Redamancy - Han Solo [3]

Chapter 19: Not Until Tomorrow

The forest was alive. Lights like fireflies filled the air, flickering from enormous bonfires and torches around the Ewoks' treetop villages. Hollering, shouting, drums, music, the natural sounds of the forest drowned out by the jubilation, however temporary it would be. Tonight, the forest was alive.

Alive with heroes, with stories, with love, with hope, with triumph, with happiness.

Tasha hugged Lando tightly as she saw him, arms around his neck, relieved. She had known he was alright, but she hadn't seen him before then. Han came up and did the same, hugging his friend in that way that guys do when they truly care about someone but still want to appear manly and unbothered.

Lando saw Leia appear from behind Han as he embraced his friend, his smile widening. Her hair hung long down her back, and she was wearing a long dress that he hadn't seen before. A smile broke her face as she saw him, and she had to restrain herself from flat out running to him. He picked her up when she reached him, holding her tight to him, spinning her around, feet in the air. Tasha smiled. Han just rolled his eyes at his overdramatic friend.

Luke wasn't with them. He was busy. He'd dragged the body of Vader down the ramp of the stolen shuttle, legs wobbling underneath him. Tasha hadn't been there; she'd seen him later. He'd come to her after, told her what happened, how he'd sacrificed himself for them. How he'd wanted Luke to tell her that he was sorry. he wanted to burn the suit... the body, to give his father a proper burial. She couldn't begrudge him that. He'd asked her if she wanted to be there. No, she didn't. It had taken her a long time to make peace with her past. She didn't forgive him for what he'd done, she'd never forget it, but she'd made peace with it. And he couldn't begrudge her that either.

So while Luke stood silently watching the burning pyre, Tasha stood amongst the crowd, laughing and beaming, Han's hand on her shoulder. The golden light from the fires made her black hair golden, and eliminated the coolness that lived in her green eyes. She was beautiful, ethereal, soft, even if just for that night. Han smiled down at her. The light softened his eyes too.

Leia stood with Lando's arm absentmindedly around her waist, and felt weightless for the first time in her life. Tasha stood next to her, and it was easy to see she felt the same, that everyone around them felt the same; that for Lando, the guilt he'd felt for what he did had been lifted; for all of them they could finally see that all they had done all this time hadn't been in vain. And it was intoxicating.

The creatures danced amongst the flames, the rebels joining with them, the galaxy united on this small moon.

They were united. Han, Tasha, Luke, Leia, Lando, Chewie, Threepio, Artoo... all of them. And they weren't always, and probably wouldn't always be in the future. But they were right now.

"We did it," Han said quietly, his lips moving against her hair as he kissed the swirling patterns of light on her head.

"Guess we did," she smiled, eyes closed, basking in the moment.

"So what now?" her eyes were still closed.

"Now, the real work begins." Tasha opened her eyes, looking around at the scene once more, the dancing, the singing, the Ewoks playing stormtrooper helmets like bongo drums. Wedge waved at her, grinning, trying to get her out dancing with a group of pilots to the strange music that filled the air. Grabbing Han's hand, she pulled him with her into the throng of people, pulling him close enough to her to say quietly into his ear:

"But not until tomorrow."