Leia leaned against the console, watching the stars being mapped on the screen below her. Verlaine was carefully noting everything down, humming at odd intervals as she worked. Leia recognised it as an old Alderaanian melody, perhaps a lullaby. It was soft, and settled over their workstations like a blanket from home.

"I'm charting their movements now," Verlaine said. "Telemetry indicates they've gone..." She paused, then traced a line upward with her finger. "From Alderaanian space up into Dathomir."

"Dathomir?"

"They've transported loads of prisoners there," Ahsoka cut in. "I've been on too many rescue missions to count, and pretty much half of them were headed to Dathomir."

"Why there? It's not ideal, obviously, but there are so many other planets in the Outer Rim they could have chosen."

Ahsoka shrugged. "The Nightsisters live there. I've had run ins with them before, mainly Asajj Ventress, and from what I know, they'd probably hunt them down. Especially Force-sensitives. Not pretty."

"A penal colony?" Verlaine asked. "That's- I shouldn't be surprised."

"It's the Empire," Ahsoka spat. "Business as usual, for them."

Leia sighed. "We'll have to get ready, and quickly. Dathomir's environment is about as pleasant as this planet's. Only, replace 'wampa' with 'rancor'. I'm not sure which one's worse."

"What about the native Dathomiri?" Verlaine asked. "Will they pose a threat?"

Ahsoka hummed. "Scattered, but a thousand times better than the Nightsisters, or the Zabrak. It's possible they could've taken some prisoners in, sheltered them."

"So there's some hope for our people," Leia said. "It's better than nothing."

Ahsoka smiled sadly. "Better to look on the bright side, right?"

Leia picked at her rations, feeling her appetite turn to nothing. Her people were being herded like nerfs, sent off to the nearest hellhole to die in the cold.

"Snips told me the news," Anakin said, sliding into the chair opposite her. His tray was noticeably full, as it always was. Twenty years being fed through a tube would do that to somebody.

"Hopefully we can get my people safely onto Hoth, and then onto one of the other Alliance-occupied planets in the Outer Rim. If I get my way, it'll be one that makes for a better vacation spot than this igloo."

Anakin huffed a surprised laugh. "Sounds like a plan. You are inviting me and Obi-Wan, right?"

"We'll need as many people as we can get."

"Mothma isn't gonna be happy, is she?"

"Not in the slightest, but I have to do this. I must save what's left of my people."

"I understand." He stuffed a forkful of food into his mouth, chewed, and made a face. "What happened to the fruit we collected? This tastes like dirt."

There was a sudden surge of anger in the Force, and Leia inclined her head to look at a group of Rebels heading back from the serving line, trays clenched tightly in hand. "Complaining already, are you, Vader? Not to your Imperial liking, is it?"

Anakin blinked. "Well, you gotta admit..." The Force surged once more, and her heart sunk. Her father wouldn't want any conflict so early into his stay on Hoth, if only because she would throw him to the brig for it, but he was still Darth Vader, and his volcanic temper likely had disappeared into the fray in much the same way as his Imperial-accented, imposing Basic. It hadn't. Not truly.

"We take what we can get, here." The Rebel's face twisted to a vicious sneer, and he slammed his tray down onto the table in clear disgust, rattling it and the others dining in the canteen. Everyone's eyes drifted to theirs, raising the hairs on the back of Leia's neck.

"Now, you listen here," Leia cut in. "You had orders, officer, to remain civil with other Alliance members."

"He's not an Alliance member."

"Hey!" Anakin said, smile friendly still. How long would it remain that way? "I resent that implication."

"Do you? You know it's true."

"Since when were you the authority on Alliance membership, officer? I don't seem to recall making you head of Recruiting."

The tray, wafer thin and half-broken already, began to shake. "No, ma'am. Of course not. I apologise for speaking out of turn."

"As you were, officers." If looks could kill, Leia would be facing charges. She had expected this, naturally. There was a certain amount of validity in their dissent, as she often felt like throwing a tray at Anakin herself, but there was a chain of command here. They didn't have the distinct pleasure of being as rigidly-structured as the Empire, but they needed order and cohesion if they planned on winning any more of this war.

"That was a close one, huh?" Anakin was still smiling, but his eyes were flecked with gold, and his teeth clamped together behind a bitten-back growl.

"We don't need any more trouble," Leia said plainly. "If you can't stay calm-"

"I'm fine," Anakin spat. His fork clattered into his leftovers, bent and disfigured by the imprints of his fist. Much like the cup Leia had shattered.

"We're not your maids. Have that fork fixed," she said. "We're low enough on supplies already."

"I'm not the one starting confrontations in the cafeteria!" Anakin protested.

"They were out of line, but the Jedi are above that sort of thing, aren't they?"

"They're supposed to be, but I never was much of a Jedi." He smoothed out the fork, and twirled it in his rations absently. "I guess I should have expected it, right?"

"You know better than I do what you've done." She sighed. "I have to ask, but would you recognise your victims if you saw them again? I can guarantee a lot of them are right here with you."

"Maybe not," Anakin admitted. "I killed and tortured hundreds. Their faces blurred after a while. I'd probably feel it in the Force, though."

"Did the Force have anything to say just then?"

"No. I think they were just mad, Leia. It does happen sometimes."

"I'm more than familiar with it." She shook her head. "At least I know where I get my temper from."

He put a hand over hers. "I'm trying. Hey, I fixed your fork, right?"

Leia stared at him, at the gold-speckled eyes, sharp behind that smile. "You don't need to keep acting, Father. I can take it."

Anakin threw his hands up. "Why does everyone always think that?"

"You're saying it's not true?"

"I'm supposed to be finding a balance, here."

"How's that working out for you?"

"One is always more present than the other," he said, slow. "Wouldn't you prefer Anakin to Vader, Leia?"

"Not like this."

"I should tell Mon," was the first thing to come out of her mouth. "Don't look at me like that," was the second.

Ahsoka held out incredulous hands, pleading. "Are you actually crazy?" she asked. "Mon will never let us go!"

"And she'll search the whole damn galaxy for us if we go missing!"

Ahsoka turned and paced, shaking her head to herself, lekku caught over her shoulders. Her boots scraped against the ice, and her fast breaths came in visible puffs, warm against the harsh air.

"You'll wear a trail through your quarters like that," Leia said.

"Might actually make it look better, you never know." She touched a hand to her headdress, adjusting it lightly, and kicked at the chipped slush she'd worn into the floor. Leia stepped aside to avoid the wet spray.

"It's better if we tell her," Leia said.

Ahsoka paused, coming to rest in the middle of her lap around the room, feet making one last crunch in the snow. "She'll try everything to get you to stay, Skygal."

"I wouldn't be so sure." Leia hated to call in her favours like this, but her people needed her. Mon had given them all leeway, promoted her and her family to high rank, but would she let them leave? Leia wasn't above begging. "We did a lot for her, out there. I flew like a Skywalker for once in my life."

"Well, that's something," Ahsoka said. She patted Leia's shoulder. "Not see-through. You sure you're not a ghost?"

She smiled, teasing. "Quite sure."

"You think she's gonna let you leave because she almost got you killed?" Ahsoka hummed. "And what, she's guilty about it?"

"I wouldn't use her like that," Leia said. "I just think she might be willing to let us do what we want now, since it's gotten us this far already."

"Hah! Has it?" Ahsoka gestured widely. "I wouldn't call this 'very far'. It's a step down from Yavin 4."

"The Death Star is no longer any concern of ours." Leia crossed her arms. "I'd like to think our plans have been working out so far."

"Well, I wouldn't call them plans." Ahsoka grinned. "Okay, give it a try, Skygal, but don't be surprised if she gets her robes in a twist."

"That'd be a sight."

The corridor buzzed with energy, and Leia had to carefully twist and manoeuvre to squeeze by the Rebels bustling past. All of them were a little blue in the face, noses chapped red, snuggled in thick coats and goggles. With all the extra padding, Echo Base's hallways felt about as bouncy as a mattress.

It was a winding path to Mon's quarters, walls like the sky surrounding her on every side. She rushed faster and faster, footsteps echoing around her like a phantom chorus. She was incredibly unsettled all of a sudden, like someone close had just been snatched away. The Force seemed to echo alongside her, a second-hand terror seeping through from above, oozing like a Hutt. She'd have to make her visit with Mon quick. Something was very wrong.

She rapped on the door, unable to keep still, and shifted from foot to foot until Mon opened.

"What's happened? You look awful."

"Thank you for the compliment, ma'am. I'll make this quick." She glanced down either side of the corridor, as if she expected some great beast to come crashing through and swallow them whole. Of course, there was only silence. The base was perfectly fine. "I'd like to request permission to leave briefly. There's an Imperial transport full of Alderaanian prisoners headed straight to Dathomir."

"I was aware." Mon's eyes narrowed. "You wish to save these people?"

"My people."

"Very well. Take a full security detail, whomever you wish. Do not go in alone, Princess. You're invaluable to the Alliance, now more than ever. Is that clear?"

"As crystal, ma'am."

"Well, then, I'll let you go. Please don't suddenly inherit your father's recklessness, Leia."

She snorted. "Not a chance."

The terror only heightened as she continued through the base. Finally, when the stranger's panic was so gripping, Leia forced herself into the hangar bay, looking for a snowspeeder, a tauntaun, anything. This person was in terrible danger, and Leia felt somehow like she knew them. The fear flooded everywhere, and Leia couldn't hear or think above the high whine in her ears, but she was sure it felt familiar. She hurried forward, and slammed into something thick-coated and grumpy.

"Hey, Your Highness, you wanna watch where you're going?"

"Han, you're just the person I need." She grabbed him by the lapels and pulled him along to a side corridor. He stared at her with wide eyes, stumbling after her likely out of shock rather than a wish to cooperate. "Have you seen Luke?"

"Luke?" Han bit his lip, thinking. "Last I saw him, we were patrolling together. I'd hoped he got in alright." Worry, on top of the fear she already had pounding her skull, began to wash in from Han. "You saying you haven't seen him at all?"

"No. There's something wrong, I can feel it. He's terrified. At least, I think it's him." She ground her teeth. "I'm sure it's him. There's no-one else on this base I can sense as well."

"Damn, I can't let anything happen to the kid." Han smiled, humourless. "He's the only one who'll put up with me around here."

"All the more reason to hurry up," Leia said. "We have to get out there."

"I'm not saying no, but shouldn't we come up with a plan first? I thought we might give one a try, y'know. A trial run."

"I'll take a snowspeeder, so the cold doesn't kill us first. If we can haul a tauntaun along-"

"Use one to get into tight spaces, right? Search everywhere?"

"If we leave the speeder, we'll freeze to death." The Force sounded like it was howling. Leia wished she knew how to lessen the effect. How was any Jedi expected to think like this? Hell, this was probably the reason they shunned attachments. "No, nevermind that. It doesn't matter now. Whatever it is that's got him, it's getting worse."

"Take it easy, Princess." Han frowned. "We'll get him back."

"I'll get supplies, you get the tauntaun. If you're here first, leave without me. I'll catch up to you later." She turned on one heel, then looked back at Han. "And pack warm, laserbrain! The temperature drops at night."

"It can get colder around here?" Han muttered.

Then, she was off, racing through the base to the storage room in long strides, stalking along like her father. She'd need food first, then extra coats, then the portable medkits, if they were going to survive the night outside. They wouldn't be getting back inside until dawn, not once the blast doors had closed. Force hope the snowspeeder had enough space for them all.

Author's Note: HELP ME, STAR WARS EXPANDED UNIVERSE, YOU'RE MY ONLY HOPE. FOR ANOTHER MONTH OR SO, AT LEAST. THEN THE FORCE AWAKENS WILL JOSS ALL OF THIS. (The chapters are still a bit short, though, I'm sorry! Sometimes I get these dreaded moments of "Oh god, what the hell have I done? Is this my life now?" and can't type out words. Then I have to go stress eat and pretend I'm not as lame as I really am for a while.)

Edit: Um, I caught a small little error of mine, and I'm pointing it out in the interest of honesty. Leia mentions wampas by name, but I'm totally aware that none of them have any clue wtf that crazy shit is in canon. I mean, who the fuck stays on Hoth long enough to name its native monsters? UH, SO, LET'S PRETEND SHE HAS A VESTED INTEREST IN THOROUGHLY RESEARCHING THE HORRIBLE PLANETS THE REBELS HAVE TO CONSTRUCT BASES ON? /Is embarrassed