Disclaimer: I do not own anything to do with Star Wars, other than Aurora. It all belongs to the bearded genius in flannel. As this is based on the book, some of the dialogue is taken verbatim from Shadows of the Empire. That belongs to Steve Perry and George Lucas. I do not intend any copyright violation and am not making any profit from this. It is merely a way to avoid working on an eighteen-page paper.

A/N: I've decided to continue with the events of Shadows of the Empire in my series. It might be a rather short work, as much of the book deals with Xixor and Vader's interactions, which I don't really feel the need to get into, and will actually serve as more of a interlude chapter before Return of the Jedi. Still, I felt it was necessary to explain much of the developing relationship between Luke and Aurora. Hopefully, I haven't disappointed anyone; I know some of you really want to get Han back. I also hope to be able to update fairly quickly, but there might be some delay as I'm one semester away from finishing my Master's and just interviewed for a job as a adjunct professor, which means I have to start developing lesson plans and syllabi… oh my!

So, without further ado, I give you Shadows of the Empire from Another Point of View….

It has been several months since the events of The Empire Strikes Back. Lando and Chewie have been chasing rumors around the galaxy trying to locate Boba Fett and the kidnapped Han, while the others wait with the Alliance. Finally, they locate information that says Fett is on his way to bring Han to Jabba the Hutt. Luke, Aurora, Leia and the two droids meet the others on Tattooine where they set up base in Obi-Wan's old home, and wait…..

Leia tapped her nails irritably against the metal mesh of the tabletop. She was beyond bored. They had been sitting in this despicable bar for more hours than she cared to count, waiting for Lando to arrive with whatever news of Han he had managed to locate. The air was stale and hot, imbued with the unpleasant aroma of overheated beings and spilled drinks of dubious origins. Sweat was trickling down her back, under her disreputable coveralls, and she had sand sticking to any exposed skin. Of which there wasn't much. Not only was it unwise here for anyone unused to the intense sunlight to expose more skin than necessary to its rays, but she was having enough trouble fending off the various males scattered around the cantina without encouraging them by flashing a little skin.

Not that it seemed to matter. She'd had a steady stream of would-be suitors approaching the table since they'd sat down; and this despite the fact that a fully grown Wookiee sat next to her like an oversized chaperone. They usually backed off once Chewie showed them his impressive teeth, but just recently Leia had tried to convince him that she could handle herself and that it didn't require threats to dissuade the hopeful males.

Chewie had snorted out a doubtful comment, but allowed her to try on the next one, a Devaronian. Unfortunately, despite her blatantly hostile replies to his sallies, the red-skinned alien hadn't been persuaded to leave and she had been forced to draw her blaster to make her point more succinct.

A soft chuckle emanated from her other side, and Leia turned a gimlet eye on her other companion.

"Something amusing?"

"Just pondering the vagaries of life, your Highness."

Leia snorted. Like she believed that. "I suppose you think you can do better?"

Aurora Kenobi's smile broadened. "Absolutely." She leaned forward to set the bottle she had been drinking from on the table. "I have, unfortunately, far too much experience in spending time in bars like this. I learned early on how to, ah, discourage overly amorous attention."

Chewie urffed out a laugh and Aurora turned that smile on him. "Well, yes, spending time with the Rogues certainly honed my skills, but I was pretty good at it even before I joined the Rebellion." She turned back to the princess. "You see, Leia, it's all in the glare. Normally, you have a good one. I've seen battle-hardened colonels back down when you gave them the evil eye. But you're uncomfortable here and it shows. You need to relax. All wound up like that, you're just presenting them with a challenge."

Leia studied the other woman where she was kicked back in her chair, one booted foot braced on the edge of the table, her arms crossed casually over her chest. She certainly looked relaxed. You had to look really closely to realize that those casually dangling hands actually rested within inches of her blaster and lightsaber and that one flex of her leg would send her chair flying backwards and away from the entanglement of the table.

Aurora was far more alert than she appeared.

She, on the other hand, probably looked as uptight and ill-at-ease as she felt. She couldn't help it. She was so far out of her milieu; she didn't even want to think about it. Leia made a vague attempt at loosening the tense line of her shoulders, but she didn't think it made much difference. Irritated, she huffed out a breath.

"Fine. You handle the next one. No help from Chewie and no drawing your blaster."

"Deal." Aurora said easily.

Leia's eyes narrowed. "And no using the Force either."

The young Commander's eyes widened in feigned innocence. "Leia, would I use the Force for something to frivolous?"

This time, Leia didn't even bother to snort as she settled back to wait for the show.

Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on your point of view, she didn't have long to wait.

The outer door opened again, letting in a triangle of light and a gust of dry, dusty-smelling air from the street. Two beings entered; one human, one Bothan, both male. They headed immediately for the bar and obtained whatever odious liquor they felt an urge for, before sweeping their gazes around the cantina patrons. As had happened only too often previously, their eyes promptly lit on the table where the two women sat with their furry chaperone and both smiled avariciously. With a nudge to his companion, the human started over immediately.

Aurora didn't move from her comfortable position. She simply stared at the man as he approached the table, a lascivious smile on his face. As far as Leia could tell, she wasn't even really glaring, just this cold, impersonal look.

The man's steps slowed and the leer fell away from his face to be replaced by uncertainty and then, as Aurora raised one eyebrow contemptuously, he turned red and spun on his heel, heading for a dark corner in the table where he could bury his humiliation in cheap booze.

Leia was impressed, despite herself. "Wow."

Aurora possessed herself of her bottle again and took a drink. "Males in a cantina can smell fear. It's an aphrodisiac for them. Never let them see that you are not absolutely in control of any situation, even when you're not." She looked thoughtful for a moment and then amended. "Especially when you're not."

Chewie growled a comment and Aurora nodded at him. "True. That would apply in just about any given situation, especially where Han is concerned. Or Lando."

As if on cue, a smooth voice came from behind her. "Did I hear my name? I knew you gorgeous creatures just couldn't keep from talking about me."

Aurora laughed as he slid into the chair across from her. "Actually I believe it was Chewie who brought you into the conversation.

Lando turned to regard him. "Sorry, I retract my comment. Not that you're not a fine specimen of a Wookiee and all that, but you are married."

Chewie urrffed out a laugh and Lando turned back to Aurora. "Now, you, on the other hand, are delightfully unattached."

She smiled at him. "Sorry, Lando. I'm married to my job."

Leia rolled her eyes. "If you two could stop flirting a moment, I'd appreciate hearing what you found out, Lando." She scooted over as Artoo and Threepio, who had followed Lando into the cantina, took up positions on either side of Aurora's chair. Leia noticed that when Luke wasn't around, the little astromech tended to follow in Aurora's shadow, as if she was an extension of his master. She didn't quite know what to make of that. Threepio, on the other hand, she believed, stayed near Aurora because she was his best bet for protection. The protocol droid looked as nervous as it was possible for a droid to look.

The former administrator smoothed one finger over his neat mustache "Of course. Let me grab something to drink to wash all this dust out of my throat and we'll get to it. Anyone else? My treat."

Chewie growled suspiciously.

Lando smiled, flashing those white teeth. "I won a bet with the owner a few years back. Now I get to eat and drink here for free whenever I want."

Leia cast a dubious look around the bar and its denizens. "Have you ever actually eaten here?"

"No, actually. I've never been that desperate. Still, the drinks should be safe."

The princess looked uncertainly into the glass in front of her. She'd yet to take a single drink from it for hygienic reasons.

"I recommend the lomin ale." Aurora said. "It's a light, refreshing blend. Rather young and unpretentious, but with an unusual bouquet and somewhat rough palate. Best of all: it's sealed."

As soon as they had fresh drinks, Lando shared his news. "I think we've got Slave I spotted."

"What? Where?" Leia demanded, sitting forwared.

"A moon called Gall, circling Zhar, a gas giant out in one of the far Rim Systems. The information is thirdhand, but the informant chain is supposed to be reliable."

"We've heard that before." The former senator said scathingly.

Lando shrugged nonchalantly. "We can sit and wait or we can go see. The bounty hunter should have delivered Han to Jabba months ago. He's got to be someplace. I've got a contact in that system, an old gambling buddy who does a little, uh, freelance cargo delivery." He ignored Leia's snort at his polite euphemism for smuggling. "Name is Dash Rendar. He's checking it out for us."

Aurora suddenly sat forward, her eyes narrowed. "Dash Rendar?"

"Yeah," Lando said, surprised. "You know him?"

"Unfortunately. I met him a few years ago, when I was piloting for Gillespie."

"Do you trust him?" Leia asked.

"Oh sure, as long as your money holds out."

"Fine." As much as Leia hated it, it was a fact that the galaxy ran on credits and there were many beings like this Rendar who would do just about anything as long as they were paid enough. "How soon will we know?"

"A few days." Lando answered.

Leia let her eyes drift around the cantina again. "Anything would be better than waiting here."

"Be careful what you wish for." Aurora warned, draining her ale.

Chewie growled a question at Lando.

"I don't know why he'd be there. There's a shipyard on the moon; maybe he needed repairs. Something serious had to hold him up because Jabba won't pay him until he gets here."

Another growl.

"Yeah, I'm afraid so." Lando turned his attention to Leia, explaining. "Gall is an Imperial Enclave. Got a couple of destroyers based there, plus all the attendant TIE fighters. If Fett's ship is there, it won't be easy to get to him."

"When has anything been easy since I met you?" She said resigned, standing up. "Let's go tell Luke."