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Harry entered the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon, still catching his breath from their frantic escape, just in time to hear Leia's voice, sharp with frustration, cutting sharply through the hum of the ship's engine.

"They let us go. It's the only explanation for the ease of our escape."

Han's scoff was immediate. "Easy?" Han snapped, throwing his hands up in frustration as he leaned over the console. "You call that easy? Blaster fire, stormtroopers, TIE fighters chasing us down—real walk in the park! I'd hardly call that an open invitation to leave that space station."

Leia, unshaken, crossed her arms and fixed him with an unyielding stare. "You know as well as I do they could have done more. We were lucky, yes, but it wasn't just luck. They're tracking us. They'd have had to make it look like we fought our way out so we wouldn't suspect it."

"Not this ship," Han shot back, almost reflexively. "Nobody tracks the Falcon."

Harry cleared his throat, stepping fully into the cockpit. Both Han and Leia turned toward him, their argument momentarily paused. "Sorry to interrupt your argument but is it possible they put something on the ship to track us? You know, while we were all on the Death Star?"

Han turned sharply, his expression irritated. "That's ridiculous! The Falcon—" He obviously wanted to continue dismissing the idea but he stopped mid-sentence, his brow furrowing. "Well ... the ship wasleft alone for a while. And the droids weren't watching it every second ..." His voice trailed off before he cursed under his breath. "Blast it."

He stood abruptly, storming out of the cockpit. "Chewie!" he called over his shoulder. "Get to the back. We're running a full diagnostic before we leave the system."

Harry exchanged a glance with Leia, who smiled faintly. "Thanks for backing me up," she said, her voice lighter but still carrying an undertone of gratitude.

He shrugged. "You made a good point. Besides, I'd rather not be followed just because Han's a little overconfident."

"A little?" Leia said chuckling softly, the tension in her shoulders easing for a moment. "But I'd rather we weren't followed, as important as it is to get the info that R2 has to the Rebellion, I'd prefer not to lead the Empire right to them. But thank you again," she said softly. "For taking my side earlier. It's nice to know I'm not completely alone in thinking things through."

Harry chuckled, scratching the back of his neck. "Don't mention it. It wasn't about taking sides. You made sense, and honestly, I'd rather not get caught thinking we were invincible."

Leia's smile grew, but it faded almost as quickly as it appeared. Her brow furrowed slightly, and she tilted her head, studying Harry. "That reminds me ... Are you alright?"

Harry blinked, caught off guard. "What do you mean?"

"Back on the Death Star," she said, her voice laced with concern. "You fell in the hallway. At first, I thought it was just that you tripped or maybe an injury, but now I'm not so sure. What happened?"

Harry's expression darkened as he remembered the moment. He leaned against the bulkhead, crossing his arms as he thought about how to explain it. "I'm not sure, honestly," he admitted. "It was ... strange. One second, I was fine, and then—out of nowhere—I felt weird. Like ... like the air was thicker or something. And then, bam, this incredible headache hit me."

Leia's brow furrowed deeper, her concern etched into her features.

Harry hesitated, running a hand through his hair. "It wasn't just the headache, though. I had a vision."

Leia raised an eyebrow, skepticism flickering across her face, though to her credit she didn't interrupt.

"It's true," Harry said, shrugging slightly. "I saw ... the man in the mechanized armor. He was fighting with Obi-Wan, but it was before I saw them fighting in the hanger. I hadn't seen that man before."

Leia's eyes widened slightly. "That was Lord Vader," she said, her tone cautious but intrigued. "He's the Emperor's enforcer, his right hand."

"Lord Vader," Harry echoed, nodding slightly. "Yeah, that seems to fit. The scene I watched played out like ... I don't know, I had wanted to discount it but then we got to the hangar floor. And then we actually saw them fighting. Before ..." He trailed off, his voice growing quieter.

Leia's expression softened, the weight of the moment settling between them. "I'm sorry," she said after a moment of quiet. "He was a great man."

Harry blinked, surprised by the depth of her sincerity.

She smiled faintly, the expression on her face touched with nostalgia. "He really was," she said, her voice quiet. "Obi-Wan was ... remarkable."

Harry raised an eyebrow as he looked at her.

Her lips twitched into a brief smile, and she looked at him with a mixture of amusement and warmth. "But that's ... a very long story. Maybe we can trade stories after all this is over."

Harry nodded, a small smile tugging at his lips. "I'd like that." After a pause, he straightened and gestured down the corridor. "But for now, I should probably check on Luke. I had only met him a little while ago and Obi-Wan didn't tell me everything, but from what I understand, he saved Luke's life on Tatooine before convincing him to come along to deliver your droid."

Leia's smile grew, and she pushed off the bulkhead, her expression lightening. "That's a good idea. I'll join you."

The Millennium Falcon's engines hummed softly, filling the otherwise quiet space with a steady rhythm. Harry and Leia walked side by side from the cockpit toward the ship's common room. The tension of their recent escape from the Death Star lingered in the air, and both seemed lost in their own thoughts.

Harry and Leia found Luke in the ship's main hold, sitting alone on one of the bench seats near the central holographic table. He was hunched forward, his elbows resting on his knees and his hands clasped tightly together. He stared at the floor, unseeing, his face a mask of sorrow and confusion and he looked as if the weight of the galaxy had settled squarely on his shoulders.

Leia's face softened, her usual composure giving way to genuine compassion. She approached Luke quietly, her movements unhurried, as though she didn't want to startle him. Sitting down beside him, she reached out and gently placed a hand on his arm.

"Luke," Leia said, her voice warm and full of empathy.

Luke looked up, startled out of his reverie, his eyes red and glassy. He offered a small, tired, tight-lipped smile but said nothing.

Leia sat down beside him, her tone soft and empathetic. "I'm so sorry for your loss. I know how much Obi-Wan meant to you."

Luke's expression crumpled slightly, and he nodded, his voice barely audible. "Thanks."

Leia hesitated for a moment before continuing. "I know how you feel, I feel that pain as well," she said, her voice quiet and filled with sorrow but somehow still firm. "It's been years since I last saw him, but Obi-Wan saved my life when I was a child. I understand feeling like you owe him more than anything you can ever repay, but that is just the person my dad told me he was. It's been years since I last saw him, but ... losing him now, like this—it's a terrible loss for all of us."

Luke's gaze dropped again, and he nodded, his expression filled with anguish. "He was like a guide," he said quietly. "He believed in me when no one else did. I didn't even get the chance to thank him properly for saving my life on Tatooine and then to just have to watch what happened on that space station."

The raw emotion in his voice was palpable, and Leia reached out to hold his hand, squeezing it gently. "He was an incredible man, and the rebellion could have used him. What he did for us—for all of us—was a true act of bravery. He gave his life so we could escape."

Standing a few feet away, Harry shifted uncomfortably. Finally, he cleared his throat, drawing their attention. "I'm not sure if he's dead," he said simply.

Both Luke and Leia turned to him sharply, their eyes wide with surprise. Leia's held doubt, tinged with sadness, while Luke's were filled with something else.

"Harry," Leia began, her tone measured, "I know you mean well and that moment must have been painful for you as well, but we all saw it. Vader swung his lightsaber. That kind of strike ... it's not something anyone can walk away from."

Harry nodded slowly, acknowledging her point. "You're right—we all saw the attack. But after the hit—or after where the hit should've been—there was no body. People don't just disappear like that."

Leia opened her mouth to respond but stopped, her expression conflicted. She looked down at her hands, her brows furrowed as she processed his words.

Before she could speak, Luke broke the silence. "Harry might be right," he said, his voice stronger than before.

Leia's head snapped up, her eyes widening in surprise. "What?"

Luke turned to her, his expression earnest. "I heard him, Leia. After it happened, after Vader swung his lightsaber, I heard Obi-Wan's voice. He told me to run, to get onto the ship."

Leia's face flickered with disbelief and confusion, but she didn't dismiss his words outright. Instead, she glanced between Luke and Harry, searching their faces for answers.

"You heard him?" Harry asked, his own surprise evident.

Luke nodded firmly. "It wasn't just in my head. It was like he was there with me, I felt him. I know it sounds crazy, but I swear it was him."

Leia's disbelief began to waver as she considered Luke's words. Slowly, she reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. "My father told me some crazy stories about the Jedi of old and the Force so maybe ..." she said hesitantly, "maybe he's still with us. In some way we don't fully understand. But I doubt he lived through that attack."

Luke nodded, his hope rekindling. "I think that's right. I don't know how, but I can feel it. He's not gone."

Harry watched them, a strange mixture of emotions churning inside him. He wasn't sure what to believe, but he couldn't deny the possibility that something extraordinary had happened.

Leia leaned back slightly, her gaze distant as she processed the conversation. Finally, she looked at Luke and Harry with a faint smile. "If Obi-Wan is still with us, somehow ... then maybe there's hope yet."

The three of them sat in silence for a moment, however before they could say anything else the relative quiet of the Millennium Falcon's common room was interrupted by the sound of heavy boots stomping down the corridor, accompanied by a steady stream of curses. Han Solo appeared around the corner, his face set in a deep scowl, with Chewbacca close behind him.

"Of all the blasted, lousy ..." Han's voice trailed off when he noticed Leia, Luke, and Harry huddled together. His eyes narrowed as he approached.

"Well, hate to interrupt your little meeting," he began, his tone dripping with sarcasm, "but we've got a problem. Just ran a diagnostic on the ship, and guess what? There's some foreign device stuck to the engine cowls transmitting a signal."

Leia opened her mouth to speak, but Han held up a hand. "Yes, Princess,I know. Congrats. You were right, it's probably a tracking beacon."

Leia's frown deepened, her expression troubled. "If that's the case," she said, her voice measured, "we can't go straight to the rebellion. If the Empire's tracking us, they'll find the location of the rebels."

Harry nodded, his agreement immediate. "She's right. If they follow us, whatever happened to Alderaan could happen to your friends."

At the mention of Alderaan, Leia's face paled, and her expression faltered. She looked down, her composure cracking ever so slightly. Harry, noticing the pain in her eyes, reached out and placed a hand over hers.

"I'm sorry," he said softly, his voice sincere.

Leia gave him a small, grateful smile, though her eyes were still haunted.

Luke broke the heavy silence that had settled over the group. "So where do we go?" he asked, looking around. "It'll have to be somewhere they wouldn't expect us to go. Somewhere they wouldn't destroy right away. We need time to get the tracker off."

Han crossed his arms, leaning against the bulkhead. "Sure, kid, easy as that. Let's just find a perfect landing spot while the Empire's got their eyes on us and hope they don't blow apart a planet while we try to take off the tracker."

Chewie growled in agreement, which caused Han to turn to his co-pilot and began listing off planets, his tone dripping with exasperation. "Nal Hutta?" He snorted. "They wouldn't even think twice before destroying it. And in fact, they'd probably be doing the galaxy a favor by wiping that slimeball planet off the map. Utapau? Too far. Alsakan? Too populated, and, well ..." He gave Chewie a grin. "Probably not a planet I should be visiting anytime soon."

Leia, who had been listening quietly, cut in addressing Han with firm conviction. "We should go to Coruscant."

The room fell silent as Harry looked around at everyone in confusion.

Han turned to her slowly, his expression caught somewhere between disbelief and amusement. Then he laughed, a loud, incredulous sound. "Coruscant? You're joking, right? You want me to fly us right into the heart of the Empire? Sure, great idea, Princess. Let's park the Falcon in the Emperor's private hangar while we're at it."

Leia's gaze remained steady, her tone calm but firm. "It's the only planet that makes sense. There's no way they'd expect us to go there. So they will be slow to respond as they try to confirm the readings are correct. And even when they do confirm that's where we went and respond, they wouldn't destroy the Imperial capital—it would be political suicide. The Emperor himself is there, and the fallout from destroying a planet like Coruscant would be catastrophic for their control over the galaxy."

Han leaned back as he shook his head, his arms spread wide in mock exasperation as his laughter fading into a skeptical smirk. "Oh, sure, Princess. This is a great plan. Let's fly into the most heavily guarded system in the galaxy. I bet they'll just roll out the red carpet for us when we show up and maybe if we are lucky they'll give us medals while we're entering the atmosphere."

Leia's expression didn't waver. "There's no better option. Think about it, Han. The thought that the rebellion might be operating right under their noses would force them to search for us instead of just attacking blindly. It buys us time."

Han opened his mouth to respond, but Leia cut him off. Leia stepped closer to him, her voice gaining urgency. "With the amount of people on the planet, once we get planetside it will be difficult to pinpoint the tracker's signal amongst all the other signals coming off the planet and more importantly. I know people on Coruscant. People who can help us. They can get us in under the radar, give us a place to hide, and help us disable the tracker without risking your precious ship."

Han bristled at her tone. "I can take care of my ship just fine," he shot back. "I don't need some underground contacts to—"

Leia raised an eyebrow, a faint smirk playing on her lips before she cut him off. "Han, you might be a good pilot and I have no doubt that you are a great mechanic." She gestured around the room. "You'd have to be, to keep this bucket of bolts flying."

Han looked genuinely offended. "Hey now, this 'bucket of bolts'—"

Leia pressed on, interrupting him. "But we both know the Empire wouldn't install a tracker without safeguards. It's probably tamper-proof, and I wouldn't be surprised if it's rigged to blow the moment you try to remove it. Unless you want to risk piecing the Falcon back together from scraps no bigger than your thumb, I'd suggest you consider using the help."

Han stared at her, his jaw tightening as he mulled over her words. Several long seconds passed before he turned to Chewbacca, muttering under his breath in a string of complaints. The Wookiee let out a low growl, his large paws gesturing for Han to calm down.

Finally, Han threw up his hands. "Fine! We'll go to Coruscant," he said, his tone begrudging. He pointed a finger at Leia. "But if this blows up in our faces—literally—I'm holding you personally responsible."

Leia's lips curled into a smile of satisfaction, a glimmer of relief in her eyes. "Duly noted … thank you, Captain."

Han grumbled something incomprehensible as he stormed back to the cockpit, Chewbacca following behind him.

Harry watched the exchange with a mix of amusement and apprehension. "So," he said, turning to Leia, "Coruscant, huh? You're sure this is a good idea?"

As the sound of their footsteps faded, Leia turned to Luke and Harry, her expression softening as she nodded. "We'll be okay," she said, her voice steady but warm. "We'll honor Obi-Wan's sacrifice. Honestly, it'll risky, but I doubt there are any safe options. This is our best chance. Trust me."

Harry glanced at Luke, who was still processing the plan. "You okay with this?"

Luke shrugged, his expression determined. "If it means staying one step ahead of the Empire, I'm in."

The trio remained in the common room for a few moments, the weight of their decision settling over them. Luke stared at the table, lost in thought, while Leia paced slowly, her arms crossed. Harry leaned against the bulkhead, his mind turning over the plan ahead.

"Coruscant," Luke said finally, breaking the silence. "What's it like?"

Leia paused, a wistful look crossing her face. "It's ... overwhelming. The entire planet is one massive city. Skyscrapers taller than anything you can imagine, endless streams of ships in the sky, and people everywhere. It's the center of politics, trade, and culture for the galaxy."

"And the Empire," Harry added, his tone cautious.

Leia nodded. "Yes. The Empire's presence is everywhere, but there are places they can't see. Shadows where people work to undermine them, even on their own doorstep."

Luke's brow furrowed. "How do you know these people will help us?"

Leia gave him a reassuring smile. "I've worked with them before. They're loyal to the cause, and they've managed to survive under the Empire's nose for years. They'll help us."

Harry glanced at Leia, curiosity piqued. "You've spent time on Coruscant before?"

She hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "When I was younger. My father was a senator, and I spent a lot of time in the capital. I learned how to navigate its dangers."

Harry nodded thoughtfully, filing away the information. Leia's ability to stay calm and composed in the face of such danger made more sense now.

"Well sounds good to me."

Kind Regards,

FavoriteAuthor

If you like this content do not hesitate to smash that like button and subscribe. Haha but seriously if you do enjoy the story - do favorite it, other than messaging me or leaving a comment it's the only way I know if you are enjoying the stories and chapters.

Story Note 1 – Well that is an incredibly big plot deviation and hope you all enjoyed it and look forward to where the story is going. Normally I try to slowly diverge from canon but felt I might as well dive head on into this divergence! Hope you all enjoy the upcoming Coruscant arc.

Story Note 2 – I really enjoyed this chapter and I hope you all did. Obviously there wasn't any fighting which is always fun to read about but it had huge implications on the plot and an obviously big deviation from the original story but there were two things I particularly enjoyed including. The first was Harry and Leia going to comfort Luke. They sort of glossed over the fact that Luke might be a sad that Obi-Wan had sacrificed himself in the movie and even more importantly while they paid a little bit of attention to that they completely glossed over the fact that Leia had literally just watched her entire planet be destroyed. And no one offered her any condolences. I find it very hard to accept that Leia would have been totally alright with that. These two points will come up again in the story as I think they (especially the second one) would have big implications on the characters.

Story Note 3 – And the only other point I really have to offer is that I found it a little silly how dismissive of Leia's suggestion that the ship might be getting tracked Han was for a smuggler. And on top of that I found it a little silly how easy Leia was to set aside her concern over being tracked, just because Han said not my ship, before heading off to the Rebellion's base.

Story Note 4 - This story will obviously be a Harry x Leia story. But obviously everyone loves Han. So going forward will be trying to balance the need to move Harry and Leia along with the desire to maintain Han and Leia's banter. Looking for feedback on how this is going.

A large thanks to those of you out there who enjoy my stories, I promise to keep updating the stories as long as you all are enjoying them, and a special thanks to those of you who have taken the time to leave feedback or have reached out to me directly.

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KnowInsight, cameron1812, starboy454 - I'm really appreciate the feedback and hope you continue to enjoy the story as it progresses.

Andromedanaea - Very happy that you are enjoying the premise. While there will certainly be moments that are important to the universe that will play a role in this story. For instance the attack of the death star, the empire trying to capture Luke (and possibly Harry ... hope his hand is ok), and eventually confronting the Emperor there will be a significantly different way to get there. And obviously this story has already begun to veer. Certainly do not hesitate to let me know how it is going though.

Blaze1992 - I guess we will never know but I'd imagine a simply stupify could have to Grand Moff Tarkin might have helped. Maybe in another story ...

death390 - Hopefully you enjoy the ride! And do not hesitate to reach out (either as a comment or privately to let me know what you think or what you are hoping for!)

Vukk - If only he had done that, although can't imagine Vader's rage would have been pleasant in that case!

Monkey D. Conan - Glad I'm doing a good job capturing it. When I started planning this story it was one of the things I highlighted as important but figured was going to be difficult since I was removing the romantic part of their relationship. There will be some similarities with my other story but there will be a significant difference as well! Hope you enjoy it!

Vuduman5 - Glad you are enjoying to story! Oh this will certainly start to distance itself from canon and in a non-cartoony way! Hope you enjoy the ride!

Jostanos - Glad you are enjoying the stories! Haha i certainly imagine its not just a coincidence. I imagine if he had a chance to redo it he would have but Obi-Wan's fate will have importance for a couple story arcs down the road. Hope you continue to enjoy the story! Without a doubt! Plus while obviously Han/Leia was incredibly enjoyable I felt Harry and Leia could really work.