I just discovered this nearly finished continuation of my earlier story, Walk in the Woods, and added a few keystrokes to wrap it up. Initially, that story was meant to be a brief, stand-alone look at how Han and Leia's relationship might have progressed from their initial meeting in ANH into more of a friendship that would eventually progress into the type of closeness we found in Empire. I guess I felt that there was more to tell which brings us to this little foray back into the SW universe. It's not completely necessary to read that previous story, but some references (especially in the beginning) will make more sense if you do. (harmless self promotion) This story, like that one, takes place shortly after the ending of ANH.
No harm is intended in the use of these characters of which I claim no ownership. No money has been made off of this work of fiction. Please don't sue. Now on with the show.
Rescue in the Rainforest
As promised, the rains ended and Han was able to quickly pull the two of them up the vine that amazingly was still hanging where he had secured it. Leia would be lying to herself if she didn't admit that she was more than a little impressed by the strength and agility he had displayed in the short climb. She was certain that, with two good arms, she could have pulled herself up on her own but it would have been difficult and would have taken much longer. The idea of completing the feat with the additional weight of another person was simply out of the question. She also had to admit that it was nice to sit back, relax and let someone else take charge and take care of everything – if even just for a little while.
The Yavin base was mostly intact when they returned even though hours had passed since they had departed. The storms had kept the rebellion grounded as well. The pair were greeted by Wookie bellows and both were caught up in a furry embrace.
"It's alright, pal. We're alright but be careful. The princess is hurt. I need to get her over to a medic."
Chewie's Shriwook response was meaningless to Leia, but she answered nonetheless. "It's not that bad. Just my arm. I will be perfectly fine thanks to Han."
Han wouldn't leave her side until her saw her safely seated in what remained of the infirmary with TwoOneBee having already begun her preliminary examination. Satisfied that she wouldn't be avoiding medical care, he returned to his beloved ship to finish preparing for their departure. Since the fleet had been delayed, he and Chewie had agreed to carry extra cargo for the rebels. They wouldn't be able to make multiple trips because of the storm delay and this way, they also wouldn't have to leave as much behind. Chewie had just finished filling the last cargo hold and Han helped him secure the load. The smugglers settled into the cockpit and, receiving their clearance, headed for the skies.
A standard day later, the Millennium Falcon settled gracefully into a corner of a busy hanger near the equator of Felucia. Han could feel the dense moisture of the atmosphere already seeping through the air ventilation system of the old freighter. Chewie growled in complaint.
"I hear ya, buddy. I think the rebellion's trying make a point of touring the wettest, warmest planets in the galaxy. Good thing we won't be here long."
He quickly removed his dark jacket and was about to exit the cockpit when he noticed the princess walking quickly across the hanger. Other than a thin piece of fabric securing her arm in place, there was little evidence of her injury from just twenty-four hours earlier. He thought of the other injuries, the non-physical ones that he could only begin to guess and he shook his head. She certainly managed to hide a lot of strength within the tiny package that she presented. 'Too much for her own good,' he thought to himself, remembering her tears on the ledge. He suddenly realized that he had been standing immobilized for far too long, his eyes easily following the attractive picture of her departing backside.
'Cool your heels, Solo. That's trouble for parsecs right there.'
He forced his feet to move once again, cursing women, humidity and wet Wookies as he left the cockpit in search of cooler clothing.
A few days later, Han was still cursing the humidity and heat discovered by the rebellion. He wiped the sweat from his brow for what felt like the millionth time since he had started the repair on the Falcon's external rear thruster lines. The rear thrusters had been misfiring recently and he wanted to check them before they left to pay Jabba. The servodriver slipped from his fingers.
"This kreffin' planet!"
He wiped his hands on his pants before climbing down the access ladder to retrieve the dropped tool. He stepped to the duracrete as the princess held out the tool he had come to retrieve.
"Captain," she said by way of greeting. She wore tan khakis with a matching buttoned, short sleeve shirt that hugged her body pleasantly and was perfectly tucked without a hint of a wrinkle or bit of perspiration.
'How can she look so composed,' Han thought while he pulled the damp tee he wore away from his sweat-soaked skin.
"Thanks, your worship. I gotta admit you're a much better lookin' assistant than Chewie."
She opened her mouth and closed it without replying. He answered her non-response with a smirk of his own. She shifted on her feet and he took the offered tool from her out-stretched hand.
"How's your arm, anyway?"
"It's fine. Thank you."
"Good. Guess the bone-knitters did their job."
"Yes."
An awkward silence stretched between the pair as Leia found herself studiously trying not to notice how his light grey shirt clung to his lean frame. Even though the smuggler had remained with the rebel fleet for this past week on Felucia, she had managed to avoid him since their adventure on Yavin. She still felt some measure of embarrassment from her breakdown that afternoon.
"You feel like givin' me a hand?" he asked, breaking the silence.
"Umm, well, I'm not sure I would be of much help," she replied.
"Don't worry, I can show you a thing or two," he smirked in answer.
He gestured to the access ladder and invited her to climb up ahead of him. He watched as she climbed to the top and then climbed up himself on the opposite side. He showed her the lines he had replaced, and then how to check the circuits. He had her replace one of the wires that was kinked and then taught her how to ensure the remainder of the wiring was intact and running correctly. Surprisingly, she seemed to grasp the information easily and even enjoy performing the small repairs. He handed her the servodriver and watched as she closed up the access panel.
She handed the tool back to him and he noted a gleam of satisfaction in her features. A slight perspiration had developed on her temples and a few tendrils had escaped from her intricate braids and he thought he had never seen her look better. Their closeness on either side of the ladder permeated his senses and he shifted back slightly in response.
"You wanna," he cleared his throat in response to the slight catch in his voice. "You wanna come in for a drink?" He climbed down the ladder, jumping at the midway point.
"Oh, I don't know, I really should see…"
"C'mon," he interrupted. "Let me buy you a drink. It's the least I can do after you helped fix my ship."
"Alright," she relented once she had climbed down the ladder. "I guess a cold drink would be nice."
He climbed the ramp to the Falcon and quickly returned with a pair of Corellian ales. He tried not to notice how her shirt clung more closely to her curves now that it was slightly dampened. He also tried to avoid noticing how her throat worked as she drank from the bottle.
"So, how are things going with getting the base set up?" he asked, pulling his mind away from the vision of her.
"Surprisingly better than I expected," she replied. "Everything is set up and running and all that's left is the organizing."
"Well, that's great," he answered, unsure of where to take their conversation, but not wanting her to leave too soon even if he wasn't sure of the reason why.
"Han, back on Yavin," Leia began. "I don't think I properly thanked you for what you did for me back there."
"It was nothin'," he shrugged it off then dropped his voice an octave and leaned a little closer. "Unless you mean you really want to properly thank me."
She opened her mouth in a perfect "o" and he raised a suggestive eyebrow, enjoying the colour that came to her cheeks as she came to full understanding of his innuendo. Not that he meant it or would ever consider allowing her to go along with anything of that nature, if she had actually intended it. He chuckled and straightened, letting her know that he hadn't been serious and letting her off the hook. She didn't respond but seemed to relax her stance while taking another drink of her ale.
Wedge Antilles approached the pair. Han didn't know the Corellian pilot very well, but the little he knew about him, he liked. From what he had heard, he was a first-rate pilot as well and that always meant a lot in Han's eyes.
"Hey, Han, some of us pilots are getting together later tonight in the mess hall to hang out. Maybe play a few rounds of Sabacc. You're welcome to join us." He looked over and, almost as if just realizing she was standing there, added: "You, too, Princess."
Han was about to decline the invitation; he and Chewie would be leaving soon and he had already found a few too many ties that he hadn't been looking to find.
"Sounds like fun," Leia answered and he found himself agreeing as well.
Han declined the shot offered for the third time that night, shaking his head as Luke accepted, knowing the kid would be paying for his choices the next morning or possibly even later that night. He had also stayed away from the Sabacc games, waiting to see what the skill level of the others were before stepping up. He might have a reputation as a mercenary, but he wasn't about to take the few credits these kids had just because they didn't know better than to invite him to the game.
He looked over his shoulder as her laughter reached his ears. He wasn't sure exactly why he didn't agree with her presence at this gathering – it wasn't as if she was the only female in attendance – but something about it just didn't sit right with him. She was quick-witted and sarcastic and the addition of alcohol loosening her overall demeanor made the combination decidedly flirtatious. The pilots ate it up.
Another hour passed and Chewie decided to call it a night. He asked Han if he would come with him, but he had declined.
"Why don't you take the kid to his bunk first?" Han suggested, nodding toward the corner where Luke sat slumped over the table, his blonde head pillowed on his arms.
Chewie agreed and soon had the boy upright, his weight easily supported by a single furry arm. The pair left, one of them stumbling so that if it wasn't for the arm around him, he might not be able to keep his feet beneath him. Han shook his head and turned his attention back to the reduced party that still remained. Leia was still seated with the trio from Thyferra and one pilot in particular seemed to be especially close to her. He tossed back the last of his drink without tasting it.
Han looked over the makeshift bar that the pilots had lain along the table that normally served to hold utensils and condiments once the foodstuffs were collected. He debated making another drink, especially given the poor selection that remained. He turned and looked back toward Leia and knew that he would be staying. Rising from his seat, he headed to the bar and once again, looked through the offerings, grimacing at some of the sweeter and more pungent bottles. Finally, he tipped the last of a sharp bourbon into his glass and turned back to the group just in time to see Leia rise from her seat and follow the pilot who had been sitting too close to the princess for the past hour.
"What the hell?" he muttered, taking a quick gulp of his drink. He debated for a minute before dropping the glass on the table unceremoniously and stalking after the pair.
He entered the hallway outside of the mess as the door at the end closed behind them. Not taking time to question his actions, he followed, exiting the building and getting instantly enveloped in the wall of humidity that was the Felucian rainforest air. The triple moons lit up the night sky brightly, making it easy for him to follow as the pair followed a trail up ahead of him. The forest was lush along the trail and the pair disappeared often, reappearing in fleeting glimpses when the path turned or bent to afford them to him. Finally, he could see that the path opened up ahead and he quickened his pace.
The forest gave way and he realized that the clearing was actually a cliffside with a view of a waterfall crashing into a large lake. The moons reflected off the water and Han had to admit that it was an incredible view but the realization was quickly chased from his awareness as his eyes fell on the silhouette of two figures pressed together, leaning against the trunk of a tree. He didn't think then, didn't question his right to intrude, but just stalked over to them. As he reached them, the male, 'Jayson' his mind supplied, became aware of his presence and raised his head, ending the kiss.
"Alright, princess, I think you've had enough tonight," he growled, grabbing her arm and tugging her away from the man.
He dragged her back along the path he had followed, not paying attention to her willingness to come along with him or whether or not the other man followed. Silently and angrily, he stomped along the winding trail, heedless of Leia's difficulty in keeping up with him due to her reduced stride and slightly inebriated state. They stumbled past the entrance to the mess hall and he continued through the hanger toward crew quarters. As though she suddenly realized his intended destination, Leia pulled her arm from his grip, bringing them both to a stop.
"I'm not ready to go to bed," she said, her hands on her hips and the slightest of slur to her words.
"Yeah well that little demonstration tells me that you should've gone to bed hours ago."
"What? That kiss? What's the matter with a little kiss?"
"The problem is who it's with."
"Jayson? What's the matter with Jayson? He's attractive, a skilled pilot, a great help to our cause…"
"And, he's already slept with one other woman since we've been on this planet and we've only been here a week!" He pointed an accusing finger at her, continuing: "You should know better than to wander off alone with someone like him. You should know that he intended for a lot more than just a kiss. You would know that if you were sober."
"Maybe I do know and maybe I wanted more than just a kiss, did you ever think of that?"
She raised an eyebrow in challenge, keeping her hands on her hips but shifting her weight from one side to the other, jutting her hip out in the process.
"You don't mean that."
She crossed her arms over her chest and suddenly he was struck with an impression of vulnerability instead of defiance. He stepped closer and rubbed his hands along the length of her upper arms.
"What's goin' on, Leia?"
Maybe it was the soft tone of his question or the use of her first name instead of his usual monikers, but something seemed to shift within the small woman. Her eyes welled with tears and she closed them, hiding her emotions from his own questioning gaze. Then the remembrance of a detail of her heritage came to him.
"Why would you give your virginity to someone like him?"
"Like who? And, who says I'm a virgin?"
Her anger flared a little at his question and chased away the threat of her tears. She took a step backward and away from his contact. He dropped his arms to his sides.
"Well, you're Alderaanian and royalty. It's a well-known fact that on Alderaan, the men and women wait for their wedding day before they have sex."
"There's no Alderaan anymore," she answered quietly.
"But the traditions remain," he countered and took a step toward her, closing the distance between them once again.
"I'm not… I mean, I don't think I'm a virgin anymore."
She said it so quietly he wasn't even sure if he heard it correctly.
"What do you mean 'you don't think'?"
He was tempted to add a snide comment, a snarky remark to change the tone and lighten the mood, but something in her posture caused him to hold back.
"I don't know if it counts if you don't consent. I mean, I know that I'm not but…"
She dropped her arms to her side and looked up at him and his stomach turned at the anguish he found in her dark eyes. It turned again with the recognition of what she was saying or was about to say.
"Leia, what happened? Who did this to you?"
"I, uh… I don't know. There were two of them and they took turns…"
She had dropped her eyes with her confession and he stood helplessly as tears escaped from her lashes and traced pathways along her cheeks. He longed to pull her into his arms almost as much as he wanted to flee. But he stood, giving her the chance, and the strength, to say what she needed to say.
"Maybe they were the same ones who always came to my cell or maybe they were a new pair. It was the only time any of them ever spoke or removed their armour. I tried to fight them but they were too strong."
Her voice broke on this last, turning her words into sobs and Han wrapped her in his arms, holding her tightly against his chest.
"I just wanted to be in control of it. To give myself up since it was already taken away from me. So that it would no longer be a question of whether I was or I wasn't."
"Shhh, Leia," he said softly against her soft hair, rubbing her back and holding her until her tears subsided.
He walked them over to the Falcon, its ramp standing open just a few meters away from where they stood in the hanger. Quietly, he settled her at the holochess table and retrieved a blanket from his quarters, draping it around her shoulders before heading into the galley to make them both a cup of kaffe. He set a cup in front of her before sitting at the right side of the table, his own mug held between his hands, keeping them from clenching into fists as he fought to tamp down the anger that had been swirling inside ever since she told that she had been raped. He watched as she took a sip from her mug, but then had to look away as the vision of her tear-streaked, blotchy skin made him want to take his own mug and hurl it against the wall. His eyes focused on the dark liquid held between his hands while his mind focused on keeping his breathing at an even, steady pace.
"I just want the memory of that time to go away." Her voice was small but still chased away the silence on the ship. "I just don't want that to be my first time. I need a new first time and I knew Jayson wouldn't care that I was a princess or an Alderaanian or that I wasn't a virgin. That even if he sleeps around, he is a good man willing to give his life for the cause I believe in. I just thought that it could still count as my first time if it happened close enough to what happened to me on the Death Star. That it would be better to say I got carried away with a pilot at a party then that I got held down and…"
He got up and sat next to her on the bench, wrapping her in his arms as much to comfort her as to silence her. He knew that he should but he just couldn't sit and listen to her while she told him the details. As it was, he wanted to vomit or scream or punch something or someone. Maybe he would do all four. He felt a dampness on his shirt and tightened his arms in response to the evidence of her tears. Eventually, her tears abated and her breathing slowed as she fell asleep. He shifted slightly, careful not to wake her, and then leaned his head back against the bench, joining her in her slumber.
Thank you for reading. Any feedback, good or bad is welcomed and appreciated. SS.