"Mark of a Rebel"

By EsmeAmelia

AN: Sorry I keep taking so long updating this story! I seem to keep forgetting about it.

Chapter 7

Han lay flat on his back, feeling the barge vibrating under him, refusing to open his eyes and look up at all the faces hovering over him. Hearing their breath and voices was unbearable enough - maybe if they thought he had passed out they would leave him alone. His chin now burned as if someone was prying under his skin with a knife.

[Cub, are you all right? Chewie growled.

Han wouldn't answer - blowing his feigned unconsciousness in front of Chewie would mean blowing it in front of everyone. His arms were throbbing as if his muscles had been torn - it probably hadn't been a good idea to pull Lando up by a pole after he hadn't used his arms in a while, but what were his options? Warm liquid oozed down his face, trickling towards his neck.

"Han! Han!"

That voice suddenly and completely made Han give up pretending. He popped his eyes open to a large pinkish blur hovering over him with a long line of brown draping from the top of its head. The color of the blur made Han shudder...his fear of what Jabba could do to Leia had come true.

"Leia..." he croaked.

Leia placed her hand on Han's sweat-drenched forehead. "Han, are you all right?"

"Maybe..." Han murmured, closing his eyes again, bringing his focus back to his throbbing chin. By now he was probably bleeding down his neck, possibly staining the top of his shirt. Perhaps it was a good thing that he couldn't see himself right now.

He felt Leia's lips caressing his forehead, her warm kiss granting him enough strength to open his eyes once more, barely able to see the pink blur against the blinding sunlight. He vaguely wondered if the twin suns would be strong enough to put out his eyes permanently.

"Han, it's all right now," she said. "Jabba's dead."

Jabba was dead...Han suddenly felt as if a large weight had been lifted off his shoulders. "D-dead?" he slurred. "How?"

Leia's soft fingers brushed Han's cheek, wiping off the sweat. "Well...he had me chained to him...and I used the chain to my advantage."

"Did he do anything to you?" Han's voice shot out, his words so fast that they ran together.

Leia breathed deeply, the brown blur that was her hair waving behind her. "Put me on display next to his disgusting body, but nothing more than that." She paused, what little Han could see of her face flinching. "I probably smell like him, don't I?"

"Yes, but it's no worse than the rest of us," Zora's voice suddenly piped in. "With how much sweating we're all doing, we all stink. I'm telling you Luke, how did you ever stand living on this sand heap?"

"Reluctantly," answered Luke.

"Well I think you just killed us," replied Zora. "Jabba didn't get us, but this heat will."

Leia ignored them both, instead brushing her finger over Han's fresh cut. "Han...this is bleeding really badly."

"Really? I hadn't noticed," Han croaked.

"I think we've got bacta on the Falcon...well, I hope we do."

"You hope?" Han grumbled.

"Well excuse me if rescuing you took top priority over keeping your ship's medicine supply stocked," Leia snapped, her voice raised to that volume she used when annoyed with him.

It felt good to hear her angry voice again.

Zora was snickering - Han could just imagine the smirk that must be on her face. "You two really are the perfect match, aren't you?"

Han sneered in the direction from which her voice was coming. "Well if you've got a problem with that, tough."

The spy's laughter abruptly grew into a loud chortle, so intense she sounded like she no longer needed to breathe. "Han...honestly...you really think after three years I haven't gotten over that?" Her high laugh delivered small bounces, as if she were about to get hiccups. "You think I put myself in this death trap just to steal you away from your girlfriend?"

Leia's voice began laughing along with her as if they were exchanging private jokes. "Han ... I asked her to help us. She's one of the best spies in the Alliance - her abilities came in real handy."

Han's face rapidly grew even hotter than it was before. He suddenly found himself hoping he had a sunburn that would conceal the extra redness that must be in his face. "Yeah...well why did she agree?"

Zora's laughter finally cease. After a long inhale, she said in a broken voice, "To help rescue a friend."