Chapter 61
"Solo!"
Han stopped in his tracks at the sound of Anakin's voice. Oh shit…he thought. Did he just hear that??
Han turned to face Anakin, doing his utmost to hide his trepidation.
"You wanted to talk to me?" he asked.
Anakin nodded, focusing on his daughter to fight the mistrust he felt for this man. "I do," he replied.
"What about?" Han asked. "Or do I need to ask?"
Anakin scowled his dislike for the young pilot impossible to hide. "You really are something, Solo," he said. "Is there ever a time when you are not rude or arrogant? For the life of me I can't see what my daughter sees in you."
"Yeah, well I feel the same way about you," Han retorted before his mind had a chance to filter his mouth.
Anakin's anger rose and he took a step closer to Han. "You have some nerve," he growled. "Speaking to me this way and expecting that I will ever accept you as a suitor for my daughter. I have half a mind to…"
"Go ahead," Han urged him, "I dare you. See if Leia ever speaks to you again if you do."
"What is going on between you two!?"
Both men turned to see none other than Leia standing before them. Judging by the anger in her eyes, she had heard most of the heated exchange.
"Why don't you ask your father," Han suggested angrily. "He's the one who started it."
"You lying bastard," Anakin replied hotly. "All I said was I wanted to talk to him," he told Leia. "He is the one who started making accusations."
"So calling me arrogant and rude were ways of making friends? Is that it?" Han countered.
"Both adjectives were completely justified," Anakin retorted. "In fact, there are few more I could use, would you like to hear them?"
"Stop it!" Leia cried, stepping between the two of them before they came to blows. "Please, just stop it!" She turned to her father. "Admiral Piett is here looking for you," she said. "So I'm afraid this little tête-à-tête will have to be postponed until later."
Anakin nodded his understanding, not taking his eyes off of Han for a moment.
"Are you coming?" he asked Leia.
"I'll be right there," she said, turning to Han.
Anakin looked back up at Han, his eyes like daggers. "This isn't over, Solo," he said.
Han did not reply, the look in Anakin's eyes completely unnerving him. He managed to appear unaffected, however, and watched as Anakin walked away.
"Now," Leia said, hands on her hips. "Tell me what really happened."
Han's eyes widened in surprise. "What do you mean by that?" he demanded.
"I mean I know you well enough to see when you are lying," she replied coolly. "You obviously did something to set my father off."
"Not hard to do, you know," he countered. "Especially for me."
"He is trying to accept you, Han," she replied. "But you are not making it easy if you act this way. Tell me what happened. All of it."
Han exhaled loudly, folding his arms over his chest.
"He was following me," Han began. "And I think he was listening in on a conversation I had with Lando."
"What about?" Leia asked.
"Does that matter?" Han replied.
Leia looked at him closely. "Yes, I think it does," she said. "Just tell me."
"I don't think I like this …interrogation, sweetheart," Han replied angrily. "You're starting to sound like your old man."
Leia did not reply, for Han's comment, or rather the intent of it, cut her deeply. "Fine," she said at last. "If you don't want to tell me what happened, I guess we have nothing to discuss."
"I guess so," Han replied, not giving in to her manipulation.
She looked up at him. "I thought there was something between us, Han," she said, genuinely saddened. "I guess I was wrong." She turned and walked away, leaving Han feeling frustrated and ashamed.
Leia walked quickly in order to catch up to her father, forcing herself not to think about Han, not to let the tears that were threatening to spill out of her eyes do so. Dad was right, she thought bitterly. Han is nothing but an arrogant scoundrel. I was a fool to think he cared about me.
Leia reached the suite where she had left Admiral Piett with her mother, noticing that her father and brother were now present as well. Anakin looked up at her and knew at once that she was upset. Damn you, Solo, he thought angrily. You'll pay for this.
"Admiral Piett has some good news," Anakin told her as she took a seat beside Padmé.
Leia looked at Admiral Piett expectantly. "They've agreed to follow my father?" she asked.
Piett nodded. "Yes they have," he told her.
"How did you manage to convince them?" Luke asked.
"It wasn't that difficult, actually," Piett replied. "The name of Anakin Skywalker is well known and synonymous with honour and glory. Their real reservations arise from the reaction the Rebel Alliance will have to all of this."
"That is natural," Padmé replied. "It is never easy to accept that an enemy can become an ally."
"Did you have any luck talking to them?" Anakin asked her.
Padmé turned to him. "Leia spoke to General Dodonna," she replied. "We thought perhaps revealing that I am alive was too much to reveal at this point."
"Probably a wise precaution," Anakin replied. "So what did you tell them?" he asked his daughter next. "How did it go?"
"I told them that we had captured an enemy vessel," Leia replied with a smile. "That's not entirely untrue."
Anakin grinned. "No, not entirely. And a brilliant move as well. No doubt they were pleased to hear it."
Leia nodded. "Yes, very pleased," she replied. "Of course, I didn't tell them that the ship was a super star destroyer," she added with a smile.
"I'd give a thousand credits to see General Dodonna's face when the Executor appears," Luke said with a grin.
"He may think it's a trap," Piett pointed out. "Have you considered that?"
"Yes, we have," Padmé said. "That is why the first face they will see will be a friendly one, one that they trust." He turned and looked at Luke. "And who better than the hero of the Battle of Yavin?" she asked, smiling at her son.
"I couldn't agree more," Anakin said, looking at Luke proudly. "Seeing you will put to rest any fears that they have been tricked."
Piett nodded. "I agree," he said. "In fact, I…" he stopped as the door chime was heard. "Perfect timing," he said with a smile as he stood up and headed for the door. "Come in, Lieutenant."
The Skywalkers watched as Piett returned to the sitting room with a young officer.
"May I present Lieutenant Danison Keller," Piett said as the young man bowed politely. "Keller, this is Anakin Skywalker, Senator Padmé Amidala Skywalker." Anakin and Padmé stood up to shake hands with the young man.
"It is an honour to meet you both," Keller told them. "My father used to tell me stories about the Clone Wars when I was a boy, sir," he said, addressing Anakin. "You were always something of a hero of mine."
Anakin smiled, liking the young man immediately. "Thank you," he replied. "These are our children," he said, turning to Luke and Leia. "My son, Luke, my daughter, Leia."
"A pleasure to meet you," Keller said, shaking hands with Luke first and then Leia. "Excuse me, but aren't you Princess Leia Organa? Of Alderaan?"
Leia nodded. "Yes, but I'm first and foremost the daughter of Anakin and Padmé Skywalker."
"I meant no disrespect, milady," he said at once. "It's just that Alderaan is my home world," he explained with a smile.
Anakin couldn't help but smile at this revelation, as well as the reaction it garnered from his daughter. The fact that the young man was tall and broad had blond wavy hair and green eyes didn't hurt either. You're all but forgotten, Solo, he thought with satisfaction. Now that someone more worthy has entered the picture.
"I took the liberty of selecting Keller here to act as a liaison between the Executor and the rebel leaders," Piett explained as they all took their seats again. "I thought it might help prove our trustworthiness to them."
"An excellent idea," Anakin said approvingly.
"The rebel leaders will be expecting us to rendezvous with them within the next forty-eight hours," Leia went on to explain. "Is that enough time for you to ready your men, Admiral?"
"My men are ready now, Princess," Piett assured her. "And anxious for this to get underway. We can leave whenever you wish."
Anakin nodded. "We're all anxious, Piett," he said. "The sooner we get negotiations with the Alliance started, the better as far as I'm concerned."
"Then why don't we plan to leave first thing in the morning?" suggested Padmé.
"I have the coordinates of the rebel fleet," Leia told the Imperial officers, looking at Keller. "They're not that far away, actually."
"Splendid," Piett replied. "Then we shall leave first thing," he added, standing up. Keller joined him.
"Why don't the two of you join us for dinner?" Anakin suggested. "We still have a lot to talk about."
Piett looked at Keller. "I thank you sir," he said. "We'd be delighted."
Anakin smiled. He had noticed the way Leia was looking at the handsome young officer, and was more than anxious to give the two of them an opportunity to spend more time together. Han Solo will be nothing but a bad memory, he thought, his smile increasing. Leia will not even remember his name in a few weeks if this goes the way I hope.
Padmé watched her husband, knowing him well enough to know that the wheels were turning inside his mind. And she was certain she knew exactly what it was that he was plotting. Stay out of this, Ani, she warned him silently. Don't you start messing things up for Leia!
Anakin turned to his wife and looked at her innocently, and merely smiled. "Shall we go to dinner?" he said, standing up and holding his hand out to her.
Padmé stood up and looked at him. "Be careful," she said simply and walked ahead of him.
Anakin only smiled in response.