Saga A Slight Disruption: The 5th Anniversary Edition (Han Solo, A/P PT-OT)

Aiel · Sep 24, 2012

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A Slight Disruption: The 5th Anniversary Edition
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Summary:

Beginning during Episode III, but becoming an AU when a small twist is added to the story...but don't go calling him small to his face!

Nine-year-old Han Solo is under the enslavement of a con-artist thief, who uses him and other children to steal and pick-pockets, but when they arrive on the centre planet of the Republic, Coruscant, Han uses the opportunity to run away.

Suddenly finding himself being pursued by the Coruscanti police, Han escapes into the apartment buildings of the Senators; and while climbing out of a window, falls onto the balcony of Senator Padmé Amidala.

Needless to say –against Anakin Skywalker's initial disapproval– the very pregnant Padmé becomes attached to the orphan boy, who so desperately needs a loving family and home.

But will the new responsibility of Han, in conjunction upcoming birth of his child, help Anakin to see the path to save someone is not always the quick and easy way.
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Originally posted on the Jedi Council Forums way back in 2007. I first posted a revived edition of ASD back in 2010 on ff.net. Now, upon it’s 5th Anniversary, I’m delighted to bring this thoroughly revised and more cohesive version of my most popular fanfiction story, (which –to this date– has had over 22,800 hits on ff.net.)

I hope you enjoy this updated version of ASD, and I hope it will inspire you to try your own hand at writing something out of the ordinary.

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Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars, the characters associated with it, or anything to do with it at all.
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A Slight Disruption: The 5th Anniversary Edition

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Chapter One: Opening up your heart

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Han Solo was not much to look at. Even the proud little boy, (who would snap that it was otherwise,) secretly knew it.

He was just another scruffy, dirty street kid.

And this was just perfect, because if he had been a clean –and memorable looking– kid, he would not be able to blend in and escape from Garris Shrike. The man that had all but kidnapped him four years ago off the dirty, rough streets of the poor area of Northern Corellia.

Solo sniffled and wiped his nose on his sleeve, gazing out around the crowd of people he was so desperately trying to disappear into; sneaking past strangely dressed humanoids and alien species jabbering in a queues for one of the hottest upper-level nightclubs.

Han looked up at one of the glowing Aurbesh signs, and read the time at being 0300 hours. Meaning that he had escaped from his fellow pick-pockets at least five hours previously; and the little snitches would have wailed on him long ago.

The boy’s stomach gurgled in response to the smell of food that wafted from all around him, and all Solo could do was rub his middle ruefully and sigh.

The one thing Dewlanna –the slave ship's wookiee cook– had always scolded Han about was that instead of asking for food –even from her– the nine-year-old felt the need to sneak into his pockets anything edible.

Han looked around for a side-alley of some sort; and pulled his over-sized shirt tighter around himself as he noticed some obvious police personnel marching towards his direction, finally noticing a small alley only a few metres down past where he was standing. Taking slow steps as not to attract unneeded attention, the slight boy darted through the crowd towards an alley-way.

However, that single, wide-eyed stare towards the police officers had attracted their unwanted attention.

One small, ragged street-kid, out on the upper levels of Coruscant at early morning; glancing around suspiciously; was obviously up to mischief.

The slightly shorter officer yelled out just to see if the unkempt child would react.

"Hey!"

Little Solo made the mistake of turning to look at the two humanoid men rushing up to him and silently cursed himself, "Oh no," he breathed, rushing away back into the crowd as fast as his legs could carry him; dogging through the humanoids and aliens like a wraith.

As the police gave chase after him, Han skidded through the streets and suddenly found himself standing in the middle of the busy central plaza, (lit up like a wookiee tree-top village on Life day,) with sloping sculptures and high-rise buildings.

Gazing about briefly at the huge residential buildings that surrounded the plaza, Han remembered the brief low-down Shrike had given them on the districts of Coruscant…Senators live here.

Solo scratched his shaggy, brown haired head, remembering the kindly Senator, Garm Bel Ilibis; whom he had met once two years ago when he'd been in a school, masquerading as a student in one of Shrike's more elaborate schemes.

Senator Ilibis had told Han he was impressed with the questions he had asked; and said Han was a bright young man, who had a great future ahead of him.

Han nodded firmly with the resolve only a nine-year-old could muster, Yes, if anyone could help him the senator of Corellia could. Senator Ilibis had been a nice person; and Solo had met so few nice people in his short life, that just the memory of one compliment and kindly word was taken very much to heart.

The boy scampered towards the senatorial apartment building on his right, looking up at the sign that gave directions to the various planetary quarters, he smirked lopsidedly. It was his lucky day, as Corellia was on this list.

The boy looked around and strolled casually over to the turbolift. The security system was controlled by a panel to the left side; and the boy had learnt to hot-wire systems like this before most kids had lost their top and bottom front teeth.

Pursing his tongue between his teeth in concentration, Han pulled a small knife from his back pocket and a stick of Kashyyyk honey-chew Dewlanna had made for him last night. Breaking off a couple of pieces and shoving the remains into his back pocket, Han put the five broken pieces into his mouth and chewed vigorously one at a time and spat them back into his hand.

Grabbing three of the softened gum pieces, Solo placed them where he knew the sensors would be placed randomly throughout the outside of the panel; and then jimmied it open.

Flipping the board down and shoving the rest of the gum into his mouth, Han used the knife to deftly slice some wires; and pulled a piece of gum out of his mouth each time to block the sensitive sensors beneath them, finally smirking in sticky triumph.

Calmly pressing a few buttons, the door to the turbo lift glided open and the boy strolled into the lift. Looking aside at the buttons lit up on the panel to the left, Han pressed the number that the sign had given him and waited impatiently as the door slid shut again.

Even if Senator Ilibis only placed him in an orphanage on Coruscant or in a foster home, it was better than the stang-hole he'd been living in. Han just wished he'd said a real good-bye to Dewlanna.
He had said good-bye as in that he'd return with the others, not good-bye good-bye.

Oh well, the old wookiee had wanted him to find a way of escaping anyway, she would understand. Han blew a bubble with the honey-chew and snapped it back into his mouth.

The lift was fairly swift and Solo found himself on the fifth level, after only another two honey-chew bubbles. Han stuck his head in experimentally, turning to look from right to left in the darkened room.

"Hello? Senator Ilibis?" The dark silence was broken by Han's voice that echoed across the entrance room and no response came. He walked fully into the apartment, just as the door slid shut on the turbolift. Han took little notice of the door slamming shut and continued his calling.

After circling all the rooms and finding no-one, the boy suddenly remembered why the Corellian quarters were vacant, while standing in the hall that led to the sleeping quarters.

"Oh no," Han groaned, "the separation act…I forgot!" Solo went from plain panic to pure terror, "Oh stang! The turbo lift!" He rushed back to the entrance hall and pounded on the turbo lift door. "Oh no, oh no!" Solo stopped suddenly, remembering the sensors. Any fiddling with the door panel and he was doomed.

At any rate, he was a goner if they found him here in the morning.

Unless, he could find another way out of the place. . .Han’s wondering eyes instantly fell on the windowed balcony, practically suicidal. But –like most nine-year-olds– Han resolved to worry about that after he already was half-way down the balustrade.

-xxx-

Below the Corellian quarters was the official apartments of the Naboo representatives. The Senator for Naboo had the largest quarters and balcony that looked out over Coruscant.

Naboo’s Senator, Padmé Amidala, had helped furnish the apartments herself. But never had she noticed how many sharp and fragile to the touch objects she had filled it with, until she started thinking of the baby.

Her baby…their baby, Anakin—oh their marriage had had to be hidden. now with a living, breathing creation of their love growing inside her, the world had suddenly become more dangerous for their forbidden union.

She had met Anakin Skywalker long before he had been a Jedi. Given, that Padmé had been only fourteen and her now husband had been almost ten years old. But that sandy haired boy had looked her straight in the eye and said firmly that he was going to marry her some day.

How the young Queen –disguised as one of her handmaidens– had tried so hard not to laugh at the snub nosed little boy's announcement, replying that he was just a little boy.

With all the conviction of the future Jedi Knight he would one day be, Anakin had just stared at Padmé carefully; and responded stubbornly that he wouldn't always be.

And Anakin, as he tended to be most of the time, (when he wasn't being hot-headed,) was right. He did grow up and marry Padmé, even after being forbidden to do so by his obligation to the Jedi order.
Anakin had never faltered once in his commitment to the Clone Wars. He was a General in their army and had been fighting on the front for the past nearly two years.

The slight young man Padmé had married, had hardened into a muscular warrior, now a Jedi Knight and no longer a Padawan under the tutelage of the still ever watchful, Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. This now meant Anakin could spend his leave time almost entirely with his secret wife, which made their brief reunions even that more pleasurable and blessed.

Padmé was awoken from her blissful dreams of their reunion earlier that day, (following the rescue of Chancellor Palpatine,) when the weight of Anakin lying beside her in the bed, had shifted with him waking up abruptly and getting up. Padmé half-turned to look after her husband; his dark, cloaked silhouette making stark contrast against the dimly lit apartment.

As if feeling their father’s restlessness, the child in Padmé womb began to shift as well. The pregnant woman made soft shushing noises; and rubbed her stomach through the blue satin material, slowly rolling over to get out of the bed to follow Anakin.

The baby must have some of his daddy's connection with the Force, Senator Amidala allowed a small smile across her delicate features, replacing the concerned grimace over her husband.

Anakin was completely convinced their child was going be a girl. But Padmé begged to differ, no offense to the powers of the Force, but Anakin wasn't bearing this child.

He had been away from their baby since it began to grow practically, Padmé was certain it was a boy. She had different symptoms from what she could remember Sola having with Ryoo and Pooja; and the old wives tales of carrying a boy lower then a girl.

Amidala wanted it to be a surprise though, boy or girl, this baby was going to change their lives completely. Padmé’s bare feet padded softly across the carpet; as she walked across the darkened living room area.

The Naboo senator stopped briefly to look over at where Anakin sat in the dim light. He cut such a solemn, distressed figure against the sparkling lights from the busy traffic and tall skyscrapers, outside the windowed walls.

Padmé sighed and walked towards Jedi Skywalker slowly. Anakin didn't look up in her direction as she came to his side, running her fingers through his fair tresses.

"What's bothering you?" Padmé whispered, hollow blue eyes looked up at her and gave her a shaky smile that definitely didn't match the look in his eyes. Anakin reached out to touch her belly; and then took the japor snippet –that she wore as a pendant on a long chain– in his lightsaber calloused finger tips.

"Nothing," he replied without more than a moment's hesitation, Padmé eyed him suspiciously as Anakin looked up from the pendant with another uncertain smile, "I remember when I gave this to you."

Senator Amidala sighed with tired patience, she to remembered all too well when a nine-year-old Anakin gave her the japor fragment carved with a symbol of good-luck. That boy had been as honest as a star shone in the night sky, now the man he had grown into was lying right to her face.

"How long is it going to take for us to be honest with each other?" She invoked simply.

Anakin dropped the pendant and his face darkened again as he looked away. Skywalker had been wearing that look all too often since he'd been in the Clone Wars.

The response came just as plainly as Padmé's question , "It was a dream."

Padmé winced, remembering the visions he had about his Mother, "Bad?" She pinched herself inwardly, Of course it had been bad. Why would Anakin look so moody and awoken in the middle of the night if it had been a pleasant dream?

Anakin's frown deepened into his tanned, broadly handsome face, "Like the ones I used to have about my Mother, just before she died," he ascertained, still staring straight ahead in troubled memories.

Senator Amidala reached out to stroke his arm comfortingly, she had been right, "And?"

Skywalker let out a unsteady breath as he turned to look into her liquid brown eyes, "And it was about you," his gaze darkened even more and Anakin turned away again.

"Tell me." Padmé begged in a soft whisper, she gazed at him in concern, About me?

Anakin got to his feet, "It was only a dream," he said quietly and firmly, walking away from her gradually. The Jedi’s shoulders dipped when he sighed defeatedly, gazing out the tall window. The moment's anxious silence, was unexpectedly broken, as Anakin slowly turned his upper-torso to gaze painfully at his petite wife.

"You die in childbirth."

Padmé's arms quickly enveloped her rounding stomach, "And the baby?" She demanded fearfully. Amidala had never been afraid to die, but to die and leave Anakin she feared.

To die and lose the baby within her she feared even more.

Anakin's steady voice broke, "I don't know," he admitted stonily, looking away from her again.

Padmé opened her mouth to say a word of comfort, 'It was only a dream,' or something to quell the visible anger and worry on his face and the nervousness she was feeling; when there came –from the direction of her beautifully kept balcony– a loud yelp. Quickly accompanied by crashing and banging sounds of smashing pottery.

"What in the name of the Force was that?" Anakin exclaimed, rushing towards the balcony, Padmé not far behind her barefoot husband, the nightmares temporarily forgotten for the moment.

On approaching the windowed balcony, they saw the dust start to clear and a small, very dirty figure was sprawled in the middle of the floor, it sat up and started coughing; and Anakin immediately analyzed its Force signature as that of a young boy. Aged between eight and ten years old. The boy's feelings registered between mild pain and relief.

Anakin narrowed his eyes slightly. "My dear, I think our guest is a street louse," he informed his wife, who was already pushing open the doors to kneel beside the small boy, rubbing his back as he hacked. Skywalker folded his arms and lent against the door frame with a mildly disapproving look. His wife shouldn't worry herself so much in her condition.

"Are you alright?" Padmé inquired gently. The boy nodded his shaggy brown haired head and peered up at her cautiously, the Senator's heart almost broke into a thousand pieces at the immediate mistrust and nervousness in those hazel eyes.

"Yeah…" the boy said softly, then straightened and jumped to his feet, brushing off his pants with a quick swipe. "…yeah, I'm all right. Thanks." He said a little louder and staring at the beautiful woman more astutely, a grin on his face.

"Wow! I know you! You're Senator Amidala! Everyone always says you're the prettiest lady on the Galactic Senate!"

Padmé smiled in wonder at the lob-sided grin on the grubby boy's face, "Is that so," she humored the small boy; who nodded firmly, brushing back his long bangs off his forehead.

"Ah huh...I didn't know you were so..." the child looked down at her stomach with wide eyes, "big."

Amidala looked down as well and noticed her pregnant stomach was very visible through her sleek satin nightgown, Uh oh, "Oh," she said softly. Anakin walked over and helped Padmé to her feet, keeping an arm around her waist and not making eye contact with the small boy.

"Come on, I'll call the guards..." He moved to guide her into the apartment, Padmé glared at him and thumped his arm disapprovingly, Anakin looked down into her angry brown eyes.

"Anakin, you let me go right now," she hissed, looking back at where the little boy was standing all by himself, "He's just a child. Let's find out about him before we call the guards," Padmé insisted.
Anakin looked over at the boy, who gave him a sullen look of suspicious disapproval.

Skywalker rubbed his forehead, "Padmé, no." He said bluntly. Amidala merely pulled away and walked back to the boy, as Anakin folded his arms into his cloak and sighed.

The boy smiled up at the woman, he was skinny and obviously a very active child.
"You know my name, young man, but I don't know yours," Padmé ascertained brightly.

The boy looked uncomfortable. "No, you don't. Who's the stuff-shirt?" He pointed at Anakin as an attempt to change the subject. The pregnant woman smiled indulgently at the boy, as Skywalker snorted derogatorily from behind them.

"That would be my former protector and very good friend, Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker," Padmé informed the young boy; who gave the tall, good-looking man a very distrustful glare.

"Jedi? Are they like the feds?" He whispered to the woman warily.

Padmé glanced over at Anakin with a supportive smile, "No, not really. You've never heard of the Jedi?" She felt almost relief at the thought. If the boy knew nothing of the Jedi and that they shouldn't be married, perhaps they would be safe. The urchin shook his head and Senator Amidala sighed.

"Oh, they're kind of like guardians, they protect people that are in trouble or danger.”

"Huh," the dusty child brushed off his pants again, "are you in trouble or danger right now?" He inquired. Padmé looked mildly taken back and the boy wiped his nose with his sleeve, "I mean, err, being pregnant and all...you are pregnant, right?" He added hurriedly.

Padmé's heart almost melted again at his concern, and she nodded, "Yes I am. But I'm not in trouble," she sighed. "Not yet," Amidala added under her breath. "Now, will you tell me your name? I promise I won't let anyone hurt you." She assured him.

The boy snorted, "Yeah, like that's a new one," he sighed and looked down at the ground, "all right. My name is Han," he said reluctantly.

Anakin stepped forward and looked down at the boy, "How old are you, Han?" He tried to keep his voice even. The boy stared up at the tall man with narrowed eyes.

"I'm nine, almost ten," Han informed him cautiously.

Skywalker eyed the dusty child up and down. "You're a little short for nine."

The boy looked offended, "Yeah, well you're a little too tall for any age," he shot back, "and you have a nasty scar over your eye," Han huffed. Padmé chuckled at the not too impressed look on Anakin's face.

"Oh well, you're short and dirty, I'd rather be tall and scarred any day," Skywalker retorted with chagrin.
Padmé patted Anakin’s arm as Han poked his tongue out at the Jedi.

"Now Ani, don't be a child. Han, would you like to go into the 'fresher and clean up?" She motioned to the R2 unit who came trundling up from his position watching the drama from the door-frame, "Artoo will show you the way."

Han nodded, "Okay, you sure you don't want to come with me? I don't know if I want to leave you alone with this buffoon," he ignored the dirty look Anakin shot him. Padmé shook her head. "Okay," the boy went to follow the blue-domed droid –who beeped at him friendlily as he approached– then turned around mid-way.

"Sorry about the stuff I broke," Han added as an afterthought, before he followed Artoo into the apartment.

Anakin pointed after Han lividly, "Padmé, you just let what is obviously a street louse into your apartment; and told him to clean up his face instead of the mess he made out here!"

Padmé shrugged, "Anakin, you don't even know he's a street kid—"

"Oh?" Her husband interrupted, "Is that so? For all we know he could have been utilized to spy on you by the Trade Federation. He didn't even give us a surname, Angel. We should call security," Skywalker insisted. "How did he even get way up here on to the balcony ?"

Amidala sighed, "The poor boy is obviously starving, and frightened half to death, let him clean up a little," she put her arms around Anakin's waist as he sighed and looked away.

"I'll get Threepio to see to the mess out here. We'll set Han down, give him a drink, and ask all the questions we need to get to the bottom of all this."

Anakin shrugged and looked down at his petite wife, "All right. I might be over reacting. but it wouldn't be the first time...and you're in a delicate way at the moment," he gave in reluctantly.

The woman laughed, "I'm pregnant, Ani, not deathly ill," she pursed her lips, Skywalker did not look happy with the choice of words, and neither was she. "Besides," Amidala added hurriedly, "I want to do something nice for him. Han reminds me of another scruffy little boy I met long ago," Padmé stood on tiptoe and kissed the tanned Jedi Knight's lips.

Skywalker rolled his eyes as he took Padmé hands. "I was never a dirty street louse, besides, I was a lot taller at nine," Anakin linked her arm through his; and led Padmé back into the apartment, ignoring her short snort of laughter at his indignant expression.
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I hope you enjoyed and the next chapter will be up before the end of the week. Thanks for reading.

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Saga A Slight Disruption: The 5th Anniversary Edition (Han Solo, A/P PT-OT)

Aiel Jedi Grand Master