Worlds Under Sky: Chapter Seven
Disclaimer: Star Wars fans hate Star Wars
Author's Note: So I get more and more unhappy with this story the more I post. I refuse to not finish it, though. I think that's just mean. I mean, not continuing "Deceptive Black Eyes" is one thing, considering I didn't know where it was going. I'd just feel cruel not to post the rest of this, since it's mostly written.
On board the Falcon, Han kept a sort of permanent twilight. Some captains—at least the planet-born ones—liked to keep a semblance of daytime and nighttime. Han just shrugged when Leia asked him about the lack of differentiation.
"It's usually just me, so I just turn on lights when I need them. Besides, time differences on stations and planets are going to bug me no matter what time standard I pick, so why bother?" His voice turned teasing. "You're not afraid of the dark, are you? 'Cause if you are, I think I could think up some way to help you overcome that."
She was indignant at his suggestive tone, a reaction she later realized was exactly what he had tried for. She berated herself for days over that one.
She became used to the semi-dark that prevailed in most areas of the ship quickly, and now picked her way around the boxes that lined the corridor to the main common area. It had been about one day since Sunara, and Leia was avoiding Han. Possibly because she didn't want to talk about stupid plans. Or her dream last night. She thought Han was asleep since she had not heard him whistling (an activity he did while fixing the many problems that cropped up every day) or swearing (for when the whistling did not work).
To her surprise, Han was reclining in one of the chairs around the table, his attention focused on a flickering holo-chess game in front of him. He looked up as she entered.
Leia said, "Oh. I'm sorry…I was.." She could not think of anything to say and stood awkwardly in the doorway for a second; then turned right around to head back out.
"Wait. You don't have to leave, Princess. As I recall, you're still free to move about the ship."
Leia laughed (mostly at herself, she was sure) and turned back, taking the first seat she came to. It was, she noted, conveniently far away from Han's.
It didn't escape Han's notice, either.
He turned off the chess game, decided to ignore last night, since she was, too. "I save your life—again, I might add—and all I get is the cold shoulder?"
"What did you expect, a kiss?" The moment the words left her mouth, Leia regretted them. Her eyes widened and she stiffened, mentally cursing herself.
A lazy grin spread across Han's lips. He appeared to contemplate her comment just long enough for Leia to exhaust the Basic curses she knew and start on the Alderaanian ones.
He stood up and walked slowly over to her.
"A kiss, huh? I think a kiss would do nicely." He sat down next to her, and all the curses flew out of Leia's head.
"That wasn't an offer!" Leia scooted back a little.
He turned and used one of his arms to trap her.
"I don't know, Your Worship. It sounded like an offer to me."
"I…ah…"
Han did not really mean to kiss her, even though he'd thought about kissing her again after Tatooine. But she looked so indignant, so scared, so un-princess-like that he did not think, just leaned forward and caught her lips with his. He was shocked that she kissed him back, considering he half-expected her to punch him.
Leia thought about it…later.
She pressed into him and Han, against all logic, pulled back, surprised. He opened his eyes to find Leia's still closed. He leaned forward again, putting his arms around her waist before kissing her on the corner of her mouth. Leia drew in a breath and a smile flickered over Han's face as he kissed the other corner. Leia reached up to hold Han's shoulders and adjusted to capture his mouth with hers. Han tightened his grip on Leia's waist, and she made a low noise in her throat. Just then, a loud thunk and an alarm sounded nearly simultaneously from opposite sides of the ship and they dropped out of hyperspace.
Han and Leia pulled back. Leia was sitting almost on top of Han's lap. She glanced down and blushed. Han smirked. Leia jumped up and ran to the doorway, and Han followed almost immediately. Leia reached it first and instinctively headed aft while Han ran to the cockpit.
Leia found what had caused the thunk first. It seemed that a large section of bulkhead plating had…fallen over. Leia stared at it in astonishment.
"Leia! We've got company!" Han shouted from the front. Leia decided she would rather not think about ships literally falling apart, and ran back up to the cockpit.
"What is it?"
"It's a patrol. With a grav well generator."
"A patrol…an Imperial patrol? Here?"
"That's what they're saying, anyway."
"This isn't a normal route, is it?"
"It wasn't last time I came through here."
At Leia's look, he admitted, "Well, it was six years ago."
Leia rolled her eyes and pulled on a headset.
"Unknown freight vessel. Please identify yourself and prepare to be boarded… This is Patrol 2432 from Itvaaine. Unknown freight vessel…"
Han said, "It could be trouble." He checked his readings again. "Damn. We're fast, but even I can't outrun that at this range."
Leia sighed. It was time for disguises, which meant frantically stowing any incriminating items in the smuggling compartments.
Han gave her a conspiratorial wink and opened a channel. "Affirmative, Itvaaine patrol. Coming to rest. We'll see you when you get here."
Han cleared the channel. "Let's be at it, then."
Twenty minutes later, the Falcon looked almost empty. Their cover shipment of food supplies was stowed neatly in the cargo spaces, and the rest of the boxes (it seemed like every single one had something contraband in it), along with datapads, had been shoved into the under-deck compartments.
Leia had changed into the outfit she had worn on Sunara. The ship from Itvaaine had just matched up with them and was finishing establishing a seal to the Falcon's upper hatch.
The hatch opened, and a man came down the ladder.
"What's this all about?" Han asked while Leia hung back a few feet, trying to be inconspicuous.
The officer—a lieutenant she noted with relief, as it meant he would be harassed and pressed for time—nodded to Han and said, "We have word a fugitive might be passing this way. We're under orders to search all vessels. You have anyone else on board?"
"No, sir. Just me and my wife."
The lieutenant glanced at Leia who was busy looking at her feet and hanging her hair over her face.
"Ah. I see. And your business?"
"Food supplies from Sunara to Q'Alde."
The lieutenant nodded. "I'll just take a look around, then. Shouldn't take long. If you'll wait here?"
Han smiled tightly. "Of course." The office moved around the ship opening all the doors and taking a cursory glance inside. Leia noted that his bored "inspection" didn't even bother covering the farthest engine corridor.
"Everything appears to be in order. Sorry to detain you."
Han shrugged. "Can't be too careful, these days."
The lieutenant climbed the ladder and was gone.
Leia breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that this trip was going much better than the last one. Leia thought that if she were optimistic, she might take it as a good sign. She didn't believe in luck, but maybe Imperial patrols existed for other reasons than to make her life difficult.
Right.