Chapter Text
The last thing Han remembered was fire. He's pretty sure it hurt, but he's a little fuzzy on the details right now because, well, everything's fuzzy. He's teetering around on feet that aren't a hundred percent sure how to hold him up, but he's not falling because someone is tucked under his arm. Someone short, and probably pretty if his eyes were working, and who smells nice.
"Nice catch, Your Worship."
Leia never makes sounds like that. Not even over that stupid nickname. She'll yell at him, or snub him, or throw him against the nearest wall if no one's around and really show him who’s in charge, but she doesn't make sounds like someone's scooped her heart out, thrown it on the floor, and stomped on it. So Han has to follow up with soothing noises, and "Hey, hey, I'm good." Because what else is he supposed to do?
"Shut up," Leia snaps, which is much more like her, even if it doesn't completely ease Han’s worry about that weird noise. Or the fact that his eyes aren't quite working.
He hates when his eyes take time to boot up now. It's annoying as fuck.
“Leia, what—” Someone is shouting at her. It's a voice Han doesn't know, male and coming from a blurry shadow that's too tall for Han's tastes, even if it doesn't sound like that walking respiratory torture.
"I found out what it does," Leia snapped at the person. "Don't touch him!"
"We need to move faster," the man says. “I can—”
"I'll carry him," Leia is firm, but less angry now, and Han splutters a protest. "You're better with a saber."
"Did Luke get more prosthetics?" Han asked, squinting to see if he could find any of the kid in that shadowy blob. "And a new voice box?"
There was just too much silence before Leia said. "No. He's gone."
Han didn't actually stumble, but he did freeze. "There was an explosion."
"Chewie's gone too," Leia whispered, her arm around his waist squeezing. "I'm so sorry."
"No," Han said, rubbing his eyes, because he needed them working, dammit. "No, you don't apologize for things that aren't your fault. Not when you never apologize for the ones that are."
The man made an interesting noise and Leia protested, "I apologize!"
He could just make out her face, maybe filling in some of the details from memory. "With your words? Not so much."
He knew the cocky grin would drive her up the wall. That it would distract both of them for just a little longer. And they needed to be just a little distracted, because apparently Han had lost two of his best friends, and something had happened to Leia, and there was a hulking giant who apparently had a lightsaber and was better at using it than Leia. Which was hard to believe. She hadn't taken any lessons from Luke, last Han had checked, but she had basics in a concerning number of martial arts for the princess of a "peaceful" planet. Imperial spy or not.
"Um," the man said. “Should I—”
"Lightsaber," Leia said. And shifted so Han was tipping over her shoulders as she grabbed his legs. He yelped as he tried to grab hold, ready to complain about her dropping him. "Cover me."
"Don't hit a wall," the guy muttered, and Han swayed as Leia kicked at him.
He was coming into focus now, just enough that Han got the impression of a strong jaw and a face that was…oddly familiar.
"Why does your new friend look like a dead Jedi general?" Han asked.
"Shut up," Leia ordered.
"Dead?" the guy spluttered.
"Why do you look like Anakin Skywalker? Only Luke should look like him. Or, well," he patted Leia's head and she smacked his hand.
"Stop helping,” she demanded. "Ignore him. He's probably got brain damage. Carbonite freezing does that."
"It does not!"
"Why does he think I'm dead?" the guy, apparently some Anakin Skywalker impersonator, asked.
"You are in so much trouble," Leia said, before she was suddenly moving, fast enough the world around them blurred more than a little. Huh. That was new.
Han might…he might have been gone for a while. If she was pulling the sort of tricks Luke was comfortable with.
"I think I missed something," Han did his best to aim the words at her ear, trying not to yell, not sure if she was even paying attention.
Her hands tightened around his legs, but Leia didn't answer.