Leia was crying on the Holochess table, crying for Artoo, for Ben, for everything. Life was going rough on her. Just then the pilot walked into the room. He was a strange man, cocky, cheerful, arrogant. He was Han Solo.
"What's wrong, sister?" he asked, sitting down across from her.
"Nothing. It's none of your business. Why aren't you flying, anyway?" she said. It was cold, but she was angry. Angry at Ben, for letting her sell, Artoo, angry at herself, for selling him.
"I have something for you." he said. Who did this man think he was. You don't give presents to passengers. Maybe he was flirting. That just made her more angry. "I know you'll like this." he said, and she turned around. And there stood Artoo.
An hour later, Han came back into the room. He stowed away, and I was gonna blast him, but he was fixing a busted vent while he hid, and I couldn't do it." Artoo whistled appreciatively. Leia looked up at Han, blinking through tears and smiled. Some people in the galaxy still had hearts. It was good to know.
The three rebels stood on a desolate plain, a rare sight on Alderaan. Leia was holding a wooden sword, and Artoo was throwing things at her. Han was standing with Obi-Wan and Chewie.
"She's pretty good," Han said.
"She's rebellious." A piece of wood hit Leia in the side and she moaned the piece of wood went flying through the air and hit another projectile as Leia collapsed. Bail Oragana walked up ten minutes later to find Obi-Wan nursing a large bruise on Leia, and a smuggler having a conversation about the new Hyperdrive Model 6's.
"I don't care how small they are, they aren't nearly as fast as mine."
Artoo said something about starfighter models that would need the small size. Bail broke in.
"Is Leia okay?" he asked, eying han warily.
"She's been fine every other time. Same old thing. She'll get hit, do something magic, pass out, wake up, repeat." Bail smiled.
"Han."
Ben was in the doorway. "I need passage to Ilum. Can you get us there?"
"Yep. But that place gives me the chills. Literally." The old man almost smiled.