Title: The Falcon, the Princess and a Surprise
Author: Flowerlady
Timeframe: Post-LotF, Invincible spoilers
Gene: Humor...I hope
Characters: Mostly Han and Jag, briefly Jaina and Valin Horn (J/J implied)
Disclaimer: Not mine, just playing in the sandbox.
Summery: Han and Jag have a little heart-to-heart.
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The Falcon, the Princess and a Surprise
It had been a hectic six months, Jag Fel thought as he waited for the shuttle to land.
"So, you ready for this?"
He looked over at the woman sitting beside him, and couldn't help the smile. "Hey, I stared down the Moff's, I think I can handle your dad. Besides, you can't tell me he wouldn't have seen this coming."
She shrugged and nonchalantly picked at a non-existent piece of lint on her Jedi robes. "Maybe," she finally allowed. "But that doesn't mean he'll ready for when it actually happens. And we are kinda doing things backwards."
He lost his smile, turned back to the viewport, and watched the city of Coruscant come up at them with alarming speed. "Yeah, I suppose we are."
"Have your speech all ready?" Jaina asked after a moment.
He turned back to his primary Jedi guard, who just happened to be the woman he loved. He heard a snort and looked over at Valin Horn. The other Jedi Luke assigned to protect the Grand Moff after an assassination attempt four months ago sat in the seat over from them, and tried hard to keep the snigger from his face as he pretended to read a holomagazine.
Jag gave him a glare and then brought his attention back to Jaina. "Of course. I wouldn't face the Senate with my proposal if I wasn't prepared."
She grinned, but it was Valin who couldn't resist by saying, "I don't think that's the proposal speech she meant, Grand Moff."
He looked back down into Jaina's mischievously amused face and realized he may be in trouble.
Valin went on, "I know I wouldn't want to face Han Solo without a damned good speech handy."
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It all went well. The Senate wasn't completely sold on his plans for the Empire, but he still had time to work on them.
He never worried about facing the Senate. However, that wasn't the case with Jaina's father.
He found Han right where Leia told him that he would—working on the Falcon. Jag's heels clicked on the ramp as he entered the old familiar ship. He found Han waist deep inside an access panel, the clicks and scrapes of a hydrospanner twisting something, punctuated by a litany of curses. For a second Jag was half tempted to turn and sneak back out. Surely, he could do this some other time, or, maybe, just announce it at the nice dinner planned later at the Embassy? Yeah, Han wouldn't try anything there, would he?
But Jagged Fel had never backed away from anything, he wasn't about to start now.
"Hand me that smaller 'spanner. The bolt's too small."
"Ahhh…" Jag looked around. "Here."
Han turned to look over his shoulder at the younger man with a smirk and reached for the tool. "Thanks."
"How'd you know I was here?"
Han laughed as he twisted the hydrospanner a few times, and then came out of the hole. "Easy. I heard your boots on the ramp. Plus," he looked Jag up and down, taking in the impeccable uniform of a Grand Moff, "I've had lots of practice recognizing when an Imp's around, but, at least, I don't feel like shootin' you."
Not yet. So, he changed the subject, by nodding toward the opening in the bulkhead. "What's the matter with the Falcon?"
Han considered for a moment. "Not much, really. Just gettin' old. Needed some minor adjustments in the coolant line. That's all."
"Ahh." Jag nodded and suddenly didn't know what else to say, so he didn't say anything.
Han looked him up and down again and then snorted. "You make that uniform look good, kid. How's it goin'? Those gundarks keeping you busy?"
"Thanks. It's not been easy." Jag relaxed a little. "But I've gotten most of them to see to my way of thinking anyway."
Han wiped his hands on a rag and moved out to the common area, Jag following behind. He went to the galley and pulled two bottles of lum from the preserver. Handing one to Jag, he motioned for him to sit at the game table that also served as the dining table. After taking a long drawl on the ale, Han said, "I like the mission you got started on Commenor. Those people need all the help they can get after that asteroid hit the planet. And the one on Kashyyyk, too." Han sadly shook his head as memories came rushing back.
The last thing Jag wanted was to have Han depressed, not now. "Thanks. The missions were a good idea." Then he looked around as if he just realized something was missing. "Speaking of missions, where's Amelia? I can't believe you'd be out of her sight if she knew you're working on the Falcon."
Han instantly beamed. If there was one thing that was true, Han Solo loved his granddaughter. That gave Jag some solace at least. "Oh, she's with Ben. Seems she's quite taken with her cousin. It's funny really, she reminds me so much of Jaina when she was little. Don't tell Leia, but I've left her fly the old girl. She was thrilled. And she's a born natural."
Jag laughed. "I'm sure. She loves this ship, and she is a Solo."
"You know that's the funny thing. I know Jacen was her father, but I think of her more as Tenel Ka's daughter." He took another long drink and then declared, "Good thing that I didn't know about her before, though."
"Why?"
Han scowled and Jag instantly regretted asking.
"'Cause I'd have skinned that boy alive if I'd known. I understand all about the politics. Tenel Ka assured me that marriage wasn't ever an option, but that's not the point. He should've known better than getting her pregnant in the first place."
Oh, kriff!
"Well…" Jag quickly took a drink from his bottle, actually managing to drain half of it. It was amazing how hot it was getting in there all of a sudden, "that's true…but…"
Han's scowl deepened as did his suddenly intense gaze, and Jag instantly wondered if he wasn't a closet Jedi. "What is it? You never stumble over your words."
Jag cleared his throat, suddenly wishing he had let come Jaina with him, but he wanted to do this like this, insisting even. Was he crazy? "Sir…"
"I thought we were past you calling me 'sir'."
Jag nodded and then decided that getting it over quickly was the best death a man could want. So, he plunged. "Han, I've asked Jaina to marry me."
Han sat back and grinned broadly, regarding him with wary humor. "It's 'bout time."
Jag was surprised. "You don't mind? I figured that you'd be upset. She'd have to move to Bastion permanently."
Han shrugged and finished his ale. "True, but the Empire's a friendlier place now. Besides, she's already there playing bodyguard." He paused and said with a grin twisting his lips, "By the way you were floundering like a Mon Cal in the Jundland Wastes, I thought you were gonna tell me something else." Then he leaned forward and narrowed his eyes. "There's nothing else, is there, kid?"
Jag looked down at the table top where Pellaeon and Gavrisom signed the peace treaty between the Empire and the New Republic over twenty years before and wondered at the irony of it all. "Actually…there is." Then he met Han Solo's eyes and did the most frightening thing he'd ever done. "Sir…emmm…Jaina and I are…" Han raised a graying brow and Jag took a deep breath, then with the exhale said, "Jaina's pregnant."
Han Solo's glower became fiercer, but, before the new Imperial head of state could think of something to say to ease the coming fury, Han burst out laughing. Jag stared at him openmouthed for a second, with his well planned speech dying on his lips, and then snapped his jaw closed. "You knew?" It really was more of a statement then a question.
Han raised his empty bottle in salute as the last of the chuckles trailed off, and responded, "Yep, I knew. Leia cornered Jaina two days ago and she admitted to it, and then Jaina told me."
Jag narrowed his eyes. "Oh, did she, now?"
Han then leaned forward over his arms and said, "Yeah, and she told me to make sure I made you sweat, too. Oh, I was mad at first. Stark ravin' mad. Good thing you were at the Senate, or you'd not have been happy. But then I thought about it. You're a good guy. I know Jaina loves you. You've helped her so much since…well, you know. And I trust you." Then he stood up and got a bottle of Corellian whiskey and two shot glasses from the cabinet. "Want some?" Jag shook his head. His emotions were bouncing between relief, shock and anger. "Suit yourself."
He watched Han pour a glass full, still trying to accept that he wasn't holding a blaster to his head. Then Han's last words sunk in. "Wait…You trust me?"
Han shrugged. "Sure. If I trusted you enough to fly the Falcon and extract Jaina, I can trust you with my princess." Jag stared at him; then, finally, he let a cautious smile slip onto his lips. Han said as he lowered his glass, "But that means the consequences are the same if you ever are stupid enough to hurt her."
"I won't. Han, I love her."
"Good." Han poured Jag a shot of the whiskey and handed it to him. They clicked their glasses together in a toast before drinking. Jag was becoming more relieved as they drank to the engagement and the baby. Then Han said, "Okay. Let's take the Falcon for a test run."
"We?"
Han winked at him as he stood. "Sure. You still have to tell me when this wedding is gonna happen. I'm sure it's soon."
Jag didn't miss the meaning in the last. "Yes. It will be soon. Well, as soon as a head of state can get married, that is."
Han nodded agreement and then shrugged. "That's okay then." He turned to head toward the cockpit but when he realized Jag wasn't following he turned back to him and snickered at the younger man's still astonished expression. "C'mon. Hell, I'll even let you fly, just for good measure."
"You'll let me fly the Falcon?"
"Sure. At least for a little while. But don't let it go to your head; you already got my little girl."
"I won't let it go to my head. Don't worry, the Falcon's all yours." Then Jag smiled, finally completely relaxing.
Han turned to head in the direction of the cockpit again, but suddenly turned back. His eyes were misty as he held out his hand to Jag, who took it for a hearty handshake.
"Welcome to the family, son."
end...
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