A Star Wars Fairy Tale: Empire, Part 1

Rating: PG-13 (violence, mild language, implied sexual content)

Pairings: Han/Leia

Disclaimer: The franchise belongs to George Lucas and the Walt Disney Company. I just got back into this fandom after more than a decade away and decided I wanted to play, too.

Notes: One of the many inspirations for Star Wars was beloved fairy and folk tales. I decided to go back to the source, so to speak. Among the stories I'm borrowing ideas from are “Tarzan,” “East of the Sun and West of the Moon,” “Baba Yaga,” “Sleeping Beauty,” “Sweetheart Roland,” “Snow White and the Seven Dwarves,” “Hansel and Gretel,” “Rapunzel,” “The Girl Without Hands,” “King Arthur,” and “Robin Hood.”

Notes 2: This is based around the Original Trilogy, though a few characters from Star Wars: Rebels and The Force Awakens have cameos.

Once upon a time, in a world very far from hours, there lived a young knight, a princess with no kingdom, and a gypsy thief. Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia Organa, and Han Solowolf had rescued each other, and the valiant Rebels of the Woods, from the evil Kingdom of the Empire and its demon ruler, Lord Vader. The two men and the old Master Force Knight Sir Benjamin Kenobi had freed the princess from her wicked father, but at the cost of Kenobi's life. It took Luke's kindness to a group of mistreated dragons and Han's sudden change of heart about leaving his new friends to send Vader back to the Parched Mountains and drive him from the Enchanted Woods.

Avoiding the Empire's troops, the Rebels fled deeper into the Enchanted Woods. The Woods knew all, heard all. It was the embodiment of the Force, in all its manifestations. It knew the Rebels wanted to restore order and balance to the Kingdoms. The Woods would protect them.

The Empire's legions kept hounding them. Even without the Sith Dragons, they had vast fleets of men and battle carriages at their disposal. The Rebels, however, had resources that were just as important – wit, determination, and a knowledge of the Woods and its nooks and crannies that the city and mountain-based Imperial Army lacked. Imperial nobles were terrified of traveling through the Enchanted Woods, lest one of the Rebel bands attack them and relieve them of their worldly goods.

After the discovery of their camp in the Kingdom of Yavin, the Rebels had been forced to flee to the remote Kingdom of Hoth. The northernmost of all the Kingdoms, it snowed for ten out of twelve months of the year, and the ice almost never melted. It was a frigid, dangerous land...but one that was perfect for a band of outlaws who didn't wish to be found to do their business.

Brendol Hux Sr, Earl of Rowling Estate in the Kingdom of the Empire, was on his way to Bast Castle in his heavily armed carriage. It was filled to the very top with tax money collected from the citizens of the Kingdoms of Hoth, Lothal, and Corellia. “I don't mind telling you, sir, that I'm not crazy about us bein' out here,” his driver fussed. “You don't know what'll get ya in these woods. They say they're magic. And there's those Rebels...”

“I'm not concerned about the bloody Rebels,” Hux claimed. “I'm more worried that we won't get this to Bast Castle treasury by nightfall.”

That was when Hux heard the thump. A tree had fallen in front of them, blown to the ground by the howling winds. “Would one of you see to that?” the tall, red-haired man called from under his three fox fur blankets. He heard movement, then thought he heard something leap on top of the carriage. A head swathed in gray scarves poked in. Hux thought he saw wisps of scruffy cinnamon-brown under the thick fabric. “Don't worry, Earl, we'll have this ol' log of yours out in a jiffy.”

Hux squinted. “Are you...new here?”

“Uh, yeah,” the man said quickly. “Just started a few days ago.”

Hux thought he heard movement in the back of the carriage, and a female voice. “What's taking so bloody long?”

Another head popped in. This one belonged to a much smaller trooper in white armor. “We thought we saw bandits out there, sir!” the trooper said with a voice that was oddly high for an Imperial soldier. He seemed almost boyish, and much too small for a fighter.

“Bandits?” Hux groaned. “Wonderful. That's all we need. If I don't get this shipment to Bast Castle by tomorrow, Lord Vader will squeeze the breath out of me.”

The driver in gray climbed into the carriage as more movement was seen outside. “Hey, nice place you got here,” he chuckled. He picked up one of the fur blankets. “Is this real?”

Hux grabbed it back. “Yes, it is real, and I would thank you not to handle it!”

The man put his hands in the air. “All right, all right, your Imperial-ness. Don't get your nose in a snit. I was just admiring quality merchandise.”

That was when the man was hit in the head with a snowball. More snowballs were hurled into the carriage from the tree-tops. “It's an ambush!” The man ducked out. “We'd better get out of here!”

“Wait!” Hux was too busy ducking around flying snow to realize that not only did the man take his fur blankets, but he'd stolen the sapphire ring he wore as well. “What are you doing?”

A smaller figure in gray, this one wearing a shapeless gray hat over velvet-brown wisps, with large dark-brown eyes, addressed him. “Sir, we've located the bandits,” they said in a voice that sounded strangely feminine. “We're pursuing them into the Woods.” He swore he heard someone saying “Come on, Your Worship, we've got the loot!”, but it was muffled by the falling snow.

Another head poked inside. “Hey, this is really nice!” This soldier was even shorter than the last and had distinctly bluish hair under the muffling gray scarves. “You have a really fancy set-up, sir.”

He was joined by a slightly taller soldier in pink-ish armor. “Could use a little color. Maybe a splash of orange here, a little lime-green on the ceiling...”

“Children, please.” A taller soldier – Hux swore he saw a brown bun poking out from under the helmet – pulled the other two away. “Sorry, sir. New recruits. They're very excited about working with you.”

Hux reached for his fur blankets, only to find that they weren't there. “Have you seen my...” but the men were gone.

The driver looked in. “We've moved it, sir. We're ready to move on.”

“Please do so!” Hux exclaimed. “I don't like this. Something doesn't seem right.”

“Er, yeah.” The so-called driver pulled out. “Ok everybody, let's move 'em out!” But instead of climbing onto the carriage, the man pulled the fox blankets over his shoulder and leaped onto a huge, shaggy brown stallion instead.

Leia rode up to him on her golden stallion as the carriage lurched off. “Did you really need to do that? The tax money will be more than enough to pay for food for the starving villagers of Lothal three times over.”

Han unwound the stifling scarves and ran his fingers over the fox blankets. “Do you know how much these would bring in the open markets, Your Worship? I still have to pay back Jabba, you know.”

A woman with long pale braids that almost seemed greenish in their cast drove her carriage past them. “Save the arguments for when we get back to camp. It seems like all you two ever do is fight.”

Han smirked at Leia. “Her Worship enjoys it. It gives her something to do.”

Leia glared at him. “I have plenty to do without you causing trouble.” She turned to the other woman. “Hera, get your group back to Camp. Captain Solowolf, Commander Skywalker, and I will take this money to Lothal to purchase food and supplies for the villagers.”

Luke, pulling off his Imperial armor, shook his head. “I can do it, Leia. It'll be easier with just one person.”

The man with the knot in the back of his head agreed. “He's right, Your Highness. A group may be detected, but one person buying food is far less obvious.”

She nodded. “All right, Kanan.” Leia turned to Luke. “You be careful. We don't know what's out there, and the snow is getting worse.”

Han smirked. “Yeah. The big, mean snow monsters might get ya.” His horse Chewbacca let out a snort.

“I can take care of myself.” Luke turned his snow-alpaca around. “I'll see you in a few hours.”

Han shook his head as they rode in the opposite direction. “I hope that kid knows what he's doin'.”

“He's gone on supply runs before.” Leia pulled her heavy white cloak around her shoulders. “He'll be fine.”

“Yeah, but he always had one of us with him.”

Leia looked over her shoulder, making sure the rest of the Rebels were right behind them. “If he can deal with dragons, he can deal with snow monsters.”

They arrived at the Rebels' camp. It had been dug into a series of ice caves in a clearing in the Woods. They'd been here for nearly six months, and so far, the Imperials hadn't been able to find them. Leia only hoped their luck held. They'd spent the last three years been driven further and further into the Woods, away from the ever-expanding Imperial territory.

They were greeted by General Carlist Rieekien, once one of the Kingdom of Aldran's top military advisers, now one of the heads of the Rebels In the Woods. “It's good to have you back,” he said as Han and Leia climbed off their horses. “Did you get the money?”

Leia nodded. “Luke's taking most of it to Lothal now to buy food and clothes for the villagers there.”

“General,” Han started, “I have to leave. I can't stay here any longer.”

Rieekian frowned. “You're one of our best archers and horsemen, Solowolf. I hate to lose you.”

Han shrugged. “If I don't get that money I owe to King Jabba soon, I'm a dead horseman.”

Rieekian shook his hand. “I wish you luck, Solowolf. That kind of mark's not easy to live with.”

“Thank you, General.” Han turned to Leia, who was just giving him the same glare she had on the ride there. “I guess this is it, Your Highness.”

Leia nodded coolly. “That's right.”

“Now I know why they called you 'the Ice Princess' back in Aldran,” Han snapped.

Leia sauntered up to him. “You think you're the one to supply some heat?”

“I would if I had the time.” He started towards the Falcon. Leia followed him.

“Han,” she started, “we need you. The Rebels need you...”

Now Han was the one glaring. “Please, Your Worship. I don't want to hear any more about how important the Rebels are to you. Do you ever think of anything besides your cause?”

“Do you ever think of anything besides yourself?”

They had been going at each other in the same fashion for years. For all the bickering, Leia admired Han's courage, his strength, and his devil-may-care recklessness in the face of danger. Han was amazed by Leia's integrity and her incredible will. Trouble was, not only would neither of them admit it, they just as often got on each others' nerves. Like now, for instance.

“Yeah, sweetheart,” he said with that famous lazy grin of his. “I think about many things. You, for instance.”

Leia didn't want to admit how she found that grin utterly captivating...and completely annoying. “I thought the only thing you loved was money.”

Han continued to smirk at her. “I can't have something else? There has to be a reason for you to be following me. Afraid I was going to leave without giving you another kiss?”

She was about ready to forget her royal upbringing and hit him harder than she had at the ball. “I'd rather kiss that pile of fur you generously call a horse!”

“I could arrange that!” He stormed off, yelling “You could use a good kiss!”

Even as they fought, Luke was in a more dire predicament. He had made it to Lothal Village, where he used part of the tax money to purchase food and clothing for some of their poorest residents. Lothal had once been a very pretty village on the edge of the Hoth and Danton kingdoms. The Empire's taxes had hit them hard, and now most residents were starving, barely able to survive on day-to-day rations.

It was coming home where he ran into trouble. He was riding a snow-alpaca, one of the furry beasts reared in Hoth for transportation, when he was knocked senseless by an enormous white Wampa, one of the fearsome carnivores that lived in the ice caves in the mountains above Hoth. Luke awoke to find himself frozen to the wall in one of the caves! He was grateful he could move his arms. His legs were coated in ice and unable to move a single step.

He managed to pull out his sword and cut himself free from the ice just as the Wampa shuffled in. Luke tried to reason with the creature, but it was frenzied with hunger. It was only in tune with the Force so far as the Force could lead it to its next meal. It didn't care that this small thing wanted to talk to him. It just wanted dinner. It lunged for Luke, long, furry arms outstretched. Luke hacked at the arms, cutting one off. It ducked away, just as Luke hurried out of the cave...and into a blinding snowstorm.

Luke remembered little else for nearly a week. He later recalled swirling snow, and temperatures so cold, he could barely feel most of his body, even under the patched wool clothing he wore. He'd just collapsed into the piles of ice crystals when a voice stood out in his head. “Luke,” old Sir Benjamin Kenobi stated, “Luke.”

“Ben?” He gasped. He thought he saw the outlines of a figure...a white and blue figure who greatly resembled his former Force Knight master.

“You will go to the Dagobah Swamps. There you will learn from Yoda, the great Force master sage.”

“Ben, please!” Luke tried to reach for him, but he was exhausted. He heard another voice...one that distinctly sounded like Han Solowolf's...before he fainted.

When Luke awoke in the camp's medical cave, the first things he saw were his dear friends Han, Leia, Arthur the mute blacksmith, and Cecil, the former butler turned translator and adviser for the Rebels. Han had even lead his beloved Wookie Stallion Chewbacca into the room.

“You look great, kid!” Han exclaimed. “Strong enough to pull the wings off a Sith Dragon.”

Luke smiled gently at him. Leia had told him Han was on his way to the Kingdom of Tatoon when he found Luke and returned him to camp in his much-repaired carriage, the Falcon. “Thanks to you.”

The gypsy thief smirked. “Keep in mind I've saved your rear twice, Junior.” He turned to Leia. “And I'm sure you're thrilled to see me.”

“If you can call it that,” Leia sniffed. “General Rieekian said it's too dangerous for anyone else to leave until the blizzard has subsided.”

“I think you're just can't bear to let my beautiful self out of your sight,” Han said with a grin. Luke rolled his eyes behind him. Han and Leia's bickering had been amusing at first, but after three years of their constant fights, he was ready to lock them in the back of the Falcon and let them be done with it.

Leia narrowed her eyes. “Shows what you know, Arrow Head.” She glared at them. “I'm not in love with anyone. You know, I was doing just fine, until you two horse jockeys came riding into my life. I don't need either of you.” She stormed off.

“Han,” Luke said with a sigh, “won't you two ever stop carrying on like five-year-olds?”

Han made a face. “I will if she will.” Chewbacca nudged him, whinnying. “Well, she's acting pretty childish, too.”

Luke sighed. “She's a really nice girl, Han. She's always been good to me. You should give her a chance.”

“I have given her a chance,” Han grumbled. “She thinks she's too good to give me a chance.” He patted Chewie's back. “Doesn't matter, anyway. As soon as this storm blows over, we're on our way to Tatoon.”

Luke smiled wanly. “Good luck, Han. May the Force be with you.”

Han tried to give him his usual grin, but it was rather lopsided. “You too.”