Sometimes original ideas are hard to come by and sometimes there's a trick to be had in actually writing something original within the limits of something unoriginal, in the case a tale of the Millennium Falcon's fateful journey to Bespin.

After reading epcotexpert's wonderful '40 days' I really wanted to have a crack at it myself. (In all seriousness if you've not had a read of '40 days' go... now, then come back and read mine!).

I'd like to add that any copying or repetition from other works of this nature is purely accidental as I've only read '40 days' and I will be trying to do something different.

Normal disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars or any other George Lucas IP but I do have my very own set of the Han Solo trilogy in paperback.

Bespin or Bust

by LostTimeLady

Chapter 1: Commander

"Now what?" Leia's voice broke the silence that had consumed the Falcon.

"Well, if we stand any hope of making it to Bespin at all we need to get the hyperdrive partially fixed."

"Partially fixed?" Leia said, mouth hanging open.

"Well unless you want our great-grand kids to be the one's who'll rejoin the fleet we need something."

Chewie growled a quick response and Han gave a shrug,

"If we hot wire in some of the other systems we could probably manage one straight hop to Bespin, might take a while though."

"Probably... A while?" Leia sounded sceptical. The hair's on the back of Han's neck bristled, now is not the time for a fight Leia.

"Well, at maximum sublight speed while we fix things up, let's say, give that a week, then slow lightspeed... a couple of weeks total." Han said, trying to make the whole thing sound perfectly reasonable when he was seething inside really as well.

"Weeks?" Leia exclaimed, "Han, we need to rendezvous with the fleet in a couple of days! What about Luke and everyone else?"

"Look sweetheart, We'll get things properly fixed up at Bespin then I'll drop you back at the fleet then..." Han cut himself off, he knew what happened after that and he didn't like it.

Leia sighed, "Ok, captain, what do we do first?"

"Well, first, let's check in with the fleet, they'll be wondering where in the galaxy you've got to."

Leia gave a nod and went back to the central seating area and the main comms station to send a message. She noted but hadn't said anything when Han had said you've got to not we've got to. But she was trying not to think about that.

Setting up an encryption channel as best as she could she plugged in one of the command ship's codes and waited for a response. The static cleared and Leia spoke,

"Millennium Falcon calling General Rieekan, come in Echo Command?"

"Rieekan to Falcon, Leia, what happened?" The Alderaanian sounded tired and short tempered, normal then.

"We were chased by Imperials into the Anoat system, our hyperdrive is broken so we're heading to make repairs at Bespin."

"No hyperdrive?" Rieekan sounded sceptical, "Maybe we should send you back a transport large enough to hold the Falcon."

"That could be dangerous General but we'll be ok, we're attempting repairs." Leia said.

"Alright, if you really need evac. contact me but we'll be maintaining radio silence otherwise, intelligence says that slicers are eating Rebellion codes for breakfast."

"Ok." Leia said, "Have you heard from Commander Skywalker?"

"A short message, he got out ok, but he's got a mission of his own for a while." Rieekan said cryptically and Leia made a mental note to ask Luke sometime about it.

"What's your ETA to Bespin?" Rieekan asked between static.

"A few weeks if we can get some sort of hyperdrive working."

"If you're not back in a month Leia there's not much we can do, there's only so long we can stay where we are."

Leia took a deep breath, "We'll find you if need's be, Falcon out."

"Take care Princess, may the Force be with you, Rieekan out." Leia sat back in the chair and mulled over the exchange. They'd be lost and chasing a rumour if they didn't get to the fleet. May the Force be with us all, Leia mused before standing and returning to the cockpit.

"All sorted?" Han asked as Leia sat back down.

"They know we're safe for now." Leia muttered.

"Good, any word on Luke?" Han asked leaning back in his chair to look at her.

"Yeah, he's safe, I think, but he's gone off on some sort of mission. Know anything about it?" Han gave a confused look.

"Don't think so." Han shook his head.

The silence crept back in again as Chewbacca left the cockpit murmuring something about getting started on the repairs. For minutes the silence was only interrupted by the clicking of buttons and switches as Han slowly, painstakingly set the Falcon on an autopilot course through and out of the remaining area of the Anoat system.

"It was a really brave thing you did, going out to look for Luke like that." Leia said finally.

"Brave? Sweetheart, brave is what earns you second class stripes," Han tapped the yellow stripe on his trousers with a gloved hand, "What I did usually earns you first class stripes, posthumously."

"Why don't you wear your first class stripes anymore?" Leia asked curiously. Han gave an eloquent shrug.

"Cos those trousers wore out and I'm pathetic at sewing." Han said.

"I don't believe that, what's the real reason flyboy?" Leia pressed and Han gave a sigh.

"Cos I earned them doing a far less noble thing than I did to get my second class bloodstipe."

"Well there's not much that's more noble than saving a Wookiee's life." Leia admitted.

"Err, yeah." Han stuttered, I guess Chewie told her that one, "Princess, keep watch for a while, I'm going to check what spares we have in the hold to patch her up."

"I thought you'd stopped calling me that?" Leia called back as Han left.

"Old habits, like old smugglers, die hard sweetheart." He said, before flashing Leia a grin and leaving.

If smiles could kill... Leia thought as she slipped into the pilots chair and gazed silently at the stars.

Well that's chapter 1 done. Believe me I'm not about to do a chapter per day they're travelling, not least because I want to keep things flexible. It's a well known plot hole that how in the galaxy could the Falcon have travelled over to a whole other star system in a month (the cannon suggested length of the trip) on sublights (even if they were going at light speed) so that is something I wanted to do differently (setting aside for a moment the casual hop from Hoth to Anoat that they managed in the film, ok).

Next chapter, an angry Solo and a frightening foe. (Chapter 2 should be up quite soon).

As always, comments and critique is welcomed gladly. Thanks for reading!