Title: Thrown Room

Author: knightshade

Rating: PG

Summary: Leia's thoughts while trying to rescue Han from Jabba's palace.

Disclaimer: Own them I do not. It is Lucas you seek (well, ok, maybe Disney).

Author's Notes: I wanted to practice being in Leia's head before trying to write some TFA backstory and I've always loved the scene where she's skulking around the throne room.

Thrown Room

The room Leia had been afforded in Jabba's palace was slightly more luxurious than an Imperial prison cell – a comparison she was unfortunately all too qualified to make. The room contained a basic platform for sleeping, a mirror, a sink, facilities, and 4 walls. And right now those walls were weighing on her, stifling her ability to sleep or think or even breathe. Leia stopped pacing and dropped onto the platform. A stray wisp of hair fell in her face and she swiped it aside before unbraiding and rebraiding for what felt like the tenth time. Luke's plan just didn't make any sense. She wanted to trust him, she really did. After all they had been through together, he had become a very good friend, but all this mysterious Jedi stuff was growing tiresome. Ever since he came back from Dagobah and had his confrontation with Vader on Bespin, he'd been different. He was more mature, certainly, which on the whole was a good thing but there was almost an air of superiority about him that was grating sometimes. Like planning this mission. Why he wanted all of them there was beyond her. Why just give Jabba Threepio and Artoo? And Leia couldn't understand why he wanted Chewie to be locked in Jabba's dungeon. Granted, Chewie was one hell of an asset in a fight and you couldn't exactly disguise a seven and a half foot Wookiee as anything other than what he was, but she just couldn't stomach him being in the dungeon. He had barely left her side since Bespin. She owed it to him to make his time there as short as possible.

Sitting was too passive. Leia sprang up and started pacing again.

She had argued up and down that they needed a different plan but Luke wouldn't budge. When she asked why, he had finally said, "It's meant to be."

When she asked him to explain how he knew that, he said he'd 'seen' it. Whatever that meant.

She wanted to trust him, she really did.

Leia turned absentmindedly and banged her shin on the platform. She had to stifle the desire to howl in frustration. Why was she sitting here in this room waiting for Luke while Han was a piece of artwork in Jabba's throne room and Chewie was in the dungeon dealing with who knew what?

She had tried to explain to Luke that Chewie might be tortured but Luke said not to worry about it, that he would be fine. Then he had the gall to tell her that sometimes emotions clouded people's judgment. She had turned and walked away, furious. Worrying about what would happen to Chewie was important to their tactics, not to mention important as his friends. It was not 'clouded judgment' to want to get Han out of there with the minimum risk to everyone else. True, she loved him and wanted him back safely, and it had been driving her crazy not knowing what might be happening to him, but she'd been fighting for the rebellion for years. She had stood up to Darth Vader himself. Her judgment was not clouded.

But Luke was a friend and she wanted his help to rescue Han so she'd waiting for the bright flame of anger to cool before broaching the subject again. Even owing that he was a Jedi and might know more than she understood, she still thought this plan was crazy. But it was the only one Luke would agree to and he had the history and understanding of how to operate on Tattooine, so she had relented.

Leia took out her braid again and rolled the band back and forth around her hands. At least she and Lando had some freedom of movement. The droids had restraining bolts so of the lot of them three were captive, one was totally incapacitated, and one Jedi had yet to arrive. More of them were captive than free. How was this a good plan?

But Luke had just said she had to trust him.

Leia sighed and glanced at the thermal detonator. She could throw it into the hallway to create a diversion…

No, she needed to wait for Luke.

But she was so close and yet couldn't do anything for Han. It was killing her …

She sat down again and drummed her fingers on her knees.

She rebraided her hair.

She closed her eyes.

Oh, the hell with it.

Leia pulled her cape around her shoulders. She knotted her braid into a bun and settled the helmet over her head. Pressing the button on the door panel, she stood back as it whisked to the side and then glanced each way down the hall. It was dark and there was no one. It was late – even by Jabba's standards.

She hurried to Lando's room and quietly knocked on the door. He opened it almost immediately. Clearly she wasn't the only one who couldn't sleep.

Ducking inside, Leia pulled off her helmet. "Get Chewie and meet me in the throne room."

"What?"

"Get Chewie and meet me in the throne room," she repeated.

Lando looked at her crosswise. "That isn't the plan."

"It is now."

"But Leia…"

"I'll get Han. You get Chewie. We'll all get Threepio and Artoo and get out of here."

"Yes, but …"

Leia put on her helmet and strode out the door, brooking no argument. After the betrayal on Bespin, Lando had pretty much done whatever she asked. Sometimes guilt was useful.

At the end of the corridor, Leia had to stop herself and take a breath. She needed to slow down, calm herself and move forward carefully. She had no idea where Jabba and his entourage were and she needed to have enough time to let Han acclimate after bringing him out of hibernation. She peered around the corner. None of the snout-nosed Gamorrean guards were in sight so she counted to three and then slunk down the corridor, keeping to the wall.

Leia entered the throne room, moving carefully across the archway. There were aliens passed out on the floor and trash piled everywhere. Jabba's dais was empty, at least of anything living. The top of Leia's helmet unexpectedly bumped a set of chimes, sending them tinkling. She turned and silenced them, but thankfully no one moved. The party had been such that everyone in the throne room was either heavily asleep or passed out. She approached the alcove where Han was suspended and shook off the memory of watching him in the freezing chamber. She could not let the feelings of loss and fear associated with that memory overwhelm her. She ducked into the alcove and pressed the button to lower the block of carbonite. It hit the floor with a thud and fell back against the wall. Leia looked around, but no one heard. She stared up at him for a beat. His expression in the carbonite was pained and he looked vaguely like he might have been crying. She wondered just how painful it had been for him but pushed that thought away as well. Now was not the time. Leia quickly found the controls to reanimate Han, activated them, and stepped back. She watched as the carbonite glowed red and then seemed to be eaten away from Han's body. He fell face first in front of her and she eased him into a sitting position. He was sweaty, dirty, shaking, and cold. He was also obviously afraid.

"Just relax for a moment. You're free of the carbonate," Leia said, knowing her mechanical Boushh voice wasn't all that reassuring. Han moaned and Leia looked around nervously. "Shhh. You have hibernation sickness."

Han's eyes were blinking rapidly. "I can't see."

"Your eyesight will return in time." Leia hoped. They had read about hibernation sickness and blindness was a common side effect. In most cases it was temporary and she didn't want to think about what it would mean if it turned out to be otherwise.

"Where am I?" he asked.

"Jabba's palace."

"Who are you?"

Leia couldn't help the flush that overtook her heart. She glanced around and then pulled off her helmet. "Someone who loves you," she said softly, but confidently.

"Leia!" Han exclaimed.

"I've got to get you out of here," she said, trying to coax him up. And then she froze. A deep rumble of laughter stopped her. Jabba's laughter. It bounced through the throne room and rattled her heart.

"What's that? I know that laugh," Han said.

A curtain opened behind them. Leia turned to see Jabba, Threepio, and several of Jabba's sycophants. She ducked under Han's arm as she turned him around.

"Hey Jabba … look Jabba. I was just on my way to pay you back and I got a little sidetracked. It's not my fault."

"It's too late for that Solo. You may have been a good smuggler, but now you're Bantha fodder," Jabba said in Huttese.

"Look…" Han started in his talking-his-way-out-of-it voice.

"Take him away."

"Jabba, I'll pay you triple. You're throwing away a fortune here. Don't be a fool," Han bargained.

But it was no use. Two guards pushed Leia back and hustled Han away. Leia looked after him, stunned that after having Han back for only a few brief moments, he was being taken away again.

And then it dawned on her. This was why Luke wanted Chewie in the dungeon. It was certainly where Han was headed and he needed someone to look after him in his current state. This must have been what Luke saw. Then it also dawned on her that that meant she was the reason for this crazy plan. Luke must have known that she wouldn't be able to wait, that she would try to rescue Han herself and there would be no talking her out of it. She wondered just how predetermined all of this was. Then Luke's other comment finally made sense too. He wasn't talking about her judgment being clouded when they argued weeks ago. He was talking about her here, now.

This was when her emotions had gotten the better of her.

Her love for Han had blinded her as surely as hibernation sickness had blinded him.

Now she had no choice but to wait for Luke to help rescue them all.

XxXxXxXxXxX

-knightshade

January 24, 2016