Han had been sitting with his parents in the kitchen when it had happened. The doors and windows blew in with gun blasts, acrid smoke filling the holes that remained. His father had pushed him and Jaina to the floor, before throwing himself and Han's mother down with them.
"RUN!" His father had yelled over the noise, "TAKE YOUR SISTER AND GO! DON'T LOOK BACK! HEAD FOR PLATFORM 226, THE FALCON IS THERE!"
"BUT DAD-" Han's voice was cut off by his father's hand.
"JUST GO! NOW!" Those were the last words that Han heard from his father before he grabbed Jaina and ran for their lives. He made it outside the front door when an arm grabbed him, tearing his hand from his sister's, and shoving him to the floor. His chin had connected hard with the stony surface and Han felt blood run down his neck. He had looked up into the face of his cousin, Thracken Sal-Solo, the similarity in their faces angering Han even more.
"You did this!" Han screamed up at him, his voice hoarse from the smoke. "Why!?"
"No time for that now… I want her." Thracken had picked up Jaina, who squirmed in his arms, trying to free herself. She was only young at the time, her mouth grunting the words she could not yet form. "She'll do, finish him off!" He ordered a nearby storm trooper before turning on his heel and marching off, a screaming Jaina dangling desperately from his arms. Han never forgot the look that she gave him and the pain he felt at not being able to help.
"Give her back!" Han yelled as he kicked out at the storm trooper, who fell to the floor, clumsily dropping his weapon. Clambering up, Han kicked the weapon forwards and ran to pick it up, turning only once to fire a blast that tore through the trooper's plating. He had kept his eyes peeled all the way to the platform for Thracken and Jaina, never once seeing them. He remembered dropping into the pilot seat, his mind and hands racing over the controls he had only heard about from his father, but somehow he managed to lift the Millennium Falcon off the deck. Once in the air, his last glance down at the ground had been for Jaina, who he resigned to never seeing again.
…
Luke sat still. Feeling as if the air had been taken from the room. Han continued to rub his stubble in a distracted way. Trying to hold back the tears that wanted to fall. Finally Luke found the words, "I felt your pain and the anxiety, but I would never have expected this."
"Me neither but then again, I've never expected much in my life." Han added solemnly. Luke felt somewhat privileged to know that he was seeing a side to Han Solo, one that even his sister, Leia had never felt before, but part of him was upset that no-one had noticed this sooner. Even he himself had not seen the pain that his friend was in.
"And she's the woman you thought you saw today?" Luke ventured, trying to distract his mind from his thoughts.
"She's been hanging around the past few days, but only today did I get to see her face." Han's eyes began to drift, filling with emotion. "She looked so much like Jaina. She looked so much like me." Standing, Han stretched, trying to fight off the emotions that he felt were going to overwhelm him. Luke, sensing this change in the conversation stood opposite Han, reaching out to hold his friends shoulder.
"I'll be down at the platform with you tomorrow. I'll help in anyway I can, but for now, we're both a little tired and should probably sleep on what we know." Luke lied, knowing that Han wouldn't be the one to admit this was getting too much for him to think about, Luke had stepped in. "I'll tell Leia you're worried about the Falcon and that I'm going to help you tomorrow. Not exactly lying, but it'll give you the time you need." Smiling, Luke then turned to leave, stopped only by Han's shaky voice.
"Hey, thanks kid. I guess I owe you another one." The first genuine smile to cross Han's face today appeared and Luke returned it, before turning on his heel and leaving the room.
Sitting back in the chair, Han collected his thoughts for a moment before leaving, he didn't want to worry Leia anymore than she felt already. He heard her voice in the study. Probably questioning Luke. He had never discussed his past with her and, up till now, it hadn't bothered him but with the mysterious woman hanging around the platform. Things had to change. And God knew Han Solo hated change.
…
Leia sat impatiently at the kitchen table the following morning, her mind not quite accepting Luke's reasoning for Han's change in behaviour. Luke had told her that a woman had been at the Falcon's platform yesterday afternoon, and had pointed out that the landing gears were exposed. She knew how Han felt for that ship, but enough to ignore her? Leia shook her head. She felt something, whether it was the force or just a wife's intuition, and she knew there was more to the story than meets the ears.
"Morning." Han entered the room cheerfully. Perhaps too cheerful, she thought suspiciously before admonishing herself. Han would never lie to her, she knew that much. If he hid details here and there, he would have had a good reason, but part of her felt there was more to this woman who he met yesterday. And she was going to find out.
"Good morning." She smiled at him, taking a sip of her blue milk. "You seem a lot happier today."
Han moved over to the hob and noticed nerf slices heating soundly in it. He turned up the heat and faced Leia, a lopsided smile dressing his face. "I feel a lot better today. Going to get an early start with Luke and Chewie on the landing gears. Damn woman." He muttered, "Just when I think I have enough on my plate she comes along and tells me that."
"I guess she just wanted to help out." Leia answered, her voice distracted. She picked up her nerf roll and took a small bite, her eyes fixed to her husbands. "What was she like?"
Han had his head over the pan of nerf meat, scrutinising it. When he heard her question, his heart skipped a beat and he turned slowly, the smile even bigger now. "Nothing amazing. Not like my princess." He winked at her and Leia had to stop herself from choking on the food in her mouth. She swallowed it and smiled back at him.
"Not good enough for a nerfherder then huh?" She shot back, winking herself this time. Han's eyes looked troubled at her reply, she could see that much, but she played along at his charade. "Suppose you should be getting off, Luke left half hour ago. He said he'd meet you there. Didn't want to wake you."
"But, what about the pan?" He turned at looked at it forlornly, the smile leaving his face.
"That, is for the twins." She smiled at the mock hurt on his face. No matter what she was feeling, he could always melt her with one look. "So leave." He sidled away from the pan and gave Leia a tender kiss before moving to the front door.
"I guess I'll starve then…" He muttered playfully as he left, knowing, without turning, that she was feeling guilty now.
She felt a pang of guilt as the front door shut, but that was quickly replaced by anticipation. She heard movement from the twin's bedroom so she moved to the hot pan, expecting to hear sizzling but finding none. Lifting the lid, she laughed shortly at the two pieces of nerf meat in it, where before there had been four. "Nerfherder…" She mumbled to herself, feeling a smile grow within her.
"Mummy, what's a nerfherder?" Jacen asked from behind her, pulling on her robes.
"Oh, nothing. Let's sit down and have some breakfast huh? What do you want to drink?"
…
Millennium Falcon's Platform
"She's watching, I can feel it." Luke whispered to Han as they knelt by the landing gears, a box of tools splayed out in front of them. Han was trying to busy himself with them, picking them each up in turn and inspecting them.
Chewie let out a long pained groan at Han, who looked up at him, a stern look on his face. "Look Chewie, I'm just pretending to check them. I know you did them already." This was followed by another short moan. "Good, now go inside and make sure Threepio isn't touching anything." With that, Chewie coked his head and let out a gentle roar before vanishing up the boarding ramp.
"Wookies huh?" A woman stepped up behind them, her voice soft. Both Han and Luke rose and faced her, trying to look surprised. "I've seen you both watching me."
Luke stepped forward and offered his hand, "I'm Luke Skywalker and this is my good friend General Lando Calrissian," Han looked at his friend, his eyes wide. Luke directed his gaze at Han, who nodded slowly, before turning to the young woman. "And you are?"
"Jaina Sal-Solo." Her gaze wandered to Han, who tried to keep his eyes off of her. "Nice to meet you Luke and…" She paused momentarily, openly examining the man introduced as 'Lando.' "General Calrissian. I have heard much about you two and your adventures."
"Really?" Han spoke up, not wanting to appear anymore suspicious than he actually was.
"Very much so. I'm actually here looking for General Han Solo, I was told I would be able to find him here." Jaina replied. Luke watched as her hand dropped to her side, covering a bulge on her leg. "Would you by chance know him?"
"I've heard of him," Luke spoke up before Han could, not trusting his friend to be able to play along with the charade much longer. "Who told you that you could find him here?"
"My brother, Thracken Sal-Solo."
A/N – Longer piece this time… I think I know where I'm going with this… and I'm excited! I hope it's being enjoyed and any suggestions/ criticisms are welcome so please review!! Next part up soonish…