Chapter 28: Uneasy Alliance

Han guided his hands over the Millennium Falcon's controls as he slipped through the constant Imperial patrols. He had gone deep into his stash of false transponder codes in order to get them into the atmosphere of the Imperial capital, but Han was still wary of the possibility of detection. Under normal circumstances, even Han would have backed down from the idea of sneaking into the center of Imperial control and blasting his way out, but the situation was far from normal. This was for Luke. Even without Leia's insistence, Han would have jumped at the chance to help his friend.

Han was still uncomfortable with this mission, however. The two women sitting behind him in the cockpit had remained silent during the few hours it had taken then to get to Coruscant from Brentaal and the tension did not speak well for their ability to get along. As he set the Falcon down on the landing platform, Han spared a quick glance at Chewie and could see a tense look on the Wookiee's face as well. Han definitely wasn't imagining the discomfort between the women in the seats behind them.

With a tacit understanding that Chewbacca would finish the landing cycle, Han swiveled in his seat to face both Leia and Mara. Each was facing slightly toward the outside of the cockpit with their arms crossed over their chest, obviously not wanting to look at the other. It looked like Han would have to undertake the unfamiliar role of peacemaker. But first, he would have to figure out what they were planning to do now that they were here. "Okay ladies, here we are. Just how do you plan on getting Luke out of wherever he is? I mean, we don't even know if they have him. For all we know…"

"He's not dead!" Han hadn't wanted to finish his thought and was thankful that he stopped when both Mara and Leia snapped their heads around to deny any thoughts of Luke being dead simultaneously. The expressions on each of their faces softened slightly as they glanced at each other, seemingly surprised at how worried the other was. Leia turned her head slightly toward Han, ignoring the woman beside her. "I would have felt it if Luke was gone."

Han nodded slightly, recognizing that this was one of those things he just wouldn't understand. He had quit thinking of the Force as a hokey religion based on his experience with Luke, but he still didn't comprehend it. Han had just learned to trust Luke's hunches and he would do the same for Leia. "He's alive. That still doesn't explain how we're going to find him."

"Leave that to me." The grim determination in Mara's voice as she stood to leave the cockpit surprised Han slightly, but Leia jumping out of her seat to cut the woman off didn't. Mara had obviously hurt Luke and Han wasn't going to forgive that easily, but the woman was about to put her life on the line for him and that counted for something. Until Luke was safe again, Han was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. Leia didn't seem as eager to trust Mara, however, and Han could understand that perfectly well.

Leia grabbed Mara's arm just before she could hit the activation pad for the cockpit door, causing the red haired woman to spin around and glare at the princess. Leia met Mara's glare with one of her own, however, and pointed a finger in Mara's face. She wasn't about to trust her brother's life to just anyone, especially when they were partly responsible for his current state in the first place. "And just what do you plan on doing?"

Mara grunted slightly as she twisted her arm out of Leia's grip. She walked out of the cockpit, calling out her response over her shoulder as she went. "I have my ways."

Leia's nostrils flared, irate with her treatment just before she stalked into the corridor after Mara. Han scrambled from his seat in order to insure that neither of the women injured the other or his ship. Chewie let out a low growl as he finished up the landing cycle, thankful that the argument had left the cockpit.

Han entered the main cabin just in time to see Leia catch up to Mara and spin the green eyed woman around to face her. Mara stared blaster bolts at Leia, but chose to stand in defiant silence. Silence was not what Leia had in mind, however. She was tired of playing games and would get some answers about Mara's behavior before they went in to save Luke. "If you expect me to trust you without an explanation, you're sadly mistaken. I want to know how you plan on getting my brother out and I want to know now."

"You want to know? Fine. I know how to get into the palace and make my way anywhere inside undetected. I was Palpatine's personal assassin. He even sent me to kill your brother, but you don't have to worry about that anymore. I don't hold any loyalty to this mockery of the Empire. In fact, I don't want to kill Luke in spite of the Emperor's voice in my head still telling me to do it. That's why I left. To make sure Luke could live. To be certain I wouldn't give in and kill him. I'm going in there with or without you to pull Luke out. Then, I'm going to tell him the truth and I'll be going off on my own again. Does that answer your question?"

Leia simply nodded slowly in response, unable to formulate a verbal response to what she had heard. Mara's words didn't put Leia at ease, but she was their best chance of pulling Luke out alive. And at least Luke would get the explanation he deserved. Knowing Luke, he would probably even try to help her even at the risk of his own safety. First, they would need to get him back, however.

Mara gave Leia a hard gaze as if daring her to challenge her in some way, but the princess simply stood her ground. Finally, Mara turned away and walked toward the exit ramp, calling over her shoulder as she went. "I'm leaving in ten minutes. If you're coming, be ready by then."

"We'll be ready." Without another word, Leia walked across the cabin and pulled a blaster and holster off the shelf and grabbed an emergence medical kit. After slipping a new power pack into the weapon, she strapped on the holster and slipped the medical kit over her shoulder before turning toward Han. "Ready?"

In response, Han turned his head toward the cockpit and called over his shoulder. "Chewie, keep her warmed up. We'll call if we need anything."

The Wookiee let out an astonished howl and Han decided it was time to go before Chewie could catch up with them and forcibly change Han's mind. He lightly grabbed Leia's arm as she looked on with amusement and led her toward the Falcon's ramp. "We're ready."