Unexpected Detours, part 10
"What's this about you going on a mission?"
Han's voice carried down the hallway and she stopped and turned, waiting for him to close the distance between them. She had been headed to her quarters to pick up a few more items of clothing and then had planned to meet Han on the Falcon in time for dinner. She had wanted to tell him in private about her mission, but he had apparently found out on his own.
"Han, I was just coming to talk to you about it."
"Oh really? Last time I checked the hanger was in the other direction."
She threw up her hands as an expression of the irritation that his sarcasm stirred within her. "Don't worry, I wasn't going to leave without telling you. That act is all yours."
"You know what? I've had about enough of that line. You misheard half a conversation between me and Chewie and now every time I turn around you accuse me of leaving." His fists were clenched in both anger and frustration and she instantly regretted her remark. "What do I have to do to prove to you that I'm not going anywhere? I took a damn job for a short hop to Alderaan almost two" he held up two fingers in her face in emphasis "years ago and I'm still here. I'm here for you and your damned rebellion and haven't even so much as gone to pay off my debts, but every time I turn around its: 'you're leaving'. What do I have to do to make you believe that I'm here to stay?"
"That's a start," she answered quietly, placing her hand against his chest as a peace offering. "Please Han, let's go to my room to talk." When he seemed about to object, she continued: "I don't want to broadcast this information to everyone on base. We are trying to put a limit on how many people know about things like this."
"You mean people like me, right?"
They had reached her door and she stretched up to place a chaste kiss on his jaw line before opening the door and proceeding through. "No, Han, that's not what I meant. I was going to talk to you about this - I would never leave on a mission without letting you know about it first."
"You mean, without me. You wouldn't leave on a mission without me." His tone suggested that his words were a statement of fact and that he wouldn't allow for any argument in this area.
"Actually…" she hesitated, about to argue with him about something that he seemed so adament about. And she was tired of arguing. "Luke is going to fly me to Ord Mantell. It's a pretty simple plan and all we have to do is stay under the radar and there shouldn't be any problems. You and Chewie don't seem to stay under the radar very well."
"Yeah, well, I know about Luke. He's the one who told me all about it. He was hoping to use the Falcon instead of the lighter you're supposed to take. And I don't like it. It's too simple. When something seems this easy it usually means that it's not. You're not going."
"What!" His calm pronouncement infuriated her. That and the manner in which he so easily dictated her actions. Not to mention the fact that he believed that she would listen to his dictates. "So it's that simple. You've decided that I'm not going so now I'm not going to go. What makes you think that you can tell me what I do and don't do?"
"Leia," he held his hands up in an effort to calm her anger. "You're pregnant. You can't just go running around on some half-baked scheme whenever the rebellion needs you. Hells, they don't even know that they're asking a pregnant woman to pull this off."
Leia chose to ignore his implication that her plan was 'half-baked' and addressed instead his true concern. "Han, you have to know that I wouldn't take this lightly. I have to go…" she held up a hand warding off his argument. "Let me explain and you'll understand why I have no choice."
She waited and he seemed prepared to hear her out. Whether he would actually listen to what she had to say was another matter completely. She did know, however, that this discussion was precisely why she had avoided the topic with Han the previous night.
"It's a bit convoluted, but I'll try to keep it short by giving you the basics, okay?" He nodded his consent for her to continue. "My family used to own an interstellar shipping company that was fairly successful - HSR Express, you might have heard of it. Anyway, it has been a part of the Organa estate for many generations with family members comprising the majority of the board. Unfortunately, we were a little too good at what we did and the Empire drew an interest in the company and seized it and its profits from my father a few years ago.
"That wouldn't be very relevant if I hadn't discovered that HSR is scheduled to make a tribute to the Empire… a significant monetary tribute. There are still some private individuals with an interest in the company, so rather than anger these parties, the Empire has decided to take advantage of the less-than-stringent banking policies of Ord Mantell to filter these funds."
"Okay, Leia, I can see how this involves to you, but I still don't see how this is going to help the rebellion and why you need to go."
"For starters, the Empire was very urgent in wresting the ownership of HSR from the Organa family, but didn't follow through to ascertain that they had removed all family members from the list of signing officers with the numerous banking corporations scattered throughout the galaxy. The Ord Mantell bank industry still recognizes me as an officer of the company.
"Secondly, because the board members who authorized this transaction want to keep it out of the public eye, they've arranged to drop the credits and leave them there for a period of time before transferring them to the appropriate Empire accounts. The funds will be there in the next couple of days and all I have to do is walk in to the bank and take them out."
"I still don't like it. There's too many things that could go wrong. Tell the general that your pregnant and he'll send someone else."
"I can't, Han," she answered and for the first time allowed some of the despair that she had suffered while making her decision into her voice. She had researched every avenue to determine that she did, in fact, have to be present to access the funds. "The Ord Mantellian Bank uses some interesting banking practices, but still requires thumbprint and ocular identification for any significant withdrawals. There's no one else left in my family so I'm the only one that can go."
"There has to be another way." He argued determinedly. "It's too dangerous. Just forget this plan and find something else." He held a hand up as she opened her mouth to interrupt. "I listened so now you have to listen. Maybe this plan of yours will work, but maybe it won't. We can't take that risk. We have a responsibility to this baby. I know we didn't plan for this, but… the way I see it, this a commitment we make or we don't make."
He grabbed her hands and held them tightly in his. "You and I are going to have a baby. Belief system or no belief system, we made that choice. You can't choose to keep the baby and then risk losing it by going on some crazy mission."
"Han, I understand the risks I'm taking." She was moved by his speech and his commitment to her, but she knew that she couldn't make any other decision in this matter. "I'm taking a risk just being here on Hoth. There aren't any options here. I have to go. I'm the only one who can pull this off and we need the money. I'll be more at risk if we run out of fuel for the generators and this base starts to freeze."
He turned away from her and walked to the door and she knew that he couldn't face her and accept her decision, but his posture told her that he wouldn't argue about it any further. She thought he was about to leave when he turned to face her. "I'm going with you."
"I…" she didn't know what she was going to say next, but it didn't matter as he held up a hand, bringing an end to her reply.
"That's the deal. You're going. Luke's going. And I'm going with you. It's my baby that your taking into one of the busiest trade ports in the Rim and I won't let you go without me. So you can either fly with me on the Falcon or meet me when you get there, but either way, I'll be there."
She smiled and inclined her head in acceptance. She would worry about how she would manage to keep him in the background long enough to complete her task later. For the time being, she would just allow herself to enjoy the warm feeling that his display of macho possessiveness aroused within her. Although she was loathe to admit it to anyone else - nor did she have anyone else to admit it to - she enjoyed having Han take care of her. She liked the way he made her feel when he did all the little things that he did for her everyday. It was something that had taken her completely by surprise, having spent so much of her life proving that she could do everything herself.
He turned back to the door, pausing one last time before walking through it. "Tonight's our last dinner on the Falcon. I'm left with rations after this, but I had enough to invite Luke to join us. I think we should tell him."
She watched his broad shoulders pass through the opening and knew that he still wasn't happy about her going on this mission. To be completely honest, she wasn't happy about it either. She rested a hand on her rounded abdomen and caressed it lovingly. She had almost destroyed the data that had led her to this very moment; something deep inside telling her that she wouldn't like what it uncovered. But she truly had no choice in the matter. She couldn't let the rebellion fall to something as mundane as lack of funding and she couldn't put her life or the life of her unborn child ahead of the lives of all of the men and women on base. So she had pursued the lead in spite of her fears of where it would take her.
A slight stirring beneath her fingers drew her attention then and she smiled, pressing her hand more firmly against the motion. She had been feeling the baby move within her over the past few days, but this was the first time that she could feel the movement with her hand. 'Han will love this,' she thought and began gathering her things so she could share the event with him. She also hoped that they could spend a little time together before Luke and Chewie arrived for dinner.
As her thoughts strayed to dinner, she recalled his parting comment. He wanted to tell Luke. She was sure he had meant Chewie as well. Their news wouldn't be as surprising to him as it would be to Luke though, and she wasn't sure that she was ready for him to know. She also knew that Han wanted Luke to know so that he would fully understand what was at stake on their mission, and so that he would take extra care in protecting her.
Something inside her had told her to have Luke escort her on this mission. She had learned many years ago to trust her instincts, especially when she could support them with logic. She had known that Han wouldn't be happy with the arrangement, but she just couldn't imagine him being objective enough to provide her with the necessary support. 'If we tell Luke, will he still be able to let me do what needs to be done without interfering?' She didn't know the answer to her unspoken question, but knew that she would yield to Han just the same.
When she arrived at the Falcon, she found him in the midst of the chaos he referred to as dinner preparation. She kissed him quickly as she passed through the galley, dropping her things in his cabin. Returning, he motioned to the pile of vegetables on the table.
"You can help by chopping those up." He had learned quite awhile ago to limit her assistance to things that didn't require too much skill. "I'm running a little behind," he added, turning back to the stove.
"Wait, Han, I felt the baby moving today," she spoke and as if on cue, she felt the baby moving vigorously inside her.
"That's great, but I thought you've been feeling him for a few days now."
"No. I felt," she emphasized the word and pulled his hand to her belly, "him." She pressed his hand firmly against the movement and watched the smile light his face. The wonder and love in his eyes brought tears to hers and she brushed at them impatiently. Han brought his other hand to her abdomen as the movement stopped.
"I lost it," he said after a few moments.
"Actually, you didn't. He just stopped."
"'He', huh?" he raised an questioning eyebrow, his hands still spanning her stomach patiently.
She smiled at him and shrugged in answer. "I'm just guessing. Today he feels like a 'him'. Tomorrow, I might think that he feels like a 'her'."
"Don't confuse the kid, Leia, his life is going to be tough enough."
Han moved behind her, his hands breaking contact with her body for barely an instant. He stood with his arms around her, his hands resting again against her abdomen, embracing both her and their child at the same time. She leaned back and took the support that he offered.
"You know," she broke the silence after a moment, "if I call him a 'he' and he ends up being a 'her', than she's going to be confused, too."
"Naw, she'll just grow up to be a tomboy - shootin' blasters and flyin' ships - kinda like her mom."
Leia laughed, taking his comment for the praise that it was meant to be, but elbowed him playfully in the ribs at the same time. "I think he's tired," she added after a while. "Or hungry."
"Is that a hint, princess?"
"Well, you did say that this is our last good meal - at least until Ord Mantell. I'd hate to see you burn it."
The pair separated reluctantly and moved to their respective work stations. They worked in a companionable silence, each keeping their thoughts to themselves. Leia watched Han's back as he worked, her brief bit of kitchen duty completed. She was trying to determine the best way to tell Luke about them and the baby. She was about to ask Han for his opinion when she heard footfalls on the ramp. Luke's lean form appeared shortly after the sound.
"Leia," he smiled in greeting. "Han mentioned that you might be joining us. We can go over any last minute details for the mission over dinner."
Leia couldn't help but smile at the youthful exuberance that he still exuded. He had tamed it over the past year or so as he had moved up the ranks in the rebellion, but it still managed to rear its head from time to time.
"We're not talking about the mission over dinner," Han interjected. "It'll give me indigestion."
"Alright," Luke answered and made a face after Han turned his back, causing Leia to laugh out loud at his antics. "But since we're not eating now, there's a few things I'd like to confirm with Leia, if that's alright with your stomach."
"You know what, kid," Tossing a spoon loudly into the sink, Han turned to Luke. Leia watched as the anger drained from his features as he seemed to remember that Luke didn't know the real reason why he'd rather not talk about the mission. Seeming to gather himself, he continued: "Actually, I'm glad you're here early. There's something we have to tell you."
Leia felt a moment of panic as she realized that Han was about to tell Luke everything and she hadn't yet decided how she wanted to go about it. She met his eyes and realized that he was waiting for her to continue. He had opened the door, but he was letting her walk through it.
She turned her gaze back to Luke. "You see, Han and I… well, we are…" she faltered.
"I know, Leia, but thank you for finally telling me."
"You know?" She had been relieved that she hadn't had to put a name on their relationship. She wasn't sure that she could, but she was surprised at the same time that he had known and had played along.
"Of course I know. You two are my closest friends. How could I not know?" As if sensing that she needed further reassurance, he added: "Hey, c'mon. I know I'm young and I might have grown up on a backwards planet in the middle of nowhere, but I'm not that niave."
"Right. Well, there's more," Han prompted and Leia felt two pairs of eyes focusing on her.
"Right. You see… I'm…" she rose and stood beside Han, who placed a supportive hand at the small of her back. "I mean, we… we're having a baby."
"What?" Luke repeated her shocked response from earlier. She smoothed the loose shirt she was wearing, displaying the evidence more clearly. "Huh. I didn't have that figured out. Well, shouldn't you be resting or something… I mean should you be standing or…"
"Going on a mission," Han interrupted grimly.
Leia watched as the young man processed all the information, understanding coming quickly to his features. "Han," she spoke in a tired voice, "we already discussed this - I have to go."
"You're coming, too. Aren't you, Han?" Luke had phrased it as a question, but she knew that he had meant it as a statement. That he not only understood why Han was coming, but that he agreed with his decision as well.
Leia left Han's side and moved back to her seat at the table. "Listen boys, I don't want to have to deal with the two of you acting all macho and interfering with my ability to complete this simple task." Before either of them could argue with her, she continued: "And it is simple. So can one of you find Chewie so we can eat? We've got a lot of things to do tomorrow if we're still heading out the morning after and I'd like to get a good night's sleep."
Luke seemed surprised by her display, but Han waved it off. "Hormones," he whispered over loudly to his friend, laughing as she tossed a napkin at him in reaction. "Why don't you tell Chewie to hurry before it's all gone. He was working on a Y-wing in Bay 5."
Chewie appeared almost immediately after Luke had left, having already begun to make his way back to the Falcon. As he moved to slid in next to Luke, Han stopped him.
"Listen, buddy," Han answered his questioning growl. "I don't you to be left out. We just told Luke and now it's your turn… Leia and me are having a baby. Now, you can… mmmph."
Han's speech was cut off as Chewie hugged him and picked him up off the ground. Leia couldn't help but laugh as Chewie roared enthusiastically and Han sputtered, trying to keep the fur out of his mouth. Her laughs were quickly cut off as she found herself replacing Han in Chewie's arms. He was too excited for her to understand his words, but his meaning was clear: he was happy for them. For that evening, she decided to follow his example and allowed herself to be happy, too.
Two days later, the Falcon took to the sky as the sun edged above the horizon at Echo Base. On board, she held as unlikely a group as ever. An innocent farm boy who wasn't so innocent any longer. A hardened smuggler who couldn't be truly considered as hardened any longer. A fierce wookie who was anything but fierce amongst those he loved. And a princess who wasn't truly a princess, but she was a woman and a mother, or at least she was going to be. As Leia reflected on the composition of their troop, she realized that as unlikely as they seemed to some, they were exactly what the rebellion represented. A group of unlikely heroes on a quest to make a difference. She smiled as that last thought passed through her mind - it was usually groups just like theirs that did make a difference. And for the first time since she had uncovered the data that had led to this mission, she felt good about it.
A/N: Okay, so I really hesitated using the words "Ord Mantell"; it's too much, too infamous. But I always was going to have them go there and rather than have it be another Unexpected Detour, I decided to go ahead and make it part of the plan. And if the story about the bank and funds transfer seems remotely familiar, I think it was used in one of Brian Daley's books. I read them ages ago and the idea had its merits, so I decided to borrow it, too. Don't worry, I'm fairly certain that the remainder of the story isn't going to follow anything else out there.
Thanks for sticking around and please read and review. And, of course, Go Tigers!
Scarlet.