CHAPTER 6:
It didn't take long for Han and the princess to locate a speeder that was ripe for the taking. Leia leaned against the black speeder, her feet crossed and clearly looking bored. Han thought she was brilliant as a look-out. She looked like a wayward teenager waiting for her boyfriend. Han was crouched down in the shadow she cast as his fingers nimbly pulled and reconnected wires. Once the engine came to life, Leia stuffed her hands in her pockets and slowly made her way to the passenger seat as if it was hers.
Once inside, Leia slouched into the seat and exhaled. Han climbed in and noticed the girl's fatigue for the first time, "Whaddya say we get you something to eat?"
"Won't we get caught?"
"We'll head out to the wild lands. There are a few outposts on the town's outskirts that have provisions. It won't be anything fancy like you're used to," Han winked at Leia, inciting a smile from her, "but it'll do."
"Do you think it's safe?"
Han glanced out the window of the speeder, "They'll be expecting us to head toward the docking bay. Hopefully, Chewie's moved the Falcon, and they'll think we left."
The princess raised an eyebrow, "And if they don't?"
Han frowned and looked the princess in the eyes, "The wild lands are pretty rough. Most city dwellers won't dare come near them."
"Do those city dwellers include Sargoza and his men?"
Han shrugged, "I guess we'll find out."
Leia looked out the window. That wasn't the answer she wanted to hear. She sighed, "Even if Sargoza's men won't risk the wild lands, I'm sure the storm troopers will take their chances out there."
Han smiled his trademark lop-sided grin, "If they do, they're in for a surprise."
The princess turned and looked into Han's face, wondering what Han was getting them into. Han just winked at her, "Trust me."
Leia rolled her eyes, but she was too tired to say anymore.
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The speeder jerked and rocked as a door slammed. Leia sat up straight and looked out the window. She didn't think she was asleep; she didn't remember falling asleep, so she couldn't have been asleep. Nevertheless, she found herself alone in the speeder. Her heart did a few pitter patters before she gained control of her emotions. She had spent hours, sometimes days by herself. So why did she feel so alone right now?
The princess scanned the scenery. The neon lights were gone, and only dark open country surrounded three sides of the speeder. Leia rubbed her eyes and stretched. Then she pressed her face against the cold glass and gazed at the adobe brick shack. It was an unassuming supply and fueling station. She searched for Han, but she couldn't see through the tinted windows of the little store. Leia fingered the lock mechanism and noticed that Han left the security device on. She sighed heavily. It figured he'd lock her inside the speeder.
When Han returned to the speeder with a couple of bags of provisions, he found Leia with her arms crossed over her chest and a mean pout on her face. He smiled to himself, "What wrong, Your Worship? You miss me?"
"In your dreams, Flyboy," she snapped, but she was secretly glad he was back.
He leaned in and leered at her, "Always, Sweetheart."
Leia's large eyes widened and her cheeks reddened, "I better not be in your dreams."
Han wore his lop-sided grin, "Why not? I'm in yours."
"What? I…you…I never said that!"
Han smugly smiled and started rummaging through the bag. He flustered her. That's the way things should be. He was feeling more like himself. He reached in and handed her a bottle of water, a killin egg sandwich, and a bag of fried tubers. Leia fumbled with the cap of the water bottle, and Han reached over to assist her. She pulled away from him.
"Come on, Your Most Highest," Han held his hand out, "I'm just trying help."
When Leia failed to open it on her own she let Han take it. With one hand, he opened the bottle and handed it back to her. She took it without a word and drank down half of it without taking a breath. She didn't realize how thirsty she was. She immediately stopped and measured the amount she drank with her eyes.
"Don't worry," Han put the bags in the back seat. "There's plenty more where that came from."
She smiled shyly at him before she started eating the rest of the provisions he handed her. Han started up the speeder by crossing two wires together and drove into the dark country. Although he figured no one was following them, or even thinking they were headed into the dangerous wild lands, he maneuvered the speeder with out the assistance of headlights. Han relied heavily on the speeder's sensors when his eyes failed to make out the landscape ahead of them.
"Where are we going?" Leia asked between bites.
Han contemplated the question. If he told her that he didn't know, she might get upset—well, he was certain she'd get upset and start yelling at him. If he played it off like he knew this territory like the back of his hand, and he couldn't back up his lie after they've been driving around, she'd yell at him. He might as well go with the truth, "I don't know." He screwed his eyes shut and waited for the repercussions.
Leia sat there in silence. She took another sip of water, "Well, we might as well drive and hope to find a destination on the way."
Han slowly opened one eye at a time and then turned them on the princess. She was busying herself with pulling out the spiced tubers while trying to keep her fingers as clean as possible. That went better than he expected. He watched her for a little while longer, wondering if she were okay.
Leia looked up at him, "What? You want me to drive?"
"No," Han put the speeder in gear, "I've got that covered."
They drove for hours, braving the unknown terrain. Leia fought to keep her eyes open as she tried to decipher the outside world. She sat rigid and alert—well, as alert as she could be at the moment. The last couple of days had been trying for her. Most of it was a blur, and she was pretty certain they chemically subdued her when they couldn't easily overpower her physically. She couldn't remember them giving her anything to eat or drink, and she was rarely taken out of her cage. She was surprised that she had been missing for only three days; it felt much longer.
And then there was Han Solo. She studied him in her peripheral vision. Han's face was pinched, and she could see he was having difficulty maneuvering through the rough terrain. They were traveling at a fairly fast speed, maybe faster than what was safe. Perhaps that's why Han was so quiet and intently staring at the non-existent road. No, that wasn't it. Something wasn't right. Leia shifted in her seat. She leaned against the door and pulled her feet onto the seat, openly facing her companion.
After watching him for a few more moments, Leia offered Han a spiced tuber from the bag, "It's Chewie, isn't it?"
"Huh?" Han looked at her, completely taken aback by her keen observation.
"Something's wrong, right?" Leia thrust the tuber bag in Han's reach.
Han took a tuber out of the bag, "Chewie's off-planet."
"What?" she whispered. "How do you know that?"
"He commed me when we were at the resting stop." Han explained, "He was able to get to the Falcon, but he was forced to jump to hyperspace to avoid the swarm of TIE fighters and the Star Destroyer waiting for him."
Leia let out a sigh of relief, "At least he made it away safely." She smiled to herself and reached for another spiced tuber.
Solo watched the girl extract the spiced tuber from the bag. He didn't understand why she was smiling. With Chewie gone, they were stuck here indefinitely. Maybe she didn't understand. Maybe she was still shell shocked from her kidnapping experience, "You know what that means, right?"
Leia's eyebrows fell, but she was still smiling, "Yes, Chewie made it away safely."
"Yeah…" Han placed a hand on hers to prevent her from putting another tuber in her mouth, "Chewie's safe, but maybe you haven't noticed. We're still stuck here, and we are still in grave danger."
The girl studied his face for a moment, "True, but Chewie's safe. That has to count for something, and not just a little something."
Han leaned back. Maybe she spent too many days locked in a closet, "I don't know if you remember, but you are the target, not Chewie."
"Yes," her dark eyes stared into his, "And now Chewie won't die because of me." Leia picked up the killin-egg sandwich and focused on eating without making a mess.
Han inhaled. This girl was definitely a mystery. He reached out and wiped a little sauce off the side of her lip. She wouldn't meet his eyes. "You know," she pulled at the crust of the sandwich, "Chewie's a good friend."
Han slowly nodded, "Yeah…"
She looked up at him, "He'll come back for you, and he'll probably bring reinforcements."
Han smirked mirthlessly. Reinforcements, not likely. But Leia was right; Chewbacca would come back for him and Leia, too.
The princess finished her sandwich and was busy tidying up the wrappers, "You and Chewie have been friends for a long time."
"As long as I can remember."
"How did you meet?" she took a sip of the water and fought for a more comfortable position.
"I freed him from slavery," Han whispered.
Leia nodded, "That explains Sargoza's threat to give Chewie to slavers."
"Pretty much."
The rear sensors flashed a warning, and Han's adrenaline shot through his body, "We've got company."
"Where?" Leia turned around in her seat.
"From behind," Han answered. "They still haven't detected us. Maybe nobody, but I think it'd be best if we took a detour."
Leia squeezed the armrests as the speeder dove into the bushes along the side of their path. The speeder rocked and dragged as it pushed its way through the thick foliage. When Han felt that they were no longer in sight of anyone, he shut off the engine and deactivated the internal climate control so no one could detect their location. Just to be sure they were more than sufficiently hidden he got out and camouflaged the vehicle with large branches and debris.
Solo climbed back into the speeder, careful not to disturb his handiwork. Leia sat with her arms wrapped around her knees, "So this is where we're staying for the night?"
"You have a problem with that?" He challenged.
Her large brown eyes stared up at him, and he couldn't quite put his finger on what he saw in them. Fear? Trust? Exhaustion? Relief? Before he could pinpoint what her eyes were saying to him, she answered him, "No."
He ran his hand through his hair, "Good." He leaned over the seat and pulled out a couple of blankets. "It'll get cold in her. Thought these would be handy."
The princess climbed on her knees and peered over the seat.
"So what is it? Front seat or backseat? Or we can share the backseat?" Han waggled his eyebrows.
With those same mysterious eyes, she looked at him and said nothing. Then she sat back down in her seat, "I'll take the front seat."
A tinge of disappointment tickled Han's stomach, but what did he expect? There was no reason he should be disappointed. They weren't even friends, right? He handed her the heavier blanket and climbed in the back. Leia tipped her seat back and moved around to find a comfortable position. While pretending to do the same, Han watched her with amusement. She lied on her side and wrapped her arms around the seat. When she seemed settled and ready for a blissful sleep, Han stretched his legs out on the backseat, bunched his jacket in a ball to use as a pillow, and threw the blanket over himself.
Just as his eyes closed, Leia broke the silence, "Is it safe? To sleep, I mean."
"The security locks are still in place, and I always sleep with my blaster ready. Don't worry, you're safe with me."
"Why does that worry me?" Leia smirked as her eyes rolled.
"Pleasant dreams, princess."
"Good night, Han."
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Han sat up with a start when he heard the princess gasping. His panic sent him into action despite the fact that he wasn't fully awake. He reached over the front seat and grabbed her by the shoulder, giving her a good shake while he yelled her name. Leia's eyes flew open and she fought her way out of his grasp. She shoved herself against the cold glass of the windshield.
"Leia!" Han yelled as he climbed over the seat to retrieve her, "Wake up! It's me!"
The princess blinked her eyes a few times, but her mouth stayed open and she stayed pressed against the cold window.
"Leia?" he sat in the driver's seat unsure if he should touch her or not. He slowly scooted toward her. "You're okay. I'm here." He slowly reached his hand out and awkwardly smoothed her hair. She flinched from him, and he hesitated before he tried again. "You're safe," he whispered, and her wet eyes fell upon him. Tentatively, he wrapped his hands around her arms, "Come here, Sweetheart."
Leia continued to blink as her chest rose and fell with her short breaths. But she didn't pull away when Han touched her. In fact, she seemed frozen with fear. Han carefully pulled her to his chest and stroked her back, "You're okay, Leia."
And then she did pull away, pushing him with her hands. He allowed her to leave his embrace even though he felt slighted. She turned away from him, and stared out the window.
"Leia?"
"I'm fine," she angrily answered, though she failed to hide her tears from him.
Han retreated to the backseat, all the while watching the princess battle her own demons. He felt a strong desire to help her, or force her to let him help her. But this was Princess Leia Organa. He was certain that she didn't often find herself losing control of her emotions around other people. And he was certain she hated him for seeing her like this. Han lied back down on the backseat and pulled the covers over him, his ears in tune to the needs of the princess. That was, if she needed him.
Leia swiped roughly at her face, trying to eradicate every trace of loss of control. But this time she wasn't alone when she lost control. She had an audience, an audience of Han Solo, nonetheless. That thought just made her cry more. At least she'd do it in silence. Maybe Han would fall back to sleep, and she could have her emotional outburst to herself. Leia took deep, slow breaths and listened for any movement in the backseat. When none came, she took another swipe at her face and wrapped the blanket tightly around her. She curled herself into a ball in attempt to control her trembling.
Han stayed as quiet as he could while he waited for the girl to gather herself together. Once he was certain she felt a little sense of self-composure, he decided to push his luck, "It must be awfully cold up there."
"Not too bad," she whispered.
"Not too bad? You're trembling," Han softly pointed out. "It must be very cold up there."
The princess said nothing, and Han figured she was going to deal with whatever was spooking her by herself. Who was he anyway? He met her three weeks ago, and they didn't exactly get along. In fact, he fought more with her than anyone else in his life. Why would she accept any comfort from him?
"Is it warmer back there?" she whispered.
"Huh?" That took him by surprise. "Yeah, sure."
"Is…is there enough room for me?" she stayed huddled under the blanket but her voice was a little louder this time.
"Sure, if I scoot over," Han sat up.
"You'll scoot over?" she sheepishly peered over the seat at him.
Han held out his hands, "Sure, anything for you, Sweetheart."
The girl bit her lip and didn't move. Han silent cursed himself for making her change her mind. But then she climbed into the back seat, the blanket she had trailing after her.
Solo made room for the small girl, but instead of lying on the seat with Han, she opted for the floor of the speeder as close to Han as possible.
Han sat up and looked down at her, "Whaddya you doin'?"
"Going to sleep," Leia pulled her blanket up to her chin, "What does it look like I'm doing?"
"It can't be that comfortable down there," Han pointed out.
"I'm fine."
"I scooted over for you. There's plenty of room up here."
"Thank you. I appreciate that," she answered but stayed where she was.
"Why don't I sleep down there and you can sleep up here?" He suggested.
"That would be absurd," she sighed.
"It's absurd that you're sleeping on the floor," Han countered. "Come on. There's plenty of room for both of us. It'll be much warmer."
Han could see her deliberating her options by the way her dark eyes were focused up to the right. "Come on," he held his hand out to her, "You're safe with me."
Leia's large eyes welled up as she stared at him, rendering Han speechless. Her two front teeth bit into the fleshy part of her lower lip, and Han felt as if his heart was being ripped in two. Why did she make him feel like that?
"Come here, Leia," he whispered.
Without waiting for her to move, he placed his hands under her arms and lifted her onto the seat. He scooted over to the far end of the seat and laid her out next to him so that her head was resting on his lap, and to his surprise, she didn't resist. He arranged the blankets over her, pulling a part of one over his own shoulders.
Han smoothed her hair as he whispered to her, "I'll keep you safe."
The princess closed her eyes, and Han felt her hot tears fall on his lap. Her hands stayed tight against her chest, fingers in a tight fist, but she allowed him to continue comforting her. He could feel her heart pounding, and his own matched the quick cadence of hers. He could attribute her racing heart to whatever nightmare spooked her. But what could he attribute his to? He ran his free hand over his face. Now she was flustering him. What had he gotten himself into? But as he stroked her hair and lulled her to sleep, he meant every word he said, wanted to believe every word, wanted to believe that by saying it out loud it would be true. He'd keep her safe.