If you're reading this, thanks for sticking with me! If you're enjoying it, hang onto your hats – I've got LOTS more where this came from (some better than others, even to my mind!) and I'm just finding my feet in the world of fan fiction.
This and one more chapter to go for this fic but there will be more (take that as threat or promise, it's up to you...)
By Alderaan standards the cantina was a dive.
By Corellian standards it was upmarket.
By Han Solo's standards it was palatial.
It was far too light and airy for Han but the drinks were cheap, comparatively at least, and the music was, well, actually pretty much to his liking.
His first shot of liquor had tasted like smooth liquid silk. So he'd slammed his glass on the counter and demanded the stuff the regulars didn't like sharing with the in-laws. The bartender had given him a furtive look, then produced an unmarked bottle from beneath the counter, charged him an unreasonably high number of credits and asked that he give him no trouble.
Han had snatched the bottle off the counter and swaggered to the farthest, darkest alcove he could find. Even that was brighter than he had wanted.
He was on his third drink when an exceptionally beautiful and exceptionally young, Han estimated, female Twi'lek leaned over his table and fluttered her astonishingly long eyelashes at him.
"Looking for some company?" She cooed.
"What if I were." Han grinned.
"Well." She said, licking her luscious lips. "Then I could sit here, beside you."
She slid into the booth, a long slender leg slipping over his, a sinewy arm gliding across the back of the chair and a lekku brushing his jawline.
"And what?" Han asked, his eyes locked with hers. "If I were looking for more than just company?"
The Twi'lek's eyes twinkled. "Well then." She breathed. "I have a place in town. I could show you the way."
The tip of the Twi'lek's lekku traced the outline of his lower lip.
Before he became a respectable member of the Rebel Alliance, back when Han Solo was only looking out for Han Solo, he wouldn't have hesitated.
But this Han Solo was not that Han Solo any more.
"And when we get there." Han said, slowly closing the distance between their lips. "Would you like me to read you a bedtime story?"
The Twi'lek hissed an abomination in her native tongue at him, rose gracefully from the booth and set her sights on another sad, lonely heart across the bar.
"Your loss soldier is another man's gain..." She tossed over her shoulder.
He watched her wriggle her way over to another booth and her banter began again. Han shook his head and swallowed back another glass. He wondered if the management of this place knew she was plying her trade here. He wondered if they cared. It was hardly a surprise. Senators, Ambassadors and their staff were constantly calling at Coruscant. Away from home and family, smart men with smart money, easy prey for a night of bliss and no one to be any the wiser.
Smart men, he thought.
Smart women too.
What was it Lando had said that had tapped into Han's petty jealousies and insecurities? Something about hotshot Senators and Councillors turning Leia's head.
Leia!
Han refilled his glass and stared into the dark, sultry liquid.
How much venom had she spat about the Empire and about Vader himself over the course of their acquaintance. Never knowing, never even suspecting that he was...but how could he be?
How could that black-suited monster be her father. And Luke. The kid was like a polar opposite of all that Vader had stood for. This Force, could it really turn someone as gentle as Luke into...
Han drank back his liquor and refilled his glass. Before Yavin and the Death Star, before he got himself drawn into what had seemed like a crazy, one-sided battle, a rag-tag collection of no-hoper's versus the might of the Imperial Forces. Before all the craziness that followed, if Han Solo had found himself in the company of a beautiful, willing woman he would have milked every moment of pleasure he could out of her and not looked back.
If he could change, could become a different person because of the love of one woman, why not the reverse happen. Something had happened to Anakin, Leia had said. Something that made him turn to the dark side for answers.
Han swallowed another glass and whilst the alcohol started to kick in, clarity dawned. Vader...or rather Anakin had been in love.
His thought process was interrupted as a grinning Lando Calrissian joined him in the booth, seating himself opposite Han.
"You had a lucky escape there pal!" Lando said, adding another bottle to the table and filling both his and Han's glass from it. A fat cigar poked from between his fore and middle finger.
"Lando!" Han spat.
Nodding toward the departed Twi'lek, Lando said. "She'd have gotten you twenty to life in the spice mines of Kessel for sure. And I doubt Leia would be dropping by for conjugal visits if you get me." He winked, his grin widening.
"What the Hell are you doing here?" Han demanded.
"Luke called." Lando blew a huge plume of smoke over their heads. "Said you'd had a hissy and stormed off. He was worried you might get yourself into trouble."
Lando was still eyeing the Twi'lek who had clearly found herself a date for the night. "Don't think he imagined you might find yourself getting someone like her into trouble though!" He added with a laugh.
"Pretty close, you and Luke, these days." Han observed.
"Yeah. Well, you know, he's a good kid that Luke." Lando said, swallowing back his drink and refilling his glass.
"So, what happened with the message he gave you on Endor?" Han asked.
"Er..." Lando gave the impression of thinking back. "He said something about leaving the planet. But I told you that didn't I?"
"What you didn't tell me." Han said, leaning over the table. "Was that he was leaving with Leia and the fleet and coming to Coruscant."
"Didn't I?" Lando queried. "Must have slipped my mind."
"Yeah!" Han grumbled. "Your mind seems to be doing a lot of slipping lately."
"What difference does it make? Besides, may I remind you I was pretty busy getting the Falcon flight-ready." Lando retorted, gulping back the contents of his glass.
"What difference..." Han swallowed another drink and watched Lando refill both of their glasses. "Firstly, you were only fixing up the Falcon because you banged her up in the first place. And don't think I didn't notice how much you left undone." Han poked a finger at Lando who blew a smoke ring around it. "And secondly, if you had given me the full message from Luke I might not have made such an ass of myself when I saw him with Leia, in her quarters, looking all cosy together!"
Lando roared with laughter before spluttering and coughing.
Han reached over and relieved Lando of his cigar.
"You thought..." Lando coughed and took a swig from his liquor bottle. "Luke and Leia! Seriously, Han you don't know just how wrong that would be!"
"Oh, I think I do." Han replied.
He followed Lando's lead and gulped from his bottle.
"For one." Lando ticked off on his fingers. "There is no way that kid would have the first idea how to handle a lady like Leia. For two, I doubt that kid would have the first idea how to deal with any lady for that matter. And three.." Lando leaned forward and retrieved his cigar, drawing a mouthful of tobacco. "Leia is so crazy in love with you, no other guy stands a chance with her." He puffed smoke out and held his bottle toward his friend.
Han clinked the neck of his bottle against Lando's. "Agreed." He said and they both took a slug.
"So, tell me." Lando lowered his voice conspiratorially. "Where does a gambler like me have to go to get himself into a really good game?"
Han considered before answering. "I think I know just the place."
XXXXXXXXXXXX
Leia was dreaming.
She was a child again in the grounds of the Royal Palace on Alderaan.
The sun was shining brightly and Leia lay on her stomach in a patch of long grass watching a flitterbug fluttering between flowers. Her father was calling to her and he was annoyed again, she could tell from the say he spoke her name. She knew what he was angry about too. She'd been outside the palace gates again, unescorted. She just couldn't understand why he worried so. There was nothing outside to scare her. Nothing she couldn't handle by herself. And there was just so much to see.
"Leia Organa, don't you ignore me young lady!" Bail had said to her angrily.
"Sssh Papa, you'll scare her away!" She'd exclaimed.
"No, Leia. This is important. You come here now!" He'd commanded. She knew how far she could push her father and the tone of his voice told her she had gone far enough. Sulkily, she left the flitterbug and the flowers behind and stood before her father.
"I'm sorry Papa." She'd said simply as he knelt to look at her. "Don't be cross with Winter, she didn't know what I was going to do."
"I'm not cross with Winter." He'd said, gently cradling her face in his big, strong hands. "Or with you precious one. I just fear for your safety. You're just a child, you don't realise there are people out there who could hurt you. And that would hurt me. Hurt me more than words can say."
"But Winter says the people love you Papa, why would anyone want to hurt you?" She'd asked.
He'd leaned forward and softly kissed her forehead before answering. "There is always someone, precious one, who wants to hurt someone else. Not matter how much they may feel loved."
She hadn't understood what he meant, just grateful that he hadn't sent her to bed early. The day was too bright, too beautiful and there was still too much for her to explore before her bedtime.
Leia rolled over and the scene changed. She was in her father's arms at her mother's bedside and was little more than a babe. Her father had cradled his dying wife and cried, openly, as she had taken her last breath. And he had clutched his daughter tightly as if afraid to let her go.
In an instant the aspect changed again. She was a grown woman, standing beside a box. No, not a box. A casket. An elaborate flower arrangement covering its lid. The only light shone down from a single light, illuminating the casket.
Sobbing.
She could hear sobbing from the darkness but no matter how hard she tried she couldn't see anyone. Then she heard a knock. And another. She looked around and jumped as the knocking became more intense. She was cold, terribly, terribly cold. And the knocking grew louder. The casket lid began to tremble. To rock, violently. Unable to catch her breath, she cried out as the lid flew into the darkness.
Lord Darth Vader stared back at her.
With a gasp, Leia sat bolt upright in her bed. Rubbing her forehead, the banging continued. It took a moment for her to realise the sound was coming from her own quarters.
Slipping out of bed and pulling on a robe she made her way through to the living quarters. The banging had stopped and been replaced by voices, raised, and very familiar.
In the doorway Han Solo swayed, demanding that Winter step aside and allow him to enter.
"I will warn you one last time Captain Solo." Winter advised. "If you do not remove yourself from this threshold I shall have no option but to order the Goblin to fire upon you."
"Five minutes with her, that's all I need." Han implored.
"It's the middle of the night!" Winter barked.
"Five minutes." Han repeated.
"Then you should return at a more respectable hour, Captain." Winter said. "When I'm sure Her Highness will be more than happy to meet with you. Her commitments permitting, of course."
"It's all right Winter." Leia said from the doorway leading to the remainder of her rooms.
"But Your Highness!" Winter exclaimed.
"I think I'm perfectly safe with Han." Leia said.
Han nodded smugly at Winter who grudgingly stepped aside allowing him access.
"Go back to bed Winter." Leia said. Winter was about to protest when Leia continued. "Han will only be here for five minutes."
Clearly unhappy, Winter returned to her room though her door remained open Han noticed.
"Five minutes Han." Leia said to which he thrust forward a hand holding three bright yellow Zeebee Crests and a huge purple flower Leia couldn't name. With a sigh she took the flowers, arching an eyebrow at the attached bulb and roots of the purple bloom.
"Funny thing, but did you know, there are any number of places to go and get drunk in this crummy place but it turns out if you want to buy the little lady a bunch of flowers to apologise for being home late, nowhere's open." Han said. Mostly coherently if a little slurred in parts.
"Really." Leia puzzled over what to do with her 'posy', eventually tucking them into another arrangement. "I'll speak with the Trade Guild in the morning."
"I'm sorry." Han said, quietly. "I shouldn't have stormed off like that. You deserved better, especially from me."
"Apology accepted. The door is behind you." Leia replied.
"I'm not going anywhere yet." He said and approached her, taking her face in his hands in the same way her father had in her dream. He smelled of cheap alcohol and even cheaper tobacco, even so, Leia involuntarily trembled at his touch.
"I heard you out. Five minutes of your time for me?" He asked. Leia's smile convinced him to continue. "I like to drink sometimes. And sometimes I like to get drunk. My Dad liked to drink sometimes too. And sometimes he liked to get drunk as well. Trouble is, the sometimes he got drunk were also the sometimes when something hadn't gone his way. At times like that, my Dad liked to use his fists on anyone who got in his way. One night, when I was about six, my Mom got in his way on just such a night. He broke her cheekbone, nose, eye socket, two ribs and her right wrist when she wouldn't get up to take any more."
"Oh Han!" Leia said, her voice no more than a whisper. "I'm so sorry."
"I swore that night I would never let him hurt her like that again." Han said. "As it was, I didn't need to worry. Even before Mom's bruises had faded he'd gotten in the way of another drunk who was having an equally bad day. They found him two days later, behind a cheap cantina. He'd died in a pool of his own blood and vomit right where he fell."
Leia placed her hands over his, wanting to soothe away his pain.
"My point.." He said. "Is that I am not my father." He leaned forward and gently kissed her forehead. "And you are not yours." He finished.
"Have I told you that I love you?" Leia somehow managed to say.
"Not nearly often enough." He responded, bending to kiss her lips but finding himself being pushed away, Leia's nose wrinkled in disgust.
"You really need to take a shower, get a change of clothes and some strong coffee inside you before you spontaneously combust!" She insisted.
Han backed away, his usual cock-eyed grin on his face. "Okay Princess. He agreed, walking backward toward the door. "But only because I've had my five minutes. I'll be back tomorrow. Dinner. Conversation. And..er..no floorshow this time. I promise."
"Get out of here, you pirate!" She laughed, throwing a cushion at him and missing.
"I'll go find those quarters we've been allocated. No doubt Chewie will have made himself at home by now. Goodnight Winter." He called from the doorway. Giving Leia a wink and blowing her a kiss, he made sure the door audibly closed as he left.
"Insufferable man!" Winter scoffed from her doorway.
Leia retrieved the cushion she had thrown and placed it back in it's place on the sofa. "Goodnight Winter." She said.
"Not that you listen to me." Winter complained.
"Winter." Leia said firmly. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight Your Highness." Winter conceded. This was one battle she sensed she was unlikely to win easily.