Disclaimer: Star Wars belongs to Lucasfilm. My only profit from writing this story was awakening the force within myself! The entire story is written, so I'll be posting as quickly as I can edit. Please review, fav, or follow if it speaks to you.
Note: Sorry guys, you only get this short chapter today. I wanted to release the last two of this section together, but it's taking too long to polish the final one. I'll put it up first thing tomorrow. If you want to wait and read them together, be my guest. Just didn't want you to think I forgot you! Also, your reviews mean the world to me. I've been working on this story for over four months (there's a lot more to come), so it's amazing to finally get some feedback!
The fleet they found on arrival was by far the largest Han had ever seen assembled. It reminded him of his first glimpse of the rebel forces back on Yavin IV, but this time instead of swarming creatures, it was a swarm of ships, every make and model from all corners of the galaxy. He felt a swell of hope as he looked out at them. Maybe things weren't so imbalanced after all.
Leia was sitting behind him, hand grasping his shoulder. He'd found in the last full day that she rarely wasn't touching him now, as if she needed a constant reminder of his presence. It did wonders to soothe his bruised ego, the constant touch of her fingers or brush of a limb incredibly reassuring.
After they had emerged from the sleeping chamber - hours and hours later - he had been shocked to find his vision had returned. It wasn't perfect, still a little blurry around the edges, but as they approached the rebel fleet, him in the copilots seat, Lando at the command, he felt certain he would be flying again soon.
They docked on one of the larger ships, and Han started making out some familiar faces. He hadn't realized he knew so many people. And not only knew them, but cared about them too. For the first time since his release from the carbonite, he felt the time as it had really passed. He felt like he hadn't seen these people in at least a year.
Leia was rising, eager to be out of the ship and back in her world. He guessed it was his world now too. The thought amazed him as he followed her out of the cockpit. For the first time in his life, he had a place and people he belonged to. Now, it was only up to him to make it official.
Leia turned as they waited for Lando and Chewie to join them. She pressed herself against him, slipping her arms around his waist and her head beneath his chin.
"It's going to be crazy in there. Something's about to happen. I can feel it."
He felt a slight shiver of apprehension at her words. He was used to her saying things like this (and usually being right), but he found that she'd changed her tone since Bespin. She sounded more sure in her prediction and less troubled by it.
He nodded, gently tapping his chin against her head.
"Something's always about to happen, sweetheart."
It seemed that nickname had made it through. She sighed and squeezed a bit harder.
"I'm so glad that we can face it together," she whispered. And now it was his turn to sigh.
There was no protecting her. There was no locking her away in an ivory tower. He'd fallen in love with a woman of action, and there was nothing he could do about it.
But just to be sure, he said, "There's no way you're keeping out of this thing, is there?"
She looked up at him truly surprised. "What?"
He tempered his words with a tender smile, "You're gonna want to fight, aren't you? No staying on base this time."
She held his gaze for a moment, face mysteriously clouded. And then she shook her head decisively.
"I go where you go," she said.
And then Lando and Chewie came around the corner, ready as ever to debark from the ship.
[What are you waiting for?] Chewie said.
Han released his lover and turned to the control panel.
"For you, you bit lout," he said gamely.
Chewie let out a big Wookiee laugh as he lowered hatchway, letting in the stale space station air.
"Nothing like the smell of air recyclers in the morning," Lando quipped.
And for the first time since they'd reunited, Han was glad to have his friend back. He hadn't let himself delve too far into it, but he had been truly disturbed by Calrissian's betrayal. If he hadn't had Leia, Chewie and…Luke, he would have been truly flattened by the rascal's low move. But now that a little time had passed (or a lot) - Gods, he was sick of this - he could see that Lando had done the best he could with the situation he had. He'd immediately realized his error and sought to fix it.
"Don't worry, buddy," he said, letting his newfound generosity color his tone, "You get used to it."
Lando gave him a winning smile and lead the way onto the tarmac. Leia gradually let go, walking very closely to him but resisting the urge to touch. He knew she would want to maintain some professionalism in this environment. But it didn't make him miss it less.
"Solo!" General Rieekan approached, giving Leia a hug and Han a handshake. He quickly thought the better of it and pulled him in, slapping him manfully on the back.
"It's good to see you both," he said. The General rarely gave into sentimentality, but he had a way of saying a lot with a simple statement.
Han had warmed to the man over the years, and returned his greeting heartily.
Then he remembered Lando and waved the man forward.
"General, this is Lando Calrissian…"
The group shifted around him, and he realized immediately that they already knew each other.
Remember? A YEAR.
"Right. Never mind. But, if you want the real scoop on him," he leaned forward wickedly. "You can come to me."
Lando looked a little green at this and Leia poked him in rebuke, but the General smiled and said, "I might take you up on that, Solo."
The group continued on its way, Chewie and Lando heading off to what he assumed were their usual quarters. Leia lead him along, no longer needing to be his eyes, but obviously knowing which direction they were headed.
She stopped after a lengthy walk at a small door set in a hallway lined with them. She laid her hand against the scanner and it swooshed up, rising instead of sliding to the side. It was a small room, almost like a monk's cell. The bed was a single and there were almost no personal objects except a few womanly things that told him the space was hers. She lead him in and let the door slide shut behind them.
"They'll want us for debriefing soon," she said, knowing High Command like the back of her hand.
"What are we gonna tell them?" he asked, still taking in the space.
"It's not what we tell them, it's what they tell us." The tone was back in her voice, making her less woman and more prophet.
He reached down and pulled her to him, planting a kiss on her mouth. That mouth was all human. So were her cheeks and her neck and the slight dip that lead down to her—
"Han," she sighed. "We don't have time." She sounded regretful, and didn't move away, but he could feel that her mind was elsewhere.
"Alright, Princess," he said, still unable to break the habit every now and then.
He stepped back and took in the apartment again. There wasn't much to distract him.
"Is this where you…lived?" he asked.
He'd never seen her quarters before, not on any of the bases they'd been on. But he hated to think of her living in something like this. She should be surrounded by beautiful things.
She shrugged as if she hadn't noticed where they were.
"It's what they had available. I only slept here," she said. He could hear the unspoken ending to that statement.
Alone.
"Well," he said still displeased, "we could sleep on the Falcon."
She smiled gently at him.
"If we have time to sleep," she said, without any kind of double meaning.
"You think they'll send us out that fast?" he said.
"I don't know," she replied, turning toward a little cupboard he hadn't noticed before.
She reached into it and pulled out some clothes. They were Alliance issue, the plain jane uniforms he'd grown used to seeing on her. She started changing in front of him, obviously feeling no compunction on that account. He tried to be as evolved as she was, but he could feel his excitement rising the more he tried to tamp it down.
They had their whole lives together. Well, as long as they didn't become Empire bait. But, he was now free to make the promises he couldn't before. No more Jabba, no more bounty hunters, no more smuggling. He hadn't realized he was so eager to leave it all behind. But, he was. He wanted to live with her in the light, no more hiding from anything or anybody.
She turned to him and caught him looking, wiggling a little in a teasing way.
"You're incorrigible," she said, loving it even as she lobbed the insult.
He laughed, imagining she'd be shocked by the actual bent of his thoughts.
"Can't keep a good man down," he said. And he was about to make good on that threat when a knock sounded at the door.
"Princess Leia?" It was General Rieeken. Han frowned in confusion. Usually people would use a comlink or a datapad to summon a comrade. But, the General was making a personal appearance.
Leia hurried up her dressing, looking at him questioningly. She was just as much in the dark as he was.
She palmed the door open and stepped into the corridor. Han followed, certainly not staying in the little room by himself.
The General apologized for the intrusion, and said he was looking for Captain Solo.
They hadn't expected to be separated so soon. Han could feel Leia's discomfort as they took this in.
But she rallied herself, always a professional. "Of course. Han, you go with him. I…I should probably go check in with weapons." He now remembered the small armory the group had carried with them to Tatooine. He supposed those would have to be returned.
He gave her hand a tight squeeze, protocol be damned, and gestured for Rieeken to lead the way on.
The General made some attempt at small talk as they made there way to a briefing room. But neither man was very good at it, so they eventually lapsed into silence. Han had no idea what was going on, but he found he didn't resent the opportunity to talk with the man. There were things he wanted to discuss.
They made it to their destination, and the General ushered him in. He waved Han over to a holo-projector and keyed in a code. What appeared almost knocked Han off his feet.
"Is that—?"
"A Death Star," the General confirmed.
Han felt like he was going to be sick. He was just managing to get the first one out of his nightmares.
"Tell me this is just a walk down memory lane," he said half jokingly, half pleadingly.
The General shook his head grimly.
"I wish it was. The Empire is partway through construction on a second, more powerful version."
Han took in the display, "Looks like more than just a part."
The thing was in every way a death star. There was a missing bit here and there, but it looked pretty close to complete.
"How long have you known about this?" he asked, feeling the first licks of suspicion.
"Not long," the General assured him. "The Empire has gone to great lengths to hide its existence. For the obvious reasons."
Han shook his head, amazed again at the accuracy of his lover's recent prediction.
"So, what are we gonna do? Blow it up?" he asked, switching into action mode.
"Eventually," said the General, "but it's a bit more complicated than that."
"Isn't it always?" Han replied.
"There is an energy field that protects it." He hit a couple buttons and zoomed out to show a large planet dwarfing the ball of destruction. "This is Endor. It's a planet-like moon where the Empire has built a forcefield generator. We have to assemble two teams for this mission. One will deactivate the forcefield from the ground, and the other will follow with an attack on the Star itself."
Han let out a long breath. He had a bad feeling about this.
"And you want me to help," he said.
"Solo, I want you to lead," the General said decisively.
"Which one?" Han said.
"Either," Rieekan replied. "There isn't anybody better equipped in skill and temperament. The rebels trust you, they like you, they'll follow you anywhere."
Han was taken aback at this. Since when was he Mr. Popularity?
He shook his head, tabling that thought for another time.
"Which one is more dangerous?" He was thinking of Leia and her promise (or threat) to follow him anywhere.
"It's hard to say," the General replied seeming to understand his rationale. "On the moon, you'll have the element of surprise. But, you'll also be a bit out of your element."
Han nodded, thinking hard about the two options. On the one hand, the General was right - he was better in the sky. But on the other, he imagined the odds would be stacked much less against them on the moon rather than right around the Death Star. The ships would have to be close by, holding within range of the star fleet, to make their attack when the shield came down. And he could never stand to wait.
"I'll take the moon," he said, refusing to rethink his choice.
The General grinned at him. Maybe he hadn't expected such an easy sell.
"And you'll also take a commission," he said, brooking no refusal.
"Yes, I'll take a commission," Han said, hating it less than he thought he would.
"I'm promoting you to the rank of General," Rieekan said, shocking Han with the offer. He hadn't expected to move up quite so fast. "It's a serious job. It requires a serious title."
If the General was a winking man, Han thought he would have chosen to do it then.
"Now all that's left is to find the other team leader," he said. Han thought that was quite the understatement, but appreciated the man's optimism none the less.
"Don't you have someone? From High Command?" Han asked.
"We've suffered a lot of casualties since you went missing," Rieekan replied, regret clear on his features. "This is dangerous work, and it takes a certain kind of character to do it."
Han didn't like where his thoughts were heading. This was all reversing too fast. But his mouth was already moving.
"Have you asked Lando?"
"I had thought of Mr. Calrissian," the General replied. "But you told me you would brief me as to his character."
Han felt himself at a crossroads. He could let the bitterness of the past win out or…
"He's a good fighter. A real friend," he said, not believing his own conviction. "He's made mistakes - we all have - but he's put them right. And he definitely feels he has something to prove. No one will fight harder. Or want to stick it to the Empire more," he added with a bit of his old flair.
"Does he have any battle experience?" the General asked. Han was surprised they hadn't already covered this.
"Yeah," he said rifling through his memory, "he did this crazy thing…"
By the time they exited the briefing room, Han was practically buzzing with the energy of change and approaching battle. He had to find Leia, he had to tell her what was happening…
The shift in the space station was palpable, even to him. There was a meeting called in a few short minutes with all the big wigs, and he had yet to tell Leia what had come to pass. He'd looked for the woman everywhere, but couldn't find her for the life of him.
The General had continued to fill him in on the details of the mission, giving him a roster of his team, and an outline of the preparation that would be required. After the meeting, they would get to work, straight away, gearing up to leave as soon as possible.
He found Chewie back at the ship, looking satiated and happy. He must have spent most of the morning filling his gigantic stomach. He was tinkering with the Falcon, and Han was surprised that it hadn't occurred to him that his ship might need some tending too.
Was this what real life did to a guy?
He ran his hand along the underbelly of the ship and pondered her fate. Would he take her to Endor? She'd much prefer being in the action to waiting on the sidelines. Sort of like his other mistress.
His mind caught on that, and he found he didn't like it. Not one bit. Leia was anything but his mistress. He wanted everyone to know that. He wanted her to know that. And suddenly, with the same swiftness as everything else had happened during this crazy day, he knew what he had to do. He had to make it official, just like his new rank and his upcoming mission. He'd find her a ring, get down on one knee…
"Han ol' buddy!" He started at the voice, like he was encountering a ghost from the past. He turned and caught sight of Luke, walking purposely toward him. The kid was back already?
"Luke," he said, trying to sound cheered by his sudden appearance.
"Where's Leia?" Luke said as he came to a stop.
"I don't know, kid. Was trying to figure that out myself," he ground out the words, placid mask still in place.
"Things seem a little crazy around here," Luke continued, oblivious as ever. Or choosing to be at least.
Han almost told him about his mission, almost asked him to come along. Before a few days ago, he wouldn't have dreamed of heading out on a dangerous mission without his good friend. But that was then, more than a year ago, and he decided that he wasn't sure now if he wanted him along.
"Yeah, things are cranking up…" he said vaguely.
An announcement for the meeting echoed through the hangar. Luke perked up at this, seeming to remember something.
"I have to go, Han. I'll see you at the meeting." And then he was gone, blending into the milling rebel pilots and mechanics.
Han's good mood faltered as he thought about this new complication. He hadn't realized he was in a good mood until now. Turns out responsibility wasn't so bad after all.
He called for the Wookiee and made his way to the meeting. He hadn't had the chance to tell Chewie about the mission either and didn't attempt to do so over the loud clash of voices. The Wookiee wouldn't care. Han knew without asking that'd he come along.
The conference room was full to the brim, and he looked again for Leia certain she'd already be there. What he found instead was an all but preening Lando, fully decked out in the regalia of a Rebel General. Han couldn't help but smirk at the difference between the two friends.
"Well, look at you, a General huh?" Han said, approaching him.
"Someone must have told them about my little maneuver at the Battle of Tanaab," Lando looked almost bashful.
"Well, don't look at me, pal. I just said you were a fair pilot. I didn't know they were looking for someone to lead this crazy attack," Han sincerely enjoyed toying with him.
Guess your still a scoundrel after all.
"I'm surprised they didn't ask you to do it," Lando continued, undeterred by Han's attempt at banter.
Han was oddly touched by this, but kept to his game. "Well, who says they didn't, but I'm not crazy. You're the respectful one, remember?"
Lando smiled fully, still somewhat resembling a fox. But a fox who was in their hole now. He bowed slightly to someone behind Han's shoulder, and he caught the scent of Leia as she claimed the seat next to him. Where had she come from?
The meeting was starting now and a short-haired woman in flowing robes started doing the talking. He was remembering the first meeting he'd attended about another Death Star so many years and one small woman ago. He was glad that Leia had shed her robes and joined the human race. He much preferred her in rebel fatigues than in political drapes.
It wasn't anything he hadn't heard already, but he listened just the same. If he was going in there with people's lives on his hands, he couldn't afford to miss any piece of vital information. But he was still aware of Leia, the way he always was these days. Would she be understanding or upset when she heard about the mission?
At the first mention of Death Star he looked over at her, a bit worried about her reaction to this revelation. He knew his nightmares had nothing on hers. She was looking straight forward, stone-faced, no doubt remembering the first battle station and the destruction it had wrought.
When they got to his part, he felt the seriousness of the task at hand settle into his bones like dampness on a rain-soaked planet. This was real life now - real time - and he knew he couldn't mess it up.
But he still managed a last bit of fun with Lando as Admiral Ackbar announced his part in the big attack.
"Good luck," he jibed, "your gonna need it."
And then General Nadine was speaking and he knew it was his cue. The jig was up.
"We have stolen a small Imperial shuttle. Disguised as a cargo ship, and using a secret Imperial code, a strike team will land on the moon and deactivate the shield generator."
"Wonder who they found to pull that off," Leia said under her breath.
He turned to her, then—
"General Solo, is your strike team assembled?"
Leia looked at him in shock, the full power of her disbelieving gaze focused on his response.
"Uh, my team's ready. I don't have a command crew for the shuttle."
[You have one!] Chewie said.
"It's gonna be rough pal, I didn't want to speak for you."
[Shut up, you old #$&!]
Han couldn't help but smile, "That's one!"
"General," he almost didn't realize Leia was speaking to him, "count me in."
She was happy, glowing. Proud.
Thank the gods for small miracles.
As they shared a smile, he could have sworn he felt the Force at work. At last, his life was falling into place.
"I'm with you too!"
And the feeling evaporated in an instant. Luke descended the stairs - the prodigal son returned. Then he was hugging Leia like she was his long lost sister.
Better sister than lover, Han thought acidly.
"Luke," he greeted, completely outmaneuvered.
But Leia looked so happy. She took in their little group with a deep satisfaction as if she finally had her whole family back.
Well, he supposed she did. Though who was occupying which spot was the question that sat like lead in his stomach. Or maybe that was the upcoming battle for Alliance and Galaxy. Who could tell anymore?
To Be Continued
