Luke felt breathless with shock as he pulled away from his Force-trance. Carbonite! His sister was trapped in the living hell of carbonite. It was too terrible to contemplate, but he finally understood why they had been able to hold her for so long. Luke had been able to draw memories from his sister's mind, even if she could not formulate thoughts well enough to tell him exactly what had transpired. The heat and noise of the explosion. A small cell. Pain. The unmistakable odor of the carbonite chamber. Laughter. He unfolded his legs and stood, shaking and soaked with sweat. Telling Han this information would tear his brother-in-law apart.
He thought back, remembering when Leia had confided in him about Han's terrible nightmares after his ordeal in carbonite, making him promise he would never tell Han she had said anything. It would embarrass him, Leia had said. Still, she had sought Luke's advice, wanting to somehow help Han overcome those horrible memories that refused to let him sleep in peace. Luke had helped Leia with some Force-calming techniques he'd learned over the years, and instructed her on how to apply it to Han while he slept, since Luke suspected that Han wouldn't accept any 'hokey' Force-assistance while he was awake. Months later, Leia had happily reported that Han's nightmares had begun to fade away. The reason would always be a little secret between brother and sister.
And now she was suffering that same torment. Who could be cruel enough to do this? Why would they want to? If it had been to destroy the New Republic, it had not been successful. The government had proved its resiliency in those terrible hours and days after Leia's 'death'. Luke suspected the attack had been personal. Someone had done this because of Leia, not the government. A disgruntled Alderaanian perhaps? There were enough of those around, stupidly blaming Leia for the destruction of their world. Perhaps an attempt by Jabba's relatives to pay her back for the Hutt's demise? But how had they been able to kidnap her after the assassination attempt failed, and more importantly, how had they been able to keep her from reaching out to him through the Force? There were so many questions, and Luke didn't have any answers.
Han shut Jaina's door softly, glad the children had finally fallen back asleep, then wearily made his way back to his own room, collapsing on the bed. Leia's alive... she's alive. The thought filled him with joy and despair. Somewhere, his Leia was being held prisoner. He closed his eyes, trying not to think of all the horrible things that could be, and probably were, happening to her.
It was at that moment Leia reached for him again with the Force, and he knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, he wasn't sleeping this time. Taking deep breaths, he relaxed his body and allowed her full access to his mind. In another time, a different, younger Han Solo would have resented this intrusion into his mind, even by Leia. But no longer, for he knew she was somehow drawing strength from these connections, using them as one would use a life-preserver in the middle of a cold sea. If he could, he'd give her all his strength, and then some. He'd gladly die to save her, so since this mental lifeline was something he could do for her, he'd do it willingly. He could have sworn he heard her whisper.. in his ear? his mind?.. I love you. Although he didn't have the ability to send words back to her, he still thought, 'I know'.
Hapes
"How did it die?" Ta'a Chume snarled at the calm technician, her face flushed with rage.
"It was poisoned, my Queen," the female replied, watching the older woman's reaction with interest.
"Poisoned? How is that possible? The only person that was in charge of the creature was the zookeeper! He wouldn't have done that!"
The technician shrugged. "The tree has been saturated with chemicals, and the ysalamir absorbed those chemicals as it ate from the tree. The tree is dying as well, but slower."
"Then it was an accident," Ta'a Chume surmised. "He tried to fertilize the tree, and accidentally killed the creature."
"You wouldn't fertilize any tree with these chemicals," the tech replied as she handed the lengthy list to the Queen. "If he was the one that did it, he did so knowing this would be the result."
Ta'a Chume read over the list of poisons. "He did it on purpose. He betrayed me," she whispered.
"It would appear that would be the case."
Ta'a Chume dropped the flimsy and walked away from the woman. This could cause her problems, very big problems. She had to think of a solution.
Hyperspace
"Valak," a deep voice said inside the cockpit.
The zookeeper's eyes snapped open. "Who said that? Who's there?" He looked around frantically, unable to see the speaker.
"You poisoned the ysalamir," the same voice said.
"No, no... no," the Hapan man whispered fearfully, standing up and backing away from his unseen accuser. "I didn't do that."
"You did. You will remember."
"Noo!" Valak cried out, falling to his knees as his locked memories opened up. Sneaking the bottles of poison past the guards, pouring them at the base of the tree. Why had he done that? Why had he killed the ysalamir? It didn't make any sense. He was a good servant to Ta'a Chume, and now he'd sabotaged her plans. "Go away! Why won't you leave me alone?"
"I will leave when you finish what you started."
The man grabbed a fistful of his hair, pulling at it frantically. "I can't! I can't! I'll be prosecuted! I...I'll be executed!" He jumped up and ran out of the cockpit, as if he could somehow escape his wraithlike tormentor.
The sun was already up when Mara found Luke, sitting atop the main temple, head held down. Even if she was without the Force, she would have been able to tell how deeply he was hurting inside, just by reading his body language. "Luke."
He looked up as she sat next to him. "Where's Leia?"
She gave a small smile, knowing he meant their daughter. "I left her with Cilghal and Threepio." She put her hand over Luke's. "Did you sense anything during your meditation last night?"
"She's in carbonite," he replied, his voice flat.
"Sith-spawn!"
"I don't know where she's being held, or who did this to her. Leia barely remembers the explosion, and then a small cell. She was hurting - her face and arm were badly blistered from the blast." He paused briefly, then continued, "A while later, they took her to a carbon freezing chamber, and she knew what was going to happen to her. She could hear someone laughing. Insane laughter from a woman. Then she was frozen, and she's been that way ever since. Trying to hang onto her sanity, trying to reach me through the Force."
"A woman? Daala?"
Luke shook his head sadly. "Those are all the memories she was able to convey to me. She has no idea the identity of the woman, or the location of the carbon freezing chamber."
"This is going to devastate Han," Mara said slowly.
"I don't know how to tell him. He isn't going to be able to handle it." He turned haunted blue eyes toward Mara. "Why did it have to be carbonite? Even if she'd been held in a prison somewhere, it wouldn't be this bad."
"The only way they could have blocked her Force abilities would be with ysalamiri. Unless there is some other method we don't know about."
"I hope not. Those things are enough."
"Do you suppose she's on Myrkr?"
"If she was, she isn't anymore. And why would they move her? If they took her to Myrkr to hide her from me, then they'd have to know moving her away would allow her to reach me."
"I don't know, Luke. I just don't know." She rested her head on his shoulder. "We'll find her."
"We have to," Luke replied. There simply was no choice.
Hapes
The former Queen of Hapes headed toward the hidden chamber, head held high. The guards bowed deeply as she passed them by, as much out of fear as respect. She demanded both.
The former Queen wasn't aware she was being followed, and so when a second person approached them, the guards allowed this person to enter the chamber and follow Ta'a Chume around the corner. After all, the child had stated very firmly and insistently that her grandmother was expecting her, and the guards knew the former Queen doted on this girl, so they certainly wouldn't risk making her angry by refusing to admit the child.
Ta'a Chume entered the large, well lit main room, looking at the grotesque statue hanging on the far wall. The tree from Myrkr was obviously dying... its leaves were turning brown and curling, then dropping to the floor. The Queen didn't care about the tree anymore. She walked past the sickly tree, looked up at the frozen form of the Princess, and spoke aloud, "You will soon finish dying, Princess, without ever knowing that I was your executioner. But, oh how I've enjoyed watching you suffer before I killed you." She gave a soft, low laugh as she thought about the carbonite encased Princess, slowly suffocating inside her metal death shroud.
The guards would soon be ordered to remove the dead tree and the carbonite slab, and place them inside a Hapan transport. Then they would be ordered to take all the evidence far away from Hapes, and Ta'a Chume's involvement would be erased. Those loyal insiders would never know about her real plans, for Ta'a Chume would arrange for all their deaths - the guards, the technicians, the workers that had first assembled, and then dismantled the carbon freezing chamber. They would all have to die on that transport in order to protect Ta'a Chume. Trisdin, her trusted private aide, would be the only one left with this knowledge. Trisdin was necessary, for she needed him to arrange to tamper with the hyperdrive programming. It would be a terrible 'accident', and the holo-news would talk about it for days. Something went wrong with the hyperdrive, sending the transport into the nearest primary, they would say. Those types of terrible mistakes happened, sometimes. The poor, mourning families. At least they could take comfort in knowing those onboard died quickly, without pain.
Not that the Queen cared about giving them a painless death. "No one will be left alive to tell of this," Ta'a Chume said aloud, smiling peacefully. "They will all die, escorting you to your final resting place."
Ta'a Chume had no idea Tenel Ka was listening, hiding behind a work station, too shocked and afraid to utter a sound.
Yavin
Han sat on a stone ledge, watching his children practice with their lightsabers under Mara's instructions. He hadn't seen Luke yet this morning, and was starting to suspect the kid was avoiding him. Did that mean that Luke couldn't feel Leia through the Force again? The thought left him cold with fear.
"Solo?"
Turning slightly, Han looked up at the short-haired man standing next to him. "Corran," he responded, nodding briefly at the Corellian Jedi.
"I just saw Master Skywalker, and he asked me to bring you to his apartment."
"Bring me?" Han asked, puzzled. Why didn't Luke send Threepio to find him? That had been the usual way he'd been passing messages. Annoying as that was, the fact that it wasn't Threepio formally requesting that he meet with Luke made Han grow even more concerned. "I can find my way, you know."
Corran looked at him oddly, almost cautiously. "Please. I really would appreciate it if you'd come with me."
That was way too polite. Corran Horn had been a Corsec Officer during Han's smuggling days, then served under Han's command during the Zsinj crisis. Han knew Horn hadn't exactly trusted him in the early days - fallout from his attitude that Han was a criminal and Horn was the law. In time, Horn had shed his prejudice toward Han, and while they would never become close friends, they respected each other. Frowning, Han rose, falling into step next to the Jedi as they walked in silence to Luke's room. The door opened and Han stepped inside, noting that Horn remained outside. Luke waved his hand and the door slid back shut.
"You'd better sit down, Han."
Han felt his mouth go dry. "Why? What did you sense last night?"
"This isn't going to be easy - "
"Skywalker!"
"She's encased in carbonite."
Carbonite. Han felt the room spin, and his heart hammer in his ears. It was even worse than he could have imagined. The horrors that he'd tried for so long to forget came rushing back like an avalanche, crushing him under their weight. The pain, the cold, the sheer, unending fear and suffocation. "No," he whispered. Then rage replaced horror, and he lashed out without thinking, knocking a nearby vase off its stand, sending it careening to the ground, barely aware of the shards of glass as they skidded across the floor. "NO!" He turned and faced the wall, slamming his fist into the stone so hard he felt bones break, felt the skin on his knuckles crack.
The physical pain did nothing to relieve his anguish. He wanted to run, to grab his blaster and start shooting at everything and anything. He wanted to scream until he was hoarse. Gasping, he blindly moved for the doorway, crashing straight into Corran Horn, who was now standing between him and the exit. "Let me go," Han ground out, struggling to push away from the man's grasp. Then Luke was behind him, and both men were holding him tightly, preventing him from leaving. Han wasn't sure if they were using the Force, or only their own strength, but either way he was held fast. "Let... me... go," he repeated, begging.
"We'll find her, Han," Luke said softly, trying to calm his friend. "I promise you, we'll find her."
Han stopped fighting to free himself and slowly sank to his knees. "It's worse than death, Luke," he whispered, burying his face in his hands. "You don't understand...just how bad it is." Despite the fact that Corran and Luke were both watching, Han broke down and cried for his Princess.
Hapes
She watched as her grandmother left the chamber. Up until now, she had always liked her grandmother, even if she had been a bit afraid of her. Now, listening to her talk about killing people and making them suffer, Tenel Ka was very afraid of her grandmother.
A few years ago her mother, Queen Teneniel Djo, had wanted her daughter to attend the Jedi training facility on Yavin IV, but backed down when Ta'a Chume had grown furious at her daughter-in-law's suggestion. This had been a deep disappointment to the young girl. She had asked her father to intervene on her behalf, but Prince Isolder declined to do so, indicating they should humor Ta'a Chume, since his mother had already given up so much when Teneniel became Queen. Tenel Ka didn't quite understand this. Her grandmother was still highly regarded, and everyone in the palace, even her mother, listened to her, so what had she given up?
Tenel Ka nervously approached the lady hanging on the wall, thinking how unhappy and scared the stranger looked. Tenel Ka tentatively reached out with her rudimentary Force skills, and staggered back in shock. The lady was in pain. She was so cold. Tenel Ka wished her parents were home so she could ask them what to do, but they were currently away from the home planet on yet another boring diplomatic trip. That happened a lot, and the girl understood that travel and 'diplomacy' was her parents' job. Sometimes, she even got to go with them, but Tenel Ka hated having to put on frilly dresses and meet a bunch of boring grown-ups that told her what a beautiful young lady she was.
So the decision was hers, and Tenel Ka knew that no one should be in that much pain. The little girl lowered the slab and studied the flashing lights on the side box, trying to figure out how they worked. Hoping she was doing the right thing, she pressed the green buttons, and the box started humming. The gray metal started melting from the lady's face.
Hyperspace
Valak could not sleep. He tossed and turned in his small cot, half hoping he'd programmed the ship incorrectly and it would take him into a black hole. That would end all of his problems. He was so afraid. Afraid of the insane Ta'a Chume. Afraid of the New Republic that would correctly blame him for his role in keeping the President a prisoner. Whatever he chose, he was going to end up paying, and probably paying with his life.
"Valak."
He sat up, eyes wide. "No. Leave me alone. I told you to leave me alone."
"Go to Yavin IV."
"Yavin? Why would I want to go there? I don't want to tell them anything. They'll arrest me."
"If you go to Yavin, I will leave you in peace."
Valak stumbled from the cot, and headed to the cockpit. With trembling hands he started to enter the coordinates for Yavin IV, and was shocked to realize how close he already was to the system. He must have programmed the coordinates to head in this direction, just like he'd poisoned the tree without being consciously aware he was doing it. The zookeeper shut his eyes, very much afraid he was losing his mind.
Yavin
Mara shook her head in dismay as Luke escorted a pale looking Han Solo into his apartment. "Cilghal will use the Force to heal the bones in your hand, Solo," Mara said with a sigh, looking at the blood running down his fingers. "I'll go get her."
"No," Han said, his voice dull with grief. "Just go away. I won't do anything stupid."
"Looks to me like you already managed to do something stupid," Mara shot back. "And we're not leaving you alone. Do you honestly think your kids aren't going to sense how upset you are? They probably already have, but I've sent them for a run with Kyp, just to distract them. You need to pull yourself together... not just for Leia, but for your children."
"Han, it's your right hand. If we figure out where Leia's located, do you really want to have your gun hand broken?" Luke pointed out, a bit more gently than his wife.
Han sank down on the sofa, and stared at the floor. "What if we can't figure it out? What if she stays trapped inside that hell forever?"
"I won't let that happen," Luke replied firmly. "Neither will you."
"Can't you tell a direction, even?" Han asked, looking up at Luke.
"I suppose we could just get in the Falcon and start moving around," Luke conceded reluctantly. "But do you have any idea how long that would take? There are so many possibilities in every direction, it could be years before I got a lock on an exact location."
"It's already been years."
Luke knew he didn't have a good argument for that, but he was saved from a response when the comlink on his belt buzzed. "Master Luke?" Kam's voice came over the small speaker.
He lifted the device to his mouth. "Yes?"
"We have an unidentified incoming ship. The pilot isn't responding, but the ship's signature indicates it's Hapan."
Han stood up, staring at Luke in concern. Reaching out with the Force, the Jedi Master sensed the pilot of the incoming ship had no intention of attacking them. Unfortunately, the pilot's mind seemed distracted and extremely distressed. Luke could tell that the pilot didn't intend to land - he intended to crash.
"Hapan?" Mara wondered, frowning. She quickly contacted Kyp, asking him to return to base.
"Can you track the trajectory?" Han asked Luke.
Luke reached out with the Force. "It's not heading toward the temples."
"Should we try to intercept it?" Han questioned.
"It's too late," the Jedi replied, looking at his wife. "We need to get to a couple of speeder bikes, and head out there. The pilot is still alive."
"I want to go with you," Han stated.
Mara shook her head. "With a broken hand?"
"But - "
"She's right, Han," Luke interrupted. "You can't fly a bike with one hand. Just wait for the kids to get back - Mara and I will go check out the ship.
"Are you sure you don't want Cilghal to use the Force to heal your hand?" Mara asked, trying not to look too smug at the Corellian being forced to stay behind because of his self-inflicted injury.
"Send her over," Han muttered under his breath. He looked over to Luke. "And I can fly a bike with one hand better than most people can with two."
"Is that a challenge, Solo?" Mara asked, grinning at the idea of a speeder bike race.
"Only if you don't cheat and use the Force."
Luke rolled his eyes. "Some other time, you two." Tugging on his wife's arm, he pulled her out of the apartment before he'd have more problems to contend with.
Hapes
The lady fell out of the casing, and crashed to the floor before Tenel Ka could catch her. Bending over the stranger, the little girl felt more frightened than she ever had before in her entire life. Perhaps the lady was dying, and she had killed her by pressing the wrong buttons.
Carefully, Tenel Ka turned the lady over, trying to see if she was alive. The lady coughed. Her eyes opened, and she stared ahead sightlessly. "H..help...me."
"I'm trying to help you," Tenel Ka replied softly. "You have to be quiet. The guards will hear you."
"Guards? W..where am I?" She felt so cold, so confused. She shivered violently, feeling terribly nauseated. "Who... who are you?"
"My name is Tenel Ka. I let you out of that box."
"Box?" She had no idea what this meant.
"You were trapped," Tenel Ka said, matter-of-factly. "So I let you out. What's your name?"
Suddenly, the lady looked even more frightened than ever. "My name? I... I don't remember."
Tenel Ka had no idea what to say to this strange lady. Why didn't she know her own name? "We should leave here, before my grandmother decides to come back," the girl finally announced.
"Grandmother?"
"I think she might have put you in that box."
"Can, can you turn on some lights? We need to see where we're g..going."
Lights? "Ma'am, the lights are on."
"I can't see," the woman whispered in shock, bringing her hand to her face. What could have happened to her that caused her to lose her sight and her memory? Touching her face, she winced in pain. "I've been burned."
"Yes, that's a fact," Tenel Ka replied. "Your face and left arm have bad blisters, but once we get to my room, I will find you some bacta gel. That will help." The girl looked around the room. "I have to distract the guards." Her eyes flicked down to the dried leaves under the tree. "Wait here."
"Wait? Wha..what are you planning to do?"
The girl searched around the various equipment in the room. "I need to start a fire. Then we can get away."
The lady shuddered as an image of a sudden, terrifying flash filled her mind. "That sounds dangerous..."
"It will make smoke, and then the guards will not see us when we leave." Tenel Ka smiled as she found what she was searching for - a small laser tool. She gathered the leaves together into a small pile, and aimed the laser at the dry material. A flame flicked up, and she quickly threw additional leaves on the pile. Soon, flames and smoke were billowing toward the high ceiling. Tenel Ka hurried over to the woman, helping her struggle to her feet. "Soon, the guards will come running, so we must hide near the doorway. When they are busy trying to put out the fire, we will leave."
"It had better be soon," the lady replied, coughing on the smoke. "Or we won't be in any shape to escape."
Tenel Ka barely had time to get them both hidden when the alarms sounded. A moment later, the Hapan guards rushed into the smoke-filled room, waving their hands and shouting frantically. "Quick," Tenel Ka whispered, tugging at the woman's trembling hand. "Come with me."
Left with no choice, the amnesiac Princess followed the Hapan Princess out of the smoky room and down a long corridor.
Yavin
Two speederbikes tore through the Yavin forest, using both the Force and the dark smoke over the tree line to guide them to the wreckage. Soon, a smoldering ship came into view. Smaller than the Falcon, it was definitely a sleek Hapan model, mainly used by upper class individuals for travel.
Mara and Luke jumped off their bikes and ran to the tightly shut entrance. Luke pulled his lightsaber out, and gave his wife a wan smile. "It's not like we're going to ruin anything."
Working as a team, they sliced open the hatch. Dark smoke surged out the doorway, and the Jedi hurriedly made their way to the cockpit, their eyes burning in the acrid interior. A human male sat slumped over the controls, his forehead badly bleeding, his eyes shut.
"Let's get him into fresh air," Mara shouted over the sparking circuits. She put her saber away and hoisted the man by his shoulder. Luke quickly assisted her, and they rushed back outside. Both Luke and Mara could sense there was no one else inside as they moved away from the ship and carefully laid the man on his back. "I suppose someone should try and resuscitate him," Mara commented, looking pointedly at her husband.
Luke's eyes widened at the suggestion. "Me? He's a .. guy! You should do it."
"But I'm your wife," Mara replied, folding her arms across her chest. "Shouldn't you be jealous, or ... something?"
"I'll make an exception."
"So much for the noble Jedi Master," Mara muttered as she got on her knees and pinched her fingers over the man's nose.
After a few moments, the man started to cough, and his eyes snapped open. Mara drew back, and remarked to the panicked man, "Was it as good for you as it was for me?"
"I'm still alive," he gasped out in shock. "Why? Why? I'm not supposed to be alive!"
Before an astounded Mara or Luke could respond, the man jumped up and rushed into the forest.
"Well, that's gratitude for you," Mara drawled out, watching him run away.
Hapes
I don't think I can go another step, she thought, utterly exhausted. They had escaped without being seen from the corridor. Once outside, the little girl had led her on a fast walk for what seemed like forever. The girl finally stopped pulling her hand, almost as if she could sense the woman's tiredness.
"We can rest here, for a little while," Tenel Ka told her.
"That's good," she replied, her head spinning. After a moment, she asked, "Where am I? What system is this?"
"Hapes. I'm taking you to my room in the palace."
Palace. A vision of an elegant castle, surrounded by beautiful lakes rose up in her mind. "I live in a palace," she whispered, barely aware she had spoken aloud.
"You do?" the little girl asked, her voice sounding surprised. "Where?"
She struggled to think of her system's name. "I can't remember."
"That's okay," Tenel Ka replied. "You'll remember when you feel better."
"I hope so."
"I'll bet your family misses you."
More images, this time of an elegant, dark-haired man, along with three older women entered her mind. My father?" she wondered. Would one of those three women be her mother? No, that didn't seem right for some reason.
"Can you walk now?"
She nodded, grateful when the girl's warm hand closed around her cold fingers. They continued across the sweeping lawns and through the vast gardens as they made their way toward the Hapan palace.
Yavin
The terrified Hapan ran through the dense jungle, unaware of the thorns and brush scratching his face and tearing at his clothes. He only wanted to escape, to run as fast as possible away from those people. He turned his head as the whine of speederbikes sounded behind him, and he tried to run faster. It never even occurred to him that he couldn't possibly outrun bikes, and the noise got closer and closer. Finally, he tripped over a vine and went sprawling face-down in the brambles. Strong hands lifted him off the ground, forcing him to sit and face his pursuers. "Don't kill me! I'll tell you everything... just make him leave me alone!"
Mara and Luke exchanged puzzled looks. "We have no intention of killing you," Luke assured the man. "Can you tell us your name?"
"Valak. My name's Valak d'Entz. Will he leave me alone now?"
"Who are you talking about?" Mara snapped, not as inclined to be as patient as her husband.
"The voice... he won't stop talking in my head. He made me come here. He made me do - " The man stopped talking abruptly, looking around as if someone else might be listening.
"Do what?" Luke asked gently.
"Kill the tree. He made me kill the tree."
"Oh, for..." Mara muttered, then spoke to Luke thought the Force, /He's crazy, Luke. Let's just get him to the base and have him kept under guard until we can send him to Coruscant./
Luke was inclined to agree with Mara, but still... something was pushing him to continue asking questions. "Why did the voice want you to kill a tree?"
"The tree was from Myrkr... he made me poison the tree... and then the creature died, too."
"Creature?" Mara spoke up, suddenly interested at the mention of Myrkr.
"The ysalamir. I killed the ysalamir." The man put his hands up to his face, covering his eyes. "But I didn't mean to..."
Solo watched in fascination as the Jedi Cilghal healed the bones in his hand using the Force. Even after everything he'd already witnessed with regards to the Force - and it had been quite a lot - this still amazed the Corellian. He could feel his hand grow pleasantly warm and tingly, the broken skin mending as he watched in awe.
She looked up and smiled at him. "How does it feel now?"
Han flexed his hand. "It feels great - no pain at all. What do I owe you, doc?"
Cilghal laughed. "Just promise you won't try to put your fist through a stone wall again, Captain."
"Can't promise that," Han said, and lowered his voice while he leaned toward the Jedi. "I'm Corellian, ya know. Corellians sometimes do things like that without thinking, and I'd hate to make a promise I can't keep."
The Healer shook her head in mock dismay and stood up. "Well, then, you might not be so lucky next time. Regular doctors take much longer to fix broken bones than Jedi."
"I appreciate it, anyway. Thanks," Han replied lightly as his children came running into the apartment. They never seemed to walk, and Han wondered if he ever had that much boundless energy.
"You're welcome," Cilghal answered as she left the room.
Han looked over his sweaty, hot children. "You look like you all need showers."
"Ah, Dad!" Anakin protested. "I just had a shower two days ago!"
"Wow, we certainly wouldn't want to get too clean now," their father replied with a smile. "All that soap and water might make you melt."
"I want to take a shower," Jaina declared.
"That's because you want to smell nice for Kypie," Jacen teased. Then he turned to his father. "Jaina likes Kyp. She wants to marry him and be Mrs. Jaina Durron."
"I do not!"
"Do too!"
"If you don't shut up, I'm going to flatten you," Jaina said, threatening her twin.
"You and what Wookiee?" Jacen yelled back, but looking at Han for protection.
"Kids!" Han interrupted the bickering. "Can't you ever be nice to each other?"
"He started it!" the girl protested, then looked past her father as the apartment door opened. "Uncle Luke! Aunt Mara! Did you find that ship?"
Luke smiled indulgently at his niece. "It sounds like you children are giving your dad a headache again."
"Who, me?" Anakin said innocently, pointing at his chest.
Luke and Mara both laughed, much to Han's chagrin. "So, what did you find?" Han asked.
"Can you come for a quick walk with me, Han? I have something important to tell you."
Han followed Luke out the door and down the hallway, until they stopped on an open balcony overlooking the misty green forest below. "What's up? Did you find the ship?"
"Yes. And I think I know where Leia is being held."
Hapes
She could tell they were now inside a large building because their footsteps were muffled by thick carpet, and the little girl led her carefully through the vast hallways. The sound of loud voices came from around the corner, and Tenel Ka stopped, pushing her quickly into a small room. "Stay there! Someone's coming," she instructed the lady, shutting the door before anyone could see her.
Straining to hear through the door, she could hear an older woman talking to the girl. "Tenel Ka! Where have you been?"
"Outside, playing around," came the answer.
"You haven't been near the guard tower, have you?" a male voice asked.
"No, Mister Trisdin. I wouldn't go there."
"Good thing! There's been a fire inside the lower tunnels."
"A fire?"
"Yes," the older woman replied. "And I'm afraid we also have a prisoner on the loose, so you must remain inside the palace, where it's safe. Your parents would be very upset if they knew how incompetent these guards have been, so you mustn't tell them about the fire or the escaped prisoner. You know I wouldn't want those guards to lose their jobs."
"If you see anything suspicious, you must tell your grandmother immediately, young lady," Trisdin said firmly.
"What does he look like?" Tenel Ka asked.
"He?"
"The prisoner. I will need to know who to look out for," the girl explained.
"He's a she. A short woman with long, dark hair. Very dangerous."
"Dangerous?" Tenel Ka asked, suddenly a bit worried.
"Yes, she's a crazy person that believes she's the deceased Princess Leia Organa."
Tenel Ka glanced over at the small room where she'd hidden the lady. Had she perhaps made a mistake, letting her out of the box?
Yavin IV
After hearing the story, Han was furious. "He's been working for Ta'a Chume, taking care of a ysalamir? She's the one behind this?" The Corellian stalked to the edge of the balcony. "Why am I not surprised? I should have suspected - "
"That's not true," Luke said calmly. "There is no way we could have known Ta'a Chume was behind this."
"I'd like to go wring that zookeeper's worthless neck. The Sith-spawn just sat there, watching her hanging frozen on a wall for all these years, knowing damn well who she was."
"Wringing his neck wouldn't change things," Luke replied. "I think he's ... not all together anymore. He claims he's been hearing voices, and he killed the tree because of those voices. He's frightened of everything - us, Ta'a Chume, the voices. I've locked him up, and already contacted Wedge to come pick him up and take him to Coruscant."
"He's still a part of all this. Murder, kidnapping." A sudden, new fear stabbed at Han. "If the ysalamir is dead, then won't she know you've been able to reach Leia? That means she could have moved Leia by now... or..." He stopped, unable to bring himself to verbalize the thought.
"Leia's not dead."
"Can you be sure about that?"
Taking a deep breath, Luke shut his eyes and reached for his sister. Then he was thrown backwards, stumbling and almost falling.
"Luke!" Han grabbed his arm, his voice tight with dread. "What is it?"
"She's not in carbonite anymore," the Jedi gasped out.
"Is she hurt?" The question sounded strange to Han. Carbonite was unending pain, and the unfreezing process was both mental and physical agony, but if Ta'a Chume had removed Leia from carbonite then she was in greater danger. If Jabba had chosen to unfreeze him before help arrived, Han knew it was unlikely he would have survived the Hutt's torture chamber. And now he wasn't there to protect her, like she had been there for him on Tatooine. Was she blind, like he'd been? Cold and nauseated? I should be there. She needs me.
"She's... she's..."
"WHAT?"
"She mentally pushed me away. I ... I frightened her." Luke looked worriedly at Han. "I don't think she remembers me."
"I'm going to Hapes," Han growled out, trying to keep the fear out of his voice. "And you'd better not try to stop me."
"I have no intention of stopping you, but only if you don't try and stop me from coming along to help."
Han forced himself to smile. "Just like old times, right, kid?"
"Just like old times."
Hapes
For several heart stopping seconds, Leia thought that Tenel Ka was going to tell her grandmother where she was hiding.
Then the girl's determined voice carried through the door. "If I see her, I will be certain to tell you, Grandmother."
"You are such a good child," the woman replied. "Everyday, I see more and more of myself in you. I'm glad you inherited my fine sensibilities, and not your mother's barbaric nature."
Tenel Ka wasn't too sure what 'barbaric' meant, but she guessed it was an insult to her mother. Ta'a Chume never lost the chance to belittle her daughter-in-law, especially in front of the family. It made Tenel Ka very angry sometimes, but she'd learned to react like her mother, and ignore the insults. "Thank you, grandmother," she said coolly. Tenel Ka also decided it didn't seem too likely the sick lady was dangerous. Her instincts told her not to trust her grandmother, and she'd learned over the years to trust her feelings.
"Come, Trisdin," the woman ordered. "We have a large problem to deal with."
Footsteps faded down the hallway, and Leia heard the door open. "It's safe," Tenel Ka informed her.
Again, the child guided her down the corridors, careful not to be seen as she checked around corners before they entered. "Here we are - my room." She pulled Leia inside and shut the door. "Is your name really Princess Leia?"
"Yes," Leia replied slowly and thoughtfully. The name felt right - it fit. "I believe it is." Then she remembered another name. "Alderaan. I live on Alderaan."
Tenel Ka frowned in concern. "Alderaan? But Alderaan - " She stopped herself from saying anymore. "Lie down on my bed, and I'll go get the bacta gel." She led Leia to her large bed, and covered her in a soft bedspread. "I'll be right back," the girl said, heading out the door.
Exhaustion overcame Leia, but before she could drift off to sleep something, or someone, disturbed her. /Leia./
"Who's there?" she whispered, the hair on her neck prickling.
/Leia... it's Luke... are you okay? Do you know where you are?/
There was no one speaking in the room. She was positive the voice was in her mind. Luke? Who was Luke? Without consciously being aware she was doing so, Leia slammed barriers up in an instant, pushing this unknown intruder away, out of her mind. She waited for long minutes, thinking the voice might return. When nothing further happened, she drifted off into a restless slumber.
Night.
"Princess Leia! Princess Leia!"
Leia opened her eyes, squinting in the unexpected brightness of the room. Her skin was damp with sweat, and she was shaking - not from cold, but from some terrible nightmare. A nightmare where her world was being destroyed. Images from the nightmare still remained - of a dark, gray cell and a small droid with a long needle.
"You have to stop yelling," Tenel Ka informed her. "Someone will hear you."
The Princess looked at the child, trying to get her bearings as the dream faded. The little girl had red, curly hair, and unusual gray eyes. She was very distinctive and intelligent looking. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to shout... I was having a bad dream."
"You can see," she stated, looking at Leia's focused eyes. "Do you feel better?"
I can see! Leia realized with relief. She sat up, and assessed herself. She was still achy, and her eyesight still a bit blurry, but overall she felt much improved. "I am feeling a bit better." She reached up to her cheek, noting that the side of her face itched, but was no longer blistered or painful.
"I put bacta gel on your face and arm while you were sleeping," the girl told her. "You didn't even wake up. Your face is much better now. It's hardly red at all anymore."
"Thank you." Leia looked around the large, well-appointed room. Decorated with lace and ruffles, the colors were a warm pastel peach and sunshine yellow. "Your room is very pretty."
Tenel Ka made a face. "I hate it. My grandmother decorated it for me. I wanted green and orange, but she said I couldn't have those colors."
"Oh," Leia replied, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. "Do you have a refresher I can use?"
"Over there." The girl pointed to a yellow door. "I don't like how that's decorated, either."
Still feeling a bit wobbly, Leia made her way to the 'fresher and shut the door. It was only when she looked in the mirror that she felt the fear and panic return in a rush. I'm Leia Organa from Alderaan. I'm eighteen years old... so why do I suddenly look older?
Yavin
The murky green orb of the Yavin moon grew more distant with each passing second. Han Solo sat in the pilot's seat, unconsciously clenching and unclenching his fist. His senses radiated tension inside the small cockpit. "I hope the kids will be okay. I don't like it that all of us are leaving them at the same time." He glanced over at Mara, who was sitting behind Luke.
Mara knew he'd wanted her to stay behind - not because she couldn't help out on the rescue mission, but in concern for the children. "We've already been over this, Solo," she returned. "The children are as safe as possible. The Jedi on Yavin would do anything to protect your children, or Leia."
"I know. Still..."
"I guess I should consider it an honor that you'd want me to raise your children, if something happened to you," Mara said.
"You're family. Of course I'd want it to be you, instead of someone else."
"Did you hear that, Luke? He's finally decided we're his family."
Luke looked over his shoulder at his wife, smiling. He knew she was trying to help Han relax, take his mind off his worry for Leia, and he was grateful for her effort. "It only took him five years."
"I always knew you and Mara were my family, kid," Han said quietly. "It was just so hard, though. Seeing you only made me miss Leia even more. I know it doesn't make any sense." He paused before adding, "I'm sorry I didn't come to your wedding."
"I'll forgive you if you buy us a belated wedding present," Luke joked.
"And it better be something real expensive," Mara put in, quite serious. "After all, you've already missed three anniversary presents, too."
Han laughed, feeling his stress ease a bit. "All right. I'll find something extra nice for you two."
"You'd better let your wife pick it out," Mara replied. "I'm sure she has much better taste in gifts than you."
Han nodded, then said, "If... when we get her back, I'll spend the next five years holding packages for her while she shops. I'll do anything she wants me to do, without one word of complaint."
"Hmm," Mara said, pursing her lips thoughtfully. "I'm going to be sure to tell her you said that, Solo."
"You won't have to tell her, Mara. I'll tell her myself," Han replied, sincerely.
Hapes
Leia stumbled out of the refresher, her face pale. "What year is this, Tenel Ka?"
The red-headed girl frowned at her. "Year?"
"I know it sounds like a strange question," Leia said, forcing her voice to remain calm. "Please. I need to know."
"5916, Galactic Standard."
"5916?" Leia repeated in disbelief, gripping the bedpost. "I'm missing seventeen years."
"You were in that box seventeen years?" Tenel Ka asked, shocked. "That's almost forever!"
Leia tried to grasp what had happened to her. "What did that box look like?"
"Dark gray, almost black. You were covered in metal, and you looked like you were in pain. When I used the Force to sense you, I could tell you were in pain... so I pressed the green buttons on the side and then the metal melted away."
So it wasn't a stasis chamber. Leia knew she wouldn't have aged very much during stasis, but she didn't understand what the girl was describing. Metal? People couldn't live inside metal. Had she simply been kept in a drug-induced coma for all these years? Leia clenched her jaw in frustration at her lack of memories. Why would this girl's grandmother want to keep her as a prisoner? Leia had heard of the Hapans, but they were a very closed society, refusing to get involved with the Rebellion, and powerful enough to force the Empire to retreat from their borders. How did this child learn how to use the Force? Wasn't General Kenobi the last living Jedi? "I need to get back home to Alderaan," Leia said. Once she was home, she would find her answers.
Tenel Ka looked away, flushing. "I can't do that."
"I can fly a ship," Leia prodded, thinking the girl was too afraid to steal. "It won't be stealing, just borrowing. I'll have someone return it later, I promise."
"My parents will be back soon," the girl said softly. "We should just wait until they get home. They'll help you. I know they will."
Maybe the girl's parents were part of this, Leia thought worriedly. "You don't have to help me anymore, Tenel Ka. I'll find my own way back to Alderaan, and then I won't be your problem."
"But - "
"Can I just stay here until it gets dark?" Sneaking out of the palace and trying to escape would be easier at night, although Leia still wondered how she was going to locate and steal a ship.
"But you can't go back to Alderaan!" she blurted out.
"I know you're frightened, Tenel Ka, but I really have to leave Hapes. Try to understand," Leia said gently. "If I'm caught, your grandmother will put me back in that box." Or worse.
Tenel Ka looked away, her eyes watering. "You can't go to Alderaan, Princess Leia. Alderaan is gone."
Leia felt the room spin. "Gone?" I don't want to hear this. I don't want to hear this.
"A long time ago, before I was born, bad guys blew it up."
Hapes, two days later in the hidden chamber.
Ta'a Chume was beside herself with fury as she again watched the two day old holo-recording of the hidden chamber. Her only grandchild. She had rescued the Princess, set the fire, and lied about it to her grandmother's face. Could Ta'a Chume order her own grandchild's death? The former Queen thought back to when she had her own son murdered. It was unfortunate, but sometimes those things had to be done, for the greater good. It was even more annoying that the guards had failed to find the missing Princess, and they had been very reluctant to show her this recording, at first claiming it had been destroyed in the fire. It turned out they had good reason for not wanting Ta'a Chume to see it. After the first viewing, Ta'a Chume ordered the two guards on duty at the time of the fire to be executed - after they were forced to watch their families' deaths. Her order had already been carried out.
She turned as Trisdin entered the room. "Do you know where my granddaughter is now, Trisdin?" she asked casually.
"As far as I know, she's in her room, my Queen."
"Then I suspect that's where we'll find Princess Leia." She turned to her four remaining guards, waiting instructions. "Go to my granddaughter's room and bring both of them back here." They quickly hurried to do her bidding, knowing the price of failure.
"Prince Isolder and the Dathomir witch have sent a message saying they are returning this evening," Trisdin added, watching the guards leave.
"Then we will have to hurry, and arrange for a terrible accident for Tenel Ka. She mustn't be allowed to tell what she knows."
