Separate Lives
Nal Hutta
[You don't have to watch this, cub,] Chewie woofed softly as he laid a gentle
paw over Han's forearm.
Han Solo's eyes did not leave the holo-projector in the dark bar showing the
image of Princess Leia Organa and Prince Isolder exchanging vows. The hard lump
that had formed in his throat, and the tightness in his chest that had not gone
away since Leia told him to "have a nice life", intensified. The
memory of that day haunted Han. If Leia had physically struck him, it would not
have shocked or hurt him any deeper than those cold words coming from her
mouth. Have a nice life. I'll be sure to do that, sweetheart, had been
Solo's quick response as he'd spun around and walked away without a backwards
glance at the woman he'd loved with his heart and soul. Lowering his emotional
barriers to her had been a huge mistake, just like giving up his life as a
smuggler had been a mistake. Now he was a man without any prospects - unable to
return to a life of smuggling and unable to continue his career with the
The Wookiee opened his mouth to disagree, then thought better of his words. Han
was right - ultimately everyone looked down at the ex-smuggler. Chewie felt a
bitter anger build up inside. It had taken so long for Han to commit to the
When the newlywed couple kissed, the patrons in the bar cheered and Solo
finally looked away, shutting his eyes tightly to keep the tears from showing.
Abruptly, Han stood up and slammed some credit chips on the table to pay the
tab and walked out of the small bar with a quiet and dejected Wookiee following
behind.
***
Luke stood next to an overjoyed Mon Mothma, who was clapping while Leia and Isolder
had their first "dance" as husband and wife. "Don't they look
just wonderful together?" the President gushed to Luke. "This is a
great day for the citizens of the galaxy." When the young Jedi didn't
answer immediately, Mon Mothma looked over at him, frowning. "You are
happy for your sister, aren't you?"
"Of course, Madam President. If Leia is happy, then I'm happy, also."
"What wouldn't she be happy about? Isolder is the perfect man for her.
He's handsome, rich, powerful and very polite. He was raised to respect and
defer to females, and I'm sure he'll never argue with her." Unlike that
Corellian, was her unspoken comment. The President waved across the room to
the Queen Mother and left Luke standing alone.
"Luke?" a man's voice said from behind the somber Jedi.
"Wedge," Skywalker nodded and smiled. With so many unfamiliar faces,
it was nice to finally see someone he felt comfortable around. "Are you
enjoying yourself?"
The Corellian shrugged. "I guess."
"You guess? What's the problem?"
"I can't stop thinking about Han," Wedge said quietly. "I feel
so bad for him, Luke. Do you know what he told me right before we arrived back
at Coruscant?"
"What?" Luke wasn't certain he wanted to hear this, and he'd been
having a hard time not picturing Han instead of Isolder dancing with his
sister.
"That he was waiting for Leia to realize he wasn't worthy of her, and he
knew it was just a matter of time before she left him." When Luke did not
reply, Wedge continued. "I argued with him, Luke. I told him that Leia
loved him and wouldn't leave him. I can't believe how wrong I was."
Luke looked over at the new Hapan Queen and her husband as they sat down at the
banquet table. For a brief moment, Leia met her brother's gaze from across the
room and she gave him a wan smile before her attention was forced elsewhere. You're
not that wrong, Wedge, Luke thought sadly. She still does love Han.
***
One month later
Kashyyyk
[We have to make a decision what to do, Han,] Chewie urged Solo. The Wookiee
had been getting increasingly anxious over Han's lethargy. His human friend had
not shaved for weeks and seldom bothered to wash his clothing. Mostly, Han just
sat in the Falcon, staring blankly out of the cockpit window at the
trees or slept the day away in his cabin. Even getting Solo to eat was a chore.
"You don't have to stay with me," Han replied, not taking his eyes
off the leafy branches outside the viewport.
It was far from the first time since Leia had left him that Han had said those
words. Chewie felt like roaring in frustration at Solo. [I have no intention of
abandoning you, cub! But we cannot just stay here on Kashyyyk forever.]
"Why not?" Because I'm a burden to your family. And I'm an
embarrassment to you, pal.
[We need to earn some credits,] Chewie argued.
"I can sell Dathomir. Even if it's in the Imperial regions, someone will
buy it for future speculation. We'll never have to work again."
[Then what?] Chewie growled. [You'll just sit around in the Falcon,
moping your life away?]
"I don't have a life." Han got up and pushed past his partner,
storming off to the privacy of his cabin, and locking the door behind him.
Just go away and leave me alone, Han thought as flung his tired body down
on his cot. How can I be so tired when all I do is sleep? When Chewie
did not follow him and knock on his door, Solo drifted off into another
restless slumber.
***
One week later, mid morning.
[Han?] Chewie called into the dark interior of the Falcon. [Cub?] No
answer. Concerned, the Wookiee checked each room, starting with Solo's cabin
and working his way around the entire ship. When he finally entered the
cockpit, a small box sat on the co-pilot's seat. Carefully the Wookiee opened
the box and noted two electronic cubes sat inside, as well as a folded flimsy.
Sitting down, Chewie opened the note.
Chewie. Thank you for being my only friend.
You don't deserve the way I've been treating you. I've transferred ownership of
the Falcon to you, and signed over Dathomir to you, too. With your long
lifespan, it should someday be valuable to you or Lumpy. Take good care of the
Falcon. Forgive me. Han.
***
As the rickety transport lumbered through hyperspace, Han wondered how many
safety regulations the vessel violated. But the fee to ride along had been
incredibly cheap, long as comfort and
odor was not a big issue with the passengers. With
his forged identity disk and a full beard, Solo felt certain he was
unrecognizable. His slacks bloodstripes
on his had been left behind on the Falcon. Like everything else, those were now a part of his past - a
past he fully intended to never again acknowledge. Guilt ate away at him for
leaving Chewie, but he reasoned that the Wookiee deserved a decent life with
his family, and Solo was only a hindrance. He's better off without me, just like everyone.
Solo had no clue what he intended to do once he arrived on Kuat, the
destination of this supply ship. Perhaps he'd find work as a crewmember with
another ship. He knew he'd be able to pull his own weight when it came to
making repairs or doing grunt work loading and unloading cargo. Many of these
borderline shipping businesses couldn't afford expensive droids to do manual
labor, and at this point Solo no longer cared what others thought of him. He
would mind his own business, do what he was told, and take his small pay. And
Han Solo no longer intended to interact with anyone in a social setting. Even
though his new alias was Kixx Reye, being solo would always be his destiny, he
decided glumly.
Destiny had other ideas.
***
Coruscant
Tossing and turning in his bed, Luke found he couldn't sleep. His fragmented
thoughts kept flipping from his sister, and then over to Han. Part of Luke was
angry and hurt that Solo had just left Coruscant without even leaving a goodbye
message. It's like he was blaming me for Leia's decision to leave with
Isolder! I wasn't even here... how was it my fault? Another part was very
worried about his long-time friend's mental state. At least he's with Chewie,
the young Jedi reminded himself. For some reason, that thought did nothing to
alleviate his growing concern. Finally, unable to rest, Luke flung the covers
off and went to his comm board. Hopefully, Solo had not changed his signal
code, and Luke would be able to contact him. Even if Solo was sarcastic and
said something hurtful to Luke - which was a strong possibility - at least he'd
know Han was all right. The outgoing signal light blinked for so long, Luke was
about to give up and turn it off when Chewie's face appeared.
"Chewie! Thank the stars you answered," Luke said with a relieved
grin. "How are things going? Where are you? Is Han okay?"
The Wookiee regarded Luke with a worried expression, silent for several long
seconds. [Han has left,] he finally replied.
"Left?"
[We had been on Kashyyyk for a month, and when I tried to push Han into some
action, he disappeared.]
"Disappeared? You mean he left you on Kashyyyk and took off on the
Falcon?" Luke sounded incredulous. Never, in a million years, did Luke
think Han would simply leave without Chewie.
[Not exactly. He left, but he transferred ownership of both the Falcon,
and the planet he won, to me.]
Luke had heard the story from his sister about Han's desperate attempt to win
her love by playing in a high-stakes sabacc game where, incredibly, he'd won
the entire planet of Dathomir to give her as a gift. Solo had been crushed when
Leia informed him that it was an interdicted system in Imperial control. The
fact Han would give the planet to Chewie was not nearly as shocking as the news
that he'd given up his ship. "You have no idea where he went?"
[None. I have been attempting to trace him, but so far I haven't been
successful. Han is very good at blending in when he doesn't want to be
noticed.]
"Maybe if he spends some time alone he'll come to his senses," Luke
suggested. "But if you want, I'll come to Kashyyyk and help find
him."
[Do not come yet. I will keep trying to track him down, and if I need your
assistance I will contact you. Thank you for caring enough to ask about my
cub.]
"I care," Luke protested, vaguely annoyed. "Leia getting married
to Isolder wasn't my fault, you know."
[Did you try to reason with your sister?]
"It wasn't my place to interfere with her decision," Luke argued.
[But it was the High Council's place to pressure Leia into this marriage?]
Chewie persisted.
Luke sighed. "Ultimately, right or wrong, it was her choice."
[Was it?] The view screen went black.
***
Hapan Sector, three months later
Queen Leia of Hapes sat on a
throne in ornate clothing, broiling under a hot sun as she watched yet another
parade procession in her honor. She felt her mind wander, wondering where Luke
was, and what he was doing. Probably locating Force-sensitives somewhere in the
vast galaxy. Already she missed her brother and wished he was there with her. Surrounded
by people, yet I'm alone. Leia glanced over to her left side and took in
the bored Force-sense of Isolder as he sat next to her. They had been married a
little over four months now - in some ways it felt much longer - and she still
didn't truly know her husband. Sure, he was polite and deferred immediately to
her requests. Isolder said all the right words and never, not once since they'd
wed, argued or disagreed with her decisions. Why would he need to? Leia
thought wearily. Ta'a Chume never misses an opportunity to argue and
disagree with me. But it wasn't even her sullen and stubborn mother-in-law
that bothered Leia. What bothered her was what she sensed, or more accurately
didn't sense, from her new husband. Sometime during the wedding night Leia knew
through the Force that Isolder didn't love her. She would never confront him
with this knowledge, and even if she did, how could she prove it? He told her,
repeatedly, that he loved her. He showered her with gifts. He expressed his
physical desire for her with great skill. But the deep, intense feelings of
love she had grown so accustomed to emanating from Han were missing.
Han. Where are you? What are you doing? HOW are you doing? These were
questions that filled her thoughts day and night. Leia wished she could contact
Malla to ask these questions. But I have no right to ask. I only did what I
had to do, for the good of the galaxy and for the survivors of Alderaan.
Still, the new Hapan Queen knew she'd live the rest of her life missing Han
Solo.
***
Ithor, six weeks later
The agricultural planet with its endless hills of waving, native grain, was a
peaceful place. The Ithorians left the system as much as possible in its
natural state, preferring to live in enormous floating cities whose beauty
attracted tourists from around the galaxy. Han wandered aimlessly around the
vast, attractive walkways with his hands stuck in his pockets and his shoulders
hunched slightly. The Corellian had been at various spaceports in several
different systems for almost five months now, traveling aimlessly from one
place to the other, while barely supporting himself with odd jobs along the
way. Solo knew he was being avoided by the beings surrounding him - they
thought he was a wandering indigent, and of course, they were correct. Han sat
down on a bench, watching as the young couple on the opposite end quickly got
up and left. I'm back to where I started out as a child - alone, dirty, with
two credits to my name. He gave a cynical laugh. Luke is always babbling
on about how the future always seems to work out.... I guess my parents saw my
future when they abandoned me as a kid, and I'm living down to their
expectations. Solo knew he should at least make an attempt to find some
type of permanent work, but just thinking about the effort of looking for a
steady job exhausted him. I don't understand why I have no energy left.
"Han?" a surprised male voice asked from behind his shoulder.
No! This can't be happening! "You have me mistaken for someone
else," Solo quickly mumbled, lurching to his feet while turning his face
away from the speaker. The Corellian had only taken two steps when a hand
grabbed his arm, stopping his progress.
"Han!" the man said, much louder. "It is you! Small
galaxy, isn't it?"
Too small, if ya ask me. Defeated, Solo turned to face this unexpected
trouble. "L..Lando?" Han stuttered, feeling his heart drop to his
boots.
The well-dressed gambler swept his arms wide, giving Solo his million credit
smile. "None other! Why are you here? Where's the Wook?" Lando's
smile faded slightly as he took in Han's bedraggled, unkempt appearance. He'd
heard the Corellian hadn't taken Leia's departure well, but this disintegration
surprised Calrissian.
"Chewie ain't here, and as far as that goes, neither am I," Solo replied
gruffly.
"What are you talking about? Where's Chewie, if he isn't here?"
"He's permanently on Kashyyyk with his family. Where he belongs."
"You and Chewie split up?" Lando asked, his eyes wide. Chewie
would never leave Han! What's going on?
"Listen, Calrissian, this ain't none of your concern. Go away an' leave me
alone." Solo started walking away, not overly surprised when Lando fell
into step next to him. "Don't understand Basic real well, do ya?"
"I heard you resigned as a General," Lando continued casually.
"So? You resigned, too."
"Hardly for the same reason. So you're living by yourself on the Falcon
now?"
"I don't have the Falcon anymore."
"WHAT? You didn't lose her gambling, did you!?" Lando yelled at his
friend.
Solo stopped walking, glaring at Lando and trying to reign in his temper.
"Not that it's any of your business, but I gave the Falcon to
Chewie."
"Let me get this straight - you left Chewie on Kashyyyk and gave him your
ship? Does he even know where you are?"
"Nope."
"What do you intend to do without a ship? How are you living? Where are
you sleeping?"
"What do you care?" Han snapped. "Leave me alone, an' quit
interrogating me." He tried leaving again, unsuccessfully, as Lando
hurried to keep up.
"Wait up, Han! Since you don't seem to have any plans at the moment, I
have an offer to make to you."
"I don't want any of your krethin' charity."
"This isn't charity. It's a legitimate business proposition."
Again, Han stopped walking. "Your last proposition got me tortured, frozen
and delivered to Jabba, if I recall correctly."
Lando flushed slightly. "You're never going to let that go, are you? At
least hear me out."
"I'm listening - not that you're letting me have a choice."
Grinning once again, Lando whipped out a small, flat disk and pressed a button.
A loud and flashy advertisement started playing, showing a very large, very
expensive, space cruiser. With prices starting at only five thousand credits
per being, double occupancy, you too can have the vacation of a lifetime! See
the Crystal Nebula! See the beauty of the Maw! Experience the thrill of riding
close to the edge of stunning blackholes! Take a side trip to a warm sunny
beach on Kysilla! This once in a lifetime experience includes five gourmet
meals a day!
Han looked up from the small disk that had finally turned itself off. "I
don't have five thousand credits to take a vacation right now, Calrissian. But
thanks for thinking of me," he commented dryly.
The gambler-turned businessman gave a hearty laugh. "This is my new
business venture, Han. I'm here on Ithor raising revenue. What do you
think?"
"You're starting a Space cruise-line?"
"Yes," Lando beamed proudly. "And this ship is just the first. I
plan on buying at least four more ships."
"Congratulations. Good luck. Best wishes. May the Force be with you,"
Han said with a snort.
"You don't have to be sarcastic."
"Whatever. What does any of this have to do with me?"
"I need a Captain for my first ship. Who better than the famous hero, the
former General Han Solo?"
"You're kidding."
"Not at all. It's a perfect fit, don't you see? You need a new, legit
occupation, and I need someone rich people will trust to pilot them close to
see all those 'dangerous' space attractions."
"I don't think so."
"Why not? Give me one good reason."
"Let's see....." Han looked up at the sky and pretended to think.
"A bunch of rich people...gawking at the scorned former lover of the rich
Princess. Sounds like a damn good reason to say 'no' to me."
"I'll give you a better reason to do it - two reasons, actually. One, all
those rich people will see that the rich Princess didn't ruin your life by
leaving you, and two... eighty thousand credits for the first standard year,
one hundred thousand if you stay beyond the first year. Plus, first class
living quarters and all the gourmet food you can eat. Oh, yes. And a real
spiffy Captain's uniform."
The amount of money Lando was offering floored Solo, but he had no intention of
letting the gambler see that. "You might've had me convinced for a second
there. At least until you mentioned the Sith-spawned uniform."
"You can't be serious! I'll even let you help pick it out! I already have
the image of a crisp white uniform with gold piping, and a tidy little cap! You
look great in a uniform, Solo! The ladies will be swooning all over you. Eighty
thousand credits.... no expenses...." Calrissian trailed off and put on
his best convincing expression.
"When is the first trip scheduled?"
Lando shot Han a triumphant grin. "In two months, departing from
Coruscant. I already have the first cruise more than half booked, and the
reservations are going fast. I'll put you up in a fancy hotel until your
quarters are finished. Deal?" Calrissian stuck out his hand and waited.
When Han pursed his mouth and didn't immediately answer, Lando prodded, raising
his eyebrows. "Eighty-five thousand credits?"
Solo reached forward and grasped Lando's outstretched hand. So much for
fading into anonymity. "Deal."
***
Hapan Capital
"Isolder?" Leia called into the empty suite. Her husband wasn't there
- again. During the past two months Leia hhad hardly seen Isolder. He claimed he
was busy with assignments from his mother, which annoyed Leia to no end. What
right did Ta'a Chume have to order her married son around? If Queen Leia of
Hapes had thought Ta'a Chume would bow out of ruling the Hapans gracefully, she
was finding out how wrong she'd been. I thought Isolder had the backbone to
stand up to his mother. I thought our marriage would make him even stronger
against her. Instead, he seems to have become far more passive and eager to
please his mother since our marriage. Prince Isolder was not the man, or
husband, Leia had thought he would be. Sighing, she put on a simple dress and
took a walk in the cool evening air of the palace gardens. Starting to round a
hedge wall, she stopped short when she heard Isolder's voice.
"I have to go now, Sil'aeyn," Isolder was saying. "My wife will
start to get suspicious."
"Just tell her you had meetings. Isn't that what you've been telling her
anyway?"
"Yes, and I'm lucky she hasn't confronted my mother about how many
'meetings' she's been making me attend! I wish I could spend every night, and
every waking moment with you, Sil'aeyn. You know I love you. I've always loved
you."
"It's not fair! Nothing is fair!"
"No, life isn't fair. If I could have married you, I would have. You have
to believe me, my love. But I won't give you up completely. Even if we're not
legally married, as far as I'm concerned, you're my true wife - the wife of my
heart."
"Oh, Isolder!" the woman cooed.
The voices stopped as the sound of soft moaning followed. Leia let out the
breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Quickly, she turned and headed
back into the palace. I should be shocked.. I should be furious. Why is it I
feel nothing at all?
***
Coruscant, two weeks later
True to his word, Lando Calrissian booked Solo into a luxury room in an
expensive hotel under his alias, Kixx Reye. Han's only stipulation was that the
hotel had to be on the opposite side of the planet from the New Republic government
headquarters. At Calrissian's insistence, Han had trimmed his beard, and
purchased some new clothes using an advance on his first payment as Captain.
Sitting on the edge of a soft bed in a mauve and green colored room, Solo
stared at the holo-comm and debated contacting Chewie. I shouldn't have left
him, he told himself. He's probably worried sick by now. But he's better
off with his wife and child. Whatever happens, it isn't too likely being the
Captain of a stupid cruise ship will be dangerous. Leave him with his family.
When he sees I'm okay without his protection, he won't be so mad anymore.
Again, the same weariness that had settled over his body when Leia left him
returned. Not bothering to get undressed, Solo lay down on top of the soft
bedspread and slept.
***
"Hello, Luke." Lando smiled into the
holo-comm.
"Lando. I haven't seen you for a while." Luke nodded politely in
acknowledgement.
"You'll never guess who I ran into when I was on Ithor."
"Do I have to guess, or can I just use the Force and retrieve the
information from your mind?"
"Funny, Skywalker. Stay out of my mind," Lando said with a grimace,
then added, "Han."
Luke's eyes widened. "You're kidding! I contacted Chewie months ago and he
told me Han just took off and left him on Kashyyyk. And signed over the Falcon
to him, too! We've both been trying to use our contacts to locate him, but
without any luck."
"So Han told me." Lando sighed. "He's pretty depressed, Luke.
But I've convinced him into accepting a job from me, so maybe this will help
bring him around."
"I hope so. What type of job is it?"
"I'm starting my own space cruise-line for rich vacationers. Solo's agreed
to captain The Galaxy's Splendor for me," Lando replied proudly.
"The first trip leaves in six weeks."
"Ah. I see. You do manage to come up with interesting schemes,
Lando."
"Hey! This isn't a scheme. These people will get their money's worth, and
then some. I'll have suites booked three years in advance."
Luke held up his hands and laughed. "I believe you. Have you talked to
Chewie? He's pretty worried about Han. Well, we've all been very worried,
actually."
"Not yet. I sort of promised him I wouldn't contact Chewie, but I think he
forgot to mention I shouldn't talk to you about the situation," Lando gave
a sly wink. "But the thing is, I can't have him back out of this job. So
if you could let Chewie know Han's all right, I think Solo will contact the
Wook after he starts feeling more like his old self. I'll keep giving Han a
push in that direction, too."
"I'll do that, Lando," Luke agreed, feeling relief that his friend
was okay. "Chewie's hurt that Han just up and left, but I think he
understands sometimes people don't behave normally when they're upset."
"Thanks, Luke."
No sooner had Calrissian signed off, than Luke's comm light started blinking
again. This time, the incoming communication was from Hapes.
***
Luke could tell immediately by her pale,
unhappy expression that something was wrong. "Leia? What's the
matter?"
"I found out a couple of weeks ago he's having an affair," she
whispered, without even saying hello first. "I think this woman has been
his lover for years. Apparently, our marriage is nothing more than an
inconvenience to Isolder." She hesitated, then shook her head sadly.
"Or maybe it was only a convenience - I don't know anymore, Luke. I don't
know anything."
"Are you certain?" Luke asked. Maybe this was all just a simple
misunderstanding.
"Of course I'm certain!" Leia said indignantly. "I overheard
them talking, and they weren't discussing the weather."
"Have you confronted him?"
"No. What's the point? It will just cause a scene, and nothing will
change," she replied unhappily. The worst part since discovering his
deception was continuing to have to share a bed with her husband. If Isolder
noticed the change in his wife's demeanor during their increasingly rare
moments of intimacy, he said nothing. Why should he care if I'm interested
or not? He has his lover.
"You can't let things continue this way, Leia," Luke protested.
"You don't have to be a martyr and suffer the rest of your life in
silence."
"Yes, I do. When I agreed to marry a man I didn't love I became a martyr
for the New Republic. I deserve this."
"What?" Luke yelled. "What are you saying? You don't deserve to
be unhappy! Why are you even thinking that?"
"Just look at how I treated Han," she said quietly, looking at the
floor. "I do deserve this. It's how the Force evens things out."
Luke looked at his stricken sister, seeing her grief and loneliness. Han..
she will never stop loving Han. Why did you do it, Leia? Why did you marry
Isolder? The New Republic would have survived without the Hapes Consortium, and
it's likely you could have convinced them to join the New Republic without
agreeing to a loveless marriage. Unable to say those things aloud, he said,
"Leia, listen to me. The Force does not work like that." Suddenly
inspiration, or perhaps insanity, struck. "What you need is some time away
from Hapes, sister. I have just the thing to help you get away from everything,
including your husband, for a little while. And you can claim it's for public
relations, too."
"What are you talking about?"
"You haven't heard? Lando is opening a new luxury space-cruise liner. If
the new Queen of Hapes would take the maiden voyage it sure would help him with
launching this new business. And you could take the cruise as a way of showing
how supportive the new Hapan-New Republic governments are towards new
independent ventures. Plus, it would get you away from Isolder for two weeks."
Luke tried not to think about what would happen when Leia and Han met up again.
It could be the biggest disaster in the history of the galaxy, but the Force
seemed to be telling him otherwise.
"I don't know if I can just leave so soon - " she started to say before
her brother interrupted.
"Leia! You're the Queen! You can do whatever you want to do. Besides, do
you really think the galaxy will collapse if you take a few weeks to
relax?"
"When is the maiden voyage?" she asked, giving a genuine smile for
the first time in months. Maybe this would be just what she needed - some time
away from the pompous and stuffy Ta'a Chume and the unfaithful Isolder.
"In six weeks."
"Is there still space available?"
"That won't be a problem. I have connections."
Leia laughed, and to Luke's ears the laughter sounded truly beautiful.
"I'll go if you will. I'd love to spend some time with my brother."
"I wouldn't miss this cruise for all the credits in the universe."
***
"Are you sure this is a
good idea?" Lando frowned. "How am I going to keep the news from Han
and take advantage of this fantastic publicity stunt at the same time?"
"For security reasons, you won't be able to let the public know
beforehand, anyway," Luke pointed out. "But that won't change the
fact you can sell future cruises by saying Queen Leia of Hapes took the maiden
voyage and loved the experience. Just wait to announce that Han is the Captain
until after Leia's ship is in hyperspace. That way she won't hear the big news
and back out of the trip."
The Baron grinned. "I didn't know Jedi were allowed to be devious. Do you
think maybe President Mon Mothma will take one of my future trips when she
finds out how much Leia enjoyed it?"
"Don't get carried away, Lando. So you have space available?"
"Sure I do. The most expensive suites usually sell late anyway. The Queen
will have only the very best. Do you want to have a suite with two bedrooms, so
you can be in the same room with Leia?"
Luke's thoughts drifted to Han. Either this trip was going to be the biggest
mistake of Luke's life, or Leia and Han would see the light during the course
of the cruise. I should be feeling guilty about this. After all, Leia is
married. Except...she's not married to the right man, and Isolder isn't being
faithful to her, either. Chewie was right - I should have interfered before the
wedding, then things wouldn't be so messed up. "No, I'd rather have a
room next to hers or across the hall. Is that okay?"
Lando looked somewhat strained as he interpreted Skywalker's meaning. "She's
married, Luke. Are you sure you know what you're doing?"
"I hope I do. It feels right, if a bit late."
"Late. Well, that's an understatement."
***
"He's fine, Chewie." Luke calmed the worried and angry Wookiee after
he explained what was happening. "Lando thinks this is just the thing to
get him back on track. But you can't let him know that you know where he
is and what he's doing - not until this first cruise is over."
[I just do not understand why he has pushed me away,] Chewie growled. [I have
done nothing to make him upset with me!]
"He's not upset with you, he's just depressed. If Han doesn't contact you
after the cruise, come to Coruscant and pull his arms out of his sockets."
[Ha! Don't think I wouldn't like to do just that. I think I will have him clean
the Falcon from one end to the other with his toothbrush as punishment
when I get my paws on him.]
Luke laughed. "At least you know where he is now, and I'll be watching his
back for the next several weeks. Who knows? Maybe I can even get Han and Leia
back together again."
[May the Force be with you on that task, Skywalker.]
"Thanks, Chewie. I'll need the good grace of the Force to fix this
mess."
***
Hapes Capital
"A cruise? By yourself?" Ta'a Chume frowned in disapproval. "If
you wish to take a vacation, you should go with your husband. It could be a
honeymoon. You haven't had one, you know."
Leia felt herself tense up. "I'm well aware of the fact Isolder and I did
not take a honeymoon. I want to spend time with my brother. This isn't supposed
to be a honeymoon."
"He could just come here and visit you, my dear. This is unnecessary, as
well as dangerous."
"It won't be dangerous," Leia ground out through clenched teeth.
"My brother is a Jedi, and the ship has security guards as well as
defensive capabilities."
"Isolder? Talk some sense into your wife. She is far too stubborn for her
own good."
The Prince had been standing silently beside Leia, listening to the exchange.
"If Leia wishes to spend time with her brother, I see no reason to stand
in her way."
What a surprise.... my husband wants me to leave so he can spend some
quality time with his lover. Leia forced herself to smile at Isolder.
"Thank you, dear. I appreciate the support."
Ta'a Chume sniffed and wiped her hands across the front of her elaborate gown,
smoothing imaginary wrinkles. "Fine, then. Do as you please. Who am I to
argue with the Queen?" She turned and stalked off, fuming.
"Again," Leia said formally to her husband, "I thank you for
backing me."
Isolder bowed at the waist, his face expressionless. "No problem, Queen
Leia. No problem at all."
***
Evening
"Sil'aeyn? Are you there, darling?" Isolder whispered as he
moved deep into the vast gardens of the palace estate.
"I'm over here," a soft voice replied. Isolder moved to the quiet
sniffling sound and found Sil'aeyn sitting on a stone bench, crying. The Prince
sat next to the tall blonde and took her hand into his, giving her a white
lathel rose that he'd picked moments before. "So it's true?"
"Yes. The doctor confirmed what I suspected."
"This doesn't have to be bad news, my dearest." Those words, meant to
comfort, only brought louder sobs from the beautiful Hapan woman. "Shhh,
don't cry." Isolder took her into his arms and stroked her golden hair.
"I've told you I'll never leave you. I mean that."
"This should be the happiest time of my life," Sil'aeyn cried.
"I should be shouting from the rooftops - 'I'm having Isolder's baby!'
But... I can't. I can't tell anyone." She turned her liquid blue eyes up
to the Prince. "Should I get rid of it? It's only seven weeks."
"No! How can you even suggest such a thing? This baby is going to be loved
by both her parents," Isolder said firmly. "Somehow, I'll make
everything right, you have to believe me."
Sil'aeyn gave a watery smile. "A girl?"
"Of course. The future leader of Hapes is always a girl," the Prince
smiled back as he reached down and kissed her trembling lips. "Trust me.
I'll figure something out."
***
Dathomir, one week later.
"Warlord Zsinj, we've received a communication from a high level
source," General Melvar said as he handed a disk to the Warlord. "It
appears the new Queen of Hapes has decided to take a little vacation on a
commercial cruise line." The tall General, whose face was self-scarred by
his implanted platinum fingernails, looked down at the short, obese Warlord and
waited for a reaction.
"Princess Leia? Really?... How very interesting," Zsinj replied with
a smile, taking the disk and looked at it thoughtfully. "I would suppose
that the itinerary of this cruise ship is public information."
"Quite public. The disk contains the complete schedule. Our contact was
very thorough in that regard."
The Warlord nodded, stroking his gray mustache, his eyes hard. "Won't the
New Republic be surprised when they find out I'm still alive and well? Whatever
little respect they still might have for the disgraced General Solo will
evaporate. Too bad I won't be able to see Solo's face when he hears the
news." He turned and looked out of his window, overlooking the vast
forests and the distant village. "We must plan this carefully, and destroy
this new alliance between the Hapans and the New Republic. A strike of this
magnitude will reestablish our position as a serious threat to the fraudulent
New Republic government. Someday soon, General Melvar, we will rule the
galaxy."
"My thoughts, exactly."
***
Four weeks later
"Here's your uniform," Lando said as Han opened the door to allow
Calrissian to enter his room. "I've had the rest of them delivered
directly to your quarters on The Galaxy's Splendor. Your quarters are
ready, by the way, so you can move in anytime."
"Tired of paying the hotel bill, Calrissian?" Han groused as he
watched Lando take the white uniform with blue and gold trim out of the large
box.
Ignoring Han's goading, Lando continued to discuss the uniform. "Isn't it
fantastic?" he asked, holding it up. "Try it on, I want to see what
it looks like on you."
"I really don't feel like modeling for you."
"Hey! This is my high-stakes venture here, Solo. You're going to be
representing me. Besides, I paid a fortune for these expensive uniforms and the
custom tailoring. I want to see if I got my credits' worth."
Sighing, Solo snatched the garment out of Lando's hand and stalked off to the
refresher. He took his time putting on the neatly tailored outfit. First, he
pulled on the white pants with a thin, dark blue stripe on the outside of the
leg, then he adjusted the tunic with blue braids entwined with gold on the
shoulders and blue, gold rimmed buttons running down the front of his chest.
Finally, Solo reluctantly exited the 'fresher. Calrissian was standing with
white boots in his hand, grinning like a drunken gundark. "Fantastic! You
look great. You need to get your hair trimmed before we leave Coruscant, but
there's a hair salon onboard. Are you keeping the beard? Get it trimmed
shorter, if you do."
"Are you done ordering me around?" Han snapped as he reached for his
gun rig, only to have Calrissian snatch it away before his fingers could close
around the belt.
"Hey, I'm paying the big credits here. I'm allowed to order you around a
bit, and you can't wear your rig with the uniform." Han gave Lando a
deadly stare, and Calrissian cleared his throat before explaining. "It
ruins the effect and the guests will feel intimidated if they see you wearing a
weapon."
"What if I want to intimidate the guests?"
Deciding a fast change of subject was in order, he thrust the shiny boots into
Solo's hand. "Put the boots on."
Glaring, Han sat on the edge of the bed and tugged the white boots over his
feet, completing the uniform. Well, almost, anyway. Calrissian stepped forward
and placed a short brimmed, white and gold cap on Solo's head. "All I can
say is... watch out ladies! You're going to have women drooling over you, Solo.
Just don't let them drool on the uniform."
"I'll be sure to keep your investment neat and tidy," Han remarked,
rolling his eyes.
"Seriously, you need to get up to the Splendor and check things
out. Once we leave Coruscant, you're in complete charge," Lando said.
"I need to introduce you to all the crewmembers and various directors. If
anyone has a serious complaint, they'll be looking for you."
"Swell. And what's with the 'we'?"
"You don't think I'm missing the maiden voyage of my first cruise ship, do
you? Don't worry, you're still in charge of the crew. And if I'm there, you
won't need to do as much smooching up to the passengers, since I'll be there to
dazzle them."
"Smooching up?" Han asked, his voice getting dangerously low.
"You're going to personally greet all the guests as they come
onboard."
"What? How can I possibly greet every passenger? Didn't you tell me there
were over ten thousand guests?"
"It's customary for the Captain to greet passengers, Han - and you only
have to greet the people coming in on Docking Bay One. Those are the people
that are paying the biggest money for this cruise, and they expect to meet the
Captain. The various cruise directors will greet the other guests at docking
bays two through six. Oh yes, and the meal director will handle which guests
will be dining with you each evening." When Han opened his mouth to
object, Calrissian quickly continued. "It's considered a great honor to be
invited to dine at the Captain's table."
"You never said I had to play host during meals."
"It's just part of the job duty. Don't be so stubborn, Solo. All you have
to do is sit and listen to rich people tell you about their lives."
"Sounds like hell, if you ask me."
"I'll tell the director to make sure you have a pretty female sitting next
to you every night. How bad can that be? Eat a nice meal, look at a pretty
woman, dance with the pretty woman..."
"WHAT? Dance?!"
"You know how to dance. You graduated from the Naval Academy."
"I hate you, Calrissian."
"Eight-five thousand credits a year, Solo. Be at the shuttle, docking bay
515, in four hours." Lando gave a cautious smile and backed out of the
hotel room.
***
Riding up in the fancy shuttle, Han took in the outward appearance of The
Galaxy's Splendor. "Wow," was Han's comment as he stared,
wide-eyed at the shining, enormous ship.
"Impressed, aren't you?" Lando bragged. "She was a
half-completed Star Destroyer before I purchased her. I've had her completely
reworked...even the outside is totally altered. Wait until you see the
inside."
The shuttle landed in one of the six spacious docking bays, with both droids
and sentient beings handling the shuttle docking and disembarkment of
passengers. "Droids will handle all the mundane chores, like room cleaning
and baggage handling," Lando told the new ship's Captain. "But humans
and other sentients will handle all activities. Each section of the ship has
its own director and assistant director, and everyone on that deck reports to
him or her. Those directors will be reporting to you. All the food is prepared
and served by sentients. Droids are so impersonal, and this vacation cruise is
all about personal attention even though we'll have ten thousand eight hundred
seventy six guests per trip, if we're fully booked."
Boarding a small hovercart, Lando drove through the vast, well lit hallways.
Each section had its own "theme," mirroring the eco-system of planets
like Kashyyyk, Corellia, and even Tatooine. "Crew quarters are in the
middle front section of the ship, close to the command bridge. Your quarters
are actually connected directly to the bridge for easy access."
Han stared in speechless amazement at the shops and restaurants they passed.
Connecting hallways led to theaters, pools, spas, and whatever else a rich
person could possibly want on a vacation. Lando continued with his speech.
"Guest quarters are broken down into size and cost. The most expensive
suites are closer to the front, the lesser priced suites are in the middle
sections. The back part of the ship contains the engine rooms, supplies, and
droid maintenance areas. All the Guest suites have outside viewing windows, so
the entertainment areas are confined to the middle sections. But since large
viewing screens are set up in places like restaurants and casinos, even the
inside rooms give the illusion of having a view of the outside - and what you
see on the screen shows what's outside at the moment. The uppermost level has
actual public viewing areas for sightseeing when you get to places like the Maw."
"Wow," Han said again, shaking his head in awe.
"Here we are," Lando declared as he stopped the shuttle. "I've
had the supervisors, directors, and flight crew assemble in this banquet room,
so they can all meet you at once. I fully expect you to memorize all their
names immediately."
When Han's jaw dropped open, Lando laughed. "I'm joking! It'll take you
months before you remember half of them. Fortunately name tags are required, so
you'll be able to fake it." Lando hit the "open" button on the
ornate double door and it slid open, revealing almost five hundred crew members
of various species, sitting at large round tables and gaping at their new
Captain. Solo took a deep breath, and followed Lando inside the room.
***
Six days later, Hapan Battle Cruiser over Coruscant.
"Luke!" the Queen of Hapes cried as she embraced her brother.
"It feels like I haven't seen you for years, instead of months." Leia
pulled him inside her private suite, and shut the door behind them.
"I've missed you too, sister," the Jedi said sincerely as he kissed
her cheek. "I've talked to Lando, and he told me you're scheduled to board
tomorrow evening. You'll be the last guest to arrive." Luke gave a short
laugh. "Apparently, it takes twelve timeparts to get everyone onboard, and
he doesn't want you sitting around waiting while all the other people board.
This trip isn't going to be exactly private and secluded."
"I don't care if it isn't private. At least I don't have to drag any Hapan
bodyguards with me," Leia told her brother. "You wouldn't believe how
Ta'a Chume argued about that."
"It sounds like she's trying to look out for you," Luke pointed out.
"Oh, sure she is. The way she looks at me, sometimes I think she's
ready to stab me in the back, and I don't mean figuratively, either."
"Well, at least you have two weeks to relax and forget about her."
"And him." Leia sighed. "I just can't believe he's cheating on
me, Luke. This marriage is a nightmare."
"Can't you divorce him?"
"I suppose I could, but look at the scandal that would cause. It would
make the Hapans hate me and hate the New Republic in general. The damage would
be irreparable."
"Maybe not," Luke argued. "If you confronted him about his
affair, maybe the Queen Mother would agree to allow a divorce and keep the
treaty with the New Republic. Surely they don't want bad publicity,
either."
Leia sat down on a sofa, and indicated that Luke should sit, also. "I've
researched past Royal Hapan marriages," she replied. "Affairs are
common and completely acceptable. Divorce is highly frowned upon."
"But not unheard of?"
"No, of course not. But basically, I'd have to plead my case before Ta'a
Chume, and the final decision is hers and hers alone. Do you really think she'd
side with me over her own son?"
"Probably not," Luke conceded. "There has to be some way out of
this, Leia. We just have to wait until the Force shows us the way."
"I hope you're right," Leia said quietly. "It's been less than
six months, and I'm miserable. I just can't imagine spending the rest of my
life this unhappy."
"You're not going to spend your life unhappy," Luke said firmly,
trying not to think about the upcoming confrontation with Han. At least not
if I have anything to say about it.
***
Next morning
Han carefully checked his fancy uniform for unsightly marks, and checked his
appearance in the mirror. Yesterday, he had done as Lando requested and gotten
his hair cut and his beard trimmed close to his face. Other than the weight
he'd lost over the past half year, he decided he didn't look too bad. Using his
private lift, he went to the bridge and checked up on his crew making final
preparations to depart in less than a day. Everything was on schedule, and
there had been no major problems - with the exception of a few hysterical
supervisors crying about the mediocre quality of the guest bath towels that had
been delivered to the Splendor. It took all of Solo's patience not to
make a suggestion as where to put those towels, and after Han consulted Lando,
new, high quality towels had been sent as replacements. Catastrophic
disaster has been averted, Han had commented to Calrissian with a
disbelieving shake of his head. Lando had only laughed.
Glancing at his wrist chrono, Solo knew it was time to head to the docking area
to greet the last batch of guests. So far, the greeting of arriving guests had
gone exactly like Han expected. It reminded him of the times he'd spent with a
certain Princess at New Republic banquets and balls - a lot of fake smiling and
nodding while trying to feign interest in total strangers' lives. Why can't I just
captain the ship and be done with it? Why do I have to make all this polite,
political bantha poo-doo? I just love how Lando waited until the last minute to
tell me about all these little extras. Groaning to himself in complaint, he
walked resolutely to the open top hovercart, with an upbeat Lando Calrissian
waiting at the controls.
***
"Good stars, Luke,"
the Princess commented as she stared out of the shuttlecraft window. "I
can't believe how beautiful The Galaxy's Splendor is."
"Lando spared no expense," Luke agreed, grinning as he looked past
Leia's shoulder. The shuttle made a graceful loop, and turned to the open
docking bay door. Inside that beautiful ship, waiting unsuspectingly, was Han
Solo, the new Captain of The Galaxy's Splendor. Luke clenched his jaw
and fought down his tension. The Jedi spared a nervous glance at his sister,
who was smiling in anticipation of two stress-free weeks of vacation.
In ten minutes, Luke thought in dread, life is going to get
interesting.
***
"Here comes the last shuttle." Lando grinned nervously. Of course,
you'd better not try leaving when you see who is on that shuttle. I'll use a
stun blaster on you before I let you back out on me now.
"Thank the gods it's the last one. My heart couldn't take much more of
this fun," Han remarked sarcastically.
"You don't have to pretend to be having fun, just be polite and smile. You
can do that, can't you? This is important to me, Han. Don't ruin this trip by
being ...." He frowned, searching for a good description.
"An arrogant, low-class, sarcastic jerk?" Han supplied helpfully.
"Yes." Lando nodded in agreement. "Don't ruin it by being
yourself."
Han actually laughed aloud, the first time he'd truly laughed since Leia had
left him. He was still smiling when the door leading to the docking bay opened,
revealing Luke Skywalker in his Jedi robes, standing next to his sister. Han's
smile faded away in utter shock.
Lando looked over at the Jedi, and then his eyes took in Queen Leia of Hapes.
Dressed in an elegant, teal colored silk pantsuit with a darker cloak, and her
hair drawn back with soft tresses hanging down next to her cheeks, the
Princess-turned-Queen looked beautiful and regal. And just as stunned as
Captain Solo.
Several days ago, Lando had formally announced the news that Han Solo was the
Captain of The Galaxy's Splendor.
Just like Luke suggested, he timed his announcement after Leia's Hapan Battle
Cruiser was already in hyperspace and en route to Coruscant. Once the ship had
exited hyperspace, Luke had kept Leia from viewing any New Republic holo-news -
further insurance against her finding out who was captaining the cruise ship.
For security and privacy purposes, Queen Leia had also not notified any of her
political colleagues on Coruscant of her intentions to take this little
vacation.
Her training as a politician allowed Leia to recover first, but she was still
barely able to believe her own eyes. "Han?" She turned to Luke.
"Did you know about this?" Not waiting for a response, she looked
back at the Corellian. Solo looked so incredibly handsome in his white uniform,
it was all Leia could do to keep from throwing herself into his arms and
weeping for his forgiveness. Her eyes drifted up to his bearded face, taking in
his dumbfounded expression. He didn't know I was coming. And he's lost
weight.... that's my fault, too.
"Queen Leia, Luke." Calrissian quickly stepped forward during the
awkward silence. "Welcome aboard The Galaxy's Splendor's maiden
voyage. I can't tell you how thrilled I am you decided to take this trip. I
hope you have the best time of your life."
She's so beautiful, was Solo's first coherent thought, followed rapidly
by, Why is she here?
"Han, it's been a long time, my friend," Luke said sincerely, putting
his hand on Solo's shoulder. He was tempted to use the Force to calm both his
sister and Han, but previous experience had taught Luke that Leia could not be
influenced by the Force, and Han was only briefly affected by his Force-nudges.
And since Solo was aware when Luke attempted to use the Force on him, he'd only
manage to make the Corellian more belligerent. Wisdom comes with experience,
Luke decided. "It's good to see you again."
"Uh, yeah, it's nice seeing you too, kid," Han finally managed to
mumble, not taking his eyes off the Princess.
Leia took a tentative step toward Han. "Han.... I...."
Immediately, Solo's back got rigid and his expression hard as he stuck out his
hand. Her eyes wide, Leia shook Han's outstretched hand. "Welcome aboard The
Galaxy's Splendor, Your Highness. Your private porter will take you on a
brief tour of the ship, and show you to your suite." It was the basic
speech he had already said to each passenger as they entered. Heart hammering
in his ears, Han turned to the male Bith porter. "Please see to the
comfort of Jedi Skywalker and the Queen." Solo pasted a false smile on his
face and looked at Luke. "I hope you enjoy your trip." Without
waiting for a response, the Corellian turned and strode away, leaving everyone
standing in silence.
"I'll see you two later," Lando whispered softly to Luke before
taking off after Han.
Luke nodded, and gently pulled at his silent sister to follow the porter.
As soon as Lando was out of earshot, Leia looked at her brother. "How
could you? she hissed under her breath. "You knew Han was the Captain,
didn't you?"
"Yes," he replied quietly, not wanting the porter to overhear them.
"Why?"
"Let's discuss this later," Luke said, indicating the porter with a nod
of his head.
"Oh, we'll discuss this later, brother. Believe me, we'll discuss
this."
***
"Where are you going?"
Lando demanded as he caught up with the Corellian. He noted Han's face was a
deep red - not a good sign.
Han stopped short and spun around, not caring if there were guests and
employees passing by in the hallway. In a low, deadly voice, Han said to
Calrissian. "How dare you."
"It wasn't my idea," the businessman argued, looking around for an
empty room. The closest thing seemed to be a public refresher, and he pulled
Solo by the arm until they were both inside. Lando quickly checked the stalls,
and locked the outside door when he knew they were alone. "Now, let's
discuss this like sensible adults."
Without warning, Solo hauled off and belted Calrissian across the jaw, sending
the refined gambler crashing to the ground before skidding into a urinal.
"I'm leaving this ship," Han snapped, trying to unsuccessfully open
the locked door. "Open this damn door, Calrissian, or I'm gonna rip you in
two."
Groaning, Lando pushed himself up, feeling his jaw and the back of his head. A
large welt seemed to be swelling up in both places. "You can't leave. I
need you to captain this ship."
"Captain it yourself."
The gambler stood up, making sure there was a safe distance between Han and
himself. "You've signed a contract. You have to make this trip. I'll take
you to court if you back out now."
Han gave a harsh laugh. "Just what do you think you'd get from me,
Calrissian? I haven't got two credits to rub together."
"You gave me your word you'd do this trip," Lando said, trying a
different tactic. "You always said a Corellian's word was good."
"That was before you stabbed me in the back, friend," Han spat
out. "You just seem to burn me every chance you get. I don't know why I
trusted you."
"I told you this wasn't my idea. It was Luke's."
"Why would Luke do this? She didn't know either, did she? I could tell,
just by looking at her face, she didn't know."
"No. Leia didn't know you were the ship's Captain. And Luke did this
because....." Lando stopped and looked down at the expensive inlaid tile
on the refresher floor.
"Because why?"
"Because Leia made a mistake, and she regrets what she did."
Han laughed bitterly, shaking his head. "A mistake. She regrets
what she did. Well, that's just too bad, ain't it? She's married now." Han
stopped, frowning at Calrissian. "She is still married,
right?"
"Yes. I don't think she can get divorced without the Queen Mother's
approval."
"Then what was Luke thinking? That we'd both be so overcome with happiness
or hormones that we'd forget the husband and jump into the nearest bed?"
"Luke wants his sister to be happy. He loves her."
"Why didn't Luke think about that before she married the Prince of
Perfection?" Han asked. "If anyone could have convinced her she was
doing the wrong thing, it would've been Luke."
"Hindsight is always easy, isn't it?" Lando sighed. "You're
asking me things I can't answer. Listen to me, Han. This is a huge ship, and if
you don't want to see Leia you don't have to. Well, except for dinnertime. But
other than...."
"Wait! Why do I have to eat dinner with her?"
"How would that look? She's the most important guest onboard, and she'll
only be sitting at your table with you once. It's a big table, and I'll be
there and so will Luke. I'll make all the conversation and you won't have to
say a word."
"Everyone in the room will be staring at us."
Lando sighed again, knowing this was true. The breakup between Princess Leia
Organa and General Han Solo had made holo-news gossip for weeks. "It's
only two time-parts out of your entire life. People will gossip much more if
you don't have one dinner with the Queen."
Solo stared at Lando, silent for a long moment. Finally he said, "Open the
fresher door. People will start gossiping about this, too."
"Are you going to stay onboard and captain the ship, like I hired you to
do? Like you promised you'd do?"
"Yes. But it remains to be seen if I do a second trip."
Lando opened the door, rubbing his throbbing jaw as he watched Solo leave.
***_____________________________________________________________________
Leia and Luke sat in stony silence during the long ride through the corridors
of the vast ship. If the Bith noticed a problem, he was professional enough not
to comment. Filling the silence with constant chatter, the porter pointed out
all the various activities and entertainments throughout the ship. Finally the
hovercart turned down a wide hallway with small crystal chandeliers hanging
from the high ceiling every few yards. One side of the corridor held ornate
doorways with gold numbers, on the opposite wall was a clear floor-to-ceiling
window that ran the entire length of the very long hallway. Luke was awed to
see a complete lagoon setting on the other side of the window, with white sand,
swaying kako trees, blue water lapping the "shore" and hundreds of
lounge chairs and hammocks. Some newly arrived guests wandered the water's
edge, their children running and tumbling in the soft sand.
The porter noticed Luke's amazement. "That is a complete beach, running
three hundred and fifty feet in length and two hundred in width. The
temperature is kept at a steady eight-five degrees to simulate a tropical
environment. Life guards are always on duty, and of course, the 'sun' never
sets. But don't worry about noise - the duraglass is completely soundproof,
just like all the walls in the ship." He stopped the small vehicle near
the end of the corridor, between two doors. "This room on the left is yours,
Jedi Skywalker. The door on the right is Queen Leia's. Your luggage will arrive
within the timepart." Luke and Leia exited the vehicle without comment.
"Do you require any further assistance?"
"No, thank you," Leia replied politely. "The tour was very
interesting. I'm sure we'll have a great time."
The porter nodded and handed them the room entry disks before quickly leaving.
Leia turned to her brother. "It's later," she said shortly as she ran
the disk across the scanner. The door slide silently open, revealing one of the
most luxurious suites Leia had ever seen, and she'd seen many. It was decorated
entirely in rose and soft blue, and the living area was a step down from the
rose-colored tiled entryway. All the woodwork was burnished gold and seemed to
literally glow. A huge rose-stone fireplace with an artificial fire crackled
away. The window on the far side of the room ran the entire length, and was
draped with a blue lace-edged curtain. Leia suspected the bedroom was just as
elaborate.
"This is beautiful," Luke commented as he looked around. "Lando
really knows how to lay it on."
"I don't want to discuss the room."
"Leia," the Jedi started out slowly. "You're unhappy. You should
never have married Isolder. You love Han."
"I realize that," she returned evenly, her mouth set in a thin line.
"But it's too late. I thought I told you that."
"You're alive. Han's alive. It's not too late."
"Are you suggesting I should get back at my husband by having an affair
with Han?" she snapped. "How would that make anything better? I'd
still have to return to Hapes without him. And Han looks like he's surviving
just fine without me. As a matter of fact, he didn't look one bit happy to see
me."
"He was shocked, that's all," Luke said quietly. "Did you know
Han signed over the Falcon to Chewie and left him on Kashyyyk?"
When Leia looked stunned, Luke continued. "Lando accidentally found him,
wandering around Ithor about two months ago, filthy and broke. Didn't you see
how much weight he's lost? He's been depressed since you left him."
"It looks like he's getting better," she replied softly.
"Only through Lando's intervention. Maybe he is finally pulling
himself together and I hope he is, but that doesn't mean he no longer loves
you. People survive heartache and loss, and move on with their lives. You
should know that better than anyone."
Leia walked across the large suite to stare out at Coruscant, floating below.
"This will never work."
"Never say never," Luke said as he came up behind her, putting his
hands on her shoulders. "We have two weeks to try and put things
right."
"Or make things worse."
***
Dathomir
"We've just received another communication from our source," General
Melvar informed Zsinj. "Apparently, Solo is the new Captain of the cruise
ship, The Galaxy's Splendor."
This news briefly surprised Zsinj, before a huge grin appeared on his round
face. "Of course.... Calrissian is the owner. This is the best news I've
heard in months." The Warlord looked up at the night sky. "Destroying
a cruise ship will be child's play, and even the infamous Solo will be helpless
as he watches the Iron Fist tear apart his vessel."
"But before we destroy it, we'll need to take hostages. Not only will
Queen Leia be a useful pawn, just think of all the wealthy patrons on this
maiden tour," Melvar said.
"Yes, and those wealthy patrons have influential family members. Those
family members will be breathing fire down the backs of New Republic
officials." The Warlord laughed. "The New Republic will cave into our
every demand before they allow us to send the bodies back to Coruscant."
Melvar nodded in agreement. "Most of the bodies will be sucked into the
Maw along with the ship, anyway."
"But remember, the hostage I want the most is Solo. You can keep me
entertained for days with your talents when he's brought onboard this
Destroyer."
Melvar could see the anticipation in Zsinj's face as the warlord rubbed his
hands together. "I look forward to showing those talents to you in great
detail, Warlord Zsinj."
The two men shared a laugh as they headed to the shuttle.
***
Bridge of The Galaxy's
Splendor, over Coruscant
Captain Han Solo stood in the middle of the bridge as his new command vessel
turned slowly away from the planet and moved further out into space. "All
systems are operational, sir!" a young female ensign snapped out.
Solo turned slightly to his Lieutenant, and gave the order, "Set
coordinates to mark four-three-nine. Go to hyperspace when ready."
"Ready, sir," the Lieutenant replied as he pulled back the controls.
The stars blurred as the huge ship jumped into hyperspace and headed to the
first destination, two days away - the famous Crystal Nebula.
***
This might not have been such a great idea, Luke thought morosely as he
unpacked his small satchel. His room was as beautiful as Leia's, only the color
scheme and the furnishings were altered to give each room its own
'personality'. Sitting down on his large bed with a very expensive forest green
bedspread, the Jedi pondered the situation. Sooner or later - probably sooner -
word would get back to the Prince of Hapes that his wife had taken a cruise with
her former lover as the ship's captain.
Even with Luke along to act as a chaperone, it would do little to stop the
gossip. Isolder would suddenly become the wronged spouse, and Leia the
unfaithful one. I should have thought of this - no wonder she's so upset
with me. His musings were interrupted by the soft chime of the doorbell.
Reaching out with the Force, Luke knew immediately who was at the door.
Crossing the large suite, Luke pushed the button to admit his caller. "Hi,
Han."
"Don't you 'hi' me," Solo responded gruffly, pushing Luke aside and
entering the room without an invitation. "What the hell were you
thinking?"
"I guess I wasn't thinking," the young Jedi admitted, shutting the
door to prevent any passersby from overhearing. "I'm sorry."
"Sorry? That ain't gonna cut it, kid," Solo snapped, poking Luke in
the chest with his finger. "I've got to spend two krethin' weeks on the
same ship as your sister. People are gonna be thinking it was our idea. Who's
gonna believe a Jedi and a con-artist arranged all this behind our backs?"
"No one. I'm sorry," Luke repeated contritely.
"Why did you do it? Lando says Leia's unhappy in her marriage, but for the
life of me I can't figure out how you thought this was a good idea. Am I
supposed to have a two week affair with her, just so she can forget her
problems for a little while? Huh?"
That's the same basic thing Leia said, Luke reflected. "The Force
told me Leia should take this cruise."
"Oh for the....." Han threw his hands up in the air and stalked over to
the window. "You should be thanking the stars you're a Jedi, or I'd do the
same thing to you as I did to Lando."
"Let me guess - you hit him."
"Yup. It felt pretty damn good, too."
"I'll go explain to Isolder that it was my idea, and that you and Leia
didn't have any idea."
"What makes you think he'll believe you?"
"I don't know that he will. But he needs a serious wake-up call about
marriage."
"What does that mean?"
"He's cheating on her, Han. Six months into the marriage, and he's already
cheating."
The information startled Solo, but he refused to let any sympathy show.
"So why don't you go threaten him with your lightsaber? You'd do that to
me if I'd be the cheating husband."
"No, I wouldn't. I'd hold you upside down with the Force and shoot Force-lightning
at you."
Han smiled slightly, "I'll bet." Then he grew serious. "I would
never have cheated on her. Not in a million years. And not because I was afraid
of any Jedi brother, either."
"I believe you, Han. Somehow, I've got to get Leia out of this terrible
situation. I know, beyond any doubt, that she still loves you."
"Then why? Why did she...how could she..." Solo stopped and looked
out at the streaking stars. "She hurt me, Luke. I can't begin to describe
how much she hurt me."
"I know. Leia's aware of the pain she caused you. She doesn't think she
deserves your forgiveness, much less your trust and love."
Han headed to the exit, and faced Luke before opening the door. "I'm not
sure I can forgive or trust her again, either."
"You didn't mention love in that sentence," Luke pointed out.
"That's because the word 'again' doesn't apply, Luke." Solo walked
out the room.
***
First Evening.
Bracing himself, Han walked into the huge and elegant banquet room, allowing
the Bothan host to show him to his table. Solo tried to stare ahead and not
meet the eyes of the many beings that were staring quite openly at him as he
passed their tables. Some people spoke his name, forcing Solo to look down and
acknowledge their greetings. It's only been five minutes, and already I'm
gettin' a headache, he thought unhappily. How am I gonna do this for two
weeks? Or months ..or years? Maybe it's something I'll get used to....
eventually. Just like carbonite. Han forced himself not to give an audible
snort at the thought.
Glancing to his left, he saw Luke sitting next to his sister, but the host
continued on for several more tables before stopping and pulling out a chair.
Apparently, this would not be the night that Captain Han Solo would share a
dinner with Queen Leia of Hapes. Sitting down, he saw Lando at the opposite
end, grinning broadly at him, then giving a barely perceptible nod to Han's
right. Solo turned his head and noted that Lando had lived up to his promise. A
beautiful blonde woman sat next to him, her hair piled up in an elaborate
coiffure, jewels dripping off her ears and hanging around her neck and wrists.
Her dress was a glittering baby blue, showing off a great deal of ample
cleavage. Han's smile was no longer quite so forced as he held out his hand,
taking her slender fingers in his own. "Captain Han Solo at your service,
ma'am."
"Rasti Dewmoon," she replied, showing a dimpled smile along with
perfect teeth.
Han decided this evening might not be so terrible, after all.
***
Stabbing her salad, Leia tried
not to allow her face to become flushed. I'm a married woman! What do I have
to be jealous about? She put the crisp leaves in her mouth, and realized
her throat didn't want to swallow.
"He doesn't know that woman," Luke said in a low tone as he leaned
close to his sister. "The dining director arranges who sits next to
him."
"I know that." She chewed the leaves until they were finally able to
slide down her tight throat.
"Lando told me we'll be sitting at the Captain's table in one week, during
the Grand Formal Ball. That's considered the premier dining event during the
cruise."
"I'm sure Han will be just thrilled to have me sitting next to him,"
she said evenly.
Sighing, Luke picked up an itinerary disk. "It looks like the Maw will be
the big sightseeing finale, right before we head back to Coruscant."
"Don't try to make small talk with me, Luke. I really don't feel like
it."
"He still loves you."
"Shut up," she snapped softly, her eyes focused on the Captain's
table. "Just shut up."
***
Sipping a hot beverage, Leia sat in her bedroom
with her legs folded up under her body as she stared out the window. She had
tried to sleep, but even a long, hot water shower failed to eliminate the
evening's images from her mind.
Han had ignored her during the long dinner, dancing with at least a dozen
beautiful females of several different species throughout the night. But he'd
reserved the most attention for the blonde at his table, laughing and sharing
drinks with her. By the end of the evening, he'd pointedly escorted her out of
the banquet room, disappearing through the open double doorway.
Leia shut her eyes, trying not to imagine what Han was doing at this moment
with the blonde. Sweet goddess, she thought, her heart aching, He
looked so handsome in that white uniform, he could have had any woman in that
room. He could have had me... Her traitorous thought trailed off, and she
stood up, straightening her thick bathrobe. Why did I allow them to pressure
me? Why didn't someone, anyone, stop me from making the biggest mistake of my
life? As she headed to the small kitchenette she knew, deep down, that Leia
Organa had no one to blame but herself.
***
"Are you sure you won't
come in?" Rasti asked Solo as he walked her to her suite.
"No." Han shook his head. "I'm pretty sure the contract I signed
forbids consorting with the guests."
She laughed lightly. "I think you're just teasing me."
Solo gave her a lopsided grin. "Maybe. But we still have a lot of time to
get to know each other, Rasti. I'll talk to you tomorrow."
"I'd like that," she replied. Before Han could react, she pulled him
close and kissed him passionately. "Tomorrow, then." She entered her
room and left Solo standing somewhat astonished and slightly aroused.
Slowly strolling back to his own quarters, the Corellian fought down his desire
to return and spend the night with the blonde. Just walking with her around the
vast ship had made him feel like he was somehow betraying the Princess. I
treated Leia like a contagious disease tonight - even after I told Luke that I
still loved her. Remembering Leia's expression and defeated demeanor only
increased his guilt. Why did I do that? Solo knew the answer to his own
question. I was trying to flaunt another woman in her face. I was trying to
make her feel bad. Doesn't that put me in the same category as her faithless
husband? He entered the lift and his finger hesitated over the buttons,
hovering near the floor he knew held Leia's suite. I can't...she's married. Solo
pressed the button to his own floor and returned to his quarters.
***
Hapan Capital
"Have a seat, Isolder." Ta'a Chume indicated a chair across from her
vast desk. "We have something to discuss."
Nodding, Isolder sat, crossing his legs. "Why so formal, mother?"
The Queen Mother's eyes narrowed at her son's insolence. "You should not
have allowed Leia to take that cruise by herself."
The Prince tossed his long locks back over his shoulders and held his hand up,
pondering his manicured fingernails. "She seemed insistent."
"Of course she did. Han Solo is the Captain of that cruise ship. Did you
know that?"
"Not until this moment," Isolder replied coolly, still refusing to
look at his mother.
"This news doesn't appear to bother you. May I ask why?"
Slowly, the Prince shifted his focus to Ta'a Chume, his face stony.
"Sil'aeyn."
"Surely you aren't serious. That little trollop is beneath your contempt.
She is the daughter of a common Palace guard - nothing more."
Isolder felt his body tense with anger. "Sil'aeyn is not a trollop. I have
loved her for longer than I can remember. I would have married her if not for
your interference."
"How did I interfere?"
"Do not play coy with me, mother. You threatened her family."
"So that is why you married the outsider? To settle some imaginary debt
with me?"
The Prince's voice was harsh and low. "Imaginary? Leia displeased you. I'm
not going to say that wasn't a factor in my asking for her hand. I knew you
wouldn't - no, couldn't - deny me marrying the last Royal Alderaanian."
"So you do not care if your wife carries on with another man?" Ta'a
Chume questioned, her mouth curved in contempt. "As long as it allows you
to justify keeping Sil'aeyn as a mistress?"
"You have had many lovers, so don't be a hypocrite and treat me like a
fool," Isolder shot back.
"Do not behave like a fool, and I will not treat you like one. I said
before, and I will say again - Sil'aeyn is unacceptable."
"You'd better reconsider that, mother. In six months, she is going to bear
you a granddaughter."
Ta'a Chume was seldom rendered speechless, but this announcement managed to
momentarily stun her. "You will bring Sil'aeyn to my suite tomorrow
evening," she finally said. "Go, and leave me to think."
"Yes, mother."
***
The Galaxy's Splendor, Day Two
"I think I'd rather have dinner in my room," Leia said casually to
her brother as they sat on the artificial beach across the hallway from their
rooms.
"Lando told me Han is dining in another banquet room tonight," Luke
replied, wiping the sand from his fingers. "He's supposed to make
appearances in different dining rooms for all the guests." When Leia did
not comment, Luke added, "I just can't see Han enjoying this type of job.
It involves so much public relations."
"It looked like he was enjoying the public relation part last night,"
she said dully.
"I'm sorry, Leia. I guess this was a mistake."
"Yes, it was." She stood up and gathered up the towel she'd been
sitting on. "Maybe I will go to dinner, after all." As long as Leia
didn't have to watch Han flirting with another beautiful woman for the entire
evening, there was no point in refusing to eat dinner with Luke.
"Good," Luke said, pleased that his sister changed her mind.
"After dinner, we can go to the observation deck and check out the Crystal
Nebula. I've never seen it."
"Me, either," Leia acknowledged. "I'll see you later."
Luke nodded and watched her head to the exit. I don't understand why it felt
so right in the beginning. Now everyone seems to be worse off than before.
***
Hapan Capital, Ta'a Chume's
suites.
"I'm right here," Isolder soothed his lover as they rang the entry
buzzer. "You don't have to be afraid."
"Easy for you to say," the tall woman said as she laughed nervously.
"I keep picturing her taking a blaster out of her dress and shooting
me." Sil'aeyn glanced down at her belly, putting her hand protectively
over her unborn baby.
The Prince touched her cheek lovingly. "I'll throw myself in front of the
blaster if she tries."
The door slid open and Ta'a Chume's male butler gave a bow to the Prince before
leading them into a large, surprisingly cozy, library. The Queen Mother sat in a
soft nerf-hide chair, and she waved at her son to leave. "Isolder, you
will find something to keep you occupied while I have a private talk with
Sil'aeyn." Isolder hesitated as he saw his lover's trepidation. "Go!
I will not bite her."
"Yes, mother," he replied, bowing before her and backing out of the
room.
"Have a seat, dear," the woman said authoritatively. Sil'aeyn quickly
obeyed. "You are having my son's child."
"Yes," she mumbled, looking at the floor.
"Do not mumble. Look me in the eye. I will not suffer a fool for a
daughter-in-law."
"A....a daughter-in-law?"
"Yes. That is what I said. Are you deaf as well?"
"But... what about Queen Leia?"
Ta'a Chume looked strained. "She is more unacceptable than even you, if
that is possible. I cannot continue to rule with her as my daughter-in-law. The
woman is far too strong-willed, and she defies me at every turn." The
Queen Mother pulled a drawer open and withdrew a piece of flimsy. "This
gives you a title as Duchess. Once you marry Isolder you will be the new Queen,
but let me make myself completely clear. You will be Queen in name only, and I
will still make all decisions. When your daughter is of age, you will abdicate
your meaningless throne for her. Do you find any of this objectionable?"
"No, Your Highness."
"Good. You are dismissed."
Sil'aeyn stood up, and stared at Ta'a Chume for a moment before timidly asking,
"May I ask a question?"
"I suppose."
"Will Queen Leia agree to a divorce?"
"A divorce will not be necessary." When Sil'aeyn looked confused, the
Queen Mother laughed. "My current daughter-in-law is about to meet an
untimely end, and Isolder will be free to remarry."
"I see." Heart pounding, Sil'aeyn fled the room, leaving behind a
pleased Queen Mother.
***
Evening aboard The Galaxy's
Splendor, stopped near the Crystal Nebula.
"Can I get you some wine?" Luke asked his sister as they stared in
awe at the phenomenon. The Crystal Nebula lived up to its reputation. It
appeared like a diamond covered curtain waving slowly through the blackness of
space, sparkling with a million lights in every color of the rainbow as it
captured the light from a nearby sun.
Leia pulled her eyes away from the clear ceiling and looked at her brother.
Luke had been attentive and contrite throughout the course of the day. Earlier,
he had even attended an opera with her, something Leia knew her brother enjoyed
every bit as much as Han, which was to say - not at all. "Yes, I'd like a
glass of white wine, please."
Luke stood from the small table they were occupying and went to the bar, while
Leia returned her gaze to the glittering stars. "Amazing, isn't it?"
a deep voice asked from behind her.
Jumping slightly, Leia turned in her chair and looked up. "Han?"
"Can I sit down?"
"Certainly," she nodded, indicating the chair Luke had just vacated. I
can't believe he's speaking to me.... "Where is your girlfriend?"
I can't BELIEVE I just said that!
"Girlfriend?"
Flushing, Leia looked down. "The blonde, from yesterday."
"Oh. Her." Han gave a short laugh. "I think Rasti tried coming
to the bridge this afternoon, but security turned her away. Guests are only
allowed on the bridge with a Captain's invitation, and personal escort. I
didn't invite her."
"Hmm," Leia remarked noncommittally, playing with a small napkin on
the table.
"Would you like a tour?"
"Is that an invitation?"
"From the Captain himself."
Leia smiled, feeling a little shy around the man she loved. "I'd love a
personal tour of the bridge."
"Good." Solo stood up as Luke approached. "Tomorrow, then? I'll
be by your suite, say around ten?"
"Yes, ten is fine."
Han looked over at Luke, who was now standing somewhat uncomfortably a few feet
away. "Just leaving, kid. Have a nice evening, you two."
The Jedi watched Solo leave, and handed Leia her wine. "Dare I ask?"
Leia took the glass from her brother, then replied, "Maybe this vacation
wasn't a mistake."
***
Morning, Day 3
It took Leia two timeparts to decide what to wear on the bridge tour, finally
deciding on a soft peach sundress with matching flat shoes. She kept her hair
down, but loosely braided, and then stared at her appearance in the refresher
mirror for ten minutes before shaking her head in dismay. Since when does
Han notice what dress I wear? But I know he likes me to wear colors, not white.
Ironic, since he looks so good in white himself.
The door chime rang, and Leia forced herself to walk slowly to the door. It
won't look good if I appear too eager. She hit the open button, revealing a
smiling Han Solo.
"Hi."
"Hi, yourself," she said softly. Why don't we skip the tour and
just go straight into my bedroom? "You look wonderful."
Han gave her his best lopsided grin. "You don't look too shabby yourself,
for a Queen."
"Well, thank you for the lovely compliment."
Solo offered his arm. "No problem, Your Highness."
Taking his arm, she strolled next to the Corellian and entered the lift. Unfortunately,
four other people were already in the lift, so the pair stared at the closed
door watching the numbers change in silence. The tube stopped and the strangers
departed, the older woman looking back over her shoulder before commenting to
her husband as the door slid back shut - "Well, that little hussy Queen
certainly didn't waste any time taking Solo back as her lover...."
Han cleared his throat. "Do you want to go back to your
room...alone?"
"No, let them talk. It doesn't matter anymore. The moment I stepped on
this ship, the gossip started." There was another awkward silence before
Leia spoke again, her voice thick. "I'm sorry, Han. I'm so sorry for
everything."
"I'm sorry too, Princess," Han said quietly. "I never wanted you
to be unhappy. You deserved a great marriage and a good life. I wish I had it
in my power to make everything better for you."
You do. "I appreciate that," she replied, her eyes downcast.
"Especially after the way I treated you."
"You gave me four years of happiness, Leia. I always knew it was too good
to last, and honestly, I'd rather have those four years of memories than
nothing at all. Besides, the way I look at it, it was partly my fault,
too."
Leia looked up sharply. "Your fault? How can you even think that?"
"I was a coward."
"Han, you're the bravest..."
"Let me finish," he interrupted. "I should have asked you to
marry me, right after the Battle of Endor, but I was too afraid. I was afraid I
wasn't good enough for you, and that you'd say no. And I was afraid you'd say
yes."
"What?"
Han put his hand on her face. "If you said yes, someday your true Prince
would've come along, and you'd be already stuck with me. Then you'd have ended
up resenting me."
"I would never have resented you. I wish we would have been married long
before Isolder ever showed up, and then none of this would have happened."
Putting his hand down, he gave a sad smile. "It would be nice to be able
to change the past, wouldn't it?" The lift stopped and the door opened.
"Here's our level," Han forced cheer into his tone. "Try to look
impressed during the bridge tour. You'll give the crew a real thrill," he
winked at her as he escorted a teary-eyed Queen Leia down the corridor.
***
"Well," Han drawled as
he and Leia headed to a cafe for lunch. "Was that exciting, or what?"
Leia laughed. "Yes. It was the most impressive bridge I've ever been on in
my life."
"Good. I'd hate to disappoint." Han grinned. "I hope you like
this cafe. It's actually in an arboretum, complete with a waterfall and all
sorts of exotic flowers. And the best part is that Lando told me hardly anyone
knows about it yet. So if we're lucky, maybe we'll have a little privacy."
We could have lots of privacy back in my room. "Sounds wonderful. I
have to admit, this cruise ship is really fantastic. I think Lando finally had
a good idea."
"Yeah, I hate to admit it, too."
Feeling like the gloom was finally lifting from her soul, Leia impulsively took
Han's hand in her own. The Corellian looked surprised at Leia's gesture, but he
didn't pull his fingers from her. She's right.. let them talk.
***
After lunch, Han slowly walked
Leia back to her suite, reluctant to let the past few timeparts end. They
stopped in front of the doorway, and Leia took a deep breath and smiled up at
Solo. "Thank you for the tour and lunch. That was the best fruit compote
I've ever had."
"You need to thank Lando for hiring all those gourmet chefs," Han
grinned at her.
"You shouldn't have told that man to stop staring at us when we were
eating. He looked offended."
"People are too nosy, and he was offending me."
Just ask him in... Leia opened her mouth, but never had the chance to
speak. "Han Solo! There you are!" a feminine voice called out from
down the corridor. "I know you're busy, but you promised you'd see me, and
I waited all day." Leia and Han both jumped apart slightly, and turned to
the speaker - Rasti Dewmoon, the blonde.
"So I did promise," Han said tightly as she approached, throwing her
arms around his waist. Her blue eyes took in the Queen, and she gave Leia a
smile that did not reach her eyes. "Han and I really hit it off the other
night, didn't we?" she asked, looking up at Solo.
"We had a nice evening, Rasti," Solo replied tightly, trying to
disengage the woman's grip.
"Maybe I'll see you later," Leia said to Han, before turning and
entering her suite. Inside, she shut her eyes and leaned against the door,
trying to calm her jealously. Why? WHY??
Outside her door, Han finally pushed Rasti away. "I have to get back to
the bridge."
"Will you take me to the bridge and show me around?"
"Some other time," he replied abruptly, turned and left the blonde
glaring at his retreating back.
***
Morning, Day 4 orbiting the planet Kysilla
"Han, we need to talk," Lando said as he sat down across the table
with his breakfast he'd just gathered from the buffet tables.
Putting down his caf, Han looked at Calrissian. "All right."
"I've had complaints from some of the guests. They told me you were rude
to them yesterday."
"Is that all these rich people have to do? Stare at me and then complain
when I tell 'em to mind their own business?"
"You knew they would stare at you. We discussed this, remember? And if
you're with Leia, they'll stare even more," Calrissian said in an even
tone. "You have to be polite, Han, even if they annoy you. I can't have my
customers unhappy, or I'll never get more customers. Do you understand?"
"I understand. I'm not an idiot, Calrissian," Han growled back,
feeling more than a little peeved at being lectured. "I won't be rude to
anyone else, okay?"
"You need to apologize to them, too."
"Like hell I'll do that."
"Solo!" Lando snapped. "It's only two people. Just go to their
rooms later tonight and apologize."
Glaring, Solo asked, "Who complained?"
"Some Kuati shipping magnet. His name is Bil Vaxsun. Floor 32, room
922."
"And the other jerk?"
"Rasti Dewmoon. I think you know her suite."
"Miss Dewmoon wants more from me than just an apology, Lando," Han
snorted. "And she ain't gettin' it."
"Just apologize to her, and show her around the bridge. That's all."
"I'll show her around the krethin' bridge, okay? Does that make you
happy?"
"It'll make the customer happy, and that's what we're here to do,
Han."
***
Kysilla was a vacation paradise,
with sandy beaches, quaint towns dedicated to parting their visitors with vast
quantities of credits, and snow-capped mountains for skiing. Since The
Galaxy's Splendor was spending three full days orbiting over this system,
Luke and Leia took advantage of the time to check out a ski resort. It was the
first time Luke had actually tried old fashioned type downhill skiing, with
wooden slats on his feet instead of a turbo-charged slider. He watched in awe
as his athletic sister skied effortlessly down the powdery slopes - it was obvious
this was something she'd done many times before.
They both stopped at the bottom of the hill, a little winded, their faces rosy
from the cold. "You're a natural at this, Luke," Leia told her
brother.
"I have a good instructor," he grinned. Luke was pleased to sense joy
returning to his sister's spirit. He hesitated briefly before plunging ahead.
"The Grand Ball is in two nights. You're actually looking forward to it,
aren't you?"
"Yes," she admitted. "I really didn't think I would, but an
evening dancing with Han sounds fantastic."
"Things are better between the two of you," Luke stated.
Focusing her eyes on the distant mountain peaks, Leia answered carefully,
"I'm not going to use Han to show my husband I'm desirable. It wouldn't be
fair to Han, and to tell you the truth, it wouldn't feel right to me. After
this cruise, I'm going before Ta'a Chume and plead my case for divorce. If I'm
lucky and she grants it, I'll ask Han to take me back, beg him to take me back
if that's what it takes. Even if he says no, at least I'll have done the right
thing, in the right order." She looked at her quiet brother. "Does
any of this make sense?"
Luke nodded. "It makes perfect sense." After all these years, Leia
could still surprise him.
***
Late at night, back onboard The
Galaxy's Splendor
"Goodnight, Leia," the young Jedi smiled as he kissed his sister's
cheek. He watched as she entered her suite before opening his own door and then
heading for the refresher.
Leia dropped her bags on the floor, happy and tired. It had been a fun day and
for the past half-year, fun had been non-existent. She started to move toward
her bedroom when the door chime rang. Luke must have forgotten to tell me
something... She opened the door without looking out the viewer, startled
to see the pretty blonde standing at her door. Leia struggled to remember the
woman's name, but it became apparent that it didn't matter.
"Keep away from him," she snarled at the surprised Queen.
"What?"
"Solo. You threw him away and made another choice. You can't have it all,
Queen Leia, even if you think you're entitled." The blonde woman looked
startled and annoyed when a group of overly intoxicated beings unexpectedly
appeared in the corridor, exiting from their room and heading toward them.
Quickly, Leia pulled her thoughts together, refusing to give into petty
jealousy. "What makes you think Han is interested in you?
"While you were skiing the day away with your brother, I spent the day
with Captain Solo," she said, vindictively. "So there."
So there? Leia almost laughed aloud at the childish statement. "If
Han doesn't want to spend time with me, then he's the one that will tell me -
not you. Good evening." She hit the 'close' button, shutting out the
woman's angry face. Flustered, Leia headed toward the bedroom. The declaration
she'd made earlier in the day to Luke sounded less and less appealing. If I
wait, maybe I'll lose him to her... or someone else. Are my principles more
important than having Han? Sleep did not come easily that night.
***
Two nights later, Grand Ball
Shortly after the cruise ship left the orbit of Kysilla and jumped into
hyperspace, activities began for the big dinner event. Everyone was expected to
dress in their fanciest clothes and dance the night away.
Leia had only seen Han briefly during the past two days, and every time he was
polite and pleasant to her, if a bit too formal. She had not seen him in the
company of the blonde, which pleased her, and decided not to inquire if he was
seeing the woman. It's really none of my business. The Queen pulled a
deep red, formal dress out of her closet. Its neckline was scooped and the
sleeves were slightly puffed at the shoulders before hugging her arms down to
her wrists. Sequins along the neckline and waist glittered, and the dress
trailed slightly behind her. She put it on, and headed for a mirror. Earlier in
the day, she paid quite a few credits at a fancy hair salon to have her hair
piled up softly on her head, with small tresses hanging against the back of the
neck. Applying matching lipstick, she stepped back and appraised her looks. Not
too bad, she decided. Han loves me in red. Let's see how you compete,
blondie. She picked up a matching handbag, and headed out the door.
***
Wow... she looks...fantastic, Han thought as Leia was escorted to the Captain's table by
the Bothan host. Luke trailed behind her, dressed in high collared gray shirt
and dark gray slacks. Both brother and sister were receiving their share of
appreciative looks from the opposite sex.
As they approached the table, Leia noted with some surprise that Han had shaved
off his beard. She didn't comment on that fact as the host seated her next to
Solo, with Luke on the other side. Lando sat across from the Queen, with a
variety of guests seated at the large table.
"You look lovely," Han said softly, knowing he had to say it quickly,
before Lando beat him to it.
"Thank you." The way Han was staring at her made her feel shy and
thrilled.
"Everyone sure is dressed up," Luke commented to Lando. "I
thought the other dinners were fancy."
Lando grinned, pleased that there was no tension at the table. "I have to
admit that this trip is going smoother than my wildest dreams. After we make a
brief swing near a blackhole cluster, we'll check out the Maw, then head back
to Coruscant. Then the maiden voyage of The Galaxy's Splendor will be
one for the history books."
For some unexplained reason, a chill went down Luke's spine, but he shrugged it
off. Lando was right, everything was going perfectly.
The eight course meal went off without a hitch and as soon as the last plate
was cleared away, the large band began to play. Couples headed to the dance
floor as music filled the large room.
"Would you like to dance?" Han asked Leia.
"I'd love to."
They made their way to the floor and held each other at a polite distance as
they slowly danced. "Did I tell you how wonderful you look tonight?"
Solo whispered to her.
"Yes, you did mention that. You look pretty dashing yourself, nerfherder.
Why did you shave off your beard?"
"Did you like me better with it?"
"No. I prefer your scruffy face clean shaven," she laughed softly.
"Ah. I thought so."
"So you shaved just for me?"
"Yes."
Looking up at the tall Corellian, Leia felt her face flush slightly. Not caring
what others thought, she pulled him close and rested her head against his
chest. "Thank you."
His arms tightened around her. "You're welcome, Your Highness."
***
Leia felt like she was floating on air throughout the evening. While Han danced
with other women, he made certain every other dance was reserved for her. Even
the dimpled blonde was given only one dance before Solo returned to Leia's
side. Hours later, he walked her back to her room.
"I had a nice time tonight, Leia. Thank you for taking this cruise,"
Han said, standing outside her door.
"I think we were both blindsided by Luke and Lando with this," she
said. "But I'm glad I came, too. I needed to apologize to you, and I
appreciate the fact you've accepted my apology."
Han hesitated for a moment, then said quietly, "Goodnight, Princess."
He started to leave.
Ask him in! "Han."
"Yes?"
"Will you come in for a drink?"
"Are you sure? People will talk."
"I don't really give a damn. Do you?" There is no backing out.
"No. Not a bit," he chuckled.
She opened the door and stepped aside for Han to enter. His eyes swept around
the enormous suite, and he whistled. "Wow, this is a heck of a room."
I never loved Isolder. I shouldn't have married him. Wasn't it more of an
affront to my principles to marry a man I didn't love, to have relations with a
man I didn't love, than to be with Han right now? "Han?"
"Yes?"
"I don't want a drink." I want you!
"You don't?" He sounded deeply disappointed. "All right, then.
I'll go."
"No. You don't understand." What if he leaves?
When he looked puzzled she continued on, her hands shaking. "I want
you...to spend the night with me. Please?"
She didn't have to ask twice.
***
Leia's eyes fluttered open, and a feeling of complete contentment flooded her
being. Turning her face to look at the sleeping Corellian, she smiled and drew
her skin against his, reveling in the pleasure of his physical warmth and
familiar Force-sense. I was such a fool to leave him, she thought,
lightly rubbing her hand over his chest. A pang of fear and guilt swept across
her as she thought how badly she'd hurt Han again if Ta'a Chume refused her a
divorce. Returning to the Hapes Capital was becoming an intense dread, causing
her stomach to knot. So much for my pious speech to Luke yesterday.
Her soft stroking must have disturbed his slumber - Han's breathing changed,
and he shifted his legs. Pushing aside her thoughts of gloom, Leia kissed his
chest, before moving up to his neck, nuzzling his earlobe and tickling his
throat with her fingertips.
"Enjoying yourself, Your Worship?"
"Hmm. More than I can describe," she whispered in his ear. "I'll
have to give a very high recommendation to Lando's cruise."
"Well, royalty get special treatment, ya know. But there might be a
surcharge on your bill for extra personal services rendered."
Leia pulled herself on top of Solo. "If that's true, then I want my
credits' worth."
Han laughed. "I have to be on the bridge in less than one time-part."
"So you're refusing to do your duty? I may have to complain to the ship's
owner."
"Don't complain...I'm already in trouble with Calrissian for being rude to
the guests. That's why I had to spend the other day making nice to Rasti."
"Rasti... that's her name. She told me to stay away from you."
"You're joking!" Han said, astounded. "I had two beautiful women
fighting over me, and I missed it? Damn!" He snapped his fingers in mock
disappointment.
"Solo?"
"What?"
"Shut up and do your duty."
"Yes, your Highnessness."
***
Two timeparts later...
Sitting in the same arboretum cafe that Han had taken her to several days ago,
Leia sipped her morning caf, replaying last night and this morning in her mind.
The warm mist from the waterfall drifted over, making her hair slightly damp,
and the sweet scent of the blossoms only added to her relaxed mood. She was
slightly startled when Luke appeared next to her. "Good morning," he
said cheerfully, pulling out a chair and plopping down next to her. "You
look happy."
"I am happy. This cruise was the best idea you ever had," she
replied. "Where did you disappear to last night?"
"The woman I was dancing with last night wanted to take a walk on the
beach," Luke answered somewhat dreamily, thinking about a pretty girl with
chestnut brown hair and odd-colored blue-gray eyes "She's great, and says
this waitress job onboard this ship is only temporary, and that she has big
plans for her future. She wouldn't tell me what those plans are," Luke
sighed.
"Speaking of disappearing, you and Han took off pretty early,
too." Luke's face got a huge grin.
"Yes, we did." Leia looked down at the small marble table top.
"I owe you an apology, brother."
"About what?"
"I ... I failed to live up to my lofty expectations about doing the right
thing, in the right order."
Luke reached across and took her hand. "So? Sometimes things don't always
go exactly like we plan. Han is right for you - don't doubt yourself."
"What if Ta'a Chume won't allow me to divorce Isolder?" she said
softly. "I'll hurt Han all over again. I'm not being fair."
"Things will work out," Luke answered firmly. "I felt this
before I tricked you into taking this cruise, and I still feel it." The
same warning sense tingled his body, and again Luke shoved it aside.
"I hope that's true, more for Han's sake than even mine. By the way,
what's this new girlfriend's name?"
"Ceursi," Luke replied, getting the dreamy smile on his face again.
"Ceursi.... the most beautiful woman on this cruise ship." He looked
over at his amused sister. "Present company excluded, of course."
"Of course."
***
For the next five nights Leia was unbearably happy, even if her apprehension
did not dissipate. During the day, she shopped, attended concerts or plays,
spent a small amount of time in the casinos, and generally just attempted to
make the day pass by while waiting for the night, when she could melt into
Han's arms. It felt like torture to spend the day without him, but she knew he
had a job to do. It didn't make the waiting easier, especially when dinnertime
arrived and Captain Solo would sit with other women, dancing politely with them
after the meal was over. It was even worse when he was in the same dining room
as Leia, and she had to watch the ladies flirt with him while Leia forced
herself to feign disinterest.
Luke tried to spend as much time during the day with Leia as possible, even
though his sister could tell he was eager to spend his time with his new
girlfriend. "You don't have to stay with me all the time, Luke," she
told her brother. "I can't get lost, even if it is a big ship."
Luke gave an embarrassed cough. "I don't want to abandon you. How would
that look?"
"What if Lando attends the next concert with me? Will that ease your
guilty conscious?"
"If you wouldn't mind....?" he trailed off, hopefully.
"Go and find the most beautiful woman on the cruise ship, brother. If you
don't, she might decide you're not interested and look for someone else."
The expression of panic on Luke's face was priceless - it was all Leia could do
to keep from laughing. Lando obligingly filled in as her escort during the day.
Everything was going so well.
***
"We're coming up to the
Maw, Captain Solo," the navigator informed the Corellian.
Han nodded. This was the last stop before the two day hop back to Coruscant. Then
Leia returns to Hapes. And her lousy marriage. The idea of spending only
two more glorious nights with his Princess made Solo feel panicky, and thinking
about Leia returning to Prince Isolder made him nauseous. Leia had warned him
from the beginning Ta'a Chume would be difficult to convince when it came to
granting a divorce. If she gives Leia a hard time, maybe I'll go convince
the Queen Mother myself.
"Shields up and drop out of hyperspace," Solo ordered. The stars
focused as they entered realspace. The Corellian felt a cold dread sweep
through his soul as he stared out of the viewport at the Imperial Star
Destroyer, the Iron Fist.
"Sound the alarms! Power up the weapons," Solo immediately snapped
out. How is this possible? Zsinj is dead! I saw his ship destroyed....
Lando had been sitting next to
Leia in a casino, teaching her the finer points of sabacc when The Galaxy's
Splendor left hyperspace. Gasps from the guests and the sudden, unnatural
quiet in the room turned his attention to the outside viewscreen. Calrissian
felt the blood drain from his face. "An Imperial Star Destroyer," he
whispered in fear.
Quickly, Leia stood up and moved closer to the screen. A sense of doom fell
over her. "That's the Iron Fist, Lando."
"What? But Han destroyed that ship! This means...."
"It means Warlord Zsinj is alive."
Both the Queen and Calrissian left the casino, running toward the bridge.
***
"Target their defensive weapons," General Melvar snapped out.
"Fire."
Red lasers lanced out from the Iron Fist, bouncing off the hull of the
cruise liner. "They've already raised their shields, sir!" a trooper
informed his commander.
"Of course he did. Solo wouldn't come out of hyper without his shields
up," Melvar mused. "As much as we may hate the man, he does have an
impressive sense of self-preservation."
"This Destroyer can still take out the cruise ship," Zsinj commented.
"Solo can't afford to take risks with over ten thousand civilian lives in
his hands."
"Continuing firing and maneuver in front of the ship to prevent them from
returning to hyperspace," Melvar ordered. "Their shields can't hold
out forever."
***
"Commence firing at the
Destroyer. Turn this ship around," Captain Solo shouted out.
"Evacuate all passengers off the top level and prepare the escape pods.
Send a distress signal to the nearest New Republic System." Solo felt his
frustration rising as the crew fumbled and struggled to obey his rapid-fire
orders. These people were not trained for combat, and it was apparent fear was
affecting their ability to perform their jobs quickly and efficiently.
"Our distress signal is being blocked," the Twi'lek communication
chief shouted.
The Galaxy's Splendor shuddered as she took one hit after the other to
her shields. "The front shields are failing," a young Lieutenant yelled
in panic.
Solo rushed forward, pushed the helmsman out of his chair, taking the controls
himself. Already he was too late, for the Iron Fist had moved into
position to prevent an escape. Han swore under his breath. "Put all
available power to the front shields." Even as he gave this order, he knew
the cruise ship didn't stand a chance. Lando had designed his ship to hold off
pirates, not Super Star Destroyers. Han could see the Splendor's lasers
weren't causing any significant damage to the Iron Fist.
"Sir, the Star Destroyer is hailing us," the communication chief
informed Solo.
Allowing the helmsman to retake his seat, Han stood up. "Put them on the
viewer."
The visual shimmered and came into focus. Warlord Zsinj appeared on the
holo-projector, a smug look on his pudgy face. General Melvar stood off to the
side, looking no less pleased.
"Hello again, General Solo. Or should I just call you Captain?"
"Zsinj," Han said flatly. "You have more lives than a
twelve-headed replicator toad."
The Warlord smirked. "Let me get right to the point, Solo. You will drop
your shields and allow my troopers to board your ship. We only want a few
hostages, and we'll allow the rest to live. If you refuse, you will all die,
right here, and right now."
Han became aware of Lando and the Princess entering the bridge behind him,
staying out of the viewing range. They had heard the last part of the exchange,
which told them everything they needed to know.
"I don't think you'll keep your word, Zsinj. You're a criminal and a
murderer."
"You don't have much of a choice, Solo. Let me know if you change your
mind." The projector went dark, and the Destroyer began firing again.
"If we start launching escape pods, they'll just pick them off one by
one," Han said quietly to Calrissian. "Maybe he'll accept just taking
me as his prisoner since he has such a personal vendetta with me."
"No," Leia objected instantly, grabbing Han's arm. "He'll kill
you."
"That's true, Han," Luke said as he stepped on the bridge from the
lift. The guards had tried to prevent the Jedi from entering, but a simple
Force-nudge had allowed him to pass. "And Melvar will torture you before
you're executed."
"Don't you think I know that?" Solo hissed. "I just can't think
of any other way to prevent all these people from dying."
"Zsinj wants wealthy hostages," Lando argued. "He won't just
accept your offer, and leave everyone else alone."
"I'm open to suggestions," Solo said, nearly losing his balance as
the ship took another hard hit.
"Sir, shields are down to thirty-five percent and failing fast."
"I suggest we stall," Lando said grimly. This was not going to help
his new business venture - not one bit.
"Send a signal to Zsinj," Han told his communication chief.
"Reconsidered so quickly, have you?" the Warlord asked, grinning at
Solo as his image reappeared.
"Will you accept me as your hostage, and leave the passengers alone?"
"As tempting as that offer is, I need more than just you, Captain. The
Queen of Hapes as a hostage is non-negotiable, and perhaps a dozen more of my
choosing."
Han felt his hair stand up on his neck. Somehow, with that statement, he was
now certain that this attack was about Leia and not about him. Allowing Leia to
fall into Zsinj's evil clutches was more than Han could bear to contemplate. He
was about to tell Zsinj to stick it, when Leia stepped next to him and into the
Warlord's vision.
"I accept your conditions, but I can't speak for anyone else. Also, you
must allow us to shuttle over to your ship, and not board The Galaxy's
Splendor. I will try my best to convince the people you want as hostages to
go willingly."
"For the sake of ten thousand beings, you'd better be able to convince
them, Queen." The Warlord addressed Solo again. "Send over your
passenger list. I will review it and let you know who I wish as my guests.
Please don't try any heroics, Solo, or you will find your death even more
painful and drawn out than what I already have planned." Again, the viewer
went dark.
Lando cleared his throat. "Well, at least we bought some time."
"That makes me feel so much better," Han said dryly.
***
Zsinj wasted no time in sending a list of fifteen names back to the cruise
ship. As Lando expected, the list was made up of the wealthiest, most
politically influential names. The various humans and humanoids that comprised
the list were escorted to a private meeting room, where Leia attempted to
convince them to accept the inevitable.
"Why us?" an agitated Sullustan questioned the Princess. His large
ears quivered, showing his distress.
"He's after those of us who have the most influence with the New
Republic," Leia gently tried explaining.
"Whats if wees refusa to goes?" a hyper-active Gungan asked in a high
pitched accent. "Yousa can't maken us!"
"No, we can't," Leia said, using her best diplomatic tone. "But
if you refuse, it's more than likely the Warlord will simply send over troops,
and they will make you."
"And if we resist, the ship will be destroyed. Everyone onboard will die
anyway," Lando added. "Is that what you want? At least this way
there's a chance he'll allow everyone else to survive. And all of you have
family on this ship."
"I'm suing!" a Bothan threatened Calrissian. "Not just for a
full refund, but extreme mental distress! I'll pin your worthless hide to the
wall, Baron! My first cousin is Borsk Fey'lya!"
Lando groaned and put his head in his hands. I'm ruined.... no one will ever
take another trip on The Galaxy's Splendor....if the ship even survives.
"Fighting amongst ourselves is pointless," Leia continued calmly.
"I'm sure Fey'lya will do everything in his power to negotiate a
settlement with Zsinj." Leia had to force herself not to choke at her
declaration of faith in Fey'lya.
***
Leia entered the bridge and pulled Han to the
side. "Thirteen agreed. Two refused to become hostages. The Bothan
indicated he'd rather blow up the cruise ship in a suicide gesture, and the
Gungan fainted and had to be taken to the Medic Ward."
"Too bad. If anyone deserves to deal with a Gungan and a Bothan, it'd be
Zsinj. Let's hope he agrees to accept the thirteen."
"When you count you and me," Leia said quietly, "it will be
fifteen, anyway."
Putting his arms around the Princess and holding her tight, Han said, "Zsinj
won't let any of us live."
"I don't think so, either," she answered sadly. But at least I had
the chance to spend my last days with you.
Solo turned to the Twi'lek. "Hail the Iron Fist."
***
Warlord Zsinj seemed satisfied with Leia's
success. Looking pointedly at the Queen, he made sure she understood his
conditions. "You will come over to the Iron Fist in an unarmed
shuttle in one time-part. Your Jedi brother stays onboard the Splendor.
Do you understand?"
"Yes, I understand."
"Good. I look forward to your companionship, my lovely Queen," he
said as he leered. Then he fixed his gaze on Han. "And I especially look
forward to being your host, Solo. Zsinj out."
When the viewer went dark, Han let out a deep breath. "I still don't think
he's gonna let the Splendor just leave in peace."
Lando shook his head. "Me, either. But we've been using this time to fix
the shields and boost power to the lasers. If we get just one lucky break when
they lower their shields to let the shuttle land...."
Both Han and Leia understood the implications. Destroying the Iron Fist
while they were inside the docking bay would mean their deaths. Still, it would
be a small price to pay for saving all the others on the cruise ship.
The nervous group headed to the docking bay through empty hallways. It seemed
strange to Leia after all the hustle and activity, to see the ship so somber
and quiet. She knew all the guests and employees were stationed at the inside
areas of the ship, away from the outer walls. The Princess walked resolutely
between her brother and her lover, holding Solo's hand. It might be their very
last moments together, and Leia no longer cared who overheard anything she
said. As they approached the shuttle, she turned to Han. "I love you.
Whatever happens, you have to understand how much I love you. I know how badly
I hurt you, and I wish I could spend the next hundred years making it up to
you, but I had less than a week." She stopped, her voice catching. Less
than a week....
Han put his hand against Leia's face. "I know you love me," he said
quietly. "You don't have to keep apologizing, sweetheart." Solo bent
over and gently kissed her lips. "I forgave you the moment I saw you
standing there, looking so surprised to see me. How could I have stayed angry?
You've had my heart and soul since that first day on the Death Star."
Fighting back tears, Leia turned and hugged her brother. "Take care, Luke.
And thank you for giving me this last chance at happiness." She pulled
away and retook Han's hand. Together they walked up the ramp of the shuttle.
***
Knowing the next few minutes would tell Zsinj's intent, Lando put the comlink
to his mouth and gave the order to lower the shields to allow the docking bay
door to open. The Baron braced himself for a killing blow from the Iron Fist
as he watched the shuttle leave the Splendor, but no shots were fired. Maybe
he does just want a few hostages....
A red laser shot out from the Iron Fist, striking a blow directly under
the bridge, opening a vacuum into the void of space and sucking all the bridge
crew to their fast, if painful, deaths. Luke staggered under the Force-impact
of the agony of the crew's deaths, trying to keep his feet while supporting
Calrissian as the cruise ship bucked violently.
Quickly, Lando altered the comm frequency to the auxiliary control room at the
rear of the ship. "Raise the shields! Hull breach on Section One-A . Close
off Section One-A. Do you hear me? Close off Section One-A due to hull
breach!"
A second blow from the Iron Fist only slightly rattled the Splendor,
and Lando knew his orders had been heard and obeyed. "I need to get down
to Engineering," Lando informed the Jedi. "Those kids aren't military
people."
The Jedi nodded, reaching out his Force-sense for his sister. Had the Iron
Fist destroyed the shuttle at the first opportunity? Luke's knees felt weak
with relief when she answered his "call," letting him know they were
still in one piece.
"Skywalker, can you be in charge of getting passengers to the escape pods
and the shuttle decks? We have to make certain all the evacuation vessels are
filled to capacity before they leave, or everyone won't get off."
"I'll head to the main ballroom right now. I hope the cruise directors
remain calm, or we're in trouble."
Lando gave him a despairing look as he started to leave. "We're already in
trouble."
***
"He tried taking out the Splendor,"
Han said tightly as he sat at the shuttle's controls. "I knew that
Sith-snake would do that."
"It looks like the shields are back up," Leia pointed out as the
second shot bounced off the cruise ship.
Solo nodded grimly, looking at the gaping hole where the bridge had been
located. "All those crew members.... they just wanted a nice job. They
were good people."
The Princess rested her warm hand on Solo's forearm. She knew he took deaths of
people under his command hard - he always did. That's what made him a good
leader, and his crew members always respected him because he cared. Leia looked
over her shoulder at the humans and humanoids seated behind them. Intense fear
radiated from their senses, showed in their faces, but they remained quiet and
calm. She wished she could say something to make them feel better, but what was
the point? It would be nothing but empty words. Instead, she said quietly to
Han, "At least Zsinj appears to want us alive. He would have destroyed
this shuttle by now, otherwise."
Han gave an angry shake of his head. "Of course he wants us alive.
Especially you an' me, sweetheart. If Lando can't get in a decent blow to the Iron
Fist when we're docking, by tomorrow we'll probably be wishing Zsinj had
destroyed this shuttle."
Shutting her eyes, Leia steadied her breathing. Han's right - a fast death
would be too merciful.
***
"The Iron Fist is
lowering its shields," the young engineer told Calrissian.
Lando clenched his jaw, knowing he was about to giving the order to kill his
friends. "Fire at their bridge... NOW!"
The Splendor's laser lanced out, striking just above the bridge. They
had caused damage, but failed to hit the bridge. Silently, Lando swore at the
inexperienced crew of his ship.
"They're firing back, sir! Ion cannons!"
"Aim for their cannons," Lando snapped, as the cruise ship once again
was battered. At least their shields were holding, for the time being.
Before the engineer could press his button, a much more powerful laser came
from behind and above the Splendor, and a truly spectacular explosion
briefly lit up space as the weapon found its mark.
Lando could only stare in shock at the viewing
screen. A large hole gaped in the side of the Iron Fist, causing the
Destroyer to start slowly spinning away from the cruise ship. "What the
hell...?"
"Sir! A New Republic Battle Cruiser!" a female Ithorian called out
from reading her sensors. "Behind us!"
A sudden hope sprang up in Lando's chest as he turned his eyes to a ship he
instantly recognized, the Rebel Dream. Indeed, it felt like a dream that
the ship was here. "Keep firing at the Iron Fist. Put the Captain
of the Rebel Dream onscreen."
A fuzzy figure emerged from the viewer. "I see you could use a little
help, Calrissian," the droll voice of Wedge Antilles spoke through the
crackle.
"Just a little." Lando laughed in relief. "Be careful not to hit
that shuttle.... Leia and Han are on it."
"Shuttle?"
"Sir," the Ithorian interrupted. "The shuttle is no longer on
our sensors."
Calrissian's relief once again turned to fear.
***
Luke ran through the long
corridors, trying to keep his balance every time the Splendor took another
hit. Trying to organize an orderly evacuation was looking less and less
possible. All the guests seemed on the verge of panic, and the cruise directors
were desperately trying to quell the fear and keep beings from stampeding
towards the docking bays and escape pods. Luke tried to reach his Force sense
out to find Ceursi, but with all the swirling emotions the Jedi was unable to
discern the young woman from the crowd.
His comlink buzzed and Luke quickly put it to his ear. "Luke? It's
Lando..... we've gotten some help by the name of General Wedge Antilles... it
doesn't look like the Iron Fist is in any shape to keep targeting
us...."
Wedge! How had he known to come to the Maw? It wasn't a question Luke
could spend anytime pondering. "Where's Han and Leia's shuttle? Are they
on the way back to the Splendor?"
"I don't know what happened to the shuttle.... sensors lost it. Can you
tell if Leia is still alive?"
Had he somehow missed the death of his twin through the Force? Fighting down
his own panic, Luke reached out for the second time in less than half a
time-part for his sister. Leia? Instantly, the Jedi knew she was alive,
and much too busy to respond to his mind-link.
***
"The Iron Fist is
forcing us toward the Maw!" Leia said to Solo, watching as Han desperately
tried to maneuver the shuttle away from the crippled Star Destroyer.
The small craft was now behind the Iron Fist, unable to tell what was
happening to The Galaxy's Splendor. When the first blow had struck the
Warlord's ship, Solo had moved the shuttle away from the open docking bay,
grateful there was no tractor beam holding them in its grip. Pulling the
controls hard to the right, the Corellian managed to get the shuttle out of the
line of fire between the Iron Fist and the Splendor, hoping
beyond hope that the cruise ship would be able to sufficiently damage Zsinj's
ship, at least enough to escape - even if it meant leaving them behind. The
shuttle was slow and sluggish to the touch. Han's thoughts drifted to the
Millennium Falcon, wishing he could see his ship one last time.
Small explosions continued to show on the Iron Fist. "I wonder how
Lando managed to get in such a good hit."
"The Force?" Leia supplied.
"Don't tell me you think Lando is a Jedi now, too," Han snorted, not
breaking his concentration from flying. "Hang on, everyone,"
Solo called back to the deathly quiet guests. "I'm taking us under the
Iron Fist to try to get us out from between the Maw and the Destroyer. It's
gonna be a real tight squeeze."
Leia gripped the armrest, her fingernails digging into the soft nerfhide
leather. The space between the Destroyer and the Maw was getting smaller by the
second. Tight squeeze, indeed.
***
The Rebel Dream hit the Iron Fist repeatedly, not allowing the
Warlord's Star Destroyer a chance to regroup. The mood inside the Warlord's
ship was grim. "We've lost all shields," a gray-clad officer informed
General Melvar. "One more hit to our engines, and we're finished."
"This is your fault, Melvar," Zsinj sneered. "The message was
undoubtedly meant as a trap. You failed me."
"It couldn't have been a trap!" Melvar argued. "I had the source
confirmed."
"Who was the source, General?" the Warlord said, trying not to look
at the quickly approaching Maw.
"Ta'a Chume, the Queen Mother of Hapes herself!"
"Then she was doing this with Queen Leia's authorization."
"No! She wanted us to kill Queen Leia. Ta'a Chume did not want to be
aligned with the New Republic, or give up her power to Organa."
Zsinj took a blaster out of his waistband and pointed it at Melvar. "Since
I've been deprived of seeing Solo die, you will have to do instead." He
fired.
***
It was tempting to shut his eyes
as the tiny, underpowered shuttle skimmed along the underside of the dying
Destroyer but Solo kept his attention focused on the task, ignoring the sweat
trickling down his face. Sparks flew from the enormous ship, crackling outward
in arcs and temporarily blinding the passengers in the shuttle with intense
brightness. The controls on the shuttle blinked off and on ominously as the
electronics spiked due to the high current surges.
To Leia, the Iron Fist looked close enough to touch. She bit her lip,
trying to keep from gasping as more electrical currents shot directly toward
them - it wouldn't help matters to distract the pilot. Han and Leia's entire
future had narrowed to a small sliver of stars, shining out from the thin gap
along the underside of the Destroyer. Banking the shuttle sharply, Solo increased
the speed to full throttle. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, they
cleared the Destroyer and peeled away from the Warlord's ship. It still took a
few more heartbeats before they were safely away. The thirteen passengers
stopped holding their breath and cheered.
"You did it." Leia smiled in relief.
"Hey, it's me!" Han gave a cocky grin, glancing over at the Princess.
Solo looked back out of the viewport. "The Galaxy's Splendor
survived." The relief in his voice was apparent, and he wiped the sweat
off his face with his sleeve.
Leia pointed to the left. "Look. The Rebel Dream!"
"Well, no wonder."
"No wonder?"
"I knew Calrissian wasn't better at captaining that cruise ship than
me," Han said with a smirk.
The Princess just shook her head - some things never changed. They both watched
in silence as the Iron Fist exploded in the distance.
***
"How did you know Zsinj was
waiting for us?" Luke questioned Wedge once The Galaxy's Splendor had
been stabilized and the guests calmed down. Other than the unfortunate bridge
crew, no other beings had lost their lives, and Wedge had sent over quite a
number of military personnel to help keep things running smoothly. The shields
and hyperdrive were fast being repaired by expert New Republic technicians.
Wedge smiled over the communication screen. "We had an urgent message sent
to us from an anonymous source located in the Hapes Consortium. Fey'lya was
convinced it was a hoax, but Rieekan and Mon Mothma thought we should be on the
safe side and check it out, rather than be sorry later."
"If you wouldn't have come, we'd all be sorry," Lando acknowledged.
"Thanks, Wedge."
"You saved all our lives," Leia added, her arm around Solo's waist.
"Will you be escorting us back to Coruscant?"
"Absolutely! I wouldn't leave a helpless cruiser to get back home by
itself."
Han groaned. "My first trip as The Galaxy's Splendor's Captain, and look what
happens! I'm never gonna live this down."
"I wouldn't be too concerned about that, Han," Wedge commented,
pleased to see Han and Leia back in each other's arms. "Last I heard,
Chewie was on his way to Coruscant. If I were you, I'd be much more worried
about that fact."
Everyone laughed, except Han.
***
The next day, en route to Coruscant
"Leia? Have you seen Ceursi anywhere?" Luke asked as he joined his
sister and Han sitting on the beach.
"No. Have you asked around? Another waitress may know something."
"I've asked about twenty people, even Lando. He checked the employee
roster and couldn't find her name."
"Really, kid?" Han teased. "Your perfect woman turns out to be a
figment of your imagination. Huh, imagine that."
"She wasn't a figment of my imagination," Luke said insistently.
"I just can't think of what could have happened to her. She couldn't just
vanish."
"Maybe she was a stowaway," Leia suggested.
"I still should be able to sense her through the Force, even if she's
hiding. But there's nothing, not even a glimmer."
"Well, maybe she'll still turn up," Han said without much conviction.
Luke wasn't convinced, either.
***
Hapes Capital
Ta'a Chume was surprised when Sil'aeyn requested to see her, but admitted the
young woman into her office. "What do you wish to see me about?"
"This." Isolder's lover slid a disk across the Queen Mother's desk.
The older woman picked it up, frowning. "And this would be...?"
"Your transmission to Warlord Zsinj, Queen Mother. But don't think about
destroying it, or killing me, or threatening my family. I have lots of copies
in safe places."
"What do you want, Sil'aeyn?" Ta'a Chume snapped, her face hard.
"Your plan didn't work because I contacted the New Republic and warned
them - anonymously, of course."
"If this would have worked, Leia would be dead and you would be the next
Queen," Ta'a Chume hissed. "You're a bigger fool than I even
suspected."
"I will be the next Queen, regardless," she said, shrugging her
shoulders. "And if you try and interfere with my marriage, or my reign as
Queen, I will let the entire galaxy see what's on that disk. Do I make myself
perfectly clear?"
"So this is blackmail?"
"Insurance, Queen Mother. You see, I'm neither weak nor a fool."
"I underestimated you, Sil'aeyn. You have earned my grudging
respect."
"I don't care about your respect, only your son," Sil'aeyn
retorted.
"May I ask how you got this information?"
The tall honey-blonde stood up, looking down at the Queen Mother. "You
should learn to respect everyone around you, Ta'a Chume. The people you
belittle will eventually find a way to rise up and rebel." With that, she
spun around and left the room, giving a slight smile to the older Hapan male
butler who stood at the doorway - an invisible, faceless servant to Queen
Mother Ta'a Chume for decades. If he could have, he would've smiled back.
***
Coruscant, one day later
"I never thought I'd say this, but Coruscant is lookin' pretty good to me
right now," Han commented from the makeshift bridge as The Galaxy's
Splendor left hyperspace and entered into orbit over the city planet.
"My cruise line business is ruined," Lando moaned. "More than
half of the guests have asked for a refund, and it'll cost a small fortune to
fix this ship. Not to mention all the cancellations for the next trip."
"You'll land on your feet, Lando. You always do."
"Easy for you to say. At least you got the Princess back."
"Yeah. Thanks for helping arrange that, Calrissian." Han grinned,
slapping Lando on the shoulder. "Can't tell you how much I appreciate
it."
"Sure. No problem."
***
Leia packed up the last of her
clothing, and snapped the travelcase shut. When the door chime rang, she
happily went to answer it, assuming it was Luke or Han. Once again, Rasti
Dewmoon stood outside her door.
"You don't know when to give up, do you?" Leia asked, annoyed.
"No, Queen Leia. I don't." With that, Rasti pulled a blaster out from
behind her back and fired.
The green blur of a lightsaber blade sliced
downward, intercepting the blaster bolt before it could strike the Princess.
The deflected shot careened down to the floor, startling the other, already
nervous guest walking in the corridor. Only moments earlier, Luke had been
packing his clothes when his Force-sense screamed danger. This time, the Jedi
had not ignored the warning. Grabbing his lightsaber, he'd rushed to the door,
hitting the open button with the Force and igniting his blade simultaneously.
With barely enough time to react, Luke brought the blade down between his
sister and the blonde woman just as the blaster fired.
Leia threw herself to one side, out of the firing range of a second attempt,
while Luke took up a defensive stance in front of the female. "Drop
it," Luke ordered.
"Not a chance," the woman answered in a distinct accent that she had
not used before. I have failed... Without warning she turned the blaster
toward herself and pulled the trigger - then dropped to the ground, instantly
dead.
The Jedi was momentarily stunned. Why would that beautiful woman kill
herself? Over Han? He just had dinner with her one time, and then showed her
around the bridge. There is no way she would do this because she was in love
with him.
Leia stuck her head out of the doorway, holding a small blaster. "Good
stars! Why did she do that?"
"I have no idea," Luke said, shaking his head as guards came running
down the hall. "Did you hear her accent? I should know what it is, but I
can't place it."
"I know it," Leia said. "It was Hapan."
***
A while later...
"Her name wasn't Rasti Dewmoon," Lando told the group gathered around
the table. "Wedge said he'd have Intelligence try and trace down who she
really was."
"I think she was a hired assassin," the Princess replied calmly.
"Probably Ta'a Chume sent her."
Solo gripped Leia's fingers, thinking about how close he'd come to losing her
yet again. "We'll probably never know."
"No, you're probably right. We'll never know," Luke agreed.
***
Coruscant
Han, Luke, Leia and the droids approached the Millennium Falcon nervously.
The ramp was raised, and Han rang the buzzer. It was no longer his ship to
enter as he pleased, and it was possible Chewie had changed the entry code.
Solo stepped aside as the ramp lowered and settled on the surface of the
landing platform. No one appeared at the entrance.
"Chewie?" Han slowly walked up the ramp, heart in throat as Luke and
Leia trailed behind with C-3PO and Artoo. Please don't kill me.
A growl came from around the corner, and Han stopped before entering the ship.
"I know you're mad at me, pal. You have every right to be. I swear I
wasn't thinkin' straight when I took off and left you."
A hairy paw shot out from the darkened interior, pulling Han forward and off
his feet. "Chewie!" Solo gasped as the giant Wookiee crushed him
against his chest.
[I am so angry at you, I would like to crush your bones to a pulp,] the Wookiee
yelped, tightening his grasp even harder.
"Yurduinehprutigutjibofit."
[What?] Chewie set Solo on his feet. [I didn't understand a word you said.]
"I said," Han groaned, holding his ribs, "you're doing a pretty
good job of it."
[If you were Lumpy, I'd turn you over my knees and spank you.]
Solo backed away, putting his hands on his backside, his eyes wide. "You
wouldn't dare."
Laughter sounded from the ramp as Luke and Leia listened. "I'd pay to see
that, Chewie," Luke said.
"Me, too," Leia giggled.
"Hey!" Han objected, turning to the Princess. "You're supposed
to be on my side, here."
"I'm on your side, darling," Leia said, patting his arm. "But
some things are just too good to pass up."
[I agree,] Chewie woofed. He snatched
Solo off his feet before Han could react, and carried him inside the ship. Luke
and Leia hurried to follow, a little worried about the Corellian's fate.
Inside the ship, Chewie turned on the lights then sat down on a chair in the
hold before effortlessly turning Solo onto his stomach and over the Wookiee's
knees. "No!" Han yelled, attempting to push himself off the Wookiee.
He could hear Luke and the Princess roaring encouragement in the background. Traitors!
"Don't you dare do this, Chewie!" Looking over his shoulder at Leia
and Luke, he shouted, "Just don't stand there - Help me!"
No help was forthcoming, as Chewie's large paw came down on Solo's buttocks
three times before he set Han back on his feet. Rubbing his rear, his face
burning with embarrassment, Han glared over at the siblings who were sliding
down the wall and holding their sides in hysteria, tears of laughter streaming
down their faces.
"That wasn't funny," Han snapped. His backside stung, but just a
little. Unfortunately, his ego felt extremely bruised.
"Speak for yourself," Luke gasped out from the floor. "I wish I
could have holo-recorded that."
[I could repeat it for posterity,] Chewie offered helpfully.
"Han's posterior recorded for posterity," Leia gulped out, barely
able to speak as the puzzled protocol droid supplied the Wookiee's words to her
in Basic.
Scowling at the Wookiee, Solo felt his frown fade into a smile and despite his
wounded pride, he started chuckling - it was just too good seeing Chewie again
to stay mad. Besides, everyone's laughter was infectious, even if it was at his
expense. "Are we even now?"
[Not by a long shot,] Chewie barked out happily. [But it was a good start.]
It was nearly a quarter of a time-part before Luke and Leia could finally talk
without bursting back into laughter. Sitting around the game table, Han looked
over at his long-time friend. "I need a favor," he started
tentatively.
[Go on.]
"Leia has sent the Hapan Cruiser back to the Consortium, and she needs a
lift back to Hapes. She's gonna ask the Queen Mother for a divorce. I'd like
to...um, ask you to take us there. If it's okay with you."
[Why do you need to ask me?]
"'Cuz the Falcon isn't my ship,
she's yours."
Chewie gave his shaggy head a shake and pushed a small electronic cube over the
table to Solo. [No, my friend. The Falcon is yours - she will always be
yours. I put your name back on the ownership title the day you left.]
Stunned, Han felt his face flush again. Taking the cube, he looked up.
"I've never deserved having you for my friend. I still don't deserve
you."
Chewie gave a fang-toothed grin. [Perhaps not, but you are stuck with me
anyway.]
***
Three days later.
Hapes Capital
"Your wife is on her way back with her lover to request a divorce,"
Ta'a Chume told her son as they walked through the gardens.
"So? Grant it."
"There hasn't been a divorce for generations in the Royal Family. There
wouldn't have been a divorce if Sil'aeyn hadn't interfered with my plans."
"There was no reason to kill innocent people just to get rid of Leia,
mother," Isolder said softly. "Your real desire was to disrupt the
treaty between Hapes and the New Republic."
"That was only an extra benefit."
Isolder gave his head a weary shake. "Hapes will remain aligned with the
New Republic. You will grant Leia a divorce from me."
"I do not like Sil'aeyn," Ta'a Chume said petulantly.
"Mother, you don't like any woman that pushes you from power."
The Queen Mother only gave an icy stare at her disloyal son before turning and
leaving him standing alone. Isolder smiled at his mother's retreating back. He
thought briefly of Rayleen, the recently deceased twin sister of Sil'aeyn. His
future wife had been annoyed at her sister's failed mission; composed and cool
when she learned about Rayleen's fate. Ta'a Chume would have been proud of her
future daughter-in-law, if she only knew.
Five days later....
Ta'a Chume had not objected to Leia's request - indeed, she already had
prepared the divorce contracts, contracts Isolder had signed and dated. Both
Prince Isolder and his lover were nowhere to be found. Inwardly, Han had
smirked - the Hapan Prince undoubtedly was too afraid of facing both Solo and
Leia's Jedi brother. When he had voiced that thought to the Queen Mother, Ta'a
Chume had looked at Leia, commenting icily as she thrust a copy of the divorce
document at the Princess, "Congratulations, Princess. It appears that you
are getting what you deserve."
Leia's response only angered her further. "Thank you, Ta'a Chume. And I
certainly hope you and Isolder get what you deserve, as well."
Needless to say, they had not been invited to stay for dinner.
Han Solo pulled the lever back, leaving Hapes
forever behind them.
"When are you two getting married?" Luke asked casually from the seat
behind Chewie.
"Immediately," was Leia's fast response.
Han swiveled in his chair to face Leia, raising his eyebrow. "Immediately?
I can't recall asking you to marry me."
"Chewie.... Luke...." Leia started out. "Would you please show
Han the necessity of asking?"
[Would you like another spanking?] Chewie woofed in response.
"Hell no!"
"Would you like me to hold you upside down using the Force, and shoot
Force-lightning at you?" Luke inquired, his face an expression of farm-boy
innocence.
"NO!"
[Then ask. Now!] Chewie ordered.
Solo slid out of his chair, dropping to one knee between the back seats,
glancing over at Chewie and Luke. "This isn't very private."
"Ask," Leia commanded in her most regal, Princess-like voice.
"Leia, will you marry me?"
"Let me think about it."
Chewie and Luke burst out laughing. "Come on.... how many times do I have
to be humiliated?" Solo complained in protest.
"Chewie, can you change course for Kashyyyk?" Leia asked, struggling
not to smile.
[Certainly.]
"Kashyyyk?" Han asked,
confused and still on his knee. "Why do you want to go there?"
"Did you like that red dress I wore to the Grand Ball?" Leia
questioned Solo.
"What? The dress?"
"Yes. I have it with me. I think I'd like to wear that when we get
married. On Kashyyyk."
Understanding, Han gave his lopsided grin to the Princess. "The red dress
was beautiful."
"Good," Leia nodded. "I'm glad you approve, since the dress
reminds me of my next point."
"Can I get up now? My knee is starting to hurt."
"No," Leia smiled down at Solo. "First I have to tell you
something. I think I left The Galaxy's Splendor with a souvenir."
"A souvenir?" Han asked, once again becoming confused. "I'm sure
you bought a lot of stuff in those fancy shops."
Leia gave an exasperated sigh. "No, nerf-herder. It wasn't something I
bought. It was something you gave me."
"Han, don't be so dense," Luke laughed when Han's expression only
became more befuddled.
"You mean... you already know?" Leia turned to her brother,
dumbfounded. "But how? I just took a test this morning."
"I could tell something was different about your Force-sense,
sister - but I was a little distracted by
"What in the hells of Corellia are you two talking about?" Han yelled
and started to rise. Chewie's large paw came down on his shoulder, forcing him
back to his knee.
"I think I'm going to have a baby," she said softly, putting her hand
on Solo's face.
"A....a....ba...baby?" A worried expression crossed Han's face, and
Leia knew instantly what he was thinking.
"No, the baby's not Isolder's," she said gently. "As soon as I
discovered he was being unfaithful, I made very certain I wouldn't get
pregnant. I stopped taking those precautions on the cruise." Leia
hesitated, then asked, "Are you upset?"
When was the last time I took my birth control shot? It was before
Leia married that moron. "N..no," Han stuttered as he realized
just how many months ago his own protection had expired. "Just surprised.
Are you sure you're pregnant?"
"I'm pretty sure, darling."
Luke cleared his throat. "I'm not just pretty sure, I'm positive. I can
tell through the Force. And it's not a baby, it's babies. Two babies."
"What?" both Leia and Han yelled out simultaneously as Luke's words
sank in.
[Congratulations, cub!] Chewie roared loudly, slapping Han on the back so hard
he nearly fell face forward into Leia's lap.
"Twins. Both seem to be very Force-strong," Luke grinned. "I
knew the Force wanted me to get you two back together." Luke prodded a
stunned Solo with the toe of his boot. "Kiss her, Han."
"Everybody bosses me around," the Corellian said, shaking his head in
mock dismay before Princess Leia leaned over and kissed her fiancé.
Leia drew back from the kiss. "Get used to it, flyboy. In eight and a half
months, you're going to have two more people bossing you around."
THE END