Thanks so much for your notes! We're getting closer to some revelations.
Enjoy!
"Stop it!" She hissed, swatting his hand away from the screen at the side entrance on the ground floor of the surprisingly tall Venillium Court, which happened to be a building. There must be at least 50 floors, she deduced looking up at the massive structure.
They found the access pad outside. Leia woke up the screen and hesitated before scanning through the apartment numbers, eventually ringing the buzzer for apartment 60. There was no immediate response, so Han decided to reach over and press it repeatedly before she shushed him away.
Han gruffly removed his hand from his intervention on the screen. "What, I'm just making sure she heard it!"
"I just rang it!"
"Well she obviously didn't hear it the first time."
He had a point there. "Maybe it's not working," she hissed, also frustrated at the lack of response.
He pointed. "Check the pad."
Leia huffed as she held her hand against the screen again to tap the top corner. The pad made to scan her palm and her eyes widened with unexpected triumph as the screen changed to green, 'Access Granted.' Both their heads turned as the door slid open.
"Good job?" He commented with a twisted face as he proceeded through the door.
The palm reader recognized her print. "I don't know…" She sucked in another breath and followed him as if in a trance.
Before she could process the apartment lobby's atmosphere, her musings were interrupted with another surprise.
"Good afternoon," a voice from the front desk halted them in their stride. The front clerk gave them a slight bow as it addressed them. "Senator Organa, Mr. Solo."
The two stunned humans stood in mid-stride, halting, processing. The being looked innocent enough, looked natural enough. It reminded her of the twi'lek security guard who monitored the entrance of the Alderaanian Embassy back on Coruscant.
Leia came back to reality first. She took another step and pressed Han's back forward to get him moving again. "Afternoon…" she gave her own nod as she shoved her partner towards the open turbolift she spotted across the way.
As they stepped into the lift, Leia furiously removed her head covering. So much for not being recognized. Han also unwrapped the fabric from his neck as they both turned to look at the device along the wall.
"Another palm lock." Han's hand went to scratch the back of his head in exasperation.
As the lift's door closed, Leia carefully and reluctantly lifted her palm with the same success as the first door. 'Access Granted.'
The jolt of movement sent both of their hands automatically to the walls of the lift, faster than they expected as it shot to the sky. 'Top Floor,' the lift's system announced as the number 60 appeared on the screen. Apparently the building had 60 floors.
There was barely a jolt as the lift stopped its upward motion. The door slid open. Neither of them moved to step out of the safety of the lift. She still held the side wall with her right hand, bracing herself for anything to happen. Apparently this was the top floor and the only suite, the penthouse.
"Mon?" Leia found herself calling out, her voice less confident than she had ever heard it.
No sound from the top floor.
They had apparently stalled too long because the lift door began to close and would have closed if Han hadn't snuck his foot into the opening.
"Let's go…" he grunted as he walked into the small foyer.
It was a beautiful entry space. The walls were a clean white with textured with cutouts. The small rounded foyer had one opening, also guarded by a palm lock, the official apartment door.
She scanned her hand over the last barrier and the door slid open into quite a grand living space. The ceilings were much higher than a typical apartment, the domed shape causing an echo from each of their slow, guarded steps. There was a curved cream sofa centering the room and facing a large holo screen with a soft tan rug covering the space. Two side chairs sat off to the side, matching the sofa fabric and creating their own little nook. The only other piece of furniture was a few small tables and a lamp here or there, but the decor filled the room more than the actual furniture.
The city scape was a piece of art all itself, clearly visible along the far wall that was more windows than wall. There were a few shelves flanking the holo screen with vases, sculptured, knick knacks, holos, and other personal items.
Leia's eyes traveled to the wall behind the sofa that featured a few works of art, colorful and modern in texture and design.
Everything together, the ambiance of the room, it wasn't sterile, untouchable like a museum. No. This was obviously a home. Lived in. Comfortable.
"Mon?" Leia called, straining her neck and keeping her ears tuned for a sign of life.
Nothing answered back.
Han stood still in the entry way, his hands moving to his belt and his head turning to scan. "She said she would meet us here at…"
"7 tonight." Leia repeated her friend's words as she took a few more cautious steps further into the living space.
"We're a little early." Han noted the late afternoon hour. "Should we go and come back?"
She shrugged, her exasperation with the question clear. "Go where, Han?"
"Nowhere, I was just kiddin'."
"Well stop it!" She didn't need any antics from him. "Let's just sit here and wait." She paired her words with the lowering of her body into one of the chairs. She was careful not to place any part of her dress that was dirty or bloody on the neat upholstery fabric.
Han did exactly the opposite. He felt his gait carry him around the room, taking time to let the details of the room sink in. He began on the left wall where a large shelving unit framed the holo screen. She could see more from her new position, more of the personal mementos scattered around. It was hard to miss the plethora of gold and silver that shone from the various trophies that lined the center shelf. But his eyes immediately fixated on the highest shelf with the items that he found of most value.
"Woah! Look at this!" He exclaimed as he practically ran to the shelves and tilted his chin up.
There above, looking down at them this whole time was an exquisite collection of model ships. There were probably 7 or 8 different types, all displayed meticulously and prominently. It took everything in his power not to touch.
"Does Mon have a secret thing about ships?" He asked, never veering his eyes from the collection.
"Not that I ever knew of," he heard her answer.
"Okay, so it IS a secret thing…" He half whispered in awe. One way or another, he was reveling in the details of their make and the intricacy of their paint job.
Then his eyes glanced to a lower shelf, this one eye level and his eyes popped out of their sockets again.
"Look at this one! It's a UT-60D!" He reached his fingers out, as close as he dared, to this dream.
"That means nothing to me," her monotone voice was so disappointing.
"Oh it should, sweetheart!" He proclaimed with the authority of an expert, admonishing her obvious lack of interest. "It's a beauty!"
This time, the tips of his fingers got closer than ever to the wing of the ship before she interrupted.
"Han! Sit down!"
"I'm not gonna break anything!" He insisted, pulling his hand back and waving her off.
His momentary distraction caused him to advert his eyes from the ship onto a holo image that sat propped on the next shelf.
He squinted his eyes to make sure they weren't playing tricks on him. But they must be. If he didn't know any better he would have bet money that that was an image of…
"Han, please sit down," she reiterated with more of a pleading in her voice than an order.
He ignored her and continued his scan. You can tell a lot about a person by the items they choose to display. The holo, for instance was an interesting addition to this swanky apartment, obviously belonging to someone of wealth. And the awards lining the shelf said even more.
The golden trophy closest to him featured a colorful orb with the gilded metals snaking around it like vines. There was an engraving on the bottom of the stand.
Awarded to the Honorable Senator Leia Organa
For your leadership and service
Awarded by her people, the Commission on Displaced Alderaanians
He swallowed. His chin tucking towards his chest as he took a quick glance back at her. She hadn't moved from her sitting position, but she was no longer staring at him. She was currently fixated on the massive window leading out to the terrace, eyes first taking in the view of the city from this height.
He took a second look and allowed his eyes to linger, squinting as they tried to make her out.
His body turned ever so slowly away from the far side of the room, his feet carrying him slowly to the nearest end of the sofa and he lowered himself onto the edge.
"It's a nice place," he said casually as he sunk further back into the sofa.
She was still taking in the exquisite view from her place on the couch. "Mon was well off. Even before she became a senator."
Han nodded as he stared at her, waiting for her to say something else, something that would tell him what the game was. His lips curled up into a knowing and suspicious smirk that held more targeted malice than his usual charm.
"Alright, Princess," he began, his voice cutting. "What game are you playin'?"
She recognized the serious tone of his voice and met it with her own defensiveness. "Han, I have not idea what you're talking about."
That denial brought him quickly to his feet and back to the shelves he just vacated. He didn't hesitate before he picked up the holo and turned to the woman on the couch.
He felt a new sensation rising in his chest, a new heat coming from his fiery tongue.
With a direct path, he reached over the small table that sat in front of the couch and faced the holo towards her. "Who's this?"
She took a look and then she squinted. "It looks like…"
"You."
He was right. But it couldn't be, she thought. She would never wear that! A red caped dress with cupped sleeves? And what was the person in this image doing? It looked like they were accepting an award of some sort. She tried to read the golden plaque that was visible in the woman's arms.
"When was this taken?" He asked directly, probing her like she had something to hide.
But she wasn't hiding anything. "I have no idea, Han. I would never wear that…"
Apparently Han had better eyesight than she did because he read the plaque with no trouble. "…Awarded to the Honorable Senator Leia Organa…"
"You can't read that!" She shot back.
"I can and did because your prize is sitting right over there!" He pointed at the award currently sitting in physical form on the shelf. "That ball thing's Alderaan, isn't it?"
Yes, it was. She recognized that teal and green orb the moment she laid eyes on it. But what was it doing here in an apartment she assumed belonged to Mon Mothma? She didn't know whether to show Han her utter bafflement or throw her anger at him. She chose the mood in between.
"Leia, what are you hiding?" He asked sternly and so convinced.
She shook her head, her eyes meeting his. "I'm not hiding…"
"This is your apartment?" He declared, firm in his analysis.
"I've never been here in my life…"
"Oh yeah?" He challenged as his eyes grew. "Your face is on the shelves, your palm opens every door…" He went about to proving his point as he turned away from her and proceeded into the hallway to the left of the living space that led further into the apartment.
She couldn't let him waltz through this strange place like he owned it. "Han! Stop!" She warned through her teeth as she stood to frantically follow. "What are you doing?"
She found him halfway down the hallway, proceeding to the large double doors on the far side of the apartment. "You want me to stop, do you?" With those words he turned forcefully back to her, pointing a shooting finger directly at her face. "What are you tryin' to pull here?"
She stopped her motion as he spun to meet her. She opened her mouth to say something but he kept running his mouth.
"Did you drug me? Mess with my mind to keep me here so I don't pay back Jabba?"
Now he was really going insane, she thought. He must have taken her silent stupor as some sort of confirmation because he started to look more satisfied with his explanation.
"I didn't know you were this desperate, your worship"
"Han!" She managed to shout back. "You idiotic moof-mugget! Do you realize how ridiculous you sound?" And he did sound ridiculous.
He just tilted his head with a smirk. "We'll see about that, Princess." His body turned furiously back to his path, down the hall and towards the far doors. "Does this lead to the throne room?"
At this point, Leia was just as curious as he was, so she followed closely as he opened the doors.
An extremely large modern looking bed centered the room. The crisp white sheets and padded down comforter were not exactly neatly on the bed. It looked like someone haphazardly tried to tidy up in a hurry. There was no wall behind the bed, but instead a full floor to ceiling window with the same breathtaking view visible when the sheer curtains were pulled back. There was a door to the side of the bed that opened up onto what appeared to be a terrace.
There was a table and modern lamps on either side of the bed with a few drawers and holos lying atop. The side cream colored wall held more shelving and a curved vanity with a reflector. There were various makeup and perfume units scattered across the top, obviously frequently used.
The other side of the room had three openings. The center door was open and led to a 'fresher space. The other two doors flanking it looked to be closet spaces.
"Oh, it's her highness's bed chambers," Han said as he took in the view, still holding onto the door frame.
"Han…" she warned again, now not comfortable at all going through what was obviously a very private and lived in room.
Han, on the other hand, had no qualms. "Let's look around shall we?"
His fingers immediately went to the buttons on the side of the first closet. It turned out to be a larger space than anticipated as the walk-in space revealed racks and racks of dresses and blouses, pants and shoes.
He stepped into the space and spun his body to rake through a section. "Now I'm not up on the latest fashions, but a blind Wookie could tell these were Alderaanian styled clothes!"
He held one out, but she knew he was correct before she even saw it. The fabrics, the designs, the bold colors were all Alderaanian. Though she personally did not wear any of the colored fabrics, this place obviously belonged to someone from her lost planet.
"And the 'fresher…" Han quickly moved onto the next stop on their tour of someone's house.
She followed almost in a trance at this point as they stepped into a gorgeous 'fresher space with a large unit, a bath, and two sinks.
Han went straight for the products that were on the 'fresher's ledge. Taking a quick glance at the tube of cream, he held it out to her. "You use Geominie hair products, or at least you enjoy using them when the Rebellion can get their hands on them…"
"How did you…"
"Aha! Geominie." Apparently her acknowledgment was enough to confirm his suspicions.
"And your hairpins…" He searched through a few drawers near the closest sink before bursting back into the bedroom area and over to the vanity.
He didn't have to look long before he pulled a large box out. "Would Mon keep a box of hair pins this big?" He asked as some of them tumbled to the floor.
It was odd, but her first instinct was to yell at him and tell him to pick up the hair pins. What else could she say? Even she was half convinced at this point that she lived here.
"It's over Leia. What's goin' on?"
Desperation was back in his voice. He just needed answers. She wished she couldn't give them to him.
"Not gonna say anything yet, are you?" He angrily pushed past her. "Okay, let's keep looking."
His stampede was starting to look like a caged animal, desperate for release.
"Another closet for your riches." He halted in front of the last closet and waited for her to meet him. "Don't mind if I do."
The door slid open directly in her face so she couldn't immediately see what was in it, but the expression on his face was enough to make her question whether she wanted to look.
"What is it? What's in there," she asked as his eyes went back into his sockets.
She peeked behind the door to the sight of a much smaller closet filled with men's clothes. Pants, shirts, socks lying about. But definitely a male's wardrobe.
"I can assure you," she began. "I don't have a secret interest in dressing like a man."
"I didn't think…" he uttered, clearly thrown off by this turn of events and more beguiled than ever. "Whose are these?"