Media: Star Wars: Return of the Jedi

Timeline: After destroying Jabba the Hutt's sail barge

Genres: Brotherhood, Filler, Friendship, Science Fiction

Summary: After saving Han Solo from Jabba the Hutt, the small band of Rebels need to leave Luke Skywalker's home planet before a storm hits. Han catches up on what he has missed in the last six months and realizes that Luke is not the same lucky kid he remembers.

Notes: The ending was inspired by the Return of the Jedi novelization by James Kahn. Originally, this one shot was going to be about Han catching up with what happened in the last six months while he was in carbonation (Luke's hand, lack of romance between Leia and Luke, who Luke's father is, etc.), but then the ending turned into something more powerful. I will probably write a prequel and sequel to this one shot, if you want more Luke and Han bromance, 'cause I want it. May the Force be with you.

Jabba's sail barge exploding was one of the most beautiful things Han Solo had ever seen, even if it was slightly blurry. He watched the ball of fire and debris sink into the sand until it disappeared behind a dune.

Luke and Leia sat down abruptly on the skiff. Then Han felt the exhaustion overcome the adrenaline and he joined them on the floor.

"Anyone hurt?" Luke called over the small band of Rebels.

"Chewie was hit, but he'll be fine," Lando reported back from where he was driving the skiff. Han was still in shock that Lando was even here rescuing him. Seems as though that scoundrel had more of a guilty conscious than he remembered.

"Han, what about you?"

Han turned his head toward Leia and was instantly angry. After Jabba had caught them, he had put Leia in a skimpy slave bikini. Everything but her most private places were out on display. Han cursed the dead slug and wished he had his jacket or even his vest to offer her.

"Luke, do you have anything to give Leia?" Han growled, though he tried not to.

A dark cloud passed over Luke's face. "I wish I did. I'm sorry, Leia. That wasn't part of the plan."

"It wasn't your fault, Luke," Leia assured him, gripping his hand. "And your plan still worked."

Han still had trouble believing that this was all the kid's plan. Luke, the adventure-hungry farm boy who jumped headfirst into situations before thinking. He would have assumed it was Leia's or even Lando's. Leia was a leader in the Rebellion while Lando understood the crime lord's ways almost as well as Han himself. However, it was Luke, the Jedi Knight according to his Wookiee co-pilot, that orchestrated this insane yet airtight plan.

Suddenly, Han heard a pop and Luke hissed, drawing back his hand from Leia's. Han's concern buried the tiny taste of satisfaction he felt when their touch was severed.

"You all right, kid?"

"Yeah, it's just my hand. One of Jabba's goons shot it."

"What? Luke, that could be serious! Let me see."

"Han, wait–"

He ignored the kid's protests and seized the hand gently but firmly. The skin felt odd beneath his fingers, but he couldn't place why. It could have been the hibernation sickness, but Han couldn't feel any heat from the flesh. Luke's palm seemed fine. The blaster bolt should have gone through entirely. Then Han turned over the boy's hand and jumped. Instead of blood and flesh, the hole in his hand exposed wires and mechanics while the skin around the injury was charred black.

"What the–"

"It's a prosthetic."

"Why do you have that?" he asked dumbly.

"I flew to Cloud City to rescue you guys. Vader was waiting for me there. We fought and he cut off my hand."

"So Vader's trap did work," Han muttered darkly. He allowed a few flashes of painful memories of the torture and carbonation and the separation from Leia and Chewbacca before pushing them away.

Luke's eyes locked onto his own. They were no longer bright blue, like he remembered. They were a darker, sadder blue. He looked older and weighed down as if he carried the fate of the galaxy on his shoulders. How long has it been since he was frozen?

"I'm sorry, Han. It was my fault your were tortured and frozen in carbonate. I felt it, and you shouldn't have gone through all that pain."

Han was at loss for words. He wanted to comfort the kid, tell him it wasn't his fault. That it was all Vader. But a tiny part of him did blame Luke, and he was ashamed of it. While in carbonate, he blamed the kid. Now that he was out, he realized he didn't mean any of those dark thoughts, but he didn't know how to tell Luke that. Even if he did, Luke didn't seem to want to talk anymore.

After what felt like an hour, Han asked, "Where did you park the Falcon?"

  "How did you know we took the Falcon?" Chewie growled.

Han smiled. "Why wouldn't you?"

"It's over by Ben's old place," Luke answered. "Lando, turn down here."

"This isn't the way back to the ship," Lando remarked, turning the skiff anyways.

"There's a storm coming," the Jedi explained grimly. "We won't make it before the storm hits, but if we get some protection, we will make it back before it gets dangerous."

"Storm?" Leia inquired, gazing up. "There isn't a cloud in the sky."

"Not that kind of storm. It's a desert planet, after all. I mean a sandstorm."

"Using your Jedi tricks again, kid?" Han asked jokingly, hoping that Luke caught the light tone.

A smile crossed the Jedi's face for the first time since their reunion. It chased away the brooding shadows, bringing back the old Luke he remembered. "Not this time. When you've grown up on this dust ball, you learn the signs. Stop here, Lando."

The skiff slowed to a stop on flat land. There was nothing for miles except for a few domes that added texture to the otherwise barren land. Han recognized the place as one of the many moisture farms on this desert planet... Luke's moisture farm. The domes were decorated with scorch marks.

Luke jumped off lightly and approached the farm. Then he disappeared from view.

C-3PO, for some reason, could not contain his excitement.

"Oh, R2! Remember this place? This is where Master Luke purchased us from those horrid Jawas! I never met his aunt, but Master Luke's uncle seemed a very driven man. And remember the oil bath? I could really use one right now. And remember–"

"So this is where the kid grew up," Lando mused. "He never told me he was a farm boy."

"He didn't really have a chance to," Leia reminded him. "You and Chewie left for Jabba's Palace immediately."

"So he lived with his aunt and uncle?"

Leia shrugged. "Luke doesn't talk about his family much. He only mentioned that his father was a Jedi Knight who was killed by Darth Vader and that he grew up with his aunt and uncle on Tatooine until they were killed by Stormtroopers that were searching for those two." She jerked her thumb towards the droids.

Luke's head and shoulders emerged above the horizon. Han realized from his recollection on Tatooine moisture farms that Luke's home should be a pit below ground to hide from Sand People and to protect themselves from storms. He didn't know how they wouldn't be buried alive; there had to be some physics and logic behind it that he missing.

The kid was carrying an armful of coarse cloths and goggles. He dumped them onto the floor of the skiff before climbing on board himself. The age and sadness on his face had returned. Han remembered how Luke confided in him sometime after the destruction of the Death Star. They talked about responsibility, heroism, the Rebellion, the Red Squadron, Biggs Darklighter, and his aunt and uncle. Luke had buried them here alone.

  "What changed your mind?"

"There was nothing left for me there."

Leia squeezed Luke's shoulder comfortingly as the skiff returned to its original course. He handed something to Leia.

"Here. This was my Aunt Beru's. I tried to find something else, but it looks like the place was raided after I left. Probably Sand People."

Leia gratefully accepted the article of clothing.

The kid was right. By the time they reached Ben's cave, the storm had hit. The air filled with a thick cloud of sand. They used the cloths Luke brought to cover their mouths and noses while they put on the goggles to protect their eyes.

They pushed through the strong wind, course sand scratched against their skin. The roar of it was disorienting, drowning out all thoughts.

Supporting the injured Chewbacca with Lando's help, Luke led the way with his ability to "see". Leia and Han clung to each other to prevent loosing someone in the storm and kept their eyes glued on the backs of their friends ahead. R2-D2 and the frantic C-3PO followed close behind. The Astromech wasn't as affected as his golden counterpart and kept 3PO in his sights.

"How is it?" Leia asked Han over the storm's rage.

"I don't know," he shouted. Somehow he knew she was inquiring about his eyesight. "All I can see is a lot of blowing sand."

"That's all any of us can see."

"Then I guess I'm getting better."

Dark shapes materialized from the sand. The Millennium Falcon and an X-Wing popped into view. After an embrace from Chewie and a shared nod with Lando, Luke ushered the two onboard the Falcon when Lando lowered the ramp. C-3PO followed them, anxious to get out of the sandstorm before his joints locked up from sand infiltrating the cracks in his golden plating.

Luke stopped before Han and Leia, who were holding hands. They all removed their goggles and makeshift hoods, protected beneath the Falcon's belly.

"I'll see you back at the fleet," Luke told his best friends.

"Why don't you leave that crate and come with us. We're faster," Solo offered.

Luke didn't doubt it, but he shook his head. "I have a promise to keep... to an old friend." A very old friend.

Leia embraced Luke and he gave her a kiss on the cheek. Han didn't know why, but for the first time he felt no jealousy. It felt like something that would happen between an young man and woman who were very close to each other platonically.

"Hurry back," Leia told him. "The entire Alliance should be assembled by now."

Luke nodded and turned away as Leia boarded the Millennium Falcon.

Han hesitated for a moment, then called after his friend, "Hey, kid!"

Luke stopped as Han stepped closer. Suddenly, Solo felt shy and jumbled on what he wanted to say.

"I've got to hand it to you, kid, you were pretty good out there."

Luke shrugged. "I had a lot of help." Thinking that's all the tough smuggler had to say, Luke was about to head towards his X-Wing when Han stopped him again.

"Thanks for coming after me."

Now it was Luke's turn to feel embarrassed. Han didn't usually express this much genuine emotion, softness or seriousness. He didn't know how to respond to much else other than a wisecrack from the smuggler.

"Think nothing of it."

"I'm thinking... I owe you one."

Luke took Han's offered hand and shook it. A brotherhood years in the making finally fused together completely in that moment. Friends who will lay down their lives to rescue him was a new concept for Han. It was both freeing and a debt, confusing and eyeopening. The Solo and the farm boy finally became part of something, not just the Alliance, but a friendship, a brotherhood.

Luke saw all of this come over his friend. A gentle, life-changing moment that he didn't want to disturb, so he said nothing. And when he turned away and Han let him, Luke didn't let go until they couldn't reach any further.