Chapter 12

Luke passed the next couple of days by meditating and making light conversation with Han and Leia. While there was no conflict, there was an undeniable underlying tension for the duration of the journey. Han and Leia did everything they could to avoid one another and Luke was beginning to despair that they would ever mend their relationship.

Finally, the trip was reaching an end, and Luke had convinced Leia to join them in the cockpit when they left hyperspace. While she had initially been against the idea, her anticipation and curiosity ultimately prevailed over her desire to avoid Han. Strapped into the observer seat behind Luke's chair, Leia watched as Han prepared to exit hyperspace.

Meanwhile Han meticulously checked over the controls, more so to avoid having to make uncomfortable conversation than because he was actually doing something important. Determining that he couldn't procrastinate any further, Han grasped the lever in front of him. "Exiting hyperspace in 3…2…1…" The Millennium Falcon jerked forward as it reverted back to sublight speed.

"Leia, get over here," Luke told his sister eagerly. "You've got to see this."

Unbuckling herself, Leia stood up and walked over to stand behind Luke's chair. Naboo loomed largely in the window, taking up most of their view. Leia gasped as she took in the beautiful planet. "It's so beautiful," she said softly. "It's just like Alderaan."

Looking up at his sister, Luke gave her a reassuring smile. "Maybe it can become a home for you too," he said. Leia smiled back at him sadly, trying not to think about the memory of watching Alderaan get annihilated.

An hour later, the Millennium Falcon landed in the spaceport in Theed, the capital of Naboo. After some intense negotiations with a Toydarian, Leia managed to wrangle themselves a speeder. Rejoining Han and Luke by the Falcon, Leia gave a frustrated huff.

"What's wrong?" Luke asked.

"Nothing, that merchant was just really… persistent," she replied. "We don't have much money on hand, you know."

Luke nodded, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Perhaps I can teach you some tricks about how to… convince people of things."

Han gave Luke a suspicious glance. "That doesn't sound like something a Jedi would do," he said doubtfully.

Luke shrugged, remembering when Obi-Wan had tricked the Stormtroopers to let them go back on Tatooine. "It's not, but sometimes we have to use alternate methods if we have no other choice." Han rolled his eyes, but made no rebuttal. "So, are we ready to go?" Luke asked.

"They're just prepping the speeder now," Leia replied. "Where is it we're going, Luke?"

"You'll see," he said with a smile, prompting Leia to give him an exasperated look.

"What is it with you and your secrets all of a sudden?" she asked.

Han snorted. "It's the Jedi way, is it not," he said moodily, changing the tone of the conversation abruptly. Neither Luke nor Leia knew what to say to that, knowing that Han was right to still be angry at them. Noticing the twins' discomfort, Han excused himself, claiming he had to check on the Falcon.

After Han was out of earshot, Leia looked over to Luke with a concerned expression.

"Don't worry," Luke reassured her unconvincingly. "He'll turn around eventually." Leia merely bit her lip and looked away, feeling certain that she had lost Han forever.

After their speeder had been delivered, Luke drove the trio off towards the Lake Country where Anakin had told him he and his wife had fallen in love. Fortunately, the ride was fairly peaceful as both Han and Leia were too enraptured by the planet's beautiful features to bother feeling awkward around each other. Eventually they arrived at a boat house along the beach of the lake. Stepping out of the speeder, Luke gestured for Han and Leia to join him.

"Come on," he said. "We need to rent a ferry to get across the lake."

"You're still not going to tell us where we're going?" Leia asked as she exited the speeder. Luke merely chuckled in response, enjoying himself immensely. Rolling her eyes, she looked at Han who remained in the speeder, his gaze fixated on the lake.

"You coming?" she asked tentatively.

Looking up slowly, Han shook his head. "I don't think renting a boat is a three-man operation," he replied. "Besides, I want to go check out the beach."

"Suit yourself," Leia said, firmly aware that this was the first normal conversation they had had in days. Perhaps things will get better now that we're here, she thought, hoping that the beauty of Naboo could help ease Han's temper. Rejoining Luke, the siblings walked into the boat house.

"Can I help you?" an elderly looking man asked when he saw the pair walk in.

"Yes," Leia replied, instinctively taking charge. "We'd like to rent a boat."

"What a surprise," the man replied sarcastically. Leia raised an eyebrow, annoyed by the man's glib attitude. "How long you gonna need it for?" the man asked in a bored voice, ignoring Leia's expression.

"A week," Luke answered. "Maybe two, we're not really sure."

"Whatever," the man said nonchalantly. "We got a lot of tourists this time a year, so rates are pretty high if you're willing to pay."

Leia gave Luke a nervous look. Neither Luke nor Han had much money, so Leia had been the one providing the funds for the majority of their expenditures over the past month. As a senator, Leia received a decent salary, but she had never really thought about money much because the Organa's had always provided her with whatever she needed. As a result, Leia wasn't exactly sure how long the money she did have access to was going to last.

"How much are we talking?" Luke asked, familiar with the art of negotiation from his days on Tatooine.

"300 credits a day."

"300!" Leia said shocked. "We could buy a boat with that amount of money!"

"It's the going rate, sorry miss," he replied, not sounding sorry at all. Smiling to himself, Luke gave Leia a wink. Watch this he mouthed to her.

"You will offer us a boat for 100 credits a day," Luke told the shop keeper with a wave of his hand. The man raised his eyebrows in confusion at the young man's strange negotiation tactic.

"Uh… no I won't," he replied definitively. "300 a day, take it or leave it."

Leia looked at Luke with a perplexed expression. Surprised that his mind trick had failed, Luke tried again, this time more forcefully. "You will offer us a boat for 100 credits a day," he repeated.

"Who do you think you are, some kind of Jedi?" the man retorted indignantly. Stunned, Luke scratched his head, thoroughly confused about why he had been rebuffed. Leia stifled a giggle, amused by her brother's embarrassment.

"Fine, we'll take the deal," Luke said bitterly, deciding to throw in the towel.

"Great, let me get the paperwork." As the shop keeper went into the back room, Leia turned to her brother, a smug grin on her face.

"What was that?" she asked him.

"I don't know," Luke answered honestly. "I've never had that happen to me before."

"He must be too interested in money to be fooled by your tricks," Leia reasoned.

"I guess," Luke replied. "But maybe we'll have to cut this trip short if it's too expensive, I feel guilty about asking you to sponsor us all the time."

"It's fine, Luke," Leia told him, amused by Luke's steadfast frugality. "We're here to learn about our mother, not save money."

Luke nodded. "You're right."

"I always am," she told him with a smile.