ACROSS THE STARS || STAR WARS AU

Space Cadet

When Han returned to the house, he found Lando already there waiting for him. He was leaning beside his parked white van, shading himself from the afternoon sun.

"It's about time you got here, man!" Lando folded his arms, watching as Han climbed out. "I nearly melted out here!"

"Yeah, sorry about that." Han was not all that sorry, only feigning his apology to calm the man. "I got caught up in more 'alien' nonsense."

"What happened now?" Lando asked, walking beside Han as they entered the garage shed.

"Leia found her brother, who turns out is Luke of all people. They're twins if you can believe that," Han started to explain as he rummaged for his toolbox. "And something about a space prophecy where Emperors cannot have kids. But their father, who is an Apprentice, had them so that is why they're in danger."

"You really know how to simplify things, Han," Lando remarked. "Where is Leia right now?"

Han scoffed, raising an eyebrow at his friend. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"She stayed with Luke at the Lars's ranch. Apparently, he has space magic too and she's training him," He continued, finally finding the toolbox. He tugged it out from among the various junk, carrying it by the handle.

"The ship isn't too far from here." Han gestured for Lando to follow. After he placed the toolbox in the bed of the truck, Chewie went up to the rusted box and sniffed it. Meanwhile, Lando went to the passenger side and waited patiently for Han to climb in.

Han could feel Lando's stare on him as he started the ignition to the truck, knowing what this type of look meant. "Just say it."

"You still don't believe, do you?" His friend studied him with the same intensity he did with one of his engineering problems.

"No," Han said. "But's let say for the sake of the argument, she is an alien. Don't you think it's a little strange she looks exactly like us?"

"Hmm," Lando hummed as he pondered this. "I will admit I imagined aliens to be more-"

"Reptilian?" Han interrupted. "Greener? Shorter?"

"Yes," He laughed. "But that was our mistake, wasn't it? Nothing says they have to look like that except Hollywood."

"Okay, but also why are you so cool with there being alien life?" Han pointed out; the thought suddenly occurring to him. "Isn't that something that should be earth-shattering? No pun intended, by the way. But maybe even a little frightening?"

"I have always believed in alien life, so this is just confirmation," Lando answered. "We can't be the only life forms out here."

"You're not getting it," Han grumbled, becoming frustrated with his not-so-genius of a friend. "If there are more of her, and apparently there are, what if they are not nice? Because according to her, some of them obviously aren't. And if they're coming here-"

"Ohhhh," Lando realized. "Yeah, I didn't think of that..."

Han couldn't help but smirk, feeling like he had outsmarted the smartest person he knew. "I didn't think so."

He pulled the truck over in the dirt, taking out the key before the wheels could stop moving. He jumped out, landing on a heap of sand and heading straight for the toolbox. He lifted it, its weight pulling his hand down and his fingers tight around the warm handle. It had never felt this heavy before, so why now?

"So where is it?" Lando came up behind him.

"This way." Han walked away, letting his dog and friend run to catch up with him.