Chapter 6: The Return of Skywalker
Part 1: Operation Jedi Rescue
Leia was listening intently to a secure communication in Echo Base's command center, General Rieekan leaning in close to overhear from her headset. She had intense focus and profound concern etched on her usually youthful, if serious, face. Han and Wedge sat tensely nearby attempting to decipher what she had heard. Chewie was back on the Falcon preparing the ship for a possible rescue mission if Rieekan gave the green light.
Luke Skywalker had been due to return from his off-base mission hours ago but had missed his return window and had been unreachable via his encrypted comm or his x-wing's communication unit.
Leia put the headset down and looked at Rieekan for instruction.
"Solo, I need you and Chewie to go rescue Commander Skywalker. His X-Wing malfunctioned en route back to base. Let's step into my office and I'll brief you on the particulars. Princess, can you please join us? Antilles, you too."
Han nodded his acknowledgement of the order and quickly commed Chewie to have the Falcon readied for departure before entering the General's office.
"Commander Skywalker has been on a classified mission the past three weeks as a pilot and security escort for Supreme Leader Mon Mothma. He was relieved of his duty at 04:00 yesterday morning Echo Base time. He was to make a series of hyperspace jumps and return to base by 16:00. We found out his navigator failed on the second jump, and he was forced to land blind on moon of Lorel Minor. He is currently concealed in clearing surrounded by dense jungle but dangerously close to a busy mining facility. He believes he was able to fly under radar detection but couldn't confirm if anyone had a visual. His x-wing has sustained damage and is not operational. Antilles will accompany you with a new nav computer and other required parts to repair the damage and fly the rig back. If the craft can't be repaired, it must be detonated and all computers and recording devices removed and returned with you. Skywalker has sustained non-life threatening injuries and can't pilot his ship. He momentarily had his ship's comm system repaired, but it cut out again, so we don't know if you'll be able to establish contact. Ensign Verdu is sending the coordinates of Skywalker's last known location to your ship now. How fast can you depart?"
"Chewie said we can be ready in the next 15 minutes. General, Lorel Minor is about one of the worst places Luke could have landed. It has a heavy Imperial presence due to its strategic Core location and a major mining operation with a rough local population that makes me look like a royal in comparison."
"Yes, I agree with your assessment. General Organa, given the strong Imperial presence and your recognizability anywhere in the core worlds, I don't think it would be wise for you to join the rescue mission. I would prefer to not send Solo and Wedge back to their home system either, but the Falcon is the fastest ship we have and we might need their native Corellian accents if they run into locals. We need you to coordinate from the Command Center – this mission could get dicey."
"General Rieekan, with all due respect, there are storm troopers present on every mission I go on, and High Command has plastered my face as the mascot of this rebellion on posters and guerilla advertising the galaxy over. I don't see how this should be any different."
"Princess, you and Solo have become quite the tabloid sensations recently, and the chances of you two being recognized together are too high right now. I'm sorry, you're grounded this mission." He looked at her intently.
She finally nodded in agreement, frustrated to be benched and fearful High Command would continue to try to keep it that way even though she was one of their best field operatives. She and Han together were the best team in the Rebellion, period.
"Ok men, safe journey. Keep in touch with updates to the Princess via secure comm. Dismissed." Han and Wedge nodded as they all made their way out of Rieekan's office.
Han knew time was short, but swaggered up to Leia to say goodbye.
"Try to stay out of trouble, will ya, Princess?" He smirked at her.
"I could say the same for you. You are quite the item of interest in the Corellia system these days– what with all those leaked rumors." She emphasized the last two words loudly, knowing her own command center staff had helped spread rumors of their relationship to Corellia and the galaxy at large. "You are going to be highly recognizable. Wear a disguise, ok?"
"I was thinking of putting a neon sign on my head that says, 'I'm dating Princess Leia' instead." She gave a tight chuckle at this as he winked at her.
They looked at each other awkwardly, trying to determine what a real couple would do in this situation in a command center with an audience of interested gossips pretending to be intent on their actual jobs.
Han shrugged and made to turn around and leave.
"Han, wait!" she called, grabbing his hand as he turned to face her.
"Afraid I was going to leave without a kiss goodbye?"
"You better not do that here if you want to live," She returned with a surprisingly flirtatious lilt to her voice.
"You wouldn't shoot me in front of all these people, Worship. It would be bad publicity."
Leia rolled her eyes, before tension returned to her face and shoulders.
"Be safe," she whispered with concern. She squeezed his hand before releasing it.
Kriff it, Han thought, calling her bluff. He pulled Leia into his arms for one of those grand romantic kisses he had seen at the end of every sappy holovid where the hero and heroine finally end up together as he sweeps her up for a passionate kiss. Leia momentarily forgot herself, kissing him back briefly before she heard the raucous cheers of the entire command center staff, including Carlist (the traitor), at the unexpected embrace. She yanked her hand from his hair and realized he had lifted her up and her feet were dangling. She kicked him on the shin so he would put her down.
Face burning, Leia was vacillating between dragging him into her office for more or stunning Han with her blaster for making her look completely unprofessional in front of her team. Unfortunately, she had to preserve their cover as a couple, so instead she plastered a mildly annoyed and embarrassed smile on her face and playfully batted at his chest. She was insanely pleased with how well she was controlling her temper.
"I told you, not on-duty!" She said in feigned half-hearted chastisement as she batted him lightly on the chest. Hopefully Han could read her well enough to know they would have words about this later.
Han had been bracing for a punch but gave her a dopey grin when he realized he was momentarily safe. She was going to kick his ass when he got back. He blew her a final kiss and walked out.
Part II: The Stand-In Dad:
Rieekan approached Leia in her office a while later with a knock on her open doorway.
"Come in Carlist – do you have any news?"
"The Falcon is away. They should give a SITREP when they drop out of hyperspace at 06:00 Echo base time. You should get some sleep while you can, Your Highness. Tomorrow will be intense and long."
"I just have a few more memos to get through, then I'll call it a night. Please have someone come get me if we have any news before then. And Carlist, I apologize for that unprofessional scene earlier. I'll have words with Han when he returns. I can't believe he was so unprofessional."
"To be fair, Princess, he might have been the instigator, but you looked like a willing participant. I'm not sure we've had this much excitement on base since..ever!" Rieekan chuckled, giving her a mischievous grin.
"I forgot to check if we – I mean if the staff won the kiss bet with that little display earlier?" He smiled at her hopefully.
Leia blushed scarlet and squirmed in awkward discomfort. This man was like a father to her and she hated feeling like a teenager whose Dad had just caught her kissing a boy. Except now she was supposed to be a professional leader of this rebellion and had been kissing a man in front of all of her subordinates.
"Um, no…Chewie and Wedge won yesterday." Leia hung her head. Was it possible to die from embarrassment?
"Oh, I see. Well, it's nice to see you looking happier, Leia. Solo is good for you."
"It's just an undercover op, Carlist. Don't read too much into it," She warned (ok, it was an order, bordering on royal decree, and as his sovereign, she thought he might obey).
Rieekan sighed sadly. "It's ok to let yourself love and be loved. Love gives us hope, Leia – and what does hope spark?"
Leia chortled sadly. "A fire that lights rebellions," she whispered.
"Damn right, and don't forget it. Goodnight, Princess." Rieekan said gently as he walked away.
The most stubborn, brilliant, and fierce being he had ever met. So capable of loving and being loved and so scared to let herself after Alderaan. She'd get there eventually, and if he were a betting man, he'd wager Solo would be willing to wait.
Part III: The Ambush
In terror, Leia watched as Han, Chewie, Luke, and Wedge desperately sought cover in the jungle as dozens of death troopers pursued them, blaster fire raining over their heads relentlessly. Luke's leg was severely injured, Wedge had a blaster wound to his shoulder. Chewie and Han appeared unscathed, but she doubted how long they could hold out so outnumbered. The Alliance had no assets in the area to mount a rescue mission fast enough, and the team was about to be backed off a cliff if they didn't change directions soon. She didn't see how they could possibly get out of this scrape.
They continued to exchange fire as Chewie picked up Luke to maneuver South, away from the edge of the quarry cliff. Wedge had to shoot with only one arm, but he and Han had managed to provide sufficient cover fire for Chewie to run with Luke another 15 meters into the jungle. Han picked off, one, then two. Wow, she marveled. He got six death troopers down, that left at least 18 more. Wedge had established cover and concealment behind a large boulder that had slightly elevated ground and was able to down four more troopers. Chewie stood up after settling Luke down to aim his bowcaster when she saw Han turn his head in shock.
Leia gasped in horror as Han dove to shove Chewie out of the way of a blaster bolt, and was hit square in the back. Blood blossomed clearly across his back as he fell to the ground. She could see him call her name.
"Han, no!" She screamed. He struggled to maintain consciousness before his eyes rolled into the back of his head, blood dripping from a corner of his mouth.
"Don't you leave me Han. Come on, stay with me, Hotshot. Han? Please! I love you!"
Part IV: Feelings Suck
Leia gasped for air, sobbing, arms flailing, desperate to reach Han. After a moment of extreme disorientation, she realized she was not on Lorel Minor with her friends, but in her quarters on Hoth. It was a nightmare. Thank the Goddess, she thought she had lost him.
Well versed in vivid and terrifying nightmares, she knew that the tears would dry first, and then the shaking would eventually subside, but the sleep was unlikely to return. She hadn't had a nightmare since before she went on that undercover pathfinding mission with Han almost two weeks ago. She wished desperately he could be here next to her and make her feel safe in his arms.
As the possibility of returning to sleep slipped away, she replayed the nightmare in her mind, fearful of how realistic it was. She had a bad feeling about this Operation to rescue Luke.
She chewed on what she had said in her nightmare. When she had thought she'd lost Han and told him she loved him. She did love him. She also loved Mon, Carlist, Chewie, Luke, and Wedge. But her feelings for Han felt different, not familial as they were with the others. And the experience of losing him, if only in a nightmare, felt like a shattering of her soul. She couldn't go through loss like that again – the thought paralyzed her. People thought she was strong, and she was, but she wasn't unbreakable.
She let out a frustrated breath. Feelings were still a challenge for her – feeling vulnerable was hard, emoting a daily struggle, and verbalizing a near impossibility. She'd made progress in the past almost three years, especially the past few weeks, but this was giving her a migraine. She'd think about it later. Diving into work was always a soothing balm that gave her purpose. The team should provide their first SITREP in about two hours.
Notes:
I lied, this is the second to final chapter and will set up the rescue mission ending. Isn't Dad Rieekan the best? And a note on my head cannon: I don't think Leia is unaware of how she feels for Han, or necessarily even in denial. I think she just shuts down when she feels too much or is threatened with loss. At this point she has been very careful to not do or say anything outside of the parameters of her fake relationship operation with Han, so she still has deniability. But within those parameters of deniability, she allows herself to let go with him.
In conclusion, we have to give her some grace the rest of this story and the one leading into ESB as she works through her past trauma to have the capacity to love him openly. I think it's safe to say Han is all in at this point, which explains his hurt and rage at the beginning of ESB when she ices him out in the beginning of the movie.