Star Wars: Lightforce

Chapter 10

Two extra days aboard the Falcon was not anyone's ideal pastime, but they made use of the time with maintenance duties. C-3PO plugged in to the ship's many computers diagnosing any minor issues that required their attention, although he complained constantly about the lack of finesse with which they spoke back to him and preened whenever he identified an issue and instructed them to fix it.

Leia busied herself. She was quite good at minor repairs, but Han and Chewbacca were better at climbing in and around the service hatches. They knew the ship better, of course, with all it's secret compartments and modifications.

Her thoughts ran over the meeting ahead, but also to the situation on Thyfeera and the coded report. She really wanted to investigate it further. The gnawing feeling she had in her gut that the surface mystery hid a rather nastier agenda, wouldn't go away.

Putting some equipment away in the storage area compartments, she went to the galley and made some spice tea. Coming back along the corridor, she paused by the missile tube viewport. Chewbacca had taken them out of lightspeed for their approach to Chandrila and the stars were bright and sparkling like a scattering of jewels in Chandrila's crown. She hugged her warm cup in her hands, watching the steam rise from the liquid and leaned against the bulkhead absent mindedly.

Han noticed her lost in thought as he pulled his head back out of the power cell access panel. He pushed to his feet and came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Share your thoughts?"

"Huh!" she half laughed as if that would be quite a task. "I'm just trying to organise them all." She leaned back against him. "You know I said sometimes I want to run to the farthest corner of the galaxy?"

"Uh, huh."

"Well this might be one of those times." He held her a little tighter.

"Is meeting this friend really so bad?"

"Yes. No. I don't know," she replied, turning to face him and leaning back against the viewport. "No. Not really. He's OK. It's just one more thing, and each time I approach Chandrila, I feel the pressure... of government... of expectation, and I'm not sure I'm ready for it."

Han put his hands on her hips. Her attractive brown eyes held sadness and that caused a pain in his chest that he didn't welcome.

"Hey. Tell you what. The moment you feel you wanna get outta there, you give me the nod and we'll be gone. OK?" She looked up at him, smiling gratefully. She knew he would do it too, if she asked it.

"OK," she agreed.

Chewbacca growled over the comm that they were on their final approach to the Hanna City space port. Han kissed her gently.

"I'd better go help Chewie."

"I'd better make myself presentable," Leia replied, holding her cup aside and looking down at her grubby clothing.

"You don't have to wear anything to look presentable." Han couldn't resist the opportunity as he walked away from her.

"In your dreams, General," she retorted. Han laughed and, when he looked back, caught her smiling as she headed towards the berths to change. He mentally clocked up a point to himself.

#

When they landed, Han, Chewbacca and C-3PO made their way to the cargo bay hatchway as Leia emerged from the berth corridor. Her outfit was not what Han had expected. She had gone for quite a military look of a smart jacket with multiple clasps down the front, an echo of that of her aide, but clearly higher rank. It was of the dark blue colours of Alderaan, with the symbol on her lapel of a horned animal of a type Han didn't recognise, but that he knew was the crest of House Organa. Her hair was smartly raised at the back of her head with multiple looped braids hanging down.

He noted her gun belt which contained her blaster and a vibro-blade. He looked her up and down without saying a word.

"What is it?" she quizzed him, noticing his scrutiny and looking down at her own outfit. "Too much of a statement?"

"Not at all," he replied, understanding that she wanted to make a visual point to her visitor. "In fact," he continued, reaching into a hidden compartment in the bulk head wall and pulling another blaster off it's charging unit. "I don't think you have quite enough weapons," he said, passing it to her, straight faced.

She took it and considered his face for a moment, then smiled and attached it to her belt on the other hip. Taking his arm as they walked down the ramp, she said,

"Now, you see. That's why I love you so much. You know me very well."

"That and the fact that I'm so irresistibly good looking," he teased. She laughed loudly.

"Yes. And that." He grinned as he escorted her to the shuttle bay to take them to the government buildings.