*Contains spoilers for the SW Radio Dramatization with 
screenplay by Brian Daley, Paradise Snare by A.C.Crispen and 
Return Of The Jedi(But who hasn't seen that)*

Sometime between ANH and TESB..........

Past Lives
By BXSJFHL/Brixie

     Leia Organa stood alone on the balcony of her home in Aldera.  
It was dawn, and the sun had yet to rise.  Leia stared out into the 
mist, watching the cobalt blues and deep purples meld together and 
then separate, casting shadows on LeiaOs white dress and the 
marble of the balcony.  This was peace, Leia thought, the mist 
surrounding her like a blanket, caressing her cheek, making her 
feel...alive.

     Below her were the gardens of the palace.  There, flowers 
always bloomed and it was never winter.  And in the middle of it 
all, was a beautiful fountain, spraying water into the air only to 
have it fall back into the pool, creating ripples as it hit.  

     Leia thought that if it were possible, she'd never leave her 
lovely, peaceful world.  Knowing that the Empire would only take 
over and turn Alderaan's serene beauty into a place of war.  But 
that would never happen.  Not if she could help it.

     She was young, only seventeen, but she had already run for the 
Imperial Senate and would get word of the voting results any day 
now.  She remembered walking through the halls to the Senates 
meeting room, the pure white walls contrasting sharply with the 
black of the floor and the red of the carpet.  She was nervous.  
After all, she only just reached the age of maturity and 
responsibility.  But she'd do her best for her world.

     The Senate was made up of representatives of different Imperial 
worlds.  All male.  All Human.  All at least twice her age.  If she 
were elected she would be the youngest representative.  Not to 
mention the first and only senator.

     But that wasnOt important.  All she wanted to do was just sit 
where she was and enjoy the beauty of a sunrise on Alderaan.  Not 
that she wasnOt worried about if she was elected, and not that she 
didnOt care about the galaxy, but there are times when you just 
needed to unwind.

     The sound of footsteps came behind her.  She didnOt turn 
around, not wanting to lose the serenity of dawn, as it went all too 
soon when the sun rose in all itOs glory.

     OLeia,O came the gentle voice.

     Leia turned to face itOs owner, the most wonderful man in the 
galaxy, her father.  Out of all the people in the galaxy, her father 
was the one who had encouraged and strengthened her enough to 
be who she was now.  The one who had loved her, comforted her 
when her mother died, taught her everything there was to know 
about helping others.  She didnOt know how she could do without 
him.

     OIOd like to be the first to congratulate you on your success.O

     Leia was taken aback.  OMy..my what?O

     Bail Organa gave her a knowing look.

     OYou...you mean the senate...IOm...I got in?O  She closed the 
distance between her and her father in a few short, excited steps 
before she threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly.

     OMy dear, you have made me the proudest man in the world.O

     Leia hugged him tighter.  OOh father...O

     The two turned toward the edge of the balcony just in time to 
see the mist and colors of dawn disappear, making way for the 
reds, oranges, and pinks of a new day.  The sun had risen.

**********************

     O...And that was the best moment of my life.O  Leia Organa, 
Luke Skywalker and Han Solo were sitting in the lounge of the 
Millennium Falcon  at the holochess table when the question of the 
past had come up.  Leia had been the first to share the best moment 
of her life before the Rebellion and was now looking at Luke, 
asking with her eyes, the same question.

     He thought for a moment.  It was easy to find his best moment, 
for there had only been one moment when he was truly happy.  
And surprisingly, it had been after his best friend and idol, Biggs 
Darklighter had left for the Academy.

     This memory was one of pride and pure joy.  It was when he'd 
finally proved to the others, and to himself, that he *was* a 
winner.

     OWell,O he began.  OThereOs this place called BeggarOs 
Canyon...O

**********************

     Wind whipped his hair as his sky hopper swerved in and out, 
left and right of holes, crevices, cliffs, and rock.  Luke looked back 
to the Tosche Station to see Camie, yelling for him and Fixer to 
quit this so called suicidal race fueled by pride, courage, and 
perhaps, stupidity.  Luke let out a whoop of excitement.  Windy, 
behind him, wasnOt so enthusiastic.

     OYouOre gonna get us killed, Wormie!O  He yelled as they 
narrowly missed crashing into the side of a cliff.

     Yelling at the top of his lungs, Luke ignored him.  Although 
Fixer was still ahead, he had to show Fixer that he wasnOt a 
worthless little kid.  He was going to win this race and hopefully 
earn the respect that Biggs was shown when he beat Fixer.

     But Biggs wasnOt here...the thought taunted him from the back 
of his mind.  Biggs had gone off to the Imperial Academy, 
abandoning childish play and long chores.  Abandoning Luke.  But 
heOd show him.  HeOd show Biggs that he didnOt need anyone to 
look after him.  No one to defend him from Fixer and the rest of 
the gang.  No one to tell him that he was going to make it big in 
life. Maker, he missed Biggs.

     OWORMIE! Watch out!O  The panicked voice of Windy jarred 
Luke back into realization.  

     They were headed for the Stone Needle.  The Stone Needle was 
a tall rock, thin and sharp that protruded from the sand.  It had a 
small hole in the middle that a hopper would surely be destroyed in 
if it wasn't steered in just the right way, creating a deadly short cut.  
Only one person had made it through.  And that was Biggs 
Darklighter.  Luke knew that going through the Stone Needle was 
the only chance he had at beating Fixer.  He had to try.

     "Bet we shave five seconds off our time," he shouted back to 
Windy.

     "You'll kill us both!"

     The Needle was coming closer.  It was unavoidable.

     "There's no going back now.  Stay gripped, Windy!"

     Here it goes, he thought.  He concentrated on the center of the 
hole, ignoring Windy's helpless "No-oooo!"
 
    He heard a shearing metallic clang.  And the hopper began to 
buck.  They had gotten though.

     "YES!  Made it!  Windy, open your eyes! We made it!"  He 
whooped.  He'd beat Fixer now!

     "Hey, your stabilizer's gone,"  Windy said as he opened his 
tightly shut eyes.

     "I can hold her," Luke said.  "We've still got to cross the finish 
line."

     "You'll crash us!"  Windy, although relieved, wasn't dumb 
enough to believe that this race was over.  And since the stabilizer 
was gone, the landing would be awfully rough.

     The hopper hit, jolting both of them.  It bounced, came up again 
sliding, and finally stopped, leaving Luke and Windy breathless.
 
    "I told you I could bring her in,"  Luke gushed, silently thanking 
whatever gods were out there.  "We won!"

     "Won?"  Windy's eyes were wide.  "Luke you're crazy.  Crazy!"

     After Windy left with a warning about boasting to Fixer, Luke 
sat back in his hopper, breathless and laughing.

     "Oh, Biggs, you shouldn't been here..."

**********************

     Now it was Han's turn.

     "Betcha your story's gonna be a lot more exciting than ours," 
Luke remarked, half joking, half serious.  Han's life before the 
Rebellion was so much more exciting than that of Luke and Leia's.  
From what they knew, he was an Imperial Academy graduate, 
forced out of service for rescuing a Wookiee slave.  After that, he 
and Chewbacca roamed the galaxy as smugglers, play sabbacc and 
evading Imperials.  But that was it.  Surprising as it was, but 
although they had known him for almost two years, much of Han 
Solo's past remained a mystery to them.

     Han was silent for a minute.  Facing downward as if deciding 
what to say and if it would be appropriate.  Finally he looked up 
and straight into their eyes.  First Luke's, than Leia's.  His voice 
came, softly, as if telling them some unknown secret to the galaxy.  
"There was one time..."

**********************

     Hunger gnawed at the boy as if a cage of whomp rats and vrelts 
were being set free in his stomach.  He had heard that the streets of 
the lower levels of Corellia were no place for a young boy.  But 
that was for boys of stature.  Who's parents had not abandoned 
them to this...this what was the word to describe this place?

     There he was.  Sitting on an old, wet box in a vacant lot and 
looking around under the hot Corellian sun.  He could see the gray 
buildings across the street.  Some old and abandoned like him.  
Others with bright lights and signs that said "Exotic Dancers 
Here!" or "Vrelt's Hideaway:Get What You Want For A Change".  
The roads were worn and rocky, given a yellowish hue in the 
bright lights.  There were many people walking by.  Humans, 
Selonians and Dralls mixed with various other species passed by 
him in a flurry.  But the boy was to tired to beg for money.

     Then slowly, gently, the street, it's signs, it's lights, it's people, 
all disappeared.  All the boy could see was blackness.  And 
then...in the distance he saw someone.  A nameless, featureless 
someone walking past him.  And another someone.  And another.  
The boy could see their faces.  Faces of the past, faces of the 
future, all nameless, featureless faces.  He tried to scream.  Tried to 
fight.  Tried to get out of this strange blackness.  All he felt was 
cold fear.
 
    And then...a face came toward him.  Growing larger and larger.  
It was the face of a woman, neither beautiful nor homely.  He 
looked into her eyes.  But wait...those were his eyes!  Yes!  Those 
same hazel discs that had always stared back at him whenever he 
looked into a store window on the avenues of Corellia now stared 
at him from the face of this woman.  But unlike the pitiful, 
troubled eyes that he was used to, the woman's eyes were peaceful.  
And there was something else about them...

     Then he felt something. Something strangely pleasurable that 
he'd never felt before.  The feeling was warm, yet cool and serene.

     Then he heard a voice.  A soft, sweet voice.

     "Han,"
 
    Was that his name?  Yes, it had to be.  He'd always been called 
"kid", or "you" or some other names that he'd not known the 
meaning of.  But the was she had said this name was not in a voice 
of malice, disgust, or worse, pity.  It was with love.  Yes.  That was 
it.  Love.  That was the feeling he had and what he'd seen in her 
eyes.  Something that he'd never experienced before.

     And then he was cold again.
 
    Han(that was his name!) opened his eyes.  It was evening now 
and he was back on the streets.  He was still hungry.  Maybe he 
might have a bit more time to beg...
 
    He saw a man coming toward him.  A man with black hair and 
cold blue eyes.  

     "Han, my boy!"
  
   "How...how did you know my name?"

Oem

     "...And from then on, whenever I did anything I was proud of, 
from getting into the academy to setting Chewie free, I felt that 
strange warmth again.  As if she were watching me somehow."

     There was an awkward silence.  Luke and Leia were a bit 
surprised at Han's story, but didn't say anything and tried not to 
show it.  Han was worried if he'd done the right thing in telling 
them.
 
    Then Luke laid his hand in the middle of the table.  Leia, 
sensing his purpose put hers on top of his.  And surprisingly, Han 
laid his hand on both of theirs.  They smiled at each other.
 
    Han felt that strange warmth coursing through him again.  Leia 
felt as free and happy as if she were with her father once more.  
And Luke's thoughts were taken back to his Aunt Beru of Tatooine 
and one of her old sayings:

"To be able to look upon one's past life with satisfaction is to live 
twice."

***********

     It was in the middle of the night when Luke Skywalker called 
Leia Organa and Han Solo to a meeting in his quarters in the Rebel 
base.  The two crammed into his small room, waiting for his 
"urgent" announcement.  Finally Luke, who seemed rather excited 
began the story.
 
    "I had the strangest vision.  We were with the Rebel Alliance 
standing around a bonfire in a forest surrounded by these three foot 
bears celebrating something.  And Ben was there.  And my father.  
And this little green guy with big ears that I just knew was a Jedi 
master..."
 
    Han and Leia's laughter cut him off.  
    
     "You must have been dreaming," Leia said, as if to a small 
child.  And then walked out the door.

     "Yeah," Han called back as he followed her.  "Go back to sleep 
kid."

END

Questions? Comments?

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