This takes place directly after the Timothy Zahn book Scoundrels. I'm not sure how much sense it would make without having read the book.
Luke is waiting in the hanger with a huge smile on his face when Han and Chewbacca land the Falcon back on Yavin IV. "I knew you'd come back!" he calls, running forward. Before Han can react, he hugs him tightly, beaming.
"Uh, hey, kid," Han replies, patting Luke's back awkwardly. "How've you been?"
Luke takes a step back, still looking absurdly happy to see Han. "We've all been busy trying to get ready to leave the base," he replies. "Leia says we're going to Hoth next. Apparently, it's an ice planet."
Han, who's had the misfortune of visiting Hoth before, makes a face. "Good luck with that."
Luke's face falls. "Aren't you coming with us?"
Chewbacca growls and tousles Luke's hair. "Well, Chewie says we are, so I guess I don't have a choice," Han relents.
Luke's smile reappears immediately. "We should go find Leia! She'll be glad to see you too!"
"You sure about that, kid?" Han counters, putting his hands in his pockets. His fingers brush against the unfamiliar comm unit deep in his left pocket. He shrugs. "Might as well get it out of the way."
Luke beams and grabs Han's arm, dragging him down a hallway. "Leia's probably in the briefing room, but I know she's supposed to be off-duty now," he tells Han as he marches him down halls. Chewbacca lets out a distinctly amused rumble behind them and Han shoots him a dirty look. "She'll be glad to see you. I think."
Leia is not glad to see him.
"So, you decided to come back," she says, not even looking up. Her voice is colder than the surface of Hoth. "I'm sure we can find something for you to do. Something suitable for your… unique talents."
Luke winces. "The important part is that he's back, right?" he tries. Han has to give him credit for trying. "We're glad he's back!"
Leia looks over at Luke, arching an eyebrow and wearing an expression that clearly asks, Really?
"I'm glad he's back, anyway," Luke says stubbornly.
"Wasn't expecting a warm welcome, kid," Han says, shrugging and hooking his thumbs in his belt. "It's alright."
"If you don't mind, I do have things to do," Leia says, gathering up a stack of datapads and sweeping over to the door. "Captain Solo, you can report to General Dodonna for an assignment in the morning."
"I've got something for you, actually," Han says, pulling the comm unit out of his pocket. He tosses it to Leia, who manages to catch it while simultaneously giving him the dirtiest look he thinks he's ever seen.
"What is this?" Leia asks, enough derision in her voice to probably kill someone.
"A gift from a friend of yours," Han replies. He grins. "Goes by the name of Winter."
The blood drains out of Leia's face so quickly that Han thinks she's going to pass out. Luke shoots Han a worried look and scurries over to her side, his hand hovering near her elbow. "Are you okay?"
"Winter Retrac?" Leia demands, looking at Han with wild eyes. "Was her name Winter Retrac?"
"We didn't exchange last names, but she called herself Winter. Said she was associated with the Royal House of Alderaan. About your height, white hair, probably same age as you."
"She's alive?" Leia asks, her fingers curling around the comm so tightly her knuckles go white.
"Alive and well," Han agrees. "And glad to hear you weren't on Alderaan when it blew. She gave me the comm to give to you. Said not to use it too often, but it's secure."
Leia looks down at the comm like it holds all the secrets to taking down the Empire. "Thank you," she says, her voice tight with emotion.
"Are you alright?" Luke asks gently, putting a hand on Leia's shoulder. "Who's Winter?"
"My sister," Leia replies, looking up at Luke. "She's my sister. We grew up together on Alderaan. I didn't know if she was there when-"
Luke wordlessly takes the datapads out of Leia's hands, sets them aside, and pulls her in for a hug. "She's safe," he whispers.
"She's safe," Leia repeats. She looks over at Han. "Where did you find her?"
"Can't tell you," Han replies, because he didn't swear everyone to secrecy just for the fun of it. "But I can tell you that she's safe. About as safe as we are, at least."
"That's more than I could have hoped for," Leia replies. "Thank you, Han."
"Hey, I'm just the messenger," Han replies, holding up his hands. "You should comm her, by the way. The look on her face when I told her you were alive was almost as good as the look on yours just now."
Leia scowls, her gratitude for Han apparently spent. She moves to leave the room, then stops and looks back at the datapads Luke pulled out of her hands. "Luke, could you-"
"Draven or Dodonna?" Luke asks with a grin, picking up the stack of datapads.
"Draven," Leia replies, a slight smile on her face. "Thank you, Luke."
"Go comm your sister," Luke tells Leia, kissing her quickly on the cheek. Han blinks, suddenly wondering if he shouldn't be watching this. He can't quite tell if something's going on between the two of them or if Luke is just being his normally affectionate self. He supposes he'll have to ask.
Leia leaves the room quickly. Luke looks up at Han, tucking the datapads under his arm. "Do you want to come with me to give these to Draven? It won't take long."
"I'm pretty sure Draven hates me," Han replies, making a face. "And I have some things to get from the Falcon."
"I'll meet you there, then," Luke says with a smile. He scurries out of the room with the datapads, leaving Han feeling vaguely like he was just in the middle of a hurricane of kindness and affection. It's not a familiar sensation for him.
Chewbacca growls. "You've got that right," Han agrees. "Kid's got spirit, that much is for sure."
Chewbacca growls again and Han feels his cheeks flush. "I don't care what the princess thinks of me, Chewie," he snaps. Chewbacca's next growl has a teasing edge and Han's pretty sure his blush is just getting darker. "Shut up, you stupid furball."
They head to the Falcon and Han sorts quickly through the things he'll need to bring with him to whatever quarters he gets assigned and the things he can leave onboard. He's just checking the last few things when he hears Luke's cheery voice echo through the corridors.
"Over here, kid," he bellows. A moment later, Luke's head pops into the room.
"What are these?" he asks, immediately going over to the data chips. "They look fancy."
"Something I picked up for the Alliance on my travels," Han replies.
Luke looks up at him eagerly. "What have you been doing?"
Getting attacked by pirates and leading a huge heist that spiraled so out of control it's not even funny. "Nothing much. You?"
Luke shrugs. "Like I said, it's mostly just preparing to move to Hoth. Although" - his face lights up - "look what I've been practicing!"
Han watches somewhat dubiously as Luke gives the box of data chips a very intense look and holds out his hand. For a moment, nothing happens. Then, slowly and wobbly, the box begins to float, first an inch above the table, then a few inches, and then half a foot. Luke's eyes narrow into slits as he lowers it back down onto the table, then he beams at Han.
"Wow." Han isn't quite sure what he's supposed to say to that. "Impressive trick, kid."
"I'm learning how to use the Force like Ben!" Luke says eagerly. "I want to be a Jedi just like my father was."
"Seems like you're off to a good start," Han replies, although he knows absolutely nothing about being a Jedi. He thought they were pretty cool when he was a child and watched newsreels of the Clone Wars, but when they were all slaughtered and declared enemies of the Empire, Han lost interest. He never thought he'd actually meet a Jedi, and now he's got an overexcited trainee showing off to him.
"Thanks!"
"So what have you been doing other than planning a move to Hoth and learning how to make things float?" Han asks. "Are you and the princess…?"
Luke frowns. "What about me and Leia?"
If Luke doesn't even know what Han's talking about, Han thinks he probably doesn't have to worry about it. Not that he was worried about the thought of Luke and Leia being more than friends, but if they're not, that makes things less complicated. It's for the best, really.
Chewbacca shoots Han a look that means he guessed far too much of Han's internal narrative. It has a mixture of amusement and pity, with a dash of stop being so pathetic for star's sake. Han ignores it.
"We really haven't been doing anything interesting," Luke tells Han. "What about you? I know you said you weren't doing much, but you must have been doing something. Where'd you get the data chips?"
"Long story that I'm not sharing," Han replies, his voice a little short. Luke's face falls the tiniest bit. Han hates the immediate stab of pity and guilt. "But I did stop at this crazy cantina on my way back here," he relents.
Luke's face lights up again. "What happened?"
Han grins. He's a good storyteller, always has been. "Well, it all started like this…"
Leia's grip on the comm unit is white-knuckled. She takes a deep breath and consciously forces herself to loosen her grip, one finger at a time. She can't risk breaking it, not when it's her only link to Winter.
It's a small unit, but it's clearly not cheap. It has two options, either a full hologram or audio only. There's only one frequency programmed into it.
Leia steps into her quarters and closes the door behind her. She's not supposed to use an unauthorized comm unit while on the base. She knows this as well as anyone else. She probably knows it even better than most, considering she helped to come up with that rule. But Winter wouldn't give Han a comm unit that could be traced.
Assuming it really was Winter that Han met.
Leia runs her fingers over the comm unit slowly. She brushes over something rough and frowns, looking down at it. There's a piece of flimsi attached to the bottom with a few sentences written in a flowing script that Leia immediately recognizes as Winter's.
You skinned your knee climbing the tree in the courtyard and didn't want me to tell Mother and Father. I wrapped so many bandages around your knee you couldn't bend it. You took them off and bled all over your leggings and tried to tell Mother it was paint.
Leia presses her fist to her mouth. She remembers that day, and more importantly, she remembers that no one but she and Winter knew about how she skinned her knee or about the fiasco with the bandages.
Leia presses the button to comm Winter without another moment of hesitation.
At first, there's no response. Then a wavering blue image appears, blurry at first, then sharpening into Winter, wearing an unfamiliar tunic with her white hair cut to her chin.
"Leia," Winter breathes, sounding as much on the edge of tears as Leia feels. "Solo got the comm unit to you. I was worried-"
"You're alive," Leia whispers, her voice breaking. "I thought you were on-planet-"
"I thought you were," Winter replies. She's always been so stoic, but Leia can hear her voice trembling just a bit. Winter has never been as guarded around her as she is around other people. "Mother and Father-"
"We're fairly certain they were both there," Leia confirms, hating that she has to do it. "If they weren't, no one's heard from them."
"Do you know the details?" Winter asks. "All I know is the Empire used its planet killer."
Leia is horribly familiar with the details, but she can't bring herself to say them over the comm. "Come back and I'll tell you everything."
"I'm on a mission," Winter replies regretfully. "I'll find you after I finish it."
"Be quick," Leia says, aware that she's being whinier than she'd like. She can't help it. She needs to see Winter, actually see her, not just as a hologram. "I'm so glad you're alive."
"The feeling is mutual," Winter replies. She looks behind her for a moment, and when she turns around, Leia can tell that she's worried despite the size of the hologram. "I have to go. I'll comm you again when I have the time."
"I miss you," Leia admits quietly. "Come back to the Rebellion soon."
"I miss you too," Winter admits softly. "I'll be back as soon as I can."
Then the hologram fades out and Leia is left holding the comm unit, alone in her room.
The first thing she does is hide the comm unit in the most secure spot of her room, along with the chalcedony waves from her mother and a small holopic of her parents. Then Leia sits down on her bed and does her best not to cry.
She's not sure how long she sits there before her door slides open softly. Luke steps in tentatively, looking around. "Leia, are you- Oh, there you are." Luke takes in her appearance for a moment, then takes a step forward. "Are you alright?"
"I talked to Winter," Leia says, her voice just on the edge of breaking. "Oh Luke, she's alive."
Luke takes another step forward and sits on the edge of Leia's bed, far enough away that they're not touching but close enough that they could easily. "You look like you're going to cry."
Leia rubs at her eyes furiously. "I might," she admits in a small voice.
"It's okay, you know," Luke adds. "I won't tell anyone."
"We grew up together," Leia says quietly. She shifts a little closer to Luke, hoping he'll get the hint. He does, closing the gap and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "She's adopted, just like I am. Her biological mother was one of our father's aides. But she's been my sister for as long as I can remember."
"Tell me about her," Luke urges gently.
"She doesn't forget things," Leia says absently. "Ever. She's got a perfect memory." She huffs out a little laugh. "It's horrible in arguments. If I say anything that contradicts with anything else I've ever said, Winter will know."
"Where is she now?" Luke asks. "Or can you not tell me?"
"I don't know the specifics," Leia replies. "But she's on a mission for the Rebellion. Hopefully she can meet us soon."
"Hopefully," Luke agrees. "I'd like to meet her."
"I'd like you to," Leia replies. "I think you two would like each other."
"I wonder how Han met her, then," Luke remarks.
"Ask him," Leia suggests.
Luke frowns. "He won't talk about what he was doing while he was gone. At first I thought he just didn't want to tell you, cause, you know…"
Leia, who's made no secret of her disdain for Han Solo, finishes, "Because I don't like him."
Luke scowls. "You do too."
Leia arches an eyebrow.
"Anyway," Luke adds, "I thought it might just be you, but I asked him and he wouldn't tell me either."
"I could ask Winter," Leia offers. "Next time we talk, though. She had to go this time."
"Do you think she'll tell you?" Luke asks dubiously.
"If she won't, there's a reason," Leia replies confidently. "Winter doesn't keep secrets from me unless she has to."
"Han did tell me one story, though," Luke says, starting to grin. "It was about this cantina that he stopped in. I'm pretty sure he made half of it up."
Leia eyes Luke for a moment. "Are you and Han…?"
Luke scowls when Leia trails off artfully. "Han asked me the same thing about you. Do you two have something against finishing sentences?"
Leia can't help but grin. "Han was asking if you and I are involved, and I'm asking you if you're involved with him."
Luke, bless him, still looks confused. "Involved how?"
"Do you like Han?" Leia asks, stressing the word in hopes that it gets her point across. "More than just as a friend?"
Luke's eyes light up slowly as he realizes what Leia means, then they widen in either shock or horror. "Han was asking if you and I-"
"He was," Leia confirms.
"And you were asking if he and I-"
"I was."
"I barely know Han!" Luke protests. "I barely know you! We haven't even known each other for a standard month!"
"No need to be so vehement about it," Leia replies dryly.
Luke flushes. "Sorry."
"It's alright," Leia relents quickly. "We can just be friends, how about that?"
"I didn't have that many friends on Tatooine," Luke admits. "Just me and Biggs, mostly."
"Biggs Darklighter?" Leia asks, her heart sinking as she realizes where she knows the name from.
"He saved me, up there," Luke says grimly. "I wouldn't have been able to destroy the Death Star if he hadn't had my back."
"I know," Leia agrees softly. "I- I hadn't thought that you lost people too."
"My aunt and uncle too," Luke adds. "And Ben. It's not like losing my whole planet, but-"
"Any loss is a tragedy," Leia replies. "I'm sorry, Luke, I never even thought to ask."
"It's okay," Luke replies, offering Leia a smile. "I think everyone here has lost someone."
"That doesn't make every loss any less painful," Leia replies. She wraps her arm around Luke's shoulders as well, squeezing gently. "We'll have to be here for each other, okay?"
"Aren't we already?" Luke asks, but he's grinning as he says it.
"Shut up."
Luke lets out a long breath. "Thank you. And I'm sorry about Alderaan, for what it's worth."
"I'm sorry about your aunt and uncle, and Biggs, and Ben," Leia replies. "We'll make the Empire pay for what they took from us."
"They didn't take everything," Luke replies. He nods at the comm unit on Leia's desk. "They didn't take Winter."
"They didn't take you," Leia adds. "And they didn't take me. We're still here."
"They didn't take Han," Luke adds.
Leia makes a face. "I suppose."
"He's not that bad," Luke protests. "I mean, he's a little rough around the edges, but he's a good guy deep down."
"Very deep," Leia grumbles, but she relents at the look on Luke's face. "Fine. They didn't take Han."
"We'll be okay," Luke says softly, squeezing Leia's shoulders. "And the Empire will fall."
"The Empire will fall," Leia repeats, and somewhere deep in her bones she knows that it's true.