A/N: Hello again! I am happy to report that my exams are finished, and I think I did quite well (knock on wood). Huge thanks to everyone who reviewed; it's been very reassuring to hear that I'm not way off the mark with these wonderful characters. Who, by the way, do not belong to me but to Mr. George Lucas and Lucasfilm blah, blah, blah….oh, and the name Nynaeve comes from Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time books, so that belongs to him. It's pronounced "NIGH-neev". And Meiynè is pronounced "may-EE-nay". Now that we have all that over with, here's next chapter!
Chapter 3- Discoveries
The voyage to Ord Mantell was very quiet by Han and Leia's standards. Han spent most of it reflecting on, and trying to puzzle out, the meeting with High Command, while Leia contemplated the mission ahead.
The princess had no doubt at all that she and Han could carry out the mission. What worried Leia most was the meeting with her old friend. Leia was thankful beyond words that Nynaeve had survived Alderaan's destruction, but she was worried that her friend would be much changed. As best as Leia knew, the medic's beloved was dead. Unless he had been visiting his fiancée on Coruscant when the disaster had occurred there was no way Giles could have escaped the Death Star's blast.
Leia's friends had been as different as fire and ice, not surprising considering she was a medic and he had been a combat instructor, but they were perfectly suited to each other. The two had met when Nynaeve, in her first year of medical school at the University of Aldera –before she went to the galactic center to study alien neurology -had treated Giles for a back injury. Leia was twelve at the time and they had been together ever since. Now, years later, the princess was anxious about the impact Giles death had had on her Nynaeve's never robust health. And now Leia was going to hack into to the records of the organization that friend had given so much to.
An uncomfortable silence held the two passengers of the River Solleu. Never had Han and Leia spent an extended amount of time alone together and the feeling was strange. And made all the more strange due to the fact that weren't fighting, and enjoying not fighting.
Breaking the tension, Han uncertainly began, "—You, uh, look very different from usual," a look he hoped was reassuring on his face.
"Yes," Leia responded, "Intelligence Operations has out done itself," she paused. "You look nothing like yourself."
Unthinking, Han replied. "I feel nothing like myself.
It was a strange comment, but one that held true for both of them. Here they were, venturing into unknown territory. Together.
"Have you ever been to Ord Mantell before?" The princess asked.
"Only once. I found it was to …I don't know…classy for a pair of smugglers like Chewie and me. Certainly to expensive. You?" Han replied, showing his usual lack of detail when it came to his own past, but displaying an uncommon interest in Leia's experiences.
"Only once, as well. I came with my father for some trade mission, but I was too young to really enjoy it. I spent most of the trip sitting in on meetings with my father or playing space battle simulation games in my room." Leia smiled sadly. "I didn't think I'd ever actually be fighting in a real space at the time"
"But you do pretty well in spite of that," Han quietly commented.
Leia looked up in surprise. Had Han Solo just complimented her abilities? And not mockingly for a change? She looked up shyly.
"Thank you," the princess responded, truly grateful for his kind words. She was about to teasingly ask if he felt qualified to judge when the hyperdrive warning beeped.
Han looked at her and grinned. "We're here."
Ord Mantell was, according to Leia's travel brochure, a world of varied terrain. Located in the center of the Bright Jewel Systems Cluster, its main continent of Worlport boasted a sprawl of cities along its southern shore. It was one of the smaller, outlying cities that the River Solleu made its way through Ord Mantell's famous pink clouds to. Caer Tintagel was best known as the home of the Pink Sky Hotel and Casino and for being the least vice-ridden of the Worlport cities. But, the princess realized as they made their decent into the spaceport, on Ord Mantell that didn't count for much. Although Caer Tintagel lived up to its reputation on being "clean and classy", one could not help but notice the numerous establishments claiming to be able to provide customers with entertainers of any species or gender.
Han was speaking through the comms to spaceport control. "Are you kidding me?" he yelled at the speaker, "I could land for half that in any other city on this planet!"
The being on the other end of the line answered. "Well, sir. You chose to come to Caer Tintagel. So unless you wish to descend in to the gutter of Worlport's seedier districts you will pay the set fee."
Leia could tell that Han was going to keep arguing. "Han," she said softly, "let it be. The Alliance is covering all our expenses. And while we like to save money, I have a feeling that's not a viable option on Ord Mantell"
Solo noticed that the princess had laid a slim hand on his shoulder. Noticed, not for the first time, that he liked her touch. He turned to look at her and suddenly realized that the Naboo dress Leia wore had a bodice far more fitted than those of her normal Alderaani dresses. He imagined himself reaching for her, undoing the top button of her high-necked gown. It would be so easy.
The comms crackled behind him. "Captain Baerlon? If you are to continue on your present course you must agree to the standard price."
Startled in to action Han spoke into the communicator. "This is Captain Ric Baerlon of the River Solleu. We agree to the exorbitant fee. Now where do we land?"
Once more on solid ground, Solo turned to the princess. "Now what?" was all he said.
Going into command mode Leia began to explain. "Nynaeve's mother was a royal hand maiden on Naboo around the time the Emperor became Supreme Chancellor of the Old Republic. When the Naboo's queen fled to Coruscant during the Trade Federation's blockade of the planet she, her name was Eirtaè I believe, met an Alderaani senatorial aide named Taurvo Grayza and fell in love with him. When the queen's first term was up, and with the growing political tensions, Eirtaè moved to Alderaan, married her love and had Nynaeve." Leia paused and saw that Han was unsure what importance the story had. "Basically," she said, "I am Meiynè, the daughter of Eirtaè's younger sister who chose to stay on Naboo. Nynaeve and I have not spoken in some time, in fact until I received her communiqué saying she would be at this conference I did not know she had survived Alderaan. She found out that you and I are attending through a friend of mine, whom she met while on vacation. Got it?"
Unperturbed by the complexity of their cover, Han nodded. "What about the weapons?" he asked. "I have a feeling the Pink Sky Hotel and Casino won't be all that welcoming of them."
"Give them to me."
Han looked at Leia, confused. "I don't get it. How'll that help?"
"Listen," she explained, "we fold them within the gowns in my case and that will hide them from all widely used scanners. Not to mention a bunch of non-widely used ones as well.'
Solo was impressed with the Rebels ingenuity, although by now he supposed he should be used to it. Han removed his blaster and boot vibro-blade and then turned to is pack. Several blasters later, they were ready to go.
As the boarding ramp opened and Han and Leia began to descend, they were surprised to see a human man and woman waiting for them at the bottom. Han froze, suddenly conscious of his missing blaster, and cursed Ord Mantell's strict weapon laws. Leia, however, reacted differently. After standing still, shocked, for a moment she ran to the woman as fast as the heavy skirts would allow her. The woman ran, tears in her eyes, to greet the princess and Han suddenly realized it was Nynaeve Grayza.
"Oh!" she cried, enfolding the younger woman in her violet-sleeved arms. "Oh goddess, it's good to see you Meiynè…I have missed you so much." Nynaeve pulled back from her Wookie-force hug to look at her "cousin".
Leia, too, was crying now. "When…when Alderaan was destroyed I thought you were dead. What happened?"
Nynaeve smiled sadly. "There was a change of plans. The date of my final examination was moved and I needed to return several days earlier then expected."
"And Giles?" Leia whispered, unable to meet Nynaeve's eye.
"He stayed behind."
In the silence that followed Han examined their welcome committee. Nynaeve looked to be about six or seven years older then Leia. She quite tall, maybe about Luke's height, had long light brown hair, twisted into a simple bun on the back of her head, and wore a violet robe vaguely Alderaanian in its style and simplicity.
Her companion was completely different. He was a stout man, probably in his late thirties. His dark hair was cut quite short and he wore a Hineryan doctor's robe. The man stood awkwardly, waiting for an introduction.
It was Nynaeve who spoke first. "But enough of said things. I heard you were married. Is this the lucky man?" she asked nodding smiling mischievously in Han's direction.
Leia restrained herself from rolling her eyes. Nynaeve knew full well that her marriage to Han was only cover. She had an awful feeling that Winter's communication had included much more than was necessary. Forcing herself to smile, Leia turned to the pirate. "Yes," she answered. "This is my husband, Dr. Ric Baerlon, formerly of Corellia, now of Naboo. He specializes in Alien Physiology. Wookies in particular."
Nynaeve grinned. "It's a pleasure. Anyone who can tame my little fireball of a cousin has my respect."
"Oh," Solo drawled, "I wouldn't say I've tamed her. Liberated, maybe. But defiantly not tamed" Han glanced at Leia with a look, the princess noted, of surprising affection. "I think I like her best as a fireball."
Her old friend's smirk was hard for Leia to handle. "Well, I'd like to introduce to you Dr. Nygel Auuel of Hinerya, President of the Interstellar Academies of Medicine. Nygel, this is my cousin Dr. Meiynè Or…" Nynaeve paused. "I mean Meiynè Baerlon and her husband. "
Auuel stepped forward to shake their hands. "Madam," he quietly said to Leia, "Your cousin has said told me so much about you. It is wonderful to finally meet you, and you husband of course, at last."
Leia's eyes widened. With access to the president of a huge medical organization the Alliance could be able to reduce casualties by hundreds. They would not always be scrambling for equipment and medicine and personnel. Visions of multiple Bacta tanks danced through Leia's head. She smiled widely. "It is an honour," she said simply.
Han, however, was not smiling. He did not know why, but he wasn't sure he quite liked Auuel. Perhaps it was the fact that he was a rich and powerful doctor, seemingly unconcerned with the Empire. Or maybe it was just the way he was looking at the princess that turned Han off.
Taking Leia's hand, the doctor them to the hover car, letting Han carry all the bags. "Come," he called. "We'll take you to the hotel."
To be Continued…
A/N: Well, there you have it. Sorry again about the delay, I hadn't planned for the chapter to be this long. There's nothing more to say except please send reviews and Chapter 4 is already in the works. Thanks!