This story fills in the missing beach scene moment from Book 2 of The Black Fleet Crisis: Shield of Lies as part of the "Missing Moments" challenge from HanLeiaFanFicWriters. I do not own Star Wars, just like to play in their galaxy from time to time. Song inspiration: Stars on the Water by Jimmy Buffett.
Stars on the Water
As they continued in an intimate silence, Leia cast her gaze about her at the sea, the beach, and the sky. "This is nice, Han," she said, as Anakin looked up from his sand sculptures and came running toward them. "Thank you. I don't feel quite so much like one of the squibs out here." Page 227-228 of Shield of Lies.
"Good, because you know what I think of squibs," Han replied curtly
as he spied their three kids running full speed along the wet, sandy shoreline towards him and Leia.
In a split second, Han spontaneously scooped up his wife in his arms and started running with Leia in tow, into the tranquil sea waters.
Motioning with his head and voice for the kids to follow him, Han yelled in their direction, "Come on, kids, it's about time Mom goes for a swim!"
Completely caught off guard, Leia suddenly felt her sandy toes brushing the surface of the water, threatening and laughing at the same time she screamed, "Han Solo you put me down this instant!"
She realized as the words left her lips that was exactly what her husband had in mind.
She heard Han utter, "By your command, your highness," and her slight figure sailed through the air as he tossed her into the waves, reminiscent of her comm-link he threw into the water earlier.
Han was grinning like a nexu cub after a full meal, thoroughly enjoying throwing his wife into the ocean. Maybe the shock will snap her completely out of her business mode. If not, there will be hell to pay he thought.
Surfacing from her submerged dunking, Leia grinned a playful 'oh, you are going to pay for that' grin and pushed a wave of water towards him with pitiful results.
"Ha, is that the best you've got, Princess?" Han chided back to her with that look in his eyes.
Catching his mischievous gleam, Leia playfully responded, her grin and gleam matching his. "Just you wait, Flyboy, you may never see my best again." Smiling a self-satisfactory smirk, Han knew he finally broke the wizard's spell.
"Me too, me too!" Jacen, Jaina, and Anakin all cried at once while jumping and climbing all over their dad.
"Throw me, Daddy just like you did Mama, pleeeeease," Anakin begged, barely able to contain himself.
With a swoop and a toss, a squealing Anakin was air-bound and splashed into the water next to his mom. Laughingly, Leia helped Anakin to the surface of the water, "Again, again!" he cried excitedly.
"My turn!" both Jaina and Jacen screamed in unison.
"Uh-oh, double trouble," Han growled through his grin and with the reflex and strength of a Wookiee, Han gathered both kids at once and launched them into the water.
"Whoa, a double dunking, impressive, most impressive..." Leia chuckled. She helped the twins just as she did with Anakin. Over and over the kids reveled in their daddy's airborne soakings.
The children giggled, splashed, and played as they swam around their parents.
Conspiring with her children, Leia whispered, "Let's get Daddy." At once Anakin enthusiastically yelled, "Attack!"
Swiftly, the Solo offspring surrounded their daddy, playfully attacking him.
Encouraging their giggles and animated cries, Han did his best "Oh, you got me" fake death, causing the kids to squeal even louder.
"Help me, Princess, you're my only hope." Han pleaded to his wife.
To which Leia jokingly responded, "You should have thought about that before you threw me into the water." Her smile was brighter than the noon day sun.
Han's classic "who me?" expression beamed across his face.
Leia felt a wave of calm and peace wash over her as she watched her husband, father of her children, acting like a big kid himself.
His wet hair shimmered about his head, water glistened off of his bare chest and he just stood there in the waist deep water letting his spirited children use him as a human jungle gym.
Catching Han's eye, Leia put two her two fingers to her lips and pressed into them, then turned her fingers towards Han, sending him her secret kiss.
He returned her silent kiss with a lopsided grin and a wink as he plucked Jacen off his back and tossed him into the sea.
Finally having enough roughhousing, Han said to the kids "All right, kids, time to give the old man a break." He waded his way over to his wife.
He gestured towards Leia, "Dad's got to make sure Mom's not getting a sunburn. Uh-oh, too late," he winced as he peered under her shoulder strap of her azure blue tankini top. "I'll have to put some cream on that later," signaling her with his sultry smile. "Hmmmm." Was Leia's only reply.
"I'm hungry." Anakin whined as he crawled up into Leia's arms and rested his head on her sunburn shoulder. Kissing his little forehead, Leia suggested, "Now would be a good time to eat lunch. Come on, let's go see what Daddy packed for us to eat."
"Hey Dad, Dad, Daddy," Jacen repeated trying to get his father's attention.
"What, sport?" Han asked as everyone was making their way back to the shore.
"What do the Dathomir witches eat when they go to the beach?" Jacen was excitedly gearing up to tell his joke's punch line.
"I don't know, Jace? What do Dathomir witches eat when they go to the beach?" Han took hold of Jacen and Jaina's hands.
"Sand-witches." Both Jaina and Jacen laughed hysterically at Jacen's comedic impromptu.
Holding the twins' hands and Leia carrying Anakin, the Solo family made their way back to their shaded sand cabana. After a full lunch of sandwiches, drinks, fruit-salad, and even a treat, Han and the kids quickly fell asleep in the shade of their tent.
Leia packed up the rest of the lunchtime picnic and sat down at the edge of their cabana, digging her toes into the soft sand. She stared out across the water, taking in the serene surf and the brilliant blue sky. It's hard to believe this is still Coruscant, she thought to herself.
The sun is so bright and the sky is so clear and just look at the sea, how it sparkles like stars, almost reminds me of some of my childhood trips to the shore. She continued her silent reflection.
At least I've have a chance to relive childhood a bit again through the eyes of my kids. I promise to do things like this more often. She pondered and turned her head to watch the napping foursome, she couldn't help but laugh at their syncopated snoring mixing with the sound of the surf.
"No matter what happens we have this special memory. I have this memory. I love you all, my family. You mean more to me than you will ever know. Thank you for bringing me here." She softly whispered to them.
Gazing back out upon the sparkling sea, and tracing random lines in the silky sand with her finger, she happily sighed and reflected, I will always remember this moment when we played and laughed together in the ocean, beaming, shining just like stars on the water.