Chapter XII: Chased by a bounty hunter

Han Solo had most definitely failed his word, since there was barely a time when he didn't speak to the haughty princess.

Even he was surprised to find so much pleasure out of annoying her, sometimes going too far with his teasing, causing the princess to raise her voice, only to look embarrassed for having lose her composure, swearing that she'll never speak to him again, only to fall for his next provocation and respond, never as sharply, always pleasing the ship's captain.

"You know you've already lost like half of what I promised?" she had discovered money was his weak point. With that, she could always torture him.

"Come on, your Majesty! I'm putting you back in a castle, if anything, I feel you should raise my reward."

"You could've gone out of this with your hands full, but you preferred to be a jerk and disrespect me."

"Disrespect? Why, we've hardly had enough time for that."

"Oh, shut up."

"Cheer up, princess. We're almost there."

"You know, after having talked so mighty about your ship, this piece of junk has surely taken its sweet, slow time."

"Slow? Piece of junk?" his face showed extreme displeasure. "No other ship in the Galaxy could've taken you to your Mighty Palace as fast and safely."

I know one… she thought sadly. Vader's.

"You're practically home, your Highness. I'm sure you're gonna miss me, but I beg you to save your tears because I can't deal with female weeping…"

Han turned his gaze towards the princess, burying his eyes on her, and he realized speaking was pointless, she wasn't listening to him, her mind was someplace else, far from that ship, and with someone, too.

"She sure wanders off a lot," Han said to Chewbacca.

"Your Highness," Han's voice was loud and careless. "You better come here, soon we'll be asked if we have permission to land on Coruscant, and you can prove at last whether you are the emperor's daughter or not."

She didn't hear him, her eyes were staring at nothing, and then, she pronounced a name Han hadn't hear before.

"Luke…" Leia murmured time and time again.

Han Solo stood up and took her elbow, shaking her mildly. The flame that appeared in her eyes would've frightened most people, but the smuggler shrugged and simply said, "We need you to confirm we have a member of the royal family aboard."

"Oh, right…"

"Are you all right?"

She sighed strangely. "Fine."

Then a sound like the one she heard before landing—crashing—on Tatooine, invaded them.

They were under attack.

"Oh, wonderful!" Solo cried. "Chewie someone's after us!"

"If it's an imperial ship I can interfere—"

"Quiet, princess! Unless your daddy does deals with bounty hunters… I don't think the person following us works for the empire!"

It's that man! Leia could sense his strange presence again. Boba Fett…

The ship was shaking and like before, Leia's droid fell into her direction, asking her questions for what she had no answer. She couldn't possibly know if they would make it alive again, or if captain Solo was qualified for such a situation, so Leia wished for the first time with true anger, that she could take the droid and smash it into a million pieces. Some of that anger was plain on her face, and C-3PO tried to run from her, hurting her feelings to no end.

Han noticed her anger, too. But he thought that it was directed at him, and he couldn't look so bad in the eyes of the princess, so he had to fight.

But he couldn't do it alone, he and his friend could use all the help possible, and that princess, haughty as she was, had demonstrated strength above all, so now it would be a good opportunity for her to shine again.

"I am as mad as you are, having my ship fired at, sweetheart! But sulk a little less and give us a hand, would you!"

Of course she had to do something.

Last time, she only stared in shock as the imperial ship fell into the merciless hands of a group of rebels. In spite of being more powerful and capable than all of them combined, she let the stormtroopers defend her, at first. Then, she proved no one could threaten her. She could do that again.

She helped Han, who could still, after all, be amazed at her incredible will. Boba's ship suffered a lot more from the princess than it had in all the time Boba had owned it.

But the bounty hunter wasn't going to give up. She could tell. She sensed it. He was after her, not Han.

Now would be a good time as any to use the force, Leia thought.

"We gotta get out of here!" she cried.

"Don't worry. We will crash into Coruscant shortly!" Han cried.

"I hired you to take me there, safely. Now that can't happen. You think you can lose the bounty hunter?"

"The fact that you would question it offends me!"

"Then get us out of here!"

"He's still shooting at us!"

"Don't worry, I will see about that. You just worry about making the jump into hyperspace!"

Han went back to sit next to the Wookiee, leaving Leia to shoot Bobba Fett's ship. He thought he was crazy for doing so, but he preferred it that if anything went wrong, he could blame the princess—that is, if they did make it.

In his ship, Boba thought his reward was practically in his hands, after the Millennium Falcon crashes into Coruscant, he'll just capture the smuggler and take the princess—it shouldn't be so hard, once she learns her father sent him. But Solo's attack appears to be intensifying, to the point where Boba almost—almost, feels in danger.

Then the attacks ceased, and it almost looks like Solo had given up, one more shot and they'll crash… but, what was happening? He can't shoot them anymore! Was something wrong with his ship? It appears to, but it seems so unlikely… then he realizes. Leia has a power similar to Vader's...

If she would've wanted to, at that moment, she could've blown Boba's ship into oblivion. But she was only beginning to taste the dark side, and she could still, somewhat control her anger. She just kept the bounty hunter from shooting them, ensuring the Millennium Falcon's escape.

Once they were safe, Han and Chewie's cries of joy warmed the princess' heart; taking away all the anger she had used to stop Boba Fett. She could also celebrate with them, running to them, hugging the Wookiee, and in her excitement, kissing Han's cheek.

But there's hardly anything of romance with the two humans, the moment was more of bonding, it lacked passion, and it made them smile mockingly afterwards.

"You're welcome," Han said, after Leia released him from her arms.

"Yes. Thank you Chewbacca!" she said, putting a hand on the Wookiee, as he accepted the pleasantry with a cry of joy.

"What about me?" Han growled.

"What about you? It was mostly me and Chewie who did it."

"Chewie? You didn't even bother looking at him nor speak to him, and now we call him Chewie?"

"I made the mistake of putting him in the same category as you. Sorry, Chewie!" she said ironically.

The Wookiee laughed, and Han was tempted to hit his friend.

"That's enough laughing for now, don't you think?" Han was annoyed. "Don't worry, your Worshipfulness, we'll go back to Coruscant soon."

"No we won't," Leia lost the casual tone she had been using, to go back to that imperial countenance while looking at Han. To Chewbacca she was still friendly.

"What?" Han seemed confused.

"My lady," C3PO returned, looking still afraid of the princess. "What could you possibly mean by that?"

"We are not going back to Coruscant," Leia affirmed.

"Oh! Are we to go to Naboo, then?"

"No."

"Okay," Han intervened. "What crazy idea have you in your pretty little head?"

"I've decided another destination."

"Which is?" Han sounded impatient.

"I don't know yet."

"What? You don't know?"

"Yet."

"Listen, princess, we made a deal. You don't get to change it just because you feel like it. You offered me twenty thousand to take you and your silly droid to the Capital, and that's what I will do, okay?"

"Now, you listen to me. I've requested your services and I'm being gracious enough to pay you for them. In reality, I don't have to give you anything. I am Darth Vader's daughter, you should obey me on that fact alone. You will move this piece of junk you call a ship anywhere I say to. Understand?"

Han Solo had never felt so much indignation before. He wished for a second Leia was a man so he could show her how much he did understand. He was not used to taking orders, especially such vague and rude ones. If the princess at least modulated her voice of command… but no, she spoke to him as if he were her servant.

"What if I refuse?" Han snarled.

"You don't want to find out," Leia was very calm in appearance, but a little of that old flame almost came back to show in her eyes.

"Let's say I do."

"I will kill you."

The handsome smuggler looked unperturbed. He looked at her, straight into her eyes for a very long time. Chewbacca and C-3PO interchanged looks, too. They felt the long silence too uncomfortable.

"You wouldn't do it," Han said at last.

"I'm no stranger to murder," she admitted, hoping that would scare him.

"Neither am I, sweetheart. But that doesn't mean I would kill you, now does it?"

"I would do it."

"Oh yeah? Go ahead."

"Don't test me."

"That's exactly what I'm doing. Go on, I'll make it easier." He put his hands behind his back and placed himself in perfect shooting distance.

As if that would make a difference! Leia thought. She could easily kill him even if he tried to run or defend himself.

"Well? What are you waiting for?"

"Are you kidding me, Han?"

It was hard to tell. Since he never lost that mocking smile.

"Come on, your Highness! My hands are getting tired."

"Stop your stupid jokes. Just accept that you will do as I tell you."

"I will never do that. So you'll have to kill me now, to save you from any future nuisance."

"You underestimate me, if you think I won't do it."

"We're all waiting…"

The Wookiee in particular was beginning to look worried. He had started to warm up to the princess, but he'll definitely rip her apart should she choose to follow Han's stupid jests.

C-3PO was sure they were about to lose the ship's captain.

Leia pulled out her lightsaber, she ignited it hoping that would erase Han's smile, but to her surprise, his smile grew even wider. She got closer to him and placed the weapon an inch of distance from Han's neck; he didn't even flinch. "Would I actually have to do it?" Leia thought. "Oh well…"

But as she motioned her hand to finally put an end to that annoying jerk, her strength failed her. She just couldn't do it. Han's smile became unbearable laughter. She thought that instead of killing him, she could just force-choke him to put him in check, but that also appeared to be impossible. Truth was, she didn't want to hurt him. I mean she did, but at the same time not… ugh, what was happening to her?

"I knew it," Solo said triumphantly. He passed his eyes through the princess' entire figure, pleasure written all over him.

"What did you know?"

"You like me, don't you?"

"What? Just because I still need you to fly the ship…"

"Chewie could do that."

"Shut up."

"You've said it, princess. You need me."

"Yes, otherwise I'm stranded in the middle of nowhere!"

"You'd still have my co-pilot and your stupid droid. I suppose you actually need human contact."

"What are you even talking about?"

"I prefer we leave this conversation for later, when we're actually alone."

"We will never be alone together, captain Solo." A powerful red rose to her face. "If you're gonna be impossible to deal with… then… I-I will raise your reward," she looked bitter behind those sweet features.

"Now we're talking! Tell me, what exactly is your plan?"

And he would never admit it, but he was ready to do anything she command him to.