First of all: To my reviewers! (Woo! Celebrate! Gets some fireworks! Alert the gymnastics display team! Hire a D.J!)

Shadow131: Glad you like drinking games and drunkenness. (Not sure entirely what that says about you as a person, but oh well!) Expect more drunkenness from the Rogues. The drinking game was created by my brother and his mates.

(Wes wasn't even that drunk!)

Limelight: That 'fantastic' piece of advice was the same my dad gave my cousin, after he had just split up with his boyfriend of seven years. My cousin said to him 'Plenty more fish in the sea? Loads more pebbles on the beach?' and then he sat down and cried for about 3 hours. (My cousin, not my dad)

(My cousin got back with his boyfriend. They've bought a dog and are very happy. So they weren't really affected by my dad's poor advice)

Pitdroid: Ah, I have great plans for poor Wes. And in this story no one would want to be set up with Bria! Not even Wes, who, apparently likes to date half fish women.

Thank you! cookiemunster xoxox

Chapter 4

Princess Leia sat at her dressing table, staring into space. Well 'dressing table' was a bit of a glorification of the old plastic table and mirror, propped on top of it.

She was daydreaming. She was thinking of Alderaan. It was the gown that she had been brought to wear for the ceremony later that day that had set of this particular daydream. It was a simple white gown with a belt around the waist and a flowing silk cape. It was Alderaan personified in white muslin.

After the girl had dropped off the dress in her room, Leia just stared at it. The dress reminded her of just how much she had lost and how much she had not had chance to mourn yet. Somehow, though, it felt oddly right that she should wear an Alderaanian gown to commend those who helped destroy the Death Star. It showed defiance in the wake of terrible destruction.

Terrible destruction. A vision of Alderaan popped into her mind. So serene and sedate, hanging in space in those fleeting moments before it had been blasted into oblivion.

She suddenly felt sick, as she often had done these last few days since. The feeling soon passed and resided into the dull ache. Leia felt dead on the inside.

But she braided her hair and put on her fatigues. This was her cover. She wasn't Leia anymore. She was Rebel Senator Leia Organa. Her mask was firmly on.

'Don't show them you're in pain. Don't show weakness' she told herself.

She got up and headed out of her quarters and toward the hangar bay. Towards the ugly Correlian freighter ship that was docked there. She had some questions and she wanted answers to them.

She ignored the pain in the place where her heart should have been.

'Unnhgh' were the first sounds to be uttered by Luke Skywalker that day. He had just attempted to open his eyes. His brain sent a message of 'It isn't going to happen, mate, so don't bother'. Luke paid no heed to this message and he immediately regretted it. The lighting in the crew quarters was too bright for Luke's sensitive hangover.

'Mornin' kid!' said Han Solo who had wondered into the room to check up on the young Jedi.

Han's good natured welcome sounded, to Luke's fragile mind, like a herd of Bantha's running through his mind.

All Han received from Luke in response was a moan of veritable agony.

Han laughed. 'You'll get used to it.' said Han, before leaving Luke with his pain.

Han was in resolute mood. He had decided a few things in the time when he was supposed to be getting some sleep.

For a start he was still very, very angry with Bria and her betrayal. He had thought that she had loved him. Obviously it couldn't have been the case. No one betrays someone to that magnitude if they truly loved them.

But he decided to put that firmly in the past. Just like his relationship with Bria. After all that was just what he had been doing this last week or so since Fett had told him that 'the Tharen woman' (as Fett had called her) was dead.

In fact it was what he had been doing since Ylesia.

So he would forgive her. Surprisingly, Han hated to keep grudges. He saw that if he forgave people, then there was one least person in the galaxy who wanted to kill him. And that was always a plus.

Han was surprised, when he reached the Falcon's small kitchen area, to see Princess Leia standing there. She was surveying the leftovers of Han and Chewie's breakfast.

Chewie had somehow managed to get a perfectly good night of sleep. He had only awoken when he heard Han banging about at 0600 hours. When Chewie went to question why Solo was making such a racket at an ungodsly hour, he only got the terse answer of 'Repairs'

Chewie hadn't pushed it. He knew when Han didn't want to be asked twelve dozen questions about his feelings.

'Good morning, Captain Solo.' Leia said, as though she was addressing a fellow Senator.

'Oh, morning, your Highnessness.' Han said as he saw Leia.

Leia's cheeks went about ten shades of pink darker, when Han used his flippant nickname for her.

She would have said that it was a flush of indignation. About everyone else would take it as a sign that the young Princess was more than slightly attracted to the Correlian pilot. She would have deigned that accusation, even under electric shock torture.

Han loved making the Princess blush. It was just so easy to do. And she looked very pretty, all pink in the face.

Han gestured for her to sit down at the table. She did so, accordingly. He began to make a pot of Kaffe.

'Thanks for last night by the way, just running off and leaving me was really polite, Captain.' she said wryly as he handed her a cup.

'Oh, yeah, right um... Sorry 'bout that.' he answered, giving no indication as to why he had run off last night. Leia knew it was about Commander Tharen, but she had no inkling as to why he would not want to see Bria.

Well, Leia could guess. She assumed that Bria had done something, in the past to upset Han. Perhaps Bria had broken up with him, and now wanted him back. Leia could only assume that they had been in some sort of emotional relationship, and now they weren't. Somehow that explanation didn't seem enough. That explanation didn't warrant Han's running off like that.

'So,' said Leia, trying to sound casual but failing, 'how do you know Bria Tharen?'

Han had been expecting this line of questioning ever since he had seen the determined look on Leia's face. He had almost forgotten that the Princess had witnessed the entire incident with Bria the night before. She had even had the good sense to fetch Chewie.

For once, Han didn't want to be all evasive. He didn't feel it was fair on The Princess. He had abandoned her in a sea of drunk revellers. He also felt a need to justify his actions. He didn't no why, he guessed he just didn't want the Princess to see him as a bad guy. Whatever that meant.

'Bria Tharen used to be my girlfriend.' Han began.

'Ahah! I knew it!' thought Leia.

'We had just gotten back together after nine years. You see, she became a Rebel agent and I decided that that kind of job wasn't for me. At the time, smuggling seemed a safer option. Anyway, we decided to raid this temple on Ylesia. This temple filled with all kinds of jewels and treasure. I got together a band of smugglers to help. I thought it would be easy enough. But it wasn't. People... people died. My friends died in that attack.'

Han paused and found himself thinking of Jarik. Jarik, one time Solo family membe,hadn't stood a chance.

Leia had listened intently to Han. She was surprised that he was telling her so much. Perhaps it was easier for him to talk to someone he didn't know.

'Anyway, us survivors were planning on getting our share of the reward' Han said, his voice filled suddenly with venom.

'And I guess you didn't get what you deserved.' filled in Leia, understanding why Han felt so mad. Ripped off by his own girlfriend. That was, well, low.

'No we didn't. And all of my smuggling buddies thought I knew about it all along. All I earned myself that day was a punch in the face. Bria took all the valuable stuff to help pay for some Alliance stuff. And I told her that if I ever saw her again, I would shoot her.' Han stopped, abruptly, and took a sip of his Kaffe.

'So now you know why I was less than thrilled to see her last night. And a bit shocked 'cause a bounty hunter had told me she was dead.' said Han. He finished his Kaffe and took his mug to the sink.

Leia tried to digest everything. She felt a lot of sympathy for Han and his predicament. She wasn't sure how she felt about Commander Tharen. The woman had obviously felt a sense of duty towards the Rebellion, but to go to such devious methods to fulfil that duty, well, that wasn't the way of the Alliance.

'C'mon,' said Han, breaking her out of her reverie,' lets go check on Farmboy.'

Well? Leia knows! I know I promised the Ceremony in this chapter, but I wanted to write a 'just Han and Leia' scene. I also felt that Han should tell her about Bria and explain his behaviour towards her. Because Han's a nice guy really! And he already likes her royal Highnessness! Yay!

Please Review! No flames! Or I will send my gang of Llamas after you. (Have you ever been hoofed bya Llama? Whole new level of pain my friend. Whole new level of pain.)