A/N: This author feels terrible about her lack of updates and promises to have the remaining few chapters posted by the end of winter break on Jan. 12th. Thank you and many apologies.

Chapter 25: Secrets Revealed

Han Solo sat in the pilot's chair of the large frigate, with his wife sitting beside him. The ship had been more than large enough to fit everyone in, which was good because coming back here was not something he was interested in doing anytime, well, ever.

They were going through the atmosphere now, and Han couldn't see anything but the mist flying past them. Although it wasn't as disquieting as on the way down because this time he was leaving Thrasali. With a bunch of really happy ex-prisoners who were extremely grateful to be set free.

They eventually broke free of the dark cloud, and Han set to work plotting a course for Coruscant while they waited for the shuttle. Soon, it too came emerging from the blackness.

"We're all ready for you, just head to docking bay 3, alright?"

Han waited for a minute, but there was no response.

"Luke?"

Still nothing.

Then, the shuttle turned and began heading away from the frigate.

"Hey, what in the name of Kashykk is he doing?"

"I don't think that's Luke," Leia said, reaching out in the Force. "Definitely not Luke; all I feel is anger and just un-Lukeness."

"Un Lukeness?"

Leia shrugged, "you know what I mean."

"So should we go after it?"

"I would, yes."

"So essentially you're saying not to, because you know that I usually do the exact opposite of what you tell me to do."

"No, I'm saying chase the shuttle and find out who's on it."

"Oh. Okay." Han plotted a pursuit course as his comlink beeped.

"It's Luke," the voice said when Leia answered. "Be advised, the shuttle just took off, and we aren't on it. There are hostiles within."

"Thanks Luke, we'll catch them in a tractor beam and take care of things."

"Good luck."

#

The shuttle continued to move away from them, but the frigate soon caught up.

"Shuttle, please identify yourself," Han said. There was no reply. "Shuttle, come in," Han tried again.

"I don't think they're going to answer," Leia told him.

"Yeah," Han agreed. "Activating tractor beam."

#

"What just happened?" Rowena demanded, as something shook the shuttle. Bram almost fell out of his chair, and Zevid looked down at the console.

"They've caught us in a tractor beam," Zevid replied, sighing.

"No. No! We've come too far to be stopped now!" Rowena yelled, the weight of the situation finally crushing her.

"I'm sorry, but I think it's over," Bram said. "We should just surrender peacefully, and maybe things will go better for us that way."

"Surrender? Peacefully? After what I've done, which you don't even know the half of, no amount of good behavior now is going to help. I will not surrender, and I most certainly will not start being peaceful now!"

Bram and Zevid remained silent, not sure how to reply to Rowena's outburst. She was quite intimidating in general, not to mention when she was angry.

"We're going to fight!" Rowena's voice grew even more frantic. "They can't take us down!"

"Actually, they can," Zevid interjected. "We're outnumbered, and we really have nowhere to escape to. This shuttle isn't gonna get us too far, considering it has no hyperdrive and they could just engage the tractor beam again."

The zeal faded from Rowena's face, and she sat down, looking too stunned for words. "Everything," she whispered. "Everything I've worked for all these years is over, just like that. Do you know what I went through to get here? I was just another spice smuggler, trying to make my way in the galaxy, and this planet was hope for something greater."

Zevid looked down on the floor, but Bram met her gaze. He'd never seen her like this, so distraught. She was always so in control, even when she wasn't, and things always seemed to pan out in the end.

"Rowena," he began, then paused, unsure if his words would bring comfort or more anger. "I know it's hard to let go, but it's not over yet. There's always the chance of escape, and you know the coordinates to Thrasali. We can find it again. Maybe we just need to be patient." Bram waited for a response, knowing that patience wasn't a virtue Rowena was fond of. She really wasn't fond of many virtuous things.

"Even if we can go back, we'd have to start over again. All the prisoners have been set free, and I doubt that my blackmail will work a second time. Already I feel that Bryon's had enough. Don't you think?" she asked, turning to Zevid.

"The one time I met with him on Aargau, he seemed quite peeved. But you had information, and he wasn't about to let his reputation be ruined."

"I just don't think even his reputation would keep him from denying me enough funds to start over again."

"That may be true," Bram agreed. "But we don't know, so let's not lose our heads, alright?"

"But that's exactly what's going to happen, don't you see? You two have no idea what I've done, and they'll kill me if they find out who I really am!"

Rowena took a deep breath and slumped down in her chair as the shuttle was swallowed by the larger frigate. Bram had never seen her like this, so defeated. Then again, he'd never seen her when she wasn't the most powerful person around.

"Who are you exactly?" Zevid asked softly, as though he wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer, but at the same time needed to know.

Bram knew for sure that he didn't, but couldn't help listening, and he had to admit that he was curious. He really didn't know Rowena that well; the voyage where they'd crashed on Thrasali had been his first under her command. Bram sighed. Back then when they'd been simple spice smugglers. Now, he had a feeling he was going to find out more about Rowena than he wanted to know.

Rowena leaned forward, activating the manual lock on the ramp. "There, that'll keep them busy for a while." She stared at Bram and Zevid. It was strange having them both in the same room, and for the first time she felt a pang of regret at how she had used both of them.

What's happening to me? Don't go soft now…

She wouldn't. She couldn't. And now she would tell them the truth about herself, therefore ruining any semblance of friendship she'd ever had. But that was okay, because in the end, she was always alone.

"It started during the Yuuzhan Vong War. I was only a teenager, but my parents had died, and I was on my own. They captured me, and spared me only because I agreed to be their spy."

Rowena paused. It was difficult, reliving those memories. Though they had spared her life, the torture had lasted for weeks. But she wouldn't mention that; it had made her strong, shaped her into who she was.

Bram tried to keep the shock he was feeling from being completely spelled out on his face, but knew he was failing. He glanced over at Zevid, who looked a bit shocked, but mostly neutral. Bram wished he had the man's level of self-control.

Rowena continued. "I would provide them information about various things, planets they were planning to overtake, population, things like that. In return, they wouldn't kill me, and gave me just enough monetary compensation to get by. As soon as they were defeated, I became a spice smuggler, doing what I had to get by. And I never told anyone until now."

Bram heard sounds from outside the shuttle, people trying to get in and take them away.

"Why did you tell us now?" he asked softly.

"What do you mean?" Rowena said, looking up at him.

"You said you'd never told anyone before. Why tell us now?"

"Because it's all going to end now. Everything. My life. Hopefully not yours too, but I wanted someone to know."

Zevid nodded. Rowena was turning out to be a much deeper person than he'd assumed her to be. His…interactions with her had always been very shallow.

"Hey, everything's going to be alright," Bram reassured, wishing he could believe the words himself.

"No, it's not. But that's okay." Rowena erased any semblance of emotion from her face and stood. Her wall was back up, and no trace of weakness remained.