"I refuse to eat that."

"It's good. Trust me."

"Somehow I can't quite bring myself to do that."

"What's the harm in trying? Just a little."

"It looks far spicier than I can handle."

"Looks can be deceiving, sweetheart."

The smile he gave her made her heart race and her eyes roll into the back of her head.

"Must you turn everything into an innuendo?"

Han tried to give her his best look of innocence. "Whatdya mean? You've got a dirty mind, princess."

"Right. Like you weren't thinking it."

"Just try the damn stew."

"No thank you."

"I'm not making anything else."

"I can wait."

"It's like a full day's away. You have to eat. Just try it. If you don't like it then I'll make you something else."

"No." Leia pushed the bowl away from her even further across the table and crossed her arms. She felt slightly silly and childish, but she couldn't give in and let him win.

He sighed in exasperation. "You're too stubborn for your own good." He sat down roughly on the chair across from hers and started eating his own bowl.

"I'm too stubborn? Please."

"It's delicious. Best thing I can make."

Leia looked down at the brown, chunky stew. "It does look like something you would make."

Han laughed. "Is that supposed to be an insult?"

She shrugged her shoulders and sighed in response. "Can we please just move on and start our discussions about the Rebellion? There's a lot you need to learn and I'm afraid we don't have much time to catch up."

Han looked at her with a suspicious glint in his eyes. "Not much time, sweetheart, we're gonna be stuck here for hours on end. I hope all you want to say doesn't take up an hour of that time, never mind all of it."

"Han, this is serious business."

"And I'm seriously already bored."

"You are impossible."

Han smirked as he continued eating his stew. He watched as Leia would glance occasionally between him and the bowl. His smirk widened.

"Tell you what, sweetheart. You try the stew and I'll be at my best behavior."

"I am not eating it."

"Just try it."

"How do I know you'll actually listen?"

"You've gotta trust me."

Leia raised an eyebrow as she leaned back in her chair. Han laughed outloud.

"You're going to have to raise the stakes, captain."

"Even higher than me letting you stay in my cabin? Eat my food? Locking myself up in you castle while you strut around doing whatever it is you do? And, jetting you around to wherever you want to go? Risking my life?"

"I suppose you might have a point."

"You suppose." Han finished his meal and wiped his mouth clean with the back of his hand.

"It's not like the conditions are horrid. You're just a little bored. And you like the danger. I can sense it in you."

"Sense it?" He wrinkled his eyebrows in doubt and confusion.

"I have a certain way of understanding people."

"Mhmm."

"If I eat this will you stop complaining about how bored you are?"

"Probably not."

Leia rolled her eyes, but pulled the bowl back towards her anyways. She was starving. Picking up the spoon, she took the tiniest bit and ate it. It wasn't as spicy as she expected and it was actually quite good. Not wanting to give Han too much satisfaction, she tried to play it casual.

"Not bad for someone of your questionable tastes."

Han was looking too proud of himself in Leia's opinion. He watched as she continued to eat.

"It's a bit milder than I would usually make it for Chewie and me 'cus I figured you'd make a fuss. They're great chefs, acclaimed and all that, but all of your workers seem to be afraid to even pick up a spice."

"Grandmother has a weak stomach."

Han quirked an eyebrow, but didn't ask for clarification. When she finished, he grabbed both of their bowls and went to bring them to the sink. He sat back down and motioned Leia towards the sink.

"What?" She asked.

"I cooked, you do the dishes."

"Excuse me?"

"Please?"

Leia rolled her eyes, but got up anyways. "I suppose it would be the right thing to do. But you'll have to listen."

Han leaned back in his chair and threw his feet up onto the table with his hands behind his head.

"Alright, let's hear it."

"Well, I haven't been there in quite some time, but you've heard about the destruction of the Death Star, I assume?"

"Sure, it was all over the holos."

"After the initial excitement, it was clear that there was still much to be done. For one thing, Vader and the Emperor are still very much alive and reigning."

"The machine and squishy old man, sure."

Leia looked at him exasperatedly, but seemed amused.

"The diplomatic way of explaining things. Anyways, there are rumors of a second Death Star on the side of the Empire, but I have also heard rumblings of a possible Jedi on the side of the Rebellion."

Han rolled his eyes and Leia was quick with a response. "I know what you're thinking, Han, and I too hold your suspicions. However, even General Rieekan seems to be excited about him and he usually keeps his emotions tightly under wraps."

"So what are we gonna do?"

"Offer support any way we can."

Han stood up and walked over to where she was standing at the sink. He took the freshly cleaned dishes and started drying them.

"We? You more like."

"I just wish there was some way I could prolong my stay."

"Why can't you?"

"You're trying to distract me."

"Just answer the question."

Leia finished washing the last bowl and handed it to him for drying. She poured herself a glass of water and sat back down at the table.

"In my position, it would be very dangerous for me to take such a public role in the Rebellion. As it is, I shouldn't be taking the risk, but I'm afraid I can no longer sit idly by and wait for the galaxy to right itself."

"Don't matter whether you act or don't, sweetheart. There's always gonna be trouble."

"That doesn't mean we can't try to fix things."

Han rolled his eyes. "You were saying?"

"I've said it before. My sacrifice would extend far past myself or my family, but to my people who do not need to be caught up in this war if they don't have to."

Han stared at her for a few seconds in contemplation, as though thinking of which way to continue the conversation.

"You should try to smile more."

Leia had been staring off into nothing, but turned quickly to look at him. "Excuse me?"

"You only ever smile when you have to fake it. It might make you look younger. At least once in awhile."

"Perhaps there is not much in the world that is worth smiling over right now."

Han looked at her and Leia had to resist turning away because his gaze was so serious. He stood up and cleared his throat.

"Alright, well. If that could be it for now, I think I'd like to go pilot my ship."

"It's in hyperspace."

Han looked back at her from the doorway and grinned. "Maybe I just want some peace and quiet time in the cockpit of my ship away from Her Highness."

Leia rolled her eyes. "Fine, but you're lucky I need to do a few things on my datapad. I'll be in in a little while and we can go over more of what we were supposed to be discussing."

"I'm sure we will."

She watched as he walked down the hallway before heading towards his cabin. It was quite cozy and she had slept amazingly well, better than she had in awhile. Sitting up in the bed, Leia found that it was comforting to be working here. She was used to sitting up straight, working at a desk all day, but there was something to this method.

After a few hours, she felt herself growing tired and wondered if Han had a water or sonic fresher. Not surprised to find that it was indeed water, the man would never deny himself such a luxury, she undressed and went about untying her hair. She stayed under the warm stream longer than she should have. When she got out, her skin was pruned, but she felt relaxed.

Having dressed and thrown her hair up in a quick braid, Leia decided she had given Han sufficient alone time. It was time the captain learned her whole spiel. After all, it had been awhile since she could so openly talk about the Rebellion.

When she entered the cockpit, Leia was taken aback by the combination of the silence and the stream of hyperspace in front of her. Han was sitting up, asleep in his chair. He looked so peaceful in his dream-filled state that she couldn't bear to wake him. Instead, she sat down in the chair diagonally across from him, never one to believe in superstition but afraid the ship wouldn't hold out and not wanting to mess with it. He began to snore quietly, but Leia found that she didn't mind the sound.