A Long Time Ago, in a Galaxy, Far, Far, Away…
- What happened after THAT party on the forest moon of Endor? LOTS of things. COUNTLESS adventures! Some canon. Some not. None diminishes that one off ‘happily ever after’.
- Nonetheless, life is full of cyclical, lovely ending moments. You still have new frontiers to cross the next day, each of which has its own self contained story arc. And, though others have indeed broached the Han Solo story and how he won the hand of Princess Leia? I am here, chipping in my ‘take’.
NB: LUCASFILM OWN STAR WARS. DISNEY OWNS LUCASFILM. NO DIRECT PROFIT MADE OR COPYRIGHT/TRADEMARK/GOODWILL/PASSING OFF VIOLATIONS INTENDED.
Names and plotlines etc easily changed and pasted to my own novel. Here we go.
image c/o JMG Artwork.
EPISODE ONE. AFTER THE PARTY ON ENDOR..
Han Solo held Princess Leia in his arms and everything was right in the galaxy. He had helped take down an evil empire and in so doing, thereby rediscovered his own moral and social compass.
Most importantly of all? Han had found ‘her’: the one woman he could love, forever. Or COULD he? And indeed, she, the Princess, in return, truly LOVE him, unconditionally?
The days of celebration passed in what felt like a fraction of a mini-parsec. Dates of light, love, space poetry, Ewok-produced Barbecues, dance, song and sun. The stars shone above the trees, both day and night. Everything was as it should be. Perfect! And yet..
One day, you have to get back to WORK. And so it was, that Han Solo knew the frivolous revels were nearing an end. Princess Leia would soon be resuming the business of rebuilding a broken galaxy, post war.
The battle for the ‘star peace’ had begun.
On the penultimate night of festivities, Han held Leia more closely and tightly than ever. He was not sleeping as soundly as he once had. When dreams did visit, they had, in the last few instances, been unwelcome.
Visions of trauma past and yet to come. This was so unlike him. His usual subconscious wanderings tended toward ship specifications, laser blasts and space piracy. Premonitions were best left to Luke and his new Jedi order. ‘And self doubt is for moof-milkers, right’.
But now? A creeping fear, chilling Solo’s heart like carbonite. Images of losing Leia to some other suitor. Or worse still: keeping the girl he adored and yet, thereby, confronting, together, some new evil or pain which no rebel fleet could destroy.
And she knew what he was feeling. Just knew, because Leia had the second sight. That force ability that coursed through her Skywalker veins. Untrained and untapped, as yet. But very much ‘there’.
‘What’s wrong, Han?’, she asked, soothingly, her fingertips against his chest, massaging the roguish heart; her elegant fingers carrying the electric warmth of new love.
‘Nothing’s wrong. Nothing. Everything is fine’.
Solo was as quick on the draw with his protective lies as he had been with the blaster in duels of yore. This, however, was new to him. Actual love. Consequence. And the need for development, application.
IF He were to keep Princess Leia in the style to which she had been accustomed? IF he were to propose actual MARRIAGE? Then there would be ramifications. Consequences. Personal. Galaxy wide.
And above all, the man would have to grow up. Change. Evolve. Still ‘Han’. But no more drifting. No more war, either. Civic duty, possibly political, was the only way to ensure he would be in this girl’s life, surely?
Leia knew it, too. But she did not want Han too keen, too fast. That would scare him off and indeed, her! The girl adored her Captain Solo. Nevertheless, the Galaxy was a large ‘Dejarik’ / Holo-Chess Board and Leia knew herself to be quite the prize.
Indeed, using that as leverage could help broker vital motivations toward lasting peace in a post Empire dynamic.
Her soul and body were not for sale and Leia just knew, it HAD to be Han.
So how to allay his anxieties AND somehow, shake him from any notions of a lazy lull? Keep things fun, for both of them. Increase the stakes. The man was a gambler. Trick was to somehow entice Han toward ongoing adventure, whilst nudging the man into true partnership, forever? All the while buying herself time to tidy her own line of suitors past?
The force moved in mysterious ways.
The Princess heard an echo of the old Jedi mentor, Obi Wan Kenobi, in her mind. ‘Just TELL him that yourself. You will see his response, in time and all will be well’.
Leia jumped in for the kill, thereby extinguishing all of Han’s nervous ticks/lop sided grins and faux buccaneer banter.
‘Han. Before our WEDDING? I have one last mission for you. All I can say is it concerns the future of the Galaxy. And indeed, us’.
Solo simply could not resist another fast response:
‘I know. I know. Hey, it’s me! Ok, your worshipfulness..my darling Leia..I’m listening’.
And with that? He was assembling a crew, immediately. Orders were to follow, via encrypted Holonet. Leia’s plan was working, perfectly. Or so it seemed..
TO BE CONTINUED. MAYBE. HAPPY WEEKEND. MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU.
