CHAPTER 13:
The tapping and scratching ahead of Han Solo and Princess Leia grew louder. Leia removed her knife from the sheath underneath her skirt. She stepped back further so that her back pressed against Han's chest. He drew his blaster as silhouetted spider-like creatures with long thin legs approached at an alarming rate. Han squeezed the trigger and fired several shots, but that didn't slow down the spiders. Han holstered his weapon and picked up Leia. He dragged her back to where they came from, made a sharp turn, and jumped down the hole in the vent. Leia shut her eyes and wrapped her arms around his neck as they dropped. Gravity pulled Han's stomach. He looked down. When were they going to hit the bottom?
The bottom came into sight. Fortunately, the source of the light that rose from the hole wasn't directly in front of them. The light came from the right, and it was brighter than the one they were pursuing earlier. If the fall didn't injure them, there was hope of escaping this creature-infested vent system.
Han grunted as they hit the bottom. With Leia in his arms, he rolled toward the light and ended up on his back with Leia on top of him. She sat up, straddling his hips. Han took deep breaths; he wasn't sure if he was recovering from their fall or reacting to Leia's closeness. He abruptly sat up, and she slid to his lap but kept her hands on his chest. Leia didn't seem to notice the effect she had on him. Instead, her eyes were focused on the opening to their right.
Han inhaled and brandished his blaster. Those spiders would continue to follow them, and it wouldn't be long before they were overrun. However, they were in the optimum position to make a stand. The opening wasn't that big, and the creatures were large so they wouldn't be able to overwhelm him and Leia before he blasted them to pieces. Han leaned over and fired a few shots up the tunnel. A screech echoed through the vents. Han then waited but no creatures came down. The tapping and skittering retreated.
"Do you think they're gone?"
Han tilted his ear toward the opening. "Yeah."
He then looked at Leia who stared at him wearing an expression on her face he had never seen before. Her mouth was open just a sliver, and her eyes...so soft was her gaze. Han's heart skipped a beat. She looked vulnerable, and Han never wanted to protect her more than he did this moment.
"You okay?" Han crooked.
Leia nodded her head. That sat there a moment, catching their breaths before Leia slid off of his lap.
"Look, the source of the light."
Han's eyes followed her finger. Not too far from them was a grate.
"Come on."
Leia reached the grate first and peeked through it.
"See anything?"
"Looks like it was once a hospital room. It's looks abandoned now."
"Good."
Han scooted Leia over and kicked the grate. Leia caught it before it tumbled to the floor. She then pulled it into the vent. Han lay down on his stomach and put his head through the hole.
"Me first."
"Maybe I should go first."
Leia rolled her eyes, lay on her stomach, and dropped her feet through the opening. Han caught her wrists and lowered her down. When she was as far down as he could hold her, he released her wrists, and she gracefully landed on the floor. Han then positioned himself so he could fall feet first. He hung onto the ledge of the vent before he allowed his body to fall.
Leia dusted herself off as she looked at the soiled sheets on twisted beds that haphazardly lined the room. She walked towards the door and popped her head out the door. Han followed her.
Han started to walk out of the room, but a small hand jerked him back and shoved him against the wall. The door slammed shut.
"What are you—"
"Sh. Someone's coming."
Han listened. "I don't hear— "
Leia clapped her hand over his mouth and tipped her head to the right. Han still didn't hear anything.
"No one's— "
Leia pressed her hand harder against Han's mouth, muffling his already muffled words. Several minutes passed. Han studied her furrowed brow. She held her bottom lip between her teeth and her eyes were wide. He grabbed her hand to remove it from his mouth. He then froze as he heard the faint sound of boots coming their way. As the footfalls grew louder, Leia pressed her body against Han's but kept her eyes on the door.
"This one's locked."
A door banged against the wall. Another door buckled under the thumping that sounded like a body slamming against it.
"Clear."
"Clear."
A bang again followed by chaotic yelling and blaster fire.
Leia turned her large brown eyes up to Han. She dropped her hand from his mouth. He made his way through the mess and gathered up sheets. The princess walked to the long windows and looked out. She looked at Han and held up five fingers. He nodded, and she collected more sheets. Without a word, they tied the sheets together, making a long rope. Once finished, Han eased a window open. Leia grabbed the end of the rope and scanned the room. She tried to push the iron bed closest to the window, but it wouldn't budge. She studied the window before tying the rope to the bedframe.
Han pushed at the bed. It moved a few centimeters.
"I'm not sure it's a good anchor," he whispered into her ear.
"Even if it can't hold our weight, it won't fit through the window."
Solo checked Leia's knot and then threw the other end of the rope out the window.
"Me first this time."
Leia pulled a face and ushered him to the window with a dramatic gesture of her arms. Han sat at the edge of the window, took a deep breath, glanced at Leia before grabbing the makeshift rope, and lowered his body down. With his hands on the rope, he pushed off the wall with his feet. He pushed and slid as he descended.
The sky cracked with thunder, and a flash of lightning blinded Han for a moment. Pounding rain followed the sky ruckus, soaking him and the sheets. He wiped his eyes with one hand and looked up at Leia. She was leaning out the window and jumped when the sky cracked again. He squinted but the rain hindered his vision, and he couldn't see the expression on her face. Han frowned then looked down. He had climbed down two-thirds of the rope.
The sheet rope dropped, and Han's heart jumped into his throat when he heard Leia scream. He looked up to see the bed jammed against the open window, and she was clinging to the iron frame. Han froze as she struggled to grab the sheets.
"Leia!"
Leia's feet scrambled against the wall, and Han began to climb up the rope. However, the princess managed to find purchase. She wrapped her legs around it and hugged it to her chest.
"I'm okay!"
Han watched her as she descended hand-over-hand, inching her way down. The soaked sheet-rope dropped again. Han grimaced; the rain was loosening the knots.
"Use your feet against the wall!"
Leia unwrapped one leg from the rope but didn't move her other leg.
"Both feet!"
She looked down at him, and Han imagined the face she was pulling. Unsure of how long the sheet-rope would hold their weight, he concentrated on his descent. He reached the end, and dropped to the ground. Han shielded his eyes and looked up again at Leia. She had taken his advice and was moving faster than he did.
He held his breath until Leia reached the end of the rope. Her feet dangled as she clung to the end.
"Jump."
"I will."
She bit her lip as she released the rope. Han held out his hands, but she didn't need his assistance. Leia landed on her feet in a crouched position. She straightened her legs and glanced down at herself.
"At least the rain will clean us up."
She began swiping at the bloody mess on her dress. Han watched her, staring at the way her dress clung to her body. The soaked material left little to the imagination.
He cleared his throat and began brushing the creature's blood from his own clothes. "Yeah, I think our appearance would've attract too much attention."
Leia tipped her face up and ran her hands through her hair until the rain dripping from her it was no longer red. Han brushed the gooey mess from his own hair. He dropped his chin but kept his eyes on her as she lifted her skirt and wrung it out. She abruptly turned around, and Han's face reddened. But Leia didn't seem to notice his leer; she turned her back to him and lifted her hair.
"Can you get my back?"
"Sure."
Han placed his hand on her shoulder. He started at the nape of her neck. Leia inhaled and Han caught his lower lip between his teach. Slowly, he ran his hand down her body. She tensed when his hand reached her lower back. He paused for a moment before continuing down her backside. She shivered.
"You cold?"
Leia shook her head. "No," she whispered.
"You're shivering," he said as he ran his hand down her back again.
"No I'm not."
Han smiled to himself as he bit back a sarcastic comment; he didn't want to ruin the moment. When was he going to get another opportunity to freely run his hands against her body? He repeated the slow motion several times. Leia swallowed, and Han's respiration picked up speed. After three more times she cleared her throat and turned to face him.
"I should be clean by now."
Han gazed into her large brown eyes and nodded. "Uh-huh."
She gazed back up at him, and there was that look again: open and vulnerable. Han reached out.
"You have some…"
He wiped the remaining blood from her cheeks, brushing his finger underneath her bottom lip. She rolled her bottom lip between her teeth.
"Is it gone?" She whispered.
Han nodded.
"You have a little…"
Leia used both hands to wipe Han's face.
"Do I look okay now?"
She lifted herself onto her toes and nodded. Han's breath froze in his lungs. He caught her wrist and leaned in.
Leia dropped her heels to the ground and stepped back.
"Turn around. I have to get your back."
Han's face fell as he turned around. She briskly brushed his back several times.
"You're good."
"I know."
Leia raised her eyebrow and placed a hand on her hip. Her eyes no longer gleamed with openness and vulnerability.
"Don't you think we should get moving?"
"Right. Come'n."
Han took Leia's hand, and she didn't protest. He picked up speed as he led her down a maze of alleys before slowing his pace.
Leia looked over her shoulder. "I think we're in the clear."
"Yeah."
Han's body slammed against the permacrete wall, knocking his breath out of his body. Leia yelped, and Han started to reach for his blaster.
"I don't think so."
Han looked at the humanoid that held a blaster to Leia's head.