#| Hi Yes you awoke my brain worms I apologize |

[forhope]

  | Brainworms GO! |

  | Duel links also shows that Astral doesnt have nails so this is def not an animation error! HOWEVER what makes that really interesting is that Eliphas, Astral’s progenitor and PROTOTYPE [1] DOES have nails, though they’re rarely drawn with the closed shape the human characters nails are.�� |

   -[1] All headcannon and au info aside Eliphas is explicitly stated to be artificial like astral and made before him, so its safe to assume that Eliphas can be viewed as a rough draft of what techniques would eventually go into making Astral.

  | What I find really cool about that is that from a design standpoint its a very good way to make him look ‘Alien’ same as him lacking any toes or how his hair and head seem to be drawn without a line to separate them. This also plays into how Takahashi seemed to have viewed Astral [and i guess by extension eliphas though dont quote me on that] as being made of a sort of metal like substance rather then just, blue space flesh stuff.  |

  [ Source : Drawing of mer astral posted in one of takahashi’s art galleries' ]

  | It gives the shape language of a poured mold rather then the organic structure Eliphas seemed to have been made with. Which fits because they both fundamentally have different power scales and ROLES. |

  | Eliphas and Astral were both designed with Combat in mind, Eliphas being designed to physically purge chaos and chaos alligned people from astral world as the denizens belived should be done [at the time] so you can note that compared to other denizens he is MASSIVE.  |

  | He’s taller, Physically Stronger, and given more powers then a kid in creative mode ALL of said powers being offensive from what we’ve seen. |

  | My point? ; Eliphas was designed from the ground up for Physical Confrontations. In such confrontations where someone would be punching and grabbing at you, even small things like having something on your hand to scratch them with on the off chance would be an advantage that the oh so practical denizens would have likely desired at the time. He was litterally constructed to be unstoppable in a Physical Fight with even minute advantages like being able to claw your face off if need be (Which is why he does his job too well and ends up a tyrant GG Denizens for not putting in a ‘dont kill our ruling bodies’ clause on your murder robot.)  |

   BY CONTRAST 

   | Astral is designed with Grand Scale Destruction in mind, its easy to overlook with how much goes on in season two but Astral is stated to have been made with the intent to first destroy don thousand and THEN destroy barian world with his innate powers. As a result he isnt designed with the physical strength of Eliphas because thats not what he was made to do. |

  | It’s no secret astral is VERY small and lean compared to everyone in the cast, even other denizens! He’s lean, elegant, petite and child like in design compared to Eliphas’s older more bulky form because he wasn’t made with the intent to Physically fight an opponent he was made to be Unassuming. If bulky armored warrior like Eliphas were to show up to your planet as an Envoy your guard would automatically be raised. BUT a small childish boy like Astral? What harm could he do? His form hides the fact he’s single handedly capable of destroying your entire planet. Its twisted yes but its also a very smart tactic for the denizens to employ because we know it works- LOOK AT THE FANDOM reaction to him! Astral is smaller in stature then eliphas but he is far more powerful then him in terms of Powers and Destructive ability. Where eliphas can stomp you in a physical brawl Astral can destroy your planet before you even know He Can. |

  | They both have an Iron Giant like narritve to them of two creatures being made by their creators with violence in mind and nothing else but having the door opened to them to CHOOSE to be individuals instead. Astral had his memory and programing altered, allowing him to learn what LIFE is and decide to emulate it, while Eliphas is the CONTRAST, he didnt have someone to change his programing or teach him about that kind of thing, its no wonder when he first see’s yuma he attacks despite yuma being a child, A Machine’s Mentality wouldnt care, because hes made to fight all chaos imbued things regardless of age or faction. |

TL ; DR : Astral seems to be designed to look as harmless as possible by the denizens so much so he doesnt physically have any form of self defense because his job is to blow up a planet, while Eliphas does have physical forms of self defense because his job is to actually punch you into submission thank you for indulging my brain worms.

I just noticed that Astral has no nails wtf😭😭

His and Yuma's hand for comparison:

My son has no way of defending himself apart from dueling are you fr right now😰😭

[darling-child-tisarwat]

Morgan Reads Dune: Part 1

So as I previously stated I’m attempting to read Dune again. I read the first two chapters years ago and bounced off it cuz I hated it so much. I still hate it, and will likely continue to hate it, so yes this is a hate-read.

If you like Dune: cool, I can see how you might even though I don’t. You might not want to read this live-blog tho cuz I will drag the hell out of Herbert and dear special Paulie boy.

This isn’t meant to be taken as serious critique. I’m sure there are plenty of people who have given measured and nuanced critique and analysis of the text who know a lot more than me and are way better writers. Dune clearly is a pillar of Old School Sci-fi, etc etc. The purpose of this live-blog is to help me drag my way through the book to finish it so I can say I did it. That’s it. Also, mild entertainment value for Radchdome.

Dune apparently has no chapters which annoys me further so I’ll be going by page numbers. Basically I’ll do a new live-blog post at every big Manual of Muad’Dib quote, assuming they keep happening consistently in the book. I have the mass marker paperback ISBN 0-442-17271-7 if that helps but probably not.

I would do readmores, but I’m gonna have to do most of this on mobile so I apologize for that.

If you want to blacklist this, I’ll tag all posts with #MorganReadsDune.

Anyway, here we go:

Pages 1 through 13:

“A beginning is the time for taking the most delicate care that the balances are correct. Except at Waffle House.”

Again I’m like 4 paragraphs in and all my brain is doing is smashing two pans together and screaming about how Paul should have been trans and it would have been a much more complex and satisfying narrative. But you know, Herbert.

Actually losing my mind at the names Paul and Jessica. This is not a unique or new thought, but god. This happened last time but it’s so jarring and I hate it. It’s worse juxtaposed to the Secondary World words like Arrakis and Atreides. Paul. Paul! He sounds like he could be on the Jersey Shore. Jersey Shore: Arrakis Vacation. Anyway I’m still on page 1.

“The awakened boy could see a bulky female shape.” 1. The gendered not-asleep human could see with his sight orbs a human person of exact gender that he knew” 2. Writin’s bad

“Gom Jabbar.” My brain: jabberwocky. Never ending gob stopper. Name of a shitty throw away side character in Star Wars.

Actually hold on I love that I read good sci-fi before any of the “old guard” cuz I just keep reading “reverend mother” and being like “Harrowhark’s corpse mom” so that’s who this woman whose eyes have been described with 3 separate terms is now.

“In all the upset during this time of change, the old woman was the strangest thing he has seen.” That’s just how Cishet men are.

Also: Kwisatz Haderach sounds like something Geralt of Rivia could slay with one hand behind his back just saying.

“There has been so many things to learn.” Head full, many thoughts. “Arrakis-Dune-Desert Planet.” Just keep repeating those vocab words Paulie it’s gonna be on the big Spicy Test later.

“Their mortal enemies, the Harkonnens.” Two households, both alike in dignity. In fair Arrakis where we lay our worms. Also the Harkonnens are my fav because if Paul hates them, I don’t.

“Under a CHOAM Company” Chode company, got it.

“The geriatric spice, melange.” OLD SPICE

“Arrakis-Dune-Desert Planet” stop fucking say that I do NOT need to be reminded.

“Arrakeen” CONLANG MASTER HERBERT OVER HERE. He’s said the work Arrakis 5 times on this page.

“Paul awoke to feel himself in the warmth of his bed—thinking... thinking.” What a window into this characters thoughts...he’s definitely having them. Thoughts.

“The faufreluches” And now we are German.

“Arrakis—Dune—Desert Planet” EARTH—SHIT HOLE—BLUE PLANET

Okay I’m not even going to quote this one but the part where he does meditation and Herbert just uses a shit load of ellipses. Extreme Boomer text message energy. “I’m picking up spice at the store... do you need anything... will be home soon... need to talk to you... bye... :))”

“The animal destroys and does not produce” No?? Animals constantly replenish the land when left to in their native environments?? For a book about ecology, this man knows nothing about food webs and sustainability.

“He studied the tallness of her” Herbert just say she is tall. God.

“... He saw the hint of tension in her shoulders as she chose clothing for him...” WHY IS HIS MOTHER DRESSING HIM. HE’S 15.

I am going to imagine Paul has a pair of shoes with little bells on them, and every time he goes somewhere, the words “here comes a special boy here comes a special boy!!” mixes with the sound of the jingling.

Herbert is obsessed with em dashes and ellipses.

“If only she’d borne us a girl as she was ordered to do!” Now-we-don’t-have-time-to-unpack-all-that.jpg BUT ALSO: Paul-should-be-trans Example-1.

“One gestalten flicker” whole book gonna be like this, huh

“Hair: the Duke’s black-black” Paul Atreides has Vanta Black Hair. Harkonnen House Is Banned From Purchasing Vanta Black Pigment

“...With the browline of the maternal grandfather who cannot be named...” Vold... Voldemort??

THE CUBE. “She turned and Paul saw that one side was open—black and oddly frightening. No light penetrated that open blackness.” VANTA BLACK just like Paulie boy’s special hair.

This animal talk shit... humans are animals. The Beliefs and the Philosophies My Dude... simply geriatric.

Paul with his hand in the Cube: “just like Minecraft”

“We seldom administer this to men-children.” Paul-is-trans example 2.

Fist My Box Or Die, Man-Child.

Ok we gonna replace the word fear with the word cum just to get me through this:

“I must not cum. Cumming is the mind-killer. Cumming is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my cum. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the cum has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.”

“No woman child ever withstood that much [pain].” A-CisHetMan-Wrote-This.jpg Paul’s special boy bells be a jinglin’!!!

My concentrated rage for this book is what powers the box. Also we get into the first titillating bits of ableism text: If you’re human, you can withstand pain and even override it. Get fucked!

“He senses Truth! Could he be the one? Could he truly be the one?” Jingle jingle jingle

Mommy is allowed back to baby boy’s side now that he has passed the Hate and Pain test. As you know women must always be tested for Hate and Pain.

“Thou shalt not make a machine in the likeness of a man’s mind.” Those kids on their damn phones! Ok Boomer.

“You did that on remarkably few clues.” Jingle jingle

“Separating human stock from animal stock—for breeding purposes.” Eugenics! In! Space!

“We look down so many avenues of the past... but only feminine avenues.” “It is said a man will come one day and find in the gift of the drug his inward eye. He will look where we cannot—into both feminine and masculine pasts.” Paul-is-trans example-3 but also, Herbert what the absolute fuck are you talking about.

[argylemnwrites]

It Couldn’t Wait Another Moment - Chapter 15

Pairing: Drake Walker x MC (Riley Liu)

Book: The Royal Romance (Canon Divergent from Book 2, Chapter 15)

Word Count: ~4900

Rating: R (all the adult language - what can I say, Drake swears)

Summary: A much needed conversation, part two.

Author’s Note: Thought I would have this up yesterday, but my Vikings broke my heart, so I couldn’t bring myself to do final edits. Merry Christmas to those who celebrate! This chapter is not even remotely holiday themed, but it contains one of my favorite scenes in this story, so I hope you enjoy it!

This series diverges from TRR canon, where instead of waiting to discuss his relationship with Riley until their last night in NYC, leaving her a note while Liam is proposing to her, Drake tackles this topic as soon as possible after Tariq makes his statement and Riley’s name is cleared. To catch up on this series, you can find the previous chapters in my masterlist (link is located in my bio).

It was pitch black out when Drake awoke to a faint tapping sound. He checked his phone. It was 3:26. He figured he must have imagined the noise and rolled over, trying to go back to sleep, but the noise returned. It was a knock on his door - light, but insistent. Drake was tempted to ignore it, but deep down, he knew who it was. So he shuffled over, flipped the lock, and cracked open the door. 

“You know it’s 3:30 in the morning, right?”

Liam nodded. “I apologize. I couldn’t sleep and I thought maybe… But you’re right, it was rude of me to come by at this hour. I’ll just-”

Drake cut him off with a groan, swinging the door open fully and gesturing for Liam to enter. “No, come on in.”

But Liam didn’t enter, instead pausing in the doorway for a moment before he spoke, “Actually, I was hoping you might want to go fishing.”

Drake blinked a couple of times, trying to clear the fog of sleep from his mind. They hadn’t gone out, just the two of them, in a long time. And given their most recent… conversation, it seemed like an odd choice. But Drake had stuck around to support Liam, so if he needed to go out fishing in the middle of the night, well then Drake would be going with him. “Yeah, okay. Just gimme ten minutes.”

So Drake brushed his teeth and got dressed, grabbing the fishing rods, the lawn chairs, and the tackle box before making his way down to the private garage. It was just Liam there when he arrived, so either Bastien had cleared a private outing, or Liam was ducking out without his security team knowing. It didn’t matter much to Drake either way. He just loaded their gear into the back of his car and moved to hop into the driver’s seat, but Liam called out, “Actually, do you mind if I drive?” Drake shrugged and walked around, sliding in on the passenger's side and settling in for the short drive to their usual spot. Except instead of turning right after passing through the palace gates, Liam turned to the left.

“Uh, where are you going?”

Liam glanced over at Drake before returning his eyes to the road ahead of him, “There’s a different lake I want to visit. I hope you can forgive me this break from our typical routine.”

Once again, Drake found himself shrugging. Not knowing how long of a trip they’d be taking, he leaned his head against the side window. It was dark enough out that he couldn’t see much of the scenery, but he knew they were basically heading east. They drove for well over an hour, not talking, just listening to Liam’s classical music playlist, the one he used when he needed to think. Drake didn’t know what was going on, so he let Liam drive on without any questions about where or how or why. They just drove and drove, and eventually, tinges of orange and pink started to appear in the sky. As the sun began to peek above the horizon, Liam turned off the main road onto a smaller frontage road. After about five more minutes, he pulled over to the side and stopped.

“We’re here,” was all he said before he got out of the car and went to grab his half of the gear from the back. Drake followed his lead, carrying his rod, chair, and the tackle box down a gravel path, Liam just a few paces ahead of him. It was a short and easy hike, leading to a large, crystal-clear lake. The area Liam had chosen was basically a meadow, but there were thickly forested patches along the shoreline, giving rise to large hills and mountains just beyond. Across the lake, Drake noted a grand estate.

He had no idea why they were here and not at their usual lake just west of the capital, but Liam had already set up his chair and was threading his line through the guides. So Drake placed his own chair next to Liam’s, opened the tackle box in between them, and started prepping his own line. Soon enough, they were casting out, the sky lightening in color by the second as the sun continued to climb upwards. They were both silent at first, but after several minutes, Liam broke the ice.

“So, Olivia’s aunt is behind the attacks.”

Drake whipped his head over to the left, trying to gauge Liam’s mental state. That must have been why Olivia came to the palace two days ago. It certainly explained the surge of activity triggered by her visit. Liam didn’t make eye contact with Drake, choosing instead to stare out over the water as he continued to fill him in on the situation.

“She wore a wire yesterday, securing recordings of her aunt talking about the whole thing. Lucretia’s initial plan was to kill any degree of public approval I had before I abdicated, leaving Olivia poised to take the throne. Olivia somehow managed to convince her that we were sleeping together and to give her more time so that she could eventually get pregnant and a Nevrakis would become the heir to the throne.”

“Wait, her aunt thought you two were sleeping together?”

“Olivia didn’t disclose how that even became a point of conversation with her aunt, but Lucretia brought it up unprompted very early on in Olivia’s surveillance, so it must have been part of her ploy to get the initial confession out of Lucretia. Regardless, it was effective. While Olivia was informing me of her aunt’s aims, Lucretia was scrambling to strike deals with her co-conspirators since they were no longer a necessary part of her scheme.”

“How’d that work out for her?” 

“About as well as you would expect. Turns out people who are willing to destroy and kill to gain power don’t respond kindly to being cut out of a coup. Lucretia started naming them all without Olivia even asking because she was planning on having the two of them take out the other key agents in the attacks, all of whom were looking to kill Lucretia at the first opportunity after she dismissed them from her plan.”

“Ah, classic Nevrakis family bonding.”

“Heh. Olivia made a similar remark. Regardless, the strike teams will deploy today to bring the parties involved into custody. Hopefully, things will be well coordinated enough that no one will be forewarned and able to flee. One other insurgent in particular is someone we absolutely need to arrest. His name is Anton Severus, and he and Lucretia seem to be the ringleaders.”

“I’ve never heard of him.”

“We hadn’t either. Initial research turned up some… strange connections to Olivia that we’ll need to investigate further. However, this photo was even more interesting.”

At that, Liam grabbed a small piece of paper out of his jacket pocket and passed it over to Drake. He nearly dropped his fishing rod when he saw the face on the paper.

“It’s that Justin prick!”

“Indeed. Seems he was working under an alias.”

“What the fuck, Liam? He was Liu’s press secretary. He spent a shit-ton of time with her one-on-one. He could have-”

“Drake, this whole situation is a disaster. If you have concerns about the vetting that went into hiring this man, I suggest you take it up with Bertrand. There is something else I thought it prudent you know regarding him, though. He arguably stood to gain the most from the initial scheme concocted by him and Lucretia. Understandably, it sounds like he is the most upset by her recent change in strategy.

“From the way Lucretia talks about him, not only is he highly dangerous, but he also has access to key information Lucretia has been collecting. This includes the findings obtained by the PI that was following you in New York. Apparently, the goal there was a titillating piece surrounding you, me, and Riley. Unfortunately, we think it is highly probable that he will have leaked the information obtained thus far to the press given Lucretia’s description of her conversation with him. So I apologize, but it is likely you and Riley will gain some media attention.”

“So will you.”

Liam shrugged at that, “Yes, well, that comes with the job description for me. That’s not exactly the situation for the two of you.”

“Was warning me about this why you brought me out here?”

“No, that was something I obviously needed to do, but that’s not why I wanted us to go fishing.”

“Why, then? Why today?”

“It's all just been... It's been hard to handle all the…” Liam trailed off. Drake couldn't remember the last time he was at a loss for words.

“Yeah, you've had a lot of shit to deal with.” 

Liam chuckled. “I think that safely qualifies as an understatement.”

Drake smiled softly, letting the quiet of the surrounding nature keep the moment still and peaceful. When Liam got like this, it was best not to ask a lot of questions. just let him talk when he felt like it. So they sat there, lines dipping below the surface of the water. The fish weren't biting, but that didn't really matter at all. They were both silent for many minutes, but eventually Liam started talking.

“My mind is just so full all the time. As soon as I think I have a handle on one topic or issue, another one just worms its way deep into my brain. Being out here, it's nearly like all those conflicting ideas can just float away from me. For the first time in weeks, I feel like I can breathe, that I can decompress even slightly. I know that I can't escape the realities of my life forever, but this is a nice reprieve. So thank you, Drake. Thank you for indulging me, even if I did wake you before 4 o’clock.”

Drake nodded, “Of course, Liam. you know I'd do…”

Liam's eyes drifted over to Drake's as Drake trailed off. He wasn't sure if he had the right to finish that thought. A few months ago, there was literally nothing that Drake wouldn't have done for Liam. He couldn't imagine a single thing. But now, after everything with Riley... Well, saying something like that seemed pretty fucking disingenuous.

But Liam just shook his head sadly, “Even after I said horrible things to you the other day.”

Drake frowned at that, “Liam, I deserved nearly all of it. I should be the one apologizing. You have a shit-ton of crap to handle everyday, and my pissy attitude should not have to be part of it.” He kept his eyes focused on the water, ashamed that he couldn’t even figure out how to be the first one to apologize. But Liam chuckled lightly, seeming to be oblivious to Drake’s pain and guilt.

“Drake, since when are you worried about your attitude around me?” 

He let out a sigh before he responded, “Pretty much whenever I can tell you’re stressed.”

“But that shouldn’t be how this works,” said Liam, “We are supposed to be equals, my title be damned. That can’t happen if you are tiptoeing around me when my life becomes stressful.”

“See, I knew you would see it this way. But you’ve gotta understand that the shit you face is so much worse than the shit any of the rest of us face. I gotta be more careful with you than you are with me. Besides, you look out for me, too. You gave me a place to stay, you let me duck out and do my own thing when I get antsy, you find me lots of high quality whiskey.”

“Are you kidding me, Drake?”

He smiled at that, glancing over at Liam, “Just a little. My point is that we both have been there for each other.”

Liam shook his head. “But don’t you see, Drake, that everything you just listed didn’t really impact my life in any major way. Doing those things for you required very little sacrifice. You, on the other hand, just aggressively reminded my brother that you have uprooted your entire life for me. You put long-term plans on hold to be there for me.”

“You were a prince, Liam. Now you’re the fucking king. You made the best accommodations you could for me given the situation. I did the same. It’s no one’s fault that your life doesn’t allow you the flexibility that mine does.”

“Be that as it may, I worry I’ve taken you for granted, that I’ve treated your support as a given. You altered major life plans for me. That shouldn’t be taken lightly.”

Drake waved his hand through the air, almost as if he could swat away Liam’s concerns, “Trust me, it’s really not a big deal.”

“Your screaming match with Leo would suggest otherwise.”

“Eh, Leo was just being an ass and things got outta hand.”

Drake dropped his eyes to the lake’s surface, watching his line cut through the water. He could feel Liam’s stare on the back of his neck, but he didn’t want to acknowledge it. Maybe, if he just sat there quietly, Liam would let it go. Accept his statement as the truth.

“So this is what you meant about keeping your attitude from me when you think I’m too stressed to handle it.”

Drake sighed slowly, rolling his head around to look at Liam. He didn’t know what to say, but his silence kind of confirmed Liam’s statement.

“I don’t need you to turn yourself into an emotional martyr for me, Drake. I would never want that for you.”

“That’s not what this is, I just-”

“Drake, I think you do it without even thinking about it. It’s become nearly reflexive for you. Remember at my coronation, after Riley was forcibly removed from the palace?”

Drake nodded. While the overall events of that night were burned into his brain, he honestly didn’t remember the details all that well. He’d been a mess. Chasing after Riley. Thinking he’d fly out to New York. He’d gone from being convinced that she was going to be this gnawing presence in his life, happily engaged to Liam and just out of reach, taunting him as the possibility that was never meant to be, to being terrified she would not even be a small part of his life anymore. It was in that moment that he decided if he ever saw her again, he would be grateful to fill whatever role she wanted for him in her life, even if that meant opening himself up to excruciating pain in the end. “Yeah, that one was pretty hard to forget.”

“As soon as I got visibly upset, you jumped into action, planning and organizing. You even told me you would go to New York, and I just assumed that you were doing that for my sake. But that wasn’t your primary motivation, was it?”

Drake closed his eyes and shook his head, “I needed to make sure she was okay. I just wanted to be there for her.”

“You loved her already, didn’t you?”

Liam’s question gave Drake pause. He’d never really bothered to think about when he’d fallen for Riley. It was just one of those things, where one day it had just hit him out of nowhere that he was completely gone on her. They’d been eating breakfast with Hana and Maxwell at Applewood the day after finding the photographer’s ID badge. She’d been giving him shit in response to some comments he’d made about mimosas and after a few moments of bickering, she’d stuck her tongue out at him, as if that would win her the argument. It had just been so stupidly silly, so damn playful, so completely her that he’d just known. And that had been it. He’d never really bothered to try and figure out when he actually fell in love, at least not until this moment.

“I think so,” he finally spoke, barely getting the words out. It felt so shameful, to admit out loud that he was in love with Riley. That he’d been in love with her for a long time at this point. It was stupid to get hung up on this. He’d moved to a new country for her. Of course Liam knew he loved her. But to explicitly state it felt wrong. Dirty. Cruel.

The silence of the surrounding nature felt unbearable. But after a painful minute or two, Liam finally responded to Drake’s confession.

“I wish you would have told me how you were feeling. I wish both of you would have told me, but I really wish you would have told me.”

“Liam, I-”

“Let me rephrase that. You should have told me. The rejection would have never been pleasant, but I would have handled it. Romantic feelings go unrequited all the time. But you lied to me, if not outright, then certainly by omission. And that Drake, is the aspect of this whole mess that I am struggling with the most. I always trusted you to be the one person in this world who was honest with me, to never have an ulterior motive during our discussions. And I’ve lost that faith, Drake. That is what hurts the most.”

“I know, Liam. I’m so sorry.”

“See, this is why you can’t just decide that you need to hide your actual emotions from me. Regardless of whether or not my royal obligations are intense, there needs to be mutual honesty between us.”

Drake shook his head roughly, “It wasn’t all about protecting you. That was part of it, sure, but it was more complicated than just that. I wasn’t exactly trying to be noble.”

“Why then?”

“I don’t want to make excuses here, Liam. I know I fucked up.”

“I just need to understand, Drake. I need to make sense of all of this. So please, just talk to me openly.”

Drake took a breath, trying to organize his thoughts before he started, “It was self-preservation really, and I know that’s selfish of me, but it’s the truth. It was going to be bad enough in the end when she chose you. That alone was going to hurt like hell. I just couldn’t stand the thought of you knowing about it.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“I was convinced that she was going to choose you once she cleared her name.”

“Is there some reason you thought that, or…”

“Previous experience mostly. It’s not important, though.”

“It kind of is, Drake. You are talking about this like it was some foregone conclusion that she wasn’t as interested in you as she was in me, when all I have is evidence to the contrary.”

Drake let out a huge sigh, his shoulders sagging in the process. He wasn’t sure if this topic was wildly embarrassing or just uncomfortable, but they were here now, and Drake didn’t see a way out of it at this point. “Over the years, there have been quite a few women who’ve tried to use me to get close to you. Some just feigned interest until you guys were introduced. Others seemed to have researched me and my interests pretty extensively, letting things escalate between us for quite a while before they suddenly didn’t have time for me. Usually, that was right after they met you. It didn’t take long for me to learn the drill.”

“And you thought Riley was doing the same thing? Drake, she hadn’t even heard of Cordonia when we wandered into that bar.”

Drake mustered up what was left of his courage before continuing, “I think she would have accepted your proposal that night. We snuck outside for a bit. Talked a little. We kissed. I don’t know. We both made it pretty clear that was it for us. It felt a lot like goodbye.

“Then after you got engaged and she came back, I don’t know. Things were different. She kept bringing up us actually being together. It was a strange shift, and part of me just couldn’t believe that she really wanted to be with me. I  kept wondering if she was just looking for comfort after being publicly rejected and I was the best option. So I kept telling her we should wait until she cleared her name to talk about our future. And I braced myself for the day that would happen and she would realize she could have you again. That she could go off and be with who she actually wanted.”

“You told me about your relationship the day after she cleared her name.” Liam’s voice was quiet, but calm. Understanding. Gentle.

“I know it’s not an excuse, Liam. But I just didn’t really think that she had any deep feelings for me until she told me she loved me that night. Some part of me couldn’t shake the thought that whatever the hell was going on between us was about to come to an end.”

“But it didn’t.”

“No. It didn’t.”

They both sat there, still and silent. It was tense, to be sure, but unlike the other day, Drake didn’t sense any anger rolling off Liam. He knew he was much calmer, too. Maybe they had just needed to purge their more toxic thoughts before they could have this conversation. Or maybe it needed to happen outside of the confining, binding walls of the palace. Out away from pressures and obligations, away from nosy servants and nobles. Maybe that was why Liam had wanted to go fishing. Maybe deep down he knew this was the only way either of them would talk. But that didn’t explain his choice of location.

“Why here?”

“What was that?”

“I am just trying to figure out why you wanted to come out here to… wherever the hell we are to have this conversation.”

“Valtoria. That’s where I brought us.”

“Okay, so why Valtoria?”

Liam sighed, looking around and fully taking in the surrounding woods and meadows. He was silent, with only the lapping water and the hum of last of that year’s cicadas filling the air. Eventually after several painfully long moments he answered.

“You know how Valtoria has been vacant for decades? Well, it was going to be hers.”

“What are you talking about, Liam?”

“I was going to offer her the title of Duchess of Valtoria.” He kept looking around, almost as if making eye contact would be unbearable.

Drake's mind raced as he tried to figure out what the hell he was talking about. It only took a few seconds for him to realize the truth behind it all. “You couldn't marry a commoner. You had to make her fucking suitable match.”

Liam winced at that, finally turning his head to face Drake. “I was trying to give her a home. I wanted Cordonia to feel like her country, not my country. But yes, Drake. I was also looking to appease her critics on the council. Titling her was a needed formality.” 

Drake let Liam's words wash over him. He knew that Liam himself didn’t really care that Riley came from poverty, had clawed her way to a working class lifestyle. But somehow, the fact that he would have elevated her to noble class before marrying her rubbed him the wrong way just the same. His discomfort at the idea must have shown on his face, because Liam spoke again after a brief moment.

“Come on, Drake. I know it’s your reflex to hate the nobility, but surely that wouldn’t apply to her?”

Drake shook his head. “It’s not that.”

“Then what is it? Why would the mere formality of titling her upset you?”

“That’s not…. It’s just… No one needs to change anything about her.”

A faint smile crept across Liam’s face at Drake’s reply, even as he squinted his eyes in disbelief, “My god, who are you and where have you hidden Drake Walker?”

“What?”

“That was dangerously close to romantic, my friend. Certainly more saccharine and sweet than anything I have ever said.”

“Bullshit, Liam.”

“Fair enough, but you have to admit that was far more sentimental than you usually act.”

“Jesus, Liam. I’m not saying that to be romantic. I just don’t like the fact that you wanted her to change who she is to marry you.”

“It was never about changing her. It was merely adding a formal title.”

Drake squinted at Liam, trying to figure out how he could be so oblivious, but then it dawned on him. Riley hadn’t let Liam see her as she really was. She’d kept things light and polite. She’d never laid into him. Never opened up to him. She had kept playing at being princess the whole way through.

“Tell me, Liam -  how many times have you heard Liu swear?”

After a couple of seconds, Liam said, “My answer is that I can’t recall her ever swearing, but I can guess that is not her typical behavior based on that question.”

“She called me a ‘goddamn motherfucking asshole’ within her first few days here,” Drake responded, shaking his head with a smile, “You may not have asked her to change who she was, but…”

“You’re saying she just felt compelled to act differently around me.”

“I think so.”

Liam was quiet for a few moments, likely thinking about everything that had been said. Eventually, he shook his head, “Well, I think there’s some form of irony buried in this whole situation. Apparently, there have been many women out there who acted differently around you to get to know me. The one woman I actually wanted to get to know was acting differently around me as she fell in love with you.”

“Liam, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be, Drake. At least not for that part. I will certainly accept your apology for hiding your feelings from me and prolonging the uncomfortable situation. But the rest of it is just life. I fell for someone, but she fell for someone else. There’s no reason for her not to be with the person she loves if he loves her in return.

“I’m not blameless in this whole mess. You were right; I just assumed she was interested in me. I could blame the entire dynamic of the social season, but that wouldn’t be proper. I am a grown man, and I should have recognized her waning interest in me.”

“No, you were right. We should have talked to you sooner.”

“And I probably shouldn’t have offered up being my mistress without asking about her feelings surrounding my relationship with Madeleine. There is plenty of blame to go around.”

“Excuse me, you what?”

“It’s not my proudest moment, Drake, but I was desperate and grasping at straws. Looking back, I certainly could have done better there. However, I am guessing you have some moments you wish you could redo in this whole debacle?”

Drake was still trying to process the fact that Liam had apparently asked Riley to be his side piece, but he knew his overall point was valid. They both had made mistakes here. And maybe it was time to leave those mistakes in the past and start moving forward. So Drake just nodded, a gesture Liam returned with a smile before he looked out over the lake again. The silence between them wasn’t entirely comfortable, but it certainly felt closer to normal than it had in a long time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Riley poured the couple at the bar two more IPAs, then quickly glanced around the room, trying to see if there were any other customers who needed another round. Not seeing any obviously empty glasses or anyone trying to flag her down, she started loading up a tray with dirty glassware to bring into the back to get cleaned.

After her breakdown her first night back in New York, she’d resolved to not think about Cordonia, and she honestly felt like she’d done a pretty good job. One of the afternoon bartenders had quit unexpectedly, so she volunteered to pick up some extra shifts, which not only kept her busy and distracted, but also helped her earn some much needed cash.

She gotten some texts from Maxwell and Hana, but she’d kept her responses light and casual. She really was doing fine. She just had to convince them of that fact. If they kept asking her how she was doing, she would fixate on everything that had happened, and the would be the opposite of helpful. She needed to keep moving forward, and then she would be able to move on with her life.

Riley carried the heavy tray into the backroom and loaded up the industrial dishwasher. After washing her hands, she went back out front, but the sight in front of her stopped her dead in her tracks. She knew that hair. She knew that face. But that hair and that face were supposed to be in Cordonia, not scanning the room awkwardly, clearly looking for someone.

“Hana?” she finally called out when she found her voice, “What the hell are you doing here?” 

Tags: @addictedtodrakefanfic @kingliam2019  @dcbbw @mfackenthal @jovialyouthmusic @iplaydrake @gibbles82 @drakewalkerisreal @riley–walker @thequeenofcronuts @notoriouscs @butindeed @thesumofmychoices @texaskitten30 @yaushie @cosigottahavefaith @thequeenchoices @katedrakeohd @feartheendlesssummer @sirbeepsalot @ladyangel70 @ao719 @ooo-barff-ooo @octobereighth​

@sunnyxdazed @lilyofchoices

[jediofgrace]

I have an hour left of scoundressaturday in my time zone! So here we have a little story where Han is captured and given a truth serum. Even I was surprised by what came out of his mouth! Set in the EU. Many thanks to @jainadurron, the Grand Master of the EU for her help!

.........

"Looking for something?" a voice said from behind him. "Or someone?"

Han stood up. He'd been running, then crouching behind the canister, looking for Leia. He took a frustrated breath and slowly turned around.

"Yeah, I'm lookin' for the 'fresher. Guess you must be the garbage boy?" He collapsed as a gun whacked against his skull.

Han awoke, disoriented and confused. His memory came flooding back as the man who had captured him knelt down on the floor beside him.

"Well, good afternoon, Captain Solo. How are you feeling this fine day?"

Han stifled a moan. He tried to move his hands, testing to see if they were bound. They weren't, but they felt heavy, almost immovable. He dragged the nearly dead weight of his hand up to his face and rubbed his eyes.

"This truly is a fine day," the man continued as he stood up. "For me to capture the infamous Han Solo makes it a very fine day indeed. When my superiors learn it was I who brought you in, I'm sure a promotion will be forthcoming. Now, you would like to help me accomplish that, wouldn't you? And you'd also like to help save us both time by telling me why you're here, who's here with you, and where your ship is." He poked Han's side with his boot. "Wouldn't you?"

"Oh yeah," Han said as he tried to lift himself up to a sitting position. The man kicked him in the stomach, sending Han crashing back to the floor with a grunt.

"I'm glad you agree. I am Lieutenant Salvan, at your service. You may notice your arms and legs feel a tad heavier than normal. That is because of a special medicine we have given you to make sure you stay, shall we say, calm. No use in taking any chances on you running away from us, now is there?"

So that's why he felt like he weighed as much as a rancor. He worked again to sit up, and this time Salvan let him. He leaned against a crate, carefully looking around. They were in a large tent, the green canvas walls fluttered slightly from the wind outside. He had seen the tents earlier as he'd been scouting around. This appeared to be a temporary base for a small band of Imperial remnants. It was rumored that they were stockpiling weapons here, so he and Leia had been sent...volunteered? He could never tell, but here they were. And now here he was.

"So, Captain, am I correct in assuming you are here alone? On vacation, perhaps?"

Han looked up at him. "Yep."

"I thought so. So we shouldn't bother looking for anyone else?

"Nope." Han looked around him. There were items that could possibly be used as a weapon, but until this drug wore off he wouldn't be able to move much faster than a Hutt. He looked to see Salvan grinning at him.

"It's hard not to think of escape, isn't it? I assure you, the drug will not wear off for some time, and when it does, we have plenty more. I can be here all day, if you like. You could speed things up for us by telling me who else is here with you. Forgive me if I'm a little skeptical of your claim to be alone." Salvan grabbed a folding chair and sat in front of Han. He rested his elbows on his knees, looking down at him.

"It's just me. Lookin' for a fishin' hole."

"I see. Did you find one?"

"Nope. Just a scummy pond full of worms," Han said, pointedly.

Salvan looked at him, then gave a light chuckle. "Too bad. I hear the fishing is good around here. How long have you been here?"

"Few years. Got tired of those high and mighty rebels. Figured I'd lead a quiet life here."

"Hmm. From intelligence reports I've read, I do not believe you are telling me the truth. Are you here with your wife?"

"Nope." Han was practiced enough not to show it, but his heart clenched. He desperately hoped Leia had made it back to the Falcon. Once she figured out he wasn't coming...

"Really, Captain, you leave me no choice but to convince you that I am quite serious." Abruptly he stood up and walked around the desk. Han could hear him tapping on something for a moment, presumably a computer. In another minute, two men entered the tent.

"Captain Solo, these men are here to help you realize the serious nature of your situation. If at any time you want to have an honest and open discussion with me, let them know and we can stop this nonsense."

The men came to Han; one picking him up and holding him in a standing position, the other wrapping his fist with tape. Han grimaced.

"I do apologize for the crudeness of our little operation here. I'm afraid we don't have the high tech equipment of the larger Imperial centers. At least not yet. But until we do, we'll have to depend on good, old-fashioned elbow grease. If you have no objections?" He nodded to Han as if Han had agreed with him. "Good. Gentlemen, I leave it to you." With that, Salvan tipped his cap to Han and walked out, leaving him with his two new companions.

The first few hits were just warm up exercises. The next few started to hurt, and the many after that made Han start to wonder if he might actually be in a bit of trouble.

Han tasted blood. He tried to lick his lips and found they were swollen and cracked. He clenched and unclenched his jaw, working to loosen the stiffness.

"Captain? Would you care for some water?"

Han managed to open a swollen eye and saw shiny, black boots. His face was pressed to an earthen floor. The tent. Salvan. He groaned.

"Or maybe you'd prefer caf?"

Han kept quiet, willing the man to just disappear.

He watched as the boots came closer and with a push, one of the boots rolled him over onto his back.

"No? Pity. I think it might help your disposition. Come now, it's time to wake up. We have things to discuss. Is your ship on planet? How did you arrive without our scanners detecting you?"

"Faulty programming," Han mumbled.

"I think not. How many of your friends are with you?"

"A million."

"Captain, I can't help you unless you give me some honest answers. An Imperial transport is coming, bringing reinforcements. They will scout around and find your friends, and it may not end well for some of them. So how about you tell me now what I want to know?"

"I think I'll wait."

Salvan walked a circle around Han as he laid on the floor. Han's limbs still felt heavy, and every muscle in his body ached. Why couldn't Imps ever create drugs that numbed pain? If he could infiltrate their medical centers, that would be the first thing he would change; all drugs used by Imperials would have a pain reducer added.

"Is your pretty little wife with you? Or perhaps she's safe, and has already left the planet?"

"I don't know," Han said. "Perhaps she's got a sniper rifle on you right now and is preparing to blow your pretty little brains out."

Salvan kicked Han in the ribs. Han curled himself around his poor bruised self, silently cursing Imperial boots. Then he cursed all things Imperial, just for good measure.

"So she's close by? Come on, Solo, give me something; just a yes or no, and I'll get you some water. Deal? Is Princess Leia with you?"

Han made a show of looking around the tent. "I don't see her, do you?"

"Where's your ship?"

"What ship?"

Salvan walked to a nearby table and poured himself a glass of water. Blast if even the sound of water pouring sounded good. Han swallowed nothing and sat himself up. He hated to do it, but he had to hand it to the Imps, this drug worked really well. It was just as effective as binders in keeping him immobile. He could sit, but it felt like he was sitting under a mountain of sand. That and the fact that he was bruised and sore ensured he wouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon. Unless Leia figured something out, that is, which she probably would.

Salvan drank his water slowly as he studied Han. Han pretended not to care as he looked straight ahead of him, quietly taking stock of his surroundings. There appeared to be only one door. He could see daylight coming through the bottom of the doorway, but it looked like it was fading.

Salvan came and sat in front of him again, swirling his cup of water.

"Every minute we waste here brings that shipment of troops closer. They'll also be bringing much more sophisticated interrogation equipment. You could save yourself a whole lot of trouble by just talking to me now."

"Listen, Sal, I'm not your trophy, and I ain't gonna be your buddy and share all of my deep, dark secrets with you. So wake me up when they get here." Han leaned back and closed his eyes.

"Fine." He dumped the rest of his water on Han's face as he got up. "Since you don't seem to feel like talking much, let's see if we can't help you out a bit."

Han didn't like the sound of that.

He wiped his face with his hand as he watched Salvan lift a needle and vial from the table. Oh boy. Sal came and knelt beside him again.

"This won't hurt a bit," Salvan said cheerily, as though to a child. "And maybe now you will be more sociable."

Han licked his lips. So this would probably be a truth serum. He really, really hated Imperials.

Salvan's friends were back. They maneuvered him into a chair, then tied him to it. Not that he could go far on his own, but at least now he wouldn't fall. One less thing to worry about, he supposed.

Salvan was circling him again. "All right, let's try something easy. What is your name?"

"Han Solo." Oh how he hated that desperate urge to speak. He'd had this drug before; a long time ago, before Leia. He hadn't given the information they'd wanted then, and he wouldn't now. But that didn't mean he would be able to keep his mouth shut.

"Good. And your wife's name?"

"Leia Organa Solo," he blurted. "Although sometimes they call her Jedi Solo. She's a Jedi, you know. She could squish your brains into a puddle of bantha slop."

"I'm sure she could." Salvan chuckled. "And your kids? You have children?"

"Yeah. And she's a princess too, so you'd better watch your mouth. She don't take no crap from anyone."

"I see. And what are the names of your children?"

"You know their blasted names. Leia and me picked them out when they were born. You have kids?" Han gave him a look of mock sympathy. "Oh. Probably not. Well, when they're born you get to name them, which is kind of a big deal. When we had the twins, we had no idea what we were doing. But we'd brought these little humans into the galaxy, so we bucked up and figured it out. Couple years later we had Anakin too. He was sure a great kid. Died in the war. I really miss him. Now his brother and sister are Jedis. They clean up garbage like you."

"Are your children here with you?"

Han shook his head, trying to keep his mind off of Salvan's questions. "Jacen looks a lot like me, some people say. Jaina is beautiful, like her mom. Anakin was a bit lighter than the other two. We named him after Leia's father, kind of a remembrance thing, you know? Like from before he went evil. It was important to Leia so I went along with it. Glad I did. We never called him anything stupid like Kin or Ani, just Anakin. Although when he was born Jaina kept calling him Napkin, we sure laughed at that. Jacen always-"

"Where is your wife?" Salvan interrupted.

Didn't that guy ever give up? "She's really beautiful. Smarter'n you and every single Imp put together. I can't believe she married me. I left her once, you know. After my friend died. I'll never do that again. Dumbest thing I ever did. She loves me, can you believe that? I never thought anyone would love me like that."

"It does defy the imagination." Salvan folded his arms and leaned back in his chair.

"Yeah. You should see her with a lightsaber." Han focused on him for a moment. "I'd like to see her chop your head off."

"I'll bet you would. So is she waiting for you? Back at your ship?"

"She bought me these boots." He sort of moved his heavy feet. "I think they're pretty great. She always crabs at me to change my socks more often but when I do, she complains because I leave the dirty socks on the floor by the laundry basket. I just do it to bug her because I like it when she scolds me. She never gets too upset though. Sometimes at night she sticks her cold feet on me. The galaxy is a pretty nice place when you have someone to keep warm." Was he making sense? He didn't really care, the words just poured out and as long as he didn't let anything important slip out, he'd be okay.

"So you were here, sleeping with your wife, enjoying the scenery? Or maybe you were spying on us?"

Han wanted to answer him so badly. Yes, he was spying on them! He shook his head and forced his brain into a different direction.

"The scenery ain't that great. Don't know why you guys decided to build a camp here. You shoulda gone to Mustafar, then maybe we'd leave ya alone."

"'We'? Are your rebel friends here with you? Maybe they're coming to rescue you."

Han smiled. "Leia's rescued me lots of times, even before she was a Jedi. Did you know I was frozen in carbonite one time? You were probably in diapers at the time. It was awful. But she came and got me. I rescued her a few times myself. We take care of each other. She's so pretty."

"Is she coming to rescue you this time?"

"She had to shave her head a few years ago. Even then she was pretty."

"Captain-" a buzzer went off from somewhere to Han's right. Salvan went to check it. Han watched, thinking of Leia. She had to know by now that he was missing. She'd get Luke and maybe the kids... Although they were probably kind of far away. Well, she'd figure something out. She always did.

"Yes? Oh really? How delightful! I'll be right there." Salvan returned to Han, smiling.

"Well, Captain, I might just have a little surprise for you. If you will excuse me? I need to go check on something. I'll be back, sit tight."

Han had a very bad feeling about this.

"So, Captain, how are you feeling? Comfortable?"

Han startled awake. He'd been dozing, his head hanging down in front of him. He felt like the drug was wearing off and he had a bit more in control of his thoughts.

"I've been better. How you doing?"

"Oh, I'm quite well. I think perhaps we should up your dosage a little. We don't want you getting quiet, now do we?"

Han mentally rolled his eyes. So much for it wearing off.

Salvan gave him another injection, wiggling the needle around a bit for good measure. Han didn't bother to flinch.

"There. That's a pretty high dosage. Anything you feel like telling me?"

"You really are an ugly fellow. No wonder you don't have any kids." Salvan lashed out, smacking Han on the side of his head with his fist.

"How many of your friends are here?"

"That really hurt."

"Does the Galactic Alliance know of our base here?"

"I dunno. Did you tell them about it? You should. It's not legal for you to be here."

Another smack caused Han to see stars for a minute.

"Ouch," he said. "I wish you'd stop that."

"I grow impatient." He gestured behind Han. Han heard shuffling and movement behind him as more people entered the tent.

"I'm really thirsty," Han said. The urge to speak was so great, it was almost a marvel. "How about some of that caf? Or just water. You could even throw it at my face again, I'll just open my mouth." Han stopped talking as the group of newcomers came to stand in front of him. There, her face bruised, her clothes torn and dirty, was his beautiful wife.

"Leia, you shouldn't be here," Han said, his brain not quite able to compute everything he was seeing.

Salvan grabbed a handful of Leia's hair, wrenching her head back to look up at him. "So this is the pretty wife you've been telling me about? She doesn't look very good to me. You should take better care of her."

"Get your hands-" The guard beside him whacked his head from behind. Han fought to stay conscious as he let his head hang down.

"Leia... How did you find her?" he murmured. He knew Leia wasn't very easy to capture; those Jedi senses always telling her when someone was near...

"She surrendered to us. I guess she couldn't stand to be away from you. Now, Captain Solo, will you be reasonable? I'd hate to see you put through any more discomfort." He released Leia's hair, smoothing it down her back. Han held his breath to try to keep from saying something. He hated it when people touched her.

Salvan was gentle as he moved her hair to the side, exposing the back of her neck to him. He massaged lightly, slowly wrapping his hands around her throat.

"As for the princess, well, she's so tiny, she wouldn't hold up very long if I were to let the boys here have her for awhile. You wouldn't want to see that, trust me. So how about we have some conversation?"

"Sure. I like talking." He looked at Leia. "Hey, hon. I missed you."

Salvan shoved Leia towards a guard, who caught and held her.

"Fine. If you won't answer me, maybe she will." Salvan walked to the table, giving Han an unobstructed view of Leia. She gave him a small smile.

"Hey, I missed you too."

He smiled at her through his cracked lips. "I missed you more. These guys aren't any fun and that one there stinks bad. We're never coming back to this planet again."

"Sounds good."

"Enough." Salvan gestured to the guards, who turned Leia towards him. He grabbed her shirt sleeve at the elbow and jerked, ripping it from the seam at her shoulder.

"Hey!" Han yelled. Salvan ignored him and quickly injected two vials into her arm.

"We don't want to take any chances on your Jedi woman using her powers on us, now do we? So now you both have matching chemicals coursing through your veins. Isn't that sweet? So, let's talk. Who else is with you here on the planet?"

When Leia only shrugged, he backhanded her, knocking her to the floor. Her hands were bound, so she hit the ground hard.

"Hey! Don't do that! She doesn't like it!" Han thought maybe he sounded a little childish, but blast it all, she didn't like it!

Salvan walked to Han.

"Come now, Captain, this is your woman!" He gestured to Leia. "Where is your honor, man? A soldier like yourself, choosing to let his wife suffer?"

"Go to hell." There. That wasn't childish.

Salvan's fist made contact with Han's jaw with a loud crack.

"Where is your ship?"

"Dunno. But I know something else." Oops. Maybe he shouldn't have said that.

"Oh? Like what?"

Han searched his brain desperately for something to say. What he wanted to say was that Leia knew how to keep drugs from affecting her. Those Jedi skills sure came in handy sometimes.

Salvan leaned down, putting his face right in front of Han's. "What do you know, Captain?"

"I know you're a dead man."

"Why's that?"

"Scum like you never live very long." Smack! Han was sure tired of getting whacked in the head. But he also wanted to keep Sal's attention on himself and off of Leia.

Han looked down at Leia. Her lip was bleeding, she was scratched and a large bruise was forming on her forehead, but she held his eyes. Wait, he knew that look. She had a plan.

"Wanna know what else I know? Your tiny little outpost here ain't even big enough to bother with real buildings. If you got blown off the map, the rest of the Imps wouldn't even blink."

"You think so?"

"Yeah, I think so. I also think you're bluffing and there aren't any reinforcements coming. My head really hurts. But know what else? I helped take down your Empire a while back. You're nothing but a remnant. You'll never be anything more. You've got all these little friends who you think make you strong." Han snorted, which hurt, but he ignored it. "You're nothin' but an insignificant pawn."

Salvan nodded silently at Han as he backed away from him. He gestured to the guards, who brought Leia upright again. Han tried not to blanch. So much for keeping his attention.

"How about you, Princess? What do you know?"

"Same as Han."

"Hmm. You're not very talkative. Do you like seeing your husband hurt? It can get a whole lot worse, you know."

She looked to Han like she was going to faint.

"That's odd," he said before he thought better of it. Leia shouldn't be fainting, unless maybe she was trying to distract...

"What's odd?" Sal turned to him. Leia used that moment to lash out with her legs. In a split second she was free of the guards. The binders on her wrists clanked to the floor and her leg went in a wide arc around her, clobbering all three in one lightning fast spin.

"I love it when you do that," Han almost slurred. She quickly grabbed the fallen men's guns. Adjusting one of the weapons, she fired three times, stunning them. She came to Han and quickly worked the knots in the rope securing him to the chair.

"I really love you," he said as she helped him stand.

"I know you do," she replied. He leaned heavily on her, his legs still felt like wooden logs attached to his body.

"I don't know if I can walk. But I like holding onto you."

"Hmm." She looked around. "Hold on, sit here for a sec." She carefully set him down again.

"Hey, I don't wanna sit anymore. I wanna go. Let's go!"

"I know, but I can't carry you, so hold on." She kissed him gently on the lips before walking around the desk.

"I wanna kiss you more." He really had less and less control over what came out of his mouth. Good thing the Imps were out of commission.

She laughed. "Later, we need to move." She brought a chair with wheels and helped him get into it. It was a good thing he was drugged, because he was pretty sure in any other circumstance he would not like being pushed around like this. But right now he didn't seem to mind at all. He watched as she tied him back up.

"Why you tying me up again?"

"So you don't fall."

"Oh. Good idea."

"All right. Do you feel secure enough?"

"I dunno. I'm thirsty."

"I know. We'll get you fixed up soon. Let's get out of here first." She put a gun in his lap, then suddenly drew up her own and fired at the doorway. A man Han hadn't seen before dropped to the ground.

"Wow! That was a close one," he said. She went and dragged the body forward, clearing the path for them to roll out the door.

"He must be heavy. Sorry I can't help but they drugged me. Imperials have the worst drugs and their needles are huge. I hate them."

"Me too," she said as she returned to Han and proceeded to wheel him out the door. The sun had set long ago. The only light came from the few lamps that hung on the tents.

"Where is everybody?"

"Sleeping, I think. We need to be quiet so we don't wake them." She pushed Han along a path, heading for the surrounding forest.

"This is kinda bumpy."

"Shhh, just hold on. We'll get to a safe place and hole up until you feel better. I can't push you all the way to the Falcon."

"Well, okay. My head hurts. You're really dirty. Am I that dirty?"

"Yes." She stopped and blasted another Imp. He noticed she'd put her blaster on silent mode.

"You're so clever. Why's your hair so messy?"

"I was crawling through the bushes trying to figure out where you were. Then I had to somehow surrender so they'd take me to you. I'll tell you about it later. Now shh, we don't want anyone to hear us."

"I'll try but I really want to talk. I didn't like it when he touched your hair. Made me so mad. Whoa! Almost dropped me there."

"Shhh!"

"Oh yeah. Shhh. Right." He lowered his voice to a whisper. "I was a little worried earlier. Thought I mighta finally run out of luck. I was mostly sad 'cause I didn't want to leave you. My eyes are feeling heavy. Is that normal? You're really good at rescuing me. As long as we keep rescuing each other, we could just go on forever."

"Yeah, we could. But if you don't shut up they're going to hear us." She steered him around a tree and stopped.

"Why'd you stop?"

"I'm trying to remember which way to go. Shh."

"I'll be quiet. It's just hard because they gave me a drug to make me talk. Did I tell you my plan? I'm gonna infiltrate their...uh, the wherever-they-make-drugs place, and put pain-killers in everything they make. Isn't that a good idea?"

"Han."

"What?"

"Shhhh!"