Han had met his match at Sabbac for the first time. He and Hanna played all day on the last day of their flight to Courscant, laughing and making jokes at Luke's expense. Luke curled up on one of the couches in the lounge, reading and half-listening to them. He shook his head and protested good-naturedly, but in reality was just happy to hear them getting along so well. The two of them never brought up family in their conversations; they never once even mentioned to one another the fact that they were related. Hanna called him by his first name, as she always had with Luke, as if he was just Luke's friend that she had happened to like very much. Luke wished that they would have a serious conversation for once and try to make sense of it all, but why put a damper on their fun? If they could spend time together this way, then he was all for it.
"Sith, Luke. You're just as boring as you always were," Han said late in the afternoon as he dealt another hand.
Luke ignored him.
"Yeah, Luke. Why are you so quiet all the time?" Hanna asked.
"I'm trying to read."
Han laughed. "Ya know, when I first met him," he joked to Hanna, "he was only about a meter and a half tall--"
"That's not true." Luke didn't look up form his book.
"And the greenest and most excitable kid I ever met. He was almost always smiling and jumping up and down. It was damned annoying. Not as annoying as this Jedi master crap, though."
Hanna smiled. "I can't imagine Luke being like that. I've seen pictures of him from the war, and Mom's told me stories..."
Han's smile faded. "What stories?"
"Lots of stories. Like the Death Star and Bespin...it's hard to believe all of that really happened."
"Believe me, it did." He paused, trying to be casual. "She tell you about me in those stories?"
Hanna nodded. "Uh...a little. It's kind of hard to tell them and leave you out, I guess. Han?"
"Yeah?"
"I don't understand something, and I don't know how to ask Mom, and Luke doesn't know, so...can I ask you something?"
He shrugged, his nervousness barely showing through. "Yeah."
"If...if Mom ...loved you enough to spend six moths searching for you after Bespin...why did you break up?"
Han didn't answer at first. "Good question," he said at last. "It's complicated."
Hanna wasn't satisfied with his answer. She felt like she was being brushed off like a small child asking a grown-up question. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Listen--I don't want to talk about it, okay?"
She stared at him stubbornly, but didn't press him for a further answer. They went back to playing cards.
*************
Luke was careful to not broadcast any thoughts or emotions to Leia as they landed in hopes that she wouldn't notice his presence. He hoped Hanna would do the same, but he didn't ask her to. Depending on their proximity to one another, he and Leia could unconsciously send emotions, physical sensations, thoughts and messages to one another. The further away they were, the more they had to try to make those things happen. The closer they were, the more they had to put up shields if they wanted any privacy.
Then Luke remembered his theory about Senders--people who were not themselves Force-sensitive, but broadcasted thoughts, feelings, and their over-all presence into the living Force. Han was one, the first he'd encountered. And the ship had just about landed. It was too late. Leia knew he was on planet by now. Luke lowered his shields in defeat.
*Luke, are you home?* he heard in his head. Leia's thoughts were worried, troubled. Though Leia had had very little experience with the Force by the time Han left, she had memorized his presence inside and out.
*Yes,* was all Luke sent in reply.
*Is...something wrong? What's going on?* she asked
*Long story. Don't worry, he's leaving.*
*He's HERE?*
*Leia, stay were you are. Hanna's X-wing was malfunctioning. He gave us a ride home.*
*He's met Hanna.* It was a statement. It was filled with wonder, not the panic Luke had expected. *Is she okay?*
*She's fine.*
Luke waited for her to send something else, but he just felt her emotions. She was excited, angry, awed, and confused. *Tell him to leave,* she sent after Luke felt a sudden sadness come over her.
*You can't run from him.*
More sadness. And anger. At Luke. *Yes I can.*
*But he's leaving on his own. Don't worry,* he assured her.
Luke felt Leia's presence to be in their apartment. She was staying put. Good.
**********
Neither Luke nor Hanna knew how to say good-bye to Han. They both stood staring at him, at a loss for words. "Thanks for the ride," Luke managed.
"Any time," Han answered. He meant it.
Luke hesitated a moment, then hugged Han tightly. "I've really missed having you around. Maybe...we'll see each other again."
"Wouldn't surprise me. Seems like I'm always pulling you out of one kind of trouble or another."
Then Han turned to Hanna, she silent with her hands in her pockets. "It was...nice to meet you," she said. Oh, man, Hanna thought. Is that the best I can come up with? "I mean, I had a lot of fun. Really."
Han nodded. "Me too. Hey, take care of Luke, okay?"
She smiled and nodded.
"And...tell Leia that...never mind. Well, if you're ever on Corillia, look me up. Not likely I'll be at home, but you might as well try."
She nodded again. After looking into each other's eyes for a moment, they turned away. Han went back into his precious ship, and Luke and Hanna went home. Looked like everything was going back to normal.
***********
Leia hadn't said much at dinner that night. Luke wondered if she somehow felt betrayed that he had allowed Hanna to be with her father. It seemed like Leia. But that was not the feeling that she was broadcasting. The feeling...it was complicated. Luke couldn't put a finger on it.
In the middle of the night, Leia came into Luke's room and woke him up. She was crying.
Luke was wide awake the minute he realized what was going on. He sat up and held Leia tightly. She cried on his shoulder for a long time; she was always true to her emotions when no one could see her but Luke. He kissed her hair, smoothing its long tresses. "Leia...what is it?"
"You know perfectly well what it is."
He didn't ask anymore. He didn't need to. He let her cry. They opened their minds to each other's, trying to take comfort in the understanding it gave them. They laid down in Luke's bed, and fell asleep in each other's arms, the pillow wet with Leia's tears.
With daybreak they woke within seconds of each other. Luke was immediately aware of a presence of a certain Sender he should no longer sense. He frowned. He didn't understand. He was asleep, still in the docking bay...but he was on planet. He had said he was blasting right out again.
Leia stirred. He looked at her in question, asking silently if she felt him too.
"He's still here. Why is he still here?" She looked shaken, as if she had hoped that the new day would bring happiness, not the fear and grief and loneliness she had felt last night.
Luke should his head. He had no idea. Perhaps Han had had a change of heart. Doubtful, but it had happened before.
Luke got out of bed and got dressed, ran a hand through his hair. He didn't care how early it was and how late Han Solo was accustomed to waking up. He had to go see him.
"Sith, Luke. You're just as boring as you always were," Han said late in the afternoon as he dealt another hand.
Luke ignored him.
"Yeah, Luke. Why are you so quiet all the time?" Hanna asked.
"I'm trying to read."
Han laughed. "Ya know, when I first met him," he joked to Hanna, "he was only about a meter and a half tall--"
"That's not true." Luke didn't look up form his book.
"And the greenest and most excitable kid I ever met. He was almost always smiling and jumping up and down. It was damned annoying. Not as annoying as this Jedi master crap, though."
Hanna smiled. "I can't imagine Luke being like that. I've seen pictures of him from the war, and Mom's told me stories..."
Han's smile faded. "What stories?"
"Lots of stories. Like the Death Star and Bespin...it's hard to believe all of that really happened."
"Believe me, it did." He paused, trying to be casual. "She tell you about me in those stories?"
Hanna nodded. "Uh...a little. It's kind of hard to tell them and leave you out, I guess. Han?"
"Yeah?"
"I don't understand something, and I don't know how to ask Mom, and Luke doesn't know, so...can I ask you something?"
He shrugged, his nervousness barely showing through. "Yeah."
"If...if Mom ...loved you enough to spend six moths searching for you after Bespin...why did you break up?"
Han didn't answer at first. "Good question," he said at last. "It's complicated."
Hanna wasn't satisfied with his answer. She felt like she was being brushed off like a small child asking a grown-up question. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Listen--I don't want to talk about it, okay?"
She stared at him stubbornly, but didn't press him for a further answer. They went back to playing cards.
*************
Luke was careful to not broadcast any thoughts or emotions to Leia as they landed in hopes that she wouldn't notice his presence. He hoped Hanna would do the same, but he didn't ask her to. Depending on their proximity to one another, he and Leia could unconsciously send emotions, physical sensations, thoughts and messages to one another. The further away they were, the more they had to try to make those things happen. The closer they were, the more they had to put up shields if they wanted any privacy.
Then Luke remembered his theory about Senders--people who were not themselves Force-sensitive, but broadcasted thoughts, feelings, and their over-all presence into the living Force. Han was one, the first he'd encountered. And the ship had just about landed. It was too late. Leia knew he was on planet by now. Luke lowered his shields in defeat.
*Luke, are you home?* he heard in his head. Leia's thoughts were worried, troubled. Though Leia had had very little experience with the Force by the time Han left, she had memorized his presence inside and out.
*Yes,* was all Luke sent in reply.
*Is...something wrong? What's going on?* she asked
*Long story. Don't worry, he's leaving.*
*He's HERE?*
*Leia, stay were you are. Hanna's X-wing was malfunctioning. He gave us a ride home.*
*He's met Hanna.* It was a statement. It was filled with wonder, not the panic Luke had expected. *Is she okay?*
*She's fine.*
Luke waited for her to send something else, but he just felt her emotions. She was excited, angry, awed, and confused. *Tell him to leave,* she sent after Luke felt a sudden sadness come over her.
*You can't run from him.*
More sadness. And anger. At Luke. *Yes I can.*
*But he's leaving on his own. Don't worry,* he assured her.
Luke felt Leia's presence to be in their apartment. She was staying put. Good.
**********
Neither Luke nor Hanna knew how to say good-bye to Han. They both stood staring at him, at a loss for words. "Thanks for the ride," Luke managed.
"Any time," Han answered. He meant it.
Luke hesitated a moment, then hugged Han tightly. "I've really missed having you around. Maybe...we'll see each other again."
"Wouldn't surprise me. Seems like I'm always pulling you out of one kind of trouble or another."
Then Han turned to Hanna, she silent with her hands in her pockets. "It was...nice to meet you," she said. Oh, man, Hanna thought. Is that the best I can come up with? "I mean, I had a lot of fun. Really."
Han nodded. "Me too. Hey, take care of Luke, okay?"
She smiled and nodded.
"And...tell Leia that...never mind. Well, if you're ever on Corillia, look me up. Not likely I'll be at home, but you might as well try."
She nodded again. After looking into each other's eyes for a moment, they turned away. Han went back into his precious ship, and Luke and Hanna went home. Looked like everything was going back to normal.
***********
Leia hadn't said much at dinner that night. Luke wondered if she somehow felt betrayed that he had allowed Hanna to be with her father. It seemed like Leia. But that was not the feeling that she was broadcasting. The feeling...it was complicated. Luke couldn't put a finger on it.
In the middle of the night, Leia came into Luke's room and woke him up. She was crying.
Luke was wide awake the minute he realized what was going on. He sat up and held Leia tightly. She cried on his shoulder for a long time; she was always true to her emotions when no one could see her but Luke. He kissed her hair, smoothing its long tresses. "Leia...what is it?"
"You know perfectly well what it is."
He didn't ask anymore. He didn't need to. He let her cry. They opened their minds to each other's, trying to take comfort in the understanding it gave them. They laid down in Luke's bed, and fell asleep in each other's arms, the pillow wet with Leia's tears.
With daybreak they woke within seconds of each other. Luke was immediately aware of a presence of a certain Sender he should no longer sense. He frowned. He didn't understand. He was asleep, still in the docking bay...but he was on planet. He had said he was blasting right out again.
Leia stirred. He looked at her in question, asking silently if she felt him too.
"He's still here. Why is he still here?" She looked shaken, as if she had hoped that the new day would bring happiness, not the fear and grief and loneliness she had felt last night.
Luke should his head. He had no idea. Perhaps Han had had a change of heart. Doubtful, but it had happened before.
Luke got out of bed and got dressed, ran a hand through his hair. He didn't care how early it was and how late Han Solo was accustomed to waking up. He had to go see him.