Author's note: This is merely an account of what happened on the ride back to Yavin Base. No real depth, or significance to it, no larger point behind it, just a slice of life, a bit of fun. I hope you enjoy.
"So what do you think of her, Han?"
"I try not to, kid." Han Solo suppressed a grin. He knew that the second the princess left the cockpit Luke would say something. Luke's emotions had to be in turmoil over what just happened. An impossible rescue and escape. The death of his first true mentor.
Han himself was feeling it. He actually felt somewhat fond of old man Kenobi (maybe because he enabled the escape), and felt a bit sorry that he was gone. But Han knew whatever he was feeling was only a trifle compared to what Luke was feeling.
"Good," Luke said smugly, a satisfied smile creeping across his face.
Give the kid his due, Han thought, he's hiding his grief very well. The only way to keep his morale up, Han decided, was to mess with him a little bit.
"Still, she's got a lot of spirit," Han declared, stealing a glance at Luke. Luke's face gave away...something. Perfect, thought Han.
"I don't know...you think a princess, and a guy like me -?"
"No," was Luke's terse reply. To Han, Luke's reaction sounded like Luke did think Han had a shot with the fiery young diplomat. And that the thought of Han with Leia made Luke a little angry.
Han could no longer contain his smile.
***
Flying through hyperspace is nothing like dusting crops. Especially not with an old hyperdrive, a drive with lower than grade three compensation. In preparing for a jump, the navicomputer plots the ship's course through hyperspace, avoiding realspace bodies such as planets, stars, other ships, or other such things. With grade three compensation, a ship in hyperdrive need not worry about anything occupying realspace turning up in the path laid in by the navicomputer. But on Han's older hyperdrive, he had to actually pilot the craft for the first few moments of a jump while the navicomputer anticipated realspace anomalies and warned the pilot to avoid them.
Reminder: replace this lousy old equipment. This wasn't the first time Han had had this thought. Deep down, although it was dangerous business to pilot a ship in hyperdrive, Han knew he couldn't change a thing on his beloved Millenium Falcon. Not until she needed it, anyway.
It was not only dangerous to pilot in hyperspace, it was taking time. Time Han could spend working on Leia. Luke was surely with her now, playing on her sympathies, vowing commitment to her cause, and other sugary things. Blasted goody two shoes.
A loud growl interrupted his reverie.
Han suddenly appeared alert and became defensive. "Of course I saw it, you big lug! You break my concentration and we're gonna end up hyper dead! Do YOU want to do this?"
Chewbacca quieted down and answered the question in the negative. He hated to pilot in lightspeed even more so than Han did. But Chewbacca wasn't done making his case.
"No, I wasn't thinking about the girl. C'mon, Chewie! Give me some credit! You know I would never get mixed up with Rebels! Not anymore."
After the TIE fighter attack, Chewbacca had run diagnostics on all of the ship's major systems. This was a necessary task, and it had to be done before the jump into hyperspace. That was why the Falcon stayed in realspace long after the TIE battle. For all of his living by the seat of his pants , Han Solo still had a job to do. For seventeen thousand, he would take every careful, meticulous step necessary to ensure the safe arrival of his cargo at Yavin Base.
"Sorry, Chewie. I didn't mean to snap at you. I'll try to keep my eye on things a little better," Han said peacefully.
Chewie murmured in satisfaction. He felt vindicated.
"I was serious, though. Would you like to do this?"
Chewie groweled angrily. He knew exactly what Han was up to.
"All right, all right, all RIGHT!" Han sighed, defeated. He checked the navicomputer again. He wasn't about to leave the cockpit anytime soon.
***
"Did you know him?"
Leia still stared out the window, although Alderaan sector was many milions of miles behind. She continued to exercise well-honed diplomatic emotion-checking, though there was no good reason not to cry. No one was around, except for that Tattooine farm boy who had just asked her a question.
Oh.
"I-I'm sorry, what was that?" Leia asked, somewhat startled.
"I asked if you knew him. Ben Kenobi."
Leia had to pause. Ben? Of course, Obi-Wan.
"Not really. Just from when I was very young. But I knew that this was someone reliable, someone we could count on."
"Well, from the looks of things, this is definitely a desperate hour, if the Empire can destroy planets."
Desperate hour? The nerve! He saw the holo! No one but Obi-Wan was to see that!
"Excuse me. You saw my holo message, didn't you? That was a private message!" Leia said, her voice rising in pitch and volume.
Luke remained calm despite feeling defensive. "My uncle bought two droids from Jawas - both of them were yours, I'm pretty sure. When I was cleaning the R2 unit, I must have activated his playback somehow. I saw part of the message. Later, we ended up at Ben's and he played back the entire holo. I was with him. What could I do?".
Leia was disappointed in herself. She should have known that this young, wide-eyed boy wouldn't do anything improper.
"You're right. I'm - I'm very sorry...I'm just upset..."
"It's all right," Luke began in a reassuring tone, "Believe me, I understand. I'm also, I mean...I think we're all a little...you know?"
Leia nodded. Luke hadn't said anything, but he communicated it well.
***
Chewbacca howled with furious indignation.
If a droid could truly feel exasperated, C-3PO was feeling it. "Chewbacca! Please understand! That piece simply cannot move in two different directions on the same turn! Now, as I've indicated before -"
Chewbacca protested yet again.
"Of course you can still take your turn. I wasn't trying to prevent that."
Chewbacca growled unhappily. He still had his turn, but his position on the gaming table was nearly hopeless. He hovered above the piece he had just moved illegally, deep in though, straining to come up with a game-saving move.
R2-D2 rolled in slowly, with a chirp.
"Oh, hello, Artoo. I trust you were able to repair everything."
Artoo beeped a qualified affirmative.
"That's as well as can be expected, I suppose," Threepio opined. Unable to resist, he added, " I dare say even you are in better condition than this ship."
Chewbacca and Artoo voiced their outrage simultaneously.
Threepio was appalled. "How rude!" THE END