Chapter Twenty-nine
Isabell made no sound as she tumbled through the air; it was Leia who was screaming, a high-pitched wail of fear and grief as she ran forward, knowing it was too late... too late to catch her child before she fell to her death.
It Luke who saved his sister's child - lifting his hand and shutting his eyes, he caught Isabell using the Force. Quickly and easily he lifted his niece back to the safety of the balcony, while Queen Filamina's face changed from vengeful triumph to speechless shock as Isabell floated into her mother's waiting arms.
Filamina still lay on the floor, pinned down by Mara, as she managed to regain her wits and voice. "You have no right to take my grandchild from Hapes. It is against the law."
"Luke, can you please pitch her off the balcony?" Leia asked in a quivery voice as Isabell cried softly against her mother's warm neck. How dare the arrogant Queen attempt in to murder her grandchild, then accuse Leia of breaking the law?
"That's the dark side, Leia," Luke admonished, although not unkindly. "You won't have to worry about Isolder or his mother, ever again."
The Princess drew her face back from her child. "They will come after me in the New Republic's court."
"You're forgetting about our evidence," Luke said, breaking into a grin.
"We can't show that," Leia gasped. "He would just die of humiliation. I would never do that to him."
"The Hapan people need to see it. The galaxy needs to see it," Mara said firmly, standing up and jerking the Queen Mother unceremoniously to her feet as well. "The recording can be carefully edited so his, um, privates are left private, although, quite honestly, Daysun doesn't seem like the modest sort, if you ask me."
Leia nodded, unsure if that would be something Han would agree to, but for now all she wanted to do was take Isabell away from this terrible place and hurry to Han's side during his recovery.
They hauled the Queen Mother toward the interrogation room and shoved her inside, where Isolder was still screaming, sobbing and begging for release.
"Take care of your worthless son, Filamina," Leia said before her brother used the Force to shut the heavy, durasteel door. "I hope your people find you soon, or you may die of thirst waiting inside your torture chamber."
Luke and Mara used their lightsabers to weld the metal edges of the door frame tightly shut. No one attempted to stop them as they left the Palace, and Luke felt the few Hapan servants that they passed on the way out seemed to be strangely pleased. They headed back to the Wookiee Princess and shot into space unchallenged.
Later, on Corellia
Princess Leia placed her hand against the warm duraglass tube, looking up with deep concern over the man floating inside, surrounded by green bacta. Quite reluctantly Leia had left Isabell back at Han's estate under the care of Mara and Cighal, with added reassurances from her brother that she'd be safe and cared for while she went with him to the clinic.
"Why isn't he awake yet?" Leia questioned, trying to keep her tone calm. "He should be awake."
Both Chewie and Luke stood behind the Princess, next to a Two-One Bee medical droid. It was the droid that spoke. "He is still sedated, due to being in the bacta. Master Daysun's vital signs are all steady. He is improving by the time-part."
At that moment a human female entered the room and everyone turned their attention toward her. Judging by her white overcoat and badge, she was obviously a doctor. "Hello, everyone." She smiled as they took in her appearance – a short but commanding looking female with long, graying hair that was twisted up in intricate braids, not unlike the hair style Leia favored.
"You're Alderaanian," Leia stated in surprise, her eyes sweeping over the professional.
"Yes, Your Highness," she responded, inclining her head slightly to acknowledge Leia's Royal status. "Doctor Sakoh, at your service." She smiled, which gave her professional demeanor warmth. "I've been Evin's Primary for a little over a year now. You might find it amusing, Princess, but at our first appointment he told me the reason he picked me as his doctor was because I was a short, female Alderaanian, and he wanted a doctor that would be honest and direct with him. Not take any of his 'bantha-shit' as I recall he so delicately worded it."
"Sounds like something Evin would say," Luke remarked with a smile.
"He's one of my more interesting patients," Dr. Sakoh said agreeably. "I was rather upset when Jedi Horn and Ambassador Chewbacca brought him into the clinic in such terrible condition."
"When will he be well enough to be removed from the bacta tank?" Leia asked. "It's been over a day now."
Dr. Sakoh took a deep breath. "The drugs the Hapans used on him were a form of spice called benzayl. This particular drug is used to enhance sensations. Most beings use it for sexual purposes, although the way it was used on Evin is not uncommon during illegal interrogations. Evin suffered terribly because of the combination of this drug and the electrical currents. We're deliberately keeping him sedated so he won't start having withdrawal symptoms from the benzayl. That's the last thing he needs to deal with right now."
"Is he addicted?" Luke wanted to know. More importantly, would he be able to use the Force to clear his system if Han was addicted? It wasn't anything Luke had tried before, but he was certainly willing to try if it could help his long-time friend.
"When he does comes out of bacta, he will need a synthetic version of spice, placed on his arm as a patch. It will release small amounts of the same class of drug to prevent him from having withdrawals. Every two days it will be replaced with a new patch, with lower strengths. After three weeks, if everything goes as planned, he should be weaned off the drug entirely with no side effects." She carefully added, "The synth-spice will help him, but he'll still be irritable, achy and have migraines as his body adjusts to the lower doses."
"How long does he have to stay in the tank?" Leia repeated her unanswered question.
"Another day, and it should be safe to take him out. But I am keeping him under sedation for a while yet, even after he's removed from the tank. I see no point in waking him up until his mind and his body heal enough to handle everything, Princess." The doctor looked warmly at Leia. "I know more about Evin than you might believe I know. He's always loved you. Take care of him this time." With those cryptic words, Doctor Sakoh left the room.
*Does she know?* Chewie barked in amazement. *Would Han have told her, before anyone else found out?*
"He might have," Luke said thoughtfully. "Keeping something like that a total secret would be almost unbearable, and maybe he thought he could trust her since she's his doctor." Luke grinned at his sister. "Sakoh probably reminded him of you."
The Princess was about to disagree just for the sake of disagreeing when Luke's comlink beeped and he checked the signal. "It's Corran," Luke informed them before turning on the comm. "Yes?"
"Luke? I've taken the recording to Rieekan, and he agrees we need to show the galaxy, with the visual part edited of course. The crazy Queen is threatening war with the New Republic because of Isabell."
"What do you think, Leia?" Luke asked his sister gently.
It was Chewie that answered the Jedi. *My Cub would not want a war to start because of his sense of modesty or propriety. He will not like everyone seeing him being tortured, but he will understand the necessity.*
Leia turned her gaze back toward the man she loved. "I agree. He's going to have a lot to deal with when he wakes up, though."
"He's not going to have to deal with it alone this time," Luke pointed out as he gently put his hand on Leia's shoulder. Luke spoke back into the comlink. "Go ahead with the editing and release it as quickly as possible. We need to head this off before beings are killed."
"I still want answers from everyone and you know what I'm talking about," Corran's dry tone came back before he cut off the signal.
Five days later, Corellia
Han blinked as he tried to adjust his eyesight. He was laying on his back, and could smell the antiseptic odors of a medical ward. So, obviously, he was in a clinic. He could hear soft, familiar snoring at his left side, and slowly, carefully turned to see Chewie sitting in a chair with head tilted back, eyes tightly shut.
"Shuuee?" Han croaked out. His voice hadn't been loud enough to wake the Wookiee, and his throat felt raw and unused. There was also a strange taste in his mouth and it took his brain another few seconds to realize it was the taste of bacta. So, I'm in a medical ward, and I've been submersed in bacta, Han thought blearily. I wonder what happened to me.
He tried again, louder this time, "Chewie?"
Instantly, the Wookiee sat straight up, his eyes snapping open. *You're awake! Finally! The doctors all said your vital signs were improving and that you'd be fine. Even if I didn't believe them, Luke also assured me he could sense that you would wake up and be normal. Well, as normal as you can be, anyway.*
"What the hell happened to me?" Han said, ignoring Chewie's insult and still speaking in a hoarse whisper. "I feel like I've been chewed up and spit out by a rancor." He frowned and without waiting for a response continued, "I had the strangest dream, pal. I was dreaming I was some famous singer and Leia left her slimy Hapan husband for me... it was so real and detailed." He stopped for a second then added, somewhat accusingly, "Why did you bring me to another medical center? I told you to leave me die on my ship. You promised!"
*Uh, Cub?*
"Yeah?" he groused, annoyed with his partner. Why didn't anyone ever listen to him? Although, to be fair, if Chewie said he was going to be fine, didn't that mean he'd been cured, somehow?
*Does the name Evin Daysun ring any bells in your befuddled brain?*
Han's eyes grew wide. "How did you know what my name was in that dream? Don't tell me you have the Force!"
Chewie sighed, rose from his chair and went into the refresher. When he returned he was holding a small reflector, thrusting it in Han's direction. *Look.*
Han took the reflector, sat up and gazed into the shiny surface. "It wasn't a dream."
*No, it was not. You are still Evin Daysun, famous Corellian entertainer. Women still adore you and want your sweaty rags, men still want to be you because women want your sweaty rags, and you will still be wearing tight, white flight suits with fringes on stage once you leave the medical clinic. You are not dying. Congratulations.*
"Yeah, what kind of a life did I carve out for myself this time," Han mused quietly, still inspecting his face while mentally adjusting once again to his new reality. "Sometimes I think things were safer and easier back when I was a smuggler." He tentatively touched his jaw where Isolder had punched him so violently, pleased it had been properly repaired with bone knitters and now was only slightly tender.
Chewie snorted. *At least then the only beings that wanted you dead were beings you personally pissed off, or hunters that were hired by the beings you pissed off. Now you have total strangers wanting you dead. So you might be right about that.*
The Corellian lowered the reflector. "I remember what happened. Isolder and his mother had me kidnapped and taken to Fountain Palace."
*And tortured you. They came very close to killing you.*
"You came for me." It wasn't a question.
*Me, Luke, Mara, Corran and Leia. We all came for you.*
Han shut his eyes and leaned back into the pillow, suddenly weary. "They won't let Leia have her daughter because of me."
Chewie gave a chuckle. *The Princess has her daughter back.*
"She does?" Han sat back up, ignoring the wave of dizziness that threatened to make him nauseous. "How?"
*Isolder and his mother can thank themselves. Leia got her child back because of what they did to you, Han. The New Republic released the recording Isolder made of your torture, and charged them with kidnapping and attempted murder. The good people of Hapes were so outraged they have, quite literally, stormed the Palace and have taken over. They are demanding the Absolute Monarchy of the Hapan Consortium be replaced with an elected democracy, and they are screaming for justice for Evin Daysun. So, there will be no more Queens. And equal rights for males are also demanded. Apparently, the Queen and her stupid son seriously underestimated how popular you are in the Consortium.*
Han felt stunned. "How long have I been out of it, Chewie?"
*Only six standard days. It was a busy six days while you snoozed.*
"Where's Leia?"
*Oh, she's been by your bedside, quite a lot. But General Rieekan and Chief of State Mothma needed her to do a media conference about your health, and the situation in Hapes. So, that's where she is now. In fact, her media conference is probably going on right now.*
Han looked around frantically for the holoset controls, which made Chewie laugh again as he picked it up from its location on a cabinet and pressed the 'on' button. Leia's face filled the screen, which was set in the upper corner of the small clinic room.
"...and his mother, the former Queen of Hapes, are currently in prison on Hapes and are awaiting extradition to Coruscant to await sentencing. They have already agreed to plead guilty to avoid remaining in a Hapan prison, as well as to avoid the death penalty for a multitude of other crimes committed on Hapes, including murder."
A reporter called out, "Does this mean you won't be returning to the Hapan Consortium?"
"If I do return, it will be only to assist the Hapan people in setting up a proper democracy, which they deserve. The beings of Hapes are good- it was only their leadership that was rotten to the core."
"Are you moving back to Coruscant? Taking an official position in the New Republic?"
"My intentions are to remain on Corellia, and live here. Permanently."
"Does this have anything to do with Evin Daysun?"
"It has everything to do with Evin Daysun."
"Will you marry him?"
"I fully intend to marry him, as soon as he recovers and then finishes making his latest movie. Evin's agent, Lando Calrissan, assures me the movie company is eager to pick up right where they left off," Leia said, smiling serenely. "But this time the production will be set on the upper levels. That was my demand, and they were quite willing to meet it, considering how the movie producers were so negligent with the guards they hired for Evin's security force the last time."
Most beings could read between the lines. Left unsaid in Leia's comment was the threat of litigation over Evin's kidnapping due to that negligence. Any movie executive in their right mind would be shaking in their boots over the financial repercussions a lawsuit of that nature would bring.
"So, this must mean Evin is improving?"
Leia shut her eyes, reaching out with the Force. "He's going to be fine. He's going to be just fine."
*Han?* Chewie poked Han in the shoulder, trying to draw his attention back.
"Huh?" Han snapped out of his wonderful Force connection with Leia. "What?"
*Luke says you must train in the Force, and I agree with the little Jedi, so you will do just that, as well as go find your crystal rock thing and make a lightsaber. Luke wishes for you to do that, so that is something you must do. I will be moving to Corellia with Malla, as well. Luke tells me there is an unoccupied residence on your estate, so we will live there. I am not arguing with you on any of this.*
"Chewie?" Han asked, still thinking about Leia as he watched her end the media conference. It seemed so surreal to him that some how, some way, he had Leia back in his life. A strange life he certainly never expected to have, but he was grateful for how things turned out. "Did I just hear Leia propose marriage to me? In front of the entire galaxy?"
*Yes, it appears she did.*
"Huh."
*You will marry her and be faithful to her. I don't care how many females keep throwing their panties and hotel fobs at you when you are wiggling around on the stage.*
Han tried not to give a smug grin as he once again leaned his head back on the pillow, putting his hands beneath his head. "So, in the few minutes that I've been awake, you're already ordering me to allow Luke to train me in the Force, and tellin' me I have to marry the Princess."
*Yes.*
"Chewie, it feels great to have you at my back again, pal."
*You had over a three year break from me telling you what to do. I am obligated to make up for lost time.*
I guess you were right all along, Ghost Skywalker. Things really did work out, Han thought to himself. He wasn't expecting an answer, but he got one anyway.
I told you so.
The End of Part One