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In the middle of a surge of audience applause, the sound of a sonic blaster slashed through the din. A pregnant hush descended. Silence, for a moment. And then chaos.
As soon as the sound pierced her ears, she recoiled, survival instincts kicking in. She ducked behind the podium she was currently standing at, her hand flashing to her thigh only to find wads of fabric in the place where her blaster had been attached for so long. That’s when she saw it, the light crimson stain spreading against her calf. It was only after she saw the evidence that she began to feel it, a sharp pain stinging the back of her calf. Her teeth gritted as she turned away from the sight, girding herself into fight mode.
She became cognizant of the crowd in the small stadium exploding with gasps and screams. Their heads turned this way and that, searching for the source of the sound. Eventually, they all turned to check on the Senator, now hunched on the ground. Prognosis unknown.
By the time she realized her blaster was nowhere in reach, her security was already on top of her, blocking her with his body.
“Stay down!” she heard him yell through the chaos in the room. His hand pressed against her shoulder as he let his eyes scan his detail, his vision immediately drawn to her leg.
“Give me your weapon,” she implored frantically at the same time he yelled, “We need to get you out!”
She was about to repeat her order in an even firmer tone through the clamor, but he was faster. With an arm around her waist, she was practically lifted off her feet into a vertical position, a shooting pain whipping through her extremity. But before she could even comprehend the agony, she was being drug behind the stage and through the back of the arena, rushing towards their prepared exit while the crowd erupted in confusion and panic.
Her ears were still ringing when she finally fought back. “Give me your weapon,” she gritted as she brushed his one arm off of her shoulder.
She wasn’t used to people not obeying her direct orders, so she didn’t know what to do when he grabbed her arm even tighter as he kept pushing them at an aggressive pace towards the waiting carrier ship sitting in the stadium’s back hanger. Her eyes seemed to close of their own accord and when she opened them, they were already up the ramp and in the main hold.
She heard a hiss as the ramp door closed right as her guard turned to the pilot and shouted, “Go, now!”
Finally, he released her enough for her to make a dramatic shrug of her shoulders as her weight was once again held up only by her two feet. She was lucky there was a seat within arm's length because she found shifting all her weight to her left leg to be an impossible task without passing out. Instead of walking or asking for help, she reached out her arms to the seat back and supported herself as she sat down.
The rush of their unexpected takeoff jolted her backward against the seat, as she wasn’t properly sitting yet.
“Are you okay?” The security detail asked, remaining collected and holding onto the wall to steady himself as he walked closer to her.
The Princess didn’t even take a moment to consider an honest answer. “I’m fine,” she grunted with all the dislike she had for this situation.
The agent reached above into a hidden compartment. “We’re going straight back to Chandrila, Senator.”
“What?” She questioned like that was the most insane statement ever uttered in this or any galaxy. “We should go back! Find the… blogger who did this, who put those people’s lives in danger.”
He was good at this job and continued to rustle through the cabinet above, ignoring her protests. “Senator, you were the target. We don’t think the people were, or are, in any danger.”
“I can take care of myself…” she defended as he clutched a few items in his hands.
“It is my job to protect you,” he insisted forcefully, sitting across from her and imploring her to understand with a firm gaze. “And if you recklessly return now, THEN you are putting all those innocent people in danger of being caught in the crossfire.”
At that point, the other galactic citizen who’s was piloting the ship made herself known, turning back towards the rest of her crew and sharing some new information. “We’re still in radio contact with the venue.” She continued. “Human male, dark hair, mid 40’s, we’re still not sure how he passed security, but he has been apprehended. At this point, not sure if there were others involved, so we’re not going back there…”
Reality was beginning to sink in, and her heart pumped faster. What was she thinking? This wasn’t the middle of the war. She wasn’t playing the part of a soldier in ranks anymore. No. She was once again a symbol, a representation of the embodied government. An attack on her personally was an attack on everything she fought for. And her rash instincts to fight back would not serve as a good precedent in the long term.
Closing her eyes slowly, she finally became aware of her Force presence; manic, anxious, and suffering. She hadn’t realized the strength with which she was projecting all the innermost emotions she would never even admit to herself. With the dexterity she honed through her training, she shut it down, locking and blocking all sentiments inside.
Without opening her eyes, she nodded, acquiescing to her protector’s plan to return to the Capital. That is, she was ready to follow their plan until the man in front of her opened his mouth again.
“We’ll do a general fitness test on you…”
Her scoff was loud and dramatic. “You are joking right?”
“You were hit in the leg.”
She shrugged it off, peering down at the blood that had spread over her clothes. “I’ve seen worse.”
She may have seen worse, but she didn’t fight him when he lifted her dress to better attend to the deep scorch that cut the side of her calf. It wasn’t life-threatening, so that meant she didn’t see the need to cause any commotion. She stayed perfectly still as he took a bacta cloth over the stain and the surrounding skin. She didn’t make a noise as he put a few droppers full of intense healing medication inside the gash. And she watched with determined stubbornness as he wrapped the leg in clean crisp gauze.
“This should hold until we land,” the agent said stepping back.
She maneuvered her leg under herself better as she decided what to do next. “Do your fitness test while we’re in flight and have a speeder ready to take me straight to the Senate building when we land.”
He turned to her, starring with a raised eyebrow. “We could probably take you home if…”
“I’m fine. It was nothing.” Her insistence was quick and firm. “I’ve met you halfway with your protection detail, but this is where I draw the line. I have actual work to do, so you will take me to my office.” A pause before her conversation button. “Am I clear?”
She was clear. The detail moved to the front of the ship, leaving her alone.
Her comm in her hidden pocket buzzed. She ignored it. Forcing herself to breathe normally, she fell silent.
He held his breath as the ship landed on the platform. Pacing through the military offices, he first caught glimpse of the spacecraft through the window.
“She’s here,” he called under his breath as he rushed through the halls. He flew down the steps and weaved through the random military personnel who gave him some strange looks. They weren’t used to seeing General Han Solo in such a state. His eyes were obviously panicked, not manically so but certainly deeply concerned. His movement was quick, but not light and spry as he was sometimes known to carry himself. No. His pace was heavy and burdened. Whatever was on his mind was weighing on him deeply as he ran through the military base and out to the expanse of hangers.
The ramp was already lowered by the time he reached the third hanger down. That didn’t slow his intense pace. He was planning on continuing straight up that ramp if he had to; he needed to lay eyes on her.
Right as he contemplated this, she stepped out of the ship. Same elegant chiffon attire she wore that morning, same braided hairstyle, and same lilac cape, but he immediately noticed the difference in her presence. She wore her mask of strength, but the left side of her body was clearly not right. She limped, a sight that dialed all his worries back up to an 11. He picked up his pace.
Upon seeing her husband hasten towards her across the hanger, she steeled herself even more, locking her aching leg as she put weight on it to strut down the ramp. As uncomfortable as it was, her dignity and the appearance of strength was more important to her at that moment.
She made it down before his labored jog could get him there. She took him in. He had a look on his face that she had seen a few times before. And she didn’t like it.
“Leia,” he rasped as he finally reached the bottom, his hands fastened like magnets to her upper arms, squeezing them to anchor himself to her presence.
Her dark eyes said everything she was trying to project. “I’m fine, Han.” Her voice was calm, casual, and dared him to counter.
And so he did counter that statement and her projection. ”Alright, what happened?” He faced off, arms crossing and eyes boring into hers, doing their best to peel back the glaze she painted on.
Her tight face matched her heavy shoulders and stiff arms. “I got shot,” she relayed off hand.
“Well, I know that,” he mocked. “I’ve only had a dozen calls in the last 2 hours asking about you!”
“You didn’t tell them anything, did you?” She scrunched her growingly weary eyes.
“Of course not,” he admonished. “I didn’t have any information to tell them!”
“Good.” She looked past him with some relief. “We don’t need to over-exaggerate anything.”
“Sweetheart,” he began, blunt honesty in his tone. “We’re too late for that.”
She raised her chin to stare him down. He stared right back.
Her mind reeled with what he must be thinking. “I don’t need you lecturing me about my own safety!” she shot back. “I make my own decisions!”
He let out a mocking guffaw. “You certainly do!”
“I don’t have time for this.” Seeing her waiting speeder over his shoulder, she tried to push past him but he held up his arm, blocking her. “Han, I have to make at least a dozen calls to Corulag and their ambassadors who invited me to try and clear this up. Let me through!”
“Why didn’t you call me? Hum?” He asked forcing her to listen.
“Han, really,” she tried to calm her budding fury with his questions. “There was no need. It was only a graze to my leg…”
“And how do I find out?” he interrupted, his eyes boring into hers. “By a concerned friend sending me a video of my wife being shot!” He stepped closer to her. “And then when I tried to comm you, yah know, just to check-in, you don’t answer.”
“I am fine!” she fired. “I’m perfectly alright! Now let me get back to my office and I will see you at home later.” She shoved his arm out of her way.
“No!” He was not letting her get away from this. With his previously shoved arm, he gripped her wrist and twisted it behind her back. She fought back, but he managed to incapacitate her other hand as well. “We’re having this out right here and now!”
She relaxed her muscles so that he loosened his grip, only to thrash out a moment later. That move only made him pull her chest to his, holding her tighter. “You man-handling, nerf,” she hissed through her teeth. “Let…me…go.”
“No,” he replied immediately, shaking his own stubborn head. “Not until you listen to me.”
She stopped fighting but threw her gazing daggers directly at him. “I don’t want to fight with you…”
“And I don’t want to fight with you!” He hissed back.
“Then don’t. And let me get on with my day.” She tried once more to shake his grip.
“No…” Her husband only pulled her closer, his anger turning to frustration. “No, I will not…”
He felt her chest against his expand and contract with each heavy breath she took. Each breath she took…
His tight grasp changed intent as he released her hands and his arms moved around the curve of her back. The tips of his fingers dug into her shoulder blade and lower back. He nestled his head into the curve of her neck, burying his face amongst her braids. His cheek pressed against her jaw.
His surprising move momentarily stunned her. “Han…” her voice softened. “What…”
His head shook against her shoulder. “Don’t do that again,” he whispered breathlessly.
His words cut through any anger she may have felt. She cradled him in her arms and smoothed her hands over his back. “Honey, I’m okay. Really.”
“No you’re not,” he insisted, softer this time. His head came back to face hers, arms loosely wrapped at her back.
She grunted. “I’m sorry. I should have commed you to say I was alright.” The taste of concessions never tasted good on her lips, but she found herself making them more often with Han. “But I AM okay. I’m not at peak performance, I’ll give you that. But I’m okay.”
“Ben’s really worried.”
Did he whisper that because he knew it would destroy her? No, she decided. But it did destroy her all the same. “He knows?” She swallowed as she asked for confirmation, her head dipping as she waited for his answer.
“He knew… even before I did,” Han breathed. “He felt you. It scared him.”
He felt her, knew the depth of the pain that she tried desperately to keep hidden? Her head shot up, mouth agape. She felt like she was shot again as Han’s face didn’t appear to be in a joking mood. Her little boy…
“Chewie was the first one to comm me right after. Said Ben was agitated and said you were in trouble…”
It suddenly felt like ages ago that she tiptoed quietly out of her son’s room early in the morning to catch her predawn flight to the neighboring planet. She stroked through his thick black locks with her nails slowly, watching his peaceful face, the breath pass through his parted lips. His eyes were at complete rest, mind entirely at ease.
This morning seems like an eon ago as she pictured him now. Guilt and shame rose from her stomach all the way to her throat, a suffocating amount of condemnation.
The next thing she was actually able to feel was her husband’s hand again positioned on her shoulders, his grip firm and anchoring.
He shook her gently as his eyes found hers again. “It’s not just you and me anymore, sweetheart.” She felt his own scare physically penetrating through her. “And I had visions flash before my eyes today I never want to see again.”
She shook her head. “I hate that he felt that… I never wanted him to worry about me. We’re the parents!”
“I know,” he sighed, moving his eyes to gaze over her head.
She tried to reason with both her husband and herself. “Han,” she began, thinking logically. “We’ve both put ourselves in dangerous positions. And this isn’t the first time one of us was injured.”
“But we didn’t have a kid relying on us then,” he reminded her, his eyes telling her this new wave of responsibility was also hitting him hard. “Plus,” he continued, pausing for just a beat. “I wasn’t there this time to have your back.”
So he was feeling guilty too, she deduced from his wandering eyes and his higher-pitched voice. It was her turn to move a hand to the crook of his neck and gently stroke her fingers across his exposed skin. “And I won’t always be there for you. That won’t change anytime soon.”
“I don’t like it.” His statement was more childlike than serious at this moment.
She grinned, chuckling quietly at the pout that took over his face. “Neither do I.”
They reached a stalemate. Neither of their situations were going to change, so they needed to learn to deal with it.
“Come home, please.” There was no levity in his request.
It didn’t take her long to answer after she allowed herself the grace to shift her priorities. Yes, her work was crucially important to the functioning of the New Republic, but her family needed her right now. And to be honest, she needed her family.
With her nod of affirmation, her pleased partner stepped to her side as she tried and failed to take a flawless step forward. The limp caused her to look even more injured than she was feeling. However, she didn’t even have the opportunity to redeem herself as she was lifted bridal style off the ground and cradled in his arms.
“I was doing fine,” she insisted as she made no move to be put down.
He didn’t miss a beat as he walked them towards the hanger exit. “You were not, your worship.”
“Let’s get you inside,” he suggested as they pulled up to the front parking area of their building, and they were certainly not alone. “The press has been camping out ever since,” he explained the gathered audience surrounding the building entrance.
She knew what he meant by mentioning the latter. It was time for public Leia to perform one more act before the curtain closed. He got out first, swiftly yet casually walking around to her side of the speeder. She opened her door and managed to get her good leg out before he was there with an offered hand. With all her weight on her good leg and a boost from her support, she managed to stand easily. She forced an uplifting smile over her husband’s shoulders, in full view of the gathered press and their cams. Testing her ability to move her leg, she rocked her knees and toes on the ground outside as Han shut the door behind her. Succeeding through the pain, she stepped away from her human strength. “I can do it.”
As was their public nature, he took her hand in his and she put her aching leg in front of the other. It seemed the harder she gritted her teeth, the more she was able to tolerate each step.
Leia spotted the press standing a few feet away and drawing nearer to their path. She mustered another smile and a nod, signaling she was okay. “Smile, Han.”
He didn’t take her up on her masking suggestion, instead letting his worries carry over into glares at the peeping toms, forever fascinated with their lives.
Questions swirled, but they didn’t answer any of them, minds singularly focused on walking and making it successfully into the lobby and then the lift. It felt like a milestone when he held the door open for her and she made it through. It was only another 5 steps until they would reach the lift, and she counted down each of those laborious steps.
From the movement in the elevator, she began to feel unsteady, releasing the concealed pain in full force. He would have been a true nerf not to notice. He stepped closer to her and stroked his hand against her back. By the time the bell struck, she was gritting her teeth to keep her face neutral. The worst part of this was that her son was on the other side of these doors and there was no way she wanted him to see her like this. The last thing she wanted to do was scare him even more.
She turned to her husband. “Han…” she whispered, trying to take a deep breath. “I think I need some help.”
He immediately brought his arm under hers and took on half of her weight, moving out of the elevator and palming into their rooms. She made the motions of walking, without any load on her injured leg.
Luckily, he opened the door quietly, so they were able to sneak in initially undetected. “Let me sit down before Ben comes in,” she requested, pointing to the nearest chair in the living room.
They heard rustling from down the hall as Han helped her settle in the chair. She took stock of herself. Her security had blessedly cut away the layers of fabric from her dress that were stained, so she draped some of the clean lilac chiffon across her leg to hid any evidence of wardrobe malfunctions. Han brought a pillow behind her back and stood to his full height just as the pitter-patter of little feet made it into the room
“Mommy!” The little three year old cried as he launched himself towards her with open arms. She embraced him as he jumped into her lap, holding on just as tightly as he was.
“Hi sweetie,” she exclaimed as she placed a kiss along his hairline, her voice upbeat and breezy.
Ben’s little fingers found purchase at the fabric on her back, his head burrowing into her shoulder. “Mommy okay?” he asked, his voice unsteady.
She heard a sniffle. “I’m fine, bubba,” the mother answered holding her boy tighter. “It’s alright honey, I’m okay.”
“You’s got hurt,” he said, telling her what he knew. “And you’s was scared.”
She pulled him back to sit on her lap, her hands immediately moving to brush the thick black hair from his eyes. Without addressing or validating his concerns, she responded. “See,” she smiled lovingly. “I’m okay.”
Han confirmed her words from his position above them. “She’s alright, kid.”
Ben thought she looked okay enough and if his Daddy said it also, it must be true.
“What were you and Uncle Chewie doing?” Leia asked to change the subject and put the focus back on her son.
He wiped his nose on his sleeve. “We’s was watching Space Racer.”
“Ooh,” she cooed dramatically as her hands moved to rub his back. “Your favorite.”
“You watch with me?” His eyes lit up at the request.
How could she deny that little face; That pudgy, dark-eyed, lovable face? As reluctant as she was to put off the massive amount of clean up she would have to do from this, she decided to let her office handle it and allowed herself the moment to indulge in her family.
“Okay, bubba. Let’s watch Space Racer.”
His whoop could be heard two floors down as he scrambled off of her and ran to his room to get the flick.
“Let’s watch it in Mommy and Daddy’s room,” Han called after him, deciding she would be most comfortable there.
With her son gone, she lost her reason to hold herself together. Her steady breathing hissed as she tried again to stand on her own. Her hands went to either side of the chair to push her up. She felt her stomach churn and she tried to swallow the moan that was asking to come out. She closed her eyes again to focus on staying strong.
As soon as Ben left, Han knew what to expect. This was her chance to drop the act, to let out a wave of pain. He saw it in the way her eyes avoided his and how her clammy hands reached for him to steady her.
“Need help?” He asked her in a tone that suggested he knew the answer.
She huffed at his question. “Yes, Han. There, I asked for help. Are you happy now?”
“Almost,” he said as he again put her arm around his shoulder so he could support her weight as they made their way down the hall to their bedroom. “How about, ‘General Solo, love of my life, the only man for me,’” his voice turned theatrical as he mouthed the words for her. “‘I need you and your god-like strength to whisk me away to bed.’”
She pressed her lips together, oh so grateful to find normalcy in their banter. “Well,” she thought. “That doesn’t sound like me at all.”
“Well, it should!” He cried melodramatically. “I think you take my manly power for granted, sometimes…”
“Oh shut up, flyboy!” She directed at his whine just as Chewie made himself known from the kitchen.
[Princess,] the Wookie began as he took her in. [I have some tea on the stove and started preparations for a Chyntuck. I thought you might be hungry.]
She sighed, truly grateful for his thoughtfulness. “Thank you, Chewie.” Her hand reached out to his as she gave it a grateful squeeze, just as an impish gleam took over her eyes. “You are a lifesaver, really. Truly god-like. And I love you, Chewbacca. The only man for me…”
“Well,” Han stepped in with his wry tone, only slightly annoyed at her teasing. “We haven’t lost our sense of humor, have we?”
“If anything I’d say it’s sharpened,” she shared as she gave him a gleeful stare.
“Hey, pal,” Han moved past this conversation and refocused on getting her comfortable as quickly as possible. “Can you entertain the kid for a few minutes while she gets settled?”
The Wookie let out an affirmative growl and patted Leia’s hand before stepping back down the hall towards Ben’s room.
Moving into their bedroom, Han left Leia on her side of the bed as he took a shirt and shorts out of her dresser drawer.
“Long pants, please,” she requested as she unhooked the back of her dress. “I want to cover the bandage.”
He shuffled around a moment more before returning with her goods. She insisted she didn’t need any help, but he watched close by and made note of the clean bandage wrapped tightly around her calf.
“Doesn’t look like it’s bleeding through,” he commented.
“Not anymore,” she shared as she slipped the t-shirt over her head. “I’m supposed to reapply the bacta every two hours, to help with the healing and the pain.”
“Still hurts?” he asked as he knelt and raised a hand towards her calf.
She slapped him away quicker than he could envisage. “Yes! Don’t touch it.”
“Ow!” He complained as he retracted his hand, reaching for her pants to help slip them on. “You are an abusive patient.”
“I’m sorry,” she said in a tone that suggested she wasn’t sorry at all, shifting on the bed to pull her bottoms on.
“Alright, Leia…” He scoffed, his eyes down as he made to stand up.
“Han,” she stopped him as he knelt in front of her and took his cheeks in her hands. She didn’t force him to look at her, instead, she took a deep, steadying breath before she turned off her playful banter. “Thank you.”
He let his eyes fall to hers, scrunching at the corners. “For what exactly?”
She took another breath as her eyes rolled before she told him what he wanted to hear. “For knowing me better than I know myself.”
She didn’t need to elaborate; he knew her obstinacy would have pushed her to work the rest of the day when she actually needed rest and healing.
Her thumbs stroked the slight stubble on his cheek. “For loving me despite my stubbornness.”
“Nah, not despite,” he corrected with a hand on her knee. “Because of it.”
Her lips turned up, head falling to rest against his forehead. His warm breath on her skin calmed her, cleared her head, and refocused her mind.
She lifted her eyes directly on the man before her. Finally looking past her own insistence that she was fine, she saw him. His lips were pressed tightly together, his palm sweaty on her knee, and his blinking rapid. She watched his sunken eyes, reading them like an open book: ‘She could have died. I wasn’t there to protect her. I can’t bare the thought of raising our son alone.’ She moved her arms to wrap around him and stroke his back.
“Shhh,” she quieted his inner storm. “No what-ifs.” She moved her head to the side, watching the cracked door. “Ben will be back at any moment.”
It was his turn to sigh and compose himself. His hand smacked her good leg as he repositioned his crouched knees. His forehead rolled against hers as his lips landed on the corner of her mouth. “I love you,” he whispered before standing up once again.
Her grin radiated off his own sentiments as she whispered back, “I know.”
Han gave her some space as she leaned back in bed against the headboard and grabbed a throw to lay over her legs. He noticed the tension in her body as she swung her bad leg onto the mattress and shuffled it so she was laying in the center of the bed.
Once settled, he moved to the door and called to their son. “Hey kid, what are ya waitin’ for? Mommy just told me she hasn’t watched this for a whole three days.”
The figure on the bed’s mouth went agape. “It’s only been two days.”
Han shook his head, his signature smirk on full display. “You fell asleep while watchin’ two nights ago. That doesn’t count.”
Their little pod racer made his speedy entrance clutching the movie chip in his hand. “Mommy, ‘member the part where Little Pod goes up the big hill?”
Oh yes, of course she remembered it. “I do, bubba.”
Ben beamed. “That’s my favorite part!”
She beamed right back at her little starfighter. “I know it is.” Patting the side where her good leg was, she called him over. “Give Daddy the chip and jump up.”
Ben hopped towards his Daddy with lively feet, stretching his little arm to the sky. Han took the chip and moved towards the holo screen.
Ben climbed onto his mom’s side of the bed and Leia immediately wrapped her arm around her son. Han lit up the screen and watched as the program started. With the opening credits rolling, he climbed in beside his wife.
“Everyone comfy?” They nodded in affirmation. With his family taken care of, he raised his arm around his wife and settled in beside her, sharing part of her blanket and carefully negotiating around jostling her bad leg.
Leia wiggled her torso, adjusting to the warm body now supporting her. She tilted her head to his ear. “Can you hand me your holo pad?”
He should have known she would ask for some device. With heavy reluctance, he reached to his bedside table and handed her the gadget.
It only took her a few seconds to review the update her security team sent. “It seems to be a lone dissenter,” she shared quietly, seeing that their son was thoroughly enraptured with his program. “No greater conspiracies at this time.”
He decided that was all the information she needed to hear at this time, so he removed the device from her hand and placed it back on the side table. Instead of turning back empty-handed, he brought with him her hairbrush and laid it on his lap. “Turn,” he instructed with the flick of his wrist.
She complied, shifting slightly so her little boy was still snuggled against her but so her husband had full access to the twists and knots that made up her do.
At this point, he knew her hair inside out; knew how to detangle each knot, finger through each braid, dig for each pin, and how much she loved it when he ran his hands over her scalp after her locks were completely free.
“Look, Mommy!” Ben pointed to the screen. “That’s Little Pod’s house in the hanger.”
“I see,” she acknowledged.
“He’s lives with his Mommy Pod and Daddy Pod,” Ben explained the plot to his viewers as his eyes remained fixated. “They’s his mom and dad.”
“Hey, kid,” Han called. “You thinkin’ ‘bout tradin’ us in for Mommy and Daddy Pod?”
Ben thought that sounded funny so he giggled as he curled up his knees to rest against his mother’s side. “No!”
“Good!” Han stated sharply. “You’re stuck with us for now.”
Ben had no complaints to offer as he watched the rest of the scene transpire.
Beside him, Leia’s eyes were half watching the program and half shut as she reveled in the attention at her scalp. She let out an audible exhale as Han eventually finished his ministrations, punctuating it with his lips against her temple. She leaned back, sinking deep into his shoulder and reveling in her beloved family.
It was in these moments that she found herself most reflective. Yes, the war was treacherous for her and for thousands of lost and scarred soldiers. And the rebuilding efforts were just as taxing. But all they went through, the pain, the heartbreak, the physical and emotional strains, putting her life on the line day after day, all of it lead to moments like this; eras of peace, love, serenity. And this…
This was worth fighting for.