... Because I thought of you," he said, "and Han, and Leia, and Chewie... I thought of all of you. I couldn't... Couldn't betray you all."
Aphra was silent for a moment. She bit back a laugh, but enough of it came out.
"We're both... Idiots, huh?"
Luke nodded slowly.
"The biggest idiots," he agreed.
Aphra sighed, drooping a bit.
"Look... I can just head off somewhere-"
"No."
Aphra started, and looked up at Luke. For a moment, there was a familiar anger in the air. His eyes were fierce. Almost like she imagined Vader's might be, behind his mask.
"Chelli... You have run away your entire life from everything," he said, "You're not running away again. Not from me. Not from what we have. And not from this."
"... And if we die? Or fall?" Aphra asked softly.
Luke sucked in a deep breath. He rested a hand over her rounded belly. He could feel their child through the Force-And sensed that it recognized him, from the innocent joy and love he felt from it. Aphra gasped softly.
"We won't," Luke said softly, "if we stick together."
Aphra was silent. Her feelings and thoughts were still in a turmoil, but feeling her baby's feelings slowly calmed the storm.
She slowly sucked in a breath... And rested her hand over his. She did it slowly, and hesitated twice... But she held his hand in hers, and felt their child with him.
"Trust... Doesn't come easily to me," Aphra said quietly.
That was the ultimate understatement if ever there was one.
"But you're still here," Luke said, just as quietly.
Aphra slowly nodded.
"Yeah... I'm still here."