Thank you all so much for all the great reviews! I have the best readers :) Here is more, as Han and Leia get to know each other better (for better or worse, lol).
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Han ran his hands lovingly over the console before him, as if it were something delicate and precious. They had entered hyperspace without a hitch and now he could relish sitting in the pilot's seat for the first time. He was not turning back now. The Millennium Falcon was his.
With a huge, lopsided grin of pure pride and joy, he left the cockpit and sought out his passengers. He found everyone in the crew lounge.
The boy, who had introduced himself as Luke Skywalker, stood in the middle of the lounge wielding a weapon that Han had heard of but never seen in person before. The blue blade of the lightsaber hummed in Luke's hands.
Chewbacca was engaged in a game of Dejarik with the two droids and the Princess sat at rapt attention, watching Luke as he parried against a remote seeker. The old man stood nearby.
"We should be at Alderaan by 0200 hours," Han announced. No one responded.
"Now, be careful, Artoo," the golden droid said to the R2 unit as he contemplated his next move. Han sat at the computer console and swiveled his chair to face the passengers of his new freighter.
Chewie howled at the smaller droid and the protocol droid was quick to defend him.
"He made a fair move. Screaming about it won't help you."
Han laughed under his breath. If only they knew what a softy Chewie was underneath that fierce exterior. "Let him have it. It's not wise to upset a Wookiee."
The droid managed to sound offended. "But, sir, no one worries about upsetting a droid."
"That's cause droids don't pull people's arms out of their socket when they lose. Wookiees are known to do that," Han sneered.
The droid's posture shifted nervously. "I see your point, sir. I suggest a new strategy, Artoo. Let the Wookiee win."
As Han smiled to himself, the old man instructed Luke.
"Remember, a Jedi can feel the Force flowing through him."
"You mean it controls your actions?" Luke asked.
"Partially. But, it also obeys your commands."
Han rolled his eyes and glanced at the Princess. She seemed riveted.
The remote whizzed around as Luke readied himself for the attack. When it zapped the kid in the leg, Han couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, Kid."
"You're rather cynical," the Princess told him.
Han spared her a lazy glance as Luke spoke from his place in the middle of the room.
"You don't believe in the Force, do you?"
"Kid, I've flown from one side of this galaxy to the other. I've seen a lot of strange stuff, but I've never seen anything to make me believe there's one all-powerful force controlling everything. There's no mystical energy field that controls my destiny." He noticed the Princess staring at him disapprovingly. "It's all a lot of simple tricks and nonsense."
"You should be old enough to remember the Jedi," she said with a glance at the old man.
"Nothin' to remember," he countered. With a sour look, he stood, loped through the corridor, and returned to the cockpit. The Princess always had something to say, always tried to put him in his place. It irritated him greatly.
Standing in the cockpit, the others were forgotten as he daydreamed of all the places he would go now that he had his own ship. He smiled to himself, one side of his mouth quirked upwards before he remembered that he was stuck.
He sighed mightily. He was bound to the Rebellion for the next three years. With mixed feelings, he realized that he had only the illusion of freedom. He would not be taking this ship anywhere that was not assigned by the Alliance.
But still…he had the ship of his dreams and after his term was up, he could fly off to anyplace he wanted. He fell into the pilot's chair, his pilot's chair. The grin returned, slow and steady as the sounds of the engines propelling them through hyperspace.
He was trying to focus on the positive when he heard the door swish open behind him. He turned to see Princess Leia enter. His eyes took her in.
She managed to maintain her regal demeanor in spite of the worn, casual clothes from Tatooine, and it sort of amazed him that she could look so good wearing something so plain.
Without a glance or a word, she sat delicately in the co-pilot's seat. They stared together out at nothing for a time and Han wondered why she had come to the cockpit.
Her head turned towards him very suddenly. "You really don't believe in the Force?"
"Nope," he huffed gruffly.
She was silent for a moment, before continuing. "My father has told me stories of the Jedi all my life."
"Myths," he scoffed.
"My father doesn't tell myths."
"Looks like he does." A glance askance showed that her lips were compressed tightly as she stared straight ahead, and again Han wondered why she had sought him out.
Silence settled over them like a Star Destroyer's shadow gliding to a halt in the sky. Han's curious nature finally ended it.
"So, what's next?"
She sighed. "We analyze the plans and hope for a way to destroy the space station. Of course, we have to find it, first. From the intel we've received, we know it can travel through hyperspace, so it could be anywhere."
"A space station that…you're serious?"
She turned towards him, brow descending to just above eyes that had drawn smaller in irritation. "Of course I'm serious."
"How's that possible? No space station can travel through hyperspace."
"I suppose if you haven't seen it personally, then it doesn't exist." Her tone was heavy with sarcasm.
"I've been around, Sweetheart, seen most everything." He saw her bristle at the mocking endearment, but found he liked the implications of calling her by an intimate nickname.
"How have you 'been around' when you have no ship?"
A well of defensiveness formed in his chest. "I've flown plenty o' ships. I just never owned one of my own." He paused to smile smugly. "Till now."
"Yes. I assume you know the owner?"
"I know the previous owner. She's mine now."
"That's stealing." She frowned.
He leaned forward and sneered. "You didn't have much of a problem with it when I was stealing it to save your ass."
She blinked starkly and straightened her posture in indignation. Her lips were steeled together but she said nothing, only turned back to the viewport.
"Besides," he added lightly. "He's got a bunch more ships." He felt her eyes turn on him.
"Friend of yours?"
"Yeah."
"Not anymore," she said with a lofty air and a raise of her chin.
As he puzzled through that response, the door slid aside and Luke stepped into the cockpit. Han noticed the gentle smile the Princess gave him and wondered when they had become so chummy.
"Princess," he began.
"Leia. Call me Leia, please."
Han had received no such friendly invitation.
The smile that spread across the kid's face was dreamy. "Leia." He seemed to try it out on his tongue, then smiled again. "When we reach Alderaan, I want to join the Rebellion."
Her expression softened further and she graced him with a beaming smile. "That's wonderful!"
Luke proudly straightened to his full height. With a roll of his eyes, Han stood and fled the cockpit, leaving the two fast friends behind.
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"It's here." The urgent trepidation in her father's voice left little doubt to what he was talking about.
A sliver of fear chased up Leia's spine. She swallowed past the sudden dryness of her mouth and damped down a chill.
"The Death Star?"
He gave a slight, grave nod. "It's orbiting Alderaan. I've sent an encrypted distress call to General Dadonna."
Their gazes held, saying much without need of words. The Death Star could obliterate their entire world. The situation was dire. Leia mustered a small, brave smile and her father returned it, eyes sorrowful.
His eyes turned away, staring out the long, large window, and Leia followed his gaze to find Obi Wan Kenobi standing beside the flower garden, hands clasped behind his back. His head was tilted up to the flawless, blue sky.
The comm inside Bail Organa's cloak beeped, startling them from their thoughts. He retrieved it and spoke calmly.
"Organa."
The voice that came back at them sounded official but held an underlying strand of fear.
"Sir. An Imperial shuttle has launched from the Death Star." He paused. "It's headed towards the Palace."
His eyes were quick to find Leia's again. Their gazes lingered for a silent moment.
"Copy that. I'm sending the Princess to the hangar. I will await the shuttle and stall as long as I am able. Organa out."
Mild fear was suddenly replaced with indignation. "Father, I will not go into hiding." Her hands had unconsciously balled to fists.
"Leia, I need you to remain safe. Whatever happens here…you need to help lead the Rebellion."
"We both need to lead the Rebellion." Her teeth gritted together in frustration.
He shook his head gravely. "I have always been in the shadows. But, you…you've been preparing your entire life for this. It is your destiny." His hand cupped her cheek and his eyes grew sad. "I need to stall for time so that the Alliance's ships can arrive. I don't know what will happen. But, you have to go. Take one of the security speeder bikes. That will be the least conspicuous."
Her eyes pleaded with him, even as the sinking feeling in her stomach told her he was right. "I will go. Promise me that you and Mother will join me after you deal with the Imperials."
He leaned down and kissed her tenderly on the forehead. "I will do my best to keep that promise." His hand dropped to his side. "Now, go. Be safe, Leia."
"You, too." With a last, lingering look, she turned and fled.
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Han and Luke's heads were tilted to the sky outside the hangar that housed the Rebels ships. It contained two X-wings, two Y-wings, and a handful of A-wings. The Chalker's Dream would be ineffective in a battle.
Against that monster hovering above Alderaan, they didn't have much to work with. Han's addition of the Millennium Falcon helped, but it didn't even the odds.
A buzzing hum began to grow in the distance and both men turned in unison to see a speeder bike approaching. Han recognized it as Palace security. As he noted the small size of the rider, it hit him first that the rider was female, and with a start, he recognized that it was Princess Leia. He began a slow stride towards her approach.
The hum filled Han's ears and there she was, abruptly shutting off the bike's engine. She hopped down quickly and Luke spoke first.
"What are you doing here?"
Her expression was grim. "Rallying the troops."
Han's mouth scrunched dubiously to the side. There were very few troops to rally.
A young man in an orange flight suit akin to the one Luke now wore came running from inside.
"They're here!" he shouted, sounding relieved. "The fighters are here. We're ready to launch! Get to your ships!" He ran back inside.
Luke gave a small whoop of joy and grinned at the Princess before running inside. Han turned to her.
"C'mon." He took her by the hand and tugged her into the hangar, towards the Falcon.
She skidded to a stop when she realized where they were headed.
"What are you doing?" she asked sharply.
He halted along with her but held onto her hand. "I'm not leaving you here to get blown up along with Alderaan." He tried to pull her forward but she resisted.
"I will wait here with my people," she declared stubbornly.
"And wait to die? No, you're coming with me."
"The Death Star needs to be destroyed!" She tried to wrench free but he would not loosen his grip.
"And what if it's not?" He yanked her closer. "What if Alderaan's destroyed instead?"
"How do you know your ship won't be the one to be destroyed? I could easily die on board."
"That won't happen."
"Why not?"
He grinned smugly. "Cause I'm the one flyin' 'er."
She glared at him, still resistant, but he grabbed her other arm and she stopped struggling.
"Don't make me pick you up and carry you," he said in a low, impatient growl.
Her eyes widened slightly, although her expression remained angry. For another moment, she seemed to radiate defiance. Finally, with a firm set of her jaw, her shoulders dropped in grudging defeat. She nodded tersely and he dropped her hand. They rushed inside and ran up the ramp. The engines were amped and ready to go.
Inside the cockpit, Chewie roared loudly. Han brought up the transmission from the Alliance. A schematic appeared, a three-dimensional sphere of the station that loomed darkly above them.
Bright lights lit a path through a trench and the exhaust port that needed to be targeted in order to destroy the deadly space station that loomed above, threatening imminent destruction.
He quickly scanned the accompanying paragraph with instructions for the attack then called out to Chewie, "Punch it!"
He barked confirmation and the ship began to rise towards the hangar exit.
"You strapped in, Princess?"
"Yes."
"Okay. Here's where the fun begins!"