A/N:I should clarify a few small timeline/worldbuilding things. The Republic is a very loose analogue for the US. The Civil War happened less than 10 years prior, putting this early 1870s. The Dagobah River is a stand-in for The Mississippi. Coruscant is in what we would consider to be New England. Corellia is a southern state (which goes a bit against the source material because I'm pretty sure that its supposed to be like Detroit, but such a detail is irrelevant when automobiles haven't even been invented in this AU).

Anyway, those are the relevant details (I think), although I think the story is pretty straightforward enough that you don't need to know them intimately. If anything is confusing, please comment and I'll try to clarify without spoiling anything. Thank you for the support.

"I had enjoyed reading before this," Leia said flippantly, rubbing her eyes as she reread the same paragraph about the size of city roads.

Jyn chuckled. "I had as well." She pushed a cup of hot tea towards Leia and sat back down.

"I didn't even know we had tea," Leia said as she took a sip of the hot beverage. She sighed inwardly, happily. She hadn't had any decent tea since the train ride out of Coruscant, nearly five years earlier. She told Ackbar that she and Jyn would try to find what they could from the volumes, and wouldn't be coming back to her secretarial work until after they were done. "Any progress?"

Jyn cleared her throat and quoted: "Telegraph lines may not exceed 5 parsecs unless in the case of near urban areas, then its 3."

"Well, we each finished one, just these and the last one between us."

As the afternoon wore on, Leia decided to stretch her legs and take a walk to the sheriff's office to see how Luke was doing. The door was partly open when she arrived. She opened it all the way slowly and stepped in to hear the middle of a conversation.

"-You've got to understand, Luke. I may seem calm about this, but I'm in real trouble here. Jabba don't take kindly to theft."

"I'll do what I can, Han, but I'm afraid I've got a lot on my plate." Luke stood to pour himself more coffee as Leia stepped into the room.

"Doing what? Watching after run away wagons and that crazy sister of yours?"

Leia cleared her throat and the cowboy whipped around, taking his hat off when he saw her. "Miss Organa, I didn't see you there." She ignored him.

"How goes the hunt?" Luke asked, sitting back at his desk.

"It's going, slow, but going. Just came to check on you."

Luke gave her a wide smile and raised his coffee to her. "Thank you kindly, sister. I'm doing just fine."

"You sure? It'd seem you got someone on the wrong side of the bars in here." Leia looked pointedly at Mr. Solo. "What'd you steal from Jabba?"

"Hey, I didn't steal nothing!" He pointed his hat at her, a serious look on his face. He'd left his chaps at home today it would seem, as well as his Indian shadow.

"Anything." Leia corrected. "You didn't steal anything."

"Exactly!" He shrugged. "Jus' let a few steers go is all."

Leia's eyebrows shot up. "Why? What good is a cowboy that can't keep track of his cows?"

He scoffed at her. "You think I just felt like it, sweetheart? If you were there, you'd understand."

"I doubt it. You know that Jabba won't forget this."

He looked as though he was about to explode as Luke slammed his empty tin cup on his desk. "Alright, I'm done with my coffee and also with the two of you. Get out, both of you. Han, I'll let you know if I can help you somehow, and Leia, I'll be home later, come see me if you find something."

Leia stormed out before Mr. Solo could, holding her hand over her eyes as a particularly big patch of dust was kicked up by the wind. Normally the dust would settle down after a bit, but this was escalating to a full on storm.

An arm wrapped around her and she felt herself get tucked away from the wind. "Careful you don't blow over." Mr. Solo's voice was right in her ear and sent chills down her spine.

"Let me go!" she demanded firmly. He didn't seem to hear her, only pulling her closer as the wind picked up even harder. As the wind settled down she pushed against him and brushed off as best she could. She bid her heart to beat slower, it wasn't as if the gesture was anything other than hiding from the dust.

"Easy, don't get excited!" He shook the dust off of his hat and out of his hair, only messing the brown mop even further. She tried to catch his eye but he had them cast downwards. She told herself that it was just his windblown face, and not that he was blushing.

"I'm not one of your horses, Mr. Solo. And it doesn't take shielding me from a dust storm to get me excited."

He smirked and she was sure he was going to say something smart when the wind started to pick up again. "C'mon, let's get you inside." They linked arms to run towards her and Luke's house, shutting the door behind them. They brushed off just inside the door, Leia careful to keep her eyes at the floor as Han hung his hat next to her own on Luke's peg. She peeked out the curtain and cursed under her breath. The cowboy in her foyer wasn't going anywhere for awhile.

"Care for some coffee, Mr. Solo?" she asked him.

"Love some, Miss Organa," he said, following where she gestured into the kitchen.

"Leia, Leia, I think I've found-" Jyn burst in holding one of the volumes just as Leia finished pouring her and her guest a cup. She reached for another glass as Jyn took a step back and Han stood from his seat at their tiny dining table. "How do you do, I didn't know that you'd be coming Mr…"

"Miss Jyn Erso, I'd like you to meet Mr. Han Solo," Leia said, pouring Jyn a cup as well.

"Mr. Solo, it's good to meet you."

"Ma'am," Mr. Solo said, nodding his head, grimacing as Jyn actually curtsied to him. Leia did her best not to laugh at the sight.

"Sit both of you," Leia said, bringing the two of them their coffee and sitting with her own. "What did you find, Jyn?"

She looked up from the book to Leia to Mr. Solo, asking a silent question.

"If you're wondering whether I trust him, the answer is no. But the circumstances require strange bedfellows, it would seem." She heard Mr. Solo cough slightly into his coffee, but ignored hm.

Jyn opened to the page she had bookmarked with her finger and turned to face Leia, tapping an underlined bit of text. Leia leaned over to read, conscious of Han's proximity as he too leaned over to get a closer look.

"Annexation of a village or town by a given city must require (A) a shared border between the two areas in question, and (B) a consensus of the peoples of both areas in the form of a representative's signature on the proper Form #208.5," Leia read aloud. She puzzled through the language for a second before speaking. "So, they couldn't annex Tatooine without the town's consent? That's all we need?"

Jyn shook her head. "A 'representative' is not defined. Not even as a resident of the town, much less an elected one. They could have anyone sign it and it would be considered legally sound."

"Those dam- er, those crafty sons of- uh…" Mr. Solo stumbled over his words, trying not to swear.

Leia rolled her eyes. "Kindly say what you mean plainly, Mr. Solo, without fear of offending us. Or else we will be here long after the dust settles."

"Well excuse me for trying to maintain my manners, Miss Organa. Mrs. Solo didn't raise a savage." Leia scoffed but he ignored her. "What I mean to say is that those bastards up in Naboo have to make everything so complicated. Nothing they say means what they say and you'd have to look out for things you didn't say."

"You're very right Mr. Solo, and in this case, it will help us," Jyn said.

"How?" Leia asked.

Jyn quoted: "Annexation of a village or town by a given city."

"Yes, we are a town. The town of Tatooine." Leia was having a hard time following her, while Jyn was beaming with such pride.

"Yes, but what if we weren't a town? Instead, we were a city?"

Han told himself he only followed the women to make sure they didn't get swept up by the dust. After explaining the plan to Miss Organa, the two women decided to make a mad dash to the sheriff's office to explain the plan to Luke. Han had insisted that it could wait until the wind settled, but the two women were determined not to waste a moment.

He'd heard tales while on the trail about dust storms that swallowed entire towns, burying families, livestock, and buildings overnight. The skies went black in the middle of the day and not even Jesus himself would face his father's wrath that day. The storms were a plague sent to cleanse the west, some said. Of what it was was meant to cleansed of, Han could never get a straight answer. That was the problem with those religious types: all faith and no clarity. He could've used a god a time or two in his life. When he was scared for his life on the battlefields against the Yanks, when he was starving in his barracks, or when those raiders pointed their shotguns at him and barked: "Just keep herding them, there's a clearing ahead. You're coming with us." Each time he'd made his own god, been his own salvation. He'd gotten out of that battle alive, skipped town when the army pay wasn't good enough to justify starving, and he'd broken through that fence. The steers needed little encouragement to run free as he and Chewie galloped away. It was Greedo, a fellow steer driver who had broken the news to him in D'Qar, that Jabba had put a 1,000 credit price on his head. He'd left Greedo bleeding out under the stars behind the saloon, calling out for his relatives below the border.

As he lead the two women across the street to the sheriff's office in Tatooine, Han wondered how he was going to get himself out of this one.

"Let me get this straight, you want to become a city because of a technicality?" Luke repeating, seemingly unconvinced.

"The law states requirements for a town or a village to be annexed by a city, but there is nothing that says that a city can annex another city," Miss Organa said, triumphantly. She had brushed off some of the dust from her face and front, but didn't seem to mind the other layers she had accumulated. Han had met only a handful of women from back east since crossing the Dagobah, and none ever like Miss Organa. The other women shut themselves away from the dust, covering themselves with shawls and veils and holding handkerchiefs to their mouths, scared of even one speck on their shoes. Miss Organa though, while she didn't revel in the stuff like an animal might, she continued her life despite it.

"But there isn't anything that says it can't," Ackbar clarified.

Miss Erso nodded. "It's new ground, but it is unlikely to go through. Once Tatooine is considered a city, it will be on equal footing with Scarif in the eyes of the state. There is no precedent for one city to overtake another."

Luke nodded. "What does it take for a town to become a city?"

Miss Organa produced another volume as Han stood to pour himself another cup of coffee. He looked out the window to see that the sun was setting, but the wind had settled. He should be finding Chewie and talking about their next move. He loathed it, but the most likely plan was to ride further west into Hoth territory, maybe join a wagon train through the mountains. The stories of the poor folks crossing the mountains kept him up at night, but there was little he could do this side of them while Jabba had a price on his head. He considered going to Jabba and begging for a second (although, more like a third or fourth) chance, but he knew that his most recent indiscretion along with his gambling debts wouldn't be worth taking him back. Most likely what would happen is that they'd take him and Chewie out back, tie him to a post and shoot him like a dog. Then who knows what they'd do to Chewie, maybe set him free covered in Han's blood, framing him as a cannibal. As if Wookies didn't have it hard enough since the white settlers had pushed them all the way past the Dagobah River.

Han didn't want to run. He was getting tired of running. And no matter how far west he went, he knew that the east would catch up with him eventually. Times were changing, and the west was dying. Maybe the dust was sent to cleanse the land of the West itself, and of men like him who profited off of it.

"Han, c'mon," he heard Luke say, and he looked up. "Town meeting, right now."

"Look kid, I ain't a part of this-" Han took a drink of coffee as Luke took a menacing step towards him.

"You live in this town now, Han. This concerns you directly."

Han shrugged. "What do I care if Scarif comes in and takes Tatooine over? They probably know more about being a city than you bunch of yahoos do anyway."

"If we get taken over by Scarif, that means more people will move here, won't they?"

Han nodded, shrugging. "'Spose so."

"More likely Jabba will come and find you then."

Han just shrugged. "I'll skip town before that happens."

Luke seemed shocked for a second. "You wouldn't dare."

"There isn't a lot I wouldn't dare do to save my own skin, kid, you oughta know that by now."

Luke sighed. "How much's the bounty on your head?"

"1,000."

Luke whistled. "Look, if you help us avoid annexation by Scarif, we can see about paying the bounty and then you're free to go wherever you'd like." Han thought a moment nodded. That didn't seem like a bad trade, and Hoth Territory would still be there whether their hairbrained plan succeeded or not. "You could head west, you could go back to steer driving." Luke cleared his throat. "Maybe stick around, get a piece of land and settle down. Start a family."

Han gave him a side-eye, frowning. "You really think I'm the marrying type, Skywalker?"

Luke shrugged. "Well, I'd like to see that Miss Erso married to a good man, someone that'd keep her safe. But from what I seen, you prefer a different woman."

Han didn't move or look at Luke, only at his empty coffee cup. "I'm not sure who you mean, sheriff."

Luke scoffed but turned away. "Don't even think about doing something stupid 'til this is over and that price is off your head. Then we can discuss your living and job situation."

Now Han truly was lost. "Luke, I'm not sure what you mean, really. My living, my job-"

"I'm sure that you know exactly what I mean. And if you think I would let my sister marry anyone without a good job and a good home, I'm not sure you know me at all." Han's jaw dropped, but Luke only moved towards the door. "I expect to see you at the meeting, I'm glad we could have a chance to discuss."

It had taken a while to rouse everyone from their late afternoon/evening routine and herded into the town meeting hall. Leia could've really used a cowboy at that moment. Unfortunately, it seemed the local one was only around when she would rather he was anywhere else. Luke was nowhere to be found either, and Ackbar refused to start until the sheriff was present.

Finally he arrived, with Mr. Han Solo just behind, surprisingly. She was sure it showed on her face as he caught her eye when he looked up before looking down and sitting near the back. Perhaps she had misjudged him, maybe he did care about the town.

Luke took his seat next to Leia where she sat, fountain pen at the ready to take the meeting down as a seminal moment in their small town's history. Ackbar began by banging his gavel and thanking everyone for coming, apologizing for dragging them away from their dinner.

"Is this about Scarif? Are we being annexed?" a voice came up from the crowd, Kes Dameron. A murmur grew among the townsfolk as they all proclaimed their distaste at being taken over by the city nearby.

Ackbar banged his gavel again and demanded order. "Now, now, no need to panic. This is not about annexation. I have other news. I wish to bring our small town into the future. I have spoken to the elders, consulted the law, and prayed a great deal. And I would like to put the motion forth to make our little town into a proper city."

A gasp went up as people talked once again. Wedge Antilles stood, hat in hand. "Why would we want to be a city, mayor?"

Ackbar nodded. "There are certain benefits to being a city over a town. Postal route, better schools, and representation in the capital. The state is new, the country is growing, and, like I said, our town deserves to join them in the future."

Ezra Bridger stood, tipping his hat to the mayor. "What will it take to become a city?"

"A few minor adjustments. We will have to take a proper census for the population requirements, have a section of land for a school to be built, and fill out some paperwork."

The crowd seemed to like this idea, and it was put to a vote. It passed with only a few naysayers. The town was dismissed, and Luke stood as Leia finished up the document and put the mayoral seal on the bottom.

"Let's go home, Leia," Luke said, holding out his hand.

"You don't feel bad lying to the town?" Her voice was quiet.

Luke shrugged. "I don't see it as lying, we told them what we have to do in order to become a city."

"But we don't have the population to be considered a city."

"We will, there're seven towns with borders that touch Tatooine county. We'll get the people."

"What makes you think they'll want to join us?" She looked up at him. He had his hands on his belt and a placid look on his face as he surveyed the people leaving. The star pinned to his chest gleamed in the lowlight.

"What choice do they have? What choice do any of us have?"

A/N: I had the idea for a Western AU by listening to the Desperate Measures soundtrack.

This fic does not share any plot details with Desperate Measures, but it put me in the right mood. Ya know?

No reviews necessary, thank you for reading.