As far as I can tell, not many people liked 'The Courtship of Princess Leia', except perhaps me.
Or at least I liked the idea of a rival for Leia's affections; one who didn't turn out to be her brother and therefore could pose an actual threat to Han and Leia's happiness.
I also liked the idea of Han kidnapping Leia in the hope she might fall back in love with him. It seemed right to me when push came to shove for his character to question Leia's feelings for him, him being just a lowly scoundrel and she being a Princess and all.
So, here's my version of the events which eventually lead to their marriage. I hope you approve...
Talgos IV had been brutal.
A vicious plague had swept the planet killing millions, then haunting those poor, miserable souls, who survived.
Following his near fatal mistake on a diplomatic visit to the Outer Rim, Han Solo had gone to Talgos IV as much in an effort to forget about Leia Organa as he had hoped she would forget about him. Her calls went unanswered, her messages deleted without being read.
But now he was back on Coruscant, his mission to Talgos IV completed. The surviving refugees had been transported to a safe haven. Their mental scars being treated by those qualified to deal with them.
All Han wanted now was to sink into a steam bath, to try and wash away the stench of death he felt leeched from his every pore.
And then all he wanted to do was to get unbelievably drunk, to try and drown out the cries of the dying and the bereaved. The sounds that had filled his head and his heart for the past eight months. But first, he had to face a military debrief.
The room had been stuffy, both through a lack of ventilation and in the group of his so called peers questioning his every action.
His head throbbed and his eyes burned.
He'd heard from others during the course of the day before giving his own version of events. It hadn't been easy reliving moments he wanted nothing more to do than to forget, so he was more than just a little relieved when it was over and he was able to leave the room.
Outside, in the corridor, Han leaned against the wall. He closed his eyes, breathed a sigh of relief and slid to a crouch, resting his head against his knees.
He heard the footsteps. Some hurrying past, some passing more sedately. He was dimly aware of the sounds around him but paid them no attention.
All he was thinking about was finding Chewie, finding a bar and finding himself completely and utterly blind drunk.
It was then that she spoke his name.
Seeing her now, Han felt his heart leap into his throat.
Leia Organa.
Senator Leia Organa, in the pure white robes she always wore to Senatorial meetings standing before him, her hands folded neatly in front of her.
Her voice was calm. Her demeanour serene. Her soft features, framed by her chestnut hair layered about her face, seemed softer than ever to him. There was a sadness there too, a sadness to her eyes.
"I heard it was rough." She said.
"It was. Real rough." Han answered quietly.
For a moment they were both quiet, before Leia broke the silence between them.
"You didn't answer my calls." She said.
"Well, I was pretty busy." He answered.
"Too busy for just one call?" Leia suggested.
"Not just that. It was a matter of logistics too. Your day was my night, that kind of thing." He reasoned, pushing slowly to his feet. "I saw you on the net though."
"Oh?" Leia queried.
"Yeah, you wowed them on Hapes."
"Thank you. It went well, I think." Leia said, her face showing her recalling the visit. "The Queen Mother has promised more talks. I think there's scope for an alliance there. She's no push over though, there's a great deal of hard work to be done before we can hope to gain her trust."
"Well, if anyone can do it I'm sure you can." He replied.
He fell silent again, finding it hard to look her in the eye.
Hard to see the hurt he knew he had caused.
"Well. It's good to see you back." Leia said and with just a hint of a smile marched off on her way.
Han watched her go, her head held high. Just as he had known it would be.
"Good to see you too." He mumbled under his breath.