Thank you to all, and special thanks to the guest reviewers :) every review puts a smile on my face too! More of our favorite couple :)
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Sitting at the Falcon's comm system, Leia sent her encrypted message to Mon Mothma detailing their findings on Bisari. The rumors were true about the Imperial occupation of the small town of Jemmas. Intel had reached the Alliance that there was talk of the inhabitants of Jemmas being Rebel sympathizers and that this was the reason for the Empire's invasion. To Leia, it made no sense. Jemmas had no actual ties to the Rebellion. She couldn't quite figure out what the Empire had to gain by this venture.
Possibilities sifted through her mind as she swiveled her chair back and forth thoughtfully. What benefit could the Imperials reap from the occupation of Jemmas?
Before she could give it further thought, Chewbacca entered the hold, a large mug in one hand, a smaller one in the other. Growling pleasantly, he handed her the smaller mug.
Leia smiled broadly at the kaffe-filled mug. "Thank you, Chewie." It was just what she needed, although she hadn't realized it. "As always, you are much more hospitable than the Captain of this vessel." She smiled wryly and took a slow sip of the steaming beverage, warmth seeping into her soul.
The Wookiee woofed with brief laughter, lumbered to the couch behind the game table, and sat down facing her. He took a long sip of kaffe then rumbled a question to Leia.
Her brow crinkled as she tried to decipher what he was asking. She sighed. "Can you repeat that more slowly please?" She really needed to learn to better understand him.
Chewie repeated the question much more slowly, using gestures to accompany his words. Leia's eyes tightened as she struggled to translate. "The mission…?" She trailed off, unable to catch his entire meaning.
He rolled his arms and pointed forward and Leia felt the light go on.
"Oh! What's the next step for Jemmas?"
With a grin and a growl, he nodded, clearly pleased.
Leia was rather pleased herself. "I'm not sure," she responded. "First, we have to figure out what the Empire's goal is. Destroying the city and imprisoning the people makes no sense. There has to be something we're not seeing." She stared pensively at nothing.
He barked another question, being careful to speak slowly and use gestures, but Leia couldn't make heads nor tails of it. As she struggled, a deep voice resounded behind her.
"He wants to know why you signed up for this mission."
Heart leaping, she spun to find Han in the corridor, one hand on each side of the archway, leg bent casually forward. His expression was one of indifference, as if translating were not in his job description. She frowned, seeking to cover the way his presence affected her.
"Why?" She looked at Chewie but never lost sight of Han in the corner of her eye.
The Wookiee gave a terse bark.
"We needed the information," she replied with a shrug.
Han seemed to push off from the doorway and ambled to sit beside his Co-pilot. "No kidding." He rolled his eyes slightly. "Meaning, why did you take this particular mission? Usually you're off to some diplomatic something or other."
She grimaced inwardly but remained outwardly dispassionate. "Sometimes I would like to do more than just speak."
Chewbacca's growl sounded approving. Han's expression didn't change. Leia took a big sip of kaffe, sensing she would need it.
"Well," Han replied with a sudden gleam in his eye. "You are real good at blowing hot air all around a room full of people."
She tried not to react but felt her eye twitch slightly.
"But, why bother goin' on some dangerous mission and risk yourself if you don't have to?"
Leia suppressed a sigh. "Because I can be more than just a figurehead or an icon to represent the Alliance. My words don't mean much if I'm not willing to put my own life on the line."
A hint of what looked like admiration colored his hazel eyes for just a moment, just long enough for her to catch it. "What'd High Command think of that?"
The question surprised her. It was oddly insightful and she would never have expected Solo to give it a thought. "They weren't very pleased," she admitted.
"Didn't want their favorite, little symbol of hope getting killed?"
"I guess that is one way to put it." She noticed that Chewie was watching their exchange very carefully, yet remaining silent.
"So, lemme take a guess here," he ventured, grinning and smug. "I was your compromise."
Leia let nothing slip, not even her surprise at his assumption. "My compromise?"
"Yeah. They let you go, but only if I came with you. Am I right?"
"What makes you say that?"
"I have the fastest ship in the Fleet." His enthusiasm had dampened and there was an unusual resentment in his eyes. "And I get things done. They knew I could protect you."
She felt her jaw harden, her eyes tighten. "I don't need protection. All I needed was transport."
He leaned back, raising one foot to rest on the game table. "Oh, please, you couldn't have made it through those woods without me."
Anger thundered in her chest. "Oh, really? And at what exact moment would I have failed without your presence? What did you 'protect' me from?"
A disbelieving breath huffed from his lips. "You never woulda found your way alone."
Indignation flared through her stomach. He was so damned cocky. "That's quite amusing, coming from someone who didn't even notice the huge mountain range in our path."
A touch of chagrin tinted his eyes, but only for a moment. "Like you would've done any better."
"I certainly would have. Next time, I will take charge of the map."
"Next time? There ain't gonna be no next time."
The anger bubbled into her throat. "That's correct, Captain." She stood, mug gripped in white-knuckled fingers, and stomped to the galley. She spilled out the rest of her kaffe and placed the mug in the recycler.
Gods, that man was so egotistical! She stood in front of the sink, seething, breath measured and heated.
Let him think whatever he would like, she thought, muscles taut. It was preferable to him knowing that it was her own decision to choose him as her pilot. At the moment, she couldn't quite recall why it had seemed like a good idea at the time.
He was right. Never again.
A very low grumble sounded behind her and Leia turned to see Chewie's hulking form in the doorway. She raised her brow at him and he crossed the small space to sit at the counter. Her eyes followed him, wondering at his presence.
Placing his furry hands on his knees, Chewbacca let out a low string of barks and growls that were oddly soothing, in spite of Leia's inability to translate.
Already frustrated beyond explanation, she shook her head and sighed. "I'm sorry, I don't understand."
He slowed his words considerably, gesturing to the corridor and beyond. She was able to glean that he was talking about Han. Beyond that, she was lost. She shook her head again with a shrug.
The Wookiee bounced from the stool and was before her in one long-legged stride. He placed a hand on her head in an affectionate gesture, growled something she couldn't comprehend, and laughed softly.
Somehow, she felt comforted. She smiled back with gratitude. "Will you teach me to understand Shyriiwook?"
His huge, blue eyes widened in surprise before he flashed a toothy grin and nodded enthusiastically. Leia smiled back, genuinely pleased.
OOOOOOOOOOOO
Scowling, Han gazed out the cockpit viewport, narrowed eyes trailing the retreating back of the Princess as she fled the hangar, small legs carrying her quickly as possible. He thought that if she could have jumped ship before he had even touched down, she would have.
Chewie had spent an extended time with her in the galley, and when Han skulked through the corridor to see what they were up to, he heard the Wookiee giving her a basic lesson in Shyriiwook. It had taken him by surprise and darkened his mood further, although he couldn't quite decide why.
He was still staring at where she had disappeared through the hangar entrance, pack slung over her shoulders. He wrenched his eyes away.
He had genuinely thought the Princess had chosen him for the mission to Bisari because she wanted to spend time in his company. It had emboldened him and he was disappointed to realize that she hadn't had a choice in the matter.
Why did he care?
That seemed to be the constant question he asked himself.
Chewie trudged into the cockpit, barking that everything was in order. Han responded impulsively.
"I see you and the Princess are getting real chummy." He couldn't keep the sneer from his voice.
With a guffaw, the Wookiee retorted.
"No, I'm not jealous!" Han snapped. But he couldn't deny feeling a bit of envy, just like when he observed her easy demeanor with Luke.
Chewie growled lasciviously and raised his brow up and down with suggestive intent.
"Oh, shut up," Han muttered as he spun his seat back to the viewport.
His friend barked a suggestion.
"I am nice," Han growled.
The Wookiee chuckled but said nothing. Han spun back to face him.
"I'm as nice as she deserves," he added caustically. "Walking around with her nose in the air, thinkin' she's too good for the rest of us."
Chewbacca reminded him of who her only friends were in the Alliance.
"I guess she feels like slumming it," he countered, eyes challenging.
His co-pilot gave a long-suffering sigh, shook his shaggy head, and left the Corellian alone.
Still frowning, he spun back to the viewport, eyes instantly finding the spot where Leia had disappeared. He blinked as he recognized the figure heading towards the Falcon.
Gretza.
Funny, he hadn't thought about her since he'd left for Bisari. As she strode in his direction, he realized he wasn't really in the mood to see her now.
But there she was and there was little he could do about it. With a deep sigh, he rose from his chair and meandered to the top of the boarding ramp. He leaned casually against the side, waiting for the inevitable.
When she spotted him at the top of the ramp, she tossed her light brown hair to one side and grinned broadly. He smiled back crookedly, feeling anything but happy.
"Hey, you!" she called, moving inside and out of sight from onlookers.
"Hey." If there was one thing he appreciated about her, it was her discretion. He wound his way to lean against the bulkhead, hidden from view.
Now unseen, she pressed herself against him and placed her mouth on his, lips moving with expert precision, tongue invading his mouth.
He responded automatically, but felt oddly unmoved, physically or emotionally. It confused him and threw him off balance. She hadn't ever inspired any sort of emotional spark in him, no woman with whom he had sought companionship had. But normally, his body responded to her touch. She was clearly quite experienced and had been quick to figure out what he liked.
She finally pulled her head back and gazed at him questioningly. "What's wrong?"
"Nothin'." His lower lip jutted out dismissively. "Just got some stuff to take care of onboard."
"I don't think you'll ever be done tinkering with this ship," she replied knowingly.
He smiled sheepishly, awkwardly lowering his hands away from her.
"Well," she said breezily. "I just wanted to say hi. I have some things to do myself. Will I see you later?" Her eyes held hope.
Han was simply not in the mood. His eyes fell away briefly as he answered. "Nah, I'm pretty beat. Another time?" He met her gaze again.
Her brow rose and she hesitated a beat too long. "Sure. Another time." She rose on her toes and bestowed a quick kiss on his lips before turning away and heading down the ramp with a slightly puzzled expression.
His forced smile faded when she was beyond his sight. He wasn't quite sure what he was feeling in that moment, but it seemed as if his interest in the young woman had waned. It had been fun while it lasted, as it always was when he enjoyed the company of a woman.
But, this time, there seemed to be more to it and Han didn't like it. He trudged to his cabin and stared at the microcollizer sitting on his desk. He had made a project of tightening the bolts and now seemed like a good time to return to it. He took a seat, grabbed the hydrospanner, and set to work.
He resumed his work, something that often helped him organize his thoughts. As he turned the spanner in his hand, he couldn't get his sudden disinterest in Gretza out of his thoughts.
He had been perfectly content to pass the time with her before the trip to Bisari. It was nagging at his brain and awareness began to seep in, although some part of him rejected it.
Leia's face flitted before his eyes and he dropped the spanner and the microcollizer to the desk with a quiet thud. In his mind, her features were hard with anger, eyes dark, lips pressed together. That seemed to be the consistent expression when she was looking at him.
He sighed with resignation. After spending several days with the Princess, she had completely banished Gretza from his system. It disturbed him greatly.
He had fought this damned attraction from the beginning, and now she had ruined his taste for other women.
Well, he reassured himself, just one other woman. There were other women in the Alliance and he would have to make haste to find one to his liking.
But first he would have to end this thing with Gretza. He didn't relish the thought. It had always been easier in the past, when he would just disappear and move onto some new venture on some other planet.
This time he would have to actually address the issue, since he wasn't planning on leaving the Rebellion all that soon. Then again, he could just avoid her. Perhaps that would be enough for her to realize it was over.
"Next time? There ain't gonna be no next time."
He now regretted the impulsive words. Why did this woman get under his skin like no other? Their verbal battle had left him frustrated yet again, even though he knew he was the one who had started it. With her, he seemed to lose all control.
It's cause you want her, his thoughts whispered tauntingly.
Okay, yeah, he did. He couldn't deny it. He wanted to grab her, pull her against him, and run his hands along the soft curves of her body. He wanted to devour her mouth and melt that icy demeanor she thrust on him at every turn. And the fact that he couldn't have her only made him want her more, and inflamed him with furious resentment. It was what fueled his hostile front towards her, sending his tongue into an impetuous torrent of verbal artillery.
Maybe he should just pick up and leave. There wasn't anything keeping him here.
But, when he thought about it, he didn't feel ready to leave. So, maybe something was keeping him there. Luke?
It couldn't be her. He would never stay in one place just for a woman. The thought was laughable. He only knew that the thought of fleeing the Rebellion made him uneasy. For now, he would hang around.