I don't really remember what happened after that. I guess my life swirled into turmoil, and my vision got blurry. Either that, or I couldn't see what was going on.
Realization finally hit that we were leaving Cloud City when I walked onto the ship. Well, ran onto the ship in the hopes that I wouldn't get shot.
When I entered the ship, Chewie turned to me. "Leia. Listen, go get cleaned up. Just…Look, it's going to be okay, all right…cub?"
I smiled at him, and went to go to the cabin. Chewie just called me Cub. He's never called anyone but Han 'Cub'. He must really be taking Han's request really seriously. Right when I stepped inside the cabin I stopped. Han's jacket was lying on the bed, and the bed was messy with the sheets thrown everywhere. His imprint was still on the mattress. Before the tears welled up in my eyes, I fled the cabin. We were just taking off.
"Move." I ordered Lando, and he promptly got out of Han's seat.
After staring out into the clouds for a minute, I felt something….strange. I sounded like…it almost sounded like Luke was calling out for me….but he was calling for me in my brain. I was pretty sure that Lando and Chewie couldn't hear it. Then I heard it again, and I was almost positive that Luke was trying to contact me.
"Luke…" I whisper. I am almost afraid of my own voice. "We've got to go back." I said to Chewie.
"Go back?"
"What?" Lando asked me.
"I know where Luke is."
"But what about those fighters?"
"Yeah, Those fighters are pretty…"
"Chewie, just do it."
"But what about Vader??" Lando cries.
"Shut up!!!"
"All right, all right, all right!" Lando throws his hands up into the air and surrenders.
We make a banking turn around a cloud and shoot like a canon towards the underside of Cloud City.
"Look, someone's up there." Lando says, pointing towards the small figurine grasping at the poles underneath the City.
I slightly gasp.
Luke.
I try hard to stay calm. I can't lose both Luke AND Han in one day! "It's Luke! Chewie, slow down. Slow down and we'll get under him. Lando, open the top hatch." I command each of them and Lando bolts out of the cockpit.
Luke started to fall.
Oh goddess.
No.
Chewie shoots the ship forward.
"Okay. Easy, Chewie." I said as the Falcon gets under him as Luke falls down onto the ship.
Thank god.
All of a sudden three TIE fighters start to race towards the Falcon, shooting laser blasts at us.
"Lando?" I ask in a worried tone into the intercom.
"Okay, let's go." We start to race away as the TIE fighters closely follow us. Heavy laser assault begins on the damaged Millennium Falcon. Han's baby. I always thought that I was his baby.
Explosions continue to erupt around the cockpit, and the ship fiercely shakes. Chewie howls a, "HELP!" As he frantically tries to control the ship.
Suddenly, the cockpit door opens and Chewie and I turn around. A bloody and battered Luke enters the cockpit with Lando supporting him.
My god.
I jump out of my seat and run over to him, hugging him.
"Luke! You're all right! Leia would have died if you weren't okay."
"Oh, Leia." Luke whispered, and then I help Luke out of the cockpit towards the medical center where I put Han in when he was injured.
"Here you go." I lay him down onto the cot and start to wrap his arm…well what was left of his arm. "What happened?"
"Vader. I fought Vader." He said, and I slightly gasped.
"Luke." I sadly said, getting a protective cuff out from a drawer.
"Where's Han?" He asked.
There was the question. The immediate question.
How was I to tell him about what happened to Han? How was I supposed to tell him that I was in love with Han and not him?
I didn't answer and then put the protective cuff on his arm.
"Leia? Are you okay? Where's Han?"
The ship lurches, and I gently wipe his face. "I'll be back." Perfect time to escape. I look at him and then quickly kiss him, leaving the cabin and then walking towards the cockpit.
There were millions of alarm buzzers that were filling the ship. What the hell was going on?? As I enter the cockpit, I see Lando anxiously watching the flashing lights on the control panel. He hurriedy adjusts some switches.
"Lando. Look!" Chewie says, pointing towards the ship in front of us.
"Star Destroyer." I said, standing behind Lando.
"All right, Chewie. Ready for light-speed?" Another explosion rocks the ship. I turn and notice a green panel next to me flashing on. I know what that means…
"All the coordinates are set. It's now or never."
"Ready?" Chewie barks at Lando.
"Punch it!!" He screams, and the giant wookie shrugs. He pulls back on the throttle and the sound of the ion engine winds up and then dies.
"WHAT?! WHY DOESN'T IT WORK??" Chewie howls, putting his head in his hands.
The laser bolts continue to rock the ship. Of course it doesn't work. I give Lando an evil look. He of course notices it.
"They told me they fixed it! I trusted them to fix it! It's not my fault!!"
Where have I hear that before?
Chewie angrily gets up from his chair and then storms out of the cockpit, giving Lando an angry shove as he storms past him.
"What now?" I angrily shout at Lando. "See, we wouldn't be in this predicament if you didn't turn us over to the empire! I thought that you were Han's friend!!" I screamed at him.
"Leia, are you ever going to forgive me?" Lando asks me.
"Look, you don't understand. Han… was my first boyfriend. He was the first person I loved that loved me back."
Lando looks at me and I turn away from his gaze.
"Oh." Was all he said, and he turned back to gaze out of the cockpit.
We suddenly were sprayed by a shower of sparks.
"CHEWIE!!" Lando screams through the intercom at him.
I turn around and Luke enters the cockpit, looking out the window.
"It's Vader." He suddenly says. He looks horrible. He needs to go and lay down.
I could hear him whisper to himself. "Ben, why didn't you tell me?"
Why didn't he tell him what?
All of a sudden, Lando and I are thrown back in our seats and we unexpectedly shoot into hyperspace.
"YEAHHH!!!!" Lando shouts, and I smile at him.
Chewie enters the cockpit and scoops Luke up in a big hug. "How are you kid?"
"Hey Chewie." Luke laughs. "Where's Han?"
I looked at Lando and then at Chewie, who dropped Luke.
"Luke, I'm sorry to tell you this. Truly I am, but Vader gave Han to the bounty hunter, Jabba the Hutt."
"Oh. Shouldn't we go after him?"
"That's what we're trying to do."
"Come on, Luke. Let's go lay down." I sadly said, taking his hand and then leaving the cockpit. Luke stopped me on the way to the cot.
"You care about him…Don't you?"
I can't tell him I love Han. "Of course I do. I care about him the same way I care about you."
"No, Leia. I mean, you care about him a lot."
"No I don't." I said, bandaging up the rest of his arm.
"Leia, don't lie. You're a horrible liar."
"Luke, I…" I said, looking at him and pausing. Lando entered the room.
"Leia. Luke. We're coming up on the medical freighter. I figured that that would be best for Luke's condition." Maybe Lando actually did care.
"Luke? Chewie will help you out onto the cruiser. We're just about to attach to the ship."
Luke smiled and then got up and followed Chewie towards the door, walking through it and going into the medical cruiser.
"Leia. I'm really sorry. Forgive me?"
"Lando, the only way that I will ever forgive you is if you get Han back." I said, getting up and brushing past him as I walked into the medical cruiser.
I got changed into a white robe and then went to go and check on Luke. They were giving him a mechanical hand.
Chewie and Lando were on the comlink and were getting ready to take off.
"I'll meet you at the rendezvous point on Tatooine." Luke said into the comlink.
"Princess, we'll find Han. I promise." Lando said to me as I soaked in his words.
"Chewie, I'll be waiting for your signal."
"Okay. You both be good. We'll get Han as soon as possible cub." Chewie said into the comlink and I smiled.
"Take care, you two. May the Force be with you." As the droid continued to work on Luke's arm, I drifted towards the big window. I really wanted him back. Oh so badly I wanted him back. I knew it was going to be months before I saw him again, and I just had to get used to it.
Luke got up and stood next to me, staring out the window too. He wraps one arm around me and pulls me close.
Oh I wanted him back so much.
I gazed out the window and watched the Falcon fly by.
I looked at the galaxy and then at the stars.
The stars were always the brightest when Han was here.
Now, the stars are dim.
SORRY THAT I DIDN'T UPDATE YESTERDAY!! I HAD A PROJECT!! ON THE LAST WEEK OF SCHOOL! What the heck??? Anyways. Here's the chapter. That's the end of ESB. I decided that I would continue with this chapter and keep with Leia's POV for most of it and occasionally switch it to Han's POV.
So there you go!
Thanks SO much for all your support!
Glad you like this story as much as I do!
xoxo,
Alexandra