Leaping Feet First
The crowds lined the streets of the Grand Boulevard of Alderaan, jostling
and genial.
Han had been shifted to the front of the crowd somehow, and was barely behind
the
flimsy scarlet cordon. He shuffled boredly, wanting only for this to be over
so he could
continue on his way to the archives, and find Luke or Chewie.
The parade rolled slowly by. A couple of bands, a few marching units, and
a cheer
went up. Han realized his plans had changed. Seated atop a snow white bantha,
the
largest he had ever seen, was Chewbacca. He rode tall and proud, his gleaming
pelt
set off by the gleaming weaponry and snowy hat he wore.
Behind him was a small howdah, looking remarkably like a cage of gems, in
which rode
two women. The loud-speaker on Han's block announced, "The Princesses Leia
and Lucia
Organa, Night and Day of our world!" A resounding song went up from a thousand
throats
as the women waved from their jeweled enclosure.
Han craned for a better look. Leia was all in white, her long dark hair arranged
in curls and
braids. Lucia was fairer, her black gown setting off the light blonde hair
that was piled high
on her head. He staggered as if hit by a stunner. In this reality, Luke had
been born female.
A set of blue rings aimed at the bantha and its riders caught his attention.
Reflexively, he
dropped and drew, taking down the stun-gunner without harming any other merry-maker.
One of the rings hit the bantha, and it staggered. Chewbacca leaped nimbly
off its back,
and Han was at his side before the spectators could think to shut their mouths.
Together they managed to get the Princesses out of the howdah before the
bantha collapsed
completely, to lie snoring on its side. The squadron of palace guards came
to a halt, and the
parade dispersed down side streets.
"Captain, we are returning to the palace on foot. Father will hear of both
your incompetence
in preventing this attack, and the courage of Chewbacca and this stranger
in coming to our aid."
Han hid a smile. Leia hadn't changed a bit in this reality. Little spitfire
was as ready to take on
the foot-taller soldier as she had been the Empire. Luke, Lucia, he reminded
himself, hung back
quietly taking it all in.
"Han Solo, captain of the Millennium Falcon, at your service, your Highnesses."
He bowed to
them.
"Follow us please, Captain. Chewbacca, please precede us."
"Yes, Your Highnesses." Han was astounded to hear Basic come from Chewbacca.
Very
accented, true, but undeniably Basic. Wookiee vocal structure was not made
to speak the
language. Very few ever acquired it, and only with great effort and pain.
He followed the women to the Palace almost a klom away. They walked as if
making an entrance
into a grand ball, never flagging, never even slumping. Han was feeling the
stone of the formal walkways
through his boots by the time they arrived at the Palace.
The princesses swept into the great hall, seemingly oblivious to the vaults
and delicate entwined
columns. They curtseyed deeply before the man on the throne at the end of
the hall.
"Daughters, I am pleased to see you both safe and well." Bail Organa's stiff
formality surprised
Han, given the way Leia had always spoken of him.
"Thanks only to the timely action of Chewbacca and this man, Captain Solo,"
Lucia said, her
tone as formal as her father's.
Organa motioned the servants and guards to leave and the doors of the hall
shut behind them.
Once they were alone, he took the stairs at a leap and swept the girls into
his arms. Han saw
that his hands were shaking. "My dears, I thought I'd lost you." He
held them a moment more
and then released them to offer his hand to Han. "Captain, I am eternally
in your debt. My
jewels are all I have left of their mother.”
“Father,” both girls began at the same time, and together they pulled him
aside. “We would
like to reward him, if you agree.”
“Of course, my dears. It is only right you do so. Offer after
dinner tonight.” They turned
back to the spacer.
“Captain Solo, we would welcome your company for as long as you wish to stay,”
Bail Organa
radiated his joy at having his daughters safe. “However, if you choose
indefinitely, we shall have to
put you to work as a bodyguard for my girls. Now, if you’ll go with
Chewbacca, he’ll show you to
our guest suites.”
Chewbacca bowed to the royals, and beckoned Han to follow. He led Han
through miles of corridor.
“Here is your room,” he said in Basic.
“Come in and talk to me a minute,” Han said. “I understand Wookiee,
even if I don’t speak it.”
Chewbacca sat down on the big bed, the only piece large enough for his bulk.
*I must return to the
princesses soon.*
“I know. Do you know who I am?”
*You’re a dead man returned to life. I was captured by Imperial slavers.
A brave human tried to
rescue me and some other Wookiee slaves. He died in the attempt.
You are he. How is this possible?*
“I’m from a different universe.”
*There are many in the multiverse, yes?*
“Many. In mine, I saved you, you swore a life-debt and we’ve been together
ever since.”
*So why are you here?*
“I had a lover named Luke Skywalker. He died fighting the Empire.
He made it possible for
the Rebellion to triumph, but I lost him. I’m trying to find a universe
where I died and he didn’t.”
*I do not know the name. So you sail across the Ocean of Space, entering
other universes searching
for this man? Where is he likely to be in this one?*
“That’s just it. Here, he’s not a man. He’s the Princess Lucia.
A simple chromosome addition, and
my beautiful boy is a beautiful girl.”
*Do you like girls, cub?*
“Sure. But I love Luke, regardless of his shape.”
*Say nothing to the Princess about this for now. I will tell her when
the time is right. She is not the heir,
but her father will still not approve of a common spacer for a permanent
match.*
“Whoa, whoa, permanent? Who said permanent?”
Chewbacca stood up and glared. He reverted to Basic. “What are
your intentions toward my charge?”
“I thought I’d get to know her, find out how much like my Luke she is.
Then I’d make a decision about
whether to stay or move on.”
*It is a sensible plan. I will leave you to clean up for dinner.*
So this was the palace of Alderaan. Han wandered the suite, noticing
the subtle surveillance and confinement
built into the design. But the large marble bath beckoned, with hot
sweet-smelling water, and jets that would
soothe any ache. He gave himself over to a leisurely soak, something
he hadn’t had for months. He was on
Alderaan, which had been at peace for 20 years, but his guard never totally
relaxed, and when he heard a
soft footfall behind him, the intruder was staring down a blaster barrel.
“Do you greet every princess that way, Captain?” Lucia stood at the
doorway, wearing a blue sarong that
set off her eyes, her blonde hair piled into a bun atop her head.
“Only when they sneak up on me, sweetheart.”
“Then, since you know I’m here, I’m not sneaking anymore, am I?” Lucia
walked to the edge of the bath
with the same controlled grace Luke always had.
Han lowered the blaster and watched with a small smile. There was one
reason a woman came into a man’s
bath when he wasn’t her husband. He wasn’t wrong. Lucia dropped
the sarong, and slid into the water with
him, with an answering smile.
She slid over to where he sat on one of the benches built into the tub, and
knelt atop his lap. “A proper princess
would announce her gratitude at a grand ceremony, with long boring speeches
and lots of dignitaries.” She bent
down for a kiss. “Leia’s the proper one.” Without another instant
of foreplay, she sat down, taking him into fully
at a single stroke. “I prefer a more personal form of thanks.”
Luke’s directness still hadn’t changed. Han kissed the blonde princess.
She answered his exploration of his
mouth, and returned it. Luke’s kiss, Luke’s touch, even Luke’s slow
hitching motion as she rode him.
“Um, your worship, this may not be the best time–“
“I’ve had all my shots, and I’m not fertile right now.” The slow smile
was pure Luke, right down to the mole
that was now a beauty mark and dimpled chin. “Father would never approve
of my breeding with a tanihen
or a common spacer.”
“I’m so flattered.”
Lucia kissed him silent. “Just enjoy.”
Han shut up and did.
If there was one thing Han had plenty of practice at, it was facing fathers,
brothers and sometimes husbands
without a trace of guilt. Dinner was not unpleasant, and Bail Organa
was one of the rare politicians who knew
when to talk and when to keep silent. Each princess had a young man
with her, and Han finally remembered
what a tanihen was. The young men were tutors, lovers, and formal escorts
for the Alderaanian nobility.
Leia’s young man was slender and dark with green eyes and a ready wit.
Lucia’s was as fair as she was, and
quiet as well. They had been well chosen for their princesses, and
Han couldn’t help feeling a little jealous.
Lucia might have different accessories, but she was still his Luke, and it
hurt to think of another in her bed.
After dinner, when they retired to a private study, the tanihens were dismissed.
Han accepted a glass of pale
gold whiskey from Bail, and found himself on the sofa, with a princess on
either side.
“Captain, Chewbacca has told me of your valor and deeds. Because
of you, my daughters are safe. Would you
like to stay on with us as their personal pilot? You would fly their
private yacht anywhere they need you to.
You would also be required to fly the Tantive IV, should they need it for
diplomatic missions.”
Han put on his best manners, and tried to think of a polite way to refuse.
“Thank you for the offer. But it’s been
a busy day, and I would need to sleep on it.”
“Please take it,” whispered Lucia in his right ear, then kissed his neck.
“We’d love to have you,” whispered Leia in his left, as she ran fingers through
his hair.
Facing a father afterward was one thing. Having the girls make their
affections known in front of their dad was
another. He squirmed a bit. Bail looked at his daughters.
“As is proper, Captain, they will reward you for the rescue. I will
retire now.” Organa left, and Han found himself
with a double armful of princesses.
“Lucia says you’re wonderful,” Leia said softly as she kissed him.
“Be wonderful to me, too?”
“Go on, Han,” Lucia whispered taking her turn at his mouth. “I don’t
mind.”
Had anyone told him he’d have a chance at two princesses who both wanted
him, Han would have laughed at them.
Now the reality left him too stunned to move. He just made himself
comfortable on the sofa, relishing each kiss
and touch.
Lucia, the bolder of the pair in this area, undid his pants. She and
her sister dropped to either side of his lap and
bent over to kiss each other around his very hard cock. Up and down
the shaft they kissed, working their tongues
into each other’s mouth as well as around him.
This was both arousing and disturbing, Han decided. But it felt so
very good and was driving him to a very quick
climax. He informed the girls of this, and they only smiled up at him.
After a few more seconds of teasing, Lucia
took him in her mouth, while Leia moved lower to kiss and stroke his balls.
When one slim, wet finger probed at
his entrance, Han came hard enough to see stars.
“Now he won’t go off so quickly for you,” Lucia said, moving out of the way.
Leia slipped in, and straddled his
lap, holding her skirt up and out of the way. Again without foreplay,
she took him in. Already warm and wet. He
was amazed at the sensuality of the girls.
“You were staring at me through dinner, Han,” she said, touching a hidden
clasp. Her dress fell open to reveal large,
soft breasts. “Do they meet your expectations?”
“Beautiful,” Han managed, before nuzzling them.
“Say you’ll stay.” Lucia had curled up on the sofa beside him and was
stroking both of them, apparently not
caring who she touched.
Han awoke and stared for a moment at the gauzy canopy above him, remembering
where he was. What a night it
had been. From his left, came soft snores and he glanced over to see dark
hair straggling out of the elaborate braids.
On his right, warm softness shifted against his side and Lucia nestled her
head into the hollow of his shoulder.
He could get used to this. If it didn’t kill him first. He wasn’t as young
as he had been the day when the other cadets
had taken bets on how many whores he could exhaust in a night, in keeping
with the reputation Corellians had.
He could get used to it, but this wasn’t his Luke and never would be. No
matter how often Lucia looked at him
with those huge blue eyes, or smiled so it lit her face, she still wouldn’t
be Luke.
Carefully brushing a kiss over each sleeping cheek, he slid off the foot
of the bed, gathered his clothes and tiptoed
out the door. Chewbacca was in the hall.
“Did you enjoy?”
“Yes. They were very good to me.”
Chewbacca reverted back to wookiee. * Then why do you leave without saying
good-bye?*
“How’d you know I was leaving?”
Chewbacca snorted. The wookiee nose knew all. *Wait until morning. Tell them
good-bye. Tell them why you
must leave.*
“Chewie, if I do, there’s just gonna be tears and lots of guilt.”
*They are not fragile flowers, Han. They are princesses of Alderaan. Their
hearts will not be broken. Go back
to bed. Love them in the morning. And tell them at breakfast. Your
heart is still with your Luke, and my Lucia
will not do.”
“She’s not him. She is, but she hasn’t lived like he had.”
Chewbacca nodded sagely. *Little One, it will do me good to know that in
many places in the multiverse, we
are together, even though your counterpart here is dead. Know too, there
will be worlds where Luke is dead
as well, or where I am.*
“Thanks.” Han turned and went back to bed.
The princesses walked him to the foot of the Falcon’s ramp. They hadn’t cried,
but Lucia’s eyes were
suspiciously bright.
“Take care of yourself, Captain,” Leia said, stretching up for a kiss.
Lucia kissed him more lingeringly. “I’m sorry you can’t stay. I hope you
find your Luke.” She kissed him
again, and walked away.
They watched with Chewbacca as he lifted. He waved one last time before they
were specks on the
ground, and then made the jump.