CHAPTER 25:

Han Solo pressed several green buttons and one blue before switching the lever. The Millennium Falcon sputtered and sighed as it shut down. He took off his gloves, exited the cockpit, and headed towards his cabin with the intent of checking on Princess Leia Organa. After he told her who her would-be assassin was, she had nodded her head and excused herself. He almost followed her, but he decided to give her some space. Usually she preferred to digest bad news before she allowed him to comfort her. If he approached her too soon, she would snap at him with words that would sting, inciting him to snap back. The last thing Han wanted to do was start a fight with her now.

However, giving her space didn't mean he left her alone entirely. After he told her the bad news, Han had given her a few minutes before following her to his cabin. He stood outside the door listening. When he didn't hear her crying, he peeked in. She was lying on her back with her head propped up by pillows, working on her data pad as if nothing was out of the ordinary. Her normalcy concerned Han more than her tears would have; bottling her emotions up didn't always end well.

However, Han didn't disturb her. Leia sometimes came to him when she was ready. She rarely talked about what was hurting her when she came to him. She would just help him work on the Falcon, handing him tools, or doing small jobs he gave her, or she would play Sabaac with him and Chewie for hours.

If Leia didn't come to him after upsetting news or events after some time had passed, Han would go to her. He would always ask her for parts for the Falcon that he didn't need. He would then ask her if everything was all right. Han wouldn't prod her into sharing anything she wasn't ready to share. Leia sometimes would say she was fine, but other times, when her large brown eyes glistened, she'd open up to him. It was only a crack, but Han suspected that Leia didn't open herself to anyone in the way she opened herself to him; not even to Luke.

When Han found Leia working on her data pad, he fought the urge to take it from her; stressing the brain was bad for a concussion. However, if it was something that took her kept her mind from dwelling on the bad news, he wasn't going to disturb her.

Maybe he should have. Han's brow furrowed when he saw that his cabin door was closed. Leia rarely closed the door; she didn't like being enclosed in small areas. Did she catch him checking up on her?

Han knocked on the door. "Leia?"

No answer.

He knocked harder. "Leia?"

Again, no answer.

Han opened the door and frowned; Leia's bag lay opened and unpacked on the bed, but she wasn't in the room. Han rubbed his chin with his forefinger and went to the medical bay. Still no Leia. He went to the common area and found Chewbacca working on the hyperdrive.

"Have you seen Leia?"

Chewie growled and shook his head.

"Huh." He walked over to the Wookie's work. "The exhaust hose detached again?"

Chewie brayed.

"I'll ask Leia if the Alliance has a spare," Han said.

Han exited the common area and headed down the corridor leading to the cockpit, though he knew she wouldn't be there. As he walked through the corridor, he noticed the ramp was down. He pressed his lips together before wandering down the ramp. He was just in time to see Leia walking out of the hangar with Colonel Liston. Han's hand curled into a fist. He started after her.

"Captain Solo!" The hangar guard stepped in front of him.

Han stopped and scowled. "What!"

"I-I told you before that you must have a docking interview."

"Go talk to Chewie," Han said as he side-stepped the woman.

"I don't speak Shyriiwook," the guard said as she stepped into Han's path again.

Han side-stepped again. "Then get yourself a protocol droid."

This time the woman didn't block Han's path. Han walked down the corridor and turned down a passageway. He stopped when he reached the entrance of the Command Center.

"Captain Solo," the guard held up his hand. "You can't go in there."

"Get outa my way, Reg."

"I can't. There's a meeting going on, and you don't have clearance for the Command Center."

"Move."

"I can't."

"Reg, you know it's important or I wouldn't be here."

"That doesn't change anything."

"I'll forget the credits you owe me from our last Sabaac game."

Reg's lips stretched into a line.

"You owe me big."

"Fine! But you have to hit me so it looks like I didn't let you in willingly."

Han's eyebrows peaked. "Really?"

"Do you want to get me thrown into the stockade?"

"All right."

"Make sure you knock me out."

Han bit his lip, pulled back his fist, and punched Reg in the face. Reg's legs buckled and he fell back. Han caught the man, lowered him to the ground, stepped over him. He then stormed into the Command Center.

"Captain Solo!" General Dodonna said as he stood up. "What's the meaning of this?"

"Where'ya holding prisoners?"

"Can't you see we're in a meeting?"

"I need to know where prisoners are being held."

"You are not authorized to enter that area," a senator Han didn't know said. "And you're not authorized to be in the Command Center."

"Tell me what I want to know and I'll leave."

"Where's private Reg?"

"Takin' a nap," Han said as he looked down at his bruised knuckles. "Look this has to do with Le—the princess."

"What business does she have in the prison?"

"None of your business," Han snapped. "Where's the prison?"

"Why don't we just show you the prison area," the senator said as he reached for the alarm.

General Reikken grabbed the man's hand. "The bottom floor right wing aft."

"General Reikken!"

Han pressed his lips together in a small smile and nodded at the general. "Thanks."

He rushed out of the room, hoping that Reikken wouldn't be in too much trouble for helping him out. Han stalked down the corridor leading to the aft of the ship, stopped in front of a lift, and pressed the button. He tapped his foot as he waited. Leia had a good lead on him, and she was with Liston of all people. When the lift doors opened, he stepped in, typed in the floor he wanted, and placed his hands on his hips. The lift moved fast, but it was still too slow for Han.

When it reached the bottom floor, the door slid opened. Han marched down two more corridors and another passageway until he reached the prison. The soldiers stationed at the entrance stepped in front of him with their blasters crossed in front of their chest.

"Move."

"Captain Solo, you are not— "

"Authorized to be here. I know. Move."

"We can't let you pass," the guard standing in the middle said.

"I'm looking for Le—the princess. She here?"

A soldier sitting at the desk spoke up. "Yes. She's at cell seven-three-eight."

"Fin!"

"Thanks," Han said.

He walked down the hall, scanning the numbers above the transparent cells. Most of the cells were empty. He turned the corner and saw Leia alone standing in front of the cell containing Joh Hek, the leader of the Alderaanian Collective. Han bit his lip.

"Why?" Leia's voice was small.

"You destroyed Alderaan."

"Grand Moff Tarkin did that." Her words held no conviction.

"You're just as guilty."

Han tromped to her side. He grabbed her arm. "Come'n. Don't listen to him."

"Captain Solo. Justice would've been served if you hadn't intervened."

Han glared at Joh Hek before looking at Leia. She stood there pale, and her eyes glistened. He tugged Leia's arm.

"Come'n."

Her steps were shaky as he pulled her away from the cell.

"The Alderaanian Collective wants you dead!" Joh Hek yelled as Han and Leia turned the corner. "You need to pay for your sin!"

Leia looked back over her shoulder. Her mouth formed a small "o." Han stopped, stepped behind her, and took her other arm. He guided her out of the cellblocks and passed the guards who curiously stared at them. They said nothing as Han led out of the prison. He took her back to her cabin.

When they reached the door. Leia placed her hand on the security pad, and it slid open. She stared into the room. Han took her hand and walked her into the room.

Leia stood in the middle of the room and said nothing. Han turned his hazel eyes to her and parted her lips as he searched for the right words. Her lips were also parted, but he doubted she was thinking about what to say. Leia's large brown eyes stared at the wall opposite of her. Han followed her gaze. Pinned up on the wall was a flimsy picture with torn edges and fold lines. It was small, no bigger than Han's hand, and there were worn spots where the film had been scratched.

Han pressed his lips together and put his hands on his hips. It was an image of the Cieandra mountains framed by Adrian Lake and the blue cloudless sky. The Jewel of Alderaan. Han had heard of this place but had never saw it in real life. And he never would. He squinted as he studied the photo. A dark man holding a small girl on his shoulders stood in front of the lake. A woman next to them, her hair styled in two neat buns—like the hairstyle Leia wore when he first saw her—looked up at the little girl with an expression full of light.

Leia ran to the refresher, knelt in front of the toilet, and threw up. Han rushed to her aid. He knelt behind her and held her hair away from her face. He then wrapped his free arm loosely around her waist. Leia expelled the contents of her stomach one more time. She lifted her head, panting.

"Awg," she cried out as she was assaulted with pain each time she inhaled.

"Slow down, Sweetheart," Han soothed. "You're okay."

Leia wiped away the tears on her cheeks with the back of her arm.

"Slow down."

When Leia regained her respiration, Han helped her to her feet and led her to the sink. He twisted the faucet handle, grabbed the nearby face towel, held it under the water, and rung out the excess water. He then used it to wipe away her tears before he pressed it against her forehead. Leia picked up the glass on the counter and filled it with water. She took a swig, swished around in her mouth, and spit it out. She refilled the glass and drank down the contents.

Leia braced her hands against the counter, raised her eyes to the mirror, and looked at herself. Her eyes slid to Han's reflection.

"What Joh Hek said, it's not true."

He inwardly cringed; saying it wouldn't make it true to her. Leia blamed herself long before her encounter with Joh Hek. Nonetheless, Han didn't break eye contact with her. Although he didn't know how, he vowed to, one day, get her to absolve herself of her imagined crimes. Until then he would pick up the pieces after she crumbled under the weight of her guilt.

Leia broke eye contact and stood up straight. Han stepped away from her, and she backed away from the sink. She continued her trajectory until she was up against the wall. She hugged herself and slid to the floor. Han sat on his haunches in front of her.

The princess closed her eyes. Han stretched out his hand, cupped her face, and smoothed her cheek with his thumb.

"You can't keep beating yourself up."

She opened her eyes, looked at him, and then acknowledged his words with a nod.

"I care about you, Leia, and it's tearin' my heart apart."

Leia's eyes widened as she looked up at him. Han bit the inside of his cheek before he reached out to her. She took his hands and pressed her weight against them. She winced as she began to push herself to her feet. Han let go of her hands and slid his up her arms until he clutched her upper arms. When he had a firm grip on her, he helped her stand up.

"You shouldn't care about me," she whispered as she shrugged his hands away. She turned and walked out of the refresher.

Han followed her. "Why? Because you don't think you deserve it?"

"No. Because caring for someone only ends in hurt," she said in a barely audible voice. "I don't want to hurt you."

"You're afraid I'll hurt you."

Leia squeezed her hands into fists and held them by her sides.

"You're willing to sacrifice love just to avoid pain?" Han asked

Leia stopped in the middle of the room but didn't turn around. Han expelled a forceful breath.

"You love me," Han said.

"No, I don't." Her words were even quieter than before.

"One day you'll admit it."

She hugged herself again. "I want to be alone."

"I'm not goin' anywhere."

Leia turned around. "Why do you always disregard my wishes?"

"Leia, you have fractured ribs and a concussion. You just faced your would-be assassin from your home planet who wrongly—yes, wrongly," Han stressed when her eyes glassed over, "accused of being responsible for the destruction of Alderaan. I'm not going to leave you."

Leia turned away and sharply inhaled. "Please, just leave."

"No."

"I don't want to argue with you."

"Then don't."

Han placed a kiss on the crown of her head. Leia walked away from him, and his shoulders slumped. When she reached her desk, she opened a drawer. She picked something out, turned around, and held up a box of Sabaac cards. Leia didn't smile, but Han was okay with that.

"You lookin' to get your ass whipped again?" he asked.

"I have no intension of losing," she said with no mirth in her voice.

Leia grimaced as she sat down on the bed. Han picked up her pillow and arranged it behind her after she scooted towards the wall. She leaned back and closed her eyes.

"Maybe you should— "

"Just deal the cards, Fly Boy."

Han reveled in the small smile she gave him. It was a forlorn smile, but a smile nonetheless.

I can't stay, He thought. Not after Vilogo. How many more bounty hunters were searching for him? How many times would he put Leia in needless danger?

Caring for somebody only ends in hurt, Leia said.

Han forced a smile as he passed out the cards. Hurting her was the last thing he wanted to do. However, he knew he had to leave. He'd keep that to himself for now. Han was still here, and he'd be here for Leia as long as he could.

THE END