When the doors opened onto a quiet, wide corridor Reece stepped out without another word leaving Han to stare at his back, the smile quickly falling from his face then just as quickly reforming as the burly man turned slightly.
"This way please." Reece prompted, setting forward.
"And what exactly is that way?" Han said before stepping warily out, unable to keep the edge from his voice now.
But the man was already walking off, so after another brief pause Han followed, glancing up and down the spacious corridor, open to a long row of large viewpanes along one wall with an uninterrupted view of the Super Star Destroyer's impressive bulk laid out beneath it like a cityscape, the pale light of a distant star casting wan shadows across its bow. Han glanced again to the big man ahead of him, hand slipping to the small of his back as he walked, casually trying to ease the fitted Imperial uniform away from the his blaster; he probably wouldn't get a better opportunity than this...
They finally stopped at a door, the only one in the deserted corridor aside from its opposite end.
"It's uhhh... pretty quiet round here." Han tried, mentally calculating that he was close enough now that if he swung for the big guy with the automemo he was carrying, he may buy enough time to get his damn blaster free...
"Yes." The tall man turned to him without emotion, making Han freeze.
He knocked lightly on the door then pressed the release, and Han glanced inside, bracing himself, hand going automatically to his concealed blaster -
But the room seemed empty. Living accommodation, large and dark, luxuriously appointed with heavy, tastefully refined furniture. He looked back at his guide, who gestured inside with a small motion of his head. After another quick check down the corridor Han entered the low-lit room, glancing about, his attention taken momentarily by that same spectacular view as the empty corridor. The door slid shut behind him and Han turned, realizing the tall man hadn't entered...
Stood to one side of the large room, his dark clothes making him melt into the shadows, was Luke.
He remained still for a long time, just looking at Han, leaving him uneasy beneath that intense gaze. When Luke finally spoke his tone was no less unsettling, a strange mix of wryly amused and completely emotionless, his real accent completely buried beneath perfectly-modulated Coruscanti.
"You know, we always seem to meet onboard Star Destroyers."
It took long seconds for Han to find a comeback. "Yeah, but in my defence you seem to spend an awful lot of time onboard 'em these days."
"So do you," Luke countered easily, "Considering your allegiance." His tone was light and non-confrontational, yet there was something undefinable in his manner that was anything but. Han tensed, freshly wary.
"Are you gonna... put me out again?"
"Are you intending pointing that holdout blaster at me? The one under your jacket." Luke added, as Han took a breath to voice denial.
He paused, "Oh that one- that's just for luck."
"It doesn't seem to be working very well."
"I dunno- it got me what I came here for... a chance to see you."
"You put your Alliance to an awful lot of expense just to speak to me."
"Well ya know, they wanted a few other stuff as well... like where you keep disappearing to. Wouldn't care to enlighten me would you?"
Luke remained silent, still shrouded in the shadows, neither offended nor compliant.
"Operating parameters for the DEMP maybe?" Han said, "Upgraded shield system? ....no?"
Luke remained mute for long moments, impassive, unmoving. When he finally spoke, his voice was calmly resigned, all emotion hidden beneath that formal accent, strange coming from his mouth. "Is that what you came all this way to ask me?"
"No... well yeah, but I didn't think you'd answer that stuff."
"What did you come her for, then?"
"I guess.... I came to see you - see if you're okay."
"You left it a long time to ask."
There was no trace of emotion in his neutral voice, neither accusation or judgement, but Han felt a crushing pang of guilt all the same. He glanced away, deeply uneasy, feeling the need to fill the stifling silence. " 'Course, why wouldn't you be- I mean, you have your own Star Destroyer now. Super Star Destroyer. Two in fact.... well, a fleet I guess, really. And, you know... that whole Heir to the Empire thing." He shrugged again uncomfortably, "But that's all just... stuff, isn't it?"
"Mostly. A few of them I need."
Luke stepped from the shadows, that unsettling aura still about him, everything locked up tight, nothing readable to Solo despite their years of close friendship. Han shifted uneasily beneath that unsettling gaze-
Then leaned in, noticing for the first time the dark flash in the kid's right eye. He knew of course about the deep, twisted scar - knew where it had come from - but this wasn't described in any of the documents he'd seen. "What did you do to your eye?"
"Someone tried to blow me up." Luke said mildly, "I thought you might have heard, given your interest in my wellbeing."
Luke watched Han's uneasy silence for several seconds before he relented, unable to stay angry at the Corellian, if he ever really had been in the first place. He shouldn't have come here but then Luke shouldn't have let him - could have stopped him at any stage.
He turned away, stepping to the console to pour two drinks, more to break the moment than anything else. To give Han as well as himself a few seconds grace, not wishing to hold him responsible for others' actions.
He wouldn't let them come between himself and the last real friend Luke Skywalker had. The very last to remember who Luke Skywalker was- because he couldn't remember himself anymore. To know that there was someone out there who still saw that unrealistic, painfully naive idealist when they looked into his face was strangely reassuring.
"So where's Chewie?"
Luke turned and walked forward to sit in a chair, his back to that impressive view, Han following and sitting opposite him. It was a long time since anyone had just sat down in Luke's presence without express permission, and the casual informality of it felt reassuringly reminiscent of simpler times.
"I woulda' brought him, but strangely we couldn't make him look convincing in an Officer's uniform." Han said glibly.
Luke smiled, allowing himself to fall easily into that mindset again, just for a moment. "You could've shaved him."
"Yeah, but I kinda like my arms attached to my body."
Han was aware that the kid had consciously dropped his accent to a more familiar, provincial drawl- not quite what it had been though; he probably didn't remember anymore; hadn't heard anything but high-class for six years. "He moults enough anyway, I already find his hairs all over the Falcon..."
He stopped, unsure whether he should mention this.
Luke only twitched his eyebrows in a casual shrug, looking away. "It was no good to me - and I believe you're the one who owns the registration documents."
"Actually Lando still has them- he could never quite bring himself to let 'em go. I have a bunch of others for it though- all legal of course."
"Of course."
The two stared for a long time, each taking the measure of the other. Han hadn't changed at all, Luke knew. He was still the brash, self-assured pilot who'd demanded ten thousand credits for the hop from Tatooine to Alderaan eight years ago... was it only that? It seemed another lifetime... another life.
Han studied Luke as the kid studied him... he still looked so young. Just a kid, trying to find a path through some serious pudu and keep sane at the same time. Who was Han to judge that- he didn't exactly have an impeachable record himself.