Beyond - Legends "Solo" - Vignette, Han

A little Han moment that was meant to be a kind of analog to my Luke vignette. Inspired in part by a particular section of Tempest. Hopefully it fits the character.

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The starboard flux capacitor had gone again, and Han Solo was pretty sure it had taken the hyperdrive with it.

Still, he mused absently, staring grimly out of the cockpit window, it?s not as if I?ll be needing it again. It was an odd thought, and one Han would never have caught himself thinking even a year before. He had always needed his hyperdrive; had always relied on it, even at its most temperamental. The Falcon had always pulled through, somehow.

A little, perhaps, like its Captain.

A flare of superheated plasma lit the cockpit briefly, and moments later chunks of debris came whirling past so close that, were it not for the transparisteel, Han could almost have reached out to grab one before it wheeled off into the night. He couldn?t even make out what the expanding cloud of debris had been, seconds before. In fact, he wasn?t even sure he could have named the vessel if it had just rolled out of the factory lines.

In the end, he supposed, it didn?t really matter. There had always been bad guys shooting at him, either in the cockpit of some space superiority fighter, or down on the ground, blaster in hand. And Han had always shot back.

Now, the battle his battered old freighter was tumbling inexorably toward seemed so very pointless and tiring that Han could barely be bothered to shift his vector enough to avoid an oncoming starship, its portside wing torn to shreds, as it careened past, trailed by a laser-spewing bogey. All Han wanted to do was land somewhere and order up a big mug full of Tarisian ale.

He sighed deeply, running a hand through his grey hair. Yeah, so that wasn?t going to happen any time soon. And for an instant, Han was taken back years; decades, back to his youth as a hotshot smuggler, racing from one side of the galaxy to the other in his beloved ship, with a hold full of cargo and a fleet of Imperial cruisers on his six. He?d look over, and there would be Chewie, furry hands flying over the console as he prepped the hyperdrive, wuffling softly to himself, blue eyes glittering with that same intensity reflected in Han?s own.

But now, all he saw was a sad old oversized chair, its stitching torn in several places; an echo of a bygone age. It hadn?t just been Chewie, either. Droma had sat there once, crazy old Droma, the one who had managed to drag him through those terrible days following his friend?s death. And Lando, of course, though more often than not the gambler had opted for Han?s own chair whenever he felt he could get away with it. Han tried to recall the old rogue?s dazzling smile, but somehow he could not quite picture it.

And then, there had been Leia. Han refused to dwell on it; he?d pushed the memories of that incident so far back in his mind even a Sith Lord couldn?t reach them. And that thought sent another pang through Han?s heart, but...well, that was an old wound, anyway.

Everything seemed old, these days.

The ship bucked around him, buffeted by flak from all sides. A light flashed on the console, indicating another of the ship?s systems had gone offline. Han was barely paying attention to the battle, though it could perhaps more accurately be described as a maelstrom. Whatever factions and alliances had been formed prior to and even during the conflict did not hold Han?s interest: he had seen the rise and fall of so many of them, it was all pretty boring, frankly. But one thing hadn?t changed, in all that had happened.

Han still had the Falcon, and he could still point it right at the bad guys. After all, this far in to the storm, there wasn?t really much of a choice was there? Of course, he could always turn the ship around, find a quiet resort world somewhere and happily retire for the rest of his days. Perhaps put the Falcon i

 

Excellent vignette, Kwenn. You really capture the true essence of Han Solo and how his character has developed over time. Even though many years have passed since we first met him, you still hold onto that charming smuggler side.

I found the parts with Han remembering Chewie to be very touching. I could feel the tears begin to well up.

Instead, he had allowed himself to live. Properly, not just running jobs for the Hutts, or the t?landa Til. He had allowed himself to love, and be loved in return. Not just Leia, and not just their kids, but all his friends; his many, dear friends, without whom Han would have been a shadow of the man he had become.

This is very insightful into Han's character. I love the scope of your introspection.

Han felt a familiar, crooked grin blossom across his countenance, and younger hands than his took over the controls. He turned his head, and Chewie gave a grunt of acknowledgement, which Han returned with a nod.

Then he looked back at the battle ahead with fire in his eyes, and joined the fight once more.

That's our Han. Never one to give up without a fight. I could see him change as he knew Chewie was there with him (be it in one form or another). Wonderful endng to a beautiful vignette.

You've gone and done Han proud.

I'll have to read your Luke viggie as well.

 

What a poignant viggie. But... where is Leia anyway? Yikes!! I can't think of that either.
Now I also will have to read your Luke viggie, but I'm almost afraid to. Luke fanatic that I am.

 

Thanks for the comments, everyone!

Yeah, I wanted to keep Leia's fate ambigious, though the title really gives it away. Han's always been a survivor, but at this point, that kind of luck's really not a good thing. Although, he's still got the Falcon: Han's last adventure without it just wouldn't feel right.

 

Wow! I loved it! You really captured Han's essence. And I like the fact that we don't know the details about Leia. Sometimes less is more, and this is one of those times.

Han still had the Falcon, and he could still point it right at the bad guys. After all, this far in to the storm, there wasn?t really much of a choice was there?

Oh yeah, that's Han!

 

This is amazing! Very poingnant and well written!

Major angst-o-rama moment: The older Han thought that perhaps he would like to remember what that felt like again, just this once.

Bravo!

 

So very sad, yet strangely bittersweet!

The SW galaxy's going to be a far, far dimmer place when Han dies.

 

Well here's hoping this scenario firmly remains a "What if...?" situation. I certainly don't want to be reading an official version of his death any time soon.

 

Very poignant

Han's reflections were heartbreaking but very so very typical of him!

Wonderful job on this

 

All Han wanted to do was land somewhere and order up a big mug full of Tarisian ale.

He sighed deeply, running a hand through his grey hair. Yeah, so that wasn?t going to happen any time soon.

That sounded so much like Han, I could hear his voice saying it. I like this vig even more than your Luke vig - probably because Han's my favorite character. But also because you captured every layer of his personality. Cynical smuggler, honorable fighter, grumpy old man who just wants a drink. Most of all, I love that he's grinning at the end.