74Bail Organa gazed out the side of the relatively flat, gray hovercraft. He noted the interesting architecture the Corellians seemed to prefer. The style included many basic forms, nothing elegant or artistic. It bordered on ugly, with the plain fronts and spasmodic color spurts of red and orange.
Hopefully, Bail thought, their art doesn't parallel their personalities.
The situation in the Outer Rim and Clone Wars were at high odds. No one seemed to visibly be winning. The Republic fought hard, but the Seperatists were always one step ahead. This meeting would determine Corellia's position in the militia, and their source of raw materials for the Republic. Agriculture was at its peak price, with many of the farms in jeopardy. The Corellian Sector was rich in farming on Tralus, which might be a pivotal point in the war to supply the troops.
"Sir, this is the Capitol Building."
The repulsorlifts secured onto the floor of the docking bay where a small band of men were waiting.
"Senator Organa! Welcome to Corellia! I am Garm Bel Iblis, Prime Minister of Corellia."
The robust Corellian stepped forward, offering his hand with a pleasant smile on his face. His dark brown hair and moustache gleamed in the sunlight, setting of the crimson red of his robes.
"Thank you for your hospitality, Prime Minister Bel Iblis. Coronet is all I imagined and more. I'm quite...impressed on my first visit." In a way, it was true. He hadn't really known what to expect, imagining a smaller, less populated Coruscant.
The four men behind the Prime Minister nodded gratification, while they led their guest inside. Bail silenty thanked the Force that they were so agreeable; he did not need another Ithorian incident.
"Prime Minister, I cannot tell you how much I appreciate your plans to continue to asssist the Republic. I can only give you my warmest thanks, and the gratitude of those who work to keep democracy upheld."
Bel Iblis rose from the table, signifying that the conference was coming to a close. "Of course, Senator. You are indeed very welcome, and I hope you are satisfied with your quarters and Corellia. Make yourself at home during your stay. If there is anything to your dissatisfaction, by all means, contact my people.
"If you'll excuse me, the head of our Police department has apprehended some miscreants that have been running about, and there was some trouble at which I must resolve."
Bail stood as well. "Yes, I shouldn't like to keep you detained. Good day and good fortune to you, Minister." The Corellian party exited their guest from the room, following shortly.
Bail sprinted briskly down the stairs in search of a possible exit, but resolved to simply go down the the lobby floor. He had been sitting for over an hour, and te excercise felt good on his legs.
As he hummed himself an Alderaani tune about beautiful flowers, a scruffy young boy ran down the hall without looking, and slammed right into him headlong!
"Ahh! S-s-sorry, misser!" The fast boy looked to be roughly five years old, a good height, and skinny for one so young. But what was most noticeable was how scrawny and dirty he looked.
"Whoah, there young man. Why in such a hurry?" Bail remarked as he held on to the scrambling child's arm.
"Hey! Let go o' me!" He struggled and writhed, but to no avail. From the opposite direction, a rigid woman in a stiff blue and red-cuffed uniform jogged toward the pair.
"You there, come back here, kid!" She yelled.
Immediately, the youngster attempted to flee, but with Organa keeping a firm hold, the boy could do no more than scuffle his feet about.
Bail frowned. What could possibly have the authorities out for such a small child? He looked down at the dirty brown hair and shaggy clothes. A wave of pity engulfed him at the thought of what the boy's situation might be.
"Excuse me, madam, but what business is there that concerns this child?"
She looked affronted. In a rather demanding tone, she replied, "I'm Police Deputy Krelik, and this boy is suspected of theft. Who might you be?"
"Senator Bail Organa of Alderaan. I-"
"Well, Senator, why don't you just enjoy your vacation and let me do my job. Hand over the troublemaker," Krelik interrupted.
Keeping the flicker of annoyance concealed, he said in a civil manner, "I'm sure that this is a misunderstanding. The boy's barely able to talk-"
-"Hey! I can sure talk misser-mister!"
"-and that he should go without any punishment." The senator finished, ignoring the kid's protests.
This only seemed to get the woman more huffed. "That will be for me to decide, Senator Organa of Alderaan."
They simply stared speechless, which the little rascal took to his advantage. He was not simply going to wait around to watch the two grown-ups talk nonsense back and forth. With a quick movement of the wrist, he released himself from Bail's grip and sped off.
"Officer Krelik!" boomed a familiar voice. It was the Prime Minister, who had been another victim of the boy's recklessness.
"P-Prime Minister Bel Iblis, sir! I was attempting to catch this little felon when this Alderaanian, uh, got in my way!"
Garm gave the scene a withering look, and then interrogated his police deputy, "What is the meaning of all this, Krelik?"
The woman snapped to attention, speaking like a motor on a hyperdrive. "The-kid-was-found-in-the-local-market-stealing-bread-we-caught-him-on-surveillance-and-immediately-apprehended-the-little-criminal-but-the-sneaky-"
Her superior held up his hand to shut her up. "Enough. I can see that Senator Organa is indeed right. Krelik, there are much more important things to attend to than fruit-stealing little boys."
"Now," Iblis kneeled to the ground to face the young boy who was trying to conceal a grin, but failing miserably, "what's your name, child?"
"Why should I tell you?" he answered back impudently, showing a stubborn character despite his age.
"Because," the Prime Minister slipped casually, "maybe...I can help you."
"I don't need nobody's help. Han Solo can manage just fine on his own!" The boy pointed proudly at himself, until he realized that he had just told them his name.
"Han Solo, eh? Well, Han, can you tell us where your parents are? They must be very worried with you gone."
Han scrunched his face, as if the subject were something smelly. "I ain't got no parents, and I ain't goin' back to one of them orfages. I tell ya, I can get on jus' fine! I don't need nobody to come an' take care of me!"
Bel Iblis resisted the urge to laugh at the kid's stubborness. It was the Corellian spirit, all right. "But if you continue to try and steal food, I'm afraid that by our law, you'll have to be punished. I think you would be much better of in and orphanage, where you could be around other children and go to school."
"But-but I don't wanna go to school, and I been to an orfage before, and the nurse said I was a rep-repro-repro-" he struggled with the word.
"Reprobate?" Bail suggested, thinking that the boy was awfully intelligent for his age, even if his grammar was down the trash compactor.
"Yep. That's what she called me. I dunno what it means, but I didn't like it so I left. And good riddens!" Oh, definitely Corellian.
Garm, even though amused by the conversation, did not have the time to haggle with a six year old. "Okay, Han. What about this - you stay here for the night and think it over, and then apologize to Mister Organa for so rudely bumping into him, okay? You can have a room here and dinner. Then we'll see what we can do for you."
Thinking it over, Han weighed the options in his head. Finally, he returned, "Sure. Why not? I'm kinda hungry, and the last thing I ate was outta the scraps from some fancy shmancy place. Er, is there a 'fresher 'round here?"
"I can show you where it is," Bail Organa found himself saying.
The Prime Minister dismissed them gratefully so he could get back to his work, and Organa led the boy into the refresher. While he waited outside, he felt oddly curious about the boy. Why, he didn't know, but he had a feeling that the headstrong Corellian child was growing on him.
AN: Han is almost seven, to clear things up. It's two or three years off from his canon age, but I decided to make him a little younger. Review!