Chapter 2: Han Returns to Hoth
To keep her mind off things, Leia went to the command center to check on progress. Han wandered in a few minutes later. She felt her eyes drawn to him, and she couldn't help but stare longer than her resolve wanted to allow. She pulled her eyes away and back to the computer screen while her heart was practically screaming that she should just blurt it all out.
Suddenly, she was snapped out of her head by overhearing Han talking to the Commander about... leaving? So I was right, she thought. He looked over at her as he shook the Commander's hand, and all she could do was glare.
He looked confused, but he approached her anyway. "Well, your Highness, guess this is it." He stood with his hands in his pockets and a nonchalant charm that made her want to scream.
All she could muster was a cold, "That's right." She watched his expression go from confused to angry.
"Well don't get all mushy on me. So long, Princess," he spat at her.
All she could do was glare. Why can't I just tell him everything?
Suddenly gaining her resolve, she rushed after him. "Han!" She shouted as the doors flew open. He was rushing down the corridor away from her and everything that she wanted to say.
He turned, and with a snarky tone, answered, "Yes, your Highnessness?" He knew that she hated titles, and a made-up one only served to set her blood to boiling.
More softly than she meant it, she said, "I thought you had decided to stay."
"Well, the bounty hunter we ran into in Ord Mantell changed my mind."
"Han, we need you!" She wanted to say so much more– the meaning of "we" was different now.
"We need?"
He caught that... she scolded herself. Force he's quick-witted.
"Yes," she answered simply.
"Well what about you need?" he probed.
"I need?" she repeated. He's onto me, she thought. "I don't know what you're talking about." She brushed his comment off.
"You probably don't," he conceded as he whisked around the corner.
"And what precisely am I supposed to know?" she countered, staying in line with his large steps.
"Come on! You want me to stay because of the way you feel about me."
"Yes!" Oh, for Force's sake... she tried to cover, "You're a great help to us. You're a natural leader."
"No! That's not it!" he snapped as he shoved an accusatory finger at her. "Come on. Ahhh? Come on."
"You're imagining things." He's not. He's right, she thought sadly.
"Am I? Then why are you following me? Afraid I was gonna leave without giving you a good-bye kiss?"
"I'd just as soon kiss a Wookiee!" She retorted. Why am I saying these awful things to him? I just want to reach out and kiss him! Ask him to hold me...
"I can arrange that!" She looked at him in shock as his anger peaked. "You could use a good kiss!" He yelled as he continued down the corridor– leaving her in the dust. She looked around to see if anyone had seen the exchange, and, wiping away a stray tear or two, she went back to the command center.
Maybe he'll answer the comm. link, she thought. Softly, she paged him, "Han? Han, are you there?" No answer.
Leia sank into a chair, defeated. She rested her head on her hand, and the Commander asked, "Your Highness, are you alright?"
"I'm fine, thank you Commander. Is Luke around? I'd like to talk to him."
"I'm afraid he has not answered any transmissions of any kind. We are trying to locate him now."
"Wasn't he with Han?" she asked.
"Yes, but it appears that they did not return together."
"That no good, lowlife scoundrel..." she grumbled. Into the comm. link, she called for Luke, then Han. No answer from either. The feeling in her abdomen grew. She could feel... dread. Danger. What is this feeling? she thought. Is this what Force feels like? It can't be... I'm imagining things.
Threepio entered the room. "Threepio," she called, "can you go tell Han that I'm trying to reach him on the communicator? Luke hasn't returned, and Han was the last one to see him."
"Of course ma'am." Threepio stated. "I shall tell him straight away. Come along R2."
She sank back into her chair. She closed her eyes and listened to all of the communications happening around her. One report that Luke hadn't checked in, one that he hadn't come through the South Entrance, and another that... wait. Han is going out to find him?
Leia knew the dangers of going out this late. The temperatures were dropping too rapidly. If they're both out there... no, don't think that way. She wrapped her arms around her middle instinctively and went to find Threepio.
In the hanger, a scout came rushing in to tell the Commander, "Sir, all patrols are in. Still no..." The Commander put his hand up and looked at her to shush him. As if she wasn't going to find out anyway, she thought. More quietly, he said, "Still no contact from Skywalker or Solo."
"Mistress Leia," Threepio started, "R2 says he's been quite unable to pick up any signals, although he does admit that his own range is far too weak to abandon all hope." She already looked distraught when the Commander approached her.
"Your Highness, there's nothing more we can do tonight. The shield doors must be closed." Leia nodded reluctantly, feeling as though her whole world were collapsing around her. She and Chewie knew what this really meant. They weren't returning.
Threepio, never knowing when to hold back, told her, "R2 says the chances of survival are 725 to 1." All she could do was stare. She watched the doors shut knowing that she was shutting Han out more than she already had. She never got to tell him that she was pregnant. She never got to tell him how she felt, or to find out if he felt the same way. Chewie bellowed as the metal doors clanked, and Threepio continued, "Actually, R2 has been known to make mistakes... from time to time." She couldn't even look up. All she felt was dread. A hollow, empty dread. She wandered back to her room slowly and tried to clear her mind. As she cleared it, she could sense something. It was Luke. She shook her head in an effort to rid the crazy feeling. Her abdomen emitted what seemed, at least in her mind, like the Aurora Borealis. Following that feeling, she could sense Luke and somehow knew that he was okay. Han had found him. Am I Force-sensitive? she thought. I can't be. That's crazy.
