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sheenianniTitle: Not the Average Mercenary
Author’s Name:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
sheenianni
Fandoms: Star Wars, White Collar
Spoilers: None really
Characters/Pairings: Leia Organa, Han Solo, Chewbacca, Luke Skywalker, Wilhuff Tarkin, Mon Mothma, Wedge; pre-Leia/Han
Genre: Humor, H/C, drama
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: ~ 5,100
Beta Credit: This story has been beta-read by the wonderfulcitrinesunset - thank you for your fantastic help and for suggesting the final touches that made this fic better!
Summary: A long time ago, there was a Bureau in the galaxy far away and an FBI agent trying to catch a smuggler. A Star Wars/White Collar fusion, pre-Leia/Han, written formisura’s prompt for the Typhoon Haiyan Fundraiser over at ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
fandomaid.
A/N: See Author’s Note at the end.
Despite the odd hour, the centre of New York was full of life, basking in its million lights and busy with taxis transporting people back home from parties and galas. The harbor, on the other hand, was quiet, mostly abandoned except for a few lonely ships here and there. In the dark, the surrounding surfaces glimmered slightly as they were covered in frost, proving that the temperature was several degrees below zero. Pulling her coat closer, Leia tried to preserve the last bits of warmth even as she watched the harbor and the Millennium Orca.
The dawn was getting closer.
Suddenly, her transmitter came alive. “How long are we going to wait? … Leia, my ass is freezing off, here.”
She didn’t know whether to smile or roll her eyes at the familiar voice. “What did the old man use to say? ‘Patience, Luke.’ Solo is going to show up sooner or later.”
“Then let’s hope for the first then,” stated Wedge into the mic.
“At least you’re both in an actual car,” pointed out Leia. “If you want to take my place here –”
“No thanks!”
Leia’s lip twitched in amusement.
They waited in silence.
Suddenly, Leia saw a small van approaching. “Here they come.”
The car stopped only maybe fifteen meters from the Millennium Orca. Then the door opened to reveal Solo, the Wookiee and one of Han’s associates, Lando Calrissian. Solo and the Wookiee unloaded several boxes from the back before he and Calrissian shook hands and the latter took off again. Watching the van disappear into the distance, Solo then turned to the Wookiee and told him something, to which his companion replied with a low-key roar. Then both of them picked up a box and headed for the Orca.
Leia had waited for this moment for three years.
“Boss? They’re loading the boat.”
Perfect.
Leia remained in her place as the two put the boxes away on the ship. As she watched them walked back to get the rest of them, her hand went almost automatically to her waist. For a moment, it hovered over her handcuffs before she quietly pulled out her gun, all the time watching as Solo picked up another box.
“Leia?”
She smiled.
“Now.”
And then her team moved in.
“FBI! Hands in the air! Don’t move!”
The sight of Solo, shocked and disbelieving at suddenly being surrounded by sirens and a bunch of FBI agents, was one that she’d savor for the rest of her career.
Dropping the box, Han’s eyes briefly flickered to his gun. For a moment, Leia tensed, preparing for the worst. Then Solo raised his arms and told his friend to do the same, and Leia allowed herself a breath of relief. The worst was over now.
“Hello, Han. You’re under arrest.”
* * *
The first time she had met Solo, Leia had just officially graduated from her probie status to that of a full agent. At that time, the team had been investigating illegal wildlife trade; animals being smuggled to New York and then sold in official pet stores with forged documentation. It had been by pure accident that when they finally got a search warrant for one of the stores, Solo had just been there to discuss the next shipment with the shop’s owner.
In that fateful first confrontation, Solo had posed as the store’s employee and asked for Leia’s help with cleaning a terrarium, pretending that he had forgotten to bring his squeegee. Then he left Leia there with a jar full of exotic frogs while he walked out of the front door.
It took months before the frog story stopped being a constant source of amusement for her team, but it didn’t matter – the chase was already on. And Solo had apparently made it his life-goal to become a pain in Leia’s ass.
At first, he started sending her postcards and “presents”: a small box with smuggled Cuban cigars. A tiny rough emerald. Two pieces of white truffle and a recipe.
Then there were the phone calls: “How are you Special? … I’ve heard Hawaii is really beautiful at this time of the year.”
And finally their numerous almost-meetings, when Solo only barely slipped through her fingers, once or twice even giving her his cocky grin before he disappeared on his ship or got lost in a crowd.
And now she had finally caught him.
Opening the drawer in her office, Leia took out a picture frame. For a moment, she stared at the photo of purple and yellow frogs before she smiled.
Then she returned it back to the drawer and headed for the interrogation room.
* * *
“Han Solo – a smuggler, a thief and an ID doctor.” Leia listed through the file before she slammed it on the table across the man she’d arrested. “I’ve been looking forward to this.”
Instead of looking cowed, Solo casually leaned back in his chair before giving her an infuriating smug smile. “Finally you admit your true feelings for me! Naturally, I’ve always known.”
“Really?”
“Sweetheart, you chasing me all over the world was kind of a big clue. … Admit it. You can’t live without me!”
“Don’t flatter yourself, Solo. I’m simply enjoying the sight of you in cuffs.”
Solo grinned. “Kinky, huh? Special, you continue to surprise me!”
“Stop that.”
“What do you mean, Special?”
Leia glared. “Stop calling me ‘Special’!”
Solo smirked. “Of course, Special Agent One O-Mighty.”
Leia counted to ten. “I am so looking forward to testifying against you.”
“Can’t resist the urge to spend more time with me, huh?”
“You arrogant, insufferable, half-witted scruffy-looking cowboy.”
“Hey! Who’s scruffy-looking?”
Privately, Leia smiled. It was always satisfying to be able to get under Han Solo’s skin.
And now she was going to take it even further. “You know, I’ve always wanted to see you make a mistake, but even I was surprised when you decided to take the job for Calrissian. What did he offer you, triple the usual money?”
Solo lost his smile. “Leave Lando out of this.”
“Hitting a bit close to the home, hmm?”
“Think whatever you want, Agent Organa.” For the first time Han lost his smug mask. He straightened himself in his chair and took his cuffed hands off the table, instead laying them down in his lap. The unexpected change in his demeanor momentarily caught Leia by surprise.
“What happened between the two of you?”
“Not your business, Special.”
Well, if that was the way he wanted it… “Have it your way, Solo.” Leia went back to her file. “Let’s see. Twelve cases of smuggling, five accounts of theft, assault, resisting arrest… I have enough to send you away for fifteen years if you don’t cooperate.”
“A shame though that you don’t have any proof,” replied Han casually.
Smiling, Leia closed the file. “Well, with your ship in the FBI possession and the testimony of your crew, I think I’ll be fine.”
Solo frowned. “What do you mean, my crew? I don’t have any crew. It’s Han Solo – see? It’s even in the name.”
“My mistake, should I have said the testimony of your passenger? Hired help? The big walking carpet that –”
Solo stood up so fast that she took a step back. “What have you done with Chewie?!”
“We didn’t –”
“Where is he? I want to talk to him!”
“That’s enough Solo! And sit down.”
“If you hurt him, I swear that –”
“He’s fine! Han, relax. Calm down.” The smuggler stared at her for a moment before he returned to his seat. Leia released a private breath of relief. “We didn’t hurt him, I promise. For now he’s secured in a holding facility. After the paperwork is processed, I believe he’ll be deported to the Southwest Wookiee Reservation.”
Solo stared at her in shock. “You’re sending him to Arizona.” There was a long pause. “Bravery and Integrity, huh? Bravo, Agent Organa, you should be real proud of yourself. You just rid the United States of a true menace.”
The derogatory tone of Han’s accusation immediately made Leia’s skin crawl, and once again she hated how he could make her feel defensive with just a few words. After all, she was the agent – she had a cause, fought for justice – she had done nothing wrong. Meanwhile, Han Solo was a crook who cared first and all about his own skin and his profit.
“The Reservations are a perfectly safe and suitable arrangement –”
“Oh, cut off the propaganda, Agent. They’re work camps. The Wookiees living there are treated worse than animals, because the system can’t admit that Wookiees, Twi’leks and Hutts are all intelligent species.”
“That’s not –”
“Not true? Not true about the system or not true about the camps?”
“That was before,” opposed Leia calmly. “Your outrage comes two decades too late. The government’s new set of laws has put an end to –”
“Chewie won’t even get a trial. Have you ever been to one of the NSCC places?” interrupted Han.
Leia snorted. “And you’re trying to tell me that you’d been there.”
“You didn’t answer my question. … I bet you’ve never been there. You were born to a nice little city with the perfect rich family and the white picket fence – hell, I bet you even had a fluffy puppy. You graduated the top of your class and did some light charity work on the side because it made you feel superior. And finally you joined the force, thinking that the government could do no wrong. Face it Special – you grew up sheltered, protected; you’ve never seen the true desperation in people.”
Annoyed by the accusation, Leia was about to tell Solo about the “sheltered” life of a diplomat’s daughter – when she noticed that behind the glass door, her boss gave her an impatient frown. With a start, Leia realized that the interrogation had gone quite astray. Unless she brought them back on track, Rieekan would send in someone else to take over from her.
She put on her sarcastic smile. “Interesting analysis, Captain Solo, but we’re here to talk about you. I thought you enjoyed talking about yourself. Where were you on October 17th three months ago?”
An hour later after Han had ignored all of her questions, Leia was forced to give up. In the end, she just watched as the cops led him away in cuffs to spend the night in the lock-up.
There was nothing to say.
* * *
“You’re releasing him on bail?!”
“Leia…”
“With all respect, Your Honor, I’ve spent three years of my life trying to capture Han Solo. Releasing him is premature and rash. In a week, he’ll be sailing the ocean across to the shores of Mexico with his ship filled up the floor with contraband.”
Judge Mothma cleared her throat. “Agent Organa, I understand your concerns –”
“Then why are you releasing him?”
“Leia.” Luke touched her shoulder. “May I speak to you for a moment?”
“I’m calm!” At Luke’s mild but patiently disbelieving look, Leia released a breath and tried to get her emotions under control. “This is a mistake, Judge. I’m sincerely asking you to reconsider your decision before you release Solo back into the world.”
“I assure you, Agent Organa, I’ve given this case a lot of thought. And in all fairness, I’m not convinced that your judgment regarding Solo is impartial.” Mon Mothma paused. “You’ve seized his ship, which negates your worry that he’ll be “sailing to Mexico”, and so far you’ve given me little conclusive evidence of his supposed wrongdoings. I’m sorry Leia, but unless you can give me a factual reason why Solo should be kept in custody, his bail will be posted by this afternoon.”
“I know he’s guilty,” stated Leia fiercely.
Judge Mothma nodded. “Then prove it in a court of law. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have other cases to work on.” With that, the Judge ushered Leia and Luke out of her chambers.
Once the door closed behind them, Leia gave Luke a determined look.
“This isn’t over yet.”
* * *
Two days later
“So you’ve managed to break out your pal. Very impressive.”
Curled in the corner of his cell, Solo managed to open his one good eye. Disoriented, he blinked at her before his face suddenly filled with recognition. He gave her a weak smile before hissing in pain. “Leia. You came.”
Staring at the beaten form of the usually so proud man, Leia felt slightly ill.
Han’s lip had clearly been bleeding. His left eye was black and swollen. His whole face looked like one painful mess, and the way he held his right arm and breathed unevenly left Leia with no illusions about the rest of his body. It was horribly obvious that the guys from the NSCC Apprehension Unit had made no effort to be gentle with the man who had helped one of their detainees escape.
“What did they do to you?”
Solo grimaced. “What, this? I fell down the stairs. Every guard in this facility can confirm it.”
“If they used excessive force against you –”
“I might be heading to prison, Special, and I don’t even know how long I’ll be staying at this place. Do you really think it’s wise for me to establish a reputation as a rat? … As I said, I fell down the stairs.”
Damn that pride! However, as she barely refrained from biting her lip in frustration, Leia had to admit that Solo probably had a point.
However, this whole situation could have been avoided in the first place. Keeping her voice even, Leia tried not to voice her dismay at the sheer idiocy of Han’s “rescue” plan. “You know that it’s only a matter of time before they catch him again.”
Solo smiled. “No they won’t. Chewie’s smart.”
“He’s a Wookiee.”
Han glared at her. “And what’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means that he stands out. He can’t just hide in the crowd.”
“No, there’s –” Solo hissed in pain and clenched his teeth. “Damn. … There’s about ten thousand Wookiees living in New York. Chewie’ll be fine.”
“If you say so.” Although she didn’t share Han’s optimism, she wasn’t willing to make him feel worse either, so Leia decided to just drop the subject for the moment. Besides, she was growing increasingly alarmed at his condition.
His breathing was way too shallow. If some of his ribs were broken, or if he had an internal injury….
In the moment a moment of silence between them, Leia realized that she needed to get him out of there, the sooner the better.
Apparently, Han had reached the same conclusion when he lifted his head and gave her a seemingly indifferent look with badly hidden hope. “So, are you going to get me out of here, or do you just plan to gloat?”
The damn smug irritating… “You want me to get you out of here, so you insult me. I have to say, Captain, you are a born diplomat.”
“A born diplomat, that’s the whole me.” He gave her a weak smile that was cut off when he started to cough painfully.
Right. This had gone on for long enough.
“Stay here, I’m going to talk to the director of this facility. And don’t do anything stupid!”
“As you command, Special,” called Han weakly before he shut his eye and relaxed back in the corner.
Leia’s expression softened, leaving her with an unexpected feeling of uncertainty.
Reluctant to leave him but knowing that she had to, Leia left Han in his cell. She then called Luke and went to the facility’s director to negotiate Solo’s release into her custody.
* * *
Despite being barely able to stand on his own, Han once again demonstrated his cocky wit. “It’s been such a pleasure, Director. I’m so sorry to have to say goodbye to you –”
“Shut up,” hissed Leia angrily. Then she turned back to the man in question, a charming smile already in place. “Thank you for your cooperation, Director Tarkin.”
“Of course. Are you sure you don’t want one of my men to accompany you, Leia?” asked Tarkin in an oily manner.
“Thank you for the offer, but Agent Skywalker will be accompanying me,” replied Leia politely, still keeping her smile but privately wishing to be out already. She had only met Tarkin half an hour ago, but something about the man was already giving her the creeps; never mind that his men had apparently beaten Solo to a pulp for helping Chewbacca escape.
Right then, someone knocked on the door of Tarkin’s office. Tarkin frowned. “Enter.”
The door opened.
“Luke,” said Leia in relief.
“Good afternoon Director Tarkin. I’m Agent Skywalker,” said Luke. Then he turned to his friend and smiled. “Hey Leia, I understood you needed my help?”
“Hi Luke,” said Han cheerfully.
“Hey – Jesus, Solo! What happened to you?”
Leia shot him a pained look. Luke was a great investigator but sometimes he could be hopelessly naïve.
“What…”
“Shouldn’t we be getting out of here?” stated Solo dryly. “If I’m going back to jail, I’d like to be processed in time for dinner.”
“Well we can’t keep you away from your dinner, can we,” stated Leia in mock-sarcasm. In reality, she was looking forward to leaving as soon as possible. The longer she stayed in Tarkin’s office, the more she noticed the subtle things that made her nervous. At first glance, the whole place looked boringly uniform and normal; however, reading some of the book titles made her want to investigate Tarkin and also to question her beliefs about the safety of the NSCC facilities.
Non-human Species Capable of Communication – Introduction to the Problematic. NSCC and Their Place in Human Society. The Prince by Machiavelli. Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. The Will to Power by Nietzsche.
Who was Wilhuff Tarkin really?
“Leia?”
Luke’s voice brought her back from her thoughts. Glancing at Solo, she was alarmed when she realized that under his bruises he was getting paler by every minute.
She could deal with Tarkin later.
“Of course. Director Tarkin…”
Tarkin handed her a form. “If you would just sign here and there…”
Four signatures later, Han was securely released into Leia’s custody. As the door closed behind them, Leia allowed herself a private breath of relief before she turned to Luke. “Okay. Let’s get him out of here.”
* * *
At first, Solo had protested when Leia had grabbed his arm; however, as they walked through the long corridors, his protests had grown quiet and before they got to the car, he was leaning against her, slightly shaking, and he didn’t even give her any smartass remark as she helped him into the car.
Luke remained silent as he observed them from the driver’s seat with obvious worry, however when Leia took the seat next to him, he finally decided to speak up. “Leia – I don’t think we can take him to jail, or even to the Bureau. He looks…”
“I know.” Tiredly thinking about how long the day had already been and that it was only about to get worse, Leia pulled out her cell phone. “I’ll update Rieekan. Will you drive us to the hospital?”
From the backseat, Han managed to open his uninjured eye. “Hey, I’m fine.”
“Of course you are,” replied Leia sarcastically. Then she programmed the GPS to take them to Mount Sinai.
* * *
Carefully closing the door behind herself, Leia entered Solo’s hospital room. “Hey.”
He blinked at her from his bed. “Hi, Special.”
“Stop calling me that,” said Leia, but her voice lacked the usual spark. Right now, she couldn’t find it in her to begrudge him for calling her with a nickname – not when she was bringing him the news she had.
Somehow, though, Solo had sensed her mood. “What’s wrong?”
Leia tried to find the right words. “You’re being charged with helping Chewbacca escape,” she said at last. “Even if we’re not able to prove your smuggling operations, the evidence of that is clear. You just bought yourself four years in prison.”
“I see.”
There was silence.
It wasn’t right, thought Leia, and then she was immediately shocked at her thought. But then on the other hand… For years, she and her team had been trying to nail Solo for his illegal activities. It was hard to wrap her head around the concept that he would be going down for something almost chivalrous. For helping a friend.
Solo seemed to be deep in thought. Three broken ribs, the doctor had said, and transporting him wouldn’t be recommended for at least the next two days. With the bandages, an IV in his arm, bruises, stitches and a shaved-off eyebrow, Leia wasn’t sure whether she should give Han any more bad news or not. But maybe it was better that he heard it now, when she was there to make sure that he didn’t do anything crazy such as trying to run away and make his situation even worse.
“Han… Han? Are you listening to me?” He looked up at her. Leia swallowed before she spoke. “There’s more.”
His eyes darkened. “What is it?”
“The NSCC Apprehension Squad say that they have a lead on Chewbacca’s whereabouts. They’re confident that they’ll have found him within the next few hours.”
“So they don’t have him yet?” asked Han intensely.
Leia shook her head. “No… But Han, it’s only a matter of time. I’m sorry.”
“They don’t have him yet.” Solo took a deep breath. “See? Chewie’s smarter than to get caught by the band of those morons. He’ll be fine, I know it.”
“For now, maybe. But eventually –”
“I want to make a deal.”
Solo’s statement and change of topic caught Leia completely by surprise. “What – why now? What kind of a deal? What are you talking about?”
“I want full citizenship for Chewie, and I want all charges to be dropped against me – against both of us.”
“You certainly don’t ask for much, Solo,” stated Leia in disbelief. “Why would –”
“I’m not finished yet. I want my ship back. I want my weapons, my cargo… everything that you’ve taken for me. And I want compensation for lost profit.”
“Have you gone insane?!” exclaimed Leia. “You’ve broken bail, you’ve just been arrested and you think you’re in any position to make this kind of demands?!”
Sollo gave her a grim smirk. “Special, did you really think that I would be stupid enough to break into an NSCC prison without making insurances?”
Leia couldn’t believe that just minutes ago, she had actually felt sorry for this man.
“Han. This isn’t funny.”
“No it’s not,” agreed Solo. Then he lifted his remaining eyebrow. “Well except for the part where you accept all my demands.”
Infuriated, Leia clutched her fists. What was Solo playing at?
“And what leverage do you think you have to ask for all of this?”
Solo took a deep breath.
“I can help you catch the Emperor.”
* * *
Two weeks later, Leia pulled her cloak closer as she waited for Solo to emerge from the gates of the local jail. At last, he came out, a mildly bored and annoyed expression on his face. Only a slight hesitation in his step and something in his eyes told Leia that he wasn’t nearly as self-confident as his appearance would suggest.
Leia let him join her in the car before she cleared her throat. “I have to see it before we go to the office.”
Han just stared at her before he suddenly smiled. “You know, Special, if you wanted me on a leash, you could have just said so.”
“Solo. The anklet.”
For a moment, they just stared at each other in tense silence.
Please don’t be obstinate about this. Please let this go down in peace…
“Fine,” said Han curtly. He lifted his pant leg for just two seconds so that Leia could see the monitoring device in place before he let it down. “Happy now?”
Leia nodded. “Thank you.”
Releasing a haggard breath, Solo briefly hugged himself before he uncurled his arms again. “I want to see the paperwork now, if you’d please.”
Reaching for her suitcase, Leia pulled out a file and a pen. “Here it is.”
She waited while Han read through it; slowly, carefully, weighting every word. Several times, he paused as he went over some formulation, and more than once Leia almost bit her lip to stop herself from snapping at him in impatience. She reminded herself that this was actually a good sign, a proof that Han was taking the deal seriously, that this whole thing wouldn’t end in a disaster before it even started. But when he finished and then appeared to start reading again, Leia’s patience ran out.
“It’s all there, just as we agreed. For the next six months, your friend Chewbacca will be given temporary citizenship, while you’ll help me catch the Emperor. After that, his citizenship will be made permanent, provided you don’t escape the FBI custody. If by that time we don’t arrest the Emperor, you’ll go to prison to serve the rest of a four year sentence.”
“What’s here not to love,” stated Han dryly. He paused. “And if we catch him?”
“Then you could serve the rest of your sentence with me,” stated Leia carefully.
Solo grimaced. “Four years living on a leash?”
“Look, the exact details will be open up to discussion. The anklet is negotiable – after we catch the Emperor.”
“What if I die before the end of the six months?”
What?!
Leia lifted her eyebrows. “Are you already looking for an out, Solo?”
Han clenched the form in his fist. “I want to make sure this is legit before I put my signature on this and sell my soul to the devil. Now, what will happen to Chewie if I die?”
Taken aback by his determination, Leia decided to answer Han’s question. “You don’t have to worry – in that case, your friend will still have his citizenship, provided you weren’t involved in a crime or trying to escape.”
“Well, that’s something at least,” murmured Solo under his breath. “My ship –”
“Will be returned to you at the end of your sentence or when the FBI decides otherwise.”
“Wonderful.” Han cleared his throat. “Well, I guess this is it, Special.”
“You need to sign it,” reminded Leia, offering him the pen that she’d taken out before.
“Right.” Accepting the pen, Han brought it to the document before he suddenly stilled, his hand hovering over the paper in hesitation.
Leia tensed. “Han?”
He shook his head. “I can’t believe I’m doing this.”
Leia resisted the urge to snap at him to sign the damn paper. “You do understand how this works, don’t you? If you break this deal, your friend Chewbacca will lose his citizenship and be taken to the NSCC Reservation while you go to prison. If you break the law, Chewbacca will lose his citizenship and you will go to prison. If you try to escape –”
“Yeah right, Special. I get the picture.”
Leia clenched her teeth, trying to ignore the nickname.
At last, Han sighed. “Well, here goes nothing.” Not moving, he swallowed once more.
His fingers twitched.
…
“Han –” started Leia.
The mere word seemed to have a magical effect on Solo. Twirling the pen between his fingers one last time, he then brought the tip to the edge of the paper – and signed his name in bold curly letters.
Leia forced herself to smile. “Thank you.” She took the document from him and placed it back in her suitcase.
Oddly silent, Han remained staring at the dashboard.
“Perfect. Now that this is settled, we can… Solo?”
Nothing.
“Solo, are you listening to me?”
“Huh.”
“Hey! … Han, are you okay?”
Slowly, Han shook his head. “I can’t believe I did this.”
“Well you better start believing it now! You came up with this scheme in the first place, so snap out of your existential doubts and focus! Or do you want me to call the NSCC Unit while you return back to your cell?”
The last bit was a bit bitchy, but Leia didn’t care anymore. She had agreed to Solo’s proposition despite her numerous reservations; had persuaded Rieekan that Solo could be trusted despite his criminal past. However, if their “partnership” was going to work, then she needed Han to stop moping and start working with her.
This was going to be a long six months…
“Okay, Special, you got yourself a smuggler. So! Where do we start?”
Surprised, Leia jerked her head to look back at Solo. His tiredness and doubts were gone, replaced by energy and determination.
Slightly suspicious, she decided to play along. “Well, what do you suggest?”
Leia had never expected to be relieved to see Han’s patented smirk. “Well, I think we should start with a good meal.”
“No drinks on duty, Captain,” stated Leia sternly, but inside she allowed herself a small smile.
Han grinned broadly at her. “Hey, I didn’t say anything about drinking. Is that an invitation?”
“In your dreams, Solo.…. Hey! Stop that.” Irritated, she slapped at his fingers as he started messing with the radio. Han just shot her a knowing grin.
Leia released a deep breath. “So. You said you had information that was pertinent to this case. Would you care to share it now? Do you know who he is?” It was unlikely, but she figured it couldn’t hurt to ask.
“Unfortunately, no. The Emperor is usually into different merchandise than what I allegedly used to provide.”
Drugs, weapons, human-trafficking and NSCC trade. Leia didn’t need Han to spell it out for her. She might have been trying to arrest Han for years, but she knew that he never went into the truly dirty business that seemed to be the Emperor’s specialty.
“But I do know that the Emperor’s people sometimes meet at the Death Star Club,” continued Solo, pulling Leia out of her thoughts.
“The Death Star Club,” she repeated skeptically.
“That’s the name, Special. It’s a place in the Long Island. However, we’ll need a password to get in.”
“Any ideas how do we get that?”
“Maybe. I know a guy.”
Good. “Then let’s check out the club.”
Leia was about to start the car when Han’s voice interrupted her. “Hey Leia. Thanks. … For helping Chewie.”
She stared at him in shock. “You’re welcome,” she said at last.
Maybe this situation was going to work out after all.
A real smile forming in her face, Leia handed Han the GPS. “Very well then, Captain. Lead the way.”
THE END
Author’s Note: When I first readmisura’s prompt, I started laughing crazily and couldn’t stop for about five minutes. Then I calmed down to mere giggles and stared at it with a mixture of glee and horror – how the hell was I going to write a WC/Star Wars fusion? In New York? With Wookiees?
It was fascinating and intriguing and exciting and challenging – and also very scary :D
At first, the idea was just giving me headaches (Wookiees!). I went through several different setups and was almost at the verge of giving up and writing just a cracked drabble/ficlet when I ran into cheenu over at #wcwu. I whined and complained to her about my problems while she patiently listened – and suddenly I hit a breakthrough. A bit more help from the folks at #wcwu, some word wars - and the story finally began to take shape.
In the end, it’s turned out to be an awesome fun and a project I thoroughly enjoyed.
misura, thank you for your donation an your amazing prompt, and I hoped you enjoyed this at least as much as I did :)
Author’s Name:
sheenianniFandoms: Star Wars, White Collar
Spoilers: None really
Characters/Pairings: Leia Organa, Han Solo, Chewbacca, Luke Skywalker, Wilhuff Tarkin, Mon Mothma, Wedge; pre-Leia/Han
Genre: Humor, H/C, drama
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: ~ 5,100
Beta Credit: This story has been beta-read by the wonderful
citrinesunset - thank you for your fantastic help and for suggesting the final touches that made this fic better! Summary: A long time ago, there was a Bureau in the galaxy far away and an FBI agent trying to catch a smuggler. A Star Wars/White Collar fusion, pre-Leia/Han, written for
misura’s prompt for the Typhoon Haiyan Fundraiser over at fandomaid. A/N: See Author’s Note at the end.
___________________________________
Despite the odd hour, the centre of New York was full of life, basking in its million lights and busy with taxis transporting people back home from parties and galas. The harbor, on the other hand, was quiet, mostly abandoned except for a few lonely ships here and there. In the dark, the surrounding surfaces glimmered slightly as they were covered in frost, proving that the temperature was several degrees below zero. Pulling her coat closer, Leia tried to preserve the last bits of warmth even as she watched the harbor and the Millennium Orca.
The dawn was getting closer.
Suddenly, her transmitter came alive. “How long are we going to wait? … Leia, my ass is freezing off, here.”
She didn’t know whether to smile or roll her eyes at the familiar voice. “What did the old man use to say? ‘Patience, Luke.’ Solo is going to show up sooner or later.”
“Then let’s hope for the first then,” stated Wedge into the mic.
“At least you’re both in an actual car,” pointed out Leia. “If you want to take my place here –”
“No thanks!”
Leia’s lip twitched in amusement.
They waited in silence.
Suddenly, Leia saw a small van approaching. “Here they come.”
The car stopped only maybe fifteen meters from the Millennium Orca. Then the door opened to reveal Solo, the Wookiee and one of Han’s associates, Lando Calrissian. Solo and the Wookiee unloaded several boxes from the back before he and Calrissian shook hands and the latter took off again. Watching the van disappear into the distance, Solo then turned to the Wookiee and told him something, to which his companion replied with a low-key roar. Then both of them picked up a box and headed for the Orca.
Leia had waited for this moment for three years.
“Boss? They’re loading the boat.”
Perfect.
Leia remained in her place as the two put the boxes away on the ship. As she watched them walked back to get the rest of them, her hand went almost automatically to her waist. For a moment, it hovered over her handcuffs before she quietly pulled out her gun, all the time watching as Solo picked up another box.
“Leia?”
She smiled.
“Now.”
And then her team moved in.
“FBI! Hands in the air! Don’t move!”
The sight of Solo, shocked and disbelieving at suddenly being surrounded by sirens and a bunch of FBI agents, was one that she’d savor for the rest of her career.
Dropping the box, Han’s eyes briefly flickered to his gun. For a moment, Leia tensed, preparing for the worst. Then Solo raised his arms and told his friend to do the same, and Leia allowed herself a breath of relief. The worst was over now.
“Hello, Han. You’re under arrest.”
The first time she had met Solo, Leia had just officially graduated from her probie status to that of a full agent. At that time, the team had been investigating illegal wildlife trade; animals being smuggled to New York and then sold in official pet stores with forged documentation. It had been by pure accident that when they finally got a search warrant for one of the stores, Solo had just been there to discuss the next shipment with the shop’s owner.
In that fateful first confrontation, Solo had posed as the store’s employee and asked for Leia’s help with cleaning a terrarium, pretending that he had forgotten to bring his squeegee. Then he left Leia there with a jar full of exotic frogs while he walked out of the front door.
It took months before the frog story stopped being a constant source of amusement for her team, but it didn’t matter – the chase was already on. And Solo had apparently made it his life-goal to become a pain in Leia’s ass.
At first, he started sending her postcards and “presents”: a small box with smuggled Cuban cigars. A tiny rough emerald. Two pieces of white truffle and a recipe.
Then there were the phone calls: “How are you Special? … I’ve heard Hawaii is really beautiful at this time of the year.”
And finally their numerous almost-meetings, when Solo only barely slipped through her fingers, once or twice even giving her his cocky grin before he disappeared on his ship or got lost in a crowd.
And now she had finally caught him.
Opening the drawer in her office, Leia took out a picture frame. For a moment, she stared at the photo of purple and yellow frogs before she smiled.
Then she returned it back to the drawer and headed for the interrogation room.
“Han Solo – a smuggler, a thief and an ID doctor.” Leia listed through the file before she slammed it on the table across the man she’d arrested. “I’ve been looking forward to this.”
Instead of looking cowed, Solo casually leaned back in his chair before giving her an infuriating smug smile. “Finally you admit your true feelings for me! Naturally, I’ve always known.”
“Really?”
“Sweetheart, you chasing me all over the world was kind of a big clue. … Admit it. You can’t live without me!”
“Don’t flatter yourself, Solo. I’m simply enjoying the sight of you in cuffs.”
Solo grinned. “Kinky, huh? Special, you continue to surprise me!”
“Stop that.”
“What do you mean, Special?”
Leia glared. “Stop calling me ‘Special’!”
Solo smirked. “Of course, Special Agent One O-Mighty.”
Leia counted to ten. “I am so looking forward to testifying against you.”
“Can’t resist the urge to spend more time with me, huh?”
“You arrogant, insufferable, half-witted scruffy-looking cowboy.”
“Hey! Who’s scruffy-looking?”
Privately, Leia smiled. It was always satisfying to be able to get under Han Solo’s skin.
And now she was going to take it even further. “You know, I’ve always wanted to see you make a mistake, but even I was surprised when you decided to take the job for Calrissian. What did he offer you, triple the usual money?”
Solo lost his smile. “Leave Lando out of this.”
“Hitting a bit close to the home, hmm?”
“Think whatever you want, Agent Organa.” For the first time Han lost his smug mask. He straightened himself in his chair and took his cuffed hands off the table, instead laying them down in his lap. The unexpected change in his demeanor momentarily caught Leia by surprise.
“What happened between the two of you?”
“Not your business, Special.”
Well, if that was the way he wanted it… “Have it your way, Solo.” Leia went back to her file. “Let’s see. Twelve cases of smuggling, five accounts of theft, assault, resisting arrest… I have enough to send you away for fifteen years if you don’t cooperate.”
“A shame though that you don’t have any proof,” replied Han casually.
Smiling, Leia closed the file. “Well, with your ship in the FBI possession and the testimony of your crew, I think I’ll be fine.”
Solo frowned. “What do you mean, my crew? I don’t have any crew. It’s Han Solo – see? It’s even in the name.”
“My mistake, should I have said the testimony of your passenger? Hired help? The big walking carpet that –”
Solo stood up so fast that she took a step back. “What have you done with Chewie?!”
“We didn’t –”
“Where is he? I want to talk to him!”
“That’s enough Solo! And sit down.”
“If you hurt him, I swear that –”
“He’s fine! Han, relax. Calm down.” The smuggler stared at her for a moment before he returned to his seat. Leia released a private breath of relief. “We didn’t hurt him, I promise. For now he’s secured in a holding facility. After the paperwork is processed, I believe he’ll be deported to the Southwest Wookiee Reservation.”
Solo stared at her in shock. “You’re sending him to Arizona.” There was a long pause. “Bravery and Integrity, huh? Bravo, Agent Organa, you should be real proud of yourself. You just rid the United States of a true menace.”
The derogatory tone of Han’s accusation immediately made Leia’s skin crawl, and once again she hated how he could make her feel defensive with just a few words. After all, she was the agent – she had a cause, fought for justice – she had done nothing wrong. Meanwhile, Han Solo was a crook who cared first and all about his own skin and his profit.
“The Reservations are a perfectly safe and suitable arrangement –”
“Oh, cut off the propaganda, Agent. They’re work camps. The Wookiees living there are treated worse than animals, because the system can’t admit that Wookiees, Twi’leks and Hutts are all intelligent species.”
“That’s not –”
“Not true? Not true about the system or not true about the camps?”
“That was before,” opposed Leia calmly. “Your outrage comes two decades too late. The government’s new set of laws has put an end to –”
“Chewie won’t even get a trial. Have you ever been to one of the NSCC places?” interrupted Han.
Leia snorted. “And you’re trying to tell me that you’d been there.”
“You didn’t answer my question. … I bet you’ve never been there. You were born to a nice little city with the perfect rich family and the white picket fence – hell, I bet you even had a fluffy puppy. You graduated the top of your class and did some light charity work on the side because it made you feel superior. And finally you joined the force, thinking that the government could do no wrong. Face it Special – you grew up sheltered, protected; you’ve never seen the true desperation in people.”
Annoyed by the accusation, Leia was about to tell Solo about the “sheltered” life of a diplomat’s daughter – when she noticed that behind the glass door, her boss gave her an impatient frown. With a start, Leia realized that the interrogation had gone quite astray. Unless she brought them back on track, Rieekan would send in someone else to take over from her.
She put on her sarcastic smile. “Interesting analysis, Captain Solo, but we’re here to talk about you. I thought you enjoyed talking about yourself. Where were you on October 17th three months ago?”
An hour later after Han had ignored all of her questions, Leia was forced to give up. In the end, she just watched as the cops led him away in cuffs to spend the night in the lock-up.
There was nothing to say.
“You’re releasing him on bail?!”
“Leia…”
“With all respect, Your Honor, I’ve spent three years of my life trying to capture Han Solo. Releasing him is premature and rash. In a week, he’ll be sailing the ocean across to the shores of Mexico with his ship filled up the floor with contraband.”
Judge Mothma cleared her throat. “Agent Organa, I understand your concerns –”
“Then why are you releasing him?”
“Leia.” Luke touched her shoulder. “May I speak to you for a moment?”
“I’m calm!” At Luke’s mild but patiently disbelieving look, Leia released a breath and tried to get her emotions under control. “This is a mistake, Judge. I’m sincerely asking you to reconsider your decision before you release Solo back into the world.”
“I assure you, Agent Organa, I’ve given this case a lot of thought. And in all fairness, I’m not convinced that your judgment regarding Solo is impartial.” Mon Mothma paused. “You’ve seized his ship, which negates your worry that he’ll be “sailing to Mexico”, and so far you’ve given me little conclusive evidence of his supposed wrongdoings. I’m sorry Leia, but unless you can give me a factual reason why Solo should be kept in custody, his bail will be posted by this afternoon.”
“I know he’s guilty,” stated Leia fiercely.
Judge Mothma nodded. “Then prove it in a court of law. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have other cases to work on.” With that, the Judge ushered Leia and Luke out of her chambers.
Once the door closed behind them, Leia gave Luke a determined look.
“This isn’t over yet.”
Two days later
“So you’ve managed to break out your pal. Very impressive.”
Curled in the corner of his cell, Solo managed to open his one good eye. Disoriented, he blinked at her before his face suddenly filled with recognition. He gave her a weak smile before hissing in pain. “Leia. You came.”
Staring at the beaten form of the usually so proud man, Leia felt slightly ill.
Han’s lip had clearly been bleeding. His left eye was black and swollen. His whole face looked like one painful mess, and the way he held his right arm and breathed unevenly left Leia with no illusions about the rest of his body. It was horribly obvious that the guys from the NSCC Apprehension Unit had made no effort to be gentle with the man who had helped one of their detainees escape.
“What did they do to you?”
Solo grimaced. “What, this? I fell down the stairs. Every guard in this facility can confirm it.”
“If they used excessive force against you –”
“I might be heading to prison, Special, and I don’t even know how long I’ll be staying at this place. Do you really think it’s wise for me to establish a reputation as a rat? … As I said, I fell down the stairs.”
Damn that pride! However, as she barely refrained from biting her lip in frustration, Leia had to admit that Solo probably had a point.
However, this whole situation could have been avoided in the first place. Keeping her voice even, Leia tried not to voice her dismay at the sheer idiocy of Han’s “rescue” plan. “You know that it’s only a matter of time before they catch him again.”
Solo smiled. “No they won’t. Chewie’s smart.”
“He’s a Wookiee.”
Han glared at her. “And what’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means that he stands out. He can’t just hide in the crowd.”
“No, there’s –” Solo hissed in pain and clenched his teeth. “Damn. … There’s about ten thousand Wookiees living in New York. Chewie’ll be fine.”
“If you say so.” Although she didn’t share Han’s optimism, she wasn’t willing to make him feel worse either, so Leia decided to just drop the subject for the moment. Besides, she was growing increasingly alarmed at his condition.
His breathing was way too shallow. If some of his ribs were broken, or if he had an internal injury….
In the moment a moment of silence between them, Leia realized that she needed to get him out of there, the sooner the better.
Apparently, Han had reached the same conclusion when he lifted his head and gave her a seemingly indifferent look with badly hidden hope. “So, are you going to get me out of here, or do you just plan to gloat?”
The damn smug irritating… “You want me to get you out of here, so you insult me. I have to say, Captain, you are a born diplomat.”
“A born diplomat, that’s the whole me.” He gave her a weak smile that was cut off when he started to cough painfully.
Right. This had gone on for long enough.
“Stay here, I’m going to talk to the director of this facility. And don’t do anything stupid!”
“As you command, Special,” called Han weakly before he shut his eye and relaxed back in the corner.
Leia’s expression softened, leaving her with an unexpected feeling of uncertainty.
Reluctant to leave him but knowing that she had to, Leia left Han in his cell. She then called Luke and went to the facility’s director to negotiate Solo’s release into her custody.
Despite being barely able to stand on his own, Han once again demonstrated his cocky wit. “It’s been such a pleasure, Director. I’m so sorry to have to say goodbye to you –”
“Shut up,” hissed Leia angrily. Then she turned back to the man in question, a charming smile already in place. “Thank you for your cooperation, Director Tarkin.”
“Of course. Are you sure you don’t want one of my men to accompany you, Leia?” asked Tarkin in an oily manner.
“Thank you for the offer, but Agent Skywalker will be accompanying me,” replied Leia politely, still keeping her smile but privately wishing to be out already. She had only met Tarkin half an hour ago, but something about the man was already giving her the creeps; never mind that his men had apparently beaten Solo to a pulp for helping Chewbacca escape.
Right then, someone knocked on the door of Tarkin’s office. Tarkin frowned. “Enter.”
The door opened.
“Luke,” said Leia in relief.
“Good afternoon Director Tarkin. I’m Agent Skywalker,” said Luke. Then he turned to his friend and smiled. “Hey Leia, I understood you needed my help?”
“Hi Luke,” said Han cheerfully.
“Hey – Jesus, Solo! What happened to you?”
Leia shot him a pained look. Luke was a great investigator but sometimes he could be hopelessly naïve.
“What…”
“Shouldn’t we be getting out of here?” stated Solo dryly. “If I’m going back to jail, I’d like to be processed in time for dinner.”
“Well we can’t keep you away from your dinner, can we,” stated Leia in mock-sarcasm. In reality, she was looking forward to leaving as soon as possible. The longer she stayed in Tarkin’s office, the more she noticed the subtle things that made her nervous. At first glance, the whole place looked boringly uniform and normal; however, reading some of the book titles made her want to investigate Tarkin and also to question her beliefs about the safety of the NSCC facilities.
Non-human Species Capable of Communication – Introduction to the Problematic. NSCC and Their Place in Human Society. The Prince by Machiavelli. Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. The Will to Power by Nietzsche.
Who was Wilhuff Tarkin really?
“Leia?”
Luke’s voice brought her back from her thoughts. Glancing at Solo, she was alarmed when she realized that under his bruises he was getting paler by every minute.
She could deal with Tarkin later.
“Of course. Director Tarkin…”
Tarkin handed her a form. “If you would just sign here and there…”
Four signatures later, Han was securely released into Leia’s custody. As the door closed behind them, Leia allowed herself a private breath of relief before she turned to Luke. “Okay. Let’s get him out of here.”
At first, Solo had protested when Leia had grabbed his arm; however, as they walked through the long corridors, his protests had grown quiet and before they got to the car, he was leaning against her, slightly shaking, and he didn’t even give her any smartass remark as she helped him into the car.
Luke remained silent as he observed them from the driver’s seat with obvious worry, however when Leia took the seat next to him, he finally decided to speak up. “Leia – I don’t think we can take him to jail, or even to the Bureau. He looks…”
“I know.” Tiredly thinking about how long the day had already been and that it was only about to get worse, Leia pulled out her cell phone. “I’ll update Rieekan. Will you drive us to the hospital?”
From the backseat, Han managed to open his uninjured eye. “Hey, I’m fine.”
“Of course you are,” replied Leia sarcastically. Then she programmed the GPS to take them to Mount Sinai.
Carefully closing the door behind herself, Leia entered Solo’s hospital room. “Hey.”
He blinked at her from his bed. “Hi, Special.”
“Stop calling me that,” said Leia, but her voice lacked the usual spark. Right now, she couldn’t find it in her to begrudge him for calling her with a nickname – not when she was bringing him the news she had.
Somehow, though, Solo had sensed her mood. “What’s wrong?”
Leia tried to find the right words. “You’re being charged with helping Chewbacca escape,” she said at last. “Even if we’re not able to prove your smuggling operations, the evidence of that is clear. You just bought yourself four years in prison.”
“I see.”
There was silence.
It wasn’t right, thought Leia, and then she was immediately shocked at her thought. But then on the other hand… For years, she and her team had been trying to nail Solo for his illegal activities. It was hard to wrap her head around the concept that he would be going down for something almost chivalrous. For helping a friend.
Solo seemed to be deep in thought. Three broken ribs, the doctor had said, and transporting him wouldn’t be recommended for at least the next two days. With the bandages, an IV in his arm, bruises, stitches and a shaved-off eyebrow, Leia wasn’t sure whether she should give Han any more bad news or not. But maybe it was better that he heard it now, when she was there to make sure that he didn’t do anything crazy such as trying to run away and make his situation even worse.
“Han… Han? Are you listening to me?” He looked up at her. Leia swallowed before she spoke. “There’s more.”
His eyes darkened. “What is it?”
“The NSCC Apprehension Squad say that they have a lead on Chewbacca’s whereabouts. They’re confident that they’ll have found him within the next few hours.”
“So they don’t have him yet?” asked Han intensely.
Leia shook her head. “No… But Han, it’s only a matter of time. I’m sorry.”
“They don’t have him yet.” Solo took a deep breath. “See? Chewie’s smarter than to get caught by the band of those morons. He’ll be fine, I know it.”
“For now, maybe. But eventually –”
“I want to make a deal.”
Solo’s statement and change of topic caught Leia completely by surprise. “What – why now? What kind of a deal? What are you talking about?”
“I want full citizenship for Chewie, and I want all charges to be dropped against me – against both of us.”
“You certainly don’t ask for much, Solo,” stated Leia in disbelief. “Why would –”
“I’m not finished yet. I want my ship back. I want my weapons, my cargo… everything that you’ve taken for me. And I want compensation for lost profit.”
“Have you gone insane?!” exclaimed Leia. “You’ve broken bail, you’ve just been arrested and you think you’re in any position to make this kind of demands?!”
Sollo gave her a grim smirk. “Special, did you really think that I would be stupid enough to break into an NSCC prison without making insurances?”
Leia couldn’t believe that just minutes ago, she had actually felt sorry for this man.
“Han. This isn’t funny.”
“No it’s not,” agreed Solo. Then he lifted his remaining eyebrow. “Well except for the part where you accept all my demands.”
Infuriated, Leia clutched her fists. What was Solo playing at?
“And what leverage do you think you have to ask for all of this?”
Solo took a deep breath.
“I can help you catch the Emperor.”
Two weeks later, Leia pulled her cloak closer as she waited for Solo to emerge from the gates of the local jail. At last, he came out, a mildly bored and annoyed expression on his face. Only a slight hesitation in his step and something in his eyes told Leia that he wasn’t nearly as self-confident as his appearance would suggest.
Leia let him join her in the car before she cleared her throat. “I have to see it before we go to the office.”
Han just stared at her before he suddenly smiled. “You know, Special, if you wanted me on a leash, you could have just said so.”
“Solo. The anklet.”
For a moment, they just stared at each other in tense silence.
Please don’t be obstinate about this. Please let this go down in peace…
“Fine,” said Han curtly. He lifted his pant leg for just two seconds so that Leia could see the monitoring device in place before he let it down. “Happy now?”
Leia nodded. “Thank you.”
Releasing a haggard breath, Solo briefly hugged himself before he uncurled his arms again. “I want to see the paperwork now, if you’d please.”
Reaching for her suitcase, Leia pulled out a file and a pen. “Here it is.”
She waited while Han read through it; slowly, carefully, weighting every word. Several times, he paused as he went over some formulation, and more than once Leia almost bit her lip to stop herself from snapping at him in impatience. She reminded herself that this was actually a good sign, a proof that Han was taking the deal seriously, that this whole thing wouldn’t end in a disaster before it even started. But when he finished and then appeared to start reading again, Leia’s patience ran out.
“It’s all there, just as we agreed. For the next six months, your friend Chewbacca will be given temporary citizenship, while you’ll help me catch the Emperor. After that, his citizenship will be made permanent, provided you don’t escape the FBI custody. If by that time we don’t arrest the Emperor, you’ll go to prison to serve the rest of a four year sentence.”
“What’s here not to love,” stated Han dryly. He paused. “And if we catch him?”
“Then you could serve the rest of your sentence with me,” stated Leia carefully.
Solo grimaced. “Four years living on a leash?”
“Look, the exact details will be open up to discussion. The anklet is negotiable – after we catch the Emperor.”
“What if I die before the end of the six months?”
What?!
Leia lifted her eyebrows. “Are you already looking for an out, Solo?”
Han clenched the form in his fist. “I want to make sure this is legit before I put my signature on this and sell my soul to the devil. Now, what will happen to Chewie if I die?”
Taken aback by his determination, Leia decided to answer Han’s question. “You don’t have to worry – in that case, your friend will still have his citizenship, provided you weren’t involved in a crime or trying to escape.”
“Well, that’s something at least,” murmured Solo under his breath. “My ship –”
“Will be returned to you at the end of your sentence or when the FBI decides otherwise.”
“Wonderful.” Han cleared his throat. “Well, I guess this is it, Special.”
“You need to sign it,” reminded Leia, offering him the pen that she’d taken out before.
“Right.” Accepting the pen, Han brought it to the document before he suddenly stilled, his hand hovering over the paper in hesitation.
Leia tensed. “Han?”
He shook his head. “I can’t believe I’m doing this.”
Leia resisted the urge to snap at him to sign the damn paper. “You do understand how this works, don’t you? If you break this deal, your friend Chewbacca will lose his citizenship and be taken to the NSCC Reservation while you go to prison. If you break the law, Chewbacca will lose his citizenship and you will go to prison. If you try to escape –”
“Yeah right, Special. I get the picture.”
Leia clenched her teeth, trying to ignore the nickname.
At last, Han sighed. “Well, here goes nothing.” Not moving, he swallowed once more.
His fingers twitched.
…
“Han –” started Leia.
The mere word seemed to have a magical effect on Solo. Twirling the pen between his fingers one last time, he then brought the tip to the edge of the paper – and signed his name in bold curly letters.
Leia forced herself to smile. “Thank you.” She took the document from him and placed it back in her suitcase.
Oddly silent, Han remained staring at the dashboard.
“Perfect. Now that this is settled, we can… Solo?”
Nothing.
“Solo, are you listening to me?”
“Huh.”
“Hey! … Han, are you okay?”
Slowly, Han shook his head. “I can’t believe I did this.”
“Well you better start believing it now! You came up with this scheme in the first place, so snap out of your existential doubts and focus! Or do you want me to call the NSCC Unit while you return back to your cell?”
The last bit was a bit bitchy, but Leia didn’t care anymore. She had agreed to Solo’s proposition despite her numerous reservations; had persuaded Rieekan that Solo could be trusted despite his criminal past. However, if their “partnership” was going to work, then she needed Han to stop moping and start working with her.
This was going to be a long six months…
“Okay, Special, you got yourself a smuggler. So! Where do we start?”
Surprised, Leia jerked her head to look back at Solo. His tiredness and doubts were gone, replaced by energy and determination.
Slightly suspicious, she decided to play along. “Well, what do you suggest?”
Leia had never expected to be relieved to see Han’s patented smirk. “Well, I think we should start with a good meal.”
“No drinks on duty, Captain,” stated Leia sternly, but inside she allowed herself a small smile.
Han grinned broadly at her. “Hey, I didn’t say anything about drinking. Is that an invitation?”
“In your dreams, Solo.…. Hey! Stop that.” Irritated, she slapped at his fingers as he started messing with the radio. Han just shot her a knowing grin.
Leia released a deep breath. “So. You said you had information that was pertinent to this case. Would you care to share it now? Do you know who he is?” It was unlikely, but she figured it couldn’t hurt to ask.
“Unfortunately, no. The Emperor is usually into different merchandise than what I allegedly used to provide.”
Drugs, weapons, human-trafficking and NSCC trade. Leia didn’t need Han to spell it out for her. She might have been trying to arrest Han for years, but she knew that he never went into the truly dirty business that seemed to be the Emperor’s specialty.
“But I do know that the Emperor’s people sometimes meet at the Death Star Club,” continued Solo, pulling Leia out of her thoughts.
“The Death Star Club,” she repeated skeptically.
“That’s the name, Special. It’s a place in the Long Island. However, we’ll need a password to get in.”
“Any ideas how do we get that?”
“Maybe. I know a guy.”
Good. “Then let’s check out the club.”
Leia was about to start the car when Han’s voice interrupted her. “Hey Leia. Thanks. … For helping Chewie.”
She stared at him in shock. “You’re welcome,” she said at last.
Maybe this situation was going to work out after all.
A real smile forming in her face, Leia handed Han the GPS. “Very well then, Captain. Lead the way.”
Author’s Note: When I first read
misura’s prompt, I started laughing crazily and couldn’t stop for about five minutes. Then I calmed down to mere giggles and stared at it with a mixture of glee and horror – how the hell was I going to write a WC/Star Wars fusion? In New York? With Wookiees?It was fascinating and intriguing and exciting and challenging – and also very scary :D
At first, the idea was just giving me headaches (Wookiees!). I went through several different setups and was almost at the verge of giving up and writing just a cracked drabble/ficlet when I ran into cheenu over at #wcwu. I whined and complained to her about my problems while she patiently listened – and suddenly I hit a breakthrough. A bit more help from the folks at #wcwu, some word wars - and the story finally began to take shape.
In the end, it’s turned out to be an awesome fun and a project I thoroughly enjoyed.
misura, thank you for your donation an your amazing prompt, and I hoped you enjoyed this at least as much as I did :) 
