On another note, I think that this story might be leading more into the drama and away from the smut. Of course, I could be wrong since occasionally, a story develops a mind of its own and things do change. Hope you enjoy this latest chapter and I will never stop asking (politely) for you to read and review. Oh yeah, I almost forgot… it's all George's - so he gets all the blame (uh, I mean, credit). Scarlet
Unexpected Detours, part 11
Leia and Luke joined the pilot and co-pilot in the cockpit as they navigated their way through the planet's atmosphere. Leia allowed herself the time to survey the scenery and admire the pink clouds that they danced through as they made their way to the planet. They had arrived at sunset, slightly ahead of schedule, and the clouds seemed to glow with the sun's fading rays. The spectacle faded quickly as they traversed the planetside and headed to the southern shore of the main continent. Here, the combination of approaching nightfall and city lights drove the pink sky to near-extinction. She sat back in the navigator's chair as the scenery diminished and waited for Han to pilot them to their hotel.
She had contacted the hotel and made a last minute arrangement to replace the simple room she had booked with a deluxe suite. This venture was already stretching the purse strings of the rebellion and the additional members hadn't helped in that regard, but the expense had been necessary. She barely had enough credits to cover the bill for their new rooms and had to hope that she was successful at securing the funds that had brought them here or they might have trouble covering any of their other expenses. 'At least Han probably has some extra credits at his disposal,' she thought, not wanting to think too much about the situation that would dictate the need of those credits.
They checked into their rooms without incident and Leia allowed herself the time to admire the luxury offered by the Pink Sky Casino. She wouldn't be honest with herself if she didn't admit that there were times when she longed for the luxury of her old life and she planned to take advantage of this opportunity to experience some of that lost opulence.
"Nice digs," Han commented from behind her, carrying the small case that held their clothing and personal items. "Which room is ours?"
She blushed at the implication, still unused to the idea that their relationship was common knowledge amongst their party. She indicated a door to her left. "I think the master suite is over there," she added aloud, heading to the large transparisteel window that dominated the living area of the suite. The pink sky had faded to darkness, but the view was breathtaking all the same as she looked out upon the thriving resort community below them.
Han moved behind her and dimmed the glass until the view faded completely. "We don't want to give them too much of a show," he offered in answer to her sigh.
"Okay, why don't I order us up some food and then, Chewie and me'll head downstairs to check things out," Han suggested to the group in general.
"Han," Leia answered, "I don't think that's such a good idea. The two of you are fairly well-known and if someone spots you and links your presence with the Falcon docked here, they might realize that there is more here than meets the eye."
Chewie growled a response and Han translated automatically: "Chewie says he'll go on his own. He says that most people think that all Wookie's look alike and that no one would guess his identity without me there."
"I'm in for dinner," Luke added, returning to the living area from his room opposite theirs. "But then I'm going to head over to the bank."
"Good idea, Luke, but I'm pretty sure they'll be closed," came Han's answering comment. "Even at a place like this where most places are open all night."
"I'm not expecting them to be open. I just want to check out the area and confirm the route that Leia's going to take."
After dinner, Han and Leia were left alone as Luke and Chewie left to perform their respective tasks. Han had settled on the sofa in the main seating area, searching through the holonet for something to help pass the time. Leia stretched and headed toward the master suite.
"Hey, where are you going?" Han asked as she crossed the room.
"I know that I should be the first one to say that we shouldn't forget that we're on a mission and that we shouldn't let our surroundings tempt us," she answered, "but there is an exquisite bathtub in there that I absolutely cannot ignore."
"You know," he rose and began to follow her. "Now that you mention it, I noticed that tub, too. And, if I'm not mistaken, I believe it was big enough for two."
She smiled, but stopped at the entrance to the master bath, blocking his way. "Nice try, flyboy. But, the only two going into that tub are me and junior," she patted her belly gently.
"Aw, come on, Leia," he pouted. "I promise to play nice."
She laughed and pushed him lightly out of the doorway. "That's what I'm worried about. I don't want to play. I want to immerse myself in hot water and just lie there until I fall asleep. I can't do that with you in there."
He left with a grumbling comment about hormones which she chose to ignore. Within minutes, she was neck deep in heaven, the fragrant oils provided by the hotel filling the air with a soft floral scent, the warm water caressing her skin like silk. The air jets beat a steady percussion against her back and neck and the only thing that she could ask for to make the experience any better was a little soft music to soothe her mind.
She stayed in the tub overlong, noticing the pruning of her fingertips, but couldn't seem to drag herself away from her private retreat. She had almost lulled herself to sleep when a light tapping came at the door; a tapping that seemed more like pounding as it interrupted her peace.
"Leia? Are you awake?" Han's voice carried through the door and she warmed inside as she realized that he wouldn't intrude unless she asked him.
"Come in, Han. I'm just getting ready to get out." She reasoned that she was getting ready in the general sense… she was getting ready to get ready. There were stages to leaving heaven.
Han entered the steamy room and closed the door behind him, keeping the warm air inside. Seating himself on the edge of the tub nearest her feet, he took the time to memorize the vision before him. He now had a new image of Leia burned into his memory; an image of her all flushed from the steamy water, hair caught in a haphazard knot, her silky skin glowing where it peaked through the bubbles. He swallowed and shifted, trying to reign in his thoughts while he still could. 'She was right to keep me out of here. There is no way she'd look this relaxed if I had been with her.'
"I know," she held up a pruned hand for his inspection. "I've been in here too long. I can't seem to leave. I miss this."
He reached a hand into the warm water and pulled her foot into the cool air. He began to massage it and watched as she closed her eyes and smiled with his ministrations. He traded her left foot for her right and continued silently.
"Alright, Leia," he patted her foot before letting it go and standing up. "Now, you've got to get up. If you stay in there any longer your fingers are going to be so wrinkled that they won't pass the thumbprint scan."
He tried not to laugh at the look of disappointment that crossed her features and held a hand out to assist her out of the tub. Handing her a towel, he watched as she dried herself before wrapping her in the complimentary robe.
"You know, I was thinking," he began.
"That's a scary thought," she quipped.
"Funny," he answered and flashed her a fake smile. "As I was saying, I don't think you should head straight to the bank tomorrow, make the transfer and then head straight back. It'll look suspicious. People don't come to Ord Mantell and go to the bank."
"Nonsense. Of course they do. That's why they have a bank here."
"No, actually, they have a bank here because people come here to spend money. They gamble, they eat, they go to shows, they shop…"
"I get the idea," she interrupted. "So, what's your point? You think I should gamble?"
"No, you'd be terrible at it." He held his hands up defensively as she swatted at him. "Hey, easy, I'm only telling you the truth. Besides, there's no use in gambling. It would just use up a lot of money. I think you should shop."
"Shop," she stated with a slight look of confusion on her face. "And shopping wouldn't be an unnecessary expense?"
"No, it wouldn't," he answered matter-of-factly and pointed at her waist. "Unless you're planning on running around the base nude for the next few months. Not to mention what we're going to dress him in… Oh, I get it," he mockingly slapped a hand against his forehead. "You've secretly always wanted to be a nudist."
"Funny. Funny. Okay, you've made your point. The problem with your plan is that I won't have any credits until I actually get to the bank. And, it'd be a little irresponsible of me to take the rebellion's credits and fritter them away on a shopping spree."
Han wrapped her in a hug and laughed. "You know, sweetheart, I love that you can never back down from an argument, even when you've clearly lost." He kissed her temple. "I have some credits, okay? So don't worry about 'frittering away the rebellion's credits'. Let me buy these things for you and for our baby."
Leia nodded and pushed out his embrace, wiping her eyes as she did so.
"What's the matter?" he asked, confused by her tears.
"Nothing. Hormones," came her answer.
She left the room, leaving him to the steam to contemplate the mysteries of a pregnant woman's emotions. He smiled as he thought about the shopping trip now scheduled for the next day. He would miss helping her select all the various items that they would need; it was too dangerous for him to be at her side and it was easier for him to watch out for her from a distance.
As his thoughts drifted to the next day's plans, Han wondered whether or not to impart Chewie's findings to her. He had returned while she had still been soaking in her bath and Han was thankful that she hadn't been present to hear his news. If she knew that Chewie had been recognized, whether or not it was by a friend from their past, she would argue that he was jeopardizing the mission, as she had forewarned.
He might still have a chance at winning that dispute if he didn't tell her that Badure had taken the opportunity to warn Chewie that Jabba had once again increased the bounty on his and Han's head. If the old man had his information right, the Hutt lord was now willing to pay more than triple the amount that Han owed him. Once wind of that sum spread through the underworld, he and Chewie wouldn't be able to make planet fall safely for quite some time. Thankfully, Badure had assured Chewie that the news of the increased bounty wasn't that widely spread yet and that he wouldn't have known himself if he hadn't just made a stop on Tatooine.
He shook his head, physically clearing the distraction from his mind. He would worry about all of that after they had left Ord Mantell. For now, he had more important things to focus on. The main one being the woman snuggled beneath the bedcovers and seeing her safely off this planet, with or without the funds that she had come to acquire.
Leia paused between shop doors to turn her face up to the early afternoon sun, taking a brief moment to relish the heat of its rays upon her skin. She had followed Han's advice and portrayed herself as a leisurely shopper on a holiday retreat, pausing to window shop at some storefronts, entering others to browse. She knew that it made Han and Luke's task of shadowing her more difficult, but also knew that there was little likelihood of either of them not finding something to keep them amused as they trailed her. For her own part, she had managed a few purchases including some clothes for herself. She had also selected a few basic items for the baby. It barely made a dent in what they would need and really didn't make much of a dent in the credits that Han had pressed into her hand, but she was anxious to move on to the real purpose of their trip.
She spied a jewellery store adjacent to the bank and thought that it would lend even more credence to her cover - a traveller who had been a little too zealous in her shopping and needed to acquire extra funds from one of her accounts. She paused at the window to admire the beautiful creations it held. The shopkeeper, noticing her bags, waved her in and after minimal refusal, she succumbed to the aggressive woman's wishes in the interest of avoiding a scene.
Wandering around the display cases, she had to admire the woman's ability. Without her having given any extra attention to any one item, the woman placed a crystal pendant on a simple chain before her. It was something that, had circumstances been different, she would have selected herself.
"It will look absolutely exquisite on you," she gushed as she manoeuvred to secure the necklace around Leia's neck.
'It is beautiful.' Leia found that she couldn't refute the woman's claim. The chain was so thin that the crystal seemed to float just beneath the juncture of her collarbones. The crystal itself was an ice blue colour, so pale that the tinge of colour was only noticeable under a certain light. She reached behind her neck and unclasped the chain, stifling the urge to gasp as she read the price tag.
"Thank you, ma'am. It is beautiful, but I'm afraid not. I really was just window shopping," she added.
"Don't worry. I understand," she replied while placing the piece back beneath the display case. "I don't believe in buying jewellery for myself either. You just send your man here and I'll make sure he comes home with the right piece. Okay?"
Leia agreed, taking the easy out offered by the older woman and left the shop after taking the woman's card. Entering the bank, she couldn't help but feel pleased at how the afternoon had proceeded so far. With the woman's card in hand, she had a very logical reason to be transferring funds at the bank.
"… just a little something for the remainder of the trip," she informed the teller as the young man accessed HSR's account. Warming to her role, she continued to babble on conversationally. "We transferred the money to this account for this very reason. We so rarely take a vacation. I guess we both knew that we might get a little carried away, what with his love of the Sabbacc tables and my love of shopping."
The man's eyes grew a little rounder as the balance of the account appeared on his screen. "Are you sure you want to transfer it all into your expense account, ma'am?"
"Well, you see," Leia smiled her widely, "I wasn't going to, but I was just next door and…"
"Say no more," he interrupted, clearly having run into this situation a time or two before. "If you'll just place your thumb on the scanner and look into the lens, we'll have your transfer complete."
A whir and a beep and Leia's mission was complete. She left the bank and had to force herself to keep her stride to a casual pace. She was so excited that she wanted to run to Han, if she knew precisely where he was at that moment, and throw her arms around him in celebration. But she couldn't do that - it would draw more than a little unwanted attention. She would continue along the prescribed plan, working her way gradually back to the hotel, remembering that her mission wasn't completed until they took off.
She was almost halfway down the strip when she forced herself to stop and admire a window display, remembering her role. Forcing herself to count to ten before proceeding, she chanced a glance behind her, but failed to see either Han or Luke in the fleeting look. She knew that at least one of them was behind her; a niggling sensation at the back of her head told her that she was being watched. It had been there throughout the entire afternoon and had caught her off guard at first. 'Must be Luke's attention that I'm not used to,' she had reasoned, not believing that Han's stare could put her on edge.
She paused at a children's clothing display, taking the time to admire the items, but unable to force herself to enter. She had never been much of a shopper to begin with and now, having completed her task, she longed to return to the hotel so they could return to the base. The niggling sensation grew stronger and she found herself scanning the crowd behind her, hoping to catch a reassuring glimpse of Luke's presence. She knew that he wouldn't be so brazen as to wave to her through the crowd, but she couldn't help but wish that he would. A feeling of unease had settled in the pit of her stomach and, remaining at the window, she turned to scan the crowd ahead of her as well, eyes searching for a familiar stride and dark hair. Unable to locate Han either, she reasoned that he was somewhere directly behind her, pacing her, most-likely, from across the busy street. She fought the urge to turn around and blatantly peruse that area and, quieting the warning signals inside her, continued on her path up the street.
As she walked, a break in the strip of stores loomed ahead and her feelings of unease multiplied as she approached it. She hesitated, unwilling to walk past the break that was only a few metres from her current position. Moving to the curbside, she waited impatiently for an interruption in the repulsor traffic so she could cross to the other side. Taking advantage of her new position, she scanned the crowd across the street for Han, desperately seeking his reassuring presence.
"Leia!"
Luke's cry came to her from down the street and she turned to see him fighting his way through a group of men who were gainfully preventing his progress. The traffic cleared, but she hesitated and that brief moment's hesitation cost her. A calloused hand covered her mouth and a solid arm wrapped around her chest, securing her arms effectively at her sides. She was pulled into the alleyway despite her protests. Out of the corner of her eye, as she was hauled away, she noticed Han pushing his way across the street.
Her captor dragged her further along the decrepit alley. This was the part of Ord Mantell that most visitors have never seen and Leia quickly wished that she had been left with that majority. Garbage lay piled at side doors and the proximity of the buildings blocked out the sun, throwing her into shadows even in the bright light of the noon day. She stumbled as he continued to drag her deeper into the underbelly of the resort community, but his restraining arms prevented her from falling. After passing a connecting alleyway, he shoved her unceremoniously into a recessed doorway. He turned her around and, keeping the hand on her mouth, shoved her against the door and then drew his blaster. This he pointed directly at her chest.
"I trust I don't have to worry about any noise from you," he warned, his intent clear and she shook her head in silent response.
The man who held her spoke with a gravelly voice. A scar crossed his right eye vertically, beginning at the middle of his forehead and ending at the centre of his cheek. He was bald and of average height for a man from a planet with normal gravity, but was rather stocky in build, especially through the shoulders and chest. He leaned close to her as he spoke and the sour stench of his breath caused her to recoil reflexively. Her scattered brain tried to sort out a reasonable escape plan, knowing that she had the opportunity to take her single assailant by surprise if she could just recognize the proper moment and take advantage of it. A woman and two other men, the latter two breathless, chose that moment to join them in their alcove, rendering all of Leia's escape plans ineffectual.
"Keep your eyes open for Solo," the woman ordered and Leia silently appraised this new opponent.
She was only a few centims taller than Leia herself, but seemed more muscular, if the fit and cut of her clothing were any indication. Even were she not nearly five months pregnant, Leia knew that she would have trouble with this new adversary in hand to hand combat. There was something about the way that she carried herself and the familiarity with which she handled her blaster that indicated an ability that Leia might have admired, had the woman been on her team.
The other two men stationed themselves at opposite corners of the alley intersection, both on the side nearest the alcove. These men were leaner and shorter than the man who currently held her at gunpoint, but seemed equally capable of handling the weapons in their hands. They scanned the alley that lead back to the street, waiting for the imminent arrival of Leia's backup. Leia found that she could neither pray for Luke and Han's speedy arrival, nor could she pray that they had missed her abduction and had proceeded up the street. She knew that she couldn't escape on her own, but was worried about the trap that seemed to have been laid to catch the men that she knew were racing to help her. A scrape came from the shadows ahead and Leia whispered a quick prayer of hope.
A/N: So?
PS. Go tigers! (and I know they've already made it to the World Series, but I'm very superstitious and I started adding that line to my posts when I was worried that they were going to get swept by the Yankees and thought they could use a little help making it to game 4 (which I had tickets to). Since it appears to have worked (because they couldn't have won because of their ability alone g ) I can't stop now:)