Leia lay in bed alone, unable to sleep. The night's events were on repeat in her head like a bad holovid—over and over again.
Han had wanted to cuddle, but she had pushed him back into the main corridor. "I'm tired, Han. I just want to go to bed."
"I can snuggle you in bed," he purred trying to pull her close.
"Han," she whined. What was it about Han that made her whine? She whined with no one else.
"Okay," he relented, a wounded look on his face. "You go to bed, I'll find something else to do. But it won't be nearly as satisfying as curling up with you."
Her lips curved into a smile because she knew that was the response she should give him. But she really didn't feel like smiling right now. She had so much on her mind. She leaned in for a quick peck, another obligation. But instead of reciprocating the token kiss, Han pulled her to him and began to kiss her hard on the mouth. She struggled against him. "Han!" she protested. "Stop it." Her lips were moving against the force of his kiss, and the words that came out were mumbled. The sound of footsteps coming toward them in the corridor made Han break away from her.
"What are you going?" she hissed. "Stop acting like this." One of the pilots passed them on the way to the back of the ship. Han waited until he was out of earshot.
"Like what? Like a guy who loves you?"
She rolled her eyes at him. "That wasn't love. That was possession. Property. Marking your territory." There, she had said it. The thing that had been eating at her all night as she caught Han's eyes boring through her every time she looked in his direction.
"You didn't seem to mind him touching you tonight. Stroking your neck, giving you sips of his drink. That was quite the display, Princess," he said brusquely.
"Han, you don't understand." She struggled to keep the whine in check. "This is business. Politics. I have to make him want to hear what I have to say, want to buy into what the Alliance is selling. And to do that, I have to play his game. It is no different than standing in front of the Hutts so they can see the woman who killed Jabba or dancing with the young men of Raydonia. It's my job, Han."
"So your job is to sell yourself for the Alliance," he spat.
Her eyes flashed at him, and her fists clenched. She couldn't ever recall being this angry with him. Not even before the evacuation of Hoth.
"You should know. You are the master of selling yourself for a cause." Her voice was cold and pointed. Not a hint of whine. His body jerked as she said it. Her arrow hit its mark. Bulls eye.
Han took a deep breath. "I'm going to bed before I say something I'll regret in the morning."
"You're going to say something worse than the 'selling yourself' comment?" she exclaimed.
He lowered his eyes to the floor. "Good night, Your Highness." There was no teasing in his use of her title. His voice was all business.
Now, lying on her back in her bed, she wanted to tell him he was right. Right and wrong. Right because she was selling herself. But wrong in thinking this was unique to her. Unique to politics. He sold himself as well. Not just to the Alliance. But to anyone willing to pay him. He sold his ship and his skills. She sold her name and her skills. How were they any different? She had never sold her body. Would never sell her body. So she let Pate touch her neck when he asked about the punig stone. And she sipped from his cup during the toast. Sipping from the host's cup was standard courtly practice in royal circles around the galaxy. Han would know that if he knew anything about court. Anything at all.
And that was really the crux of the problem, wasn't it? With the war over, she would go back to politics, back to being a princess. She would go back to a life in which people treated her not as another soldier but as the daughter of a royal family. The last royal family of Alderaan. She couldn't expect him to grasp this. He had never known her as a princess. In fact, he'd never known her as a senator. He loved a soldier and an Alliance leader. Could he love her as a princess? Could she trust him to love her as a princess with all the courtly etiquette and customs that entailed?
Han stormed into the 'fresher and turned on the sonic shower. He could smell Pate's palace on his skin. Feel it on him. He had to get it off. He scrubbed his face and his hair, rubbing furiously. He used twice as much hair powder as he should have. Anything to feel clean and like himself again.
After the shower, he paced. He didn't want to think about the fight. He hated arguing with her. There was a time early in their friendship when the banter was exciting, maybe even a turn on. But it had been a long time since he'd gotten hard from battling with her.
He grabbed the data pad from his small desk and headed out to the Main Lounge. Pulling up the security brief on Akiva, he read it again. It said nothing about Pate, nothing about a son of the satrap at all. He hadn't just forgotten it or skimmed over it, it simply wasn't there. Park was right; this was odd.
The door to the men's quarters slid open, and Han stepped inside. "Park," he called in an urgent whisper. "Park?"
A head lifted slowly. "Yeah?"
"Hey, buddy, sorry to wake you up, I need your help with something."
Park struggled to see the chrono by his bed.
"Yeah, it's late. Sorry, pal. Just meet me in the lounge. I'll make it up to you."
Han was sitting at one of the tables in the lounge, two cups of steaming kaffe in front of him when Park shuffled in. Han pushed one of the cups to him.
"So, I've gone through the security briefing again. We didn't just miss the info about this guy Pate, there's nothing here about him. So I need your help finding something on him." Han pushed the data pad across the table to Park. "You guys are better with this stuff than I am," he waved a hand at the data pad. "You get yourself in trouble, me and my blaster can get you out of it. But I can't research my way out of trouble."
Park, picked up the data pad and began to key in some words. Han sat back in his chair with the kaffe and waited. The ship was quiet as only the air circulation systems were engaged in the hangar. Park yawned occasionally as he read, but aside from that, there was little on which to focus while Han waited for Park to finish his research.
"Wait, here's something. It's from the Imperial News Agency. It's old, but that's definitely Pate standing next to the satrap." Park sucked at his teeth as he read. "Gods," he said shaking his head. "I wonder why none of this was in the briefing."
Han drummed his fingers on the table while waiting for Park to pass the data pad back to him. "How bad is it?"
"Bad," Park replied without looking up.
Han paced the corridor waiting for Leia to come out of her quarters. He didn't want to confront her in her own space after last night. Being in there gave her the upper hand. His plan was to pull her into his own quarters before she could protest. But he needed to grab her before anyone else saw them. As her door finally slid open, he made his move.
"I need to talk to you," he said grabbing for her arm. She recoiled, a move that told him she was not over their argument from the previous night.
"I don't want to start my day off with a continuation of last night's fight, Han."
"No, me neither. This isn't about that." He paused, searching for a way to broach the subject that would get her attention. "I mean, it's about that, but not an argument. Park found some more information, and I just think you should hear it."
Leia sighed. She looked as exhausted as Han felt. "Fine, tell me."
"Not out here," he replied. "Come to my quarters."
She rolled her eyes at this demand, but followed him. Han indicated she should sit on his bed, while he grabbed the data pad from his desk.
"Okay," he readied himself, hoping that he could present this information in a way that she would take seriously. "Park did some research last night and there is some information about the satrap, Pate, Myrra, and, well, Akiva, that wasn't in the security briefing. We're not sure why it was left out, maybe Rieekan didn't think it was important, or maybe Rieekan's people just didn't dig deep enough to find this, but…," Han faltered.
"Yes?" she said with more than a hint of exasperation.
Han took up pacing again. "The satrap has a harem. By all accounts a large harem. Pate is the eldest son of the satrap's only legitimate wife. But the satrap has at least fifty concubines. You know, women he sleeps with—"
"I know what a concubine is, Han," Leia rolled her eyes at him yet again and motioned for him to speed it up.
"Well, the children of these concubines are placed into servitude in the palace and other royal venues around the planet. So basically, the satrap enslaves his own kids. Except those of his legal wife."
"And?" Leia asked.
"And they live in fear of him. The satrap that is. In fear that their position of service might be a terrible one instead of a comfortable one like serving the women in the harem or taking care of the gardens."
"And where were all these fearful children last night? We spent hours at the palace, I didn't see any cowering children."
"Everyone here cowers! How can you say that?" She wasn't getting it, and Han was beginning to panic.
"Yes, of course, servants bow in reverence. I mean, where is the multitude of the satrap's children?"
Han shrugged. "You've got me. You can read the article yourself. I'm not making this up. Maybe you should ask Pate. They'd be his siblings." Han paused and let the weight of that sink in. "I mean, what kind of guy stands by and watches his siblings work in service to him?"
Leia lowered her head and stared at the floor. So many of the people who had served her family were related to them. It was an honor to serve the royal family no matter your own birth. This was just one more aspect of royalty Han would never understand.
Leia shook her head. "I don't understand what this has to do with the Alliance or my presentations to Pate and his ministers. Why should I care how they organize their society? The Alliance is looking for member states not to reform the societies of those members."
Han threw his hands up in exasperation. "I just want you to see this guy for what he really is. A guy who enslaves his siblings. A guy who strikes fear in his people… or his father's people. A guy who rules with fear."
"Fine, I see that." She stood to leave the room.
"Leia, don't go yet" Han pleaded with her. "Look," he said stepping closer to her. She stood her ground and let him approach. He reached out and took her hand, holding it for a split second before he spoke. "I don't trust him. I told you that. And I know you need to give them the same presentation you've given the others. And I know that you are feeling the pressure to get this guy in particular to say yes to the Alliance. I just… want you to be safe." He paused and lifted her chin so that her eyes met his. "I love you, Leia."
"I know that. And I love you too. I just don't get what all the drama is about with you and this guy. He's just another prince. He does things the old way with lavish courtly rituals and a culture you just don't understand. That doesn't make him a bad guy, Han," she squeezed his hand though she did not smile as she might have. "And it's kind of nice to be reminded of those old rituals. If I had known they would become extinct, I would have enjoyed them more as a child."
"But he's playing to you, Leia. Can't you see that? It's a show, an act, to lure you in."
Now she laughed, "Lure me into what exactly?"
"I don't know yet," he replied honestly.
"Han," her voice dripped with condescension now, "I think you've been watching too many holovids. Besides, I'm a big girl, Han. I can take care of myself. I've dealt with men like Pate before. "
Han and Park were following the litter again, having sent the third security officer to a local watering hole in search of some more information. Pate had invited both women to tour his extensive gardens that afternoon, and while the postponement of meetings yet again made the security team wary, the women were thoroughly enjoying Pate's continued feting of them.
"So she didn't believe you?" Park asked in response to Han's retelling of the morning's conversation.
Myrra was hot and humid, and all the walking outdoors in his general's uniform was making Han more uncomfortable and more agitated than usual. Han let out a low growl. "Gods, she can be so stubborn. She thinks it all sounds perfectly normal. As though enslaving your brother or sister is the natural thing to do."
"Does she even have siblings? Maybe she just can't empathize," Park offered.
Han shook his head, unsure how to answer. They hadn't talked about Luke at all on this trip nor had he mentioned the topic of her father. So much was still up in the air. If he really thought about it, he couldn't blame her for wanting this little escape from her current life. "Let's just keep our eyes and ears open. I don't want to push her on this. Pate seems keen to keep Dalia close as well, and I trust Dalia not to make any stupid mistakes. And we will always be a few steps away from both of them. We just need to make sure we stay one step ahead of any plans Pate might have."
Park nodded in agreement, and the men fell silent until they arrived at the palace.
Leia stood in the garden in stunned silence, mouth hanging open, eyes wide with wonder. Everywhere she turned the trees, plants, and flowers were from Alerderaan.
"But how? Why?" she stammered quietly.
Pate beamed at her but played coy. "My royal gardener is very good. We have gardens that represent several different planets. Not just from the Core Worlds but the Mid and Outer Rim as well. But I knew this garden would be of particular interest to you."
"Is it all real?" she breathed.
Pate's laugh echoed off the garden walls. "Yes, of course! As real as you can get. Here, try this." He pulled a piece of bluish fruit from a tree branch and handed it to her.
"Moon fruit," she coddled it in her hand. "I can't remember… well, yes, I can actually. The morning before I left for Coruscant the last time. I had it for breakfast with my father." She wiped a tear from her cheek and turned to look for Dalia.
Dalia had moved to stand with Han and Park by the garden gate. She seemed overwhelmed at the revelation of this hidden Alderaanian garden wary of getting too close to any of it. "How do you think he managed such a thing," she asked Han.
Han thought for a moment before answering. "Seed dealers, maybe? I'm sure there were Alderaanians who lived on other planets who had created gardens from their home planet. Once Alderaan had been… well, after everything, these seeds and plants would have fetched a high price."
All three of them watched as Leia bit into the moon fruit. Her chin dropped to her chest as she chewed. Pate took a step closer to her and reached for her shoulder. Han jerked forward without realizing he had done it and walked toward them. Pate's eyes met Han's as he cooed something comforting to the Princess. Han was still too far from them to hear what he had said, but he had had enough of this display.
"You've had a long day already, Your Highness. And you need to prepare for your presentation tomorrow. Let's get you out of this heat and back to the ship where you can cool off." Han tried not to emphasize the words "cool off", but he wasn't sure he had succeeded. Leia nodded without looking at him and turned to face Pate.
"Thank you for this," she whispered. "I can't tell you how much this means to me."
