Halo

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A/N-thank you very much for the kind reviews on the last chapter. Be warned the angst is high in this chapter.

Chapter Fifty-Eight-Coming Together

Lando didn't wilt under Han's icy stare. Instead he matched it. The two men slowly revolved around each other like two combatants in an amphitheatre. Chewbacca rolled his eyes at the ridiculousness of the whole thing. He would have thought they were too old for this foolishness, but here they were, acting like men half their age. He wondered who was going to throw the first punch. Probably Han, he decided, Chewie knew that his friend lacked patience. Shoot first and ask questions later-that was Solo's motto. This was Bespin all over again when Calrissian had reluctantly betrayed Han to Darth Vader, except this time it involved Vader's daughter and Han's wife, Leia. The irony wasn't lost on Chewie. He hung back, wavering over his decision whether to intervene or not. It could be quite fun watching the old men trying to outmanoeuvre one another. As he'd predicted it was Han who threw the first punch. Lando avoided it easily while raising his own fists in retaliation. The two men circled each other, exchanging pointed barbs.

This went on for a while. Eventually Chewie got bored of listening to their verbal sparring. The idiots were already out of breath just going around in endless circles with their fists held defensively in front of them. Their circular movements were making him dizzy, it had to be doing the same to them. He noticed Han blink and lurch a little to the right. Not long after Lando did the same. He shook his head as if to clear it. Chewbacca yawned widely, deciding it was best to put the old fools out of their misery and knock their heads together before they collapsed from exhaustion without even landing a single blow on one another.

As the Wookie began to lumber over in their direction, he was stopped in his tracks by the unexpected appearance of Ben and Rey. Chewbacca paused, looking at his surrogate nephew in concern. Ben seemed really shaken up and it made Chewie worry about what had transpired between the troubled young man and his mother. He observed Rey holding tightly onto Ben's hand while rubbing his arm with the other reassuringly. Chewie was comforted that Ben had Rey looking out for him. She really was a remarkable young woman and he thanked the gods that she had come into Ben's life when she had. The young couple's arrival also had the benefit of breaking up Han and Lando's ridiculous confrontation.

"Ben." Han instantly forgot about his 'disagreement' with Lando when he saw his son's face. "What happened? What did she do?" He demanded.

"Ease off, Han." Lando said breathlessly as came to join him. He adjusted his ornate cape so it fitted better over his shoulders. It had become tangled during his confrontation with Han.

"Haven't you interfered enough!" Han retorted irritably.

Lando scowled and Han scowled right back. Chewie growled his annoyance and roared at them to grow up. "Focus."

"I am focused." Han muttered as he turned his back on Lando and walked over to Ben. "Tell your old man what happened." He said gruffly, reaching up to put his hand on Ben's shoulder.

"She wants us to join the Resistance." Ben responded wearily. There was a kind of tired that needs a good night's sleep, and another that needs so much more. For him, it was the kind of tired that was the wearing of the emotions too, coming together with a tired body, it became an ingrained part of a life that isn't lived, but survived, endured. Being around his mother felt like that, it drained him emotionally until he was left feeling numb, left him drowning under the weight of his legacy.

Han was livid. "You already said no. What is she thinking, coming here an…?"

"Han." Lando cut in forcefully. "Leia had her reasons. Good ones."

"Well, she fooled you, didn't she?" Han snapped at Lando.

Ben exchanged a tired glance with Rey. He appreciated his father's continued attempts to be there for him but right now he just needed Han to listen without kicking off. He felt too drained and stressed to deal with any of it.

"Let me." Rey, sensing his distress, offered to take the burden from him.

"I love you." Ben's love and gratitude seeped through their bond like a gentle caress.

"I love you, too." Rey's response was like a soothing balm to his soul. She finished their telepathic conversation and concentrated on Han. "General Organa did have her reasons." She felt Ben's fingers tighten around hers at the mention of his mother. "Circumstances have changed since she last made her offer."

Han's expression turned grave as he regarded her thoughtfully. "What has changed?"

Rey sighed. "Somehow the emperor has returned."

Han stared at her incredulously. As did Chewie. "That's impossible."

"Its true, Han." Lando said, stepping forward. "A mysterious broadcast has been spread across the galaxy presumably from the dead Emperor Palpatine promising revenge. Leia sent agents to gather intelligence on the broadcast. A spy within the First Order has confirmed our worst fears, the Emperor has indeed returned from the dead and has allied with the First Order. The threat is now greater than any of us could possibly have imagined. To defeat it we need to come together not fight each other."

"Says the man who's been living like a hermit for the last few years on a desert planet in the Middian system." Han replied bitingly.

"And why is that?" Lando countered bitterly. An old hurt flashed in his expressive dark eyes as he glared at Han. "You've got your boy back in your life but I'll never get the same chance with my daughter. Losing her was the worst thing that ever happened to me. I had every reason to isolate myself here. So, don't you dare judge me!"

His impassioned response caught Han off guard and left him feeling immensely guilty. He averted his gaze, swallowing thickly as he fought to regain his composure. Lando mirrored him, staring at the tops of his outlandish boots until he felt Han grip his shoulder and pull him into a hug. "I'm sorry." Han apologised gruffly. "My stupid mouth runs away with me sometimes."

"Only sometimes?" Lando joked lamely as he covered up his sadness behind a fake smile. His eyes moistened as he thought about his lost daughter. She had been abducted by the nascent First Order as part of Project Resurrection, ostensibly to build up their army but also targeting the leaders of the former Rebel Alliance. "I searched for her for so long. I couldn't find her. I just couldn't…" He closed his eyes briefly as if he was in pain. "Our kids paid the price for what we did, Han. I'll never get over it. That's why we need to band together and fight for them now."

Han nodded, gripping Lando's shoulder tightly for a minute before letting go. He turned to face Ben and Rey. "Lando's right. Its time to stop running and fight. Ben?" He said questioningly.

Rey squeezed Ben's fingers comfortingly as she answered for him, for both of them. "We've already discussed it and have decided to fight but on our terms. We won't be joining the Resistance but are willing to work with them."

Han looked at the young couple with pride. "I'm proud of both of you. I hope you know that." He was about to say more when Chewie suddenly engulfed them all in his hairy arms and hugged them. "Get off!" Han complained when he heard Lando's amused laughter ringing in his ears. "Daft, sentimental Wookie!"

It was Han who went to tell Leia what had been decided. Ben wasn't ready to face her again just yet. So, while the others made their way back to the Falcon, Han went to face his estranged wife alone. As he entered the treadable he found Leia pacing. She stopped as soon as she spotted him, quickly concealing her emotions behind an impassive mask. "Han." She murmured, the sudden softness in her eyes as they settled on her husband revealing a crack in the mask.

"I'm going to keep this short, sweetheart." Han said evenly. "We'll come back to Ajan Kloss with you."

"It's the right choice, Han." Leia stepped forward, those same eyes lighting up with relief. "I knew…"

"Let me finish." Han cut in quickly before he let his own emotions run away with him. "We're not joining the Resistance but are willing to work alongside you. We will not take orders from you. We'll be setting our own terms."

Leia exhaled slowly as if she had been holding her breath. "Han…." She tried again to reach out to him but he immediately withdrew from her and she flinched. "I'm trying with him, Han. I really am trying to reach out to him." She pleaded. "He just keeps putting obstacles in the way and making it so difficult."

Han's face clouded over with disappointment as he listened to her try and defend her poor choices. The worst flaw a person can have is that of self-deception. Leia was like that. She felt like her good deeds meant she was a good person and that anything negative she did was justified. Maybe it was the only way she could sleep at night. "I have to go and join the others. We'll see you back at the base." He concluded huskily.

"Han!" Leia cried as the impassive mask broke completely and she tried to draw him back to her. "Please, you have to for- "

Han paused in the doorway of the treadable, his stance rigid. "Don't ask me to forgive you, sweetheart." He interrupted before she could complete her sentence. He turned his head to look over his shoulder in her direction and their eyes met and held briefly. Han could the see the pain she was so desperate to hide. He saw how her every emotion was coming together to form a picture he could see in an instant comprehend with full depth. "Anyway, it's not my forgiveness you should be seeking, is it?"

Leia's lips trembled slightly as she worked up the courage to answer but Han was done with waiting. He said no more as he turned to leave. This time he didn't look back.

A/N-thanks for reading! Please review.