X-Men: The Empire Strikes Back

Chapter Six

It was times like this that Danielle would have been perfectly happy attempting to fit two in an X-wing, because Han and Leia's tension was getting worse.

Not that it wasn't fun to watch, but being stuck in the same ship with them for hours . . . it got old.

She straightened up, dusting her hands off from helping C-3PO to the computer. "There you go, Threepio."

"Oh, where is Artoo when I need him?" the droid whined.

Danielle just patted his metal arm as the computer began whistling oddly. Danielle frowned at it as Han came in. "Hello," she told him.

"Hey," he nodded. "Goldenrod?"

"Sir, I don't know where your ship learned to communicate, but it has the most peculiar dialect," C-3PO told him. "I believe, sir, it says that the power coupling on the negative axis has been polarized. I'm afraid you'll have to replace it."

Han grimaced at that. "Well, of course I'll have to replace it," he grumbled, heading across the hold.

Danielle shook her head, grinning as she headed back to Leia. "Han just got told by a droid," she giggled.

"Did he now?" Leia asked, who was in the middle of welding a valve back in place in the circuitry bay.

"Negative power coupling," Danielle smiled, brushing her hair behind her ear. In the time they'd been on Hoth, her hair had gone nearly pin straight. Now, back where there was a bit more humidity, her hair had begun to regain its natural curl. "It was rather cute."

"Cute?"

Danielle gave her a look. "This is coming from the Nightsister from Dathomir who had never seen a droid before she met the two smugglers who saved her life."

"Right," Leia nodded, setting her gloves to the side. "Lovely."

Danielle tilted her head, regarding Leia with interest, before smirking and shaking her head. "Let me know if you need help," she said before she left.

***

Leia watched Danielle go before shaking her head and grabbing the lever with both hands. She twisted sharply, hoping to turn it, but it didn't budge. Narrowing, she tried again and again, and she admitted it, she jumped when Han's arms came around her to help. She narrowed her eyes, grabbed onto the lever telekinetically, and she wrenched it hard.

"Hey, Your Worship!" Han complained when she nearly hit him. "I'm only trying to help!"

"Would you please stop calling me that?" she snapped.

Han shrugged. "Sure, Leia," he replied easily.

Leia gritted her teeth. After all that time . . . "Oh, you make it so difficult sometimes . . . "

"I do," Han nodded. "I really do. You could be a little nicer, though. Come on, admit it. Sometimes, you think I'm all right."

Leia's hands slipped, and Leia cringed when she hit her knuckles hit the wall. She hissed, raising a hand to her mouth, before she turned to Han. "Occasionally, maybe . . . when you aren't acting like a scoundrel."

"Scoundrel?" Han repeated, looking more amused than offended as he tilted his head, inspecting her hands. "Scoundrel? I like the sound of that."

Leia instinctively stiffened when he took her hands. "Stop that."

"Stop what?"

"Stop that!" She nodded at her hands. "My hands are dirty!"

"My hands are, too. What are you afraid of?"