never tell me the odds

the prospect of having a kid was still lost to the general. not that he was mad about it just... it weirded him out. not that he wasn’t used to the force doing that-- but a grown ass man being his son... he may have had a couple drinks after their meeting. 

but knowing how ben had struggled, han’s internal conscious insisted he help the kid reconcile, make a relationship with him. 

must be luke and leia rubbing off him. 

they had met in a small restaurant, a cantina felt too-- weird. shifting, han leaned back in his seat, “so-- you’re not empire anymore, that’s good, not sure this would’ve worked out otherwise,” he tried to say jokingly, clearing his throat. “uh-- but look i know how hard that is. i worked for the other side too, i get it, in a different way but-- yeah.”

Contrary to what they wanted Han to think, Hera genuinely enjoyed his presence. Most pilots were cocky, them included at times, so they could put up with his personality. Most people didn’t love their ships as much as the pair loved their own. She enjoyed being able to share that. But what the twi’lek enjoyed even more was getting under his skin. Their eyebrows raised suspiciously as he approached her. The grin was almost unnerving. Hands placed upon their hips, Chopper beeping rude binary towards the other pilot, they greeted him back, “ Han. I’m fine…. What can I do for you? “ the only way he would be trying that particular move was if he needed something. Their lips turned upwards. This could be fun after all. “ You should’ve brought Leia if you actually wanted to get something here. “ 

.

as soon as hera’s eyebrows raised, hand couldn’t help but let out a bit of a nervous laugh, as if ready to be on the defensive. he could tell they weren’t going to make this easy from that look-- call it a part of  their friendship. eye’s briefly flicked down to chopper, binary wasn’t his forte, but he could tell whatever was said was certainly an insult. 

their reply was what he should have expected. 

“look, leia’s busy and i would’ve if i could-- you know that, just need you to sign off on a few things, quick supply transfer to another base. easy, yeah?”

han and hera had a strong but loud relationship. it involved a lot of yelling. a lot of yelling involving han’s actions. 

most of it was justifiable. 

regardless, it wasn’t a bad relationship. they got on well, he’d even gotten her to laugh a few times. and her kid was cute enough, certainly more interesting than most on base. 

but there was an issue when han needed something from hera, their rivalry made things hard to deal with, from time to time, and having jsut been yelled at leia to make this quick-- he was somewhat dreading the interaction. 

with a wide smile han approached hera, “hera-- how are you today?”

look- han solo had a lot of run ins with bounty hunters, sure he remembered their names, most of the time, boba fett had stood out to the ex smuggler. and this guy giving him the eye in the cantina? he sure looked a lot like boba fett. but han solo was smart enough to not look like he was paying any attention. not show any of these thoughts to the possible head hunter. 

least he thought so. 

regardless, with a quick glance, he reached back for his drink, hand perhaps a tad closed to his blaster, body a step closer to his wookiee companion. 

he had hoped he could be past this, a dumb hope, when he joined the rebellion and got all official, but seemed worry would always be there, justifiably so. so for now, he kept to himself, pretending to not care as the mandalorian took position closer to him, an eyebrow raising when that tactic clearly no longer was gonna work out. “need something-- hard to tell with that helmet of yours, buddy.”

Even amongst the hustle and bustle and the constant commotion, time had a way of standing still whenever he entered the room. 

He had a commanding presence at times, sure- but this was something different. He could be just as unassuming one moment as he could be charismatic and charming the next. He just had a way. She found it equal parts infuriating, and absolutely irresistable. Yes, Princess Leia of Alderaan, Senator, jedi trainee and general to the resistance had a weakness, and it looked damn good in a vest. 

She raised a finger up to hush him, but only momentarily as she responded to Holdo via comm. Lowering her hand, she smiled at Han. “Yes, I promised Amilyn I’d relinquish the reigns. I’m going. I’m gone!” She threw her hands up, but she was only protesting in jest. Mostly. “I know I can’t do it all, but I can do most of it, most of the time, right?” She looped her arms around his waist, looking up at him.

 “What did you have in mind?”

.

han’s love for leia was never in question. sure people didn’t get it. how she’d fallen for han, how that worked-- but it didn’t matter. not now when he had her attention, something that was coveted after. reaching to push a hair back, he rolled his eyes as he waited, arm remaining around her, happy to wait, if a bit annoyed. 

he laughed as she continued, “yeah yeah, and i’m holding you to that, got it? no comms, not datapads,” he started to walk snorting, “you could, or you could try and relax some.” 

“be endlessly grateful for the financial stability that you’d offer her as she works to build a new republic? you’re right. a horrible idea.” lando quipped back at him without missing a beat. it was too easy for him, truly. of course, he would have been happy to have han wrapped up in the same kind of business as him, especially now that it was at least ninety percent legitimate. but he wasn’t going to push too hard about it, beyond what amusement he could get out of teasing him. “not as busy as you must be pretending to keep. business is good. i couldn’t ask for me.” that was hardly the truth, and they both knew it. lando could always ask for more.

.

hera was trying her absolute best – and she had been avoiding han for a reason. she knew he would be able to see through her. she had lost ezra once and he had come back – but this time she knew she wouldn’t. she was throwing herself into her work – and if she wasn’t working she was spending time by herself. or with kanan in silence. 

she looks up at the sound of someone approaching her, when she sees han she looks down quickly. schools her face into something that sort of resembles their normal. “i don’t think so, someones gotta pick up the slack of you not working.” she took the drink and the food because she had to or it would fall. “not hiding anything, just tired of that face of yours.” 

.

han crossed his arms as he waited for a response, an eyebrow quirking at her response. sure it might have been a bit true that han wasn’t the most “on top of things” general around... but it was an excuse and they both knew it. “ah well, too bad-- i’ll drag you out of here if i have to. or get chewie to.” 

It  had  been  easy  to  forget  just  how  much  he  needed  his  friends.  Being  on  his  own,  he  had  learned  to  rely  on  himself  and  R2.  But  seeing  Han  reminded  him  of  an  easier  time,  a  time  when  he  was  just  a  kid  with  a  lightsaber,  leia  was  a  princess  who  needed  saving,  and  han  was  a  scoundrel  looking  for  a  paycheck.  Right  before  things  got  really  weird.  “  A  laser  toy  ??  Sounds  strange.  “  he  grinned,  sliding  into  the  booth  across  from  Han.  “  A  lightsaber  though.  That  sounds  cool.  “  he  said  pointedly,  shrugging  off  his  travelling  cloak.  There  was  a  moment  of  hesitation  when  Han  questioned  him,  a  second  where  Luke  couldn’t  figure  out  exactly  how  to  say  that  while  he  had  learned  a  lot,  he  had  learned  nothing  about  himself.  “  Maybe  just  long  enough  to  see  what  you’ve  been  getting  up  to  without  Leia.  “  while  he  knew  a  lot  of  what  Han  had  done  during  the  war  was  due  to  his  own  conscious,  even  is  the  man  said  otherwise,  he  did  have  a  feeling  that  his  sister  was  a  lot  of  the  pilot’s  impulse  control. 

.

“you sure about that? not sure that sounds any cooler-- i should know, i’ve seen one,” he said with a small smirk on his face. it was easy to talk to luke. something he’d honestly been worried about with his move towards all the jedi shit. 

he didn’t need another ben kenobi talking in riddles,

The darkness that lurked just beyond the realm of the light would never allow Ben to forget his acts as Kylo. Not only that, but it would probably forever stop him from letting himself commit to the light and their ways. He had done it once. The first time he was training in the Force, learning it’s ways and how to conduct himself but the Dark had less rules. Less restrictions that bound him to a board of purity. Then again, one side would admit to it’s corruption and it’s terrible actions, as the other, refused to do so. It refused to make those actions known. Those choices but Ben was wise enough to understand. To keep those memories with him, no matter what time period he so happened to be whisked off to, however, they weren’t the only memories that stuck with him. The death of his father, no, the murder of his father, had torn him apart. A regret that he would never be able to make terms with. To apologize for. Or so he had thought.

As Han’s hand rested upon Ben’s shoulder, his own hand moved up to rest atop it. The warmth of his father’s touch was enough to spread through him, reaching his heart and filling him up. He could feel the tears threaten to wash past the bridge that kept them hidden, even as he looked his father in the eye just then. “You have learned of my actions then?” Ben asks, voice shaking as he speaks but he tries so desperately to hold himself together. For he could do so in a dying moment, why not do it in an emotional one as well? “As a child, you used to be the only one that could calm me enough for sleep. You would even tell Uncle Lando off for being too loud when you held me and I had just fallen into slumber.” Ben muses a little, a small smile forming upon his lips. “Now that I am grown. Perhaps we can share a drink?”

.

han knew what ben had done. it was hard for han to reconcile with, initially. he didn’t get the force like luke and leia did. how it could corrupt people-- hell, before meeting luke, the bad people he knew were just scum-- wasn’t force related. 

but he knew it wasn’t that simple. not for someone like ben. ben who surely had so much pressure weighing on him. 

that was something han got, being related to luke and leia? that came with a lot of pressure and expectations-- he can’t imagine that on a kid. 

han tried not to think about qi’ra. 

he wasn’t angry about her leaving him, not now anyways... no, now an overwhelming feeling of guilt seemed to accompany any memory of her. he had gotten out, been able to re-forge a way for himself divulged of his former life. she hadn’t been so lucky, and it was clear enough from their short reunion it had changed her. 

besides, before he had planned to wait for her, he had done as much. but now, things were different. 

and it wasn’t as if the feelings had changed. 

so seeing her now on coruscant of all places, the former smuggler stopped in his tracks. it wasn’t clear if she had spotted him, but it wasn’t as if han wasn’t being obvious. 

he had never expected to see her again and now-- could one blame him for simply wanting to run away, not deal with the overwhelming emotions threatening to come through? 

with a breath, however, he blinked, knowing he had to deal with this. something he can probably blame leia for, he can’t imagine doing as much before. han forced a tight smile, stepping over to qi’ra. 

“have to say, kind’a thought last time would be the last i saw you--” he paused some, not really sure where to go from there, “but i’m-- glad you’re, y’know, alive.”

han wasn’t great with relationships. well-- that wasn’t the words for it. han was bad at the important things, important things like this-- han had never really considered marriage until leia, that was clear enough. 

the ring he’d gotten, however, was proof it was different now. that commitment didn’t seem to scary when they’d been together for several years. 

but finding a time. finding a time when leia was free more then the few minutes before she passed out at night-- that was the current complication. he was usually secure enough to know she was just busy and didn’t always have time but--

well this seemed an awful lot like she may actually be avoiding him. 

as han approached leia, he winced, expecting an excuse quite frankly. regardless, an easy smile stayed on han’s face as he approached the general, a hand reaching around her to pull her in for a brief his on the cheek, “heard you had a free moment, thought we could get you out of here--”

 | @ofcxrellia​ starter.

Face your fears, that’s a saying Ben Solo had once heard. A saying that he had once laughed in the face of, simply because he didn’t have any, but he has shed that façade of Kylo Ren and has accepted himself, knowing fully well that Ben has fears. Many of them and he must look them in the eye and kill each of them. They were not allowed to control him. He was not a child anymore. He was a Jedi now and he must act as such, even if he knew that there was still Darkness inside of his heart. The lull was still there. The small tango of a dance between the sides. His heart was unsure where it belonged. The light had been…too much. It asked for more than he could provide. Something that he was not good at. The Darkness called for death far too often. He was able to get away when what he wanted but at what cost? The death of the man that stood before him. Han Solo. Ben swallows just then, hand reaching into the pocket of black pants as fingers wrap around the dice on the chain that his father used to carry with him, had on the Falcon. Fear clutches his heart, squeezing tightly as the breath catches in his lungs, drawing him toward the man he had once killed in a time that felt so long ago. “Father.” He greets him, voice cracking ever so slightly. “I’m so sorry, father.” It’s something he has always felt the need to say, after that day upon the catwalk. “I hope that you may teach me more now that I have switched sides. I do not wish to loose you again, father.”

.

han solo had never met his son in this life, he knew of him by now, of course, what he had become-- and he couldn’t help but worry he had done something wrong. that he’d fucked up the kid, the force was just... so out of his depth. even with luke and leia, he was lost with these things. so knowing he had this conflict... han wasn’t sure how to comfort the grown man standing in front of him. 

but han did know what it was like to be distant from your father. he knew what it was like to be without a family, he didn’t wish that on his grown child. 

as ben stepped forward, a small smile spread on the smuggler’s face, a hand carefully reaching out to grasp his shoulder. there was still a level of discomfort between them, that was clear enough, but han wanted this to work. 

as alone as he had been, han was desperate to keep ben from that. he could look past actions he hadn’t even experienced. “hey, hey-- you have nothing to be sorry for, alright?” squeezing his shoulder he continued, “but look, i’m here for you, got it? i’m not good at ... things, but, you don’t have to be worried about interacting, spendin’ time, alright?”

“  I’m  looking  to  talk  to  a  guy  about  his  junker  in  the  docking  bay.  You  know  anything  about  that  ??  “  In  all  of  his  travels  the  last  couple  of  years,  there  were  few  people  that  Luke  missed  as  much  as  Han.  He  was  lucky  to  have  such  understanding  friends,  people  that  he  could  come  home  to  while  he  was  attempting  to  figure  his  life  out.  He’s  leaning  against  the  wall,  grinning  at  his  friend.  Hair  a  little  longer,  not  yet  cut,  lightsaber  on  his  belt.  “  I  heard  it  made  the  Kessel  Run  in  fifteen  parsecs,  “  he  teased,  sliding  into  the  booth,  “  Is  that  true  ??  “  

@ofcxrellia​ / han solo

.

leia had mentioned luke coming back soon, something he knew she had been looking forward to. he got it, luke was busy-- but he was a missing link. even han saw that. regardless, he hadn’t expected him now. 

fiddling with a datapad, his eyes flicked up at the sound of a familiar voice. and eyebrow raised, his eyes met the younger man’s, “heard he’s a real jackass,” a small smirk pulled at his lips, “not that his friends are any better. heard there’s a blonde kid that follows him around, got a fancy laser toy?” 

regardless of the jest, he smiled some, “done with your jedi things then? gonna stick around?”

@ofcxrellia​   //   han solo.

it had been several months since the last time that he had seen han –– which he supposed wasn’t too unusual, all things considered. the end of the war had been spent surprisingly around inferno squad and shriv, but since, he’d gone for a more legitimate way of living. mining operations could be quite lucrative, after all. “i’m telling you, buddy, you’re missing out.” he clapped the back of han’s shoulder, a wide smile resting on his expression. “i could set you up real well with a little mining stuff yourself, if you wanted to work for it. i guarantee that there’s a lot less politics.”

.

look, as much as han liked lando, their time apart certainly was what kept the friendship stable. they got on each other’s nerves, that was obvious enough. this, this was a reminder of that. as the other man clapped against his shoulder he couldn’t help but roll his eyes, a small smirk returning, “ah, you know what leia’d do if i touched that. not sure it’s worth it for that,” he said with a small snort, arms crossing as he leaned against the nearby wall. “’sides, i like to think i keep out of politics well enough. gotten pretty used to the ‘being busy’ excuse.”

with a small sigh, he continued, “so what’s got you out this way? been awhile, hasn’t it?”

the whole alliance had heard of bridger’s death, and while han had hardly known the kid, he knew how close hera was to him. how much his loss once again must have hurt her. on top of that, he knew syndulla was similar to leia in how he processed this, the overworking, avoiding.

two cups of caf in hand with a snack in a small bag, han approached the general’s work station, slightly tilting the cups up, “think we both deserve a break, don’t ya think? not that i’m givin’ you much of a choice,” he said as he stepped forward, passing the drink and food towards her, “’sides, seems like i’ve hardly spoken to you in weeks, not hidin’ something are you?”

MICHIEL HUISMAN // have you met HAN SOLO yet? HE is a THIRTY-SIX year old HUMAN CIS-MALE. they’re originally from CORELLIA and now show loyalty to THE NEW REPUBLIC. they are best known for being a SMUGGLER AND REBELLION GENERAL, and i hear they’re pretty CHARMING yet also RECKLESS at times; i hope they survive the galactic civil war.

 L O A D I N G : // …  2 YEARS LATER - 7ABY

HAN has surprisingly stuck around with THE REBELLION as it shifted into THE NEW REPUBLIC. maintaining his position as a GENERAL, he still manages to keep himself from getting involved in anything too important, still finding time with CHEWBACCA to spend time on their own getting into their own trouble. 

HAN’S relationship with LEIA has certainly grown stronger. if he were being honest, a part of the former smuggler expected her to leave, but instead, HAN was now considering marriage. the only issue was, LEIA was busy building THE NEW REPUBLIC, and finding the time to commit to such a romantic gesture felt more and more difficult. 

“uh, yeah.” the duh was clearly implied in her tone, a little huff coming out of the words. more people seemed to be happy about it than sad. if she’d had someone to be selfish about in that regard, maybe she would have felt the same way, but… she didn’t. the person who came closest was her mother and zeehay versio would have been humiliated by her daughter as a rebel. “it makes all of this that much harder. we don’t exactly have any vader-equivalents popping up.”

.

han shrugged a bit at her response, “ah, whatever, you  know what i mean,” he said as he waved his hand in front of him. han wasn’t really sure there was anyone he would want to see. he had chewie, leia, luke, even lando. it wasn’t like he had family he particularly missed. closest would maybe be qira-- but even then... that was complicated. “kenobi’s back, isn’t he? not sure if you can count him though,” he said, arms moving to rest on his hips, “not looking good for us, either way.”