I enjoyed this chapter because Han was in it and it added a new dynamic to the story. Threepio and Artoo aren't in this one much because I forgot about them halfway through writing this and didn't feel like trying to incorporate them. So I just mention that Luke and Leia shut them down. Read, enjoy, and review!
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Chapter Seven
Han Solo
"So where are we going for our vacation?" Leia asked as Luke prepped the ship for their leave of shili. She had just shut down Threepio and Artoo. Both of them deserved a break after that adventure.
"I was thinking about Drall. They have good food I heard," Leia continued and Luke laughed. Leia was practically in love with food…"
"Or maybe we can go back to Lianna. It was a beautiful city, and it's pretty much a neutral planet. It's not part of the empire exactly after all."
Luke winced. He wondered if Lianna would be safe for them to go back to after the trouble they had caused… Well it hadn't been their fault really. They were just there to paint their ship and get a few extra weapons capabilities on the ship like some hidden manual cannons they could use just in case they needed them since it was the place where the empire ties were designed, they figured they should see. How they were there just when the rebellion was going to blow up the main designing facility baffled Luke. It was a matter of luck that he and Leia managed to stop the rebels, disengage the detonator, and find the woman who placed it.
"Lianna?" Luke asked unsure as he took off and flew into space.
"Fine. You're right. Oh I know," Leia said suddenly. "We can go to Alderaan. I hear it's a little like Naboo. Maybe we can sneak a visit to Winter."
"It doesn't matter Leia," Luke said shrugging. "Where ever you want to go. I'm just the pilot."
Leia sighed and crossed her arms. "Luke!"
"Alright. Alright," Luke said laughing. "I'm thinking. Okay. I know. How about- Sith."
Leia frowned. "Sith? I've never heard of a planet-." Leia suddenly realized Luke wasn't talking about a planet when she felt his panic and urgency. She stood up to look out the visor with him and started to feel the same.
"Is that a star destroyer?"
"A small on," Luke said. "But yeah."
Leia looked at him as they kept heading toward it. "Luke turned around!"
"I'm trying! I think they got us in the tractor beam," Luke explained.
"Oh no!" Leia said and ran to the back of the ship to find weapons. She opened the cabin they had designated for it and searched for one of the more dangerous weapons in their personal. She heard Luke turn off the engines.
"Why did you do that?" Leia yelled.
"It's no use. We can't get out of it. If I keep trying to, I'll fry the engine and we'll have no way to escape," Luke said and felt the presence of many guards. "You may want to put those weapons away too."
"So we just let them capture us?" Leia asked searching Luke's eyes.
Luke felt her terror. If there was anything Leia feared more than death, it was having her freedom taken away from her again, mainly because she knew what could happen if it was.
"Don't worry Leia," Luke said softly. "You'll be okay. We've been okay so far. Don't worry. I'll make sure you're safe. I'll never let anything happen to you as long as I'm capable of stopping it alright?"
Leia put down the blaster obviously trying to hide her tears from Luke.
"Okay," she muttered pulling herself together as she felt them land. "You going to let down the ramp?"
Luke nodded and lowered the ramp. Storm troopers met them there with their blasters cocked.
"You two are under arrest," the commander said approaching them flanked by an entire squadrons of troopers.
Someone must have told this guy we're trouble, Luke sent to Leia amused.
We're still going to get away, Leia sent in a smug tone and then added, When we come up with a plan.
"As if we didn't know that already," Luke replied aloud.
"Lord Vader will be very pleased that you all are finally in his grasp," the roguish human male said.
Luke and Leia bother paled while simultaneously sending, Sith!
"Yeah that's right," the commander said and Leia looked at his tag to get his name as he looked at them. Commander Nyklas led the two cuffed teens to the bottom of the ship and turned to a lieutenant.
"Lieutenant Solo," Nyklas said.
"Yes sir!" the man Luke guessed was Solo said.
"Escort these two to a high security detention area.
Solo did a double-take and then turned back to his commander.
"With all due respect sir, they're only kids."
"I'll show you who's only a kid," Leia said starting to step towards the man and show her exactly why they were being arrested and put into high security detention.
Leia! Luke sent to the girl and reached out his cuffed hands to grab her arm and pull her back. That wasn't good. Leia usually had a level head in these kind of situations. She was bothered by something more than the thought of being kept in captivity.
What's wrong with you?
Leia didn't reply immediately but finally sent, It's that commander. I know that look.
Luke started to ask her what she meant until she looked at the commander who had pushed Luke aside and was circling her.
"Lord Vader said he wanted you alive, but he wasn't specific about how…"
Luke suddenly picked up on everything that Leia saw in the man's face through the force and lunged for the man not caring about his handcuffs.
"You leave her alone you bastard," he snapped.
"Luke!" Leia shouted as a storm trooper knocked him in the head with his blaster. Luke stopped and almost fell over until the lieutenant (Solo, Nyklas had called him) caught him and steadied him. Blood drip down the side of his head, but he didn't care as he glared murder at the commander.
"Solo, escort them to the detention bay."
That time, the lieutenant didn't say anything except lead them away with the squadron of storm troopers following them. When they were far enough away, the man, who Luke guessed was at least six or seven years older than he and Leia fell next to Luke.
"You okay kid?" he asked in a heavy accent that sounded Corellian. Leia wasn't sure though.
"Yeah, fine" Luke grumbled as he felt a headache coming on.
Leia however held up her head and shot, "Why should you care? You weren't exactly trying to help the situation back there!"
Leia expected him to look down in shame and say something akin to Luke shouldn't have attacked Nyklas in the first place, but instead she felt his anger at her comment through the force.
"Well what was I supposed to do? I have a job to keep here," he snapped.
"As if you wanted to help in the first place," Leia shot.
Luke rolled his eyes. "Leia don't be so difficult. We'll get out of here."
"It's not me. It's this stuck up Imp! They all act the same. Hot tempers, don't like to be told the truth. Can't stand it," Leia muttered.
"I could say the same for you princess," Luke said but was surprised when someone echoed it.
Leia was staring at the lieutenant in anger now, not having heard Luke say the same thing.
"Why you… you… Ugh!" Leia finally groaned.
Luke glanced at her in surprise. Leia didn't usually let anyone ruffle her up this much.
"Pleasure's all mine," the man said sarcastically leading the two to the back of the detention bay. As they passed them Leia was aware of tall brown furred humanoid creatures in some of them, children.
"What are they?" she asked in concern.
"Wookies," the man replied.
"Why are they locked up?" Luke asked.
"Frankly kid, it ain't none of you business, but if you must know, they're being taken to Coruscant to work."
"To work or be slaves?" Luke asked in suspicion.
"Has anyone ever told you that you ask too many questions kid?" the man asked as the troopers opened to cell doors. They pushed Leia in one after they took off her cuffs and started to push Luke in another, but he held his ground.
"We go in the same cell," Luke insisted.
The lieutenant rolled his eyes. "You and your sister have to be the most difficult prisoners we've ever had. Why the stang do you have to do that?"
"Because I don't want her to be alone in case your commander gets any ideas," Luke pointed out.
"That… He probably won't do anything. He was just trying to scare her," Solo insisted.
"If someone can take a person's freedom away for no reason," Leia began firmly in reference to the Wookies, "which is one of the worst things that can be done, their evil knows no bounds." Leia finished then added softly, "Trust me. I know."
The lieutenant looked between Luke and Leia quite positive he had missed something between them before throwing his hands up in the air in consent.
"Fine. Go in there with her. Just don't try anything or it's my job and rank kid," he said closing the other cell door.
Luke nodded in thanks and felt something about the man. He couldn't explain the feeling. There was just something about him.
The door closed and Luke sat next to Leia on the metal bench. She seemed too bothered to remember she hated closed spaces and wasn't sweaty or shaking yet. She'd probably be okay for a while before she got to that point.
"What's up with you?" he asked. "You act like that guy was your worst enemy."
Leia sighed. "It wasn't that Luke," she assured.
Luke raised his eyebrows and waiting for Leia to continue. When she didn't, he prodded her further. "So what was it?"
Leia leaned her head on the cold wall and closed her eyes, a habit of hers when she was bothered by something.
"There's something about him. I'm not sure what yet, but… there's something."
"You feel it too?" Luke asked.
"I can always feel people who are going to play a part in my life orsomething. I felt you," Leia admitted as she thought back to the day Luke walked in the shop she was in. "I was probably a little mean to you but I felt our connection when we first met. I didn't know what it was or what it meant and I still don't. I just know we need each other. We're all we've got," Leia muttered and Luke sensed her dozing off. Leia always went to sleep when she was scared and there was nothing she could do.
Luke leaned her upper body on his lap and then closed his own eyes. He had a headache from where the storm trooper his him… Maybe he could use a little rest too.
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"Hey kid, princess," someone whispered.
Leia was up first followed by Luke who looked at little groggier than usual. He put a hand to his forehead and touched his cut. He winced.
"That is kind of nasty ain't it kid. Here. Put this on it."
Luke looked up to see the lieutenant from earlier handing him a piece of cloth with bacta on it and something to patch up the offending wound. Leia was eyeing him cautiously as she sat up.
What do you think? Luke asked still watching the cloth the man was holding out.
Leia shrugged. Well, they said Darth Vader wants us alive so I guess they would send someone up here to check on us. But I wonder why they sent a lieutenant.
They probably know our track record of bamboozling lesser men and women, Luke sent amused as he slowly took the cloth and pressed it to his wound.
Again, Solo felt like he had completely missed something between the two children but dismissed it as he hand them both a ration bar.
"It aint much, but it's better than nothing," he said.
Luke and Leia exchanged a confused look as they tried to get a feel of the odd man. They had never met an Imperial officer who treated them like they were on level ground. Leia, always the more wary one, touched the force to try to get a feel of the man's true intention and was shocked when she felt it. His kindness was sincere.
Luke felt Leia's caution and tried to figure out if he should feel the same or trust the guy a little. He didn't seem so bad. Then again, Luke's inclination to trust people and see the best in them had gotten the two in trouble before. So instead, he decided to test the waters.
"Why are you being so nice?" Luke asked for Leia's sake more than his.
The man shrugged. "Well I figure if Darth Vader wants you alive, I'd better keep you that way. Besides, the commander wanted someone to keep an eye on you two since pretty much the entire fleet knows about your little escapades and he didn't trust a storm trooper or lower ranking officer for the job."
"That doesn't mean you have to be nice about it," Leia pointed out. Her former masters wanted her to be kept alive too, but they certainly weren't nice to her. They took every opportunity to degrade her and make her feel worthless.
Solo raised his eyebrow. "You want me to be mean about it princess?"
Leia started to say something, but Luke, having a feeling it wasn't going to be nice, beat her to replying.
"We're just not used to our captors showing us hospitality or many people at all really," he admitted taking the cloth from his forehead.
"I know the feeling kid," the man replied starting to leave.
"You know Lieutenant Solo, this doesn't change anything," Leia said making it clear. "We're still going to escape eventually. We always do."
The man shrugged. "Do what you want princess. I'm not too concerned about keeping you here, but I do have a job to keep. So when you do escape, make sure it's not on my watch."
Luke laughed and Leia glared at him. He was getting too comfortable around this man.
"Just make sure you don't get in our way lieutenant," Luke warned with a grin.
"I don't plan to and stop calling me lieutenant. It makes me feel like an old prude coming from you two," Solo admitted. "The name's Han."
Han left the cell and closed the door behind them leaving the teenagers to themselves.
"I told you there was something about that guy," Leia muttered.
"Yeah," Luke agreed. "He was pretty nice."
Leia rolled her eyes. "I'm not buying it and neither should you. I bet he's trying to get us to let our guard down so we won't put up a fight when Vader gets here."
Luke sighed. "Why do you always have to be so mistrustful? He didn't seem like a bad guy. He's just acting out the function of his job. We can't blame him for that even if that is the case."
"Isn't that what you thought on Corellia with Marina?" Leia shot.
Luke averted his gaze from Leia momentarily before looking back at her. She had a point.
"Yes, but this is different. I'm not letting a crush get in the way," Luke began.
Leia smirked. "I certainly hope not. I'd be majorly disappointed."
Luke ignored her flirting and continued. "I'm saying that nothing is clouding my judgment this time. I don't think Han's a bad guy."
Luke sensed Leia's skeptical attitude and guessed he couldn't blame her. But now she was letting past experiences cloud her own judgment. The girl had an inclination to not trusting people sometimes, but she definitely always had an inclination toward not trusting men. She was always looking for a game or a ploy behind good deeds. On the other hand, Luke tried to look past all the bad to look for some good. In a sense, they were the perfect team. They balanced each other out.
"Well I'll believe it if he's put to the test," Leia pointed out. "But I don't trust the guy."
Luke then realized something. "Wait. Why are we talking like we're going to let this guy join us or something?"
"I'm not talking that way. You are," Leia responded. "But you bring up a good point. We should be talking about how we're going to get out of here before the big guy in the black suit comes for us."
Luke started to nod and then winced when it hurt his head. Leia forgot about what she was saying and went to Luke's side to inspect the wound.
"They hit you pretty hard. I hope you don't have a concussion or something… or worse a hemorrhage," Leia said fearfully.
"It's fine," Luke said pushing Leia away from him. She gave him a wry look and put her hands on her hips.
"You really shouldn't have attacked that scum," she scolded.
"You shouldn't shoot people without asking questions," Luke shot back.
"Says the person who will fight someone, hurt or not, simply for saying they'll hurt me," she said and Luke sighed.
"That's different Leia," he explained. "You've been through enough, more hell than some people go through in a life time. They shouldn't say those things to you or even threaten to hurt you… in any way," he added. "So they deserve it."
Leia had always been touched by Luke's fierce protectiveness over her even though it had bothered her at first because he wasn't one to pick a fight for himself. But he didn't waste a second to pick a fight with someone for her. She sighed.
"Well," Leia said going to inspect the wound anyway. "You can't fight anyone for me if you're hurt."
"You're no doctor," Luke pointed out.
"But I do have the force now don't I? If you help we might be able to heal some internal damages, if any, and get rid of that headache," she suggested.
"My head hurts too bad to try to focus on something like that. And how do you know the force can heal?" Luke muttered.
"Well, if we can move rocks, sense people, and emotions, healing isn't too farfetched if you ask me," she replied.
"If you want to try, be my guest. Can't make it any worse."
Leia closed her eyes and touched Luke's cut with her fingers and touched Luke's presence with her mind. She calmed down saying to herself, 'I can do this. This can be done," over and over until she felt the pain through the force and winced as she felt the phantom pains in the same spot on her head while she focused to will the pain away and fix its cause.
Leia opened her eyes and looked at Luke who was blinking incredulously. He touched his head and then bobbed his head up and down to test it.
"It's gone. It doesn't hurt anymore," he said amazed.
"Well, the cut's still there, but I figure we can work with it. Where's that patch Solo gave you?"
"Han," Luke said handing it to her. "And how did you do that?"
Leia shrugged as she started to put the patch on. "I used our connection and hoped it would work."
"I'm glad you did," Luke said grateful as he picked up the ration bar Han had left for them. "Now I can eat something."
"If you can call these things food," Leia said taking a bite out of hers. "When we get out of here we have to stock up on food too."
"Of course," Luke said grinning. "A princess must always have fresh fruits, vegetables, and meat. She cannot settle for rations."
Leia nudged him playfully and Luke returned in kind. He sat and ate on his bar slowly before saying, "I wonder what Darth Vader wants with us. I mean, I knew we were in trouble with the empire, but for him to want us is pretty drastic."
"Well, we have escaped the empire's clutches time and time again, not to mention we're force users. The empire kills powerful force users and Darth Vader is usually the one who brings down the sword or whatever his weapon's called," Leia added.
"They wouldn't have to worry about it if we could just find somewhere to settle down. I mean, I love the adventure and being able to go where ever I feel like, but if it meant them leaving us alone, I wouldn't mind us settling down somewhere," Luke replied and didn't realize what he said until it was too late, and Leia had snatched the opportunity.
"Is that your way of proposing to me Luke Skywalker?" she asked slyly.
Luke blushed. "What? No! I mean, not that there's anything wrong with you or that I don't like you or something… I mean… Ugh! Leia!"
Leia laughed. "I can't help it. You just set yourself up for that kind of stuff and then go and stick your foot in your mouth."
"Still, I hate when you do that and I'm not expecting it," he replied.
Leia hit him on the arm. "I'm just teasing Luke."
"If I didn't know you, you wouldn't come off as the teasing type to me."
Leia shrugged. "I probably picked it up from when I was on Affavan."
"You were what, six?"
"Five," Leia corrected. "And very impressionable. Besides, you know we could never settle down and stay out of trouble. Trouble practically follows us where ever we go. Remember Lianna?"
"The empire should stop chasing us just for that reason alone. If we hadn't stopped those rebels, the fleet would have been weakened," Luke said crossing his arms. "Lianna designs and makes the ties."
"That's another reason we can't settle down. I doubt the rebellion likes us much either," Leia pointed out.
"So we're going to spend the rest of our lives on the run and freeing slaves?" Luke asked and then added, "With nowhere to go and no home to run to?
"What are you saying? That you're tired now?" Leia snapped ready to convince them why they should keep going.
"No," Luke said. "I love what we do now. I'm just say in the future, the far future. Are we always going to be fugitives? Will the empire ever forget?"
Leia laughed. "You mean will Darth Vader forget… I hear that guy can hold a grudge. But I haven't really thought about it to tell you the truth. I guess we just wait and see what happens," she said looking at the door. "I wonder if anyone warned them that I can easily get out of cells."
"Why haven't you done that already anyway?" Luke asked standing up. "I'm bored. I think we've humored them enough. Let's get out of here."
"Sit down oh impulsive one," Leia said pulling Luke back down next to her. "I couldn't let us out and you hadn't recovered. Besides, we need a plan. There's only one way in this place and only one way out."
"Your point?" Luke asked.
"I mean we can't just go barging out there with no weapons mind you when there are at least six guards out there," Leia replied.
Luke saw her point. They at least needed a blaster or something. An idea struck him, a ridiculous one, but an idea nonetheless.
"Han!" Luke said.
"That lieutenant?" Leia asked rolling her eyes. "What can he do for us?"
"He had a blaster on him. The next time he comes to check on us, we'll take it from him," Luke said looking at Leia who, to his surprise, seemed a bit skeptical about it. "What?"
Leia looked around the room as if having an inner battle with herself and started to say something before Luke noticed her eyes start to dart around the cell again. She looked behind her and then turned back to Luke. Luke felt her sudden panic and rushed to her side. They would have been perfectly fine if she hadn't looked around the cell and noticed the four walls.
"Leia no," Luke said put a hand on her trembling arm. "You can't lose it now. We have to get out of here."
Leia shook her head. "I didn't notice how small this cell was."
"It's not that small," Luke said and Leia still managed to give him a dry look in her sudden and growing panic.
"Stang," he muttered. He knew it was only a matter of time before it really began to sink in, but he was hoping she might pull through. "Come on Leia. Don't go there."
"I can't help it," Leia muttered closing her eyes as she began to mutter under her breath. "Let me out. I want out. I hate this place."
Leia's voice was rising with each word and the last thing Luke needed was her all out screaming fit. He hadn't had to deal with one of those since they infiltrated that black market slave post right after their birthday five or six months ago. Not only that, but he wasn't sure how imperial officers would deal with her. They might just sedate her or knock her out and that would undoubtedly make it worse when she woke up again.
"Leia, don't think about those places," Luke said knowing she was probably imagining the places she had been trapped in as a slave when she was a young girl. "Not all closed spaces are bad. Think about the room Queen Kylantha gave us on Naboo."
Leia slapped his hands away. "I wasn't trapped there. No one was locking me in."
"Just think about it," Luke urged. "Remember how pretty it was? Remember the beige colored walls with the blue stencils for designs and the paintings. Remember that painting of the lake that was in your room? You would sit on the soft beds and red comforters and just stare at it for a moment remember?"
"The balcony," Leia muttered as she calmed down.
"Yeah," Luke said in excitement as she seemed to come back to her senses. "It overlooked the garden and there was a big fountain. I had never seen so much water in one place, remember?"
Leia nodded as she relaxed in his arms and laid her head on his chest.
"That's it sis," he said softly. "Relax. You won't be trapped in here forever."
Leia nodded her head and closed her eyes. "Thanks Luke," she sighed before drifting off to sleep.
Luke sighed. It looked like they were going to be here a while longer. They had to wait for Han to come back anyhow.
Luke leaned Leia on the bench and then sat on the floor to wait for Han to come back. He hated having to trick the man and when he and Leia escaped, he would probably be blamed for it all, but it was the only way. Luke sighed and began to pace the cell. He was still pacing when Han came back a few hours later with two bottles of water and two more ration bars.
"Thanks," Luke said taking the items and setting Leia's share aside for when she woke up.
"No problem kid," Han said and glance as Leia. "What's wrong with her highnessness?"
Luke looked over at her and then shrugged. "What makes you think something's wrong with her?"
"She's all sweaty and shivering?" Han pointed out.
Luke started to say it wasn't the man's business, but decided it would be a useful way to get Han to stay long enough for Luke to accomplish what he needed.
"She's better than she was before," Luke said leaning against the wall giving Han a full view of Leia. Han stepped closer to her.
"What do you mean? She'll be okay, right?" Han asked. "Because I don't want a pissed off Vader on my back if something happens to her."
"She's not going to die. Vader didn't actually say how he wanted us alive did he?" Luke asked though he got the feeling that Han was actually concerned about Leia's well-being and was using Vader as a cover up.
"You sure kid?" Han asked.
Luke nodded. "She's claustrophobic if you must know. She'll be okay when she gets up."
Han nodded in understanding and then turned to leave the room. He chanced one more glance at Leia and then closed the cell door. Luke sighed as he pulled the blaster from behind his back. It was all too easy to take it. The man hadn't even noticed. But he couldn't help but feel guilty for taking advantage of his concern for Leia. People had tried to do that to Luke in the last two years too. They never succeeded but still, he felt bad doing the same thing to someone else.
Luke sat down and sipped on his water and ate off the ration bar as he waited for Leia to wake up so they could escape. The girl started to stir only minutes after Han left, but what really woke her up was the commotion going on outside.
Leia sat up hearing a loud bang. It sounded like a blaster shot ricketing through the hallways. Luke looked at her and then ran to the door to peer out the window.
"What happened?" Leia said joining him.
"Surprisingly, we had nothing to do with it," Luke pointed out as he saw an adult Wookie running through the corridors followed by the Wookie children.
"You mean to tell me someone beat us to busting out of here?" Leia asked in surprise.
"I guess so," Luke said and shrugged. "Well, since the exit's is clear, I guess this is our cue to take our leave."
Leia opened the door and ran out into the hallway before running toward the exit. She looked down and gasped at the guards who were lying in a heap on the ground, some with broken limb bent in odd angles.
"Remind me not to get on a Wookie's bad side," she said dryly and picked up a fallen blaster.
"Come on Leia," Luke said pulled her into the lift. When it brought them down to the main hall, alarms were blaring and officers were running around with such fervor and hurry that they hardly noticed the two teenagers walking out the lift from the detention bay.
"Those wookies are causing more havoc than we usually do," Luke said running over fallen bodies that the wookies had trampled.
"Security breech. All pilots prepare to give chase to the escaped prisoners. They've stolen a ship," a voice said over the speakers.
"A ship," Leia replied. "It had better not been ours."
The hall turned into the railing that overlooked the hanger and Luke grinned.
"Our ship is still here. We can still make it out of here," he said in excitement.
They started in the direction of the ship and as Luke turned the corner he skidded to a stop and pushed Leia the other way.
"Not that way," he said pushing her along as officers followed behind them They turned back into the hall they had just come from and Luke managed one shot before the officers open fired. They ducked back behind the wall and Luke moved over so Leia could get where he was.
"Deflect the shots, Leia," he said frantically.
"I'm trying, but I can't just jump out there while they're firing on us," Leia yelled over the shots.
"Then let's try another way," Luke said.
"That's what I was trying to tell you," Leia said running back down the hall ahead of Luke. She took a right turn and saw another lift at the end of the hall. They climbed in it, but in their hurry, pressed the wrong button.
"Luke!" Leia said.
"It wasn't my fault. You were in the way."
"Don't blame this on me," Leia snapped as the door opened.
They spared one glance at each other before ducking behind a control panel and peaking around it. How they ended up on the bridge, they had no idea.
"Lieutenant Solo," Commander Nyklas was yelling through a com. "Shoot that ship down."
The wookies! Leia sent. He's going to kill them.
There's not much we can do now, Luke said although he was praying to the force that somehow, the wookies would be saved.
"Negative sir," the two heard Han said over the com. "There are children on that ship. But they're in range of the tractor beam sir."
Commander Nyklas cursed at the lieutenant and headed toward the lift to go to the hanger. If he had only turned to look to his left, he would have noticed where Luke and Leia were pressed against the back of the control panel. He and the storm troopers with them got on the lift and when the doors closed, Luke and Leia let out a sigh of relief.
"Let's go," Luke said.
"We can't. That tractor beam. If we don't deactivate it, they'll catch us again," Leia replied in a harsh whisper. "And I am not going back in that cell."
Luke rolled his eyes. "Of course princess. Now set to stun," he said dryly as he stood up and stepped from behind the control panel.
"Alright everyone," Leia said pointing her blaster. "Stop what you're doing and keep your hands where I can see them." she looked to and officer on her right. "And don't even think about giving any signals."
Luke sighed as they walked toward the end of the bridge. "You would think with prisoners on the loose they would put more security on the bridge. Instead the commander took all security from the bridge. How dumb is that?"
Leia shrugged as she looked at the dozen or so officers left. She and Luke could take them all on if needed.
"I feel like a pirate holding a stick up or something," Leia pointed out with a smile as she felt a warning in the back of her mind and spun around to shoot two officers who were trying to grab at their own weapons.
"Disable the tractor beam," Luke said a little nervously as he pressed the gun in one of the officer's side. He and Leia had never done anything quite as bold before. They usually caused distractions, sabotaged, and did stuff that went unnoticed until it was obvious someone was messing around but they currently didn't have time.
The officer shook as he turned around while Luke held the blaster in his back. Leia rolled her eyes.
"Oh please. Here's how we disable the tractor beam," she said and started to shoot on all the controls.
"Leia!" Luke exclaimed and stunned the officer who seemed to have suddenly gotten a backbone and was attempting to take out Leia.
Another man, and judging by his uniform Luke guessed he was the captain, tackled Luke down and Luke's blaster flew from his hands.
"Get off him," Leia shouted trying to grab the man. She couldn't shoot him without hitting Luke.
Leia stopped and whipped around to stun another officer that came up behind her.
"Alright," she said. "I'm tired of mutinies. Get off my brother you imperial-."
Leia called him something very foul in huttese and then reached out with her hand as she concentrated on the force, lifted the man into the air and threw him across the room.
"Ow," Luke said holding the back on his head as Leia helped him up. "That's the second time I've hurt my head today."
"Stop acting like a baby and let's go," Leia said with a hint of teasing in her tone as she ran towards the lift.
"Wait a minute," Luke said grabbing a random officer. "Put these uniforms on over your clothes."
"Yeah right. Have you noticed how short we are?"
"Leia," Luke said sighing as her put on a pair of pants on over his clothes.
When they were dressed, helmets and all, Leia laughed. "I'm glad you never got a chance to go to that Imperial academy. You would have looked silly in one of these."
"Ha, ha," Luke said trying to hold back a smile all the while. She was right.
They took the lift all the way down and ended up in the hanger.
Act natural, Luke said.
Natural for us is causing havoc, Leia pointed out.
Well act like an imperial officer, Luke amended. You get the point.
They started to go to the Queen Amidala but then they saw the ship surrounded by storm troopers and exchanged a look. It was what they did anyway.
They made their way past the troopers and up the ramp toward the cockpit. They stopped in the doorway where an adult wookie was leaned over in the pilot's seat, apparently injured. Han was standing there with Commander Nyklas.
Bastard, Leia said starting to walk forward with the intention of shooting both imperials, but Luke stopped her. Something was happening. He could feel it, and if Leia stopped focusing on her emotions for a moment, she would too.
"Filthy animal," Nyklas said jugging the wookie with his gun. "I'm glad you didn't shoot him down. I want you to skin him alive instead."
Leia started forward, but Luke grabbed her and shook his head.
Leia, just wait a minute. I have a feeling about Han.
Leia scowled and made sure Luke knew she wasn't pleased with standing there, but put her blaster back down at her side.
There was a long pause as Han seemed to have an inner debate with himself before letting out a long breath.
"No sir," he said standing boldly and bravely despite his nervousness.
Leia's mouth dropped in shock. She had never met or seen an Imperial officer who defied his superior.
"What did you say Solo?"
"I said, no sir," Han said a bit firmer.
"You do know you just blatantly disobeyed your commander right?" Nyklas said put his face in Han's.
"Yes sir!"
"And you know the consequences?"
Han sighed. He could change his mind right then and there, but he didn't. Skinning someone was against the things he believed in. He thought he could join the imperial army and avoid these cruelties, but he guessed not.
"And I accept them sir," Han replied. He was throwing a lot away.
"Why you-?"
"And that's our cue to intervene," Luke said not needing to hear anymore as he shot Nyklas in the back. He fell to the ground, blood pouring out of his mouth. Han had to step back to avoid the man falling on him.
"Luke," Leia said shocked. "Even I wasn't going to kill him outright."
"Scum like him don't deserve our time and though I would have liked more than anything to give him the most slow and painful death I could think of, we don't have time," Luke said in a dark tone.
Leia was stunned. This was so unlike Luke. Then she remembered Nyklas' obvious advances toward her and the understanding came. Luke was getting Nyklas for more than just the Wookie.
The Wookie slowly sat up from where he was lying and growled something to Han who looked at Luke and Leia.
"What's he saying?"
Luke and Leia didn't understand the growls, but they felt the gratitude coming off the Wookie.
"He's saying thank you," Leia replied. "Now come on big guy. We got to get out of here."
"Han," Luke said. "You go get the other wookies. Leia-."
"Wait just a minute kid! I didn't say anything about helping you two!"
Leia rolled her eyes and put her blaster to Han's chest.
"Listen scoundrel, me and Luke have warrants in at least five systems and we didn't get them because we sympathize with the imperial cause. Now if imperial life is what you want, you'll die a hero for them right now, but if you really want to do some good, you'll help us get these wookies out of here. Now either put up or shut up," Leia warned and Han looked at her, stunned that he had just been told off by a girl that was at least eight or nine years younger.
"I don't know who you think you're talking to princess but I-."
Luke put Leia's hand down and then looked at Han.
"Do you really have a choice now?" he said with a wry look.
Han seemed to debate for a moment and then sighed. "Fine. I'll go get the other little guys."
"Now we just have to get past those troopers," Luke said.
Leia grinned as she went to the back of the ship and then came back tossing a thermal detonator up and down in her hands.
"Explosives anyone?"
A few minutes later, Luke ran down the ramp still dressed in imperial garb and told the troopers, "We need back up in here. The wookies have gone rabid."
As the troopers stormed up the ramp and through the ship, Han and Leia got the wookies out through a secret door at the back of the shuttle.
"Hurry up," Han said as the adult wookie jumped down and started to make a triumphant growl.
"No," Leia said wincing as part of the growl got out. The wookie growled an apology and Luke led them across the hanger to their ship. Behind them, the shuttle exploded and the officers on the patrol over the hanger began to shout at them.
"Alright," Han said loudly as they got to the ship. "Hurry it up people."
The wookies rushed up the ramp and Han, Luke and Leia followed behind them.
"Leia, turn Threepio and Artoo back on," Luke yelled. "See if they're okay."
Luke and Han ran to the cockpit and when Han tried to take lead, Luke pushed him over.
"This is my ship," Luke reminded getting the ship started.
"You sure you can outrun that tractor beam kid? You would need someone with a little experience for that," Han replied.
"Me and Leia took care of that. And for your information, I've got enough experience outrunning imperial officers in the last two years," Luke said pulling out of the hanger and racing away from the star destroyer.
"Oh my. Miss Leia," Threepio's voice said as Leia came back into the cockpit. "What's going on?"
"Don't worry about it Threepio. We don't want to worry your copper head," Leia replied. "Artoo, check for trackers."
Artoo beeped in the affirmative and plugged into the computer.
"Where we headed kid?" Han asked.
"Leia, do you remember where wookies come from?"
"Kashyyyk," Leia replied.
"Good," Luke muttered. "Away from the core."
Luke plugged in the coordinates and Han sighed. "There is a faster route to get there kid."
"And when you're piloting your own ship, you're welcome to use that route," Leia snapped before Luke could ask what it was.
Luke decided to keep on the decided path and made the jump to hyperspace. Leia fell down in her seat and Han leaned back in the co-pilot's chair.
"Everyone okay?" Luke asked.
Threepio spoke first. "If you don't mind me asking Master Luke. What's going on? And who is that man?"
"Threepio, Han. Han, Threepio," Luke introduced and then turned to Artoo. "Artoo, Han."
A roar from behind them startled everyone and they turned to see the adult wookie.
"What's the walking carpet's name?" Leia asked.
The wookie growled something and Threepio translated, "He says it's Chewbacca and that he owes all of you for saving his life back there."
Han shrugged. "It wasn't a big deal."
"Yes it was," Leia said surprising Luke. She rarely gave people credit, even when it was due. Leia sensed his surprise and hesitated before continuing. "You threw away a lot to help him and help us in a way. I… We appreciate it. I haven't seen that kind of kindness and devotion to a stranger since I met Luke. Thank you."
Luke was dumbstruck. For Leia to thank someone and actually be nice instead of giving off snarky sarcastic comments, it meant there had to be something worthwhile about the person. She usually didn't trust or thank anyone, even when they did great good. Luke was usually the one who said the thanks and reprimanded her for being a little mean despite the fact that she had a good heart.
Leia whipped around, but not before Luke felt her embarrassment and shyness. He smiled. This was going to get interesting…
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"Who knew wookies were so hospitable," Han said. "I think one of my ribs is broken from one of their hugs," he added as he followed Luke and Leia back to their ship. All three of them were lugging huge sacks of meat and herbs. They were gifts of gratitude from the wookies.
"That's it," Leia replied scrunching up her nose at the smell. "I'm a vegetarian now."
"So where are we going next guys?" Luke asked.
"Master Luke, I know a droids thoughts don't really count as an opinion but I'm all for the vacation on Drall," Threepio said hopefully.
Artoo beeped a response and Threepio replied dryly, "Having adventures and almost getting killed is not my idea of fun Artoo."
"How about it Han? Want to take a vacation with us?" Luke asked with a smile.
Han let out a sarcastic laugh. "Whoever said I was joining you two on your wild dangerous ride you call a life?"
Leia raised her eyebrow. "Well you've got nowhere else to go."
Han didn't refute the comment as they got to the ship. They were just starting up the ramp when a loud roar caught their attention. They turned around to see Chewbacca, or Chewie as Han had dubbed him, running to catch up with them.
"Hey Chewie," Luke greeted. "Come to see us off?"
Chewie shook his head and growled something. The three humans looked at Threepio for translation.
"He says he owes you a life debt Mr. Solo. He insists that he comes with us."
"Hey," Han said a little uncomfortable with the idea of a wookie following him everywhere. "You don't have to do that."
Chewie growled something else and Threepio said, "Wookies take their life debts very seriously sir and he refuses to part from your side until he properly pays for it."
Han started to protest again when Luke said with a shrug, "It's alright with me. What do you say Leia?"
Leia smiled. "He makes a good bodyguard, so I'm not protesting."
"Hey," Han said following the two up the ramp. "Doesn't my opinion count here?"
"Not really," Luke replied.
"Yeah, we're dropping you off on the nearest planet on the way anyhow since you don't want to come with us," Leia replied earning a glare from Han.
"Now hold on just a minute princess," he said following her. Luke sighed and turned to Chewie.
"We're never going to be able to get any peace and quiet on this ship anymore with those two," Luke said dryly. Chewie nodded in agreement.
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In the next chapter, with nothing to do a year later, Luke and Leia head to Cloud city with Han and Chewie to visit an old friend named Lando, who they helped win an annual sabacc tournament and win a mining facility. The tournament has come back around again and when Han finds out Lando is putting up for bet exactly the kind of ship he's been looking for. He tries to convince Luke and Leia to put something up for him to enter the tournament with, but Luke and Leia know that a tournament like that is based solely on luck and since Leia doesn't believe in the game anyway, they decide Han's going to have to miss out on that ship. But Han is determined to have the Falcon, even if he has to go behind Luke and Leia's back and risk Leia coming after him with her blaster to do it.
AN: Talk about another long chapter. I always knew from the beginning they were going to meet Han and Chewie even though the timing for it is off in this story since it actually happened in 5BBY while this chapter is 4BBY. I thought it would also be funny to see how Han interacted with a, in my opinion, bossier, less tactful, and more opinionated Leia. Hope you enjoyed. Review Please!