HOW DO I DRIVE THIS THING?
(Han)
I've got a lot of deliveries to make and not a lot of time to make them in. Fortunately, they're to the Core Worlds and the Inner Rim, but it's going to take me a good ten days to accomplish, assuming all goes well, which is something of an if. The Falcon is a good ship, but like all ladies, she has her off moments.
School shuts down for the hottest part of the seasons; we have hot weather for about half the year and incredibly hot weather for a quarter of it. The remainder is wet, windy and cold. We're in the season I call 'as hot as possible without being on Tatooine.'
Chewie and I normally fly these jobs together, but he had to race home to Kashyyyk, a problem with Lumpy. I didn't ask because there's no need to. It's gotta be serious for Chewie to bolt like that. I'd have let him take the Falcon except that we'd accepted all this work.
Jaina's been helping me get my old girl ready for the trip. She's twelve, and I'm kind of surprised she still helps me.
"Thanks for the help - owww!" She was handing me a hydrospanner and it fell on my head when I failed to grab it.
"You okay, Daddy?"
"I'm fine, I'm fine. Just need to get out of here by tomorrow early."
"I hope Uncle Chewie's okay."
"I think Uncle Chewie is fine. It's Lumpy you should worry about."
"Yeah, I know that's why he went."
I'm about to say, I didn't discuss that with you, but she has her ways of figuring me out, and this puts me at a strong strategic disadvantage.
"I could come with you," Jaina volunteers.
"Delivering merchandise?"
"Well, it's not scary, is it?"
"Not nowadays." For the most part, it's pretty smooth flying these years.
"Mom said you did a lot of dangerous missions for the Alliance."
"Let's just say that fighting off the Imps and various and sundry less than lovable characters made runs a lot more hazardous."
"I can come with you. I could even help you unpack."
"Honey, where I'm going, they have their crews to unpack the ship. I'm getting kind of old for that."
"I could still help. I can pilot the ship."
My stomach has gotten caught in my throat. I've let Jaina pilot a few times, and each time, I've had to restrain myself from grabbing the controls away frome her and/or not vomit. I'm not a dainty driver myself, but she's inexperienced, and she's not familiar with what what you do in various emergency situations. I know that becoming a pilot is her dream, and she has the raw ability, but it could be a far less efficient operation.
"Don't you have friends you like hanging out with?"
Jaina rolls her eyes just like her mom does. "All they wanna talk about is boys. And makeup. They're both boring."
Good, she's not all about boys yet. I breathe a little easier.
"Lemme tell you that boys get more boring, not less."
"I know. You used to be cool when you were a pirate."
"I deeply appreciate that," I tell her sarcastically.
"Besides, I miss you when you're gone."
I suddenly feel like a pat of butter in a hot pan, trying to remain solid.
"And if I'm gonna be a great pilot, I gotta practice."
"True. But you might do better with someone who's impartial."
"Whaddya mean?"
"Someone who's not worried about losing life and limb in the process."
"What, you think I'd crash your precious Falcon? C'mon, Daddy, no way!"
I have a feeling I'm going to be defeated in very short order.
"Pleeeeeeeeeeeeassssse?" She's giving me the eyes her mom makes when she's trying to get me to agree to something. I am helpless against this.
Fortunately, I have a higher authority I can appeal to, namely, Leia. "I'll talk to Mom."
"Oh thank you thank you!" She comes down, gives me a big hug, and says, "Daddy, you're the best!"
"Uh-huh. All right, let's get back to work."
01123581321345589144233377610987
Dinner's done, the older three kids are out playing, and miraculously, Jarik is sound asleep. He's always more worn out in the hot months. I think some of it may be due to the fact that he has three older siblings to entertain him.
"Jaina wants to go on this shipping run with me," I tell Leia.
"Does she know that there's nothing glamorous about deliveries?"
"No. I tried to tell her, but you know her, when she gets something in her head - "
"I'm very well acquainted with this aspect of her," Leia says, and she's laughing.
"She's just like you that way."
Leia explodes into laughter. I fail to see the humor in this.
"What?" I ask her.
"Han, you are the most stubborn man in the universe, and you say she gets it from me?" Leia finds this hilarious.
"I thought she just got my good looks and charming personality."
Leia is laughing so hard she has to grab a glass of water. "You were saying about taking Jaina on a delivery run."
"Ten days of it, if we're lucky and nothing blows on the Falcon."
Fortunately, Leia says nothing. She does not diss my ship. She knows how often it's saved our asses.
"Well, why not? It's good experience for her."
"And may be the death of me."
"Han, time has established that you are eminently not killable."
"Is that even a word? She gives me heart attacks," I tell her.
"What are you going to do when she discovers boys?"
"That'll never happen. Ever!"
"Well, why don't you take her? You're used to flying with Chewie, who at least gives you someone to talk to. He's not here, and I do hope things are all right by him. You and Jaina have fun together. Think about it."
"You know, I'm getting the feeling that you and Jaina are in cahoots to torment me."
"I don't have to be in cahoots with Jaina to torment you," she says blandly, a smile on her face. "I can do it on my own. Take her, Han, and let her have a shot. I wouldn't leave her unsupervised - "
"Don't even say it!"
" - but you've said yourself that she's got the talent, and the drive."
"Just not the ability. Yet."
"And how is she supposed to acquire that skill?"
I sigh. "I really hate it when you're so sensible." Leia laughs again. She is totally amused by this. I had no idea I was so entertaining.
"There's also the matter of what, well, what happens when we're in port."
"You usually sleep on the Falcon."
"Yeah, but you know if anyone's around I go drinking with 'em, play a little sabacc. I mean, not that I have to, sometimes nobody's around - "
"Let her try her wings," Leia says to me. "I think you could have some great father-daughter bonding time. And, you wouldn't have to listen to us duking it out." Mothers and daughters are complicated as hell. I don't understand it and I doubt I ever will.
I stare at her. "Let me make sure I understand this. You think my taking her on deliveries is a good idea."
"I do."
Once again, I have been defeated by both of the women in my life. Any other conclusion would have been delusional.
01123581321345589144233377610987
I knock on Jaina's door. I knock louder. No response. Probably playing her music impossibly loud. I open the door.
She glares at me. "Daddy, don't you knock?"
"I do. You just don't hear me. You seem to want to become prematurely deaf. Anyway, I talked to your mom."
"And?"
"She thinks you should go with me."
Her sullen mood changes in a terasecond. "Yay! Daddy, you're the best!" She gives me a huge hug.
"Better get packing, sweetie. We're off at 0700."
Let's see what she thinks of me after we've been racing about the galaxy for a few days. Somehow, I may once again be knocked off the Galaxy's Greatest Dad pedestal.
01123581321345589144233377610987
(Leia)
I never look forward to Han's cargo runs. But there are two good parts: the night before he leaves and the night he comes home. No matter how busy or tired we are, we do our best to make sure to keep that time for us alone.
Han's reading Jarik 'The Little Lost Bantha Cub.' Yes, it was the favorite of the older kids as well. But Han reads it as if it was the first time he ever did. Our youngest child is curled up on Han's lap, listening to his father's soothing voice. I smile at how lucky I am to have a husband who's such a great father.
Jaina is now racing about trying to get her clothes to the valet as she attempts to match outfits. She's not what you'd call a clothes fanatic, but she is very specific about what goes with what, and no variations on a theme should be suggested, lest the wrath of a twelve year old be visited upon you. She's thrilled to death that her father's going to take her on a delivery run.
I've been on delivery runs with Han, both back during the Rebellion (when we were shot at constantly) and in peacetime (where the height of excitement is an evening in Chalmun's Spaceport Cantina). Let's just say that Han and I entertained each other as best we could in a small space, mostly without clothing, at least in between trying to repair the hyperdrive.
Jarik is asleep by the time the story ends and he takes our little guy to his crib. We both kiss him good night. He's such a cute little one.
"How long do we have before Jacen and Anakin have to be home?" Han asks me, his eyes full of mischief.
"About two hours." Yes, they are out in the streets with their friends, playing various games that are accompanied by a great deal of noise.
"I think two hours is enough."
"And, we have a door that locks."
"Say no more."
