In a World Where You are Possible

by Keys 2 the Falcon

An AU that sends Han and Leia (and Chewie) into hiding and on a different path while fighting the Empire, unknown foes and bounty hunters. There will be trauma and stress along the way but also love and happiness. Sometimes the right choices take a bit of time to take hold.

18. Chapter 18

The three of them waited, listening for the other ship's airlock to close and detach from the Falcon. When they heard the hauler's engines start up and move away, Han wrapped an arm around Leia's waist and pulled her in so fast she let out a small squeak.

Everything went into the kiss. The close call, the adrenaline, almost losing this chance, losing her. The Falcon, too, but he wasn't thinking about his ship.

She fucking loved him.

He was focused entirely on Leia. Her arms around his waist. Her body pressed close. Her lips. Her smell. Her quick breath and laugh when she pulled back. He didn't know how but he was going to make this work. Cos up until this point in his life, the only thing that felt so damn right was the first time he flew the Falcon and that didn't come close. To this. To her. To whatever was next.

It had been a weird few hours. Xinnam had the parts they needed to fix the hyperdrive and was willing to trade for a new deflector shield and a laser cannon upgrade. It was a good weapon, cost him a fair bit, but they'd had it since Osler era and still hadn't found the brace they needed so it didn't feel like a huge loss. Leia topped up the offer with the necklace she found in the closet.

"I know it's not your usual fare but it's worth something. Or perhaps your wife would like it."

Han regretted not seeing the necklace draped around her neck but he'd work at getting her something else. Maybe something he didn't buy drunk when he was trying to feel like a big shot.

The pirate's kid helped them fix the hyperdrive and seemed pretty into it. Asked a lot of questions, jumped in at every chance, and Han wondered if Aldis was more interested in mechanics than piracy. Leia and Xinnam stayed in the lounge talking and Han could hear the pirate's deep rumble of a laugh echoing down the corridor. She was treating it like a visit from old friends but Han was still on edge. There was no way he was going to feel comfortable until they were off his ship.

When Xinnam asked for another tour through the hold, Han tried not to react too strongly. He didn't want another delay but he also didn't hold the cards in this exchange. The pirate knew what he was looking for and grabbed old pieces of the Falcon's hull shoved into the back. They were damaged years earlier. Han had the idea of banging out the dents and blaster scores to return the Falcon to her former glory with original shiny parts but it was one of those jobs that fell further and further down the list.

Xinnam turned one of the pieces over and nodded. "Serial codes."

Han stared at him, wondering what the Chessapian was up to.

"If you want to disappear, it can't hurt to leave a few clues."

Xinnam handed two of the pieces to Aldis and they made their way back to their hauler.

[We need to move.]

Han gazed down at Leia, his hand cupping her cheek. Her wide smile made him feel like he could take on Jabba and Vader combined, one hand tied behind his back. She fucking loved him. They were going to have a kid, start some version of a family. His heart started to pound. Excitement. Terror. Confusion. Happiness. He kissed the tip of her nose then leaned back, one arm still around her waist and pointed at Chewie.

"Set coordinates for anywhere a couple hours from here." He looked down at Leia again as she put her hand on his chest. "So, we're doing this?"

He ran the back of his hand along her cheek.

"Yes." Leia took a deep breath then exhaled. "We're doing this."

This was fucked. They were fucked in the head for attempting any of it. They were fugitives, couple times over, and this was nothing like what either of them pictured when they started sleeping together, if either of them bothered to think beyond the sleeping together, but he loved her and she loved him and this was happening.

"We need to get a message to Rieekan and set up a secure channel of communication." She was getting that glint in her eyes. The one that sparked up when she saw a path forward. "I've accepted the fact that we need to hide but I am not abandoning the fight. We need to get whatever information Madine and others have accumulated about the assassination attempts and start our own investigation."

He played with loose strands of her hair. Wrapping them around a finger then pulling at another.

"Also, this is a temporary situation. Considering everything that has happened, and everything we still don't know, it's smart to remain in hiding until the baby is born but we are returning to the fleet." She gave him a stern, I'm not bending on this point, look. "No matter where things stand with the leak and my personal security."

He was pretty sure his lop-sided grin looked more goofy than confident but he wasn't too concerned.

"Got it. Baby first then warzone." He kissed her forehead. "How're you feeling?"

"Nauseous." She didn't look nauseous. Or tired, even though they should all be exhausted. "But don't take it personally."

Han started toward the cockpit, calling over his shoulder at her. "Get the scanners. We need to check the ship to make sure those droids didn't leave anything behind."

They couldn't relax quite yet and maybe he wouldn't until the baby was born. Did people relax after a baby was born? That seemed unlikely. For now, they needed to get some distance from the Anoat System, make sure they were on their own, then make some decisions.

The Falcon was safe enough, at least for a bit, but they would need to reup supplies soon. He could suggest Bespin for a refuel and chance to collect their thoughts but knew it would be a hard no from Leia. They were going to have to land somewhere, though, and that made him nervous.

They had aliases but nothing new and anything they had for Leia was Alliance-issued. Without knowing who with the Rebels was on her tail, they couldn't guarantee the names weren't flagged. They didn't know who was watching and listening.

She should also get checked out. Find out if there's anything she needed. Pregnant women were supposed to take vitamins, right? Kes Dameron had him pick up some on supply runs when Shara was pregnant because the Alliance refused to stock pre-natal anything. Leia needed some non-rehydrated food, too. And clothes. She could get away with wearing his shirts for a while but not the entire pregnancy. And stuff for the baby eventually. Fuck. What did that include?

"What's next?" She was sitting at the bench, waiting for him as he exited the corridor. "You're the one who argued for not going back straight away. You must have some kind of plan."

"You'd think so, wouldn't you?"

He put the scanner cases in the cabinet beside the bench. He wondered how long it would take for this spell to break. For her to realize it was madness to attempt any of this with him.

"This isn't making me feel very confident."

He nudged her to move over and sat down, throwing his arm over her shoulder.

"We need new IDs. Ones the Rebels don't know."

Leia nodded. Her eyes got a little darker and he could see the anger rising. She was pissed she had to do any of this. Running from the Rebels was a turn of events she didn't anticipate and definitely didn't appreciate.

"I'm going to guess you've already decided where we should go." She cocked her head to look at him. "I can see the wheels turning in there."

"I do." He smiled at her. Tried to look as reassuring as humanly possible. "We'll hit the first coordinates in a couple minutes. We can talk it through after you can get your message out."

She clenched her jaw, exhaled loudly through her nose. It was frustrating for her to not have a strategy laid out and ready to go. Faced with pirates and bounty, she made the call without having planned for the next ten steps. She was at a loss and that was new for her.

"What do I tell him?" She turned and nestled into his shoulder. Pulled her knees up and rested them against his lap. "I don't have any information."

"He just needs to know you're alive and not heading back now." It felt weird to even say it. "And to not share that information with anyone."

"That won't be an issue. We already had a plan in place." She was looking off in the middle-distance, planning her message. "Mon is likely at the rendezvous point so they'll have already talked about our disappearance and Kahlia's attempt on my life. The question is, did Mon reveal anything to Carlist?"

"Do you think she would?" He hadn't had a lot of interactions with Mothma and didn't feel the urge to try for more but she didn't strike him as a gossip. She seemed more standoffish than anything else.

"I don't know. I've been going back and forth on it." She played with the top clasp of his shirt, rubbing it between her fingers. "We're almost two weeks out. They must be considering this could be more than a disappearance. I think saying something to Carlist under these circumstances would be cruel."

She kept her eyes down. She was holding it together but he knew everything was coming at her fast.

"Do you want to tell him?"

"I don't want to say it in a message."

The hyperdrive alarm sounded, signaling they'd arrived, but he didn't move. He watched her instead, waiting for her to tell him what she needed.

"I shouldn't worry about this now. I don't need to make that decision at this moment." She waved her hands indicating he should move. Han stood up and held out a hand to help her off the bench. "We can talk about next steps and your supposed plan after I've sent my message."

Han gave an exaggerated bow. "Yes, Your Highnessess."

She let out a low growl as she passed him.

"You've definitely been spending too much time with the Wookiee." He followed her into the cockpit, chuckling, and admiring her as she walked.

He wasn't a possessive person. Beings and things drifted in and out of his life and there was no reason to get too bothered by it. He'd never really been jealous. Sometimes wanted something someone else had and he sometimes took it, or her, but that felt more like competition than jealousy. He got a few twinges with Luke, not knowing how to navigate the connection between him and Leia, but Han knew instinctually his relationship with her was different. But still, he couldn't shake the feeling he wanted more.

He wanted everyone to know she chose him. They chose each other. They chose to have this kid. He knew as soon as the rest of High Command and the Rebels, all her connections and royals or whoever, found out, they'd think they were stuck. A wartime dalliance and accidental pregnancy. On the run and couldn't get to a med center or some shit. People were going to think they were trapped by the kid. That Leia was trapped by the kid and him.

He knew it was unwise to talk about this with Leia. Understood a woman might not like being told, You're mine. And he definitely didn't want her thinking he wanted her to be anything other than herself. He wanted her safe, not contained. So if she needed to be seen as an individual, and not locked into an accidental partnership, he could learn to live with it. He'd know the truth and that would have to be enough.

Not like he didn't already keep most of his history compartmentalized and private. It wasn't anyone else's business and the past was the past so why talk about it. It was also a smart move, criminal-wise, to not leave too obvious a trail. Leia knew some of it. He'd even adjusted to dropping the occasional story about the Worms and she seemed more curious than disturbed. She knew about Q'ira and most of what happened there. He was still careful about what he revealed but it didn't feel quite so unnatural to talk about it. Jaina was different, though. Bets, too. Those memories were still so tangled he didn't know how to let them go.

But they needed to hide and that meant obtaining the best IDs possible and that meant bringing in his past. The plan was to control the situation and information but he didn't account for a loud mouth Wookiee.

"Your sister!?" Leia stared at Han like she didn't understand the words. She stood just outside the lounge, arms folded over her chest, looking like she hadn't sleep in days, which was almost true. "You've got to be kidding me. You have a sister."

It was maybe fifteen hours since he woke up with the brilliant idea to use Myka's booster on the hyperdrive and it'd been non-stop since. Maybe it was closer to twenty hours. They could probably all use some sleep.

"Don't listen to Chewie." Han waved a hand, trying to dismiss his partner's comments.

[She calls you Little Brother.]

This time he scowled at Chewie. Was he purposely trying to cause problems? Han stood up. Matched Leia's stance with feet hip width apart and arms over chest.

"When I was…" No. That would take too long and opened the door for too many questions. "We ran together for a while on Corellia. She was older than me and it made some jobs easier if she said I was her little brother. The name stuck."

"You ran together for a while." She didn't look mad, not yet, but it could turn at any moment.

"Yeah." He stared her down. It would be stubborn against stubborn if that's what it took. "Then we didn't."

She locked eyes with him for a few seconds more then dropped her head back and let out a low groan.

"Fine." She threw her hands up in resignation and walked to the bench. Sat down with a thud, or as close to a thud as Leia could manage, and tucked her legs beneath her. "Tell me why we need to see Bets now."

"Cos they do the best IDs and aliases in the galaxy. The full work up for the right price." Han couldn't help the smirk. "Pretty sure the Alliance has used them a few times for agents. Her shit can't be beat."

"And this is something we can afford?"

He had the money. They'd be fine for a while assuming the Rebels got it together enough to figure out who was after Leia.

"I could probably negotiate a deal." A hand went over his chin. "But yeah, it won't be cheap."

Bets called him family and that had to count for something but he also had to factor in he hadn't been back to Kerroll in about seven years. That might not work in their favor.

[They could look over the Falcon, too.]

Han pointed at Chewie, positive that was the final piece to convince her of this plan.

"Their legitimate business, well mostly, is a garage. Since we don't know how long we'll be flying around, and we'd like to avoid surprises, giving the Falcon the once over is smart."

"Mostly legitimate?"

"Mostly a chop shop." He sat down across from her. "But they know the Falcon and could do quick work."

"So we get new IDs, the Falcon gets a tune up and we're off on our merry way." She rested her elbows on the table. She liked the idea, he could tell, but was cautious. Wanted to make sure she knew all the angles before agreeing. "What are we walking into?"

"Just your run of the mill crime den." When she didn't laugh, Han let out a slow breath and started talking. "We haven't been there in a while so can't say for sure."

"Try."

[Do you need me to help with this story?] Chewbacca moved toward the corridor. [I need sleep.]

"No thanks, Pal. You've helped enough."

Chewie chuckled as he disappeared toward the hold.

Han turned back to Leia. His shirt was impossibly big on her and even with all the clasps done up and a belt, it gaped open as she leaned forward. He tried not to look at what was barely hidden underneath. She was waiting for him to continue. Ready to fight, if necessary, but willing to hear him out.

"It's a small set up, small circle, tight security."

He should've found them something to eat. He'd have to get better at that. Making sure she ate, found her foods that didn't make her want to puke. Eating for two. That's what people said, right? He knew how to take care of himself. Knew how to take care of Leia. She wasn't always receptive but he'd gotten better at it over the years. The baby part was a bit confusing, though. That was a whole lot of unknowns.

He was starting to feel like he was already falling down on the job. It was hard to know what to do when you didn't know what was expected.

"They used to run mostly small scams. That's how I ran into her again. We got hired to deliver a load of goods to Kerroll and Bets was at the drop-off."

It wasn't long after he got the Falcon and they were taking any job cos he needed experience and credits. He also didn't know how to discern between a good deal and a shit show, though he figured it out fast enough. Han recognized Bets straight away. She was older, still rail-thin but solid, and his heart stopped when he saw her.

Bets looked at him a couple of times, probably wondering what was wrong with him and why he was staring so damn much, as she ordered her crew around. She was as gruff as he remembered, in charge, but not mean. Not if you knew her. She wasn't physically affectionate when they were on the streets but didn't mind if he got close if the night was cold. She bossed him around a lot but looked out for him, too. They trusted each other.

"You got everything here in good time, Captain." She put her hands in her jacket pockets as she examined him. "We've got a shipment going out in a couple days if you want the job."

He was stuck on the image of the last time he saw her. He was returning to their squat after a food run that took him longer than expected. The abandoned building had a few new tenants, including a family with little kids so he'd gone out of his way to find some jogan fruit. He saw the small transport, already loaded with his fellow squatters, as he rounded the last corner but didn't quite understand what was going on.

Two beings, he didn't recognize the species, only knew they weren't Corellian authority, were on either side of Bets dragging her out of the building. She only stopped struggling when she saw Han walking toward them.

"Run!"

Han, stunned, stopped in his tracks. His brain was still processing the scene. His eyes darted around, taking everything in. He spotted two other men, both armed with blasters, coming toward him. The buzz of the street, speeders a block or two away, music coming from one of the open windows, the crying from inside the transport, blended together then stripped away and there was only Bets.

"Run! Now!"

So, he did. He ran and didn't look back. Kept running for he didn't know how long. Probably until the moment he told Leia he wanted this kid and a life with her.

"You remember me?"

Bets cocked her head at him, hands still in her pockets. "You work for us before?"

She had a scar running from her collar bone, along the base of her neck and down her chest. It was old but obviously treated without the benefit of bacta and maybe very little medical attention period. He was staring, wondering what kind of weapon would leave that mark, when he heard her laugh.

"Little Brother."

The hug surprised. Her arms were wrapped tight around him. He was pretty sure she'd never hugged him before but he went with it. Saved him from thinking of something to say and, to be honest, it felt pretty good.

"And you worked for her after that?" Leia's voice brought him back to the Falcon, to her. She locked eyes with him, knowing he had drifted off.

"Here and there." He pushed his hands across the table, stopped close enough to brush against her sleeve. "But they were getting out of the delivery business and there wasn't much money for Chewie and me."

"They were getting into the ID business."

"Yeah. Slicing. Deep fake holos. One of the kids working for them had a real talent for it. Kind of a genius really."

"You keep saying them."

"Bets and her husband Yon." This was starting to feel like an interrogation. She needed this info and he needed to learn how to give some things up but it wasn't easy. "They met in a refugee camp on Nazrab. Don't know the whole story but they made it to Kerroll at some point and set up shop."

"My father and Mon were a part of the committee that established those camps." Leia's eyes brightened. It's what happened these days when she mentioned either of her parents. Less sadness in remembering. "It was shortly after I was born. They took advantage of the Emperor claiming he wanted to clean up the crime and chaos after the war. Unfortunately, they only managed to clear out a few factories using slave labor, women held as sex slaves, before the Empire changed tactics but camps were set up on Nazrab to house everyone."

"Yeah, well, not sure when she and Yon landed in the camp or when they got out but they didn't seem too fond of their time there."

Leia nodded. Her eyes a little less bright. "As I recall, there wasn't a lot the Senate could do once they lost access."

Han was always amazed by how much faith Leia put into government considered how often it failed everyone. She truly believed that the right beings in power would make all the difference.

"Okay. What do I need to know about Bets and Yon then?"

"They run a tight ship but if you're in, you're in."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "And you're in."

"She doesn't call me Little Brother for nothing."

He was in but he didn't belong. Bets cared, even if she leaned into the tough love routine, and Yon did the big brother or father act, but Han didn't let himself get too close or sucked in. Yon gave him a hard time about it, always joking, trying to break down the barrier, but Han was only passing through and liked it that way.

"Is there anything I need to know before we get there?" She wrapped her small hand around his, offering a small squeeze. He smiled at her as she came back into focus.

"Only that Bets is gonna be suspicious about you cos she's suspicious about everybody. She'll deal with it cos you're coming in with me and Chewie but just so you know." He rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand. "Yon is going to try to adopt you. Force feed you huge quantities of food. And if you think my nicknames are a lot, wait till Yon gets at you."

He knew what Yon was capable of. Watched him beat a Rodian to a pulp when it was discovered they stole cargo on the regular. When another guy double crossed him in a deal, Yon took a bat to his speeder. But if all was good, if he didn't think Bets or his business were being threatened, Yon was all welcome arms and making it a party.

"But if we get there and the price is too high, we walk away." She leaned back against the bench. "I agree obtaining quality aliases is the right move but we don't have an infinite amount of credits."

"It's money well-spent if it buys us time and some freedom to move around."

"As long as our luck holds out a little longer. They can't all be happy coincidences of running into pirates we know."

She smiled at him. A small, almost shy grin that brought a slight tint to her cheeks. She was tough and smart, more determined than anyone he'd ever met. Hard as nails at times. Led an army. Mourned an entire planet. Sometimes spun out from all the anger and grief and guilt that swirled inside her. And still, there she was sitting across from him, looking hopeful and curious and trusting.

"It's a few hours to Kerroll." He stood up from the bench and pulled her with him. "We could use some shuteye. Chewie's right about that one."

Leia leaned into him, finally letting her exhaustion show. Rested her head against his chest for a moment before stepping back and walking toward their cabin.

She didn't fall asleep right away. Instead she nestled against him as he read from their novel, playing with the clasps on his shirt until she drifted off. He waited a few minutes until her breathing was steady and quiet before slipping out of the bunk and cabin.

He found Chewie at the games table with the dejarik board lit up.

"Hey." Han sat across from him. "Thought you crashed."

[Didn't work out.] He looked up from his game. [Is the Princess asleep?]

Han nodded. He watched Chewie play, losing himself in the holo display in front of him. He was tired, likely exhausted, but his brain wasn't going to shut down enough to let him sleep.

[Worried about seeing Bets?]

"Why would I be worried?"

[It's been a long time.]

"I've been busy."

Chewie punched in his next move. One of his players picked up an opponent and dropped it to the board.

"Listen, I know a lots happening here." Han crossed his arms, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. Not sure what exactly he needed to say. "With Leia and me. But I don't want you thinking we're making decisions without you. I mean, we are. We've made some decisions for us. I guess that's how it works now."

It had been him and Chewie calling the shots for a long time. When it came to the ship, and most of their jobs, Han usually had the bigger vote but they'd hashed it out together. They made deals and compromised and worked as a team.

"We're keeping the kid." Even saying it out loud felt like a small electrical shock. Like every time the words were said made it more true. "I know that and hiding out until they find the spy, or whatever, in the Alliance changes things. We want you with us but I get it if you want to go back to the Rebels. Or take off for wherever."

It didn't change things. It changed everything.

[How would I get wherever without a ship?] Chewie's players were quickly eliminating their opponents. [And wouldn't me showing up at the fleet confuse the missing-in-action plan?]

"We don't have everything worked out yet." Nothing like a smart ass Wookiee to lighten the mood. "But if that's what you want, we'll figure out something. I want you along but I want you to do what's right for you."

Because that's what he was doing. Choosing what felt right.

[The fight is changing but we'll still be in it.] Chewie's next move cleared the board and his players did an awkward holo-dance to celebrate. [Besides, I don't want to miss watching you figure out how to parent.]

"Hey, thought you said I'd be a good dad."

[And you will.] He reset the board. Players lined up on either side of the table. [But it's going to be damn funny watching you get there.]

They played in silence for few minutes, not even groaning in frustration when a player was taken out. It had been a while since they played a game. Any downtime Han had during flights these days were usually spent in the cabin with Leia. He missed these quiet times with Chewie but the truth was they were probably going to become rarer still. He'd seen it happen with others, the disappearing into a relationship, and had always thought it idiotic. Knew that would never be him. Told himself he was too smart for it.

Han wasn't sure he could still make that claim. He had no idea what he was doing. How to be in a relationship or behave as a couple. No clue how to be a parent. Hell, he'd barely been someone's child. He knew how to survive. Get himself out of tight spots and occasionally into tighter ones. He knew how to run and not look back. Set everything on fire. Start fresh. Reinvent or reboot. Recalibrate.

Until he fell in with the Rebels, no one expected much of him. He was good at his job but most of it was a hustle and not repeat business. Jabba liked him plenty until the spice got dumped and the debt was left unpaid and added up to one more reason to watch his back. He had more enemies than friends and most of those friends would fuck him over for a pay day in the same way he would them. He had stops like Bets that could've been a pseudo-home but he made a mess of them, too. In the end, he didn't trust them, or the situation, or maybe how he fit into it. Angry about what it was or maybe what it wasn't. Told himself that Chewie was the only extra he needed. Keeping it simple got him to the next day, or fight, or job.

It worked for him. He didn't expect anything from anyone else and he never had to feel like he was letting someone down.

"I really love her, Chewie." He didn't look up. Kept his eyes locked on the game.

[Why are you telling me?]

Han shrugged. He didn't know why. Maybe because Chewie knew all the shitty things he'd done and the women he'd left behind. All the times he said he didn't want to be tied down. Didn't need anyone else. Maybe he wanted Chewie to know this one was different. Maybe he just wanted to say it out loud. Prove that he could say it. That it was real.

[Don't worry, it's obvious.] Chewie made his move, picking up and tossing Han's last player. [You're not as subtle as you think.]

Han ran his hand through his hair. Rubbed the back of his neck.

"Okay, then, but don't tell Leia. Don't want her getting too cocky."

Chewie chuckled as he reset the game. [I think your days of tricking the Princess are long gone.]

It took him a few minutes to find the right channel. Long enough he thought it might be lost. He didn't look at her or Chewie, kept a neutral expression, but the panic was getting close. When he finally hit it, he punched in his code and leaned back in his chair. He rested his hands on his stomach like he didn't have a care in the world.

"Do we have a plan B?"

He looked back at her. She was being quiet Leia and he always found that unnerving. Angry quiet was one thing, he would poke at her till he got a rise, and he knew how to wait out sad quiet Leia until she was ready to talk. But this was something else and it didn't look like she was going to snap out of it any time soon.

She was already awake in the bunk when he went to get her. Staring off and looking a million clicks away. She barely nodded as she got up and went for a shower. He should probably investigate, ask what was troubling her, but he had a slight fear about how she might respond. He decided if she hadn't called this trip off, demanded a new strategy, then he should forge ahead like all was well.

"We could probably contact them through the chop shop. If they're in the same spot." Hell, they may have pulled up stakes all together. They could locate them, most likely, but it would cause a whole other set of problems. "Or we try other places for IDs."

[Less trustworthy options.]

"We only have so much to work with here."

They sat in silence. Waiting. Listening to the relay signal echo through the cockpit. He counted the seconds between beeps. Calculated the distance it travelled to get to Bets' place then back. He wasn't as good with that stuff as he used to be, and never as good as Jaina, but it distracted him in the moment. Helped him to not think about Leia sitting behind Chewie's seat, holding her hands in her lap to keep herself calm.

"Identify yourself."

Han nodded at Leia then Chewie before hitting the switch to reply.

"Millennium Falcon. Captain Han Solo and Chewbacca looking for Bets and Yon."

He took his hand off the comms switch and they waited again. Everything was taking too long.

"Should you have said your real name? You don't know who's listening."

"If it's the Empire, we're already fucked." He didn't turn to look at her. Kept his gaze on the stars surrounding them. "If it's Bets and her crew, this was my channel and code. Lying isn't a good look here."

The voice cut Han off. "We're sending coordinates."

"See?" He tried to sound like he hadn't been worried. "All good."

"Yeah." He thought he could hear a suppressed laugh. Definitely sarcasm. "All good."

The coordinates led them to a small clearing in a forest with a ship already waiting. As they landed, Han could see Falenja standing by the lowered ramp.

"Wait here."

He wanted to make this quick. Get what they needed then keep moving. Taking off, hiding out, was his idea and she was letting him take the lead. Fucking this up, taking them somewhere dangerous or compromised wasn't going to look too good. Making a mess of things, which to be fair was his usual method, wouldn't bode well for any future plans.

Falenja waved as Han descended the ramp. The Twi'lek looked older, obviously, but also weathered. There was a hunch to his shoulders. His eyes darker.

"Been a long time, Solo." Falenja's shook Han's hand. A solid, friendly grip. "What brings you this way? Business or pleasure?"

"It's always about pleasure." He smiled, going for confident and cocky. He could sense Leia and Chewie watching them through the viewport. "But we're looking for a rush job."

"You or the Falcon?"

"Both." His hands went to his hips. "Me and Chewie and one more."

"I'll let her know." Falenja started backing up toward his ship. "We have a new locale so you'll have to follow me."

"Got it." He turned to walk back up the ramp.

"Solo!" Falenja had stopped at the base of his ramp. "Things have changed some since your last visit. But she's going to be happy to see you."

They flew low, keeping close to treetops and gliding around hills. It was a winding route that required some maneuvering and every time he flipped the Falcon to fit through a tight space he heard Leia gasp.

"You okay back there, Sweetheart?"

"The asteroid field is still too vivid a memory."

They passed between two rock faces and into a valley. He spotted antennas and shields strategically placed along the ridges.

"This is pretty impressive." Leia was straining to look around Chewie to take in all the security measures.

"Maybe we should tell the Rebels about this place."

"They could certainly use a security upgrade." It was a mumble, likely mostly to herself. One of those moments when Leia let herself forget that others were listening.

As they approached the opposite end of the valley, doors to a large structure opened and they flew inside.

Han guessed the space went a few hundred feet back into the rock. The place was alive and loud with activity. The drone of machines and torches, the screech of metal and against metal, workers shouting above the noise.

He shut down the Falcon's engines and turned to Chewie.

"You good staying here?"

[What's our timeline?] Chewie stood up. He hit the buttons above him then stepped away.

"Fast." Han did a quick check of monitors to make sure nothing looked amiss. "I wanna be gone by tonight if we can."

He stood up and turned to exit. Leia hadn't even unhooked herself from the safety harness.

"Hey." He leaned down to catch her eye. "We need to get moving."

She gave her head a quick, small shake. "Of course."

She had no comeback about the operation or that she still didn't have information about where they were going. Instead, she slowly unclipped her harness and followed him out.

It was like Hoth without all the ice. A constant buzz of activity. Everything in motion. Han didn't recognize any of the workers who stopped to look at his ship but he also had no idea how many were in this cavern of a shop. Who knows what was going on back in the depths? He watched as several ships were pulled apart and pieces transferred to another one that was just as quickly being put together. The one next to it, clearly the most recently assembled, was getting a paint job. Multiple droids, suspended on cranes and lifts, circled the ship, spraying it a shiny metallic. Han estimated the whole process of constructing a new ship took a couple hours from start to finish.

He looked back at Leia. She stood at the base of the ramp, seemingly mesmerized by everything on display. He was starting to wonder if she was still half asleep.

She had showered and changed, going through several combinations of outfits, the limited range his closet provided, and ended up with her Hoth outfit, minus the vest and Rebel insignia. She must've grabbed one of his jackets as she left the ship, rolling up the sleeves to her wrists. Her hair was tightly braided and in a coronet around the back of her head.

He called her over and after a quick introduction they followed Falenja to a small armored vehicle. She smiled as he held the door open for her and slid into the back seat. Han avoided touching her because they hadn't talked about how they wanted to appear in public. Or even if they were admitting they were a couple.

She had to push a lot of her princess rules to the side while fighting with the Rebels. It was hard to maintain dining etiquette in mess halls and she tried to lower, if not eliminate, the assumptions that she required any level of special treatment. But her parents and how they acted and moved through their world remained the ideal. And if Bail and Breha didn't hold hands in public, Leia would follow suit.

He sat in the front with Falenja. As the vehicle pulled out of the garage, he looked back inside. The painter droids had finished the first ship and were already poised to start the second.

Han considered closing the privacy panel that separated front and back to ask more pointed questions but that would've looked suspicious. He knew Falenja well enough but they'd never spent much time together so he filled the space with small talk. Learned business was good. Jorga had a larger team working with her and she was running the show almost single-handedly. The garage had clients throughout the system, sometimes beyond, and wasn't slowing down. Falenja kept it upbeat but Han sensed something was off.

He checked back on Leia a few times. She was listening but kept her eyes on the tinted viewports as they drove through the forest, maybe watching for landmarks in case they had to find their way out on their own.

They drove through two high, electrified gates and halted near a small, single level building. There was a porch and large yard with tall, overgrown grass but no sign of life or like anyone lived there. All the windows Han could see were covered by parasteel shutters. Falenja pressed a button on the console and the ground in front of them slid open revealing a ramp.

Bets and Yon's last compound was secure and well-guarded but populated. Nothing as busy as the chop shop but there were beings working, and lots coming and going. This place was empty. Cold and quiet. He spotted a number of cameras as they drove underground and Han guessed the cameras were there to surveil each other as much as intruders

They were already at the lift, Leia a few steps behind, when Falenja turned to him.

"So you know, Bets doesn't go outside anymore."

"Not at all?" It was hard to picture. Bets always moved through the world like she owned it. Knew everyone's name, all the names of a shopkeeper's kids. Had her eyes on everything and never missed a beat. It was strange to think she only existed indoors, let alone this locked down building.

"No." Falenja hit the button. "Never."

It was a tight fit in the lift. Leia stood in front of Han as he lightly rested a hand on her hip. Nothing Falenja could see but a quiet reassurance for her, or so he hoped, and probably more to reassure himself.

Falenja leaned forward to scan his retinas and the lift started up.

The doors opened up and revealed the main room of the house. To Han's relief, it looked more like the home he expected to see. The room was packed with well-worn furniture he recognized from years earlier. The kitchen, visible past a half wall, looked cluttered and well-stocked. He could smell something cooking, Bets always seemed to have something on the stove, that made his mouth water. He did a quick check on Leia as they stepped out of the lift. She looked calm and curious and he took that as a positive.

Bets stood across from them, hands on her hips. Her dark hair, mostly grey now, was cut very short. She wore baggy pants and a long-sleeved shirt, heavy boots like she was still working in the camps, and an apron. She looked skinnier than he remembered but that might be due to the oversized clothing. Her eyes were as dark and as sharp as ever.

"Little Brother."

He stepped forward, intending to hug her, and she took hold his biceps and squeezed, both keeping him at a distance and not letting go.

"We wondered if you'd ever get this way again," She gave him a small shake. "Yon told you to steer clear of the Hutts."

"Yeah, yeah." He rolled his eyes. "If Yon offered Hutt prices I'd have listened more."

She offered a small smile before looking over his shoulder. "You brought a friend."

Leia offered the same small smile as Bets approached. Their defenses were up, assessing each other.

"Leia." She shook Bets' hand, locking eyes and showing no fear. "Thank you for letting us land."

"Little Brother is always welcome here." She didn't use the warmest tone but still put him somewhat at ease. She rarely called him Han. Never Solo because that wasn't his name when they met. He was always Little Brother.

Bets kept her gaze focused on Leia. "I understand you need a rush job."

"Yeah, the full work up." Han drew their attention back to him. "Need to be under the radar for a bit."

"And we all know how well you fly under the radar." She finally turned away from Leia, smiled. "Lucky for you, our product is good enough to keep even you hidden. Until you do something idiotic and grand standing."

Leia's eyes brightened at that comment and he thought she was going to add something as equally smart ass but stayed quiet.

Bets nodded to Falenja, who waved a quick goodbye and stepped back in the lift, as she moved further into the room.

"Sit." She waved a hand toward the sofa as she sat in an arm chair. "Jorga will be up in a moment."

He did a quick survey of the space. There was door beside the kitchen half-wall and a long hallway on the other side of the room. He could see several more closed doors along the corridor. The place looked messier and more chaotic than he remembered. Stacks of flimsies, equipment and holo cubes on table tops. Remnants of their lives and everyone who had passed through their door. There was a good chance he was in a few of those holos. For a career criminal, Yon was strangely attached to documenting their lives. Said he had already left too many beings behind.

Leia sat down carefully. Her back straight and knees pressed together. The color had drained from her face and she was biting the inside of one cheek. The nausea had hit and she was keeping perfectly still hoping it would fade away.

He sat beside her, careful not to rock the sofa in anyway. Maybe if he kept the attention off her she'd be okay.

"Where's Yon?"

Bets crossed her legs. Kept her voice even and calm. "Dead. Heart attack last year."

Han blinked a few times. It didn't seem possible. Yon filled every space he was in. He seems so rooted in this world, large, physical, strong, and everything revolved around his love for Bets.

"I'm sorry." Leia's voice was soft and clear. She didn't say anything more and that seemed good with Bets who nodded in return.

Han was looking at Bets but wanted to take Leia's hand. Grief begat grief and he wanted her to know he was there for her, too.

Bets brushed out imaginary wrinkles in her pants and took a deep breath. "We should talk business."

As if on cue, the lift opened and Jorga bounded in. She was a teenager the last time he saw her and she looked almost exactly the same. In fact, she reminded him more than a little of Luke. Blond, blue eyes, and unchecked enthusiasm. Han smiled, happy to see her, then froze when he saw Gala stepping out of the lift behind her.

He hadn't considered Gala might still be there. She was always on the verge of leaving, off to better jobs and more credits. He was so focused on getting aliases and finding a safe space to shelter, and convincing Leia that all was well and he knew exactly what he was doing, he didn't think all the potential aspects of this visit through.

"Solo!" Jorga shook Han's hand then looked around the room. "Where's Chewie?"

"Chewbacca stayed with the Falcon." Bets waved a hand and Jorga detoured into the kitchen.

"I already made one for you, didn't I?" Jorga pointed at Leia. "Never forget a face."

Han flashed Leia an I told you so smile. He'd recognized Jorga's work when it showed up with the Rebels.

"You're not going to say hello, Captain?"

Han looked over at Gala. Her hair was a lot longer and a darker red than he remembered. She was older than him, maybe five, seven years, and there a few more wrinkles around her eyes. She stood with one hand on a cocked hip, right above her blaster rig, and he got a flash of the last time he came this way. He and Gala keeping themselves busy in his cabin on the Falcon. The visit before, they made good use of one of the guest rooms. The time before that, well, it was dawning on Han this was information Leia could've used coming in.

"Galaxy." He straightened his back without acknowledging Leia's stare. "Still kicking around here?"

"Head of security now."

"Looks good on you." He let that one slip. It was a normal thing for him to say but not the new normal. He saw Leia roll her eyes at him then look away. She didn't look mad but that might be more about needing to throw up then him being an idiot.

"It's Gala." She didn't offer her hand but stood close, towering over Leia. It was a power move that she clearly thought would intimidate. Leia gave a small nod, matching Gala's stare, proving it wasn't working.

He clenched his jaw to keep from swearing. He'd fucked up by not warning Leia about Gala and now Gala was ready to start a pissing match. Why couldn't one thing be straight forward or easy?

Jorga returned from the kitchen with bottles of ale, handing the first one to Bets.

"We did a search on you and the Falcon before you arrived." Gala stood beside Bets' chair, accepting the bottle Jorga handed her. "Looks like you've been busy. There's a lot of Imperial heat coming your way."

"Why do you think we came here?" He took a bottle for himself and waved away the one Jorga offered Leia. "Other than a visit, of course."

Bets chuckled at that one. "How long have you been working with the Rebels?"

"Awhile." He leaned forward, resting elbows on knees. "It's why we need something solid so no one asks questions."

"That doesn't come cheap." She took a drink then rested the bottle on the arm of the chair. "Even for family."

"Not asking for a favor, Bets." He did a quick check on Leia. She was holding steady. "Asking for the best. We'll pay for the best."

She smiled at him. "Ten for all three. Giving you a deal because Chewbacca's will be easier."

That was going to be a serious drain on their stash. But if they could hide out somewhere rather than bounce around in the Falcon, using up fuel and risking more run-ins, they could stretch out what's left longer. It was a risk no matter what they did or where they landed so the more safe guards the better.

"We can do that." He didn't look at Leia but heard her quick intake of breath. He knew she was itching to negotiate. This might be the one time her nausea worked to his advantage.

"You guys got anything in mind?" Jorga leaned up against the kitchen half-wall. She was excited to get started. "System you want to come from? Name?"

"Liliana."

Everyone turned to look at Leia, almost surprised to hear her speak. She glanced at Han, careful to not move too quickly, and gave a small shrug.

"Sure." Jorga turned to Han. "You got anything?"

"We should be married." He looked at Leia. "Right?"

"Sure." She didn't roll her eyes as expected. "Why not."

"Yeah, married's easy." Jorga seemed to be thinking things through, staring at Leia and examining her closely. "The rest of it, though, we need to find that sweet spot. Some place without a lot of Rebel ties so they don't look too closely and big enough that they don't expect you to know everyone."

"Could I use your refresher?" Leia broke into Jorga's monologue, looking somewhat apologetic but mostly desperate to move.

"'Course." Bets nodded toward the hall. "Second door on your left."

Leia stood up, carefully, and didn't look at Han as she walked out. She kept her back straight and arms at her sides as she disappeared down the hall.

He knew that walk. She needed to move quickly but didn't want to jostle herself while getting to the sani. She'd only misjudged her travel time once, puking in the corridor then feeling mortified when Chewie cleaned it up. Han understood this was a thing that happened to some pregnant women but he still hated there wasn't much he could do about it.

Jorga went through lists of planets and political affiliations, her mind almost as full of information as Leia's. Maybe more so since she was coming at it from a different angle. Jorga seemed to have catalogued all the useful details of a planet's cultural identities and how easily she could replicate their official documents. It was a puzzle she was endlessly happy to solve. This was a woman who truly loved her job.

"What about Chewie? What are the chances he wants to be the household slave? You could come from Sgoona. They use Wookiees around the house."

"Not a slave." Han stood up and walked to the kitchen. "That ain't gonna work. Even if it's fake."

He pulled a glass from the cupboard and filled it with water.

"Freed works though." Jorga took a sip from her bottle.

"Yeah. Freed works." He didn't look back at Bets and the others as he headed to the fresher.

He knocked on the door, gave a soft It's me and was surprised how quickly the door opened. She was sitting on the sani with the lid down, elbow resting on the counter and chin in hand. He handed her the water.

"You okay?"

She took a sip than placed the glass on the counter.

"Think it was a false alarm." Her chin went back into her hand. "Don't think it was the smells. Maybe stress. Just need another minute. Or five."

The color was coming back to her cheeks so he figured she wasn't trying to push him off. It was getting harder and harder to push each other off. They knew the tells and were more willing to call out bullshit.

"I'm sorry to hear about Yon."

"Yeah. Things feel different here. Bets is different. She's always been tough. Protected. But with Yon, I don't know, she was more." He ran his hand along the back of his neck. "I don't mean that exactly. Bets is in charge. A force."

On Corellia, she seemed unstoppable. The first time he laid eyes on her, she was chasing kids off him. Picked him up. Told him to follow her. She was only seventeen but seemed to have it all figured out. It was the same when he found her again except it was her and Yon running the show.

"Strange thinking she never leaves the house." He rested his hip against the counter. "All those years on the streets, in the camps, the thing she wanted most was a yard. Land to claim as her own. Now she's got it and doesn't want anything to do with it."

She watched him, chin still in the palm of her hand. She looked almost sleepy.

"And this place is like a bunker." He looked around the room. Wondered if he should've checked for bugs. "Yon was always on top of things but this is Imperial level intense."

"Yes. Gala seems to also be good at her job." Leia emphasized good.

He laughed, shook his head when he saw her smile.

"I didn't mention her cos I didn't think about her being here. Didn't mean to ambush you with anything."

She shrugged. Lowered her arm and picked up the water again. "It's alright. Unless you somehow provide a complete list of all your paramours, and I doubt that's possible, this will likely happen again."

He leaned in to kiss her, his hand lifting her chin toward him. It had been hours since he kissed her last. In their bunk before he started reading to her. He made a note to not wait so long for the next one.

"You gonna provide me with your complete list?"

"Well, Tarkin and Vader eliminated the possibility of running into about half that list. And you already know Saiira." She was still smiling but held on to his vest like she needed to keep him in place. "I'll put dossiers together on the other two so you aren't caught unawares."

He kissed the top of her head. "Need anything else?"

"No." She let go of his vest and leaned back. "I won't be long."

Bets was in the kitchen when he returned, tending to the pots on the stove. He stepped in closer and took in a deep breath. Whatever she was cooking, smelled great. Buts always worked in large quantities. Han had no idea how many beings were working in the lower levels and back rooms but she looked ready to feed them all. Jorga was gone and Gala was sitting at the halfway between main room and kitchen, leaning over the counter, looking far too pleased for Han's comfort.

"Tell me it isn't true." Bets banged her spoon against the edge of one pot and moved to another.

"What?" He leaned against the counter, one hand resting on his stomach. Bets was no Rebel but there's no way she'd be pissed he was working with them. Money was money.

Bets put the lid back on the pot and turned to him. "That you knocked up the Last Princess of Alderaan."

He clenched his jaw. Bets looked serious, almost angry, and Gala was all out laughing.

"It's not like that."

"No? You want me to believe you're just helping out the pregnant Last Princess of Alderaan?" She folded her arms over her chest. "Doing your good deed? I certainly hope they're paying you well."

"I'm saying I didn't knock her up." His defenses were up. His anger rising.

"He doesn't like knocked up." Gala laughed. "I think he's trying to tell you he's in love."

"So this was planned." It wasn't a question. Bets turned away from him, grabbed a knife and cutting board.

"Not planned." This wasn't any of her damn business but he wasn't sure how to course correct this conversation. "But we're together."

"What the hell were you thinking?" She was wielding the knife over the vegetables a bit too aggressively for his liking.

"What's the deal?" His voice rose a bit too sharply. "You got a problem with me having a kid?"

"Who you've chosen to have a kid with."

"Hang on!"

"I got nothing against your Princess or her war." She dropped some vegetables in a bowl and started chopping more. Gala reached over to grab a piece but Bets slapped her hand away. "Not gonna affect my business either way. There's always beings looking for cover and willing to pay for it. If your Princess wins, there's going to be a lot of ex-Imps looking for new lives."

"So, we're good then." He was pissed that Bets wouldn't look at him. She'd already made her mind about him and Leia. She'd already written off his kid. "Seeing as you got nothing against Leia."

"She's going to screw you over." She tossed the last of the vegetables into the bowl and moved to the sink to wash her knife. "You're going to be left with nothing."

"You don't know her."

"I've known people like her and they've fucked with me all my life. Even the ones trying to do good. They show up once or twice, drop supplies, get the holo-op, and you never hear from them again."

"That's not Leia." He gripped his hips, keeping his arms from waving in frustration. He understood Bet's point. He was with her on almost all counts. But she didn't know Leia. Didn't know Leia's responsibilities weighed her down. She never left anyone behind. They were going into hiding and she'd still find a way to check in on Alderaanian refugees. Make sure the Rebels had the supplies they needed. She would mourn everyone they lost on Hoth. "You've got no idea what's going on here."

"You honestly think there's a place for you when this kid is born?" She turned to him, mimicking his stance with hands on hips. "She needs you now but that's not going to last. "

"She's not like that." His voice was a deep growl. He was repeating himself but she wasn't taking it in. "That's not what's happening here."

"You're blind to it." Bets was holding strong. This was turning into a stand-off.

"Do you think you're being noble, Solo?" Gala had stopped laughing but she was smiling like she knew something he didn't. "She's got you running around the galaxy to get her out of a jam. Next thing you'll try convincing us you care about the war, too. Like you've got any skin in the game other than getting paid."

He shot her a look. He wasn't being fucking noble. He wasn't doing this out of duty. He hadn't signed on but it was his fight, too. Bringing down the Empire mattered even more now that they were having a kid.

"I don't doubt you care." Bets' voice was not softening. "You're right, I don't know her so maybe there's more to her than the war and getting back to being in charge. But our kind don't mix with Princesses and Senators. You used to know that."

"We're not mixing." Did she think he didn't know this shit? How different their lives were. That Leia was going to run this galaxy some day and he had barely worked a legit job in his life. "This is real. We're doing this together."

"You're fooling yourself. There's no way this works out in your favor."

"You know this how? Because you and Yon were such a sure thing?"

Her eyes darkened and he suspected he'd crossed a line. She might be older now, maybe spent her days in a bunker and cooking for a crew, but she was still the teenager who beat the crap out of a man for touching her in a way she didn't want, still the woman who survived her time in slavery, in work and refugee camps, all of which left much deeper scars than the one circling her neck.

She pointed a finger at him. Her voice was low, menacing, but he could hear the pain and sadness. "He loved you like a son."

Bets didn't finish that thought if there was more to it. Instead, she turned back to the counter. Picked up the spoon and went back to the pots on the stove.

"If she gets her money back, goes back to government and mingling with the important beings, you've got nothing."

He laughed. "How do you figure that? I'll have Leia. Our kid. My ship. Chewie."

That was already way more than he had most of his life.

"Even if you're back with the Rebels, they're going to protect their Princess and her off-spring not you."

He ran his hands over his face, tried to calm down but it wasn't working. He could feel his neck go red, the veins in his temple began to throb. This whole conversation was bullshit and a good reason to keep the past in the past. She thought she had the right to comment on his life because she looked out for him when he was a kid. But that was a fuck of a long time ago and he'd done a fine job on his own since then.

"Move on, Bets." He tried to keep his voice even. "This has got nothing to do with you."

"For fuck sake, Solo." Gala pushed herself off the counter. "Even if Bets is wrong and your princess is as devoted to you as you think she is, how long do you think you'll last?"

He narrowed his eyes at her. "I'm not worried."

"Well, maybe she should be. I know how short your attention span is."

"You think you know me cos we fucked a couple of times?" He scoffed.

"Everyone knows you, Solo." Gala scoffed right back.

Why did everyone keep staying that to him?

"I'm going to bet in six months you're desperate to find a way put. You'll probably already have a piece on the side." Gala leaned forward again with a conspiratorial grin. "Then you'll have runs to make. Then more runs. Gone a bit longer each time. Eventually, maybe, you don't come back."

He took a step forward, to do what he didn't know, and Bets stopped him with a hand on his chest.

"Enough." She gave him a small push so he took a step back. "Gala's being an ass but she has a point. You have no idea what you're getting into. This is going to be a mess all around."

"Can I help in anyway?"

All three of them turned to see Leia standing in the doorway.

"Do you need any help setting up for lunch?" Her voice was leaning into sweet.

Bets rolled with it, acting like they hadn't been fighting and she wasn't talking shit about Leia. She opened a cupboard and grabbed a stack of plates.

"Take those into the main room." She turned again so her back was to Han. "Gala, let them know the food is ready."

Han watched as everyone started moving. Leia gave him a small smile as she walked past with the plates and he didn't know what he was supposed to do next. He felt angry and bruised by the fight with Bets. Pissed that Leia was doing the diplomat thing and trying to keep everything calm. He didn't know how much she'd heard but definitely something. He wanted her to tell Bets and Gala to fuck off. He and Leia were together. They wanted this kid. That wasn't going to change when they got back to the Rebels.

He walked back into the main room, sticking to the side and out of the path of beings coming in for food. Doors opened and closed along the corridor. The lift delivered them in groups of twos and threes. They grabbed bowls and food, said a few words to each other, then most disappeared back the way they came.

Han looked back into the kitchen and saw Leia in a huddle with Jorga and Bets. Jorga was doing most of the talking, her arms waving enthusiastically, while Leia listened, nodding occasionally.

How much of the fight did Leia hear? How much did he need to explain away? He wasn't going to run from Leia. Gala didn't know shit. That wasn't going to happen.

Han dialed in Chewie on the commlink and it took a few beats for the Wookiee answer. Han wanted a full report but apparently there wasn't much that needed doing other than replacing one of the shield consoles and wiring around the hyperdrive.

[All done except for a few add-ons.]

"Add-ons? What kind of add-ons?" He really didn't need this added stress. "We don't got the credits for all your grand plans."

[Don't panic. It's all handled.]

He could hear blowtorches, the grind of machines, laughter surrounding Chewie. Sounded a little too festive over there.

"We don't have a lot of time, either. We're getting out as soon as the IDs are ready."

[Stop worrying. When have I steered you wrong?]

Chewie disconnected the call before Han could say he didn't find this at all reassuring. Or amusing.

"Wondered if we'd ever see you again."

Han turned quickly at the slap on his shoulder and saw Qondin smiling at him. The guy had gone completely grey, looked like he'd aged a couple decades. Shrunk, too, and wasn't much taller than Leia now. Wrinkled and battered.

"Yeah, been a while." Han tried not to look too dazed. He'd had always liked Qondin but he needed a moment to switch gears once again.

"Guess you heard about Yon." Qondin's voice was low. Han got the sense that talking about Yon was frowned upon. "It was sudden. We were in the yard. Talking, drinking, the usual. He just keeled over. Not good. Not good."

Well, that explained why she didn't go out in the yard anymore. Didn't want to relieve any of it.

"Yeah, it's hard to believe."

Qondin shook his head a few times while looking at the floor. "Hard on everyone."

Han put a hand on the older man's shoulder because it seemed like the thing to do. Qondin and Yon came up together, ended up in the camps, and was Yon's right hand through everything. Qondin never struck Han as the smartest of the lot but he was loyal and never questioned whatever command came his way.

"Looks like a few things have changed around here." Han looked over the few crew members still in the room. "Don't recognize many faces."

"Grown a lot in the last couple years." Qondin glanced around. "Lot of turnover since Yon. Not much room for the old guard."

"Jorga still seems deep in it."

"She lives and breathes it. Jorga's good." He motioned for Han to follow him to get some food. "But Galaxy has her own ideas since becoming boss."

Han noted that Qondin was sticking with her stage name and could only imagine how well that was going over.

"Was it Gala's idea to cover the windows? Is it for security?"

He filled a bowl and realized he was starving. Han looked back into the kitchen, hoping to catch Leia's eye to see if she was up for food, but all three women were gone.

"Bets. After Yon, she got paranoid. Started worrying about authorities, competition, anyone seeing in or getting a clear shot." Qondin filled his bowl and grabbed a slab of bread. "I thought, sure, she needs quiet, she's in mourning, but I don't think they're coming down."

"Guess that works out in Gala's favor."

"Galaxy made her move damn quick." Qondin sneered. He looked angry and tired. "Might see if I can move over to the garage. It's busy there. Or maybe move on. Maybe it's time."

Qondin led Han to an alcove on the wall opposite the lift and a door he didn't notice. Two other men were already inside sitting on folding chairs and holding their bowls in their laps. He recognized them from card games and dinners but didn't remember either of their names. They nodded as he and Qondin walked inside.

There was almost nothing in the room. A few more folding chairs leaning against a wall. A table no one was using. A few stacked crates. Shuttered windows lined three walls and the only light source was an uncovered light tube above them.

"This used to be a sunroom." Qondin sat in one of the empty chairs. "Spent a lot of mornings here with Yon."

This place was fucking depressing. These old men, who probably weren't that old but aged from tough work, loss, and now essentially living underground, were hiding out from the new regime of slicers and security patrol. Probably also hiding out from Bets and the lives they used to live. Han avoided coming back for so long because it reminded him of the life he lost and now he was staring straight at the life that could be his if he didn't get his shit together.

"No one thought about bringing a plant in? Liven up this place a bit."

"We only got back in here a few weeks ago." The guy Han was pretty sure used to drive Yon around said. "Gotta work it in small steps."

"A bounty hunter came looking for you." The Weequay shoved a spoonful in his mouth and kept talking. "A while back."

"Came here?" Han didn't like knowing a bounty hunter arrived at the compound. Meant they might find him and Leia just as easily.

The Weequay shook his head. "Approached Bets in town.

The others laughed and Qondin slapped Han's shoulder.

"You probably don't need to worry about that guy anymore."

Han didn't ask for details. He nodded instead and went back to his meal.

"There was also that Dallan." The driver pointed his spoon at Qondin. "The one who had it in for Bets. Something about bad blood from Tagsta days."

All three of them chuckled again, a trio of low rumbles.

"Yon just roughed that one up. Sent them back with a warning for anyone else considering a visit."

The meal turned into a memory-fest as stories of glory years of Yon and Bets made the rounds. Han didn't know if this was something they did whenever they hid out together or if it was for his benefit. Having an audience gave them the excuse to tell the old stories again. Either way, he didn't mind so much. The old guys were enjoying themselves and it brought a bit of life to the room. He'd heard a few of the stories before, some involved jobs he and Chewie worked on, but others filled in the blanks of the last few years. At least while Yon was there. No one wanted to talk about the time since.

Han wasn't sure how long they were sitting there but long enough that Gala came looking for them. The voices and laughter immediately silenced as the door opened.

"Break's over boys." Gala loomed in the doorway with arms crossed.

They didn't exactly rush to get up but they heeded her warning. Refolded the chairs and returned them to the wall. Passed by her in single file without a word.

"You've only been here a couple hours and you're already messing with our system." She widened her stance and cocked her hip, taking up more of the entrance. "Let's call it the Solo Effect."

She was flirting with him. Or their version of flirting which was usually little more than a go signal. Gala stepped into the room, slowly pulling the door behind her. She moved toward him, possibly thinking he was coming in for her, and almost stumbled as he reached around to grab the door before it shut. He stepped easily around her and out of the room without looking back.

The room was empty other than a droid stacking up bowls and clearing the remnants of food. Han heard the lift close and assumed Qondin and the others were heading back downstairs. He found Bets in a small room off the kitchen. Her apron was thrown over the back of her chair as she sifted through a pile of flimsies on the table.

He rapped on the doorframe then stepped inside. "Do you know where Leia is?"

She looked up, barely, then returned to her task. "With Jorga. She wanted to talk through options for your background stories."

That sounded about right. He'd prefer having eyes on her, assessing how she was doing, but glad that she was doing very Leia-like things.

"I'm really sorry about Yon." He sat in the chair closest to Bets, resting elbows on knees. "I'm sorry I didn't know."

"What would you have done? Send flowers?"

"Don't mean it like that." He looked at his hands. "Just sorry is all."

It was a risk to express genuine emotions with Bets, especially in these circumstances, but he thought it was the right thing to do. Or at least try.

"You lose everything so many times, you think it won't affect you next time it happens." Her voice was gruff. Cracking slightly as she spoke. "But I don't think I truly understood what everything meant. Or loss."

She sounded defeated and that was a hard thing to process. She survived by wielding a fuck you attitude at almost everyone who came into view. Bets with her shields down was a different beast.

"How many years were you together?"

"Twenty-one." Bets stopped shuffling the flimsies. Put her hands in her lap. "Did I ever tell you how we met? Yon and me."

"In the camps." He watched her clasp and unclasp her hands. "But that's it."

"They moved me to Nazrab in the second or third round. The Imperial Senate's great humanitarian effort. New and clean and we'd learn a trade so we could be vital and vibrant citizens." She laughed but didn't look like she was enjoying herself. "But once everything was squared away and politicians took their bows, the Nazrabians started doing exactly what you'd expect. Somehow, the money wasn't reaching the camp or the training centers. We had shining new huts and uniforms but not enough food or medical supplies and the guards liked their job a little too much."

Bets didn't talk to him much about her life after Corellia. Her time with the slavers or in the camps. She said her life started again when she met Yon and that's the story she'd wanted to tell.

"It wasn't much different than life on the streets. Maybe worse since you had nowhere to hide. We were all trapped and ready to fight or feed off of each other. So I did what I always did. Found a way to make it work for me. Set up a market for supplies I got through guards and staff." Bets didn't add how she acquired the goods or set up the chain. "Yon came in as a customer then convinced me I needed a partner. He was good muscle. Big guy. Looked intimidating. I gave him a small cut to work as protection and then I couldn't shake him. He always seemed to be right beside me with that stupid grin and all his fucking optimism."

They both laughed. Yon did have a way of turning almost everything into a positive thing. It would probably be hard to explain to outsiders that a man who helped run a small criminal empire, and could be cut-throat and as dangerous as they come, was also a cheerful man who believed anything was possible. He was fond of big hugs and rousing speeches and insisted families should eat all their meals together. Bets used to call it a blessing and a curse and she always laughed when she said it.

"We were going to get out of the camp. Get something in place, make some real money. Be our own bosses. Qondin and Dossi, too." She looked up at Han. "You didn't know Dossi because they didn't make it out."

"Were you and Yon together then?" It had been a long time since he heard a Bets story and, despite the topic, it felt comforting. "When you were in the camp."

She shook her head. "I didn't do that kind of thing. Too many complications."

Han understood. That was his excuse for a long time, too.

"Then one of the guards decided they deserved a bigger cut and Yon disagreed." Bets seemed to perk up at this point. "I thought he was all talk but he knew what to do. Maybe not to take out the guard in that exact way, and we never found out if Yon had killed him or not, but he and Qondin had the escape route worked out. Everything was already in place."

She turned in her chair to face Han.

"It took me a long time to figure out I loved him. Honestly, we were probably already married before I admitted to myself it was the right place to be. He was the toughest, strongest being I've ever met and I don't mean because he could take down a rancor with his bare hands." She laughed again. "He loved me and that took a lot of guts."

"Not as hard as you think."

She shook her head, still laughing. "When I found you, I thought you were the strangest kid I ever met."

"What are you talking about?" He narrowed his eyes at her.

"You were cocky, sure, and impossibly smart. You could break into any speeder. Dismantle a home security system or lock. You could name every bone in the human body and every constellation we couldn't see from the streets." She looked lost in her memories, pulling them up one by one. "But you thought you had to charm shopkeepers into giving you food. And if you did manage to steal something you'd give half of it away. Or trade it for something useless like a broken commlink."

"Hey, I fixed that up. Got it working again."

"You need two commlinks for it work."

Han laughed. "Yeah, well, I was halfway there."

He could remember feeling safe, or safer, with Bets. Thought that if he worked hard enough at this one it wouldn't disappear.

"When I met Yon, he reminded me of you. You acted tough, like you always had to prove something, protect me. But there was this spark of something. Wonder, maybe. Delusional." She gave him a sly grin. "We had to hustle every day for food, never knew if we'd have a dry place to sleep, and the only thing that ever got you down was talking too much about your mother. When I got pissed or frustrated, you acted like it was some problem you needed to solve. You and Yon both believed the next best thing was around the corner. Yours for the grabbing."

He didn't remember talking about Jaina but remembered thinking he might still find her. He was a kid and didn't really understand death. No one sat him down and explained what happened or even where they took her. They let him keep a couple things from the apartment then dumped him in the group home. Bets felt like a second chance. Something he didn't want to fuck up.

"Then when you showed up here, you were so angry. I understood it, recognized it, and wondered if I did that to you."

"No." He sat back quickly. What the hell was she talking about? "A lot happened after you were gone."

The anger didn't hit him straight off. That was a slow build as he came to understand he was the only person he could rely on. Everyone was only out for themselves. Everyone would fuck him over if he didn't do it to them first. Happened to him time and time again and it was his own damn fault it took him so long to figure it out.

But maybe Bets was right and there was a time when he thought he could fix things. Even in the Academy, he stuck around longer than intended cos he thought playing the game would get him somewhere, get him a ship then back for Q'ira, but it was the same shit as always. By the time he opened his eyes to what was happening around him, what he was participating in, he'd been knocked down to the mud on Mimban and the anger was seeping in. Q'ira closing the door on them and everything that was supposed to be finished him off.

"I talked about you so much to Yon, he thought he already knew you." Her voice was low and steady. Her eyes locked on his. "But I almost didn't recognize you. Still cocky, still smart, funny, but your eyes were hard. Yon kept insisting you were still that kid deep down but I thought it was his optimism talking."

It felt good finding Bets again but it also reminded him of everything that didn't belong to him. Everything he lost. Jaina was gone and there was no chance of running into her again. He remembered all those nights after she was gone that he spent on the streets alone and hungry. Being soaked through from the rain and thinking he'd never get warm again. He was reminded that every time he thought he got a step up, joining the Worms or the Academy, he was fucked over for thinking a group or organization would take care of their own. Take care of him. Bets and Yon built their own family and Han knew it was one more place he didn't belong.

For a second, he thought Bets might reach for his hand but she shifted in her chair instead. Dropped her head back as she took a deep breath then smiled at him.

"You look hopeful again."

He swallowed. Let one corner of his mouth turn up, slightly, and nodded.

He didn't know when he stopped hating Jaina. When the mere thought of her didn't fill him with a deep rage. Things with her weren't perfect but it belonged to them and her leaving meant the end to all of it. He hated that she was gone. Hated her for not keeping up her end of the bargain. By the time he had the Falcon and was making his own way, it filled him up and threatened to eat him whole.

But Jaina was creeping back in and he wasn't pushing her away. The memories still brought a certain amount of pain and he wasn't going looking for them but he didn't try to bury them deeper when they resurfaced. He thought maybe his time in the Imperial holding cell shook a few loose. Jaina popped up a lot during those days in solitude. It wasn't exactly a comfort but it was familiar and he chose to hang on. Some base part of his brain told him not to lose them again because he was going to need them.

When he got out, he almost told Leia everything. Wanted her to help him sift through everything. As he recovered, he wised up and knew that was a terrible idea but there was still that spark in the back of his mind that they were Leia's stories too.

Bets pressed the heels of her hands against her eyes, swore a few more times.

"I am so fucking angry that Yon isn't here to tell you how proud he is of you." It looked like she was trying to hold tears back. "I am so grateful I had all those years with him but so angry I have to live in a world without him in it."

He nodded again, for different reasons, knowing he didn't have the words to help.

They both turned at the sound of a knock to see Jorga leaning into the room.

"All set. Falenja's on his way back." She handed Han a small stack of datachips and a reader. "Everything you need. Leia will go through your backstory with you. It's pretty rock solid. Oh, and the Falcon is now the Golden Dawn."

"What the hell, Jorga?" He wasn't going to fly a ship called the Golden Dawn.

"It's a very Sgoonian name so learn to live with it." Jorga held up a final chip. "This is what I'm most proud of. Family holos."

He put the chip into the reader and a carousal of holos started. He scrolled through doctored images of him and Leia at different ages and standing with people he assumed were their families. In all of the holos, Leia had shoulder length hair, often tucked behind her ears.

"I used composites of you guys and holos from the Sgoona archives." Jorga rocked back and forth on her feet. "Think I actually impressed myself with this one."

His ID card said Pon Atere, a mechanic from Sgonna and the holo and markings looked perfect. He moved it around to examine all the angles and couldn't see a single seam or glitch. Leia's holo was similarly perfect and, once again, she had short hair.

"Pon? You don't think that's a give away?"

"Pon and Liliana are close enough to Han and Leia that when people screw up, and they will, you can cover it up. It's a nickname. They misheard." Jorga put her hands on her hips. She looked like a teacher explaining something to a stubborn child.

"Gotta agree with you, Jorg. This is damn impressive." He held up the data reader to Bets to show Leia's holo. "Even the hair looks perfect."

Jorga laughed. "Ah, that part wasn't me. I mean it was my idea but all I had to do with take the holo. Bets did the cutting."

Han looked up at her. "Cutting? Cut what?"

Bets got out of her chair. She looked old and sounded tired. "I cut her hair. Jorga pointed out, rightfully so, that fake IDs, however expertly made, will only go so far if she's wearing Alderaanian braids."

"We did the research." Jorga held her hands up, almost a defensive move. "There's no recent holos of her out there other than grainy Imperial surveillance cams. They're all from her princess and senator days. She looks older. Her face is thinner. Without the braids, she could pass as almost any mid-rim resident."

He couldn't stand up quite yet. He was in shock, pissed, confused. "You cut her hair? Someone should've told me."

"She needs your permission to cut her hair?" Bets didn't sound amused.

"No. It's not that." It was going too far. She was leaving the front lines of the fight. Veering from her path, the role her parents trained her for, away from the refugees she fought so hard to keep alive, and now she'd lost her last physical connection to Alderaan. "I should've…"

Tried to stop her. Offered comfort. Something. He didn't know, really, except that not knowing and doing nothing didn't feel great.

"She agreed with me." Jorga collected the datachips again and handed them back to Han. "If someone thinks she looks vaguely familiar, the braids are going to give her away. It's too big a risk."

"You need to stop wearing those blood stripes, too." Bets moved toward the door. "That's a detail bounty hunters look for."

"Where is she now?" Han didn't wait for the answer. He stepped passed them and back into the main room. His heart was pounding even though he knew he was too late to do anything.

She was standing in the main room talking to a woman in coveralls. Her hair looked lighter, with a red-ish hue, and fell just below her shoulders. There was a wave to it and the shorter bits in front curved around her face. Swayed slightly when she turned to look at him.

He stepped in front of her ignoring the other woman. "Hey."

"Hey, yourself." She smiled at him but looked nervous.

"Why'd you do it, Leia?" He touched the ends of her hair, rubbed it between his fingers.

"You don't like it?"

"You look fucking beautiful!" He scowled at her. "That's not the fucking point."

"Well, don't hold back."

"You didn't have to do this."

"Hair grows." She put a hand on his belt. "It will help us hide."

He knew what to do when anger rushed at him. He let it overflow. Let it push him to action. Pushed it aside, down, when he didn't need it anymore. But he didn't know what to do with the swell of love. Of happiness. Of desperately wanting more. His hand went to her jaw, his thumb brushing her cheek.

"Tia will take you back to the garage." Bets handed the woman a datachip and turned back to Han. "You can pay Falenja when you get there. He has all the information."

"So long, Solo." Jorga clapped his back then shook Leia's hand. "Nice working with you, Leia. Maybe we'll meet up again."

"I hope under different circumstances." Leia turned to Bets, smiled. "Thank you for everything."

Bets waved her hand like she could push Leia's words to the side. "It's just business."

"No, it's not." Leia shook Bets' hand. "So, thank you."

Han went in for the hug first, almost trapping Bets' arms against her side. She reached around and circled his waist and he felt her pull him in tight.

"Take care, Little Brother."

"Always." He kissed her cheek. "We'll see you again."

Bets pulled away, stepping to the side. "You should get going."

He took Leia's hand and followed Tia into the lift. When they got to the armored vehicle Han got into the back with Leia and shut the privacy screen. He took her hand again and held it in his lap.

He ran a thumb along her palm. Her hand was so small compared to his, her skin so pale. Smooth. He was proud of the callouses and scars on his hands, proof of his years of work. The time he'd put into the Falcon. He smiled looking down at their hands. Liked how they fit so well together despite these differences.

"Bets told me a story about you when she was cutting my hair."

He gave her the side-eye. "Oh yeah."

"The two of you broke into a house and you decided to take a bath." Leia turned in her seat to face him, rested her knees against his thigh. "But the owners came home and you had to jump through a window carrying your clothes. Ran naked through the streets."

"Yeah, she likes that story." He'd had to listen to her retell it many times over dinners, any time someone new was present. Han laced his fingers through hers. "Also, believe it or not, I wasn't a born criminal. Started young but there was still a learning curve."

"And you found Bets after you mother."

He shifted. Tried to not let it look like a squirm. She didn't say after your mother died because he'd never told her either way.

"After the home." He kept his eyes on their fingers. "Not sure how long. Couple weeks maybe."

It was probably closer to a month or two. He'd been sleeping in speeders or backs of stores if he could get in. Mostly eating out of dumpsters, hoping someone took pity on him and gave him money or food. He was swiping food when he could but he wasn't great at it. Plus, he looked suspicious. A dirty, wild-eyed kid put shop keepers on high alert.

"Han." She waited for him to look at her. "How old were you when you met Bets?"

"Eight. Almost nine."

He hadn't kept close track of his age over the years because IDs were false and he didn't have school calendars or holidays to mark time. But he knew his last birthday with Jaina was his eighth because she'd drawn candles on a card, eight in total, and he was angry since he thought he was too old for a cartoon. It was one of the things he took to the home and the first to be swiped.

"How long were you together?"

"Not sure." Han ran his other hand through her hair, twisting some strands around a finger. It was going to take him a while to get used to it. "Maybe a year."

"Did you find someone else to… run with?"

He laughed. She was trying to be diplomatic. Use his words to keep it on his terms. "Not until I hooked up with the Worms."

Leia let go of his hand, crossing her arms over her stomach, but kept her body pressed against his.

"She doesn't seem too pleased about us." She cocked her head, gave him a soft smile. "No one did. Except for Jorga and I'm not sure she picked up on that detail."

"I don't care what they think." His hand went to her knee. Ran up and down her thigh a couple times. "They don't know us."

"They think they know you." Her hand went to his jaw, her thumb resting on his lower lip. "I imagine Bets is putting money on it right now."

He kissed her thumb. Took her hand and kissed the palm a couple times. Pressed it against his chest. He had lost everything before and knew what this one would mean. Knew that he couldn't let that happen.

"I'm not gonna fuck this up, Leia." It took him a moment to look at her. Took a deep breath. Swallowed. Tried to find the words. "I promise. I'll fuck up, sure, but not the whole thing. Not everything. I promise."

She furrowed her brow but didn't speak. Let him continue.

"I'm gonna make this right for you. I don't know anything about kids. Or relationships." Or homes. Or family. Or not running away when things got too thick. "But I've got this. You gotta trust me."

She was close to rolling her eyes at him, almost laughing, but instead pulled her hand away from his and placed it on his cheek again.

"And you need to trust me." She turned his head so he was fully facing her. "I wouldn't run away from the Rebellion for just anyone, you know."

"You're hiding out cos the Rebels can't keep you safe." He got the twinge in his chest. Felt his heart skip a beat or two faster. "Not talking about that part."

"I know." Her eyes and voice softened. It was an almost apology for making light of it.

"And this was unexpected but it's not an accident." He took a deep breath. "Accident makes it sound like something we didn't want and have to deal with. That's not what this is. That's not how I think about the baby or being with you. I would've wanted this with you no matter what. Just happened sooner than expected. Or before I'd even considered it."

It was Leia's turn to take a deep breath.

"I know you'll continue to do idiotic things that irritate, possibly infuriate me, but I don't doubt you. I know you and trust you and I'm asking you to trust me."

"I do." He put his hand over hers. He wanted to explain things but he didn't really understand what he was thinking. It was all new, rising to the surface, exciting and terrifying. "I just… I need you to say it. I don't want to assume, cos it's what I want to be true, that you're thinking the same thing as me. Want the same things."

Her brow furrowed and he wasn't sure if she was angry or about to cry.

"I want to be with you, Han Solo. Or Pon Atere. Or whatever your name is." She smiled. The rosy tint appeared on her cheeks. "I want to have this baby with you. I want to raise this baby with you. And I don't want you to ever doubt that is true. But everything else is hard for me and I can promise you that I won't always handle it well. I'll apologize for it now because I won't likely apologize when it happens."

They shared a slow and easy kiss because there was no need to rush. His heart was pounding now. He could hear blood pulsing in his ears. It was the adrenaline of an asteroid field and his biggest fear was that it might someday end.

She finally let out her laugh, the deep, throaty version. Shook her head.

"Do you want to hear what I learned?" She bit her bottom lip to control the smile but it didn't work. She twisted in the seat again so she was sitting up straight and facing him. She looked like she'd discovered the best damn secret in the world. He must have looked suitably nervous because she laughed again. "Not about you! I do have other interests, you know."

"Where you conducting your own investigation?" He pulled her closer to him.

"I was asking a few questions." She shrugged. "I didn't do anything to put Jorga on the spot and I wasn't being cagey with her."

"Alright." He settled back into the seat, ready for whatever she was about to reveal. "Let's hear it, Sweetheart."

"I asked if she had heard about anything happening near Vallecx, if there was more traffic, more calls for aliases and documentation. She wouldn't admit to doing any work but said not much came out of there. Not enough money to pay for the good materials." Leia bit her bottom lip again. "But the name Mesry had come up a few times on slicer boards and chat rooms. She remembered it because it was mentioned in connection with Vallecx and it was surprising to see Vallecx mentioned at all."

Han's eyes went wide. "Mesry? Is she sure?"

"Jorga brought up the name, not me."

"Okay." Han was pulling all the pieces together. They'd gone through all their known details about Mesry dozens of times but there hadn't been anything new since his capture and those first interrogations. "Is that strange? You didn't publicize his name but not exactly a secret what happened on Da'Sim. There's got to be some chatter about it."

"It might be only that."

"I wouldn't say only."

The vehicle rounded a bend and exited the forest. Han could see the garage's large doors slowly opening as they approached.

"I asked her point blank if there was any mention of me, Alderaan or the Alliance in connection with Mesry. She said not directly. There was a she mentioned a few times that Jorga suspected might be me but no one other than Mesry was named. However, she did think it strange that nothing was overtly pro-Imperial or pro-Alliance."

"Mesry has a fan club?" Fucking hell. That was not something he wanted to hear.

"Perhaps." She was looking too excited for someone discussing an assassination plot against her. "She saw a few references to him as a martyr. Others called him careless. All sounded like idle chatter that she probably would have ignored. Except the boards kept moving. The chat rooms closed, usually because they noticed she was there, and opened up on some other sublevel of the net."

The vehicle came to a stop. The garage looked as busy as before and Han could see Chewie standing with Falenja and a few mechanics a couple dozen feet away.

"She said she regularly lurks for information. Anything she could use in business. Keep up with the competition." Tia opened the door. Leia swung her legs out of the vehicle and turned back to Han before getting out. "She said lurks, not me."

He knew Jorga prided herself on being able to get into any digital space, especially any corner of the dark net. She could get past any encryption, firewall or interlocking security system she ran across. It was like him flying a ship. There was no space too tight, no move too outlandish. Ever confident he'd find a way out of whatever mess he got himself in.

"Still not getting why this is big news." He followed Leia out her door. "Doesn't sound like there's much there you can use."

He had to stop short so he didn't walk into her. She stood maybe a foot from the vehicle. Her jaw had dropped open, her eyes wide. He followed her stare, thought she was somehow mesmerized by Chewie walking toward them then realized it was what stood behind the Wookiee.

"What the hell did you do to my ship!?"

The Falcon was painted matte black. She looked new, or newish, and definitely not like his ship. Chewie sauntered up to him, chuckling and looking a bit too smug.

"Have you lost your damn mind?" He pointed to the Falcon as if Chewie and everyone else hadn't noticed the black behemoth beside them. "She was a classic and you've made her look like... like… I don't know what but not like the Falcon!"

[But does she look like the Golden Dawn?] He continued to laugh. [We're all in disguise now.]

Han felt Leia's hand on his back as he dropped his head and knew she was laughing more than offering comfort.