! I don't own any of this, except for the plot.

"He's my father," Luke said, sounding almost ashamed.

Leia grimaced with disgust though she didn't mean to, "Your father?"

"There's more, it won't be easy for you to hear it, but you must." Luke's averted gaze finally met Leia's again, "If I don't make it back - you're the only hope for the alliance."

"Luke, don't talk that way," Leia interjected. "You have a power I . . I don't understand and could never have."

This time it was Luke's turn to interject, "You're wrong, Leia. You have that power too, in time you'll learn to use it as I have . . . " He looked away again, pausing to collect his thoughts. The dim moonlight cast shadows across his face but Leia could see the pain he was trying to hide. "The Force is strong in my family," Luke finally said. "My father has it, I have it . . .my sister has it." He looked up at her with knowing eyes. Leia inhaled quickly. "Yes, it's you Leia."

She nodded slightly, "I know, somehow . . . I've always known." The words didn't seem that surprising now that she spoke them. In her heart it had always been the truth - now that truth was out in the open for both of them to see.

Luke sighed, "Then you know why I must face him."

"No!" Leia screamed as she shot up from her seat.

Han turned around faster than she would have thought possible in the small cockpit, "What?"

Leia sat back down and rubbed the back of her neck. Her last memory of Luke - did it always have to come to her as a nightmare? She looked at Han with a half grin, "Nightmare, I'm fine."

Han didn't seem satisfied. "You sure? Why don't we go for a walk or something to clear your head," he suggested as he offered her his hand.

Leia held down tears through sheer willpower. "I can't tell you," she managed. Han's stare caused her to turn around so that she wouldn't have to face him. A lump in her throat massed.

Han stood up, swinging his arm in the direction Luke had left. "Could you tell Luke, is that who you could tell?" he snapped.

"I'm fine, just leave me alone." Leia demanded, rising herself, and waving Han's hand out of her way. She left the cockpit without another word, leaving Han staring and flabberghasted in her wake. He sat back down, blindly and just blinked incredulously.

Leia walked the outer ring of the Falcon for a second time before stopping and leaning against the wall with her arms folded across her chest. What the hell was that? she asked herself.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"What the hell was that?" Han wondered aloud once he had snapped himself out of his stupefied state.

Chewie let out a low roar and flung his long, furry arms in the air.

"What do you mean you don't know anything about women? You've got a wife."

The wookie gave an off-hand response.

"Point taken, wookies and humans are a bit different."

"Actually sir, anatomically speaking wookies share many similiarities with-"

"I didn't ask you," Han remarked, spinning around in his chair to glare at the golden droid standing in the doorway of the cockpit.

"Well, I was just here to inform you that Mistress Leeah looks quite distressed."

"Where is she?"

"As I recall she was near the ramp door when I saw her-"

"Thanks, goldenrod," Han mumbled as he shoved his way past 3PO. He soon found Leia, staring seemingly at some unknown point of interest. She was leaning with her back against the wall and her arms folded across one another. He approached her cautiously, not wanting another blow up as before. "Hey, if I said anything-"

Leia turned, "I'm sorry, Han. I don't know what-"

"Forget it," he said, smiling. span style"

I never could resist that grin of his, Leia thought whimsically. She unfolded her arms and pressed them against the wall she was leaning on. "Han, you know that . . . that thing that I couldn't tell you back on Endor?" she asked, looking straight ahead. She was embarassed by what she had done and now found her cheeks burned if she met the smuggler's gaze.

"Yeah?"

"I think you should know, I mean it's something you should know . . ." she trailed off, embarrassed even more with her lack of articulation. "I have to tell someone before this eats me alive."

"So tell me."

Leia nodded, "Luke, he's . . . he was my brother." She turned to Han, her eyes pleading with his not to judge her as she had Luke. "Vader's my father."

Han's reaction was not what Leia had been expecting. He stepped closer and wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace. His warmth and closeness was the only thing that held back tears of shame . . . and yet relief. She had been hiding that secret only for a few days, but now that it was no longer just hers - she felt as if a weight she had toiled with for years had finally been uplifted.

"You're not like him, Leia, never."

Chewbacca's unrelenting roar woke even the sleep deprived Han Solo. He stretched and yawned before peeling himself off one of the game-room's couches. Leia was busy reading something off a datapad.

"Morning," she greeted with a warm smile. "Couldn't sleep, but I didn't want to wake you." The two had been lounging on the couch together during the night, but rest had not privileged her with a visit.

"What's that?" Han asked, rubbing sleep out of his eyes and stretching again.

Leia shrugged, "Oh, just some of Luke's stuff - his research on the jedi." Han regarded Leia for a moment. "What? It beats the trash you have on this bucket of bolts. The only thing I could find was some guide to Sabacc and a few old trade routes," she replied, sounding more like her old self with each spoken word.

Han gave her his infamous smirk, "Hey, as far as I'm concerned, that's all you need to get by."

"Yes, well getting by and not being bored out of your mind are two different things, now aren't they?"

"Well, you won't have to worry about boredom-" Han was cut off by another of Chewie's bellows, "Yeah, I know. furball." He bowed melodramatically. "'Scuse me, while I go hit my partner over the head with a hydrospanner for waking me up, but by the way - we're here." Han left the room yelling something at the wookie at the controls.

Leia's smile didn't fade as she watched him leave. She merely went back to her studies. The time was drawing near.

. . . in time you'll learn to use it as I have . . .

Kind of bland, sorry, it's a bit of a bridge between the first chapter, which I liked and the next, which will be chalk full of better stuff. Sorry, too, if my sap sucks. Thanks for reading, remember no flames required but reviews are appreciated! – k.ramsey