A/N: I have returned, if only to finish what I started.
The ride was long and hard, and they didn't make it to the capital until after the sun had already set. Han was used to staying in the saddle for a full day, sometimes even a couple, getting what sleep one could and only getting down to relieve oneself. Leia was not, and he could tell she was getting uncomfortable and tired. He forced her to drink what little water they had, only taking the last sip when she reminded him how much relied on him not passing out.
The capital was the oldest city in Alderaan, founded by the first settlers who crossed the Dagobah River with nothing but a donkey and a wooden raft. The city had spread out from the first settlers, now with paved roads, tall buildings, and carriages. They found a hotel with only one room. Leia blushed a deep red when the clerk told them, though it may have been from riding in the sun all day.
"We'll take it," Han told them, and winced when she stepped on his foot, hard. The clerk handed them the key and he passed it to her. "Go get some sleep. I'll sleep with Falcon."
"In the stables? That's crazy, no, come up to the room and we'll- we'll figure something out."
"What, we'll sleep in the same bed? One of us on the floor?" He shook his head. "Straw is a helluva lot more comfy than the floor and I couldn't sleep next to you imagining your brother's face should he ever find out." He patted her shoulder awkwardly, pushing her towards the rooms. "Go on, sweetheart. I'll see you in the morning."
She gave him a concerned look as she went up, but he tried to put it out of his mind. Falcon whinnied when he set eyes on him, and Han scoffed. "Yeah, yeah, another long night for the two of us, girl."
She nudged his chest with her nose as he closed the gate behind him and he scratched behind her ears. He bundled up what straw he could for a makeshift bed, curling up under the saddle blanket.
He awoke to someone shaking him. He waved them away, having only just closed his eyes to sleep. The shaking was harder and saying something. He bolted awake, thinking it might be Falcon, but it was Leia, squatting down in the stable. He blinked at her a few times, and looked around, seeing the daylight streaming through the window.
"What time is it?"
"7, but-"
"Wake me at 8." He rolled back over. He heard her huff and felt her tiny hands grab his side and hauled him back over.
"No you don't! City Hall opens at 8, I brought you some food and coffee." He sat up and rubbed his eyes as she collected the plate of eggs and toast and the cup of coffee, sitting on her legs to give it to him.
He sighed and took it from her, drinking and eating. He felt awful, after such a hard ride yesterday and the stable last night, Han wanted nothing more than to curl up back under the hay until he felt normal again. Leia didn't look much better. Though not covered in the usual layer of dust as everything was in Tatooine and looking by no means disheveled, she looked like she'd slept not much better than him. They sat there in silence with only the noise of their breathing and Falcon eating with the occasional huffing.
He finished, standing up and stretching. Leia collected his plate and cup and hurried away, promising to meet him out in front of the stable in a minute. She looked only at the ground as Han picked up the saddle blanket to place on Falcon's back. He saddled her up and walked out to see Leia waiting for him, hat placed on her head and her arms folded over her chest with the papers in her hand. He nodded at the stable boy putting away feed for the morning, flipping him a credit for feeding Falcon.
"G'morning, ma'am," Han said to Leia, pretending as if the events of the last half-hour did not occur. Pretending that he'd gotten enough sleep and just happened to meet a beautiful stranger in front of this hotel. "May I offer you a ride?"
She looked confused at first, but then smiled and laughed. "Goodmorning, sir. I would be delighted." He handed the reigns to the stable boy as she walked towards him, her arms out. He placed his hands on her waist and lifted her onto Falcon's back.
He hoisted himself up behind her and took the reigns. "Could we see about getting another horse for the way back?" she asked him.
"What, don't like being squeezed between a hot-blooded animal and a horse?" he asked with a smirk.
She snorted as they moved towards city hall. "Well I'm not very comfortable."
"Well, I can't make a lot of promises, sweetheart. Unless you want to stay here until I come back with another horse."
They argued for a bit until something made Leia go quiet. She was staring at the crowd and Han looked. "What is it, Leia? See a ghost?"
She shook her head. "I thought I saw one of the men from Scarif who came to Tatooine yesterday."
Han looked around but couldn't see anyone with horns and a tail, but nudged Falcon into a trot nonetheless.
"There, there he is," she exclaimed, gripping his arm. He looked over at the man she was pointing at. When the man saw they were looking towards him, he kicked his own horse into a run, and Han did the same.
They were racing through the streets of Naboo now. Whistles were blowing and people were shouting, but Han didn't pay any mind. He only stared at the man he was gaining on and passing. They stopped in front of a large building with a dome on top. Han jumped off and held his arms out for Leia. She slid into his arms and he pushed her towards the steps.
"Run, go!" he told her. She hiked up her skirts as they raced up the stairs, neck and neck with the Scarif men.
"Stop right there, dogs!" one man shouted drawing his weapon and pointing it at Han and Leia.
She gasped as Han pulled out his own weapon, pressing herself against his back. Three guns were pointed at him. He took one step back, up one stair, dragging Leia with him.
"How many steps are left?" he whispered back to her.
"Three," she whispered.
He took three paces back, one up each stair real slow-like.
"We don't want to hurt nobody," one of the men said. "Just head on down the steps, you two, and we'll forget all about this."
"You at the top, sweetheart?" he asked her. He felt her nod against his shoulder. "Ok, now, on the count of three you're going to run in there."
"Without you? No!" She was gripping onto his shirt.
"Quit that whispering!" They shouted at him.
"You wanted to be of some use? Well this is how you do it. If I don't come in to find you, find a policeman and get back home."
"Don't say that!"
"On the count of three. One." She gasped slightly. "Two." She gripped his shirt even harder. "Let go of me, Leia. Three." He fired a shot at one man's foot just as he felt her hands leave his back. It was just a warning shot, but they fired back and Han jumped behind a column. He saw the leader, run inside after her, but focused on the two men still outside.
"Freeze!" shouted another, new voice. "Drop your weapons and put your hands behind your head."
Han nearly fell over from the deja vu. It had been so long since he'd seen a policeman—not a town appointed sheriff or a hired gun, but a bona fide officer of the law. He had forgotten where he was for a moment. Folks didn't draw their weapons on other folks in Naboo, wasn't "civilized." He was brought back to reality by one of the two men turning tail and running, being followed closely behind by two men in blue.
"Drop your weapon or I will have no choice but to treat you as a threat!"
Han set his jaw as he stared at the Scarif man down the barrel of his gun. How many disagreements had he settled this way? If he put his weapon down now, this man would shoot him and then what help'd he be to Leia.
Leia.
He sighed and lowered his gun, dropping it on the ground and putting his hands in the air. The other man growled low in his throat and shot wildly, first at Han and then at the policeman. Han rushed forwards and grabbed his hands, holding the barrel away from both of them. He punched the man's in the side, in the head until he let go of the gun. He was hauled off the man by two policemen who shoved his hands behind his back but didn't cuff him.
"Thanks, pal," said the other policeman, hauling the Scarif man-handcuffed-to his feet.
"No problem, glad to help," he said as they dragged the two of them away.
"Should we take him in, sarge?" one of the men besides Han asked, the other went to haul the Scarif man away.
"Sarge" shook his head. "He complied, and assisted police in apprehending a threat. You had me worried there for a moment though, Mr.-"
"Solo, Han Solo. And I was worried too, but I couldn't very well be hauled away for murder. Not now. I have people to take care of."
The sergeant nodded. "Sergeant Lando Clarissian, sir." They shook hands. "We won't be locking you up today, but if you could come on down and tell us what happened here, we'd much appreciate it."
"I have someone waiting for me inside."
"Won't be a minute, I promise."
Han grimaced and looked back for a moment, but followed the sergeant. He did have a thing or two to say about Scarif and their founders the police might be interested in.
Leia was still breathing heavily after handing her paperwork into the clerk and sitting down. The man from Scarif had also come in, and handed his paperwork, and was sat across from her. She tried not to look at him as she waited for the clerk to approve their request.
"Shouldn't take more than an hour, dearie. Just need to check a few records," he said with a smile.
"We know about your plan, Miss," said the man with a sinister smirk. "And if there's any mistake with those papers, a mere letter out of place, you will fail."
She sat up straight and looked dead into his eyes. "There will be no mistake," she told him. She was painfully aware of the gun openly out on his hip, but he seemed to be aware of the guard patrolling the hallway outside. She wrapped her arms around herself tightly and held her hat in her hand.
She tried not to shake, she tried to be brave. She told herself to think of Luke, he was always brave. He'd been brave when the Imperial Company had come to take the land out from under them, even after they'd killed Old Ben, the sheriff since before she'd been born. It was her turn to be brave in the face of the Imperialists. She wished Han were there.
Where could he be? Dead? Arrested? She wasn't sure which was worse. The thought of Han slain on the steps of the building when she'd run in without him callously, not even there with him in his last moments, she could hardly bare it.
When he walked in the door an hour later, she jumped up. "Han, You're alive!"
"What have they said?" he asked as she ran towards him. He seemed surprised when she wrapped her arms around him and gripped him tightly. He wrapped his arms around her and laughed. "Jeez, maybe I should have standoffs more often."
She pulled away to give him an upset look. "Don't ever do that again."
The look in his eyes was tender. "As you wish, sweetheart."
"Excuse me ma'am? Sir?" The clerk piped up. The trio made their way to the counter as the clerk stamped a document twice and slid it forwards. "The request for city-hood of the area now known as New Tatooine has been accepted. This is a receipt for your transaction today, and an official will be in to survey the town within the next two weeks. Thank you."
Leia and Han were silent for a moment and then cried out in happiness, embracing each other. She wasn't sure who initiated it, but before they knew it, they were kissing. They both drew back, surprised. He looked worried and was about to let go of her, but she stood on her toes to give him another kiss.
"Unless you two would like to apply for a marriage license, I suggest you skedaddle, and have a nice day," said the clerk, clearly annoyed.
Leia laughed and picked up the paper the clerk had given her.
"I'm sorry, sir, but your request has been denied," the clerk said to the Scarif man, handing over his own receipt.
The man looked near to bursting with anger as he took the paper and balled it up in his fist. He turned to the other two, finger pointed at them with the other hand on his weapon. Han's grip on her tightened.
"You may have won today, but this isn't the last you've seen of us." He stormed out, and they both sighed.
"What'd'ya say to a drink to celebrate, sweetheart?" Han asked, looking down at her.
"I'd love to."
They walked out, arm in arm.
Han didn't think the town looked that much different when he and Leia got back, but he saw it in a new light all the same. He asked permission to take a bath instead of going to the town meeting that was held.
Luke had reported no sign of any Imperial men, and expressed disdain that he had left them to be ambushed on the steps of city hall. Han waved the idea out of the air.
"It ain't nothing. Met some mighty fine policemen, told them a thing or two about our friends over in Scarif," he said.
Luke's jaw dropped. "You did?"
He nodded.
Luke clapped him on the shoulder and smiled a wide smile.
The whole town was in a buzz for the rest of the day, but Han just wanted to sleep. After his bath, he called at the sheriff's house to see if Leia was doing fine. She looked tired, but happy. She let him steal another kiss before he left, but slapped his hands away and told him to go to bed.
He was heading back to the hotel when he met up with an old friend. He had forgotten in the haze of the past two days about the meeting with Maz and the steers. Suddenly he was on edge again, having not witnessed how this story had ended. Chewie looked just as road-wearie as he did, reaching a hand from under his poncho to hand Han a purse with money. Han opened it and looked back at Chewie, confused.
"This is too much, Chewie, how much did Maz end up taking per head?"
Chewied grunted. ["I talked her down to 25."]
Han gasped and whooped. "We'll take the steers to Jabba, and we'll be safe, old pal."
["It has been done."]
Han blinked and shook his head. "What- what did he say?"
["The price is gone from you head, but Jabba says if he ever sees you again, he will shoot you on sight."]
"Well, he'll have to get in line." Han felt the purse again. "Thank you, Chewie. How did you get Maz down to 25?"
Chewie looked down and shook his head. ["Let us just say that my debt is paid, old friend. It is time for me to head West and save what I can of my people."]
Han nodded and held out his hand for Chewie to shake. "It's been a ride, Chewie. Hope you find your people, and if you're ever in these parts, don't hesitate to call on me."
Chewie shook his hand, mounted his horse, and rode off. Han stared at him until he disappeared on the horizon. He sighed as he started walking back towards the hotel. The days of his youth, of the west, truly were dead. He stood on the hotel porch and looked back across the town, and felt strangely calm about it.
A/N: There is an epilogue chapter, but this one concludes the main story-line. Thank y'all for tuning in and I hope to catch you around the farm sometime.