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Readers: It only gets better...
Han Solo gritted his teeth as Leia tightened the bandage around his arm. She was grumbling about his clumsiness and his inability to sit still, but Han knew that she was trying to forget about what had just happened. Many Jedi and soldiers had been lost, many good friends.
Han grimaced again when Leia tugged one last time. "That ought to do it."
He rotated his shoulder and flexed his muscles. "Not bad."
Leia shifted so that she was sitting next to him. "Threepio, any more news?"
The golden droid, now a reddish gold from the dust, was standing next to Leia on the Millennium Falcon's ramp. "I'm afraid not, Your Highness. Artoo is trying to find Mistress Arryn and Master Luke, but I fear the worst."
Leia nodded grimly. Han looked at her, concerned. "Hey, everything okay?"
"Something's happened. I just don't know what."
Han knew better than to argue. Even though Leia wasn't a full Jedi, she still had the tingly feelings that always meant something. He hoped, as Leia was, that it wasn't Luke or Arryn. Both were family and their loss as friends was…unthinkable. Not to mention the impact it would have on politics and the war.
Soon a figure was seen walking up towards the Falcon. The dust made it difficult to see, but Han eventually recognized the figure as Wedge Antilles.
Wedge was one of the Rebellion heroes that had ridden his wave of triumph to becoming the leader of the Alliance Navy. His presence indicated that the space battle was over. By his weary yet smiling face Han guessed that the battle had gone well.
"All battleships are destroyed or taken, and that blasted Garn Bestid has surrendered. It's over," he announced cheerfully. Han and Leia smiled, relieved.
"Casualty reports are still coming in. I'm afraid the count's rather high. Plus a few enemy fighters are picking off any ships they can that leave orbit. But it's just clean-up now." He sat next to Han. "Any word on Luke?"
Han shook his head. "Nothing. Haven't heard from Arryn either. I hope they're all right."
Leia squeezed his arm.
Suddenly, through the settling dust, Han caught sight of a familiar figure walking quickly towards them. He held his breath, gripping Leia's hand. She looked up and Han heard the breath catch in her throat. As the dust settled, Arryn Mandrello walked up to the base of the ramp.
"You made it," said Han, bringing her into a hug. She allowed him to hold her for a second, Han could tell she was weary. Then she pulled away.
"We need to get out of here. The survivors are mounting a second wave. I think the battle is over, but it would be best to get out of here. Wedge," she said, hugging her old friend.
"The orbital battle is at a similar point. There's only a small group of fighters that survived, but they're picking off everything that isn't theirs that they can take on," he said.
"Then I suggest we leave now," she said and walked up the ramp into the ship.
"What about Luke?" asked Leia, getting up to follow her.
Arryn paused at the apex. "I'll tell you later. For now, let's just get out of here."
Han could tell that something had happened, Leia could probably sense it too, and it was definitely about Luke. Now he could hear the strange metallic bugle sounds of the alien survivors, angry and revengeful. The group under the Falcon got up.
"I'll meet you up there. Good luck!" shouted Wedge as he raced off to his beloved X-wing. Han and Leia followed Arryn to the cockpit where she was sitting in the navigator's seat, her hand running over her tired face.
"Hey, you okay? Need to lie down?" he asked.
She waved her hand. "I'm fine. I'll stick around in case you need me."
Han patted her shoulder as he sat down in the pilot's seat. Leia took her place beside him. Every time she did that, Han felt a pang for his old friend Chewbacca who had died in battle many years past. Not that his successor was in any way less competent, she just wasn't Chewie.
Han ran the startup sequence, listening absently to the whining from Threepio and angry beeps from Artoo farther back into the ship. Looking out of the cockpit Han could see the surviving army's approach from the amount of dust they were displacing. It wasn't exceptionally large, but enough that it wasn't worth fighting them again. Besides, now that their leader had surrendered, there was no need to.
The ship, warmed up and ready, responded easily to his touch as he guided her up. As the clear blue sky slowly darkened into the brilliant array of stars he was used to, the remains of the battle in space came into view.