I have a nice long chapter for you this time. Ok, here we go...

Chapter 21: Anyone Remember to Confiscate the Blasters?

Heading for the meeting, Han checked the time. 17:15. Good. That should be enough time for the meeting to be underway and past any inescapable preliminaries. Emergency meeting or not, he knew this was Leia's first formal meeting since they came back from Uluruan and she would insist on discussing the usual issues first with reports from the Command officers. To Han's misery, he had been a forced witness to several such meetings in the past. And, this was the drill during administrative or long-term strategy type meetings.

Unfortunately, the only meetings that Han found tolerable were the short briefings to the troops involved in an imminent attack or defense missions. Solo was positive this was no such briefing. So, he wanted to give them some time to get into the meat of things before he butted in. Timing was everything on this one, and timing he had.

The smallish area that was usually used for these snoozefests was adjacent to the much larger pilot/ground troop briefing room and down the same hallway as the Command Center. It was dank and dark like the corner of a cave should be. Not being cost efficient to spend precious credits on anything that would be left behind in the event of an emergency evacuation, the room gave off an ominous aura with the few industrial lights cutting harsh shadows across the occupant's faces.

As Han approached, he could see the grimness etched clearly on Leia's beautiful features through the circular window of the door. Even without hearing her words, Han knew she had her game face on and she was making some statement with every fiber of grit and determination in her being. In other words, there was something she wanted and she was being stubborn. Nothing with her was ever easy, but since when did that every stop him? He was going in full throttle. That ought to get everyone's attention.

Wanting every bit of his momentum, Han reached out ahead to slap the manual control for the door. Fully intending to burst into the meeting, he stopped cold when suddenly the various heads of Command stood up as if the meeting had been adjourned. Huh? Already? He couldn't be late.

As the door slid open, Lt. Colonel Probyn found himself face-to-face with a rather confused Han Solo. "Captain Solo?"

"Colonel," Solo quickly recovered, stepping sideways allowing Probyn to pass. Cutting into the short line of officers trying to exit, he slipped passed them into the room and headed straight for the back where a couple of officers still surrounded the Princess. He was just in time to hear Leia quietly finishing her words…

"It's settled then. I will go to Ord Mantell for the –"

Noticing a fast moving object out of the corner of her eye, Leia was shocked to see Solo striding in as if he owned the place. Her shock instantly dissolved to anger at his audacity to interrupt a Command level meeting. The fact that the meeting was technically all but over was a mere detail and had no bearing on her argument. From the look of it, she was sure he would have interrupted the meeting anyway.

"Han! This is a closed meeting," she said sharply, taking a step away from the group and toward the table in front of her. She cringed inwardly, realizing too late that she addressed him informally and her volume was much louder than she normally would have used in the presence of Command level officers. She would be upset with herself later for sounding even the slightest bit out of control around them. No, she amended, she would be angry with herself for allowing that infuriating excuse for a pilot to fluster her - again. Damn that Solo!

Han ignored her exclamation and leaned his tall form imposingly over the table, pointing at her. "You're not goin' to Ord Mantell."

The shadows of the room angled Solo's face threateningly and the harsh heated finality in his voice that Leia rarely heard from him surprised her. Despite being taken aback at his assuming brashness, she had regained control of herself and refused to lose it a second time. Who the hell did he think he was? Ice tingeing her tone, she looked him straight in the eye, "Captain Solo, this does not concern you. You do not tell me what I do or do not. As I said, this is a closed-"

Unrepentant and unyielding, Solo wasn't taking that, "I know what it is and I damn well am telling you that you are not going to Ord Mantell." Being head and shoulders taller, Han straightened up and looked directly over Leia's head to address General Rieekan. "It's too dangerous for her to go there. If I'd known that's what you were asking me about-"

Supremely irritated that Solo seemingly dismissing her altogether, she interrupted his tirade, "General Rieekan had nothing to do with it." Princess Leia drew herself up to her full height using every ounce of her regal bearing, "This is a Command decision. My decision."

"Well, I am undeciding it, Your Worship."

Leia's condescendingly sarcastic, if unregal, snort let it be known that she thought the mere idea was laughable.

Again, she watched as Han looked to Rieekan for some kind of backup. Leia quickly jumped at her chance to squelch that more definitively. She knew Rieekan's weakness when it came to Solo. Not long ago, the General had remarked to her: 'You have to take good help in the form that you can get it when you are trying to fight a war with little money and big ambitions.' She had agreed with him on that point. It was the point that followed that left her bothered: 'At least, Solo is infinitely more reliable than his ship, especially where your safety is concerned, Princess.' Nevermind the fact that she had spent the last ten minutes of the emergency meeting convincing Rieekan and the others that she was, indeed, the best choice for the mission. She sliced her hand horizontally through the damp air in front of her, "You can forget it, Captain. I have to be the one to go."

"That's ridiculous," Han protested hotly. He gestured to the small group behind her, indicating any one of them as a preferable choice, "There's gotta be at least-"

Ignoring him, Leia twisted her torso to the two highest-ranking officers still standing behind her. They were not only taking all this in with stunned interest, but were enjoying the show as well, no doubt. More fodder for the base rumor mill. Terrific. She swept her ominous gaze decisively into each officer's eyes in turn with a nod as she spoke, effectively dismissing them, "No one else can be spared from duty until we have moved to Hoth." Without a word, the officers understood their involvement in the conversation was finished and they filed out. Leaving only Rieekan to brave the Organa vs. Solo storm.

She said nothing more as she gathered her datapad and watched Han's eyes follow the line of officers leaving. The frown and somewhat resigned slump of his shoulders was made plain for her to see. She had won this battle. Although, now that things were calming down, she was beginning to wonder why it had been a battle in the first place. Why did he care if she went to Ord Mantell? Leia walked around to the front of the room in an effort to leave. She no longer felt the subconscious need for the table as a physical buffer between Han and herself.

"Then I'm goin' with you and so is Chewie," Han declared.

"No. You're not," Leia said with a finality of her own, yet she stopped before reaching the door. Apparently, he wasn't finished with this like she had thought. No matter, she wasn't about to start giving in to his demands. "There are already several people under consideration to pilot," she finished smoothly.

Actually, Rieekan had brought Solo's name up first in the discussion, but Leia nixed it immediately without reason and brought up a few other names. She would have preferred Luke to help her out on this one, but he couldn't be pulled away from Rogue Squadron now that he was their Commanding Officer. Colonel Probyn was adamant that Luke needed to be fully involved in training with the Rogues in the coming weeks for dealing the ice environment of Hoth. It struck Leia as ironic that Tatooine native would be training others to pilot and survive in an environment of snow and ice. She knew Probyn was right, though. The more Luke was involved, the more Rogue Squadron would accept and look to Luke for leadership. Strong leadership and a desire to follow it could mean the difference between life and death for a fighter pilot.

"To pilot? Who?" Han shook his head in disbelief as he walked closer to her. "I dare you to find anyone better qualified than me," Han insisted, aiming a thumb towards his chest. "You're gonna need someone who knows what their doin' when it comes to finding the back door into the heart of the Bright Jewel System. Once you get there, someone's gotta watch your back." Han wagged a finger in her face, "Ord Mantell ain't the playground you think it is, Sweetheart. Chewie and I know our way around there. Face it," he crossed his arms and casually leaned against the edge of the table nearest to him with a smug smile, "I'm the best pilot you've got and I can get us out there fast if we need to make a quick getaway."

"Oh? You don't plan on taking the Falcon then?" Leia replied, all innocence. Insulting his precious ship would get to him every time and he more than deserved it for his antics. Why was he doing this? She had seen him protective of her before during risky missions, but never to this degree. They weren't even on the mission yet. Not that she was going to let him go if she had her way, of course.

Interestingly, he wasn't even pretending to make excuses for why he wanted to go. Furthermore, he seemed genuinely worried about her wellbeing. Leia briefly questioned whether she should be worried herself. She knew the mission was risky to begin with, but if Han was this adamant then maybe… Nonsense. Solo wasn't even aware of the mission objectives. He was just doing his habitual embellishing to make himself appear to be the only logical choice.

"Actually, Princess, I think we might do well to consider Captain Solo for the job," Rieekan interjected.

At least he didn't mention Solo was already considered, Leia thought. She needed to get out of there before Solo had Rieekan narrow the list down to one Corellian with a beat-up freighter and a mountain of fur as a co-pilot. She adored that mountain of fur, but she marveled at the infinite patience the Wookiee possessed regarding Solo. Maybe Chewbacca did a lot of what she was about to do: Tell Solo what he wants to hear to shut him up.

"If you think it's wise, General. I will add Captain Solo to the list at your insistence. And since that wraps things up here, I have some work I really must finish." She nodded to the General as she continued her escape out of the door.

Breezing past Solo, she muttered, "Don't hold your breath, Hotshot." Two seconds later, she was moving rapidly through the hallway.

Visibly affronted, Han said a quick good-bye to Rieekan and then swiftly took off after her. "Hey! Whaddaya mean by that?"

Determined not to stop for his echoing protests, Leia quickly reached her office and punched the passcode to release the lock. Unfortunately, it slowed her down just long enough for Solo to catch up to her.

"I don't get it. What's the problem with me goin' to Ord Mantell? Afraid of bein' alone with an irresistible guy like me?" he goaded, walking into the office with her and making himself comfortable on top of her desk.

Irresistible? An image of Han flirting with Odessa flashed across her mind and a new unbidden column of anger welled up. Without analyzing the reason for her spike of jealousy, she purposefully aimed her datapad in Solo's direction as she all but slammed it down on the desk causing him to quickly jump up to avoid being struck by it. Readying herself do battle with him once more, she placed her hands on her hips and turned her back to the open door to face him head on.

"I'm not one of the pathetic weak-minded promiscuous twits from your stable who drool over you just because you happen to glance my way, you Bantha-breathed obnoxious overrated flyboy!" she spit out heatedly. "And just how did Chewie get subtracted from the equation?"

Scrunching his eyebrows questioningly, Han made a show of checking his breath by blowing into his cupped hand and sniffing it. Finding nothing amiss in his opinion, he adopted a mock-insulted tone.

"Aw, c'mon, is that any way to treat your lifemate?" he teased, ignoring the question about Chewbacca.

"Lifemate?" Leia repeated as her mind began to race. Why had he chosen to say that? He promised to keep his mouth shut. They were on base. He wasn't the type to let anything slip. What's going on here? He's insisting on Ord Mantell… calling me his lifemate… an image of Han in that uniform during their bonding flashed in her mind… Goddess, he did look gorgeous in that uniform… Oh no! The door! In horror, she spun with lightspeed and slapped the controls behind her to close the door.

"Are you crazy?!" she shouted. Then lowering her voice to a harsh whisper, "What if somebody heard?"

The door alert beeped. Leia's eyes grew huge and Solo's eyebrows rose in surprise. Somebody had heard!

Hesitantly, she answered the beep while forcing her voice to sound as normal as possible, "Yes?"

"Leia? It's me, Luke," answered a familiar voice.