A/N: Thank you for your warm welcome to this fandom, and thanks also for waiting patiently for this new chapter. I hope you continue to enjoy what I do with this story, especially the romance between Han and Leia.(And for those who expressed some concerns, don't worry; I always try to write happy endings to my stories.)
Chapter 2
Han lay on his back in the small Ewok cabin, beneath the furs he had been hoping for. On the other hand, this was a much smaller cabin than Leia's, even by Ewok standards, and when he spread out on the wooden floor, his feet touched one wall while his head nearly brushed the other. But it was wonderful to stretch out and relax his body, though his mind was still far from it. He kept replaying his conversation with Leia by the fire after Luke had left them.
She told him everything that she had learned from Luke and, crazily enough, from the late Ben Kenobi, whom she insisted was able to make an appearance to her through the Force. By now, Han was beyond questioning that mystical religion, and besides, no one could have made up that stuff about Luke and Leia being twins and their father a Dark Lord of the Sith; it sounded like something out of a holovid. Leia had been teary again, a state he was not used to seeing the strong princess in, but he supposed her emotional reaction was completely natural under the circumstances. After all, everything she'd ever known about herself had been turned upside down; he'd have been pretty wiped out too. He remembered the feel of her warm body against his as she'd leaned her head on his shoulder and wept, eventually drifting off to sleep while the fire burned down to glowing embers. He was content just to doze beside her.
She'd awakened suddenly, disoriented, snuggled to his side beneath his jacket he'd draped over her. His arm had long since fallen asleep, and it tingled painfully when she sat up.
"Sorry," she said, her voice sensually husky with sleep. "I didn't mean to do that."
"It's been a tough day. The fire's about gone out. Let me walk you to your hut so you can get some real sleep."
"Okay. Thanks."
They didn't speak as they climbed the stairs to the tree top village, and though there were still many revelers, most had begged off and headed to their own beds. They met Chewbacca, who was on his way back to the Falcon where he claimed in his grunting and growling language that their ship had the only bed that would fit him. He was also a little drunk on that berry truffle wine, and a drunk Wookie was not someone you wanted to hang around with. He hugged Leia, howling his adoration for the diminutive princess until Han had to step in and extricate her from hairy, smothering arms. Leia merely chuckled and gave Chewie a loving scratch on his neck. The damn Wookie preened like a molecat. There was no sign of Luke or Lando, but he assumed they'd been offered an Ewok hut of their own, or perhaps found a bed on the Falcon; Han wasn't too worried.
They stopped outside Leia's hut, the walkway empty and only dimly lit by a small torch nearby. She turned to him, and he bent to her, enclosing her in his arms while she stood on tiptoe to encircle his neck. She lifted her face up to offer her lips for his kiss, and he readily complied. Given his earlier thoughts and conversations about holding back on further intimacies, he'd intended only to give her a sweet, loving kiss good-night, but apparently Leia had other plans.
She was the one to deepen the kiss, entreating her tongue tentatively at the seam of his mouth until he helplessly opened to her with a gasp of sudden passion. He felt her breasts against his chest, felt her nails scratch lightly against his scalp. Her busy hands then slid down his muscular arms to his back, and he was almost shocked to feel them slide beneath the bottom hem of his shirt, cool and seeking as she caressed his warm, bare skin. He shivered and groaned deep in his throat. His own hands moved to her waist, then came to rest just beneath the curve of her breasts. He could feel the intense pounding of her heart, adding to the thunderous din of his own pulse in his ears.
She broke away for air, kissed her way down his neck to the tan hollow of his throat where his shirt collar lay open.
"Come inside with me," she said breathlessly, and he felt the hot wetness of her tongue all the way to his groin. He swallowed jerkily.
"I uh…don't think that's a good idea."
She paused and looked up at him, her eyes heavy with desire. "Yes you do," she said knowingly, her hands still caressing his back seductively. Standing this close to him, there was no way she couldn't feel how much he wanted her.
A slow smile spread across his lips at the sight of his normally staid princess, her lips red and swollen from their kisses, her long hair wild about her shoulders, pale cheeks tinged pink now with need. He loved her this way, and he was more tempted than she would ever know to push open that door and bury himself in her softness.
"Okay, you got me. Yes, I do. With every fiber of my being, as a matter of fact. But when it finally happens between us, sweetheart, it won't be because you've had an emotionally draining day that we both want to forget with an awkward skrog on an Ewok-sized cot. No, I'm going to play the sensible one here for once and ease up on the hyperdrive throttle."
She stared at him in surprise, then her lips quirked wryly. "So you're seriously turning me down?" But she sounded more bemused than actually hurt.
"For now. And yes, I probably am crazy, if that's what you're thinking."
If she'd kissed him again, he would have changed his mind in a heartbeat. As it was, he was holding onto his self-control by a very slender thread.
Fortunately, she merely laid her hand on his stubbled cheek. "On the contrary. Once again, General Solo, you've proven yourself a hero."
He rolled his eyes and she laughed.
"Anything but that, please. Nothing heroic about having to walk funny back to an Ewok hut knowing that I'll probably regret this the moment I get there. Just consider yourself lucky that you escaped in one piece."
"It's not like I was inviting a rancor back to my room…"
His eyes grew suddenly wicked, and he leaned down again to kiss her cheek just to the right of her ear. "Don't underestimate how hungry you make me, Your Highness," he whispered. She trembled, but he stepped safely away from her in time to avoid those dangerous, sneaky hands of hers.
"Good night, Han," she said, her smile soft and her eyes dreamy.
"Good night, sweetheart. We'll continue this conversation very soon, I promise."
"And next time, I won't take no for an answer." But before he could think of a snappy comeback to that, she'd ducked into her hut and closed the door between them.
He cursed under his breath in Corellian and limped back to his quarters...
…where he tossed and turned restlessly all night on the hard floor, regretting that he was spending it alone, just as he'd predicted. Sometimes he hated when he was right.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Morning in the Endor forest was filled with golden sunlight and a cacophony of bird and beast song. Han was an early riser, despite his mostly sleepless night, and he stood at the railing of the village, coat buttoned against the chill, sipping the hot, dark brew a female Ewok had thrust merrily into his hands. It was a little bitter, but it did the job of making him more alert. There were few people about this early, especially after a night of drink and merrymaking, and besides, the word had gone out that Mon Mothma had granted a day of rest to all pilots and soldiers. This was probably a wise move, given half the Alliance was probably hung over this morning anyway. If the Imperials wanted a rematch, they could have wiped out half of them right now.
Han glanced at Leia's hut further down the walkway, saw that it was still quiet. The princess apparently needed her beauty sleep, he thought with a smirk. He would go and run the Falcon through pre-flight, do some diagnostics to see if there'd been some damage in the battle that Lando had missed. He imagined Leia would want to get back to work on the command ship that hung in space above the planet, and he'd be more than happy to be her escort. Endor was pretty and all, but the former smuggler wasn't used to sitting still or taking a holiday. He and Leia were cut from the same cloth in that regard.
Their hosts had spread a buffet of sorts on a long table in the common area. There was a large bowl of green and pink berries, a plate of cold, sliced meats, a rough-looking flatbread, and the tiny boiled eggs of some unfortunate bird. Han made himself a sandwich and grabbed a handful of berries, taking his breakfast with him with a nod and smile of thanks to the hospitable Ewoks. He'd almost made his escape when an annoyingly familiar voice called to him.
"General Solo, might we join you?" He turned reluctantly to the golden protocol droid, C-3P0 and his rolling sidekick, R2-D2, who met him at the bottom of the stairs. Artoo beeped a greeting.
"Sure, Threepio, if you follow my standing orders."
"Shut up and stay out of the way?" Threepio supplied for clarification.
"Good droid," said Han. Of course, as the pair followed behind him toward the Falcon, Threepio immediately broke Rule Number One. Han sighed in annoyance and purposefully picked up his pace so the droid would have to trot stiffly after him.
"Master Luke did not answer when I knocked at his hut door, so he must be continuing to recharge. I had hoped we might ride with you back to the command ship."
"Why not," he said dryly.
The droid reacted as if he'd received a free trip to Pleasure World. "Thank you, General Solo! That is most gracious of you."
Along the way through the woods, they met Lando, who looked unusually determined for so early in the morning. Han stopped to greet him, Threepio offering his own cheerful good morning.
"Hey, I was on my way to find you," said Lando to Han. "I finally got through to Lobot last night. Turns out, the minute they heard on Cloud City that the Emperor was dead, Imperial troops began fleeing like womp rats off a burning sand skiff. Lobot says there's just a skeleton crew left to run things, and people are returning to the city from their exile to Bespin's nearby moons. It's ripe for the taking, Han, I know it."
"Good news, buddy," said Han sincerely.
"So you're still in with me on this?"
"That place doesn't exactly hold great memories for me, but I'm in."
Lando grimaced at his part in those memories, but he nodded his appreciation. "Can I hitch a ride with you up to the command ship to talk to Mon Mothma?" he asked.
Han grinned. "The more the merrier. Soon as Leia's up and ready, we'll take off. You seen Chewie?"
Lando chuckled. "Oh, he stumbled onto the ship late last night. I was up waiting for my message to get through, when I heard him knock stuff over and roar in pain before collapsing in his quarters. When I went to check on him he was snoring loud enough to wake the dead. He was still in the same position this morning."
Han shook his head. He wasn't looking forward to a hungover Wookie. "You'll probably have to be my copilot later."
Lando grinned. "That's a pretty safe bet."
"If you're hungry, the Ewoks have a pretty good spread laid out." He held up his half-eaten sandwich for emphasis. "If you see Luke or Leia, tell them I'm warming up the engines if they want to join us."
Lando lifted a sly eyebrow. "Might I find the princess in her own hut, or did she find her way to someone else's last night?"
Han frowned, glancing at Threepio, the resident gossip. "She's definitely still in hers."
"Oh, I see. Sorry to hear that." But Lando's smile belied his words.
"Oh, frink off," muttered Han.
The two men parted ways, Lando's low laughter echoing in the forest.
"Well, General Calrissian seems in good spirits," commented Threepio as they resumed their walk toward the clearing.
"Yeah, he's a regular hold-full of space apes."
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Leia awoke to swollen eyes and an aching arm, though she was pleased to find her mind calm, her usual personal resolve and stoicism firmly in control of her demeanor. She washed using the wooden bowl of water a kind Ewok female had given her, and quickly braided her long hair before coiling it about her head in a simple coronet. She dreaded putting on her soiled battle fatigues, but that was all she had with her. She allowed herself a brief moment to long for a lovely shower in the refresher and a clean set of clothes, before ducking out of her hut and joining Luke and Lando for a simple breakfast. They sat at a small table facing the morning sunlight.
Han was nowhere in sight, but Lando affirmed her guess that he had headed back to the Falcon. At least she was spared the embarrassment of seeing him so soon after her failed seduction attempt the night before. She blushed just thinking about it, and Luke's eyes narrowed perceptibly.
"It's okay to take things slow," he whispered to her as he sipped a mug of the steaming, unknown beverage.
"Stay out of my head, Luke," she said in annoyance, but he only smiled.
"Other than your love life, how are you this morning?"
"I'm okay. I've accepted the truth of everything, but I'm still a little disoriented about how different my life might have been if only…"
"No sense dwelling on that," he replied, taking a bite of bread. "You said it yourself, the future is what matters now."
"Yes."
"Speaking of which," said Lando, having overheard the last part of their conversation as he joined them with a plate of food. "I'm going to try to speak with Mon Mothma today."
"Why?" asked Leia. She ate a few berries. They were very sweet.
"I'd like to be able to take a small team to Bespin. I've been in contact with my man there, and he says the Imperial garrison has practically abandoned Cloud City. If the Alliance could have access to the Tibanna mines, we could increase our firepower tenfold. You think she'll go for that?"
Leia regarded him critically. It had taken a lot for her to forgive Lando for what happened in Cloud City months before, and she knew how important his business there had meant to him. Hatred of the Empire for his loss had been just as much a factor for his joining the Alliance as had his guilt over selling out Han to Darth Vader. Her father. She swallowed a scalding gulp from her cup.
"Would this mean you'd be leaving us?" asked Luke, way ahead of her.
Lando looked troubled by his question. "Only to manage the mining operation if I'm needed," he answered after a beat. Luke stretched out with his feelings, gauging Lando's sincerity.
Luke glanced at his sister, willing her to see in Lando what he had seen. "I'll back you on this, Lando," he decided. "What do you think, Leia?"
"If Mon Mothma thinks it's wise, I'll support you." It was a rather backward offer, but Lando happily accepted it.
"Thanks."
They finished their breakfast in silence, each with the heaviness of their thoughts weighing upon them. They thanked their hosts, and Leia was hugged firmly around the waist by the little Ewok, Wicket. She ruffled his hair warmly. He was a brave little soldier, as had been all of the Ewoks. They had lost many of their own in the fight yesterday, but they would benefit equally from the demise of the Emperor. She wished them well, and waved up to them from the forest floor.
Aboard the Falcon, she managed a shy smile for Han, who bent and kissed her lightly on the lips, heedless of their audience. He slapped Luke affectionately on the back and grinned as Lando took Chewie's place in the co-pilot's seat.
"Where's Chewie?" asked Leia, settling in one of the passenger chairs behind them.
"Sleeping it off," Han replied with a smirk.
"Oh my," said Threepio, at the entrance of the cockpit. "So nice to have the whole team together again." Beside him, Artoo beeped in agreement.
"Well, go strap yourself in goldenrod; the cockpit's full."
"Of course, sir, I—" But Han punched a button near the door, which abruptly slid closed between them.
"Why do you have to be so mean to him?" asked Leia. "It is nice that we're all together again, all safe and sound." She reached for Luke's hand beside her and gave it a grateful squeeze.
"He always wanted to have a little brother to pick on," Lando answered for him.
Han gave a snort, then busied himself flipping switches in preparation for take off, as Luke met Leia's eyes and grinned.
Xxxxxxxxxxxx
The flight to the command frigate, Home One, was a short one, given that it still hovered above Endor, awaiting the return of all the Rebels from Endor while making repairs it had suffered in the battle. Han did have to maneuver through the dense debris field left by the destroyed Death Star, before expertly landing inside Home One's lower hanger. Han and Leia were the last ones down the ramp, and he stopped her before their descent.
"Are you all right? How's your arm?"
"Sore," she said.
"At me or from being shot?"
She smiled. "A little of both. But I'll survive."
"Last night," he began seriously. "Well, I think I need to explain—"
"You don't. You were right. I was in no state to make any major life decisions last night."
"Wait. Could you repeat that for me please?"
She frowned in confusion, but complied: "I was in no state to—"
"No, what you said right before that."
His meaning dawned on her, and her mouth formed a stubborn line. "You heard me the first time."
He took her gently but firmly in his arms, his eyes sparkling down at her. "Come on, sweetheart. A guy likes to hear those three little words every once in awhile."
"I love you?" she ventured, deliberately and frustratingly obtuse.
"No, the other three little words." He punctuated his statement with a kiss to her forehead, a light peck on her small nose, before pausing over her lips, teasing her. "Say it." His breath was warm and smelled faintly of the same berries she'd eaten earlier.
She was trying hard not to laugh, but she managed an exasperated, "Okay, okay! You. Were. Right. Satisfi—?"
He cut her off by taking her mouth with his, the kiss achingly sweet and slow. After a moment, he raised his head and grinned.
"Now, was that so hard?"
Her brown eyes turned mischievous. "I hope those words will keep your warm for the many long, lonely nights to come."
She slipped out of his arms and walked smugly down the ramp, leaving him to watch her with a heart full of love and admiration. He'd let her have the last word…this time.
From somewhere in the back of the Falcon, he heard the groans of pain and regret from a hungover Wookie, and he quickly followed Leia down the ramp. No way he was sticking around for that.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Forty-eight hours later, the command crews of both the spacefleet and the ground troops met in the Home One conference room. Leia and Han hadn't seen much of each other the last several hours, given that she'd been stuck in meetings, replaying and analyzing the battle like a coach after a Gooth Ball match, so she sat between him and her brother, waiting for Mon Mothma to present her thoughts. Also, trickling in had been reports of the Empire's disarray upon hearing of the Emperor's death. No one believed this confusion would last for long, and to that, Mon Mothma addressed her crews with her usual calm, regal delivery.
"While we have much to celebrate, we are by no means completely victorious over our enemies. There are too many Imperials occupying many worlds and outposts across the galaxy, and it won't be long until someone assumes command and begins gathering the Empire's remaining forces together once more. But in this brief lull, we must not let the momentary advantage we have pass us by. To that end, General Calrissian has brought to me a proposal that would help strengthen our weapons and give us further advantage over the Imperials in future battles. Many of you may know that before the general joined the Alliance, he was the administrator of Cloud City above Bespin, in the Anoat system. Unfortunately, it fell into Imperial hands, but he discovered recently, from an informant that remained in the city, that the garrison there has all but abandoned the operations of the Tibanna gas mines, leaving them vulnerable for our forces to retake them, and begin to mine the gas for our own use."
Leia glanced at Lando in surprise. She hadn't been sure Mon Mothma would go for his proposal, but apparently he'd used his considerable charm to convince her of the benefits of controlling his old mining operation.
"And so," Mon Mothma continued, "I have asked General Calrissian to form a team to travel to the Outer Rim and take back Cloud City in the name of the Alliance."
There was a smattering of applause, and Lando was grinning from ear to ear. The briefing continued, and afterwards, Han, Leia, Luke and Lando met in the officer's mess hall to eat lunch and discuss Lando's upcoming mission.
"She gave me one small armed transport," Lando was saying. "And if you're still in with the Falcon, Han…"
"Yeah, sure," Han replied. "Who else are you getting for your team?"
"Mon Mothma said I could take anyone who was willing to volunteer for the mission. So, I was going to ask Chewie, and you, Luke and Leia, if you'd be willing to come with me. I'll take a few other regular soldiers too, but from what Lobot said, we could probably do this in our sleep."
Leia's eyebrows rose skeptically, and she met Han's eyes. He shrugged. "It's up to you," he told her. "I know how busy you are here…"
"Can I get back to you on this?" asked Leia, meeting Lando's eyes.
"Of course," said Lando. "But as soon as I get my team together, we're on our way. It'll take a few days to get to Bespin, and I don't want to wait too long. Don't want to meet with any surprises once we get there."
Leia nodded. "I'll let you know."
"Well, I'm in," said Luke. Leia glance at him in surprise, but she said nothing. Why he would want to return to the place where he'd fought Darth Vader and lost his hand, she had no idea. Same went for Han. That was not a happy place for Leia, and she remembered with a cringe how they'd tortured Han before encasing him in carbonite. But despite what she was beginning to believe were Lando's ulterior motives, the Alliance could use that Tibanna gas. Maybe if she went on this mission, she could make sure Lando kept his word about mining the gas for the Alliance. Either way, she'd have to give the matter some serious thought.
Xxxxxxxxxxx
Later the next day, Leia boarded the Falcon with her Alliance-issue duffle bag, before wandering through the short corridor to find Han sitting in the cockpit, going through pre-flight checks. She was still unsure about Lando, and equally concerned that taking back Cloud City wasn't going to be as easy as Lando and his cyborg pal, Lobot had led them to believe. In the end, she'd decided to go, if only because she had a bad feeling about the whole thing and didn't want Han and her brother to face what might come without her.
"Hey," said Han, happy to receive her soft kiss on his cheek. "You ready for this?"
"I guess so," she said.
He stopped what he was doing and swiveled his chair around to face her. "I know I once took you to Bespin blind, and that didn't turn out so great, but this is different. We can trust Lando now, and this will be a good thing for the Alliance."
"Hmm," she replied noncommittally, then: "Let's just say I'm taking a wait and see attitude about this, okay?"
He held her face in his hands and kissed her lips, then her furrowed brow. "Don't worry. I'll stay well clear of the carbonite this time. Fool me once…"
"Shame on Lando," she finished sardonically.
Han grinned. "I hear you. But on the bright side, you'll get to get away from your responsibilities here for a little while. It'll be good for you. Good for us."
The com interrupted them, and Lando's voice came over the speaker. "You two strapped in," said Lando from his transport ship.
Han pressed down the com button. "Yeah, just waiting on Luke and my co-pilot."
In the background with Lando, Han heard a familiar roar. Chewie was aboard Lando's ship.
"Chewie, what the hell?" There was another smattering of Wookie grunts and growls. Hand frowned.
"I'm here too," said Luke. "We're giving you two a little time alone together."
"What?" said Leia.
"I think this might be a good opportunity for you to figure some things out, Leia," said Luke. Leia blushed. He wanted her to see whether she would be able to choose her Jedi training over Han.
"Well, this isn't really necessary," said Leia tightly.
"You're welcome, Han," Lando chimed in. Leia moved to the co-pilot's seat and glared at Han. He held up both his hands in denial.
"I had nothing to do with this, I swear."
They could hear Lando's chuckling and Chewie's laughing snorts over the commlink.
"We'll see you at the rendezvous point near Cloud City," Luke said, a smile even in his voice, the traitor.
The link went silent.
"I'm going to kill them," grumbled Leia under her breath as she strapped in and automatically took on the preflight duties of a copilot.
Han tried again. "Sweetheart, you gotta believe me—"
"Just get us the hell out of here."
He shut up, but he couldn't help smiling in amusement.
xxxxxxxxxxxxx
"You know," Han ventured, once they were clear of Home One and the rest of the fleet, "A guy could feel pretty insulted at how horrified you were at being alone with me for three days."
Beside him, Leia closed her eyes, willing the Force to give her patience. "You know that's not why I'm angry."
He reached for her hand, smiling gently at her. "I know you were embarrassed by their little trick. It's really none of their damn business what we do or don't do."
"I don't like people interfering in my life that way."
"I know; neither do I. I'll have a serious talk with Lando, I promise. But after last night, I would think you'd jump at the chance to get me alone so you can have your way with me."
Leia blushed anew. "Sometimes, I really, really hate you."
"I know," he said. "I hate you too."
But he was grinning when he brought her hand to his lips.
A/N: Thanks so much for reading. Please let me know what you think.
