[ for half a second — okay, maybe more of a second — he was sure he hadn't been able to. the most important task in his mostly inglorious life, and he failed to reach ben.
then he hears the words, set off the charges, and something a lot like joy flutters weakly in his chest. even with his arm trapped behind him, it only beats stronger. han disregards the stormtroopers, the two watching above, to find chewie, one large hand gripping the railing, and staring down at them with an intensity han recognizes and has only seen a handful of times before, each time when han was two minutes from dying. mouth pressed into a thin line, han gives a slight downward jerk to his chin.
decades together allows chewie to translate han's meaning even at a distance. though chewbacca visibly hesitates, they have been working too long now for him not to trust han. the wookiee palms the detonator. ( they both knew. they never discussed it. maybe neither really thought about it. but they both knew.
there was only one way han would walk out of here. )
the explosion sends tongues of fire outwards and up. he has to close his eyes against the intensity of the fireball. the shouts and screams of those caught in the blast are lost to the tortuous screech of metal breaking and scraping the walls on its way into the pit. the shock extends to them on the walkway in vibrations that seep through the soles of his shoes and through his bones. han is grateful for the arm at his back. it keeps him steady.
when he opens his eyes, he sees chewbacca trading blaster fire with the stormtroopers. rey and finn fire on them from above. his hand twitches for his own blaster. instead, he finds ben's arm, tugs him along. ]
no subject
then he hears the words, set off the charges, and something a lot like joy flutters weakly in his chest. even with his arm trapped behind him, it only beats stronger. han disregards the stormtroopers, the two watching above, to find chewie, one large hand gripping the railing, and staring down at them with an intensity han recognizes and has only seen a handful of times before, each time when han was two minutes from dying. mouth pressed into a thin line, han gives a slight downward jerk to his chin.
decades together allows chewie to translate han's meaning even at a distance. though chewbacca visibly hesitates, they have been working too long now for him not to trust han. the wookiee palms the detonator. ( they both knew. they never discussed it. maybe neither really thought about it. but they both knew.
there was only one way han would walk out of here. )
the explosion sends tongues of fire outwards and up. he has to close his eyes against the intensity of the fireball. the shouts and screams of those caught in the blast are lost to the tortuous screech of metal breaking and scraping the walls on its way into the pit. the shock extends to them on the walkway in vibrations that seep through the soles of his shoes and through his bones. han is grateful for the arm at his back. it keeps him steady.
when he opens his eyes, he sees chewbacca trading blaster fire with the stormtroopers. rey and finn fire on them from above. his hand twitches for his own blaster. instead, he finds ben's arm, tugs him along. ]
We have to go! Come on!