Chapter Fourteen

Luke was quick. Using the Force he gently lowered his sister to the floor, and then knelt by her side, taking her head under his hand. Han was almost as quick, as he moved across the hallway and he was also kneeling in an instant, taking her hand and rubbing it.

"Leia?" Han whispered hoarsely. He looked over at Luke with a stricken expression. "What's wrong with her?"

By that time Leia's eyelids had fluttered and she opened her eyes, blinked a few times, staring up at her brother, then tracked over to... Han? Was she imagining things? The sensation she'd felt through the Force when Wes had stepped aside and she saw Lando there, arguing with Evin Daysun ... But it wasn't the Force-sense of a stranger that came coursing over her. It was, unmistakably Han's Force-sense. Luke had told her that even those beings without the Force give off unique signals to those with the ability to pick it up. It was a signal, a sense she never thought she'd feel again, at least until she became One with the Force; and if the Force were truly benevolent, she fervently wished it would allow her Spirit to flow together and merge with Han's so they could finally, for eternity, be together.

The good-looking man staring down worriedly at her didn't look a bit like Han. His voice didn't sound like Han's. Still she was unable to separate this man from the one she'd lost. Why?

Lando's panicky voice drifted through, "Should I comm a medic? I'll comm a medic!"

"No," Leia said, struggling to sit up, grateful that Luke was there to assist her. "I'm fine. I just got a little woozy. I'm sorry, everyone."

"She's okay, Lando," Luke said. "She hasn't had enough to eat lately." It was the truth, combined with the shock of unexpectedly sensing Han's presence. He took a glass of water from the concerned older Corellian and assisted Leia in taking a sip.

Lando gave a nervous bark of laughter and looked over at Isolder, who seemed calm and unconcerned as he stood between Mara and Wes. "Females sometimes faint when they see Evin, but Princess.. err, Queen Leia didn't seem like the swooning sort or I wouldn't have invited her backstage," said Lando, trying to offer some excuse to Leia's spouse.

"My wife enjoys being the center of attention," Isolder replied, without offering examples.

Evin Daysun was still rubbing her hand and the physical connection only confirmed what Leia initially felt through the Force. This man was Han. Somehow. In some way. She looked over at Luke, her brown eyes questioning. "I don't understand..." Looking back at Han she now saw a man with hair so dark it was nearly black and deep blue eyes. She whispered, "How is this possible?"

"I..." Han stopped and gave a desperate glance over at Luke. Did you tell her?

No.

They were communicating through the Force, Leia realized with a start. "How?" she repeated, even more astonished than a few moments ago.

Lando was tugging on Han's shirt. "You really have to get in your costume now, Evin. You're on in a quarter part!" He shoved the white costume in Han's direction, pointing toward the dressing room.

Luke and Han helped Leia stand and regain her bearings. "Are you sure you're okay, Sweetheart?" Han said very softly in her ear. "It won't hurt my feelings a bit if you need to go home and lie down." A large part of him hoped she would go back to the Palace and he wouldn't have to give a concert with her in the audience. It would be easier on him, even if Luke remained to watch the show.

Sweetheart. How many times he had called her that in the beginning of their acquaintance just to make her angry and to get a reaction, Leia mused. Now his term of endearment spoken like he truly meant the word in the best way, without sarcasm or malice, made her both overjoyed and heartsick.

"I wouldn't miss your concert for the galaxy," she replied truthfully, although with a watery smile.

He gave a lopsided, strained grin as Lando started to pull him away by his arm and said, "I'll explain everything, later."

Isolder gave a huge, put upon sigh then said quite loudly, "I don't understand what females see in him. I am much more handsome, and taller, too."

His comment was meant for Han to overhear, and Solo turned to glare at Isolder, annoyance overtaking his worry over both Leia and the costume he was about to contend with. "I don't understand what Queen Leia sees in you." It took every bit of his self-restraint not to pull away from Lando and slug Isolder in the nose for everything he'd put Leia through... for making her so unhappy.

Not a good time, Han, Luke messaged through the Force.

The Corellian glanced at Luke and at that moment decided he was going to put on the best show of his life to let Isolder see exactly why females liked him. Let him eat his heart out, Han thought, knowing he wanted revenge and knowing what Luke would say about those feelings. Lando pulled harder at his sleeve and then Han was gone from sight.

Wes coughed, and shuffled his feet. "See? This is why Evin doesn't care to have visitors come backstage. Things like fainting and, um, insults...it's damn distracting."

"Obviously," Mara said dryly, looking smugly over at Luke who was still holding Leia's arm protectively. "And, I hate to say I told you so, but I told you so."

"Let's just go back to our seats," Luke replied, trying not to get snippy with Mara.

"Good idea!" Wes said, sounding much happier, and he clapped his hands together in an effort to move them away. "Enjoy the show, everyone!"

"I'd have more fun having a root canal," Isolder muttered as he headed back to the booth.

The Show

Opening refrains from one of Evin Daysun's popular music holo-cubes started to fill the air, and the blood-red stage curtain began to pull back. Lando, from the far end of the bench, leaned over Mara to address Luke and Leia. "You're going to be in for a real treat. Evin only sings a few songs from his big hits, and then sings what he likes, not what the studio tells him to record for sales."

"He doesn't like his hits?" Mara asked, knowing that Luke and Leia had not spoken since returning to the booth. Leia's iciness toward her brother was coming through loud and clear.

"Oh, they're okay, I suppose," Lando replied. Even he could see there was now an issue between Luke and Leia although he couldn't understand why brother and sister suddenly seemed at odds. Maybe Leia was embarrassed at passing out from seeing Evin? It was the only thing Lando could come up with, but he couldn't worry about that right now, so he continued, "Evin's vocal range is much better than the light-weight tunes he's forced to record."

Luke leaned forward to speak to Lando. "Did he put on the flight suit?"

The former gambler-turned-General grinned widely. "Yes, he did. He said he looked like a stripper, but trust me, he looks great. I knew I was making the right decision."

The music got louder and Lando could no longer talk without shouting, so he leaned back in the seat and waited until Evin Daysun took the stage.

Seconds passed, the crowd started chanting, "EVIN EVIN EVIN!" and Lando started getting concerned. Maybe Evin had changed his mind about coming out on stage with the fringed white flight suit after all.

Then strobe lights started flashing, and Evin Daysun loped out on the stage, fringes and all.

Luke was astounded, speechless really, after his friend belted out the opening, fast tune. He'd heard some of what he believed at the time were Evin's music holo-cubes, mostly because they were so widespread throughout the galaxy they were impossible to avoid hearing. But listening to him sing live, watching him actually give a performance, was, well... mind-boggling. He wasn't just good; he was extraordinary.

He glanced over to his sister, weighing her reaction and Luke could tell she was just as flabbergasted as he was. Luke returned his attention back to the show. It was hard to look away from the man that had once been a smuggler, and halfway through the third number Luke suddenly realized exactly how Han was using the Force, even though he denied that he used it at all. It was projecting off him in waves of charisma and sexuality, enveloping his audience and not letting them go. I'm not sure Ben would approve, Luke thought, stunned at his revelation. I will have to have a serious discussion with Han after he gets back from this tour on the appropriate uses of the Force, and especially the inappropriate uses.

Han was now singing a slow love song. He approached the far right side of the stage and to Luke's utter surprise Solo tossed his mic over to Wes and took the four steps down off the stage and right into the audience, who squealed in delight at the unexpected closeness of their idol.

Luke leaned over Mara and asked Lando in concern, "Is this a normal part of Evin's show?"

"Not that I've ever seen!" Lando replied, eyes wide. "What in the Sith does he think he's doing? Those females could start ripping him to shreds!"

Through the Force, Luke felt Security Chief Corran Horn's startled concern as well. This wasn't good.

"Move please, Mara," Luke asked his fiancee. "I have to go assist Corran."

"Assist him?" Jade questioned, pushing Lando out of the way to allow Luke to leave. "How?"

Luke didn't waste time answering as he bounded over the railing separating their tier from the lower level, quickly joining Corran as both he and Horn attempted to keep the majority of women safely away from Han, or at least calm them down by use of the Force.

Han, however, wasn't acting concerned at all. He was busy bestowing kisses on every female that hurried over, and that appeared to be the vast majority of them sitting on this lower level.

Mara had retaken her seat. Without Luke between them, she was right next to Leia. "Do you like the concert so far?"

"Wha... what's he doing?" she whispered, not wanting Isolder to overhear them.

"It appears he's trying to kiss more women in five minutes than most men kiss in their entire lives," Mara said, amused. "And while he's at it, probably make a certain Prince jealous as hell."

Watching Han kiss dozens of females mere meters away wasn't making Leia very happy either, but when she shot a quick glance to her left and she saw the seething expression of her husband she suddenly wanted to laugh. Much louder, for Isolder's benefit, she said, "I sure wish I was on that lower level, don't you, Mara?"

Playing along, Mara answered, enthusiastically and just as loudly. "Sure do, Leia!"

Isolder gave both women a frosty glance.

Somehow, probably due to Luke and Corran's Force-assist, Han survived his foray out into the audience, got back on stage at the opposite end, and taking the mic back from Wes he continued his song without missing a beat. He strongly suspected that Corran was going to have his head on a platter for pulling that stunt, but he had been confident in both Corran's and Luke's abilities to keep him safe. Now, back on stage, he was suddenly aware of the risk he had just taken and was very, very grateful that his trust in his Jedi friends had not been misplaced.

He spent the rest of the concert alternating between fast, upbeat songs, Corellian Country and ballads. By the end of the show, he addressed the audience as he mopped sweat off his face before tossing the blue scarf down toward a female that was pleading to own the damp item. If fans so desperately wanted a sweaty scarf, who was he to deprive them?

"I'd like to end this show by singing a song that a friend of mine once told me was her father's favorite Alderaanian song. It goes something like this.."

Leia listened, her heart pounding against her chest. It was indeed her father's favorite song, one he would often play after his wife died. It was a song about a lost love, and the singer was lamenting how he didn't want to go on with his life without his one true love. The melody was beautiful and Leia knew it was a notoriously difficult song to sing. Only the best Alderaanian vocalists even attempted it. She held her breath as Han reached the drawn out ending, but he hit all those hard notes without missing a beat. Leia felt her eyes filling with tears, over both the memories the song held for her, as well as pride in Han's ability to sing it.

The audience roared in appreciation as the curtain fell and the concert came to a close.

As the lights came back on, Lando stood up, addressing the small group after they had moved from the booth. "I told you that outfit was perfect. I don't think Evin was even thinking about it after the first song or two."

"It did look good on him," Mara admitted reluctantly. "Maybe the X-Wing pilots should follow suit."

Luke laughed. "All those fringes would get in the way of the firing controls."

"I hope to see you at the after-show party," Lando said, still grinning. "Queen Filamina has graciously agreed to allow me to use the ballroom and outside pool area to serve cocktails and hors d'oeuvers."

"I, for one, have no intentions of meeting this overpaid male escort again," Isolder put in haughtily. 'Correct, Queen Mother?"

"I will be there," Queen Filamina spoke for the first time all evening. "You are excused from attending, my son."

Isolder bowed deeply to his mother, surprised at her desire to attend this function but not daring to question her. "Good evening then, Mother." He turned and left without speaking to his wife.

"Of course we will be there," Leia informed Lando. She had pulled her emotions back together and the idea of spending some time with Han, getting an explanation from him, was now all-consuming.

"Are you still angry with me?" Luke asked his sister.

"I'm not angry. I'm hurt. I just want an explanation from the both of you, Luke. Nothing more."

Lando still didn't understand what was going on between Leia and Luke. "I hope Evin shows up," he joked, trying to ease the tension. "He despises after-show parties. Claims he's too tired after a performance and it irritates him that everyone wants to talk to him and take his holo. You might have to use your Force powers to get him out of his room."

Luke smiled at Leia. "I can do that, if necessary."