Chapter 5

In a deserted port on the outskirts of the Qundori capital of Rual, Leia exited the Falcon, gliding down the ramp swathed in diplomatic white. Han followed closely behind, leveraging her vague foreboding as an excuse to escort her to the meeting. He shot a final look at Chewbacca who had agreed to stay with the ship and oversee the gathering of the agreed-upon goods.

A representative from the Intergalactic Trade Ministry led them to a waiting speeder. They rode in silence toward the city center, the diplomatic functionary making no attempts at smalltalk. Leia peered discreetly out the windows searching for any signs of unrest. None were apparent, nor were there any obvious signs of an Imperial presence that she could see.

At the palace, they were escorted to one of the upper staterooms, Leia deposited perfunctorily inside while Han paced out in the hall. A sweeping view of the city, spiky structures that pierced a hovering matrix of speeders, commanded her attention as she waited for the Queen's minister.

"Your Highness." Leia turned abruptly from the window to see a tall woman in a beaded headdress enter though a side door.

"I am Vice Minister Thalig," she said, bowing stiffly. "I apologize. The minister was called away on urgent business this morning."

Leia returned the bow. "I am sorry to hear that. Thank you for meeting with me. Shall we begin?"

"Please." The Vice Minister indicated to the chairs.

A short time later Leia strode out of the stateroom, her displeasure tightly masked under a neutral expression. She flicked her eyes at Han; his grim features indicated a similar disquiet with the tenor of their visit.

The ride back to the port was as silent as the one in. The dignitary left them at the hangar entrance after murmuring instructions into his commlink.

"I take it you didn't get anywhere with a future deal," Han muttered into her ear as they walked to the Falcon. She shook her head quickly, her attention now focused on Chewbacca waving his arms animatedly in front of a stack of crates at the bottom of the ship's ramp.

"What's going on?" Han asked sharply as they drew up with the Wookie. The answering growls only served to served to irritate the pilot further.

"Chewie's trying to stop them from loading these on my ship until you've had a chance to verify everything," he said, the disgust in his voice palpable.

A uniformed man approached them introducing himself as the port director and indicated the pile of crates with a muted gesture. Leia pulled out her datapad and swiped down the list of items they had agreed upon. She studied it carefully before peering around the hangar. "Where are the gun pods for our ships?"

"They are on their way, Your Highness," answered the director, his manner only marginally more polite than the other dignitaries they had met.

Leia focused on him, ignoring the soldiers in uniform emerging from the shadows, only some of whom were rolling the gun pods toward the Falcon. "Thank you," she answered smoothly. "Now, we have also purchased two crates of sorrel flu vaccines, five crates of level three medical kits, and six crates of assorted hardware."

He stepped forward. "Have you paid for these in their entirety, Your Highness?"

She felt Han tense beside her. "I will transfer the remaining credits after we verify the entire inventory," she responded. She scanned the codes on each of the crates with her datapad and then turned back to the director. "We are missing a crate of vaccines."

"That can't be correct, Your Highness," he protested. "I was told that this was everything included in the signed contract."

"It is correct," she said firmly. "I will wait here while you go find the missing crate."

Something in the man's eyes hardened as he turned on his heel. The stony silence of the hangar was only broken when he returned minutes later.

"We were not able to obtain the second crate for your group," he said stiffly. "I have been authorized to reduce your remaining balance by the appropriate amount to compensate."

Leia folded her arms and stared hard. "I will not leave until I have that crate," she said.

"Your Highness," he stammered. "We don't have extra vaccines. Perhaps if you take what's here, we can arrange to deliver the second crate when we obtain it."

"That won't be necessary." Her words sounded hard to her ears. Good. "I will remain in Rual until the vaccines are obtained."

The man's eyes shifted left and right. Leia saw muted movement in her peripheral vision and felt Han edge closer.

The director tried again. "While we would prefer to treat you hospitably, events have made it impossible for us to host you here."

"I have seen little evidence of hospitality during my visit," Leia retorted. "And yet I can't help but assume that there are other citizens of the capital who might welcome my presence." She paused and looked pointedly at the encroaching soldiers. "Captain Solo will take what is here back to our fleet and I will find my way to the city center to secure accommodations for my visit."

She pivoted to walk up the Falcon's ramp, motioning to Chewbacca as she passed. Han was close on her heels and grabbed her arm as soon as were out of sight of the hangar occupants.

"Are you nuts?" he hissed. "I'm not going to let you stay here with these creeps."

"Let me?" she hissed back. "I'll stay if I have to, but I'd prefer them not to call my bluff. That is, if you're able to play your part correctly," she added archly.

"What the hell is my part?" he growled as he followed. "Saying, sure, see ya later, and crossing my fingers that you'll come back alive?"

She threw him a dirty look as she rolled her bag out of his cabin. "I'll be fine. They won't try anything while I'm in the city."

"Yeah, 'cause they've been so polite and respectful during our visit. I don't trust them not to try anything no matter where you are."

She snapped her head around as he stalked after her. "Then you'll have to trust me!" An impassive mask settled over her face before she turned to start down the ramp.

"I've arranged for a speeder to take me into the city," she said smoothly as the director approached her. "Please contact me when the rest of the vaccines are available and I will return to my fleet with them. And Captain," she lifted her head to Han, "please inform High Command that I anticipate rejoining them shortly with the full inventory we purchased."

The director stepped in front of her. "Your Highness, we can't allow you to leave on your own. Our soldiers," his gaze flicked nervously to one side, "would be happy to escort you to a suitable location."

Han suddenly appeared at her side, his blaster drawn and pointed low at the director. "You're not taking her anywhere, pal," he said steadily.

"Captain," the director responded, looking warily at the blaster, "surely you can see that you are outnumbered at the moment?"

"My eyes work just fine," Han growled.

"Director," Leia said, stepping forward as confidently as she could. "As you can see, Chewbacca has already loaded several of the crates onto our ship. If we leave with these goods without paying you, I'm afraid there could be some — consternation — on the part of your superiors."

The man looked from side to side, increasing uncertainty reflected in his body language.

"Ah," Leia said, peering into the harsh sunlight in mock surprise. "I see the speeder I reserved. Your planet's transportation infrastructure is really quite efficient."

She moved deliberately for the exit, forcing her eyes straight ahead. The pumping of her blood in her ears blocked out all other sounds as she walked, so there was no need to feign surprise as the director caught up with her and touched her elbow tentatively.

"Your Highness," he panted. "I think," he paused, looking back at Han standing tensely, blaster still drawn, as Chewbacca loaded the last two crates onto the Falcon, "I think we may be able to procure the remaining vaccines from another facility in the city."

She favored him with a wide smile. "Excellent news, Director. I will be happy to wait here until your return."

Resignation flashed briefly across his face before he nodded and continued out of the hangar, muttering instructions into his commlink. Leia walked back to Han and updated him on the turn of events in a low voice. He grunted brusquely but kept his weapon drawn while she stood placidly beside him, the other occupants of the hangar emptying out gradually.

The Falcon had long been loaded when the director returned, a droid wheeling the crate close behind him. After Leia gracefully accepted his awkward apology and completed the transfer of credits, she and Han escaped onto his ship, Han's hand slapping the ramp controls harder than usual.

"C'mon!" he barked at Chewbacca as he hurried toward the cockpit. "Let's get off this kriffin' planet before they decide to pull another stunt."

Leia strapped herself into the acceleration chair seconds before the Falcon shifted into hyperspace. She was still there composing an update to the base when Han strode into the hold tensely, hands on his hips.

"What were you thinking back there?" he yelled. "They could have shot you in the back as you walked out!"

She glared at him as she unbuckled the restraining harness. "He was a mid-level bureaucrat tasked with too much responsibility. Nine times out of ten those types are blinded by authority when challenged."

"Oh, yeah?" he challenged. "And what about the tenth time? Is that the time you get killed?"

The sleeve of her gown was caught in her restraining strap and she tugged at it in frustration. "For kriff's sake, Han, I don't have to justify my decision to you! You'll just have to trust that I know what I'm doing. And if you can't," her words spilled out, "then maybe ."

He froze. "Maybe what?" he asked harshly. "What are you trying to say?"

"You know exactly what I'm trying to say!" she shouted furiously. "This — you, like this —," she finally jerked her arm free and flung the strap aside, "is the last thing I need right now!"

"Well, Gods forbid I get in the way of what you need, Sweetheart!" he threw at her as she stalked off.


After wrestling with a misaligned panel in the rear hold for the better part of an hour, Han judged himself cooled off enough to go searching for Leia. He found her on the opposite end of the ship, propped against an overturned crate and staring out the small viewport of the forward hold. The image of her slumped shoulders in weary repose drew the lingering frustration out of him; although he would never describe Leia Organa as vulnerable, she looked as close to that state as he could remember.

"It's hypnotic, isn't it," he mused as he approached her slowly. Despite all his years of flying, the childlike thrill of traveling in hyperspace never completely left him.

Leia was silent for a beat, her fingers twisting together on top of her knee. "It's good for thinking," she said finally.

He sat down cautiously a few centims from her and drew his legs up. In the reflection of the glass her tired expression was interspersed with streaks of stars.

"Thinking about anything good?" he asked.

Sighing softly, she looked down at her legs, her finger tracing a pattern on her pants. "Han, I don't know how to do this if you can't trust me to do my job." She ignored his intake of breath before adding, "I don't even know what this is."

"I do trust you," he answered quietly. "And I know you can take care of yourself — I've never doubted that — but the idea of leaving you there while I mosey back to the base…" He frowned, choosing his words carefully. "That just doesn't come naturally to me."

Leia raised her head to meet his eyes in the viewport. "And would you feel that way if it were Luke? Or Mon Mothma?"

"No," he admitted. "Well, maybe yes for Mon Mothma. Probably wouldn't look too good to High Command if I left her on some kest-strewn planet." He sighed. "But c'mon, Leia, we both know that it's different."

"And why is that?" she asked quietly. "Is it just because we're —?"

"Because we're —?" Han echoed, swallowing. "Because we're — lovers?" The word tumbled out uncertainly, an unfamiliar combination of sounds never before formed by his mouth.

He sighed and rubbed his hand over his face. "I can't ignore that," he said. "I just can't flip a switch and not feel that about you." He shook his head in frustration. "But even if we weren't, it's still not much better if I dump the Princess of Alderaan on some strange planet without any backup."

"I've been in much worse situations, Han," she said wearily. "You of all people should know that." He dipped his head in mute acknowledgement as she continued. "I have to be able to do my job. If you can't accept that, then…," she paused, her mouth closing and then opening again, "…then maybe this won't work," she finished in a whisper.

The words hung heavily between them, condensing the stale air in the space.

Han frowned and drummed his fingers on his shin. "Well, let's think about what happens if we decide to end this." He paused. "First, we agree to stop seein' each other. Then at some point one of us cracks." He snuck a glance in her direction. "And I'm going be honest, it's gonna be me. I'll last two, three hours tops, before I find you and tackle you. And it'll be three hours only if you're wearin' those baggy brown pant things that I don't like."

Even in her distorted reflection, he could see the beginning of a wry smile on her face. "And then what happens?"

"And then we have some really hot sex and realize that we should get back together." He took a deep breath. "Or — we can keep going on as we are, skip the breaking-up part, and avoid the heartache."

Leia swiveled her head to look at him directly. "We can't avoid heartache, Han. You must know that."

He studied his boots again, unable to return her gaze. "Yeah, I know. I do."

He waited for her to respond, the silence stretched thin between them. When she spoke, her voice was tired.

"Han, there's so much uncertainty right now. Even if we somehow win this war —," he raised his head in surprise; any doubt she held was always so carefully concealed, "— one or both of us may not survive." She paused, turning her words over carefully. "Adding something else that's uncertain is —."

"Is hard," he finished, nodding.

"Yes," she whispered.

"This doesn't have to be uncertain," he said. "I know I want to be with you as —." He stopped again.

"As lovers?" She couldn't help smiling.

He winced. "There's gotta be a better word than that. But yes," he added quickly. "I'm certain about that."

"And what happens the next time we run into trouble and you don't agree with the decisions I make?" she questioned.

He sighed. "I'll do a better job of not being an ass." He looked at her now, his expression solemn. "I promise you that."

Leia held his gaze and found herself nodding in return, the tightness in her chest gradually easing.

She turned back again, staring thoughtfully out the viewport window. "I think it's only going to get worse going forward — the war, I mean," she said. "We may not be able to see each other as much as we might like."

Han nodded. "I can't say I'm shocked. I'll try to be patient." That earned him another wry smile. "I said try. Just promise me you'll remember that I exist every once in a while."

She shook her head, her eyes shining in the dim light. "How could I forget?"

The stars inhabiting the blackness of space outside the viewport continued on their individual journeys, never to divert from their predestined paths, never to shift course and meet; the two humans sitting in the Falcon, however, slowly crept closer and closer together until one of them rested her head against the other one's shoulder and entwined her hand loosely with his.


Hours later Leia was stretched out on the bunk luxuriously as Han's fingers lazily ran up and down her spine. She closed her eyes as he kissed her shoulder blade, the dampness on her skin a tactile reminder of their recent exertions.

"You know," he said, resting his chin on his hand as he peered down at her profile, "I'm going to have to add lover to my list of nicknames for you."

"Don't you dare," she warned sleepily. "You already have too many."

"And now they all sound better in comparison, don't they?" He smoothed her mass of hair aside. "You'll have no reason to complain about Princess or Sweetheart anymore."

She opened her eyes and twisted onto her side, swatting him away playfully. "You're just determined to ruin the moment, aren't you?"

"Uh huh," he grinned. He lowered his head deliberately to the crook of her neck. "Lover," he whispered in his most seductive voice, his tongue darting under her ear. "Lover. Lover."

"Stop!" she laughed, squirming away from his lips. "I'm never going to sleep with you again if you keep that up."

"You say that now," he chuckled, pulling away. "But I'll wear you down. You can count on that."

She looked at him intently, at the rumpled mass of hair falling over his forehead, at the crinkled skin around his eyes, at the cocky grin he never tried to hide, and leaned over to kiss him softly. "Yes, I think I can."