Log Date:
	4/28/97

Log Cast:
	Lando Calrissian, Han Solo, Leia Organa-Solo, Beaubos 'Skeezix'
Calhoun, Gabrielle Veran

Log Intro:
	Having seen his friend Han Solo safely returned to Calamari,
Lando Calrissian has not exactly been idle. Word has gotten to him that an
NR officer is in trouble on Bespin -- a planet with which Calrissian is
long familiar. Thinking that he sees an opportunity to jar Han out of the
moodiness that has plagued him ever since his return home, Calrissian heads
for the Solo suite, already plotting how to convince his friend to
accompany him to that world.
	And in the meantime, Han has remained uncharacteristically sullen
and withdrawn, even as Leia is caught between trying to hide her worry
over her husband -- and lacking work to do with which she can effectively
bury her worry, ordered as she's been by her doctors off work for the time
being. Nevertheless she's managed thus far to conceal her anxiety about
Han, but his ragged state has not gone unnoticed....

----------
Princess Leia and Han Solo's Quarters(#6069RntA)
The main room of this private suite is decorated in soft shades of white and 
  beige, and the lighting is a subtle glow that chases off the shadows without 
  being harshly bright. Two plush chairs surround a table of dark, refined 
  wood that rests beside a large open window that looks out upon the oceans of 
  Calamari. The floor is carpeted to match the decor, and to muffle footsteps 
  throughout the suite; the center of the floor, however, is covered with a 
  soft, shaggy rug in assorted shades of grey and tan. A side corridor leads 
  off to the more private rooms of the suite; the most apparent exit is the 
  door leading back out into the base.

Lando enters the area, using his long, graceful strides to skid easily past the 
  crowd laden walkways. His black cape billows of to one side of him, flapping 
  gently in the wind. He smiles amicably at the guards, but pays them no heed, 
  reaching right past them towards the buzzer to announce his presence.

The pair of guards on duty, however, promptly intervene. "Our apologies, sir," 
  says the young man to the right side of the door, "but Her Highness has left 
  orders that she and General Solo are not to be disturbed unless it's an 
  emergency."

Lando grins lopsidedly at the guard and nods curtly, "Good job son, but I'm 
  sure that doesn't apply to me." He reaches around the guard, pressing the 
  buzzer.

The other guard, a Calamari whose large eyes rather clearly reflect a flicker 
  of dismay, attempts to look stoic as he chimes in, "Princess Leia was 
  _most_ insistent, sir--"

Lando chuckles softly and nods to the Calamari, "Yeah, she can be." He presses 
  the buzzer again. He looks at the chrono on his wrist and shakes his head, 
  "I guess Han needs more rest in his old age," he says to no one in 
  particular.

The pair of guards frowns, bothered by this mention of General Solo -- but 
  before either of them can further press their point, the door slides open 
  and a disgruntled-looking Han Solo is revealed, standing there glowering 
  with his hand on the door control panel. "Dammit, I thought you two were 
  informed that nobody's to bother us," he is growling even as the door opens.

Lando beams a bright smile at his old friend and pushes his way past him into 
  the suite. He punches Han playfully on the shoulder, "How you feeling buddy?"

"Sir?" the pair of guards pipes at Han in unison, afraid the General is about 
  to snap their heads off; Han just glowers, and mutters, "It's okay..." And 
  whirls about to give Lando room to follow him in.

Han_Solo shoves a hand through his hair as Lando enters the room, and says in 
  a somewhat less short tone as he flops down onto one of the chairs by the 
  windows, "What's on your mind, Lando?"

Lando strides into the room, admiring the plush furnishing and the soft 
  colors. He smirks lightly and turns to Han, "Well I can tell you had no hand 
  in choosing the decor, there aren't pieces of navcomputer on the floor, or 
  old hydrospanners lying everywhere." He turns back to Han, with a lopsided 
  grin, "Just came to see how you were doing buddy."

Han_Solo snorts from the chair into which he's flopped, while casting a brief 
  glance about the room and waving a hand vaguely, as if relegating decor to 
  things utterly beyond his ken. "A whole squad of cleaning droids would 
  short-circuit if I so much as brought a can of oil in here," he grumbles. 
  And adds almost as an afterthought, "I'm alright, I'm alright..."

Lando looks at you for a moment.
Lando takes a quick sniff in your direction and lets out on of his long, 
  stuttering laughs, "Well you're smelling better at least. How's Leia doing?"

"Ah, well, she's about to blow a gasket without anything to do, but it'll do 
  her good," Han says, smirking a little, though his expression relaxes a 
  little at the shift in topic to his wife. "I'll sit on 'er till she gets 
  rest."

Lando smiles, taking a seat on nearby chair, "Glad to hear that." He looks 
  about the room for a moment and turns back to his friend, grinning slyly, 
  "So how did manage to worm your way out of that hospital? Did you bribe the 
  doctor?"

Han_Solo replies with another dark smirk, "The doctor said Leia could go. We 
  went."

Lando nods curtly. He waves a hand in front of his face, as if steering the 
  conversation into a new direction, "Did you hear about the GroundOps XO 
  going AWOL? Guys name is Solon Halwinder, a couple of the high ups think he 
  may have even defected to the Empire."

Han sits up a little, frowning. "First I've heard of it," he says, sounding a 
  trifle more himself now.

Lando nods leaning foward, "Yeah, I recently sat in on a meeting with General 
  Calhoun, a couple of high ups in GroundOps, and a few NRI guys. Seems that 
  this Halwinder character sent his brother a message saying he was on Bespin 
  and that if he didn't get out soon, he would be killed. NRI is trying to get 
  as much info as it can right now."

Han blinks. "General who?" he says, brow furrowed.

Lando repeates slowly, much as one would do for a slow child, "Calhoun. He 
  outranks us both." His paces picks up once again as he goes deeper into his 
  story, "Well, they want me to take a look into it too, being the former 
  Baron Administrator and all. The only problem is, last time I was on Bespin, 
  you were still frozen in Carbonite. I'm sure a couple of my sources still 
  remain there, but I'm not really sure how to contact them without 
  jeapordizing their safety. I was hoping Winter could help with that."

Again, Solo blinks. "Wait -- I know a _Captain_ Calhoun, same guy?" As Lando 
  continues, he shrugs, then. "Well, Winter's been kinda takin' it easy 
  herself since we got back, you'll hafta ask her about that, pal..."
Han_Solo's mouth tightens, too, subtly and very briefly, at the mention of the 
  carbonite.

Lando nods curtly, and continues with his story, "Yeah, same guy, he's a full 
  fledged General now. There's another thing Han. GroundOps is seriously 
  considering an extraction and things could get really sticky what with the 
  Imperial Garrison there now. They want me to go along in case things get a 
  little too hairy, I know a few back doors and a couple of ways to get the 
  hell out fast."

His hazel eyes darken as his friend continues with his information; Han at 
  last asks brusquely, "So when yah leavin'?"

Lando shrugs and leans back, sinking into the plush chair, "I don't know. 
  During the meeting they all but had Halwinder's welcome back party planned. 
  The guys brother, who's in Diplo is going to be going too." He looks down at 
  the ground comtemplatively for a moment, then back up at his friend with a 
  somber expression on his face, "I have a bad feeling about this one Han. 
  They're thinking of sending a group of small unproven officers in to make 
  the extraction. Can you imagine that? Marching these boys into an Imperial 
  Garrison like that?"

Leia steps out of the master bedroom.
Leia has arrived.

Han_Solo frowns at Lando, his face going darker yet. "Probably won't be 
  pretty," he mutters, gaze distant.

Leia slips out of the Master Bedroom quietly, the slight tiredness at the 
  corners of her eyes the only indication on her regal form that she had even 
  been asleep. Her eyes float across the room and she pauses near the door, 
  tenatively listening to her husband and Lando talk with a curious, and 
  somewhat concerned, gaze.

Still parked in the chair by the windows, Han does not yet see Leia emerge; 
  from the look on his face, it's rather obvious he's not really seeing Lando, 
  though his gaze is still pointed in the other man's direction.

Lando nods solemnly and looks down at his hands, which are clasped in his lap, 
  "I know pal. I have to go, I'm the only one who could lead those kids 
  through the mazes and out of Cloud City. Hopefully it won't come to that 
  Han, but if it does and I have to go out and drag the team back to the ship, 
  that will leave us without a good pilot to cover our escape."

"NRI ain't got you a pilot?" Han asks, tone growing gruffer, his face a little 
  whiter.

Leia's brow furrows and she takes a step further into the room, her voice 
  speaking up clearly and with intent as her eyes focus on Lando cooly as she 
  punctuates, "The NRI has plenty of well trained pilots."

Han's head jerks up at the sound of Leia's arrival.

Lando looks up suddenly at Leia and offer a small smile, very similar to that 
  of a kid being caught with his hand in the cookie jar, "Hello Princess." He 
  says standing to greet her. He flashes a warm smile and states, "You're more 
  beautiful now than the day we first met. I'm glad to see that you're finally 
  up and about."

Leia purses her lips and folds her arms across her chest, snapping again in a 
  cool tone, "What's this about Bespin, Lando?" She turns her gaze to Han and 
  gives him a quizzical look as to how Lando even got in here in the first 
  place.

Lando smiles at Leia, turns to Han and then back to Leia, beforing resuming 
  his seat on the chair. He crosses his legs and repeats his previous story, 
  "A young XO by the name of Solon Halwinder recently went AWOL from GroundOps 
  and a few of the high ranking officer seem to believe that he may have 
  defected to the Empire. Recently he sent his brother, Eddie, a tramission 
  saying that he was on Bespin and would be killed if he didn't get out soon. 
  GroundOps and NRI are considering an extraction and want me to go along."

Han glances at his wife and mutters lowly, "I let him in..." From his tone, 
  though, one might wonder whether he's starting to regret that decision.

Leia's jaw sets and she casts Han a sidewards glare, as if he knows better 
  than to have let, of all people, Lando in here. The glare turns on Lando 
  soon afterwards and even though the seriousness of the situation is resting 
  in her eyes, an irritated glint sparkles there as well, "Lando, serious as 
  that situation might be, the NRI can handle it."

----------
Interlude:

	[OOC Log Note: Lando's typist had to leave the scene for RL 
purposes. We therefore assume that as soon as Leia got the idea that
Lando had come to the suite to try to talk Han into going to Bespin,
she promptly threw him out of the apartment. A weary "Why did you let,
of all people, _Lando_ in here?" to Han has met with an uncomfortable
silence from the Corellian, who has worn an extremely troubled expression
ever since Lando's departure from the suite... but _only_ since Lando's
departure. In the meantime, the guards on duty in the wing outside,
already uneasy about letting one General into the suite, find themselves
confronted with another one -- Beaubos 'Skeezix' Calhoun -- and a
Captain. Dismayed by this convergence of brass on the Solo suite, they
reluctantly allow these two officers by as well....]
	
---------
Skeezix enters the suite from outside.
Skeezix has arrived.

Gabrielle enters the suite from outside.
Gabrielle has arrived.

The doors open and General Calhoun steps inside, Gabrielle following just 
  behind him. He takes a slow glance around the room, quiet as he spots Han 
  and Leia.

Solo is standing, tense of shoulder and stiff of frame, with his face to the 
  windows when Calhoun enters; his hands are planted palm-down along the sill. 
  When the doors swish open again, Han's head snaps around, and it can be seen 
  that his expression is quite displeasedly startled.

Skeezix looks at you for a moment.
Skeezix passes a slow nod in Han's direction, his arms falling to either side 
  of his rather militaristic stance. "Solo," he speaks in greeting, then turns 
  his head towards Leia. "Your Highness.."

Leia is sitting in one of the chairs, but she slowly rises as Skeezix enters.. 
  a look of slight confusion resting upon her features.

Han Solo blinks a moment, trying to place the faces of the officers who have 
  just entered. He steps forward, then, glowering, and saying without 
  preamble, "The guards have orders we weren't supposed to be disturbed!"

Skeezix perks an eyebrow and says, "I recieved word that you'd returned, 
  General... we simply were stopping by for a visit. The guards permitted us 
  to enter.."

Leia frowns slightly at that, casting Han a gaze and mentioning lowly, "I 
  believe I need to have a word with them later." In looking back to Skeezix 
  she asks, "So what brings you here, General?"

Skeezix looks over towards Leia and releases a slow, uncharacteristic smile. 
  "I'd heard that you and Han had returned, as I just mentioned.. and the news 
  sparked a need to come see the both of you." He looks back towards Han and 
  adds, "It's damn good to see you alive, Solo."

Solo starts to bark out something else before the Princess's softer voice 
  intervenes; when Leia speaks, then, he flashes her a brief, uncomfortable 
  gaze and whirls back to glower out the windows towards the distant seascape.

Han_Solo mutters gruffly, then, to Calhoun, "Thanks."

Skeezix releases a quiet sigh and asks, "So, whats got you in such a bad mood, 
  Solo?" His tones remain extremely calm, while he begins to pad his way a bit 
  further into the room.

Leia remains standing, hands clasped at her waist and a soft, diplomatic smile 
  resting on her features. Her soft voice continues to hold true, "These have 
  been trying times, General. The last few months have not proven to be 
  beneficial to inspiring good moods out of many."

Skeezix alters his gaze and replies to Leia's statement, "Yes... the same 
  holds true for the Military, though we've got the situation under control. 
  Apparently, if you haven't heard, one of the Army's branch executive 
  officers had gone AWOL a couple weeks ago."

Solo does not turn around. "General Calrissian was just here," he says curtly, 
  "and he mentioned, yes."
Han_Solo's hands return to the window sill and slowly tighten a grip on it. 
  His carriage remains stiff as well.

Skeezix nods slightly. "Well, we believe that he is in Imperial hands, though 
  that is another topic that doesn't need to be discussed," he speaks as he 
  turns towards Solo. "Right now I'm just wondering how you two are holding 
  up. I heard that someone was injured?"

"We're both fine," speaks up Solo quickly, before the Princess can reply.

Leia's lips purse beneath the diplomatic facade and she listens quietly to 
  Skeezix and her husband converse, "We're doing quite well, thank you." She 
  eyes Han as he jumps in with a response, leaving her gaze to linger there.

The Corellian has yet to turn back to the others in the room, though his head 
  is craned slightly towards them, just enough to indicate he is actually 
  listening.

Skeezix smiles slightly, though the slightly intruiging tone of his voice 
  seems to strangely contradict the overly polite look upon his face. "How 
  long've you been here, anyway, Solo?"

Han_Solo does turn at that, scowling at the other man. "Three or four days," 
  he snaps. "Why?"

Skeezix lifts an eyebrow at Han's sudden outburst. He passes a brief glance 
  over towards Gabrielle and then asks, his eyes slowly looking back towards 
  Han, "I'm sorry, General... it just seems strange that you would be staying 
  here without allowing any visitors for four days."

Solo stiffens, visibly bristling now, and he growls, "I just got out of bein' 
  locked up for six months, haven't seen my wife for that long give or take a 
  week on Palanhi -- what the hell's strange about it?"

Skeezix furrows his eyebrows and comments, "Nothing strange, Han, save for the 
  fact that it's... well, been a twenty-four-seven deal." He smiles slightly 
  and adds, "We'll leave, if you insist.."

The gaze Leia casts her now bristling husband is one a mother gives a child 
  when wishing they would be cautious what they say, combined with a softer, 
  almost saddened look as the truth within the his strong statement sinks in.

His hazel gaze hot and hard, Solo barks out roughly, "If we wanted casual 
  drop-by visitors we wouldn't have guards on the door, now would we?"

Captain Veran, shifts uncomfortably hearing Solo's words, glancing toward Leia 
  with a quiet apologetic gaze.

Skeezix's grin seems to grow into a bit of a sidelong glance as he replies, 
  "From the sounds of it, you could -use- a good, casual chat, just ta get 
  your mind off things, Solo."

Solo's face hardens into a taut, white mask. "I'm _fine_," he growls harshly.

In response, General Calhoun looks over towards Leia, giving her a questioning 
  glance as his eyes dart briefly towards the door.

Gabrielle steps foward, placing a hand gently on Skeezix's arm "General, 
  perhaps we could arrange to speak with General Solo and the Princess another 
  time...." She looks at Skeezix as though she understands something he 
  doesn't in the situation.

Leia comes very close to flinching as Han snaps the last few statements out; 
  the look of quiet concern for her husband that has embedded itself in her 
  eyes isn't daunted by her soft expression of polite apology for his 
  harshness to Skeezix and Gabrielle. She turns to Skeezix and comments 
  quietly, "Despite guards and orders, official business and the like have a 
  way of filtering in here beyond our best efforts to keep it from doing so. 
  While we have been here for a few days, we still have yet to experience any 
  separation from our work.." She adds in a softer tone, "It tends to shed an 
  uncomfortable light on casual conversations, I'm afraid, the last few casual 
  visitors we've had have brought uncomfortable news."

Skeezix raises his eyebrows in the closest appearance to one of innocence as 
  he can muster - and fails completely, the motion turning out to look as if 
  he were surprised. "Yes.. this I can see." He glances over towards Han once 
  more and simply comments, "Take care of yourselves," before turning towards 
  the doors.

Han_Solo's eyes flash to Leia, and as she speaks, he begins to look 
  uncomfortable, troubled. He whirls back to the window, then, to hide his 
  face from the others, though there's no way he can disguise the tenseness in 
  his frame.

Gabrielle frowns softly, her expression muddled with sympathy whether for Leia 
  and Han or for Skeezix it is unclear. A quiet break in the conversation, 
  lends her opportunity as she glances towards Han then Leia "I can only 
  imagine the duress you both must have been under during the last six months. 
  Something I believe that we as well as any others should have taken into 
  consideration."

"Yeah," Solo rasps out lowly, with much less volume to his voice now. 
  "Whatever..."

Skeezix takes a few steps towards the hallway's closed doors, his cape 
  twirling behind from the sudden movement, and remains quiet as he comes to a 
  halt facing the doors whilst his features remain unseen.

Leia's overall expression is one of an apologetic nature to the two visitors, 
  while Han's comment draws her attention to him in the form of a silent 
  sidewards look in his direction tainted with worry.

The Captain shifts uncomfortably in the silence, her soft features marred by a 
  slight frown as her green gold gaze shifts from one side of the room to the 
  other, observing the frustrated Generals.

"Perhaps, I do hope, we will speak soon, General Solo. I hate to see you in 
  such an aggrivated mood." Calhoun turns to face Gabrielle and asks, "Captain, we 
  should be leaving now?"

Gabrielle agrees quickly with a single nod, making her own quiet way towards 
  the doors and the general's side. "I think that would be best, sir." A soft, 
  slowly exhaled sigh escapes her lips as she turns to the pair "Your 
  Highness, General Solo, our apologies for the inconvenience."

Leia nods politely to Gabrielle and the General in parting, hands clasped 
  lightly before her. "I do appreciate the thought behind your visit, General, 
  Captain. I apologize we couldn't be of better company, even under the 
  current set of circumstances."

Solo does not turn around, letting the Princess handle the niceties of 
  farewells. His dark head remains bowed by the windows.

Skeezix nods in Leia's direction and says, "No apologies needed, your 
  Highness." He opens the door and holds it for Gabrielle's exit.

Gabrielle accepts the offer, stepping past the doors only after she offers 
  Leia a weak smile at best.
Gabrielle departs the suite.
Gabrielle has left.

Skeezix departs the suite.
Skeezix has left.

Leia lets out a quiet sigh of relief as the two depart and she turns to let a 
  worried gaze settle upon the form of her husband by the window.

Han stays quiet until he hears the door swishing shut in the visitors' 
  departing wake... and for several long moments afterward. It might be 
  perhaps then that Leia can tell that Han is shaking.

Leia walks silently over to the window to stand beside Han, resting a hand 
  lightly upon his forearm, then letting it move down to rest upon his hand 
  and squeeze it gently. She herself remains quiet, but worry is prevalent in 
  her gaze as she watches him.

He slides the Princess a frowning gaze, and begins, voice now turned hoarse, 
  "Gonna... gonna hafta fire those guards, Your Worship... can't follow orders 
  worth a damn..." Only now can Han's face be seen, deeply troubled, acutely 
  embarrassed.

Leia frowns slightly and says in her most reassuring voice, "The guards will 
  get a talking to and hopefully we won't continue having drop-in visitors.." 
  She lets her voice trail off to silence as she isn't entirely sure how to 
  proceed, or if she should proceed; the concern in her grows by a few orders 
  of magnitude the longer she watches Han in this troubled condition.

Han turns to his wife, and looks down at her, his face full of 
  uncharacteristic awkwardness. He doesn't quite meet those anxious brown eyes 
  as he mutters sheepishly, "I'm... sorry..."

Leia's soft gaze and equally comforting voice responds, "You don't have to be 
  sorry, Han." Warm brown eyes look over him with concern, then she squeezes 
  his hand gently, adding quietly, "It's been a long day already.. I think we 
  could both use some rest."

"Dunno what's wrong with me... just... havin' a little trouble sleepin', is 
  all, no big deal," Han mutters, shoving his free hand through his hair.

Leia just gives a knowing nod, even though the concern within her gaze betrays 
  her true worry about the newly revealed fact combined with some recent past 
  experiences now dredging to the surface of her thoughts. The soft voice 
  insists, "Lets go sit down for a while, then.", while her glance shifts to 
  some of the chairs nearby.

"Yeah... sure," Han mutters absently, letting himself be led to the couch. He 
  sinks ungracefully down onto it, frowning to himself all the while.

Leia rests herself softly onto the couch beside her husband, again giving the 
  hand she still holds a squeeze as if not knowing what else to do. The only 
  thing her voice can seem to find to say is, "I'm glad you're home."

Han draws the Princess to him, at that, wrapping his arms around her tightly; 
  he is _definitely_ trembling. "Missed you," he whispers, voice husky.

Leia wraps her own arms around Han's trembling figure and she squeezes him 
  tightly. After hesitation, she whispers out quietly, "I was so worried.."

"Didn't mean to make you fret," Han mumbles into his wife's hair.

Leia nods slowly against her husband, whispering gently, "I know.. it's not 
  your fault." She tightens her hug with him before repeating, "I'm just glad 
  you're home."

"Not my fault?" Han echoes, with a ghost of humor. "Ain't I supposed to say 
  that?"

Leia smiles softly at the comment, then rests her head against Han's shoulder 
  as she muses, "If I can get the guards to follow orders, we'll be able to 
  spend some time here, alone.. no Generals, or Captains.. no Lando. Just us."

"Need that," he mutters in reply, very softly, very roughly.

----------
Postlude:

	Leia didn't say anything else to him as Han allowed himself to slump
against the back of the couch. After a few moments, his arms obeyed his
stern order to lessen their tight grip on the Princess until he merely
cradled her rather than clutching her against his own form. Han watched her
drift off into sleep, and for a time, he rested his head against hers,
half wanting to join her... and half dreading it.
	He was still having the dreams. And after Lando had brought up
Bespin again, parts of those dreams -- the parts involving endless time
without motion, light or breath in the grip of carbonite -- stood out all
too clearly in his memory. _This wasn't a problem before!_ he snarled at 
himself, infuriated... and frightened.
	_What's wrong with me?_

[End log.]