CHAPTER 7:
"Han?" Leia leaned on her left hip.
"Fine," Han huffed gruffly. "We'll head to the coast." He stomped away, "You two better be right about this."
Leia and Luke looked at each other. Leia bit her lip and shrugged, "I hope we are."
Luke linked his arm with hers, "Come on."
Han's chest felt tight and constricted. The image of the Grendoli strangling Leia kept haunting him despite the myriad of attempts he made to push it out of his mind. What if the Grendoli made good on his threat? What if it forced him to choose between his friends? What would he have done? Fortunately, Leia arranged so he didn't have to make that decision. He looked over his shoulder at the girl. How could someone so small take out something so large? She could have been killed…
Leia caught Han's eye, and her brow crinkled. He quickly looked away from her. Leia patted Luke on the arm and then quickened her step to catch up with Han.
The princess slinked her arms around one of Han's, "You okay?"
Han looked down at her, and she rolled her eyes, "Okay. Stupid question." She walked with him in silence for a while.
"I should be asking you that," Han frowned and lifted her chin to examine the angry scratches on her neck.
Leia pushed his hand away and forced a smile, "I've suffered much worse."
"I know," Han whispered, and he made a show of examining the thermal sensor.
Leia placed her hand on his upper arm to reclaim his attention, "We'll find Chewie, Han."
"How can you be so certain!" he snapped.
The girl flinched, and Han immediately felt a pang of guilt. He started to apologize, but Leia didn't give him a chance, "I don't know. I just am."
"And so am I, Han," Luke caught up with Leia and Han.
"You two and your feelings," Han sighed and he gazed up at the angry sky. When did those dark clouds form? "You two could have been killed back there!"
"But we weren't," Luke observed. "Thanks to you."
"Thanks to me?" Han stared incredulously at the boy. "I think you should be thanking Leia."
"Me?"
Han abruptly stopped and disengaged himself from Leia's hold, "That Grendoli was asking me to choose between you two and Chewie, in case you didn't hear him!"
"Kind of hard not to," Leia muttered.
"If you didn't—" Han looked down at the diminutive girl. He turned away. "Maybe you two should head back to the base."
"I don't think so," Leia countered.
"Look!" Han's voice rose. "Chewie's my friend, my responsibility."
The princess folded her arms across her chest, "You don't have a monopoly on Chewbacca's friendship." She then moved to stand toe-to-toe with the tall man. She jabbed a finger in his chest, "He's my friend, too."
"And mine," Luke added.
"I can handle this myself!" Han glared into Leia's large eyes.
Leia met his intimidating stare, "Sure you can." Then she smirked, "We'll just come along to make sure you do."
Han's eyes widened and retracted. "You two are a liability! You're holdin' me back!"
The princess rolled her eyes, "You're the one wasting time arguing about it."
"Gimme the commlink!" Han held his hand out expectantly.
"Why?"
"Han…" Luke tried to step between his friends, but Han shoved him back with his other hand.
"I think I need to talk to Reeiken," he wiggled his fingers.
"No you don't," Leia pursed her lips and raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, yes I do," Han reached for her utility belt. Leia swiveled out of his reach, but Han was relentless. He caught the squirming girl by the arm and wrestled her toward him.
"Let go!"
"Han!"
"Stay out of this, Luke!" Han now had both of his arms entangled with Leia's, and she continued to fight his hold. "Just gimme the commlink!"
"You better let me go!" the girl warned.
"Or what?" Han sneered. He lifted her off of the ground to emphasize his point.
"Han! Put her down!" Luke ordered from the sideline.
Han whirled around, still holding the princess high off the ground. He leaned in toward Luke, "Or what?"
"Come on, Han," Luke resorted to whining.
Han opened his mouth, but his hands were too full to respond to Luke. Leia continued writhing and twisting in his arms. If he wasn't so angry, he might have admired the will and strength of the girl. But now he was more than angry. It was time to immobilize the girl and put an end to this scuffle.
"Han!"
Han gasped as he tried to regain his breath. He found himself lying flat on his back staring into the angry eyes of the rebel princess. She sat atop his chest, pinning his arms to his side with her legs. Her hands were firmly planted on each side of his head, "Don't ever do that again!"
Solo searched out Luke. The boy shrugged and held up his hands, "I had nothing to do with that." Then he busted into laughter.
Han narrowed his eyes on Luke before turning his attention back to the tiny girl squeezing the breath out of him, "Are you gonna let me up?"
The tips of Leia's mouth pulled up, "Why should I?"
"Leia!" Han warned, "I'm not playing around."
"Neither am I, Captain," She pressed her face centimeters from Han's face to accentuate her point.
And that was her mistake. Han lifted his head and pressed his lips to hers. Leia froze, and her hold on Han loosened. Pleased with himself, Han continued caressing her lips with his as he carefully pulled himself into a sitting position. Then Solo abruptly broke the kiss and smugly smiled at Leia.
Leia blinked a couple of times before she realized that she sitting on Han's lap, and Han now had her arms pinned behind her back. Her cheeks were aflame, and her breath was shallow.
"Are you gonna give me that commlink now?"
"Of course not!" she pushed out her chin defiantly.
Han couldn't help but laugh, "You sure are a stubborn little thing."
Leia narrowed her eyes, "I'm not that little."
Han shook his head and looked up at Luke. Luke threw his hands up and walked away. He'd never understand those two. Han released Leia's arms, and the princess gave him a small shove before she slid off of him and climbed to her feet. Han snickered as he pulled himself to his feet.
Solo lifted the commlink to his lips, "General Reeiken, this is Captain Solo."
Princess Leia whirled around, "What?" She then looked down at her utility belt. "I can't believe—"
Han held her at arms length as he continued comming the base. He tried several more times, but nothing happened. Han glanced at Leia and Luke, and his face fell.
"Don't tell me you broke the commlink!" Leia growled.
"Me?" Han scowled. "You're the one who broke it!"
"It's in your hand," the girl slammed her fists on her hips.
"But it was on your waist before," Han sneered.
"If you hadn't—"
"Will you two shut up?" Luke yelled, his hands cradling his head. "None of this is helping Chewie!" That grabbed Han and Leia's attention. Luke sighed, "Look, Leia and I are going to help you find Chewie no matter what. Hopefully, we won't need any assistance when we do find him since you both destroyed our only way of communicating with the base."
Both Han and Leia opened their mouths to refute Luke's last statement. "Stop!" Luke yelled, "You're both equally responsible. Can we go find Chewie now?"
Han rolled his eyes, "Come on." He retrieved the thermal sensor from the ground. Fortunately that didn't break during his scuffle with the princess. He stomped off in the general direction of the nearest coast as he silently prayed forgotten Corellian prayers for his lost friend.