ACROSS THE STARS || STAR WARS AU

Out Of This World

"Han!"

Somewhere from beyond the void, someone was yelling his name. He knew this voice, he had heard it call his names many times before.

But from where, Han had no idea.

"Han!" The voice was becoming clearer now, more recognizable.

There was a sudden pressure around his shoulders, something was gripping him. He felt his upper body start to shake back and forth as this pressure around him tightened. The darkness he had been surrounded in started to fade, giving way to the light.

Han gasped, coughing out for air. He shielded his eyes from the brightness around him, squinting to make out the two figures hovering over him.

A new figure came into view, licking his face all over with its tongue.

"Hey!" Han pushed the dog aside, wiping the drool off with his sleeve. "I'm okay, Chewie!"

"We thought you were dead!" Luke exclaimed.

"What happened? Where's Leia?" Lando asked, looking around the destroyed den. The sofa had a giant burn in it. The wall was covered in scorch marks and one large black hole near Han. Glass was scattered all over the carpet from the broken coffee table.

Han grimaced at the memory. He might have been knocked out for most of it, but he had heard enough to know what happened. "She was taken by Vader."

"I told you something was wrong!" Luke declared, pointing at Lando.

"What- What do you mean?" Han struggled to his feet, using the nearby wall to steady himself.

"A feeling came over me. A bad one," He started to explain. "Something was telling me Leia was in trouble."

"So that's why you decided to come here," Han realized with a frown. "Where were you this entire time? We could have used your help, ya' know!"

"I- uh, First, I went back to the ranch. Or what was left of it. Found this in the ashes." Luke pulled out a lightsaber hilt in perfect condition. Free of any burn marks, it was as if it hadn't even been caught in an explosion. "It still works, surprisingly."

"I went looking for him," Lando interjected. "Found him at the bar, downing his third drink. I'm lucky I showed up when I did. Otherwise, we might not have made it here."

Han nodded, barely understanding anything his friend had said. "We have to get her."

"Of course, she's my sister!" Luke cried out.

"The problem is what if they're already gone? Like long gone?" Lando argued.

"Doesn't matter," Han stated, shaking his head. "We're going after her."

"How exactly?" Lando crossed his arms, watching as Han began pacing around the room.

"We can use the ship!" Luke piped up.

"We don't even know if it's ready."

Han stopped his pacing, crushing a piece of glass under his boot with a crunch. "We'll have to risk it then."

"Are you serious?" Lando scoffed. "We could die before it even takes off!"

Han narrowed his eyes, irritated by his friend's continuous doubt. "Like I said, we will have to risk it. I would rather die trying than do nothing."

His voice was full of unwavering conviction, something he had never displayed before. Even Luke and Lando couldn't help but gape at the dramatic change that had come over him.

Han regarded the men with his steely gaze. "So. Are you coming with me or not?"

~

The drive to the ship was a wild and bumpy one. Han never considered himself a tortoise on the road, but now he was tearing through the dirt and burning rubber. Lando had to even tell him to slow down before he got them all killed.