Chapter Fourteen:
The next time Leia went to the library, the boy was nowhere to be seen, though Leia wondered why she was even looking for him. She did want to know his true purpose: after all, who helped a complete stranger just for fun?
Leia shook her head, kept her hood up and entered the building. She once more aimed for the computer terminal she'd tried the day before. Upon seeing it was available, Leia smiled and readily took her seat.
She used her library card to gain access, and when the thing fired to life for her, Leia felt her hopes rise. She went straight to the galaxy-wide-web and began a search for news feeds from the night of her brother's death and for a few days afterwards.
Leia perused everything, and selected anything that looked promising, downloading it to her datapad for later reading. One in particular caught her eye: A loss for the Skywalkers, but what really happened?
The practical part of Leia thought it could be a biased article, but perhaps it would contain good information. Leia kept a close eye on her time, knowing exactly how long she could stay before she absolutely had to head back towards school.
The loss of a son, will the Skywalker line go on?
Leia lifted a brow. Why would anyone care about the Skywalker line? Something about the article gave her pause, though, and so she hesitantly downloaded it.
Leia happened to come across an images tab then, and she clicked on it, curious what would come up in reference to her search parameters.
At first there was nothing that stood out, but after a moment of scrolling, Leia paused when a small family holo appeared. Leia clicked on it and was rewarded to see an image of her parents holding two babies, one with dark brown hair and the other with blue eyes and blond hair.
Tears sprang to Leia's eyes as she laid eyes on her brother's baby picture. She even touched the screen, as if that could reconnect them. Then she downloaded the image, and tried to find others. She did come across some holos that were from farther away, and on a whim she decided to keep every image she found, not entirely paying attention to them all.
Leia glanced to the chrono and saw that she had a single minute to spare, so she hastily downloaded as many more images as she could, planning to sort through them later.
When she was literally out of time, Leia shut down the terminal and left the building, making sure her hood was still up. Leia pocketed the 'pad and walked swiftly back the way she had come.
Partway back to school there was an odd tingle at the back of her neck, and Leia frowned, touching her neck. There was nothing there, so what... Leia then recalled her father having what he referred to as a danger sense and she abruptly looked about her.
Leia saw nothing amiss, but she could still feel that tingle on her neck. Not sure if she should continue on or stop, Leia slowed down a hair. Checking her surroundings, Leia bit her lip and chose to try making it back to the school. Leia exited the main boulevards and entered a less-traversed walkway, and saw the school in the near distance.
Leia was just thinking she would make it there when a trio of men stepped out from an alleyway and surrounded her. Leia stopped cold, her hand instinctively going to her belt, though she knew there were no weapons there. But these men didn't know that...
"Well hello girlie," one man said, his dirty teeth glinting. "Ain't you s'posed to be in school?"
Leia didn't answer, trying to continue walking. But the man who'd spoken stepped directly into her path. "Hey now, I asked you a question."
Leia stopped again when he pushed her back to where she'd been. "What do you want?"
The man chuckled. "It ain't what we want, but we're here on behalf of two friends. See, they didn't take kindly to losing out on a payday." He gestured to Leia pointedly.
Leia frowned, trying to figure out what he was talking about. Her answer came when the man went on.
"See, your Daddy got in the way." He stepped a bit closer. "And while they promised they wouldn't ever go near you again, they didn't promise that no one else would."
Leia sucked in a breath. "You're friends of the two men that tried to grab me the other night?"
"She's as smart as she is perty." The man sneered, with his friends laughing along. "Take her."
Instantly Leia was grabbed by the arms, and she was led struggling back into the alleyway, where a run-down speeder waited. Fear coursed through Leia as she saw its dingy windows and the dark interior.
Leia struggled harder against her captors, wanting to cry out. Why had she been so stupid as to skip school? Now her parents would have to rescue Leia again, and she'd have to tell them everything!
"Stop right there fellas."
Leia's head whipped about at the familiar voice, and she spotted the boy from yesterday standing a few paces behind the four of them. Leia had never thought she'd be so happy to see that boy again.
"Who are you, runt?" the lead man asked disdainfully.
"I'll be your worst nightmare if you don't put her down." The boy warned.
The three guys laughed, and the lead man looked the kid up and down pointedly. "Oh? And how so?"
The boy smirked. "Why don't you come find out?"
The lead man rolled his eyes. "Or I could just shoot ya."
He indeed took aim, but before he could get a single shot of, the boy rolled aside, came up on one knee and shot the man in the chest. The guy dropped with a smoking hole in his heart, and Leia gaped.
But the two men holding Leia merely ran for the speeder, dragging her along. Leia fought against them, drawing courage from her rescuer trying to find something to use as a weapon. The boy sprinted after the trio, and picked up a piece of heavy garbage. Lugging it with an accuracy that Leia was grateful for, the boy hit the man on Leia's left in the head.
He stiffened and went down, taking Leia partially down with him. The last one standing cursed, turned to the boy and opened fire with an illegal looking blaster. The boy ducked beneath a dumpster and began to trade blasterfire.
Leia managed to free herself from the downed man's grasp and she reached around his considerable bulk to grab that man's weapon. She turned it on her final captor and shot his foot. He screamed and hopped about, and Leia leapt to her feet, aiming the weapon at him and pitting him with an acidic glare.
"Let me tell you something you can take back to all the vermin you call friends," Leia said in a voice that would have made a seasoned soldier flinch. "You tell them that this girlie is not helpless, and is not as easy a target as you think. And I don't need my father to protect me from everything in this life. Don't ever come for me again, or so help me I will aim for your hearts next time."
The man backed away, especially when the boy came to stand with Leia, his weapon at the ready also. Finally the adult nodded once and entered the speeder, taking off with a whoosh of the engines.
It wasn't until she could no longer hear the engines that Leia relaxed, staring at the weapon and deciding to keep it. She hid it in her bag and then turned to the boy. "You saved me."
The boy shrugged. "Yeah."
Leia eyed him. "Why did you help me?"
He sobered for once, looking down. "No girl ought to be subjected to their cruelty. I know what their establishment does, and it ain't nice."
Leia smiled minutely. "Well, thank you. Though I still don't know your name."
He met her gaze, and Leia held it openly. "I'm Han. Han Solo."
Leia's smile widened and she offered him a hand, which he shook. "Pleased to meet you Han." She frowned then. "Hey, you're school age too; why aren't you in school?"
"I don't go to school."
Leia tilted her head. "Why not? Are you homeschooled?"
There was a sad note to his voice as he replied. "Something along those lines, yeah."
He turned, gesturing for her to walk. She did so and then glanced at her chrono. "Stang! Class starts in five minutes! I'll be late, and the teacher will ask questions... and then notify my parents!"
Han glanced to her. "You know... if you told me what it was you're doing, I could help..."
Leia looked side-on to him as they walked. "Why do you want to help me?"
Han sighed. "Because I... well," he rubbed the back of his neck, "I kinda need some help of my own."
Leia frowned somewhat. "What help can I give you? I'm afraid I have little influence, if that's what you need."
Han shook his head. "No. See, I already knew who you were when I met you. I saw you when you were almost taken by Gid and Flinn."
Leia stopped in shock. "Wait, you know them? And you were there that night?"
Han nodded. "Yes to both. Anyways, I saw your father, put the pieces together, and followed curiously."
Leia gave him a dubious look, and he scowled. "Listen You're Worship, I'm offering an exchange of services, that's all. Take it or leave it!"
Leia glared at his nickname for her. "Please don't call me that."
Han didn't answer, instead lifting a pointed brow. "Well, how about it?"
Leia sighed heavily, and resumed walking. "You still haven't told me what you want from this."
His arms dropped to his sides. "I need credits to pay off a small debt. I figured, y'know, if I help you I could earn the credits. Once I get this guy paid off I'll be a free person."
Leia hesitated. "How much do you need? I'm not rich like my mother, but I do have an allowance."
Han shook his head. "I only need two hundred credits. See, I kinda lost a shipment of food stuffs I was taking to a not-so-nice fellow, and he wants his money or my head." Han gingerly rubbed his neck. "I've seen what he's done to those who've crossed him and couldn't pay up. I really need that money, and I'd like to try doing it the respectable way."
Leia stared at him, putting some facts together from everything he'd said. "You're homeless, aren't you?" The question was soft, non-judgmental.
Han sighed heavily. "Yeah. And before you ask, no, I don't have parents. They abandoned me here when I was yay high." He placed his hand to the height of a five year old child.
Leia's heart went out to him, and she could feel in her Force senses that Han was being honest with her. Leia considered his offer anew, nodding slowly. "Alright. I'll accept the deal, but you have to help with my entire investigation."
Han smiled. "Agreed. Now, I need the credits as soon as possible..." He saw her expression and lifted his hands. "I know how this sounds: I'll run off with the money and not return. But Han Solo is a man of his word. Here," he removed something from his neck and placed it in her palm, "this is the only thing I care about. I never take it off."
Leia stared at the small wooden charm, wondering about it, but not asking for privacy's sake. It looked like something someone had hand-carved for Han.
"I get this back when I fulfill my end of the bargain." Han promised, closing Leia's hand around the item and looking to it almost forlornly. "But pleased don't lose it."
Leia smiled gently, placing it around her own neck and tucking it under her tunic. "Deal. I'll have to wait until tomorrow, but I can get the money from my personal savings."
Han inclined his head. "Thank you again. Oh, as for school, just tell them you got sick from lunch and were in the refresher."
Leia blinked. "Seriously?"
Han grinned. "Works every time for me."
Leia rolled her eyes. "Trust me: it won't for me unless I can offer proof."
"Use one of your fingers to trigger your gag reflex, and you'll vomit," Han said, mimicking the gesture. "You can then be honest about throwing up."
Leia didn't relish his idea, but she didn't have anything else to go off of. But before they parted ways, she needed to give him her side of the information she owed. "I'm trying to prove that my twin brother is alive."
Han's eyes widened. "Really? All alone?"
Leia looked away forlornly. "Yes."
Han hesitated, and then placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Well, you're not alone anymore. I'll meet you at lunch in the schoolyard tomorrow."
Leia hesitated. "Won't that look suspicious?"
Han offered another lopsided grin. "As you said, I'm school aged, so it'll be fine."
Leia had to admit he had a point. She watched him leave, and then removed her robe, tucked it away, and shimmied back up the drain pipe and in through her window. Once inside, Leia closed the window and snuck to the nearest refresher. She then stood before a toilet, and did what Han had suggested: make herself vomit. It wasn't pleasant, but Leia told herself she was doing it for Luke's sake. Then she made her way back to the classroom, not needing to fake how she felt. She felt horrible after vomiting.
"Miss Skywalker, where have you been?" Her teacher demanded when Leia at last entered the room.
"I'm sorry," Leia apologized. "I was in the refresher... I didn't feel well."
Her teacher scrutinized her. "You don't look well: did you throw up?"
Leia nodded, placing a hand to her throat. "Yes."
Her teacher sighed. "Then I must send you to the nurse. Please collect your things and go there. I hope you feel better soon."
Leia inclined her head and did as she was asked; thankful that Han's crazy scheme had actually worked. It wasn't very long before her father was there to collect her, and he looked upon her in concern as he flew her home.
"You threw up? Did you eat something bad?"
Leia shrugged. "I don't think so. Maybe it was a little bug. I think one of the kids in my class had a cold recently."
It wasn't a lie: one of her classmates had been out recently with an illness.
Anakin eyed her. "Well, let's get you rested. I'm sure you'll be fine come morning."
Leia knew she would be. "Okay."
She allowed her father to get her settled in her room and then she pulled out her datapad, grateful for the chance to peruse the things she'd found online. She began with the pictures, again looking at the one of her and Luke in their parents' arms.
Leia found that she couldn't look away from it, her heart aching to have her brother back home where he belonged. She gazed at the image until she felt drowsy, the events of her day catching up to her. Shutting down the datapad, Leia hid it and then shut her eyes to rest.
(A/N: Please note that for the purpose of this story I've made Han only two years older than Luke and Leia. Thanks.)