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As Han stormed his way back to the Falcon, he rounded a corner and almost ran straight into Luke. Both men stopped abruptly.
"Whoa," Luke called with a quick smile. "Where you in such a hurry to go?"
"Apparently, Rattaran," Han groused.
"Huh?"
"Didn't ya hear?" Han sneered. "I've been reassigned there."
Luke's face fell. "You're going to Rattaran? That sucks!"
"Tell me about it."
With a frown, the younger man's eyes lowered, his brow furrowed. "Hmm..." He looked back to Han. "Maybe Leia can get it changed."
"I already asked Her Holiness. She can't be bothered."
Luke eyed his friend dubiously. "I know she didn't say that."
"Might as well have." Han placed his hands on his hips and puffed out his chest, a clearly defensive posture.
"Man, this'll be the first time we've been separated since we met."
"Yeah, well, it's not like I'm gonna miss you guys or anything." He gave a disdainful sniff. "Just not gonna have anyone to play sabaac with."
Luke smirked. "Yeah, I'm sure you won't." He grinned. "I'll miss you though."
Han huffed some hot air in return, suddenly uncomfortable. He crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm sure I'll see you around." In fact, he would make sure of it.
"Of course," Luke returned. "It's not like these assignments are forever."
"Forever," he muttered under his breath, eyes on the floor. "Nothing's forever." When he looked back at Luke, the kid's expression was grim and Han wasn't sure what to make of that.
"I bet Leia's disappointed."
Han's attention was immediately drawn back to Luke. "Didn't seem too broken up," he growled.
"You know Leia. Always business first."
Yeah, he knew. But somehow, he felt that if it had been Luke, she might have made an exception. The thought made his eye twitch.
With a clap on the shoulder, Han did an about-face. "See ya, Kid."
He ambled down the corridor, annoyed with the Rebellion, the princess, and most of all himself.
"C'mon, you have to come. It'll be fun. Plus, who knows when we'll see them again."
Leia moved quickly through the corridor, Luke walking hurriedly beside her. Han hadn't spoken to her since his attempt to sway her to change his assignment to Wishnu. The few times their paths had crossed he hadn't even looked in her direction. Well, two could play that game.
"Han won't want to see me," she insisted, never breaking stride. "He's still brooding because I didn't switch him back to Wishnu."
"Of course, he will. You know Han. He has a short fuse but an even shorter mempry." When she didn't respond, Luke grabbed her firmly by the arm, forcing her to stop.
Leia stared meaningfully at his hand on her arm and gave him a pointed look. He smiled disarmingly and let her go.
"Look, I'm late for a meeting."
"Okay, I know, but just come tonight. It might be the last time the four of us are all together for a long time." His eyes turned large and pleading.
Leia hated it when Luke appealed to her sentimentality. She sighed. "All right. I'll be there." Her lips pressed together in exasperation.
"Great! Better get to your meeting, don't be late!" In a flash, he was walking in the opposite direction.
Irked, Leia glared after him. He turned back for just a moment and flashed her a boyish grin. She smiled in spite of herself.
Leia had been a bit apprehensive about coming aboard the Falcon on Han's last night. Upon arrival, Han had greeted her with reserve. Although not typical of him, she was relieved. It was infinitely better than the alternative. If he were holding a grudge, at least he was not making her life unpleasant.
She slid into the acceleration couch, Luke planting himself at her side. Chewbacca was nowhere to be seen.
Still seemingly sedate, Han returned carrying a large, dark bottle and four metal cups. He placed it on the table and it appeared to Leia that he was deliberately avoiding her gaze. The Corellian took a seat on her other side, remaining as far away from her as possible.
Intent on the bottle as he attempted to yank out the cork, Han was overly aware of the princess' presence. This was nothing new to him, but tonight in particular it seemed heightened.
Staring through the bottle, Leia suddenly focused intently on the label facing her. Her eyes grew wide. "Toniray?" Her voice almost squeaked.
Han met her eyes for the first time since she had arrived and a spark lit in his stomach. "Yeah," he replied dully, looking away and pulling the bottle close to his chest while continuing to wrest with the cork.
Emotion swirled inside the princess. She averted her gaze, memories besieging her, bringing both joy and heartache. She pushed them aside. It was not the time for such.
"What's Toniray?" Luke asked from beside her.
"It's an Alderaanian wine," Leia answered quietly. It was the last thing she might have expected Solo to have in his possession.
"Where'd you get that?" Luke asked Han.
The cork flew from the bottle and Han's elbow banged against the back of the couch with a dull thud. For just a nanosecond, he appeared startled. His expression quickly settled into his usual cool demeanor. "Picked it up somewhere," he muttered. Leaning forward, he began to fill the cups.
Picked it up somewhere…
Leia was well aware that Toniray wine was difficult to come by. Han must have gone out of his way to procure this bottle, knowing what it would mean to her. The gesture both moved her and made her uncomfortable. She cleared her throat, finding her voice. "Where's Chewie?"
Instead of answering her, Solo bellowed loudly, "Chewie! Get in here!"
Luke reached for his cup but Han swatted his hand away as they heard an answering bark.
"He's comin'." Han nodded towards the corridor.
Heavy feet shaking the deck ever-so-slightly, the Wookiee lumbered into the lounge, hooting a greeting.
"Hey, Chewie," Luke called.
"Chewie," Leia smiled. "We couldn't do this without you." She gestured towards the extra cup.
With a soft growl, Chewbacca indicated for Han to scoot over, forcing him closer to Leia. Their thighs touched lightly and she felt suddenly warm all over.
Chewie examined the bottle and grumbled to Han that he remembered when Solo had bought the wine for the little princess.
She couldn't help but smile at Han's sudden discomfort. He squirmed beside her and said nothing.
The Wookiee's large, blue eyes found Leia. Casually, he told her that Han had spent months searching for the wine before finally finding it.
Before she could respond, Han held his cup up in the air. "Who wants to do the toast?" His neck was warm.
They all raised their cups to join him and Leia felt a keen sense of intimacy. "To four friends," she said, voice husky with emotion. "And not saying good bye."
"Here here!" Luke called. She could hear the smile in his voice.
Chewie gave a celebratory hoot and Han said nothing. He didn't know what to say. Instead, he took a quick gulp of wine and everyone followed suit. He was aware of emotions reverberating through him. It felt distantly familiar but he couldn't quite grasp the memory of when he had experienced these feelings in the past. Nor did he really want to.
A brief moment of silence was broken by Luke. "Who would've thought a year ago that we'd all be sitting here right now?"
Han snorted at the rhetorical question. "Not me, that's for sure." The heat of Leia's thigh against his made it difficult to concentrate. He was well aware of how rarely she initiated any physical contact with him. It was quite the contrast to her comfort level with Luke, with whom she shared an easy, affectionate relationship.
"That doesn't surprise me," she intoned at his side. He made a sour face without looking at her. "But, somehow," Leia continued in a softer tone. "In the moments after you came back from the Death Star, I would have believed it."
"Me too," Luke agreed with a grin.
Chewbacca barked agreement and Han took another sip of wine.
"Of course," a hint of teasing entered the princess' voice and Han knew she was talking to him without any other indication. "This one here…" She paused to bump her shoulder against his arm, a gesture of warmth that took him by surprise. "Didn't take long for him to talk about picking up and taking off."
Now, he turned his head to gaze down at her through lowered lashes, uncertain how to respond. Her beautiful face was so close to his, it was difficult to look at her. One side of her mouth was lifted in a smirk. He decided on an earnest response. "But I'm still here." He gazed at her levelly, unmoving.
She held his stare, as she always held her own with him. She couldn't help but be drawn into that fascinating color combination that melted his eyes to hazel. Up close, they were beautiful and unnerving and she was drowning in green and brown. Leia struggled for words. "That you are." She managed to keep her response sounding steadier than she felt then quickly turned away and sipped her wine.
"Seeing your holo changed everything." Luke's voice was filled with wonder.
"It's a good thing that Artoo has such initiative," Leia commented.
"Oh, c'mon," Han interjected. "Droids don't have initiative."
The princess was looking at him again. "After everything we've been through with Artoo and Threepio, you still don't see that there's more to them than just mechanics?"
"Don't get me started on the Golden Wonder," Han grumbled. "And let's not go gettin' all sentimental. No one's dyin'."
"Well, I think it's a big deal," Luke insisted. "We've all been together for over two years."
"Almost three," Leia chimed in.
"Not really, when you stop an' think about it." Han felt everyone's eyes on him, most notably the princess'. "I mean, we've been on different trips and missions all the time. It's not like we've all been playing in the same sandbox for a year."
Chewie's yowl was argumentative and Han shot him a dirty look.
"Yes," Leia said quietly, gaze on the tabletop. "But we've always come back together again."
At his other side, the Wookiee warbled agreement. Luke was nodding then grinned suddenly.
"Han just doesn't want to admit he's gonna miss us."
Han's eyes rounded the table with a goofy twist. "Delusions of grandeur," he muttered, taking a big sip of his wine. "Besides…" That crooked grin sprung across his face and he cast a sly glance at Leia. "I'm just worried that the princess here's not gonna have an expert pilot to shuffle her around anymore."
Internally, Leia rolled her eyes. Externally, she didn't bat an eye. She turned to Luke and Chewie. "Do you know why Han's being sent to Rattaran?" She paused for effect. "Wishnu is too small to fit his ego."
Chewbacca arfed loudly and Luke chuckled beside her.
"Laugh it up, Princess." Han leaned back, his right arm winding carefully behind her to rest across the back of the couch. For just a moment, he felt the barest of stiffening beside him. Leia seemed to relax again when his arm was safely away from her. A flutter of irritation brimmed to the surface but he quickly pushed it aside. "C'mon, admit it." He inclined his head towards her without looking in her direction. "There's no better ship to fly you around than the Falcon. And there's no better pilot than me."
Leia looked at the smug set of Han's mouth and felt the sarcastic retort at her lips. Biting it back, she decided to keep the peace. "It is a fast ship," she allowed. "And you have come in handy from time to time."
From the corner of her eye, she saw his brow raise in surprise. With a sip of wine, Leia glanced at Luke and saw he was trying to suppress a smile. She forced down the corners of her mouth. In the silence, she turned to look directly at Han and aimed one brow at him. "What's wrong, Flyboy? Don't know how to take a compliment?"
Han searched for the perfect response and came up empty. Chewie began to laugh uncontrollably, forcing out his thoughts between barks.
'Someone has finally stopped his smart mouth.'
Everyone laughed together and after a few moments, even Han saw the humor in it. With a sheepish smile, he nodded to the princess. "Okay, okay."
As the laughter died down, Chewbacca congratulated the young princess.
"I'm gonna grab more wine." Chewie slid aside to allow Han to leave. In the galley, he reached down into a cabinet and snatched another bottle. This one Corellian and much less expensive.
He swaggered back to the lounge, attempting to gather his senses. This evening wasn't quite what he had expected.
His co-pilot shoved his massive body to one side so that Han could again insert himself beside Leia. It made Han feel somewhat transparent, yet at the same time, he was pleased.
This bottle was much easier to open. Han broke the seal and poured a round.
"Thank you," Leia said demurely.
"Thanks, Han," Luke added.
Han just gave a slight nod. They sipped in silence as Chewie growled something softly and disappeared from the lounge. They all watched him leave before turning back to each other.
Luke cleared his throat. "When I was a kid," he began quietly. "I spent all my time on the farm."
"Playing with sand?" Han quipped with a crooked grin.
The kid smiled patiently at Han. "Pretty much." The smile dimmed and Luke was once again serious. "I had some toys, not much but it was what I had. And I followed Uncle Owen around, learning about the vaporators, or I played on the kitchen floor while Aunt Beru cooked the midday meal."
Han glanced at Leia and saw she was listening intently to Luke. He wasn't thrilled with the serious atmosphere but no one was letting him lighten it.
"It was pretty lonely," Luke continued. "For the longest time, when I was really little, I had never even seen another kid." His eyes focused first on Leia, then Han but were quickly drawn to Chewie, who was returning with a giant bowl.
"Shoulda known you went lookin' for food," Han said, sliding closer to Leia again.
With a toothy grin, Chewbacca placed the bowl in the center of the table. It was filled to the top with pooka chips.
"Go on, Luke," Leia prompted, her hand quickly patting his.
Han's eyes followed the movement and he reached for a chip. It bothered him that he was always aware of every time Leia touched Luke.
"I must've been about five when Uncle Owen first took me to Anchorhead. That's when I met Biggs." He smiled to himself.
Han sighed internally. This was getting a bit too nostalgic for him.
"I couldn't take my eyes off Biggs; I was so fascinated. I mean, I knew there were other kids on Tatooine, but I was finally seeing one." He paused with a smile. "After that, I wanted to go to Anchorhead every time my uncle went, I'd beg him to take me. But I only saw Biggs a few times after that. Then, when I finally started school, we had instruction together." He looked up at his friends. "It was a small school," Luke explained. "There weren't levels, like other schools. We went to the school academy twice a week and did the rest on our own at home. All ages were in the same class. But we were grouped by age."
Chewie grunted a question.
"About twelve," Luke told him. "Only three in my group. Me, Biggs, and Windy."
"You must have loved those two days," Leia observed, smiling gently at Luke.
"Oh yeah, I sure did. And I asked my uncle all the time if I could go to Biggs' home after school, or if Biggs could come with us." He was silent for a moment, lost in memories, then seemed to come back to himself. "Anyway, life on Tatooine was pretty lonely." He glanced at each of his friends in turn. "I think since I've been here, since I've met you guys, it's the first time in my life that I don't feel lonely."
Luke's speech touched Leia, reminding her of how much these three beings surrounding the table meant to her. She placed a hand on his arm and smiled at him with genuine affection. Luke was so easy to love.
"I was a bit of a lonely child at times," she admitted.
From beside her came Han's irreverent voice. "Oh, come on. I'm sure there were lots of servants to keep you company. And help you count all your jewels and gold and whatever else you royals do."
Talking about her life on Alderaan was never easy. And Han certainly wasn't helping. But Leia wasn't about to let him ruin the evening. "Why yes," she responded in her most lofty tone. "That's exactly what I did. I sat on my golden throne, counting precious gems and being fed lupias by the servants."
Han grinned at her and chuckled, amused by her sharp wit. "Did the servants peel the lupias first?"
"Of course. And cut each lupia into three pieces."
Chewbacca huffed soft laughter from Han's other side and Luke was grinning at the table top, arms crossed over his chest.
The princess' sharp gaze never left Han. "As I was saying…" She aimed one questioning brow at him.
Han gestured to her to continue, a wide smile still tugging his mouth. She turned back to face the table.
"I had tutors at home. I rarely saw other children when I was young."
"I guess we have that in common," Luke said with a wistful smile.
Chewie barked beside him, speaking at length
Leia's eyes sparked. "You're talking about when you were a cub?" she asked, brimming with excitement.
Chewbacca growled in affirmation, nodding with a smile. He elaborated with a string of growls and hoots.
"The only words I understood was cubs…and group," Luke declared doubtfully.
They all looked to Han, who's expression was somber. "He said Wookiees don't have school. Groups of cubs are taught by the elders."
Chewbacca added a few barks and growls.
Han nodded. "It wasn't formal teaching. And that's how they learned everything they needed to know."
"Academics?" Leia asked.
Chewie replied briefly.
"And hunting, fighting, building. Everything," Han translated.
There was a moment of silence. "It's interesting how different things are on every planet," Leia observed.
"What about you, Han?" Luke asked suddenly. "What was school like on Corellia?"
Leia's curiosity was piqued. She looked at Han on her left. He was staring at the cup in front of him, expressionless.
"Nothin' special," he muttered to the cup.
When she glanced at Luke, he was watching the smuggler carefully. Han's vague response was no surprise to anyone.
"On a highly developed planet like Corellia I'm sure you had regular classes and school days," she speculated.
Han took a gulp of his drink, stalling for time. The princess and her private tutors…he was not about to admit that he only attended school here and there before dropping out altogether. He glanced at her then Luke as he replaced his cup on the table. "Yeah, that's how it worked."
"I can just imagine Han in school." Luke was grinning. "I bet you were a trouble maker."
"Yeah, and I bet you were the teacher's pet." Han smirked before turning slightly and looking down his nose at the princess. "And you…" He sipped his drink again, eyes never leaving hers. "You would've been a total know-it-all if you were in an actual school with normal people."
Normal people? She rolled her eyes, but in truth the dig stung. She zeroed in on a weak spot. "And what about your time at the academy? What was that like?"
His expression betrayed nothing but she knew instinctively that he was unhappy.
"The academy was just a lot of pointless banthashit that has nothing to do with flying."
"I heard it's pretty hard though," Luke commented. "The classes, I mean."
The corners of Leia's lips quirked upwards. "You must be smarter than you look," she teased gently.
Han was a bit taken aback at the entire conversation and it took him just a beat longer than usual to come up with a witty retort. "I'm as smart as I am handsome." He winked at her.
Chewie arfed with laughter, Luke shook his head, and Leia rolled her eyes.
"Well, then," the princess said dryly. "It's amazing you can walk and talk at the same time."
Chewbacca laughed harder and Han tried to scowl at her but somehow found himself smiling.