The Only Constant
By Justine Graham and Erin Darroch
Chapter 4: Reaction
With a final smile and a wave to the crowd, Leia returned to her seat as applause thundered around her, feeling as though she were walking on air. Upon taking the stage, she had delivered her message with straightforward sincerity, articulating with candor and conviction the necessity of uniting the planets. With rising passion, she called upon those who wished to be seen as allies to lend every form of aid—political, material or otherwise—towards the common goal of eradicating the last vestiges of the evil Empire.
As she'd mentioned to Han, she needed little preparation to deliver such a speech; after so many years of living for the moment when the tide would finally turn, the words she required came easily to her. We gather to celebrate our victories, she'd pronounced, but we cannot allow ourselves to become complacent. We must continue the battle; we must render our aid and convey our message of hope to the farthest reaches of the galaxy, to those still suffering under the yoke of Imperial oppression. We call upon you all to take up the fight alongside us, to bring an end to tyranny and usher in a new era of freedom and peace. Her rallying address had earned her a standing ovation, and she was now more certain than ever that further support for the New Republic would come swiftly and in abundance.
As she took her seat, only one tiny problem marred the occasion and diminished her elation at her success—the chair beside her was once again vacant, and Han was nowhere to be seen.
At a critical juncture of her presentation, Leia had spotted the elegant young woman in blue as she left the table where she'd been seated near the front, and worked her way to the back of the room, slipping through one of the sets of doors to the hallway beyond. Shortly thereafter, she saw Han follow suit, leaving their table and easing out through the same doors, trailing in the woman's wake. Leia had been jolted by an unexpected feeling of disquiet, but her time in the Senate had afforded her the discipline necessary to quell such distractions, and she had continued her speech despite her turmoil. Now that she was seated again, the empty chair beside her—and the continued absence of the woman in blue—amplified her feelings of uneasiness.
Leia recognized the faint stirrings of suspicion beginning to churn, and she chided herself for allowing the unfamiliar emotion to overtake her reason. She was reading far too much into the situation, she knew, allowing her imagination to run in dubious directions without the benefit of explanation or facts. Han had never given her any cause to doubt his devotion or his fidelity, and to leap first of all to tawdry conclusions was as preposterous as it was unbefitting of either of their characters. The most logical explanation was that he wasn't with the other woman at all; perhaps it was a simple coincidence, one easily explained upon his return. Still, the vacant chair served to provoke her the longer it remained empty, and she began to feel irritation rising alongside the suspicion.
With dinner concluded, Chancellor Na'Run took the podium again and, after thanking each speaker in turn for their contributions to the evening, invited the guests to proceed next door to the Grand Ballroom, where after-dinner drinks would be served, and music and dancing would soon begin. Leia made her way along with the slowly milling crowd, smiling and murmuring thanks in response to congratulations and well-wishes from those who had appreciated the content of her speech. More than one delegate offered words of admiration and encouragement, as well as promises of support, and Leia felt a thrill of excited pleasure at having achieved at least one of her mission objectives with ease. Even if only half of those who pledged their assistance actually delivered it, the Empire would be further weakened and the New Republic would be on much firmer ground.
Leia walked along with the other guests into the Grand Ballroom and took a few moments as she paced the length of the hall to admire the stunning beauty of its elaborate design, the vaulted ceiling and the intricate detail of the white painted carved-wood panels, architectural flourishes and gilt accents. The carpeting was plush and soft underfoot, the walls lined with rich tapestries and works of art from a hundred different worlds. It was a relic of a bygone age, reminiscent of some of the grander places Leia had visited in her youth, and as far removed as it was possible to be from the stark military environment to which she had lately become accustomed.
It was an enormous room, even larger than the banquet hall they'd just vacated, and there were five sets of double doors spaced evenly along one long wall that opened to lush garden terraces, their flanking curtains stirring in the cool evening breeze. Many amongst the crowd, perhaps overheated with too much wine and rich food, gravitated naturally in that direction and spilled out through the doors. Peering through the first of the broad openings as she passed, Leia saw that it led out onto a vast stone terrace, softly lit with hundreds of tiny golden glow-lamps that hovered high over the heads of the smiling, chattering guests. Turning her attention back to the interior, Leia saw a group of musicians in formal attire just taking their seats on a low platform situated at the far end of the hall.
But to Leia's dismay, there was still no sign of Han anywhere, nor of his mysterious acquaintance.
Despite her earlier attempts at rationality, Leia began to fume. She knew he'd never deliberately hurt her, but he could be so inconsiderate at times, and even downright rude. He'd left in the middle of her speech and now, a quarter of an hour later, he still hadn't bothered to find her and tell her what was going on. As the music started up, filling the air with sweeping orchestral sounds that immediately drew dancers to the broad ballroom floor, Leia realized she was beginning to formulate the beginnings of a diatribe in her mind. By the time he reappeared, she suspected she would have a few choice words for Han Solo.
As those fractious thoughts flitted through her mind, she felt a light touch on her elbow and turned to see the smiling face of Andros Ortis, her erstwhile dinner companion, who offered his arm and invited her to dance. Lifting her chin and summoning a smile, Leia accepted his invitation, and the next few minutes passed in a whirl as they moved around the room together in a lively version of the classic ouree. It had been years since Leia had danced like this and, despite her uneasiness over Han's absence, she found herself enjoying the experience tremendously. It reminded her of relatively carefree days on Alderaan and, although those memories were bittersweet, she realized she was smiling from ear to ear as they moved around the floor. Ambassador Ortis was a charming companion who was full of effusive praise for Leia's rousing speech, and brimming with enthusiasm for the future of the New Republic. Indeed, Leia was so caught up in their conversation, she gladly accepted when the music changed and he asked if she would care to continue their dance. A few moments into the second number—a grand, romantic piece designed to accompany slow, sweeping movements in expansive circles around the floor—Leia was surprised to see Han moving alongside them and, with a courteous nod to Ortis, smoothly cut in. As the ambassador bowed his farewell, Leia felt herself swept along once more, only this time in the arms of her handsome, wandering lover.
A string of demanding questions sprang to her mind—Where have you been? Who is that woman? Why did you walk out in the middle of my speech?—but she swallowed them all, settling instead for fixing him with a meaningful look as they moved around the room with the rest of the dancers. Despite her earlier doubts, she noted with appreciation that he'd been telling the truth when he said he could dance. His athletic body seemed made for it, in fact. The warmth of his hand in hers and the strength of his arm braced around her back made Leia feel utterly secure, and her footsteps light as air. At any other time she would have thoroughly enjoyed the sensation of being masterfully whirled around the dance floor by Han Solo in full dress uniform, but now she felt only a sense of foreboding. Something was wrong. Before she could formulate a question, though, he cleared his throat and spoke.
"Sorry about ducking out earlier, Princess," he said in a restrained tone, turning them expertly in time with the music. "I, uh, ran into someone I used to know."
Leia felt a touch of relief at his words; at least he wasn't trying to hide anything from her. She looked up at him as they moved in unison through the intricate but familiar steps of the couradole and waited until he dropped his gaze to hers before she spoke. "I was beginning to wonder. I saw you leave with her."
Han gave a curt nod and then looked away again as they completed another circuit of the room, apparently oblivious to the suggestive edge in Leia's voice that she hadn't quite managed to suppress. Although to outward appearances he looked relaxed and confident, Leia could feel the tension radiating from him, and she could sense that his mind was far away. He didn't seem to be preparing any sort of explanation for his behaviour, however, other than the bare statement he'd already offered. Leia tamped down her rising irritation and tried a casual query, keeping her tone light. "An old friend of yours?"
Han's arm tightened around her and he looked down at her again with a strange expression on his face. Some emotion she'd never seen before flickered through his shadowed eyes. "Something like that," he acknowledged, his voice hoarse.
He offered nothing more, but before Leia could press him on the matter, the musical piece came to an end with a grand flourish, and the dancers stopped to break into soft applause and lively chatter. As another number began, Han drew Leia smoothly to one side of the vast room out of the way of the cavorting guests. He seemed about to say something then, but he hesitated, looking more uncertain of himself than Leia had ever witnessed. As she watched him gathering his words, they were interrupted by the excited arrival of Lady Marzenia Ashnus, the Sacorrian Minister of Culture, whose bright voice and colourful ensemble were difficult to ignore.
"Oh, Your Highness, I do beg your pardon. I hate to interrupt you when you're dancing. Opportunities like this have been so scarce these past few years, haven't they?" Her words were delivered all in a rush, her melodic voice lilting above the music. "But, Princess, you simply must come with me to the East Gallery before the attendant closes it up for the evening. There's something there I know you would love to see!" Her prismatic eyes were alight with enthusiasm and her mass of fuchsia curls waved wildly around her cheerful face. She cast an apologetic glance in Han's direction and then did a classic double-take. "Why, General Solo! How lovely to see you again! I didn't realize you would be in attendance. How marvelous!"
One corner of Han's mouth tilted up in a half-smile. "Last minute change of plans, Minister."
"You must come along, too, of course," Lady Ashnus gushed, then lowered her voice with a conspiratorial air and looked at Leia. "There's an Alderaani moss painting on loan here from Imperial—er, Galactic City," she whispered gleefully. "It's exquisite, and so rare! I knew you'd want to see it straight away."
Leia tried to hide the pained expression she felt sure must show on her face. Her first impulse was to demur. Although she did love Alderaani moss paintings and they were, of course, exceedingly rare, at the moment she would much prefer to find out what was bothering Han. But it seemed unnecessarily mean of her to dismiss the Minister's thoughtful gesture, and the woman's keen enthusiasm was difficult to resist. Visiting the gallery would take only a few minutes, after all. Leia looked at Han, raising a quizzical eyebrow, but was unsurprised when he gave a slight shake of his head.
"You go ahead," he said. "I should get back to my...friend."
With a murmured apology to Lady Ashnus, Han leaned in to speak to Leia in a low voice before he took his leave. "We'll be out on the terrace," he said quietly. "Come find us when you're done."
-:¦:-:¦:-:¦:-
Leia couldn't subdue the ominous sensation of dread that coursed through her as she stepped out into the cool night air of the terrace a short time later. Feeling remotely in a state of fugue, she'd trailed alongside Lady Ashnus who chatted incessantly on the way to the gallery, pointing out and describing in painstaking detail along the way several other priceless pieces acquired by the Saccorian government that adorned the vaulted corridors of the expansive palace. Lady Ashnus had not been erroneous in her description of the moss painting; it was exquisite, a precious artifact from Leia's lost world—and under any other circumstances she would have been enthralled by the bittersweet reminder of her culture. Instead, the minister's chatter was drowned out by the echo of Han's parting words, which continued to run through Leia's mind, overshadowing all other thoughts.
We'll be out on the terrace. Come find us when you're done.
We? Us? Leia frowned. She'd found Han's casual use of the collective to be mildly unsettling in a way that she didn't care to examine too closely. It put a cold chill in the pit of her stomach to hear him refer to himself and another woman in a way that sounded almost...cozy. She felt—absurdly, ridiculously, irrationally—excluded. And although she was embarrassed to admit it, even to herself, she was filled with apprehension at the thought of meeting the mysterious woman from his past. It was one thing to be aware that Han had enjoyed intimate relationships with other women before her, but being confronted by one of those women in person was another matter entirely.
The terrace itself was enormous, a substantial structure that spanned the entire length of the palace's upper floor, and it was still crowded with revelers enjoying respite from the warm interior. Unable to locate Han at first glance, Leia moved to the massive stone balustrade that looked down over the broad city square. All around the square the backdrop of Dorthus Tal, normally sparsely lit, was alive with lights for the upcoming Siribati festival. Strings of lights and lanterns in every imaginable hue were suspended over the narrow streets, lights were threaded through branches of trees, and brightly lit lamps illuminated every door and window, casting lengthening shadows across the entire landscape. Combined with the glow of artfully suspended lanterns that appeared to levitate overhead, the effect was ethereal, giving the impression of floating amidst a sea of multicolored stars. Leia sighed heavily as she took in the view; she only wished she felt as serene as the scene laid out before her.
Turning away, she scanned the crowd for sight of Han's familiar figure. When she didn't spot him immediately, she began to make her way through the jostling clusters of chatting, laughing guests, silently cursing her short height. She stretched up on tiptoe to peer over myriad shoulders clad in formal wear, dress uniforms, fur, feathers and scales, all the while hoping fervently that she would be able to navigate the width of the terrace and find Han before she was pulled into yet another conversation with yet another jovial delegate. Silently willing everyone around her to ignore her presence, she nudged her way through knot after knot of revelers, keeping her eyes and ears open for any sign of Han.
The instant she spotted him, though, Leia felt her stomach plunge. He was with the young woman and they were leaning together on the balustrade at the far edge of the broad terrace. The woman was balancing on her toes to peer over the edge of the rail, and Han had placed a hand on her shoulder, leaning in so closely that his cheek pressed almost to hers, and lining up her sight with his outstretched hand as he pointed out something in the square below. The woman threw her head back and laughed, clearly enjoying whatever private joke they'd just shared. She turned and leaned back against the balustrade, took a sip of her wine and regarded Han over the rim of her glass, an unmistakable look of affection and admiration etched on her pretty face. Leia's heart sank to the floor as she watched Han reach towards the woman to smooth away a few stray strands of hair that had come loose from her elegant chignon.
Leia did not now, nor had she ever felt any sort of insecurity in her relationship with Han; they were loyal to each other, and her rational self knew unequivocally that one evening's chance encounter with a spectre from his past could not shake the foundation of that commitment. That rational self, however, was presently being choked to death by an emotion far outside her usual frame of reference as she watched the tender display between Han and his companion. A thousand possible responses flashed through her mind as she looked at them—some of them more violent than others, but all of them highly inappropriate. She swallowed hard against the knot in her throat and drew a deep breath to steady her nerves.
Before she had the opportunity to think through exactly what she should do or say, however, the woman looked out from behind Han's towering frame, and her gaze connected with Leia's for a fleeting moment. She gripped his forearm, and indicated Leia's presence with a slight jerk of her chin.
Leia stood rooted to the spot as Han turned to face her, and she was suddenly conscious of the fact that she was standing with her arms tightly folded and her chin tilted up in a posture she recognized as defensive. With some effort, she loosened her stance and clasped her hands together. Although the impending conversation was likely to be somewhat uncomfortable, she reminded herself that she'd certainly been through worse. Summoning a smile, she met Han's gaze.
He crossed the few steps to close the distance between them and engulfed her in a warm embrace. "Hey, Sweetheart," he murmured in a voice meant for her ears only. "I was beginning to think you'd been waylaid again." He pressed his lips to her forehead, then pulled away slightly and added in a brighter tone, "There's someone I want you to meet." Draping an arm over Leia's shoulders, he steered her back toward the woman in blue, who was waiting patiently by the edge of the terrace.
Finally face-to-face with someone from Han's past who didn't seem intent on betraying him or doing him harm, Leia's curiosity got the better of her. She met the woman's clear green eyes and smiled, inclining her head politely. In the brief moment it took for Han to draw a deep breath, the woman smiled back, presenting a broad, lopsided grin that looked strangely familiar.
"Princess Leia Organa," Han intoned, "meet Miss Neva Kuat. My sister."
-:¦:-:¦:-:¦:- To be continued...