"Your friend is quite a mercenary. I wonder if he really cares about anything...or anybody." - Leia Organa, Star Wars: A New Hope
Leia found herself a small alcove where she curled up and sat, staring out into the stars. She had needed this time to be alone. Not to allow herself to feel, but to strategize. There would be time for grief later. Now it hid, coiled into a painful lump at the back of her throat. She refused to let tears surface. Her personal loss would only hinder her judgements; she could not allow for that. Not now, not when they were so close...
Having been held hostage in the Death Star had not been some mindless wait for an impending execution, she had taken calculated observations of the layout of the ship, just in case she had managed to escape. She had been trained too well to simply "give up". She may have been a Princess, but neither was she spoilt nor prone to hysterics. In fact, she had always rather secretly despised the title. "Princess" made her sound incapable, weak. Like a damsel in distress. And she was none of those things.
Although, she realized with some humour, she had definitely been rescued. Yet, she couldn't exactly call the odd trio her "knights in shining armor" either.
Chewbacca, the Wookiee, sat across from her by a table in silence, respectful of her privacy. She now felt a little remorseful for calling him a "walking carpet" earlier. Sometimes her smart mouth got the better of her. She told him so in a quiet tone. He grunted back in his own language, nodding his head in a gesture of acceptance. She knew a little Shyriiwook and so when he asked, "Wwwah rrroooaaah wha?" as a way of a peace offering, pointing to the holochess board, she realized he wanted to play a game with her.
She hesitated, "I don't really know how to play."
Chewbacca motioned for her to join him anyway, "I'll teach you."
Some ten minutes later, and she was deeply engrossed in the game, planning her next move. Chewbacca would grunt approvingly whenever she made a good move against him and she was beginning to like the Wookiee. He certainly wasn't domineering or as arrogant as his counterpart. "How did the three of you come to find me?" she questioned, as she planned her next move thoughtfully.
Chewbacca immediately launched into a detailed and lengthy explanation of the events that had transpired. She only understood about half of what he was telling her, but she got the gist of it. Luke and Obi-Wan had enlisted Han and Chewbacca to pilot them to Alderaan. Having gotten caught by the Death Star's tractor beam, they had hidden in the storage for smuggled goods - at this her eyebrows had shot up, but she said nothing - then disguised themselves as clones, with Chewbacca pretending to be their prisoner. While Obi-Wan disabled the tractor beam and later duelled with Vader, Luke, Han and Chewbacca had come to rescue her. It was Luke's plan, the Wookiee informed her, though while the boy had courage, he hadn't exactly had things all planned out.
"I can imagine," she responded dryly.
"You're going to fight the Empire, then?" Chewbacca queried with interest.
"That's the plan. I know the layout of the Death Star by memory and I'm sure there's a weakness somewhere that we can take advantage of."
"It's a big ship," Chewbacca commented skeptically.
"Everything has its own weakness," Leia pointed out. Even she did.
Her thoughts travelled back without her own accord, of being interrogated and tortured by Vader. He had probed and attempted to search through her mind until she felt sick enough to hurl. He had used the Force, thin, warped tendrils of dark power that snaked through her defenses. And yet, she had pushed back, stubbornly, closing her mind to him. He had tried everything, from creating terrible mind-delusions to wreak intense fear, to physical torture. Her arm still throbbed painfully from the sharp needles that had sunk so easily into her skin; Vader had drawn blood with some perverse pleasure, as though the sight of it, bright and crimson against her white attire and pale skin had proven some concession on her part. But she had remained stoic and silent. And finally, Tarkin had grown tired of these futile attempts to gain the whereabouts of the rebel base and instead threatened to destroy her home. Still, she had been strong, lying to him.
He had destroyed her home anyway.
She felt a swell of emotion rise up within her. Either that, or the massive headache she'd gotten ever since Vader's torture sessions had begun was taking its effects on her empty stomach. She rose up from the chair awkwardly, "Refreshers?"
Chewbacca pointed in the direction, concernedly asking her if she was alright, to which she could give no coherent answer, stumbling blindly across to the refreshers. She didn't even have the strength to slide the door shut behind her, as she vomited, her hands weakly gripping the sink, unable to stop the tears from streaming down her face.
She had been strong for too long.
"We're almost at Yavin," Han told Chewie through the intercom, yawning. It had been a long, eventful day and he was completely exhausted.
"The Princess has been in the refreshers for a long time," his friend replied in a worried tone.
"Probably fixing that up-do of hers," Han shrugged, "You know how women are."
"Not this one," Chewie said unexpectedly. Han knew he was right.
"Did you check up on her?"
"I didn't want to disturb her privacy."
"So, you're sending me to be the scape-goat? I think her Worship would much rather see you than me, anyway. She thinks I'm a good-for-nothing gold-digger."
"You are," Han could hear Chewie's grin through his amused tone.
"I'll send Luke-" he turned to the kid, but he was fast asleep, looking so peaceful that Han felt bad to disturb him. He'd become rather fond of the kid, despite himself. Better let him sleep. If he was gonna join the rebels on some fool heroic adventure, he'd need all the sleep now that he could get.
"Ah, hell. You owe me for this one."
Chewie only chuckled, informing him that he'd come to pilot. Han got the distinct impression that his Wookiee friend rather enjoyed seeing him getting taken down a notch by her Highness.
He wandered down to the refreshers. He could hear the water running and the harsh sound of a hacking cough. He winced; it sounded like her Worship was pretty sick.
He knocked on the door, in a gentler tone than normal, "Hey, we're gonna reach Yavin soon."
There was no response; she probably couldn't hear him. It was slightly ajar so he ventured in. The sight before him took him aback. Gone was the smart-mouthed, high-and-mighty Princess. Instead he saw a young girl, sick and in grief, the intricate hairstyle coming unpinned in wisps around her small face. She still had not registered his presence.
Ignoring the putrid smell of vomit, he moved behind her to tentatively hold back her hair. She continued to cough into the sink, though no more was to be expelled from her stomach. He doubted she even realized he was there, standing by her. She seemed to be lost in some world of her own; while she wasn't crying, her eyes were glassy and a little red and she was shaking.
He rubbed her shoulders awkwardly. While he held little affection for her and did not know in the least how to show comfort, he couldn't exactly brush off her pain like it was nothing. As much as he tried to convince others, and himself, that he was nothing more than a selfish, cocky bastard, he did have a bit of a heart. Seeing people in such gut-wrenching emotional distress unnerved him like nothing else could.
After a while, Leia's shoulders ceased to spasm and her eyes returned to focus. Han let go of her, taking a step back in order to steel himself. As she realized who stood behind her, she recoiled with a glare in his direction, "You!"
"Easy, easy, your Worship," he held his hands out and spoke in a pacifying tone as though to a startled animal, "I just came to tell you that we've almost reached your rebel base."
She relaxed slightly, though she was still flushed with embarrassment, switching to her normal snarky tone, "Do you have any notion of privacy?"
"None at all," he replied cheerfully, relieved that she seemed to be back to normal, "I asked Chewie to come tell you, but he's too much of a coward. So he sent me in here instead."
She opened her mouth as to retort, then closed it abruptly. He had a feeling he knew the origins behind her sickness. He had heard stories of the extent of Darth Vader's evil. Suffice it to say, he was definitely more machine than man. "Vader's not exactly a benevolent host, is he?"
She laughed humorlessly, "That's one way to look at it."
"You're not doing half-bad considering the circumstances. I mean, you had no trouble with fighting your way outta there, Princess."
She arched an eyebrow, "I may be a Princess, but that doesn't make me defenseless or weak."
"Seeing as you're the first Princess I've met, I guess you'll have to forgive me for my assumptions."
She tipped her head forward slightly in a nod, "Seeing as you're the first smuggler I've met, I guess you'll have to forgive me for mine as well."
It was the closest they would come to a mutual understanding. He couldn't resist rankling her up a bit, however, as he gave her his most cocky grin, "Why? Didn't expect us to be quite so charming?"
She looked at him with disdain, "You're many things, Captain, but charming is definitely not the adjective I'd use." She grabbed a towel to wipe her face with.
"Devastatingly good-looking? Vastly intelligent? A damn good pilot and shot?" he offered, noting the specks of blood on the white cloth draped over her shoulder. He said nothing of it, though. Something told him any more compassion on his part would not be welcomed.
"How about, arrogant, high-handed and mercenary?" she tossed the towel at him. He caught it easily, leaning against the wall, "That too."
It felt a little odd not to be arguing with her. Yet, he felt no desire now to make her angry.
Realizing she probably hadn't eaten for a while, he suggested, "Let's go eat something before we land, I'm starving."
She followed him out, albeit a little reluctantly, "Where's Luke?" her tone showed concern for the kid. She definitely liked the boy a lot better than him. With good reason.
"Sleeping. Poor kid's all tuckered out." Leia looked at him strangely for a moment.
"What?" he didn't particularly like the expression on her face.
"Nothing. Just for a moment there I wondered if you're as mercenary as you make yourself out to be."
"Don't get your hopes up, Princess. I'm as mercenary as they come. I'm only in this fool adventure of yours for the money, you know that."
"I know," she replied, not bothering to reprimand him like she had the previous time. He didn't particularly like the resignation in her tone either, as though she'd figured him out, didn't know what to do with him, and had simply decided to leave him be, as though not worth the effort.
He said nothing in response, however, and after finding them some food cubes to munch on, they sat in companionable silence by the holochess table. Noting that the game had only been half completed, he looked at her in disbelief, "You know how to play?"
"Chewbacca taught me," she shrugged, though she looked rather pleased with herself.
"Chewie?" he repeated, astounded. Since when had his furry friend and the Princess been on comfortable terms? Not to mention, since when had the aggressive Wookiee ever deigned to teach someone to play holochess? It had been only recently that Han had lazily informed C-3PO of Chewie's rather belligerent tendencies towards a loss at holochess. And yet, his friend had not only played with the Princess - who, had previously referred to him as a - what was it again? Ah yes, a "big, walking carpet," - he had even taught her strategies, judging by the game set before him, helping her win. Han shook his head, feeling a little winded. Of all the bizarre situations he'd been in today, this one had to be the most incredible.
As they finished eating, Han noted they still had a few minutes left before they landed. "Wanna play?"
She looked at him with suspicion, "How do I know you won't cheat?"
He liked this girl. "You just played with a Wookiee!"
"He taught me how to play," she pointed out.
"Well, then you have my word that I will not cheat on this particular game of holochess, Your Worship. There, now you believe me?" he asked mockingly.
"Not particularly," she sighed, "But let's play anyway."
He grinned, resetting the game back to starting positions. He enjoyed watching her play the game. She had this intensely focused expression that he supposed came from planning battle strategies back on her base. It was amusing seeing the normally aloof woman so riveted by a rough game.
As she made a surprising good move against him, taking out one of his pieces, he whistled, "Fast learner, aren't you?"
She deflected the compliment, though he swore he almost saw her smile, "It's only simple strategy."
This time he expended more effort on the game, eventually winning it, much to her consternation. "Next time we should play for stakes," he grinned.
"Next time?" she raised her eyebrows, "I thought this was it for you."
He'd forgotten for a moment there that he was taking her back to her rebel base. It had felt like he was playing with one of his gambling pals, albeit a much smaller and distinctly feminine one. His ease with her suddenly soured.
"It is," he replied shortly, "Come on, we're about to land."
"We could use a good pilot like you," she said quietly, making him stop in his tracks.
He almost considered it for a moment, before offering her a rueful smile, "Suicide missions aren't really my thing, sweetheart."
The endearment irritated her as he knew it would, "Are you fond of the Empire then?" her tone turned icy.
"Hell, no. But, I'm not about to throw my life away for a job without profit. I have no intention of dying anytime soon."
"You could have died today."
"I was promised I'd be well-rewarded," he said frankly, although saying it this time made him feel cheap somehow.
She looked at him with resignation, seemingly unsurprised by the admission, "And so you will be."
A/N: So I always think back to Leia telling Han after they destroyed the first Death Star, "I knew there was more to you than money!" Now, in the movie, all we saw was them fighting prior to this moment, so here's my take on how Leia saw another side of Han rather than his "mercenary" one.
Thank you to those of you who left your reviews to Chapter 1 :)