~Bounty: A One Shot~

Racing around a corner, Han Solo ducked as blaster fire peppered the wall above his head. His heart hammered in his chest from the close call.

"Keep up, kid!"

Luke was at his heels. Han did his best to watch him, but it was nearly impossible to do that and run at the same time.

"C'mon, Chewie. Where are you?" he muttered under his labored breaths. As if he heard, a wind tousled through his brown hair and Han glanced up to find the Falcon hovering over an empty hanger. Han turned a sharp right into the hanger as Luke scrambled to stay with him. The co-pilot lowered the ramp and stayed close enough to the ground for his friends to jump on board.

On the open ramp, Luke turned suddenly and ignited his blue lightsaber just in time to deflect a last attempt blaster bolt.

As Chewbacca flew them out of the atmosphere, the two exhausted men plopped onto the couch. They were both sweating and breathless, but they were alive.

"We were just trying to get supplies for the Princess and her Rebellion on her orders and nearly get killed to show for it," Han grumbled, taking a swig from a water canteen.

Luke stripped his yellow jacket that Han had given him and tossed it aside. "The trade was botched. You can't blame Leia for it." Luke took a sip of his own water flask. Now in hyperspace, Chewie poked his head into the common room and moaned with concern.

Han waved to him nonchalantly. "We're fine, pal. Thanks for the pickup."

"Who were those guys?" Luke asked. "They didn't look Imperial."

"No. They're bounty hunters. That scum," he added under his breath in distaste. "They were probably after me. Jabba sent Greedo after you and Kenobi left the cantina on Tatooine. He hasn't forgiven me for dumping the spice."

Thinking that was that, Han stood and started towards his beloved cockpit. Luke stared at the table, his eyebrows drawn together thoughtfully.

"No. No, that can't be right."

Han paused and turned back. "What do you mean? What else could it have been?"

"Jabba doesn't know you've joined–that you're currently working with the Rebellion. So he couldn't have orchestrated a trade with the Rebellion, knowing they would send you there to pick it up as a trap."

Han shrugged. "How do you know? I mean, he could have."

"You haven't shown your face as a Rebel, Han. I did when I destroyed the Death Star and I have been multiple times since."

"Kid, what are you saying?"

Luke shot to his feet and slammed his fist on the table. "It was me, Han! I was the one they were after. Then they saw you with me and thought they could get double prize."

The smuggler rolled his eyes. "Kid, destroying the Death Star without your targeting computer is no small feat, I admit it, but you shouldn't let it get to your head."

"Damn it, Solo. I'm serious!" the farm boy snapped and Han was taken aback. Luke never called him by his fake surname.

"So am I!" he shot back, anger rising in his chest. "Get off your high horse! You don't know what it's like to have a price on your head so heavy you can feel it crushing you and every lowlife in the galaxy hunts your sorry hide to get their share of it, to have to live always glancing over your shoulder because your wanted poster says "Dead or Alive"!"

"Not yet, but I'm going to have to."

"What does that mean?"

"The Empire put a bounty on my head."

Han didn't realize how close he stepped into his friend's face during their heated argument. Luke had been glaring up at him while he had been glaring down. Now he took a step back, stunned. "What? When?"

"After I blew up the Death Star," the Jedi answered more calmly. "That's what I'm wanted for. That and being a Rebel and the last Jedi." He scoffed. "If you didn't know about that, you probably didn't know that Leia also has a bounty now."

"What?"

"She was captured for taking important Imperial secrets and escaped the Death Star, which led them to the Rebel Base. With the Senate dissolved, she confirmed herself a rebel and a leader in the Rebellion, so they naturally put a price on her head."

After a moment to collect himself, Han swallowed his pride. "I'm sorry."

Luke nodded, accepting the apology. "I'm sorry, too."

A comfortable silence filled the space between them, accompanied by the soothing hum of the Millennium Falcon.

"Just out of curiosity," Han began, breaking the silence. "How much is it?"

"Hm?"

The older man rolled his eyes with fond exasperation. "Your bounty. How much is it?"

"Oh. 60,000 credits, I think."

Han Solo's jaw dropped. "What?!"

"What?"

"Mine's only 50,000 credits. How are you worth more than me?"

Luke grinned at his friend's irritation. "Leia's worth 10,000,000 credits."

"For kriff's sake!" Han threw his hands into the air and stormed off into the cockpit.

Laughing to himself, Luke shook his head and moved away from the couch for space to practice blocking stun bolts with his lightsaber.

In the cockpit, the pilot's seat was vacant with Chewbacca sitting in his assigned co-pilot's chair. Han lowered himself into it and immediately began making the necessary calculations to drop out of hyperspace and plot a new course to find Leia's supplies elsewhere.

Chewbacca growled softly, asking if the two friends were okay. Han knew he didn't mean physical harm from the bounty hunters.

"Yeah, Chewie. We're okay."

Author's Note: Based off of the comic Star Wars 17 (2015). I have not read it, but it inspired the argument and Luke Skywalker's reveal of the bounty. May the Force be with you.