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[gidge]

PICK YOUR POISON
PIC PROMPTS / TFLN / RANDOM SCENARIO
HAN SOLO velocities	BETTY MCRAE bombsheller	RIVER TAM subsulcus	RIVER TAM (AU) comprehender
SIMON TAM vest	BRIA THAREN exulted	NADINE CROSS bridaled	GU JUN-PYO toddler
available on special request: veronica sawyer, benjamin linus, imani, maria deluca, mushu, poseidon, niccolò machiavelli, malik al-sayf, chloe

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[antecede]

He can feel Han's surprise and confusion, all of it sincere enough to indicate he had no idea this could upset Luke, but it doesn't go very far to mollify him.

"I can't go back there." To be fair to Han, a few months ago this surprise would've been a welcome one. Since Mindor, though... "Not now."

More like not ever. If Gaeriel Captison had thought Jedi were too horrible to be allowed to exist back then, what'll she think when she hears about the battle against Blackhole? Fifty thousand people isn't the kind of number any rationalizing can find a way to balance.

[velocities]

Han had never been entirely up to speed about what had happened between Luke and Gaeriel. He knew there had been something between them, and then they had left. (There had been other things for Han to pay close attention to that trip, and now he really regrets not asking Leia for more details before heading out this way.)

"Why not now?"

Genuine and curious. Though, if Luke really does want to be punished, maybe hearing about balance from Gaeriel will do the trick and he can call off the investigation.

[antecede]

Luke frowns, pacing a few steps before sitting back down with a defeated air. There's nothing they can do about it now; maybe they can just leave before landing on Bakura once they get out of hyperspace. Besides, Han didn't know. He was trying to do something nice, which is pretty much all he's been doing since they left Coruscant.

"Did anyone tell you about the Cosmic Balance?"

[velocities]

"I've heard of it before." Because of course he has. Not that his knowledge on the faith is in depth (not that his knowledge on any faith is in depth, unless it was a scam he had to deal with directly), but he's got enough of a basic idea to know he doesn't believe in it.

"Never really made much sense to me."

[antecede]

"Me neither," he admits, frowning slightly at the memory. "A lot of Bakuran people believe in it. Gaeriel Captison was no exception."

Not even remotely. He'd laugh at the memory if he weren't dreading the possibility of seeing her again so much.

"They condemn Jedi for using so much power to elevate themselves and bring other people low. Or something. She believed that too, but I think she was changing her mind before we left."

[velocities]

Han's face turns entirely to annoyance. This is what he didn't like about religion -- they always found someone to blame for everything, and they were usually dead wrong.

"Since when do you elevate yourself?"

[antecede]

"Jedi can use powers that ordinary people can't. To people who don't know how it works, it probably looks like learning strange magic powers just because we can."

That's certainly the impression Gaeri had given him, in any case.

[velocities]

Chewbacca whuffs something from his seat, content to contribute a little now that things are less explosive. Han shakes his head in response.

"You'd think they'd have had a bigger problem with the Empire."

[antecede]

Luke had thought the same thing back when they first visited Bakura, and to him it'd seemed crazy that she could hate Jedi and praise the Empire in practically the same breath. Now, though, that's not the point.

"Their basic tenet is that someone having good fortune somewhere means someone else is doomed to that much bad luck. To them, it looks like Jedi are upsetting that balance and causing misfortune for a lot of other people." He hesitates, then asks, "How do you think it's going to look when they hear about Mindor?"

He says they but what he really means is she.

[velocities]

"Like you just helped a bunch of people in the Corporate Sector win big," and he regrets the words as soon as they leave his mouth. Even Chewie winces a little as he turns back to the console while Han rubs the back of his neck and shakes his head.

"With something like that, you can make anything bad or anything good depending on how you want it to look."

[antecede]

That's pretty bad even for Han, and Luke shakes his head emphatically.

"Like I stayed alive at their expense!" he explains impatiently. Which is, as far as he's concerned, more or less what actually happened. "Han, going back there isn't going to help with anything. Besides convincing the Bakurans that they were right all along."

[velocities]

He's about to admit defeat, start planning a course somewhere else, but there's one more point.

"What about the one you helped? Belden? You really think she'll look at you and decide you're doing anything to stay alive at someone else's expense?" Han had a lot of respect for that old woman, coming out of whatever trance Luke had put her into and fighting as fiercely as he'd seen anyone fight. As much as they might conveniently hate Jedi in that religion, Luke had helped them. They wouldn't forget that part of it.

[antecede]

The suggestion is enough to give Luke pause, at least.

"Eppie Belden," he says slowly. The spirited old woman who'd practically singlehandedly orchestrated a rebellion, who'd been labeled senile when the truth was that the Empire considered her too dangerous. "'If Bakura can ever do something for you, just name it.' That was the last thing she said to me."

[velocities]

"Maybe you should take her up on it."

That's what he'll leave it at for now. Maybe, possibly, think about it, before he starts making plans for something else.

[antecede]

"I'll think about it," Luke says dubiously.

And he does think, all the way until they exit hyperspace; he barely says a word until the beautiful planet becomes visible in the Falcon's viewports. He walks into the cockpit to watch, biting his lip.

[velocities]

Han doesn't bother him while he considers things. This was more complicated than he'd expected it to be, and despite being used to the revelation he wasn't about to make it worse by being a distraction.

"So, am I getting landing clearance or not?"

Look, he's giving options now. It's progress or something.

[antecede]

But would he actually stop if Luke said no, he wonders for not the first time this trip.

"Alright. But I still think this is a bad idea."

[velocities]

Maybe. Possibly. Chewie would be voting in Luke's favor, at least, and he's very strong.

"I'll keep the Falcon ready for a quick getaway, then." You know, just in case Luke gets chased through the streets or something. Or, more seriously, if this just makes everything with Luke worse.

[antecede]

"Hilarious," he says, but without any heat.

And without any more ceremony, goes to sit down in preparation for landing.

[velocities]

The welcome isn't bad, as far as Han can tell. Eppie Belden is waiting when they disembark, promises Luke there will be no public announcement made so that he can spend his time resting instead of being entertained by warring factions of Bakura's new government.

Seems like a good deal to Han. Until it's the next day and, instead of finding Luke in his rooms, he sees him rummaging through old storage compartments on the Falcon like he's hiding out.

"What are you doing?" That isn't your stuff, and that can't be relaxing.

[antecede]

"Cleaning."

His voice is muffled; he's halfway crawled into this particular compartment, and whenever he surfaces he's sure to be covered in dust from the waist up. Eppie Belden had been more than gracious. He's been offered some private rooms and anyone aware of his presence all but sworn to secrecy. Eppie had assured him, slyly, that Gaeriel had no idea he's here -- not that he asked about her -- and wouldn't unless he wanted her to. And oh, by the way, she's due to visit Eppie tomorrow.

It's not that the mere suggestion of Gaeri's presence anywhere near him sent him right back to the Falcon. It's just that coming here was a terrible idea, and he should never have agreed to it, and, anyway, he's pretty sure he's lost a lot of stuff in here over the years. There are, literally, years' worth of things he's stowed in here and forgotten about or put in his pocket and ended up here. Just like --

He stills, then there's a thud and a swear as he hits his head, and then he's pulling himself out -- definitely covered in a fine layer of dust, hair tousled, and blinking owlishly. And holding an old medal in his hand.

"I didn't know you still had this."

[velocities]

That had seemed like a very warm welcome to Han, but Luke was obviously not ready for that. Han just leans on a bulkhead as he watches, arms crossed, totally casual except he's annoyed. Luke doesn't need to be cleaning out the Falcon's holds. There's too much in there, anyway. Things from before he knew anyone named Skywalker or Kenobi or Organa, which is a level of his past that can be either upsetting or embarrassing depending on what Luke digs up.

"You didn't think I'd sell yours, did you?" He'd sold his own, the metal part at least, to fund some needed repairs.