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When Hope Dies	By : PrincessLeia Category: Star Wars (All) > General Views: 5405 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
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Chapter List
- 1-When Hope Dies
- 1
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THE STORY INFO
Title: When Hope Dies
Sequel or Prequel: ---
Author: Clockwork Plum
E-mal/Feedback:

elemonis@f.bg.ac.yu
Rating: R (for a sex
scene between two adults; for scenes of suffering)
Category:
Drama/Romance/Adventure
Characters: Leia Organa
Skywalker Solo, Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Chewbacca, R2D2, C3PO, Njumb
Status: 1/1
Summary: After and
accident, the Millennium Falcon crashes on an unknown planet. After accepting
the thought they were doomed to stay there forever, Leia falls ill, and the
nightmare begins.
Disclaimer: Everything
you recognise belongs to the ingenious Mr Lucas. The other things you do not,
belong to me, as the idea of the plot. So, please, don�t steal it from me!!! If
you would like to use this story on your site, just ask for permission, and I
will gladly give it to you. I am not making any money from this story, and am in
no way related to Lucas, Lucasfilms and so on�

*

Han was standing in the middle
of nowhere, cursing to himself. From all the possible planets he could have
crashed onto, he had chosen this one. R2D2 had told them there were no
intelligent life forms on this planet, which could have possibly helped him fix
the hyperdrive and some other broken machineries this complex ship possessed. He
had known her as the best ship in the Universe � and now, she was nothing more
than a useless wreck.
�We�re doomed�, he could hear
C3PO�s innerving voice from behind.
�Is there anything else Not �
So � Obvious you can think of?� Han asked, obviously very ironic and disturbed.
Really, like he didn�t know that already.
�R2D2 says our chances of
surviving are one to three million seventy seven�, C3PO continued, unable to
notice human irony.
�Never tell me the odds�, Han
replied, not paying much attention to the droid anymore. He was thinking of
exploring the jungle with Luke. Maybe R2D2 was wrong, maybe there were
intelligent creatures here after all.
Just when he turned to enter
the ship again, he saw Luke, walking towards him.
�Well, it could�ve been worse�,
Luke said, observing the strange trees and lianas around him.
�I guess you are right�, Han
added, �we could�ve been eaten by something. That isn�t impossible, still.�
�Han, is it possible to repair
this ship? Or we are to stay here forever? The communication system of your ship
is malfunctioning and we can�t possibly send a signal anywhere.�
�Well, kid, Chewbacca says some
machines are completely down and in need of replacing. The hyperdrive needs some
crucial parts that have completely burnt out. If we don�t find intelligent
creatures here, we are lost. Or if the communication system doesn�t start
working by miracle. I�ve heard R2D2 couldn�t fix it. If a droid can�t fix it, I
can�t either.�
Luke bent his head, giving in.
�Then the Empire has already
won. It�s only me and Leia who can beat Vader. With Vader alive, the Rebellion
doesn�t stand a chance.�
Han looked away from the young
Jedi, trying to hide the despair in his eyes.
�Don�t lose hope yet, kid. I
was thinking of exploring the jungle with you. Maybe we can still find something
on this cursed planet.�
�I was thinking of that, too.
But we must leave it for tomorrow. It�s already getting dark. We should better
get inside now, Leia has prepared dinner.�
Han followed Luke inside. He
wanted to see Leia so much, yet he feared he would see her distressed and
nervous after all what happened. He knew she was a strong woman, but couldn�t
help but notice she had distanced herself from him, speaking rarely to him, not
even arguing with him anymore. Her eyes were weary and darker than usual, and
her lips used to tremble occasionally when she tried to speak. Did the thought
of loss and defeat hurt her so much? Was she afraid from dying on this forsaken
planet? Or was it something he said that hurt her? With all these thoughts in
his head, Han entered the ship, convincing himself he should have to speak to
her after dinner.

*

Han had noticed, apart from the
usual, that her hands were trembling slightly as she gathered the dishes and
handed them to C3PO to wash them. Luke noticed that, too, and looked at Han, who
nodded to him.
�Kid, I will speak to her�, he
whispered.
Leia had said nothing during
the whole dinner. She didn�t even try to look up at Han, or Luke. Her weary eyes
were even darker now, and her face was very pale.
�I�ll leave you alone then�,
Luke said, �just be careful.�
�I�ll try�, Han answered,
watching Luke vanish through the door of his cabin.
He looked up at Leia, who was
ready to put R2D2 to rest, attaching him to the electric power. He approached
her slowly, careful not to disturb her.
�Leia?� He finally managed to
whisper.
She stood up and turned to face
him, looking questioningly to his eyes. And was startled to see worry in them.
�You look really worn out,
Leia�, he said, trying to reach out for her hand, but she refused to give in.
�Tell me what�s wrong, Leia�, he begged.
�What makes you think
anything�s wrong?� Leia asked stubbornly, not even thinking how her husky and
worn out voice would betray her, if nothing else.
�Leia, please! Look at
yourself! You are so pale, and your eyes are so� lifeless, I am wondering
whether you are living still! And now I saw your hands trebling also, and heard
your voice, and� you won�t even let me touch you anymore! Have I done something
wrong? Have I hurt you somehow and didn�t notice that? Please, tell me!�
Leia just shook her head.
�No, Han, you did nothing
wrong. I am just a bit tired, I need some rest, that�s all.�
She turned towards her cabin,
and with the sentence �See you in the morning�, she disappeared into the
darkness.

*

Han couldn�t sleep that night.
He was thinking about Leia, and what could have happened with her. The mere
thought of her entering her cabin without inviting him join her made him upset,
but the fact she had some worries and didn�t want to tell him about them hurt
him. He couldn�t banish the feeling of holding her in his arms, her slim, small
form against him, her breath on his neck, her soft kiss on his lips� the taste
of her smooth skin, her warmth next to his bare skin, and the feeling of love
and devotion towards her every time he made love to her, every time he held her,
every time he soothed her. And now, what had happened? She didn�t let him love
her, hold her, not even approach her.
�Oh, Leia�, he told to himself,
and started weeping silently, very aware something was terribly wrong, cursing
himself he was not with her now, holding her, alleviating her pain.

*

Leia was awoken by a knock on
the door. She could hear Luke�s voice, calling her to wake up.
�What time is it?� She said
huskily, feeling that her whole body ached.
�It�s half past twelve�. Luke
answered.
�I�ll stay in bed, Luke, I am
not feeling very well.�
�Leia, can I come in?�
�Yes, come�, Leia said wearily.
Luke approached her bed and saw
her paler than ever, with eyes half closed, slightly trembling under the
blanket. He sat next to her, putting a hand on her back, feeling her tremor.
�You are ill, Leia�, Luke
whispered. �You were not tired, as you told us, you were ill all the time. Why
didn�t you tell us?�
He kneeled next to her bed,
embracing her and laying his cheek next to hers. Her head was burning.
�I know you are brave, Leia,
but there are other ways to show bravery.�
She said nothing, just
continued trembling slightly, although he tried to warm her up.
�Hay, what�s going on? Aren�t
we supposed to�?� Han was silenced as soon as he entered the room. He saw Luke�s
worried glance and knew something terrible was happening.
And his fears were confirmed as
soon as he saw Leia, pale and trembling.
�I guess we are going nowhere�,
Luke said. �Leia�s ill.�
Han froze in spot, not knowing
what to do. The only thing he knew in that moment was that he felt a pang of
fear and hurt as he saw his most beloved creature in the Universe lying in the
bed in front of him, trembling, sweating� and suffering. She wasn�t looking at
him, she couldn�t even hold her eyes open, devastated by fever. Han�s gaze fell
on Luke, who was lightly stroking his sister�s back, in sign of encouragement.
When Luke turned to see Han, he saw his face pale, motionless.
�I am going to the med centre
to get her some medicines to ease the fever�, Luke told Han. �I think she is
barely conscious. The fever exhausted her.�
Han just nodded, unable to
speak or move. Only some instants after Luke had left, Han slowly approached
Leia�s bed. He knelt down, realising his knees were shaking.
�Leia�, he whispered.
Her eyes opened just slightly,
but he knew she could hear him. He let his emotions show then, and he hugged her
tightly, as if trying to prevent her from shaking.
�Oh, sweetheart�, he whispered,
kissing tenderly her burning face, �you will be all right, I promise. Does it
hurt much, my love?�
�No�, she managed to whisper,
and tried to smile, but failed.
Han was encouraged by her
answer, but somewhere deeply inside him he knew it was not true. Leia just
didn�t want him to worry.
Luke came in short after,
carrying a medicine. Han realised the box was half � empty and suspected Leia
had been using it in secret, hiding her illness from them.
�Leia, take this�, Luke said.
�You�ll feel better.�
Han helped her take her
medicine, and then lie back, tucking her in carefully, brushing her hair from
her sweaty face. He then leaned to kiss her warmly on the cheek, whispering soft
and encouraging words.
�Okay, now, get some sleep,
sweetheart, Luke and I will be in the pilot�s cabin if you need us. If you feel
bad, please call. I�ll leave R2 here, okay?�
She nodded, but as he started
to get up, she weakly reached for his hand.
�Han�, she whispered, �please
stay with me till I fall asleep.�
Han smiled heartily at her,
stroking her cheek.
�Of course, my love�.
He then turned to Luke, and
winked.
�Go to the pilot�s cabin, kid,
I�ll be right back.�
Luke nodded, gave him a weak
smile, and exited the room.
Han turned to Leia, who was no
more shaking from fever, and when he leaned to kiss her again, her temple was
cold. He was holding her hand, stroking it lightly. Her eyes were half open now,
and she whispered:
�I am sorry, Han��
�Why, sweetheart, there is no
need to be sorry, people don�t fall ill on purpose��
�No, I am sorry I haven�t told
you��, her voice was still weak. �I am sorry about yesterday, and I��
�Hush, my love, it�s okay. We
all do stupid things sometimes, we don�t think� Go to sleep now, get some rest.
I�ll be here.�
He smiled and her and she
smiled back, closing her tired eyes. She could feel still, half asleep, Han�s
presence and the strokes on her hand, and, feeling stronger and loved, she let
sleep conquer her.

*

Luke was sitting in the cabin
with Chewbacca when Han joined them.
�She�s asleep�, Han told them.
�Have you any idea��, Luke
started.
�No, we�ll have to use the
computer to get a diagnosis. We�ll do it when she wakes up. I can�t believe she
was doing this all alone, without telling a word� to me!�
�Maybe she didn�t want to upset
us�.
�Give me that box�, Han said,
looking and counting how many pills Leia might have used. �Well, according to
this, it must have started even before we crashed. If she knew, if she fell ill
before we took off, why did she come with us on the first place?�
�It is probable she didn�t have
in mind that we might crash.�
Han fell hard on a chair,
leaving a deep sigh. He needed some time to recollect his thoughts. Most of all,
he wondered why Leia told nothing, but instantly he knew she didn�t want to
upset anybody. It was only yesterday she was holding a distance; but some
minutes ago, she was in need of company. And that could mean only one thing �
that she was feeling worse. And suddenly, disturbing thoughts emerged into his
mind, thoughts that they had crashed, that they were waiting helpless in the
middle of nowhere, that they had just few medicines left; and he was struck by
fear, fear he had never felt before.
�I�ll go and turn the computer
on�, he told Luke and got up.

*

Leia stumbled, leaning on Han,
who leaded her to the diagnostic computer. She was struck by fever again, and
when Han realised she might eventually lose consciousness, he took her up in his
arms.
�Soon it will be over,
sweetheart and I will make you a nice bath, okay?� He smiled, holding her close.
When they entered the room,
Luke and R2 were already there, checking on the computer.
�It�s okay�, Luke said, and
then turned to look at Leia, who was carefully laid on the chair by Han. �Leia,
how do you feel?�
She sensed worry in Luke�s
voice, smiled and him weakly and just nodded.
�Okay, lets get over with
this�, Han said. �Kid, fetch me the needle.� He then turned to Leia. �It�s okay,
love, we just need a sample of your blood, and then the computer will check on
your lungs and heartbeat for some minutes. Can you handle this?�
Leia nodded, and felt a slight
pain as Han bit her with the needle in order to connect her with the computer.
�If you feel like fainting,
I�ll be here.�
But Leia was strong and took it
quite well. Han was always near her, observing her closely, ready to act in any
time. When it was over, he took her in his arms again, taking her to the
bathroom.
�Luke, watch out for the
results. They should come out any minute.�
When he put her down in front
of the bath tub, she was semi � conscious.
�Hay, Leia, stay with me.
You�ll feel better after the bath, you�ll see.�
He took her nightshirt off, and
gasped as he saw how much weight she had lost. He stroked her shaking body he
once knew so well, but couldn�t recognise any more. He took her up and laid her
in the water, gently and carefully. She felt revived by the lukewarm liquid, her
fever retreating slowly.
�Han, it�s here!� They heard
Luke shouting.
�I�ll be there in a moment,
kid!� Han then turned to Leia, �Hold on for a second, I�ll be right back. If you
feel like fainting, just call me!�
He saw her nod, and went out to
find Luke. He saw him sitting near the computer, shaking his head.
�What is it, Luke?� Han asked,
but knew it was not good.
Luke just handed him the paper.
He took it in his shaking hands, and his eyes skimmed the page. Loss of
glucose in the blood. Low blood pressure. Extremely high body temperature. Noise
in the lungs.
�Right, but, what is it?� Han�s
voice was husky. �It doesn�t name the illness, nor gives any treatment
procedures, why��
�There is no illness defined
for these symptoms. It seems like none of Leia�s organs is functioning properly.
And if we don�t find help soon, I think��
�What?� Han said, nervously.
�Her brain is not properly fed
because there is not enough glucose in her blood. She�ll die, Han.�
Han went completely silent,
unable to think for a moment. No, she can�t die, not now! What will become of
him then, how will he cope living without her on his side? Without her soft
smile and the twinkle in her eyes?
He suddenly jumped from his
seat and hit hard on the already broken communication system.
�If only that blasted thing
worked!� He shouted.
Luke came near him, putting a
hand on his shoulder.
�I�ll go to the jungle, Han.
I�ll try to find some help.�
�You�ll never find anything in
that cursed jungle!� Han was on the verge of tears.
�You never know, Han. It was on
a similar planet that I found Master Yoda. Never judge by what you see.�
Han shook his head and said:
�I just wish you were right.
It�s just��
�Don�t worry. You go now and
help Leia lie down. You stay with her. I�ll go to the jungle.�
�All right, kid�, Han said
getting up to head for the bathroom, �be careful.�
�I will, and I will find some
help, I promise.�
Luke looked at Leia, being
carried in Han�s arms to her cabin, and exited determinedly the ship.

*

Han laid Leia on the bed,
slowly and carefully. She seemed revived after the bath he had made for her. Han
noticed that, although she was down on the bed, she didn�t release her hands
from behind of his neck, and that she wasn�t intending of even doing so. Han
just looked into her eyes, seeking for an explanation.
�Han, I know I am dying�, she
said calmly.
�No, sweetheart, what are you��
Han tried to prove her wrong, but was interrupted.
�No, honey, I know�, she said,
shaking her head.
He looked at her, unable to
speak. His shaky hand moved towards her face, stroking her cheek.
�Luke went out with 3PO to find
some help�, Han whispered, �and I am sure everything will be fine, when we leave
this planet.�
She just smiled at him, knowing
it was not likely to happen, knowing that she would die here, on this planet.
She moved her hands from his back to his cheeks, guiding him to a kiss. And Han
kissed her, gently, feeling that sensation after such a long time. He didn�t
care if the illness could pass onto him, and he would have gladly accepted the
pain and suffering if only it could spare Leia from the hell she was going
through. When they finally broke from the kiss, Leia was watching him with eyes
full of desire, while caressing his cheek.
�Han, I am so sorry, in the
last weeks I had no time for you, and what I did only was sleeping. Now I am
feeling better, and I need you. I want you to hold me, I missed you so much��
Han just smiled sweetly, taking
her hand in his.
�I missed you too, my
Princess.�
And he lay next to her,
accepting her in his warm embrace, cuddling her close. She laid her head on his
chest, breathing in his scent, the scent she knew so well. She could feel his
strokes on her back, caring and soothing. She closed her eyes, enjoying the
moment.
Han was enjoying the moment
too, feeling her close again, and maybe for the last time. He could feel her
still warm body, her still warm breath� His heart ached at the mere thought of
seeing this tiny body lifeless, cold, not breathing. No, no, Leia won�t die, oh,
if only there was something he could do! Give his life for hers, anything�
She suddenly raised her head to
look at him again.
�Han, I want you to make love
to me, for the last time.�
Her eyes were shiny and sad,
and Han shuddered. She wanted him to make love to her� but she was so exhausted,
so frail�
�Are you sure?� Han whispered.
�I��
�Please�, she pleaded, and
reached to kiss him.
Han kissed her back, his head
still spinning. He wanted her, he wanted her desperately, but he was afraid of
hurting her, breaking her. He was still careful undoing her nightshirt, careful
moving his hands over her bare skin, careful moving over her and cupping her
small breasts, kissing her softly all the time, not stingy to show all the love
he kept just for her. Her weak hands trailed over his naked body, massaging him
gently, then back to his hair, pulling him for a kiss. Her legs encircled his
waist and pulled him close, and she breathed out the words �I need you, Han�.
And he entered her, slowly and carefully, afraid again of hurting her, but her
hips moved upwards, ready to receive his stroke, and the pleasure he would give
her. And he stroke into her, slowly, and with love. He loved her, and her small
body that so perfectly moved with his, and her soft moans escaping her throat.
He sensed her muscles clutch around him, and he came, crying her name, releasing
his seed into her. He lay next to her, holding her sweaty body close, hearing
her heart thumping loud. He was still inside her, and she wanted him to stay
there, forever.
�I love you so much�, she
managed to whisper.
�I know�, he replied, with a
smile. He saw her smile back.
�You promise me one thing�,
Leia said, �that you will take care of my brother.�
�I promise, my love�, Han shut
his eyes to block the upcoming tears, �I promise I�ll help him and the
Rebellion. But you promise me something too.�
�Yes?�
�That you will fight yourself.
That you will never give in.�
�I�ll try.�
Han held her closer,
affectionately and encouragingly.
�Sleep now. Get some rest.�
�Please, stay with me�, she
said, tightening her grip around him, not allowing him to go.
�I will�, he said, laying his
cheek on her hair, holding her sleeping form as close as he could, like
protecting her from the grips of death itself.

*

�Master Luke, we can go on like
this forever�, C3PO grudged. �There is nothing here in this jungle, and my
circuits are becoming overheated.�
Luke stopped and looked at the
droid, who had trouble keeping pace with him.
�We can rest�, Luke said. �But
we have to keep trying, and it�s getting dark already.�
�Might I suggest, sir�, C3PO
began, but was silenced by a loud, deafening cry.
Luke put instantly both hands
on his ears, skimming the area, curious where that sort of cry came from. Soon,
it was silence again.
�What was that?� Luke asked,
impressed.
�Griffins, sir�, C3PO replied.
�What?� Luke shouted in
disbelief. �Griffins? I thought they were all dead even before I was born.�
�No, sir, it seems they still
live on this planet.�
Luke shook his head.
�Are they intelligent, 3PO?�
�I am afraid not, sir. But, if
they are silver griffins, then, yes.�
�Silver griffins?�
�Well, yes, there are many
kinds of griffins � brown griffins, white griffins, flame griffins��
�Could you speak to them?�
�Obviously, sir, I am familiar
with��
�Okay, okay, I got it, let�s go
and find them.�
�I have to warn you, sir, they
are not very friendly.�
�Then, we�ll make a plan � you
go into their lair first.�
�But, sir��
Luke said nothing and moved
forward. It was the only chance for saving his sister.

*

Chewbacca was awoken in the
middle of the night by Han calling for help.
�Chewee, Chewee come quick!
Fetch me Leia�s pills!�
Chewee ran to the med room,
roaring loudly that he was coming.
When he entered the room, he
whined, seeing Leia shaking and moaning in pain. Her eyes were closed tight, and
she couldn�t stop her teeth chattering from fever. She was shaking her head from
on side of the pillow to the other, trying somehow to forget about the pain in
her head, in her lungs, trying to prevent her eyes from tearing and her cries
escaping her throat, tearing Han�s heart apart. He took the pills from Chewee
and steadied Leia�s head, making her to swallow the pill.
�Hold on sweetheart�, he
pleaded, frightened to death by seeing her in that state. �It�s okay now, it�s
okay.�
He sat beside her on the bed,
taking her shivering form in his arms, trying to calm her down.
Chewee came to sit next to
Leia, putting his paw on her arm, roaring something to Han.
Han just shook his head.
�I am wondering what might have
happened to Luke, too�, he whispered.
Leia�s body didn�t stop
trembling.

*

�No, they are not silver
griffins!� C3PO cried out in despair, as a flock of large, brown griffins
encircled them, like their pray.
�Talk to them, 3PO, say
something, I can�t fight all of them!�
�Like what? All they know are
the words �food� and �sleep�!�
Luke tried to think of
something. There was no way of escaping, it was over, and Leia would die. No
Jedi powers and tricks would save them now. Just a miracle.
And a miracle did happen. A
loud thumping of enormous wings made the griffins look up and retreat, when
another griffin, larger than the others, landed in the middle of the circle.
It�s head was completely white, but its wings had a silvery colour. Its claws
were longer and sharper, what scared the entire flock of brown griffins.
�Is it their leader?� Luke
whispered to C3PO.
�No, sir. It�s a silver
griffin.�
The silver griffin let out a
deafening cry, and Luke put his hands over his ears again. The other griffins
scattered away.
The silver griffin turned
towards them, bowing lightly his head.
�Sir, the griffin wants to help
us�, C3PO said joyfully.
�What?� Luke was startled. �How
does he know we need help?�
�But he sensed it, sir�, C3PO
replied. �Silver griffins can sense pain and danger.�
�You mean, he sensed Leia?�
�Yes, but through you, master
Luke.�
�Well, how can he help?�
C3PO turned to the griffin,
saying something in cries. Luke put back his hands to his ears when the griffin
let another cry.
�Well, sir, he says he can cry
for help.�
�Cry? But it�s impossible for
voice to travel through space, you know that!�
�Not for a silver griffin�s.�
�Oh, really?�
�A silver griffin�s voice is
not an ordinary voice. Actually, it�s not a voice at all. It�s kind of telepathy
that can travel long distances. He says he could send a message to a computer.�
Luke shook his head in
disbelief.
�Well, at least, he knows what
planet we are onto. We have nothing to lose, I�ll try to trust him. Tell him do
it. Tell him send them the name of the planet and that Leia needs help.�
�He needs the coordinates of
the target computer, sir.�
�Oh, right. Hope he won�t break
it down with his cries. I�ll go completely deaf if he continues, that�s for
sure. Come on, let�s hurry.�
The griffin bowed so that Luke
could mount him, pulling C3PO up. With a loud thump of wings they were in the
air, heading towards the crashed Millennium Falcon.

*

�R2, give the griffin the
coordinates, 3PO, go and translate�, Luke said, taking the overexhausted and
trembling Leia in his arms. He couldn�t believe in how the illness was spreading
so quickly, making her now completely pale, skinny and weak. Han Solo seemed
exhausted too, making it obvious he hadn�t slept for days.
�What�s going on here?� He
cried when he saw the creature entering the ship. �Luke, I need an explanation!�
He got none, for Luke was
lulling and talking to his dying sister. She was awake, but, no matter how much
she wanted it, she didn�t have the strength neither to speak to him, nor to hug
him. She felt weakness all over her body, wondering when the pain would seize.
But Han had said to her she should not give in, that, even now, when she had
lost her strength, she should not lose her courage; and that is why she needed
somebody near her, be it Han or Luke, to hold her � she would feel more
confident, neglecting the pain, feeling alive when the persons she loved held
her, giving her strength and hope. And she felt loved, she felt happy.
Han saw the griffin spreading
its enormous wings, obviously given the coordination of the Rebel Station main
computer. Han wanted to cry out all these were nonsense, but then he looked at
Leia, who was trying to suppress the moans of pain and trembling, and he stayed
put. He knew this creature, whatever it was and what powers it possessed, was
their last hope.
After a couple of minutes of
complete silence, the griffin gathered its wings, and C3PO shouted:
�He found them! They will be
here as soon as possible!�
R2D2 beeped joyfully, and Han
smiled, although deep inside him he doubted everything. The griffin turned to
him, looking him into the eyes, as if sensing his doubts.
Han shook his head:
�I am sorry, buddy, but I am
from that kind who have to see in order to believe.�
The griffin turned away from
him, obviously disappointed by Han�s lack of trust, and slowly approached the
dying woman, cuddled warmly in Luke�s embrace.
�Thanks, buddy�, Luke said,
stroking the griffin�s beak. �We owe you so much already.�
The griffin then looked at
Leia, who was watching him with her crystal eyes. He laid his head on her lap,
expressing sympathy. Leia�s trembling hands moved over his feathers, the only
thing she could do to express her thankfulness.

*

When she opened her eyes, she
saw Han, dozing on a chair near her bed. She was surprised to see a medical
droid wishing her a good day. And when she finished observing the room, she
realised they were not on the Millennium Falcon. And the most bizarre thing of
all was that the pain was gone and she was no longer trembling.
�Han?� She called him but her
voice as still weak. �Han?�
She was lucky Han was sleeping
lightly, and like in alert, he jumped from his seat immediately.
�Sweetheart?� He smiled,
sitting on the bed next to her. �You�re awake� How are you feeling?�
�The pain is gone�, she
whispered. �Hold me, Han.�
And he hugged her, suddenly
busting into tears, losing his self � control:
�Oh, my love, I thought, I
thought� It was awful seeing you suffering like that and I just stood there,
unable to help�Oh, my love��
�I am so sorry, Han�, she was
crying too, �I am so sorry��
�No need to be�, Han shook his
head, �I�ll never stop admiring you, you�re so brave��
They held each other for quite
a long time, until Luke came in.
�Leia is awake, Luke�, Han told
him, with a smile on his face.
�Well, yes, and she looks
pretty good � she regained colour on her cheeks�, Luke smiled, sitting next to
Han.
�Thanks�, Leia said.
�Oh, and Njumb called R2�, he
continued.
�Who�s Njumb?� Leia frowned.
�The silver griffin that saved
us. It�s his name.�
�What did he tell?�
�Well, that he wishes you a
quick recovery. He�ll be guarding Han�s ship until the engineers come to fix
it.�
�I just don�t know how to thank
him. I owe him so much!� Leia smiled.

*

The doctors and the medical
droids had no idea what Leia�s illness was, just like Han�s computer. The
strange was that, by the medical treatment and some rest, she recovered, slowly
but steadily. They had no explanation, except from, maybe, the fact that she had
never allowed herself to lose hope and the battle for her life, for Han, and for
the future.

THE END
- 1
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When Hope Dies