Fame and Fortitude

Chapter Three

Chapter Three

Onboard the Wookiee Princess

Immediately after the wrap-up party, Corran and Mirax flew Leia's ship, The Alderaan, back to Corellia while Han, Leia, Isabell and Chewie and Malla headed home on Han's ship.

Shortly after making the jump into hyperspace, Han swung around in his pilot's seat, giving a worried grin at his pregnant wife. "You're not still mad at me, are you? I won the race, and I didn't even get injured." He frowned, remembering Director Wood's hysterical reaction when he got back to the finish line with Bilt Lancer riding along on the back of his swoop. Wood's over-the-top reaction to a few scratches the bike received made Han wonder how the man would handle an actual emergency. Thanks to the crazed director, the holo-reporters got a juicy story to report that Evin Daysun went 'rogue' on the movie set and 'almost got himself killed' as the director described the race. Lando was going to rip Han's head off over this incident and the subsequent bad publicity that was sure to follow.

"I was never mad," Leia replied with a sigh. "I was worried about you. Believe it or not, I want my husband alive and well when these babies are born. And home with me, too."

"After this concert tour, Lando's giving me a six months sabbatical before the next movie starts," Han informed his wife. "By the way, how's the house redecorating comin' along?"

"It's almost done," Leia said, thinking about all the changes and updates she'd made in the past several months. Han had given his blessings to redecorate the mansion, as long as he wasn't required to give his input with color and furniture selections. "Mara and Luke are still working on their wing of the house." The Princess bit her lip, then decided to plunge ahead with something she'd been thinking about for quite a while. "Han... I know you love having Luke, Mara and little Ben all living in our house, but ..." She stopped, looking a bit apprehensive.

"You don't want them living with us?"

"No! It's not that at all. It's just now that they have a baby, maybe they'd like to have their own home. A house set a little closer to the Academy building."

Han scratched his chin in contemplation. "I'd gladly have a house built for them. I don't know how to ask them without it coming across that I want them to leave, though. I like having everyone living with us."

"Chewie and Malla live in their own house," Leia pointed out. "They're over all the time, and we'd have Luke, Mara and Ben over for dinner all the time, too. Plus, we're both over at the Academy for lightsaber practice quite often, as well. We'd still see them."

"I know. But you can be the one to ask them, an' just make sure you tell Luke that I don't actually want them to leave?"

"Yes, Han," Leia said with a laugh. "You sure have gotten clingy in your new persona."

Solo's eyes grew wide. "Clingy? CLINGY?"

Leia bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from grinning. "Yes. Clingy. You want everyone you know living within shouting distance."

"I do not," Han argued hotly. "Lando lives on Coruscant, and I'm perfectly fine with him and his fiancée living on another planet. Far, far away."

"That's because Lando bosses you around, and everyone else you can boss around."

"Really? Me? I boss you around? Or Luke? What about Mara?"

"Mara would kill you if you tried bossing her," Leia said.

"You would, too."

"True."

"Speaking of Lando, he wants to meet with me about some movie role," Han grumbled. "A musical, yet again. I've told him hundreds of times I don't want to do musicals, and he's always pressuring me to sign on for one, anyway. This time he's upping the stakes, and bringing Krystal Missta along with him to try and change my mind."