LIE NO MORE

Timeframe: Post-NJO

Note: One chapter only. This is it.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters or places. Unfortunately.

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With a snap, the power pack slid back into place on his blaster. Raising it, Han looked down the barrel, checking the alignment and nodding with satisfaction. Letting his chairs front legs hit the floor with a crack, he scooped a datapad off the table, a glint of gold catching his eye. Brushing aside datacards, his eyes fell upon the band of gold.

His wedding ring.

Reaching out, his fingers lightly brushed the cold metal, memories flashing through his mind. Laughter, happiness, love… lies. And the bittersweet feeling of fulfilment the last time he had worn it.

"Han, you really should get ready. We have to be out of here in under an hour." She looked up as she felt his gaze, a frown creasing her deceptively beautiful face. "Han?"

He stepped closer. "You lied to me."

She straightened. "Han, what are you talking about?"

"You told me you would arrange for the charges against Kyp to be dropped." He growled. "You told me you would have the 'Falcon' repaired within a month. You 'told' me we would stop running and settle down."

She swallowed hard. "Han, calm down-"

He pointed at the door. "The kid is in prison awaiting execution. The Falcon has had its insides removed for spare parts while the rest of it has been given to a museum, and now you tell me that we have to travel the galaxy as ambassadors for the rest of our lives?"

She took a long step back away from him. "Han…"

He pointed accusingly at her, following. "This was your doing, sweetheart. It's your signature on each and every document." He gritted his teeth. "And now you've told the council I was behind the revolt. Not you, me."

Her hand fumbled for her lightsaber, but he grabbed the corner of the bedsheets, tugging at them hard and grabbing the lightsaber before she could reach for it with the Force. "You're very good at covering your own arse. I should have realised, all those years ago, that you would do this."

"Han-"

"Shut up!" He narrowed his eyes. "I've had enough of your lies, princess. It ends right here, right now."

Her eyes widened as he raised his blaster and held it inches from her face. "Han!"

The room lit up with a red flash as he pulled the trigger. Turning, he moved toward the bedside table and plucked a single red rose from the vase. Moving back to her crumpled, now faceless form, he pressed the rose against his nose, then dropped it onto her chest. He looked down at her, reaching out to snatch his bag from the bed.

"No more lies."

With a sharp movement of his hand, he sent the ring flying off his desk and watched it roll away. Glancing down at the datapad, he brushed his now long hair out of his face, scowling at the dark grey mixed with fine threads of white. He had been able to stop his wife from lying, but he couldn't stop himself from aging.

Here he was, nearing his mid-sixties, and finally the galaxy sat back and listened. But did they act? No. All they did was try and stop him. But no one would stop him. No one. Not even Leia, the figure that haunted him in the shadows.

He scowled. His former wife had been more trouble then she was worth.

He stared down at the datapad in his hands, ignoring the conversation around him. Here it was, in print, her final lie.

He looked up, noting the heated discussion between Skywalker and Jade. So far, no one suspected him as the killer, instead searching out her enemies, or even the Peace Brigade. Not even his son had thrown a suspicious glance his way, though Jacen had known of the late night fights, the whispered threats.

Han's eyes drifted, settling upon the gaze of his only daughter. Catching her eye, he nodded to the side, standing and leading the way out of the room and into the side room, datapad still in hand. He shooed away the room's occupants. Some things didn't need to be overheard.

Jaina closed the door, turning to him. "Why would she do it Dad? Why would she have in her will that Kyp and I must be handed over to the Peace Brigade?"

He clenched his jaw. "Guess she thought it would end the war. Though she told me, 'promised' me, that she wouldn't do it."

Jaina shook her head. "Didn't she know that she would be ruining my life?"

"Oh, she knew all right." He looked toward the door. "Jag hasn't realised you've gone has he?"

Jaina's eyes fluttered half closed. "They all have. They just think we needed time alone, that's all." She clenched her fists. "If she wasn't already dead, I would kill Mum right now."

"Yeah, well unfortunately for you, I beat you to it." He reached out and plucked a rose from the vase by the fake fireplace. He looked back and saw her stunned look. He allowed a smile to play across his lips as he let his fingers brush the soft petals of the flower. "I killed your mother, Jaina."

Jaina slowly worked words back into her mouth. "But… you loved her."

"Once, yes. But then she lied to me." His gaze drifted toward the closed door. "I won't be lied to anymore. Not by anyone." He looked back at her, meeting her gaze. "The choice is yours Jaina. You can turn me in…" He held out his hand. "Or you can join me."

She glanced quickly at the door, then looked back at him, reaching out to take his hand. "I could never turn you in, Papa. I'm tired of the lies as well."

They turned, moving toward the second doorway and out into the corridor. As they put distance between them and the others, Jaina looked sideways at him. "What do you plan to do?"

"We'll bust Kyp out. He will be able to help us. He's got some contacts that we will be able to use."

"The ones they used against him during the sentencing?"

"The same. But first…" he reached into his pocket and pulled out a remote, holding it out to her. "Want to do the honours?"

She looked at him dumbfounded, then laughed. "You sly old devil." She took the remote, flashing him the famous lopsided grin and pressed the button before tossing the remote into a trash compactor as she past it. As one wing building collapsed in on itself behind them, the fireball dying down, she took the rose from his hand and slid it into the top pocket of his jacket.

Three years. Three long years had past since that day. Leaning back in his seat, he closed his eyes, thoughts flashing through his mind. How they had rescued Kyp, how they had taken control of part of the fleet, the defeat of the Vong…

Opening his eyes, he glanced at his chrono and scowled. No rest for the wicked. Time to get back to work.

Standing, he scooped his datapad back up and slid it into his pocket. He threw on his cloak and tied back his hair, sliding his blaster back into its holster. He reached down onto the desk and let his fingers run along the smooth metal of the black cylinder. He remembered how the kids, Kyp and Jaina, had given it to him, saying he had earned it.

Smiling, he picked up the lightsaber and clipped it to his belt, turning toward the door. He stepped over a golden plate that had fallen off his brother-in-laws protocol droid. He had taken great joy in using Threepio to test out his lightsaber. He swore that it had been that moment, that single point in time, when he had first felt it, sensed it.

Stepping out the door into the corridor, he moved toward the hanger bay and smiled when he spotted the kids hunched over the speeder's engine, Kyp with one arm around her waist, and one of Jaina's hands brushed his thigh. Both looked up as he approached, dark eyes burning with a fire Han knew burned in his own.

"Did you get it?" Kyp asked, a strand of his own long, curly, lead grey hair falling into his eyes.

Han nodded, plucking the datapad from his pocket and waving it in the air. "Wedge and Lando have holed themselves up near Bakura. Seems they've managed to pull together a strike force." He looked at Kyp. "Horn's with them." His eyes drifted toward Jaina. "And Darklighter."

Jaina laughed. "Oh goody. I've been meaning to have a conversation with Darklighter about dropping me from the Rogue's. This will be my chance to show him my new lightsaber… real closely."

Kyp rubbed his jaw. "Shall we do it cleanly, or shall we make a big mess?"

Han grinned at him. "A mess of course." He reached out and plucked a rose out of Jaina's hair and rolled the stem in his fingers, sniffing it and smiling. "Is there any other way to do it, Lord Durron?"

Kyp smiled. "No Lord Solo." He looked down at Jaina, who was grinning at the thoughts running through her mind. "We will ready the ship."

Han watched them go, feeling the faint tickle that was the Force playing at the back of his mind, the Dark Side giving him suggestions, some he considered, others he rejected. One suggestion brought his lopsided grin to his face. "Lord Durron? Lady Solo?"

They stopped and looked back at him.

He waved a hand casually in the air. "Send Calrissian a dozen red roses, would you."