"All right, Princess. Tell me what I need to know."
Han emerged from the corridor with a mug in his hand and folded himself into the booth. Leia spread out her materials on the table between the two of them.
"Well, you know that Caldira is a fairly insular planet led by a monarch. Their kings have historically been reluctant to engage with other planets unless they absolutely have to. That's changed a little bit in the past decade or so, but they currently don't have relations, at least formally, with the Core Worlds."
Han frowned. "I thought they had representation in the Senate."
"In the past, yes," she said. "But their last Senator's term ended over ten years ago and they never replaced him."
"Caldirans are a traditional, inward-looking race," she continued. "They've put in place a strict social hierarchy for both their men and women that determines their place in society and guides their interactions with each other."
"They sound pretty uptight if you ask me," Han grunted.
"That's one way of looking at it," she agreed. "Other planets maintain traditions and are still open to outsiders. Caldira seemed to have decided long ago that any external influence would be too risky for their people."
"How have there not been any popular revolts?"
She sipped her kaffe. "There have been. They've just never been widespread enough to do any serious damage to the monarchy. And because the planet has an abundance of natural resources, their economy has been strong enough to keep most of their citizens fairly rich by other worlds' standards. That's helped prevent any large-scale uprisings."
"You make them sound so lovely," Han quipped. "And here I thought they were barbarians."
"Their civil war begin almost forty years ago. Back then, two branches of the royal house fell into a dispute over the hereditary lineage. That turned into armed conflict that lasted on and off until a few years ago.
"Caldira has always been a martial society," she continued. "Their warriors are prized for their exploits in battle, so it wasn't very difficult to convince them on both sides to fight a war. Most of the legitimate claimants to the throne were killed and a distant relation in the Kyrol dynasty took over."
"He must have had some political backing to do that."
"Yes. The first Kyrol king, Palus, was skilled at building coalitions and lucky enough in battle. He had to fend off a few pretenders to the throne from the original two branches but was able to hold it and establish the lineage for his sons. In recent years the only serious threat now is from the nearly-defunct Veroni branch and the fighting is mostly small-scale: assassinations and the like."
"You said the Kyrols were forward-thinking. How does that work when they're taking out their enemies one by one?"
"In order to win over some of the states that might have aligned with the Veroni, Helgir, the current king, has loosened some of the longstanding laws to allow a little more freedom. Of course," she sighed, "that's had the effect of stirring up some of the traditionalists. But for the past few months there's been a sort of extended peace, or at least a cessation of hostilities."
"Fine," said Han. "But I don't understand what the Alliance wants with them. There are hundreds of other planets you could be recruiting that aren't nearly as dysfunctional."
She looked at him intently. "You know we can't win the war against the Empire if it comes down to man-power or fire-power. Our greatest asset is our intelligence network and Caldira, the current regime in particular, has an extensive intelligence-gathering operation. They have an army of trained spies who are very good at what they do. The Alliance hopes to leverage that network and fold at least part of it into ours. That's why I'm being sent there."
He eyed her over his mug. "How do you know they have good spies? You said they weren't open to outsiders."
She smiled, pride creeping into her features. "We have an extensive intelligence operation too. We've been able to establish contacts on the ground there who connected us to their military leaders. Otherwise we wouldn't have taken on this mission."
Han leaned back and nodded. "That makes a certain sense. But you're a woman." He shot her an amused look as she raised her eyebrows. "For such a backward planet, wouldn't there be a better chance of success if they negotiated with a man?"
She nodded. "That was the debate we had back on Hoth. A few in High Command didn't think that I should go for that reason. But I've been in similar situations and told them I could use that experience to my favor. And," she continued, "I've found that even when negotiating with races like this, their male leaders often aren't as old-fashioned as they pretend. They can work with an outside woman and sometimes even seem to prefer to."
"Besides," she added. "If they are going to join the Alliance in some capacity, they'll have to accept our more equitable structure. Negotiating with me is the first step toward that."
Han leaned onto his elbows and rubbed his face. "I'll be lucky if I can remember half of this."
She cocked her head. "Are you okay? You look like you didn't sleep much."
"Nah, I'm fine." He looked up. "What about you? Did you sleep?"
She nodded. "I did. Pretty well in fact."
His eyes were soft. "That's good."
Dislodged by his fingers, a clump of hair fell over his forehead and prompted a sudden itch in Leia to smooth it back. She looked at her fingers resting on the table, centims away from his hand. They hadn't always been so relaxed with each other. A few months ago when their relationship was more tumultuous, she couldn't have seriously considered touching him like that. The fact she could now seemed to indicate that something significant was changing between them.
Oblivious to her thoughts, Han drank the last of his kaffe and stood up. "Did you eat? I can make some flatcakes."
She drew her hand back. "But I was just about to get out the maps."
He picked up his mug and started toward the galley. "Then it's settled. We can't look at maps on an empty stomach."
"You're worse than Chewie and you accuse him of only thinking about food."
"Hey." He whirled around at the galley entrance. "If you want to make breakfast, fine with me. I just want to eat something."
She adopted an air of negligence. "That's all right. I'll let you do it."
He rolled his eyes. "You'll let me do it… fine, but you're getting the burnt ones."
They divided up the flatcakes and Leia filled him in on the details of their arrival site, a mountainous enclave closely guarded by the Kyrol armed forces.
They were an hour away from landing when she came out of the 'fresher. "That mirror is terrible. How can you see anything in it?"
"What are you talking about?" Han turned from where he was rewiring the controls for the landing apparatus. "Every time I look in it I see a handsome guy, so it's gotta be working just fine."
She crossed her arms. "Does your ego know no bounds?"
He grinned. "No. Why should it?"
"No, why should it? Here, check the pins holding this in place."
He wiped his hands on his pants as he approached her and frowned down at her head wrap. She pulled back the top layer to reveal the thin underlayer that was fastened at her hairline with teardrop hairpins.
Han shook his head and then nodded to the table. "Hop up, Your Shortness."
She propped herself onto a sitting position at the edge of the table and tried to ignore the flutter in her chest as he stepped closer. His fingers touched the top of her forehead as he traced the edge of the scarf.
"I still don't see why you have to wear this," he said as he carefully probed the pin just above her left ear.
"It's customary on Caldira for women to cover their heads." Her voice was softer than normal. "And it has the added benefit of hiding my braids."
"You women and your hair," he grumbled in mock annoyance.
The tips of his fingers were tender on her head as he drew a pin out. He shifted his weight on his feet and it was only natural that she should open her legs further. After all, the pins were dark and the scarf was dark and he had to get closer to make sure they held together properly. She could hear her breathing mixed with his as he worked methodically, removing each pin and replacing it before going on to the next one. His throat was too close to her face for her to focus on, so she closed her eyes instead and basked in the nearness of his body. He smelled like aftershave and the Falcon and the nervous threads in her stomach twisted tighter and tighter.
He nudged the last pin in place above her right ear and paused, the tips of his fingers still resting lightly on her head.
"All done," he said quietly.
"Thank you," she whispered, her voice subdued underneath his chin.
There was nothing more he needed to do and yet he didn't step back. Why didn't he step back? Was he waiting for her to do something? She opened her eyes and saw the bulge in his throat bob tremulously. She envisioned herself kissing it, and then kissing his jaw and then his lips, but her body was frozen, immobile. So many times she had thought about this, about them together, and yet she still didn't have the nerve. It was never the right time, or it was too risky, or he had made some throwaway comment about needing to leave for a spell and she had never made a move.
Somehow she was still breathing. How long had it been since they had last spoken? Too long, and yet not long enough. Frustration with herself and with him, with the two of them who were somehow incapable of figuring this out, this simple thing that other people managed to do day in and day out, rose in her. She felt a wave of determination within her to do something, anything, so at least she could stop wondering how his lips would feel on hers.
But before she could move, his hands fell and he pulled away.
"I, uh." He pressed his lips together, his eyes averted. "I should get ready for the arrival."
She nodded and tried to hide her disappointment. "I'll meet you up front in a bit."
Leia walked slowly back to the 'fresher to check his handiwork. The mirror wasn't really that bad. After all, it seemed to accurately reflect the conflicting emotions within her: desire and fear and frustration all mixed together.
"Is there even a proper landing site in all these mountains?" Han asked.
Leia peered through the cockpit viewport at the rapidly-approaching Caldiran scenery. Snow-capped peaks arranged in a loose crescent hugged rolling hills that receded into sparsely forested plains. There were little signs of habitation.
"There's supposed to be one. They instructed us to land at one of their military bases since their top commanders are stationed there now."
Han grunted and circled the ship around again. "Are the cities too dangerous?"
"No, I think most of the fighting has moved to the mountainous areas, so the cities are where the civilian departments reside. But of course the military controls the most important functions of Caldira including their intelligence efforts." She pointed to a clearing in the trees. "There. See those buildings?"
"I see them." The cockpit tilted as he started another wide arc.
"I'll transmit the code now. We'll need to wait for their response before we land."
A minute later the Caldiran response flashed on her datapad. Leia checked it against the agreed-upon sequence and nodded at Han. "We're good. You may want to open the comm link for instructions from the landing site."
Han rolled his eyes. "I think I know how to land a ship, Sweetheart."
The Falcon touched down gently on a pad and after the post-flight check was complete, they gathered their bags and headed toward the ramp.
"At least we'll get a break from the cold," Han declared at the ramp controls.
"Didn't you see those mountains? I brought some of my Hoth stuff."
"Good point." He reached up to unhook his jacket hanging next the entrance.
Three Caldiran men were waiting for them at the bottom of the ramp. Their attire was an distinct mix of martial and traditional, wearing what looked like leather breeches topped with tunics of varying collars that signified their rank. Their holsters held both long knives and blasters as if they were equally likely to shoot or vivisect their enemy. Ornamental wood carvings hung from their ears and blue-black tattoos were visible on the tops of their hands, their necks, and the sides of their faces. Leia knew from her reading that the markings covered a large portion of their bodies. Each clan's pattern was distinct, used for identifying themselves to others as friend or foe.
The tallest of the men stepped forward. "Captain Solo. Princess Organa. Welcome to Caldira. I am Commander Maryk and this is Gerod and Biron. We will be your hosts for your visit." He bowed stiffly at them.
All individuality seemed to reside in their hair: Biron was completely shaven while Maryk's gathered loosely down his back; Gerod, indecisive, had shoulder-length locks. He looked younger and his demeanor was slightly less grim than that of the other two.
Leia returned the bow smoothly. "Thank you for the welcome. I look forward to building new relations between your planet and the Alliance."
Maryk nodded curtly. "We will begin that conversation tomorrow. Do you have the information we requested?"
Leia removed a datachip from a pocket of her dress. It had been agreed that as a gesture of goodwill, each side would offer a small piece of intelligence to the other. Once confirmed, the negotiations over the larger matter would commence.
After handing her a similar chip, Maryk motioned to a waiting vehicle. "Let us escort you to our base. We will then confirm what you have sent us." He noticed Han eyeing the Falcon as they moved to the wheeled speeder. "Captain, your ship will be quite safe here. We have no need for additional interstellar transportation."
"Happy to hear that," Han said shortly.
There were few other wheelers on the road to the town and no speeders cruising above them. Leia had learned that this particular base adjacent to the town of Ilia had been built several years ago, but there was little evidence of hasty construction. Neat settlements along the road mushroomed into more extensive clusters of buildings. Checkpoints interrupted their progress several times and they were waved through only after murmured confirmation from Maryk.
The wheeler sped on again as Leia turned to Maryk. "Is there still armed conflict in Ilia?"
"Not anymore. Our forces have rooted out the terrorist elements so the people can live here in peace."
Next to her Han folded his arms less than subtly. "Then why is the base still needed?" she inquired.
"The insurgency has retreated to the outlying areas." Maryk indicated at the hills before turning back to her. "Many of our forces have moved into the villages temporarily. Some of the inhabitants were harboring known assailants," he added darkly.
"And the villagers themselves? Are they being kept safe in the town?"
He stared at her impassively before turning away. "Some."
"Not the friendliest types," Han muttered into her ear as they climbed out of the wheeler in front the headquarters. It was by far the largest building in town, several times wider and twice as tall as any other structure. There was no attempt to hide the fact that the authority of the planet rested with the military.
Biron and Gerod led them to their quarters on the top floor of the building. Biron nodded at them. "We trust you will be comfortable. Gerod will remain nearby if you need anything."
The suite was spacious and airy and reflected the encroaching forest. Dark beams crossed the ceiling above them and intricate wood carvings floated over the passages between rooms.
Leia sat down on the nearest couch and pulled out the portable terminal to transfer the information on the chip. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Han pacing around the room eyeing the intersections of the walls with the floor and ceiling.
Once the link to Echo Base was established, she sat back and studied at Han again. He was crouched in a corner prodding at a floorboard with his multitool. After a moment he shifted halfway down the length of the room and dug up another one. Sensing her gaze, he glanced up and motioned with his head a pair of glass doors that opened onto a balcony.
They stepped outside and stood at the railing, gazing over the clustered buildings of the town and the forested hills just past them. Han lowered his head to hers, his breath warm on her ear. "I think it's safe to assume our quarters are bugged."
A brief panic rose in her and she turned to him suddenly, her voice low and urgent. "Remember, they know nothing about where the Alliance is stationed. We need to keep it that way."
He gave a bare nod. "I understand."
She let out the breath she was holding and mentally combed through her past experiences in case there was anything else she was forgetting. Her eyes narrowed at the people in the streets below. What did any of them know about the Alliance? Were there spies watching them as they stood here now?
"Hey." Han covered her hand on the railing with his, his touch gentle and sure. "You look nervous."
She turned back to him. "I'm okay." A new anxiety bloomed inside her. "I don't want to stay here. Let's go out and explore."
"I'm up for that. I'm starting to feel like we're being watched." He followed her inside to where their bags were leaning against the couch. "Which bedroom do you want?"
"Doesn't matter." She was studying the terminal for any signs of response from Echo Base. "Either is fine."
Han delivered her bag to the nearest bedroom and dropped his in the other one. "Come on, let's get out of here."
Out in the hall Gerod was the picture of deliberate nonchalance.
"We're going to pick up some things from the market," Leia informed him. Han recognized her imperious don't-mess-with-me demeanor, having been a target of it too many times to count.
Gerod eyed them warily and murmured into his wrist. "You may go, but we will keep an eye on you. Please do not make any sudden movements. There have been some incidents recently." His eyes dropped to the blaster at Han's hip but stayed silent.
At the bottom of the lift another soldier was waiting for them. Leia nodded to him and strode to the doors, Han's hand a shadow on her back.
The glaring light from Caldira's single star hit them as they stepped outside, a welcome warmth in the cool air.
"Come on." Han was already jogging down the steps. "I think the plaza is over there."
Walking briskly away from their building, they wound through the grid of streets. Each building was so similar to the others - three floors or less, whitewashed walls, peaked roofs, red trim — that it was nearly impossible to tell them apart.
Han was looking around too. "I think I'd describe the architecture as rustic fascism. What do you think?"
"If it's fascist, at least it's attractive," she said. The cold metal of the Death Star wasn't reflected anywhere.
"That's the dangerous kind." They turned a corner as the sounds of the open-air market hit them. "There don't seem to be any Imps here."
"No visible ones," she agreed. "I'd hope that Imperial spies wouldn't get through the net around this town. But we should be careful."
"Yeah."
They paused at a crossing as another wheeled speeder cruised by. "You think there's still a shot at the negotiations?" he asked.
"It's hard to say until each side confirms the initial intelligence," she responded. "Assuming that occurs, the talks tomorrow should give me a better idea of how much they're willing to offer us. I certainly want to find out more about those villagers accused of harboring insurgents." Perhaps her initial assessment of the situation had been too rosy.
Han kept a watchful eye on anyone that veered too close to them. He noted that the soldiers following them were very good at staying unobtrusive. "You never told me what the Alliance was offering in return. Intelligence against the Veroni?"
"Yes. And contacts on other planets. Helgir wants to establish new trade partners but do it under the radar."
"But you're not talking with him directly, are you?"
"No." They had reached the market and slowed their pace. "That's why it's a bit delicate. I won't be entirely sure how much his representatives will know." She looked up at him and felt a surge of affection at his interest in her work. "Come on," she smiled. "Maybe we can find something to bring back to Chewie and the others."
They wandered from stall to stall fingering the dangling crafts and tasting the samples proffered to them. Han's clothes and lack of markings received a few stares, but for the most part the inhabitants ignored them. Leia noted that both men and women manned the booths, but the items they sold were strongly delineated by sex: meat, woodwork, and metal tools sold by men; bread, pastries, and textiles at the female-run stalls.
"Here — try this." Han held out a diminutive delicacy and without thinking she opened her mouth. His finger brushed her lips lightly as they closed over a cool sweet custard encased in a warm pastry shell.
"It's good," she admitted. He thumbed a crumb off the corner of her mouth and smiled wider at her reaction.
"Did you find anything for Chewie?" she asked quickly.
"I was thinking of a new blanket for his hammock." Han pointed at a stall draped in textiles. "Let's try over there."
They bought a few more items to bring back to their quarters and were heading out when a loud rumble shook the stalls. Han immediately pulled her down to a crouch against the arched entrance of the square. A column of smoke was visible from a few streets away. The murmur in the market swelled and then died down as vendors began packing up their booths. There were little signs of panic.
They stood up cautiously as Biron, Gerod, and a third soldier surrounded them. "We must return to the base," Biron said tersely. "Units will be dispatched to track down the insurgents responsible."
Leia had to jog to keep up with his pace. "I thought Maryk said that Ilia was at peace."
"It is. Most of the time." He didn't look at her.
Han said it before she could. "No one at the market seemed particularly surprised by the explosion."
He glared at both of them. "Events like this are becoming rarer. They were all too common years ago."
Maryk was waiting for them at the door to their suite. "Good news. We have confirmed your intelligence."
Leia kept her expression neutral. "Let me check in with our leadership." She entered and booted up the terminal leaving Han to block the entrance. Sure enough, a coded message from Rieekan endorsed the chip she had been given. She powered off the machine and walked back to Maryk and Han. "We also have confirmation."
"Good." Maryk looked pleased. "Let us meet in the morning, then. We have work to do tonight regarding the … disturbance."
After he left, Han followed her onto the balcony. "Clearly they're not telling us the entire story."
She propped her elbows on the railing and gazed at the mountains. "Perhaps that puts us in a better negotiating position. They don't seem to be able to prevent the attacks on their own."
Before he could respond there was a banging at their door.
"Let me get it." Han strode to the door with Leia close behind.
Gerod was standing there awkwardly. He held out a basket. "We wanted to make sure you had enough to eat tonight."
"Uh —." Han was thrown off guard.
Leia stepped forward. "Thank you, Gerod," she smiled.
He nodded and seemed to relax a little.
"Do you know if anyone was injured in the attack?" she asked.
His face reddened under his tattoos. What looked like whirlpools of ink started on his neck and twisted up to his cheekbones. His youthfulness had not yet hardened into martial conformity. "I don't believe so. Our units are investigating now."
"That's good to hear," she said smoothly. "Please let us know if we can be of assistance."
He nodded curtly and turned away.
"Well." Han was already emptying the contents of the basket onto the table. He picked up a spiky sphere and eyed it curiously. "You think this is some kind of fruit?"
After the events of the last hour Leia's appetite had deserted her. "I don't know. Let's —." She inclined her head toward the glass doors.
Outside Han bit into the flesh and made a face. "Definitely not a fruit."
She sighed. "I should review our intelligence again. Maybe there's something that explains the obviously ongoing attacks along with the reactions we've witnessed."
"I'll set up some infrared blockers around the room," he added. "Might help dampen any of our signals that they're trying to pick up."
"Surely their technology can adjust for that?"
He shrugged. "On this planet? Who knows?" He paused, his hand on the door. "Don't you want to take that off?"
She had almost forgotten she was still wearing the head wrap. "Yes, I suppose so." She eyed him mischievously. "As long as you can handle my immodest state."
If she was trying to keep their interactions casual, it was a strategic error. He made no attempt to conceal his gaze traveling up and down her body. "Princess, I can handle any amount of immodesty you care to reveal. Bring it on." Grinning at her sudden discomfort he winked and stepped back inside.
Somehow Han had managed to transport half of the Falcon's tools in his luggage. Leia paged through the reports she had already read multiple times while he tipped over pieces of furniture and embedded the blockers in the bases of the legs.
Later in her room she drifted off to sleep to the hushed sounds of his continuing handiwork. That night she dreamt of mountains and fire that spread out beneath her as if viewed from a distance. Han was there but she could only sense his presence. Noises she associated with the Falcon came in and out of range and dream-Leia held no fear or anxiety, only a diffuse wonder that swelled and receded in cadence with the flames.
