Self Defense
Leia shrieked and ran over to Han and pulled her husband's dead body off of him. "Oh my god!"
Han pulled her close and held her for several minutes. They were both breathing hard, unsure of how to handle the situation. The tears fell down Leia's face and Han just held her. "Oh Princess. I'm sorry."
Leia cowered in her arms and looked at Isolder's dead body. She reached over and closed his eyes and his mouth. "Don't bother. You've done me a favor." Han pulled back, stunned at her words. She didn't look at him as she continued, "He was kind at first but as the years went on he became abusive. Unkind, uncaring."
Han pulled her closer, "I'm sorry Sweetheart."
Leia touched his face, "It's not your fault."
Bail came tearing out of the corner all of a sudden and threw himself in his mother's arms, "Mommy!" He wailed.
Leia hugged him tightly as she herself leaned against Han's chest. "Don't worry. It'll be all right."
Bail looked at his father's dead body, "Daddy was a bad man." Leia nodded her head against her son's and hugged him even tighter. Bail wiggled out of his mother's grasp and looked at Han. He pointed at him, "But you're a good man."
Han laughed and tousled the kid's hair, "You are so like your Uncle."
Bail giggled, "Uncle Lukie!"
Leia shook her head and hugged them both tightly.
"Daddy!" A shriek came from the doorway and Leia glanced up to see Beru standing there shaking. Wedge picked her up and deposited her in her mother's arms.
Chewie stood there, stunned. He gave a roar and Leia nodded, "Yes. Chewbacca. It IS him."
Chewie pulled Han up and embraced him. "Uh. Chewie its good to see you too but you're gonna break me."
Chewie roared something and tousled Han's hair, just as he had to Bail, and hugged him again.
Leia laughed. It felt oddly good to laugh.
***
The shock of Han's reappearance from the dead still hadn't worn off in two days. New Republic Intelligence and Hapan security were all over the mechanic room. The security tape had showed what had happened so there would be no painful trial.
But they all knew of the emotional trial to come.
Luke had just arrived from Bakura and still found it hard to believe that it was really Han Solo. "But Leia and I we felt you DIE."
Han shrugged and kicked back, "Well I warned you that the force wasn't all powerful."
It was Luke's turn to shrug, "I guess so." He turned his attention to his sister, "What are you two going to do now?"
Leia sighed, "We are going to start over. Since Isolder is dead that means I have to give up my position as Queen Mother of Hapes, something I am all to happy to do."
"Who will Queen Mother after you then?" Luke asked.
"Beru is next in line. Even at such a young age the Hapan people want her to be Queen. BUT," she stressed seeing Luke's startled expression; "I will not put my daughter in that position. Isolder's mother is on her way to Corscant and I fully intend to let her know that Beru will not be taking such a position."
"But the Hapan wealth-" Luke started but was again cut off by his sister.
"They will of course withdraw their money and holdings from the New Republic but the New Republic is strong. Mon Mothma assures me that with the money they currently have will be enough; if they continue the live off the interest they'll be just fine."
"But what about you two?" Luke asked.
"Luke there was something you never knew about my marriage to Isolder."
"And what was that?"
"Before we married I was to sign an agreement."
"What sort of agreement?" Luke asked wearily.
"Sort of a pre-marriage and after-marriage thing. You see, I got one million credits for every girl that was born and a half-million for every boy that was born." Han whistled through his teeth. "However, I would get that money after Isolder I either divorced or he was dead. I also got one million credits for every year that we were married in the event of a split or death."
Han stared at her, his mouth agape, "So that means that you have-"
"Eleven and a half million credits coming my way." Leia said.
Luke's own mouth dropped, "There were no limitations to the circumstances of how Isolder's death should come about?"
Leia shook her head, "At the time Isolder said it wouldn't have mattered either way. That this agreement was silly in the first place. But it doesn't matter now."
"And Isolder's mother is just going to part with these eleven million credits?" Luke asked.
"Eleven and a half." Leia said.
"Whatever." Han muttered.
Leia shrugged, "She has to. Technically the Hapan cluster is still in allegiance with the New Republic so I can take it up to the courts if I must."
***
Just as Leia predicted Ta' Chume did cooperate, simply because she wanted it over with. She gave Leia her eleven and a half million credits in gold, silver, gems, and jewels. On top of that Ta' Chume all ready packed everything that belonged to Leia, Beru, and Bail's things. The total worth of their belongings mounted to well over eleven and a half million credits. Beru's tiara itself was worth nearly a billion. They would be well off for a long long time to come.
***
Leia glanced around her and Han's new home. They hadn't gone all out. They bought a reasonable house on Corellia. They invested some of their money but kept most of it aside for a rainy day.
Leia traced her fingers along Han's face. "What happened? You still never told me how you got away."
Han sighed and took both her hands in his, "Come. Sit. I'll tell you."
Han withered on the ground, swearing and cursing. "Well." The nightsister drawled, "I suppose maybe I should take you to Zinsj. For a pretty penny of course."
"So she took you to Zinsj? And when his ship blew you were all ready on your way out? Escaping?" Leia asked.
Han nodded, "Yes."
"Oh its all my fault."
"Your fault? Princess you're not the one who told a powerful warlord to kiss your Wookiee."
Leia laughed, "I suppose not." She stopped for a moment, "Han?"
"Yeah, Sweetheart?"
"Its completely up to you I mean-"
"Leia you haven't even asked a question yet."
Leia looked embarrassed, "Oh yeah. Well. Do you want those scars removed? I mean it doesn't matter to me. You are just the same." she paused, "No that's not what I meant. What I mean is-"
Han stopped her, "Leia, Leia, It doesn't matter to me either way. Its your cash that's keeping us here."
Leia took his hands in hers. "No. It's OURS. And it's YOUR face."
Han kissed her, "Honey, you're the one who has to looked at it."
Leia kissed him back, "So long as you don't grow a mustache." Han laughed and then Leia grew serious, "But I know men like to show off their battle scars."
"These aren't battle scars Sweetheart, these are reminders of what has happened."
Leia looked at him very seriously and then said, "Let's get them fixed."
And they both laughed at that.
They did get Han's scars fixed. He insisted on keeping the one on his chin. He didn't know why, maybe as a personal reminder of how far I've come he once told Leia.
***
They were married in the fall of that year. It was a small ceremony. Only a few friends and family were all that they wanted present.
"Oh Luke I Shall die."
Luke squeezed his sister's hand reassuringly. "Don't worry. You have been down this road before and only this time you'll be marring a man for love."
Leia nodded, "Yes. This time I'll be marrying for love."
THE END
Leia shrieked and ran over to Han and pulled her husband's dead body off of him. "Oh my god!"
Han pulled her close and held her for several minutes. They were both breathing hard, unsure of how to handle the situation. The tears fell down Leia's face and Han just held her. "Oh Princess. I'm sorry."
Leia cowered in her arms and looked at Isolder's dead body. She reached over and closed his eyes and his mouth. "Don't bother. You've done me a favor." Han pulled back, stunned at her words. She didn't look at him as she continued, "He was kind at first but as the years went on he became abusive. Unkind, uncaring."
Han pulled her closer, "I'm sorry Sweetheart."
Leia touched his face, "It's not your fault."
Bail came tearing out of the corner all of a sudden and threw himself in his mother's arms, "Mommy!" He wailed.
Leia hugged him tightly as she herself leaned against Han's chest. "Don't worry. It'll be all right."
Bail looked at his father's dead body, "Daddy was a bad man." Leia nodded her head against her son's and hugged him even tighter. Bail wiggled out of his mother's grasp and looked at Han. He pointed at him, "But you're a good man."
Han laughed and tousled the kid's hair, "You are so like your Uncle."
Bail giggled, "Uncle Lukie!"
Leia shook her head and hugged them both tightly.
"Daddy!" A shriek came from the doorway and Leia glanced up to see Beru standing there shaking. Wedge picked her up and deposited her in her mother's arms.
Chewie stood there, stunned. He gave a roar and Leia nodded, "Yes. Chewbacca. It IS him."
Chewie pulled Han up and embraced him. "Uh. Chewie its good to see you too but you're gonna break me."
Chewie roared something and tousled Han's hair, just as he had to Bail, and hugged him again.
Leia laughed. It felt oddly good to laugh.
***
The shock of Han's reappearance from the dead still hadn't worn off in two days. New Republic Intelligence and Hapan security were all over the mechanic room. The security tape had showed what had happened so there would be no painful trial.
But they all knew of the emotional trial to come.
Luke had just arrived from Bakura and still found it hard to believe that it was really Han Solo. "But Leia and I we felt you DIE."
Han shrugged and kicked back, "Well I warned you that the force wasn't all powerful."
It was Luke's turn to shrug, "I guess so." He turned his attention to his sister, "What are you two going to do now?"
Leia sighed, "We are going to start over. Since Isolder is dead that means I have to give up my position as Queen Mother of Hapes, something I am all to happy to do."
"Who will Queen Mother after you then?" Luke asked.
"Beru is next in line. Even at such a young age the Hapan people want her to be Queen. BUT," she stressed seeing Luke's startled expression; "I will not put my daughter in that position. Isolder's mother is on her way to Corscant and I fully intend to let her know that Beru will not be taking such a position."
"But the Hapan wealth-" Luke started but was again cut off by his sister.
"They will of course withdraw their money and holdings from the New Republic but the New Republic is strong. Mon Mothma assures me that with the money they currently have will be enough; if they continue the live off the interest they'll be just fine."
"But what about you two?" Luke asked.
"Luke there was something you never knew about my marriage to Isolder."
"And what was that?"
"Before we married I was to sign an agreement."
"What sort of agreement?" Luke asked wearily.
"Sort of a pre-marriage and after-marriage thing. You see, I got one million credits for every girl that was born and a half-million for every boy that was born." Han whistled through his teeth. "However, I would get that money after Isolder I either divorced or he was dead. I also got one million credits for every year that we were married in the event of a split or death."
Han stared at her, his mouth agape, "So that means that you have-"
"Eleven and a half million credits coming my way." Leia said.
Luke's own mouth dropped, "There were no limitations to the circumstances of how Isolder's death should come about?"
Leia shook her head, "At the time Isolder said it wouldn't have mattered either way. That this agreement was silly in the first place. But it doesn't matter now."
"And Isolder's mother is just going to part with these eleven million credits?" Luke asked.
"Eleven and a half." Leia said.
"Whatever." Han muttered.
Leia shrugged, "She has to. Technically the Hapan cluster is still in allegiance with the New Republic so I can take it up to the courts if I must."
***
Just as Leia predicted Ta' Chume did cooperate, simply because she wanted it over with. She gave Leia her eleven and a half million credits in gold, silver, gems, and jewels. On top of that Ta' Chume all ready packed everything that belonged to Leia, Beru, and Bail's things. The total worth of their belongings mounted to well over eleven and a half million credits. Beru's tiara itself was worth nearly a billion. They would be well off for a long long time to come.
***
Leia glanced around her and Han's new home. They hadn't gone all out. They bought a reasonable house on Corellia. They invested some of their money but kept most of it aside for a rainy day.
Leia traced her fingers along Han's face. "What happened? You still never told me how you got away."
Han sighed and took both her hands in his, "Come. Sit. I'll tell you."
Han withered on the ground, swearing and cursing. "Well." The nightsister drawled, "I suppose maybe I should take you to Zinsj. For a pretty penny of course."
"So she took you to Zinsj? And when his ship blew you were all ready on your way out? Escaping?" Leia asked.
Han nodded, "Yes."
"Oh its all my fault."
"Your fault? Princess you're not the one who told a powerful warlord to kiss your Wookiee."
Leia laughed, "I suppose not." She stopped for a moment, "Han?"
"Yeah, Sweetheart?"
"Its completely up to you I mean-"
"Leia you haven't even asked a question yet."
Leia looked embarrassed, "Oh yeah. Well. Do you want those scars removed? I mean it doesn't matter to me. You are just the same." she paused, "No that's not what I meant. What I mean is-"
Han stopped her, "Leia, Leia, It doesn't matter to me either way. Its your cash that's keeping us here."
Leia took his hands in hers. "No. It's OURS. And it's YOUR face."
Han kissed her, "Honey, you're the one who has to looked at it."
Leia kissed him back, "So long as you don't grow a mustache." Han laughed and then Leia grew serious, "But I know men like to show off their battle scars."
"These aren't battle scars Sweetheart, these are reminders of what has happened."
Leia looked at him very seriously and then said, "Let's get them fixed."
And they both laughed at that.
They did get Han's scars fixed. He insisted on keeping the one on his chin. He didn't know why, maybe as a personal reminder of how far I've come he once told Leia.
***
They were married in the fall of that year. It was a small ceremony. Only a few friends and family were all that they wanted present.
"Oh Luke I Shall die."
Luke squeezed his sister's hand reassuringly. "Don't worry. You have been down this road before and only this time you'll be marring a man for love."
Leia nodded, "Yes. This time I'll be marrying for love."
THE END