The remainder of the trip to Yavin IV was a tense one. Jo, at first, stayed huddled in the gaming booth as far as she could from Leia. Leia had refused to acknowledge Jo and instead found interest in staring off into the distance with a slight scowl. If Jo had not been there, she wondered if the Princess would have found the solitude comforting. But Jo was wrongfully there, and the princess did not want that. Leia let out a weary sigh and slumped forward. She rested her forehead against her hands.
"Would you please stop looking at me like that," she said to Jo. Jo turned her attention elsewhere. She blushed slightly, unsure of what to say in return. Should she apologize? Should she question what Leia meant? Jo toppled over onto her side in the booth and pulled her knees to her chest. It was probably the most uncomfortable fetal position in history. Jo would not risk resting her feet against Leia on accident.
Jo closed her eyes and hoped that after all of this, she would fall asleep. Her mind had other plans and, thus, it refused to shut down. At some point, Jo heard Luke come into the Hold. This sent Jo into a panic. She had hoped that he would catch onto her fake sleeping and talk to her. Her hopes were squashed when he decided to converse with Leia and ignore her completely.
The only time he registered her existence was to drape his poncho over her body. Jo felt frozen in time and glanced up at him through her lashes slightly. He stood above her and stared ahead to where Leia was seated. Jo melted into the poncho and let a pent up breath release from her she had held through the exchange. He glanced down at her and she squeezed her eyes shut. She tried to control her breating as she felt him adjust the poncho up to her chin. Jo wished he would stop, she couldn't take it.
"How long has she been asleep?" Luke asked Leia softly.
"I'm not sure. Not long." Leia answered and then proceeded to change the subject. That was it. Luke moved away from Jo and did not fiddle with the poncho through the remainder of the duration.
Jo managed to doze off for what felt like a few short lived minutes when she was violently jerked awake by a grumpy Han Solo.
"Wake up," he growled. She shot up and the poncho fell away from her shoulders. She felt something wet on her chin and she scrubbed the drool away with a fist. Han, to her embarrassment, saw it all. "Get up." He was very impatient.
She stood and bundled the poncho in her arms. Han reached out and gripped her shoulders to steer her in front of him. He pushed her out onto the ramp of the Falcon's exit. She winced for a moment as natural sunlight attacked her vision. Once the glare faded she took in the Rebel Base's scenery. Troops surrounded them to block the path to the temple. Two X-Wings sat docked on either side of the Falcon behind them. The nature that encircled the temple was a lively green forest. It was all so overwhelming and random. Jo's hair was slick with humidity. The air was heavy with the promise of rain. Jo backed into Han. The smuggler let out a yelp as she stepped on his boots.
Leia finished her talk with one of the Rebel troops surrounding them and turned to face her newest entourage. "These speeders will take us to the temple," she explained. She turned back to the soldier and pointed to Artoo. "Be careful with that R2 unit. He is holding the plans."
The Rebel bowed a little and whistled for help. Four other Rebels joined him in loading Threepio and Artoo into one of the speeders. Leia placed herself on the side of the speeder and Luke closely followed to sit next to her. Han gave Jo a push towards the speeder. He side-stepped her and sat on the other side of Leia towards the back. This left Jo to fend for herself as she watched Chewbacca joing the droids. The only opening left was on the other side of Luke. She climbed on top and sat on the narrow seat. Luke's shoulder pushed against hers and her back pressed against his slightly. He flashed her a polite smile. She felt her face heat up and she clutched the poncho tighter chest.
"Thank you," she managed to choke out and handed him the item back.
"You looked cold and uncomfortable. Did you sleep well?" he asked as he pulled the poncho over his head.
"Not really," she said sheepishly, unable to look away. The speeder started up when a solider hopped onto the front. It jerked forward and sped off towards the temple.
"Did Leia and I keep you up?" his smile turned to a concerned frown.
"No," she said quickly. "Not at all! I jsut found it a bit difficult to sleep in general."
He nodded a bit as Leia tugged on the sleeve of his poncho. He turned away from her and Jo was forced to take in the rest of the scenery to entertain herself.
As they drew nearer to the temple, Jo noticed that it was a true artifact. The stones were crumbled in places, and in many ways, looked ready to collapse. It reminded her of a great tourist attraction that could be found on Earth. The speeder slipped into the opening and the awe of the temple was replaced with a military setting. The interior had been completely converted into a hanger. Rebel Troops were lined up on either side in respect for Leia. More starfighters loomed around them docked and ready for battle. Droids rolled past beeping to one another. Humans and aliens alike bustled from one place to the other to get to certain stations. Unlike the Death Star, this military was lively. Chatter filled the air instead of deathly silence. The speeders came to a halt and a man rushed forward to envelop Leia into a fierce hug. A few troops rushed forward to help Chewbacca unload the droids. Luke hopped down and began to walk around the base in childlike wonder. Han stood slowly and stretched a bit. Jo stayed where she was. A blonde haired woman in Rebel uniform misunderstood her hesitation and walked towards her.
"Excuse me," the soldier cleared her throat.
"Hmm?" Jo turned her head away from watching Luke walk under an X-Wing. She came face to face with the stern faced soldier.
"Do you need help?" she asked and reached out her hands. Jo felt herself nod, but she couldn't tear herself away from the troop's amber eyes. The woman gently placed her hands on either side of Jo's waist. Jo pushed herself off of the edge and the Rebel guided her to the ground.
"Thanks," Jo mumbled as the woman removed her hands.
"Evaan!" someone called out. Jo's soldier turned at her name. "You're needed in the Board Room!"
Evaan did not bother to acknowledge Jo again and left with the solider who called for her. They escorted Artoo away and Chewbacca had to grab Threepio's arm to keep him from going after them. Jo watched Evaan leave. She was so distracted that she didn't hear Han approach.
"Close your mouth," he ordered. "Gee, girl, you couldn't have been more obvious." he laughed as she reddened.
"S...she had pretty eyes," Jo stuttered. Han smirked.
"Yeah, next time tell her that instead of burning a hole through her. " he suggested.
"Han! Jo!" Luke jogged up to the pair with a huge smile on his face. "Leia is taking me to meet some squadron leaders. I'm going to be a pilot!"
The innocent statement caught Jo off guard. She felt a rush of affection for the farmboy well up from inside somewhere deep. It brought a smile to Jo's lips, but it instantly disappeared when Han decided to speak up.
"That's great, kid." Han's voice lacked enthusiasm. "In fact, I need to speak with the princess now. So, if you'll excuse me." Han clapped Luke on the shoulder, not bothering to meet his eyes as he walked over to Leia. Luke and Jo watched as he interrupted Leia and the man who had greeted them.
"Do you think he's going to leave?" Luke spoke up, his eyes never leaving Han's back.
'Most defiantly,' Jo replied mentally. Rather than saying this bit aloud, Jo just merely shrugged. "Maybe not."
Luke faced her with a hopeful look that could have swayed a nation. "Are you staying?" Jo couldn't speak for what felt like a long time.
"Luke, I don't belong here." she finally whispered. Luke's face crumbled.
"Jo —," he began, but she held up a hand to stop him.
"No. I don't. Where are they going to put me? I don't know anything about engineering or being a pilot. I've never seen these ships in real life! I couldn't tell you anything about them either!" For once, she didn't have to lie. She felt her heart speed up.
Luke sensed her panic and awkwardly placed a hand on her right shoulder. "Don't worry! Leia would find a place for you!" he promised.
Jo sighed in defeat. Jo had barely talked to Luke since being found. Why was he so adamant to keep her there? If she stayed, she would be nothing more than a burden to these people.
"Listen, just think about it. Okay?" he squeezed her shoulder. He left for Leia whom motioned for him. She wore an unhappy expression from her encounter with Han. Han walked back to Jo. He looked guilty, and Jo acted like she didn't notice. Leia pulled Luke away to follow the man from earlier and Luke glanced back at Jo to ensure his promise. Jo smiled and waved as he left.
"C'mon," Han's voice bit through her train of thought. "it's time we discussed your little stowaway stunt."
She trailed after him as he nodded at Chewbacca. Chewbacca made a sound as they walked by.
"Is Chewbacca joining us?" she questioned Han. She didn't know if she wanted him there or not.
"Nah," Han let one of his hands graze the bottom of a starfighter's wing they had drifted under. "Chewie's gonna check out Maintenance to pick up some supplies for the Falcon."
Two Rebel pilots in their orange suits ran by and Jo studied them. She felt the sudden urge to try one on.
"I'm just gonna get straight to it. I believe you were trying to catch a free ride out of that barren hellhole," he claimed pausing his stride. He hooked his thumbs through his belt loops. "So, the way I see it you owe me after all of the trouble you've caused. I didn't agree to one extra passenger and seeing as though I'm not getting my 17,000. You can pay off your half by becoming part of my crew."
Jo's face heated as outrage bubbled inside of her. "You're leaving!" she blurted out the spoiler in anger. "No! If I don't belong here, I especially don't belong with you!"
A few soldier bystanders stared at the scene. Han moved closer with his hands held up in surrender. "Hey! Take it easy! Nobody said anything about belonging to any one. Look, if you wanna go back I can't take you. Fuel ain't cheap, sister!" he said defensively.
"I don't want to back there," mumbled Jo. Han crossed his arms and sighed. "You really don't like making things easy, do you?"
"Not really," Jo cracked a smile, but refused to meet his exasperated stare.
"I am leaving," Han admitted after a moment's pause.
"What?" 'Why do I sound so surprised? It wasn't like he was going to actually change.'
"The princess is giving me my cut of the reward soon. In fact, Chewie isn't really picking up supplies. He's trying to speed up the process. The sooner we get out of here, the sooner I can pay off a few debts." Han looked away from Jo as she finally raised her head. "This isn't a place for you. Being apart of my crew isn't the safest place, don't get me wrong. But, this, this isn't a place for you. These people are gonna start a war. I don't want any part in this. This was never apart of my plan."
Jo could have argued with him. Jo knew she could have brought up that she had just as much right to be here was Luke did. Luke was her age. Hell, Leia was her age. He didn't know her. She could have told Han he was wrong about himself. She knew he was going to stay. She kept quiet. She saw that he didn't really believe what he was telling her either. He looked torn and the only thing she could do was slowly nod.
"Okay," she agreed. He gawked at her in surprise. "Okay. I'll join your crew."
A genuine smile lit up his face. "Alright. But, don't get used to this. This is only temporary until you can find a place." he pointed at her.
He swaggered away before she could say anything more. She didn't have to.
It was several hours later when General Dodonna called for the debriefing. Around that time, Jo and Han had managed to take a tour of most of the base. They had ran into Luke and they decided to go to the Mess Hall for some much needed "space food" Jo had so lovingly dubbed it. Leia wasn't able to join them, much to the relief of Jo. Han didn't talk much to Luke or Jo as they ate. The only time he did say anything was to insult Jo on her eating habits. She had scarfed down her entire tray in only a few seconds and gulped down three glasses of a sweet sort of juice. The textures, colors, and odors of whatever she was eating did not bother her.
"You're gonna choke." Han commented as he took a swig from his cup. His lips puckered in disgust and he spit out the drink back into the glass. Jo ignored him and continued to all but lick her tray clean. Luke, however, was more subtle about his starvation.
"When's the last time you've eaten anything, Jo?" asked Luke as he took a bite of some yellow square that Jo had hoped was similar to Earth Jello.
"Two days ago," she garbled with her mouth full before she could stop herself. Luke looked away and Han rolled his eyes. She let out a sound and covered her mouth in humiliation.
"Charming," remarked Han sarcastically. Jo swallowed and pushed her tray away.
"All pilots report to Level 2 for debriefing," the loudspeaker echoed through the base. "All pilots report to Level 2 for debriefing."
"I gotta go," Luke hopped up. When he stood, a Rebel troop appeared at their table.
"The princess has requested your presence in the War Room." the young man said to Han. "Your wookiee companion has already been escorted and is waiting your arrival."
Han stood and pulled Jo up by her left bicep. "If I'm going, you're going."
They were led to the War Room which resembled a high-tech lecture hall. Luke left Han and Jo to sit with the other pilots. Chewbacca stood at the back of the room waiting for Han. Jo leaned against the outer wall of the Room that looked out into the hallway while Han and Chewbacca leaned against either side of the door from the inside. The meeting began and Jo peeked around the corner to watch the Hologram of the Death Star boot up. A few pilots straggled in as General Dodonna stood at the front.
"The princess is gonna have somebody meet us here to give Chewie and I our credits." Han whispered to Jo. Dodonna gathered everyone's attention. "as soon as we load up, we're leaving."
"What about Luke?" Jo questioned softly. Han stayed silent for a moment.
"The battle station is heavily shielded and carries a firepower greater than half the starfleet. It's defenses are designed around a direct scale assault." the General's gruff voiced boomed on in the background. Jo was sure she could probably quote half of this speech in her sleep.
"The kid belongs here." Han eventually answered her.
"Are you too cool for goodbyes?" huffed Jo.
"An analysis of the plans provided by Princess Leia has demonstrated a weakness in the battle station." So, maybe that was an exaggeration. She didn't really care what the man was talking about.
Jo scooted closer to Han. "Maybe you should tell him goodbye." Han chose to ignore her.
"The approach will not be easy. You are required to maneuver straight down this trench and skim the surface to this point." Dodonna motioned to a place on the Hologram.
"Actually, no maybe. You really need to tell him you're leaving. We can't just avoid him anyway. I mean he will —,"
"You know, girl, I liked it better when you barely talked!" Han snapped loudly.
A few pilots swiveled around to shush them. Leia sent Han and Jo a sharp glare form the front of the room for causing a slight commotion. This indicated her Han senses must have been tingling. Jo ducked her head and shrunk away from Han.
"Only a precise hit will set up a chain reaction. The shaft is ray-shielded, so you'll have to use proton torpedoes." Han's outburst did not stop Dodonna's speech.
'How does Leia know everything?' Jo thought in shame.
"Man your ships! And May the Force be with you!" the General dismissed the pilots.
"C'mon. Get away from the exit." Han led Jo out of the room and into the drab hallway. Jo watched the pilots filter out. She thought she saw Luke, and turned to Han to ask. The smuggler had become very invested in the look of his boots than watching for Luke. Jo frowned and decided to leave him alone.
Leia stalked out of the War Room and fixated her sights on Han. A soldier followed at her heels as she strode over to Han. Han looked up from his boots.
"Save it," he sneered at her.
"Save what?" Leia inquired, disbelief at his tone.
"I'm not staying." he expressed.
"Nobody asked you to," Leia said dangerously. "This is Private Ors. She will take you to your reward, which is currently being unloaded in the Hanger. You will be responsible for loading it back up and taking it to your ship. After that, you are free to leave."
"Your worship, look —," Leia raised a hand to interrupt Han.
"I don't care if you stay or go. You've got you're reward. My advice to you is explain whatever you're about to say, to Luke." with that she gave Jo a look that clearly read 'Make the right choice.' and strode away, her white dress billowing behind her. Han refused to watch her leave and turned his attention to Private Ors.
"Mister Solo, if you would follow me." Ors inclined her head to the lift that would take them to the Hanger.
The ride down to the Hanger held a lot of tension. Jo could practically feel Han's guilt radiating off of him. Chewbacca stood in between Jo and Han, Jo was grateful for this. Jo didn't trust herself to keep from spewing any more spoilers, no matter how small. They reached the busy hanger which was alive with pilots loading into X-Wings. Ors directed them to a discarded speeder with small light colored boxes stacked in the middle of the floor. Han and Chewbaca immediately set to work lifting the boxes into the speeder.
"Thank you, Ors." Jo smiled to the Rebel Private. The girl nodded and left.
"The least you could do is give us a hand with this," Han growled.
"The least you could do is tell Luke goodbye," Jo crossed her arms to show she would not help. Han slammed a box into the speeder and whirled around.
"Why are you so concerned with this? I didn't see you say anything to him. Why don't you say goodbye, hmm?" he burst out.
"It doesn't matter what I say to him." she argued back.
"Yeah, well, stay out of my business." he leaned over to pick up a box that lay at her feet. He avoided the rushing flight crews that ran by them in case he would see Luke. Jo saw him anyway across the Hanger and the look he gave her made Jo want to distance herself from Han.
"You're so obvious," Jo muttered to Han stealing his line he had used on her. Luke made his way over to their speeder.
"So, you've got your reward and you're just leaving then?" Luke said coolly.
Han dropped the box he was holding and put on a faux confident attitude. "That's right, yeah! I got some old debts I've got to pay off with this stuff. Even if I didn't, you don't think I'd be food enough to stick around here, do ya'? Why don't you come with us? You're pretty good in a fight. I could use you."
'What is he? Robin Hood?' Jo seethed as Han used the same words he had practically used for her.
"Come on!" Luke said angrily. "Why don't you take a look around? You know what's about to happen, what they're up against. They could use a good pilot like you. You're turning your back on them."
"What good's a reward if you ain't around to use it?" Han explained. "Besides, attacking that battle station ain't my idea of courage. It's more like suicide."
"Alright, well, take care of yourself, Han. I guess that's what you're best at, isn't it?" Jo thought he would leave like he was supposed to, but she was so very wrong. "You're going with him, aren't you?" he rounded on her.
Jo forgot how to speak. What were words? She tried to gather them, to find something for him. The only thing that came out of her mouth was unintelligible words. "I'm..uh, I'm...I...crew?" she offered weakly. Her nonsense did not change his pissed off demeanor.
"I told you, I don't belong here." she finally decided on a sentence. She couldn't look him in the eyes.
"You could," he insisted.
"I can't fly anything. I can't even hold a blaster properly. What good would I be for this place? A Mess Hall worker?" Jo would not look at him.
"Jo, no. I could teach —you know what? Forget it." he turned away and Jo kept her gaze on the ground. Han hesitated for a second.
"Hey, Luke!" he called out. "May the Force be with you."
Luke barely glanced back at the pair and gave them a half wave. Chewbacca growled at Han.
"What're you looking at? I know what I'm doing." He resumed loading up the last of the boxes. Jo watched Luke get lost in to the sea of orange flight suits. She didn't bother pestering Han further. She picked up the final box and passed it to Han. Their eyes met and Jo gave him a look that resembled Leia's. 'You made the wrong choice.'
Han pried to box away from Jo. "Hop on and make sure the boxes don't fall off." he acted as if he hadn't caught the look, but she knew her message was well received.
A/N: So this chapter is shorter than I had originally planned. I just felt it was appropriate to end it here. This was a bit of a filler chapter. I left a few Easter Eggs in here as well. A tribute to Legends and Current Canon. :) Let me know how I'm doing. OOC literally terrifies me lol. I'll doctor this up later :)