Leaving the cockpit, he found the princess sitting by the dejarik table, curled up and wrapped in a blanket. She suddenly looked so young, and tired. Up until now she had been busy fighting to survive, and Han figured that everything that had happened had finally caught up with her. She had been in imperial custody, after all, and Han didn't want to know what exactly they did to their prisoners. This girl seemed to be a big deal. A key figure in the rebellion, perhaps.

"You all right?" he asked.

"Yes" she answered coldly. "Why, are you afraid that you're going to miss out on your reward?"

Han sighed.

"I was just trying to be nice. But if you want to pretend that I'm the bad guy, that's fine by me. I was just hired to do a job. Which I haven't been fully paid for, by the way."

"You're a smuggler, aren't you?" she asked.

"That's right. I take stuff from point A to point B, no question asked. And you're lucky to have me" he said and grinned. "And you? You seem to be quite a big deal to the Empire."

"I was carrying the stolen plans of that battle station" she said. "The Empire will do anything to get them back."

"Well, they won't. Not when they're on this ship. And you should try to get some sleep. You can share the crew quarters with the kid. Unless you two want to bunk up with Chewie. Ain't no royal standard here, but…"

"That's all right" Leia said.

"What planet are you princess of, anyway?"

She just stared at him, as if in shock.

"Alderaan" she whispered.

Oh crap… And here I'm just trying to make conversation.

Han didn't know what to say, standing here before this devastated woman who had just lost her entire world.

"I'm sorry" he murmured. "Listen… You'll find a way to blow that thing up. There's always a way to do that."

She gave him a weak smile, and rose from her seat.

"Good night, captain."