GOING BACK TO YESTERDAY #16
The Later Adventures of Han Solo
Sunlight was beaming through the bedroom windows when Leia rose quietly from the bed.
She wanted to order the morning meal and have it ready when Han woke. She changed from her nightgown into pants and top, and with one last glance at the tousled hair on the pillow, smiled, remembering their time alone. When Han was home, she felt more like a bride than a mother, Princess, Soldier or Senator.
Making her way to Ben's room she woke her son. "Time to get up, eat, get dressed and off to
school". Young Ben moaned and slid further under the covers… "Alright." Leia smiled, "You
can rest until the food gets here."
She picked out Ben's clothes and put his schoolbook on top. He seemed to always need to look for it.
Walking to the living - dining area of their apartment, Leia slid back the heavy curtains, allowing the bright, mood- lifting sunshine to flood the room.
After his mother left, Ben scooted out of bed and tiptoed down the hall to his parents room. Peeking in the doorway, seeing his father still asleep, he ran and jumped on the bed. "Hey, wake up sleepyhead!" He yelled and laughed.
Han woke with a start, and seeing Ben, began tickling the youngster. They wrestled on the bed, laughing, Ben begging his dad to stop. Leia heard their playing from the dining area and
wondered who was having the most fun.
The two were walking into the room as Leia was putting the food on the table. "It sure is fun
having dad home, isn't it mom?" Ben exclaimed as he sat down and bit off a piece of browned bread he'd grabbed from his plate.
Han looked up and smiled 'innocently' at Leia. "It sure is." She agreed winking at her husband.
After their meal, Han stacked the dishes on the service cart as Leia helped dress their son for
school.
"I'll walk you to the school room." Han told his son as he pulled on his jacket.
"Where's my light saber?" Ben asked. " A Jedi never goes anywhere without it."
"Uh..I think you better leave that here." Han told him. "You can play with it when Uncle
Luke is here."
"Uncle Luke will be here this afternoon. Remember I told you dad and I are going on a trip." Leia the schoolbook to her son.
"Can I go?" Ben pleaded.
"Not this trip, pal." Han told him as they started for the door. "Remember, you're going on a run
with me sometime ."
"Oh, yeah." Ben answered, smiling.
"Aha, caught you!" Han exclaimed as he came into their bedroom. Leia was shaking the small
box that was to be her 'second present'.
"Just curious." She told him as he took the box from her fingers and kissed her forehead. She'd made up their bed and after placing a duffle bag on it, began packing for their getaway.
"Set out what you want to take for yourself. I've got everything packed but my toiletries."
Han pulled out several pairs of black pants, shirts and underwear. "Did you pack that nightgown?"
"Sure did." Leia answered as she placed Han's clothes in the bag. "Don't forget your shaving things. I don't mine a sexy bristle, but I don't want you to grow a beard." She teased.
Just then the com-link rang. "Don't answer it." Han said. "It could be important." Leia
responded as she keyed in the mic.. "Yes?"
"You ready for me to come over?" Luke asked. " I'm free now."
"Luke's ready to come now." Leia told Han aside. He took the com-link from her.
"Hey, buddy!" Han greeted. "That'll be fine, we'll get an earlier start."
"How was the legal hauling?"
Han shook his head…"Sith's Breath… have I got some horror stories to tell you…when we get back."
Luke laughed.
"Ah…take it easy with Ben and that light saber." Han requested.
"He's learning…and I know he is eager. He has some anger about wanting to learn so much so quickly. I'll settle him down." Luke said. "I'll be there in about twenty minutes." Han keyed off the com-link.
"We got twenty minutes." Han told Leia. "You think that's enough time….." He glanced at the bed and gave his wife a smile.
"No." Leia teased.
"You know where everything is…the foods Ben likes for each meal, and where the first aid kit is kept, and if he gets sick, take him to the med center, make sure he does his homework, don't let him stay up past his bedtime, he can have one friend home to play for a while each day, don't let him run the holograms by himself…he'll try to talk you out of a bath..
Tapping one foot in frustration, Han finally said. "Leia, you didn't issue this many orders when we had to evacuate Hoth." Leia gave him a 'look'.
"We'll be fine." Luke assured her. "You and Han enjoy your trip. You deserve some time alone and away from responsibilities."
Han grabbed the duffle bag with one hand and Leia's arm with another and with a nod of 'thanks'
to Luke ushered them both out the door.
Aboard the Falcon, Leia sat in the co-pilot's seat. "Just where are we going?"
"That's a surprise, too." Han told her, setting the controls and mapping out the route for the trip
on the navi-puter, setting the pressurization for the cabin, and opening the oxygen flow.
Leia, absently chewing on a fingernail, was musing to herself as she looked out the cockpit windows.
The Falcon's engines roared to nearly full power, slightly shaking the ship. Han glanced over at his wife. "You seem deep in thought."
She smiled. "I was just thinking… we've been through a lot on this ship. I remember our first kiss
here. So many years ago…I'm surprised she still runs."
Han put a hand to his chest and pulled a hurt face. "Oh, Leia…you don't insult a man's ride.
I've kept her up all these years. Remember, Chewie and I just got back from two long hauling jobs. She'll keep flying as long as I'm able to."
"Sorry." Leia teased back.
Han pulled the controls and the Falcon eased out of the docking bay, then rose majestically into the atmosphere.
"What is that?" Leia asked, pointing to a concentration of planets…all different sizes, in no organized rotations; stars blinked in the dark distance.
"That isn't a system." Han told her. "They're rogue planets…some are just floating rocks."
"Is that where we're going?"
"Yes." Han worked the controls.
"You're taking me to a rock for our trip? What a surprise." Leia tossed the comment to him.
"I said some of them were rocks. We're not going to a rock." He assured her.
Flying past the planets, toward a distant beaming star, Han swerved the ship toward a lone
orb. "Here's where we're going."
Han maneuvered the Falcon lower, into the atmosphere. Leia could see little for the overgrowth
they passed.
Han flew with confidence…lower and lower…
"Look out, Han, you're going to hit that overgrowth!" Leia shouted.
"Hold on." He told her, pulling back on the controls and lowering the power. The ship dived
toward the ground.
In a natural reflex, Leia brought her arm up to shield her head as they dove into the underbrush,
the Falcon slowly sliding into a dark tangle of brush and climbing vines, raising dust as it came to a landing.
"Great!" Leia sputtered. "Now we're stuck here!"
"We're not stuck anywhere, sweetheart." Han told her, placing a hand on her leg.
"I put us down exactly where we are going to spend the next three solar days." He rose to
to go to the hatchway.
"Just what kind of place have you brought us to?" Her question hung in the air as she followed him.
MORE TO COME…Dec. 1, 2017