CHANGE OF SEASONS
Chapter 1
Han and Leia had been married for four months, and neither could recall a time when they'd been happier. Work was hellishly busy for both of them, but they were basking in the glow that poured down on newly married couples like golden forest honey. Every moment they could be together, they were, and much of it unclothed and in each other's embrace. There were the official functions that Leia had been expected to attend, but so far, they'd managed to find cloakrooms and cleaning closets to break up the boredom.
Han had arrived to find Leia staring pensively out the front window, watching the sun set on Coruscant.
"Hey, whatcha looking at?" Han asked her as he came over to embrace her and kiss her tenderly.
"Nothing in particular."
"You never look at nothing in particular. Tell me."
Leia smiled wistfully at him. "I love that Coruscant is warm for most of the year."
"Warm? I'd say hot, even more hot, and hot again. Okay, we do get winter."
"We had autumn on Alderaan."
Han pulled her close.
"Autumn's beautiful on some parts of Corellia. Not in the part of Tralus, where I grew up; I was in the industrial section when Shrike grabbed my ass and dragged me into his business. But I do remember it being autumn in Alderaan when I was there once."
"You visited Alderaan? You never told me."
"I know how you miss your home planet. I didn't want to make you sad."
"You won't. When were you there?"
"When I was about fifteen. I'd gone there to gain a specialized education in looting wealthy homes. Which, by the way, I was very good at."
"I have no doubt."
"But I remember one day I was in the city, looking to find a cheap restaurant, and the Viceroy was addressing the people from the palace in Aldera. I saw a lovely woman, presumably his wife, and a little dark haired girl in a white dress with her hair in braids."
Leia smiled at him. "What if someone in the crowd told you that the princess would fall in love with you?"
"I'd have ruptured my guts laughing. What would you have said that the skinny scoundrel passing through would fall in love with you?"
"I'd have been puzzled. Hey, I was only five!" Leia gave him a heartwarming smile as she laughed. "Or I'd have made a face. Boys had cooties when I was five."
"You know I'd take you to Alderaan if I could," Han said softly to her.
"I just wish I could be there right now. The trees turn brilliant colors, colors never seen at any other time of year. The sky is a brilliant crystal blue, the air filled with crackling fires and spices. It was a feast for the senses. The palace groundskeepers would rake the leaves, but they would always keep them in piles until I'd dived into all of them."
"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I really am." He wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly.
"I'm going to be traveling next week. Coronet City. You might have heard of it."
Han smiled at her. "How'd you like some company?"
"Don't you have work to do?"
"I do, but I'm headed that way for Drall. How'd you feel like taking a ride in my other sweetheart?"
Leia pretended to consider that. "Let's see, Navy transport, Millennium Falcon, Navy transport, Millennium Falcon...I think I'll go with the Falcon."
"You understand that the accommodations aren't quite as luxurious as what you could become accustomed to."
"There's a double bed. And a sexy scoundrel to share it with." Her smile changed to one of mischief.
"We have a perfectly nice one here. Feel like checking it out?"
"Do you really have to ask?"
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Lovemaking was followed by dinner, some datapad work, and more lovemaking.
Han held Leia close as she fell asleep in his arms. He couldn't begin to describe how protective and tender she made him feel. The deep love he felt for her pervaded his entire existence. He loved it.
He vaguely remembered autumn. It was more a series of feelings, vague ones at that. The chilling air was his most prominent memory, and it wasn't a very nice one.
But his bride loved autumn and missed it terribly. And he wouldn't mind obtaining a new perspective. He wanted to see life through her eyes. He'd no idea just how blind he'd been till he shared what she saw.
I'm gonna make sure she has an autumn to remember, he told himself as he kissed her one last time before closing his eyes.
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"You ready, sweetheart?" Han asked Leia as they sat in the cockpit. Chewie was with them; Han had deliveries to Corellia and its satellite worlds. Han had said nothing to Leia about a more special delivery that he had planned.
"I'm ready for a nap is what I am," Leia said to him.
"Once we make the jump, you can sleep to your heart's content," Han told her.
"I wish. I need to go over my material for this summit." There were factions all over the Corellian 'Five Brothers' that wanted Corellian independence from the Alliance and factions that wanted to be part of it. "The Corellians are certainly a stubborn lot."
"Me? Stubborn?!" Han expressed mock dismay. Chewie laughed. {Is he ever}.
"Laugh it up, Fuzzball!"
Leia sighed. "Bringing these factions together isn't going to be easy."
"I recommend alcohol. It's Corellia's natural solvent," Han told her.
{That's your recommendation for everything}, Chewie told him.
"Because it works."
"It might come to that," Leia said as she pulled out her datapads.
Han and Chewie made the jump to lightspeed, and it was smooth as silk. It was so much more fun to fly when they weren't trying to keep the Imperials off their asses. Leia still hated flying, but with Han beside her, he made the most dreary trip fun. Especially in the captain's quarters.
"I'm telling you, sweetheart, you want Corellians to get it together? Have a beer bash, not a state dinner," Han imparted this piece of practical wisdom.
At this point, Leia was getting desperate and thought maybe her husband, admittedly with no policy experience but plenty of humor, might be on target. Han didn't have to strongarm people; he made them laugh. Leia cherished that quality in her wickedly funny, somewhat cynical but soft hearted husband. Very few people knew how soft a heart he had; that was really only for her. She appreciated that.
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The negotiations were going badly, at times resulting in fistfights. This went on for four days. Leia was nearly ready to throw in the towel. The only thing that was keeping her from slitting her wrists was that Han would be joining her that evening. His work was complete. If nothing else, she needed moral support. She'd mentioned this to Han, and and he said he'd love to except that his morals were questionable. It was the only time she'd laughed today.
Tonight, she told herself, she'd be in his arms, his scent filling her nostrils, his taste on her lips, all of her senses overpowered by the incredible male animal that was her husband. I might even have to have a good cry with him holding me, she told herself.
There was to be a state dinner the following night. Leia was dreading it. Every indication screamed 'disaster.'
At 1600 hours, Leia realized that they were getting nowhere. She ended the meeting, feeling as if everything was moving in reverse.
As she was gathering her datapads, feeling utterly bereft, a voice called out to her.
"Hey sweetheart, what's a nice kid like you doing in a place like this?"
Leia raced over to him and threw her arms around him. Han wrapped her in his arms, making her feel safe and cared for.
"That bad, eh?" Han said in between kisses.
"Worse. And the state dinner is tomorrow night."
"I'm telling ya, sweetheart, screw the state dinner, order all the beer you can get your hands on and some you can't, contact all the barbecue places in Coronet City, and let 'em sort it out."
"You're serious."
"I never joke about diplomatic missions."
Leia burst out laughing. "I don't know what I'd do without you sometimes."
"Just sometimes?" Han kidded her. Leia stood on her tiptoes and kissed him.
"Okay, Flyboy. I'm desperate enough to take up your suggestion."
"Good. Let's go to Frik's. Not only can we order dinner for a hundred, we can have dinner for two. You sure it won't kill your credibility, being seen with your lowlife smuggler husband?"
"I think at this point, it could only elevate it."
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Before heading for bed with Han, Leia sent out a comm to the entire delegation on her side and on the Corellian, indicating that the morning meetings were being cancelled and to arrive at noon for a barbecue and beer lunch.
She was still worried.
"They'll be there. All of 'em," Han told her.
"My aides seem to thing I've lost my mind."
"Far as I'm concerned, you can lose your mind as long as you don't lose your sense of humor. Face it, sweetheart, the whole thing's theatre of the absurd. Most of life is."
"Much as it pains me to admit it, I think you might be right, Flyboy." Both of them laughed.
"So we feed 'em, you wander around and talk to everyone, and you'll at least get an outline of how to resolve this. You're not gonna get everyone to the table on the first round, but I think after tomorrow, they might start thinking about the advantages the Alliance has to offer."
"You seem to know a lot about these guys."
"They's my peeps, sweetheart."
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