Chapter Three
The commandeered ambulance squealed to a halt at the docking bay checkpoint.
"Emergency on the Twin Suns. Bay number?" Han demanded from the sleepy attendant.
The scrawny young man slouched behind the booth fumbled with a data pad, anxiously searching for the information before finally calling out, "Number 37, up ahead on the right."
Solo didn't wait to reply. He stomped his foot down on the accelerator and turned the siren to full blare. "This is fun!" he turned to gleefully grin at Leia. "Always wanted to drive one of these babies."
"I'm so glad I could help you tick off a box on your fantasy wish list," Leia snorted sarcastically.
"Oh, I could think of a few more you could help out with, Sweetheart," he winked at her, then laughed as she rolled her eyes. "You walked right into that one!"
She shook her braided head as they pulled up to the sealed ramp of the Twin Suns. "No one can say you don't know how to make an entrance, Flyboy."
The sirens had caught the attention of the Rogues who were now gathered atop the lowering ramp to welcome them.
"Cutting it close," Luke whistle as Han flipped the messenger bag to him before taking Leia's arm to assist her up the steep ramp.
Wedge, Wes, Hobby and Tycho all cheerfully greeted the duo as they entered with them into the ship's lounge.
"Long time, no see! What's new?" Wes asked Solo with an enthusiastic handshake as Leia shrugged out of her flowing robes, taking her time to shake out the wrinkles before setting in on the acceleration couch, not noticing the stunned silence that befell the cabin.
The Rogues were gaping, all five sets of eyes locked on the Princess in shocked surprise.
Han's eyes narrowed at the Rebels' odd behavior, instantly realizing its genesis. "We're engaged," he solemnly stated, pulling Leia close with one long arm and proprietarily patting her "bump" with his other hand.
Leia shoved the teasing Corellian off of her. "Help me out of this, you Nerf."
Luke watched in consternation as Han lifted the gown off over Leia's head. His boyish face crinkled in a smile as Han stepped aside and revealed the criss-crossed tape holding the princess's costume together. With a short laugh, he turned away, shaking his head as he headed back to the cockpit. "I'm gonna prepare for take-off," Luke told his crew.
"Get this off of me," Leia winced as she rubbed at her lower back. "That blaster weighs a ton. No wonder your thighs are so…" She immediately pressed her lips together to stop the words from coming out.
"You been checkin' out my thighs, Worship?" Han winked at her and patted his creation. "C'mon baby boy," he tugged at the sticky tape, "Come to papa."
"Who said it's a boy?" Leia groused.
Wedge flicked a tight-lipped smile to Hobbie, who smirked in reply. Man, they had missed this bickering twosome who could always be counted on for a laugh.
"Kinda like Stephan for a name," Solo opined as he worked on unraveling the adhesive strips that held the bump in place. "Stephan Solo has a nice ring to it, no?"
"NO! It does not," Leia bit back sharply, still rubbing her lower back. "I went through the pain, so I say it's a girl. And I get to name her!"
Luke stepped back into the main cabin. "We're lifting off in five minutes. What are they fighting about now?" he queried his Rogue companions.
"What to name their baby," Hobbie laughed.
"Okay, okay," Han conceded to the Princess as he tried to divest the sticky tape from his hand. "It's a girl. Whaddya wanna name her?"
"Jaina," was her quiet response.
Surprised, Han looked up from his task and into her eyes. He gently took her hand. "Really? That's Corellian."
She nodded, gifting him with a soft grin.
"You know that was my mom's name?" he asked her in a low, soft voice.
"It's a beautiful name and this," she waved her hand in front of the remaining bits of bump, "turned out to be a great idea. So, thank you."
For once, the former smuggler seemed at a loss for words. His only response was a slight upturn of his charmingly crooked lips as the last bit of tape was tugged from Leia's disguise with an audible snap. Han caught the padded pillowcase before it could hit the decking and carefully unraveled the towels that had enrobed his blaster and gunbelt.
"Look, honey!" he crowed. "She has Grandpa DL-44's nose!"
Leia rolled her eyes but couldn't not laugh at his waggish remark.
Soon, Luke's warm voice was drifting over the P.A. system. "Prepare for take-off and then hyper, everybody. ETA for Polis Massa is nine standard hours."
Polis Massa Base had become a haven for Alliance espionage planners and their assets. Chewie would be docked there, waiting to whisk Leia and Han back to Hoth. The Rogues' three X-wings also were berthed at the base where they had switched vessels to the Twin Suns for the mission.
The intel Han and Leia obtained would be confirmed then utilized by Alliance bomb squads to take out the three drone armament factories while preserving the citizen-worker-filled speeder works.
The Twin Suns smoothly entered hyperspace, enabling its passengers to freely move about the main cabin. Luke rubbed his hands together as he joined the others in the lounge. "Wedge is on watch grumbling that you two had better give him the complete story when he's relieved," he pointed to Leia and Han.
"I came up with a brilliant plan, if I say so, myself," Solo smiled smugly as he leaned back with his arms raised above his head, hands clasped atop his shaggy head.
The Princess glared at him. "Right, Hotshot. You take all the credit, while I did all the labor." She looked up with a sweet smile and a nod to accept a plate of warm food from Hobbie. Leaning into the table in front of the acceleration couch, she blew out a satisfied, "Mmmmh, I need this and a hot shower. My back is aching."
Han's arms dropped and began rubbing her lower back in firm circles. "Mmmmh," the Princess intoned. "That feels soooo good."
"And you said you'd never let me touch you again," Han chuckled.
"Not jab and pinch!" Leia rolled the sleeve of her shirt to display a series of purpling bruises.
Solo's eyebrows shot up, "Damn, Sweetheart! Didn't know you were so delicate."
"Stop stalling," Tycho groused. "We want the scoop."
Solo began recounting the events in over-the-top Corellian fashion punctuated by Leia's eye rolls and sighs. The spacer had poured the contents of the messenger bag onto the table and used the items - book, plush toy, and blanket - as props to illustrate his tale which was greeted with Rogue laughter and asides.
"Can you imagine those cops' reactions when they realize who they drove to their escape?" Wes roared in delight.
Leia grinned. "I hope they never do. Just wish I knew if our operative got out safely."
"I meant to tell you!" Luke exclaimed. "Got a little distracted on your arrival. She did! And her family. We met them on Polis Massa."
"Thank the Goddess!" Leia sighed in relief. She was delighted and proud to learn that the activist behind all this was female.
"She was giving details about where all the arms were being shipped. We now know where the Empire is gearing up and are planning pre-emptive strikes. But, here's the best part," Luke beamed at her.
"There's more?"
"Her baby's name is Leia."
The royal young woman's eyes went wide as she leaned back into the couch cushion. "Oh, my."
Han took her hand and said with sincere respect, "You're an inspiration, Leia. Generations of women will be named in your honor. Tomorrow," he continued, waving the toy pitten at her, "we're making a special delivery to one of 'em."