Fame and the Force

Chapter One

Part II to my three part Fame Trilogy. 

If you haven't read Fame and Fortune, this story will make NO SENSE to you at all!

Fame and the Force

Sequel to Fame and Fortune -

Chapter One

Corellia

Princess Leia was walking out of the Coronet City Clinic with a light spring in her step. Han's recovery was going well, and the spice patch was doing what it was intended to do. Han was only suffering minor symptoms of spice withdrawal, the most notable being crankiness. Leia thought in amusement that might be caused by his confinement in a clinic as much as the spice issue. Han was never very good at staying put in a clinic. As the door to the lift opened, Leia smiled at the sole occupant standing inside - Corran Horn.

"I assume you're going to see our complaining patient?" Leia said with a smile, stepping aside to allow Corran to exit.

"Yes," Corran agreed, moving out into the corridor. "Luke tells me Evin's getting antsy and he's afraid he's going to try and sneak out before he's released. I figured someone better relieve you and Ambassador Chewbacca from Evin-sitting duties."

"He's going to be released tomorrow, so hopefully he'll be in a better mood after that," Leia replied, then added, "I haven't had a chance to thank you for your help rescuing him."

"If I'd been doing my job correctly, he wouldn't have needed rescuing in the first place," Corran said dourly.

"It wasn't your fault, and I know that Evin certainly doesn't blame you."

"Princess Leia?"

"Yes?"

Corran looked around the busy corridor, then nodded toward an unoccupied waiting room. As soon as Leia followed him inside, he turned and said, "Can I ask you a question?"

Here it comes... "Of course."

"Why do you keep calling Evin by the name Han?" Corran asked softly. "And Luke and Mara don't seem to even notice you're doing it, either."

Leia knew she'd eventually have to explain her error, yet was still unprepared. "I guess, I guess... when I saw Evin on that torture device I had a flashback to Bespin. I didn't mean to call him the wrong name. It just slipped out." She gave a tenative smile. "I'm glad that Evin didn't hear me call him that or it might have hurt his feelings. Please don't tell him I called him the wrong man's name."

None of that was a lie, exactly, but Leia felt guilty nonetheless. Corran was a good man, and he didn't deserve to be lied to about this issue. However, during a discussion earlier with Han about her verbal slip, he'd been adament about not telling Corran his identity. According to Han, Corran would quit his job as Security Chief if he found out he was really employed by Han Solo, the ex-smuggler he and his father had chased, but failed to catch, for several years before Han and Chewie started working for the Rebellion. General Han Solo had, briefly, been Corran's Commanding Officer while onboard the New Republic's ship, the Mon Remonda. The two men had never crossed paths during that time, and Han suspected that Corran had always tried to avoid him due to his dislike of his fellow Corellian. Both Luke and Leia had tried to dissuade Han from that paranoid idea, but he stubbornly refused to budge.

Corran stroked his chin in thought. Although he knew he couldn't come out and say that Princess Leia was lying, he also knew she wasn't telling the entire truth. Luke and Mara would have reacted in some way to her calling Evin by her lost lover's name, and certainly Chewbacca would have reacted in a negative way. That led his thoughts in another direction.