Personal conflict did nothing to slow the steady march of the Rebel Alliance toward its goal; re-taking Coruscant. In the five weeks since Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa had discovered they were siblings, much progress had been made. Intelligence gathered by Han and Luke in particular was put to good use during the planning stage. The floor plans, shift changes for guards, and access codes provided by Anakin proved absolutely invaluable. While certain things had been changed, most of the information had already been tested for veracity. Once again, the leaders of the Alliance asked to thank Anakin in some way.

Once again, Anakin declined. He had worked out a schedule for himself in the little cell that he was quite used to. In the mornings before breakfast, he performed a calisthenics routine followed by meditation. After breakfast, he practiced telekinesis and often rearranged what little furniture was in his cell. He had regained enough mental strength to take the entire cot apart, turn every piece 360 degrees, and then put it back together, all while it was floating in the air. He and Luke sometimes had a friendly competition to see who could tie more knots in the spare blanket that was kept at the foot of the cot. The other one had to mentally untie them. Luke wasn't yet dexterous enough with his mind to accomplish such things very well.

That blanket was the one thing Anakin had actually requested for himself. The cell had enough heating to keep the average person comfortable enough, but Anakin had trouble maintaining his body temperature while he slept and had a tendency to get cold in the thin prisoners' uniform. Such things made him feel old...until Luke commiserated a low tolerance for cold weather. That was due to growing up on Tatooine.

After lunch, depending on whether or not Luke visited, there was a scheduled checkup, or an Alliance official came to speak with him, Anakin practiced endurance. Sometimes he would get into a plank position and lock his elbow to see how long he could hold himself up. Sometimes he simply performed a stretch for several extra minutes. Lately he had gotten ambitious and begun doing one-armed handstands. He could not yet hold himself up for more than half a minute, but even that was preferable to sitting around feeling sorry for himself.

Dinner was usually the most enjoyable meal of the day. Anakin's stomach tolerated the stronger proteins well, and his eating habits were more or less normal by then. Even prison food was ten times better than Med-Paste. The one thing his digestive system did not tolerate well was legumes. They left him bloated and gave him gas bad enough to knock over a ronto at forty paces.

Apart from Luke's visits, after dinner was Anakin's favorite part of the day. That was when he used the small set of tools Luke had given him to tinker with anything he could get his hand on. Using the Force to hold the multitool, he had already disassembled and reassembled his right arm several times. It occurred to him that with a few modifications he could use the tools to escape, but the thought was always brushed aside. Why should I want to escape? He told himself. I have everything I need.

This was not to say that Anakin enjoyed being in prison. He missed being able to move about freely without a conglomeration of armed guards. He missed fruit that didn't come from a preservation container. He missed being able to run in wide-open spaces. He missed practicing swordplay. He missed trees, grass, fresh air, sunlight, and just being outdoors.

Part of Anakin also wanted to be involved, to be actively going against the Emperor's forces. While he could never again call himself a Jedi, there were ways in which he could help. He had over twenty-six years of combat experience as a pilot and knew Imperial formations and attack patterns better than anyone alive.

But he was still a prisoner. The Rebellion could not be expected to give the most notorious political prisoner in their history control of a fighter. Had the Rebellion any two-man fighters, it might have been a different story. That, and even with all the improvements, the medics still considered him 'medically fragile'. He needed extra oxygen to stay alive. His body might not even be able to handle the physical strain anymore.

Losing his physical prowess was a small price to pay. I am free from the Dark Side. My children are near and I have a good relationship with my son. I am safe and well-treated. Even that is more than I deserve.

Luke wasn't surprised when there was a buzz at the entrance to his quarters in the middle of his afternoon meditation. What surprised him was who stood on the other side of the door.

It was Han, and he looked agitated...perhaps guilty. He gave a brave attempt at a smile. "Hey, buddy. What's up?"

Luke shrugged. "Nothing much. How about you?"

Han pursed his lips. "Ah...I need your help. You got a minute?"

Immediately Luke straightened his spine. "Sure, Han. What do you need?"

The man shifted his weight around. "I gotta talk to you 'bout something...'bout Leia. I messed up big time."

Uh-oh. Luke's protective nature kicked in and half a dozen scenarios ran through his head. He had to remind himself that this was his best friend. Never would Han do something to hurt his sister. He forced back judgment and beckoned to the man. "Come on in." He waited until he and Han had sat down at the table. "What's wrong?"

Han looked as though he wanted to sink through the floor as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small ring. "I proposed."

Luke's eyebrows shot up and he almost smiled. He had been expecting this for weeks. I was wondering when he'd get up the courage. But poor Han looked so downcast...and of course he still had the ring. "Didn't go so well?"

Sadly Han shook his head and dropped the ring on the table. "Yeah, no kiddin'."

Luke let out a short sigh. Somehow this didn't surprise him either, with as upset as Leia had been that morning. "What happened?"

Han shrugged. "I dunno. I made her a nice dinner and dressed up...guess I was tryin' to impress her. When I asked, she got kinda upset. We got into an argument and she stormed off."

Luke frowned. Leia loves him. The way she talks about him is proof enough for anyone with eyes. The timing might not be so good right now with everything that's going on, but I can't imagine why she would say no. "Did she say why?"

Han shook his head. "Nah, but I can guess. Either she's scared, or...or she doesn't care as much as she says."

Slowly Luke nodded. Anakin. Leia simply would not release her anger toward the man, nor would she accept him as her father. It concerned Luke that his sister was so stubborn about letting go of her fear and anger. "Well, there isn't much doubt about how she feels about you. But, I think it goes beyond just fear. There's a lot going on right now and she feels overwhelmed."

"And I just added to it?" Han cringed. "Great. Maybe I shoulda asked you first."

"No. Leia is her own person and can make her own decisions." Luke's mouth twitched into a smile of amusement. "I appreciate that you value my opinion, though."

"Yeah, well...guess I just don't want a Jedi gettin' mad at me." Han shrugged.

Luke sighed. "Well in that case, I'm not the one you have to worry about. If you wanted to ask anyone, you should ask Anakin."

Han's expression soured. "Look, Luke...I know how you feel about him, but Leia doesn't feel the same way. She wants nothing to do with him, and I don't blame her."

Luke nodded sadly. "I know. And I'm afraid it's her anger that's keeping her from opening up to you."

Han eyed his friend warily. "You're not gonna go into one of those Jedi speeches, are 'ya?"

"Of course not." Luke offered Han a slight smile. "If you want to know what I think, I think she couldn't find a better man anywhere in the galaxy. Just give her some time, Han. Everything has been happening so fast lately and she's been overwhelmed."

Han blew out a short breath. "How long?"

Luke shrugged. "I can't say. But don't worry. She'll let you know."

"Sure hope so. Thanks, buddy."

"Anytime."

"General Solo, report to the conference room. Commander Skywalker, report to the conference room," said the sudden demand over the intercom.

Han and Luke exchanged surprised glances before rising from their seats and heading for the door. "Wonder what that's all about?" Han muttered.

Luke had a distant look on his face. "Coruscant. Leia was saying we're just about at the final planning stages now. I guess this is the last meeting before the details are ironed out."

The conference room was packed. Every ranking officer from Major to Admiral was present. Every available seat was taken, so roughly half a dozen men and women were forced to stand. At one end of the table sat Admiral Ackbar, Mon Mothma, General Madine, and General Reikeen in a semi-circle. At the other end sat Leia, Major Derlin, Colonel Howen, and Luke. Though he was a Commander, the Alliance still valued his insight. Han had been offered a seat next to Leia but chose to stand. The last thing she needed were any distractions.

"If everyone is here, I think we should begin," rasped Admiral Ackbar. "Princess, if you will?"

"Thank you, Admiral." Leia surveyed the group around her with nerves that barely showed past her strong, serious demeanor. "First of all, I wanted to thank you all for coming. It isn't easy to get all of the Alliance officers together in one place, and I appreciate your dedication." She took a deep breath. "As you all know, the destruction of the second Death Star dealt a heavy blow to the Empire. Their forces are now scattered throughout the galaxy. Thanks to our constant minor ambushes and attacks, they're on edge. Even the Emperor is on the run. Our movement is gaining much ground and there are more star systems rallying to our cause every week." Her rising smile faded. "But the Empire is still in control of the majority of the galaxy. In order for our victory to be complete, there is one system that needs to be taken...the capital, Coruscant itself."

Murmurs of agreement and approval rippled across the room. Han pulled his hands from his pockets and crossed his arms. Here we go. He glanced at Luke, who seemed just a little tense. Luke met his eye and gave a slight nod.

Leia continued. "Obviously taking Coruscant is not going to be easy. It's the center of Imperial control and has twice as many defenses as any other Imperial world. For the last six months, we have been gathering as much intelligence as we can, as well as re-grouping our scattered forces. But now, the time has come." Leia's voice rose with determination. "The Alliance is now stronger than it's ever been. It's time we send a final message to the Empire by taking control of Coruscant. It's time we put an end to this war and begin to re-build the Republic as it once was." She nodded across the table. "Now, we must iron out the specifics. I now turn the floor over to to General Madine."

Madine nodded back to Leia. "Thank you, Princess. Working with the intelligence provided to us by Commander Skywalker and Anakin, we've been able to determine the best way into the Imperial Palace." He pulled up a holo of the palace and turned to Luke. "Commander Skywalker, do you have an estimate of the number of guards surrounding the palace?"

Luke rose to his feet to indicate each point of interest. "On the outside there appeared to be about ten guards per entrance. With two outer gates and four entry points, that makes a total of sixty on the outside. Given the intel, we should expect a bare minimum of six guards per floor on the interior. That's not counting the garrison of troopers spread around the entire complex."

Han cringed and glanced around the room to gauge reactions. That's an awful lot of bodies to cut through.

Madine lifted his eyebrows. "And on what floor is the control room?"

"It's on Level Zero; basically, it's in the basement."

"And has Anakin said if the number of guards varies as to whether or not the Emperor is present?"

"Yes. He says that on the exterior, the number of guards is the same, but on the interior, the number rises when Palpatine is around."

"Thank you, Commander Skywalker." General Madine turned to face the rest of the assembly. "Between myself and the leading strategists of the Alliance, we've determined two possible courses of action for taking the Imperial Palace." He manipulated the hologram to enhance the control room. "The first is the technological approach. We appoint a team of slicers to hack into the automated security systems and disable all sensors and alarms. Then, under cover of darkness, our Y-Wings make a bombing run to the surrounding area to draw the attention as far away from the palace as possible. With the guards occupied, a stealth entry team then gains access to the building itself and clears out as many Imperials as they can from the inside out. We will then have a strong defensible position within the city."

The room rumbled with approval. It was a solid plan.

The General changed the layout of the hologram. Instead of focusing on the palace, it showed the palace as a tiny illuminated building amid the crowded surface of Coruscant. "The second plan is more direct. We bombard the Palace itself, using both X-Wings and Y-Wings to inflict severe damage to the complex. Once the area is in disarray, our ground troops move in and either capture or finish off what remains of the Imperial Guard. Then, assuming the building is still structurally sound, we move in and use it as we have intended. If not, we use one of the neighboring buildings."

Han gave a low whistle, gaining attention from the others. He cleared his throat. "So, what you're sayin' is, either we wait around who-knows-how long for the slicers to do their job and then move in, or we go in, guns blazin', and hope their numbers aren't any bigger than we thought?"

Madine cringed. "Obviously there are disadvantages to both of these plans. With the first, as General Solo has indicated, time is an issue. The Imperial security systems are among the most heavily fortified in the galaxy. Slicing into their computers could take weeks, even with a slicer who knows his way around. And a direct attack, even if it is carried out to the letter, involves the risk of heavy casualties on both sides."

Leia looked disturbed. "And that is something we cannot afford. We've lost too many already." She sighed. "What about civilian casualties? What are your estimates there?"

"Our first priority in all of this is to keep them down to a minimum. Unfortunately, when it comes to overthrowing a corrupt government, there are always civilian losses. There's no way to give an estimate." Madine blew out a short breath. "When it comes to those on the ground, the first plan carries the least amount of risk."

"Then we'll have to be patient and go with that," said Leia. When several others protested, she shook her head. "I know how you feel about waiting. The Empire has been in control for far too long already, and I'm as eager to see them done away with as you are. I also know that the first plan puts our fighters at the most risk, as they'll be the ones waiting around for the go-ahead from our slicers. We can't very well hope to exact a coup unless we have the support of at least most of the people. After all, it's them we're fighting for...their freedom."

"Right. The last thing we want to do is put them in unnecessary danger," agreed Luke.

"I think everyone can agree on this," interjected Mon Mothma. "The question is, how?"

"I'm sure we'll come up with a solution soon." Luke squirmed in his seat. "Unfortunately, the fighters just can't pick any old spot and hang out there for very long. They only have consumables for about a week."

"I got an idea," offered Han, his hazel eyes lighting up.

Admiral Ackbar turned to him with interest. "What do you suggest, General Solo?"

Han suddenly found that all eyes were on him. He shifted his weight uncomfortably and cleared his throat. "Well...Coruscant's moon is empty, right?"

Mon Mothma nodded cautiously. "As far as habitation is concerned, yes. Several thousand years ago, colonization was attempted, but the lack of both a breathable atmosphere and sufficient gravity prevented such a thing. All that remains are a few abandoned buildings and several unmanned weapon platforms that happen to still be in operation."

The former smuggler continued as if he hadn't heard about the weapons. "But the moon swings in one of those orbits where only one side faces the planet all the time...geo-something-ous..."

"Geosynchronous," provided Leia.

Han nodded, throwing Leia a surprised glance. It was the first time she had spoken to him since his botched proposal. "Thanks. Anyway, I figure set aside one, maybe two carriers, and stuff as many fighters in there as we can. They go in first and land on the backside of the moon. That way they can stay close, but undetected. So when the time comes, they just zip planet side and do their stuff." He spoke as if it would be as easy as throwing a handful of frozen nerf steaks into the heating unit and thawing them out.

Madine exchanged glances with Ackbar and a few others. "What about the weapons platforms? The Empire uses those as the first line of planetary defense."

Han shrugged. "Rogue Squadron blows 'em to smithereens. That's what you were planning on anyway, right?"

"Yes, but not until the last minute," admitted Madine with a frown.

"The Empire is going to know when their first line of defense has been destroyed. Exactly how do you plan on keeping that from them for what could be an extended period of time?" Leia wanted to know.

"If they're unmanned, that means they're run by computer, right? Just slice into the controls first and send an 'all clear' message any time the Empire wants a report."

"If you're going to go that far, then why destroy the weapons systems? Why not keep them intact and use them for our own purposes?" Admiral Ackbar inquired.

"So we can get out with our butts intact in case this whole thing goes to hell," Han answered with a grimace.

The Alliance leaders seemed to sigh and unison and think about it. It was an ambitious plan...crazy, even. No one had ever destroyed the lunar defense systems. But, if it worked, it would allow for the smallest number of casualties. If the early stages failed, the Rebels could still escape and live to fight another day.

Of course, if none of this worked, it was more or less a one-shot deal. Once the bombing run of the capital took place, they Rebellion was committed. Getting away after that would be deadly for all involved. It might be possible for enough Rebels to escape and re-organize, but that could take years.

Finally Madine looked around the room and met the eyes of everyone else. "Well, if there are no objections, I'm going to recommend we go through with General Solo's plan."

Not a single Rebel spoke. Their expressions ran the gamut from worried, to resigned, to optimistic, to resolute.

"All right. It's settled, then," said Mon Mothma.

Leia threw a single glance toward Han to gauge his expression. She expected him to look smug that his idea had been agreed to. She was pleasantly surprised to see him looking embarrassed...even nervous. He's learned humility? Wonders never cease. Quickly she tore her gaze away to address the room. "Very well. All we need now are volunteers." Ninety percent of the room raised their hands. She was surprised again when Luke wasn't the first.

Han was.