Star Wars: A Long Drabble Ago

A Glimpse Onto the Future

Inspired from a scene of Paradise Snare when Han is coming to Alderaan and watches a video of Bail Organa, with a young Leia sitting on his lap, welcoming coming freighters.

---------------------------------------------

  Han had to admit he was really liking Alderaan. Although this was supposed to be a brief visit before he headed off again. He just needed to get those spices off his hands so he had a clean ship! This visit to Alderaan was just a . . . a break. And a long deserved one, Han thought.

  Around him were pleasant sounds of laughter and joy, children running around the city park, their parents seated on the grassy ground, talking, joking. Not a worry, not a care. What a good life it must have been.

  A particularly shrill screech caught Han's attention and his gaze swung to see a small girl running his way. Brown hair flying past her like a flag, she careened around his legs and circled back to stop at his side, standing there to catch her breath. "You have to catch me, Daddy!" she yelled and Han looked in the direction she was looking to see an older man and woman slowly making their way over. "You have to slow down," the man laughed. "Lelila, we're getting too old to keep up with you!"

  The little girl at his side laughed. She looked up at him and erupted into inexplicable giggles.

  "I'm sorry about her," the woman apologized, taking the girl's hand. "I'm afraid she's becoming a bit too quick for us." She flashed a comical frown at her daughter and the adorable girl laughed again.

  "She's alright," Han insisted with a shake of his head. "There's nothing wrong with playing."

  "Thank you," the girl said. "And sorry for running into you. I didn't mean to."

  "That's alright-" Han looked at her again and realized, feeling a bit clumsy and awkward, that he recognized her from the video transmitted to ships approaching Alderaanian space. There had been the Alderaanian viceroy in the video with a young girl on his knee. This girl. The princess. "That's alright, Princess."

-------------------------------------

  Panting and sweating profusely, Leia clamped down on his hand tighter, her moans turning into growls with each new contraction. Han stayed right at her side, squeezing back, kissing her temple, and repeating phrases of comfort and encouragement. "Please tell me," she panted. "That . . . the Healer . . . is going to be . . . here . . . soon."

  Han nodded and promised her, "Soon."

   Another contraction ripped through Leia's body and she held back a scream, her fingernails biting into the skin on Han's hand. As the pain eased, Leia looked at him and apologized, I'm sorry."

  "Hey, there's nothing to be sorry about. That's alright, Princess."