Chapter 8

Saale saw Princess Leia entering the mess hall and hurried to start a fresh pot of caf. Yesterday she had been in a very bad mood and the Twi'lek girl did not want to infuriate her further. Yet, that was not the case today. She seemed relaxed and happy, even positively glowing.

The Alderaanian was usually frugal in all her meals. That was why Saale's eyes went very round when she saw her piling food for at least a Wookiee on her tray. "Morning, Saale," she greeted cheerfully from afar. Well, maybe she was going to have breakfast with someone.

The brewing finished and the cook's aide filled a big mug with the fragrant beverage. Crossing the prep area, she placed the cup on the Princess's tray. It was then that she noticed the strangest of things. A sound, a humming really. It took Saale a few moments to connect it with the person before her. It was something so unusual that she could not help but stare at her.

The Princess was humming a song.

A Corellian love song.

Leia Organa thanked Saale and carried her breakfast to a table, where she devoured the food, alone.

She had woken up a little disoriented, as it always happened to her the first night in a new bed. She should have gotten used to it with time, and she had been, the first three years. But after spending more that seventy days in a row sleeping in Han's bunk on the Falcon, it had all started again.

When her vision had cleared, the first thing she had seen was Han Solo's satchel, apparently abandoned by the fresher unit hatch, and everything that had happened the night before came rushing to her mind. Her skin had suddenly tingled deliciously from her scalp to her toes with the memories and a wide grin had spread on her face.

She had laughed loudly and turned to embrace and kiss the man responsible of her current deep feeling of wellbeing, but realized that she was alone in the bed.

Something to do... See you at lunchtime...

Had she dreamed those words or had he really told her that? Leia Organa had rubbed her face and her eyes in an effort to clear her memory. Yes, it had not been a dream. She had felt his clean shaved cheek on hers, smelt the tangy scent of his aftershave, tasted the teeth-cleaning paste in his lips.

But where had he gone so early?

She sipped her caf thoughtfully and grabbed another pastry from the plate that was starting to look depleted. Yes, where was he going so early?

Never mind. Only a few hours more to lunchtime and seeing him again. However, it felt like eternity.

So, Bria Tharen had been the important one. Her instinct had been right. It was difficult, though, to image Han as a lovestruck young man that had offered marriage to the girl he had rescued. How she had repaid his devotion, years later, was unforgivable, even if she apparently did it for the sake of the Alliance. It betrayed its principles and, more often than she cared to remember, principles were all the Alliance had.

Yet, that money had bought the Death Star blueprints and indirectly forced Han into her path. Yes, she ought to thank Commander Tharen for that. At least as long as she did not remember that her betrayal had lead to him being put in the carbonite too.

The other women Han had talked to her about, she had resolved to forget, and forgive. And keep both eyes open day and night.

Her first task when she arrived to her office was to query with the docking bays supervisor if Luke had arrived during the night shift. The answer was negative.

The Princess was starting to get worried. The fleet would make the first jump into hyperspace right after the general assembly was adjourned. The meeting - simultaneously held in the different ships – was scheduled for 1400hrs. If Luke did not come by then, he would found nobody to meet at the rendezvous point.

"A general? Are you crazy?" Han Solo asked, astonished.

"Do you want it or not?" General Madine retorted sternly.

The former smuggler leaned back in his chair, a smug half-grin on his face. "You really hate the old hag, doncha?"

"'The old hag', as you put it, Solo, has given her approval on this. I suggest you start being more respectful of your commander-in-chief."

Han Solo winced. This guy is not Corellian. I bet he's adopted.

The morning crawled.

Leia was distracted and had to be told three times about the number of X-Wings Senator Bel Iblis had sent. Winter did not comment about it.

A few minutes before noon, Rieekan called from the planet below.

"I just wanted to wish you good luck, Princess," the blue holo of the Alderaanian General said.

"You too, Carlist," she answered. He was staying with the rearguard of the Alliance, taking care of what would be useless anyway if the operation failed. But that was his duty and even a harder one than that of those going to battle.

"May the Goddess guide your steps, Leia."

It was the old Alderaanian farewell, the same her father always used. A lump formed in her throat. "And yours, General," she managed to say.

"Give my regards to Solo too, please, and congratulate him on my behalf. Rieekan out."

The image flickered and died, leaving a slightly confused Princess watching the empty space.

Speaking of the devil, it was time of getting in touch with Han if they wanted to have lunch together before the assembly took place. But she could not reach him on the comm, and the Falcon was not answering either.

Sighing, she decided to pay a visit to the freighter and bring back Han's satchel in the process.

"Is everything clear, General?" Crix Madine asked.

"I'll have the strike team ready for the assembly, sir," newly minted General Han Solo affirmed.

"Good."

The ramp was closed and the lights dimmed as in the night cycle, but she pressed her hand against the identification pad and the ship opened for her. Stepping into the darkened corridor, she went directly to Han's cabin. She hesitated by the door, though. It was strange, she had slept there for the best part of a year, and yet now that Han was back she felt like and intruder suddenly.

Placing the satchel on the bunk, she turned to leave only to collide into 2.30m of silent Wookiee.

Hi, he said, baring his teeth.

"Hello, Chewie!" Leia Organa reached up on her toes and scratched his neck, making him squirm and roar contentedly. "Have you seen Han this morning?"

The Wookiee rolled his eyes, remembering his partner's question of the day before. First Han and now her. What should I tell her?

He left... Earlier... he said with not much conviction.

Noting his discomfort, the Princess decided that Chewie did not deserve to be left in the dark.

"Don't worry, Chewie," she reassured him. Lowering her voice and blushing a little in the process, she added. "I know where he spent last night."

The Wookiee grinned.

They were interrupted by Leia's comm-unit beeping. Her face brightened when she heard Han Solo's voice through it, but darkened again when he told her that he would not make it to lunch.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart, I'll see you in the meeting. Solo out."

She closed the channel with a sigh. "He's up to something, isn't he, Chewie?"

I had to swear not to tell you, Leia. I'm sorry, Chewbacca apologized. But I can assure that it does not involve other women, if that's what worries you.

The Princess studied her comm-unit for a moment. "Well, I guess it's just you and me, Chewie," she said nonchalantly. "Care to join me for lunch?"

The Wookiee cocked his head. I knew there had to be something good about my life-debt.

The mess hall was pretty crowded when they arrived there, but the combination of hungry Wookiee and Alderaanian Princess opened two spots for them immediately at the Rogues table.

She asked again if they knew anything about Luke, but the answer was again negative, leaving her more worried than before.

As they were finishing their meals, there was a bit of elbowing and whispering between Hobbie Klivian and Wes Janson. "You ask her," one of them said. "No, you ask her," the other answered.

Since she was the only female at the table, Leia Organa deducted that they were referring to her. "What do you want to ask me?" She told them at last.

Janson did not look embarrassed at all as he grinned to the Princess and answered her. "Nobody's seen Solo since yesterday and we have a little bet going on about that."

The Alderaanian blinked. "And?"

"Hobbie here says that you killed him and spaced the body, I say that you kidnapped and locked him in your room."

Chewbacca growled something that everybody understood without need of translation was a life threat. Leia rubbed the bridge of her nose and hid a smile behind her hand. The pilot was brave, no doubt about it. Stupidly brave.

Fortunately, she did not have to answer the bold question as an exulting Lando Calrissian interrupted them.

"Well, Princess, how do you like me in a uniform?"

Thank you, Lando.