L E I A & H A N : An Adventurous Love Story

Ch.16

    Weeks had passed since I was captured. Within those weeks, I was dragged back and forth by storm troopers to Vader, with him trying to convince me to join him on the dark side. I will never join. I will never join anything that has to do with that monster.
My father, the man before that monster, was dead and someone that I never knew. This is the only man I know now. Once he turned to the dark side, my father was long gone.
    He claimed that Luke and I were strong with the force because of him. Luke would never join and Vader knew that, as he tried countless of times to lure him to the dark side. I was not as strong as Luke but I was still force sensitive which meant if I trained hard enough, I could be as strong.
     Yesterday was my last chance to join or I would be executed. I didn't join so now I wait to be executed. I wanted to get it over with already and end my misery. End the pain of knowing I have lost everything. But what about Luke? He will be fine without me. He is strong, he can end this all for us.
The empire took everything from me and now are going to take me too. I sat and thought what my last words should be to Vader. 'I hope mother is watching you and hurt by the monster you've become.', I thought. No that was a disgrace to mother. 'Screw you, Vader. Rot in hell.' I kind of liked that one the best. At this point, I didn't care if those were my last words. All I wanted was to die with the satisfaction of him knowing that love, courage and pride was something that will never be able to save him and that I died for it.
   Suddenly I heard the footsteps of the storm trooper. I overheard one tell the other, "Lord Vader is ready for the girl.", one walked off and the other walked in. I said in a serious but calm voice to him as he walked closer to me, "Vader couldn't come get me himself? It's the least he could do after taking everything from me.", the storm trooper replied, "Not everything."
   I looked at the trooper through the mask, not knowing if he was looking at me and said, "Excuse me?". He took off the helmet. My jaw dropped, eyes widened, heart started beating intensely and tears immediately built up. I knew those eyes and golden brown hair anywhere. It was Han. "Come on princess, you can't get rid of me that easily.", he said with a smirk. With a shaky voice filled with relief, joy and confusion I said, "Han?!". He grabbed my face and kissed me, a touch I missed so much. I stroked his cheek with my hand, over a burn he must have gotten from battle.
   "How? What?! Aren't you-?!", I asked him in confusion and barely even able to let out a word. He cut me off.
   "I promise I will explain everything, once we get out of here.", he replied. Just as we were about to exit the room, he turned and said, "And I promise to never put you through that pain again.", and kissed my forehead. He put his helmet back on, grabbed my hands and put cuffs around my wrists, then said, "Follow my lead.". He grabbed my arm and we walked out of the room and began walking down the hall.
We hit a corner and just as we were about to turn Han put his arm across my body so that I stayed behind the wall and wasn't seen by Vader who was making his way to my cell. "Run back that way.", Han was saying as we began to run as fast as we could. Just as we turned the previous corner, we bumped into someone, it was Luke. "Kid! I told you to stay at the falcon!", Han said to him. "Lando and Chewie are watching it, they are fine. I got worried something happened to you.", Luke replied.
"Luke", I said with relief knowing he was alright and hugged him. "Vader is around the corner, he is going to sense we are here, we have to move quick.", I continued.
"Let's go, this way.", Luke said as he pointed down a secret hall. As we made our way through the hall we ended up in a big area with a bridge. This place looked so familiar. Then it hit me. This is the same place from my dream.....nightmare. I turned to Luke and Han but they weren't there. Then I realized I was back in my nightmare.
The image of it all was the same except, there was no young masked man or older man. There was Vader, Han and Luke. Luke and Vader were in a lightsaber duel while Han was fighting storm troopers. "Fools you are to think that family and love can save you.", said Vader. "You could have been saved! Mother loved you! Leia and I could have loved you!", Luke exclaimed.
"There is no use in trying, come to the dark side son. Leia will be killed otherwise.", Vader said. This infuriated Luke. He tried with all of his might to kill his father but his father used the force and threw him across the other side of the bridge. Han saw this, the immediately shot at Vader but he dodged the bullet with his saber, bouncing right into Han's chest and he fell instantly to the ground.
I ran to him holding his hand and he looked at me, letting out a faint, "Leia.", he tried with all of his energy to say it again, "Leia." I turned and there was Vader with his red lightsaber, ready to kill me. But it went black and the nightmare ended.
I woke up to Han shaking me saying, "Leia, Leia wake up.". I opened my eyes and I was on the falcon. "What? What happened?", I asked frightened and confused. "You had me so worried," he held and hugged me then continued saying, "We were running down the hall and all of a sudden you passed out. No response or anything. I thought I lost you. You looked so scared while you were unconscious. Are you okay?".
   "Just stay with me...please?", I said then grabbed his hand to hold. "Always.", he replied, kissing my hand. "Han, how are you alive? I watched the base explode.", I asked him. "Well the bombs exploded, then I got thrown across to a wall that was beginning to slowly burn, which is how I got this scar. I laid there thinking that it was the end for sure. I could see everything and hear the screams of rebels from the pain, but my body was too weak to move. Then there was an X-wing I could see, just before I closed my eyes and everything went blurry then pitch black. I woke up and it was Luke. Luke saved me.", Han said with a smile of his face. I smiled and said, "Luke.", I said with a soft, sincere voice to Han. "He came back to see if there was a chance I was alive because something told him to. He said your face showed all of your pain, he had to find me. When I got to the base, you were gone and I hated the Galaxy for always keeping us apart. I had to go back. I couldn't let them think they can keep us apart."
     He held my hand tighter then said, "You know the last thought I had before everything went dark? Your face of when I watched the ship take off. I thought that was the last image I would have of you. And that hurt. To see the pain in your face. Leia, I'm so sorry, I wish I could tell you how sorry I am. For hurting you, for saying those things to you, for hiding the whole plan from you. I'm just sorry.". I sat up and hugged him, so tight, I never wanted to let go. "I know you are. I know."