TITLE: Back at the Rendezvous
AUTHOR: Sally
SUMMARY: Set after the majority of events in The Empire Strikes Back... what happened when the Millennium Falcon arrived at the rebel base
DISCLAIMER: All hail to George... I'm just messin' in his sandbox!

Things were looking bad at the new Rebel base until the familiar code came through on the intercept. An old Corellian YT-1300 slowly lumbered into view and there was a collective sigh of relief. It had been a week since the evacuation of Hoth and the only proof General Riekkan had that the missing persons were still alive were the reports by a few pilots who reported seeing the Falcon blast off. There was still an X-Wing missing as well. Three, no, make that four, very important people had not met up at the rendezvous point. Their droids were missing also.

The Princess’ voice had been shaky when she had given the code. Perhaps it was the stress of being stuck on the Falcon with its captain, Riekkan thought. Those two would either kill each other or, or something. They had been a main source of entertainment for the Rebels for the past few years. The base always seemed too quiet when they weren’t around. Princess and smuggler, thought Riekkan, smiling. It’ll be interesting to see how this trip turned out.

The communication console flashed on again. Another incoming from the modified freighter.

“General Riekkan?” came Leia’s voice.

“Yes, Leia?”

“We’re going to need medical equipment immediately upon our arrival.”

It occurred at that point to the General that the Falcon was not being flown with its usual speed and grace. Something must have happened to Solo. Perhaps he had irritated Leia just once too often.

“How bad?” he asked.

“It’s,” she hesitated. “Bad.”

“Who’s the casualty?” he asked, thinking he knew the answer.

“Luke.”

Well, at least they now had everyone accounted for. That would explain the piloting. Solo looked upon the young Rogue commander as a younger brother. He wondered what had happened for Luke to end up with them. Had Luke’s X-Wing been shot down?

Riekkan signaled to a younger officer. “Tell Wedge Antilles that we have Commander Skywalker.”

“Yes, Sir.” The young woman saluted and ran off.

Riekkan and Wedge Antilles, member of Rogue Squadron and friend to Luke Skywalker, hovered anxiously while the Millennium Falcon slowly came to rest. Within minutes, the main ramp was lowered and outstepped a very disheveled Leia Organa. She looked pale and tired. It also looked as though she had been crying. Behind her was Chewbacca, looking mournful. Behind both of them, however, was someone in a much worse condition. A tall black man, a stranger to both Riekkan and Antilles, was practically carrying the young Skywalker. Wedge immediately ran to them and helped support Luke.

Riekkan waited for the other occupants to disembark. But it was apparent that after the two droids there was no one else. He stepped towards Leia quickly and put an arm around her. “What happened? Who’s that?”

She sighed. “Hyperdrive failed. That’s Lando Calrissian, he’s the administrator of a mining colony. Or at least he was,” she corrected herself. “He’s also an old business acquaintance of,” she took a gulp as if the name was hard to get out. “Han’s.”

Solo. Where was he? “Your Highness,” Riekkan began.

*Leia*

She was by his side in an instant, even while medical personnel were fussing over him. “What is it?” she whispered.

“Tomorrow,” he whispered back. “Tomorrow we talk and start planning.” He smiled.

“Luke. I don’t know.”

“I do. Now go talk to the General. He’ll want to know what’s happened.” He coughed.

“What about you?” She didn’t want to leave him.

“I’ll be fine.”

She leaned over and kissed his forehead. “Okay.” She looked across at Lando. “Wedge can show you somewhere to crash I think.” She looked across to the young pilot who nodded.

“Thank you, Leia. You get some rest. It’s been too long of a day for all of us.” Calrissian looked down briefly. “I’m sorry for everything but it won’t help us now. But a good rest and a new day tomorrow will.”

She smiled. Han had regaled her with stories of the women Lando had romanced. If you didn’t mind the charm he oozed, she thought, he’d almost be nice.

The medical entourage moved off and Leia walked back to Riekkan.

“Come,” he said. “We’ve got some quarters prepared for you. And I want to know what happened.” He was burning to find out what had happened to Solo but knew that the Princess would only tell in her own time.

The corridor he eventually led her to only had three doors. Leia looked at Riekkan inquiringly.

“This is your’s,” he said, pointing to the first door.

“The other two?”

“Next to you we had decided to put Luke. The third…” He coughed, not wanting to say the name out loud.

“Han’s,” she whispered.

“Well, yes. Here, let me show you your room.”

“No.” She walked down the hall a bit further and stopped outside the third room. She paused only for a moment before opening the door. It was a small room, containing a single bed and a dresser, and a basic communications unit. A fresher unit stood in a corner. On the bed lay a small pile of towels. They were black, and Leia remembered that with Han white towels never stayed white for long. A long window took up one wall, overlooking rolling hills of green. Leia stood at the window for a long time, trying to believe that this was all a bad dream, that Han was really crashed out on the bed behind her, about to open his mouth and make a sarcastic remark. She could hear his voice in her head. “Getting sentimental, sweetheart? Well, hey, I’m worth it.” She opened her mouth to frame a retort, only to realize that he wasn’t really there. She turned away from the window and sat down on the edge of the bed.

“Leia,” Riekkan probed gently. “What happened? Where’s Han?”

“He’s gone,” she answered dully.

“Gone? As in left? I don’t think so, Leia. I can’t see him leaving without his ship or being allowed to leave without the wookiee.”

She looked up at him. “He didn’t have a choice.”

In an instant Riekkan realized with horror that time must have run out on Han Solo. That the famous luck had finally failed. The general sat down on the bed and put an arm around the Princess’ shoulders. He had known Leia forever, it seemed. Oh, Bail, he thought. You created a strong daughter, but you couldn’t have prepared her for this. She relaxed slightly.

“How?”

“Vader and a bounty hunter. Together. Forced Lando into helping them. Vader wanted Luke. Set a trap.” The words came out in staccato sentences. She took a deep breath, tried to collect herself and started over. “The Falcon’s hyperdrive failed on us and after we eventually escaped we headed for Bespin, where Lando was from. They go way back, apparently. Han told me the stories on the way there. But Vader got there before us, having teamed up with some bounty hunter. Lando was trying to hang on to his business. Vader just wanted us to entice Luke. They tortured Han and then they…” It was too much to think about. She didn’t want to think about it. She did the next best thing. For the first time in years she cried.

“They what?” Riekkan asked after about five minutes had passed.

She sniffed. The words came out in a rush. “They froze Han in carbonite.”

Riekkan was speechless. Carbon freezing was a common enough method but it had never been carried out on humans. At least, not living ones. He tried not to imagine. The infallible Han Solo, so helpless.

“And what was it for?” Leia continued, almost whispering. “Lando still lost his mining colony and Luke still ended up facing Vader. That’s how he got his injuries.”

“Oh, Leia. I am so sorry.” Carlist Riekkan could tell there was more than Leia was telling. There was evidently a personal side to the story as well. Perhaps Leia and Han had finally reached an understanding of sorts. And it had come too late.

At that moment his comlink chose to go off. In disgust, he thumbed it on. “Riekkan here.” There was a muffled exchange. “I’ll be right there.” He stood up and looked down at Leia, still sitting hunched over. “You going to be okay?”

She nodded. Then, suddenly the Princess returned. “Yes. You go. We can’t suddenly stop because we’ve lost one smuggler. The Empire doesn’t. Besides,” she smiled. “I need to clean up and then I intend to go see Luke.”

Riekkan was at the door when he stopped and asked, “How did Luke get his injuries anyway? You said he met up with Vader?”

“Yes,” she said quietly. “He lost his father’s lightsaber, and in the process he lost his hand.”

Riekkan had to grip the door handle tightly. One piece of bad news after another. Force have mercy, he thought. Will this day never end?

After General Riekkan left Leia got up. She took a long look around the room and then left. She entered the quarters set aside for her and noticed that they were similar to Han’s. Upon opening the dresser drawers she found all her clothing neatly stacked. Without stopping to think she pulled out every item and placed them in a neat pile on the bed. She then retrieved her toiletries from where some kind person had placed them on a shelf in the fresher unit. Once she had finished that she picked up everything and left the room. She walked to the quarters two doors down and opened the door. After she had dumped everything on the bed she went over to the communications unit and arranged to have her messages transferred to that console. She then took a long shower.

Luke was asleep when she finally made it to the medical center. The stump of his arm had been bandaged up and an aide told her that they were planning to operate as soon as he stabilized. She looked upon him while he slept, noticing how peaceful he looked. She fought back the laughter as she realized that he had left Hoth from the medical center, and now he was, different planet, same place. Maybe he ought to set up home here. She smiled, remembering how fun Luke could be when he was up and about, remembered the nights the three of them had sat aboard the Falcon discussing dreams, hopes and realities. Nights when she had fondly talked about happy childhood days, Luke had talked about racing with friends on Tatooine, and Han had listened, never saying much at all. It all seemed so long ago now. She suddenly missed those nights. She wanted them back. She wanted him back. Why had she been so blind before? She remembered the last great fight between them, back on Hoth, in a very public corridor, after he announced that this time he really did have to leave. “Afraid I was going to leave without giving you a goodbye kiss?” Although she had viciously denied it with a crack about kissing a wookiee she knew now that she had been afraid that he’d leave. But now she’d had that goodbye kiss and she found that she didn’t want it after all. She’d never wanted him to leave, she never wanted to have to say goodbye.

“Tomorrow,” she whispered, repeating Luke’s words. “Tomorrow we talk and start planning.” One way or another, they would get back Han Solo, cocky smuggler, ace pilot and the love of Princess Leia Organa’s life.

END