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What a glorious time to be a pilot. A pilot with power nonetheless.
As a smuggler and working underground with the Rebel Alliance, he had to be constantly on alert for both Imperial government forces, pirates, and anyone else he had rubbed the wrong way. For years, he had Jabba on his back and that meant a network of bounty hunters.
But now, Han Solo was the authority. He was here on legitimate terms, flying with the correct paperwork and authority that made him official. It took a bit of the excitement out of approaching Naboo, but it also allowed him to indulge a little.
He made contact with the goods manufacture and scheduled a time the next morning to load the shipment of Republic issued aid traveling to Coruscant to then be distributed to recovering planets.
Han inquired why this seemingly straightforward job came under the purview of 'special projects.' The answer, their supplier was not aware of the buyer's New Republic connection, thus they got a better price on the supplies than otherwise.
And so, Han Solo easily set down on a landing pad in Theed and was free to spend an evening in the city.
He'd visited Naboo before and had even been to Theed once or twice, but all his time was spent on the dodgy side, the underground. The hanger where they landed was right in the middle of the shipping district which was directly beside the palace and government buildings. Which meant he was directly in the posh section.
Chewie locked up the ship as they made their way around the city. They spent about five minutes wandering the high-class streets before they both agreed to find somewhere they were both more comfortable. They sought out the more narrow walkways and took a few lefts through the winding streets.
Eventually, Han let his face relax as they stepped into a crowded tent-lined space. The open air market hosted a diverse array of patrons, from this planet and others. The mixing of tongues showed the array of home language. The day was mostly behind them, but the evening light along with the glow from some of the tents kept the atmosphere illuminated.
They blended into the crowd, walking along, listening into conversations about prices, the latest pod race, and laughter from a joke. The stands along both sides of the street offered a myriad of foods, some from Naboo and some exotic goods he hadn't seen in years. Hoth food was extremely bland and their two weeks of food exploration hadn't brought him anything like this; smoked kaadu ribs, blossom wine, braised shaak roast, and sardine fritter.
He and Chewie each stopped to grab a shaak roast and enjoyed their meat while they continued to walk. Han's mind was reeling through his entire trip, and continued to as they strolled the streets.
From the moment he left Chandrila, feeling the familiar rush of adrenaline that always coursed through him when the Falcon jumped to light speed, his mind was focused on the thrilling freedom but his heart was decisively elsewhere. It felt good to admit that to himself, to realize he was a thoroughly changed man. Changed for the better, able to enjoy more of life than he ever expected.
"I wanna get somethin' for Leia and Rayah," he told Chewie, his chest expanding as he pictured the look on their faces from something he did.
He was glad when Chewie growled an affirmative, seconding this as a good idea.
He took in the sights with new eyes, asking himself, what would Rayah like and what would bring Leia joy? It didn't take him long to find a perfect gift for Rayah. His eyes were immediately drawn to the bright colors of the different puffy ball-like stuffed creatures. It looked like a very colorful loth cat, but one that didn't require any maintenance.
He stepped up to the stand and watched as the owner demonstrated the workings of the toy. When turned on, the creature curled up into a coiled ball making sounds that were similar to a loth cat. Then it would uncoil itself and crawl on the floor for a ways until curling up again. He thought it would make his little girl smile, so he placed down the credits and chose a purple and blue one to take home.
Leia was proving a much harder sell. She had so much already; earrings, hair combs, dresses, and all looking much more expensive and elaborate than he knew how to shop for or afford. Then he thought again. Maybe future Han had gifted her some of those things. He tried to put that thought behind him. They had agreed to start over from where they were now and not worry about what the other versions of themselves would do.
It took over an hour of searching before luck was on their side and everything fell into alignment. With the setting sun all but upon them, Han noticed a printed scarf that he thought Leia might like at a stand on the end of the street. As he went closer he noticed the pattern was, and Chewie confirmed this, Alderaanian in design.
He stepped further into the tent filled with jewelry, scarves, workman's tools, and other miscellaneous knick-knacks. He was barely able to look around before the older woman manning the stall, threw her arms out in shock.
"General Solo!"
He whipped his head around and shrugged his shoulder, not used to such a display at his mere presence. Apparently his war hero status was legitimate and almost universally recognized. "Yeah?"
"What an honor that you should enter my humble shop," she bowed her head in reverence.
Han wished Chewie was hearing all this, but the Wookie waited outside where his tall frame fit better.
"Yeah," he said again, his fingers moving to scratch behind his ear. "I was just passin' through and…"
She interrupted, the epitome of pride on her colorful face. "It will be an honor to serve the Princess's husband."
Of course. That's how she recognized him.
He cleared his throat. "You're Alderaanian." It was both a statement and a question.
"I am," she nodded, a bony hand crossing her chest. "My allegiance will forever lie with my people. And with our last Princess."
She spoke of her fierce loyalty with such devotion. He was starting to feel a bit awkward. This woman clearly saw him as an extension of Leia, a reality he didn't feel himself. Nor did he want people to think that he spoke for her. He kept that in mind as he continued to engage.
"Yeah, speakin' of her," his eyes glanced past the woman to take a look at her stock. "I was hopin' to bring her home somethin' and…"
"Of course, General," she interrupted, gasping at the immense responsibility he now felt he was putting on her. "I have many nice things made from the techniques of Alderaanian artisans from long ago. Come look."
He stepped in, following her guidance to the far surface where some silvery adornments laid.
There were some bracelets, rings, hair pieces, and necklaces. He knew nothing about such items, but he knew Leia used some of the hair combs and beaded strands in her braids.
"How about these?" He inquired as he lifted two long strands of flexible golden wire adorned with beading and metal pieced etched to look like leaves.
The woman took the pieces from him. "They are beautiful," she assured him while also sounding like that was the exact wrong gift to get.
"Or maybe some jewelry," Han quickly pivoted, pointing at the rings.
The woman slyly countered. "I suspect she already has a cherished ring."
Yeah, her wedding ring. She still wore that thing every day, even when it was just them at home. He wanted to ask her why, but he never garnered up the chutzpa.
Han was out of guesses. "What would you suggest?" He asked, suspecting she had a particular item she wanted to pawn or that she legitimately thought Leia would like.
A thrilling gleam took over the woman's face as she pulled open a flap in the back of the tent. "I have a few things I never display for ordinary guests, but when the right person comes along…" She reached into what looked like a small shipping container and pulled out a small wooden orb. "I find them a good home."
Han had heard that line before. This was basic peddling, acting like the customer was getting special treatment and a good deal. Then you're stuck with a piece of junk and the seller has moved on to another town. Still, he waited, watching as she opened the wooden box to reveal a pressed silver pendant with flower etchings on either side of the chain, culminating with an amber stone in the center, embedded in a silver backing.
"That's nice," he said, seeing nothing different about this piece than the others on the table.
"It's special," she share in a convincing voice. "The amber stone is from fossilized resin from the trees in the Isatabith rain forest."
His eyes raised to judge the lady's honestly. "From Alderaan?"
"Yes," she assured him. "I have very few authentic resin stones remaining from my days collecting them at home."
He tended to believe her. He swallowed, his eyes going back to the jewelry. "And the metal?"
"Sadly, the metal is from off planet, but I melt it down and etch it using our old traditions. This is as authentic as I can be now and as close to an Alderaanian treasure you will find."
He brought his fingers to the hard pendant and lifted it from the box. The long chain showed its full length and Han could tell this was to be worn as… "Is it a necklace?"
"It can be worn as a necklace with this chain or a band around your head if you attach the pendant to a crown piece."
It was pretty. He thought Leia would take it as a tribute to the beauty of her home world and remember it fondly rather than a tainted memory. He wasn't sure she had anything from Alderaan. He was sure she didn't on Hoth, but with all the stuff she had now, none that he knew was special to her.
"I'll take it." His voice rang out confidently as he set the pendant back in the box. "How much?"
The woman held up her hands, her lips curling. "For the Princess, there is no cost."
Han put up a fight. "Let me give you somethin', for all you do and all your troubles." He knew that didn't come out right, but he wanted to help Leia's people who had been left devastated and forced to rebuild their lives.
She put up just as good a fight. "I insist. It will bring me great pleasure that the last Princess of Alderaan has one of my pieces."
Han knew when to step back. "If you're sure…" She nodded. "Then… thank you… from me and Leia."
The woman gave him a bow. The moment her eyes looked away, he slipped a significant amount of credits under one of the scarves and left the tent with his item in hand.
It was dark by the time they made it back to the Falcon. Chewie made himself busy with some storage reorganization while Han moved into the cock pit. He told his friend he wanted to check over their flight schedule for the next morning, but what he really planned to do only involved him pulling out his new comm device and pressing the familiar buttons that had her glowing image before him in mere seconds.
"Hey, hotshot. I was hoping you made it safely."
Her half braided hair meant he had caught her in the middle of her morning routine. A full Chandrila day had passed since he left. He was glad to see that she was just as happy to see him as he was to see her.
"Did you forget about us yet?" She inquired with a quirk to her eyes.
He chuckled, his gaze fixated on her. "Never."
"Did you make your contact?" She inquired, setting her device on her vanity so she had two free hands to work on the twists of her hair.
He shook his head. "Tomorrow. It's late here. We're packin' everything up in the mornin'."
She flitted her eyes between the device and her reflector. "And have you found some of yourself back out amongst the stars?"
He hoped she'd ask that. "I did," he answered honestly. "There's nothin' like bein' out here, open space with the galaxy of possibilities all around."
She paused her twisting to smile at him. "I'm glad, Han. You look happy, rejuvenated."
He ducked his head. "But I also found out somethin' else." He waited until his eyes were trained on her virtual ones. "I guess I am a different guy, because I can't stop thinkin' 'bout you and Rayah."
Her eyes softened even more. Her hands stretched forward. If he didn't know any better he expected them to reach right through the holo and let him touch her. Instead, she gave him her full attention.
"You've always been that guy, Han. Searching for a sense of belonging and purpose." Her one hand went to her chest. "That's what we all want and deserve to find."
"You think you've found it?" His voice lowered with his ask.
Her head bobbed. "I think I have."
Her words were music to his ears, a salve to his soul, and his oxygen for his breath. "Me too."
She let their shared commitment settle for a moment before she continued. "I know you'll need to leave sometimes because that's also a part of who you are. You thrive in the sky and I know how much you miss it."
She was right about that. He did miss being somewhere other than Hanna City. But he never wanted to admit that to himself because that might mean he would have to leave his established family.
Leia continued. "But I also know that you'll be coming home to Rayah… and to me."
He was glad she added the last part because it was so true. It was true on Hoth and even more true now.
His lips pressed together, his eyes hadn't blinked in a full minute as they stared at her, his heart swelling with all the affection and desire he felt for her.
He swallowed. "I want to tell you somethin'…" His voice was horse, but he hoped she couldn't tell. "But I don't wanna say it over a holo screen."
"Then don't," she quickly requested. "For now…" she paused.
He let the pause wash over them for a long moment.
"Rayah," Leia turned to the side. "Do you wanna say hi to dada?"
His face lit up. "She's awake?"
Leia nodded as she reached down. "She's been playing in here with some blocks while I get ready. Come here, sweetie!"
The last sentence drew the girl into the screen sitting on her mother's lap.
"Hey, little princess!" Han exclaimed, feeling more of an adrenaline rush than he expected at seeing both members of his family.
His family.
"Say, hi to Dada!" Leia prompted.
Rayah looked straight at him. He saw her face change the moment she recognized him, and it stole his heart again.
"Dada!"