This story contains characters and draws upon situations created 
by George Lucas.  It is not meant to infringe upon them in any 
way; rather, it is meant to pay homage by using his universe in
which to tell my story.  Feel free to share this story with anyone.  
However, please email me at galler@carthage.edu before using any 
of my characters or situations in anything you may write.

	--Stacy Galler, September 1996 
                                                                    
                                                                    
 Divided Priorities
by Stacy Galler 
(Warning: contains some sexual content, though not sexually  
explicit) 
 
Time: 8 months after Return of the Jedi 
 
     Han grunted as he stood from hooking Artoo into the Falcon's  
systems.  "Okay, Artoo, if anything abnormal comes up, you tell  
Threepio, and he'll come and get me.  Got that, Goldenrod?"  He  
glanced at the protocol droid.  
     "Yes, sir," Threepio replied.  "How long do you think you'll  
be asleep?" 
     "As long as possible," Han replied.  "This is not going to be  
a fun mission.  We've got about sixteen hours until we're due to  
come out of hyperspace.  If I'm not up by then, come and get me."   
Han started out the door of the cockpit. 
     "Yes, sir.  Do sleep well sir!"  Threepio called. 
     "Yeah, yeah, " Han said, already halfway down the corridor. 
He shook his head; how he had let himself be talked into this crazy  
mission, he only had a dim sense of.  He knew it had something to  
do with his allegiance to the Alliance and the fledgling New  
Republic, but he also knew that it had more to do with his  
allegiance to the Princess Leia.  This mission had more or less  
been her idea, and it had been she who talked him into it.  His  
ship was filled to the gills with two commando teams; they were his  
"cargo" for this mission.  The premise was, they would sneak onto  
the floating capital city of Thokum, on the water planet of Zarum,  
under the cover that Han was just a trader.  Zarum had once been a  
resort planet; a getaway for  the rich and famous.  It was  
especially popular with Alderaan's elite, as it was very similar to  
Alderaan in many ways.  The plan was, once they got there, Leia  
would meet with the Alliance cell leaders there and give them some  
help setting up a government, while the commando teams, who would  
slip out under the secrecy of night, would blow up the last  
remaining Imperial base on the planet, which was really nothing  
more that a big sail barge.  Han had a bad feeling it wasn't going  
to be that simple, but everyone assured him that there were very  
few things that could go wrong. 
     Han walked into the crew quarters, to see over a dozen people  
in various states of activity.  Several were cleaning their weapons  
or checking their equipment, a few were already asleep, and a  
handful were gathered around the gaming table, where Chewbacca and  
several humans were playing Sabacc.  Leia was not the only female  
in the room, but she might as well have been.  She shined like a  
beacon to Han, even dressed in the  fatigues that everyone else was  
wearing, and with the somber, concentrated expression she had on  
her face now.  Someone had talked her into joining the Sabacc game,  
even though Han was fairly certain she did not know how to play. 
     Han strode over to the table, "Don't tell me you've corrupted  
her, Chewie?" 
     The wookiee rumbled that in fact, it had been Page, the leader  
of the commando teams, that had taught Leia to play, and it was  
around the pair of them that the game had sprung up. 
     Han leaned over Leia's shoulder and inspected her hand.  It  
was a dark 20; not bad.  Leia was glancing between the bet and her  
hand, trying to decide what to do.  Han quickly made up his mind  
for her, "See and raise you 10," he chimed, shoving a few of the  
credit chips that were piled in front of Leia into the pot. 
     "Excuse me," Leia retorted.  "I can play all by myself, thank  
you very much."  She made no move to take the credits back,  
however.  "See and raise you 10." 
     The rest of the players laughed.  The game went on for a few  
more bets, only to have Page win with a natural Sabacc.  Leia  
gathered up what was left of her credit chips, and said, "Well,  
this has been very entertaining, but I believe I'd best turn in for  
the evening." 
     "Aw, c'mon, Princess, things were just starting to get  
interesting, and you were just starting to get good," Page stated. 
     "No thank you.  You've taken enough of my money for one  
evening, Lieutenant.  Good night." 
     Leia took a few steps toward a relatively secluded corner of  
the quarters, when Han caught her hand.  He murmured softly to her,  
"Take a walk with me, sweetheart." 
     Leia gave him a befuddled look, and murmured back, "There's no  
place to walk to, on this ship." 
     "Just humor me." 
     Leia didn't say anything, and gave him a vague look.  But  she  
nodded.  Han grinned at her, and started to lead her toward  the  
corridor.  A low hoot came up from a few of the still awake  
officers. 
     "Pipe down, or I'll have you all court marshaled," Han threw  
over his shoulder.  Leia grinned as they walked out into the  
corridor.  "So where are we going?" 
     "Cargo hold." 
     Leia frowned.  "This isn't another thinly veiled attempt at  
romance, is it?" 
     Han chuckled, "Not unless you want it to be.  It's more of  
a...gift." 
     "A gift?" 
     Han grinned, "You'll see."  He opened the cargo bay door. 
     Leia stepped into the cargo hold, and at first, didn't see  
anything different.  But then, she realized that the wall to her  
left was much closer than it should have been.  "Where'd that wall  
come from?" 
     "I put it there.  C'mon."  Han opened a door in the wall,  
turned on a light, and ushered Leia into the small room that the  
wall created. 
     It was small; less than a quarter of the cargo hold, and much  
longer than it was wide.  There was a desk with a mirror over it so  
it could serve as a vanity, and a computer terminal.  There was a  
chair with the desk, and a rack where clothes could be hung.  And a  
bed.  A double bed. 
     Leia's first reaction was delight, but her face fell when she  
saw the bed.  It was almost too large for the room; it was  
certainly more than she needed.  And it looked really sturdy...she  
wondered how Han had gotten it in here. 
     Han noticed her eyeing the bed.  He hadn't intended something  
so grand, but it hadn't cost him hardly anything; less than it  
would have cost him for the cot that he had originally intended on  
putting in here.  He figured what the hey; you never know when  
you'll need bed space for more than one person.  "You like it,  
sweetheart?  I figured you could use some privacy on this trip, and  
well, I also figure it'll be far from the last time you'll be  
flying with me, so...The computer hooks into all systems on the  
ship, for whatever that's worth.  Leia....?" 
     "Hmmm?  Oh...it's very sweet, Han.  Thank you."  She hugged  
and kissed him warmly. 
     "You're sure?  You don't sound very enthusiastic." 
     "I'm tired.  Honestly...this is the best gift I could get  
right now."  She kissed him again. 
     Han grinned at her and kissed her forehead.  "Okay, I'll let  
you get some sleep.  Good night." 
     "Good night."  Leia watched Han leave.  She looked back at the  
bed and shook her head.  She and Han had precious little time  
together, but these blatant sexual overtones...well, they ticked  
her off.  She sighed, pulled her boots off, and the pins out of her  
hair, letting her long braid fall down her back.  She climbed under  
the covers and fell into a troubled sleep. 
 
     Han made his way back to the crew quarters only to find  
everyone bedded down for the night.  He started to make his way  
toward his bunk, only to find several soldiers already in it.  Han  
frowned, and toyed with the idea of ordering them out of it, but  
then got a look at the floor.  There was NO room.  Literally.   
Everybody was elbow to elbow from the door to the 'fresher.  There  
was no place for Han to sleep.  He sighed.  Well, he thought, there  
is some room on the floor in Leia's room; maybe she'll let me at  
least sleep there... 
     Han opened the door to the room as quietly as he could.  The  
lights were off; he could tell that before he even entered it as  
the seals around the door weren't very tight; the prefab wall was  
cheap.  He looked at Leia; she was lying close to the wall on her  
side, facing the wall.  He noticed that the only thing she seemed  
to have taken off were her boots.  He sighed and pulled his boots  
off; it was then, in putting his socked feet on the floor, that he  
remembered why he had put steadyfloats on the bed in here: the  
floor vibrated.  There was no way he was going to be able to sleep  
on the floor. 
     Han gingerly put his weight on the bed, hoping not to wake  
her.  He made himself lay as far away from her has he could.  He  
shut his eyes, and tried to sleep. 
     He felt her move.  He turned his head in her direction; she  
was on her back now, with the hand closest Han lying next to her on  
the pillow.  The snap on her sleeve had come undone, exposing a  
shapely wrist and the smooth skin of her arm.  Without thinking,  
Han reached over, and traced his fingertip along the inside of the  
wrist.  Leia shook it unconsciously, as if it were a bug crawling  
on her.  Han rolled up on his side, and softly pressed his lips to  
the wrist.  Still mostly asleep, Leia went to brush whatever was  
tickling her wrist away with the other hand.  She came fully awake  
when what she came in contact with turned out to be much bigger  
than she expected.  Her adrenalin rushed, and with every defensive  
alarm going off in her head, she shoved at the body next to her,  
hard enough to make him crash into the opposite wall. 
     "Ow!" 
     "Han?"  Leia leaped out of bed and hit the light switch.  "Oh,  
Han, I didn't hurt you, did I?  What are you doing here?"  She  
helped him into a sitting position. 
     Han rubbed the back of his head.  "No, I'm okay.  You're lucky  
that prefab wall has a little give to it."  He grinned at her  
sheepishly. 
     "What are you doing here?" she repeated. 
     "There is no place to sleep.  And I mean no place.  My bed has  
got two commandos in it, and the floor is literally packed." 
     "So you thought you could sleep with me?" 
     Han looked sheepish again.  "Well, yeah." 
     "What's wrong with the floor in here?" 
     Han put a hand on one of her bare feet and pressed on it  
gently.  "Leia, feel the floor.  There's a reason I put  
steadyfloats on that bed of yours." 
     Leia sighed.  "Before I decide your fate, you have to tell me  
why you chose this bed." 
     Han held his hands up in self defense.  "I know what you're  
thinking, sweetheart, but I swear by whatever you consider holy  
that the only reason I chose that bed is because I thought you  
would be comfortable in it and I got it for practically nothing.  I  
had no ulterior motive when I bought it." 
     Leia held her breath a minute, regarding him.  Somehow, she  
believed him; she knew she probably shouldn't, but she did.  She  
blew her breath out.  "All right..."  She climbed back into bed. 
     Han hit the light and climbed in next to her.  He gathered her  
up in his arms, and drew her close.  In the dim light, he could see  
her frown.  "I thought we were going to sleep." 
     He grinned that lopsided grin of his.  "In a minute."  He  
pressed his lips softly to hers, drawing her even closer; pressing  
as much of himself to her as he could.  At first he could feel her  
resist a little, but slowly her arms crept around his shoulders.   
"We get so little time together," he murmured as he began to kiss  
her chin and cheeks. 
     "I know..."  Leia was starting to get lost.  Whenever he held  
her like this, she became...almost intoxicated; giddy.  It's as if  
she lost control of her own actions.  Part of her loved it; another  
part of her was scared to death.  She should be asleep now; there  
was a big mission coming up, and yet... 
     Han kissed her lips again; this time more passionately.  She  
gripped at his shoulder; ran the other hand through his hair.  Her  
skin tingled as his hands wandered over her shoulders, her back.   
She felt a strange thrill run through her as a hand slid gently  
over a hip and buttock.  She shivered. 
     Han felt her shudder; smiled inwardly to himself.  He slid his  
lips over her chin and on to her neck, and started to undo the  
fasteners on her shirt. 
     Leia floated; her body shivered with feelings that she'd never  
experienced before.  When he slid his hand under her blouse and  
pressed it against her bare back, she felt her breath escape from  
her.  Her heart pounded in her chest, and she found herself unable  
to speak.  "H...Han?" she finally managed. 
     "Hmmm?" Han's muffled voice returned.  Leia felt him undo the  
clasp on her undergarment. 
     Leia froze.  "Han, I think there's something you should know,"  
she spluttered. 
     "What's that?" he muttered around mouthfuls of her flesh. 
     "Han!"  She pushed him away from her a little harder than she  
intended.  She took a few breaths to regain her composure.   
Finally, in a soft voice, she managed, "I've never done this  
before." 
     Han rolled on his back, and blew his breath out.  Somehow, he  
should have known this.  The few times they had gotten anywhere  
near close (all of which had been interrupted), she had been very  
skittish. 
     Leia plunged on, as if to try to explain herself.  "On  
Alderaan, sex and love are inseparable.  The idea of having sex  
with someone you're not in love with was repulsive.  And I...I  
never really had the chance to fall in love."  If the light had  
been any brighter, Han might have seen her color change slightly.   
She plunged on, as if talking would make it all right.  "The only  
accepted exception to that was an arranged marriage, and,  
thankfully, those were things of the past by the time I came  
along." 
	Han sighed; the last virgin he'd been with was the girl he'd  
lost his virginity to, and that was more years ago than he cared to  
admit.  And yet...as much as his body and mind and soul wanted her,  
he knew that what he wanted ultimately was what she wanted.  He  
rolled back toward her, and caressed her cheek. 
	"If you want to wait, sweetheart, we can wait." 
	Leia smiled.  Her heart warmed to know that he felt that way.  
 She kissed him softly, but the moment her lips touched his, all  
the feelings that had a moment ago left her scared suddenly brought  
her something else: resolve. 
	"How long till we come out of hyperspace?" she whispered as  
she slid her lips along his chin. 
	Han half guessed, "About 15 hours." 
	Han could see her grin at him in the dim light, and then he  
felt her trying to work her hands underneath his shirt.  He grinned  
back at her, took her in his arms, and rolled his weight onto  
hers... 
 
	In the cockpit, Artoo twittered something, to which Threepio  
replied: "You're not supposed to be running diagnostics, you're  
supposed to be keeping an eye out for anything abnormal." 
	Artoo told Threepio his opinion of that, and then insisted  
that the taller droid go and get the captain of the ship.   
	"I will not go and get General Solo, you poor excuse for a  
scrap heap.  Nothing is malfunctioning, so nothing must be wrong." 
	Artoo twittered. 
	"Well, I never!  I honestly don't know why I put up with you,  
you indolent little rust bucket!" 
	Artoo bleeped. 
	"All right, all right, I'll go and get General Solo.  But it's  
you that will be sent to the scrap dealer for this, not I!" 
 
	Threepio muttered to himself about astromech droids as he  
walked down the hall to the crew quarters.  It was dark.  When he  
was unable to discern which of the sleeping forms was the General,  
he flipped on the lights, and called, "I am sorry to disturb you  
all, but I believe the attention of General Solo is needed in the  
cockpit."  Or, at least, he tried to.  The moans and complaints of  
the sleeping commandos drown him out.  Several of them threw  
pillows at him, one of them almost knocking him over. 
	"Well, really!  I just try to do my job, and this is the  
thanks I get!  Is General Solo here?" 
	It was silent for about 5 seconds. 
	"Does anybody know where he is?" 
	"Ask the princess," somebody piped up. 
	Threepio surveyed the room.  "Where is she?" 
	"Try the cargo hold," someone else muttered from underneath a  
pillow. 
	"The cargo hold?  Why would she be there?" 
	Chewie rumbled to the droid about Han's little gift. 
	"Well, if she's supposed to be sleeping, why isn't General  
Solo here?" 
	The crowd of sleepy commandos started to get restless again,  
yelling and grumbling at Threepio.  The cry of, "Just go check the  
cargo hold!" came from several corners of the room. 
	"All right, all right, there's no need to be hostile.  I'm  
just doing my job...really!" 
 
	Threepio continued down the corridor, this time muttering to  
himself about how unreasonable biologicals could be.  But as soon  
as he opened the cargo hold door, he froze.  The sound of a female  
moaning met his audio-receptors.  But Threepio was perplexed; it  
didn't sound like moans of pain, especially since it was  
interspersed with other sounds: pants and grunts.  The moans  
started getting higher and louder, until finally there was a long,  
high, strangulated squeal that lasted 12 seconds exactly.  Then  
there was a lower grunt, which may or may not have been the same  
voice; Threepio wasn't sure; his processors couldn't keep up.  All  
he knew was that if that was the Princess making all that noise,  
something must be happening to her, and it didn't sound very good! 
	 
	Inside the room, Han collapsed on top of Leia, spent.  They  
both just lay there panting for a few moments.  "How are you,  
sweetheart?" he finally managed to get out. 
	Leia floated, "I'm not speechless very often..." 
	Han grinned at her, and had just touched his lips to hers,  
when... 
 
	Threepio rapped on the door.  "Mistress Leia?  Mistress Leia,  
are you all right?" 
	Han started to mutter, "Why that little..." 
	Leia clamped a hand over his mouth, "Yes, Threepio, I'm fine.  
 What is it?" 
	"I'm looking for General Solo, Mistress Leia.  Are you sure  
you're all right?  I could go get Lt. Madigan, she is a skilled  
medic."  
	"I'm aware of that, Threepio, it's not necessary; I'm fine.  I ... I 
just had a nightmare." 
	"You had a nightmare?"  Han murmured incrediously. 
	Leia threw him a look in the dim light that said: "You have a  
better idea?  Shut up." 
	"Oh, well, very well then," Threepio's voice floated through  
the door.  "Do you know where I can find General Solo?" 
	"No, I haven't seen him, Threepio." 
	"Oh, well, if you do, tell him Artoo claims that there is  
something wrong with the navicomputer, and that we're off course.   
Where he gets his delusions, I don't know, but I was instructed to  
inform..." 
	"We're what!??!?!"  Han sputtered, leaping out of bed and  
diving for his clothes.  
	"General Solo?"  Threepio's confused voice filtered through  
the door. 
	"How could we be off course?" Leia asked, sitting up in bed. 
	"I don't know, it could be a lot of things," Han replied,  
hopping around trying to put his boots on standing up.  "I'll go  
see what the little guy has to say.  You just go to sleep; I've got  
more than enough hands up there to help me."  He smootched her and  
turned toward the door. 
	"General Solo, are you in there?"  Threepio's voice insisted. 
	"That's ridiculous," Leia said, rolling out of bed and  
gathering up her clothing.  "I'm the head of this mission;  
something as drastic as being off course is going to demand some  
kind of decision as to what to do next.  I'm the one that has to  
make that decision." 
	"What's to decide?"  Han half demanded.  "We figure out what's  
wrong with the computer, we fix it.  We figure out how far off  
course we are, set a new course, and go to Zarum.  Who needs to  
make decisions?" 
	"General Solo, if that is you in there, your presence is  
required in the cockpit," Threepio's voice insisted. 
	"I'm coming, Threepio!"  Han barked.	 
	"It may not be that simple, Han.  Let's just go see what Artoo  
has found." 
	Han shrugged, "Have it your way."  He waited a few more  
seconds for Leia to be decent, and then opened the door.  "C'mon,  
Goldenrod, I'm gonna need you to tell me what Artoo is saying." 
	 
	After Artoo warbled for about a full minute, Threepio  
translated, "Artoo says that the navicomputer is not communicating  
with the hyperdrive, and that some of the numbers have been  
transposed.  He is unsure of how far off course we are, but is  
certain that it is at least 10 light years." 
	Chewie came into the cockpit just then. 
	Han dropped into the pilot's chair, "Well, ten wouldn't be so  
bad.  Let's hope it's not much more than that.  You catch that,  
Chewie?" 
	The wookiee rumbled that he had. 
	Han pushed up on the hyperdrive lever, and the mottled view of  
hyperspace turned first to starlines, and then stars.  He pulled up  
the navicomputer to take a reading about where they were and where  
they had to go. 
	"Oh no..." Han muttered. 
	"Oh no, what?" Leia asked from behind him. 
	Han looked sheepish, "We're 245 light years off course." 
	Leia balked, "245!  That's another 12 hours!"  
	Han sighed, "So now what, oh mission commander?" 
	Leia sighed, "Well, first we have to get headed in the right  
direction.  Can we do that?" 
	Han looked at Artoo, who twittered.  Threepio replied, "He  
says it should be just a matter of replacing the interface." 
	Han blew his breath out, "Well, that's good at least.  That  
should only be about a fifteen minute project."  He looked at Leia,  
"Do we wait, or do we go?" 
	Leia thought a minute, "Well, if we get there when I think  
we're going to, it'll be about local noon.  We'll have to wait  
about 10 hours for the attack, but I can certainly start my  
negotiations before then.  However...I really don't want to be  
there too early...we might draw attention to ourselves, and that  
wouldn't be a good idea, at least, not before the attack." 
	Leia suddenly fell silent, and an expression of thoughtfulness  
and worry crossed her face. 
	"Leia?"  Han asked. 
	"I suddenly have this awful feeling that we should get there  
as fast as we possibly can." 
	"Then that's what we'll do," Han declared.  "Chewie, go get  
that interface fixed.  I'll start running the numbers for the new  
jump." 
 
	They came out of hyperspace 12 hours behind schedule.  As the  
descended upon the city, Han opened up the comm channel to request  
landing.  A voice crackled back: "Freighter _Corrilian Luck_, we  
are having some problems down here; landing may be delayed as long  
as 12 standard hours." 
	"What?  Why?" 
	"We are having a bit of a problem with the locals; troops are  
being moved around very quickly," the voice crackled.  "All  
civilian traffic must wait, by order of the Empire." 
     Han broke the transmission, "Oh, great."  He looked at Leia.   
"Now what, oh royal commander?" 
	Leia frowned.  "I was afraid this might happen if we showed up  
late.  Why couldn't they have just been patient?  The deal was we  
would contact them first." 
	Han didn't get it.  "What?" 
	Page, who had joined them in the cockpit, chimed in.  "They've  
got a ragtag bunch of rebels on this planet who claim to be a  
militia.  When we agreed to do this, they were all gung ho about  
helping.  We finally told them that, if the barge hadn't blown by  
10 hours after we contacted them, they should come in and try to  
break us out." 
	Han looked at Leia incredulously.  "You agreed to that?" 
	"I didn't expect anything to go wrong!  This was supposed to  
be clean and simple, with minimal loss of life, and all of those  
were supposed to be Imperials!  Now they're down there getting  
blown away, all because this scrapheap of yours can't talk to its  
own computer!" 
	Han fumed for a second about Leia's insult of the _Falcon_,  
but then realized something.  "Wait a second; you said we were  
supposed to contact them?" 
	"Yes," Leia replied, still agitated, but beginning to cool  
off.  "We were supposed to contact them on a low band frequency  
that normally isn't used for communications due to its  
susceptibility to being broken up.  The Imperials don't normally  
monitor it.  But under these circumstances, anything is possible." 
	Han leaned forward in the pilot's chair, rested his elbows on  
his knees and looked up at Leia and Page.  "Look, we're going to be  
flying into a firefight no matter what.  We really should find out  
what's going on instead of flying in blind.  We'll get more  
information out of whoever we're supposed to contact here than that  
snot nosed kid down at Imperial traffic control." 
	Leia looked to Page, who replied, "The General's right; we  
really should contact them." 
	Leia muttered, "All right," and sat down at the comm station,  
fiddling with the dials.  After a moment, a crackling static filled  
the cockpit.  She spoke into the microphone.  	"_Corrilian Luck_  
calling Ursarus.  Come in, Ursarus." 
	A static filled silence. 
	"Ursarus, this is the _Corrilian Luck_, acknowledge, please?"  
 Leia was beginning to sound desperate. 
	After a moment more, the voice of the woman who had contacted  
Leia about this mission crackled back.  She sounded out of breath.  
 "Princess?  Is that you?  Thank the Force you've finally come!" 
	Leia leaned into the comm station, "Ursarus, what is going  
on?" 
	"Well, it's rather complicated, but the gist of it is that  
when you'd failed to contact us, we figured you'd been captured  
before you could.  The decision to try to rescue you was made about  
three hours ago." 
	"Don't tell me you're entire team is on the barge?!" Han broke  
in. 
	"No, sir," the voice came back.  "Just six.  We figured a  
small band would have a better chance of not being detected." 
	"Well, that's something, at least," Han muttered to himself. 
	"Only three of them have been captured, and the Empire has  
been searching the entire settlement to try and find the other  
three.  As far as we know, they're still on the barge." 
	Behind Leia and Han, Page shook his head, "Amateurs.   
Princess, I suggest a change of plan." 
	Leia glanced over her shoulder, "Let's hear it, Lieutenant." 
	"Well, this is a little daring, but, I think the best course  
of action would be to fly in there, land this bucket on the barge,  
break out the rebels, round up the other three, set the charges,  
and clear out." 
	Han leaned back in his chair and cooly regarded Page for a  
moment.  "Not too bad, except for one thing:"  Han leaned forward  
now, and raised his voice a few decibels, "Where are we going to  
land without getting my ship shot all to hell?!" 
	Page grinned cockeyed at him, "On top of the gun turret." 
	Han sat in stunned silence for a moment.  "Page that is the  
craziest thing I have ever heard.  But it just might work."  He  
shifted his gaze, "What do ya think, sweetheart?" 
	Leia put up her hands, "I have no ideas right now.  Let's just  
do something.  Did you hear that, Ursarus?" 
	"Yes, Princess.  I'll alert our team that you are on your way.  
 May the Force be with you." 
	"You too," Leia replied as she cut the transmission. 
 
	By the time Leia had cut the transmission, Page had already  
gone off to alert the team to make ready.  She and Chewie headed  
for the gun turrets.  The ride was bumpy, as Han kept dodging and  
weaving to avoid shots, but she and Chewie did practically nothing  
as there was no air support.  Han landed neatly on top of the gun  
turret with little problem. 
	Leia climbed out of her turret to find the commandos pouring  
out of the already open hatch, and Han strapping on his gun belt. 
	"Where are you going?" 
	"To break those rebels out.  C'mon, Chewie." 
	"What about he commandos?" Leia demanded. 
	"They've got charges to lay, and I want to get out of here as  
quick as possible.  You stay here and lay cover fire for whoever  
comes running." 
	"But Han...!" 
	"No buts."  He smootched her quickly.  "I'll be back soon."   
He headed for the hatch, Chewie close behind. 
	Leia headed back to the cockpit, fuming.  She took a few  
seconds to re-familiarize herself with the controls for the  
under-side swivel blaster.  And waited. 
	Leia decided after about 30 seconds that this would just not  
do.  She could only see about 120  view out the cockpit windows,  
and she couldn't see the side where the ramp was.  And she knew  
from experience that her aim with that swivel blaster was not very  
good.  She ran hastily back to her quarters to get her own gun  
belt, instructing Threepio on the way through to wait in the  
cockpit for further instructions, should they be needed.  She then  
positioned herself outside the hatch, half hidden under the hull of  
the ship. 
	She didn't wait very long.  The sound of shooting started,  
although Leia couldn't tell where from.  Suddenly two rather  
scruffy looking young men climbed up over the side of the turret.   
	"Princess Leia?" one inquired. 
	Leia nodded.  "Are you armed?" 
	"I am," the other fellow said.  "His weapon malfunctioned." 
	Leia ordered the armed one to get to the other side of the  
ship to help provide cover fire, and the other into the ship.  She  
could see some of the commandos really having to fight their way  
back, and her first urge was to try to fire some of the Imperial  
troops off their back, but knew that from this range, she'd have  
about as much of a chance hitting one of the commandos.  So, she  
waited, tense and ready. 
	Suddenly, a hairy paw appeared over the side of the turret,  
and, just as suddenly, Han, Chewie, and the other four rebels were  
headed for the ship.  Han was urging them to hurry.  They scrambled  
for the ship, but Han stopped in his tracks as soon as he saw Leia. 
	"What are you doing out here?" 
	"Saving your butt.  DUCK!" 
	Han didn't question, just hit the metal of the turret as Leia  
fired two clean shots, knocking two Imperial troopers down. 
	Han picked himself up and grinned at her.  "Nice shot.  The  
commandos are on their way back, and they can take care of..." 
	Han's sentence was cut off as he fell face forward on to the  
turret. 
	It had begun to move. 
	Han began to slide off the slightly domed surface of the  
turret, despite his scrambling toward the ship.  Leia dived, and  
caught his wrist.  They both continued sliding, however. 
	"Let go, Leia!"  Han barked. 
	"It's a thirty meter drop!" 
	"Yeah, and we're both gonna fall it.  Let go!" 
	Leia clung to his wrist, and tried vainly to crawl backwards.  
 Suddenly, she felt a firm hand on her ankle, and they stopped  
sliding. 
	Leia clung to Han's wrist as the turret continued to move and  
vibrate.  She managed to get her other hand around his forearm.   
Then, as suddenly as it started, the turret stopped. 
	Leia felt herself being pulled, and she pulled on Han with all  
her might.  Before long, they were all in the standing position,  
and Leia turned to thank the tall man that had saved them. 
	"Many thanks.  I take it you're one of the local freedom  
fighters?" 
	"I am," the tall man replied in a very distinct Alderaanian  
accent.  "Princess Leia, I presume?" 
	"Yes," Leia replied shortly.  She paused.  "Do I know you from  
somewhere?  You look very familiar." 
	The tall man grinned.  "I should.  We grew up together.  Petri  
Evierion."  He offered his hand. 
	Leia hugged him instead of taking the hand, "My goodness!   
I...I  thought you'd..." 
	"That I had been killed in the destruction of our world?   
Thankfully, no." 
	Leia prattled on, "Thank the Force!"  Leia had about a billion  
other things to say, but before she could, Han cut into her  
thoughts. 
	"Yeah, yeah, we can take a trip down memory lane later!  Right  
now we need to move!!" 
	Leia suddenly realized that the commandos had been rushing  
past her.  She grabbed Petri's hand and pulled him into the ship. 
	"Are we all here, Page?" Han called. 
	There was a short pause.  "Get us outta here, General!" 
	Han roared the Falcon to life.  They were less then 5  
kilometers away when the barge blew into billions of fragments. 
 
 
 
	Han didn't like this Petri guy from the outset.  The way he  
gave directions to him like he was some servant driver, the way he  
chatted easily with Leia on their trip to meet with the cell  
leaders, even his laugh...they just rubbed Han the wrong way. 
	They set down at what used to be a public port, before the  
Empire took over.  Petri ushered Leia to an awaiting speeder, then  
called to Han, "There's room for one more, General.  You're welcome  
to come along, if you like." 
	Han was just about to ask if he could come along anyway, but  
somehow managed to put on a convincing act of thinking it over, and  
then casual acceptance.  "Uh...sure.  That sounds interesting." 
	Once in the speeder, Petri and Leia picked up their  
conversation about what Leia had done since the destruction of  
Alderaan.  She'd gotten to the point about going to rescue Han,  
conveniently leaving out the part about her telling him she loved  
him, Han noted.  Leia briefly told the rest of the story, finishing  
up in the present just as they pulled up before an ornate  
Alderaanian style building with an equally ornate crest on the  
gate. 
	"That's your family crest," Leia said to Petri. 
	"Indeed," Petri replied.  "This was our resort home before it  
became the Resistance Cell Headquarters." 
	Leia suddenly became very excited.  "Do you know if the Organa  
home still stands?" 
	Petri looked sorrowfully at her.  "I'm afraid not.  It came  
under Imperial control not long after The Destruction, and was  
destroyed in one of the few battles we had with the Empire here.   
What was left was either pillaged or cannibalized.  There's nothing  
left but a few slabs of stone.  I'm sorry, Princess." 
	Leia turned somber.  "Don't be," she replied almost to  
herself.  "The Empire has taken everything else from me, why  
shouldn't I expect them to take this as well?" 
	Han reached out and put a hand on her shoulder, to comfort  
her.  "Leia..." he said softly. 
	Leia shook her head and raised her chin a notch, as if the  
momentary despair had left her with new resolve.  "Come on," she  
said in a more assured tone.  "Let's go talk to the cell leaders." 
 
	Petri lead them through a long passageway toward the back of  
the building.  The could see into various rooms.  This had once  
been an elegant palace, but now, everything looked old, and well  
used, and many things, such as some ornamental sconces whose  
outlines could still be seen on the walls, were obviously missing. 
	They went down a short flight of stairs, into what was  
obviously a basement.  Petri explained that it was relatively  
bombproof, and, if need be, up to a hundred people could stay down  
there at once.  They entered what looked like a scaleddown version  
of the war room on Coruscant; there were feeds from holocams and  
technical displays everywhere. 
	They went up onto a dais where a graying man sat behind a desk  
studying a tactical readout.  "Father," Petri said.  "The Princess  
is here." 
	The man looked up, flashed a winning smile, and got and  
stepped around the desk.  "Princess Leia Organa!  How good it is to  
see you again.  How old were you the last time I saw you?  17? 18?  
 My, you have turned into a lovely young woman." 
	Leia hugged him as if he were some long lost uncle.  "Lord  
Evierion!  I'm so happy to see that you survived!  I trust you have  
been well?" 
	"As well as one can be on an Imperial planet.  Please, have a  
seat, and introduce me to your friend." 
	Leia looked flustered for a moment.  "Oh, where are my  
manners?  Lord Marthin Evierion, this is General Han Solo of the  
New Republic Armada." 
	The senior Evierion offered Han his hand.  "So this is the  
General Solo I've heard so much about.  Glad to have you with us." 
	Han nodded, accepting the hand.  "Glad to be of service." 
	They all sat down, and Han marveled at how Leia somehow  
managed to look regal even in her dirty battle fatigues.  She still  
looked surprised and excited.  "How did you come to be leader of  
the cell here?" she asked. 
	"Oh, well," Lord Evierion began.  "It's not that much of a  
mystery, really.  The Empire took over here as soon as the first  
Death Star was destroyed, and, at first, people pretty much went  
about their own business, while paying the Empire off, but,  
people's money began to run out, and we were more or less prevented  
from leaving due to some exorbitant travel and vehicle taxes, so as  
time went on, the more disgruntled people became.  I'm a leader;  
always have been, and I knew a thing or two about setting up  
undergrounds; I'd helped your father set up the one on Alderaan." 
	Leia looked surprised.  "Really?  I didn't know that." 
	Han let his mind wander as Leia presented them with an  
application to the New Republic, explaining the processes by which  
representatives could be chosen.  She then went on to ask them what  
kind of local government they had planned. 
	"I was thinking about Constitutional Monarchy," Lord Evierion  
 replied evenly. 
	Leia sat taken aback for a moment.  "Do you really think  
that's wise, my lord?  I mean, this planet has no history of a  
monarchy." 
	"No, but it's people do.  Do you realize that almost 45% of  
this planet's current population consists of Alderaanian refugees?" 
	Leia looked away, her voice dropping a notch.  "No, I wasn't  
aware of that." 
	"Well, they are," the lord continued.  "And they are as eager  
to get on with their lives as the rest of the galaxy is, but it's  
not as easy for them, as they lost not only their homes and their  
families, but their entire world, their entire way of life." 
	"You needn't tell me that," Leia broke in.  "I'm quite aware  
of it." 
	"Then you realize how important it is to give these people  
something familiar to cling to.  We don't have a home, but we do  
have this planet, which is much like our home.  And while they will  
be able to choose who it is who governs them, the two highest  
houses of Alderaan do remain, and why not re-establish the court,  
if only for ceremonial purposes, which will serve to comfort them  
with some sense of familiarity.  And what better way to do that  
than to unite the two houses in marriage?" 
	"WHAT?!" 
	"Back up a minute," Han said at the same time Leia blurted.   
"I missed something.  Who are the two highest houses of Alderaan?" 
	The Lord turned an icy stare on Han.  "I'll thank you to stay  
out of this, General.  It's none of your affair." 
	Leia put a quieting hand over Han's before he could get out  
the string of epithets he had poised on his tongue.  "I will thank  
you not to talk to him like that.  Not only is he a Hero of Yavin  
and of Endor, he is a General in the New Republic and one of my  
dearest friends."  She punctuated the statement with a sharp nod. 
	"My apologies, General Solo," Lord Evierion said, all sugar  
again.  "The two highest Alderaanian houses are the Organas and the  
Evierions, in that order." 
	"So, let me get this straight," Han said, thinking out loud.   
"Unless Leia has a sister someplace that I don't know about, you  
want her to marry one of your sons?" 
	"Exactly.  It would be Petri, my only son."  He indicated the  
younger man sitting next to him. 
	"As wonderful as a gesture as that would be," Leia said,  
trying to be diplomatic, "my talents are needed elsewhere.  I can't  
spend my life here cutting ribbons to make half the population of a  
sparsely populated world happy, when there's so much building of  
the New Republic left to do.  My duty is to all of the citizens of  
the galaxy, not to just the few survivors of Alderaan." 
	"Oh, but it is your duty.  Or aren't you aware of the Treatise  
of the Houses of Alderaan?" 
	"It's the document that settled the dispute between the Houses  
as to who had the rightful claim to the throne.  But that document  
is two generations old.  My father wasn't even born when it was  
written." 
	"No, but he was bound by it, as are you."  He opened a  drawer  
in his desk and began fishing around in it.  "I'll remind you of a  
little history: the Organas and the Evierions had the most  
legitimate claims, almost equal in evidence."  He came  up with a  
data card, and loaded it into a data padd lying on  the desk.  "It  
was finally decided that the Organas should have it, as they were  
the ones currently in power, but, as a compromise, if and when the  
two houses were ever to have children of opposite genders,  
regardless of whether they were the heirs  of the family or not,  
they should marry, and unite the houses as one.  If any children  
were produced from that union, they would then become first in line  
to the throne." 
	Leia shook her head.  "I don't remember that clause." 
	The Lord smiled.  "Then perhaps this will refresh your  
memory."  He pushed the padd toward Leia. 
	She read the screen, biting her lip.  "This could have been  
forged yesterday; an hour ago!" 
	Evierion nodded.  "It could have.  But I assure you it's  
authentic.  Check it out in the library on Coruscant.  You'll see  
I'm right." 
 
	"So what are we going to do?" Han asked her in the privacy of  
her room on the _Falcon_ once they were in hyperspace on their way  
back to Coruscant. 
	"We?" Leia asked from behind a privacy screen she'd made out  
of a hung up blanket.  "I don't recall this involving you." 
	"Oh, well, geez, it's nice to know my opinion matters," Han  
huffed, and he turned to go. 
	"Han, wait," Leia called, tossing the blanket aside, revealing  
a clean jumpsuit, and her hair hanging down her back in a long,  
thick braid.  "Of course your opinion matters."  She placed a hand  
on his shoulder, the other on his cheek.  They regarded each other  
softly for a moment, and then Leia went and sat on the bed.  Han  
sat beside her. 
	"So what are you going to do?" Han asked again. 
	Leia dug in one of her pockets, coming up a moment later with  
some hairpins.  "Well, first we have to get back to Coruscant and I  
have to double check the authenticity of this thing."  She started  
to pin her braid neatly around her head.  "I have half a hunch it  
isn't, and then when they arrive on Coruscant next week to witness  
the petition-signing ceremony, I can tell them to go take a space  
walk without a pressure suit." 
	"And if it's for real?" 
	Leia blew her breath out.  "Then...then I could probably have  
the thing ruled null and void due to extenuating circumstances.  I  
mean...the court doesn't exist anymore, and our titles are purely  
perfunctuary."  She finished tying up her braids and gave them a  
little pat. 
	"And if they don't overturn it?" 
	Leia pffted.  "I don't see that happening."  She got up to go. 
	"And if they don't?" Han repeated. 
	Leia sat back down.  "Han, I promise you, I am not going to  
marry Petri Evierion, no matter what happens."  She took his face  
in her hands.  "Okay?"  She kissed him softly.  He sort of nodded.  
 She patted his hand, and got up to go, but he grabbed her wrist,  
threw her on the bed, and kissed her passionately.  He grinned  
ruefully at her.  "Now it's okay." 
	She punched him playfully.  "Oh.....c'mon," she said, pushing  
past him and getting up.  "Let's see if I can beat Page  at  
Sabacc." 
 
	They arrived back at Imperial City around local midnight.   
Leia was exhausted when she reached her apartment, and all she  
wanted to do was sleep.  She fully expected to just walk in, dump  
her bag, and fall into bed, worrying about details in the morning,  
but when she opened the door, she was surprised to find Winter  
still awake reading something on a data padd. 
	"Princess, welcome back," Winter greeted her with an easy  
smile.  "I trust your mission went smoothly." 
	"'Smoothly' is not the word I would use, Winter." 
	"There were problems?" 
	"Well..." Leia sighed, dropping onto the couch next to her  
aide/friend.  "I have some good news and some bad news.  The good  
news is Lord Evierion and his son, Petri, survived The  
Destruction." 
	"Why, that's wonderful!" 
	"Yes, it is.  But here's the bad news.  They're trying to  
force me to marry Petri." 
	Leia was a tad surprised at Winter's reaction.  At first she  
said nothing, just knitted her brows together.  Finally she spoke  
in a soft, hushed tone.  "Just how are they 'forcing' you?" 
	Leia was agitated.  "Oh, some trumped up clause in the  
Treatise of Houses; something about joining the two highest houses  
in marriage." 
	Winter frowned.  "That's not a trumped up clause.  It's part  
of the document." 
	"Winter, you've got to be kidding me!" 
	The willowy woman shook her head, "I wouldn't joke about  
something like this." 
	"Winter!"  Leia shrieked, and got up and started pacing.  "Why  
didn't you tell me?  It's your job to tell me these things!"  Leia  
stalked around the room. 
	"I thought you knew.  I also thought the point was moot  
because...because..." 
	"Because you assumed they were dead," Leia finished, her   
anger cooling off.  She dropped back on to the couch and heaved a  
sigh.  "I'm sorry.  I shouldn't be taking this out on you.  I'm  
tired.  I'm going to bed.  We'll talk about this some more in the  
morning.  Good night." 
	Winter was never wrong about such things, but even so, Leia  
wanted to see for herself, so she sent for copies of the Treatise  
from the central databases both in Imperial City and on Obra-skai.  
 Unfortunately, they both read exactly the same way the copy Lord  
Evierion had shown her did. 
 
	As soon as she received confirmation from Obra-skai, a  
flustered Leia took the document to the head Minister of the Court  
of Justice to ask his opinion on it. 
	The graying Gotal studied the document in silence for what  
seemed like forever to Leia.  He finally set the padd gently on the  
desk and turned to her. 
	"Well, Princess, this is the way I see it.  While the court of  
Alderaan can, for all practical purposes, be considered defunct,  
this document is really a contract between families, and, as you  
know, contracts between surviving Alderaanian citizens must be  
honored as far as possible, unless default is agreed to by both  
parties.  I think you have an excellent case for having the entire  
document overturned, if that's what  you want, but, I can't do that  
without a hearing.  For right now, you're bound by it." 
	Leia thanked the Justice softly, and wandered back down the  
hall in a daze, wondering what she should do next. 
 
	When the Evierions arrived on Coruscant, Leia welcomed them  
warmly, and invited Lord Evierion to her office for tea the next  
day.  The conversation started pleasantly enough. 
	"How long do you plan on staying on Coruscant?" she asked him  
as she prepared the tea. 
	"Oh, a few weeks," the Lord replied conversationally.  "It's  
been so long since I've been here, I'd like to take in some of the  
sights again." 
	"How would you like your tea?" 
	"Sugar, please.  But seriously, Princess, you didn't invite me  
here to ask me about my vacation plans."  The Lord's manner turned  
serious. 
	"No," she replied, taking a seat across from him at her desk.  
 "I asked you here to see if perhaps we couldn't come to some  
solution to this marriage contract without tying up the courts for  
months or years." 
	Evieron sipped his tea.  "I don't see as we need to come to a  
solution.  Your duty is clear." 
	"It would be clear if Alderaan still existed, but it doesn't,"  
Leia replied, her anger rising a notch.  "And its court died with  
it.  You know that as well as I do." 
	"Are you sure?"  Evieron leaned forward and placed his teacup  
on the desk.  "Is the court really dead?  It seems to me that the  
galaxy doesn't view it as so.  The New Republic still recognizes  
Alderaan as a planet, even though it no longer exists, and you as  
its representative.  You're still referred to as 'Princess' on the  
floor of the Senate, and even you referred to me as 'Lord.'" 
	"Those titles are purely honorary; used more out of habit than  
anything; a throwback to what once was; a show of respect to the  
memory of Alderaan," Leia shot back. "We are both people of power  
and influence, but neither of us holds a title any longer." 
	"But that's just it, Princess," Evierion replied, his voice   
remaining dangerously even.  "The people of the galaxy don't want  
to give up Alderaan; it was the jewel of the Old Republic, and we  
can recreate it."  His voice hushed as if he was letting her in on  
some big secret.  "And the jewel of Alderaan was its court; it was  
the pageantry and the regalness of these people and this  
institution that made the entire galaxy look at us with awe.  And  
we can make it happen again; all you have to do is fulfill your  
duty." 
	"My duty," Leia replied, raising her voice, "is first and  
foremost to all the Alderaanian refugees, not just to the handful  
you have on your planet, and then it is to the galaxy at large.  I  
am needed here to help reform the Republic, and I am one of the few  
people that survived the war that was trained to do that.  I am  
needed here." 
	"No," Evierion countered.  "Your duty was written for you long  
before you were born.  And you will fulfill it." 
	Leia forced herself to lower her voice again.  "Look, you can  
go revive a court that was already dying at the time of The  
Destruction on your backwater planet if that's what you really want  
to do, but you're not going to do it with me.  I'm sure the Court  
of Justice will have no problem finding this clause null and void  
due to extenuating circumstances."  She  took a breath, assumed a  
cool, business-like demenor.  "I had hoped we could avoid that, but  
it looks like we can't.  I'll start the proceedings today, and I'll  
thank you to get out of my office." 
	Evierion was dumbfounded by Leia's unprincess-like behavior,  
and left flustered. 
	As soon as he left, Leia made a comm call, but not to her  
lawyer.  She still had a few tricks up her diplomatic sleeve... 
 
	Petri entered her office about an hour later.  She ushered him  
to a seat, and sat at her desk, folded her hands on top of it. 
	"I'm going to cut right to the chase, Petri.  Certainly you  
cannot want to marry me; I mean, you hardly know me." 
	Petri smiled.  "But I do know you, Leia.  We grew up  
together." 
	Leia shut her eyes and took a breath to keep herself from  
pleading with him.  "It's been a long time.  I'm not that naive  
little girl anymore, Petri." 
	Petri shrugged.  "Regardless, this is something we're bound   
to do, and something that I think is best." 
	Leia struggled to keep her anger in check.  "Best for whom?   
For you?  For your father?"  She took a deep breath and calmed  
herself.  "Look, it's us who this effects.  If we both decide not  
to go through with it, there is no default." 
	Petri looked hurt.  "Leia, I'm shocked.  Have you been here so  
long that you've forgotten Alderaan?" 
	Leia's anger boiled over.  "If you ask me, it's your memory  
that needs a little polishing.  And if you think for one minute  
that I wouldn't give up everything I have to spend a day, an hour,  
at home, you're sadly mistaken.  But it's gone, and we have to move  
on.  We do need to honor her memory, but this is not the way." 
	The quiet calmness of Petri's sent shivers down Leia's  back.  
 "If this is your attitude, we're going to have a very rough  
marriage." 
	Leia nodded.  "Yes, we are, but I don't intend for there to be  
a marriage at all." 
	"If you're intending to challenge this..." 
	"I am.  I'll see you at the Court of Justice." 
 
	As soon as Leia filed her suit, it began to get press.  She  
stopped talking to everyone, for fear that something might get out.  
 And everyone included Han, who she hadn't really had time to talk  
to since getting back from Zarum anyway.  He'd left almost as many  
messages to talk to her as members of the press had.  She left him  
a short message that said: "I'm sorry I can't talk to you Han, but  
this is such a mess right now.  I miss you and love you, and I'll  
talk to you in person as soon as I have some time." 
	The truth was, she didn't want to talk to him.  Her heart  
ached for him, but she knew that if she saw him, they'd probably  
just wind up arguing, especially since she'd more or less given him  
the cold shoulder since this whole thing had begun, anyway. 
 
	The hearing was moved up to the front of the docket because  
the press coverage from it was beginning to interfere with the  
regular running of government.  The actual hearing lasted less than  
a day, with Leia's lawyers maintaining that when Alderaan was  
destroyed, her court system was destroyed along with it, and  
therefore there really was no point to the document anymore anyway,  
as its real purpose was to decide who would ascend to the throne.   
The Evierion's lawyers used the contract law as it pertained to  
Alderaanian refugees, and held that in fact the court had not been  
dissolved with the destruction of the planet, but had simply been  
scattered.  The five Justices came back the following morning with  
a 3-2 ruling in favor of the Evierions, stating that for as long as  
Alderaan was recognized  as a member of the New Republic, its Court  
was recognized in the galaxy as well, unless the refuges voted to  
disband it. 
	When the ruling came down, Leia felt like she'd been punched  
in the stomach.  Her emotions roiling, she rushed from the hall  
before anyone could stop her.  The press hounded her, but she and  
her lawyers got into her speeder and jetted off without answering  
any questions.  She dropped her lawyers off at their office, and  
headed straight for Luke's apartment.  He was waiting at the door  
for her with open arms. 
	She cried for a long few moments on his shoulder, and, when  
she could speak again, looked up at him.  "I take it you've heard?" 
	Luke nodded, replied in comforting tones,  "What are you going  
to do?  I take it you don't want to marry him." 
	Leia went to sit down.  "Of course not." 
	"Is there anything you can do?" 
	"Well, I could always give up my Alderaanian citizenship, but  
then I couldn't sit on the Senate.  I could try to get enough votes  
to get the Court disbanded but that's going to be nearly  
impossible, as no one is even sure exactly how many refugees there  
are, and it wouldn't be a very popular idea anyway.  Or, I could  
write some piece of legislation that would overturn the Justices'  
decision, but that would look so petty and selfish at this point in  
the game that the people might never trust me again.  So I'm  
stuck." 
	She heaved a shuddering sigh.  "It's such a case of divided  
priorities, Luke.  On one hand, I have the galaxy, which I pretty  
much swore my life to, and on the other I have the one thing that I  
said I wasn't going to give to the galaxy." 
	"Your hand in marriage." 
	Leia nodded.  "I always said I was going to be the one who  
decided whom I would marry, if anyone.  I promised myself I was not  
going to get married to someone just because it was a good  
political match or something." 
	"So what are you going to do?" 
	She shrugged.  "Short of running away and hiding, I don't  
know." 
	Luke shook his head.  "I know you too well, Leia.  You  
wouldn't do that." 
	She sighed.  "I know."  She laughed suddenly.  "You know, it's  
funny; a year and a half ago, I wouldn't have been so vehement  
about this; I might have even welcomed it, but now..."  She trailed  
off; her voice started to tighten again.  "Oh my stars, what am I  
going to tell Han?" 
 
	That evening, Leia fussed over the dinner she was preparing  
for she and Han.  Alderaanian shrimp (grown on Coruscant) in a  
mixture of Corrilian spices.  Han had made it for her once, and she  
was surprised she'd liked it so much.  She also fussed over her  
looks.  She wore a gauzy lavender dress that accentuated her  
figure, something Han liked.  She also wore her hair down,  
something else Han liked. 
	When Han arrived, he took one step through the door, and put  
his arms around her.  "I heard," he whispered into her hair.  "It  
was all over the newsvids.  I'm sorry." 
	Leia shook her head and took a step back from him.  "I'm all  
right."  She held his hands. 
	"So what are you going to do now?" 
	She squeezed his hands.  "Let's not talk about that right now.  
 Let's just have a nice dinner." 
	They talked about the weather, the _Falcon_, Leia's dress, and  
other meaningless things while they ate.  But as soon as Han  
scraped the last bit of dessert from his plate, he set down his  
fork purposefully, looked Leia straight in the eye, and said  
softly, "So what are you going to do now?" 
	Leia sucked in a breath and looked away.  "I...I guess I'm  
going to have to marry him." 
	"What?!"  Han's voice rose.  "You promised me you weren't  
going to have to." 
	Leia spoke softly, her voice full of shame.  She didn't make  
eye contact with Han.  "I know, and you can't begin to know how  
sorry I am..." 
	"Sorry?!  You promised me!" 
	"I know I did!"  Leia's voice rose now too, but shrank  back  
quickly, as if she were ashamed to say these things.  "But  
sometimes you have to break a promise in favor of the greater  
good." 
	Han threw down his napkin.  "That sounds so damn political.   
Isn't there anything you can do?" 
	Leia was struggling to maintain her composure.  "Not without  
losing my seat on the senate or all respect of the galaxy.  And I  
can't do my job if either happens.  I can't just walk away." 
	Han's demeanor changed to quiet pleading.  "Then don't walk  
away.  Run away.  With me.  Let's get married.  Now, tonight.  You  
can't marry somebody else if you're married to me." 
	"I can't do that now, not at this point," she said, looking   
everywhere but at Han.  She gained a hold on her emotions, and   
started again matter-of-factly, but they slipped from her the  
longer she talked.  "If we'd already been married when this came to  
light, it might have been different, but if we were to just run  
away now...it'd be tantamount to default.  I could be sued, jailed,  
stripped of all my rights and titles...and where would that put  
me?" 
	Han got up, tipping his chair over.  "Dammit, why aren't you  
fighting this?" 
	Leia banged her hand on the table, making the silver and  
glassware clatter.  "I am!" 
	A brittle silence hung in the air as Han let his temper cool  
as he realized for the thousandth time that the biggest reason he  
loved this woman was because of the way she gave so much of  
herself.  He looked away; murmured softly, "I can't stay here,  
then." 
	Leia nodded; replied in equally muted tones, "I understand.   
I'll talk to Ackbar, see about getting you transferred out to the  
Rim or something..." 
	"No, I meant I can't be a part of this anymore.  I'll always  
hear your name...I won't ever be able to escape it.  I'll be the  
Princess's jilted lover.  I can't deal with that.  I'm going to  
resign my commission." 
	Leia pleaded with him.  "Han, you can't; we need you!  You  
experience, your skill..." 
	Han shook his head.  "Leia, there are a hundred other men that  
can do my job, maybe even better than I do it."  He took the few  
steps over to where she was sitting; placed his hands on her  
shoulders.  "Take care of yourself.  Give me a ring if that guy  
ever mistreats you."  He kissed her softly, and turned to go. 
	"Han!"  She jumped up and ran after him.  "Han, don't go,  
please!"  She chased him all they way out into the hallway, but  
when she got out there, he was gone. 
	That night, the nightmares began again. 
 
	Leia had always had nightmares, for as long as she could  
remember.  Luke told her, after hearing about them, that they were  
probably Force-induced visions of the past or possible futures.   
They were particularly bad shortly after the destruction of  
Alderaan, when, if she didn't dream about what she had seen, she  
would dream about the horror that the residents went through,  
seeing homes destroyed, people killed, and then dying yourself, all  
within a matter of instants.  And, because she was among the  
living, Leia got to relive it again and again... 
	But her dream that night wasn't about Alderaan.  It was about  
Han.  Han losing his temper, and coming back to kill Petri.   
Throughout the rest of this ordeal, she would have variations on  
that dream; killing both Petri and Leia, or both of them and then  
himself.  She also had other dreams, the most frightening of all  
being about bearing a Force-sensitive child that grew up to become  
the next Emperor.  The galaxy being plunged back into war, more  
planets being destroyed... 
	After each one she would wake up in a cold sweat, and would  
have an awful time getting back to sleep. 
 
	Late that evening, Luke was awakened from sleep by an  
insistent buzzing.  It took him a second to realize that it was the  
door.  Grabbing a robe, he headed for it, reaching out with the  
Force as he did so.  He got nothing back, so it had to be a droid.  
 He opened the door.  It was Threepio. 
	"Oh, I am so sorry to wake you, Master Luke," the golden droid  
began, "but I just came from the docking bay, and I'm afraid that  
General Solo is doing something rash." 
	"Like what, Threepio," Luke said, yawning. 
	"Well, it appears that he is packing all of his belongings  
onto the _Millennium Falcon_.  I couldn't get a reason why out of  
him, however.  He just kept telling me to get out of his way and to  
shut up.  Really, Master Luke, he can be...Master Luke, where are  
you going?" Threepio called to Luke's back as he began to disappear  
down the hallway toward the public turbolift. 
	"To stop Han," he called over his shoulder.  "Thanks,  
Threepio.  You did good." 
 
	Luke ran into Han pushing a repulser cart overloaded with  
stuff into the docking bay.  "Han, what do you think you're doing?" 
	"Getting out of here," the older man grunted.  "I've resigned  
my commission, as of 0800 tomorrow.  What are you doing here in  
your bathrobe?" 
	"Trying to save you from yourself," Luke replied  
matterof-factly.  "Look, Han, running away isn't going to make this  
any easier." 
	"Maybe it wouldn't for you, but it will for me." 
	Luke placed a hand on Han's shoulder.  "Han." 
	Han turned from his packing.  "I don't get it, Luke.  She's  
not even trying.  She just kept complaining over dinner about how  
the galaxy wouldn't be able to trust her, and she couldn't do her  
job if she didn't do this.  I just don't get it." 
	"Image is very important to a person in Leia's position.  And  
it's not like she hasn't tried; she's done everything in her power  
that's reasonable.  And if I were a betting man, I'd wager she  
wasn't done yet." 
	Han shrugged at him and went back to packing.  Luke watched  
him for a long moment in silence.  "Ya know, Han, perhaps we, or  
more precisely you, could give Leia some help." 
	"Yeah, how?" Han asked, still packing. 
	"Propose to her." 
	"I already tried that," Han said, agitated.  "She said it  
would look like some trick to get out of her responsibility." 
	"That's true, it probably would, and it still might, but let's  
try this anyway." 
	"Try what?" 
	"Ask her in front of everybody, like at her engagement party,  
so the whole galaxy can see the expression on her face.  They might  
just let her out of her responsibility if they see she's in love  
with someone else." 
	Han looked at him quizzically for a long time, but finally  
shrugged, saying, "What the hell?  I've got nothing to lose." 
 
	It was only a week after the decision had been handed down,  
and already the night of Leia's engagement party had arrived.   
"Man, these guys work fast," she mused to herself as she rummaged  
through her closet for something to wear.  This was to be an  
old-fashioned Alderaanian type affair, with a couple of prominent  
members of the press there so all the important stuff would make  
the holovids.  But Leia hadn't played her last card yet.  If she  
couldn't reason with them, and couldn't convince the Court of  
Justice that she was in the right, maybe she could make the  
Evierions think she wasn't good enough.  She chose a dress she'd  
maybe worn once before: it was white, with a drop waist and a  
flared skirt below that.  It was a little too tight, cut too low in  
the front and the back, and was just a little too sheer.  She wore  
prominent underclothing, just to make sure.  She also wore her hair  
down, something no member of the Alderaanian court ever did in  
public. 
	It didn't work, however.  The getup only drew a couple of  
frowns from the elder Evierion, and Petri just grinned whenever he  
looked at her.  It also didn't help that, no matter how hard she  
tried, she just couldn't get her manners to match her clothes,  
something she had hoped to do.  As soon as she entered the room,  
all her old instincts came back, and she just couldn't make herself  
be anything but refined. 
	Just as Lord Evierion was about to make the engagement  
announcement, a busboy stopped and broke in on his speech. 
	"Sorry to cut you off there, Lord Evierion, old boy, but  
there's something I have to say," the man said, pulling off his  
apron and overcoat to reveal a military officer's uniform. 
	"What...Security!" spluttered Evierion. 
	Leia's eyes widened as she realized that this was no  
busboy...this was Han. 
	Han screwed up his courage.  "I'd like to say, before  
everybody here, and the galaxy," he waved at a holo camera,  "That  
I, General Han Solo, am totally, hopelessly, and madly in love with  
the Princess Leia Organa."  He turned to her; looked  deep into her  
eyes.  "And I think she feels the same way about me.  Am I  
correct?" 
	Leia whispered.  "Han, I really don't think this is the time  
or the place..." 
	Han raised his voice.  "Am I correct?" 
	The room had fallen silent, and Leia's small reply could be  
heard in all corners of it.  "Yes." 
	"Then, Leia," Han's voice had softened, and he got down on one  
knee and held her hands in his.  "I would like for you to be my  
wife.  Would you marry me?" 
	Leia just looked at him for a long moment; a big part of her  
just wanted to jump into his arms and cry out an affirmation, but  
she knew she couldn't do that.  As if in a dream, she rose from her  
chair, and ran out the back entrance. 
 
     Leia stormed out of the party.  Outside, the weather  was as  
stormy as her flaring emotions.  The gusting wind pulled at her  
loose hair and whipped it around her.  The air smelled of rain. 
	She didn't know whether to cry or scream or curl up into a  
ball and wish it would all go away.  She walked quickly, almost  
running, hoping that the physical exertion might help clear her  
head.  She didn't really know where she was going; she just  knew  
she had to walk. 
	"Leia," Han called.  He had followed her.  He grabbed her arm;  
tried to get her to stop, but she shook his hand away violently and  
kept walking.  "Leia!"  He hurried after.  She was quick, even in  
her dress shoes.  He was finally able to grab her shoulders and  
spin her toward him some hundred meters from the entrance of the  
embassy, under a large tree that was in the center of the square. 
	Before he was able to say anything, she practically spat at  
him: "What the hell do you think you were trying to do back there?" 
	Han raised his voice a few decibels, half to make himself  
heard over the rising wind, half out of his rising anger.  "Trying  
to get you out of this ridiculous marriage contract!" 
	"Like I haven't been doing that?!  That's all I've done for  
the last month!  Or weren't you paying attention?!" 
	Han pulled his hands away from her shoulders as if he'd been  
burned, and held them up in mock defeat.  "Oh, well excuse me for  
trying to fight for the woman I love!" 
	Leia screamed back at him over the din.  "I've exhausted every  
possible route for trying to defeat this!  You really think some  
outsider could just barge in and make it right?!" 
	"Outsider?!?!?  How could you say I'm an outsider?!" 
	"Officially, you are!" 
	"Officially!?"  Han spat the word as if it were an epithet.    
	Leia brushed her blowing hair out of her face.  "We've been  
through this, Han.  There's no way the galaxy will trust me if I  
just turned my back on this, and I can't do my job if the galaxy  
doesn't trust me!" 
	"The galaxy!  It's always about what's best for the galaxy   
with you!  When are you going to do what's best for you?" 
	Leia grabbed Han by the shoulders and shook him.  "Have you  
heard a word I've said?  You're making it sound like I'm  
sacrificing myself to the galaxy!  I'm not!  I've fought this tooth  
and nail!  But this isn't about me; it's not even about what we've  
been fighting for all these years.  It's about politics, and  
courtly behavior, and a whole pile of bantha droppings that I never  
believed in anyway!  But I'm stuck in it, just because I happen to  
have the name Organa!" 
	She shook him one last time and pushed him away a step.  Just  
then, there was a great thunderclap, and the rain began to pour in  
sheets.  Leia could feel a branch of the tree tickling her back and  
spraying her with water.  Han was yelling at her: "Politics, huh?   
It's all about politics!  Do you even have emotions, or were you  
trained politically to know which face to put on to draw sympathy  
from the public?!" 
	She slapped him. 
	She was about to spit another retort at him, when a violent  
gust of wind knocked the three branch into her, knocking her off  
her balance and the half meter forward into Han's arms. 
She gripped at his clothing, trying to push herself to her feet; to  
push him away, but as soon as she lifted her head, she found  
herself staring into Han's eyes; eyes that roiled with all the  
emotions of her own soul.  Her anger slipped away with the wind,  
and what was left was a great mixture of pain, compassion, and  
desire. 
	Han took a step forward to push Leia to her feet, but instead  
found himself pulling her up to his level.  He kissed her fiercely,  
gripping at her body, trying to make himself one with her.  He  
could feel her holding him tightly as well, and kissing him with as  
much passion as he kissed her. 
	After what seemed like an eternity, a clap of thunder struck  
nearby, and Leia jumped out of his arms with a start.  They  
regarded each other for a long moment, gasping heavily.  "We  
should...get inside," she finally managed softly. 
	Han said nothing, just nodded, and grabbed her hand.   
Together, they began to run toward Leia's apartment. 
 
	They ran even once they got in the building.  They stood  
dripping outside her door as she punched in the security code. 
	"I should go..." Han stammered. 
	She grabbed his hand.  "No...stay...please?" 
	"But...all my clothes are..." 
	She cut him off.  "We can dry those here.  I have a robe you  
can wear."  Her eyes pleaded with him. 
	He said no more, just squeezed her hand. 
	Leia took her shoes off before she even entered the apartment,  
and padded inside.  "Winter?" she called into the darkened room.   
"I guess she's not here," she said more to herself than to Han.   
She headed toward the 'fresher, not bothering to call for the  
lights. 
	Han followed her absently, as if in a dream.  He stopped when  
he came to the doorway of the refresher unit.  She turned on the  
light, and quickly produced two towels.  She handed him  one. 
	"You can...you can change in here."  Her voice was low and  
soft, and filled with strangulated emotion.  "The robe is on the  
back of the door.  Bring me your clothes when you're ready." 
	She pushed passed him to walk across the hall into her  
bedroom.  Han caught her wrist.  She swung around; their eyes  
locked. 
	So much passed between them in that gaze: the companionship of  
those who have saved each other's lives, the friendship they had  
always shared, the smoldering love that had often masked itself as  
irritation, the passion that had bloomed when the love had been  
allowed to break free, and the desire they had so recently  
discovered.  Their towels slipped absently from their fingers, into  
two soft heaps on the floor.  They moved toward each other slowly;  
as if they were two heavenly bodies whose combined gravitational  
pull brought them together over eons, only to finally collide with  
dramatic results... 
	The moment their lips touched, their passion erupted.  They  
moved back into the bedroom, Leia pulling as much as Han pushed.   
They tore at each other's wet clothing, breaking fasteners that  
refused to work in their saturated state.  Their wet heaps fell to  
the floor, and, nearly nude, the two of them fell onto the bed,  
their bodies intertwining to fulfill the desires of their souls... 
	They spent the night making endless love.  Not a word passed  
between them; all that they needed to say passed between their  
bodies.  Finally, just before dawn, cradled in each others arms,  
they fell into an exhausted sleep. 
	When Leia awoke, Han was gone. 
 
	The first thing Leia did that morning, after she had composed  
herself, was make an appointment with a local judge.  She told  
Winter and the Evierions to meet her there at the appointed time,  
just two hours hence. 
	"So you two have decided to get married," the judge began when  
they were all there. 
	Leia cut him off sharply.  "Skip the ceremony.  I know it's  
not required by law, so just hand the license over.  I have things  
to do today." 
	Startled, the judge complied, and Leia signed her name and  
pressed her thumbprint into the slot on the padd.  She shoved it  
toward Petri, who did the same.  Winter and Lord Evierion acted as  
witnesses. 
	"I now pronounce you husband and wife?" the judge said  
uncertainly. 
	"Thank you," Leia replied curtly.  "I'm sure you'll see that  
this is filed properly.  Now if you'll excuse me, I have things I  
need to attend to.  Good day."  She turned sharply on her heel and  
headed for the door. 
 
	Lord Evierion had bought the couple a lavish apartment as a  
wedding gift, but Leia made no move to move into it, just as she  
made no effort to spend any time with her husband.  Three weeks  
into the marriage, Petri appeared in her office, asking why she  
hadn't moved yet. 
	"I'm quite comfortable where I am, thank you," she replied  
shortly, not looking up from her work. 
	"We are married now," he stated evenly. 
	"I'm aware of that," she said, still not looking up. 
	"A husband and wife should live together."  His voice was a  
tad more insistent. 
	Leia looked up now.  "Perhaps in a conventional marriage, but  
that is something this marriage is never going to be.  This  
marriage is going to be one in name only for as long as I have any  
say over it.  I've done what the law requires, and I'm not going to  
do any more.  Good day, Petri."  She turned back to her work. 
	"But we need to produce heirs..." 
	"What heirs?!  The Treatise doesn't require that, and besides,  
there's no throne to ascend to anymore!  And I have no intention of  
ever consummating this marriage, but I do have every intention of  
finishing this work, so if you'll just leave me to it..." 
	Petri jammed a finger onto her desk, "You are bound by this  
agreement..." 
	"And I have fulfilled it."  Leia snapped.  She lowered her  
voice to a deadly whisper.  "You took the one chance I had at true  
happiness away from me.  I'm not ever going to forgive you for  
that.  Now get out of my office before I call security." 
 
	The next morning, Leia swallowed against a slight but annoying  
case of nausea as she stepped out of the shower.  She felt numb;  
she was sure that the nausea was nothing; probably caused by the  
fact that another nightmare had awoken her the night before, and  
she had cried herself back to sleep.  She dressed, tied her hair  
up, and still the nausea persisted.  She was sure it would go away  
when she had some breakfast.  She opened the door to let some of  
the steam out of the small refresher unit. 
	She began to clean her teeth, but as soon as the taste of the  
cleaning agent met her tongue, she retched.  She leaned over the  
commode, and vomited. 
	Leia sank to her knees, and took a few labored breaths.  "Your  
Highness?"  Leia could hear Winter rushing down the hall.  "Are you  
all right?" 
	Leia waved a hand, "I'm fine; I must have eaten something last  
night that disagreed with me."  She slowly got to her feet. 
	"Let me get you some Earlmyer tea," Winter said, already  
starting down the hall. 
	Suddenly, so quickly that it even surprised Leia, she vomited  
again.  Winter was back before it had barely begun.  She helped  
Leia into a sitting position, and seemed to produce a cup of water  
from nowhere.  Leia rinsed her mouth.  "Your Highness, you don't  
look very well to me," Winter said with much concern in her voice. 
	"I'm fine," Leia insisted, not sounding very fine. 
	"I really think it would be wise to see the doctor, Princess." 
	Leia leaned heavily back against the shower stall, and heaved  
a great sigh.  "Winter, how long have we known each other?" 
	Winter was befuddled, but replied, "Nearly all our lives.  I  
have been your aide for as long as I've been capable of being such,  
and before that, we were playmates." 
	"And do you consider me a friend?" Leia inquired.  "I know I  
consider you one of my closest friends." 
	Winter smiled softly, and her color changed slightly.  "I  
consider you one of my dearest friends as well." 
	Leia suddenly looked exhausted.  "Then, let's just skip all  
the "Princess" and "Your Highness" nonsense.  Just call me Leia.   
The Alderaanian court has been dead for a long time, and I for one  
have never missed it.  It's time we let it rest." 
	Winter smiled.  "Very well, Leia."  She paused.  "I do think  
that you should see the doctor." 
	Before Leia could reply, another sudden attack of vomiting  
pushed her over the commode.  When it was over, she gasped, "I  
think you're right." 
 
	"So have you had any other symptoms aside from this vomiting?"  
the doctor asked as he readied his examination equipment. 
	"Well..." Leia thought out loud.  "I've been under a lot of  
stress lately.  Oh, and my menstrual cycle seems to be off kilter." 
	"Really," the doctor stated as he examined his instruments.   
"Well, the reason you're having these symptoms is fairly clear," he  
said as he snapped off his instruments almost before he had turned  
them on.  "You're pregnant." 
	Leia reeled; she felt like she'd been slapped.  "I'm...I'm  
what?" she stammered. 
	"You're pregnant," the doctor repeated chipperly.  "You're  
going to be a mother.  Congratulations." 
	Leia blew her breath out and slid down off the examining  
table.  "Thank you, but I don't think congratulations are in  
order."  She started for the door. 
	"Wait, Princess.  There's much I must tell you about taking  
care of yourself during this special time."  He smiled at her as if  
he were a doting grandfather. 
	"Thank you, but that really won't be necessary."  She paused.  
 "I'll have to give this some thought, but I'm fairly sure I will  
be terminating this pregnancy."  She rushed out the door, and  
headed straight for Luke's apartment. 
 
	Luke found his sister in hysterics when he opened the door.   
For the first fifteen minutes, he just held her and let her cry.   
Finally, he murmured to her, "Leia, crying can be very therapeutic,  
but only up to a point.  I think you're just going to make yourself  
sick if you keep this up much longer."  He gently pushed her away  
and wiped the tears from her face.  "Okay?"  She nodded.  "Now,  
take a few deep breaths for me.  Try and find your center.   
Remember, for a Jedi, there is no emotion, there is only peace." 
	Leia took several deep breaths, letting them calm her.  She  
reached out with her feelings; could feel Luke's reassuring hand on  
her shoulder, and his warm presence next to him.  She reached  
farther, could feel a few nameless beings passing outside the door.  
 She reached farther; felt another presence that just tickled the  
back of her mind.  It felt like a shadow, yet was oddly familiar.   
Suddenly, Leia realized what, or rather, who, it was.  Her eyes  
snapped open, and she gasped; had to fight from breaking out in  
tears again. 
	"What?  What is it?" Luke asked. 
	Leia's breath came in labored pants.  "I came from the  
doctor," she managed to get out. 
	"Is something wrong?" 
	"Not...wrong."  She took a few more labored breaths.  "I'm  
pregnant.  With Han's baby." 
	Unsure of whether to congratulate or comfort his sister, Luke  
just patted her shoulder. 
	Leia continued.  "I came here to ask your advice on  
whether...whether I should keep it or not.  But then...just now..."  
 Her voice began to get tight.  "As I was doing the relaxation  
exercise...I felt the baby's presence."  Tears began to roll down  
her cheek again.  "It felt so much like Han!" 
	Luke grabbed her shoulders.  "You felt the baby's presence?"  
he asked excitedly.  "This early?  How far along are you?" 
	Leia blinked at him.  "Three weeks." 
	Luke bubbled over with excitement.  "Let me try." 
	Luke closed his eyes and stretched...stretched, and sure  
enough, there was a hazy, immature, weak presence that did indeed  
remind him of Han.  "Leia, do realize what this means?" he said,   
coming out of his brief meditation.  "If we can sense the baby at  
only three weeks...your baby is going to be very strong in the  
Force.  She will be a very powerful Jedi." 
	Leia's eyes got wide with fear.  "With an equally powerful  
potential for evil." 
	Luke shook his head, "Ultimately yes, but we can learn from  
the mistakes of the past, Leia.  We can make sure it doesn't happen  
again.  Leia, you have to have this baby." 
 
	Time marched on, and nearly four months to the day that the  
Evierions came to Coruscant, the galaxy celebrated the first  
anniversary of the Battle of Endor.  And even though everyone  
around him was having the time of their lives, Han Solo wasn't  
celebrating.  He sat with Chewie in a booth in a run down bar,  
drowning his troubles and waiting for an old contact.  So this is  
what he had come to, he mused to himself.  Galactic hero to a  
smuggler who can't smuggle his own ID, all inside of a year, and  
all because of a woman.  It figured. 
	Oh, but what a woman.  Han could hear her whisper in his ear,  
taste her breath, feel her soft caress even now, and what he  
wouldn't give to experience all those things again.  He downed his  
third Corrilian Ale this hour, and called for another.  Chewie  
looked up from his three day old newspadd, and growled that perhaps  
that wasn't such a good idea. 
	"I'll decide what's good for me," Han grunted.  "Anything  
interesting in the news?" 
	The wookiee grumbled that there was, but that Han probably  
didn't want to hear it.  It was about Leia. 
	The server arrived with Han's ale and walked off toward  
another table.  Han followed her with her eyes, and murmured to  
Chewie, "She's here.  I don't know how she found me, but she's  
here...she's come to take me back..."  He got up and started to  
wander after the waitress.  Chewie chased after him, but didn't get  
there fast enough. 
	Han grabbed the woman's shoulder and spun her around.  She  
wasn't bad-looking, but except for her general build and brown  
hair, she looked nothing like Leia.  Nevertheless, Han greeted her  
warmly.  "Sweetheart!  I'm so glad to see you..." 
	He didn't get any farther, because a heavy from down the bar  
clobbered him one.  Chewie caught him before he fell, and had to  
hold him back from swinging back at the guy.  
	"Let go, Chewie!" Han blustered.  Chewie started to haul Han  
out of the bar, growling to him that that was not Leia.  But  
somebody in the bar recognized him. 
	"Well, if it isn't the great Han Solo!" some thug jeered.   
"Let's see, smuggler, pilot, Hero of the Alliance, and...what now?  
 Jilted Lover?"  The guy laughed. 
	"Yeah," guffawed the goon next to him.  "I hear she hasn't  
wasted any time, either.  I hear she and that husband of hers are  
already..." 
	The guy didn't get any farther, as Chewie silenced him with a  
swipe of a mighty arm.  He hauled Han back to the _Falcon_ and put  
him to bed. 
 
	Everyone in the galaxy knew by now that Leia was nearly four  
months pregnant.  But the press couldn't decide whether it was  
Petri's baby, Han's baby, or someone else's.  A few reports had  
even put forth the idea that it was Luke's, but that had been  
quickly dismissed when someone pointed out that it was already well  
known that they were related.  For her part, Leia kept quiet about  
the matter, except for bringing her doctor up on charges for  
violating the patient-doctor privilege.   
	One sunny afternoon, Petri invited Leia up to the apartment  
that had been given to them.  He prepared a light and nutritious  
lunch. 
	"I thought you might like to see the place," he said as he  
poured her tea.  "It is half yours." 
	"It's lovely," Leia nodded absently.  "But what did you really  
ask me here for?" 
	Petri couldn't help but grin.  "You don't believe in small  
talk, do you?" 
	"Not when I'm not trying to impress anyone, no," she replied  
matter-of-factly. 
	"Your child," Petri began.  "Will she be considered an heir,  
or not?" 
	Leia tossed down the knife she had just been using.  "Petri,  
how many times do I have to tell you, there is no throne to ascend  
to.  My child will have no title, and will be a citizen of  
Coruscant, as is stipulated in the law regarding Alderaanian  
refugees."  She stabbed at her food, agitated. 
	"Then I suggest a divorce." 
	Leia dropped her fork.  "What?" 
	"The Treatise says we had to get married.  It doesn't say we  
have to stay married," Petri replied.  He took a breath.  "And I  
don't belong here.  I belong on Zarum, building the new government.  
 And..."  He paused.  "And I've been thinking about the way you  
looked at General Solo when he asked you to marry him.  You wanted  
to, and I wouldn't be able to live with myself knowing I'd denied  
you that.  Besides," he smiled.  "I'd like to find someone who will  
look at me that way, and I can't do that if I'm married to you, now  
can I?" 
	Leia sat back in her chair, and exhaled as if the weight of  
the world had just been lifted from her shoulders.  "Petri, you  
amaze me.  I don't know what to say...thank you.  Why didn't you  
think of this three months ago?" 
	"I've been thinking about it a long time, really.  Pride and  
a...blind sense of honor kept me from saying anything." 
	Leia got up and kissed his cheek.  "I'll go start the  
process." 
	"Now?  But you haven't eaten!" 
	"I don't care!" 
	"But you're eating for two.  As my first and only demand as  
your husband, I insist you sit down and eat this lunch, if only for  
the sake of your child." 
	Leia smiled at him, a sense of relief and easiness filling her  
that she hadn't felt in months.  "Oh, all right." 
 
	The divorce took less than a week to clear.  They divorced due  
to non-consummation and irreconcilable differences.  She sent Petri  
back to Zarum with a ship full of supplies, and set about trying to  
figure out how to get Han back.  Her solution was a little more  
public than she might have liked, but being as she didn't know  
where Han was, she couldn't think of a better way.  And besides, it  
just might keep the press from bothering her, at least for five  
minutes... 
 
	A month had passed, and Han and Chewbacca had found themselves  
on yet another Free Trade world, waiting for a contact.  Han was  
tinkering with the _Falcon_, and had sent Chewie into town after  
some spare parts.  The shopkeeper had a small holovid, on which  
Chewie caught sight of a somber and reserved looking Leia.  She was  
saying to the interviewer: "...in another time and place, I might  
have married him willingly, I might have even loved him.  But,  
being forced into it, especially while being in love with someone  
else..."  She sighed.  "I'm just glad it's over." 
	The interviewer said, "This someone else, that was General  
Solo?" 
	Leia nodded, her eyes misting over.  "I don't know where he  
is, but if he sees this, I want him to know that I love him, I  
always have, and I want him to come home.  I realize he's probably  
been hurt very deeply by all of this, and if he doesn't want to  
have anything to do with me ever again, I'll understand, but  
please, please come home, if only for the baby." 
	The holovid switched to an announcer.  Chewie quickly paid for  
the parts and hurried back to the ship. 
 
	"Chewie!" Han greeted the wookiee.  "Did you get those parts?  
 I need 'em bad!" 
	Chewbacca grunted an affirmative, then informed Han that he  
had some important news about Leia. 
	Han shook an alluvial damper at him.  "Listen, I don't want to  
hear about her, because I don't want to have anything to do with  
her, so just give me those parts, and get back to work." 
	Chewie put the parts on the floor, and grunted the equivalent  
of, "She's pregnant.  With your baby." 
	Han looked up, dumbfounded for a second, and then started to  
laugh.  "That's a good one Chewie.  I haven't heard one that good  
in a long time." 
	Chewie insisted it was the truth, and that he'd heard it on a  
newsholo. 
	"Oh, Chewie, you know the press.  They make up as much as they  
report." 
	Chewie insisted that he'd heard it in an interview with Leia.  
 Han blew him off, insisting that they needed to have the repairs  
done in three hours.  Even so, Chewie goaded him about it all  
afternoon, but Han paid him no mind. 
 
	When they arrived at their next stop, Chewie decided to take  
action of his own.  He made a person-to-person holocomm to Leia.   
He waited almost two hours for the return call, but was relieved  
when a clear image of the Princess and See-Threepio came through. 
	"Chewie, it is so good to see you!"  Her eyes twinkled even in  
miniature. 
	Chewie explained, through Threepio, that Han did not watch the  
newsvids, and, while he had explained everything to him, he hadn't  
been believed. 
	"Oh, that is a problem, isn't it?" Leia sighed.  "We need to  
find a way to get him here...if only so I can talk to him."  She  
paused a long moment.  "Chewie, here's what I think we should  
do...." 
 
	Two weeks later the _Millennium Falcon_ set down in one of  
Coruscant's public ports.  "I don't like coming here at all,  
Chewie," Han said as he finished the landing sequence.  "Let's just  
do the exchange and get out of here."  He popped the hatch and  
headed down the ramp. 
	Almost immediately he was approached by what appeared to a  
mechanic.  "Sir?  Sir?  Are you the captain of that ship?"  She was  
pointing to the _Falcon_. 
	"Yeah, what of it?" 
	"Well, then you're going to have to see the Port Officer."   
	"What?  Why?" 
	"Something about your port clearance, Sir." 
 
	Han growled to himself as he headed in the direction the  
mechanic had pointed him in.  He came to the door marked Port  
Officer, and barged inside without bothering to knock. 
	"I'm the captain of the _Millennium Falcon_.  What is wrong  
with my port clearance?" he demanded. 
	The officer was facing away from him, and all he saw was the  
back of the chair.  "Oh, nothing."  Han was surprised at  the  
female voice that answered.  "I just felt it important to see you."  
 The chair turned around to reveal the Princess Leia sitting in it. 
	Han felt all his anger and resolve drain from him.  "Leia.   
What are you doing here?" he said softly. 
	"I need to talk to you," she said simply and softly. 
	"Leia..." he began.  "I really don't..." 
	"Han," she cut him off.  "If you don't want to have anything  
to do with me ever again after this, I will understand completely,  
but I insist that you talk to me now." 
	Han nodded, more in dumbfounded defeat than ascension.  "All  
right." 
	She swallowed, and formed her words slowly and carefully.  
"First, I need you to know that everything Chewie told you is true.  
 My marriage is over."  She started to get to her feet.  "And  
I'm..." 
	"You are pregnant."  The thought escaped Han with a breath. 
	Han became entranced, his wide eyes darting between Leia's  
swollen abdomen and her face.  "It's...it's...it's mine?" he  
stammered. 
	Leia nodded, a broad smile gracing her features. 
	Han took a few tentative steps toward her, reaching his hands  
toward the bulge in her belly, but afraid to touch it.   
"We...we...we made this?"  He talked as if he were in a dream. 
	Leia chuckled.  "Yes.  And it's all right, you can touch." 
	Han tentatively placed his hands on her belly, his body  
relaxing as he did so.  He looked up into her eyes.  "We made a  
life."  It was not a question this time.  Leia just smiled at him  
and nodded.  "Oh, Leia!" he exclaimed, and hugged her tightly for  
an instant, then jumped back as if she were too hot to hold. 
	"What's the matter?"  Leia asked, worried. 
	Han stammered.  "I'm...I'm...I'm afraid I'll squash it." 
	Leia laughed.  "Oh no, it's perfectly all right."  She hugged  
him tightly, and they just held onto each other for a long moment.  
 Suddenly Han jumped back again, though not quite so far.  "What  
was that?" 
	"That's just your baby moving around," Leia replied, that  
glowing grin never leaving her face.  She guided one of his hands  
to her belly.  "Here, feel." 
	A goofy grin spread across Han's face as he felt a tiny  
flutter under his fingertips.  "I'm going to be a father," he said  
breathlessly.  He hugged her excitedly, "We're going to be  
parents!" 
	He looked deep into her eyes, a warm welcome sight, something  
he'd missed vividly.  He blinked at her, and then, tentatively, he  
tried kissing her.  When he met no resistance, he pulled her close  
and kissed her fiercely. 
	She kissed him back, and as his lips moved to her cheek and  
neck she whispered, "I love you; I always have.  And I accept." 
	He looked at her, "Accept what?" 
	"Your proposal, of course.  It was sincere, wasn't it?" 
     Han Looked dumbfounded for a moment.  "Of course it was!"  He  
blinked, unsure if what he'd just heard was in fact what he'd just  
heard.  "You really accept?" 
	Leia nodded, grinning broadly. 
	Han hugged her close, and let out a Correlian war whoop. 
 
	A month passed relatively peacefully.  Han wrapped up the last  
of his smuggling business, and Leia had started plans for the  
wedding, the date for which was set shortly after the baby was due  
to be born.  And then it happened. 
	The day started quietly enough, but shortly after lunch the  
alarm was sounded.  Leia wasn't sure at first what it was, but then  
the announcement came over the comm: "Please clear the building.   
There is a bomb present.  Repeat, there is a bomb in the building,  
please evacuate..." 
	Her heart pounding in her chest, Leia rushed through the door  
toward the turbolift.  She tried to calm herself and her baby at  
the same time, but wasn't getting very far.  Her hand going  
automatically to her belly, she ran as best she could, considering  
the flowing robes, dress shoes, and her center of balance being off  
kilter.  She kept her focus, though.  Once she got to the  
turbolift, it would all be all right... 
	Behind her, she suddenly heard the sound of blaster fire and  
shouting.  She whirled around to see what it was, when suddenly a  
sculpture was hit by the crossfire, and toppled right toward her.   
She saw it coming; tried to run, to dodge, anything, but it fell on  
top of her, plunging her into darkness... 
 
	She awoke to find Han and Luke and a Medidroid hovering over  
her.  Instinctively, a hand went to her belly, but something was  
wrong.  "My baby!" she moaned.  "What happened to my baby?" 
	"Leia, Leia," Han calmed her.  "You lost the baby," he said  
when she was quiet.  "Some nut, an Imperial sympathizer, put a bomb  
on the level of your office.  Security caught him, but there was  
some crossfire, and a stray shot toppled a statue over on top of  
you.  The baby took the brunt of the weight.  In a way, she saved  
your life.  You probably would have been crushed to death had it  
not been for her." 
	Leia sobbed silently for a long moment, then looked away.   
"You don't have to marry me if you don't want to, Han." 
	"What are you talking about?" 
	"I know you were marrying my mostly because of the baby.  You  
don't have to now if you don't want to." 
       "That's crazy," he told her.  "Look at me."  He made her  
look him in the eye.  "I'm marrying you because I love you.  The  
baby was just a nice bonus.  Nothing's going to change because of  
this.  And we can always have more children." 
	Leia sniffled.  "You mean that?" 
	"Of course I do." 
	She smiled through her tears, and reached up and kissed him  
softly. 
 
	Three months later, Han nervously asked Luke for the umteenth  
time, "Are you sure I look okay?" 
	"You look fine!" Luke assured him again. 
	"Well, I just want to look good," Han said, fiddling with his  
dress suit nervously.  "It's not everyday that one marries a  
princess." 
       Han swallowed as, a few moments later, the music began, a  
regal Alderaanian wedding march.  Winter appeared, looking   
stunning in a gown all the colors of a sunset in the season  of her  
namesake. 
	And then Leia appeared.  Wearing a dress of the purest white,  
and lit from behind as she ascended the steps of the Great Hall,  
she seemed to glow.  She looked angelic, even though her gown was  
relatively simple, it framed her form wonderfully and seemed to  
make her float. 
	She arrived at the dais, and threw a smile at Han.  Mon  
Mothma, who was officiating, smiled down at them, and raised her  
hands.  "Members of the New Republic," she began in a crisp, clear  
tone.  "It is my extreme pleasure to join in marriage two people  
who were most important in the restoration of the Republic: General  
Han Solo, and the Senator Leia Organa.  In a way, their union is  
symbolic of the Alliance itself.  Two people from remarkably  
different backgrounds and planets on opposite sides of the galaxy  
are joined in a union of trust to work toward a common goal.  In  
this case, not to free the galaxy from a tyrannical power, but to  
have a relationship of mutual love and companionship." 
	As she listened to Mon Mothma's words, Leia looked at Han, and  
decided that her priorities were not divided, but served a mutually  
exclusive goal, to make her free, and she knew, with Han by her  
side, she would be.