She knew a lot of soldiers. She was surrounded by them. Han did not move like a soldier. His movements, or even his poses when he was standing still, were not symmetrical. He was not a methodical man. He was riveting with his hip-shot grace as he climbed out to join her on the main deck. It was incredibly annoying how distracting that was when there was business to be done. And fun. His arrogance was off the chart, but what could she do when he was so good at his job? He flew his ship with the same unexpected grace that he moved his body.

A slow smile started on her face. “You thought I might be Chewie? I can’t say the same for you. Wookie’s are - ” Leia’s eyes gave him an inspection sweep. Didn’t the man know what a rag was? “ - very tidy. I might miss your face if you washed it.”

Business. Buisness, Leia, what are you doing?

“I haven’t seen Chewie. Han. How long do you think it will take to get the Falcon up and running?”

Han couldn’t stop the grin that graced his lips at her giving it back to him as good as he gave it. His jaw muscle twitched slightly. It unnerved him that he couldn’t get to her quite like he wanted to, but that’s okay. He flustered her enough and that was good enough for him. He shifted around her to find a reflective surface to check his reflection. He found no grime or dirt anywhere on his face.

He turned back to face her as she inquired about the Falcon. “Hour or two once Chewie hauls his ass back here with the part I need.” He didn’t know what was keeping his co-pilot, but then he remembered they were on a frozen planet that had limit resources for parts. The Falcon wasn’t exactly top priority. The fighter ships needed to be in pristine condition in case of an attack, and the Falcon was low on the totem poll.

“Why? Needing to get somewhere in a hurry?” He was intrigued now, wondering just what it was that she needed with him and his ship. “I can go light a fire under Chewie if it’s a matter of urgency.” He placed his hands on his hips as he waited for her to tell him why she’d humbled him with her presence.

She should have known that her fib would be caught in the bright light of Han's vanity. Leia shook her head as she caught him looking at himself. Why did he have to make everything so hard? Why couldn't he just do what she said like everyone else who was on her side? Then again, if they didn't argue, how much would she get to speak with him? "I'm not in that much of a hurry." She said, the bite in her tone implying she wasn't in a hurry for him or his ship. Then her mouth went tight for a moment and dark brown eyes darted away. She'd just remembered she was about to ask him for what was essentially, a favor. Since he apparently wasn't the sort to take orders even from her. Or especially from her. Leia took a deep breath and looked back to him. Leia was probably unaware that as her gaze returned to him, her head was still giving that small, slow shake of exasperation. It annoyed her that her unavoidable base feelings of hers were so distracting. She pushed thoughts of the way he was standing out of her head, and gathered herself entirely with a deep breath and an extra centimeter of height she didn't really have. "I have to go to meeting in the Outer Rim. The X wings won't make it that far and I don't have any of the lightspeed freighters to spare. We're still using them as shelter. Han. I need your ship."

allianceleaderleia​:

Star Wars : The Hope in Wild Space

Han had been mumbling under his breath. He’d sent Chewie after a much needed part and hoped that it was him that he’d heard coming up the gang plank, but as he crawled out of the tight little space and stood up all he saw was the five feet one inch tall frame of none other than Princess Leia herself. He smirked and gave a soft snort. “Princess.”

He wiped his hands on the back of his pants and placed his foot on the bottom rung of the ladder before he began to haul himself out of the access pit and drew himself up to his full height to tower over her. “Thought you were Chewie. Didn’t happen to see him out there, did you? Waiting on a part so I can get the Falcon back into space.”

He wished he knew exactly where they stood with one another, but as it was, she blew hot and cold and he sometimes couldn’t keep up. “Miss my face, did you? I can’t imagine you came all the way down here for anything less.”

She knew a lot of soldiers. She was surrounded by them. Han did not move like a soldier. His movements, or even his poses when he was standing still, were not symmetrical. He was not a methodical man. He was riveting with his hip-shot grace as he climbed out to join her on the main deck. It was incredibly annoying how distracting that was when there was business to be done. And fun. His arrogance was off the chart, but what could she do when he was so good at his job? He flew his ship with the same unexpected grace that he moved his body.

A slow smile started on her face. "You thought I might be Chewie? I can't say the same for you. Wookie's are - " Leia's eyes gave him an inspection sweep. Didn't the man know what a rag was? " - very tidy. I might miss your face if you washed it."

Business. Buisness, Leia, what are you doing?

"I haven't seen Chewie. Han. How long do you think it will take to get the Falcon up and running?"

Reblog if your Muse has a kill count of 5+

The End of an Empire and The Start of Something New

Commissioned by me from the amazingly talented @kaylerinarts

allianceleaderleia​:

“ It was… a while ago, I’ll have to admit. ” Back when the pain of betrayal and use were still fresh. When nothing was making sense and all she knew was anger and the fight. Wren led her to the rebels, to the place she now found herself.

“ Last I heard from her, the dha’kad had been found. Which, perhaps not important to the rebellion at large, is certainly important for the liberation of Mandalore and the rest of the system. ” Sh’lari paused, “ Dha’kad. It’s, well, there’s a whole lot of history to go through if I want to really explain, but the one who wields it is the rightful ruler of all the clans of Mandalore. ”

Sh’lari went quiet as she considered what elsse Sabine had said. Their most recent encounter was months ago but one last thing stuck in her mind. “ She said that next time she stops by look out for new nose art on the X- and A-wings. ”

"What is a dha'kad?" she had asked.

To her surprise, Leia only had to ask Sh'lari one time. It seemed the sort of privately Mandalorian way of life that would only receive a vague answer. Instead, Leia got details that left her unsettled. That was a lot of power all in one place, just for the possession of some object. If that was indeed what the dha'kad actually was. At any rate whomever was going to have it would be quite a singular power in the Galaxy.

Sh'lari had shown herself to be faithful to the Way of the Mandalorians. In that instant, Leia decided not to question the woman more deeply about the dha'kad right now. Maybe someday when the time was right, but this was not that time.

"It is the absolutely the perfect time for new art on our ships with everything that has happened. So many reasons. The woman is genius. This time we'll start reproducing it as soon as we see it. We'll commission real artists instead of having half the Pilots try to copy it ragtag style like they did her first design."

Leia looked away, not wanting to say what she would say next, but Sh'lari had earned it ten times over.

"If you ever need leave, you've got it. And a substantial ship with Hyperdrive." She also wanted to offer her company, but it would be selfish to risk flying into Mandalorian space. She doubted her Pilot would stand for company anyway. Still, Leia would rather keep an eye on her.

@gurlpilot

A badass space princess and her scoundrel 🥰

reblog this post to be added to the STAR WARS MASTERLIST with your muse’s name, whether they’re canon or original character, or if they’ve got a SW verse.

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allianceleaderleia​:

Sh’lari nodded, “ Yeah. She’s good. Offered t’help me with repaintin’ my armor a while back. Got my arm all fucked up after an op, so I couldn’t do it myself. ” Well, she could, and was planning on it but Sabine shoved her way in in a fashion that only a Mandalorian can accomplish and Sh’lari didn’t have the heart to say no.

“ Got t’talkin’. She’s fun, and it… was nice. Wasn’t expectin’ to see any other Mandalorians here. ” She bit her lip, forcing back emotion. She was already telling Leia too much, but she also trusted the Princess to not use it against her. She didn’t really trust the Rebellion as a whole, and most of its leadership rubbed her the wrong way by their mere existence, but she could trust members. Maze, Sabine, Leia, Shara, the whole of Green Squadron really. 

But also these stories were safe. Common knowledge if one hung around enough. No gritty details or names of import. It was as if she was having one of those ‘trauma pissing matches’ that pilots liked having in the dead of night when no one could sleep. Everyone knew, she still had her secrets but these weren’t them.

It was getting so easy to drop her guard in front of Sh'lari. Enough so that she didn't even really think of it as she curled her legs up so she could sit sideways in her chair to continue their conversation. Leia was bolt upright in excitement, face breaking into a smile.

"She really is amazing. People like Sabine . . . . they're just as important to what we're trying to do as a whole room full of Generals. I envy that you've had a chance to meet her. Her art and the way she uses it is the absolute antithesis of the damned Galactic Empire. It's like they want to rub out all the things that make beings unique. Erase thought. Originality. Diversity.

There is such a quality of truly free thought and expression to Sabine's art. It inspires! It wants people to think for themselves. I don't know how she does it. It's a gift I don't have, and don't really understand; and somehow with all that free thought, she brings people together. The people who want something more, anyway. What else did she say? Anything for me to carry? Anything for me to bring back to the Rebellion?"

Starlight scrolled up Sh'lari's face, capturing every hard edge and curve. Capturing the amazing grace the woman held just sitting there.

@gurlpilot

allianceleaderleia​:

“ ‘Course, ” She said, “ Seemed interestin’ enough, thought I’d keep tagging along. Also Command would have my ass if I came back without you. ” She grinned ad she leaned back, clearly amused with the prospect. She knew she would probably get chewed out if she did return without Leia, but all the higher-ups knew the Princess was as stubborn as they came so she wouldn’t get into too much trouble for it.

At the question, she tilted her head up, studying the ceiling. “ I’m going t’kill her. I’m not sure how yet but I know I’m going to. Perhaps it’s a bit poetic, the student bestin’ the teacher or somethin’ like that. Or maybe it’s the anger at my treatment talkin’. Especially since that Wren girl told me what bein’ raised really should’ve been like. ” Sh’lari’s eyes closed at that, “ Gonna recreate Clan Naavi of House Vizsla. Clan of one. For now. Cin vhetin. ”  

Leia would accept 'interesting' as reason for Sh'lari to come along. Although Carlist would have wrung every detail out of her Pilot if she'd returned alone, Leia couldn't imagine him shaking her down. Sh'lari was too valuable. With the Mandalorian's raising though, perhaps she thought there would be some sort of punishment for a solo return.

The Alliance wasn't like that. The worst that might happen would be some third watch sentry duty. Perhaps a demotion if someone couldn't manage the responsibilities they'd been given. Those facts, however, were something that would have to be proven over time to the Pilot. Leia was certain words wouldn't be enough. Not after what Sh'lari was telling her about her childhood.

Right now, Sh'lari was dropping enough names that Leia could follow the star chart and navigate through. She found herself with a sudden rush of wonder. Hope even.

"Do you mean Sabine Wren? The artist?" Leia asked, eyes wide, leaning up in her seat and looking hard at Sh'lari. Leia had little time for personal joys, but the art of Sabine Wren was one of them. There was something about the vibrant layers of meaning and freedom to Sabine's art that made Leia think she'd be exactly the sort of person who would say something like that to Sh'lari.

allianceleaderleia​:

Sh’lari pursed her lips. “ Maybe. Depends on what I have to return to. My main caretaker… ” she smiled, though it was certainly the smile of a predator. “ she may take me back, but I have other plans if I see her again. The others I left behind, though, would take me back no questions. ”

She looked over at Leia again, “ The Empire wanted our beskar, what little of it is left. We’re havin’ our own rebellion there, too. ‘S what I left, when I came here, thinkin’ it’d be better t’try and get more Mandalorians in with the Alliance. But I’ve heard rumors, another Dral’Han, perpetrated by the Empire. But we survived the first attempt at annihilation. We’ll survive this one. ”

I'm glad you're with us because you want to be, not because you have to be. That was what Leia was about to say. Then she stopped herself. This was a rare peaceful moment for her. It was time she stopped always thinking of herself as the embodiment of the Alliance. That she was 'we'. It wasn't even exactly accurate right now. Wasn't she off on her own business? Leaving the Rebellion to go off on her own, very personal, quest?

It was rare that she felt like an individual, but Sh'lari, perhaps with her own very clear individuality, inspired her to remember that she was a person and not just a General in the Alliance. In that moment, it crossed her mind that it was a very large Galaxy indeed, and honestly she could choose to be whatever she wanted. Nerf Herder. Pod racer. Dancer at some nice tavern. In that same moment, she knew she'd chosen correctly to be a top leader in the Rebellion, but still, all paths were truly open to her. It was a moment of freedom in her heart like wind, however short lived.

"I'm glad you're here with me because you want to be." She said, her smile somewhere between wry and sly, however brief. "Dare I ask your plans for your caretaker if you ever went home?"

allianceleaderleia​:

Sh’lari visibly snarled at the comparison to Stormtroopers, those in mockery of beskar’gam. A mockery of a mockery if she was to be more precise, after all the clones weren’t armored properly either. She hoped some found their cin vhetin, their clean slate, away from the empire. Like Maze had. And many others, or so she heard.

“ They’re my people, ” she said simply. “ They saved me. Broke me in other ways, some of them, ” she shrugged, “ but it was only pain. ” She laughed, sighing and looking up at the ceiling.

“ My verd’goten was a test of everything that I was taught by my trainers and my caretakers. A test of survival, weaponry, and fighting skills. It’s a rite of passage into adulthood, after successfully demonstrating your abilities you are basically an adult. You can go off on your own, not be expected to stay back from missions. Although, your parents could still ask you to. My caretakers never did. ”

She could hear the defensiveness in Sh'lari's voice as the woman began to speak. The Mandalorian mostly kept her emotions to herself, but Leia had been trained from a young age to recognize such things. It struck her that it was mentioning pain that brought a bit of laughter back into Sh'lari's voice. Leia did not look at her, giving her that small bit of privacy as her Pilot went on with her tale.

Leia in turn kept her emotions to herself as she was told about what a verd'goten was. In harsh cultures, sometimes a right of passage could involve mutilation of some sort, and Leia was terribly relieved to find out it was not so for the Mandalorians. With a practiced self control, her voice sounded easy enough. She had pushed aside her inaccurate worry before she spoke.

"You've certainly carved out a path of your own. If you ever went back to see your caretakers, would they let you in? You will always have a place in the Alliance, but do you ever want to go home?"

Part of Leia would never stop wishing she could go home, even just one more time, but Darth Vader had taken that from her forever.

allianceleaderleia​:

“ We were fitted with plasteel and durasteel at first, ” she explained. “ Children grow fast, and beskar was rare enough as is. It made more sense to fit us with armor that could be remolded and refitted over time. Beskar was slowly integrated as we grew. ”

She answered easily, “ I was the equivalent of thirteen, the age that we cross over into adulthood. We go through our verd’goten, and, on completion, we’re presented with our armor. I don’t know how old I am. ” 

She gave a little shake of her head, braids brushing her shoulders. For a moment, she gave a quirk of a smile.

"For all the intelligence we get, I've never known much about the Mandalorian culture. I've imagined that it was much like the way Stormtroupers are raised." Leia's voice slowed as she thought of it, her face turning serious as she looked out into hyperspace.

"Cold. Harsh. Thoroughly indoctrinated to believe in nothing but subservience to their owners as soon as they can stand."

She gave a small and unconscious shudder, taking in and blowing out a deep breath. The battle to end that practice was not one she could end in a day, no matter how hard she fought. It was going to take time. Leia had to believe that the Diadem would bring the Alliance to victory all the sooner.

"The way you speak of the Mandalorians, it sounds . . . better than that." She let out a single, soft exhale of laughter to herself, imagining how much her 13 year old self would have loved to have a set of armor. The clothing they'd put her in as she reached adulthood had seemed designed to confine her. To slow her. To make her appear less of a threat.

"Can you tell me what happened at your verd'goten? That isn't an order. I'm just curious."

Leia hoped the woman understood that this was no interrogation about the Mandalorians, but about Sh'lari herself. She was finding herself rather fascinated.