Han Solo was mad. Leia was hiding something. Something that both she and Luke knew. Something that rattled her cool. In the four years Han had known the Princess of Alderaan, he had never seen her so jumpy. Not even when their headquarters on Hoth had been destroyed. Not when Vader had tortured her on Bespin. Not when they had been surrounded by the Imps on Endor. And now... He had to find out. Now.
She was alone. Again. Her doe eyes stared unseeingly out at the massive trees. The shadows made her look even smaller than usual. The light of the planet was not enough to keep the dark at bay. "Leia," he called softly. The princess jumped a foot in the air, her eyes wide as she spun. "Oh, it's you," she said, but the calmness in her voice sounded strangled. "Yeah," Han muttered, "it's me." He tried to meet her eyes, but she turned away again. Now he was annoyed. She needed help; anyone could see it. But she kept shoving people away.
"Leia. Sweetheart, what's wrong? Tell me." He said it as gently as possible, but she still trembled. Mentally sighing, he walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her small frame. "You can tell me." She leaned into him, not trembling, but still refusing to relax. A light breeze swept through, bringing unpleasant thoughts. "Is it me?" he demanded, suddenly terrified at the thought of loosing her. "Am I not good enough?" Leia tilted her head back, meeting his eyes for the first time in three days. "No, it's not you, Han." Her voice was low, muffled. That didn't ease his fears. "Is it Luke? Does he think that we're not good for each other?"
"No, Han. It has nothing to do with you." That left him completely confused. Was she grieving over the loss of the troops? The loss of her home? Before he could ask, Leia whispered his name. He looked down. "Promise me something," she mumbled, half begging. "Don't tell anyone." He promised, ignoring the fact that he didn't know what he wasn't supposed to tell. Maybe the fact that Luke was her brother? "It's about-" The last part of her sentence was said so quietly that he couldn't hear. She buried her face in his chest. "Vader. Is. My..." Han didn't need to hear the last word. All that he could think of was the fact that he was comforting the spawn of that thing. That monster. His stomach rolled, nausea threatening to overwhelm him. Every atom in his body screamed in denial, ordering him to get away from her. He did. He released her, croaked that he needed to be alone, and ran.
Han almost ran straight into his wookie copilot as he sprinted into the Falcon. Chewbacca, naturally, sensed his friend's horror. Cub! he roared. Han winced, unable to help himself. "What, Chewie?" he snapped, playing innocent. "What?"
Where's the Princess? Han blanched. He shrugged his shoulders casually. "I don't know, Chewie. Let me alone." The wookie roared again, this time as a threat. "Okay, that thing is by the Command Center!" Too late, he realised his slip. Again, he tried to leave before all of his emotions overwhelmed him. The nausea was returning. Chewie grabbed him, shaking him by the shoulders. Thing? he repeated, his growl disbelieving. Why is the Princess a thing? Han tried unsuccessfully to get out of the fury creature's arms. "Fine," he said crisply. "The Princess is not a princess. She's the daughter of a Sith Lord." Chewie's head tilted to the side. "I thought Anakin Skywalker was their father," he continued.Their... Han paled even more to think that Vader had not one, but two offspring in the Alliance. Cub. Anakin Skywalker was their father. Han scoffed, wrenching himself out of his copilot's loose grasp. "Don't get all technical on me, furry oaf. Leia's the daughter of a mass murderer."
Idiot cub! How do you think the princess feels about all of this? She was raised not knowing this information. And Skywalker was not a mass murderer. Han stopped at the hatchway. How did Leia feel about this? He had stormed off on her, leaving her to deal with the realisation herself. Guilt began to nag at him silently. He shoved it aside, still unable to think of facing her knowing who she really was. And he wasn't a mass murderer?
"Okay, Chewie! What the hell do you mean, wasn't a mass murderer? He-" He choked on the fur of his partner's hand as it closed his mouth. I knew Anakin Skywalker personally. He was well loved by all, and he loved many as well. He loved his wife so much that when Palpatine offered him the chance to save her by joining the Dark Side, he sold his soul to the devil.
Han stared at Chewie in utter disbelief. "Save her?" he said dubiously. Chewie grumbled a yes. "From what?" The wookie's massive shoulders moved up and down in a shrug. "What do you mean, you don't know!" Han yelled. "Who was she?" Again, a shrug. Then, before Han could get the swears out of his mouth, Chewbacca amended, I don't know. But Mon Mothma might. Han snorted. "Why would that senator-" He stopped, answering his own question. That senator might know because she worked with Leia's father. A chill ran through him, and he hastened to add to himself, foster-father.
You can't hurt the Princess like this, Cub. Think about what you're doing! Han turned and marched out of the ship, his gaze furious.
Mon Mothma had been a senator in the Republic and the Imperial Senate before both had been destroyed. She, Bail Organa, and Garm Bel Iblis, founded the Alliance. The more Han thought about it, the more determined he was to speak to the woman. She had always said that there were four founders of the Alliance. But she never, ever spoke of the fourth founder. Was it possibly, Han wondered idly. Could such a monster as Vader loved a founder of the Alliance? Could Vader have ever loved?
"General Solo?" Han blinked, realising that he had stopped by the command center's main room. The former senator herself stood there, a stern expression on her aging face. "Ah, Senator," he mumbled, feeling like an idiot. "Just the person I wanted to talk to." Mon Mothma sighed. "I have to go somewhere, General. Can you make it quick?" Han shrugged cockily. "Yeah, I can."
She inclined her head, silently telling him to start. Here goes nothing, he thought to himself. He blurted out, "Who was the fourth founder? How does she relate to Leia?" At the first question the Senator just rolled her eyes in a very undignified manner. The second question caused her to focus on him instantly, her face paling.
"That information is classified," she said icily, drawing herself up. "I cannot-"
"But if it's Leia's mom, don't you think she has a right to know? She already knows about her dad. If her mom was the fourth founder, then wouldn't that make her, I dunno, relax?" Even as he spoke the words, he knew them to be true. Maybe, just maybe, Leia could listen to Chewie's description of Anakin. He didn't have to believe it, but it would be nice if she did. Mon Mothma stared at him, hand over her mouth. "She knows?" she whispered. HA! Han shouted to himself silently. The senator did know of Leia's parentage. He allowed himself a nod, crossing his arms stubbornly. Rubbing her eyes, Mothma looked at him. "It is her right to know about her first. Ask her if she knows anything about Padmé Amidala. Send her here."
"Padmé Amidala," Han repeated smugly. He stood and left the room without a good bye.
Ten minutes later, he realised that he'd have to face Leia again. He broke out into a sweat. Relax, he told himself as he neared her quarters. It's not like she had a choice over who her parents were. It's not like she's anything like Vader. He hesitated, then knocked on her door. A moment later, it slid open. The princess was wearing a white robe that matched the color of her face. She looked so distraught, so terrified that he melted almost instantly. "Leia?" She looked at him with watering eyes. "What, Han?" she asked brokenly. He pulled her into his embrace, more out of pity than anything else. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I really am." He kissed her forehead, then released her. "Mon wanted to know if you knew anything about someone called Padmé Amidala. She wanted to see you." Better get it over with now... Leia's face lit up. "Yeah, I knew about her. She was a senator in the Republic. My father"- she faltered, flicking her gaze to Han's - "spoke of her. He often said that the Republic died with her." Father. She obviously meant her foster father. Then, before he knew it she was gone, heading towards the Senator's office. He stared at her retreating figure, then plopped down on her bed.
The door slid open again twenty minutes later, and Leia floated in, a dazed expression on her face. "Han!" she said delightedly, sinking down next to him. "She was my mother. And Mon said she knew her personally. She was the fourth founder. And my father was Anakin, not Vader." She continued on and on, unable to conceal the delight in her voice. Han listened, a lopsided smile crossing his face. Everything would be fine.