Well, it was a good thing Niko was able to pilot the ship, because Han didn't know the first thing about Space or flying. In retrospect, it would have been pretty awkward to have to find a pilot on such short notice. Thankfully there was no need. But now, three weeks of training and preparation were ahead of them. And frankly, also three weeks of them being together and with little choice but to better get to know each other. That was fine, he supposed. When it was all said and done, the two could probably stand to gain a bit more trust in one another and this seemed the best way to do that.
Speaking of his background to someone was a bit awkward at first. Where would he even begin, except with his childhood as that was really where it all began for him? Much of the story wasn't a pleasant one, and it largely included Han's rather Spartan-upbringing by his father, who was always more concerned with his own legacy than Han's well-being. Still, Han's techniques had to come from somewhere, and that was it. These parts of the story were told during the first few days, when the two were still getting used to the increased gravity. And for Han, he wound up splitting that time between physical exorcises and meditation. Meditating in this gravity almost reminded him of sitting underneath a waterfall, albeit a rather strong waterfall.
Han trusted Niko's word on the scheduling. Such things were never something he put much priority in so it seemed wise to let the person with experience in such work be the one to plan it out. If asked, Han delved a little deeper into his story by recounting how his training actually began. At age 11, before any actual martial arts training was had, Han was first made to go camping in the wilderness alone for an entire week, armed with nothing but a knife. His father apparently believed this was a way for him to see how much of a natural survival instinct Han had, and the act of hunting for food would go a long way to prepare a young Han for the concept of killing another. It was only after this that the training had begun in earnest.
Once the sparring began, Han found himself reminded of his later training, and even talked a bit about it if asked. Starting at 13, Han's father had secretly instructed one of his previous disciples to attack Han at least once a week when the boy least expected it. He apparently wanted Han's reflexes to stay sharpened, and for him to develop the ability to anticipate traps and ambushes. The one doing the ambushing was in fact Li, one of the two men Han mentioned as a Lieutenant of his father. Li never actually hit Han or tried to kill him of course, instead merely going for a harmless tag or tackle. But from that point on, Li had become the go-to sparring partner for Han's training. And in time, Han began to see a brotherly figure in Li. In fact it always seemed as if Han had more fond things to say of Li than he had of his father. But even his former relationship with Li paled in comparison to one other person.
If there was one thing about his upbringing Han was always willing to talk about, it was his great-grandfather. He was the only one who ever interacted positively with Han. His father had always been distant, and even Li often only acted within the instructions he was given. In fact Han seemed to find every opportunity to bring up his great-grandfather when telling his story. For instance, it was Han's great-grandfather who taught him how to compose haikus. And it always seemed like he had some nugget of wisdom to offer for virtually any difficulty Han was faced with. To hear Han tell it, it was pretty clear that while his father was only interested in turning him into an assassin, it was his great-grandfather that made him into a more honorable martial artist.
Han had no qualms about attempting to the increase the gravity. Part of training was to always push yourself and discover just how far you could go. This seemed no different, to him. But as Mars loomed ever closer, and their arrival more imminent. Han found himself becoming increasingly on edge. It was something that had been nagging at him all along, but now it was becoming impossible to ignore.
"I won't lie to you." Han had said to Niko one day. seemingly out of the blue, "I want to put a stop to my father's machinations no matter what, but..." he gave a long pause, appearing to a tremble a bit, and not due to the gravity, "...the prospect of fighting him. Of fighting Li. Killing them, if it comes to it?" he didn't say anything further, because he didn't need to. It was obvious he was still coming to terms with the idea of possibly having to kill them, and wasn't sure how to process that or whether that would impair his judgement in a future battle. The last thing he wanted was to be a liability, but was he supposed to do?
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