So um, on a side note, I don't really know what happened in the EU so this doesn't follow it much at all...

Here's Chapter Two!


Leia swept into the lobby of the Capitol building, Han at her arm. She wore a long, elegant, wide-strapped dress with a gold-brown gradient at the neck and a gold silken design of traditional Alderaanian emblems. Han wore a more formal shirt and tie and pulled uncomfortably at the collar.

"Beautiful architecture." Leia commented under her breath as they passed through the airy, dome-ceilinged room. Marble pillars of brilliant shifting tan colors stood high and firm against the rest of the natural, curving outlines. Huge, hand-blown glass flora and fauna native to the planet, Jresh, adorned the boundaries between the ceilings and walls, and wherever there was not a counter or a door there were either bright blue wraparound aquariums or glass pens of small native creatures and plants.

"Looks expensive," Han responded. "But real pretty."

"Reminds me of Alderaan." The princess added as they were directed by a well-dressed Human male towards a door guarded by two tall Bothans. She reached into her purse and showed them her Chief of State ID and they pushed open the double doors with simultaneous practiced ease.

The next room that they stepped in was much smaller, maybe a third of the cavernous lobby, filled with three or four rows of chairs and a small stage at the front. A quartet of tall, slender humans played stringed instruments, providing a serene, delicate tune in the background. Tables of native delicacies lined the walls and sentient beings, humans or otherwise, wandered about, sampling the foods and sipping beverages.

Leia lead the way, obviously comfortable in this familiar atmosphere. Han, however, seemed visibly discomforted and craned his neck around warily.

"Can't trust politicians." he mumbled, hand tight around his partner's. She rolled her eyes, stopping at the table of beverages.

"I'm a politician, Han," she reprimanded under her breath, choosing a glass of golden champagne. Han turned his nose up at the nearest table and promptly picked a mug of the choiciest Jreshian brew.

"I can trust you," he responded, taking a cautious taste and nearly choking. He looked around furtively and set the beer back down on the table. Leia caught the act but only rolled her eyes, a small grin on her face. He immediately went back for his good old Corellian alcohol and sighed as he tasted the familiar liquid. "You're my wife."

"Fiancee," she reminded him. He smirked a quirky smirk, half amused, half tired of the program.

"Remind me why I had to come along?" he said out of the side of his mouth, eyes darting back and forth above his mug. Leia looked about, composing her face into the familiar business face.

"It's customary here to bring partners on the first meeting." she murmured back and shot him a warning glance as a couple of politicians started towards them.

Han stepped closer to her, turning his own face a bit milder than usual, trying to be 'pleasant', as Leia had drilled him about on and on last night.

"Welcome," one of the men, a medium-height, tan skinned man with blue eyes and a goatee, nodded curtly. "I am the President Waep of Jresh and this is my advisor, Rehy."

"President Leia Organa," she shook hands with the two representatives, smiling. "And this is my, er, fiancee," Han snapped awake, trying to match the Princess's smile and shaking hands with the men. "Captain Han Solo."

"It is a pleasure to meet you," A short, pasty, rather rotund man at Goatee's left nearly hopped up, shaking his hand furiously like a water pump. "We've heard so much about you and your heroics."

Goatee did the same with a much tamer handshake.

"Is Jedi Skywalker planning to come this year?" he inquired calmly.

Han watched the princess and Chief of State respond with smooth assurance.

"He is joining the informal proceedings today," she said, a gracious smile touching upon her face. A perfect mix of seriousness and gratitude. No wonder she got to be at her post, Han speculated with admiration. He seemed to struggle to find any negative facets in his partner nowadays. "He has new business on Coruscant with the new possibilities for his first recruits."

"It is a pleasure to host this year's New Republic World Introduction," Roundy chittered in a rich voice fitting for his body.

"Let us hope that it will go as well as last year's." Leia nodded, and the men departed, murmuring to themselves in a low voice.

"Is this what we're doing for the next two hours?" Han mumbled, feet already getting sore in his wide black dress shoes. Leia pushed a lock of hair back from her face, looking about casually.

"With intermittent drink and food breaks." she added. Her face brightened and she gave a small wave, standing on her toes to look over the taller crowd. He followed her gaze to see Luke Skywalker just stepping into the room, dressed in a dark formal suit and pants.

The Jedi made his way across the floor without much interruption and Leia hugged him warmly. Han patted his shoulder and Luke nodded, a twinkle of his old farmboy self in his eye.

"How have you been?" he clasped his hands together. He felt a rush of joy and love from both of them as his sister immediately fell back into her place next to Han. Leia's cheeks pinked.

"I hope you don't look into our minds." Han left it at that, a genuine smirk on his face. Leia giggled softly in uncharacteristic glee, and Luke nodded, a slightly embarrassed but knowing look on his face.

"The meeting went well?" the President inquired lightly. He nodded, pride making him bounce up and down on his heels, rather like Roundy the advisor.

"Oh yeah," he blurted excitedly. "So many new students that want to become a part of this-it's just mind blowing!" He definitely looked like the over-eager boy from Tatooine now.

"It'll be difficult, Luke," Leia said, her smile starting to drop. "So many students and only one mentor..."

He nodded soberly. "I just hope that they will stay with the Light Side once they complete their training. And there are so many hopefuls, I have to pick...it's already getting hard."

"Hey, Luke?" Han nodded to his longtime friend, and the Jedi looked up. "If any Little Vaders come for you I'll kick their asses to the street."

He brightened slightly at the friendly remark and jabbed him lightly with an elbow. "Thanks, Han, but I think I can handle the Force-stuff."

"I'm always here, kid."

They moved along, the couple, and Han steadily towed his partner to the food table.

"Ah." he sighed, eyes browsing the many warm pastries and delicacies covering the banquet table. He picked a Jresh vegetable wrapped in Bantha bacon and sampled it. He sucked the succulent remains on the toothpick before depositing it in the garbage and promptly choosing a Naboo cream-cake.

"You big pig," Leia shook her head but accepted the offer of a forkful anyways. Her eyes widened and she got another fork, silverware clicking against each other over the slice of cake.

"No, that's mine," Han mumbled, spraying crumbs. Leia flinched at the shower of bread and glared at him, deftly taking a chunk out of the cream.

"Stop, no!"

"I call it!"

"Last one's mine!"

"No, I had it!"

The two quarreled, mostly joking around with each other and laughing with the constant joy that they had been experiencing for a while. They completely forgot about where they were until the silence suddenly became unbearable. Leia was the first to look up.

All fifty-two of the beings in the chamber were watching them, some with astonished looks on their faces, some murmuring under their breaths at each other. Even some, like Luke, were smiling amusedly at their antics. The musicians had stopped, and were in the middle of packing their instruments, now frozen and staring. Goatee and Roundy were up on the stage, Goatee obviously not amused but Roundy chuckling with his mouth covered.

Leia straightened, face turning to an interesting shade of purple as she quickly brushed the crumbs off the front of her dress. She grabbed a napkin and wiped her mouth, avoiding the looks as she grabbed Han's hand and jerked him away from the remains of the cake.

"Wai-" He protested, reaching for more but unceremoniously separated from the dessert. Leia nearly ran to the back of the room and sat down, forcing Han down with her. She patted her front self-consciously, nodding shortly to Goatee to start off the program.

The rest of the event went much smoother, to President Leia Organa's relief.

They were about to go up on stage to speak when Han stopped her. Her face flushed again.

"What?!" she hissed. The chamber was quiet again. Han seemed aloof, his grin wide and charming.

"I still have cake on my lips." He commented as if it needed no explanation.

"So?"

"Won't you kiss it off, sweetheart?"

Leia stared at him stupidly as his voice reverberated through the room.

"What?" she mumbled.

A low rumble started up from the crowd that soon evolved into a cheer. Leia later suspected that it was Luke or Mon Mothma that started it.

"kiss...kiss...kiss...Kiss...Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!"

Han tipped his head, a small smirk on his face.

That smirk that she had fallen in love with from the start.

She leaned over him, put her hands on his face, and kissed him.

The kiss was both figuratively and literally

sweet.


Reviews pleaaase. I worked pretty hard on this one.