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It was a simple cargo transport this time, additional aid for one of the many planets still struggling after the Empire’s clutch on them. It seemed like no matter how many years, there was still work to be done to fix the mess of it all.
Han, of course, took the job, the Falcon could handle it and so could he…it also helped that it got him out of the house. He loves Leia, loves Ben–as much of a rascal he could be–but there was something about the…
Domesticity, he can hear C-3PO’s voice clang in his head with the word. He struggled with it, couldn’t be blamed for a man constantly on the move up until a few years ago. It was bad enough already that he still had to check on the holonet how to be around the kid, what to do, what to teach. He wasn’t gonna run ‘cause of a little hiccup in natural parenting skills though, that was for sure.
Even with that, getting up in the middle of the night, kissing Leia goodbye and whispering his farewell to Ben, dragging Chewie into the ship, when he finally sat down in his seat he practically melted into it. All he needed was this. Something to get him moving. A simple job.
Scriff. Scraff.
Scriff.
“...What is that sound?” Han sat up in his chair, shoulders stretching after an hour of sitting, neck stiff as he turned his head towards the door of the cockpit and away from the viewport of dazzling stars. The sound was faint, wasn’t behind the door, but wasn’t that far down the ship. It wasn’t a sound he’s heard before even with all the issues with the Falcon previously.
Scritch.
Now Chewbacca looked behind, angling his head to try to get a better listen. A moment passed before he shrugged with a groan and turned back around.
“No, that’s not the cargo. We wouldn’t be hearing the cargo this close.” He shuffled in his chair, earning another set of groans and grunts from his co-pilot.
“No way,” Han now stood, heading towards the door. He lowered his voice, “Something, or someone is on this ship, and I’m gonna find out.” He took his blaster, sliding it into the holster. “Our cargo may not garner a lot of attention, but hey, desperate people are desperate.”
Chewbacca gave him a huff, waving him off and muttering something about “losing his mind.”
Whatever, what would that fuzzball know? All Han knew is he had cargo to get transported, as safely as possible, and a family they had to return to, with as much of them in one piece as possible. Hell, maybe it was time for him to start telling Ben all his stories, kid should be old enough to know it’s not all just fun and flying around. Not enough to scare him though, he didn’t want the poor kid thinking pirates were going to jump him if he left the house. The boy has nightmares enough.
And, sure, maybe he is hoping for something to happen. Not like he wanted his life threatened, but some excitement here and there wouldn’t kill him! Why does Luke get to have all the fun finding Imperial scum?
Luke has the force and doesn’t have a wife and kid, he reminded himself as he walked down the corridor to–
Scritch. Scriff.
There! Han looked down at the panels lining the floor. Old smuggling spaces…it’s been a while since he’s actually used them for anything smuggling related. Nothing should be down there.
He took a step, whatever under there stopped moving. His hand moved to his holster, feet shuffling as quietly as possible. If he could make whoever it was think he wasn’t there…
His hand pressed to the panel, another second…
Scritch.
“Gotcha!” He opened the panel, coming face to face with–
“...Ben?”
All he could see in the space was a pair of wide eyes framed by sweat soaked hair. He was still in his pajamas. Han could make out something in his hand…a marker or a crayon or…
He looked at the underside of the panel, seeing now what was used as a canvas. The source of the sound. A bunch of yellow stars and blue butterflies. Nothing exciting, no pirates, no creatures, no–
His head snapped back to Ben, who seemed to think if he didn’t move he was invisible. He was even holding his breath.
“You’re not supposed to be in there!” Han moved his hand away from the holster as calmly as he could, kneeling to the floor.
Ben finally let out a breath, dropping whatever was in his hand and shakily sitting up on his knees. “I was trying to be quiet. I thought this was…was a good spot,” he rasped out, his little hand brushing the damp hair away from his eyes.
“Good spot for what? Giving me a heart attack?” Han groaned. “You know what hides down here? Bad guys and escaped live cargo and–”
He was cut off as Ben practically leapt out of the space, arms and legs scraping against the edge before Han scooped him up.
“Not that it happens regularly,” he held the frantic boy closer. “I sure as hell won’t let anything get to you if I know where you are on the ship…which means no sneaking on!”
Ben’s breath steadied, his hand slowly letting go of the death grip he had on his father’s shirt collar. “But you said I had to be sneaky if you didn’t want mom to find out?”
“Now that’s a different–”
Leia. Leia doesn’t know Ben’s with him.
It was nearly day on Chandrila. Ben’s on the Falcon. He’d be gone and Ben would be nowhere to be found. At worst, Leia would just figure he snuck him out…at even worse she’d think Ben was missing. The kid broke his habit of running off a couple years ago…but with his nightmares and other weird new habits it wouldn’t be odd if it started up again.
Either way, he needed to contact Leia. It was too late to turn the ship around, and maybe he could use this to teach Ben something about the different planets and how the war affected them and…
Or was he too young for that? Han could stick to regular lessons on flying and navigating…the droid could teach him all about that history whenever it’s needed. He probably wouldn’t get the lesson across as well as someone else.
He rushed back to the cockpit, strapping Ben into the backseat as Chewbacca gave a confused growl.
“Yeah, yeah, I’ll explain later just see if you can contact Leia,” he turned his head at the sound of Ben retracting the strap from himself, “and stop messing with that!”
“It feels weird!”
“Well guess what it’ll be the only thing gluing you to your seat if something happens!” He turned back to see his co-pilot giving him an exasperated look. “It’s not my fault–and you tell her it’s not my fault if we get in contact! You know I didn’t bring him on board!”
The Wookie just gave a sigh as they waited to get contact. A minute. Two. Ten. They were nearing the planet now and still no–
Bzzt.
Han practically leapt at the sound, pressing the com button. “Leia? Is that–”
“Oh! Mr. Solo, so glad you called!”
“3PO,” he groaned. “Is Leia there? Need to talk to her.”
“I’m afraid she is unable to talk right now as she is busy getting ready to attend a meeting this morning, but I’d be glad to pass along your message to her!”
“Just tell her that Ben snuck onto the ship and that he is safe and with me.”
“Certainly, she was just talking about his whereabouts. She figured you had actually snuck him away yourself.”
Han groaned, again. He found himself doing that often. “Just tell her that our son is a sneaky–”
The chair creaking behind him made him turn his head, seeing Ben halfway out of the seatbelt, hand outstretched to reach for a doll on the floor. The doll the kid brought everywhere, because it looked nearly like Leia, of course he brought it, along with a set of markers and who knows what else he manages to store in his little pockets. He watched the doll hover for a moment, then fall back, Ben’s face turning red as he exerted himself more and strained further. “...Just tell her I have him.”
“Certainly, sir! I’m sure she will be pleased to know he is safely–”
Bzzt.
Han shut the com off, leaning back in his chair and dragging a hand down his face. He heard Chewbacca try to stifle a laugh, his co-pilot leaning over to grab the fallen doll and hand it to an exhausted Ben. Hopefully he'd just fall sleep once they land and they can get the cargo handed off quick. No planetary lesson today.
“Quick and easy,” he muttered as the planet came into view. “Then right back home…”