Look, I did it, right on schedule! Thanks again to the people who have read, reviewed, followed, and faved this story. And once again, many thanks to jublke for her keen editing.

The Graveyard

Ten Years ABY

"Hey, Leia. You know you don't have to do this now, right?" Han said. "They can't make you. I know it's a special year, but maybe next year might be better for the big party. I mean, on account of, uh, well, just in case…" his voice trailed off when he saw the storm gathering in his wife's eyes.

Leia, in turn, saw that Han's eyes were now focused on her midsection, where her white ceremonial gown currently fit her a little too snugly. "I know I don't have to do this now!" she snapped, "but I'm going to. Besides, next year I'll have two screaming infants to deal with." The anniversary of Alderaan's destruction always brought a whole banquet of emotions to the table; but this year—the tenth year—seemed ten times worse. It's just the hormones, Leia reminded herself. "I wish everyone would stop treating me like I'm some fragile piece of glass," she snarled. "I'm pregnant, not dying!" And, then, to her horror, Leia burst into tears.

Confusion, backed by a quick dose of terror, streaked across Han's face as he watched his weeping wife. But Han Solo never ran from anything, and that included a pregnant, out-of-control Leia. "I just don't want you getting sick all over the cockpit, your Worship," he said with a smirk, mentally crossing his fingers. At this point in her pregnancy, anything he said to Leia carried a certain risk of emotional explosion.

It had been the right choice this time, Han thought. Thank the gods. Leia smiled through her tears. To her complete and total degradation, she had gotten sick once, very early in her pregnancy, all over the sea by the navicomputer. That event, in turn, had sent both Han and Chewbacca into panic mode—which was actually kind of cute, she thought. "You don't need to worry about that anymore, Flyboy," she assured him. She brushed a hand against his cheek, a gesture of apology for her earlier outburst.

Han took her hand in his and kissed her palm. "Besides," he reminded her, "they'll be my screaming infants, too, when we come next year." He smiled at her—not his normal cocky grin, but a half-smile—shy and just a little scared. That was kind of cute, too.

"Yes, they will," Leia agreed, "and believe me, I'll be happy to share the duties with you—especially diaper duty." She smiled sweetly at him.

Chewie barked out a laugh from the top of the Millennium Falcon's boarding ramp. Leia didn't know if Wookiees used diapers or not, but she was pretty sure Chewbacca wouldn't shirk his duty in that respect. She was confident Han wouldn't either; he was going to be a great dad. She could only hope she'd be as good a mother.

"Well, we'd better get going," Leia sighed. "They're expecting me." Over Han's shoulder, Leia scanned Coruscant's VIP docking bay. It was guaranteed secure from almost any possible threat. Unfortunately the holomedia weren't considered dangerous, only irritating. She could see several reporters lurking in the shadows.

Leia reached up to take the arm Han extended for her as they walked up the ramp. Behind them, she could hear the whir of holocameras recording their every move. This year, of all years, was the one where she knew that her pilgrimage to the Graveyard would be a media circus. And this year, of all the years, was the one where she didn't want it to be.

Timing, it was all a matter of timing. Of course, there were already rumors circulating throughout the core worlds about the possibility that Princess Leia Organa-Solo was pregnant, but she and Han had only shared the good news with family and a few close friends. And Mon Mothma, who Han certainly didn't consider a friend, but the Chief Councilor had to know. Leia had hoped to keep it their secret for a little while longer, something special between Han and herself. She certainly didn't want her growing bump to be the focus of every holo-shill in the known galaxy. But it seemed like that luxury was doomed to end today. And next year, with the twins, it would even be worse. Leia sighed.

"You okay?" Han asked. He turned his eyes from the preflight check.

"I'm fine. I'm just thinking about the speech."

"You've made plenty of speeches before," he pointed out, hands gliding automatically over the Falcon's main control board.

"I know, but this is, I don't know, bigger, somehow." Leia gazed out through the cockpit window.

"Just say what you feel; that's all anybody needs to hear." Han turned to face forward. "Let's fire' em up, Chewie. Strap yourself in, sweetheart," he called behind him.

Leia dropped into the seat behind her husband and dutifully fastened the restraining belt.

"And I have a stash of bags underneath the seat." Han's grin reflected in the transparisteel of the forward viewport. "Just in case."

"Stow it, nerfherder!"

"Well, at least this year we won't have to worry about TIE fighters behind every chunk of rock," Leia commented. She turned to the nav station. "We should be there in another half-hour."

"No, we just have to worry about hitting a news-float…or a diplomatic shuttle." Han smiled sourly. "Did she have to invite a representative of every member planet?"

Leia had no doubt who the she was. "Han, would you just get over it already!" It wasn't a request so much as an order. "You don't have to like Mon Mothma, but you'd better learn to tolerate her." Leia's look dared him to defy her. "I have to work with her every day. And I do like her, most of the time."

"Fine!" Han grumbled. "But if you expect me to forget she was ready to sell you to the highest bidder like some Twi'lek slave dancer…" Leia rolled her eyes; she'd heard this particular complaint so many times she didn't even bother answering her husband any more.

Chewbacca, apparently, wasn't in the mood for it either. His angry bellow stopped Han cold.

"What?" Han asked his friend. "You don't think I have a valid complaint?"

Chewie snarled a question.

"Well, yeah, she's my life-mate," Han answered tentatively.

Another snarl followed. Chewbacca waved his arm at the princess.

"And, yeah," Han continued, "of course they're my cubs!" Now he looked a little indignant.

The Wookiee barked out a suggestion.

"Okay, so I'll get over it!" Han turned back to the control board. "Can't you guys give me a break?"

"No!" Leia and Chewie answered in unison.

"Wow! Look at 'em all!" Han waved his hand in the direction of a veritable fleet of media vehicles circling the viewing station that had been constructed for the tenth anniversary commemoration. Beyond the station, diplomatic shuttles hovered in the debris field. Relegated to the space available behind the shuttles, private transports hung in space. Most of these belonged to survivors of Alderaan.

Chewie barked and waved his long arm at the mass of ships.

"I know, it doesn't seem right to me, either, Chewie." Han turned to look at his wife. "How come the Alderaanians are in the back of everybody else?" he asked.

"They shouldn't be." Leia's face had taken on the stubborn look Han was only too familiar with. "Let me get on the comm," she said. Han watched with admiration as Leia made her wishes known. She never raised her voice, and she never made a demand, but somehow twenty minutes later the diplomats and the survivors had changed positions.

"Nice going, your Worship." Han heaved a sigh as a holocamera droid cruised past the Falcon's cockpit. Chewie moaned out a request.

"Sorry, Chewie," Han answered, "the princess says we can't blow them out of the sky."

The Wookiee just snarled.

Han rose from his seat and straightened his jacket. Since he'd resigned his commission, it was as formal as he was willing to get. Leia appreciated the sacrifice.

"Are you ready?" he asked his wife, offering her his hand.

Leia took his hand and pulled herself out of her seat. She smoothed down her gown, her hand hovering briefly on her belly; Han rested his hand next to hers. Leia smiled up at him and nodded.

"Dock us, Chewie," Han said. "It's showtime."

The commemoration ceremony proceeded with as much dignity as the spectacle allowed. The new station had a large, transparisteel viewing port. Leia stood at a podium designed to camouflage her expanding belly—Han had to give Mon Mothma points for that. Arrayed behind her were Luke, looking solemn and dignified in his Jedi robes, Mon Mothma in her traditional white, and Han—looking every bit as self-conscious as he had at the ceremony after the battle of Yavin.

The Princess's speech was directed to the survivors of Alderaan; they were her people. She spoke of remembrance and forgiveness, of losses and victories, and of people moving forward. Her voice and image were broadcast over the holonet, every second preserved for posterity. Han noted that several dignitaries were moved to tears; he didn't think he'd ever heard Leia give a more stirring, heartfelt speech. He wondered, as he had for perhaps a million times in the past ten years, how he had ever been as lucky as he was the day he said he'd help rescue a princess.

The New Republic had made a gift of the Alderaan Memorial and Viewing Station. The station would be a permanent fixture now that the debris field had become stable. As a part of this, there were several different size portals which could be used by those who wanted to add a memorial to the debris. The Survivors of Alderaan Fund would provide a supply of capsules which could be used to encase whatever small memorial an individual wished to launch. Princess Organa-Solo would be the first to use the new system.

Han watched curiously as Leia selected one of the smaller capsules. She had been oddly silent about her choice of memorial this year. Han assumed from its size that it must be one of her last mementos from her life before the Death Star.

"So, what've you got there?" he asked, moving forward into the circle of holocameras and holovid recorders.

Leia held a smallish holocube in her hand. The images Han could see seemed slightly blurry.

"Oh, it's just some images I wanted to add to the memorial." Leia's face was solemn, but Han swore he saw a mischievous glint.

"Of what? Family pictures?" Han reached out his hand, but Leia shifted deftly away.

"You could say that."

As Leia worked to open the capsule, Han's hand snaked out. He didn't get the cube, but he did manage to snag the flimisplast label from the bottom. His eyes widened in disbelief as he made out the words: Mother: Leia Organa-Solo; Father: Han Solo; Image taken-.

"Are you crazy?!" Han grabbed her arm. Cameras and recorders whirred and clicked around them.

"No, I know exactly what I'm doing." Leia's eyes shot sparks as she tilted her head up to look at her husband's face.

"Why would you launch this into—" Han waved at the cube; words appeared to have failed him. His wife had obviously taken leave of her senses. This was the first image of their twins, recorded shortly after Leia knew she was pregnant. It was a little fuzzy, as these first images usually were, but it was the first confirmation that they were indeed having twins, and that they were a boy and a girl.

"It's just a copy," Leia said reasonably. "I kept the original."

"But why?" Han's other hand reached out to grasp her other arm. He was no longer shocked, but obviously still confused.

"Captain Solo," Mon Mothma's voice sounded near his ear. "May I remind you that the whole galaxy is watching this."

"Leia," Luke tapped his sister on the shoulder, "maybe you could explain this to Han and then actually launch it." His lips twitched up into a smile. "It's getting kind of awkward."

Neither Han nor Leia looked at anyone other than each other. "It makes perfect sense, Han," Leia said. "Don't you see? It shows that Tarkin and Vader and the Emperor, they didn't win—we did!" Leia's voice grew louder and more strident as she continued. "I'm still here; you're still here; Luke is still here—they're not! We won! We're moving forward, and this proves it." She held the holocube up to him, oblivious to the recording equipment surrounding them. "They're going to have a free galaxy to live in."

Leia watched the emotions play across her husband's face. Shock faded to uncertainty, then understanding, finishing with the most beautiful smile Leia had ever seen.

Han tilted his head down toward hers, but Leia, aware again of their surroundings, merely smiled and put her finger to his lips.

"I know," she said, so softly only Han could hear her. She didn't stop his embrace however; she figured the galaxy should see that. Besides, it felt wonderful—it always did.

Together, Han and Leia put the holocube in the capsule Leia had selected. Together they put it into the portal and launched it into the debris that had once been Alderaan. They watched it until it was just one more speck among millions of others. Then Han did reach down and kiss Leia, very gently. The cameras whirred with manic intensity.

"I think Winter's going to need to issue an official release," Luke said quietly to the Chief Councilor.

Mon Mothma nodded gravely in reply. "The first of many, I'm sure."