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Topic:
While You Were Gone (Han/Leia AU) Updated 7/10/05
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LadyCallie
Registered:
Apr '00
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Date Posted:
1/29/01 3:44pm
Subject:
RE: While You Were Gone (Han/Leia AU)
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Awwwwwww!!! Chewie you sweet mass of fur!!!! ::sniff sniff:: What sweetheart!:)
YEA!!! Lando's coming back!!!
But where is Simon?
Loved it!!!
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Forever shipping for-
Luke and Callista, Max and Logan, Willow and Tara, John and Aeryn
Because forever is the whole point.
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Vergere
Registered:
Jul '00
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Date Posted:
1/29/01 6:15pm
Subject:
RE: While You Were Gone (Han/Leia AU)
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ok...::thinks:: she loves feedback...so maybe if i post again she'll post the next part sooner? 
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Yanksfan
Registered:
Nov '00
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Date Posted:
1/29/01 8:10pm
Subject:
RE: While You Were Gone (Han/Leia AU)
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I'm kicking this thread back to the top.
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Feminism is the radical notion that women are people.
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StonedRose
Registered:
Jan '01
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Date Posted:
1/29/01 8:46pm
Subject:
RE: While You Were Gone (Han/Leia AU)
- Date Edited:
1/29/01 8:49pm (2 edits total)
Edited By:
StonedRose
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Ah Vergere, you have figured out my drug of choice ;-) Love feedback!
Okay, here's the next part. I hope you enjoy!
The ex-general and once great hero of the rebellion, now sat slumped at a bar, his head swimming from the half bottle of whiskey he'd consumed. His eyes bleary with drink and fatigue were set on the empty glasses in front of him. He didn't dare divert his gaze from them in fear that the cantina might start up that incessent spinning again.
The bartender, an overweight bothan, stood watching Lando Calrissian with a wary look on his face. "Hey buddy," he finally said, "do you need a ride somewhere or something?"
Lando looked up at the bartender blankly, his eyes unable to retain any focus. //Did that guy just say something?// "Huh?"
"A ride?" The bothan gestured at all the empty ale glasses, "You sure can't drive anywhere by yourself. I could call a cab if you'd like."
Lando shook his head. "Nah, I'm not leaving yet." He tapped his hand against the bar impatiently. "Get me another shot of Correllian Whiskey."
The bartender stood there motionless for a moment, as if deciding whether he should really serve the man another drink. Finally he just shook his head in resignation and handed the gambler another glass. "Just don't throw up in here," the bothan warned, "I'm sick of cleaning up after you drunks."
Lando scowled at the bartender, tossing a credit in one of the empty glasses. "Thanks for your concern," he muttered as he pushed himself up from the bar. The husky bothan watched the gambler stumble to a table in the corner. He shook his head in disgust and quietly cursed the man under his breath. Sometimes he really hated working in this dive.
Lando slid into the empty booth, careful to not spill his precious drink. He lazily peered around the bar, but all the different species just blended together into one colorful blur. The ex-general shook his head in gruff annoyance and threw back his shot of whiskey. He was still pissed that the deal he had come here for had fallen through. He should've known better than to believe a tip from that two-faced Ithorian. What had he been thinking? Mos Eisley of all places! This spaceport was a dump! The people here didn't even have two credits to rub together, much less enough money to take some goods off his hands. Lando rubbed his forehead tiredly, cursing himself repeatedly for being so gullible.
And now he was going to have to drop by Coruscant as well. Lando's stomach tightened at the mere prospect of facing Princess Leia. He couldn't do it. The gambler groaned in frustration. Why did he have to go and promise the wookiee that he would try to smooth things over between them? The princess was obviously not interested in making amends. That much was obvious to Lando. Even though she had been perfectly polite the last time he had dared visit her, Lando could tell that she was really fighting back the urge to spit in his face. You didn't win a ton of credits in sabaac without learning to read people. And Lando could read the disdain Leia felt for him as clearly as if it had been printed on her forehead.
The ex-general closed his eyes and his shoulders sagged in self-pity. No no no no no, this trip to Coruscant was definitely *not* something to look foward to.
As Lando sat in the back booth of the cantina, head resting heavily in his hands, two men pushed their way through the front door. The older man smiled confidently as he scoped out the room. "I don't think we'll have a problem finding a spacer here willing to make a deal."
Xavier looked around the room nervously, his eyes darting from one alien to the next. "How do we know who to ask?"
"Leave that to me," Malcolm assured him, his eyes coming to rest on the slumped human in the back, "and follow my lead." The older man pushed his way through the crowded bar his gaze never wavering from the man in the corner booth. From his body language, Malcolm could tell that the spacer had had too much to drink, and although his clothes were wrinkled and worn, Malcolm could also tell that they were made from expensive fabrics. And the cape! Only men of wealth wore garments like that. Yes, Malcolm was confident that this was a spacer who had money.
Lando massaged his temples lightly as he felt the beginning of a massive headache coming on. The throbbing pulsated through his ears, and all he could think of was the horrendous hang-over that awaited in his near future. Lando was caught off guard when two gentlemen slid across from him in his booth. He shot them a glare of warning.
The older man held up his hands innocently. "I am not here to cause any trouble," he assured Lando, "just thought that you looked like a man who likes to make deals."
"Deals?" Lando asked slowly, "What kind of deals?"
The older man smiled warmly, "You're a man of great taste. *Impeccable* taste. If I do say so myself."
Lando gave the man a skeptical scowl. He braced himself for the inevitable con job he could sniff was coming. "Oh, yeah?" He glanced over at the younger man, who was staring at him wide-eyed. Lando shot him a disgusted look. //What was his problem?//
The younger man reddened with embarrassment and he hastily looked down at the table. Malcolm gave Xavier a quick look of warning and continued, "Are you a collector-I'm sorry, I didn't get your name."
Lando peered at the man suspiciously. His head was still spinning, but the kid's gaping stare was enough to cause a warning bell to go off in his brain. "Why don't you tell me who you are first."
Malcolm smiled, "Oh, of course. Sorry about that. I'm Mandell Malcolm, and this here is my partner, Xavier Ross."
The kid called Xavier gave Lando a quick shy smile, and then looked back down at this hands. Something about the young man bothered the ex-general. Lando looked back at Malcolm coolly. "Yeah? Now tell me what you want and make it quick."
Malcolm swallowed the urge to throw an insult back at the spacer and forced a smile back on his face. "Of course," he said politely, "I don't want to take up too much of your time. Tell me, sir, what do you think of Imperial artifacts?"
Lando had to bite back a hearty laugh and spat, "Imps!" He smiled cheekily at the two men and shook his head in disbelief. The alcohol was still making him dizzy. "I think you guys have got the wrong man." He chuckled briefly. "No, in fact I know you do."
Malcolm pressed on, undeterred by Lando's flippant response. "Oh, but I'm sure you must know how much an Imperial artifact is now worth on the open market. Why a stormtrooper helmet alone could get you upwards of about 1500 credits!"
"Is that a fact?" Lando smirked drunkenly. "Well, let me just tell *you*-I did not risk my life in the rebellion just so a couple of sandtraders could eventually make a few good credits on Imperial *artifacts*."
Malcolm was taken aback, "I'm sorry, we didn't mean any-"
"I knew it!" Xavier interrupted with a gasp. He was once again staring at Lando openly. "You're Calrissian aren't you?"
Lando straightened up in his seat, unsure about whether to come clean. Malcolm sat there looking dumbfounded. Xavier pulled on his arm excitedly, "Didn't you see him on all the holovids sir? This is the man who blew up the second death star!" Xavier turned back towards Lando, his face flushed with excitement. "You practically ended the entire war with the empire single- handedly!"
Lando smiled modestly, waving off the young man's comments. "Well..to be honest, I did have some help with that."
"Wow," Xavier breathed, "you were amazing. *Amazing*." He turned to the older man in awe, "Isn't this unbelievable sir?"
Malcolm didn't respond. He peered at Lando inquisitively, his face contorted in deep thought. "Calrissian.." he muttered softly to himself, as if searching for something. Suddenly his eyes widened slightly in recognition and he leaned foward. "You look different," he said finally.
Lando rubbed at the scruff on his chin, suddenly self-conscious of the weight he must of put on from all his drinking. "Well it's been six or seven years," he said defensively.
Malcolm nodded slowly. "The beard is new." Suddenly he squinted his eyes and looked at Lando questioningly. "Hey," he said, "what ever happened to the wook you were with?"
Lando raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"Yeah," Malcolm said louder now, his head nodding confidently. "I remember you now. A few years ago you were snooping around here. You and a wookiee. Asking questions." Malcolm leaned closer, "Hey, did you ever find that friend of yours?"
Lando felt sick. It was like a cold wave had suddenly come crashing down on him. He slumped back into his seat, a heavy weight pressing down on him. "No," he finally answered. Lando desperately wanted another drink.
Malcolm shook his head in sympathy. "Aw, that's too bad. I'm sorry."
"Yeah, me too," Lando whispered, and the other men could barely hear what he said.
"What friend?" Xavier asked curiously, "What happened?"
Lando clenched his hands into fists, as if he were ready to physically beat back the memories if necessary. He shut his eyes, his head was swimming. He couldn't think. He didn't want to think. //Dammit, where was a service droid when you needed one?//
Malcolm shook his head at the young man, oblivious to Lando's turmoil. "Oh gods, it was some other rebel-right? What was his name.....?"
"Solo," Lando mumbled. His head was pounding. He just wanted these two men to get up and leave. And then Lando wanted ten more drinks, so he could blot out this entire conversation from his memory.
Malcolm paused suddenly, his face growing pale. "Solo, did you say?" His mind flashed to the image of a face, a scar, a man in a black correllian space vest. "*Han* Solo? The smuggler?"
Lando nodded, his expression sour, his gaze distant.
Malcolm fell back into his chair. His mind reeling. He flashed again to the face of the correllian smuggler. Suddenly Macolm saw that same face glossed over with a metallic shine-his expression now contorted in pain. *Frozen*. Malcolm gasped in realization; his hands were suddenly shaking. He looked up at the spacer, his gaze steady and unyielding. "Mr. Calrissian," he finally said; his voice trembling.
"What?"
Malcolm allowed a small smile to spread across his face. "I think we just may have a deal for you after all."
*to be continued......*
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"I got no car and it's breaking my heart, but I've found a driver and that's a start."--the Beatles Check out my Han/Leia fic: http://boards.theforce.net/message.asp?topic=1773937 Last Updated: 7/10/05
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Jedi-Jade
Registered:
Nov '99
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Date Posted:
1/29/01 9:03pm
Subject:
RE: While You Were Gone (Han/Leia AU)
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AUUUGGGGGGGHHHHHHH You love to torture us!!!! Great job though!
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Nov. 19th
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StonedRose
Registered:
Jan '01
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Date Posted:
1/29/01 9:07pm
Subject:
RE: While You Were Gone (Han/Leia AU)
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I know. :P
I can't help myself though.......:)
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"I got no car and it's breaking my heart, but I've found a driver and that's a start."--the Beatles Check out my Han/Leia fic: http://boards.theforce.net/message.asp?topic=1773937 Last Updated: 7/10/05
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Yanksfan
Registered:
Nov '00
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Date Posted:
1/29/01 11:09pm
Subject:
RE: While You Were Gone (Han/Leia AU)
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I am shamelessly kicking this fic back to the top.
Is that wrong?
Nah, I didn't think so either.
UP WITH YOU!
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Feminism is the radical notion that women are people.
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Jane Jinn
Registered:
Jan '00
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Date Posted:
1/30/01 1:18am
Subject:
RE: While You Were Gone (Han/Leia AU)
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AHHH! Great post! I loved the way Lando has developed. Beard, put on weight from too much drinking, not looking forward to going back to Coruscant, able to read people and knowing that Leia disdains him--excellent characterization. Good description, too, of him being drunk in the bar and cursing the way his deal fell through. I also liked the way Malcolm and Xaviar recognised him, and the way that Han came into the conversation. But what a cliffhanger! Please post more soon!
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Mostly retired now
Just making the occasional guest appearance
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princess-sari
Registered:
Nov '00
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Date Posted:
1/30/01 6:24am
Subject:
RE: While You Were Gone (Han/Leia AU)
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Aaahhhhh!!!! You can't end things there! (Well, actually, you can, since you're the author!) 
I, too, loved the characterization of Lando and the way Xavier recognized him and then the conversation finally turned to Han, and then Malcolm realized that was who they had found in the cave.
I hope you post the next part soon!!
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More Than Shadows -- The Handmaidens in Episode 2!! -- 6/14/02
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Marie_Jadewalker
Registered:
Nov '00
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Date Posted:
1/30/01 6:44am
Subject:
RE: While You Were Gone (Han/Leia AU)
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Ack! What wonderful torture, StonedRose!
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IMHO, the only way to salvage the NJO at this point is to recycle the paper it's printed on.
I, Jagged: http://boards.theforce.net/message.asp?topic=1764638
Finished 5/16/02! 
M_Jw  PDK
Women are evil individually and worse in packs. 
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juwannajedi
Registered:
Mar '00
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Date Posted:
1/30/01 7:15am
Subject:
RE: While You Were Gone (Han/Leia AU)
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I love it! I find myself looking for this thread first thing in the morning!
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Lookin' for love in Alderaan places....
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HaiGan
Registered:
Nov '00
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Date Posted:
1/30/01 9:19am
Subject:
RE: While You Were Gone (Han/Leia AU)
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Oh, beautiful, quite, quite beautiful- and the best part of it is, Leia STILL wouldn't be pleased to see Lando even if he came back ith Han, 'cos of all the trouble THAT would cause! Hee!
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"You Can Run But You Can't Hide" A tale of friendship, healing, and Corellian fast food http://boards.theforce.net/message.asp?topic=17272301
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Jedi-Jade
Registered:
Nov '99
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Date Posted:
1/30/01 10:20am
Subject:
RE: While You Were Gone (Han/Leia AU)
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When are we going to have the next post?
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Nov. 19th
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LadyCallie
Registered:
Apr '00
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Date Posted:
1/30/01 10:47am
Subject:
RE: While You Were Gone (Han/Leia AU)
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ARGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!! I HATE CLIFFHANGERS!!!!! PLEASE POST SOON!!! I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!!!!!!!
Wonderful post! It takes a lot to get me really worked up and you did just that!:)
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Forever shipping for-
Luke and Callista, Max and Logan, Willow and Tara, John and Aeryn
Because forever is the whole point.
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set271
Registered:
Sep '00
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Date Posted:
1/30/01 11:46am
Subject:
RE: While You Were Gone (Han/Leia AU)
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Whoo-hoo! Leia's life is about to get VERY complicated... (better, but still complicated!)
I'm dying to know what happens next.
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"Your head is big enough to have its own senate."
- Leia to Han, "A Valentine Story"
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