I'm happy many were surprised by the return of Lando. You just never know what will happen in this universe ;) Thank you all so much for your continued support!

###

The co-pilot's seat in the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon was now as familiar as her bedroom on Alderaan was. However, she was not about to let Lando know this. He had made the ultimate mistake of assuming her some frivolous, young woman who was no danger to him. With some effort, she could play that role.

"And what does this do?" she asked in an innocent voice.

He smiled patiently. "That's the lever to send us into hyperspace."

He seemed in no hurry to take off, was far more interested in flirting with her.

"I've always wanted to learn to fly." She smiled at him askance, lowering her lashes flirtatiously.

"I could teach you," he offered, placing one arm on the top of her chair and leaning closer.

"Really?" She forced an excited expression. When would he turn away from her? She needed to get to her blaster, but he was far too attentive and the opportunity seemed distant. She didn't want to take off without Chewie.

"How would you like a drink?" He was almost leering.

Perfect opportunity. "I would love one."

He winked and stood, gazing at her lingeringly, before leaving the cockpit. His eyes remained on her until the door slid closed and she maintained an inviting smile that turned to a scowl once he was gone.

She removed the small blaster from her pocket and positioned herself beside the door, aiming with a fierce gaze. Her nerves were steel; she was not afraid of this fool who let his guard down so easily in the hopes of a tumble with a woman.

When the door finally slid aside, his shocked look at the sight of the empty co-pilot's chair was almost comical. He held a full glass in each hand and his brow was raised to his hairline.

"On second thought," Leia said with dead calm. "I think I'll pass on the drink."

His jaw went slack as his head swiveled to the blaster in her hand.

###

"Lando always was a sucker for the ladies," Han declared with a grin.

Chewie roared furiously.

"I know, I know," Han replied. "But, I couldn't bring myself to let you kill him."

"He's too stupid to kill," Leia chimed in from the navigator's chair.

Han chuckled. The mission had been successful, the Rogues had managed to steal eight X-Wing fighters and Han had been able to provide cover as they left the system. Now, they had just made the jump to hyperspace to rendezvous with the fleet.

Chewbacca barked at length before leaving the cockpit and Han grunted a response then turned to face Leia where she sat behind him.

"Nice work, Princess."

Her responding smile was both pleased and guarded. She nodded acknowledgement.

"Did the higher-ups decide where the new base is gonna be?" he asked curiously.

"It was a choice between Nimbla IV and Hoth. My father decided on Nimbla IV."

His brow rose in surprise. "Tough choice. Frozen hell or rainy hell. I'd pick rainy hell too."

"The constant rain is the least of our concerns. It's the wildlife that makes Nimbla IV dangerous and uninhabitable. We'll have to take extra precautions. It will make construction very difficult."

"I'll still take that over the freezing cold any day."

She sighed. "I don't know. I felt Hoth was the better choice. It's more remote and less dangerous."

"I dunno. Get lost out in that cold, that can be pretty dangerous. Just as bad as being stranded on Tatooine with no water." He smiled at her.

"We managed." She smiled back. "But, the decision has been made. Nimbla IV it is."

He nodded and something continued to nag at the back of his mind. He couldn't help but wonder what exactly had happened with Lando before she managed to free him from the smuggling compartment. His mind was stuck on unsavory possibilities.

"So, uh, what happened with Lando?"

Her eyebrows puzzled together for a moment. "I was very friendly with him, I waited until his guard was down then pulled my blaster on him." She shook her head and grimaced. "Stupid man. He never even checked me for weapons."

Very friendly? "Well, that's Lando. Easily distracted by a beautiful woman." He noticed her cheeks blush pink and her eyes drop in abashment then realized the compliment he had just given her. "What do you mean, you were 'very friendly?'" He tried to affect a casual tone and glanced unnecessarily at the readout to his right. When his eyes returned to her, she appeared annoyed.

"What are you asking me?" Her posture had become stiff, her eyes wary.

"Just wonderin' what happened." He shrugged.

They stared each other down for a moment, anger in her eyes, apathy in his.

"If there's something you would like to know, come out and ask." Her jaw tightened visibly.

The moment had grown far more awkward than expected. "I just wanted to know how far you had to go to distract him."

Her mouth opened slightly and she looked outraged. "How far I had to…" She stood and drew herself up regally. "I don't see how it's any of your business," she finally said with ice in her voice.

"Anything for the Alliance, huh?" he sneered.

Her mouth hung open before she composed herself and her cheeks flushed pink. "What exactly are you implying?"

"Forget it," he grumbled, angry with both himself and her. He stood and stormed from the cockpit without a backwards glance.

In the main hold, Chewie was sitting at the game table drinking an ale. Han gave him a sour look for no reason at all and sat at the computer console. The Wookiee grumbled a question.

"Nothing," Han snapped.

He growled a guess as to what was bothering his captain.

Han gave him a sharp look but said nothing.

After a few moments of silence, Chewbacca spoke again.

"Yeah. Well, she's got a mission to protect." Han kept his eyes on the terminal before him.

A string of barks and growls informed him of what he thought of the Princess' priorities and the fact that she had refused to let Lando take Han without her.

Han stopped what he was doing and looked at his friend. "Don't be a fool. She don't care nothing about me or you. It was all about the mission. She needed us to cover the Rogues. That's it." He turned back and refocused.

Chewie roared disagreement, but before he could reply, light footsteps sounded from the corridor and Han made a point to force all of his attention on the computer. From the corner of his eye, he was all too aware of Leia entering and taking a seat at the game table with Chewie.

"I knew it was a mistake," she blurted suddenly.

Chewie beat Han to the question with an interrogative hoot.

"Stealing this ship on Tatooine."

Han's lips clamped together. "I didn't exactly have a choice and you know it. We had to get off Tatooine. With your precious plans, remember?" he sneered.

She shot him an angry look. "Yes, I remember. But, you didn't have to steal a ship from someone you know."

"Would you've rather I spend time hacking a ship open and then more time hotwiring it? As I recall, we were in a bit of a hurry."

"I see your point," she replied staunchly. "But, look at what happened. Your actions almost jeopardized the mission."

He jumped to his feet and jammed his hands at his hips. "Yeah, and the Falcon's served you well all this time, shuttling your royal butt around for the Alliance! Maybe you should quit complaining!"

Her jaw clenched then loosened as she seemed to search for a retort. "My point is," she said slowly and precisely, "that you should think before acting so rashly."

His mouth fell open and, for a moment, he was too angry to speak. His voice finally returned in a deadly whisper. "Me acting rashly has done you a lot of good, Your Worshipfulness!"

"Dumb luck."

"I make my own luck!"

She raised an eyebrow in his direction. "Like I said, dumb luck."

He blinked rapidly, mildly stunned at the insult. "I shoulda left you with Lando on Commenor," she snarled. "You could've gotten more 'friendly.'" Planting one foot aside in a hostile stomp, he stormed from the main hold, furious with her, Lando, and himself.

###

Over a game of Dejarik, Leia struggled to understand Chewbacca's words. It seemed to be paying off, as she found herself slowly beginning to pick up more and more of what he said to her. Perhaps someday she would understand his language fully.

And the complete focus it required kept her mind off that maddening man.

The unmitigated nerve of him. She knew what he had been implying and she didn't like it, found it rude and presumptuous.

Anything for the Alliance, huh?

Was that what he thought of her? If only he knew the actual state of her innocent nature when it came to such things. But, she would never reveal that to him. Let him think whatever he wanted to believe. The reality was not his business.

He had embarrassed and angered her, and she had responded in kind, attacking his impetuous nature. She knew very well that stealing the Falcon had been the only recourse of action at the time. And he was right, both he and the battered freighter had served the Rebellion well.

But, in the moment, it had been the only weapon in her verbal arsenal. And, it had hit its intended bullseye, affecting him to the point that he had disappeared for the last standard hour.

How did he always manage to bring out the worst in her? Never before had she experienced such an antagonistic relationship with someone. wHer feeln

Around him, her emotions were always so volatile.

Lost in morose thoughts, Chewie's short growl jostled her to remind her that it was her turn. Chagrined, she nodded and looked down at the board. He was right, she hadn't realized he had already made his move.

Examining the board, she realized that Chewbacca had left himself wide open. She pressed a few buttons and watched as her largest holographic monster crossed the board, picked up her opponent's monster, and slammed him to his holographic demise before them.

Chewie howled and banged the table before throwing his arms up in defeat. He looked and sounded menacing, but Leia knew well that his bark was far worse than his bite. She tilted her head and raised her brow knowingly.

He grumbled under his breath and turned off the board just as Han returned to garner her attention. Very aware of his entrance, she busied herself by checking that the board was indeed shut down.

Solo walked right up to where they were seated and spoke casually, as if they hadn't wanted to kill each other an hour ago.

"Dejarik, huh?"

Leia ignored him but Chewie growled affirmatively.

He huffed a loud breath. "Kid's game."

Chewie roared in disagreement and Leia, fed up with his attitude, turned to him and smiled sweetly.

"I'm sure you say that because you always lose."

His upper lip twisted in a silent snarl. "Haven't played since I was a kid, but I was always good at it." He shook his head slowly. "You wanna play a grown-up game, play sabaac. That takes a lot more thought and logic."

"Sabaac is about luck."

"Spoken like a novice."

Chewie barked agreement.

She rolled her eyes at both of them.

A sudden spark lit Han's eyes and he took a step closer to where she sat. He crossed his arms and lifted his chin. "In fact, Princess, let's play a game right now."

Chewbacca roared softly between them but this time Leia did not catch his meaning.

She raised her nose in the air with casual indifference. "No, thank you."

"What're you afraid of?"

"I assure you, I am not afraid of a thing."

He sat next to her on the acceleration couch and she leaned away reflexively. "C'mon," he beckoned. "We'll play for stakes."

"You must be joking."

He smiled slyly. "Listen. If you win…Chewie an' I'll stay an extra year."

That piqued her interest. She was barely aware of the Wookiee's questioning whine.

Staring at his smug, challenging expression, Leia felt suddenly vulnerable. She was all too aware that their business arrangement expired in a little over a year. She was constantly doing a slow, dismal countdown.

"Sabaac's not fair," she said smoothly. "I've hardly played."

Chewie growled agreement, bolstering her confidence.

He leaned closer to her, eyes still twinkling with challenge. "All right, Your Highnessness. What about high card?"

She watched his expression for a moment. "What if you win?"

His grin faded and his eyes became serious. He stared at her long enough for her to become uncomfortable. A ripple of anxiety rolled through her.

"We leave tomorrow." There was no hint of pleasure or teasing in his expression or his voice.

They stared stolidly into each other's eyes and Leia's breath caught. Was it worth the risk? If she won, she would not have to watch him fly off into the distance for just over two more years. But, if she lost, he would be gone immediately.

It hit her suddenly how important he had become to her, and her insides felt as if one of the holographic monsters had pounded her into the board. The thought of his leaving always brought on a wave of anxiety, but the thought of his imminent departure made her realize that he had burrowed far deeper into her heart than she had realized.

She didn't want to care for him, this man who cared for no one. As her feelings fluttered to and fro, Han tipped the scales.

"What are you afraid of?" His voice was challenging, but his eyes were earnest as they bored into hers.

The look in his eyes brought a sudden, unfathomable pain to her chest. She swallowed against a sudden lump in her throat. He was sitting far too close. She felt transparent, as if he could see inside her eyes to everything she was feeling.

"All right," she said quietly, eyes unwavering from his.

A small, satisfied smile settled across his features. "I'll get the cards." He stood and left the hold.

Leia looked at Chewie, who growled extensively. Her mind was too crowded to decipher his words. With a long, deep breath, she nodded to him. Anxiety bubbled in her stomach, a whirlpool of chaotic emotions.

Han swaggered back into the hold, cards in hand. He stopped and stood, shuffling the cards and looking at Leia with raised eyebrows. She took a breath through her nose, hoping he couldn't detect her unease.

Eyes still on hers, he came to the couch and sat next to her, a bit too close. She could fee his thigh against hers and realized she liked this near-intimacy, even as it threw her senses into disarray.

Poised to deal the cards, he gazed down at her with an uncharacteristically grave expression. "You ready, Princess? Best of two out of three."

She blinked at the intensity in his eyes, which were dark and guarded. "How do I know you don't have a skifter?" she asked quietly.

He grinned now, genuinely amused. "Smart girl. Don't worry, Sweetheart, I don't need to use a skifter with the likes of you."

She wasn't sure if she should be insulted or not, but she gave him a sour look anyway and allowed her eyes to follow the movements of his hands as he dealt the cards between them. She often found herself admiring the size and strength of his hands and suddenly hoped this would not be the last time.

Into the silence, Chewbacca growled a good luck wish. Who it was aimed at, Leia wasn't sure.

Cards now equally divided, they each held and smoothed out their pile. The cards looked smaller in his hands than in hers. He gave her a small smile.

"Draw on three. One…two…three."

In unison, they each placed a card face-up on the table. Leia examined them quickly. His eight of Staves beat her three of Flasks. She grimaced.

"That's one point to the Captain," he crowed. Chewie grumbled quietly.

Holding her breath, Leia placed a hand at the top of her next card and waited for him to call it, steeling herself for the worst.

"One…two…three!"

Cards on the table, Leia's eyes flicked back and forth and a relieved breath shot forth. Her win, nine of Cups to his six of Staves. "My point!" she declared.

His eyes turned to her with a curious glint and his voice was low and deep. "You seem pretty excited about winning me for another year."

Put in such blunt terms, she felt her cheeks flush and she lowered her gaze to the cards in her hand. "You're a great asset to the Alliance," she said in a formal tone. When she looked back up at him, he was staring at her intently.

Chewbacca growled, ending the long pause. Han translated, eyes never leaving hers. "Last hand. For the win."

Tension stirred in the air around them, an almost tangible thing, like a dense fog swirling and enveloping the moment.

"Call it, Your Worship."

She was barely aware of the misuse of her title that normally rankled her. She took one long, deep breath. "One…two…three."

In perfect harmony, they slapped their cards down and Han's hand hit so hard it caused the table to vibrate.

Seven of Coins…and seven of Sabers!

Chewie gave a short roar.

"Tie," Han called with a small, smug smile. He looked at her. "Guess we draw one more time. You sure you're up to this?"

Her heart was slamming mercilessly against her ribcage, but she raised one steady eyebrow and remained outwardly calm and poised. "Why wouldn't I be?"

His brow rose in return and he gave one short, lopsided smile before raising the cards in his hand, fingers ready to pull the next one.

"One, two…" With a quick intake of breath, he appeared to draw himself up before continuing. "Three!"

Holding her breath, Leia moved to pull the top card, but as Han slapped his on the table, her fingers clumsily fumbled and her card fluttered to the floor, landing face down beside her seat.

Everyone froze for a moment. Han and Leia stared down at the back of the card beside them and the moment seemed to draw out endlessly.

Chewie roared a question, which finally kicked Leia into moving. She bent and scooped the card up, now afraid to look at it. Clutching it near her chest, she looked down at the card Han had placed on the table.

Nine of Cups.

She would need a nine in another suit in order to tie, a face card to beat him. The odds were not in her favor.

"Well, Your Highness?" Han's voice sounded anxious and strained and when she met his eyes, she saw an odd, unfamiliar vulnerability that seemed to turn them a softer shade of green.

She realized suddenly that her mouth was dry and she swallowed hard, which did not help one bit. Unwittingly holding her breath, she laid the card on the table, for better or worse.

Dumbstruck, she stared down at her card.

The Queen.

The Queen. She had won. A warm wave of relief washed through her and Chewie huffed softly. When she looked at Han, his expression was unreadable.

His voice was low and gruff. "Looks like you got us for another year, Your Worship." He stood and quickly left the hold.

The win felt suddenly empty to Leia. She placed a hand over the Queen and rubbed a thumb across it. Chewbacca barked from across the table, startling her into remembering his presence. She didn't know what he said, but a heaviness sunk in her heart.