Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. Lucas and Disney do.
Author's Note: I see lots of stories where Mothma, Dodonna, and any number of other Alliance leaders are displeased with Han being in a relationship with Leia. Let me be clear that I have no problem with that idea, as I think it's a reasonable assumption, but it got me thinking (a dangerous pastime, I know), and this was the result.
This is un-beta'd and unedited. And, there are probably lots of OOC moments going around. Sorry about that. I wrote this in one sitting and posted it as soon as I was done. Feel free to point out any major problems, and I may try to fix them later.
Timeline: Post-ROTJ, original trilogy canon only (though I am borrowing some names from the new canon and Legends to round out the High Command)
The Oath
by Mako-clb
Han had suspected that this was not a standard meeting he had been called to right from the beginning, but when he walked into the conference room to see just about every member of Alliance High Command except for Leia, he knew this was not going to be fun for anyone.
"Please, have a seat, General Solo," Mon Mothma said in what Han called her I-will-pretend-that-we-are-equals tone. Han looked around at the assemblage again, really looked at them and all the disapproving looks he was getting, and decided that whatever game they were playing, he wasn't going to make it easy on them.
"Nah, think I'll stand," Han said, closing the door, then leaning against it. He hid his satisfaction as Tantor and Veertag looked uncomfortably between Han and the empty chair at the table.
"Have a seat," Mon Mothma repeated. "I insist."
"I'm good right here," Han said. "Besides, I got a feeling that one way or another, I ain't gonna be here long."
"Before we begin, I would ask you all to reconsider. It's not too late for everyone here to simply walk away from this," Rieekan said, looking each of the other members of High Command in the eye. "This is not Alliance business. It's not our business."
"You are welcome to leave, General Rieekan," Dodonna said. "This is not a mandatory meeting."
"If the meeting is going to continue, I'm staying," Rieekan said. "Someone needs to make sure this doesn't get any more out of hand than it already is."
Rieekan turned to Solo, looked him in the eye, and said. "Let me make this perfectly clear. I do not approve of this meeting, and you have every right to leave any time you like. This is not an official meeting, but a personal issue that I don't believe is any of our business."
"That's enough," Mothma said with the quiet authority that Han recognized from the few times he had heard her speak via holo. Since Palpatine's death, Mothma had decided to permanently come out of hiding and join the rest of High Command aboard Home One, an action that seemed a little late in Han's opinion.
Han had never really interacted with Mothma during his time with the Alliance. Before officially signing up, Solo had gotten jobs either from Leia or Rieekan. After taking the Oath of Allegiance to the Alliance, Solo had served under Madine. As the head of special ops, Solo and the soldiers he often worked with got their marching orders from Solo's fellow Corellian. Han recognized the rest of High Command mainly because of Leia. What he did know was that he didn't have many friends in this room. Rieekan definitely. Madine maybe—at the very least he wasn't an enemy. Although Ackbar had never said anything to Han directly, it was well known the Mon Calamari hated criminals, and that included smugglers and former smugglers. Dodonna had never liked him, and the man made no secret of it. Han had received more than one tongue-lashing from the man for not showing Her Royal Highness Princess Leia the proper respect. The rest, well who the hells knew.
"General Solo," Mothma said, drawing Han's attention back to her. "We've asked you here to discuss a rather sensitive issue. It has come to our attention that you are involved with Princess Leia."
Mothma paused, and it was clear she expected some type of response from Solo, so he made a point to say nothing. Instead, Han rested his hand on the butt of his blaster. The threat was subtle, but it was there—if any of them said something about Leia he didn't like, Han was ready to take action, no matter who these people thought they were.
After a few more moments of silence, Dodonna finally spoke, his voice louder than necessary in the quiet conference room. "Well, are you involved with the Princess or not?"
"Why not ask Leia?" Han responded, his tone casual, but his body language radiating his displeasure.
"We are asking you," Dodonna said, the agitation in his voice obvious.
"A gentleman doesn't kiss and tell," Han said, giving Dodonna a look that clearly said to back off.
"You are no gentleman," Dodonna growled.
"Maybe not, but I'm more of one than you are," Han replied. "I don't go around interrogating people about their private affairs."
Jan Dodonna rose from his seat, his face red with anger, but before he could say another word, Mothma placed a hand on his arm and said, "I see I will need to be more direct."
Mothma waited for Dodonna to reclaim his seat before continuing. "We are fully aware that you have a relationship with Princess Leia. We do not know the details, nor is anyone here asking you to share those details. What we want to discuss is the fact that the relationship cannot be allowed to continue."
"You know, when I signed on to this party, I thought we were fighting to get rid of the Empire, not continuing that sith-spawned dictator's crap."
"How dare you!" some admiral named Nutz or Nantz shouted. Han couldn't remember, and frankly he didn't care.
"I dare," Han growled, "because it sounds like you kriffin' bastards think you get to decide what Leia does with her life."
"And, you think you're better qualified to decide what's best for the Princess? You think you're good enough for her?" Dodonna shouted, slapping his hands on the table and looking for all the world like he wanted nothing more than for Solo to drop dead right at that moment.
"Hells, no!" Solo shouted, his patience already gone. "There's nobody good enough for Leia."
At Solo's admission, the room grew quiet. Han hadn't meant to say that, but then again, he never meant to say half the things he said. His mouth had a tendency to run away with him when he got angry, but that didn't change the fact that what he said was true.
Solo took a few deep breaths as the silence lingered a bit too long. He needed to get control of himself because there was something he needed to say, and he needed to get it right.
"Look, it doesn't matter that Leia's a princess," Solo said.
Immediately, Dodonna began to argue, but Rieekan stood and said, "Let the man finish."
Han nodded in gratitude to Rieekan, then took a few moments to collect himself before trying again. Han didn't talk about his feelings, not to anyone but Chewie and Leia, and then not very often. But, right now he had no choice. Han had to make these idiots understand because he could not let them go after Leia like this.
"What I mean is, even if Leia wasn't a princess, I wouldn't be good enough for her."
Dodonna smirked as he said, "Finally, we agree on something."
"Jan," Rieekan admonished.
Han continued as if nobody had spoken. "But, like I said, nobody's good enough for her. And, for whatever reason, she wants me." Han couldn't help the crooked grin that lit up his face when he reminded himself of that. "As long as that's what Leia wants, that's what she's gonna get."
Solo really hadn't meant to make a double entendre, for once, but by the looks that Mothma, Dodonna, and Madine were giving him, it was clear that his unintentional innuendo hadn't gone unnoticed. Rieekan actually looked mildly amused, and, as usual, Ackbar was nearly impossible to read.
When Mothma finally spoke, there was a hard edge to her voice, though she hadn't raised it above her normally subdued speaking volume. "And, if we order you to end your relationship with Princess Leia?"
"Order all you want," Han said. "Unless I hear it directly from Leia, it's not gonna happen."
"You took an oath," Mothma reminded Han.
"Yeah, I did," Han said, nodding his head in agreement. "And, I intend to keep it." And, with that, Han stood up straight, turned around and walked out of the conference room.
The room broke out in exclamations of outrage and demands for Han to be courtmartialed, most of it coming from Dodonna and Ackbar, though the later was less concerned with Han continuing his relationship with Leia as he was with Solo showing such disregard for the oath to the Alliance.
"Enough!" Rieekan shouted. When he had everyone's attention, he continued in a more controlled voice. "Are we really considering disciplinary action against one of our best soldiers for a personal decision that is none of our business?"
"It is our business, Carlist," Mon said, shifting from the more formal bearing she had maintained while Solo was in the room. "As the leaders of the Alliance, we can't allow Princess Leia to make decisions that reflect poorly on our character. As her friends, we cannot sit by as Solo takes advantage of her vulnerable state of mind and eventually breaks her heart. Don't you care about her, Carlist?"
"You know I do. Leia is like family to me," Rieekan said, his voice growing softer as he continued, "especially after Alderaan."
"Then we must put a stop to this before Solo hurts her," Dodonna said.
"We are the ones who will hurt Leia if she ever finds out about this," Rieekan said. "And, we are lucky that Solo is more dedicated to her than any of people in this room who purport to be her friends and colleagues."
"Why do you defend that criminal?" Ackbar asked. "I agree that giving orders to people regarding their personal lives smacks of exactly the type of government we are trying to overthrow, but he was a smuggler, a common criminal. How can we trust he isn't just using the Princess for money or prestige?"
Rieekan wasn't sure how he could get the others to see what he had seen years ago—that regardless of Solo's past, he was committed to Leia's happiness and well being. Then, Rieekan remembered something that would speak louder than any words he could say.
"I think I have the proof you need that Solo is not using Leia, that is if you will indulge me." When Mon nodded her assent, Rieekan added, "Please wait here. It will take me a few moments to get what I need."
Rieekan returned several time parts later and set a holo cube on the desk.
"This is your proof?" Dodonna asked, having been ready and eager to discount whatever Rieekan produced as evidence of Solo's good intentions.
"Just watch," Rieekan said as he activated the holo.
An image of Han Solo sitting at a nondescript desk appeared in the middle of the room. The first sound the High Command heard was General Carlist Rieekan's voice coming from off-screen asking, "Do you consent to having this recorded?"
"Yeah, whatever," the holo image of Han Solo replied.
"Have you read the Oath of Allegiance to the Alliance? Do you understand it?" Rieekan's disembodied voice asked.
"Yeah, I got it," the image of Solo responded in his usual flippant manner.
"Then, please read the Oath and sign for the record," Rieekan's voice instructed.
The Han Solo holo picked up the data pad in front of him and began reading. "I, Han Solo, freely and without coercion, agree to join the Alliance to Restore the Republic. I am committed to fighting the Empire in a manner befitting the ideals of the Old Republic. I will not disobey the orders of a superior officer, except when said orders clearly violate the ideals of the Republic or threaten the existence of the Alliance." There was a brief pause before Solo continued, "and with no officer being more superior than Princess Leia Organa. I will willingly sacrifice my own comfort, safety, and life in service to the Alliance and in service to Princess Leia. I will not betray the trust of the Alliance or willingly divulge her secrets." Here Solo paused again briefly before continuing, "And, I won't betray Leia or give up her secrets. From this moment until I am released from this Oath or until the Republic has been fully restored, my life belongs to…" Solo trailed off again, but this time when he continued, his voice held a note of determination that hadn't been there before. "From this moment until I am released from my Oath by Princess Leia and only Leia, my life belongs to her."
The holo of Solo picked up the stylus and proceeded to sign the document.
"You know, that's not exactly what's written in the Oath," came Rieekan's voice from the holo cube.
"Yeah, I know," Solo said, setting down the data pad and looking straight ahead, "but that's the only way I'll say it. I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing it for her. I need you to know she always comes first."
The holo ended, frozen on the final image of Solo looking straight into the recorder. There was complete silence for a few moments, then Mon Mothma stood and said, "There will be no more official discussion of Princess Leia's relationship with Han Solo so long as there is no indication she has changed her mind and no evidence that General Solo is mistreating her."
"This is unacceptable," Admiral Ackbar said. "How can you allow Solo to continue to lead his troops when his loyalty is to a person and not the cause?"
"As the Supreme Commander, I am severely disappointed that a member of High Command would give the rank of general to someone whose loyalties are clearly and openly divided," Mothma said, glaring at Rieekan briefly as she did. Then her voice softened as she added, "As Leia's friend, and a friend of Bail's, I'm pleased and relieved to know that Leia has someone so clearly in love with her and committed to her.
"And, as Carlist has pointed out several times, this was really none of our business to begin with. Officially, this discussion is over, and High Command will never speak of it again."
"Unofficially?" Dodonna asked, still not pleased that an ex-smuggler like Han Solo would dare to be on such intimate terms with the Princess of Alderaan.
"Unofficially, I am in no more position to tell any of you what to do than we are to tell Princess Leia and General Solo how to handle their personal affairs," Mothma said, ending the meeting once and for all.
The End