CHAPTER 2:

With his hands on his hips, General Han Solo watched another group of prisoners being led away to the stockade that once belonged to the Empire. They had captured a large number of stormtroopers and Imperial officers, and he hoped the stockade would hold them all. Han also wondered what would happen to these prisoners after the Alliance forces returned control over to the citizens of Ganga. Many wanted retribution for the crimes committed against them. Of course, the higher ranking officers would be transferred to Chandrila where the new government was establishing itself. These officers would be tried by the inter-galaxy courts to prevent unnecessary bloodshed on Ganga.

Those lower officers and stormtroopers would most likely be sent to re-education camps. Han pressed his lips together. How was that different from the Empire's tactics? He wasn't sure how he felt about that. There were those citizens who supported the Empire either because they believed in the Empire or wanted to save their own lives. This dilemma could be trouble for the Alliance. If the Empire was able to take control again, their victories here on Ganga would be wasted, and the Alliance would be threatened. Still, re-education camps? It made Han uneasy.

Solo would leave some troops behind to protect the captured Imperials and keep peace until the capital city, Brey, could re-form a working government. The Alliance's resources were being stretched thin. How long could they keep peace in the territories they regained from the Empire?

Although Han and his troops achieved victory in Brey, the battle wasn't over. There were still pockets of Imperial activity on Ganga, and Grand Moff Timian managed to escape. Han set up a search team comprised of a few of his special opts men and some Ganga guerilla fighters.

While the fierce tribes of Ganga executed guerilla attacks on the Empire's forces, their tribes battled each other for territory and resources on a constant basis. Once they formed alliances amongst themselves, they were effective at making life difficult for the Empire. However, they couldn't defeat the Empire because they lacked the military weapons and might to do so. The Alliance recognized the importance of taking Ganga—the planet was rich in resources— and finally sent armies and air support to assist the Ganga citizens. Han was just one of a handful of generals sent to retake cities and flush out the Imperials.

The former smuggler shook his head. Mon Montha would soon send a diplomatic envoy to Ganga once most of the Empire was defeated. Most likely Leia would be sent. She would have her work cut out for her. Han doubted that a society that only knew of power struggles and war would accept a democratic government. Leia believed that democracy was the only fair and successful way to govern; everyone should have a voice. Although her views had hardened over the years, she held on to her belief in democracy with a tight fist.

"General," Commander Fallion marched up to Han. "The prisoners are secure and the remaining Imperials are fleeing south."

"Towards Se'lego."

The corner of Han's lip curled. That city was the closest city to Brey. If the Imperials reached Se'lego, Han and his troops could be facing another drawn out battle. A battalion of Imperials kept the citizens living in Se'lego in line. If the Imperials managed to regroup, and Grand Moff Timian reached that city…Han sighed. His troops were tired and worn out from their eleven—week battle. How much longer can they carry on?

General Solo needed reinforcements.

"Corporal Fallion. Contact General Madine. Request more troops."

"Yes, sir." Fallion saluted and turned on his heel.

Han cringed. He'd never get used to being addressed as "sir" or "general." He was never a soldier, and until he fell in love with Leia, he never planned on being a soldier. Organizing troops, strategizing, losing men, the destruction that war brought to the lives of the soldiers and the innocent citizens caught in the cross fire…to be truthful, he had no stomach for it. But Han proved to have a special talent for leading.

You're a natural leader, Leia once told them—while she and he were engaged in another argument on Hoth.

Still, there was some truth to Leia's words. Men looked up to Han—a former smuggler and criminal—and they enthusiastically followed him into battle. Han stayed with the Rebellion because of Leia, joined to prove his commitment to her. But that commitment to her turned into a true commitment to the Alliance. He now believed in the cause. So now Han did what he had to do.

Solo returned his hazel eyes to his surroundings. So much damage, but it was unavoidable. Still, he couldn't help feeling guilty; the Gangians had a lot of rebuilding to do. The Alliance would not take part in the reconstruction. They didn't have the credits to help. Their monetary resources went into re-establishing the Republic. Han hated city battles—all those citizens displaced, all the ones who couldn't get out—but sometimes it was a necessary evil. Still, he wasn't sure how long he'd be able to do this job. He already had taken on too many of these missions, and they were wearing him down.

When would Han finish his mission and return to Candrila, return to Leia? Eleven weeks had already passed. If he and his troops didn't stop the remnants of Imperials before they reached Se'lego, the battle could rage on for another two months or longer.

Han terribly missed Leia. She and Chewbacca had left Chandrilla several days before Han did. Mon Montha sent her to Coruscant to iron out some wrinkles created by the squabbling remnants of the nobles and delegates who were supposed to be working together to re-establish order on a planet now devoid of order. Chewie served as her pilot and bodyguard. At least Han knew she was safe.

Solo smiled to himself as he recalled the Corellian curse words Leia muttered under her breath as she boarded her shuttle. After years of fighting side-by-side with the rebel soldiers, with him, she found the role of a diplomat boring and tedious. She despised playing politics.

Although Han preferred to have Leia fighting by his side, those diplomatic missions the High Command sent her on were safer. Less chance of her getting shot, and less change of her getting killed. Solo smiled to himself. If Leia knew that thought passed through his mind, she would have more than a few choice words for him.

Han's mood sobered. He hated that their roles in the Alliance kept them apart far too often. They had pockets of time together; a few weeks here, some days there. They're new relationship strained under the weight of their commitments. Maybe next mission, he could be assigned as her bodyguard. He wouldn't mind escorting her around the galaxy for a while. Han missed the openness of space and Leia's relaxed smile when she was aboard the Falcon. He could use a break from the death around him.

After all the death he had experienced, Han realized how precious life was in a way he never realized before. He had begun to fear dying in one of these battles—though this fear did not hinder his wits. He took fewer risks because he now had something truly meaningful in his life: Leia.

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Leia took a deep breath; she was rewarded with sharp pain all over body. She cringed; there didn't seem a place in her body that didn't hurt. She remained still as she replayed the crash. Their ships weren't brought down by lightning or any other natural electrical currents. No, this was man-made. She had never experienced this phenomenon before and didn't know if the Imperials had this kind of technology. It was possible, Leia supposed. The Empire was always experimenting with new technologies. However, this was powerful enough to shut down the controls of an X-wing and override manual control. She couldn't imagine that the remnants of the Imperials would have the resources and the power to create a weapon that tore ships from the sky.

The princess couldn't help but wonder how she survived the crash. She had blacked out and had no memory of hitting the ground. She remembered pulling the ejection lever, but the parachute to slow the decent of the X-wing never opened and her ejection from the cockpit never happened. She should have been dead. Leia bit her lip. Just because she was still alive, didn't mean she was out of the woods yet. From the pain she was experiencing, her injuries were severe.

Leia slowly opened her eyes. Everything was blurry. She blinked a few times to clear her vision, but while her vision improved, things still remained fuzzy around the edges. She squinted as she looked around. Her X-wing was tipped to the left, and the swampy water she landed in reached a few inches below the cockpit. She was surrounded by large trees with moss hanging in ropes from their branches.

Another deep breath racked her body with more pain. Leia concentrated on taking shallow breaths. Her head ached, and she reached up to remove her helmet. Her eyes fell on her burnt finger tips sticking out of the holes in her gloves. She pressed her lips together, removed her helmet, and dropped it. It made a small splash as it hit the brown water. Then she touched her temple; her hand was covered in blood.

Leia grimaced as she undid her restraint. At least she felt pain in all parts of her body; there were no signs that she was paralyzed in any way. However, her injuries kept her movements small, and getting out of her X-wing would prove to be a challenge. Even if she was able to climb out of her damaged ship, she wouldn't get far. Not to mention that she was stuck in a swamp with no idea of where she was exactly or which direction led to the nearest city or town. For all she knew she was in the heart of Imperial territory. Maybe if she could assess the damage of her ship…

"Aw!"

She froze where she was and let the sharp wave of pain subside. Leia expelled a sarcastic laugh as she wondered what odds C-3PO would give her chance of survival. Probably not good, definitely not in her favor.

The princess closed her eyes and her thoughts turned to Han. Han didn't know that she had taken on this recognizance mission; he didn't know where she was, and he wouldn't be coming to her rescue this time. Even if Han could find her, Leia doubted that she would survive long enough for any rescue.

What was the last thing she had said to him? Leia couldn't recall. Were they arguing? Did she tell him that she loved him as she left for another tedious diplomatic mission? Would whatever she said be the last thing she said to him? What did she say? If only she spent more time saying good-bye to him. Leia vowed to herself that she would give him the longest good-byes possible if she got out of this mess. She definitely needed to request some time off for Han and herself, or at least request to accompany him on his missions.

"Princess!"

Leia opened her eyes to find Prog next to her fallen X-wing. The swampy water came up to his hips, blood flowed from his nose and from a deep gash in his arm, and his skin was pale.

"Prog," she breathed. "You survived."

"So did you." The X-wing pilot smiled at her, though his voice was strained.

"What about Drek and Remi?"

"I haven't—"

Prog's mouth morphed into shock. Blood poured out of the slice in his neck that wasn't there a moment ago.

"Prog?"

Prog dropped into the water. In his place, a man stood holding a curved blade in his hand. The man was tall and wore armor formed out of dragon scales. He also wore a sanguine cape and high boots over his khaki pants. Leia thought that khaki pants were the wrong color for a swamp, hard to keep clean. And the cape? People in capes usually had not-so-good intentions. Darth Vader wore a cape; a picture of the black material swirling around him, the menace in his sharp moves came to her mind. But Lando wore a cape, Leia remembered, and he turned out saving her and Chewie's life. However, he also betrayed Han before he saved their lives. No, capes did not bode well for Leia; Prog was dead, killed by this unknown man, and she had little hope for the rest of her team.

"Princess Leia Organa, herself," the man growled. "Your Highness," he bowed his head before meeting her eyes again, "We've been expecting you."

Expecting me? A chill ran down Leia's spine. She took note of the two armored men who flanked him. Not Stormtroopers.

"How did you know…"

"It was you?"

She looked up into his golden eyes. She would have nodded if that movement wouldn't ignite pain.

"Your presence is strong in the Force."

The princess opened her mouth but found no words. The man raised his gloved hand to her head. Her eyelids grew heavy. She fought to keep her them open, but she was weak and succumbed to the man's will.

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Leia… Luke Skywalker dropped the box with his name written on it, closed his blue eyes, and concentrated. Her presence in the Force was weak, but he could feel her. She was still alive; Luke could take solace in that. However, there was something like a dark aura hovering over her. Where was she? Not on Chadrila. He dug deeper inside himself, focusing only on his sister. The Outer-Rim, but where?

Luke grimaced. A shadow of pain radiated through his body, a flash of anger and confusion. Leia must have been injured, but she was safe for the moment; that much Luke could sense.

Still….

The last Jedi pulled out his commlink and activated it.

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"General Solo!"

Standing in the tent over the hologram of the terrain between Brey and Se'lego, Han was surrounded by several of his top officers. He scowled and looked up from the map.

"This better be important, Sergeant," he growled.

"The Imperials' long-distant jamming signal is down."

"Great."

"Commander Skywalker has sent a message."

"What is it?"

"He wants you to contact him as soon as possible."

As soon as possible. "Did he say anything else?"

"No."

Something didn't feel right. The kid—no, Luke wasn't a kid anymore—Luke had told Han that he needed to be out of contact with everyone while he searched for information about the Jedi Order. He even cut communication with Leia. What would be so important that he felt the need to break his silence now? Maybe Luke found what he was looking for and has returned to Chandrila.

No, something didn't feel right. Luke wouldn't have contacted Han in the middle of a battle just to let Han know he returned.

"How old's the message?"

"Six days old."

"Great," he mumbled. "Thanks."

Six days and Luke's brief message sounded urgent. But then Luke hadn't been himself since he became a Jedi, and Han could be interpreting Luke's message wrong. Luke carried a weight upon his shoulders and found less pleasure in the things that he enjoyed since he had rescued Han from Jabba. There was something Luke was hiding, something he was ashamed of. Han suspected Leia knew Luke's secret and that it also weighed heavy upon her; she hadn't shared it with Han. As hard as it was, Han didn't push her to betray Luke's confidence, but he couldn't help but feel distant from the two when the three of them were together.

Han stalked to the outer tent of his private quarters—a tent smaller than the command center's—and went straight to the communications station.

"You can take a break, Corporal."

"Thank you, sir."

The corporal rose from his seat and exited the tent. As soon as the corporal stepped out of the tent, Han contacted Luke. Luke's face appeared on the screen.

"Han."

"What's so urgent?"

"Have you heard from Leia?"

"No. The Imps had been jamming our com signals. Why?"

"I've tried to contact her. Do you know where is she?"

"She should be on Chandrila unless they sent her on another diplomatic mission."

"She's not. General Reikken said that she is leading a recognizance mission on Diepre and that she'd be back in two weeks or so if everything goes well."

"Just great," Han muttered. "He told you that, six days ago?"

"No, I contacted him again yesterday."

"Do you think something's wrong?

Luke hesitated. "I…I just to check in with her."

"Why?"

Luke pressed his lips together but then immediately relaxed his face. "It's just a feeling I got."

"A bad feeling?"

"I don't know." Luke sighed. "I just…I'm not even sure what it is."

"You do." Han's brow lowered. "She hurt?"

"Maybe. I don't know." The Jedi looked away. "It wasn't a vision, just a feeling, some kind of shadow."

"Shadow? You have to be more specific."

"I can't."

Solo narrowed his hazel eyes at his friend.

Luke exhaled. "I felt it for just a moment. It's something I can't pinpoint."

"But it's something that made you break your silence."

"It was only a moment that I felt it. I don't feel it anymore, but her imprint in the Force is weak."

"When did she leave for Diepre?"

"A week ago," Luke answered.

"Has Reikken heard from her?"

"No, but that's not anything to worry about. There's a lot of atmospheric interference. Communication has been sketchy at best."

"Is Chewie with her?"

"I don't know. I didn't ask. Reikken says it's a routine recognizance mission. Leia and her team are just doing a fly by to see if there's any Imperial activity."

Han gritted his teeth together. "She's in trouble."

"I don't know."

"But you felt the need to contact her," Han tilted his head to the right. "And contact me."

Luke's lips pulled to the left. "I…I just wanted to check in on her. I thought she might've contacted you."

"Where are you?"

"On Dagobath."

"Chewie should be with her. I told him not to let her out of his sight. He'll keep her safe."

"That's true." Luke's lips twitched. He didn't sense Chewbacca's presence, but he barely registered Leia's presence in the Force. He has a stronger connection to her than the Wookie.

"Maybe I'm just being paranoid." Luke didn't really believe that, though.

Han pulled on his chin. "So you don't think she's in danger?"

Luke closed his eyes and inhaled. "I can't feel anything."

Han swallowed down his panic. "We should go find her."

"You can't leave Ganga, Han. They need you, and I'm not even sure Leia needs our help."

"Leia's more important than this mission."

"I know, but I sense you'll be successful in capturing the Imps before they reach Se'lego. If you leave, the fate of the Alliance could be defeat."

"Because of one battle?"

"Not all battles have been victorious."

"But Leia—"

"I'll take care of her."

"You better."

"Han, she's my sister. I love her as well." Luke's lips stretched into a small sober smile.

There's that look again. Han nodded. Maybe whatever Luke felt had to do with the secret he had with Leia.

"I know. I trust you."

"I promise to contact you as soon as I know anything."

Han stayed at the communications desk after Luke's face faded. Leia could be in trouble, or Luke wanted to contact her because of their secret. Han didn't know what to think.

"General," the corporal popped his head into the tent. "The Command Team needs you."

"Right."