DIFFERENT
A/N - Extremely pointless H/L story. I was bored...for a while...
Set before ESB on Hoth.
Han Solo heard a sharp crack above his ship, the Millenium Falcon, as he angled himself to climb up the ship's ladder. Immediately alarmed by the sudden noise, he scrambled up to see a repair droid twittering madly amongst a gauntlet of sparks and tiny explosions.
"No! What did you do?" he growled, pulling himself up over the edge.
The droid replied in a series of unintelligible beeps and blips as it retreated to the rear of the Falcon, away from the exploding sector of the ship. Han bent over the area where the droid had just been and flicked off a red switch, putting an abrupt stop to the chaos.
Han turned menacingly to the robot, which watched silently. "If you affected the hyper-drive in any way, I'll personally see to it that you'll end up in the scrap pile." He pointed to his chest. "Me and Chewie took nearly four timeparts to fix up all of the-"
"I don't think the General would appreciate the damaging of Alliance property by one of his own," a voice called from below.
Han swerved around and leaned over the edge of the ship precariously, seeing none other than Luke Skywalker grinning up at him, dressed in full pilot attire.
"And I don't appreciate the Alliance's half-witted droids blowing up my ship," he snapped. "Just came back from reconnaissance?"
Luke nodded and furrowed his brow. "Getting the lay of the land. You know, there's a briefing about to begin." He shifted his helmet from under one arm to the other. "And you're here and not there."
"Hey, I was just about to go, when the genius here pulled one on me. I'm coming," he sighed as he descended back down the ladder.
Han and Luke walked towards the back rooms through the labyrinth of tunnels and hallways in silence. As they walked past the command center, Han caught a glimpse of Princess Leia Organa bending over a radar operator, as they talked sullenly. He arched an eyebrow in spite of himself and shook his head, giving out a low chortle that Luke, thankfully, did not hear.
In the briefing room, he sat down against the crude, bench-like structures constructed hastily by the overworked Alliance carpenters. He groaned as he shifted his weight to give way for Luke.
"I can't wait to get off the ice-ball."
Luke leaned back and folded his arms behind his head. "Why have you stayed here this long anyway? You actually starting to believe in our cause?"
Han laughed sardonically. "Hey, I got no love for the Empire, but getting caught up in all this just isn't…" he trailed off, unsure of how to end.
Luke tried to hold back a smile, interpreting his lack of words as uncertainty. "You're a big softy, Solo."
"I just needed a bit more money!" he shot back before Luke could add anything more. "I'll be out of here before you can say Bantha. With all that extra cash to throw around, you guys sure know how to keep me out here with you."
The look on Luke's face hardened. "You know they're really hurting for help, Han." He lowered his voice to a whisper. "I don't know how much longer they can stand this."
"Nothing I can do about it. If I don't do something now, Jabba'll see to it that I'm a dead man. Besides, your idea of liberation is my idea of impossible and definitely unattainable dreams. Sorry, kid"
Luke saw Leia approach from behind Han, coming in from the alternate entrance. She frowned, biting her bottom lip and proceeding to the opposite end of the dimly lit room, beside General Rieekan. The moment she stopped however, the look of doubt on her face disappeared into the indifferent façade the troops had come to know over the past few months.
The room quickly filled up with several technicians, various officers who were orchestrating the battle plans, dozens of troops, and several more pilots, clad identically to Luke.
The General cleared his throat. "It has come to our attention that an evacuation may be imminent. The Imperials have traversed throughout the galaxy, right on our tail, and it won't be long before we must find a new base."
Leia stepped forward and continued. "We'd like to overview what may happen if a ground assault is necessary, so as to ensure we have a plan that can hold the Empire back long enough to send all transports out of the atmosphere and safely into hyperspace."
As they spoke, Han's mind drifted to the possibilities of an attack. Now was a crucial time in the Alliance's plan to overthrow the Empire. If they were struck hard here, at the heart of the operations, only the Gods knew if they would recover. Although, he did find it reassuring that their forces were getting some foresight. At least if they were in battle, it wouldn't be completely out of the blue. The soldiers would know what to work with.
General Rieekan called up a hologram that gave an overview of the base and the lying grounds, and where the vital areas of protection would be. Everyone listened intently, and Han was struck with a sudden streak of sympathy for a moment as he watched the serious looks writ on all the young men's faces. He glanced at Luke to see that he too had furrowed his brow and traced Rieekan's line of sight to the hologram.
Han squeezed his eyes shut to clear his head and sighed, trying to concentrate on the presentation in front of him.
Chewie growled in anger as he saw Han leaning back in the pilot chair of the Falcon.
"What is it?" he asked apathetically.
The Wookiee stared at him for a moment, not believing the words he had heard. After the initial surprise wore off, he continued his diatribe with a string of incoherent roars.
Han shot up from the seat and held out his hands in defeat before letting his friend get even one word in. "Yeah, yeah, I'll get to it. Just go an finish up on the dish and-"
"I am doing everything," Chewie snarled. "It seems to me you don't even want to get off Hoth."
"I'll help you…I never said I wouldn't," Han said. "And of course I want to leave, why wouldn't I? Soon as She's all patched up, we're gone."
His friend didn't reply but continued to push him out, onto the ramp and into the chilly atmosphere of the hangar. Han spotted Leia as she observed the pilots milling about and the repair workers trying to fix the damaged machinery in vain.
"Look, don't believe me? Watch this, I'll tell her, then there's no taking it back," Han sneered and jogged over to the Princess.
She cut him off before he could get a word in. "What do you want?"
He smiled, loving that he irked her so much, even without trying. "Just wanted to inform you of something."
"And what's so important that it must be done here and now, Captain?" she said curtly, not meeting his gaze.
"What?" Han sneered. "Are you doing something here that I shouldn't interrupt? All I see is you glaring at the droids and showing all the soldiers your high-and-mighty dignity, Your Worship."
Leia spun on her heel towards him, pointing her finger at him accusingly. "Whatever I am doing is much more significant than anything that could come out of your mouth."
He grinned. "Alright, alright. What are you doing here, Highnessness?"
Chewie decided from his vantage point at the Falcon that Han seemed to forget about their agenda. He shook his head and started inside the ship to retrieve his toolbox and start working on the ship again, alone.
The Princess frowned and started to briskly walk towards the back rooms. "I wanted to see what the infantry is up to."
"Why's that?"
"Moral seems to be low."
"And you thought you could boost it?" Han asked, genuinely curious.
Leia sighed. "I thought I could help, somehow."
"How?"
"Could you please stop with the questions?" she snapped. "I really don't need you adding to the Alliance's list of problems."
Leia had stopped dead in her tracks in the isolated hallway. She stood in front of her quarters and glanced left and right, relieved no one would hear the inevitable bickering. Han, however, seemed unperturbed and crossed his arms, leaning against the stark white walls.
"Problems? It doesn't seem too bad to me," he started.
"Really?" Leia said, amused. "I've never seen so many weapons malfunctions, inoperative starcrafts or wounded soldiers."
Han's eyebrows drew together in contemplation, deciding how to word his reply. "Me and Chewie have seen a lot worse. You guys will be up and out of this low in no time."
Leia couldn't help but be touched by his moment of compassion, but responded bitterly. "Well, I'm sure that whomever you two saw did not have the entire Imperial fleet out to destroy them. Sometimes…I just don't know."
He could not believe what he had just heard. "Don't tell me you think-"
"Never mind," she finished hastily. "I'd better get some rest, I haven't had a good night's sleep in-"He followed in suit by cutting her off too. "Hey! The Alliance is sure to get the upper hand. What the Imperial's have in number, you have in tact. All those Stormtroopers couldn't hit the broad side of a bantha. They don't stand a chance, it'll just take a bit of time."
Leia didn't reply. She was struck by his sudden show of kindness, which contrasted sharply with his usual crass, stoic behavior. He got the message and turned to depart, when her voice stopped him. "Not if good pilots keep leaving us." She covered her mouth, chastising herself for letting that slip.
Han turned around slowly to see her standing uncertainly and awkwardly. He took a step towards her and tilted his head. She held her chin up, not letting herself waver under his scrutinizing gaze.
She changed the subject. "What did you want to tell me earlier?"
He studied her for a moment. He opened his mouth, started to go back to her previous comment, but changed his mind. "Don't doubt yourself, Princess. You've no reason to do so, and the Alliance needs your strength."
For possibly the first time since they had met, Han Solo had let Leia Organa out of an impending crux, something that had shown up often between them. He spun around and in a matter of five long strides, he turned the corner. A twang of disappointment ran threw her at the total lack of confrontation, but after a moment, the door to her quarters 'wooshed' open and she went inside.
"She wanted to boost moral, okay?" Han said finally to break the uneasy stillness between him and Chewbacca.
The hangar had gradually been emptying, and the familiar robotic noises of the ships being repaired, or the droids busy at work were becoming increasingly quiet. Until just then, Chewie had been virtually unrelenting in berating him about the chat with Leia.
Chewie past Han the blowtorch and examined the damaged extensions of the Falcon. The Wookiee showed Han the overloaded section of one of the auxiliary power units and howled in frustration.
Han continued, zapping little sections of blown wires and pipes within the ship's interior. "I don't know how she wanted to do it, but she tried. Those Imps really did a number on us this time. The whole unit is blown!"
Chewbacca shrugged and indulged Han in the conversation, grumbling in response and snatching a tool from the box behind them. "Back home on Kashyyyk, females would-"
Han cut him off before he could say anymore. "You mean her looks? What, you want her to go around like one of those Hutt dancers, and hope that the troops will notice her? Yeah, right, she's way too much of a…Princess for that. Maybe she just wanted to give them a hand."
"You must admit that she's attractive," Chewie said. He could easily see past Han's front. Secretly, the Wookiee knew that Han liked the Princess the way she was: fully clothed in public. Having any woman fully clothed was a rare thing for the smuggler to want, Chewie knew, but could say no more about the strange relationship between the Alderaanian Princess and his friend.
Han glanced at Chewbacca from the corner of his eye and shook his head in amusement. "I'd either be blind or stupid to say that she wasn't. She's just been taking things a little rough, lately." He sighed. "Well, whatever. I can't do anything about it, and soon we'll be too far away to care." The last words stung him, but he knew it was true, and he wasn't about to let the Rebellion bog him down when there were much more important matters at hand.
"I know one way you could help."
Han sighed. About twenty meters from the ship, Han could see a solitary figure exit from the back tunnels into the hangar. He squinted and recognized Leia, cautiously entering the area. He could see she was rubbing her upper arms furiously.
Han passed Chewie the blowtorch and patted the Wookiee on the arm. "I…I'll be right back."
His partner sighed, catching the Princess with his keen eyes. "Let me guess, going to-"
"I'm going to tell the General of our near departure, you big oaf. What did you think?"
Han found himself down from the ship and heading in Leia's direction before a coherent thought even formed in his head. He wanted to help her…if just for a bit, despite the fact that he had no idea how to go about it.
Leia jumped when she heard the footsteps coming towards her. "Captain!"
"Sorry, Your Grace…saw you here and thought…"
"What?" she said, impatiently. She couldn't believe that already she was reverting to her former demeanor after they had acted so incredibly civil towards each other that afternoon.
Han stretched his arms up above his head and yawned theatrically. "It's pretty late. I saw you this morning, you've been up since the wee hours."
"So have you. Besides, I had a nap," she waved him off.
Clearly not getting the message this time, Han followed her and continued buzzing around like an unwanted insect. "What're you doing here in the hangar?"
"I don't know. I suppose there was nothing else for me to do."
Han nodded. "I see…" and not being able to resist, he added, "you sure it doesn't involve wanting to see a certain pilot?"
Leia gave a fake, sarcastic smile and laughed. "I already saw Luke, today, actually. He tells me his new squadron is great."
Han gave a lopsided grin. "Where you headed?"
"Now? I suppose to get away from the hangar, I could go to the research center, catch up on some reading."
"Great."
She tried to outpace him, but her petite stature was no match for his long legs, which effortlessly followed right behind her. In the research area, she sat at a desk in the deserted room and laid her palms flat on the table's surface. There were three, outdated holonet units dispersed throughout the room, along with several discarded datapads.
She sighed with exasperation. "What exactly is it you want Captain?"
Han shrugged and pulled up a chair from the nearby wall and flopped down beside her. "Trying to catch up on some reading?"
She couldn't take it any more. "Why is it you're still here? I'm sure you have more than enough to pay off that gangster now." She had become well versed in his predicament, and other small stories which he had regaled to her and Luke on their journeys together. To say the least, Han Solo had led a very eventful life prior to meeting the Rebels.
Han's breath caught in his throat. He sincerely didn't expect an open onslaught like that. What he wanted was to avoid the topic all together. She stared at him, determined to get an explanation.
"Luke asked me the exact same thing. And I told him-"
"That you wanted more money," she finished. "I was there when you shot holes through our ideals? What were they, unattainable, foolhardy?"
"Hey!" Han frowned. "I never said foolhardy." Uncertainty was writ on his face. "What do you mean you were there?"
"I might have walked by as you belittled our whole cause and ridiculed our organization…"
Han crossed his arms and leaned back on the chair precariously. "Look, Princess, I think it's great and all that you guys are opposing the Empire but…"
Leia buried her face in her hands. "Why in the Gods don't you just leave?"
Han froze, ceasing the impatient rocking in his chair. He didn't know how to answer so instead shot a stinging remark back at her. "You want me to leave? I'll be out of your hair as soon as the Falcon's ready. I want to be prepared incase the Imperials show up, like they have a habit of doing. Sorry, I won't just zoom out of this dump and get shot down."
He started to get up and march away when she called out. "This is precisely why I'm doubting myself, Captain."
He spun around to see her resting her head on her folded arms in front of her. She had closed her eyes and was sighing greatly. "What? Me?" He was surprised that her obvious irritation wasn't giving him the subtle joy it had been earlier.
"Don't flatter yourself," she smiled caustically. "I meant ruining things like this."
Han found that his legs had started to move in her direction again, despite his mind screaming 'no!'. He didn't want to be pulled under the Rebellion's messes, down into the waves where he knew he'd never get out again. But the woman in front of him and how he was acting said otherwise.
"I…what's up with you, Princess?"
"I cannot believe I'm going to talk to you, of all people," Leia murmured into her sleeve. "You know what? Let's just drop it."
Han slid the chair forward, and an unnerving scraping noise echoed throughout the small room. "I don't have anywhere to go. Plus, it doesn't seem you've ever even gotten this far with anyone else."
Leia was silent, and refused to meet his eyes. So he spoke up again, in hope of getting her talking. "You said that…sometimes 'you just didn't know', today."
She snorted. "That's right. I don't know a lot of things."
"You know more than most," Han said. After a moment's contemplation he added, "You know, when you said those people Chewie and I have seen didn't have the Imperials on their tails? I thought of something that the Imperials didn't have."
"What's that?"
"You."
With that comment, Leia's head snapped up, her face writ with confusion. "Excuse me?"
"I mean, they don't have a leader like you or even the General watching out for them."
"That's right." Leia laughed at his apparent naivete. "They just have the all powerful Sith Lords, Darth Vader and the Emperor. Obviously, they stand no chance against a twenty-something year old Princess. Thanks for clarifying that, Solo."
"Someone has a low opinion of herself," he muttered. "I sincerely doubt that Vader and The Emperor would give their little finger for the lives of all the officers on a star destroyer. You'd do it for your troops. That's what makes you better than them."
She was at a loss for words, and arched an eyebrow, suddenly dubious of his intentions. Han cleared his throat and rubbed his hand over his face. "Not that that's going to keep me around or anything."
"Of course not," she smiled slightly. "I didn't expect it would. It doesn't seem like anything can at this point," she added, letting the slight disappointment sneak into her voice.
The playful look on Han's face disappeared, and his intense gaze rested on her face. "I can think of a few things." When she sat up straight, glancing at the exit behind him, he reprimanded himself. He had stepped over the line, and instantly regretted it. "Sorry."
Leia stood up and dusted off her pant legs, trying to appear indifferent. "For what?"
"I'll walk you to your room," he said awkwardly, trying to appear as gentlemanly as possible. "You know, Your Worship, the tunnels are like a damn maze. Even Chewie got lost twice. Tried to get to sickbay and ended up at the south entrance. You should really have planned it out more, you know, get a few maps up here and there. What if he was wounded, tried to get a medic and got a deck officer instead? He would've died!"
She could feel her icy demeanor coming back on, but did nothing to stop it this time. "I'll be sure to tell General Rieekan that one of the mercenaries is complaining. You have no right to judge us when you aren't even officially part of the Alliance."
"Just suggesting," he shrugged, shoving his hands into his pockets as he shoved his hands into his pockets and trudged along restlessly.
The rest of the trip was filled with a comfortable silence. Outside the quarters however, Han ran his fingers through his hair in discomfort. "So…I guess I'll see you around, Your Grace."
"Or not," Leia reminded him. When he failed to respond, she explained. "I think you should really consider staying."
He said nothing again, and filled the silence by scraping away at a bit of snow that clung to the smooth walls. As the little bits of moisture brushed his fingers, he busied himself by flicking the bits of ice from beneath his fingernails. Reminiscent of the afternoon, he decided to put the focus back on her problems. "I meant what I said today."
"All of it?"
"All of it," he said firmly.
Leia studied her nails and Han watched her with interest. Every time they got close to saying goodbye, something stopped him from following through with it. He didn't know what exactly it was, but it scared the hell out of him.
"So," she asked casually, "what reasons could you think of for staying?"
Han took a cautious step forward and felt a smile playing on his lips, even though he knew he shouldn't have been doing what he was. "What are you thinking, Princess?"
She tilted her head and studied him, trying to think of a way to get out of the fix she was in. When nothing came to mind, she stepped forward too, determined not to let him win the battle. "Why is it that when you have no answers, you just ask another question?"
"Why do you do the same?" he said, arching an eyebrow.
Before he knew what he was doing, he had started to lean in towards her. It was as if they were in near suspended animation, because he could barely notice any change in the distance between their bodies, but he knew they were getting closer. Leia wasn't moving away, but the trepidation was evident as she swallowed hard.
"Mistress! Oh, Mistress Leia, R2 and I have been so worried about you," came the flamboyant voice of C-3PO from the opened doorway of Leia's quarters. "We were just about to alert security."
Han jumped back, and feigned disinterest by rubbing his chin in thought. "Hey, goldenrod."
"Captain Solo, what're you doing here?" Threepio asked, genuinely confused.
Leia coughed and started to retreat to the cabin. "Nothing. He was just about to leave."
"Yeah…I was just getting the Princess back to her place. The layout here is terrible, and she got lost. Her Royal Highnessness won't ever admit it though."
Leia opened her mouth to rebuke him but he had already started to leave. She shook her head and stood there for a moment, ignoring Threepio's inane babbling.
Outside, Han was bewildered about what had just possessed him to act as he did. It sent tingles down his spine when he thought of her not fleeing from his advance, and he decided he'd try it again sometime. It was much more than he had expected. But he knew there could never be anything between them. She was an Alderaanian Princess who had dedicated herself to a worthy cause, which so desperately needed help, and he was a rogue pirate out to get some extra cash.
"We're way too different to ever have anything together,"
he laughed to himself. He kicked at the snow pile in front of him, and snapped his head around when he heard her call out one last time."Hey!" she yelled lightly, her voice echoing in the narrow hall. "Thank you, Han."
He was taken aback and watched her with curiosity. She leaned against the doorjamb and was smiling shyly. He laughed, breaking the momentary spell between them. "You'd better remember it too, I don't get that way too often."
"I've noticed," she scoffed, and waved him away, stalking back into her chambers.
After she had gone in, he whispered lightly. "You're welcome, Leia."
THE END