Definitions of Destiny: Chapter 9
Title: Definitions of Destiny
Author: Caryn B
Fandom: Star Wars (film canon only - see notes)
Timeline: 6 months after RotJ
Pairing: Luke/Han, slash
Rating: NC-17 overall; this chapter PG-13
Warnings: None
The list of chapters is here
Chapter 9
Han noticed two things the instant he walked into the pilots' mess room. The first was Luke. Not unusual to find him in there so early - just like Han he tried to cram more things into the day than there were hours to do them in. And nor was it unusual for Han to feel the jolt of sudden warmth inside that seeing Luke always brought. He'd wondered before how long it was going to take before the mere sight of Luke stopped doing that to him, but now it felt like 'never' might be the only answer.
The other thing Han noticed was that he'd suddenly become very interesting to several occupants of the room. This second observation had no connection to the first, and nobody was going to draw any conclusions from him walking straight over to Luke's table. But it just showed how quickly word spread. Hardly surprising when everybody lived in each other's pockets.
He grabbed one of the ready-assembled breakfast trays and slid, with apparent nonchalance, into a bench seat next to Luke. He gave Luke his best rendition of a casual smile, put on for the benefit of several onlookers, all of whom were doing their best to make it seem like they weren't staring. At least no-one could overhear their conversation, but he opted for caution in any case.
"You okay?"
"Yeah." Luke cast him a brief, appraising glance. "How about you? I suppose you've noticed the gossip's started."
Han grimaced into his caf. "Can't say I'm surprised. Half the base must've heard Threepio moanin' about the move for a start."
"I guess. Mind you, he's probably secretly relieved not to be living with you any more. His programming just won't allow him to say it."
"Hey, thanks. I try to be nice to him you know."
"Sure - that's a well-known fact," Luke said dryly.
A shadow loomed over the table. "Mind if I interrupt your cozy tête-à-tête?"
Han stared up at Lando with an ill-disguised lack of enthusiasm. "How come you're so goddamn cheerful this early in the morning?"
"And good morning to you, too." Lando appeared undeterred by Han's greeting. "You two have a good time last night?"
"Put a sock in it Lando," Han growled, unnerved by the evident curiosity behind the question.
"I see you're as polite and charming as ever, which is why I was talking to Luke," Lando retorted.
Luke grinned at him. "It was okay. A bit crowded, that's all."
"Right." Lando nodded. He seemed about to say something else, but after a quick glance at Han he clearly thought better of it and changed the subject.
"You get a chance to see Creggan about those levelers yesterday?"
"He's gonna deliver three of them tomorrow," Luke said. "We've got them for a week - but after that, he'll start charging."
Lando rubbed his hands together with satisfaction. "Excellent. A week will be plenty long enough. I knew I could rely on you to get round him. Must've been your youthful charm and good looks."
Han snorted into his caf, but Lando looked unabashed. "I'll get a squad organized to get on with it. I don't suppose either of you...?"
"Not a chance," Han said. "Me n' Chewie are doin' the Roqqini hangar bays."
"And I've got to see Ackbar this morning, and Mon Mothma later on," Luke put in.
"What does the boss want you for anyway?" Han asked. He had some vague recollection of Luke mentioning talking to Mon Mothma yesterday evening, but he'd been too wound up to concentrate at the time.
Luke shrugged. "No idea. Whatever it is, she's pretty determined to see me today. She called me again first thing. Said she has to meet someone else this morning so can I make it a bit later instead. So I'd better get going or I'll run out of time to get everything done."
He maneuvered out of the cramped bench, collecting the remains of his breakfast tray at the same time.
"Call me later," Han said quickly. "To let me know what Mon Mothma had to say," he added.
Luke smiled. "Sure. See you both later."
After he'd gone, Han pointed a finger at Lando.
"Whatever you're thinkin', don't bother to say it."
"Hey, I'm on your side," Lando pointed out, looking hurt. "I can't help the fact I've got eyes in my head."
"And you're seein'... what?"
"Don't look so worried. No-one else is gonna think anything. I've known you for years remember - you get to read someone after all that time."
Han hesitated for a moment. Gave a resigned nod. "It's important they don't realize. I mean, it's too soon. For Leia's sake."
"I understand," Lando said. "But things are gonna work out in the end?"
Han frowned. "I don't know," he admitted. "It's difficult enough to begin with, when you think they're brother and sister. But Luke's got his own issues about things."
Lando gave a sympathetic nod. "In my opinion - for what it's worth - I reckon things'll be okay. I saw how Luke was after that disaster on Cloud City."
Lando looked down into his caf for a moment, hiding from Han the discomfort all mention of those events brought. When he looked back up, Han grinned at him, even though he knew Lando would never rid himself completely of his sense of guilt.
Lando gave him a weak smile back. "I saw it in his eyes. He was gonna do whatever it took to get you back. It's obvious how much he cares about you."
Han nodded slowly. "That might just be the biggest problem."
***
Mon Mothma watched the approach of the Chandrilan cruiser with something like nervousness. It was a considerable number of years since she'd last seen Giddean Danu, and he, like all of them, had no doubt changed. The stern and rather forbidding figure cut by the former councilor back in the early days of the Imperial Senate was the only picture she could bring to mind, because she had no other. Danu had been an early victim of the Emperor's investment in the military support needed for his new regime.
As senator for Kuat, he'd been a vociferous opponent of the Empire's reliance on military enforcement - a stance that had earned him a recall from the Senate. But Giddean hadn't been able to hold his tongue, and his arrest had followed just a year after his dismissal. Kuat's influential elite had backed the charge of intent to cause unrest. Shipbuilding was big business on Kuat, and the Emperor was the Kuati's best customer yet. No liberal-thinking politician had a chance of standing in the way of such huge potential for profit.
But the Kuati's had never really known what to do with Danu. The shipbuilding industry's dislike of him hadn't extended to other sectors. Areas not dominated by the yards had been outspoken in their resistance to the closing down of trade routes by the Emperor, who'd been intent on keeping Kuat to himself. The Kuati industrialists, with no desire to have Danu stir up unrest from within prison, decided against making a martyr of him and shipped him into exile on Belinar instead. There, on the remote and inhospitable planet far in the Outer Rim, Danu had lived in confinement for many years.
Up until last week, Mon Mothma's only contact with Danu had been in the form of a message, passed along a carefully selected route of rebel sympathizers. In it, Danu had urged Mon Mothma not to try to intervene on his behalf. He'd felt the emerging rebellion was more important than any of his own problems, and hadn't wanted Mon Mothma to risk drawing attention to herself by seeking justice for him.
And now Danu had tracked her down. And he was arriving, coincidentally, at exactly the moment Mon Mothma needed him. His knowledge of past events was likely to be greater than hers, and it had been Danu who'd first mentioned an obscure little world on the outer rim. A world that wanted to establish a relationship with the rest of the galaxy. And with its only known Jedi.
The cruiser took its time setting down, its Captain taking no chances as she negotiated the tricky task of finding a space amidst the cramped disorder of the landing pads.
When the ship's ramp finally lowered, the figure that appeared at its head showed a changed man. Danu was still tall and slim, but the years had stripped him of the formality he once wore like a second skin. He came slowly down the ramp, displaying a touch of apprehension which mirrored that felt by Mon Mothma. She was surprised to see it, because Danu had always seemed so unshakably self-possessed. But then, how many of them could claim to have stayed unaltered by the course of the years?
Mon Mothma smiled, and received a pleased smile in return. Danu altered his pace, hastening towards her with outstretched hands. Mon Mothma took them with a sudden spark of gladness. Danu had been there from the beginning. By rights he should have been able to join them earlier, to have played a part, as he would have wanted to, in the implementation of freedom throughout the galaxy. But it wasn't too late - they still had so much to do. He was another one returned to them, and he had a part to play.
"Mon Mothma," Danu said, his expression one of slight disbelief.
"Yes! Crazy, isn't it? After all this time..."
"You look well."
"Thank you for your tact, but I doubt it. Too little sleep, and too many politicians to deal with."
"Nothing's changed then."
Mon Mothma shook her head with amusement. "I hardly know what to say - it's been too long. We've a lot to talk about."
"I hope so. When I heard about what you'd done, I was astounded, but then I always knew you'd succeed. You and Bail were always going to change the world."
"Giddean - you did hear about Bail? About Alderaan?" Mon Mothma had no idea what news had managed to filter through to Belinar, or even if Danu had been allowed any contact with the outside world.
Danu nodded grimly but didn't reply. Mon Mothma was silent for a few moments too. She'd known how close Giddean had grown to Bail in those early days of the Empire. They'd shared a common form of grief in that they'd both mourned the loss of the Jedi. Giddean had lost many personal friendships during the Jedi purge, and Bail had empathized with his anger and sadness whilst urging him to keep his feelings to himself. Expressing allegiance to the Jedi had been a treasonable offence.
They walked slowly back towards the base, Mon Mothma's protocol droid overseeing the transport of Danu's bags - the little that he'd brought. They talked as they went along, sticking to trivialities. There'd be time enough later to broach the past.
"These ships belong to Rogue Squadron," Mon Mothma explained, their route taking them through the wide hangar bays. "Members of that team played a major role in destroying the Death Stars."
Danu shook his head in amazement. "I never saw anything of those battle-stations, but I heard a great deal about them. It seems crazy that those tiny ships could have brought them down."
"Without such incredible pilots, we'd have got nowhere."
Danu glanced around him at the chaotic landing bays, a wry smile on his lips. "You have many types of ships I don't recognize. And I used to be more well-informed on ship manufacture than almost anyone in the galaxy. But technologically, things haven't advanced as much as I expected."
Mon Mothma laughed. "You're looking at rebel ships. They're all begged, borrowed and stolen. And we'll fly them until they fall apart. The Empire had a monopoly on all the latest technology and the newest models."
"But you had all the ingenuity," Danu declared. "I shall look forward to hearing all the facts from their source. After news has traveled all the way round the galaxy, the truth can be a little hard to get at."
"Indeed-"
A loud guffaw caught Mon Mothma's attention and cut off her reply. She turned to find its origin. A little to their left, Wedge Antilles was laughing raucously, together with Wes Janson and Luke. In flight gear, and trailed by astrodroids, they were heading towards their ships. Mon Mothma placed a hand on Giddean's arm.
"The very same squad," she said, pleased. "Come and meet some of our heroes."
The three pilots smiled politely as Mon Mothma introduced them. At the mention of Luke's name, Danu's eyebrows lifted slightly.
"Skywalker? You're the Jedi then?"
"I... yes," Luke said.
"You killed the Emperor?"
Luke looked startled, shook his head in denial. "No. Darth Vader killed the Emperor."
Danu frowned. "I heard differently."
"I was there, with Vader," Luke admitted.
Danu studied him for a moment, then gave a small nod in Mon Mothma's direction. "It's that distorted truth again." He turned his attention back to Luke. "I'd very much like to talk to you sometime if you'd be willing and can spare the time. I've always believed the Jedi were essential to the galaxy's well-being, and when I heard of your existence it gave me a great deal of joy."
"Well, yes, of course, I'd be happy to talk to you..."
"I don't mean to put you on the spot," Danu said, sounding apologetic. "That wasn't my intention. But I meant what I said about the Jedi. They were dark times, the days of the purge."
"Did you have much to do with the Jedi during the Old Republic?"
"I was a strong believer in the links between the Jedi and the politicians. My view wasn't a popular one - at least, not in the last days of the Council. But I lost some good friends when the Emperor decided to eliminate the Order. In those few short days, the galaxy became an emptier, colder place."
"I'd be interested to hear about those times. Are you staying here long?"
Danu looked again at Mon Mothma. "For the moment, I've nowhere else to go. I've come to join you - certainly until I can step foot on my homeworld again."
"Where is that?" Wedge asked.
"Kuat."
Wedge grimaced and shot a troubled look at Wes. "Not the easiest place to get to right now."
Danu gave a dry laugh. "No. But don't worry, I haven't come here to coerce the Rebel Alliance into taking back Kuat for me. I've simply come to make myself useful. I believe Mon Mothma already has a possible assignment lined up for me."
Mon Mothma smiled. "There's something I was hoping you might do after you've had a chance to settle in with us. But first, there's another matter I want to discuss with you." She turned to Luke. "If you do get time today, I'd still like to see you."
Luke nodded. "We're just about to run a test flight. As soon as we get back, I'll come and find you if that's okay."
"I'll look forward to it."
Luke, Wedge and Wes turned towards their ships, Luke first casting a glance out across the duracrete to the empty spot where Han always landed the Falcon.
Mon Mothma noticed with a small twinge of understanding. Her heart went out to Leia, but at the same time she felt for Luke and Han too. And if she'd wondered last night whether Han's feelings for Luke might be a little one-sided, she now knew otherwise. Their feelings, quite obviously, were entirely mutual.
chapter 10
Author: Caryn B
Fandom: Star Wars (film canon only - see notes)
Timeline: 6 months after RotJ
Pairing: Luke/Han, slash
Rating: NC-17 overall; this chapter PG-13
Warnings: None
The list of chapters is here
Chapter 9
Han noticed two things the instant he walked into the pilots' mess room. The first was Luke. Not unusual to find him in there so early - just like Han he tried to cram more things into the day than there were hours to do them in. And nor was it unusual for Han to feel the jolt of sudden warmth inside that seeing Luke always brought. He'd wondered before how long it was going to take before the mere sight of Luke stopped doing that to him, but now it felt like 'never' might be the only answer.
The other thing Han noticed was that he'd suddenly become very interesting to several occupants of the room. This second observation had no connection to the first, and nobody was going to draw any conclusions from him walking straight over to Luke's table. But it just showed how quickly word spread. Hardly surprising when everybody lived in each other's pockets.
He grabbed one of the ready-assembled breakfast trays and slid, with apparent nonchalance, into a bench seat next to Luke. He gave Luke his best rendition of a casual smile, put on for the benefit of several onlookers, all of whom were doing their best to make it seem like they weren't staring. At least no-one could overhear their conversation, but he opted for caution in any case.
"You okay?"
"Yeah." Luke cast him a brief, appraising glance. "How about you? I suppose you've noticed the gossip's started."
Han grimaced into his caf. "Can't say I'm surprised. Half the base must've heard Threepio moanin' about the move for a start."
"I guess. Mind you, he's probably secretly relieved not to be living with you any more. His programming just won't allow him to say it."
"Hey, thanks. I try to be nice to him you know."
"Sure - that's a well-known fact," Luke said dryly.
A shadow loomed over the table. "Mind if I interrupt your cozy tête-à-tête?"
Han stared up at Lando with an ill-disguised lack of enthusiasm. "How come you're so goddamn cheerful this early in the morning?"
"And good morning to you, too." Lando appeared undeterred by Han's greeting. "You two have a good time last night?"
"Put a sock in it Lando," Han growled, unnerved by the evident curiosity behind the question.
"I see you're as polite and charming as ever, which is why I was talking to Luke," Lando retorted.
Luke grinned at him. "It was okay. A bit crowded, that's all."
"Right." Lando nodded. He seemed about to say something else, but after a quick glance at Han he clearly thought better of it and changed the subject.
"You get a chance to see Creggan about those levelers yesterday?"
"He's gonna deliver three of them tomorrow," Luke said. "We've got them for a week - but after that, he'll start charging."
Lando rubbed his hands together with satisfaction. "Excellent. A week will be plenty long enough. I knew I could rely on you to get round him. Must've been your youthful charm and good looks."
Han snorted into his caf, but Lando looked unabashed. "I'll get a squad organized to get on with it. I don't suppose either of you...?"
"Not a chance," Han said. "Me n' Chewie are doin' the Roqqini hangar bays."
"And I've got to see Ackbar this morning, and Mon Mothma later on," Luke put in.
"What does the boss want you for anyway?" Han asked. He had some vague recollection of Luke mentioning talking to Mon Mothma yesterday evening, but he'd been too wound up to concentrate at the time.
Luke shrugged. "No idea. Whatever it is, she's pretty determined to see me today. She called me again first thing. Said she has to meet someone else this morning so can I make it a bit later instead. So I'd better get going or I'll run out of time to get everything done."
He maneuvered out of the cramped bench, collecting the remains of his breakfast tray at the same time.
"Call me later," Han said quickly. "To let me know what Mon Mothma had to say," he added.
Luke smiled. "Sure. See you both later."
After he'd gone, Han pointed a finger at Lando.
"Whatever you're thinkin', don't bother to say it."
"Hey, I'm on your side," Lando pointed out, looking hurt. "I can't help the fact I've got eyes in my head."
"And you're seein'... what?"
"Don't look so worried. No-one else is gonna think anything. I've known you for years remember - you get to read someone after all that time."
Han hesitated for a moment. Gave a resigned nod. "It's important they don't realize. I mean, it's too soon. For Leia's sake."
"I understand," Lando said. "But things are gonna work out in the end?"
Han frowned. "I don't know," he admitted. "It's difficult enough to begin with, when you think they're brother and sister. But Luke's got his own issues about things."
Lando gave a sympathetic nod. "In my opinion - for what it's worth - I reckon things'll be okay. I saw how Luke was after that disaster on Cloud City."
Lando looked down into his caf for a moment, hiding from Han the discomfort all mention of those events brought. When he looked back up, Han grinned at him, even though he knew Lando would never rid himself completely of his sense of guilt.
Lando gave him a weak smile back. "I saw it in his eyes. He was gonna do whatever it took to get you back. It's obvious how much he cares about you."
Han nodded slowly. "That might just be the biggest problem."
***
Mon Mothma watched the approach of the Chandrilan cruiser with something like nervousness. It was a considerable number of years since she'd last seen Giddean Danu, and he, like all of them, had no doubt changed. The stern and rather forbidding figure cut by the former councilor back in the early days of the Imperial Senate was the only picture she could bring to mind, because she had no other. Danu had been an early victim of the Emperor's investment in the military support needed for his new regime.
As senator for Kuat, he'd been a vociferous opponent of the Empire's reliance on military enforcement - a stance that had earned him a recall from the Senate. But Giddean hadn't been able to hold his tongue, and his arrest had followed just a year after his dismissal. Kuat's influential elite had backed the charge of intent to cause unrest. Shipbuilding was big business on Kuat, and the Emperor was the Kuati's best customer yet. No liberal-thinking politician had a chance of standing in the way of such huge potential for profit.
But the Kuati's had never really known what to do with Danu. The shipbuilding industry's dislike of him hadn't extended to other sectors. Areas not dominated by the yards had been outspoken in their resistance to the closing down of trade routes by the Emperor, who'd been intent on keeping Kuat to himself. The Kuati industrialists, with no desire to have Danu stir up unrest from within prison, decided against making a martyr of him and shipped him into exile on Belinar instead. There, on the remote and inhospitable planet far in the Outer Rim, Danu had lived in confinement for many years.
Up until last week, Mon Mothma's only contact with Danu had been in the form of a message, passed along a carefully selected route of rebel sympathizers. In it, Danu had urged Mon Mothma not to try to intervene on his behalf. He'd felt the emerging rebellion was more important than any of his own problems, and hadn't wanted Mon Mothma to risk drawing attention to herself by seeking justice for him.
And now Danu had tracked her down. And he was arriving, coincidentally, at exactly the moment Mon Mothma needed him. His knowledge of past events was likely to be greater than hers, and it had been Danu who'd first mentioned an obscure little world on the outer rim. A world that wanted to establish a relationship with the rest of the galaxy. And with its only known Jedi.
The cruiser took its time setting down, its Captain taking no chances as she negotiated the tricky task of finding a space amidst the cramped disorder of the landing pads.
When the ship's ramp finally lowered, the figure that appeared at its head showed a changed man. Danu was still tall and slim, but the years had stripped him of the formality he once wore like a second skin. He came slowly down the ramp, displaying a touch of apprehension which mirrored that felt by Mon Mothma. She was surprised to see it, because Danu had always seemed so unshakably self-possessed. But then, how many of them could claim to have stayed unaltered by the course of the years?
Mon Mothma smiled, and received a pleased smile in return. Danu altered his pace, hastening towards her with outstretched hands. Mon Mothma took them with a sudden spark of gladness. Danu had been there from the beginning. By rights he should have been able to join them earlier, to have played a part, as he would have wanted to, in the implementation of freedom throughout the galaxy. But it wasn't too late - they still had so much to do. He was another one returned to them, and he had a part to play.
"Mon Mothma," Danu said, his expression one of slight disbelief.
"Yes! Crazy, isn't it? After all this time..."
"You look well."
"Thank you for your tact, but I doubt it. Too little sleep, and too many politicians to deal with."
"Nothing's changed then."
Mon Mothma shook her head with amusement. "I hardly know what to say - it's been too long. We've a lot to talk about."
"I hope so. When I heard about what you'd done, I was astounded, but then I always knew you'd succeed. You and Bail were always going to change the world."
"Giddean - you did hear about Bail? About Alderaan?" Mon Mothma had no idea what news had managed to filter through to Belinar, or even if Danu had been allowed any contact with the outside world.
Danu nodded grimly but didn't reply. Mon Mothma was silent for a few moments too. She'd known how close Giddean had grown to Bail in those early days of the Empire. They'd shared a common form of grief in that they'd both mourned the loss of the Jedi. Giddean had lost many personal friendships during the Jedi purge, and Bail had empathized with his anger and sadness whilst urging him to keep his feelings to himself. Expressing allegiance to the Jedi had been a treasonable offence.
They walked slowly back towards the base, Mon Mothma's protocol droid overseeing the transport of Danu's bags - the little that he'd brought. They talked as they went along, sticking to trivialities. There'd be time enough later to broach the past.
"These ships belong to Rogue Squadron," Mon Mothma explained, their route taking them through the wide hangar bays. "Members of that team played a major role in destroying the Death Stars."
Danu shook his head in amazement. "I never saw anything of those battle-stations, but I heard a great deal about them. It seems crazy that those tiny ships could have brought them down."
"Without such incredible pilots, we'd have got nowhere."
Danu glanced around him at the chaotic landing bays, a wry smile on his lips. "You have many types of ships I don't recognize. And I used to be more well-informed on ship manufacture than almost anyone in the galaxy. But technologically, things haven't advanced as much as I expected."
Mon Mothma laughed. "You're looking at rebel ships. They're all begged, borrowed and stolen. And we'll fly them until they fall apart. The Empire had a monopoly on all the latest technology and the newest models."
"But you had all the ingenuity," Danu declared. "I shall look forward to hearing all the facts from their source. After news has traveled all the way round the galaxy, the truth can be a little hard to get at."
"Indeed-"
A loud guffaw caught Mon Mothma's attention and cut off her reply. She turned to find its origin. A little to their left, Wedge Antilles was laughing raucously, together with Wes Janson and Luke. In flight gear, and trailed by astrodroids, they were heading towards their ships. Mon Mothma placed a hand on Giddean's arm.
"The very same squad," she said, pleased. "Come and meet some of our heroes."
The three pilots smiled politely as Mon Mothma introduced them. At the mention of Luke's name, Danu's eyebrows lifted slightly.
"Skywalker? You're the Jedi then?"
"I... yes," Luke said.
"You killed the Emperor?"
Luke looked startled, shook his head in denial. "No. Darth Vader killed the Emperor."
Danu frowned. "I heard differently."
"I was there, with Vader," Luke admitted.
Danu studied him for a moment, then gave a small nod in Mon Mothma's direction. "It's that distorted truth again." He turned his attention back to Luke. "I'd very much like to talk to you sometime if you'd be willing and can spare the time. I've always believed the Jedi were essential to the galaxy's well-being, and when I heard of your existence it gave me a great deal of joy."
"Well, yes, of course, I'd be happy to talk to you..."
"I don't mean to put you on the spot," Danu said, sounding apologetic. "That wasn't my intention. But I meant what I said about the Jedi. They were dark times, the days of the purge."
"Did you have much to do with the Jedi during the Old Republic?"
"I was a strong believer in the links between the Jedi and the politicians. My view wasn't a popular one - at least, not in the last days of the Council. But I lost some good friends when the Emperor decided to eliminate the Order. In those few short days, the galaxy became an emptier, colder place."
"I'd be interested to hear about those times. Are you staying here long?"
Danu looked again at Mon Mothma. "For the moment, I've nowhere else to go. I've come to join you - certainly until I can step foot on my homeworld again."
"Where is that?" Wedge asked.
"Kuat."
Wedge grimaced and shot a troubled look at Wes. "Not the easiest place to get to right now."
Danu gave a dry laugh. "No. But don't worry, I haven't come here to coerce the Rebel Alliance into taking back Kuat for me. I've simply come to make myself useful. I believe Mon Mothma already has a possible assignment lined up for me."
Mon Mothma smiled. "There's something I was hoping you might do after you've had a chance to settle in with us. But first, there's another matter I want to discuss with you." She turned to Luke. "If you do get time today, I'd still like to see you."
Luke nodded. "We're just about to run a test flight. As soon as we get back, I'll come and find you if that's okay."
"I'll look forward to it."
Luke, Wedge and Wes turned towards their ships, Luke first casting a glance out across the duracrete to the empty spot where Han always landed the Falcon.
Mon Mothma noticed with a small twinge of understanding. Her heart went out to Leia, but at the same time she felt for Luke and Han too. And if she'd wondered last night whether Han's feelings for Luke might be a little one-sided, she now knew otherwise. Their feelings, quite obviously, were entirely mutual.
chapter 10