Motives

"Our life is wonderful." ~Eliza Orakzai

Chapter 32

Corellia, a few days later

"You ready?"

Eliza nodded her head and then slipped her hand inside of her father's. His grip was warm and reassuring and she watched as he opened the double doors that led to the apartment that her mother called home.

They had decided to give Sasha the antidote so that she would be coherent while they spoke to her. Eliza tried not to think of the repercussions of that decision. She had known firsthand how difficult the side effects of coming down from the medicine's effects were. But this was important and she wanted her mother, whatever was left of her, to hear it. Maybe it would help repair those circuits that had been broken inside of her, although Han had warned her not to get her hopes up, she couldn't help but pray for a miracle.

Her mother was sitting in a wheelchair at the far side of the room. She was facing a window and Eliza could see her profile. "Mother?" she called as she and Han drew nearer.

Sasha turned her face toward them and smiled weakly. "Eliza?"

"Yes," Eliza returned, wrapping her arms around her mother's neck and kissing her on the cheek. She then sat in the window seat opposite her mother's wheelchair and asked, "How are you?" while taking her mother's cold, fragile hands into her own.

"Oh, Eliza," her mother whispered. "You are so beautiful. So grown."

"Do you remember me, Mother," Eliza asked. "Really remember me?"

"Of course," Sasha replied, taking one of her hands and placing it on top of Eliza's. "Of course, how could I ever forget you?"

"That's good," Eliza replied, glancing over to Han. "That's really good. Because, we...we, uh, have something to tell you."

"We?" Sasha asked, surprised. She then turned her head, only then seeming to notice that Eliza had not been alone. "Han?" She asked, quickly. "You're here, too?"

"I am," he replied warmly, taking a step closer to the pair. "How are you, Sash?"

"Sash," Sasha repeated wistfully, her gaze sliding off into the distance for a brief moment. "I remember," she said, becoming agitated as she reached out with a shaky hand toward Han.

Han quickly took her hand in his and drew it up to his lips, pressing his mouth to the backs of her fingers. "I remember, too," he soothed. "I remember, too."

Sasha drew her hand away, her face suddenly stricken with horror. "But, Watts," she argued. "Watts should be here with Eliza. Watts is…"

"No," Han replied, sinking down to squat on his haunches so that he would be eye to eye with her. "I'm here. I'm Eliza's father and you…" He looked over to Eliza. He had promised her to try and make things right for her mother. She knew, of course, that there hadn't been anything between them in a long while, but they had spoken about it and agreed. So, he turned back to Sasha and said, earnestly, "You're my wife. We're a family. You, Eliza and me."

Sasha's eyes glossed over with unshed tears and her mouth moved as if she were speaking words, but nothing was coming out.

"It's wonderful, mother," Eliza added, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Our life is wonderful. You're a wonderful mother. It's all so…" A choked sob cut off her words.

"Wonderful," Sasha completed her daughter's unfinished sentence and her eyes sparkled with a light that had not been there in a very long time. "It's all so wonderful," she repeated as Eliza fell into her arms and they both hugged one another tightly.

Coruscant, a few weeks later

"We've struck a deal with the Corellians."

Leia did her best to hide her disappointment from Valwyn. The man had insisted that he deliver this news to her in person. With everything else falling apart in her life, she didn't really think she needed an audience for this last and final blow. What would the people of Alderaan think of her?

"I wanted to be the one to tell you in person," he continued.

"That's," she started, unsurprised by the hitch in her voice. "Kind of you, Val."

"You," he stopped, eyeing her suspiciously. "You don't know, do you?"

She looked up to him, unable to place his expression. What now? She thought derisively. What could he possibly be playing at now? She didn't know if she could handle another overture of his feelings for her.

"I have to say that I'm quite relieved. I thought that you had had a hand in it. I almost declined on principle alone because of it." He stopped for a moment, studying her. "If we could've afforded to, I would have."

"What are you talking about?"

"New Alderaan," he said as he pushed a datapad across the desk toward her. "One hundred percent occupancy of the third planet in the Rydonni system. Full rights. Air space. Minerals. Sovereignty. You name it. It's yours."

She could feel him watching her as she read, in finer detail, the words that he had just spoken. The heat of disbelief, embarrassment and joy crept up her neck with every line. She looked back up to Val. "Is this true?"

He nodded.

"How?" She said, emotions coming full to the surface. Moisture coating her eyes. "Why?"

"How? He asked for it," Val stated matter-of-factly. "Why?" He said, clearing his throat. "I could only venture to guess."

Another flash of heat traveled over her. What had Han done? "Oh," she stammered. "It's not..."

Val shook his head. "It makes no matter to me, Leia. I'm only relieved that you hadn't set me up in some way. President Solo ensured the deal was very lucrative for us in every regard. There's nothing I feel for you now, but thanks."

"But," she said, her mind slowly closing around on all of the facts. "There were people living there."

"They're already in the process of packing their bags."

She opened her mouth to protest but Valwyn held his hand up, stopping her.

"All very voluntary and lucrative for them, as well," he said. "Corellia, as you might know, is in need of occupants at the moment, workers to be precise. They're all leaving of their own volition. Had there been any holdouts, there were clauses in the contract to protect them."

"It seems," she said, looking down at her desk. "You've thought of everything."

"I merely signed the deal that was set in front of me," Val stated, and then stood and he looked down at Leia. "The President is a lucky man."

"That's…I-"

"It did my ego no good to consider that you rebuffed me for no reason whatsoever. If only for my self-worth alone, just take that compliment for what it is."

Leia lowered her eyes and nodded. "Thank you."

"I look forward to being your neighbor."

When Leia looked back up he was holding his hand out to her. She quickly took it in hers and shook it. "And I as well."

"You are every bit the complicated and captivating woman that you were made out to be. And if there continues to be nothing between you and President Solo, please, feel free to call on me at your leisure."

Leia smiled and it wasn't a lie when she replied, "You have my word."