Two Fanfic Writers Collide: One Year Later

Somehow, life had a way of making it possible for Push and I to get together once again in spite of our living very, very far away from each other.  This encounter actually happened over a month ago but I'm just getting around to writing about it. 

Even more crazy than me having a reason to travel near her once again was the fact that the timing of said travel happened to coincide with Carrie Fisher being in town to perform her show, Wishful Drinking.  If you have not had a chance to see it, I'd highly recommend it.  I happened to have seen the show back in the fall of 2008 myself, though Push hadn't seen it live.  We did also both catch her when the show aired as a special on HBO.  Honestly, if you follow her at all, many of the jokes and such she has done about a million times, but it's still pretty darn funny. 

Anyway, we converged on the venue and fortunately this time it seemed less weird to be getting into her car because if neither one of us chopped up the other in a horrible murder, the chances of it happening this time seemed even slimmer.  I gave her an Artoo popcorn bucket I had aquired at Disney World a couple of months earlier and we got some weird looks when we were walking down the street and she "flashed" me by opening her jacket, except it was only to reveal her Star Wars t-shirt. 

We had planned on having dinner before the show and even picked the restaurant in advance.  The internet failed to mention that this restaurant would not be open when we got there, so we wandered around a bit more before we found this quiet little pub.  It worked out quite well because the food was simple but good and there also happened to be precisely two other dining patrons, so it was quite easy to talk about fanfic and Star Wars without fear of sounding like the super-nerds that we truly are in front of too many total strangers. 

We talked about the blog and Push's story and we talked about you guys behind your backs ;)  She even promised me she'd write some book reviews.  After dinner we headed back to the show.  Oh, this was after she also showed me her new Princess Leia hoodie sweatshirt.  Even though I had already seen the show live, read the book and seen the HBO version of the show, I was still excited.  Who doesn't want to see Carrie Fisher in person? 

And again, even though much of the show I'd heard a hundred times before, it was still a lot of fun and she always manages to throw in some extra stuff.  I could remember things she'd said in the show the first time I'd seen it that she didn't say this time, and there were things she said this time that I hadn't heard before.  She is really just one of the wittiest people you'll probably ever come across and as Push mentioned a few times throughout the night, it is amazing how she maintains such enthusiasm to perform a show for the hundredth time over the span of five years.  She's obviously still having fun with it.  And I'd still just love to run into her somewhere and just chat, but sadly I doubt that will be happening. 

All too soon, the show was over.  And unfortunately by that time it was pretty late and a weeknight and we both had a bit of a drive ahead of us so we had to part ways.  Will we see each other again?  I don't know.  But it is fun when our schedules happen to work out like this.  Actually, it's kind of incredible that the timing of that worked out how it did.  I must say it's kind of fun to be able to talk about our dorky fanfic in person and it was much easier this time as the weirdness of speaking it out loud was already gone since we got over it last year when we met up. 

Oh, and this obviously proves that she does, in fact, still exist even if she's not around much anymore.  Well, at least she did exist a month ago.  I can neither confirm nor deny beyond that point. 

Who Fell In Love First?

I figured we might as well toss out a post to get some discussion going on the current poll.  In case you're reading this once the poll is closed or don't know what I'm talking about, the question is: Did Han fall in love with Leia first, did Leia fall in love with Han first or did they fall in love with each other at the same time? 

I find this an interesting topic, myself.  I have my own thoughts on an answer, although at the same time I'm not sure I'd be able to pinpoint exactly when either one of them fell in love with the other.  Is there any particular moment you see as defining in that respect?  It can be from the movies or maybe you think it's something that happened off screen. 

Obviously the poll is running fairly lopsided at the moment, just like Han's grin.  Your answer doesn't have to be based on when either one may have even been able to admit it to themselves that they had fallen for the other. 

Just another fun topic to get some discussion going!

CORPHELION INTERLUDE - a review by claire1976

This is a review submitted by Claire1976. 

Thanks so much, Claire, for writing this for us!

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CORPHELION INTERLUDE - a review by claire1976

The years 1999 to 2002 were not a good time for Han and Leia fans. The dawn of the New Jedi Order saw our fav couple ousted while Luke and Mara became SW premier couple. Luke and his saintly wife got more kisses and implied sex in a couple of books than Han and Leia had all through the entire Bantam era. Then to top it all off someone had the wonderful idea that Han should abandon his wife and family whilst grieving for Chewie, so they decided to "estrange" Han and Leia, and the fan base went pretty psychotic. It was this that  started a relentless fan campaign at theforce.net to give Han and Leia better treatment in the EU. There were long threads on the message boards, and Lucasfilm were bombarded with angry letters.  Finally in the summer of 2002, Lucasfilm got the message and announced a Han and Leia-centric book to be written by Troy Denning, which would of course turn out to be Tatooine Ghost, and a Valentine's Comic featuring the couple for release the following year.  But there was one other little surprise coming in 2003, and like the comic, this one was also revealed on Valentine's day, but via Del Rey's website - a short story by Troy Denning, released about a month before Tatooine Ghost - a starter, if you will, to TG's main course, Corphelion Interlude is nothing short of delicious.

It's the start of Han and Leia's honeymoon. They arrive at a resort that is built into an asteroid, where Han hopes they will have a good view of a phenomenon called the Corphelion Comets, which seemingly attracts tourists in their hundreds from all over the galaxy.  Han is impressed with the "romantic" view, but certainly not impressed by the hundreds of others who are standing in the way. Han is, however, rather taken by the way Leia is dressed.

At Han's side stood Leia, dressed comfortably but fashionably in a sleeveless doublet and a pair of slinky zoosha pants that Han found especially alluring.

What the hell are zoosha pants?  I am thinking they must be either very tight, or very revealing, hence why Han likes them so much!

A turbo lift opens and a load more noisy tourists pile out. Han is not happy.

"Sorry about this," Han said to Leia. A stop to watch the Corphelion Comets had seemed a romantic way to start their honeymoon - least until they had discovered that it was the height of the season and every resort on the asteroid was badly overbooked.  "I guess the private dome isn't so private, either."

"I don't care, as long as we're together." Leia took Han's hand and started down a broad set of dark, hardwood stairs.  "There's a pair of empty chaises out there in the middle. Once we settle in and order a drink we won't even notice the noise."

"Sure, a Pink Nebula sounds good.". Jostling for elbow space was hardly the romantic way Han had hoped to start their marriage, but things were bound to improve. Around Leia, they usually did.

Aww,  I like that, and notice that Leia isn't bothered in the slightest as long as she's with her man.

They begin to descend the stairs and there's a sudden flash overhead, and outside the dome a huge comet appears and splits in two. What is interesting here is the obvious symbolism. Denning refers on more than one occasion to the two bits of the broken comet as "twins". It's clearly a foreshadowing of another set of twins who will make Han and Leia very proud parents a year later.  Anyway, one of the twin comets starts to get very close to the viewing dome, creating a wave of panic amongst the onlookers. Leia turns round and suggests they go back to the Falcon, but Han catches her arm to pull her back.

"Relax." As he had hoped, the stars on the comet's lower left were vanishing by the dozens; those on the upper right were disappearing only in twos and threes. "Everything's under control."

"You've said that before," Leia objected. "You're sure we don't need to go back to the Falcon?"

"I'm sure." Han slipped a hand down to the small of her back.  "And this time I mean it. Everything's under control, Sweetheart."

Leia glanced from Han to the approaching comet, then back to Han again. Her expression grew more trusting, and she smiled slyly.

"Okay, Flyboy." She took his arm. "My life is in your hands."

They descend the remaining stairs arm in arm as the comet continues to grow even bigger. It doubles in size and creates a mass panic as the crowds start to quickly disperse and everyone makes a mad dash for the evacuation stations. This gives Leia the perfect opportunity to pull Han into a quiet corner.

As jabbering humans and growling aliens continued to shove up the stairs in a near-stampede, she laced her fingers together behind his neck and stared deep into his eyes.

Han's heart began to beat faster.

"How did you arrange this?" Leia asked.

"Arrange what?" Han was genuinely confused.

Leia gently pulled his head close to her mouth. "The comet." She flicked her tongue along the lobe of his ear, then continued in a sultry voice. "Come on, Flyboy, you can tell me. Did Wedge help you?"

"Wedge? You think Wedge is out there moving comets around?"

Leia gently nibbled his earlobe. It felt warm, and well....wonderful.

Wow, I absolutely love this. Where else in the EU will you find Leia sticking her tongue in Han's ear and sucking his earlobe? Actually, that whole thing is very erotic don't you think? Especially for a SW novel. There's certainly some sexual connotations here.

Leia then suggests that Lando must have had a hand in it, as he has an asteroid tug, but Han assures her Lando is far too busy to be involved. Leia then continues her tantalising method of persuasion.

"You won't tell me?" Leia slipped her hands under the hem of his tunic and playfully ran her fingers up his back. "You're sure?"

"Well, I'm..."

Leia dug her fingertips into the flesh behind his shoulders.

"Pretty sure," Han said. "I think."

I love how Leia is taking the lead with this, and she's clearly enjoying every minute of it.

Han suddenly grows concerned about the comet's position, it's getting far too close for comfort and he has an awful feeling that it may actually end up colliding with the viewing dome. He grows nervous.

"Uh, Leia?"

"No, I've changed my mind, Han." Leia lowered her hands and, one arm still wrapped around his waist, turned to look at the sky. "I don't want to know how you arranged this."

"But - "

"Sssh." Leia touched a finger to his lips. "I just want to look. It makes me wish we could forget everything back on Coruscant and stay here forever."

"You don't say?"  The approaching comet was as large as a Bantha now. Han glanced towards the empty stairs, trying to estimate how long he could keep his real secret - that he may have miscalculated the comet's trajectory - before they would have to make a mad scramble for the evacuation shelters."I just might be able to arrange that."

Leia leaned her head against his shoulder. "If only you could."

What a different Leia that is to the one we saw recently in Shield of Lies, where she couldn't possibly even think about enjoying herself because of her responsibilities. The Leia here clearly wants all those responsibilities to go away, and it's kind of sad, because she clearly wishes she was just a nobody who doesn't have all those things going on. But at least at this moment she wants to make the most of her honeymoon with Han. And who can blame her?

The comet grows brighter, and it's light illuminates the viewing dome. Han has another moment of panic as he thinks the comet is going to hit, and pulls Leia into a corner, where he then breathes a sigh of relief as the comet angles away again. Whether Han actually planned all this, I don't know, I think we're left wondering about that. However, he does have something rather nice up his sleeve for the finale of this short but sweet tale.

"You're going to be really impressed with what I've arranged next."

Leia cocked her brow. "Pretty sure of yourself, aren't you?"

Han nodded. "I have a reason."

The asteroid entered the comet's tail, and billions of tiny dust grains exploded against the resort's particle shield. Space above erupted into a glittering veil of micro-flashes.

"Okay, I'm impressed." Leia said. "Really impressed."

"That was nothing," Han said. "This is what I was talking about."

He drew Leia close and lowered his lips to hers. She pressed herself tight against him and returned the kiss passionately, and that was how they remained until a loud cheer from atop the stairs interrupted them.

Han opened an eye and, finding an audience of two dozen comet watchers leering down at them, broke off the kiss. "Leia?"

"Yes, Han?"

"Maybe we should go back to the Falcon after all."

Leia took his hand and started for the stairs. "Han, I thought you'd never ask."

Aww. You know I kind of wonder exactly why Leia is so keen to return to the Falcon throughout this. Is she really nervous about the approaching comet, or is she just desperate for some hot sexy time with her gorgeous scoundrel? Well, I know which option I would go for!  Stuff the comet where the sun don't shine, if you had just married Han Solo that's the last thing you'd want to see on your honeymoon. Right, girls?

Whilst only five pages long, and I've probably quoted nearly all of it, this is such a sweet little story. I absolutely love Leia's teasing, she's clearly very comfortable with Han and it's just so refreshing to see this fun, playful side of her character that we all know is in there but is so terribly underused in most of the EU. Plus of course the ear licking/sucking is just priceless. As a taster for Tatooine Ghost, it's clear from this that Han and Leia are safe in the hands of Troy Denning, who isn't afraid to portray them as very much in love and as having a sex life.  This is the Han and Leia we all waited so long to see.

I'm sure that most of you are familiar with this little gem, it is featured in the Tatooine Ghost paperback, but I'm thinking maybe those of you who only have TG in hardcover may have missed it.  If anyone has missed it then it's very easy to find online. Google it and you'll find a transcript without too much trouble.

So, I'm now left wondering what the remainder of Han and Leia's honeymoon consisted of. Did they find accommodation elsewhere perhaps? Or did they just stay holed up in their little love nest on the Falcon?

Hmm. When the Falcon is a rockin', don't come a knockin'.

What About Leia's Past?

It's been a while since we had a good old-fashioned discussion and this topic was brought up by Amara Z and Claire1976.  Obviously we have all speculated about Han's past, whether you subscribe to the "official" stance on it as written in the books or you have your own ideas.  But we don't give much thought to Leia's past.  Her past in general is not a mystery, in that we know she grew up under the guardianship of her adoptive father Bail and a mother we are not entirely sure what happened to.  We know she had some aunts who wanted to raise her to be the prim and proper princess but that she wasn't entirely thrilled with that sort of treatment.  We know she was a young and successful senator and diplomat before she became a member of the Rebellion.

But what about all of the little details?  What kind of kid was she?  What did she like to do with her spare time?  Was she a dancer?  An athlete?  A musician?  And what about boys?  Did she have boyfriends?  Was she rebellious?  Did she have an arranged marriage that simply never had to happen because her planet blew up?  There are a lot of gaps in there that we could fill in, but it's pretty rare that anyone tries to.  I have my own thoughts on the subject but would be interested in hearing yours.  So let's get to the commenting!

A Father's Day Story

This idea just came to me and I decided to write while the inspiration was there.  With Father's Day coming up, it only seemed fair that we give Han some similar treatment we gave Leia for Mother's Day, right?  I started writing something else, but it just felt like the same old thing.  So I decided to go a different route and combine it with another sort of missing moment we'd felt cheated on.  Hope you enjoy!

The first thing he was aware of was that he was far more comfortable than he’d been in weeks.  He was lying on his back, his head and shoulders propped up on big, fluffy pillows.  Comfortably, wonderfully warm, he felt the weight of the soft comforter pulled up to his chest, resting over his body.  The mattress underneath him was just the right combination of firm and soft, thanks to much deliberation during the purchase process with his wife.

His wife.  Han Solo slowly opened his eyes, the fog quickly lifting as the room came into focus.  This was no longer the sterile room at the med center that he had been forced to stay in for far too long during the initial part of his healing process from the terrible beating he’d taken from Nil Spaar. 

He winced at the memory, still occasionally being able to feel the sharp pain of the blows even though over time his injuries had mostly become merely a dull ache in spots.  He’d been so insistent on coming home as soon as possible and it still took weeks.  He felt as though he wouldn’t truly heal until he was allowed to go home.

Glancing down, he saw the top of Leia’s head as she slept peacefully.  Her head was resting on his shoulder, her body pressed intimately against his and her hand resting against his chest, clasped in his own.  It was such a relief to see her looking so content.  She’d spent a few nights with him in the med center, sharing his room but, unfortunately, not his bed.  The dark circles that had worsened during his recovery made her look almost worse than he did, and he’d barely been recognizable the first time she’d seen him after the beating. 

He wasn’t sure which was worse: the beating itself or seeing Leia’s face as she saw the extent of his injuries.  He couldn’t stand seeing her hurt, and he could only imagine the worry and agony she had endured at not just knowing what had happened to him, but being forced to watch.  He wasn’t sure that he would’ve been able to handle seeing anything remotely close happening to her and hoped he'd never have to.

He knew she’d blamed herself, no matter how many times he’d tried to convince her otherwise.  He was proud of her for making the right call and tried to remind her that it didn’t matter anymore, because they were all going to be fine.  The last time he’d seen her act so protectively of him was probably just after she’d rescued him from carbonite.

Leaning down, he kissed the hair on top of Leia’s head, lingering for a moment to inhale the sweet, fruity scent.  Gods, he had missed this.  He gave her hand a gentle squeeze as she continued to sleep.  Normally she was far too easy to wake, but she remained still.  Han had a feeling that this was the most she’d slept in quite a long time, and he had no intention of interrupting her. 

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the bedroom door opening and the sight of his youngest son peering in timidly, clutching a stuffed Wookiee against his chest.  Han smiled down at Anakin, reminded again of how much he’d missed his children and how much they’d missed him.  It had been almost as painful as his injuries when he’d learned that he wouldn’t get to see them right away upon his return.  Though he understood that the sight of their father in such a state might be too much for them to handle. 

He swore that he started healing faster when they were finally brought to see him, able to lavish him in hugs and kisses.  Grinning at the memory of their excited smiles when they learned that their daddy would be coming home, Han pressed his finger to his lips and eyed his wife, attempting to tell his son to be quiet since his mommy was still sleeping. 

Anakin nodded slowly, and Han reached with the hand not holding Leia’s to turn down the blankets.  The young boy smiled as he quietly approached the bed and climbed in next to his father, gingerly sliding up against him as Han draped the blankets back over their legs.  The children had been informed that Daddy wasn’t entirely healed yet and they needed to be a bit careful for a while. 

Han draped an arm across his son’s shoulders and hugged him close to his side.  Bright blue eyes looked up at him and smiled before he whispered, “I love you, Daddy.”

Gods, he had missed waking up in this house.  Leaning down, he kissed his son’s forehead and whispered, “I love you, too.”

At the sound of the words, Han felt Leia stir against his side, her fingers rubbing absently against the fabric of the t-shirt he wore.  Before she could even get her bearings, Han leaned down and kissed the top of her head once again.  “Good morning, sweetheart.”

Before she could respond, Anakin sat up to look across his father’s body. “Hi, Mommy!” 

Leia reached over and mussed her son’s hair.  “Hi, sweetie.  Did you come in to see Daddy?” 

Anakin nodded enthusiastically. 

“I’m glad he’s home, too,” Leia said as she looked up at Han, her brown eyes shining with what appeared to be relief. 

“Hi, Daddy!” Han heard the familiar and welcome voice of his daughter, Jaina, coming from the doorway as she walked towards the large bed excitedly, her twin brother Jacen following closely behind with an equally large smile on his face. 

Jaina climbed right up into the bed to wedge herself between her parents while Jacen climbed in on Leia’s side, leaning up against his mother.  After giving her a kiss, Han noticed that Jaina had something in her hand. 

“What’s that, honey?” 

Jaina glanced at her brothers as though asking silent permission and then held up a folded piece of colored paper.  “Happy Father’s Day!”

Han smiled.  After being so preoccupied with simply recovering and finally coming home, he’d completely forgotten about Father’s Day.  As he unfolded the paper he saw the bright colors of pictures his children had drawn for him, each contributing their own art to the piece.  They’d drawn the whole family, big smiles on their faces, holding hands with the house and trees in the background.  Han’s heart warmed at the knowledge that this was the image his children thought of when they thought of their family and their home. 

Written in various colors in slightly messy children’s handwriting were the words, “To the best Dad ever, Happy Father’s Day.  Love, Jacen, Jaina and Anakin.”

Han wasn’t sure that simply being home could’ve gotten any better, but this certainly did it.  He looked back and forth into the faces of their three children, reminded of how quickly they’d grown, how proud of them he was and how much he loved them. 

“Thank you, guys,” he said before leaning over to kiss Anakin, then Jaina, then giving Jacen a moment to climb over his mother to get his kiss.  “I’m gonna keep this forever,” he said sincerely. 

Leia looked between their children and said, “All right, why don’t you guys go and give Daddy a few minutes to get ready and we’ll have a nice, big Father’s Day breakfast, sound good?”

The children nodded excitedly and scampered off into the hallway, leaving Han and Leia alone once again.  “I totally forgot,” Han said as he held the card up.

“I’m not surprised.  There’s been a lot going on these past few weeks.  I’m so glad you’re home.”

“Me, too,” Han replied.

“You ready to get up?” Leia asked as she slipped out of bed and walked to his side, holding her hands out to him.

The gesture seemed a bit odd to him until he started swinging his legs to the side, suddenly painfully reminded that while he’d been allowed to wake up in his own bed instead of the med center, he was far from fully healed.  He hated being anything less than one hundred percent, but he had to remind himself that while it was irritating to need help in the first place, it was awfully nice to have this woman there for him when he needed her. 

Grasping her hands he slowly stood up from the bed, dull pain coming from his stiff joints.  He still had some treatments to endure throughout his recovery, but he was assured that he would be back to normal eventually. Leia started to lead him toward the ‘fresher but he kept his feet routed to the floor.

She met his resistance and turned back to see him smirking back at her.  “What?” she asked.

Slowly he pulled her back toward him.  “Come here.”

Offering no resistance, she let him wrap his arms around her, and she returned the embrace warmly but cautiously.  He could tell she was still afraid to hurt him.

“I’m all right, you know,” he said and then felt her nod against his chest in response.  “And I’m not goin’ anywhere again.”

She hugged him tighter and he knew that she was trying to remain as unaffected as possible.  The past few weeks and even the past few months had been hell for her.  And she was finally given a chance to breathe.  Everything was going to be fine. 

“Happy Father’s Day,” she said, her voice muffled against his chest. 

“Thanks.” 

There were a lot of other things he could’ve said to her, but he was never much for a lot of words.  Right now he only wanted to be content in the fact that he was home with his family and their lives were getting back to normal. 

He leaned away from Leia, tilting her chin up so he could lean down and kiss her gently.  “Now, what’s this about a big breakfast?”

Chapter 11

Dinner had proven to be surprisingly uneventful given the sudden turn of events.  Leia had seemed more civil than Han could remember her being since this whole ordeal had started.  They’d talked about anything aside from their ‘marriage’ or the war that would continue without them while they would be stuck trying to convince some counselor that they did not belong together.

Han laughed to himself, wondering if it could possibly take an entire month for anyone to know for certain that he and Leia could not be husband and wife.  He’d have to see if anyone had ever been dismissed early from the program.  Any sane person would be able to tell that for their own personal safety their marriage needed to be dissolved as quickly as possible. 

While spending all of this time with Leia talking about their non-existent relationship wasn’t Han’s first choice, he had to admit that it sure beat hanging around with the Rebels in constant fear that the Empire could show up and obliterate them all at any moment.  Sure, he might miss flying the Falcon for a little while, but keeping her docked might give him some time to fix up a few things he’d been putting off that required excessive idle time that up until now he hadn’t had. 

With those thoughts in mind, Han slept surprisingly well that night.  While he never liked the idea of some counselor trying to tell him how he should ‘feel’ and spending the next several weeks playing ridiculous games designed to keep a loving couple from making a mistake, he wasn’t really anxious or worried about what the experience would entail.  Just about anything beat being shot at. 

He awakened feeling well rested and almost having forgotten what he had to do that day.  Opting to let Leia sleep a bit longer – if that was in fact why she hadn’t yet emerged from her bunk – he made his way to the galley to fix up a quick breakfast.  He could still hear Chewie snoring loudly, the Wookiee knowing full well that he had the day to himself and there was no reason to get an early start.  And in the middle of his first sip of caf he looked up to see a tired-looking princess.

“Good morning,” he said casually, not entirely sure what sort of mood to expect from her.

“Hi,” she replied indifferently.  Her hair was meticulously wrapped in a crown of braids on top of her head and she was dressed simply in black pants tucked into equally black boots, a while button-down blouse adorning her upper half.  He noted, not for the first time, that she could make the simplest outfits look good. 

None of that, Solo.  You gotta spend the next month making sure how evident it is that you can’t stand this woman.  “You hungry?” 

She shrugged.  “I’ll just have some caf.”  Without another word she went and poured herself a cup before sitting across the table from Han.  After a few moments of near silence, the exception being the sound of Han chewing his breakfast, Leia spoke again.  “So, today should be… interesting.”

Han arched his eyebrow, surprised that she was choosing to bring it up.  “Yeah.  How long do you think it will take for us to prove to them they need to grant us a divorce?”

“I’m not sure,” she said, looking down while her fingers absently played with the warm mug of caf on the table in front of her.  “They take the sanctity of marriage pretty seriously around here.”

“Yeah, well, they obviously need to have a less liberal policy on the distribution of marriage licenses if that’s how they feel about it.  Prevent people from making any rash and/or drunken decisions.”

He caught a hint of a smile from her, which caused him to display a full-wattage grin.  He caught himself just before she looked up at him.

“Just do me a favor and try not to make me look too bad, all right?” Leia joked.

“Only if you promise the same.”

“Yes, well, whatever horrible things I say about you will be true.  You’ll just start to make things up in order to make me look like the bad guy here.”

“Well, you are the bad guy, aren’t you?  I mean, if it were up to me, we’d just stay married.”  He’d said it as a joke, but for a brief moment he wondered if he wasn’t kidding.

“No, you want out just as badly as I do.”

Han hesitated before answering.  “Right, sure.”  He glanced at his chrono.  “I think it’s time to go, Mrs. Solo.”

She had started to get up and stopped immediately upon hearing him say “Mrs. Solo” but it seemed her sense of humor had returned because instead of being angry, she looked up at him with a smirk on her face.  “Don’t get too used to saying that.  I know you only married me for my money.”

“Who says I need your money?  I got plenty of my own.”

They began walking down the ramp.  “Really?  You could’ve fooled me.  Wasn’t that duct tape I saw holding the thermal exhaust port together?”

“All right, all right,” he said as they walked.  “Save it until we have an audience.”

And with that, the Solos headed for their first day of marriage counseling.

Stars on the Water - A Missing Moment by Seams2B

The following missing moment story was submitted by Seams2B.

This story fills in the missing beach scene moment from Book 2 of The Black Fleet Crisis: Shield of Lies.

Stars on the Water

As they continued in an intimate silence, Leia cast her gaze about her at the sea, the beach, and the sky. “This is nice, Han,” she said, as Anakin looked up from his sand sculptures and came running toward them.  “Thank you. I don’t feel quite so much like one of the squibs out here.”  Page 227-228 of Shield of Lies.

“Good, because you know what I think of squibs,” Han replied curtly

as he spied their three kids running full speed along the wet, sandy shoreline towards him and Leia.

In a split second, Han spontaneously scooped up his wife in his arms and started running with Leia in tow, into the tranquil sea waters.

Motioning with his head and voice for the kids to follow him, Han yelled in their direction, “Come on, kids, it’s about time Mom goes for a swim!”

Completely caught off guard, Leia suddenly felt her sandy toes brushing the surface of the water, threatening and laughing at the same time she screamed, “Han Solo you put me down this instant!”

She realized as the words left her lips that was exactly what her husband had in mind.

She heard Han utter, “By your command, your highness,” and her slight figure sailed through the air as he tossed her into the waves, reminiscent of her comm-link he threw into the water earlier.

Han was grinning like a nexu cub after a full meal, thoroughly enjoying throwing his wife into the ocean. Maybe the shock will snap her completely out of her business mode. If not, there will be hell to pay he thought.

Surfacing from her submerged dunking, Leia grinned a playful ‘oh, you are going to pay for that’ grin and pushed a wave of water towards him with pitiful results. 

“Ha, is that the best you’ve got, Princess?”  Han chided back to her with that look in his eyes.

Catching his mischievous gleam, Leia playfully responded, her grin and gleam matching his.  “Just you wait, Flyboy, you may never see my best again.” Smiling a self-satisfactory smirk, Han knew he finally broke the wizard’s spell.

 “Me too, me too!” Jacen, Jaina, and Anakin all cried at once while jumping and climbing all over their dad.

“Throw me, Daddy just like you did Mama,  pleeeeease,” Anakin begged, barely able to contain himself.

With a swoop and a toss, a squealing Anakin was air-bound and splashed into the water next to his mom.  Laughingly, Leia helped Anakin to the surface of the water, “Again, again!” he cried excitedly.

“My turn!” both Jaina and Jacen screamed in unison.

 “Uh-oh, double trouble,” Han growled through his grin and with the reflex and strength of a Wookiee, Han gathered both kids at once and launched them into the water. 

“Whoa, a double dunking, impressive, most impressive...” Leia chuckled.  She helped the twins just as she did with Anakin. Over and over the kids reveled in their daddy’s airborne soakings.

The children giggled, splashed, and played as they swam around their parents.

Conspiring with her children, Leia whispered,  “Let’s get Daddy.”  At once Anakin enthusiastically yelled, “Attack!” 

Swiftly, the Solo offspring surrounded their daddy, playfully attacking him.

Encouraging their giggles and animated cries, Han did his best “Oh, you got me” fake death, causing the kids to squeal even louder. 

“Help me, Princess, you’re my only hope.” Han pleaded to his wife.

To which Leia jokingly responded, “You should have thought about that before you threw me into the water.”  Her smile was brighter than the noon day sun.

Han’s classic “who me?” expression beamed across his face.

Leia felt a wave of calm and peace wash over her as she watched her husband, father of her children, acting like a big kid himself.

His wet hair shimmered about his head, water glistened off of his bare chest and he just stood there in the waist deep water letting his spirited children use him as a human jungle gym.

Catching Han’s eye, Leia put two her two fingers to her lips and pressed into them, then turned her fingers towards Han, sending him her secret kiss.

He returned her silent kiss with a lopsided grin and a wink as he plucked Jacen off his back and tossed him into the sea.

Finally having enough roughhousing, Han said to the kids  “All right, kids, time to give the old man a break.”  He waded his way over to his wife.

He gestured towards Leia, “Dad’s got to make sure Mom’s not getting a sunburn.  Uh-oh, too late,” he winced as he peered under her shoulder strap of her azure blue tankini top.  “I’ll have to put some cream on that later,” signaling her with his sultry smile.  “Hmmmm.” Was Leia’s only reply.

“I’m hungry.” Anakin whined as he crawled up into Leia’s arms and rested his head on her sunburn shoulder.  Kissing his little forehead, Leia suggested, “Now would be a good time to eat lunch.  Come on, let’s go see what Daddy packed for us to eat.”

“Hey Dad, Dad, Daddy,” Jacen repeated trying to get his father’s attention.

“What, sport?” Han asked as everyone was making their way back to the shore.

“What do the Dathomir witches eat when they go to the beach?”  Jacen was excitedly gearing up to tell his joke’s punch line.

“I don’t know, Jace? What do Dathomir witches eat when they go to the beach?” Han took hold of Jacen and Jaina’s hands.

“Sand-witches.” Both Jaina and Jacen laughed hysterically at Jacen’s comedic impromptu.

Holding the twins’ hands and Leia carrying Anakin, the Solo family made their way back to their shaded sand cabana. After a full lunch of sandwiches, drinks, fruit-salad, and even a treat, Han and the kids quickly fell asleep in the shade of their tent.

Leia packed up the rest of the lunchtime picnic and sat down at the edge of their cabana, digging her toes into the soft sand.  She stared out across the water, taking in the serene surf and the brilliant blue sky.  It’s hard to believe this is still Coruscant, she thought to herself.

The sun is so bright and the sky is so clear and just look at the sea, how it sparkles like stars, almost reminds me of some of my childhood trips to the shore.  She continued her silent reflection.

At least I’ve have a chance to relive childhood a bit again through the eyes of my kids. I promise to do things like this more often.  She pondered and turned her head to watch the napping foursome, she couldn’t help but laugh at their syncopated snoring mixing with the sound of the surf.

“No matter what happens we have this special memory. I have this memory. I love you all, my family.  You mean more to me than you will ever know. Thank you for bringing me here.”  She softly whispered to them.

Gazing back out upon the sparkling sea, and tracing random lines in the silky sand with her finger, she happily sighed and reflected, I will always remember this moment when we played and laughed together in the ocean, beaming, shining just like stars on the water.

Thank you so much for the lovely contribution!  As always, anyone can feel free to submit a story for us to post on the blog.