This story is set in my AU version of the original Star Wars EU. It is a companion story to Night Blind, and fits in after Chapter 14. However, you don't need to read that story to understand this one. Spoilers for Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

My thanks to my beta-readers, 2Old4This2 and StatsGrandma57. Any remaining errors are mine. Oh, and I don't own any of this!


Ambassador Leia Organa-Solo sat at the kitchen table, unable to sleep. Her work schedule had been drastically reduced as she neared the end of her second pregnancy, but one problem remained. The New Republic was in the middle of negotiations with a new planetary system, and Mon Mothma was leaning hard on Leia to seal the deal before the baby was born.

Something about the newcomers wasn't sitting well with the princess, but she was having a hard time putting her finger on it. Mothma was tolerant of Leia developing her Jedi powers - particularly if she could add a layer of insight to the New Republic's negotiations - but telling the woman that she had a bad feeling about this wasn't going to fly. Leia needed to pinpoint the source of her discomfort and this was proving elusive.

Mothma, Leia knew, could be blinded by power and money. The older woman was eager to accept Yensid into the New Republic largely because they were a wealthy planetary system. Leia's concern was that they had stipulated two conditions to their acceptance. One, Yensid wanted to change the name of the fledgling Rebel government to the First Order, and two, the Jedi training facility had to be relocated from Coruscant to the Outer Rim.

Much to Leia's surprise, Luke had shown excitement at the idea of moving his beloved school. "I've had nothing but problems with the contractors here on Coruscant. We're way behind schedule for opening as it is," Luke had explained. "If we move, Mon Mothma says that Yensid is willing to double the size of the new Jedi training facility and more than triple our operating budget. Just think of how many Force sensitives we could teach if we only had the resources to find them!"

Leia had frowned at her brother, feeling a peculiar distance starting to form between them. "You told us just a few months ago how important it was for Han to teach with you at the Academy. How can he do that if you move to the Outer Rim?"

The sandy blond had shaken his head with a laugh. "The future is always in motion, Leia."

Recalling the conversation now, Leia had the chills. She tried to wrap her soft housecoat more tightly around her body, but at seven months pregnant, it was a futile gesture. She padded across the cold tile in her bare feet to make a cup of tea when she heard a strangled cry and a thud.

"Han!" She rushed into the master bedroom to find her husband on the floor, tangled in the bedsheets. "Are you all right?"

Han had his hand to his chest, his face contorted in pain. Wordlessly, he shook his head. Leia had just lifted her comm to her mouth to alert the closest Medcenter when there was a pounding on the front door of the apartment.

"Han! Leia!" She could hear Luke's urgent insistence screaming through her mind as well as her ears, but her eyes never left her husband's face. Han gasped, his breathing raspy and irregular, and Leia realized that somehow, the short fall from the bed to the floor had knocked the wind out of him. Slowly, the deathly, waxy white of his cheeks faded as his skin returned to its normal color, and Leia released a breath she hadn't even known she'd been holding. He must have had a nightmare, she realized.

Han nodded at her, an unspoken agreement that they should get the door. It wasn't even daybreak yet; Luke was bound to wake the rest of the household with his incessant pounding. Leia closed her eyes and sent her brother a quick mental rebuke - You're going to wake the twins! - and he ceased his frantic knocking.

But Luke continued to probe her mind, urgent and frightened. I need to see you and Han right now, he insisted.

Han seemed to understand the urgency. With effort, he rose from the knot of blankets and strode out of the bedroom, heading straight for the front door. Leia placed a hand on her belly; the baby kicked back as if he, too, had something urgent to say. Hearing Han curse as he stumbled over one of the twin's toys in the living room, Leia grabbed his glasses from the nightstand. She picked up the quilt at the foot of their bed too. Since his imprisonment in carbonite, Han was always cold after a nightmare; they seemed to trigger tremors and chills.

Leia walked down the hall to find her brother and Han locked in an emotional embrace.

"I was so frightened, Han. I thought I'd lost you." Luke's voice was choked with anguish as he clung to his brother-in-law.

"It's okay, kid. I'm right here." Han, Leia realized, might be the steadier of the two, but he was clearly fighting back tears as well. It was as if the two men had been on a private, painful journey through the nine hells of Corellia. Leia shuddered. What had happened?

As Luke drew back, Leia could see tears glittering in the corners of his eyes. "I've never had a Force vision that seemed so real before, Han. Are you sure you're all right?"

Han's slow nods of yes gradually turned into a head shake. "I don't know," he admitted. Leia and Luke shared a look of panic and Leia could feel her heart begin to race. What if it wasn't a nightmare? Maybe Han had a heart attack!

"We should get you to a Medcenter, Han." Luke voiced what Leia was thinking.

The Corellian shook his head, a hand to his chest. "I think I just fell on something." He lifted his sleep tunic to reveal a jagged red and purple bruise snaking up his body from his abdomen to his torso.

Luke stumbled. "Kylo-" he began.

"Ren," Han finished, wide-eyed.

The two men stared at each other.

Han found his voice first. "We need to talk, Luke."