THE EIGHTH [han solo]

[2.02]

"Well princess, looks like you managed to keep me around for a little while longer." Han said, laughing and shoving Octavia gently. She was still recovering, but it wasn't like she was under strict bed rest anymore.
"I had nothing to do with it." Octavia said haughtily. "General Rieekan thinks it's dangerous for any ships to leave the system until we've activated the energy shield." They were in a central room, with Leia and Luke. Their last fight ended on bad terms, but they put it aside to keep up apprentices of being fine for Luke and Leia.
"That's a good story. I think you just can't bear to let a gorgeous guy like me out of your sight." Han said, smirking that devilish smirk.
"I don't know where you get your delusions, laser brain." Octavia rolled her eyes. Chewie was amused he laughed in a Wookie-ish manner. Han, actually enjoying the light banter instead of their usual passionate fights, regarded Chewie good-humoredly.
"Laugh it up, fuzzball. But you didn't see us alone in the medbay." Han said, smirking. Octavia hit him in the arm violently, and Leia smirked.
"She expressed her true feelings for me."
"My...! Why, you stuck up, half- witted, scruffy-looking, nerf- herder!" Octavia said, mock outraged. "My true feelings always have and always will be distain and dislike!" She said.
"Who's scruffy-looking?" Han asked, only offended by the one comment. "I must have hit pretty close to the mark to get her all riled up like that, huh, kid?" Han said, looking and Luke.
"Solo you better run!" She threatened. Their relaxed time turned south, when the sound of an alarm was heard.
"Headquarters personnel, report to command centre." The voice repeated the order and Han, Octavia and Leia hurry out of the room, bidding a quick farewell to Luke who was still recovering. "Take it easy." Han said.
"Sorry I healed faster than you." Octavia winked, smirking as she jogged after Han

[COMMAND CENTRE
REBEL BASE]

Rieekan looked up grimly from a console screen. He called over to Leia, Octavia and Han.
"Princess, Captain's, we have a visitor." The group hurried over to Rieekan.
"We've picked up something outside the base in zone twelve, moving east."
"It's metal." The senior controller said.
"Then it couldn't be one of those creatures that attacked Via and Luke." Leia muttered.
"It could be a speeder, one of ours?" Han suggested.
"No. Wait - there's something very weak coming through." The controller said. Threepio stepped up to the control panel and listened intently to the strange signal.
"Sir, I am fluent in six million forms of communication. This signal is not used by the Alliance. It could be an Imperial code." Threepio suggested. The transmission ended in static. Han and Octavia shared a glance.
"It isn't friendly, whatever it is. Come on, Princess, let's check it out."
"Send Rogues Ten and Eleven to station three-eight." Rieekan ordered.

The probe droid spotted Han who, not thirty feet away, had popped his head over a snow bank. Instantly, the probe robot swung around, its deadly ray ready to fire. But before it could get a shot off, it was hit from behind by a laser bolt, and exploded into a million pieces. Octavia Nightshade replaced her blaster into its holster and peered intently at the smoldering remains of the Imperial probe.
"Be careful next time Solo, don't want you dead." Her voice was still full of venom.
"Afraid there's not much left." Han said, poking at the droid with his toe.
"What was it?" Leia asked.
"Droid of some kind. I didn't hit it that hard. It must have had a self-destruct." Octavia said, interrupting Leia and Han's conversion.
"An Imperial probe droid." Leia said.
It's a good bet the Empire knows we're here." Han said.
"We'd better start the evacuation." Octavia said grimly, as soon as she arrived back, she began issuing instructions to two of her men at the entrance to the main transport bay. Several Rebel transports behind them were being loaded by men carrying heavy boxes and moving quickly, but not in any sort of a panic.
"Groups seven and ten will stay behind to fly the speeders. As soon as each transport is loaded, evacuation control will give clearance for immediate launch." Octavia ordered, she'd taken on her authority voice, and was doing everything she could to help. In the midst of all this activity, Han was doing some frantic welding on the lifters of the Millennium Falcon. He quickly finished his work and hopped down to the hangar floor, glancing over to where Octavia was stood, her arm still in a sling, but the rest of her looked normal, she was even wearing her military jacket. He pulled out his comlink, and turned back to his ship, eyeing the problematic lifters.
"Okay, that's it. Try it... Off! Turn it off! Turn it off! Off!" Han said to Chewie through the comlink. Smoke rose from a minor explosion on the lifter. Exasperated, Han surveyed the new damage. He was much too proud to ask Octavia for help, even though she knew the lifters better than he did, she'd done the last three sets of repairs on it, he set his jaw, and continued to try and fix it on his own.