I'd been looking forward to this mission. Anything to get off base, you know. Get away from the routine. It's like I'm back to moisture farming! Get up, do your job, and you're so tired you just go to bed. Leia says I shouldn't complain. We're at war. The trouble is I don't ever see it anymore!
The last battle I was in was Yavin. Don't let Leia hear me say this, but... it was exciting. I lost a good friend so excitement don't mean happy, but something happened. Something got done. I felt like my aunt and uncle could rest in peace. And Ben, too- he could rest in me, helping me to learn the Force.
Of course Han got us here too early. He would. I don't know why Leia doesn't understand that. She handed him a flight plan and he said, "Thanks," and then he tossed it into the cockpit and it landed on the floor. That's what got her mad, it being on the floor. He made his own plan.
He's a good pilot. I deal with nav'puters a lot, so I know it's not an easy task making a flight plan but he likes to do it himself. Leia might know, too. But I think when it's her mission she wants it to go like she planned. I can't blame her for wanting to control everything, not what happened to her before Yavin, but she couldn't control it then and she certainly can't control it now.
See, she gets angry, but she always asks for us when she goes on these undercover fundraising missions. She's the face of Alderaan. And in the next thought everyone knows Alderaan was lost. But Han and I are the face of Yavin. We're young, and we're effective. Mostly, just don't look too close. We're wholesome, especially if Han closes his collar, and we're winners. That's what opens the purse strings, when victory is perceived.
I like these missions. Basically Han and I just sit there while Leia talks. And we get to see some things. Han usually knows the world we're going to. Leia knows a few, but he's been everywhere. So he'll take us to a beach or fly down a volcano- you ought to have heard Leia then- and we'll get a good meal.
So we're here early, and there's one shuttle left into town and the first one in the morning will get us there too late, and the docking bay is too far to walk. That seems to offend Han.
"They do that," he said. "Build docking bays outside city limits. For some reason," he said with skepticism, "they are considered unattractive."
The night is really looking up because we'll need lodging. Don't get me wrong, I've come to love Han's hunk of junk, but he could do with new mattresses. We found a place that had rooms to let and went in. Leia was reluctant.
"We shouldn't be spending Alliance credits on hotel rooms," she stated primly.
Han spread his hands."So stay on the Falcon," he countered. "I told you-"
"And I told you, Captain. Being early has inconvenienced us."
"Hey, I did my job well, Your Heightness."
"But you didn't have to, Captain. Maybe if you'd just flown without having to show off how-"
"- maybe you could be a little more flexible and change your meeting time."
"A lot of effort has gone into making sure the contact remains safe. I'm not about to rattle all the arrangements-"
They were speaking in tense undertones. Leia is short, and with her chin tilted up her voice scolded Han's throat. But his ears are good. He answered in a low rumble. I had to listen carefully to follow the argument; I don't think the clerk could eavesdrop. Leia is really careful about having our cover blown.
Since Han and Leia were too busy arguing, I took it upon myself to handle the transaction.
"We need a room for the night," I told the clerk.
The clerk's eyes moved from Han and Leia arguing and back to me. "One bed, or two?"
"Uh." I looked over my shoulder at Han and Leia but they weren't paying attention. One bed might prove to be amusing, but also I wanted to get some rest. "Two. Unless you have a room with three?"
The clerk's expression didn't change. "You can rent a suite. It has a sofa."
I wouldn't dare admit to Leia that I don't mind at all the idea of spending Alliance resources, even sharing one bed with a smuggler who snored or with a princess who kicked in her dreams.
"We'll take the suite," I said.
I filled out an information form using my alias, Cliegg Lars II, while Leia, who dropped the argument with Han now that the process of booking a room had begun, tried to look over my shoulder. She paid without comment, so maybe the suite wasn't too outlandish an expense. Then my palm print was keyed to the room. Han and Leia declined the ability to key the room. The clerk looked at them funny, but when you got a bounty on you, you don't want to advertise your presence.
The suite was great. We all moved about, checking it out. There was a sitting room, a kitchenette, a whole bath tub, chairs and the sofa. I called first dibs on the bath. I love those. Han stepped out on the balcony, hand on his blaster. Leia closed the blinds and drew the curtains. When he came back inside they nodded at each other.
Even though we were off ship, it was still kind of boring. Leia was in the sitting room, working. Han was flicking through the channels of the holoset, scowling. In a mood, I guess.
I didn't feel like watching a blip of a program, so after my long soak in the tub I decided this would be a good time to practice my Forcing. I've been trying. It's been frustrating, not having Ben's help unless he decides to give it. Sometimes I get down, thinking I'll never be a Jedi, and I'm just carrying my father's lightsaber like some useless relic of inheritance. But it was quiet in the suite. I tried to tune out the holoset, and Han's scowl, and Leia's furious concentration, and build some of my own.
There was this little bowl of complimentary nuts on the counter, set out for guests. I couldn't do it unless I was standing right in front of it, staring hard. I must have stood there ten minutes.
Nothing was happening. I tried to let go and not feel so dejected, and took a breath and tried again. And something clicked! I don't know how, but I did it! With the Force, I could lift one, and carry it- on brainwaves, Force waves, I don't know, but it sailed in the air, wobbling a little like it was off balance- until I set it down. I chose an end table by the sofa, because there wasn't anything on it but some drink coasters.
That was a record for me! I was so kriffing excited. I looked at Han, who looked like he'd fallen asleep in front of the holoset.
"Leia!" I called excitedly, and went to get her from the sitting room. She's been so supportive of my efforts to become a Jedi. "Come see. No," I insisted when she protested she had too much work to do. "You've got see this!"
And when I pointed to the table the nut wasn't there. I looked around. Maybe I didn't disconnect the Force and it went back in the bowl? It wasn't on the floor.
Han was now holding a sabacc deck on his lap and one by one was tossing a card across the room.
"Have you seen my nut?" I asked.
"Check your pants." He flicked his wrist and a card sailed like a knife blade.
I felt my face turn red. I can't help it. It's embarrassing when he talks like that. I wish it didn't show on my face.
"What are you doing?" Leia handles it better than me. "Why are you being so useless?"
He shrugged, poised from his next throw. "I'm your pilot. Give me somethin' to fly." He gave her this look. "Make me useful, Princess."
"I wish I could make you disappear," she muttered. Then she got coy. "Is that what you wanted me to see, Luke? That you could make Captain Solo disappear?"
They were looking at each other. And I felt used, you know? Like suddenly I'm the nut being sailed in the air. There's something between those two. I don't know what it is, but I'll figure it out someday.
"I don't think that's how the Force works," I said but they weren't listening to me. I looked for the nut some more.
I don't know how Han managed it, looking like he'd been sitting there all his life throwing cards, but I know he's the reason there's no evidence of my Force talents. "Do you think you could just eat my nut?" I demanded.
He looked pretend-shocked. I hate when he does that too. "Even if I swung that way, a guy likes a little romance first, you know kid?"
Leia tsked and went back to other room. She doesn't like it when he banters with others. She wants it to be her special thing.
And he smiled at me. Not the same laugh as when his target remote zapped my ass. He thought that was funny. But he saw me alright just now, pretending to be asleep. He saw me being amazing. I guess he's trying to help me keep my humility.
He lifted his leg where he'd hidden the nut and threw it at me. "Do it again."
We played catch with the nut, him using his arm and me my mind. Leia came out to watch and she was smiling and chatty. We were counting our streak, and it didn't seem like either of us would miss.
At fifty catches, Leia said, "Well, this has been fun. But we have an early morning. Let's get some sleep."
I didn't sleep well. Maybe it was Leia, rustling the sheets with her kicking, or maybe it was Han's snores, keeping me awake. But I kept seeing that nut sail through the air, and them participating with me, that I didn't want to sleep.
We had a good meeting, too. Got lots of funding. I kept imagining credits sailing into Leia's hand.
Don't tell her that, though.