Worlds Between War: Star Wars One-Shots

Debt Runs Both Ways

Leia Organa was accustom to understanding everything. She had been exceptionally brilliant in her years of schooling, her time in the Imperial Senate had proven her to be a wise and courageous leader even at her young age, and as the daughter of Bail Organa took her place as a leader of the Rebel Alliance, she yet again made a reputable name for herself with her cunning wit and sense of government. She even prided herself in her extreme understanding toward others and her abilities in analyzing the people around her. Leia was not used to not understanding things and on the isolated occasion that she came across something that she could not make sense of, she was greatly frustrated.

So it was no surprise that she grew increasingly and perplexingly frustrated with Han Solo.

Upon first encountering the coarse and cocky pilot, Leia had made the assumption that he was simply a mercenary in need of cash. He was stubborn, selfish, and all together out for himself which made disliking him fairly easy. It wasn't until he returned to the Rebellion in order to aid Luke Skywalker in destroying the Death Star that Leia was forced to reevaluate her opinion of the smuggler. Yes, he was rough around the edges and he got on her nerves, but when push came to shove, he had his friends' backs. He may not have been easy to get along with, but he had earned Leia's respect.

But then she had to work with him.

After the pilot joined the Rebel Alliance as a more- but not totally- permanent memeber, Leia yet again changed her mind about Captain Solo. Beneath the arrogance had been loyalty, and beneath that loyalty there was a thick layer of rudeness. Han lacked courtesy, respect, and tact and frankly, he was a pain to be around. He did things his way and he was bold about it. If she gave him an order to make a supply run, he took a nap. If he was called in for a briefing in the main hanger, he'd stroll in half an hour late. If she asked him for a status report, he'd say he was busy and she would find him playing cards in the mess hall. He was utterly impossible in every sense of the word but that wasn't the part that confused her. What astounded Leia was that despite the fact that Han Solo was a bossy, snippy, selfish, annoying Nerf-herder, there was one being in the galaxy that he got along with abnormally well.

The Wookiee.

Chewbacca; the towering, bowcaster-wielding hairball who held the title of first mate aboard the Millennium Falcon seemed to follow his captain- and best friend- everywhere he went. Chewbacca- or Chewie as Leia had earned the right to call him- had been intimidating at first glance. Leia had met him aboard the Death along with Han and although the lumbering beast had made her uneasy, she quickly learned that he was harmless toward his allies. His bark was most definitely worse than his bite as long as you weren't an Imperial officer. He was nothing if not sensitive in a way and that was what left Leia astonished. How did the furry creature who had been afraid to dive into a garbage chute, end up with the callous likes of Han Solo? It made no sense. Chewie was protective. He was loyal and he was in some aspects even comforting to be around, while Han showed no signs of caring about anyone other than his Wookiee counterpart. Leia wondered how such a relationship was possible. One day, she got her answer.

"I just need them, okay?"

Leia raised her eyebrows as her hands settled instinctively onto her hips to display her skepticism. "What could you possibly need four extra blankets for? You've already taken two and we're short on supply as it is." It was late in the night on the ice planet Hoth and Leia had been woken up grand total of seventeen times by soldiers who needed more blankets in their cabin due to the inclement temperatures at Echo Base. This was the first week that the new station for the rebellion was up and running and so far, the power had gone out twice and the running water had become an intangible idea as the pipes were frozen. It was, in comparison to the tropical Yavin 4, less than preferable but Leia was trying to make the best of it. Now Han stood in her doorway with his hands in his pockets and the hood of his parka slipped over his coffee-brown hair. He was asking for four blasted blankets! He was one man!