Archive: Anyone who wants and JAOA
Archive Date: September 21, 2000
Author's Webpage: http://digitalmidnight.simplenet.com/garden/jaoa.html
Category: Drama and evil teasing *g*
Disclaimer: George is god and I'm obviously on some kind of drugs, probably
involving caffeine *g* At least I'm on a roll with writing...
Feedback: PLEASE! The bunnies are getting rabid, can you tell?
Rating: PG
Series: JAOA
Summary: An unexpected meeting
The night air was warm and sweet with the scents of the flowering trees that filled the garden below. Han leaned his elbows on the railing of the balcony, drawing a long breath. It was something he missed in ship board recycled air, the fresh scent of growing things. The thought made him grin slightly; he could, he supposed, always get a small plant. But he doubted he'd have much success making it grow.
Behind him, the lights of the reception hall were bright, the spectrum of them calling forth comfortingly warm tones. The assembled dignitaries were clustered in small groups, their voices creating a steady background noise of soft, indistinguishable words as they drifted about. Sighing, Han shifted his shoulders, working the folds of his new cloak into a better place. He'd never been fond of diplomatic missions.
The sound of his name made him turn back towards the hall. The deep bass voice had been that of the Senator of Alderaan, one he recognized from their holo communications, and Han, lifting a hand in acknowledgement, strode back into the room and worked his way towards the man who was beckoning to him.
Bail Organa, Republic Senator and Ruling Prince of Alderaan, was an elderly individual, the crisp curls of his thinning hair gone silver and deep lines engraved around eyes and mouth within his round face. There was a sharpness there, despite his age, and he smiled tightly as Han approached, his hands extended to greet his guest. "Knight Solo... It's a pleasure to meet you in person. I pray you'll forgive that I couldn't come to meet you when your transport landed..."
"Not at all, Senator, that's quite understandable," Han said pleasantly, bowing slightly as he returned the man's firm grasp. Crippled in the Wars and confined to an anti-grav chair, Organa rarely left the confines of his home on Alderaan, conducting his Senate affairs on Coruscant by holo. "The pleasure is all mine."
"Well, I don't know about that," Organa replied, a touch of wry humor glinting in his eyes. "Duty, more like it. But truth," and here the humor and smiles fell away, replaced like quicksilver by quiet sobriety, "Knight Solo, on behalf of the people of Alderaan and myself in particular, I would like to extend our gratitude for your presence." The Senator pursed his lips slightly, voice dropping to a discreet level. "I am aware the Jedi ranks are woefully smaller then once they were, and your work consequently harder. The Council's message when I petitioned for aid was... rather ambiguous. I honestly didn't expect your visit."
"We do what we can, Senator," Han replied gravely, careful to keep his expression bland. "I do apologize for the Council's handling of the affair. Recently it's been rather..." He made himself stop, spreading his hands expressively and shrugging slightly.
Organa was nodding. "Yes... Master Yoda. That came as quite a shock, I can tell you." The older man laughed slightly. "He's only been there... well, longer then any of us in the Senate, certainly. I don't think any of us expected to still be in office when he finally stepped down."
Han put on a polite smile, an expression that meant little and said nothing. "It will take some time to adjust to." Continuing on, he overrode whatever Organa had been about to say next. His patience for the niceties of small talk were being sorely tested over the evening. "The Council may not be quite as efficient as it was, but an attack on the royal house of one of the backbones of the Senate can hardly be overlooked."
Organa's expression flickered slightly. "Flattery, young man. Alderaan does not hold the influence that she once had." The wry smile came back, tinged with something like pride. "Though I have hopes that that will change." Twisting slightly in his chair, Organa beckoned to someone behind him.
Han had to blink. He had, until that moment, been completely oblivious to the boy's hovering presence, only realizing his existence as he stepped forward to Organa's side. A hand or so shorter then Han, he was years younger, dressed in the pale, loose lines of clothing favored by the fashionable youth of the planet. Sandy blonde hair framed a slightly petulant face, bound back by a simple circlet.
The boy raked an insolent glance across Han, making the older man swear silently to himself on the subject of spoiled brats. As Organa drew breath to speak the boy raised his eyes, meeting Han's gaze, and the Senator's words were entirely lost on the older man as a pair of pale blue eyes directed a sudden firm wash of almost staggering proportion across him.
"Knight Solo," Organa was saying, his voice thin in Han's ringing ears, "I'd like you to meet my son and heir, Price Luke Organa."
The boy smiled, an easy, practiced expression as he extended his hand. Han, vaguely remembering to draw breath into his lungs around the almost oppressively heavy charisma of the boy's gaze, clasped it gingerly even as he slammed his shields tight.
Sith, the boy had a raw Force signature stronger then most of the Masters Han had studied with. How had Organa kept the Order from stealing him outright?
The boy was speaking, a light tenor voice utterly unlike his father's deep rumble, the Force around them stirred formlessly with every unconscious word. "Jedi Knight Solo, you do us honor. Welcome to Alderaan."