Chapter 40: The aftermath
Back at Luke's apartment, where
Stephaine, Saty, Alizabeth, and Senta were waiting. "What happened."
Saty asked.
Wordlessly, Leia showed them her
ring. "So, did Han go through with it, and propose." Luke asked
coming in behind Leia.
"Yup." Leia said.
"Oh my. LEIA." Aunt Rogue
said, coming from behind Senta swinging her around.
"Did you accept." Saty
cried.
"Well..."
"Unofficially you did, though
officially you wanted a consultation period." Luke said, dryly.
"What, were you listening
in." Leia asked.
Luke pretended to be hurt.
"Now, sister dear, I know twins are supposed to pry, and I probably
should've, but I didn't, Its just standard Leia."
Leia glared,
"What is that supposed to mean."
"Well, Leia, you do things in a
very predictable way, you are cautious, so you want to think over all the
choices. It is usually a VERY good quality, if Han and I had had the quality we
wouldn't have jumped head first, without thinking of a plan on the first death
star." Luke said.
"I guess." Leia, relented,
"do you all think that the Alderanian council will let me marry Han."
"Threkin-maybe thats the iffy
one, and with your sense of speech I think you could convince them."
Stephaine said.
"Well, but it couldn't be
tomorrow." Leia said, "Unless you think that my plan of having Han
present the planet he won to the Alderaanian council tomorrow."
"Planet, Han won?" Rogue
asked.
Luke hid a grin, "Well, see Han
and I were worried that if Han did propose Threkin Horm might convince Leia
that that marriage would make the Alderaanian refugee's lose, I guess which was
right, so what we did, Han played some Sabbac and won a planet from Warlord
Omogg. Luck was SERIOUSLY on our side, because Omogg had duped Han and it was
in Zsinj's territory, but the same day Zsinj surrendered. Han went and
registered with the Provincial Council as the official owner of Dathomir, they
agreed to keep it a secret from Leia. I have some friends whose idea of fun are
projects. So we gave them the project of developing Dathomir to look like
Alderaan. Now there were some locals, we, made a treaty with them. The land on
which they live does not effect building plans, so we gave them that land, and
in turn they agreed to not dissrupt, but help the building. I had, from space,
felt captive GOOD people on Dathomir, Political prisoners. We had the locals,
witches, lead us to the prison, which was unguarded after Zsinj's pullout, and
then we met Sallie...on thing led to another."
"Luke, your and Han's version
varies ever so slightly, as you are being modest." Leia said, dryly.
Luke shrugged. "So, when are
you going to present this to the Alderaanian council."
"Well, I will let it be
probably the meeting after next, depending on what happens when Han presents
the planet to the Council."
"Good plan, do you want to tell
Han this, or leave it." Rogue asked.
"I think I will tell him."
Leia said, she went into the comm station and called Han and told him the plan.
"Well," Luke said, teasing
Leia, when she came out of the comm station 15 minutes later "Your eyes
are certainly shining more then they were 15 minutes ago."
Leia blushed, "be quiet."
"I bet you young ones have much
to discuss, and so us old ones will go to the embassy and leave the rest of you
in peace." Aunt Rainier said.
After the 'adults' had gone they
opened up and discussed EVERYTHING until one by one the dropped asleep. With
Leia and Luke as the last two awake. "Luke, admit it, your comment this
morning indirectly referred to if I turned Han down."
"I admit it, I just wanted you
to know that."
After Leia dropped asleep Luke went
to Han's apartment. "Luke, she really loves me." Han said.
Luke cracked a grin, "and you
just figured that out."
"Kid, what's your assessment of
the situation."
Luke hesitate, he didn't think Han
would like what he had to say, "I think there is VERY good possibility
that the Alderaanian Council will let the two of you marry, IF you are patient,
Leia knows Alderaanian politics, so let her bring it up. I know you both know the
extent of your feelings for each other. If Leia tries to bring the issue
tomorrow it will look patronizing."
"So what you are saying in
simple terms is it might still take a week or two."
"Exactly."
Chapter 41: We have a new planet
Luke stayed for about 10 minutes,
untill Han dropped asleep. THen he went to his own apartment and slept. What
Luke hadn't realized is that Saty had awoken a while earlier. "Boy,"
she whispered to herself, "Jedi Skywalker really cares for Leia and Han.
He is like the perfect brother, and friend."
The next morning everyone awoke
about 20 minutes before the council meeting, and that too was Aunt Rainier
sending General Saum. "Her grace has requested that you all awaken if you
are not, and get ready." He said, after being let in by Luke.
"Oh my gosh." Saty
shrieked looking at the clock, "We REALLY over slept."
It was mass chaos in Luke's
apartment afterwards. 5 girls, and one guy trying to get ready. They made it to
the Alderaanian council 30 seconds before it began, all out of breath. Han had
arrived three minutes before. He raised his eyebrows as Luke joined him. Luke
noticed that Han had taken a little more time sressing then he usually did.
"Try gettting ready with 5 girls, in the other two rooms puttering
around." Luke whispered.
Han laughed. "This meeting of
the Alderaanian council is now called into session, anyone have any new
business."
Han took a deep breath. "I know
I am not a member of the Council but I have to present something that will
effect every Alderaanian."
Luke felt a panic rising from
Threkin. The man thought Han was going to talk about him and Leia getting
married, and then his sense of gratitude for bringing his family home would be
called upon. "I have a planet, which I have obtained, which I first offered
to the Princess, but she asked me to present here to all of you. With Jedi
Skywalker's aid I have enlisted some expert technicians and constructors who
are making this planet look and be developed exactly like Alderaan, while not
destroying this planet's natural features. There are some locals, but Jedi
Skywalker has made a treaty with them, and all the treaty says is that they
keep the land they live upon, we don't kill the Rancors, the animals that live
there, and they will aid us in building the planet, except Alderaanian law,
within reason, and live peacefully." Han pulled out the holo of Dathomir.
"May we ask how far the
development of the planet has gotten." One council member asked.
"Sure, Councilman, umm… Luke,
do you have any holo's."
"Actually, I do." Luke
said, getting up, "and if the Alderaanian council would like to see them I
can project them."
"That would be
appreciated." Threkin said.
"See, these friends have a
direct interface, so we can see up to the minute work, they have had so much fun
with this project that they have been working day and night on it, it will take
about 30 seconds I have already called them with the request."
"A quick message, we thank the
Alderaanian council for this oppurtunity, we were getting kinda bored because
we had no projects, but this one is wonderful it so big it takes awhile, and
its FUN." Liekiu's voice came over Luke's comlink.
"That was one of the experts
who was enlisted." Han explained.
Then Luke projected the Holo's.
Liekiu had done a wonderful job installing the direct interface's, you got
every view possible. Han enjoyed seeing the Alderaanian's faces. He started to
see what Leia saw in helping people without monetary compensation. After the
Holo's were done. "General Solo, Jedi Skywalker, we thank you VERY much
for this and all the effort you put into it." A third Councilwoman said,
with tears of gratitude in her eyes.
"All right, coming with this
generous gift is a decision that must be made about government for our
planet." Threkin said, savoring on the phrase, our planet, "and for
this reason this council will now do a closed discussion that is open to all
Alderaanians," he hesitated, "We request, though, that the House
Organa members excuse themselves for a moment."