Join Us...and Together We Can Read the Entire EU!

So, Zyra and I have been knocking around this idea to read all of the EU books together.  Sort of like a book club.  We haven't worked out many rules, other than that.  We thought it might be interesting to compare our thoughts on the books as we read them.  We also thought it might be a good opportunity to do some writing challenges along the way.  Maybe filling in those missing moments that the EU is so famous for.

We haven't decided on a start date, but Zyra needs to finish reading 'Choices of One' before we begin so it probably won't start up for a few weeks or so.  We will be starting with the Han Solo Trilogy which chronicles Han's life and is set before ANH.

We don't intend to read every single book out there, like the X-Wing series and some others that don't feature or pertain to Han and Leia.  This was just an idea and as I said, we haven't worked out many details but we thought you guys might be interested.  We thought we might do one post per book giving a review and synopsis.  Maybe even work on a 'Han and Leia' rating for each book.  Who knows? 

You guys might not want to read every book and you may just want to pop in and out on the ones that interest you.  Or maybe you might just want to chime in on the books you remember that we end up talking about.  Whatever works for you.

I guess what we're wondering is...does this sound interesting to anyone?  Admittedly it sounded a little a insane to us at first (it was my idea), but it has sort of grown on us and I'm getting pretty excited.  I'm a fast reader and don't always absorb everything on the first pass.  I have reread all of my favorite books (sometimes more than just twice) so this isn't that crazy to me.  But sometimes I'm a bad judge of crazy. :-)

So....thoughts???

Who Are Those People and What Have They Done With Han and Leia?

CHAPTER XII

Han walked into the ‘fresher, eager to get rid of this heavy stormtrooper armor. Stepping out of the last of it, he stood up too fast and felt the world starting to spin around him. He caught his balance by resting his hands against the sink in front of him, barely preventing himself from falling over. His vision became foggy and he squinted in the hopes that would help clear it.

He brought his eyes back up and saw his reflection in the mirror, still unable to make out exactly what he was seeing. Slowly, everything came back into focus and he saw himself for the first time. His tangled hair had grown a fair amount, now covering his ears. Long stubble helped conceal the hollow, sunken cheeks underneath. He brought a hand up to rub against the coarse hair, wishing he had time to shave it off. While he had always enjoyed Leia’s teasing about him being scruffy-looking, he vastly preferred the feel of a clean shave.

With no time for that now, he took a moment to look at the rest of his body. Han had been a scrawny kid growing up, and this certainly rivaled that. The belt that held his pants up was loose at its last notch. He was grateful to see a slight hint of muscle remaining between his chest and arms, but mostly he was distracted by how prominently he could see his ribs through his dirty, bruised skin.

If I’d known Leia was actually going to come get me, I might’ve made an effort to be in better shape when she found me…

Looking at his belly he felt his stomach lurch, and he tried to recall the last time he had eaten anything. Turning on the faucet, he cupped his hands and drank a bit of the cool water. Even that, it appeared, was too much, for almost immediately he found himself doubled over, emptying the small bit of contents of his stomach in the sink in front of him.

Leia must’ve heard, because she was at the door in an instant. “Are you all right?”

He felt more embarrassed than anything. Splashing some water on his face, he replied, “I’ll be okay.”

She came and rested a hand against his back, gently rubbing up and down. “It’s all right, Han. When I got out, I threw up more times than I can count. One time even on Hobbie’s shoes.”

Leia smiled, and he knew that she was trying to make him feel better, but it only served to remind him that she had suffered similarly. And he hadn’t been there to rescue her. He brought his head back up out of the sink and saw the two of them in the mirror. They looked a far cry from the attractive young couple they’d been not that long ago. War did horrible things to one’s appearance.

“Who are those people, and what have they done with Han and Leia?” Han quipped.

Leia smiled. He had almost forgotten how much he loved that smile. “We’ll get them back. I promise.”

Han looked at his grime-covered hands, wishing that he had time to take a thorough shower. Instead he glanced up at a shelf on the wall and noticed a few sets of clothes. Reaching up, he grabbed a pair of tan lounge pants and a simple, button-down white shirt. Quickly stripping out of what he had been wearing for gods-knew how long, he relished the feel of a clean set of clothes against his skin.

Shaking his head to fight the dizziness once again, he leaned against the counter, feeling Leia’s steadying hand come to rest against his shoulder. “Han, this isn’t going to work very well if you can’t stand up straight. I know you’ve lost a lot of weight, but I can’t hold you up.”

He looked at her, still finding her gorgeous even through the evidence of her suffering these past few months. “I’ll do whatever it takes. You know me.”

She smiled again, “Good. Now let’s see…”

Through the open ‘fresher door they heard the noise of someone entering the outer room. The heavy footsteps came first, and then there was a low growl. No, it couldn’t be…

“Chewie?” Han exclaimed questioningly.

Stepping into view, the large, furry Wookiee was a welcoming sight. He walked straight up to the haggard humans and wrapped one under each arm, practically crushing their ribs in the process. “Chewie! We weren’t sure....” Leia started, but then there was another being from the next room that interrupted.

“You two look awful!” The familiar voice exclaimed.

“Luke!” Leia shouted, rushing forward to hug him. Han was grateful to have Chewie there to support his weight once Leia left his side. While Luke looked tired, he did not look like he had spent the past few months enduring what he and Leia had.

“How did you find us?” She asked.

“We’ll get to that later. Right now, we have to get out of here.” Luke looked up to the Corellian leaning heavily on the Wookiee. “You gonna be okay, Han?”

Han was getting s little tired of being the weak link in this situation. “Why does everyone keep asking me that? I’m fine. Let’s get outta here.”

Luke nodded reluctantly. “All right. The Falcon is nearby.”

Han’s eyes went wide at the mention of his beloved ship. But two steps toward the door and his knees buckled underneath him, Chewie catching him before he could hit the ground. Damn it, why would his body not cooperate with him?

Leia looked over to the Wookiee. “Chewie?”

Understanding what she wanted, Chewie reached down and hoisted Han up into his arms. [You’re a lot lighter than you used to be, cub,] Chewie said.

“Shut up and just help get us outta here, huh? This is already embarrassing enough.”

The group made their way outside, Luke using the Force to distract anyone who gave them a second glance. They had a speeder waiting in front of the building, and the crew got in and sped off to where Han’s beloved ship was docked. Leia had told Luke that Artoo was back with the Y-wing she’d arrived on, but Luke explained that they were not going far, and they’d be able to contact Artoo who would be able to bring the ship to meet up with them later.

The motion of being carried by a Wookiee made Han’s stomach churn, and he had to force his eyes shut in order to keep from vomiting what was left in his digestive tract. He knew from experience how difficult it was to get that sort of smell out of Wookiee fur.

The next time he opened his eyes, he saw her; the Millennium Falcon was in front of him in all his glory. It was like seeing his home again for the first time in months. Chewie deposited Han in his pilot’s chair, and although Han wanted to be able to pilot his ship like he used to, he wasn’t sure if the blurred vision in front of his eyes made it such a good idea. Chewie seemed to sense that he needed the help, so the Wookiee took control and launched them into the atmosphere and toward freedom.

Han hadn’t thought this would be possible for him again. Not that long ago he’d given up on everything. Suddenly, there was hope.

He felt Leia’s hands come to rest on his shoulders from behind him. “Han, I think you might need to lie down.”

While part of him wanted to protest, another part of him didn’t think he’d be able to hold his head up much longer. That second part won out. Placing a hand on hers, “I think maybe you’re right. Luke?”

Han turned to the Jedi standing behind him. “Hey, thanks for coming to find us.”

Luke gave him a grin. “Don’t mention it, Han. You’d’ve done the same.”

“Let’s just hope I don’t have to, huh?”

Luke simply nodded. “It’s good to see you, Han. Both of you. Get some rest now. This isn’t going to be a very long trip.”

Leia gave her brother one more hug and Han leaned on her once again and headed back towards his cabin.

***

Yay, now they're all back! I'm sorry, but once again I just couldn't resist. I was tired of the mystery and it seemed pretty clear that they needed some help getting out of there. Push's condition to me was that Han had to puke. And no, I'm not kidding. She realized she made Leia do an awful lot of puking, so it had to be Han's turn.

More Q&A

Yet another installment of our "Ask Us Anything" series where Zyra solicited questions from our awesome readers and we will continue to answer as long as you continue to ask questions. It can be about anything, and you can ask both of us the same question or direct a question to one of us specifically.

We will be answering some questions submitted by by Major Trouble: Will you please write a story with someone using the word "oinkier" in regular conversation? Aside from each other (and yourselves, of course) who is your favorite Han/Leia fanfic author? Favorite Han/Leia story? What's the *weirdest* Star wars fanfic you've ever read? (any characters) Have you seen Cowboys & Aliens?

And here are our answers:

We'll start with me (Push): Will you please write a story with someone using the word 'oinkier' in regular conversation? Okay. How's this:

"That Gamorrean said something demeaning about me," Han whined.
"What? Did he criticize your wardrobe choices?" Leia asked, amused.
Han scowled. "No, he was a little more oinkier than that."

Who is your favorite fanfic author? Favorite Han and Leia story? Well, as I think I explained in another post - I really hate choosing favorites. In fact, I find it somewhat impossible. So, I'm just going to throw some of my favorites out there in no particular order: Limelight: The Not Quite Love Letters; Martha Wilson: Resolutions; Cindy Olsen: The Wager; Sue Zahn: Diary of a Wandering Princess; SRellet: I'll take it by your Side (and its sequel); Ivylore: The Return to the Corporate Sector and Green Branches: Conversations (and I wish she would finish Something Left Undone). I feel really uncomfortable with writing this list because I know I'm forgetting a slew of stories that I love and it's not fair that I can't name any of Zyra's stories! (Like Careless Wager, Forget Me Not and Sexiest Man Alive!) But, that's what I came up with today.

What's the *weirdest* Star wars fanfic you've ever read? (any characters) This is hard since I can't go look at my favorites and jog my memory! And usually when I start reading a 'weird' fic I'll just stop and walk away. But, I remember one fanfic that had Leia sleep with Vader and Luke and Han and have a baby from all three of them (I think Vader's was a result of her rape on the Death Star). It's on ff.net and it's actually written pretty well (I looked it up: Shadows Suit Me by Luke1), it's more of a Luke-centric fanfic as he battles with drugs and his inappropriate love for his sister. I guess it qualifies as weird since Leia has a baby from her father and her brother and Han. But I read the whole thing, which I usually wouldn't do if it was just weird for weird's sake.

Have you seen Cowboys & Aliens? I have not, but have heard good things and plan to see it, if not at the theater than when it comes out on DVD or Netflix.

And now for Zyra: Will you please write a story with someone using the word 'oinkier' in regular conversation? We gave this some thought and this is about all I could come up with:
“Han, which one of these Gamorreans should we ask first?”

“I don’t know, the one on the left – the oinkier one.”

You're welcome.

Who is your favorite fanfic author? Favorite Han and Leia Story? This question is next to impossible to answer because there have just been so many over the years and I'm sure I'll be forgetting some that I love. I’ll at least try to name a few. I’ve always enjoyed GreatOne’s stories. She has written a lot of unique stories that you don’t see from anyone else, and a lot of funny ones as well. If you want to read something that is just funny but still holds true to the characters, read “Perfect Pairs.” But she has a lot of other ones that I really, really enjoy. Everyone should also read limelight’s “The Not Quite Love Letters.” Technically, it isn’t finished. But the thing is, because of when it takes places, we do all know how it would have to end, so it’s only mildly annoying that it’s not finished as opposed to the intense rage I felt when coming to the end of “While You Were Gone” to find out it hasn’t been updated in eight years. Back when I first started reading this stuff I always enjoyed Carolyn Golledge’s stories, even bought her fanzines, but I haven’t read much of it in years. I should go back. Fun fact: I’m pretty sure neither Carolyn nor GreatOne have written any sex scenes in all of their dozens of stories. You don’t need them to be enjoyable. Although it doesn’t hurt ;) Please do not consider this list all inclusive. If I wrote it tomorrow or the day after that I might say something else! Oh, and thanks, Push, for mentioning some of mine even though it was against the rules :)

What's the *weirdest* Star wars fanfic you've ever read? (any characters) Jeez, I don’t even know where to begin here. As you know from my “PSA: The Possible Dangers of Internet Searching” post, I have come across a lot of stories that I really, really wish I’d never laid eyes on. I think if it’s really that weird now I tend to stop reading long before it gets painfully, grossly weird. Apparently a surprising amount of people enjoy reading about Leia and… Chewie. And not in a way I think anyone reading this blog would want to read about them. Or another is one where for some reason there are two Hans and Leia is kind of evil and, well, she's having fun with them. You know, in trying to think of a specific story, one that has stuck in my mind for over ten years was called, “I’m Dreaming of a Coruscant Christmas.” It was an over-the-top farce about our Star Wars heroes at Christmas. Han and Leia were married and the kids were older and, well, I’m not even sure I can adequately describe it. But if anyone is really that interested, I can see if I can find a wayback link because it was on the old fanfix site.

Have you seen Cowboys & Aliens? Yes, I saw it. I enjoyed it for what it was, but I am a fairly forgiving movie fan. I am willing to accept certain movies for what they are and don’t go in thinking everything is supposed to be amazing. It was essentially what I expected it to be and yes, I still love Harrison and I feel bad that so many of his recent movies have done so badly. Some of it is certainly his fault, although I can’t think of a lot of movies over the past ten years that I’ve thought to myself, “Oh, that role would’ve been awesome if Harrison did it.” See, I just don’t know that he has a lot of choices anymore. Carrie is skinny again though, now, Episode VII?

Alright, so there went another installment of our "Ask Us Anything" series. If you would like a question answered, please visit that post and Ask Us Anything. (We do reserve the right to not answer, if necessary! So, don't get crazy...)

Once again, don't worry if your question didn't get answered (yet), we will continue to post answers as long as you guys continue to ask questions.

The Resurgence of Han and Leia Fans

I've noticed some changes happening recently. When I first used to come onto fanfiction.net to check and see if there were new stories, it would typically be days between seeing anything new. Sometimes even weeks. If you were working on a multi-chapter story and you just posted a new update, you could likely rest assured that your story would remain at the top of the page for at least a couple of days.

This is not the case anymore. At the moment, stories that were updated a mere two days ago are as far down as #8 on the page. After immensely long stretches of no stories, suddenly there is something new at least every day if not more. I think the first story I posted there only a year-and-a-half ago stayed on the front page for a couple of months before it got bumped to page two. It definitely doesn't take that long anymore.

It's so great to see so many people writing them and I think even more great that there are always new people showing up. I know it can be intimidating at first and often discouraging when trying to post your first story. First, of course, is that usually when you post your first story, no matter how good it is, you might not get very much feedback. This happens to even those of us who have been posting for a while and people "know" us and know what to expect. You really have no idea how much the smallest bit of feedback means until you start posting something.

There's no good solution for this problem. Begging for feedback usually doesn't help. It also doesn't usually help to ask for it in terms of a threat, as in, if you don't give me some feedback, I just won't post anymore. My advice is to just keep on posting your stories and try not to get discouraged if not a lot of people are saying anything. If you write good stories, eventually people will find them and read them. This takes a lot of patience, but if you are persistent, it's usually worth it.

Think of it as the "If you build it, he will come" mentality. Keep on writing, and eventually people will notice. That's just one reason why it's a bit tougher now with more people writing, because you have to sort of pick and choose what you read because you don't have time to get to it all right away. Not that long ago I'd usually be able to read every new post almost immediately because it had often been a week since anyone posted anything new. And people tend to go with what they know. If there are four new stories posted, and two are by people they've never heard of, one is by someone they know has written a few things they maybe haven't gotten into that much and one is by someone who has written quite a few stories that they always tend to enjoy, then it's pretty easy to tell which one they're going to read first.

Anyway, this post has become a bit side-tracked, but I wanted to get something else out there since we've been neglecting the kinds of posts this blog was really all about in the first place. As I said though, it's awesome to see so many new fans and I know that in a lot of cases these new fans were little kids even when the prequels came out, so it just goes to show you how timeless it all is. I actually had lunch with my mother and my brother the other day and we were talking about the blu ray releases. My mother mentioned how it must be strange for people who see the first three first and then the others because the special effects must be so much worse. My brother and I looked at each other like, no, that is definitely not the case. The prequels look more like cartoons than movies. There is very little in the original trilogy that looks "fake."

Well, welcome all of you new Han and Leia fans and of course all of you old Han and Leia fans. I think the only problem with being a Han and Leia fan is that it isn't something you grow out of. At least it doesn't appear to be. I bet a lot of "Twi-hards" who live and breathe Edward vs. Jacob right now won't care in the slightest in ten years. I can't confirm though, because I never cared about them in the first place. But there is something about the Han and Leia romance that makes me pretty sure I will never be able to flip through the channels and come across Empire knowing the first kiss scene is coming without stopping and watching. And then probably continuing to watch until Han goes into carbonite.

It's nice to have more company around here, so keep reading and writing and commenting on people's stories when you like them and commenting here! It's much more fun to get some conversation going. And of course thank you to our loyal followers.

What's the Plan?

CHAPTER XI

Han Solo had made a promise, years and years ago, that he would never, ever wear a storm trooper’s uniform ever again.  Steadying himself against Leia and lifting his tired, wobbly legs into the uniform, he made the promise to himself once again for what he hoped would be the last time.  Once dressed, the trio left the storm trooper in Han’s cell and made for the exit.

Han walked a step behind Leia, one arm rested on her shoulder and the other arm cradled his storm trooper’s rifle.  His muscles twitched and jumped and it took all of his energy and concentration just to hold the heavy rifle and continue to move his feet.  Continuous waves of nausea washed over him and his breathing became increasingly and increasingly more shallow and quick as he worked his way through the urge to vomit.

“We’re approaching the main gate, are you alright?” Leia spoke without turning to look at him, but even through the sound filters of his helmet, he could hear the worry laced through every syllable.

“I’m fine.”  Having Leia beside him, having his hand resting on her shoulder, Han felt like he could take on the universe.  He just hoped he wouldn’t really have to.

Approaching the gate, he took his hand off of Leia’s shoulder and followed the two women closely.  Mon Mothma spoke to the two perimeter guards and Han watched as they eyed the threesome suspiciously.  Any questions, any hesitations, they had agreed to resort to Plan B.  Han shuffled on his feet, but then he noticed Leia’s hand, palm facing him, fingers splayed in a discreet signal to hold off.

Han watched as one of the guards disappeared into the small building that housed the controls to the gates along with their communication and emergency alert systems.  If Leia’s hunch to hold off was wrong, now that this guard was out of their sights, that mistake could cost them very dearly.  Exhaling a heavy breath, Han flinched when the large gate blocking their exit began to slowly creak open.  Thank the gods.

The trio climbed into Mon Mothma’s hover car.  Han heard Mon call out an address to her driver and as the car sped away from the prison, the trio rode along in silence.  Han had faith that the two women, or at least the one currently pressed up against him, had some sort of plan.  As the car meandered deeper into the streets of Coruscant, he could tell that they were entering a lower rent district.  He noticed Mon Mothma shuffle in her seat slightly right before the car slowed to rest in front of a dingy, low rise building.

The driver exited the car and circled around to open the door on Han’s side.  He stepped out of the vehicle and Leia followed him.  The driver closed the door, got back into the vehicle and the car sped off.

“C’mon,” Leia whispered as she walked towards the building.

Han followed her into the foyer, then onto the turbo lifts and to the fifth floor.  They walked down the dimly lit corridor in silence and even through Han’s air filters, he could smell the stale, mildewed air that permeated the interior of the building.  Leia stopped in front of a door marked: five hundred and twelve and swiped a card against the scan grid.  The door rattled and squeaked as it slid open and Han followed Leia inside. 

He began to take off his helmet as Leia locked the door.  He coughed and wheezed a little once his head was free.  Leia spun around and looked at him.  Their eyes locked and the only sound in the room was his breath mixed with hers and the sound of his heart booming in his chest.  She took one step towards him and he closed the distance, lowering his head to hers and kissing her deeply.  This is what he lived for, this was what he had almost given up hope for.  Her lips on his, her in his arms.  Time stood still for the few moments they let it. 

But they were far from free and Han’s mind was already racing forward.  Breaking the kiss, he pulled her into his arms and sighed as he asked, “What’s the plan?”

She held him in her arms, her chest resting against the hard armor that surrounded him.  She let out a deep breath and said, “Mon’s supposed to pick us up within the hour about five blocks from here.”

“But?” he asked, knowing by the sound of her voice that she was not thoroughly convinced on their path forward.

“But…something isn’t right.”

Releasing his arms from surrounding her she took a step back and looked at him.  Standing in a moment of silence, she continued, “Rieekan said that they had their best men looking for you, yet I found you within hours of arriving.  Someone’s lying.”

“You think Carlist lied to you?”

“I don’t know.  It’s either Carlist or Mon.”

“What do you want to do?”

“Mon’s supposed to pick us up in her starship, at least she would get us off of Coruscant and then we could take our chances there.”

“But…”

“But…I’ve got a bad feeling about it.”

“If they shut Coruscant down, we’ll be hard-pressed to get off-planet.”

Her mouth opened as if she wanted to speak but she faltered.  Taking a deep breath she steadied herself and said, “I left Artoo in the public hangar.”

He looked at her for a moment.  Han had little feelings for droids, but Artoo and Threepio had become exceptions for him.  He took a deep breath and said, “What do you want to do?”

“I don’t think we should trust Mon.”

“Then we won’t.”

“But I don’t know how we’ll ever get off-planet without her.”

“We’ll figure it out.”

She looked at him for a second and then said, “There’s clothes in the ‘fresher, we should get you changed and then…we’ll decide.”

He raised his hand and rested itn against her cheek.  His hand was dark with dirt and he noticed how pale and hollow her cheek looked underneath it.  He swallowed hard and asked, “Are you alright?”

Her eyes fell down to the floor between them and she whispered, “They killed Wedge.  He came here with me.”

He pulled her to him and they stood in silence.  The loss of a friend was never easy, but Han knew how that loss could make whatever friends that are left, even that more precious.  He kissed the top of her head and whispered, “We’ll get Artoo.  We’ll make it off the planet on our own.”

She let out a heavy breath and Han knew that he had found the words and the answer she was hoping for.   He squeezed her to him one more time as he said, “I’ll go get cleaned up.  We probably shouldn’t stay here any longer than necessary.”

...to be continued...

Zyra's condition for me for this chapter was that they had to actually escape...stay tuned for more.

You Asked... and We Still Won't Shut Up!

Yet another installment of our "Ask Us Anything" series where I solicited questions from our awesome readers and we will continue to answer as long as you continue to ask questions. It can be about anything, and you can ask both of us the same question or direct a question to one of us specifically.

I'll be going first this time around, answering first a question asked by hikari no tsubasa: Okay, for both of you... we all know who your favorite characters are! ;) So, who are your LEAST favorite characters...in canon?...to read in fanfic?...to write in fanfic? And the next questions asked by jenny2412: How long does it take to write a chapter? Do you have a set time to write? If so, when is it?
And here are our answers:

We'll start with me (Zyra): Least favorite character in canon? Tough one. Oh, who among us likes Prince Isolder? And how can we possibly believe that Leia was into that guy? While we're at it, his mother, too, who seemed to start the whole mess. Oh, and Prince Xizor, because he tried to seduce Leia while Han was in carbonite. Everyone is always trying to steal Leia away from Han but nobody is ever trying to steal Han away from Leia.

Least favorite to read in fanfic? Wow, another tough one. I guess I’m not a fan of Mon Mothma in fanfic only because everyone usually makes her out to be such a bitch. And Bria! I don’t like when people bring her back. Are we discovering a pattern of who I hate and why? Nobody else really springs to mind, though.

Least favorite to write in fanfic, that would have to be Luke. It’s not his fault, really. I just don’t feel like I can get inside his head quite the same way as Han’s and Leia’s. Especially after ROTJ when it’s like he’s this all-knowing being. I mean, it’s just tough to write someone who it appears never makes the wrong choice and it feels like trying to write a monk or something. I just find it boring. I know he doesn’t have to be boring and certainly at least at times he isn’t in the movies. But the Luke we get at the end of ROTJ just doesn’t seem interesting to me to write. I wish I felt comfortable using him more, I just don’t.

How long does it take to write a chapter? Well, that definitely depends. Sometimes they can flow out and be done in like fifteen minutes. A lot of times for me there may be one scene or chapter I’d been looking forward to in a story and it’s been in my head for a while so it’s easy to get down. Then there are others that I’m not looking forward to for whatever reason and I just keep putting them off or it takes me a long time just to type them up. Then of course there is editing. Sometimes we might agonize over getting some particular chapter just right so we go back and forth on them for a while before putting them out there. And sometimes we’re fairly happy with it right away and it doesn’t take much. Start to finish I could be happy with a chapter in like an hour, but there are others that take days or even weeks! I personally do not have a set time to write. I write whenever I’m feeling inspired. I have a flexible work schedule so usually I can put that stuff off if I’m having some inspiration. I’d say that most often that inspiration comes later in the day, but I can’t say why. It’s just not often that I feel like writing first thing in the morning.

And now for Push: Least favorite character in canon?  Oh.  That’s hard!  I’m assuming you are only talking about the movies and the only movies I count are the Original Trilogy so I’m going to answer this question as, “Who are your least favorite characters in the Original Trilogy?”  And that is tough!  I despise Tarkin, I really hate him for destroying Alderaan, I mean that was really, really cruel.  But I don’t think that is what you mean.  I don’t much care for Uncle Owen, either.  He didn’t seem like he was all that nice to Luke and that he harbored some kind of resentment toward him that Luke had no control over.  But that's probably not right, either.  Oh, I know but I don’t know if a lot of people will hate me for this, but…the Ewoks?  I mean…well, I kinda would like a takesie-over on most of ROTJ to begin with but the Ewoks were a little over the top.  And that Madine guy, the General who speaks after Mon Mothma during the Death Star II debrief, never had gotten a good vibe from him…

And now I cheated and looked at Zyra's answer and she included the EU.  If that's the case, I hate, hate, hate the Yuuzhan Vong.  The entire lot of them for reasons outlined below in the next question.  When I read the books that they were in I used to skip entire chapters if they were only 'Vong' chapters without any other character interactions.  I'm glad they are gone.  The end.  Fade to black.

...to read in fanfic?  Here I’m going to have to go with Original Characters.  This is probably wrong of me to say and it is just my personal opinion, but I would rather read about most any Canon or EU character rather than learn the life story of some new person.  Now, this is a fine line to walk as a writer and I have had to walk it myself.  I mean, there has to be other people in the universe, right?  I have had to create OC’s and I have struggled with them on the writer’s side.  But, when I read and/or write an OC, I personally think that less is more.  Now, as with everything else, there are exceptions and I have read some stories and enjoyed ‘meeting’ an OC, but even that usually fell into the category that the OC was more of a supporting character than a main one.  Again, just my opinion. 

...to write in fanfic?  Now, this is no reflection on the characters themselves and there is an entire thread over on NHP about how difficult these guys are to write for most people, but I’m going to say Luke Skywalker and Chewbacca.  Again, it’s not that I don’t like these guys, I just don’t like to WRITE them.  I’m always afraid that I’m making Luke to Force/Jedi focused and Chewbacca to wise and sage-y.  I think I’m getting a better handle on Luke and in my most recent stories I have decided NOT to give Chewbacca lines but just have the characters respond to him like in the movies.  I still have to kinda, sorta have an idea of what Chewie is saying, but it seems worlds easier (for me) to write him that way.

How long does it take to write a chapter?  Oooooh, this is really, really impossible to answer.  I have written entire stories in one sitting where it sounds like my keyboard might internally combust.  And then there have been paragraphs, or sentences even, that have eluded me for weeks and weeks and sometimes months.  My last chapter of “Shifting Impressions” is a great example of that.  I wrote most of those chapters for that story pretty quickly but it took me 8 months to publish the last chapter and I’m still not happy with it.  My lesson there?  You just can’t force it.  If it isn’t coming to you, step away and come back later.  I also promised myself I would never, ever start publishing a story that I wasn’t finished ever, ever again.  That’s just my own personal thing.  I HATED having an unfinished story hanging out there.  It was stress I didn’t need. J

Do you have a set time to write? If so, when is it?  I’ll sit just about anywhere at home with my laptop on my lap.  I hardly ever sit at my desk or table at home to write.  It’ll usually be later in the evening after my kids are in bed.  Sometimes I’ll wake up in the middle of the night and have to write something down.  Oh, and when we go on trips and my husband is driving, I’ll alternate reading and writing.  So, I guess my answer really is, “No.”  I write when it strikes me and when I can find the time! 

Alright, so there went another installment of our "Ask Us Anything" series. If you would like a question answered, please visit that post and Ask Us Anything. (We do reserve the right to not answer, if necessary! So, don't get crazy...)

Once again, don't worry if your question didn't get answered (yet), we will continue to post answers as long as you guys continue to ask questions.

You Asked...We're Still Answering.

Okay, here is another installment of our "Ask Us Anything" series where Zyra solicited questions from all of our wonderful followers. Please feel free to visit that post and continue to ask questions of us. Questions can be about anything at all. Our stories, general writing questions, previous posts...anything!


This second post will answer a few questions. First, submitted by Elivagar: "Favorite H/L scene from the movies?...and why." Second, submitted by Emma: "What is your favorite color? Favorite animal? Favorite holiday? How about favorite dessert? What is your favorite EU book? Which ones would you recommend to a fellow Han/Leia fan?"

And here are our answers:

We'll start with me (Push): Starting with my favorite scene, I guess my name and avatar should make this no surprise and that my favorite scene is from The Empire Strikes back should be no surprise either.

It starts off with the Millennium Falcon trying to start in the icy hangar of Hoth. That all-too-familiar sound (for those of us who have ever had an old car or boat engine not start on you) of an engine refusing to cooperate at the worst possible time. Just that scene alone makes me smile every time! I just think it's the funniest thing, go figure.

And then of course my favorite line: "Would it help if I got out and pushed?" and Han's reply: "It might!". All the way through to Han's "Fonzie" move when he hits the Falcon to get her going. Leia's "bucket of bolts" comment and then her "Someday you're going to be wrong and I just want to be there to see it" (that's nearly a term of endearment for those two!) Until Han finally gets his beloved ship moving and outta there.

I even like Luke waving goodbye to them as they fly out of the hangar. I just love that entire scene. The lines, the facial expressions between the characters, IDK, it's just my favorite. Threepio trying to tell Han that the hyperdrive motivator is broken, Chewie growling passed Leia as the smoke billows everywhere. Just everything.

Okay. Favorite Color: This is actually tough for me, in fact, picking favorites is tough for me because my choices may change with my mood or just over time. But right now, a deep dark blue or purple.

Favorite animal? I've always like giraffes. Even used to collect giraffe stuff. As far as dogs and cats go. I'm a dog person, but I don't hate cats.

Favorite holiday? Mardi Gras. I bet you can guess where I'm from. After that, Halloween and then New Year's.

Favorite Dessert? Bananas Foster, it's an entire experience.

Favorite EU book? Tatooine Ghost. It is the closest to Han and Leia goodness that the EU offers.

EU recommendations for an Han/Leia fan? This is tough and I'm definitely not as well-versed as Zyra on this, so you may want to defer to her recommendations. But, for sure, Tatooine Ghost. I liked Recovery, which is a small e-book by Denning, it's all Han and Leia and it's when they are making up after Han kinda went awol following Chewie's death.

I think after all that horrible stuff happens, all the authors (when they write about them) started to treat Han and Leia better. The thing is, you might not understand everything if you didn't suffer through all the bad stuff. But if you're game, start with the Swarm War trilogy and go from there.

I actually read the Swarm Wars early on before I even knew Han and Leia's kids' names and I wasn't too lost. From there the next series is The Legacy of the Force. Some books are hit and miss on whether or not they even mention Han and Leia. But when they are in them, they are usually together and happily married. If you want the Han and Leia factor on a particular book, let me know - I actually mark mine so I can go directly back to Han/Leia parts or look at a book at one glance and know if it has alot of Han/Leia. See, I'm not even embarrassed to admit that!

I'll be the first to admit that I do not like what they did to Han and Leia in the EU, but I've read nearly every book and I don't necessarily regret it. It's just another person's take on their lives and it's Han and Leia so....well, I feel like I'm missing something if I don't read it!


And here is Zyra's answers: Favorite scene? That’s a tough one. Of course the first kiss is amazing and is such a huge turning point. But Leia is obviously still reluctant there. I really do love when she gets him out of carbonite, the look on Han’s face when he finds out it’s her and the way she just grabs his face and kisses him. Him going into carbonite of course is amazing, too. So much with just the way they are looking at each other as he descends.

But let's go with something less obvious. I really love when they are hiding out attached to the Star Destroyer and trying to decide where to go from there. It is a scene I often point to in the did they/didn't they debate when people talk about how different they are with each other by the time they get to Bespin, so something had to have happened. Well, in this scene, they're already acting completely comfortable with one another. They are already communicating wordlessly, with Han's gesture and Leia's deactivation of Threepio. It's probably the first time they ever just sit and talk like normal people instead of arguing. Han is finally able to tease her without her getting mad. She kisses him on the cheek like it's something she does all the time and even voluntarily complements him. See, there's no way they could've had sex already by then, since all they've done since the kiss is lots of escaping, and they're already acting completely comfortable with each other.

Favorite color: Green

Favorite animal: On rare occasions I've been to the zoo, I always like tigers. Of course dogs are better than cats. I like some cats if they are actually nice and friendly, but so many people seem to have psycho cats that you have to be careful around. What's the deal with that? Nobody would put up with that behavior from a dog.

Favorite holiday: I'll go with Fourth of July because Christmas and Thanksgiving seem to involve a lot of stress for a lot of people, and 4th of July is just fun and awesome summer weather.

Favorite dessert: Brownie sundae. With a really good, fudgy, warm brownie, lots of french vanilla ice cream hot fudge, whipped cream and a cherry. And now I'm hungry.

Favorite EU book: Tatooine Ghost is where it's at for a Han and Leia fan.

EU recommendations: If you’re looking for an EU book literally just as a Han and Leia fan, Tatooine Ghost is definitely what you want to go with. It is entirely focused on Han and Leia and takes place almost right after they get married. While they are dealing with some other stuff, too, it is Han and Leia as a newlywed couple and I personally have always enjoyed the way Troy Denning writes them. Aside from their usual issues, they also deal with issues that normal married couples deal with. They actually act like a committed, loving couple, which is more than can be said for a lot of other books. Also, if you aren't sure you want to get into the EU, another plus of this book is that it works as a stand-alone, no other reading required.

Another one I love is Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor. Don’t be fooled by the title, because there is still a lot of Han and Leia here, and good Han and Leia at that. And overall, this is probably the most fun Star Wars book I’ve ever read. The mission is dark, but the characters and such just all really feel like the characters from the movies. And Han and Leia have some really great moments in it, pre-marriage, that just really solidify their relationship. Like Tatooine Ghost, it also works as a stand-alone without having to read anything else.

As far as just a really intense book, Star by Star was amazing and heartbreaking and intense. It involves some very, very sad elements and I think might be the longest single Star Wars novel, but the entire book was just really, really good. I’m going to have to read it again to give further detail, but it’s just a really good book in general in spite of the fact that Han and Leia, among others, suffer greatly in it. You do kind of have to read the rest of the New Jedi Order series though to fully grasp it, so that is a big commitment.

Alright, so there went another installment of our "Ask Us Anything" series. If you would like a question answered, please visit that post and Ask Us Anything. (We do reserve the right to not answer, if necessary! So, don't get crazy...)

Once again, don't worry if your question didn't get answered (yet), we will continue to post answers as long as you guys continue to ask questions.

Reunited

CHAPTER X

The older woman looked back at Leia with sadness and regret. Leia wondered briefly if someday she’d grow old and tired of fighting. She didn’t think life would be worth living if that was what she had to look forward to. Especially if that life didn’t involve Han Solo.

“Please, Mon. Whatever the risks involved, I’ll take responsibility.”

The woman heaved a sigh, and it seemed that she could surrender to more than just the Empire. “We must be careful.”

Leia felt her heart beating just a little faster at the possibility of seeing Han again.

Mon Mothma had supplied Leia with the simple, maroon robes that an aide of hers might wear. The hood would help conceal her identity, and all Leia had to do was keep her head down and try to contain the anticipation of having Han back in her arms.

They walked determinedly through the large building. This vast, stark place was used to house prisoners. It was similar to where Leia had been held on… where was she held, anyway? She realized she’d forgotten to even ask. Not that it really mattered.

They approached the end of a long hallway, manned with a single guard. With the new regime, there hadn’t been much worry of intruders. All of the fight had left them.

Leia kept her head down and tried to breathe evenly, willing herself not to lurch for the door. Mon Mothma had to do the talking. “We need to see the prisoner in cell 3487.”

The storm trooper looked up, then Mon held out her ID chip. He inspected it closely enough for Leia to take the opportunity to pull her blaster out and stun him before he knew what hit him.

The armored man hit the ground and Leia looked up to make sure nobody had seen before grabbing the key card from his utility belt.

Working fast, she ran it through the scanner and saw the door open, revealing a small, black cell without so much as a slab for a bed. The only light in the room came in through the door and Leia’s eyes were drawn to the figure lying on his side facing the wall with his legs curled up near his chest.

His feet were bare and he wore no shirt, exposing a back covered in the deep purple of healing bruises and a few red welts from other forms of torture. His hair was longer than she remembered it, but the dingy, once-gold stripes running down the sides of his pants made her certain that this was the prisoner she was looking for.

Her heart leapt into her throat and she realized that he hadn’t acknowledged her presence. She wondered briefly if she was too late.

“Leave me alone,” she heard him weakly mutter to the wall.

Leia moved closer, almost unable to believe the scene before her was real. Hearing the footsteps, he spoke again, a little more insistently this time. “I told you bastards to leave me alone. There’s nothing left for you to take from me. Just let me die.”

As Leia got closer and her eyes adjusted she could see the distinct outline of his spine and the ribs attached to it. He’d given up.

“Han?” She spoke his name much more softly than she intended, but the lump in her throat prevented her from saying it any more clearly.

She saw his head lift up just slightly, as though he was hearing something he didn’t think possible. She swallowed and tried to speak again, moving closer. “Han!”

He rolled over slowly, and she saw his face, haggard and sunken in under weeks’ worth of beard growth. But the hazel eyes looking back at her were unmistakable, and she didn’t think she had ever been so happy to see him.

She pulled back the hood that concealed her identity, and he looked back at her, still in shock. “Your hair!”

Leia laughed through the tears that had started to spill over, collapsing on her knees next to his emaciated body. “Look who’s talking,” she said, running her fingers through the tangled mop on top of his head.

She cupped his face in her hands and just looked at him. His voice was shaky and quiet, definitely not the cocky ex-smuggler she lost three months ago. “Is it really you?”

She brushed some unruly hair from his forehead, he was still lying flat on his back. “Scruffy-looking nerf herder.”

He smiled weakly and she leaned down and gently kissed his dry lips over and over. When she finally pulled away, she noticed the tears spilling down his face, mirroring her own. “They told me you were executed,” Han said in barely more than a whisper, reaching up a cold, clammy hand of his own to rest against her cheek.

“You should’ve known better,” she teased, pressing her hand to his. “Can you sit up? We have to try and get you out of here,” she said, placing her arms under his shoulders and helping to pull him into a seated position. It had been too long since she had held him in her arms, but she was shocked at the ease of lifting his upper body. And she wasn’t exactly at her strongest, either.

His eyes clenched shut and brought a hand up to his face. It seemed that he could relate to the dizziness and nausea she had been experiencing since her release from captivity. This was not going to be easy. Unable to hold back any longer, she leaned in and hugged him tightly, feeling his arms wrap familiarly around her and his head come to rest on her shoulder. He lacked the strength that he normally had, but her heart nearly melted in his embrace.

“Gods, I missed you,” she said into his neck.

“I didn’t think I’d ever get to see you again,” he replied.

She wanted to remain in his arms forever, but they still had some escaping to do. She finally pulled away and looked back at him, wiping the moisture from his eyes with her thumbs. “Let’s get you out of here and make sure you don’t have to miss me like that again, okay?”

Han simply nodded, and she stood and then leaned down and extended her arms to help him up.

He leaned heavily against her side, and she looked at this mangy man clad only in his spacer’s pants and realized that they couldn’t possibly get out of there like that.

“Mon!” Leia called out, just loud enough for her to hear at her post outside the door. “Bring that stormtrooper in here!”

****

Yay, Han is back! Finally, right? I told you we wouldn't keep him away forever. Even writing it I was dying to get him back. Push's condition to me was that if she found him, his first words to her had to be, "Your hair!" I didn't have to find him, but I couldn't take it anymore! I also sort of cheated, as those weren't necessarily the first words he said, but they were the first words he said to her, as in he knew he was talking to Leia. Anyway, whatever, he's back!

Strength & Resolve

CHAPTER IX

Once on the busy streets of Coruscant, Leia slowed her pace and tried to blend in with the local foot traffic.  After her long sprint from the hangar, she began to feel faint and ducking into an alley, she held herself up against the wall and emptied the contents of her stomach.  Stepping back towards the opposite wall, Leia leaned against it as she tried to steady her spinning, pounding head.  She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and turned to look at the street just steps away from her.

Men and women of all different shapes, sizes and species, bustled along the busy street.  There were couples holding hands and mother’s holding babies, men with datapads hitched under their arms and women with colorful clothing and matching shoes and purses.  These were the people that Leia was fighting for.  Yet no one seemed to be paying the price but her.  What did it matter to them who controlled the galaxy?  What did it matter to her anymore?

Shaking her head, she fought the now all-too familiar temptation of despair.  She looked down at herself, she still wore the same ill-fitting Alliance fatigues.  Although they were somewhat muted and in descript, they certainly stood out amongst the civilian attire on the streets of Coruscant.  She had no credits to purchase clothing.  She had to find someone soon.

Taking a chance to ask a couple of questions along the way, Leia finally settled in front of a building and leaned up against a shelter for the mass transit system.  She kept her eyes on the door of the building and bided her time trying to look as inconspicuous as possible.  Leia’s breath caught in her throat when she caught sight of who she had been waiting for and the Princess straightened up and took a step towards the approaching woman.

Their eyes locked for a moment and when the woman did not speak, Leia fixed herself to flee.  Something inside of her planted her to the spot and she could hear her blood rushing through her ears, drowning out the myriad of sounds that littered the city all around her.

The woman’s eyes darted to the street and Leia’s mouth dropped open slightly.

“Get in the car,” the woman said as she held out her hand towards the street.

Leia turned to see a driver standing in front of a hover car, holding the door open in waiting.  Leia walked towards the car and slid into the seat without ever making eye contact with the driver.  The woman slid in beside her and the door was shut behind them.

“You shouldn’t have come here,” Mon Mothma spoke quickly as the driver walked around the car toward the driver’s seat.

“I need your help.”

“I’m in no position to help you, I’m afraid.”

The driver entered the hover car and the two passengers rode along in silence.

Several turns later, Mon Mothma spoke to the driver and said, “Take us out to the lake country, please.  My friend has never been to Coruscant.”

After a long, silent drive, the view of one of Coruscant’s vast lakes appeared to their right, the sun setting in the distance shimmered against the delicate ripples of the deep lake water.  Mon Mothma directed her driver to pull over to a clearing near the lake and the two women exited the vehicle and began to walk towards the lake’s edge.

“I feared you were dead,” Mon Mothma whispered after a few moments of silence.

“Feared or hoped?” Leia spat back with a venom that surprised her.

“I have not given up on our vision, Leia.  But my hands are tied.”

Leia stopped walking and spun to face Mon Mothma as she replied, “You will never see my hands tied unless I am laid to rest.”

“There are other honorable ways to fight besides dying, Leia.”

Leia stared at her for a moment and then said, “I need clothes and probably a ship.  And I need to know if you know anything about Han, Luke, or Chewbacca.”

“As far as I know General Solo was never taken off-planet.”

“Han is here?”

“I’ve seen him, it’s been weeks though and I don’t know how reliable my information is, I’m certain they do not trust me, but as far as my records indicate – yes.”

Leia spun away from her and held her hand up to her mouth.  The emotions swirled up inside of her like a maelstrom and she felt as if she may vomit again.  Unable to stop them, the tears fell out her eyes like tiny drops of hope freeing themselves from the depths of despair.  Leia looked out at the lake as she wrapped her arms around herself.  She felt Mon Mothma place her hand on her shoulder but Leia showed no reaction.

Mon Mothma’s voice cracked as she said, “He was tortured and…”

Leia turned toward the elder woman and looked at her, the tears in her eyes drying up and the resolve within her building to a crescendo as she said, “And what?”

“He was told you were dead.  I couldn’t tell him any different.  All records indicated that you were executed.”

“But he’s alive.”

“I can’t say for sure.”

Turning away from Mon, Leia looked out at the lake and whispered, “He is.”

After a few moments of silence, Mon Mothma spoke, “I can get you clothes and a ship.  And I’ll see what I can find out about Luke and Chewbacca.”

“You saw him once.  You should be able to see him again.”

“Leia, it would not be wise.  It would draw suspicion.”

“You could take me with you.  I could disguise myself as one of your aides.”

“Leia, I cannot be so foolhardy.”

Spinning around towards the elder woman, the fire flashed in Leia’s eyes once again as she said, “Afraid to get your hands dirty, Your Excellency?  Afraid your life has become more important than the lives of those that you are fighting for?  You told me yourself that once it becomes clear that you cannot fight with words and reason, than you must fight with strength and resolve.  Where is that woman?  Where is your strength and resolve?”

...Once again, it doesn't look like Zyra gave me any conditions for this chapter.  Hope you are still enjoying it.

Still Searching

CHAPTER VIII

Leia spent the duration of the trip dozing off and dreaming of Han. She saw him smiling at her, pulling her into a protective embrace that caused a warmth to course through her entire body – a sensation she hadn’t felt in months. And once or twice, he’d say or do things to her that would cause her to blush when she awakened and remembered that she was in the cockpit of a Y-wing with a different Corellian than the one she really needed to see.

Wedge noticed her stirring and spoke, “We’re almost there, Leia. You should try to get down another ration bar before we land. I can’t be expected to carry you around the whole time.”

Leia laughed. “Don’t worry, Wedge. You just give me a little bit of hope and I can run a hundred kilometers.”

“Wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest,” he responded.

Leia did not particularly love the idea of going back to Coruscant, but this was the source of all of the unpleasantness that had been endured since her capture. It was the last place she’d seen Han alive. It seemed like just yesterday she was here doing pretty much the same thing: rescuing the man she loved.

They had landed near the Senate building, the place where Leia had been taken. Without knowing what she expected to find, she walked through the remnants, noting the debris still scattered about. The Imperial activity had moved away from this battle-worn area, so they were free to walk around without fear of being noticed. This side of the planet had been all but abandoned.

The vast building smelled of dust and stale air. It was eerie to look up toward the podium and recall all of the speeches and votes that had taken place there, only now to see it look like ruins from some ancient time. It hadn’t been that long ago.

That fact was made even more clear when Leia walked forward through what was left of the aisle. She remembered Han being in the second row of seats when she last saw him, lying on the floor. Bending to her knees at the spot that had been so clearly etched into her mind all this time, she placed her fingers on the floor and touched the spot that was red with what could only have been Han’s now-dried blood.

She swallowed down the lump in her throat, reminding herself that the absence of his body in this case was a good thing.

“Leia?” She heard Wedge behind her, keeping a careful distance and allowing her a moment to compose herself. He must’ve known what had caught her attention.

She wiped at her eyes to prevent the wetness from spilling down her cheeks before standing up and turning to Wedge, the fiery determination burning in her belly. “Do you think he’s still here, Wedge? Do you think he’s even still alive?”

The pilot shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know. But I do know that I’ll help you do whatever it takes to get him back if we can.”

She smiled weakly. “Thanks, Wedge. So, what’s the plan?”

“Well, believe it or not, it seems that good ol’ Mon Mothma is an established leader here, if you can call it that. And by leader of course I mean that they treat her nice as long as she does whatever they tell her.”

Leia sighed. “Right. So I disappear and then they just take the first opportunity to surrender.”

“Well, technically, agree to a peace treaty, but pretty much, yes.”

“Great. So you want us to just waltz up there and ask to see her?”

“Leia, planning for stuff like this isn’t really my strong suit.”

“Right. I’m sorry, Wedge. I’m still getting used to all of this. Okay, let’s go to find a part of this planet that hasn’t been blasted to pieces.”

The two refugees flew back towards the Imperial Palace, where the new government was becoming established. Leia hadn’t had much opportunity to walk around without the fear of being noticed. While she already missed her long tresses, she was enjoying the fact that the short hair under her cap had left her virtually unrecognizable. Her hair always seemed to be the first thing people noticed about her.

At least, that’s what she thought. No sooner had they gotten out of the Y-wing and headed for the palace than a pair of stormtroopers looked up and she heard one exclaim, “Look, it’s that princess! I thought she was dead!”

“Not yet,” the other responded, raising his blaster. “But she’s gonna be!”

Leia froze, unsure of why she suddenly found herself unable to move. Then she felt the force of a large body ramming into hers and pushing her out of the way of the green laser bolt that had been headed right for her chest.

Wedge collapsed on top of her, only he wasn’t quick to get up. There was too much blood.

“Wedge, stay with me!”

His eyes looked up at her sorrowfully. “I can’t,” he barely managed to croak out.

“Not you, too, Wedge. Come on,” Leia said, trying to hold his head up but feeling it growing more limp in her hands. “I can’t take much more of this.”

“I’m sorry,” Wedge said in a whisper.

“No, Wedge,” Leia pleaded. “Wedge?”

His head lolled back and the life disappeared from his eyes. The pilot had always been a good friend to her, and at the moment was the only friend she seemed to have left. And now he was gone, too. What was it the universe had against her?

She rested his head back against the ground and willed herself not to cry. All of the tears had already been shed and there was nothing left. That, and two stormtroopers were headed straight for her. With a speed she didn’t know she possessed, she took her blaster and got both of them right between the eyes with two, quick blasts. She hadn’t felt that kind of fury in a long time.

She wanted to help Wedge, to at least take his body somewhere so that they could later honor his memory. But she heard more stormtroopers headed her way. Reaching down and brushing her hand along his forehead, she leaned in and whispered, “I’m sorry, Wedge. And thank you.”

She stood up and began to run.

*****

Don't be mad at me for killing Wedge! Push made me do it, as that was her condition. To be honest, this was my second try at writing this chapter. She gave it to me and I was so unhappy with the first go at it that I asked her if I could try again, so I redid it. I wasn't quite sure what she meant by "the beginning" and initially sent them back to Tatooine. I don't know why. They wound up in a cantina and Wedge got shot. Push's first comment back was, "Wedge got taken out by random blaster fire?" Yeah, I couldn't kill him that way, so I tried to do a bit of a better job and she told me that she was thinking Coruscant so that's what we wound up with. I'm still bitter about her making me kill Wedge.

Back to the Beginning

CHAPTER VII

It wasn’t very often that Leia succumbed to the deep, dark temptation of self-pity and despair and as it crashed over her while Rieekan gently lowered her into a nearby chair, she tried to fight it with all she had.  The problem was, she didn’t have much.  There was very little fight left in the Rebel Princess.  And her pillars of strength, Han and Luke and Chewie, were stripped from her like her very life as she knew it had been over three years ago.

The distinct possibility that she would spend her entire life and perhaps give her life in the fight against the Empire was not a new thought for Leia.  It had been, in fact, what drove her - this will to fight another day against the dark forces that had not only destroyed her world but held the entire galaxy in its evil clutches.  But to what end?  She now wondered.  If it was at the loss of all she cared about, again, she wasn’t sure she could go on.

“Leia, maybe you should get some rest,” General Rieekan offered as the Princess sat silently slumped in the chair they had brought for her.

“No.  I want to find Han.  And Luke and Chewie,” she said as she tried to lift herself up to her feet.

With a gentle hand on her shoulder, Rieekan prevented her from standing as he said, “We’ve got our best men on that, Leia.  You can’t go traipsing around the galaxy, especially in the state you’re in.  You’ll do more good for us here-”

“Doing what, exactly?  Ordering supplies?” Leia replied, the fire in her belly coming out in the tone of her voice and in the flicker of her eyes as she glared at her old friend.

Rieekan’s eyes were soft and sad.  “Leia, our leadership ranks have been disseminated by dissertation and…death, we need all hands on deck…here.”

Leia’s searched behind Rieekan and found Wedge, their eyes locking for one brief moment and as she took a deep long breath, she looked at Rieekan and replied, “Alright.  You’re right.  Maybe I should get some rest.”

Rieekan walked her down the halls of an empty corridor and palmed open an executive suite.  After some soft words of encouragement, he left Leia alone in her cabin.  The Princess looked around the room and sighed.  She walked towards the bunk and picked up the standard-issued chrono from the side table.  Setting the alarm, she pulled the sheets back and crawled into her bed.  She was asleep before she could even think of her next move.

When the chrono’s alarm sounded, Leia sat up straight in her bunk and silenced it.  She looked around the room and then ran her hand over her face.  At least she had slept well.  Rifling through the closet, Leia found some Alliance fatigues that she thought might actually fit her.  Palming herself into the ‘fresher, Leia froze mid-step.  She stood in the doorway, her mouth hanging open in shock as she dropped her clothes on the floor at her feet. 

My hair!

Leia had almost forgotten about her unsolicited haircut and the sight of her choppy new hairdo was startling.  And as her wide eyes continued to study the rest of her body, she didn’t like what she saw.  Her cheeks were sunken in and drawn, her lips were cracked and dry and her eyes carried black, puffy sacks beneath them.  No wonder Rieekan didn’t want to let me out of his sight.  I look like the walking dead.

She turned to the shower and started the cycle.  After she had showered and dressed, Leia grabbed a backpack from the supply trunk and headed to the suite’s kitchenette.  She stuffed all the water and ration bars she could fit into the bag and then headed back to the living area and drew a cap over her head.  Glancing in the mirror that hung on the wall near the door, Leia now saw the advantages to her emaciated form and short hair.  She looked nothing like her former self.

Palming open the cabin door, Leia let out a quick yelp as Wedge Antilles fell backwards into her room nearly knocking her over.  Apparently he had been camped out in front of her cabin and had fallen asleep waiting for her.

Laying flat on his back and quite awake now, Wedge looked up at the Princess and smiled as he asked, “Where’re we going?”

Leia wasted no energy in arguing with the Rogue Squadron Pilot, it wasn’t actually that bad of an idea for her to refrain from gallivanting around the galaxy on this crusade alone.  It also paid off to have Wedge with her when they reached the hangar, the nightshift security detail took the Squadron Leader at his word when he told them that he had clearance to take a Y-Wing.  Leia grabbed Artoo Detoo as Wedge distracted them with questions and then snuck around and joined Wedge undetected.

Once they were in the safety of space, Wedge spoke to Leia through their headsets, “Any ideas on a destination, Leia?”

Leia looked out into space for a moment.  And before she knew what she was going to say, she heard her voice saying, “I was thinking of starting at the beginning.”

“That’s always a good place to start,” she heard Wedge answer over her earpiece. 

She watched Wedge as he punched the coordinates into the navicomputer and then she felt the familiar sensation of her body being pressed back into its seat as the Y-Wing slid smoothly into hyperspace.  She closed her eyes and thought of Han, of his arms surrounding her and of his lips on hers, his eyes were the last thing her mind’s eye saw before she succumbed yet again to the sweet pull of sleep.

(We don't think that Zyra gave me any conditions for this chapter.  Hope you guys are still enjoying this...)

Everything You NEVER wanted to know about two Star Wars Geeks and more...

Okay, so in a recent post (titled "Ask Us Anything"), Zyra solicited questions from all of our wonderful followers. Well, this is the first of a series of posts to answer those questions. Please feel free to visit that post and continue to ask questions of us. Questions can be about anything at all. Our stories, general writing questions, previous posts...anything!


The first question we are going to answer was the first question submitted.  It was submitted by Emma and she asked: "How long have you been Han & Leia fans?" We thought this was an excellent question to kick this entire idea off. So, thanks, Emma! And here are our answers:

We'll start with me (Push): Well, I was 6 years old when the first movie came out and I saw all three in the theaters as they were released. I have an older brother (two years older) and he and I and the neighborhood kids would play Star Wars. I was the only girl and of course I was Princess Leia. I never looked at it as a romance back then, but I do remember being very upset when we left the theater from watching The Empire Strikes Back because Han Solo was in carbonite and my mother had to explain to me on the entire ride home that they were going to make another movie and we would find out what happened to him then. I had never heard of such a thing. Movies were supposed to tell the whole story, not make you wait three years to find out the end! My brother and I had tons of SW action figures. We had a Millennium Falcon and a bust of C-3PO that housed the figures inside of them. I remember that I really liked the Jawas and thought they were really cute and probably Artoo was one of my favorites.  I definitely played with Leia but don't really remember paying too much attention to Han or Luke.

After that, Star Wars fell off of my radar for a long time. I didn't go see any of the prequels in the theater and ended up watching them on DVD's later. I didn't go see the re-releases in the theater, either - whatever year that was. I think it was around the time I was getting married and I had other things on my mind. Then I started having kids in 2000. I had two boys - one in 2000 and one in 2002. After years of Barney and Elmo and the like, I was excited that they started to like Star Wars and began watching the movies with them. So, now I'm in my thirties and seeing these movies again for the first time in practically two decades - these movies that I used to absolutely love and I distinctly remember watching ESB and saying to myself right after the kiss scene on the Falcon, "Wait a minute. This is a love story!" And really, I was totally floored. I was a real tomboy when I was little. I kept up with my brother and his friends climbing trees and playing Star Wars, but I saw it through their eyes - all lightsaber duels and good vs. bad. The boys never dwelled on the love story aspect of the movies and neither had I. It was quite a revelation! And I guess another thing is back then, at least for me, we saw a movie once and that was it. My mom had four kids and we didn't go see SW in the theater 4 and 5 times. And it seemed like it took a whole lot longer for us to ever own a movie after it was in the theaters - I don't think they released them on VHS just 6 months later...you know what I mean? We never memorized movies like you can do now.

So anyway, nothing else happened immediately - other than the fact that a Star Wars movie was almost always on my television and my house was full of Lego Star Wars and toy lightsabers and Halloween costumes were Star Wars themed and the like. And then around Summer of 2009 - I am now thirty-eight years old and I can't really remember how it all started but I think it was the Clone Wars cartoon or some other cartoon my kids were watching with all of these new characters and I did see that George Lucas interview where he says something about Han cooking burgers in the backyard after he and Leia get married and I Googled Princess Leia and I distinctly remember when I found her page on Wookieepedia and her name was Leia Organa Solo - I was FLOORED (again). I couldn't believe that they actually acknowledged that she got married on the interent somewhere - I was totally clueless of the EU or AU or fanfic or anything. I read her Wookieepedia story and it was surreal. Well, sometime after the initial shock wore off I ordered my first EU book. After a few EU books, the first fanfic story I found was Sue Zahn's "Into the Fire". I still think that was a very fortunate stroke of luck. After I finished reading 'Into the Fire' I actually e-mailed Sue to find out if she had any more stories because all I had found was the one somehow. She promptly returned my e-mail with a link to her website and I guess the rest is history...

And here is Zyra's story: Well, thanks, Push. I wasn't born when Star Wars came out, though I was when Empire came out, but not old enough to be going to the movies. That said, I've been a Star Wars fan probably since whenever it was that I first watched the movies, as far back as I can remember. I don't recall which one I saw first, although I actually do remember going to see ROTJ in the theater... when I was in pre-school. I went with a friend and his mom and I still remember thinking it was awesome that Leia was under that mask, and moving to the back of the theater during the Rancor scene because it was a little too loud. I'm sure I had seen at least one of the other movies before then, but that is my first memory of watching the movies.


I know I watched Empire more than the others not because I had selected it as my favorite, but because we had recorded it off TV so that was the only one we had. Back in the early 80's it wasn't nearly as common to just go out and buy movies and have this vast library. I think back then official VHS copies of movies for sale were like $30, and that was when $30 was a lot of money. So we made do with what we could record on TV. I'll go ahead and say that I was a tomboy as well, and I used to play Star Wars with my brother and the neighbor boys and sometimes my cousins. Oddly, at that point in my life, I didn't want to be Leia. Leia didn't get to use a lightsaber, and it was really fun to pretend to have lightsaber fights with wiffle ball bats, so more often than not, I'd want to be Luke. I know, I know. Please forgive me, I didn't know any better. But at like six and seven years old you are far more impressed by ships and robots, lightsabers and yes, even Ewoks, and about the last thing on my mind was that Han Solo was the hottest man alive and that he and Leia had the greatest screen romance of all time.


I wasn't obsessed with Star Wars, but like any child of the 80's, it was a common part of the repertoire. I had no Star Wars bed sheets or tooth brushes or glasses. In fact, sadly, the only action figures I remember having were an Artoo and a Threepio. I'm still kind of mad at myself for not having asked for tons of action figures when I was little, but I didn't. I do remember one of my cousins having an awesome Millennium Falcon, though. While I don't feel like I was obsessed, Star Wars was always a big part of my interests. When I was eight or nine I did my own illustrated version of ESB that I'm still mad at my mom for throwing away. I can still picture a few of the illustrations, Luke on his Tauntaun, later upside-down with Yoda balancing on his foot, Leia flailing her arms in the air when Han flies into the asteroid field and the dialogue bubble above him that says, "They'd be crazy to follow us, wouldn't they?" And the long-distance shot of Bespin. Man, I'd love to have that back. I think more than anything it proves that I really haven't changed much from my childhood.


I can't pinpoint exactly when I made the switch from general Star Wars lover to Han and Leia lover, but the closest I can figure is when I was in some random store and saw the paperback version of COPL by the checkout and decided to buy it. At that point in my life I don't think I'd ever read a book because I wanted to, only because I had to for school. I had no idea it could be an enjoyable thing. I was in high school at the time and it was summer and I found myself really excited about the idea that not only did Han and Leia get married, but there was a whole book dedicated to how that happened. Keep in mind that I did not know yet that the book was utter crap, so give me a break. And because I didn't know any better, and even though I knew that Han and Leia would never act like that, it made me interested in reading more of these books that took place after the movies, so I became an avid EU reader, mostly getting the books almost as soon as they came out. And of course frustrated like most Han and Leia fans as they seemed to always be separated and rarely acted like I thought a married couple, especially them, would act. But I took what I could get. And I definitely went to see the re-releases of the movies when the special editions came out. Even then I knew it was crap that Han no longer shot first.


The internet was around at the time and I e-mailed occasionally, but it hadn't yet become such an integral part of our lives. So it was a couple of years later when I was in college that I stumbled upon the wonders of fan fiction. I had actually been searching for what might be happening on upcoming episodes of The X-Files when one of the links took me to a fanfic site for that. I read one Mulder and Scully story and then thought to myself, wait, if there are these kinds of stories, there must be Star Wars stories, right? Oh, boy, was I right!

I am pretty sure the first site I went to was the now-defunct fanfix.com. That was pretty much the go-to site for almost all Star Wars stories of any kind. Unfortunately, I also remember that the first story I clicked on was a Luke and Leia story... in the way that you really don't want to be reading about Luke and Leia. In my defense, it was the first story alphabetically on the page, and it didn't take me long to get out of there and pay more attention to the story descriptions. I don't know what the first story I read was, I just know I was thrilled that there were people writing these really cool stories about Han and Leia and giving their relationship what it deserved and spent quite a few nights staying up until 3am reading. And I'll also admit that I thought it was pretty cool that many authors gave them some sexy time as well ;) I even bought a few fanzines.


After that I kept up with the fanfic and joined a couple of Han and Leia message boards, all of which now I think are gone, and eventually discovering Nerfherder's Playground, which I posted on a lot. It was so nice to see that other people thought about those two the way that I did! So that pretty much explains that, aside from the writing part, but that's another story.

I don't read romance novels. I don't seek out romantic comedy movies. I don't really think about any other movie or television couples at all. But for some reason I am obsessed with these two. But you could probably already tell that :)

Thanks, Zyra!  And don't be too mad at your mom because my mom literally kept EVERYTHING but then lost it all in a hurricane. So, some things just aren't meant to be.  :-(

Okay, so there you have it.  Our first "You asked...We answered" post.  Hope you guys enjoyed it.  If you would like a question answered, remember you can visit this post:   "Ask Us Anything" and literally...ask us anything.  (We do reserve the right to not answer, if necessary!  So, don't get crazy...)

Don't worry if your question didn't get answered (yet), we will continue to post answers as long as you guys continue to ask questions.