This Year's Model of Humanity

butterfly

“So, how’d it go?” Han asked when he heard Luke enter the cockpit.

“I think I’m winning him over,” Luke said, settling in the co-pilot’s seat. “I really think that I’m reaching him.”

“That’s… good. I guess. I still don’t get why you care so much,” Han said.

Han glanced over at Luke, who stayed silent, a pensive look on his face. They’d known each other years, and Luke could still surprise Han. Luke had already saved his father once, and here he was, all fired-up to do it again, and save his old mentor in the process.

Part of him had missed that passionate kid who’d unknowingly pulled Han’s conscience out of hiding, so seeing Luke so eager was nice, but he never had understood Luke’s thing with the Jedi, even if he did respect it.

“Just… why bother yourself about what he thinks?” Han asked.

“Obi-Wan may not have been my teacher for very long, but during that time, he was also my friend,” Luke said finally. “He’s still my friend.”

“This is about the ghost thing?”

“It’s all right, Han,” Luke said. “You don’t have to believe me.”

“I never said that I didn’t believe you,” Han said. “I just said that I’ve never heard anyone sane say that they’d seen a ghost. That’s all.”

“That’s very reassuring,” Luke muttered.

“Yeah, well, that’s what I’m here for,” Han said.

Luke was leaning back in his chair now, looking thoughtful. That was probably a bad sign. Han had been against this whole ‘finding out about more about Vader’ from the beginning. And having impossible things happen was not making him like the idea any better. He’d thought that ghosts were bad, but people moving through time was a level of crazy that he’d never considered.

He did not need Luke going off on some mission to help put Vader and Kenobi back into the past, where they could muck things up. Han was fully satisfied with the present the way that it was – any change was really doomed to make things worse, as he saw it.

Hell, apparently Kenobi hadn’t even liked the idea of Vader falling in love and having kids at all. And not having Luke and Leia around would… well, make Han’s life much safer, but also a lot less enjoyable.

The Kenobi that he’d met before had always seemed a little too pushy and manipulative for Han to be completely comfortable around him. He couldn’t see how this one could be any different. Kenobi had only been here a few hours and he'd already managed to completely monopolize Luke’s attention for the foreseeable future.

That young version of Vader certainly had hovered over Kenobi from the second that Vader had flashed out of thin air, and it reminded him a little of Luke’s faith in the guy, even long after Kenobi had been dead. Clearly, the old man had some kind of hook that worked real well on Skywalkers.

Frankly, Han just didn’t like what Kenobi inspired people to do. Sure, Luke had pulled things out all right in the end, and that Jedi Knight stuff that Kenobi had taught Luke may have saved their asses a time or two, but nobody needed that kind of power. Not even a generally good sort like Luke.

Han had even liked Vader for a while in the engine room, and then Kenobi had gotten involved again, blown things all to hell. That had to mean something.

“Anyway, I gave him something to think about. If he was listening,” Luke said.

“So, you planning on talking to Vader?” Han asked, trying to sound casual.

“I’m not sure,” Luke said. “Leia went after him but… they fought. She should be here soon.”

“Okay, see, that’s still kinda creepy,” Han said.

Luke shrugged.

“It’s not something that I even think about, anymore,” Luke said. “And the stronger she gets, the easier it’ll be.”

“Great,” Han said.

“It’s not as though I’m doing on purpose,” Luke said.

“That’s really not the point,” Han said.

“Well, if you could explain just what the point is,” Luke started, before cutting himself off and glancing back at the door. “Hold on. She’s… really upset. Do you mind?”

“Mind what?” Han asked, but Luke was up and out the door without even a parting comment. “Right, go ahead and ignore me. I’m just the driver. It’s not like I’m marrying into the family or anything.”

Han waited hopefully for Luke to pop back into the cockpit to make a smart comment, but all he heard were Luke and Leia’s indistinct voices. And then just Leia’s voice, getting louder.

“… further down the path than you’re willing to admit!”

Leia yelling at Luke had to be a bad sign.

Han put on a burst of speed, pulling out of the slow, leisurely route that he’d been taking and putting them on a more direct course. He’d tried to make things easier for Luke, but, honestly, now Han just wanted to get Vader and Kenobi off his ship before anything too destructive happened.

If Luke really wanted to bond with Vader, he could damn well do it somewhere else. Han was not going to play at being an air cab for the sake of Darth Vader. He’d drop them off at the Temple and then meet up with his old contact, Dex, down at the warehouse, like he'd been planning before Leia had roped him into picking up Luke.

And if Kenobi talked Luke into another ill-fated mission, he would just have to find another ride.

Han wasn’t going to be available.