Disclaimer: As we all know, Star Wars is George Lucas’s brainchild, and I’m not trying to make any money off this story (yet). This story was actually my best friend’s idea, but she never finished it, so I stole it…;) Just kidding, girl! Hope you enjoy the story! I luv feedback! [email protected] LOL! ;0)
Jaina danced around impatiently as she watched her father’s ship, the Millennium Falcon, come into it’s docking bay. She noted that the aft thrusters were firing a little slow, and that the power converter for the belly gun looked a little charred, just like a pilot would examine their own ship; Jaina was proud of that fact.
After her father made a typical perfect landing, the boarding ramp lowered and Jaina raced up it. She ran down the corridors of the ship to the cockpit. She overran the lock and burst in.
“Daddy!” she squealed and rushed into her father’s waiting arms.
Han held his daughter close, all the while shaking with laughter at her enthusiastic greeting. He pulled her up onto his lap and cocked an eyebrow at her. “Missed me that much, huh?”
Jaina giggled and laced her arms around her father’s neck, gave him a peck on the cheek. “Mommy said she wanted to be here too, but she had this meeting-“
Han held up a hand for her to stop. “Tell me somethin’ I don’t know, kid.” He said wistfully. He scooted Jaina out of his lap and stood. “Well, knowing you, I’m sure you noticed the aft thrusters are a little sluggish and-“
“The converter for the belly gunny needs cleaning.” Jaina finished proudly.
Han reached down and mussed her hair. “That’s my girl.” He walked out of the cockpit and down the ramp. He and Jaina then began a thorough inspection of the Falcon’s hull and landing struts. After several minutes, they’d only find a couple of minor things that probably only needed tightening.
Jaina crossed her arms and took up the stance of a pilot about to strike up a conversation on his ship. “So. You fix the thrusters, and I’ll clean the converter.”
“No way, Ace. The last time I let you clean it, you used oilier instead of cleaner. Do you have any idea how hard it is to man a gun with an oily power converter?” Han asked.
Jaina rolled her eyes. “Dad, I was seven then. I’m eight now, I think I know the difference.”
She looked so much like her mother at that moment, Han had to smile. “If only your mother knew what I’ve done to you, her only daughter.” Han grinned. “Come on. I’m beat, and you’ve got school tomorrow. Your mother’s gonna have a fit, which is not quite the greeting I was wanting.”
“Daaaddd.” Jaina groaned, but followed him nonetheless to the turbolift.
~~~~~~~~
Later that night, Jaina had already snuck out of the Solo apartment and had then proceeded to get into the Falcon’s docking bay, where the famous ship lay silent, illuminated by dim spotlights. For a moment, Jaina just stared at the old ship. She loved it almost as much as her father; it had saved her life quite a few times and she had spent many hours tending to the ship’s many injuries after long missions.
Quietly, she stepped up to the ship and overrode the lock on the boarding ramp. The ramp extended to greet her and she sprinted up it, shutting it as soon as she was inside the freighter. The interior lights came on when the sensors detected her movement, illuminating the way to the cockpit. But she wasn’t headed for the cockpit.
She made an immediate left towards the back of the ship, heading for the equipment locker where her father kept his tools. She grabbed the ones she needed and shoved them into her equipment belt, slung low on her waist. She then ran down the hall to the ramp, extended it, and then ran down.
Jaina’s first project was the power converter. She was determined to prove to her father that she knew what she was doing when it came to maintaining the Falcon. She hefted the cleaner from her belt and made her way under the Falcon’s belly until she reached the belly gun. As she came up to the converter, she noticed it was a little shiny, almost like it had too much lube smeared on it. Probably left over cleaner from the last time I touched this thing, she thought wryly.
She was reaching up with one hand to wipe it off when she noticed it was a greenish color; the cleaner had been clear. Carefully, she swiped one finger across the slime. She gasped, as it stung for a moment then seemed to dissolve into her finger. Jaina held her finger in front of her face for a moment, waiting for it to melt off or something. Nothing happened.
Jaina shrugged and continued on with her task, scrubbing and polishing until she could see her reflection in the metal. She stepped back to admire her work, then suddenly clutched her head as the Falcon swam before her. Jaina closed her eyes and drew calming breaths; she was probably just tired. As a matter of fact, the more she thought about, the better it sounded to just go inside the ship and curl up on one of the bunks.
She barely made it inside her cabin before she fell to the floor, completely unconscious.
~~~~~~~~~~~
His wife, who was shaking his arm roughly, jerked Han out of a deep sleep the next morning. “What…what’s wrong?” he mumbled sleepily, rubbing a hand across his face.
Leia was looking down at him with a worried look about her beautiful face. “I can’t find Jaina. So I figured you gave her permission to wake up at some ridiculous time and work on the Falcon.”
Han propped himself up on his elbows, grinning at his wife. “What’s wrong with that?”
“She has a doctors appointment in half an hour and then finishing school for an hour. Then she has a school project that’s due in a couple of days, which she hasn’t started on, I might add.” Leia stopped when Han put up a hand, shaking with laughter.
“Leia, you see? She likes doing stuff with me because I don’t have her on a schedule, going all over Coruscant in a quest for becoming the perfect little girl who’ll grow up to be the perfect woman.” Han’s face softened. “Look, I’ll go get her, remind her she had other obligations that I didn’t know about when I promised her she could help, alright?”
Leia gave him a small smile and turned away from him, gathering her folders from her desk. “I have a Senate session this morning that will probably go on until late this afternoon. The boys have been over at a friend’s house, see to it that they unload the overnight bags and give Threepio the laundry.”
Han pulled back the heavy sheet on the bed and stood, rolling his neck around to get rid of the kinks. “I take it I’m supposed to be bringing Jaina to the doctor?”
Leia smiled. “What do you think we have Threepio for?”
“To keep us from being perfectly sane.” Han replied in the same sweet tone Leia had spoken to him in.
With a roll of her eyes, Leia kissed him then left, walking briskly to the front door.
~~~~~~~~~
“Jaina? Sweetheart, come on, this isn’t funny.” Han was actually starting to worry. He’d spent the past forty-five minutes looking for his daughter. Not a single trace of her.
Han walked into the Falcon’s docking bay and the first thing he noticed was that the boarding ramp was down. That wasn’t like Jaina to leave the Falcon just hanging open like that. Han sprinted up the ramp and entered his ship. “Jaina!” he yelled, glancing into rooms as he made his way down the Falcon’s corridor. He looked in the galley, the equipment locker, his and Leia’s cabin, and finally reached Jaina’s.
She was lying sprawled out on the floor, like she’d fallen there. Han was instantly at her side. He rolled her over onto her back and cradled her behind the shoulders. “Jaina. Sweetheart. Come on, honey.” Han coaxed, shaking her gently.
She lay motionless in his arms for a few moments, and then suddenly began coughing. Her stomach started heaving, and Han barely had time to sit her up before she vomited, a white foamy liquid that suspiciously resembled intestinal lining. Han rubbed her back, letting her throw up freely onto the floor of her cabin. She finally stopped for a moment and Han gently laid her back down. The moment he did, she started coughing again, rolling over onto her side and spewing more from her mouth. Except that this time, Han noted with alarm, it was blood. Something was definitely not right.
The moment she quieted again, Han scooped her up into his arms and ran out of the Falcon, rushing to the family’s speeder. He put her in the front seat next to him, then jumped into his seat and revved the engine. The speeder’s modified engine sprang to life instantly and shot out of the docking bay’s open blast doors, rocketing out into the midday air traffic. Han maneuvered in between space lanes, drawing angry shouts and threats from already peeved drivers.
When they got to a clear area, Han glanced over at his daughter. She had gone deathly pale, and her mouth was swelling, her lips already twice their normal size. She suddenly started jerking and writhing around in her seat, feeble moans coming from her mouth.
Han put the speeder into a higher gear, coaxing even more speed from the already thrumming speeder. Within moments, the medcenter came into view, rising up into Coruscant’s busy skies. Han veered towards the landing platform atop the building, and settled the speeder down smoothly. He gingerly took Jaina into his arms and rushed into the medcenter ER.
A nurse recognized him and rushed over. “General Solo, what-“
“There’s something wrong with my daughter. She’s be throwing up blood and some sort of whitish stuff for the past fifteen minutes.” Han said quickly, forever glancing down at Jaina to make sure she was even still breathing.
The nurse nodded and called to another nurse, who rushed off, yelling something. The nurse turned back to Han. “Let’s take her into this room over here.” She motioned to a room off to his left and they hurried in.
Han gently laid his daughter down, then stepped back as a medical team stepped in, crowding around her and shouting vital stats. He stood there, helpless, as they worked on her, hooking her up to I.Vs and heart monitors, injecting her with who knew what. She started heaving again and a nurse quickly grabbed a basin and turned her on her side so she could vomit into it.
The door to the room opened and Han nearly collapsed with relief to see Cilghal enter. She nodded to Han then shoved her way to Jaina’s side, motioning for the other doctors to back off. Everyone fell silent as Cilghal let her eyes slip closed. Han knew the Mon Calamarian was reaching through the Force, probing his daughter’s body.
Cilghal gasped slightly as she reached deeper into the little girl’s body. Something was poisoning her blood, which then was poisoning her intestines. With a sigh, Cilghal opened her eyes and turned to an impatient looking Han Solo. “General, I would call your wife if I were you.”
There was something in Cilghal’s tone that filled Han’s blood with liquid nitrogen. He nodded solemnly and reached for his comlink. He dialed her com code then waited as it connected.
Leia’s tired voice came into the room. “Yes?”
“Leia, I need you to get down to the medcenter ER, right now.” Han said simply.
“Han. What’s wrong?” Leia now sounded worried, the fatigue gone.
Han sighed deeply, trying to get a reign on his emotions. “Sweetheart, it’s Jaina.” Was all he could harshly whisper.
That was all Leia needed. “I’ll be right there.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Leia was grateful for Han standing behind her, a strong arm around her waist, as Cilghal gave them the worst possible news a parent could ever receive. “I believe Jaina has contracted a somewhat new disease slash virus called Chimera. It’s a living organism that eats its way into the infected person’s bloodstream and from there on proceeds to deteriorate the victim’s organs. Jaina has so far only been infected around her lungs, which is actually very good. It means she hasn’t been infected for very long.”
“But what can you do? Is there a cure?” Leia gasped, looking over at her daughter’s limp form lying on the hospital bed.
Cilghal paused then turned her bulbous eyes back to Leia and Han. “It’s a black-market virus, which means the antidote comes from the same place. Unless you know who was around Jaina this morning, I’m afraid we won’t find an antidote in time.”
Leia looked over with blurry eyes at her daughter’s limp, pale form lying on the hospital bed. As she stood there, she felt something she had rarely experienced.
Leia Organa Solo was helpless.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Han slowly walked out of his office, not wanting to have to answer to Leia. He’d just been talking to Palace Security, asking whether anyone besides Jaina had been in the Falcon’s docking bay that morning. They’d said no one had.
Leia was sitting on the plush leather couch in the family room, right outside Han’s office. Anakin was cradled in her lap, his eyes red and dripping. Jacen was against Leia’s side, his small face pale and drawn. As Han approached them, Leia looked up, her eyes searching her husband’s face for some sign of anything. Han sighed, and shook his head, unable to talk, really.
Anakin started wiggling in Leia’s lap, trying to crawl free of her embrace. Leia let him down reluctantly. The little boy ran to his father, arms outstretched. Han scooped him up and nearly gasped at the strength of his son’s arm lock around his neck. Han held him tenderly, fighting to withhold his own tears. He had to stay strong, for Leia, for his sons. For Jaina.
Jacen gasped suddenly and his already pale face went a shade lighter. He stared straight ahead, not looking at anything. His brandy-brown eyes were empty, dim compared to the teasing laughter that was always contained within them. Leia slipped an arm around his small shoulders, murmuring soft words to him.
Han sat down on the couch next to his wife and son. “What’s wrong with him?”
The look on Leia’s face nearly broke his already paper-thin control on his grief. She took a calming breath, let it out slowly. “It’s his link to Jaina. I’ve been trying to help him break it, but…it runs too deep. So now, he has no choice but to feel what she’s going through.” Leia’s voice broke then and she put a hand over her mouth.
Han shifted Anakin over to one side, and then drew Leia against him. She slipped her arms around him and clung, sobbing with tears held back for far too long. Han rested his cheek on top of his wife’s head, squeezing his eyes shut against his own tears; a few still managed to leak through his eyelids.
Jacen crawled into his father’s lap and curled up against Han’s chest. Anakin snuggled down into Han’s shoulder, seeking solace there. For a few moments, the Solo family sat there, together, letting loose their grief and sorrow, together.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Han walked slowly around the Falcon, not really doing anything but wandering around in a daze, a total numb state of mind. He had been inside his ship for at least an hour, just sitting in Jaina’s cabin. His daughter loved this ship, almost, if not as much, as he did. She was more like him than any of his other children, not that he was playing favorites. If he lost her, a part of him would die, just as it would with Leia. She had already expressed her dreads and fears of losing their daughter, how deeply she would be affected. And Han had vowed to his once-strong-now-frail wife that he would not let that happen. That the luck that had saved them both through so many ordeals would now save their daughter.
He had somehow come to be under the Falcon. As he looked around, Han noticed something lying on the bay floor, underneath the belly gun. He stooped down and immediately recognized Jaina’s tool belt and his tools. He grinned despite himself. Leave to Jaina to remain as adamant about things as her mother. The little girl had obviously been trying to prove to her father she could live up to his expectations for her and beyond.
Han glanced up at the gun and noted that it looked perfect, his reflection was staring right back at him in the polished metal. Smiling with pride at his daughter, he began picking up her tools. When he reached for the cloth she’d used, he pulled back his hand at it. It smelled worse than anything he’d ever been privileged to smell, and he swore it was…moving.
For a moment, Han just watched it, his mind grasping wildly for an explanation. Then it came to him: Jaina had obviously used this to clean the belly gun, and it wasn’t likely she would have used a cloth that looked and smelled like this. Therefore, whatever had intoxicated this rag had come from the gun. Han glanced up at the gun; it was spotless, and surely if this stuff was on the gun it would have melted or corroded the metal by now, surely.
A sudden thought came to Han’s mind. The contact he’d just been with, a former smuggler colleague of his, had been messing around with this gun. He’d supposedly been upgrading it, but Han would not put it past any of his “former business associates” to try and assassinate him, much less any member of his family. It all just fit.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Leia looked up from her daughter as the door of the hospital room slid open. Han walked in quietly; let the door slide shut behind him. There was an anger emanating from him, so deep and potent a wrath that had Han been a Jedi he would have been dangerously close to the dark side.
“What is it?” Leia asked softly.
Han took a calming breath then told Leia of everything he’d found at the Falcon, and his suspicions about the culprit.
Leia went numb as she listened. So this had been intended for Han. It seemed he and she would never escape their pasts; it seemed there would always be someone after Han, attempting to take his life. She closed her eyes; there was too much fear there for Han to see. “So you think this contact would know where the antidote is?” she asked carefully.
Han let out a wry laugh. “Sweetheart, it’s not gonna be as easy as walking up to this guy and asking for the antidote. ‘Yeah, I’m the person you tried to kill, but you got my daughter instead. Can I have the antidote for the poison you used, ‘cause now my daughter’s dying.’” He let his mouth lift in one corner into that lopsided grin. “You haven’t been out of it that long, Leia.”
Leia glared at him. “Han, we don’t have the time for you to do this the regular way. Jaina is dying, dying. Who cares about the correct protocol to negotiating with your would-be assassin!” she shouted.
Han knew that Leia’s sudden outburst was more from the frustration of the whole situation than from being mad at him. As he thought for some kind comeback, Leia seemed to crumple from the inside out. Her hands flew to cover her face as she shook with the force of her sobs. Han didn’t hesitate to go to her side and lift her up against him.
They stood there for a few moments, until Leia finally gained control of her sobs and pulled away slightly from Han. “I’m not mad at you.” She breathed in a quivering voice. “I just feel so helpless.” Her voice broke and she hid her face in her husband’s chest once more.
Han stood there, holding his wife tightly but tenderly against him. His daughter laid just in front of him, embraced by a coma that left her just a motionless, frail body.
At that moment, a new wave of determination swept over Han. Whatever it took, Jaina would live. Even if it meant sacrificing himself for her, he would do it.
All that mattered was his daughter’s life.
~~~~~~~~~~
Deep in the Core, not much went on that wasn’t illegal or confidential. It was a haven for warlords and king pins, people who lived on the darkest part of the wrong side of the law. It was here that Han had gone to. His contact, a smuggler by the name of Davin (Han had never learned of Davin’s last name, if he had one).
Using a codename for the Falcon, Han plunged his ship through the atmosphere of Byss, the once control center of the last remnants of the Empire. It was here that the resurrected Emperor had regained his forces and power, and where Luke had fallen to the dark side.
After landing the Falcon in a secure docking bay, Han made his way into the streets of Byss. No matter what planet you were on or society you were in, you always had the streets, the alleyways, urchins and pickpockets itching to use their skills on an unsuspecting victim. Han was almost ashamed to admit that this was where he was most in his element, where he could work the most efficiently.
Almost ashamed.
He navigated the many alleys and back streets, eventually making his way to a swanky old cantina that had almost certainly seen better days. As he entered the place, he both saw and instinctively felt every blaster in the joint train their sights on him. Newcomers were rarely ever on this side of town just for the drinks.
Han walked up to the bar and caught the attention of a young blonde humanoid female. She smiled prettily at him and sidled over. “Can I be of assistance?” she asked softly.
Keeping a neutral face, Han implied about where Davin might be. The girl’s face flashed with something for a moment, then she smiled quickly. “He either here or at the bays. It’s hard to say where that scoundrel will turn up.”
Han nodded his thanks and walked out, not looking anyone directly in the face. The last thing he needed was to be recognized.
~~~~~~~~~~
Davin watched as the tall, lanky Corellian sauntered up to his ship’s entryway. Han Solo pressed the intercom and waited. Davin continued to watch the New Republic general for a few moments. No weapons that he could see, save for that blaster that seemed permanently attached to the Corellian’s hip. Davin checked his other sensors; no life forms anywhere around, so it wasn’t likely Solo had back up.
Keying the intercom, Davin faked a tired voice. “Talk to me.” He yawned.
“Open up, Davin. We need to talk.” Solo’s baritone voice held a slight timbre of something that Davin couldn’t quite place.
“Solo, back for more upgrades, huh? Come on in, we’ll have a drink.” Davin keyed his ship’s entry ramp down and walked out of the cockpit. Solo was already inside by the time Davin reached the entryway. Davin was almost a head shorter than Solo, being from Alderaan and all. Davin’s blonde hair was kept at the shoulders, a slight tip of the hat to his peoples’ traditions. If not for the permanent firm set of his mouth, Davin would almost seem like a peaceful survivor of a lost civilization.
“Solo, it’s good to see you again so soon.” Davin began.
Han held up a finger to silence him. “I know. About everything.”
Davin seemed puzzled at the other man’s accusation. “Han, I don’t know-“
Without so much as warning, Han had Davin’s collar in one hand. He slammed the Alderaanian against the wall of the ship. “You tried to kill me.” Han accused in a deathly low voice. “But instead, you got my daughter.”
Davin started to shake his head, but Han silenced him by pushing the smuggler harder into the wall. “You implanted a live Chimera virus onto that belly gun upgrade. Jaina contracted the virus instead of me. I want the antidote. Now.”
To Han’s surprise, Davin erupted in laughter, laughter that soon turned into a gasp as Han’s grip tightened again. “Look, I was hired. I don’t know where the antidote is.”
Han didn’t buy it. “Try again.” He whispered darkly.
“Let go, Solo. I can’t breathe.” Davin gasped, grabbing at Han’s white knuckles.
Han let loose his grip on Davin’s collar and let the smuggler crash to the floor. Looming over him, Han glared down. “Well?”
Something flashed across Davin’s face momentarily, and Han reached for his blaster. “No!” Davin shouted. He held up his hands in defense, or surrender. “I think they gave me a vial of antidote. It’s back in my cabin.”
Han drew his blaster anyway and motioned for Davin to get up. “Go get it.”
Davin cringed away from Solo’s sights and ran down the corridor. A few moments later, he returned, holding a vial of bluish liquid. Davin looked at it a moment, then back a Han, a familiar gleam to his eye. “Just how much is your daughter worth to you, Solo?”
Han leveled his blaster at Davin’s chest. “No where near as little as you.”
Davin flinched, then held out the vial, a grimace on his face.
Grinning lopsidedly, Han snatched the vial up and nodded to the cowering Davin. “Been nice doin’ business with you, Davin.” He turned and keyed the ramp down.
Han had barely heard Davin move before he felt a burst of fire-hot pain shoot up his arm to his shoulder, then blast into existence in his brain. Han turned to see Davin yank the six-inch long knife from Han’s arm, then the smuggler made ready to throw it right between Han’s eyes.
He never had the chance. Han was down the ramp and half-walking, half-running to the Falcon before Davin’s lifeless form fell to the deck plates of his ship, the knife lying next to his motionless hand.
On the smooth metal of the dagger, something began to move.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Han pulled back on the hyperspace levers for the Falcon, and the great ship plunged into space at an impossible speed. With a groan, Han sank back into his seat, then gritted his teeth as an enormous lance of pain shot up his arm. Weakly, Han stood and peeled off his shirt. He surveyed the damage, and found himself wincing. The gash was huge, at least four inches long and two inches wide, almost like Davin had twisted that knife around before extracting it.
With a grunt of pain, Han reached into one of the bulkheads with his good arm and searched for the medkit. He brought it down and pulled out some bacta salve, smeared it gingerly onto the wound, fighting to keep from fainting from the pain. After applying the salve, he wrapped it tightly in self-healing synthflesh.
No longer able to stand, Han collapsed back into the pilot’s chair, unconscious almost before he hit the seat.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Leia paced nervously on the docking platform, awaiting the arrival of the Falcon and Han. He’d contacted her an hour earlier: he’d found the antidote, but had been wounded by the smuggler he’d gotten it from. Leia glanced over her shoulder at the waiting medcenter staff that would treat Han the moment he landed.
Someone shouted, bringing Leia’s attention back to the crowded Coruscant sky. There he was. The Falcon was coming in hurriedly, preparing to make a trademark perfect landing. Leia noticed, however, that the Falcon wobbled slightly on her struts before settling solidly to the platform. The boarding ramp came down moments later, and Han came stumbling down.
Leia rushed to her husband and quickly caught him as he nearly tripped trying to get to her. The feverish look to her husband’s eyes and the grayness of his face made Leia gasp. She motioned frantically for the medstaff, then she couldn’t support Han’s weight anymore. Leia lowered him to the ramp of the Falcon and cradled his head in her lap, running her hands gently through his hair.
“Been…throwing up…blood…” Han gasped in a strangely gurgly-sounding voice. Leia barely had enough time to roll him onto his side as he started to vomit profusely onto the boarding ramp. Leia’s stomach wrenched as she watched the thick blood-like bile spew from Han’s mouth.
The medstaff finally got to her side, and one brought a basin under Han’s head, collecting the vomit as the other two staff members lifted him onto a hover-gurney. As she followed the team into the hospital, Leia spotted the vial of blue liquid in Han’s vest pocket. She pulled it out and clutched it in her hand, the other hand gripping Han’s limp one.
Cilghal met them at the entrance and took the vial from Leia, slipping it into a pocket of her medcoat. The Mon Calamari took one look at Han and began shouting orders to get him into the ER, stat. She motioned for Leia to stay in the hallway, and then rushed into the hospital room after the medteam. Leia stood motionless amid the rush of hospital activity for a few moments, then broke inside and cried.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cilghal emerged from the ER room an hour later, blood and body fluids staining the front of her white coat. She walked over to Leia, who was curled up and sleeping in one of the chairs in the waiting room. The Calamari gentle shook the sleeping woman’s arm, just enough to rouse her.
Leia came to and found herself curled up in the chair of a hospital waiting room. Cilghal was standing over her, a grim look on her fish-like face. Leia stood, willing herself not to shake. She braced herself with a deep breath. “Is…is Han alright?” Leia asked, her voice quivering ever so slightly.
Cilghal didn’t answer for a moment. She took the vial she’d taken from Leia, and clutched it in her webbed hand. “It seems you have a decision to make that we hadn’t anticipated.”
Leia shook her head. “What do you mean?” she asked, genuinely confused.
Cilghal motioned for Leia to sit again, then settled into the chair next to her. “Han has somehow contracted Chimera. That is why he’s so sick.”
Leia gestured to the vial in Cilghal’s hand. “But we have the antidote. Just give it to him.”
Cilghal shook her head. “You don’t understand. There’s only enough here for one poisoned victim. Now, the one good thing is that the person more seriously affected at the moment is Jaina. Since her body mass is far less than Han’s, we won’t have to give her the entire vial. Which means that we then have a small amount left over that we could attempt to clone into a large enough for your husband.”
“So what’s the decision?” Leia demanded. “If that’s what you can do, then do it.”
Cilghal fought to find the right answer to Leia’s question. “Leia. There’s a very good chance that the disease will spread more rapidly through Han than it has through Jaina. Which means that we then wouldn’t have enough time to duplicate the antidote.” The Mon Calamari paused. “Your decision is whether or not you want to risk the chance that Han will be poisoned at the same rate as your daughter.”
It was all too much for Leia. Choose? Between her only daughter whom she cherished to no end, and between the man who’d given her a reason to live, had given her so much joy and happiness. How could she possibly bear to choose? “Is Han awake?” Leia asked quietly.
Cilghal seemed to nod, as if she knew this was the course of action Leia would take. “He was when I left him. But I wouldn’t count on him being conscious much longer, what with the medication we’re giving him, and just from the effects of the disease.”
Leia nodded, then drew in a deep breath and stood. She squared her shoulders and walked towards the door of her husband’s room. It was already open, a nurse standing by the I.V. drip by Han’s bed. The woman noticed Leia’s entrance, and quickly retreated from the room, shutting the door behind her. Leia barely noticed her. Instead, she kept her gaze fixed on her husband, lying before her on the hospital bed. He seemed to be fighting for each shallow breath he took. At least two I.Vs were inserted into each of his wrists, and a heart monitor beeped away, keeping track of her husband’s vitals.
Han had his eyes closed, but as her footsteps came closer he let his eyes slip open. A pitiful version of his lopsided grin slowly took shape on his face. “Hey, sweetheart. Guess I really did it this time, huh?” he rasped, his breath wheezing every time he stopped talking.
Leia grabbed his pale hand in both of hers as she sat down next to the bed. “So Cilghal told you?”
Han nodded solemnly, then summoned a huge amount of strength to lift his forefinger warningly, and shake it at her a couple of times. “Don’t even think about saving me.” He dropped his hand wearily, sucking in as much air as he could. “Don’t worry about me.” He breathed, smiling ruefully at his wife.
Leia gripped his hand harder. “Don’t say that!” she exclaimed. “Of course I’m saving you.” When Han opened his mouth to protest, she held up a hand. “And Jaina. Cilghal’s figured out a way, she thinks, to give both of you the antidote. It’s just going to be a little while before you get yours.”
Han grinned. “That’d be Cilghal, never one to give up, even in the face of defeat.”
Leia glared at Han. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“Princess, look at me. I’m not gonna last as long as Jaina has.” He paused for air. “I’m a lost cause.” He rasped hoarsely.
Tears poured from Leia’s eyes, her throat burning. “But Han…” she croaked. “I don’t want to lose you.”
Han squeezed her hands as best he could. “You won’t. You’ll have Jaina, and the boys.” He grinned again. “Besides, I’m pretty hard to forget.”
Not the slight bit amused, Leia stared angrily at him for a few moments before speaking. “I’m going to take the chance that you’ll hold out long enough for them to clone the antidote.” Her facial expression softened. “Which means you need to believe that you’re going to make it.”
Han didn’t reply; he just stared up at his strong and determined wife. He gently tugged on her hand, and Leia took the cue. She scooted over as far as she could so she could rest her head against his hard shoulder. Instead of it’s usual warmth, his skin felt almost clammy, but Leia didn’t say anything. She just lay there with Han, until he drifted off to sleep. Then Leia rose and headed out of the room, finding Cilghal standing right outside.
“Well?” the Mon Calamari asked.
Leia took a deep breath, and nodded. “Let’s do it.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Leia watched intently as the nurse and Cilghal set up the I.V. with the antidote. Carefully, Cilghal poured in the correct amount, then closed the I.V. bag, and nodded to the nurse, who turned the valve for the I.V. drip tube back on. The blue liquid flowed quickly from the bag, down the tube, and into Jaina. Cilghal smiled at Leia and gave her a thumbs-up. Leia, relieved beyond words, merely nodded happily, silent tears running down her cheeks.
After a few moments, Cilghal was satisfied that the drip was working properly. She motioned to the nurse, who took the vial of antidote, which still held a quarter of the blue liquid, and hurried it out of the room to the lab.
Leia walked to Jaina’s still motionless side and slipped her hand over her daughter’s small one. She stroked back a loch of brown hair from Jaina’s forehead, and then Leia lowered her lips to her forehead and kissed her gently. Leia glanced over at Cilghal. “How long till she’s conscious again?”
“An hour or so. Depending on how long it takes for the antidote to get through her system.” Cilghal glanced at Jaina for a moment, and then made to leave the room. “Now that she’s taken care of, I’ll go check on her daddy.”
“Are you using the same Force technique on him that you used on Jaina?” Leia asked.
Cilghal nodded. “But it won’t work forever. I’m only one Jedi, not a whole group.”
Leia nodded understandingly. “Thank you.” She breathed. “For everything you’ve done.”
Cilghal nodded sadly. “I only hope I’ll be able to do more.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Mommy.”
Leia heard the breathy voice like it was in a dream. She grunted and shifted in the plush chair that was sitting beside her daughter’s bed. It had been over the hour that Cilghal had predicted by the time Leia’d fallen asleep. Sleep, it seemed, was the only relief from the painful reality of Leia’s life.
“Mommy.” Came the whisper of a voice again. This time Leia awoke, annoyed. Until she saw the origin of the voice.
“JAINA!!” Leia cried, jumping out of her seat and crushing her daughter to her. Jaina hugged feebly back. After a few moments, Leia lowered her daughter back down to the bed, then sat down next to her and grasped her small hand. “Oh sweetheart.” Leia breathed, smoothing Jaina’s hair down.
Jaina smiled up at her mother, then a quizzical look came onto her face. “What happened? Why am I here?” she asked quietly.
Leia’s brow furrowed. “You don’t remember, darling?”
“Remember what?” Jaina asked, clearly puzzled.
At that moment, Cilghal walked in and Jaina’s face lit up. “Cilghal!” she shouted.
“Hello, little one.” The Mon Calamari greeted, accepting the child’s hug. After she drew away, Cilghal turned to Leia. “It’s normal that she doesn’t remember anything, and if you ask me, it’s better that she doesn’t.”
Leia nodded.
Jaina seemed to regain all of her spunk back within minutes. Frowning slightly, she glanced around the room. “Where’s Daddy?” she wondered, then she grinned knowingly at her mother. “He’s on another mission, isn’t he?”
Leia closed her eyes briefly, trying to hold back the hot tears that were suddenly there. “No, honey. He’s not on a mission.”
Jaina glanced from her mother to Cilghal, who was very quiet. “What happened?” she demanded. “Where’s Daddy?”
Cilghal stepped forward. “Jaina, the reason you’re here is because you were poisoned with a virus called Chimera. It’s a very deadly virus that probably would have killed you.”
“But I’m alive.” Jaina said, shrugging. “How’d I do that?”
Leia squeezed Jaina’s hand. “You didn’t, sweetheart. Your father went and found the antidote to the Chimera. That’s what saved you.”
Jaina was still frowning. “But where’s Daddy?” She was starting to get scared.
Leia bit at her lower lip, and closed her eyes again, except this time a tear managed to trickle down her cheek. Jaina reached over and brushed it away. “Don’t cry, Mommy. I’m ok now.”
Leia smiled through her tears. “I know, baby. But your Daddy…he’s not ok.” She breathed.
Jaina drew away from Leia. She looked like how she always did whenever she had a nightmare or something. Her face was frozen with fear. “Is…he dead?” she asked, not wanting to know the answer.
Cilghal shook her bulbous head. “No, child. But when he went to get the antidote, he too was poisoned by the Chimera.”
“So give him some of the antidote.” Jaina said simply, thinking that was all that had to be done.
Leia made a whimpering sound, and stood from her chair. Cilghal stepped to Jaina’s side, and wrapped a webbed hand around Jaina’s. “Jaina, you must listen. Your father is very sick right now. We had to give you most of the antidote, so now we don’t have enough to give your Daddy. But we’re working on it, alright?”
Jaina nodded, then looked over at Leia, who was standing in front of the window. “Mommy?” Jaina called softly.
Hesitantly, Leia turned to her daughter.
Jaina smiled as best she could. “It’s going to be ok.” She whispered.
With a muffled sob, Leia rushed to Jaina and gathered her into her arms again, never wanting to let go.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Jaina wrapped the thick blanket tighter around her, and walked hesitantly into the dimly lit hospital room across from hers. In the bed, her father laid motionless, tubes and machines protruding from him everywhere, it seemed. His face was pale and drawn, almost like he was in pain, and his breaths were more like whispers than anything. Jaina tiptoed to Han’s side and carefully reached out a small hand, rested it lightly on her father’s large but cold hand. He didn’t move at her touch, almost like he hadn’t felt it.
For a few moments, Jaina just stood there, clutching her father’s limp hand, and wondering. Wondering about what would happen now, wondering about what she would feel like if her father died all because of her. Tears sprang to her eyes at that thought, and she bit her bottom lip in a vain effort to contain them. Nevertheless, they sprang from deep within and poured from her eyes like two rivers. Deep, throaty sobs filled the silent hospital room as Jaina laid her forehead against her father’s hand and cried, letting loose all her grief and agony over the situation. A nurse, who happened to be walking by, heard the cries and stopped at the open door of the room, but then she saw the little girl and knowingly the nurse continued on her way.
It seemed like a small eternity that Jaina lay there crying, but finally, she reigned in her emotions and sniffed loudly, attempting to calm herself. Crying wouldn’t save her daddy, she knew that. So she scooted up onto the bed and, mindful of the I.Vs, scooted up against her father’s side and laid an arm across his chest, grateful to feel it rise slightly with each breath he took. Jaina took a few moments to study her father from this new vantage point. She glanced down at the shoulder she was laying against, and noticed a long, vertical scar running down from the top of his shoulder and down the back of his arm for about two or three inches. Under his shirt, Jaina spotted a pair of dog tags, and she gingerly pulled them out from under her father’s collar. She brought them close to her eyes in the dim light, and squinted to read them.
“General…Level A…Solo, Han…six three, one-fifty-five…” Jaina murmured her father’s statistics to herself, smiling to herself. She was proud of her dad and his accomplishments. She often found herself bragging about him to her friends, telling them about his being a general and all. Her friends always found it fascinating, which only made Jaina prouder.
After studying the tags, Jaina placed them under his shirt again and gazed up at her father’s face. She felt her tears flooding back to her, a new wave of grief and guilt flowing over her weary body. Her father looked so peaceful at the moment that Jaina briefly let herself believe that he was all right, that all of this was a big mistake. But then reality came back to her, and she closed her eyes against her grief.
“I’m sorry, Daddy.” Jaina breathed in a quivering voice. Her father remained motionless, lying dangerously close to that ever-present evil called Death. Weary beyond words now, Jaina snuggled gently against her father’s side and fell asleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~
A few hours later, Leia entered Han’s hospital room, not the least bit surprised to see Jaina cuddled against her father, both in peaceful slumber, for the moment. As Leia came closer to the bed, Jaina awoke and smiled weakly at her mother. “Hi Mommy.” She breathed.
Leia sat down on the side of her bed and gathered Jaina to her. The little girl held tight to her mother’s neck. Leia could sense her weariness. “How are you?”
She felt Jaina shrug. “I’m okay.”
“That’s good.” Leia replied, stroking her daughter’s long brown hair.
The two sat there, together, for a long while. Leia gazed down at her husband. His face was pale, like someone who hadn’t seen the sun in long time. As Leia placed her free hand over his, she winced at how clammy and cold it felt.
“Is he going to be alright?”
Leia jumped at her daughter’s inquiry. The room had gotten incredibly quiet while they’d sat there. “Yes, sweetheart. Your Daddy’s going to be fine.”
“I’ll second that motion.” A new voice said from the doorway.
Leia and Jaina turned to see Cilghal enter the room. The Calamarian offered a strangely warm smile. “The chemists I gave the antidote to said they think it’s duplicable. They won’t know for sure for at least forty-eight hours, but they’re almost positive.”
“If they can duplicate the antidote, how long until it’s ready?” Leia asked.
Cilghal sighed. “That’s the catch. It depends on the antidote’s reproductive rate. It might multiply rapidly, or take a week to produce a CC. It’s something you really can’t know for sure.”
Leia nodded and looked back to Han. “Are you still…treating him, so to speak?”
Cilghal nodded as she checked a monitor readout. “The disease is still not spreading as quickly as it did through Jaina, but that’s just because of the body mass difference.”
“How long will you be able to hold the Chimera off?” Leia almost resented asking the question, afraid of what the answer might be.
Cilghal looked her straight in the eye. “As I’ve said before, I’m only one Jedi. I could teach your brother how to repel the disease molecules, and maybe even you, if you wish, but still, it’s not a cure.”
“Can’t we just get rid off all the molecules, with the Force?” Jaina asked quietly.
Cilghal smiled again. “I wish we could, child. But never in my experience with these kinds of things have I been able to completely rid one person of a disease without the aid of medicine. I’m not saying it can’t be done, but I don’t know how to do it.”
Jaina nodded absently.
Cilghal adjusted an I.V. line then turned to go. “Cilghal.” Leia called to her. The Calamarian looked back. “Thank you.” Leia murmured, mustering a smile.
“You’re welcome.” With that, Cilghal left the room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Leia, I’m not sure this is wise-“
“It’s perfectly wise, Wedge. It’s my daughter and my husband that were victimized.” Leia bit out.
Wedge sighed. “I know. What I meant was I don’t know if it’s wise that you should do this now, while you’re still hurting over it.”
Leia paused. He was right. She would probably get up before the court and either break down or lose her temper and turn to the Dark Side. But she had to do this. She smiled tightly at Wedge. “I understand, and I’m grateful you’re worried, but…I need to do this.”
Wedge ran a hand through his hair, muttering something. He blew out a breath. “Alright. But let me go with you.”
Leia opened her mouth to protest then sighed and nodded. It would help to have a little support.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Leia sat in the crowded courtroom, hearing the drones of the press talking idly, the last minute advising of lawyers to clients. To her, every noise had blurred together into one loud and annoying squawk that was driving her to distraction.
The judge finally banged his gavel, and the room lapsed into silence. “This court will come to order.” The dark-skinned judge boomed. The judge was a female humanoid, about forty or so standard years old.
One of the lawyers stood. “Your honor, I would like to now ask the President of the New Republic to please approach to testify.”
The judge nodded, keeping her black eyes on Leia.
Breathing deeply, Leia stood and walked forward. All eyes were staring at her as she reached the front of the room and turned to face the crowd. The first face her eyes sought out was that of the man on trial. He was a greasy, longhaired smuggler. He was a supplier of illegal drugs. He was the man who was destroying her family.
Forcing herself to look out to the crowd, Leia started. “The defense lawyer asked me to make a statement before the Grand Jury. He said I could say anything I wanted…whatever I felt had to be said.”
She now brought her gaze to the man seated before her and kept her eyes there. “I can’t hate you…I’m a Jedi, Jedis don’t know hate.” She paused. “Well, I’m also human… and humans hate, so I will hate you.” Her voice rose. “I didn’t want to know your name. No name would properly fit you other than ‘a monster’, or ‘a criminal’.” She paused, swallowing hard. “You tried to destroy my family. You tried to kill my daughter; you tried to kill my husband. Why…I don’t know…I don’t know why any living being would want to bring harm to another, especially when that other is innocent.” Leia shouted helplessly, feeling her breaths quiver as she drew them.
“My daughter almost died. You almost succeeded.” Her chin rose haughtily. “But I beat you.” A dangerous tremble came to her chin. “You tried to kill my husband…” she trailed off, eyes clouding over. “I will beat you.” She vowed breathlessly. “I will see that you are destroyed…that no other living being has to go through what I have endured and am still enduring.” Leia was almost gleeful to see a sizeable amount of fear enter the smuggler’s eyes.
Clearing her throat, Leia turned back to the crowds. “You all know that I treasure my family more than life. My family is my life. My daughter is my angel, and my two sons are my little warriors.” Leia mustered a trembling smile, which was returned by a few people. “And my husband…” Leia’s voice broke, but she steeled herself. “He’s my everything. Without him, life wouldn’t exist for me.” Two tears finally broke free and trailed betrayingly down Leia’s cheeks. She bowed her head and squeezed her eyes closed, pushing down her emotions, for now.
“And so I close…with asking the jury to not grant this man, this monster…any grace……he certainly didn’t give me or my family any…” Leia’s voice finally broke, and she knew she was beyond controlling it any more. Jaw clenched tight against her tears, Leia made her way to the massive wood doors at the back of the courtroom, and by some miracle, walked regally out. Once the heavy doors swung shut, she collapsed in a miserable, weeping heap on the floor, her sobs echoing through the empty corridors.
A hand clasped her shoulder. She knew it was Wedge. Two arms wrapped around her shoulders, hugging her gently. Leia took a few ragged breaths and swiped foolishly at her eyes. Wedge stood and offered her a hand. She accepted it gracefully and stood, sniffing. Wedge offered a gentle smile and squeezed her hand. Leia smiled back then began walking, her strides even and precise. She reached the end of the corridor and walked out, leaving behind her a defeated enemy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The only sounds in the room were the beeps of the various medical machines, and Han’s shallow, soft breathing. Leia looked up from her datapad for the thousandth time and gazed at her husband.
He had been in a coma for over two weeks now. He had lost a terrible amount of weight; his eyes were beginning to sink into two hollow pits; his skin was so pale, he looked like a wraith. It was becoming harder and harder for Cilghal and Luke to control the rapidly increasing growth of the Chimera cells. And with the antidote only halfway cloned, the future was looking bleak indeed.
Jaina had gone home, thank the Force. The longer she had stayed in the hospital, emotionally the worse she felt. Seeing her father lying on a hospital bed dying was not what she needed at the moment, or ever. Winter, the Solo children’s past nanny, had returned to reprise her role, and was now living at the Solo apartment while Leia spent her time at the hospital with Han.
Work totally beyond her, Leia set her datapad down and walked up to her husband’s bed. She sat down on the side of it, and took his cold gray hand. “It’s me again.” She smiled at the sound of her voice. “Don’t worry, you don’t have to say hi.” She watched her husband’s features for a moment, unconsciously hoping for a movement, a response. Nothing happened. She sighed quietly. “Jaina’s feeling better. I think she’s finally over all this. Now we just have to work on you.” Leia said softly, grinning at her husband.
She gently ran her other hand over his forehead, brushing back strands of dark blonde hair. “You need a haircut, nerfherder. You starting to look shaggy.” At those words, memories from the past flooded to her, and for a precious moment, she relished in them.
Then suddenly, it happened. One moment he was motionless, the next his whole body was jerking and shaking violently. Her heart in her throat, Leia ran to the doorway of the room and shouted down the hall, “Cilghal! Anyone, help me!” she screamed desperately.
Instantly, Cilghal and a handful of other doctors came rushing in. The moment she saw Han, Cilghal rushed into action, ordering this person to get this, another to do that. Leia backed up against a wall, arms wrapped around her tightly, silent tears flooding down her cheeks. She watched the doctors work furiously on her husband, injecting him over and over, pressing on his chest in an attempt to keep him breathing. Leia watched as a nurse handed Cilghal a long, white tube, which the Calamarian proceeded to insert in Han’s throat, opening his airway. The room went deathly quiet for a moment as Cilghal hooked the tube up to an oxygen supply then she stepped back and waited. After a small eternity, Han’s chest rose slightly then fell, then repeated the movement again and again. Leia sighed with relief as the doctors started smiling and talking to themselves.
Leia approached Cilghal as the other doctors filed out of the room. “What happened, why did he do that?”
Cilghal shook her bulbous head. “The only thing I can figure is that the disease has contaminated his respiratory system. He had seizures because the oxygen supply to his brain was suddenly gone. Now that he’s on a ventilator, he should be fine.”
Leia nodded silently, watching her husband. She felt Cilghal pat her shoulder then heard her leave the room, closing the door behind her. Legs still shaking from the aftermath of her adrenaline rush, Leia moved back to her husband’s side and took his hand in both of hers. “You listen to me. You have to fight, Han. You have to fight this disease. I’m not losing you, the children aren’t losing you…. we won’t be able live without you.” She breathed. Gently, she climbed onto the bed and curled up against her husband’s side, still holding his hand tightly. Eventually, she drifted off into troubled sleep.
Jaina sat up straight in her bed, her whole body rigid. The thick sheets of her bed were clutched tightly in her hands, her face white as snow. Across the room, her two brothers were fast asleep. Anakin had his sheets kicked off again, and Jacen was muttering something, a goofy smile crossing his face. Jaina envied them both. Ever since her father had been poisoned, her nights had been filled with nightmares and the awful reality of her father’s perpetual pain. That was why she had woken up. Something had happened to her dad, something new had happened. Though she could feel that her mother was with him, Jaina somehow felt that she should be there, with him, at his side, as he had undoubtedly done for her.
Suddenly, Jaina heard a terrified scream from across the room. Immediately, she was at Anakin’s side, gripping his hand gently. “Ani. Ani, wake up.” She soothed. “It was just a dream.”
Anakin’s ice blue eyes were being inhabited by utter and complete fear. His breaths were mere gasps, his whole body shaking with an invisible chill. “P-Papa…” his lower lip began trembling. “Papa.” He croaked, burrowing his face in Jaina’s shoulder.
Jaina clutched her baby brother to her, her own tears threatening to join Anakin’s. She hadn’t known that Anakin had the dreams too. “Did you feel something happen?” she asked.
She felt Anakin nod.
Jaina sighed, clutching him closer. “So did I.”
The two Solos sat in silence for a long while. Anakin eventually pushed away from Jaina and swiped at his puffy eyes with his small hands. Jaina wiped a rouge tear from her cheek, then reached over to brush Anakin’s dark hair from his eyes. “I wish I could do something to help Dad.” She breathed, more to herself.
Anakin gazed at her suddenly with an all too familiar look. “I can.”
Jaina frowned. “You can what?”
Anakin gave her an exasperated look. “Help Papa, duh.”
Jaina’s breath stopped for a moment. It was times like these when Anakin really knew what he was talking about. She’d seen the things her little brother could do. “How? How can you help him?”
Anakin shrugged his tiny shoulders. “It’s like those mind puzzles you and Jacen make for me.”
Jaina grabbed Anakin’s shoulders with such force that the little boy gasped. “Did you just figure this out?”
“No.”
“Then why didn’t you tell anyone?!” Jaina demanded.
Anakin shoved her hands away angrily. “Nobody listened to me. Mama’s too sad, and you’re always mad, and Jacen wouldn’t get it.” He crossed his small arms across his chest.
Jaina tried to calm herself. “Anakin, I’m sorry if I ignored you. From now on, if you want to tell me something, you tell me. Now, are you sure you could help Dad?”
Anakin nodded excitedly.
Jaina chewed at her bottom lip. “We’ll have to get to the medcenter somehow…and before Mom leaves.” She jumped off Anakin’s bed and rushed into the closet. She came out moments later with jumpsuits and boots. She tossed Anakin his. “Get dressed. We have to hurry.”
Something was wrong. Something was screaming inside her head that something was fatally wrong. With a jerk to her whole body, Leia awoke. Beside her, Han was still sleeping, the respirator pumping air into him faithfully. Everything appeared fine, yet Leia knew it was the exact opposite.
At that moment, Cilghal burst into the room, Luke on her heels. “Leia, please move.” The Calamarian doctor ordered.
Leia obeyed immediately, retreating to Luke’s side as Cilghal moved in. The two Skywalkers watched as Cilghal probed Han, her bulbous eyes half-closed. Within moments, a defeated sigh came from the doctor. Her shoulders slumped. “I’m…I’m sorry.” Cilghal turned slowly. “I can’t control the disease anymore, it growing too quickly. I…”
Leia crumpled to the floor before Luke could react. He knelt down beside his sister, stroking her shoulder. Leia shoved him away and ran out of the room. Neither Luke nor Cilghal made a move to go after her.
Jaina and Anakin rushed off the public transport and ran headlong towards the medcenter. It was bitter cold, their breath formed little clouds before them as they ran. Without warning, Anakin let out a whimper. Jaina glanced back questioningly then she felt it too. Their mother was filled such a depth of grief as Jaina had never felt before.
Jaina and Anakin ran faster.
Leia burst through the entrance doors to the medcenter, welcomed the stinging cold of the night. Her mind had gone numb, her heart had utterly stopped, save for the throbbing ache that now resided in it. Her knees buckled beneath her once more as a fresh wave of sobs washed over her. Hot tears poured from her eyes as she buried her face in her hands.
She was dying, or more like she felt like it. The only thing that had ever made her life worth living was now about to be taken from her, as cruelly as so many other things had. She always had believed that, somehow, Han would always be there. Call it childish security, but to her, Han was invincible, a will that would never be broken. His light would always be there for her, shining his guiding light throughout that chaos that was life.
Now, that light was slowly sinking into the night, never to rise again…
“Mama!” Anakin shouted and burst ahead of Jaina.
Jaina ran after him, caught up with him just as Anakin crushed himself against Leia, crying with her. Jaina stopped beside them, her stomach sinking into her feet. “Mom…is Dad…is Dad dead?”
Leia looked up at Jaina through her tears. She tried a smile, but it came out more as a grimace. “They can’t anything more for him, sweetheart.” She breathed.
Anakin shook his head. “That’s not true.”
Leia turned to her son. “What?”
“Anakin says he can help Dad. He says the disease is like a puzzle, and he’s figured it out.” Jaina replied, watching Anakin nod enthusiastically.
Leia let out a small cry and brought her children to her. “Oh, you two.” She murmured. “I should’ve known I could count on you to save the day.”
Jaina pulled away, offered her mother a smile. “Bad habit we got from Dad, right?”
Leia only smiled.
Cilghal shook her massive head in wonder. “We’ve been it all wrong. The whole time.”
Luke didn’t say anything, just stroked Anakin’s hair gently. Leia could feel his pride in his nephew’s abilities.
Leia looked to Cilghal. “Is it too late?”
The Calamarian smiled. “No. Thanks to Anakin, I think his daddy will live.”
Anakin took a deep breath then reached out and grasped Jaina’s hand. Jaina in turn took her mother’s hand, and Leia did the same to Luke. Cilghal grasped Luke’s hand then Han’s, completing the link.
“Okay, now all we have to do is find the Boss cell. Then all the other cells will die.” Anakin said.
“Let’s start with his shoulder wound and go from there.” Cilghal decided.
Together, the five Jedi closed their eyes and dove into the Force. Immediately, they felt the turmoil between Han’s body and the disease. Everywhere they probed, there was a battle waging between Han’s immune system and the cells of the disease. Anakin took the lead and followed the trail the disease had left. It had started in his shoulder and trailed down his bloodstream to lungs. From there, it had flooded into his stomach and small intestine, where it was now slowly but surely creeping towards his liver.
Yet something didn’t feel right. As the group followed Anakin’s mental lead, Leia “saw” something. She focused her mind on it and gasped. A string of cells had left the main pack of cells and had begun journeying up Han’s spinal cord, inching towards the most vital organ in the human body. Anakin followed his mother’s “gaze” then went further, heading up to the front of the stream of cells.
Then he felt it. At the head of the group, speeding towards its final destination, was the dominant cell, the one cell that had cloned itself over and over and over, until it had produced the number it needed to prey on its victim. Anakin made to call to the rest of the Jedi, but already felt his mother and uncle moving in, intent on obliterating the destroyer cell. Jaina was right behind them.
Together, the Jedi focused their power on the cell, pressing down on it with everything they possessed. Abruptly, the cell burst into oblivion, taking out the cells nearest it. Leia let out a small cry as one by one, cells fell victim to their own poison.
It was Cilghal who broke the link. She placed a sensor to Han’s throat and waited frantically for a result. When it came, the room was filled with deafening roars of laughter and happy tearful wails. Cilghal let out a strange laugh of her own, and shook her head in wonder. “The cell count’s going down.”
Leia pulled Anakin’s covers over him once again, then placed a kiss on his forehead. She made sure the other two children were asleep then walked across the room to Han’s bed. The whole family was staying at the medcenter now. Even Chewbacca, who had only just returned from an undercover mission, was curled up on the floor beside the children.
As she approached, Leia could not help but grin at the healthy glow that had returned to Han’s features. He looked almost like his old self, save for the gauntness of his body, and the hollow pits his eyes were in. He had been off the respirator for a couple of days now, yet still he lay in a coma. Cilghal hadn’t had any real guess as to when he’d emerge from it, she’d only said to be patient.
Leia arranged the latest art masterpieces from the children next to the growing gallery of flimsys. For the past week, the children had been doing their lessons here and during their free time, they’d drawn pictures for their father. Jaina’s latest was a rather credible X-Wing; Jacen’s was a mynok; Anakin had drawn a replica of R2-D2. Smiling, Leia pinned them in place on the wall then stepped back to admire the work. Shaking her head in amusement, she turned to her husband.
And found him staring at her.
For a moment, Leia was frozen in place, her mouth hanging open, her breaths non-existent. Then she was against her husband, hugging him tightly. She felt his hand come against her back only to fall weakly down moments later. She pulled back to look at him, silent tears of joy streaming down her cheeks. Han raised his other hand and stroked a few of the tears away, but only had enough strength to do that. His hand sagged back down to his side.
“Oh, I’ve missed you.” Leia breathed, hugging him again. “You wouldn’t believe it.”
“Yeah I would.” Han croaked. His voice was a shadow of its former timbre, but Leia didn’t care. It was the most beautiful sound in the world.
Leia smiled at him, swiping foolishly at her eyes. “Let me wake the children-“
“No.” Han said. “Let ‘em sleep.” His eyes drifted shut, and Leia feared he was slipping away again. A few moments later, they opened again, yet now they held a new light. “I missed you too.” He rasped.
Leia swallowed, hard, and leaned her face towards his. They kissed softly, gently, for the first time in too long. Though no other place would have brought her more peace, Leia pulled back as she felt the weariness in her husband’s body. Han frowned questioningly at her. Leia leaned in again and kissed his cheeks and forehead. “You need to rest. You’re still not well.”
“Leia-“ Han started, yet the look in his wife’s eyes stopped him from going further. “Will you stay with me?”
Leia grinned and kissed him again. “For always.” She whispered.
A few hours later, Han awoke. It was still dark outside, and the glowpanels in the room were on dim. He turned his head and saw that the children were still asleep. A murmur came from his other side, causing him to look down at the beautiful being sleeping against his side. Smiling faintly, Han reached down to brush a stray strand of dark brown hair from Leia’s cheek, marveled at how breathtaking she was, even in sleep.
Han lay there for a while, just listening to Leia’s soft breaths, and wondering how in the worlds he had pulled through this one. Never had he expected he would again wake with Leia beside him. Never again would his children shower him with wet kisses upon his return from a mission. And yet somehow, once again, fate had been kind to the seemingly undeserving Corellian.
Slowly, Han eased himself up into a sitting position, being careful not to rouse Leia. Experimentally, he moved his toes back and forth then drew his leg up and bent it at the knee. Feeling slightly more confident, Han slipped both legs over the side of the bed and pushed himself into a standing position. For a moment, his legs shook, evidence of the weeks-long non-use. Then, slowly, he walked towards his children’s cots, forcing his slack leg muscles to function. He reached Jaina’s bedside after a small eternity, and lowered himself onto the edge of her cot.
Jaina felt a movement on her bed and groaned. “Anakin, go sleep with Jacen.” She murmured, swatting half-heartedly at the space in front of her.
Han grinned. “Hey, Jaina.” He said in a low voice.
Jaina bolted up in bed at the sound of her father’s voice. “Dad?” she breathed then let out a little shriek as she threw her arms around his neck. “Dad!”
Han hugged his only daughter to him, eyes closing at the tenderness of the embrace. “Keep your voice down, I don’t want the boys to wake up.” He said.
Jaina pulled away slightly and nodded, wiping away some suspicious moisture on her cheeks. She glanced away from her father as a dark look crossed her face. “I know you’re mad at me-“
Han framed Jaina’s face with his hands, forcing her to look at him. “Jaina. This was not your fault. And even if it was, it was by accident.” He kissed her forehead. “I would never be mad at you for this, nor am I.”
Jaina grinned and renewed her embrace of her father’s neck, this time crying openly. Han squeezed her tight, stroking her back as she cried, all the while a small smile on his face. Much as Jaina would hate to hear this, she was more like her mother than even he knew.
Epilogue:
Leia and Han walked hand in hand along the roaring beach, the white sand sifting deliciously through their toes as they walked. Ahead of them, the three Solo children were investigating a rather promising pool in the rocks, Jacen the most excited of the three. Their parents laughed as Jaina screamed when Anakin and Jacen pointed nasty-looking glowfish at her.
“Boys, be nice.” Leia called over the wind, shaking her head with amusement as she said it.
Han squeezed her hand tighter. “Let ‘em be, they’re fine.”
Leia sighed and rested her head against his arm. Her husband was almost completely restored to his former self. His body now had its lean but muscular look restored, his skin now nicely bronzed, a stark contrast to the pallid nature it had possessed only a couple of weeks before. Leia gazed up at her husband’s handsome face and took inventory of all that had improved there. His cheekbones were not nearly as prominent anymore, and his hazel eyes shone with a refreshed light of life.
Han sensed Leia’s gaze and grinned down at her. “What’re you looking at?”
Leia grinned back. “You.” She answered coyly.
Han moved his arm from around her shoulders to circle her waist. Leia made a contented noise and moved against his side, rested a hand on his broad chest. They stopped walking and Han leaned back against a rock, drawing Leia back against him. Leia snuggled against his warm skin, rested the back of her head against his shoulder. “I thought I’d lost this forever.” She breathed.
Han hugged her waist tighter, placed a kiss against her temple then trailed down to her cheek. “So had I.” He answered in a rumbling whisper.
Leia swallowed against the lump in her throat and turned her attention on the children, who were running towards them, their buckets full of “treasures”. She heard Han chuckle, felt it against her back as it rumbled inside his chest. Leia joined in, feeling more at peace than she ever had in her life. And with that peace came a sense of pride, of triumph. Death had turned Her evil gaze on Leia’s family yet again, and yet again Leia had been victorious against Her. And Leia would continue to triumph.
For always…
Forever.
end