"I understand you're Force-Sensitive?" Organa asked as they walked down the hall.
Leia looked at him with surprise. Organa chuckled. "It's quite alright. It shouldn't be a surprise, given your parentage."
He paused before looking back at her, "You know about your parentage, correct?"
"To be honest, general, I know very little." Leia tucked that damn strain of hair back behind her ear once more.
Organa looked puzzled. "Didn't General Kenobi tell you about your parents? As I was to assume, he and your father's family would work together to help raise you-"
He looked over, expecting her to interrupt him with the names of Beru and Owen and to tell stories of how Ben was a welcomed guest and a funny antidote. Leia however, said nothing, biting down on her lip, giving Organa the answer he didn't want. He sighed, rubbing his temple with his fancy gray gloves. "I was fearful of that happening." He told Leia in a quiet tone.
As they approached the war room, reminding Leia that she was going to try and save Han's skin. She wondered if this was to be a regular thing. Organa and Leia walked into the war room, where they found Han, doing what he did best:
Pissing off people in high places.
"What's going on?" Leia walked up to him, trying to act as peacekeeper. "Ah, Leia!" Han's stupid smirk came back, "There, someone can back me up." Han put his arm around Leia and turned to Captain Willard. "She can vouch for me in terms of my payment."
"Payment!" Willard was outraged, "Look, I know the stories about how we used to pay our spies but-"
"I don't care about the stories, I was promised money and I'm not leaving until I get some!" Han yelled, getting right into the face of Willard, so close Leia could see specs of spit coming out of his mouth.
Organa stepped forward, placing a hand on Han's shoulder. Han turned and suddenly Leia saw the man Han claimed to be turn into a seven-year-old boy. "Captain, I presume?" he asked with all seriousness. Han nodded, a loss for words.
"Well, how much were you promised?" Organa asked, "ten thousand?"
"Seventeen." Han said, in a much quieter voice then Leia had ever heard him speak before, as though. Organa was quiet for a moment before a Rebellion Tech officer, a chubby thirty something year old ran up to Organa. "Sir?"
"The ship?" Organa asked, without breaking eye contact with Han. The tech officer nodded and showed off a black metal object. "We found this under the hull of Captain Solo's ship, sir."
Organa took it and held it up so that Han could see it. "I didn't…I…" Han's talent of getting out of messes like this seemed to fail him at this point.
"Now, I'm going to assumed you didn't know about this. They probably put this on your ship when you weren't looking. You probably did a basic check but you were certain, deep into your bones, that they wouldn't do it."
Han swallowed nervously.
"As you can see, they did." Organa held the object close to Han's face. "And now they're coming here, and the blood of the Rebellion will be on your hands, Solo. Not the first time you've caused that have you, because of your-"
"Stop!"
Leia got between the two of them. Organa was furious, seething through his entire body. You could see it in his eyes. How dare she interrupt him!
"You can't blame Han for it! You know The Empire's wanted to know the location of the main base for years! Stealing the plans was the straw that broke the Bantha's back!"
Leia didn't break eye contact as she stepped towards Organa, straining her neck as she looked up at him. "We did promise him payment. We gave him a few thousand up front, but I guess Ben assumed that you could cover the rest. And we also assumed there would be a reward for bringing Luke home."
She stepped away, giving Han a look of, 'I've done all I can now to help.'
Organa crossed his arms, starring down the smuggler. "Well you did bring my son back, safely. I owe you that. So, Captain, how do you like your reward in?"
"I usually take it in Imperial credits, but I'll take it in cash. Small notes if you have them, sir." Han said, his confidence coming back in small steps.
Han was referring to Old Republic money, which despite the Empire's best attempts to enforce the Imperial credits, was still widely used throughout the galaxy. The Old Republic currency was made out of paper, making it harder to track. Indeed, Leia knew there was a vault somewhere on the farm filled with a few hundred dollars of Old Republic notes, in case there was a sudden death or worse if they had ever fallen into debt with the Hutt's and had to escape off-world. Leia wondered if the Raiders had found that vault yet.
"Sir!" Willard protested, "We're a Rebel camp! We don't have that amount of money!"
"Well the, what else do we have?" Organa asked.
"Well…" Han pondered, "I'm assuming you have tech facilities?
"We do." Willard squinted at the smuggler, wondering what he was playing at.
"And they must have stocks and stocks of certain…precious metals?" Han asked, brazenly.
While Organa looked cool and collected, Leia noted that deep down he might be screaming holy horror at that request. Even Willard found himself shocked by that request, enough to be at a lost for words.
"Aren't those important?" Leia asked no one in general, turning to Han as she spoke, who diverted his eyes from her, as though as though he was aware of how foolish the request made him seem in her eyes.
"They indeed are." Organa nodded, "we use them for repairs and such, sometimes even aided those who have helped us, as a token of our gratitude."
Organa turned towards Willard, wordlessly giving an order. "Sir!" Willard protest, interrupted by Han's overconfident huff.
"You don't want word to get around that the Rebellion can't honor its debts, now, can ya!" Han crossed his arms and looked over at Leia, seemingly hoping for validation from her. But Leia had none to give. Willard move to protest, but Organa motioned his hand toward Willard, 'don't' is what he seemed to say, as though Han was possibly speaking the truth for once.
Winter ran into the room, looking up at her Father for understanding of the situation. "We need to assume this base will be under attack within a few hours, possibly less." Organa directed towards Willard, "prepare for it accordingly." He motioned towards Han, "Make sure the smuggler is paid. The sooner he gets it, the sooner he's gone." Organa shot Han a look of such anger Leia thought he could melt ice with that stare.
Willard nodded and began barking orders once more. Winter slightly touched Leia's arm, "I'll help you get cleaned up. You look like you need a hot shower."