EPILOGUE:
Princess Leia Organa stood next to Han Solo and tried to enjoy the festivities. The Rogue Squadron, Lando, and others who helped destroy the second Death Star had returned from their mission, but Luke had not. She hugged and congratulated her friends, and none would have expected that she was not as carefree and joyful as everyone else who was enjoying the bash the Ewoks were hosting.
Han knew, though, but Leia tried to hide her uneasiness from him as well. She did not want to bring him down or take away from his victory. But she knew Han knew. He had long ago seen through Leia's political face, the one she had worn from the time she entered the senate. Han always had a way to see under her mask; he was always able to break through her façade. He was the only one who had taken the time to break through her shell. He saw who really saw who she was.
Luke could see through her face of bravado; he, too, could detect the pain underneath her smile. But Leia felt that was more intuition on Luke's part rather than digging beneath her façade like Han did. Luke seemed to do that from the moment they met. It was eerie at the time, but also comforting. She did not feel like she had to be someone else around him. Leia thought their connection stemmed from their experience on the Death Star when he and Han rescued her and the fact that she and Luke both lost their entire worlds—him figuratively, she literally. But it was more than that, and now she understood why. Luke, her twin brother, well there was always that connection. It all made sense now.
Where was he? He should have returned by now.
Leia tried to keep herself busy, lingering as she greeted those who had returned from their "adventure", if facing down a functional Death Star and most of the Empire's fleet could be called an adventure. She smiled to herself. Lando saw it that way. Leia could not help but be delighted by Lando's smile and enthusiasm as she watched the newly-appointed General tell Chewie about how he blew up the Death Star, hand gestures included.
Han watched Leia out of the corner of his eye as he congratulated Wedge, Lando, and others. He allowed her space, but he did not stray far from her. Han knew Luke weighed on her mind, and he had to admit that he was could not help but worry himself. Why had he not returned yet?
Solo contemplated his friendship with Jedi who was once just a bright-eyed kid anxious for adventure. Han had expected that he would just drop the old man and Luke off on Alderaan and his life as a smuggler would continue on. Han was handsomely rewarded for rescuing the princess, giving him enough credits to get Jabba the Hutt off of his back. But something stopped Han from leaving right away: Luke and the thought of him attacking the Death Star in a small X-Wing. Han had thought the rebels' plan of attack was overly simplified, and it was. All but two returned from that mission, Luke and Wedge Antilles. And Luke would not have returned if it was not for Han. No, Han could not leave that kid who had no experience in space dogfights to die.
The Alliance was a good place to hide out from Jabba, but Han did not stay for this reason. Han liked Luke (and Leia as well—well, more than liked); the kid's idealism was attractive. It was something Han never experienced in his life, even as a young boy. And Luke was an honest and loyal friend. He could not say that for most people in his life. And Luke cared about Han. How many times had the kid gotten Han out of a jam?
Han's mind traveled to his rescue from Jabba the Hutt. Luke proved to no longer be a kid. Luke was the one who came up with the plan to rescue him. They were outnumbered, had no weapons, and were at the mercy of Jabba who was anything but merciful. Yet, Luke managed to pull off the impossible.
And after, Han noticed the shadows in Luke's blue eyes. There was a maturity and sadness about Luke so unlike the naïve, idealistic kid Han had known when their friendship was just developing. Luke was patient, calm, and in control of his emotions. Han assumed Luke's first face off with Vader on Bespin had caused this change in Luke; maybe it was Luke's transformation into a Jedi. No, it was something more. Perhaps it had something to do with what Leia was not telling Han.
Leia. Han ran his hand down her arm until he reached her fingers and gave her hand a small squeeze. She was the best thing to come out of his entanglement with Luke and the old man.
How Han's life had changed. He committed to the Alliance and was promoted to general—him, the former smuggler the High Command was wary of—and was trusted to lead the most dangerous part of the Alliance's plan to destroy the Death Star. All those people depending on him and trusting that he would be successful. Han once thought his embroilment with the Alliance—the rebellion he did not believe, in let alone expected it to succeed—would have been a short one. It was a good place to hide from Jabba the Hutt. Until the incident on Ord Mantel where Leia had almost lost her life because of him.
Leia. Just like Luke, had stayed with the Alliance for her, maybe more so than Luke. He not only stayed with the Alliance but took part in missions (mostly ones that she was on to make sure her recklessness would not get her killed) and smuggling jobs for her. He had to admit that the not-so-royal princess had captured his attention the first time she spoke.
Looks like you managed to cut off the only escape route.
Han smiled at the memory. And then the way Leia took control of Luke's rifle and blasted the grate covering the garbage compactor, so quick-on-her feet. Of course, it almost got them killed, but they really did not have any options. Leia, a princess who broke all stereotypes Han ever had about royalty, bossed him around and called Chewie a "walking carpet". He had never known anyone who was not intimidated by his Wookie friend. It was the moment Leia sparked a flame in his heart.
And Han almost walked away from that.
But Han did not, and he won her heart (although he suspected that he had stolen her heart long before she was willing to admit it). Leia accepted him, fell in love with him, a low-life smuggler with questionable morals. He never expected to fall in love with her, not like he had. Leia made him want to be a better man. Could he be? She did make him better. Unlike Luke, Leia had not lost her idealism, and her strong belief that she could change the galaxy for the better rubbed off on Han. He could not imagine life without her.
And now Han had friends who wanted nothing from him, friends he could trust. Joining the rebel Alliance, Han still lived on the edge, but now he lived with purpose.
How his life had changed.
A familiar voice called out to Han and Leia and he released her from his arms. Leia opened her arms, rushed to Luke, enveloped him in her arms, and rested her chin on his shoulder. Luke smelled of smoke, but underneath the smoky smell was his familiar scent, and Leia inhaled him.
When Leia released him, let him slip out of her arms, Luke moved to greet Han. Luke held out his hand to Han. Luke's expression was that of uncertainty. Did Leia tell Han about his conversation with her in the Ewok village? If she did, how much did she tell him? How did Han take the news?
Without hesitation, Han grabbed Luke's hand and drew Luke into an embrace before pulling back to look into his friend's face. Luke looked fatigued, age, and his blue eyes still housed sadness, more than before. It was like Leia's eyes, but she only held a shadow of what was troubling Luke.
"Crazy stunt you pulled, going off to face Vader."
"I had to."
"I'm just glad you made it back in one piece."
Luke nodded and smiled. It was a heavy, tired but open smile. Luke excused himself on the pretense that he wanted to congratulate Wedge, leaving Han and Leia to enjoy the celebration.
Leia's eyes fell to the bonfire in the middle of the celebration. Luke survived, Han was with her, and the Alliance was triumphant. At least in this battle. The Emperor was dead. Darth Vader—a chill ran down her spine and her stomach spun—was dead now. Despite this huge victory the Alliance pulled off, there was still a vast Empire out there with people who believed that the galaxy would be better off with one ruling force that kept planets in their place, that the one authoritative ruling party would be the only way to keep the peace. There would be Imperials clamoring to take the place of the Emperor. If the Alliance failed to win victories over the remaining factions of the Empire, or if the planetary populations in the galaxy failed to rise up and join the Alliance's fight—worse if the Alliance overthrew the Empire only to find themselves with an incapable government that was unable to restore the Republic—this victory would be just another battle in a never-ending war.
Leia shook those thoughts out of her head. Now was not the time to contemplate the uncertain. It was time to celebrate. The Alliance lost a lot of good men in the battle against the Death Star as well as here on Endor, but her friends had survived. Her brother had survived. Now that she had time to breathe, Leia was able to absorb the conversation she had with Luke that night in the Ewok village before he left her. Luke was a Jedi; he had powers she did not really comprehend. Her fa—no, she was not ready to think of Darth Vader as her father. Vader had those powers as well. Did that mean that she them as well? What if she did? What did that mean?
Leia shuddered. She looked up at Han. He leaned down and kissed her, warming her. All those years wasted repelling Han she regretted, but she could not have been different. Leia had just lost her entire world, and she could not imagine losing anyone else. Han did not plan on sticking around, as he had repeatedly told her before he was frozen in carbonite. But Han did stick around; he was here with her, a general now committed to the Alliance, committed to her. For how long?
Leia wore a smile, but her thoughts caused her turmoil inside. She knew it was not easy for Han to commit to the Alliance; she knew he did it for her. But the freedom of open space, of being a smuggler who answered to no one was in his blood. It was the only life he knew. Could he change his lifestyle for her? Compromise his true self for her?
Leia loved him whole-heartedly. She could not imagine her life without him. But she herself was committed to seeing this fight to free the galaxy from the grip of the Empire until the end like her father intended. Could Leia abandon all that she believed in for him? Running away with him, running from her responsibilities and the heaviness of war seemed appealing, but it was not in her nature to abandon her responsibilities to the Alliance. Their lives were so opposite. The freedom they desired had different definitions. How long could he stay with her?
The thought turned Leia's stomach, but why was she borrowing trouble? Han was here with her because he loved her. She would appreciate, relish, and love him until he could no longer stay with her—if not when—he decided to leave her. Leia would always love him no matter what; she knew that much was true.
As if Han read her mind, he gathered her up in his arms and held her close. Leia closed his eyes, her cheek resting upon his chest, and absorbed his love. Han closed his eyes, too, and rested his head upon hers. This moment could not be more perfect, and they both dismissed the forces in the universe that could tear them apart. All that mattered in this moment were each other together the way they should be.
Han tightened his hold on her; he wanted to feel her, to remind him that she was real, to reassure himself that the last few years, his life now, were not just a dream.
Luke wandered away from the celebration. They were celebrating the destruction of the Death Star, the death of the Emperor. The death of Darth Vader. No one would know how the Sith Lord renounced the Dark Side and saved Luke's life. No one would know that Vader died with good in his heart.
Leia would. Luke would tell her when things quieted down. Of course, she would ask him about his ordeal on the Death Star. And Luke wanted to tell her; he wanted her to understand the change that took place in Vader before he died. But Luke had little hope that Leia would be able to get beyond her prejudices and accept that there was good in that monstrous shell that encased their father who tortured her and had Han frozen in carbonite. Leia would be grateful that their father saved Luke, but Luke doubted that would be enough for her to let go of her hate and anger.
Tell your sister you were right. Their father's last words. Maybe in time she would accept her parentage. All it would take is time, Luke believed. Leia had to let go of her hate and anger. Those feelings made her dangerous. Would she understand that?
A shimmery image of Yoda and Ben appeared before him. Luke rested his arm on the tree trunk next to him and took in the sight of his mentors. And then, to his surprise, his father materialized not as Darth Vader but as his true fully human self. The sadness in Luke's blue eyes faded, and he smiled at the image of his father.
Han glanced over at Luke, noticing for the first time how his friend had separated himself from the celebration. Han frowned before he pointed out Luke to Leia. She left Han's side and approached Luke from behind, placing her hands on his shoulder and giving him a brief hug. Luke turned his head to her, and Leia's smile widened at the sight of Luke's untroubled smile. Leia pulled Luke back into the celebrating rebels and Ewoks, pulled him back into their circle of friends, Han, Chewie, and Lando. Even the droids. They were all together. Who knows for how long, or what trials faced them in the future, they were together now and that was all that mattered.
The End