I' back with my new story! Thank you to all who decide to read :)

This sequel to Dark Matters can be read as a stand alone story but will have more meaning if you have read the first story. Although there is a large element of action, the Force, and the fate of the galaxy, the main focus is, of course, Han and Leia. After the events of Dark Matters, they are closer than ever and very much in love.

Hope you enjoy :)

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Life is like a big merry-go-round,
You're up and then down,
Going in circles trying to get to where you are.

-Conqueror by Estelle and Jussie Smollett

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Dark Matters 2:

Whispers of Darkness

By Dant Solo

In the dank darkness of night, the bowels of Coruscant were not a safe place to roam. Within these lower levels that never saw the light of day, there was a pervasive aroma of rot and decay, an atmosphere that screamed of vile debauchery and betrayal. Not many who wandered here were of good faith and most beings kept to the upper echelons, the ones that were veritably safe and clean and did not strike terror into the hearts of the average citizen.

His hand remained on the blaster sheathed low on his thigh, ready to flash it into his hand in an instant quicker than an opponent might expect. Even if his draw were not as fast as he was known for, the powerful woman at his side would instill enough confidence in him.

Han Solo's eyes slid aside to glance down at the Jedi Princess who had captured his heart so effortlessly. Hair plaited in one long, thick braid draped down her back, she did not appear so formidable. But, Han knew well what she could do to an opponent with a mere raise of her hand. Beneath the brown, hooded cloak, her white tunic and tan pants were simple enough not to betray her identity. The lightsaber hanging at her side was just obscured by her cloak. At times, he was simply in awe of her.

Her gaze rounded on his with a flicker of a smile, as if she were aware of his current thoughts. She so often sensed his feelings. It had unnerved him at first, making him defensive and angry. Now, he had grown to accept it, almost enjoying the intimacy they shared without words.

Her attention shifted back into place and it was business as usual.

An alley to the left intersected the gritty street and Leia paused mid-stride, drawing Han to a halt. His head spun curiously to find her chin tilted at an inquisitive angle, eyes narrowed, mouth pinched. Abruptly, she spun on a heel and strode determinedly into the mouth of the alley.

Having learned there was no need to question Leia's intuition, Han simply followed silently. He heard indecipherable noise up ahead and, with a snap and a hiss, Leia's brilliant, blue lightsaber was hefted, illuminating the scene before them.

A young, blue-skinned Twi'lek female shuddered in the right hand corner, skirt torn and hanging askew. Her eyes held stark terror, mouth twisted. An older, grubby human male had one hand clamped around her throat and his other hand shoved inside her shirt. He was blinking at the brightness of Leia's blade, eyes squinted.

Without a sound, Leia's hand rose, clenched almost into a fist. She was trembling with rage and, alarmed, Han moved forward to see her face. She was pale, shaking, eyes fierce and intent, barely seeing.

"Leia," he called harshly.

She didn't acknowledge him and he placed a hand on her shoulder, felt the tremors raging through her. Behind him, he heard a guttural groan and a sharp intake of breath. Peripherally, he was aware of the man rising to dangle in the air, rasping for breath.

"Leia!" She shouldn't do this. Han had no issue with this scum being killed, might even enjoy the pleasure of doing it himself. But, for Leia to murder him in cold blood…he knew it would drive her towards the dark side. He didn't pretend to understand it. But, he knew it could destroy her.

"Leia! You can't do this!"

He watched her lips contort to a mixture of fury and grief and he couldn't even tell if she was hearing him. Cupping her quaking chin in his hand, he stepped closer and spoke with swift vehemence. "Put him down, Leia. I know he's human garbage, but don't do this to yourself!"

For a moment, her eyes dwindled even more harshly and her trembling seemed to increase to a furious pace. With a huge, sighing grunt of frustration and rage, she dropped her hand violently and the would-be rapist crashed to the ground in a gasping, choking heap.

Han's breath released and his heart rate dropped to a more normal rhythm. Leia lowered her lightsaber but rage still radiated from her small form. The anguish and agony in her expression gashed hard at his heart. He turned away from her with a heavy heart, went to the sniveling mess of a man and gave him a hard, sharp kick to the ribs. His grunt of pain gave Han great satisfaction.

Cowering in the corner in her torn clothing, the Twi'lek eyed Han fearfully. He gave her a pointed look. "Get outta here," he said, with a cant of his head. "And be careful!"

She nodded quickly, mumbled something in her language, and scampered off.

As Han turned back to Leia, he was aware of the man skulking in the shadows and stumbling hastily from the alley. Returning to Leia's side, he took her face in both hands and tipped her gaze to his. She looked angry, scared, and shocked all at once. A hint of confusion underlie all else.

"Are you okay?"

She nodded, seemingly without true comprehension and closed her eyes. Han's hand fell to his side and he watched her as she took several long, deep breaths, centering herself. When she opened them again, her gaze was steadier, calmer. She looked at Han, jaw still taut, eyes both sheepish and apologetic.

"I'm sorry."

Han was shaken, but tried to brush it off. "It's okay," he said gently. Inside, he remained unsettled. "C'mon." He beckoned her with a toss of his head and they resumed walking towards their destination.

He tried to shift his thoughts to the mission objective but found it impossible. He had thought Leia fully recovered from the torture and sexual assault she had experienced at the hands of the Empire. Perhaps he had been wrong to assume that.

Replacing his hand on the butt of his blaster, he kept an eye on their surroundings, on high alert yet appearing bored and unconcerned. Truthfully, the incident in the alley had only upped his anxiety.

A small wastail scurried past them, emitting tiny shrieks as it burrowed inside a pile of refuse. An Ishi Tib, seated on the filthy ground and dressed in rags, grumbled in his language, begging for credits. They continued, unmolested.

The streets became more populated as they approached the downtown area and Han and Leia were the only humans as far as the eye could see.

He could feel the caution and tension in Leia, the way she waited, ready to spring in an instant. It radiated from her, almost palpable.

Up ahead, Han saw a group of beings, standing in a cluster, pointing and murmuring amongst themselves. His senses heightened further and, as they drew closer, he realized they were flocked around the door to The Dim Dewback, the cantina where they were to meet their contact. He glanced at Leia and saw his concern mirrored in her eyes.

Casually, they drifted to the back of the crowd. From what Han could decipher of the multiple languages being thrown about, someone inside The Dim had been murdered. His eyes trailed the crowd to the entrance, where two Weequays stood guard, weapons at the ready.

In a voice of bored curiosity, Han turned to the Pantoran female on his right. She appeared to be the least dangerous in the crowd.

"What happened?"

Her large eyes barely spared him a glance. "Dead human."

"How'd he end up dead in there?"

She turned to him then, appraising him. "You must be new around here." The corner of her lip curled up in a teasing snarl. "Else you'd know better than to ask that question."

Her eyes skimmed him up and down, and Han couldn't help but notice that she was young and attractive. Her yellow eyes contrasted nicely with her pale, blue skin. Her red hair was arranged much like Leia's, but pulled back a bit hastily, leaving random strands falling over her eyes.

He smiled. "I like to take risks."

Now, she smiled back invitingly. "Really? You're taking one right now. Perhaps I murdered that human in there."

"I'd think you'd be long gone by now if that were the case."

"Too predictable." She raised an eyebrow and flashed a coy grin. "Maybe when they clear out the body and let us back inside you could buy me a drink."

Before Han could muster an appropriate response, Leia was on his arm, tugging him through the crowd.

A glance showed her jaw was set. "Hey, I was trying to get some information," he protested.

She stopped walking and glared at him. "I think you were enjoying that a bit too much." Then she was firmly pushing them to the front of the horde and suddenly they were face-to-face with the Weequay guards.

Their long-handled axes came up to cross between them, effectively blocking the entrance.

"No one gets in!" the guard on the left growled in accented Basic.

In a calm, persuasive voice, Leia spoke quietly. "You will let us pass."

A short pause and the guard stood up a bit straighter. "I will let you pass." Both guards withdrew their weapons and stepped aside.

As they moved past them, Han couldn't help but marvel at that little trick. No matter how many times he saw Leia do it, it never ceased to amaze him.

It was silent inside and, on the floor by the bar, lying in a heap was a human male. Nearby, a male Besalisk stood conferring with a short, furry creature of a species Han did not recognize. The shorter of the two spotted them and began to chatter in a high pitched squeak. The Besalisk turned to them.

"Are you here for the body?" he asked in a gravelly voice.

Leia didn't miss a beat. "Yes. We must examine it first."

"By all means." He took a step back and gestured towards the body. He clearly wanted this to be over with.

"We need to examine the body in private." Her voice was stern.

"As you wish." He turned and left the room through a door in the back, small companion chittering loudly as he followed.

As Leia moved to bend over the body, Han wound his way behind the bar.

"What are you doing?" she hissed.

Han shrugged and grabbed a glass that hung from a shelf above his head. "Might as well get a free drink out of this."

Leia sighed and shook her head as Han grabbed the most expensive Brandy, poured a modest amount then threw it back. He made his way back to Leia and crouched alongside her.

"This is our contact," she said gravely.

He was a human male with short brown hair and dressed in non-descript clothing. Han wouldn't have pegged him as an Imperial, but, then again, that was the point.

"What do you make of that?" Leia pointed to the silver, star-shaped disk that protruded from his jugular, from which blood had spewed and was beginning to dry.

Surprise raised his brow. The small red and black skull-like markings were very familiar. "Mandalorian Death Watch Star," he said curiously. "Why would a Mandalorian Death Watcher go after an Imperial spy?"

"The timing can't be a coincidence."

Han silently agreed. "Let's get back to the Falcon. Between us and Chewie, we'll figure out where to go from here."

Leia nodded grimly. Han knew she was deeply disappointed that they had been unable to receive the information the spy had planned on sharing with them.

So far, this day was a wash