Chapter Ten

Han laughed at Luke's joke. It felt strangely good to have someone you could talk with about ... before. That's how he'd come to think of his two, totally different lives. Before he 'died' he was Han Solo. After the transfer he woke up as Evin Daysun, with nothing left the same as before. Han knew that was how Leia had always defined her life. Before the Death Star destroyed Alderaan, and after, when everyone and everything she knew was wiped out. Although his friends were still alive, he thought he finally understood the Princess. It was a dividing line in your existence, and nothing you could do would ever erase the demarcation point.

"'Sides," Han said in affable agreement. "Whatever the reason, it's why I'm still suckin' air and not fried up with my ship." He glared at Luke with that last comment. "And what the hell was Chewie thinking, anyway? It was my ship, for Sith's sake! If he wanted to remember me, then why didn't he keep it? Or maybe that was it... he wanted to forget all about me, and keeping the Falcon woulda been a reminder."

"Seriously, Han? You honestly think Chewie used the Falcon as your final send off so he could forget you?" Luke shook his head, anger setting in. "Chewie was devastated. He couldn't say your name without letting out a heart-rendering howl of grief for over a year. And, just so you know, I was pretty damn devastated, too. You think you've been some martyr for hiding out for three years? Well, let me tell you that's not true. You've been selfish and self-centered."

Han was taken aback by Luke's outburst. "You always thought I was selfish and self-centered anyway, so I was just keeping up with your low expectations of me," he snarled defensively. "Maybe you should just leave, and forget about coming to Corellia, too. Why'd you want to visit a selfish low-life like me, anyway?"

"I never used the word 'low-life,'" Luke muttered. "I thought you'd changed after you joined the Rebellion, then stayed around after we won the war."

"I changed until I found out I was dying," Han said softly, casting his eyes to the floor. "And Leia left me. Those kind of events have a tendency to dim your outlook on life."

Luke's shoulder's slumped a bit. "What Leia did to you was wrong. She wishes she could go back and do it all over again, and stay with you until the end."

The Corellian looked up. "But if she'd have stayed with me, I'd be dead. I mean... really dead, not just sorta dead." That was the conundrum Han had lived with for the past three years... alternating between feeling hurt and betrayal over Leia leaving him so abruptly for a handsome prince, and awareness that if she'd stayed by his side until the end he would never have been on Corellia during his last days, and never have been kidnapped by Doctor Nik and given a second chance at life.

His comment wasn't meant to be funny, but for some reason it struck Luke as just that. He laughed, trying to ignore the shocked expression on Han's new face. "You're right. You are... alive because of the events that happened. There is a reason you're still alive, Han." Luke looked at his friend with his earnest eyes. "Will you let me train you as a Jedi?"

"What? No... no way. Sorry, ain't happenin', kid."

The young Jedi let out a hiss of frustration. "Why?"

The Corellian frowned. "'Cuz I don't want to?"

"When are you going to get over your resistance to believing in the Force? How can you not believe, now that you can feel it?"

"One," Han held up one finger as he started out, grinding his jaw at Luke's questioning. "Resistance has nothing to do with it. And two," he held up two fingers, "What makes you think I can feel this... it you're talkin' about? Why can't you accept that some beings just ain't cut out to be Jedi Knights, or whatever, just 'cuz they have something deformed in their blood."

"Deformed?"

"Yeah, deformed," Han said smugly. "If you can call me selfish, I can call you deformed."

"But you have almost as high a midichlorian count as I do, so that means you're calling yourself deformed, too."

Han opened his mouth to protest, but saw by Luke's expression that he'd lost this argument, big time. "Fine, maybe I am deformed. And selfish, too. But I ain't insane and I ain't a Jedi."

"Have you really rescinded your invitation for me and Mara to come visit with you before you leave on tour?"

"Nah," Han mumbled, glaring at Luke. "You can come, but I'm holding you to your promise not to tell anyone.

Luke decided not to point out he never actually made that promise.

Corellia

Mara Jade's ship, the highly modified Luxury Freighter called Jade's Fire, set down next to the Wookiee Princess inside the private, and very spacious hanger owned by Evin Daysun. She noted there was a lot of security vids and wall mounted auto-phasers pointed in their general direction inside this private space dock. Then she saw a young, dark-haired man appear, waving at their ship.

"That's Evin," Luke informed her. "I let him know we were on the way and he said he'd be waiting for us to arrive."

The former assassin looked over at her intended, still confused. "Why, exactly, are we visiting this rock star again?"

"He doesn't just sing fast songs... he sings Corellian Country, Alderaanian love ballads, lots of different styles, actually..."

"Luke!" Mara snapped, frowning in annoyance that he was avoiding her question.

"He's Force-sensitive."

"I know you told me that, but this still leaves me with a lot of questions because you also told me he refused, flat out, to train as a Jedi. So what's the point of coming here?"

Luke wondered if he was betraying his future wife's trust by not telling her the entire story. But since she never knew Han Solo other than by reputation, would it really matter to her? "He seems like a nice guy so I asked if I could see his house."

Mara raised an eyebrow. "You have never, and I mean, never, ever, asked to see someone's house just because he's," she put up air quotes with her fingers, "a nice guy. You don't even know him. Lando introduced him to you one time! One time! Have you suddenly turned into a star-struck celebrity stalker? Because if you have, I'd really rather find out you have a thing for Krystal Missta instead of Evin Daysun."

Luke laughed. "Not to worry. I don't have a thing for Evin Daysun. I even promised Lando I wouldn't kiss him."

"Glad to hear it," Mara said dryly.

"I do have friends living on his estate," Luke pointed out. "Corran Horn and his wife, Mirax. And Wes Janson lives here, too. Both were X-Wing pilots before Lando hired them away from the New Republic."

"At this rate, Daysun is going to wipe out the New Republic by attrition." She finished up her landing routine, then turned to Luke. "Do these former Rogue members live in this fancy house with Daysun?"

"No, Evin told me they live in townhouses, but those are on his property. He owns a lot of land here."

"Well, let's go meet your new idol, Luke. Just don't get jealous if I squeal, jump up and down and ask him to kiss me."

"Not funny, Mara."

"I thought it was."

Han was actually thrilled to show Luke and his girlfriend around his house. He could tell, without even any use of the Force, that Mara Jade was highly suspicious of Luke's reasons for visiting him on Corellia, but if she was suspicious that also meant that Luke had not betrayed his confidence and told his fiancée who he really was.

"And this," Han said with a sweeping gesture toward an open doorway as he finished his grand tour, "Is my private holo-screening room. It's just like being in a real, paying theater, 'cept the floors aren't sticky and you won't find gum stuck under the seats."

"Does Wes ever watch holos in here?" Luke asked, peering into the dim room with rows of seats all facing a giant wall.

"Yeah, sometimes."

"Then I wouldn't bet on not finding gum under the seats."

"Good point." Han hesitated, then asked Mara with a teasing glint in his eye, "Is the room I put you two in, okay? I mean, I didn't know if you and Luke share a room yet, but I sorta figured he couldn't possibly still be a virgin after all this time."

Mara turned her cool green gaze at this good-looking, but very odd stranger. "After all this time? What does that mean?"

Damn, he'd made a huge slip, and Han desperately racked his brain to come up with a way to undo the damage. "I, uh, um, I've heard Wes and Corran telling stories from the days when they all flew together with the Rebellion?"

"Why did you phrase that like a question?"

Luke cleared his throat. "Can you show me where you're going to put your new studio, Evin? I'd like to see the location." He turned to Mara. "Do you want to come along?"

"No, I'd rather stay here and take a nap if you don't mind," Mara replied, not sounding very sincere. "But I'm sure I'll miss out on the thrill of looking at an empty field." She turned and walked away, her boot heels clicking on the highly polished wood flooring. The echoes faded as she disappeared into the far east facing wing of the huge mansion.

Han let out a big sigh of relief. "Thanks for saving my ass there, kid. Mara's kinda scary."

"You should have met her when she was still an assassin trying to kill me." Luke gave a glare at his friend. "I lost my virginity shortly after we relocated from Yavin, you know. And, no, it wasn't with Leia!"

The Corellian laughed before bragging, "I know that last part is true, kid. Your sister lost her virginity to me."

"I really didn't need to know that."

"Do you still want to see where the studio is going to be built? I can also point out where the townhouses are located on the property and you can head there later and visit your friends. Just be sure to take Mara with you, 'cuz I'm not sure I want to be alone in a house with her, even if you do claim she's reformed."

"I'd love to see the grounds of your property, Han," Luke said, actually meaning it. "And not to worry, I wouldn't leave my fiancée alone with the 'Most Handsome Human Male in the Galaxy.'"

"Funny, kid, but you have to call me Evin or eventually you're gonna make a mistake, too."

"I never make mistakes."

"Now you're sounding like me."

"Perish the thought... Evin."

Han took Luke in a small hover-craft and they zoomed around the estate as Solo pointed out various buildings. "That was an equinoid barn," Han stated, pointing toward a building that looked way too fancy to be called a barn, at least in Luke's eyes. "This place used to be owned by a guy that bred and raced 'em. That's why the entire grounds are divided up into fenced sections. The equinoids lived in different pastures. Apparently, stallions have to be kept by themselves. Us males just can't get along with other males no matter what the species."

Luke laughed at Han's joke, even though it seemed like that was the truth in many cases. He pointed to a nearby cottage, "What's that building?"

"The groom's house," Han replied. "Full time job taking care of expensive animals, I guess. I'm glad I never had to do that type of a job. Shovelin' shit don't sound like much fun to me." He came to a stop at the top of a hill and pointed down toward a distant tree line. "That's the end of my property."

"I'm impressed," Luke said truthfully. "It's beautiful here, Han."

The Corellian sighed, deciding not to say anything about Luke's insistence on using his former name. "Yeah, I like it. It's peaceful. That's hard to come by in my life lately."

"Do you like your new life?"

"I do now," Han said carefully. "It took about two years to adjust to things... my new body, and this weird career. But I like it now, except for the fact I'm..." he trailed off, suddenly somewhat ashamed.

"Lonely?" Luke prodded.

"Yeah," Han admitted, biting his lower lip in consideration. "I figured out a few years back that money ain't everything it's cracked up to be. Not when you don't have anyone to share it with."

Luke thought briefly about one of Han's earliest declarations about his love of money and how he could imagine having a lot of it. Now that he did have 'more than he could imagine' it didn't surprise Luke to find out it wasn't everything Han thought it would be. He decided to change the subject since it was apparent Han was getting rather morose. "I'd love to find a spot like this to build my Jedi Academy. I have them all living on Coruscant right now, but it's not a conductive location for training."

A sudden thought occurred to Han. 'Why can't you build it here?"

"On your property?"

"Sure, why not?"

"Well," Luke said, frowning. "I... well, I don't have the funds to build right now. Mon Mothma keeps promising, and things keep getting held up in committees."

"I'm a committee of one, so you can stop waiting."

Luke shook his head. "I'd love it here, but I don't have enough credits," he repeated.

"Luke, you aren't listening. I'll build your Academy. Well, pay to have it built, anyway. Don't have time to do it myself," he said, grinning.

"I couldn't possibly accept that kind of a gift!"

Han sighed again. "Why not?"

"It'll cost a small fortune. It would have to house at least twenty Jedi, and a training center, and a mess hall, and recreation space because Jedi can't practice and meditate all the time, and..."

"I'll pay for it," Han repeated, interrupting Luke's list. "Don't matter if it costs a small fortune to build. I know it sounds like I'm braggin' but I got a huge fortune, kid. What's the point of all those credits sitting around in a bank if I don't spend some of 'em?"

"You could give some credits to charities."

"What makes you think I don't already?" Han snapped back, suddenly annoyed. "Just 'cuz I don't announce it to the galaxy and try to make myself look good flashing checks for publicity, don't mean I don't give charities a lot of credits, 'cuz I do."

"I didn't mean anything like that, Han," Luke said, feeling a bit chastised and humbled. "If you want to build me my Academy, I'd be honored. "

"Great! You an' Mara can find an architect, draw up the plans and get started right away."

"Fine. But you do know the downside of building a Jedi Academy on your estate, right?"

"Downside?"

"I'll be living here, nagging you every time you're home from filming holo-shows or singing concert tours to come on over and start training as a Jedi."

"You'll be usin' joint cream for arthritis and keeping your false teeth in a jar by your nightstand before that'll happen."