Valentine's Challenge: The Sequel. Submission #7

Happy Valentine's Day!  And thanks to all of you for continuing to submit.  Remember: there are no deadlines.  I don't care if your story is given to us at a time frame more suited to St. Patrick's Day.  We never turn them away.  The above is part of a comic I believe we already reviewed but I thought it was somewhat appropriate.  This submission comes to us from Amara Z.  Enjoy!

 

 

For Us

 

Leia could hardly believe this day had come. That finally she, and to some degree the galaxy, had found a measure of peace. After all they had been through and all they had lost. She made no assumptions about what this respite might mean or how long it might last. But for now, she could enjoy what she had – this quiet moment with her family and Han. As she looked around the room, an antechamber usually used by Jedi to prepare themselves for meditation, she knew it was possibly the most tranquil spot in the entire galaxy to be. 

But Leia was feeling anything but at peace as she turned towards the mirror again, the nervousness rising in her like bubbles to the surface in a tumbler of water. It struck her as odd she seemed just as nervous as the first time she made this decision. To a degree it felt like she was starting a new stage of her life, but she knew that wasn’t the case. This wasn’t a new beginning or the first time for them. Or even a renewal. But a confirmation of what she had always felt.

Leia considered her reflection carefully, turning different directions. Her hands smoothed carefully over the layers of silk surrounding her. The urge to fidget was too great and she wanted to purse her lips, but didn’t dare. She didn’t want to touch up her makeup again. Instead she took a deep breath and tried to let the peace of the situation run through her, to remember the calming thoughts she had learned. She could at least take comfort in the fact that there was one big difference about today. Today belonged to them.  No press. No holonet. Just them.

“You look great, mom,” Jaina said as she appeared in the mirror behind Leia.

“You think so?” Leia leaned in to inspect her hair, frowning slightly, before turning towards her daughter. “You don’t think I need another pin here?” she asked as she pointed to the area in question.

Jaina smiled indulgently at her mother. The last hour had been filled with such questions and nervous flitting and it had Jaina wanting to laugh. It was a simple event and here her mom was acting more anxious than she’d seen her before, even more than when she gave a speech. Jaina stepped forward, took her mom’s hand in hers, and sent a gentle push of calmness to her through the Force. “Don’t worry. Dad is going to love it and everything is going to be perfect.”

Leia squeezed Jaina’s hand. “I hope you’re right.”

The door to the room slid open and Jacen walked in. He raised his eyebrows at the women of his family. “You two about ready? I think Dad’s getting a little antsy.”

Leia and Jaina exchanged a knowing look. Han was no doubt starting to run out of patience and they probably didn’t have much time left. “I’ll go check on him.  Let him know we’re ready,” Jaina said and gave her mom a brief hug before slipping out of the door.

Leia took a moment to look at her son, filling with amazement and satisfaction over the young man he had become. Stepping up to him, she gazed into his face, taken aback as always by how much he resembled his father, with his twinkling hazel eyes. There were touches of her in there to be sure, but as she ran her hand across his hair and down his cheekbone, she was never more reminded of another face she had fallen in love with all those years ago.

And then he smiled, a crooked grin that was very familiar. “You feel as nervous as Dad.”

Leia let out a sigh. “Not really. Excited. Just seems to be translating into nerves,” she replied with a smile. Her hands came to rest on his shoulders. “I appreciate you being here, Jacen. I know you are ready to get started on your trip.”

“Least I could do. And one more day isn’t going to hurt anything.”

Her hands trailed down, smoothing out the front of his robe as was her habit with one of the kids or Han. It was her ritual and way to enjoy one last contact with them before they went about their business for the day and she went about making sure Jacen was in proper order. Leia’s fingers brushed against something smooth and oddly out of place against the rough, dark fabric of his robe. Pausing to look closely, she found two small, metal stars pinned to the lapel of Jacen’s robe.

Leia didn’t have to guess or use the Force to know what or who they were for. She already intuitively knew  – Chewie and Anakin. Fingering them lightly, she swallowed the lump in her throat and tried to will the tears back from her eyes as she glanced up at Jacen. “For those that were lost?”

Jacen nodded solemnly, his stoicism showing. He shrugged. “It seemed the right thing to do. I know they would have wanted to be here in some way.”

He shook his head and his demeanor instantly lightened, another lop sided grin coming to his face and he held his arm out to her. “Come on, Mom. Let’s go make Dad the luckiest man in the galaxy a second time.”

 

~~~~~~~~~~

Not far away, in the middle of a garden, Han stood waiting for his wife and doing his best not to fidget. As he looked around the space at the lush plants and trees, he had to admit they couldn’t have picked a nicer spot. The Jedi Temple garden was beautiful and proving to be a perfect backdrop for them to gather. But standing there with nothing to do, he felt as nervous as a new bridegroom. Which hardly made much sense as he knew the odds were good Leia would show up.  But he felt uneasy just the same.

He was only glad Leia had not made him dress up formally for the occasion. While he didn’t mind, he much preferred his own gear. He had made an effort though and wore the best spacer’s jacket and pants he owned.

He started to shuffle his feet again, but stopped himself and straightened his jacket instead. It was his only outward sign of nervousness as he kept his face impassively calm like he did in a sabacc game or negotiation. But as he glanced around at those gathered – Jaina, Luke, Mara, and the temple Master Kam – he figured being surrounded by Jedi, they were all quite well aware of what he was feeling anyhow. As if in answer to his thoughts, he felt Jaina lay a hand his shoulder. And if he had the Force he was certain he’d sense a wave of reassurance from his daughter.

A light breeze started up, blew by, and rapidly changed directions, ruffling his hair. His hands moved quickly to smooth it back down. And was that a bird chirping he heard? Indoors?With no animals native to the garden? Han’s gaze immediately shot to Luke. His brother-in-law had one of those sneaky, knowing half-smiles on his face, the kind that frequently irritated Han over the years, and he knew Luke had tried to distract him. He considered commenting on it, but changed his mind when he heard footsteps coming towards them and turned towards the sound.

Suddenly it didn’t seem to matter anymore and everything else fell away as soon as Leia cleared the bend in the garden path and came into view. She had taken his breath away for the past twenty years and still did and he had to remember to take a breath. Hanging on lightly to Jacen’s arm as they walked towards Han, there was only one word to describe her – stunning.

The silk of her dress floated in layers around her, the ice blue color a perfect complement to her skin. Her hair was lightly pinned in places, small gems catching the light here and there, leaving the bulk of her hair to fall loose and wavy like he preferred it. And Han gave silent thanks that this woman was promising to be his once again.

It didn’t take long for them to complete their walk and Han held his hand out to Leia as they drew close. With a quick kiss from Jacen, Leia placed her hand in Han’s and stepped forward to take her place at his side.

Kam nodded and then began the ceremony. The words in Basic were quite familiar, speaking of love and devotion and the importance of joining with another to create something more than ourselves. Words he had heard before. But when Kam effortlessly switched into Corellian, Han was caught by surprise and he looked at Leia questioningly. With their original wedding held at the Alderaanian consulate, they hadn’t had the opportunity for a Corellian service or tradition. And he hadn’t been able to hear the words he heard now. Leia’s only response was a sly smile that told him all he needed to know. She had done it for him and it touched him even more that she would have thought of it. Turning back to Kam, he let the words flow through him, their meaning and history sink into him.

Eventually Kam stopped having reached the point where they were to say vows they had written and they turned to one another. Han had no doubt that what Leia had written would be elegant, but simple. And as she spoke, they were the most beautiful words he’d ever heard.

“You and I have come a long way from those first moments in the detention center. Such a long way.Kids, marriage, more wars than we care to recall. One very long flight to Bespin,” Leia said with a smile. “But one thing has never changed– my love for you and the man you are. I can’t say opening myself to your love was the easiest thing I’ve ever done, but falling in love with you was. And when I look at the life we’ve built and the time we’ve had together, I know it is by far the best thing I have ever done.” She glanced briefly at the small group gathered and knew that without Han most of it wouldn’t have been possible. Her hands tightened on his, squeezing them briefly. “You are my rock, my foundation. That part of the world that anchors me and enables me to be the best I can be in all other areas of my life. I can only hope I provide you with half as much as you have given to me. I am honored to share my life with you and I can’t imagine anything greater than strengthening our bond for the rest of our lives.”

Words could never adequately describe how he felt for this woman in front of him, but he could try. “Leia, you’ve been my friend and lover for more years than I can count. You’ve been so much more to me than I ever expected and certainly more than I ever deserved. You’ve stood strong beside me for the last twenty years and I’ve done my best to do the same for you. And it is my honor to be able to do it for another twenty and more. It is my vow to love and support you for the rest of our days, through all that may come, and all that we may be. I love you, Leia, with all my heart.” He paused and slipped easily into Old Corellian for the last part, reinforcing the bond between him and Leia forever. “And I promise it is you and I as long as we both shall live. In this world and the next.”

Leia squeezed his hand, nodding in agreement. “In this world and the next.”

They should have turned back to Kam as he said the last words that would close the ceremony, but they didn't. Han couldn’t take his eyes off of Leia and kept his gaze locked with hers. There was no way he was ever turning from the woman in front of him ever again.

As Kam pronounced them husband and wife for the second time, Han smiled, gathered Leia to him, and kissed her. He poured all of his emotions into that kiss, trying to express everything he was feeling – awe that this wonderful woman was part of his life, pride at the life they had created together, and gratitude for the love they both still held for one another.

 

Thank you for the wonderful submission!  And remember, the challenge does not end just because Valentine's Day is over.  I've got at least one more story to post and new submissions are always welcome. 



Joint Story: The Sequel - Chapter 15

The unhappily wed couple returned to yet another day of counseling.  Han still wished he could figure that tiny and infuriating woman out, but he did notice that she seemed a lot less tense that morning.  Perhaps it was the knowledge that there was no way that this day could be worse than the one before.  He did not expect to be bombarded with intimacy questions on a daily basis, and surely the counselor did not expect them to complete their “assignment” immediately.  Not that he wanted to, anyway, or anything. 

Surprisingly, Han felt quite good when he woke up that morning.  And Leia’s improved mood certainly helped.  He and Leia were greatly relieved to learn that the subject of that day’s events would be effective communication with your spouse.  Stating needs clearly, making sure that the other person understood where you were coming from, and generally staying away from topics involving sex.  Also, the irony had not escaped him that he and Leia certainly could use some help on their communication skills, married or not. 

The couples were seated, all of whom looked just as miserable as Han and Leia did.  It seemed kind of sad in a way to be in a room surrounded by beings whose relationships had fallen apart.  At least for him and Leia, theirs had never been a true marriage to begin with.  Han didn’t really have any interest in getting married himself, but it was still a little sad to see a room full of couples trying to split up. 

Amidst the sea of misery though he did eye an attractive woman in the midst of those miserable faces.  He’d noticed her earlier, dressed in a frumpy manner and usually with her hair a mess and pulled back.  It was apparent that nobody in the room put much effort into their appearance.  But that day, this particular blond-haired, thin and fit looking woman had her hair down, long and hanging over her shoulders.  Tasteful makeup adorned her face and she was wearing a relatively form fitting sleeveless shirt and tight pants with her boots.  Han didn’t realize he was staring until he looked at her face and saw one of her blue eyes wink at him and he gave her half a smirk and looked away. 

He remembered her introducing herself as Lohree on the first day.  She looked to be a few years older than Leia, and more than a few centims taller.  Her husband looked a few years older than Han and if he needed to guess Han would’ve said that he was probably a fairly wealthy man, because he certainly didn’t land that woman on his good looks.  He was balding, sporting some fairly unkempt facial hair and acted nauseatingly placating toward his wife, while she remained to appear disgusted with him.  Seemed a shame that such an attractive woman should be wasted on a fairly pathetic excuse for a man. 

Hearing a deep breath exhale from the woman seated next to him made him recall why he was there as Leia shifted in her seat a bit.  She hadn’t noticed the subtle exchange with the other woman.  Han suddenly wished he could go back a few years and schedule some of his smuggling runs to land on this planet and stake out these conferences full of unsatisfied wives.  Well, not really, as he had always had a policy against sleeping with married women…. unless he was married to them.  But it sure was fun to think about. 

“All right,” Ava began in her typically calm voice.  “We’re going to do an exercise to help with our communication skills.  I need some volunteers.  So, Lohree, Kabe, why don’t you come up here?” 

The blond and her significantly less attractive husband stepped to the front of the room.  Han noted that Lohree looked especially irritated. 

“Now, I want you two to sit in these chairs,” Ava indicated two chairs facing each other in front of the room and the couple sat down.  “Take each other’s hands and look at each other.” 

Lohree visibly rolled her eyes and Kabe looked basically helpless.  Han wondered how much alcohol was involved in that particular decision to wed.  Or maybe the guy was just that rich. 

“I would like you to think of an issue you find yourselves arguing over that continues to come up that usually causes arguments.  The trick is to discuss the issue openly and honestly, letting the other person air their grievances without interrupting, then coming back with your rebuttal but again, in a calm and reasonable manner.  We do not want to use this as an attack on the other person.  You need to start your discussions with, ‘I feel that…’ and then tell the other person how you feel about the situation.  Do you understand?”

The couple nodded.  “All right, then.  Do you have an issue in mind you’d like to bring up?”

“I do,” Kabe said without hesitation. 

“Good, go ahead.”

Kabe turned his attention back to his wife, who judging by the look on her face didn’t really care how he felt about anything.  Although Han was having trouble concentrating on much aside from her long legs, one crossed over the other, in those tight, black pants.  “I feel,” Kabe began, “that maybe you should consult me a little more often on what you spend my money on.”

“Your money?” Lohree began, obviously angered by the statement.

But before she could continue, Ava interrupted.  “Now, see, this is what we don’t want to do.  You don’t want to become agitated.  This is how he feels about the situation, and his feelings are valid.  Your job now is to tell him how you feel about it.”

Lohree rolled her eyes and sat up a bit straighter, attempting to compose herself.  “All right.  Well, I feel that as a married couple, what’s yours is mine and I should not have to ask your permission with every little purchase I make.”

Kabe’s face appeared to be turning red, and not in the adorably blushing way that Leia’s did, more in the kind of way someone’s face turns red before they go off in a fit of rage.  “Well, I feel that maybe you should scrutinize your purchases a little bit more and maybe there is no reason for one woman to own eleven pairs of black boots on top of several dozen other pairs of footwear.”

“And I feel…” Lohree started and the conversation went back and forth much the same for several minutes, each half of the couple becoming more and more agitated and visibly holding back tempers, speaking the words through clenched teeth.  At one point Lohree even pulled her hand out of what had presumably become the uncomfortably tight grip of her husband. 

Well, the woman might have been undeniably attractive, but Han was sure that he wouldn’t have wanted to spend more than a couple of maybe sweaty, naked evenings with her if this was what she was like outside the bedroom.  Sadly, that was not why they were there.  Still it seemed interesting that his actual princess at least wasn’t some sort of entitlement princess.

Before one of those poor people’s heads popped off from trying to hold in the rage, Ava told them that they could stop and then asked them to kiss, which they reluctantly complied to.  She then told everyone to choose a topic with their own spouse and attempt the exercise themselves and she would come around and observe. 

Han and Leia turned their chairs toward one another.  “What do you want to talk about?” Leia asked in a surprisingly cheerful tone.  Maybe the worst of this was behind them. 

“We could make something up, maybe.  Like maybe you’re a total slob or a terrible cook and don’t know how to be a good wife,” Han winked at her and he realized he missed this kind of light hearted teasing.

Fortunately, Leia’s sense of humor seemed to have returned.  “You know I can’t cook anyway.  What about the Falcon?”

“What about it?”

“Well, maybe I feel,” Leia began in a tone that showed that she was somewhat mocking the exercise, and the half smile on her face put him completely at ease, “that a good husband doesn’t fly his wife around in an old, junky freighter.”  There was a mischievous sparkle in her eye that made it impossible for Han to actually get mad at her right then. 

Still, it seemed like a good topic to bring up.  They could certainly pretend to get themselves worked up over it, and the whole point was to prove that they had multiple issues that could not be resolved that meant that they did not make sense as a married couple.  “Oh, yeah?” Han replied, getting himself into his indignant character, “Well maybe I feel that a good ship is hard to find and once you find one that works, you stick with it.”

“And I feel that…” Leia began but then Ava stopped by and reminded them that they needed to join hands.  It seemed like there were worse things in the universe, but Leia didn’t look thrilled when she reluctantly slipped her hands into his.  Han noted that there was more than one reason to call her the ice princess as she continued her rebuttal.  “Well, I feel that a ship that breaks down constantly and risks the lives of its inhabitants maybe needs to be replaced.”

They went back and forth for a few more minutes of good natured arguing.  It was mostly things they’d said or thought before.  The truth was, after that ship being the one that rescued Leia in the first place and guiding them through many successful missions, Han knew that Leia had taken a liking to his old girl.  He no longer took offense to her arguments since he’d heard them all before, but he tried to act offended as they continued their back and forth.  This was the kind of thing they could handle.  And he couldn’t help but notice how her hands had relaxed in his grip. 

“All right, have you all said what you needed to say?”  The room became quiet as all eyes turned back to the counselor.  “Now kiss each other.  We never want to walk away too angry.”

Slowly the couples around them leaned in for kisses of vastly varying degrees of length and enthusiasm.  Han had already noticed several couples that were quite obviously being helped by this little counseling session.  His eyes turned to Leia, who looked at him far more matter of factly than he expected.  Perhaps after waking up nearly naked in bed with him, the idea of a quick peck on the lips didn’t seem quite so terrible.  Rather than tease her, Han simply asked, “You ready?”

He caught the slightest hint of red creep into her face as she shrugged her shoulders.  “Just make it quick.”

He half smirked at her and then leaned in and kissed her gently and far too quickly.  Fortunately, she didn’t look appalled.  Realizing their hands were still joined, Leia suddenly pulled hers away as they turned their chairs back toward the front of the room.  It wasn’t much of a kiss, but Han had to squash down the feeling that he’d like to try it again.  And maybe a few more times after that. 

The rest of the day was spent listening to Ava discuss effective communication.  If anything, at least now Han would be prepared if for some reason somewhere in the future he decided to get married.  Although being surrounded by mostly unhappy couples wasn’t exactly a ringing endorsement.  He was, however, relieved that he and Leia had made it through a day without encountering anything horribly awkward.  They might even have a pleasant evening.  Leia had even apparently loosened up enough that she didn’t make a big deal over a little kiss. 

They stood to leave and Han leaned down to tell Leia, “I’m gonna go use the ‘fresher before we go.  I’ll be right out.”  Leia nodded and he disappeared down the hallway.  After taking care of business, he ran into Lohree on her way out of the women’s side.  The ‘freshers were located in a small corridor all by themselves and the two were apparently alone. 

“Sorry about that,” Han said as he stepped aside to let her by.

“Oh, don’t worry,” Lohree said, her eyes sparkling up at him.  Han recognized a flirtatious look when he saw one, and this one made him stop in his tracks.  “Wait a second,” she said as she reached over and grabbed his forearm.  Her eyes went down to her hand and she hadn’t released her grip.  “Wow,” she said.  “You feel a lot stronger than my husband.”

Han couldn’t decide whether to roll his eyes at this woman’s blatant come on or to take her back into the ‘fresher and give her exactly what she wanted.  Unfortunately, he remembered that Leia was currently waiting for him.  Wife or not, he didn’t think that would go down too well.

“Yeah, well, your husband looks inadequate in quite a few ways,” Han replied, grinning back at her.  Might as well have a little fun with her anyway.

She giggled and twirled her hair with the hand not currently gripping his forearm.  “You have no idea.  Listen, if you ever need some time away from your wife and to talk to someone else, you just let me know, okay?”

Han nodded.  “Absolutely.”  She slowly released her grip on him and then made a point to slide her hand along his back as she walked away. 

Damn, how long had it been since he enjoyed the company of a woman?  He was too embarrassed to think about it.  Gods, women were infuriating lately. 

Shaking his head, he walked off toward where Leia was waiting.  “Ready to go?” she asked.

“You bet.”

Valentine's Challenge - The Sequel. Submission #6

The following submission comes from Elivagar.  Loving the amount of submissions, people.  Keep them coming.  Even once Valentine's is over, there is no such thing as too late for these!

He watched her form fall dark against the glow of white sheets beneath them, every dip and curve of her body shaded. With a single arm draped awkwardly atop her stomach, she tilted her head toward him expectantly. He wondered, briefly, when they had crossed the line.

A visible tremble from her set him in motion towards her, his frame casting one solid shadow upon her as he blocked out the faint light of the illuminated city.

Reaching her, he hovered only briefly before covering her entirely. His head fell to the dark spill of hair, free to indulge in the scent he had known for years, finally pressing his lips to her neck. Feeling her lungs fill with a gasp urged him to press against her harder. Her hands were now smoothing across his back, timid at first, yet steadily growing firmer. His let his mouth meander until he found her own.

It all had accelerated too fast, too soon.

It shouldn't have been happening like this, with fear and death nipping at their heels.

And he had intended to resist, hoped that she would stop it--this thing he spent so many nights longing for. Yet, he knew that whatever happened, he would never have the strength to bear it, whether he stopped now or faced her in the light of day. He would give in. He would stay.

And suddenly he was inside her, and all he could comprehend were her inarticulate moans, all lost on the ears of the universe.

 

Short but sweet.  Thanks again, Elivagar!

Valentine's Challenge: The Sequel - Submission #5

Thanks for Blamey77 for this Mushy Story Challenge Submission!  (Again, I hope she doesn't mind the picture.  Who doesn't love Lego Han????)

Inspiration for this story: I sat down to work on an assignment and ended up writing this instead. So, procrastination I guess?

                                                                  *****

The mission had gone smoothly. Leia had met with some potential alliance benefactors and they had been genuinely interested in helping the Alliance. The trip had gone so well that Han, Chewie and Leia had some spare time on their hands. Leia didn't need that much convincing to join the other two in a little exploring. After three months on Hoth, she was extremely happy to be wearing something other than a snowsuit.
The three of them wandered around the small town, enjoying the sun. Later, they stopped for lunch at a restaurant with chairs too small to accommodate wookies and portions too tiny to interest Chewie. He happily headed back to the Falcon where a slab of meat was waiting to be consumed.

While the two of them ate, Han told Leia amusing smuggling stories which always seemed to end with him and Chewie escaping despite overwhelming odds against them and always due to some inspired flying from Han. Despite his endless need to brag, Leia found herself enjoying Han's company.

After lunch, they wandered through a marketplace when Leia spotted a familiar image on the cover of a book on display. She rushed over to the book and picked it up. The title was 'Alderaanian Architecture.' Leia was transfixed as she flipped through the pages, savouring the images. She waited for the familiar tightening in her chest that always accompanied memories of her lost home but it didn't happen. The book seemed to trigger only happy memories and Leia was indulging in it when Han appeared at her side, curious to see what had grabbed her attention. She glanced at him and smiled, then went back to the book. And then she saw it. The Palace. Her Palace. Leia stopped flicking through the pages. Her fingers found their way to the picture and traced the outline of the building. She remembered the many staircases, the beautiful pieces of artwork on the walls and the large windows, allowing light to bathe the rooms.

Her brain vaguely registered Han talking to the shop owner and handing him something.
Leia had no idea how long she had been standing there but the next thing she knew, Han was gently leading her away from the shop.

She was still holding the book. "Oh, I have to put this back," Leia said, quietly.

"No, you don't. It's yours."

Her grip tightened on the book and Leia looked at him. His face was unreadable. Someone bumped into her but Leia barely noticed. Han put his hand on her back and led her through the crowded marketplace. A warm feeling spread through her chest as she thought about what he had done for her. The book was hers. She felt somewhat dazed and tried in vain to clear her head. All she could think about was looking at the Palace again. For too long, she had avoided thoughts and memories of Alderaan, afraid that despair and longing would take up residence in her being and never move. Suddenly, it was different. For the first time since its destruction, Leia had felt something other than sadness towards Alderaan.

As she noticed that Han was leading her back to the Falcon, Leia wondered if he could see how preoccupied she was.

He didn't say anything as she hurried up the ramp and for that she was grateful.

*

That night, Leia tried and eventually gave up on sleep. She turned on the light, wincing at the brightness. She became deeply engrossed in the book yet again when-

"You're up late."

Leia looked up from the book in her lap and smiled at the man leaning against the doorway of his cabin- hers for the duration of the trip.

"I couldn't sleep," she said, shrugging.

"Me either," Han admitted.

Usually, Leia didn't like anyone catching on to her troubled sleeping pattern but she found it hard to be hostile to Han at that moment. He had obviously gone to bed some time ago. His hair was flat on one side and sticking out every which way on the other. His bare feet stuck out from under rumpled pants and his shirt was haphazardly buttoned, displaying a decent amount of chest. The methodical part of her wanted to button that top properly. Another part of her just wanted to unbutton it completely and reveal what was underneath. Leia blushed and quickly looked down, irrationally afraid that he could tell what she was thinking. She silently willed her cheeks to cool down and she made a show out of turning the page. Han shifted in the doorway uncertainly and said, "Well, I'll leave you alone."

Leia realised she had unintentionally dismissed him and felt guilty.

She asked, "Do you want to see where I grew up?" and lifted the book invitingly.
Han looked surprised but then he grinned in that asymmetrical way unique to him and made his way to the bed where she was sitting. He sat on the other side, swinging both legs up on to the bed. Leia gathered all of her hair behind her and flipped through the book's pages until she found the one she was looking for. She looked up at him and found him staring at the hair trailing down her back.

"Here," she said. Han craned his neck to see the pages. Leia leaned closer to him so he could get a better look. Han was quiet as he scanned the page. His eyes widened as he took in the grand building that had once been her home. "The Palace was on an island?" he asked. "Yes," Leia answered. Han looked fascinated and she felt happy.

"Sure beats Hoth."

Leia chuckled and said, "It does at that." Han smiled at her and Leia realised he had been carefully watching her reaction. He looked back at the book. "Can I have a look?" She nodded and he lifted it carefully off of her lap and onto his. Leia sank back against her pillow, happy to watch Han as he slowly turned the pages, looking at the architectural highlights of her former world. She sighed, not sadly, just exhausted. Every night, Leia wished she had a switch like C3PO that would enable her to immediately power down. A long string of sleepless night had left her tired of feeling tired. Her eyelids felt so heavy sometimes…

*

Leia was suddenly very aware of something loud next to her. She sat up, quickly. Her first thought was that an odd-sounding alarm was going off. Leia turned and found the source of the noise was in fact a snoring Han Solo. He was sprawled out next to her. A pillow leaning against the headboard indicated that he had been in a sitting position when he fell asleep. However, Han had definitely slipped down the bed during the night because they had been sharing a pillow. The book was still open on his stomach. Leia picked it up. It was open to the picture of her Palace. She put the book aside and took a long deep breath, trying to digest this new development.

It was morning. She had unexpectedly fallen asleep and stayed asleep. Han had obviously done the same. She was clothed. He was clothed. It was all very innocent. So why did she feel so uneasy?
Because she was never going to live this down. Leia rubbed her face and groaned inwardly. Han would undoubtedly tease her about this as soon as he woke up. She imagined Han smugly telling Chewie of his sharing a bed with the Princess. Han boasting loudly to anyone who would listen on the Rebel base of his sharing a bed with the Princess. Han's voice blaring on the speaker system on Hoth bragging about sharing a bed with the Princess.

Her imagination was not her friend at the moment. She needed kaffe. And a splash of cold water on her face. And for Han to not suddenly wake up next to her. She hurried to the fresher and closed the door. Leia ran the water and collected it in her cupped hands. She thought of the day before and how generous Han had been. And how perfectly nice he had been as he sat with her on the bed.

Maybe he wouldn't make a big deal out of falling asleep together.

Leia splashed her face and turned the water off.

Han was unpredictable. He could be sweet one moment and prickly the next. She never had sure footing with him. It was almost as if he didn't want to be nice but he couldn't help it every now and then and he had to pick a fight to make the world right again.. Leia was afraid that after his recent kindness, Han would revert back to his loud-mouthed arrogant self.

She sighed. There was nothing to be done about it. She had to face the music. The infuriatingly egotistical music. Leia took one last look at her reflection then she exited the fresher.

Han was nowhere to be found.

Why wasn't he lying on the bed, hands behind his head with a huge grin on his face? He had just left the room, giving up a prime opportunity to torment her.

She would never understand Han Solo.

Leia was changing out of her bed clothes when she heard the unmistakeable sound of Han and Chewie walking past the cabin on their way to the kitchen. She froze, trying to hear their conversation. The words 'sensor' and 'malfunctioning' relieved her immensely.

Chewie rumbled a greeting to Leia as she entered the kitchen a few minutes later. Han had his back to her as he poured a cup of kaffe. Leia smiled at Chewie and he left to start working on the ship. They were alone.

"Good morning," Leia said, cautiously. She was suddenly very afraid of what was going to happen next.
Han turned around, handed her the cup of kaffe and said, "Good morning." Then he walked out of the kitchen.

Leia stood there with the cup in her hand for a couple of minutes before shaking her head in disbelief and sitting down. She took a sip of kaffe.
She would never understand Han Solo.

Joint Story: The Sequel - Chapter 14

Joint Story:  The Sequel - Chapter 14

They walked in silence.  Han couldn't help but go over the entire conversation again and again in his mind.  He couldn't recall ever seeing Leia so...frazzled.  They should've practiced some answers for questions like those.  What had they been thinking?  This was only day two, it could only get worse from here.  Taking a deep breath, he decided to try and talk to her.  "Look-"

"I don't want to talk about it."

She used a tone that he recognized easily.  It was a tone that might usually have him saying something belligerent and walking away.  But not today.  He pressed on.  "I don't think-"

"I said, I don't want to talk about it."

He got that same tone, only now it was combined with crossed arms and bit of blush creeping up her neck.  How were they ever going to get through days or maybe even weeks of this?  Maybe he should just let it go.  No, no matter what, he decided, he would have to push forward.  "We're gonna have to talk about this eventually, sweet-"

"Fine," she said, stopping and turning around to face him.  "Why don't we start with what the hell is wrong with you?"

Han drew back.  "Me?"

"Yeah, you," she said, pointing her finger at him just to be clear.  "Why do you seem to be so...confused in there?  Have you forgotten that we're supposed to be lying?  Or are you lying?  I'd swear on the first day that you-"

"You're right, let's not talk about it."  Han turned forward and began walking again.

"Oh, no you don't.  You wanted to talk about this so badly.  Let's talk about it.  Where has your head been?"

Han continued walking as she followed him, goading him to respond.  His mind raced with things to say, the right things to say, the kind of things he would've said back before this whole thing started.  Those harmless little lies that they so easily batted back and forth between each other.  But they were so far removed from the people they had been back then, nothing but the truth seemed fitting at that moment.  He stopped walking and turned to her.  "I know how to lie, sweetheart.  And I haven't forgotten what we're supposed to be doing, but it's just really hard to lie when you don't know what the truth is."

His answer seemed to give her pause and they stood staring at each other for a moment as her brain processed his words.  He watched the familiar emotion-free veil slide across her face.  "I don't know what you mean."

"That," he spat back, pointing at her mouth like the guilty party.  "Do you ever get tired of telling that lie?"

"Maybe we were both right," she said, looking frazzled again.  "We shouldn't talk about this."

She began to walk away and he stood his ground as he addressed her retreating figure.  "Talk about what, Leia?  About who really wanted to get married?  About what really made us end up in that bed together?  About that, maybe?  Any of that?!"

He watched as she continued to walk away, certain that she could still hear him as he watched her body flinch at his each and every syllable.

                                                                             ***

They hadn't spoken all evening.  The pair had returned separately to the Falcon and Chewie - in that innate way he had of reading their body language- had made himself scarce upon their return.  Han had turned in early, excusing himself directly after dinner.  Leia stood in his quarters, Han having offered them to her for privacy - as was the usual when she traveled with him.  Standing there now, however, she felt undeserving of the gesture.  Han had been right earlier.  She spent the majority of her time denying what was so clearly happening between them. 

But that wasn't wholly true.  Yes, she denied having feelings for him and that was a lie, but she had no idea what was actually happening between them.  For instance, just because Han could sense that she was hiding her feelings that didn't mean that he had owned up to any feelings of his own.  He spent the majority of his time goading Leia into admitting things that he himself had not confessed to.  Was he teasing her?  Did he only want her to express her feelings for him so that he could confirm his suspicions and move on - his ego intact?  She didn't think so, she certainly hope not. 

But she wasn't entirely sure.

After an hour and a half of tossing and turning in Han's bunk, she got up and slipped on a robe.  One of them was going to have to be the grown up.  Han had made a point earlier.  It was hard to lie when they were both skirting around the truth.  Would it be so hard to admit they had feelings for each other?  Han had saved her life several times over and Leia had demonstrated a deep trust and respect for him.  What did they really think they were hiding from one another?  It was ridiculous when she really thought about it.

She walked along the curved corridor of the Falcon until she reached the bunk room.  More of an alcove than a room, the tiny area didn't even have a door.  Chewbacca slept in a sling-like bed that he had fashioned in the Number 3 hold, so the only current occupant of the alcove was the ship's captain.  There were four single bunks attached to the walls and Han was currently lying in the bottom bunk that was furthest from Leia.  It was dark and she couldn't make out his features, yet, she thought that he was awake.

Maybe it was because she couldn't see his face, or maybe it was because there was a chance that he was asleep, but all of a sudden the words began to pour out of Leia, even before she could edit them for her protection.  "I don't remember much about what happened that night...that night that we got married.  But I do realize that the alcohol only allowed me to do things that I probably, unconsciously wanted to do anyway."  She paused, wondering if he would respond and then pressed on - emboldened by the silence.  "I mean, I don't think I wanted to be married to you, but I certainly, maybe wanted...and maybe that's why I wanted to be married.  I don't know.  I don't know what I'm trying to say.  I don't know what you want me to say.  I'm attracted to you.  I know that's what you want to hear.  What you wanted me to admit.  I admit it.  I don't always know how I feel about it, or what I want to do about it."  She stopped again when a sudden, unexpected sadness took over her.  Love was not supposed to be this hard, was it?  Deciding that she had gone too far to stop now, she drew in a deep breath and continued, "I've lost a lot, Han.  I'm...focused on other things besides..."  Me, life, love, feelings - everything you bring out in me.  "So, to try and move forward, with all of this.  To try and get through this counseling thing, let's just agree that we don't want to be married.  Okay?  I don't hate you, but I'll pretend that I do.  We can lie about that.  Everything else...I just...I just don't know."  She suddenly felt exhausted, like she had spent an eternity staring at the dark form in that bunk.  "Are you going to say anything?"

She waited for several heartbeats but was met with nothing but silence.  Perhaps she had said everything she had wanted to say to a man that was actually asleep.  Shrugging her shoulders, she turned and headed back to her room.  It didn't matter if Han had heard her or not, she felt better either way.  A good night's sleep on top of that should have her ready to face another day in the morning.  As she reached the doorway to the captain's quarters, she heard creaking noises coming from down the hall that sounded like someone moving around in one of the bunks.  She was half-inclined to turn around and investigate as she stilled and cocked her ear out so as to hear better.  The sound faded as quickly as it had come and she shrugged it off once again as she entered her room, closing the door behind her.

Valentine's Challenge: The Sequel. Submission #4

This latest submission comes from jzhanfan.  This is her second submission to the challenge, which is just a reminder to the rest of you that there is no limit to submissions.  This story contains adult situations, so to our underage readers, this is not for you!

 

Once again, the Falcon's hyperdrive was in need of repair, and the nearest base where they could expect to find the needed parts lay seven days away at sublight. They'd already been gone longer than expected on their most recent mission, and High Command hadn't liked the idea of further delay, but there was no better option. It had taken a while, but Leia had finally managed to get their revised flight plans approved.

Relieved to end the conversation, she signed off and rose from her seat at the communications station in the Falcon's lounge.

The Princess was actually looking forward to a few days of no responsibilities. But there was one more being whose permission Leia felt she needed, before she considered herself off duty.

She sought out Chewbaca in the cockpit and broached the subject carefully.  "Chewie, you know... you know Han and I... well, you know we're, together, right?"

["You've been together for months. You mean you're mating with each other now."] Wincing, Leia nodded. ["of course I know,"] Chewie chuckled. ["Any being with a sense of smell knows."]

If possible, Leia's blush got even deeper. "Will it bother you, if we...?"

["Princess, what would you do if I said yes?"]

"All right, you've got a point. Let's try this again. Han and I are planning to spend the next six days in his cabin, naked. Do you think you and Luke can get us to Sullest on your own?"

The Wookiee turned to stare at her in surprise, and then saw her expression. ["You're joking?"]

"Of course I'm joking. Can I bribe you to take the first shift in the cockpit so we can have some time alone, though?"

["Will you promise not to use up all the water?"]

"Will I... what?"

It was Chewie's turn to be embarrassed. ["Perhaps I'm speaking out of turn."]

"Perhaps, but it's too late now." Leia's curiousity swiftly overrode her flash of jealousy. She was well aware that she wasn't the first woman who'd been with Han while on board the Falcon. There wasn't much point acting surprised about it. "Come on. Tell me."

There was a long silence while the Wookiee composed a tactful answer. ["He's always claimed that shared showers save water, but he's wrong."]

Leia bit her lip in amusement at Chewie's attempt at delicacy. "If we end up in the shower, I'll be sure to keep that in mind," she assured him.

Chewie gave her a knowing look and heaved a sigh that she took to mean, "oh, you'll end up in the shower, all right." It was a bit disconcerting to realize that the Wookie probably knew plenty more about Han's personal life that he wasn't sharing. "So, will you take the first shift?"

["Did he send you up here to ask me?"]

"No!" Leia cocked her head. "You really think I'd do that?" Chewie shrugged. "I came up here because I want to make sure there are no hard feelings. This is between you and me."

["What about Skywalker?"]

The princess looked at her hands. "Well... I was... sort of hoping... you'd talk to Luke? It's bad enough worrying that he can read my mind."

Chewie hadn't thought of it that way. Having a Jedi for a brother could get a bit awkward, at that. ["All right, all right. I'll talk to Luke. He and I will take the first two shifts. You've got sixteen hours. Then I expect you two to start being social again."]

"Deal." She went up on tiptoe to hug him tightly. He patted her shoulder affectionately.

["Don't worry, Princess. There are no hard feelings. I'm happy for you both."]

"Thanks, Chewie. I'm pretty happy for us, myself."

["Tell Solo he owes me a trip to Kashyyyk. Soon."]

Leia was immediately contrite. How could she have failed to realize that what she and Han had together might make Chewie feel the absence of his own wife more sorely than usual? "I'll tell him, Chewie. And I'll make sure it happens, too."

Solo was waiting for her when she got to the crew cabin, and he had her backed against the bulkhead before the hatch had completley closed. His fingers were undoing her buttons while his tongue explored her mouth. She came up on tiptoe to meet his kiss and he moved in closer, lifting her hands over her head and pinning them there with his forearm. Her eyes widened with surprise but she made no move to pull free. They gazed into each other's eyes for a long moment, and she whispered, "I love you."

His hungry expression softened and he bent to kiss beneath her earlobe. "I know. I love you, too." His mouth slid lower and he tasted the pulse at the hollow of her throat. The sensation sent chills down her spine and her back arched toward him. His hand slid along her thigh and his knee nudged hers, coaxing her legs apart so he could fit her even closer against him. Her fingers slipped beneath his waistband and found his aching erection. When her warm hand closed around him he went very still and then swung her up into his arms. In two steps he was across the cabin, depositing her on the bunk in a heap. He shed his pants quickly and was naked before she had her belt undone. He seized the bottoms of her trousers in both hands and tugged them off in a single move. In the process he dragged her forward so she lay with her hips at the edge of the bed.

And then he was slamming into her, hard and fast. Her legs wrapped instinctively around his waist, driving him deeper with each stroke. Awed and overwhelmed by the sheer power of his need, she dug her heels into his ass and hung on tight, letting him take her with him to a shuddering shared climax.

They lay together, panting, in the tangle of sheets, damp with each other's sweat. Leia drew circles on Han's chest with her fingertip and he stroked her hair, idly. "Is it always like this, Han?" she asked, very softly.

"Like what, honey?"

She propped herself up on an elbow and looked down into his face. "Like this," she gestured at the disheveled bunk and the heap of clothing on the floor. "Frantic. Hungry."

"As opposed to?"

"I don't know. Slow? Tender?" He cocked an eyebrow. "I've read too many romance novels, haven't I?"

"Come here," he drew her beneath him again. "Let me show you how slow I can go." The velvet touch of his tongue traced the shape of her breasts, outlined the hollow between them, tasted the soft flesh on their underside. Soft, wet kisses covered her nipples, crinkled tighly and aching with need. At last his mouth closed around one rigid nub and took it in, sucking hard.

Every tug of his mouth on her breast summoned a matching tug between her legs, and when his fingers parted her slippery folds to slide inside her, she whimpered softly.

He was true to his word, taking his time and bringing her twice with clever fingers to the edge of oblivion, only to ease her back down again. At last came the exquisite sensation of his tongue, deftly licking the wetness from her folds. It was nearly more than she could bear.

Tossing her head and moaning, her fists clutching at the sheets, she was nothing but her body. Nothing, but her quivering legs, her muscles clenched as she arched toward him again. "Please," she begged. "Please, Han. Please."

"Do you want me, Leia?" he growled against her heated flesh. "Do you want me inside of you?"

"Yes," she gasped, her voice ragged with need. "Please."

"No," he whispered, "not yet. Not this time. I want to watch while you come," he coaxed, as his thumb circled a particularly delightful spot. "Right now, baby. Go on, let go." His mouth was on her again, and his tongue replaced his finger. Her body shuddered and rippled around him, and she gave a helpless, high pitched cry as she surrendered to her orgasm.

He knew that her center would be almost painfully senstive at that moment, and he let go just in time, coming up on his knees to glide into her, slowly, sliding through her wetness and filling her before he backed away again. "Oh," she sighed, "oh, Han."

"You like?" he asked, softly, watching her face transform as she rode the slow waves to a completely different sort of climax.

"Yes," she breathed. "Yes." She reached up and took his face in her hands, kissing him deeply. She tasted her own wetness on his tongue, felt his rhythm pick up speed as she moved her own hips in time with his thrusts. It seemed to last forever, and her body felt different, softer somehow, more open to his length, more aware of his motion.

When at last he let go and gave one hard, trembling thrust, she felt it, clearly, as the hard length of him bucked and spilled a warm wetness within her.

"Mine," he whispered, against her lips, his eyes dark and intense as he came. "You're mine, Leia."

"Yes," she agreed, feeling tears build in her eyes. "And you're mine." She wrapped herself around him and held on tightly, not wanting to ever let him go.

They fell asleep, tangled in one another, never noticing when the cabin door opened and the Wookiee's head peered in. "They're asleep. Go, quickly," he motioned to Luke, who ran, hastily, to the fresher, eyes averted. Chewie, who was less easily embarrassed, crossed the cabin to retrieve the twisted sheet from the floor and spread it, lightly, over the sleeping lovers, who didn't stir.

Luke came out of the fresher, and went straight for the door. Pausing for just a moment in the hatchway, he felt a gentle wash of peace and contentment that was so nebulous he couldn't be sure whose emotions he'd brushed.

The water shower stall in the fresher unit was indeed Han's next idea, when they awakened, and Leia was feeling sweaty and sticky enough at this point not to argue. It took a lot of water to rise the shampoo out of her long hair, and they were both extraordinarily clean when the job was finally complete.

She found his hands, running along her wet body, more arousing than she had expected, and when Han backed her against the slippery bulkhead and pinned her there with his hips, she was as ready as he was.

At the last second, she remembered Chewie's admonition about wasting water. She manged to reach around him and switch off the water before her hand closed around his erection. Some time later, it occurred to her, belatedly, that perhaps there was a good reason to leave the water running after all.

Han's grunts of pleasure as he thrust into her, and her answering cries echoed in the small chamber, and she had no doubt that the sounds were carrying to other parts of the ship. But she was beyond caring, and beyond restraining herself even if she had wanted to.

Up in the cockpit, Luke and Chewie exchanged a glance, but neither said a word. Skywalker had long ago slammed shut the door in his mind that led to his sister's emotions.

Sixteen hours and one minute into the trip, Han and Leia finally emerged from the cabin and came up to the cockpit together, holding hands.

"Looks like it's our shift in the cockpit, eh, Chewie?" Chewie rolled his eyes but kept silent as he and Luke departed.

Han settled himself into his chair and caught Leia's hand again as she perched on the edge of Chewie's seat.

"C'mere," he pulled her gently onto his lap, where she nestled contentedly, her head tucked into the hollow of his shoulder, legs dangling over the arm of the chair.

"It won't always be like this," she said, softly.

"I know," he agreed. "Aren't you the one who said we should take our moments when we can?"

"I didn't think you were listening."

"I was." He smiled. "We're not always gonna have days like this. But it's gonna be good, sweetheart. You'll see."

 

Thanks for the wonderful submission!  And to the rest of you, keep them coming!

Assault at Selonia - The Review

Okay, get ready and don't blink.  This may be the shortest review I have ever written.  I have only two things 'marked' to share with you guys from this book.  It's not that it was BAD, just that basically nothing really happens and it was a fairly boring read.  Oh, and Han spends the majority of the book crawling on his hands and knees through the underground of Corellia.  Alright, now that I've got your primed and excited to find out more, let's get going.

We start off with Han in custody.  Remember?  He helped Belindi Kalenda (the NRI agent) escape Corellia by sacrificing himself to being caught in the process.  Han is brought in front of his evil cousin, Thracken Sal-Solo.  After some words, in which Han does say that his wife, Leia Organa Solo, doesn't care for people that hurt her family, Sal-Solo forces Han into a fighting ring with a female Selonian - Dracmus.  Able to speak a little bit of the Selonian language, Han and Dracmus agree to make the fight look real but not kill each other.  After getting knocked around quite a bit, Han finally falls unconscious.
We then move over to Luke and Lando who are arriving on Coruscant with news of the interdiction field and the overall Corellian situation.  We get some of Lando worrying about his newfound girlfriend, Tendra, and this entire sequence where Luke and Lando have to travel underground and fight these weird creatures before getting to the underground New Republic bunker where they meet with the likes of Ackbar and Mon Mothma.  For some reason, the New Republic has no Navy to send to Corellia.  Reasons are given, although I really didn't find them believable.  In the end, the New Republic asks Luke to call in a favor from an old female acquaintance, Gaeriel Captison from Bakura (see Truce at Bakura for more details) to borrow the Bakuran fleet.
 
Luke and Lando prepare to depart on the Lady Luck with Luke's X-wing in tow.  We then get a very lengthy look into Luke's feelings on Gaeriel and the time that has passed since he had seen her. There is a lot of 'might-have-beens' and regrets and basically, Luke's love life once again gets more introspection than Han and Leia's relationship ever has or does.  This really bothers me.  I don't begrudge Luke a love life, but why does Han and Leia's always get the shaft in comparison?  Anyway, Luke finds that Gaeriel has married (her husband now deceased), has a child (little girl) and has risen to political power on Bakura and fallen since the time that he has seen her.  By the end of the chapter, just as Luke and Lando are preparing to leave the Coruscant system, Belindi Kalenda arrives and they make a u-turn to meet up with her and get news of Corellia.

Chewbacca, the Solo kids, Ebrihim (the children's Drall tutor) and his droid, Q9 are all on the Millennium Falcon and landing on Ebrihim's family farm on Drall where we meet his Aunt Marcha and get more confusing news of uprisings on Drall. 
Let's get back to Han, who is recovering from his fight with Dracmus in a tiny cell.  A drunk Sal-Solo comes to visit him and tells Han that he wants him alive and close so as to keep the New Republic from blowing him up (thinking the New Republic wouldn't bomb anywhere that the Chief-of-State's husband was being held).  Han tells Sal-Solo that his plan is flawed.  Sal-Solo gives a recount of why he feels he rightfully should be Diktat of Corellia and admits that he has been telling 'some lies' but doesn't 'fess up to what those lies might be.  As Sal-Solo leaves, he throws Dracmus, the Selonian Han had just fought, into the cell with Han.
 
Move over to the awkward meeting between Luke and Gaeriel, both apparently sharing some unresolved feelings for the other.  As Luke tells Gaeriel the reason for his visit (while sitting in close proximity to Gaeriel's deceased husband's gravesite - ::shrugs::), she begins to call a council together to discuss loaning the Bakuran fleet to the New Republic.
Han converses with his new cell mate (Dracmus the female Selonian) who is very interested in Han's relationship with his cousin Thracken Sal-Solo.  Apparently, it is hard for the Selonian to understand how Han could be so different from his close relative.  Han does his best to explain human relations and family dynamics.  Dracmus promises not to rip out Han's throat while Han sleeps and tries to recuperate.  In the morning, the pair continue to discuss humans and Han realizes that Dracmus is having a hard time trying to trust Han when Han proudly admits to being a fairly convincing liar.  The pair discuss their ideas of who is behind the starbuster plot.  Dracmus and Han agree that Sal-Solo probably didn't have the funds, intelligence or technology to supernova a star.  Han states that he is distrustful of Mara Jade's role in the plot.  Dracmus, having dealt with Mara as an honest and fair trader, argues for her innocence and blames the plot on ex-Imperial Navy.
As Han continues to argue, Dracmus drops this bombshell: 

"To make conspiracy is to draw many together. Perhaps one plot pulls in Jade, Imperial Navy fragment, Human League, and others, too.  But I hope you are all wrong, honored Solo. I truly do."
"Why, Dracmus?"

"It is not obvious? If she is behind this plot, she has quite deliberately arranged things so she is where she is right now, to be where she can do the plot the most good."
"What's your point?" Han asked.

"Right now," she said, "Mara Jade is in same place with your wife."

Poor Han.  As long as it was only his hide on the line, he seemed fine.  But as soon as he thought that Leia might be in danger he was ready to start talking about escape.  Han shared an idea that involved throwing their dinners in the faces of their guards.  Dracmus had other ideas in mind which quickly became a better option as his den-mates cut through the floor of their cell and freed Han and Dracmus.
 
Meanwhile, Lando's would-be girlfriend, Tendra has been watching the skies through macro binoculars.  She senses something is afoot and decides to throw some money around and get herself a ship and gets off planet and headed to Corellia in hopes of finding Lando.  She uses an old radionic frequency that Lando had taught her to send a repeating message for Lando to hopefully intercept as she traveled closer and closer to where he was supposed to be.
 
At this point, we finally get to see Leia, who is being held captive by the Human League in the old governor's mansion.  There's a brief scene of Leia arguing with her guard and as he leaves, he tells her that she is going to be getting a 'cell mate'.  Leia prepares to meet her new fellow prisoner and guess who it was?  Yep, Mara Jade.  The two women get right to hashing out all the reasons that they have NOT to trust each other.  But they finally decide that at the moment they both have the same goal in mind - escaping.  Mara confesses that she has a slave controller for her ship (basically a remote control device that will bring her ship - unmanned - to her location.  The controller is a few floors down and the pair agree to work together to escape and work out the rest later.  Leia is reticent about trusting and working with Mara, but decides it is the only path she has to pursue at that moment.

Um, I guess I should say here that each and everyone of the characters here have all discussed theories and ideas on what the hell is going on in the Corellian System and who might be behind it.  Honestly, I have no idea what's going on and found it hard to follow all the speculating.  Consensus seemed to be that Sal-Solo couldn't be working this elaborate plot alone.  Other than that, we really don't know who could be pulling all these strings.

We get back to Mara and Leia, who are trying to escape.  They crafted a rope made out of ripped sheets and repelled down the building several stories to the floor that Leia had shared with her children before the bombing.  As she and Mara navigate through the rubble that used to be her quarters, Leia comes across one of Anakin's playthings on the ground and stops to pick it up.  This is the first part of the book that I marked to share with you guys, keep in mind we are 144 pages in to a 300 page book.  Ugh.  But here it is:

Leia stopped just short of the door, and Mara nearly walked up her back.

"What's wrong?" Mara asked. "What is it?"

Leia knelt down and picked up the small object she had spotted.

How she had seen it in the virtual darkness, she could not say.

It was a little model hover car, one of Anakin's toys. Suddenly it all hit her hard. Her child's toy. Had he dropped it there himself in the midst of the frantic escape during the attack? Or had the Human League's thugs seen fit to root through the children's toy chest in their search for loot? What had happened to her children? Where were they? Were they safe? Could Chewbacca protect them?

Stop. Stop. She had a job to do. For them, as much as anyone.

She had to get free, and set about organizing some sort of resistance to the monsters who had scattered her family. Nor did it escape her that it was a member of her family who was responsible for all this.

Thrackan Sal-Solo would pay.

Leia wrapped her hand around Anakin's toy, around the bit of plastic and metal that was suddenly all she had of her son. She slipped it into her pocket and then moved on without explaining to Mara what had made her stop. How could she expect Mara to understand?

She stepped into the apartment that had been her home not so long ago. The furniture had been thrown about, and the windows smashed to bits. She smelled the damp, cold smell of a long-dead fire mixed with rain, but forced herself not to think of home and family. in all probability the League thugs were already searching for them. There was no time.
She went straight to the kitchen and knelt down by the main cooking unit. There was a storage cabinet under its heating compartment. She opened it up and pulled the pots and pans out as quietly as she could, though every unavoidable clatter and rattle seemed deafeningly loud. She reached into the rear of the compartment and found what she was looking for. Two cloth-wrapped packages. She pulled them out.

One package was covered with the finest black velvet and tied with a silver ribbon. That one she opened first.  Her lightsaber, a gift from her brother Luke. He had given it to her just before she had set off on this trip.

She rolled the velvet up and shoved it in a pocket, suddenly unwilling to leave anything more behind. She clipped the lightsaber to her belt. The other object was wrapped in much plainer cloth, a scrap from one of Han's old shirts.

She hesitated before opening it. But there was no point in not going the whole way at this point. If Mara had wanted to kill her, all she would have needed to do was cut the rope when leia was dangling out over nothing at all. She unwrapped the scrap of cloth. Han's spare blaster was inside.

"Take it," Leia whispered.

Mara looked at Leia, her expression unreadable in the dim light from the shattered windows, she made no move to take the weapon. "Are you sure you want me at your back with this thing?" she whispered back.

"No more than you want me at your back with my lightsaber. But we can get back to not trusting each other later. Right now isn't the time. Take it."

Mara took the weapon - but Leia hung on to the scrap of cloth and stuffed it in the same pocket with the velvet and Anakin's toy. Her husband was gone, too.  That little bit of torn shirt might be the last she would have of him. But there was no time.
I liked Leia hanging onto to the toy and then the scrap of fabric from Han's shirt.  Still, kinda feel like I'm grasping at straws just a little bit.  But it was nice to read that passage.

Leia and Mara work together to escape.  Leia uses her lightsaber to light the way and I wonder how she ended up with a red blade?  Isn't that color relegated to the Dark Side?  Anyway, that also got me wondering what happened to the fabulous Mara Jade?  I mean, I seem to remember reading about her doing some pretty fantastic things with the Force and lightsabers in previous books, right?  She seemed oddly normal here.  I guess there might've been something about her losing some of her abilities when she broke from the Emperor or whatever?  Am I remembering that right?  Oh well.  Maybe Mara's abilities come and go like Leia's do?

Shortly following the above passage, there was a part where Mara had to kill one of their pursuers and the two women had this conversation:

"He dropped the handlight and broke it," Mara said, clearly irritated with the dead man, as if he had broken the light on purpose.  "We could have used that. The fool didn't even have a blaster."

"That's all you've got to say?"

"That's all there's time for, if we want to live through this," Mara said. "If it helps, I was going to try and knock him out, not shoot him, until he claimed to have a gun."

"It doesn't help much," Leia said, staring at the dead man. He was their enemy. If he had managed to raise the alarm, or caught them himself, or if he had had a blaster, things would look very bad. But telling herself those things didn't make him any less dead. And there was no time. "We have to move," she said, coming out of it. "If there was one of them sleeping here, there might be more. And someone might have heard or this one might have called it in before he came out for a look." 

I don't know why, but I liked that little exchange between Mara and Leia.  The way it portrayed how different they are and would be.  I like reading the two of them together and find it easy to believe that they would become friends later.

There was a small, somewhat related part that happened shortly after that exchange with Leia and Mara that I liked as well.  I'll share it since I have so little to share anyway:

Leia shoved a little harder with her foot, then with her hip, forcing the opening wider.

Lightsaber at guard, she stepped onto the landing and forced herself to repress the impulse to jump back when she saw what had blocked the doorway.

It was a body, the dead body of a young man, wearing the uniform of the Governor-General's tech staff. The corpse was lying on its back, and had a neat hole between its open eyes. The shifting red shadows cast by the lightblade made the dead man seem a strange and alien thing. Leia recognized him, though she did not know his name.  He had been the one who told her about the interdiction field, just after Han had vanished.

How long ago was that? Just a few days? Half a lifetime? He had seemed a nice young man. Now here he was, shot dead and left to rot in a stairwell for some trivial and unknown offense. The Human League made itself awfully easy to hate.

I like this side of Leia.  The one that remembers each and everyone of the dozens of people that work with her day after day and values their lives and happiness.  I don't know, I just thought that passage was very Leia.

The rest of the girls' escape was pretty hairy and fairly fun to read through.  In the end, they board Mara's ship, The Jade's Fire, and hi-tail it outta Corellia.

Back to Luke and Lando and that Bakuran fleet.  Apparently the Bakurans have developed some technology that would allow them, for a brief amount of time, to travel through hyperspace even in the interdiction field.  The tech is costly and not easily equipped, so it is only with a four ship fleet that the group leaves Bakura and heads to the Corellian system. 

Meanwhile we have pages and pages and pages of Han crawling through tunnels following Dracmus around.  I mean, pages and pages of this and Han is of course, battering his body to a pulp in the process as faster moving Selonians actually crawl over him and such.  Poor Han, I sure hope he has Aflac or some Star Wars equivalent.  Anyway, they finally arrive at their destination, where Han and Dracmus get into a small cone-shaped ship with another Selonian pilot and fly off towards Selonia.  The ship, which wasn't built very well, ends up floating dead in space as Han does his best to repair it without much hope.  Although there is mention of Han taking a quick sponge bath during this down time.  So there is that....

Back on Drall, Ebrihim tells his Aunt Marcha of the starbuster plot and they find out that the kids already knew about it.  Aunt Marcha is very interested in the story and especially about the mysterious room/thing that the kids had found at the archeological dig on Corellia.  There is similar digging there on Drall and of course they all head there to check it out.  Anakin does his magic and gets the thing to come alive as it had done on Corellia and Aunt Marcha immediately knows that it is a planetary repulsor, stating that each planet in the Corellian system has one and it was how the system was formed.  How she knows this when it seems no one else does is not really explained.  

Once in space, Mara and Leia are unable to agree where to go from there.  Mara wants to go back to Corellia because it seems to be the center of the action.  Leia wants to go to Drall since that is where she suspects Chewbacca would've taken her kids.  In the end the women agree to go to a neutral point and head for Selonia, which just so happens to be where Han is headed and where the Bakuran fleet is due to show up, oh and where Tendra Risant is floating through space sending messages for Lando to intercept.

The second to last chapter is aptly named: All Together Now, as all of these players do, in fact, come together over Selonia. 

First, the Bakurans arrive approaching Selonia where one of their ships is damaged during the hyperspace run through the interdiction field.  Analyzing a very badly organized attack by the Corellians, Selonians and Drall (groups that are supposedly fighting each other, yet coming together to fight against the arriving Bakurans - another mystery that may eventually mean something...) the Bakuran Admiral decides to sacrifice the damaged ship and play into the hands of the defending Corellian fighters.  As the damaged ship approaches the point in space that the Corellians were obviously baiting it towards, the ship is inexplicably 'smashed' to bits by an unseen fist.  The Bakuran crew identifies the 'fist' as a planetary repulsor, a new, deadly weapon apparently in the hands of the Corellians.  Duhn, duhn, duhn....

Lando finally intercepts the message from Tendra and replies, telling her he has arrived but is going bravely off to battle.  Tendra gets his reply and worries that she has probably lost Lando even before she had the opportunity to truly fall in love with him.  Even Lando gets some sappy love time...

Luke and Leia feel each other in the Force and then both feel another similar being in the same system.  Han!  Leia has Mara guide her ship towards the derelict cone ship and Han and Leia are reunited.  This is the second and last tabby that I marked on this book:

"That's the Jade's Fire that just latched herself to our hull," Han said. "Mara Jade's ship. Your swell friend has just tracked me - or you - or us, halfway across the Corellian system. And I can tell you right now, I am not giving her any more benefit of the doubt. She had better do a damned good job of convincing me she's on our side or-" The inner airlock door slid open, and Han stopped talking. He just stood there, open mouthed and in shock, for a full five seconds. And then, somehow, suddenly, they were in each others' arms, seemingly without either of them crossing the distance between them. "Leia," he said.  "Leia, how did you-"

Leia Organa Solo wrapped her arms around Han and hugged her husband. "Hello, Han," she said. "I missed you."

Not very lengthy as far as reunions go, but at least they are back together and they are in each others' arms!

Mara, Han, Dracmus and Leia all compare notes and find out that each planet may have one of the repulsor weapons and that someone has found at least one and is controlling it apparently from Centerpoint Station.  A space station that sits in the middle of the double worlds, Tallus and Tralus. 

The last chapter, we meet up with Wedge and the Rogues as they scramble to evacuate the next star that is due to mysteriously explode according to Sal-Solo and the message that Leia received.  They are having a hard time of convincing everyone to leave and have to eventually call the rescue squads off as the star does begin to heat up and finally explode.  Wedge mourns the people that refused to leave and worries about the next star on the list that has millions of more people to evacuate than this star did.

All-in-all this book was pretty dull, uneventful and boring, in my opinion.  Not a lot happens and it really just seems like a bad bridge between the first and last book.  Like, could this have been a duology instead of trilogy?  It feels intentionally drawn out.  I had a hard time with the score here.  At first I wanted to score it pretty low because this is supposed to be a "Han and Leia factor" rating and the Han and Leia factor would be pretty low.  One reminiscing scene and one reunion does not a good Han and Leia book make.  BUT, it wasn't a BAD book per se, like no one tried to marry someone else or act really out of character or anything, so I eventually landed on a 2.5 star rating.  I don't remember much about the last book, but after reading it, I wonder if I'll find that you could skip this book entirely and still get the gist of the trilogy's plot?  Stay tuned and we'll see....