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“Han?”
Han groaned and rolled onto his side. “What is it?” he said, still half asleep and without opening his eyes.
A quiet child’s voice mumbled, “We’re scared.”
Han sat up at this to look into the eyes of Pepper, the self-appointed leader of the youngest kids in Lady Proxima’s employment at the tender age of ten. He looked drawn out, more than usual, and when the next rumble of thunder cut through the hissing of rain outside he flinched.
“Okay, I’m coming.” Moving carefully so as not to wake anyone else, Han followed Pepper down the tunnels to the niche the younger kids had claimed for their own.
There was an enthusiastic, if controlled, chorus of “Han!” when he made his appearance and began the difficult task of lowering himself onto the mess of stolen blankets while having a horde of children between the ages of four and ten cling to him.
“Hang on, hang on, let me sit down, now, what’s the problem?”
Ace, the youngest and currently claiming the prime real estate that was Han’s lap, piped up.
“We don’t like the storm, and-“
They all jumped when there was a bigger clap of thunder than before, and underneath that there was the sound of blaster fire and screams. Everything seemed to shudder, and a stream of dust fell from the ceiling. It sounded like a gang skirmish, bigger than normal, and judging from the further tremors it sounded like the Imperials might be getting involved too.
“Alright,” Han said, lifting his arm so Pepper, who had so far been standing to the side as if he was now too cool to seek comfort, could lean into his side. “We’ll just have to take our minds off what’s happening outside.”
Immediately there was a babble of voices all coming up with suggestions, and Han hurriedly quietened them before they woke anyone else up. He knew the consequences of that all too well.
“Han?” said a small girl who he didn’t recognise, she must have arrived recently, “Do you know any stories?”
Han was about to say he didn’t remember any good ones, but grinned at the chorus of hushed enthusiasm. He couldn’t remember any, but he supposed he could make one up.
“Alright, there’s one I know of-“
“Is it exciting?” interrupted Sena, a kid who’d pestered Han incessantly until he taught him to hotwire a speeder, and now proudly stated this fact to anyone who’d listen.
“It is, but I won’t be able to start until everyone is quiet.” Han said with barely held together seriousness as the last whispers were quelled.
“So,” he said, wracking his brains for the details of the dream he’d had several nights ago. “On a planet far away, there was a princess…”
The storm and fighting had long since moved on when morning came, and the first rays of dawn found Han still asleep, surrounded by his charges.