Tenel Ka handed Leia some fruit and bread that she had taken from the breakfast table. "I wish it could be more, but I can't take too much, or they'll wonder what I'm doing. I think they are already wondering why I've been so hungry the last two days."

"That's okay," Leia said dully, taking the food. She knew she should eat, but food held no interest for her. She tore off a piece of bread and ate without really tasting, unable to stop thinking about Alderaan. Once the little girl had told her the Empire had destroyed Alderaan, she realized her terrible dream had not been a dream at all - it had been a memory, and Leia had spent the past two days in mourning for her lost family, her lost world.

"Can't you remember anymore since yesterday?" the girl asked hopefully.

"A little bit," Leia replied. Tarkin. Vader. Thinking about them made her stomach churn. "I remember being on the Death Star when it destroyed ... Alderaan." She shut her eyes, forcing back tears. Something that happened seventeen years ago, and the pain was fresh, like it had happened yesterday. "I remember being rescued right before I was supposed to be executed."

"That's good. Then you are remembering things. I told you that would happen."

"Yes, some things." And people. People like, Luke "I'm here to rescue you" Skywalker. That's probably why I thought I heard his voice yesterday, Leia mused. It was just a long ago memory. And Han "I'm just in this for the money" Solo. What had become of them? She could vaguely recall the medal ceremony on Yavin. And that was all -nothing more came back to her. As hard as she tried, going past that single point was impossible. A blank wall that she could not breach. Perhaps shortly after Yavin was when the Hapan Queen had kidnapped her.

If all that happened over seventeen years ago, then Luke Skywalker and Captain Solo were probably dead. At least Luke probably had died. If she were to guess, the young man had undoubtedly been a casualty of the war. One of thousands. The smuggler probably had taken off after the medal ceremony, never to be seen again. Tenel Ka had assured her the Rebellion had won the war, "a long time ago", as she had put it. The Emperor was dead - he had died in a big battle over some planet she couldn't name, although that had embarrassed her a little, since it was something she was supposed to know. It had been a history lesson, but she hated history.

Leia gave a sad smile. History. Everything she loved, everything she had worked so hard for, was now history. Alderaan, the struggle for freedom. Something to be taught to children.

Suddenly the girl jumped up, her eyes wide. "We have to leave."

"Leave? Why?"

"My grandmother! She knows! She knows where you are."

"How do you know?"

"I just know things," she replied cryptically as she grabbed Leia's hand. "We have to hurry. We must hide somewhere, until my parents come home. They will protect us."

Wondering how the child knew these 'things', Leia hurried behind as they ran from the room.

They ran through the hallways, making sudden turns and unexpected stops as the girl peered around corners. Two guards appeared at the end of one of the corridors holding weapons, and Tenel Ka pulled back, knowing she'd been seen. "This way," she instructed Leia, running back in the direction they had just come from. "Here!" Tenel Ka stopped in front of an elaborate gilt-covered door, punching in an access code. The door opened and they hurried inside, just as the guards shouted for them to halt.

The fancy door was slammed shut and locked by the Hapan girl while Leia looked around, holding her side from the exertion. "I don't think I've quite recovered from that box," Leia panted out. She noted the huge room had twenty foot high walls, covered in rather risqué murals of young, good-looking, scantily clad men. "Is this room a museum?"

"No," Tenel Ka replied. "This is the entryway to my grandmother's apartment. We can escape from here."

"How? The guards saw that we came in here," Leia pointed out, listening to their muffled voices through the thick door.

The girl smiled. "They don't know about my grandmother's secret tunnel. No one does, except me." She started walking, her shoes echoing on the marble floor. "Come on."

The guards starting blasting at the outer door, and Leia hurried to follow. The girl led her through a hallway filled with gaudy stone statues of muscle bound males, covered with strips of cloth placed in strategic areas. Tenel Ka noted that Leia was frowning at the sculptures. "My grandmother had them covered up. Mother wouldn't let me in this apartment unless she put clothes on the statues."

"Oh," Leia mumbled, unable to think of an appropriate response. What kind of woman was this grandmother, anyway? Leia understood art, but this was a bit extreme for any art lover.

"Do you want to know a secret?" Tenel Ka whispered as they walked along.

"Sure."

"I peeked anyway. Boys are built very strange, and that's a fact."

Leia laughed, understanding that a child like Tenel Ka would be curious. Tenel Ka led her into a lavishly decorated bedroom, with gold furniture and deep purple rugs and curtains. Crystal vases sat on tables, and a chandelier sparkled overhead. It was the room of someone that still believed she ruled the Hapes Consortium.

A loud noise sounded from the outer doorway. "I think the guards just got the door open," Leia said, looking over her shoulder. "Is your grandmother's secret tunnel very far?"

Tenel Ka pushed at the edge of a picture frame, and the wall slid apart. She smiled up at Leia. "No. It's right here."


"Listen up, you bantha-brained bureaucrat," Han snapped into the speaker, "I'm landing, whether you give me permission or not, and if you have a problem with that you can come discuss it with me personally - after I land. I'll see to it future Hapans never have to worry about you passing on your simpleton genes to the next generation."

"That's the way to sweet talk him, Solo," Mara muttered.

Han spared his sister-in-law a glare over his shoulder as he muted the speaker. "Sweet talk? Come on, Jade. You don't sweet talk idiots either, so don't act all innocent with me."

"Mara's right," Luke put in. "We should just ask to speak directly with Isolder or Teneniel."

"Isolder? That pompous jerk? He's probably in on this."

Luke shook his head. "No, I don't believe that. I know you don't like him, and he's not one of my favorite people, either. But I don't think for a moment he's part of this."

"Millennium Falcon," the harried space controller spoke up. "You will be escorted to your landing site. Please do not deviate from this course, or you will face serious consequences."

"Could you please define 'serious consequences'?" Han pointedly asked the controller, trying not to think of how this was reminding him of Bespin. "I would think firing on a ship piloted by two Jedi Masters, and a former New Republic General would have serious consequences for you."

"I... uh... I didn't mean we'd fire at you!"

Luke slapped his hand over the speaker, and gave Han a stern look, which he could tell had absolutely no effect. "Han, please! Leia's down there!"

"Fine," Han replied, lifting the Jedi's hand off the speaker. "Controller, I'll be a good Captain and follow your escorts down, so you can quit worrying about your job."

"Thank you. General Solo."

"You're not welcome," Han grumbled under his breath as he adjusted the yoke to follow the two Hapan escorts.


Once inside the hidden passage, Tenel Ka pressed a button and the wall slid shut. Then she turned on dim, overhead lighting. "The guards do not know of this tunnel. My grandmother doesn't even know that I found it." She gave Leia a bright smile. "My parents are gone a lot, and I have lots of time when no one even knows where I'm at, or what I'm doing. So I sneak in here when grandmother is busy and look around."

"Why does she have this tunnel? What does she use it for?"

"I guess to leave the palace without being seen." Tenel Ka started walking, guiding Leia down the musty, narrow corridor. "This has always been her private apartment, even when she was the Queen Mother. The tunnel goes all over. One hall leads to the library, and another leads to the Royal spaceport, and that is just outside the palace walls."

"A spaceport?"

"It is guarded," Tenel Ka said, understanding what Leia wanted.

"Is there another spaceport nearby? A public one, where lots of ships come and go?"

"There is one in town, but it is a long way to walk. Maybe..."

"Maybe, what?"

"Near the palace spaceport is a place where supplies arrive by hovercraft. If we could sneak inside one of those..."

"We could get a ride into town?" Leia finished the sentence.

"We must be very careful not to be seen."

"And that's a fact," Leia said with a nod.


Local Hapan Public Spaceport

Luke Skywalker moved away from the spaceport security guards, and walked over to his wife and brother-in-law. "I explained to them that this is all just a misunderstanding, and we're here to visit Queen Mother Teneniel Djo."

"Did they buy it?" Han asked, scowling at the security men.

"I had to gently persuade them, but yes, they believe me."

"Persuade? You mean you used the Force on them," Han said with a smirk. "Blasters can be pretty persuasive too, ya know."

"So can lightsabers," Mara added. "Especially when they're pointed in the direction of stubborn Corellians."

"Hey!" Han looked at his brother-in-law. "Your wife is threatening me."

Luke gave a dramatic sigh. "How did I end up related to both of you?"

"You married me," Mara pointed out. "And it was your idea, too."

"See, kid? That's where ideas get you. They're nothin' but trouble."

"Especially your ideas," Luke shot back as he headed toward the hovercraft rental area.


Hapan Royal Spaceport

Just as promised, one branch of the very long tunnel led directly to the palace's private spaceport, and the wall opened up inside a dark storage room. Unfortunately, Tenel Ka was proved to be quite correct about the guards patrolling the spaceport. Leia frowned as she noted how far away they were from the area where the hovercrafts were parked. In order to reach them, they would have to cross a large hanger with several tightly locked, expensive Hapan transports, and those transports were spaced widely apart.

"I don't know how we'll be able to get to the other side without someone seeing us," Leia whispered to the girl, as they crouched down behind some crates, just outside the storage room. "These guards don't seem to be especially on the alert, considering your grandmother thinks I'm a crazy, dangerous, prison escapee."

The little girl was silent for a while as she stared at the guards, then said, "Wait here." Without giving Leia a chance to argue, she hurried away from the hiding place behind the crates and headed directly for one of the Royal Guards. Leia felt her heart drop down to her boots as Tenel Ka stopped by a guard and had a lengthy discussion with the man. The guard nodded, and Tenel Ka skipped away, moving in the direction of the hovercrafts. Then she disappeared. And Leia waited. And waited. She's not coming back, the Princess thought in panic. Desperately, she looked around for some cover, or something she could use as a weapon if necessary.

Cautiously, Leia inched forward, preparing to make a run across the hanger to the hovercrafts, when one of the smaller vehicles careened across the hanger floor, swerving back and forth like a drunken space sailor. Leia's eyes widened as the craft veered toward her, and she tensed, preparing to leap out of harm's way. Guards followed the vehicle, waving their arms and shouting orders to stop. The hovercraft stopped abruptly - inches away from the wall and directly next to Leia.

Tenel Ka leaned over from the driver's side. "Could you please get inside, Princess Leia? The guards will be here any second."

Leia didn't hesitate, jumping inside only moments before the hovercraft jerked wildly backwards, making the startled guards lurch clear of the insane driver, or risk being run over.

"Do you know how to drive?" Leia asked dubiously. The child could barely see over the steering wheel to look out of the view screen.

"I have watched my father drive," she replied matter-of-factly. "It never looked too hard." The hovercraft spun around in a half circle, and now was facing the opposite direction. Tenel Ka pressed on the accelerator control, sending the vehicle roaring toward the hanger exit.

"The doors are shutting!" Leia yelled.

"Hang on!" The hovercraft sped toward the huge metal doors, as their only means of escape got smaller and smaller.

"We're not going to make it!" Leia screamed just as the doors started to scrape the sides of the hovercraft, sending sparks flying. A second later, they shot clear of the doorway, leaving behind confused and startled guards.

Tenel Ka laughed as she steered the craft onto a public thoroughfare, forcing other hovercrafts and speeders to veer sharply to avoid hitting them. She hadn't had this much fun in a very long time.

"Why didn't that first guard try to stop you?" Leia asked, gasping as they ran an intersection.

"I don't think he knew anything," she replied thoughtfully. "I could feel he wasn't looking for me. That's why I talked to him. He told me I shouldn't be in the spaceport, and that I should go home."

"Feel? You must get these feelings a lot," Leia commented, digging her fingernails into the front console as the craft swerved back and forth, like it was trying to avoid incoming fire - except there was no incoming fire.

"Yes, that is very true," the girl replied, looking at Leia. "Grandmother gets mad when I tell her about these feelings."

"Could you please watch where you're going?"

Tenel Ka turned her attention back to the road.

"Isn't it strange that no one came after us?" Leia mused aloud. Just then, a flash of blaster fire sizzled past the hovercraft, only missing because of Tenel Ka's very erratic driving.


"I don't know why I have to sit in the back," Mara groused as Han drove the rental along the designated travel lanes, moving in the general direction of the Hapan palace.

"Because," Han answered.

"Because? What kind of idiotic answer is that?"

"I don't know," Han replied with a shrug. "My kids don't think it's much of an answer, either."

"I can't say as I blame them."

"You could sit on Luke's lap. I'm sure he wouldn't mind, but it'd be kinda hard for him to read the holo-map that way."

Luke studied the holo-map, trying to ignore the conversation. "We need to make a right turn in a few miles."

"Just let me know when, kid. There's a lot of traffic flyin' around."

"You should've let me drive," Mara commented from behind Luke. "Women are better drivers, anyway."

"Oh, sure," Han said, laughing. "Where did you come up with that statistic?"

"All right. How about I'm just a better driver than you?"

"I'll have you know I've never gotten a citation in my life... one that I've paid, anyway."

"The next turn," Luke instructed the Corellian.

At that moment a small hovercraft came screeching around the very corner that Luke had pointed at, causing many other vehicles to scatter and blow their warning signals. It headed directly toward their rental hovercraft, forcing Han to swerve violently to avoid a collision. "What the - ?" Han never got his sentence finished, as a second hovercraft also turned sharply and narrowly missed a collision, following directly behind the first one. The pursuing craft fired blaster bolts wildly at the smaller vehicle, almost hitting them instead of the fleeing craft.

"Leia!" Luke shouted, grabbing Han by his upper arm, almost making the Corellian lose control again.

"Leia?"

"She's in that first hovercraft!"

Han turned their rental around so quickly that he caused more warning signals to sound, as well as a wide variety of obscene gestures directed at the insane driver. "Hang on!" Han yelled as he accelerated the hovercraft to its limit.

Luke and Mara were thrown back against the seat padding, and the engine protested with a high- pitched whine. They began a high speed chase to overtake the two other hovercrafts.


"I wish I had a blaster!" Leia yelled over to Tenel Ka, trying to avoid whiplash as the small hovercraft jerked back and forth. She reached over and made certain the little girl's safety belt was fastened, and pulled her own tighter. "It's only a matter of time before they hit us with blaster fire!"

"I'm getting better at this driving," Tenel Ka shouted back gleefully, unaware that her method of 'driving' was the only reason they hadn't already been hit by a blaster.

Another blaster shot flew past, only this one seemed to come from a different blaster. Then a second bolt, and Leia understood. "Oh great! Now we have two hovercrafts shooting at us!"

"Well, I'm truly sorry Princess Leia, but I'm going as fast as I can," the girl replied, trying to push herself high enough to see where she was going.

"It's not your fault," Leia replied, looking through the back viewscreen. Leia wished she were the one at the steering controls, as well as wishing she had a blaster.

A blaster shot caught the back of their hovercraft, causing the engine to spark and crackle. Tenel Ka shouted worriedly, "I can't make it go straight anymore!"

"You mean we were going straight before?" Leia muttered, shutting her eyes.


While Luke was using the Force to prevent several dozen accidents from occurring simultaneously, Han drove through the dense traffic at a breakneck speed.

"Keep this thing steady, Solo!" Mara yelled out, gripping Han's blaster. "You keep making me miss!"

"If it's okay with you, I'm trying to avoid running over innocent bystanders, Jade!" Han shouted back, feeling the need to defend his wild driving.

Mara leaned further out of the side window, and fired another shot at the hovercraft that was pursuing Leia. Her shot hit the rear stabilizer, causing the hovercraft to lean to the right. However, the driver managed to keep control and continued his chase, while the passenger tried to ignore them, continuing to direct his fire at Leia's hovercraft. It was then that Mara noticed the hovercraft with Leia was now heading directly toward the oncoming traffic. "I think he hit Leia's hovercraft!" Mara yelled, trying to be heard above the roar of the rushing wind.

Luke reached out with the Force, helping Leia's vehicle avoid the oncoming hovercrafts, and reducing its speed. Even though the oncoming hovercrafts were forced to swerve to avoid a collision, Leia's hovercraft safely weaved through the vehicles, then ended up nose first into an grassy embankment, effectively ending the chase.

The pursuing craft slowed and tried to turn away from the mayhem, but Mara was too quick. Another accurate shot from the DL-44 blew a smoking hole in the engine compartment, and the craft went down on its belly, skidding sideways. Han slammed on the brakes and stopped.

The men in the pursuing vehicle jumped out, firing randomly at their unknown assailants and Leia's hovercraft. Luke and Mara quickly climbed out, easily deflecting the fire with their lightsabers. Then, using the Force, yanked both weapons from the startled Hapans' hands. Mara handed Han his blaster back, and smiled at him smugly. "I can drive and shoot better than you."

"Are you trying to add to our little challenge?" Han questioned her. Without waiting for a reply, Han shouted at the men as he pointed his blaster at them, "Get down on the ground!" To his surprise, one man attempted to run away, heading directly into the path of a speeder coming in the opposite direction. It was only Luke's intervention by the Force that spared the man's life - the man flew into the air and sailed above the oncoming vehicle, landing safely on the far side of the thoroughfare. The second Hapan obeyed Han's order, and dropped to the ground.

A young girl climbed out of the driver's side of the crumpled hovercraft, and a dark haired, bedraggled woman followed her from the passenger's side.

"Leia!" Han shouted in joy. She was dressed in exactly the same clothes he'd last seen her. She was covered with soot and dark stains. But to Han, she'd never looked as beautiful as she did at that moment.

The girl and Leia headed toward the group, and Leia looked at the Corellian in surprise. "What are you doing here?" she asked in irritation.

Han ran to the Princess, gathering her up in his arms. "What am I doing here? Looking for you, Princess," he replied happily, still barely able to believe that she was standing right in front of him, alive and in one piece. He moved to kiss her, and was roughly pushed back.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" Leia snapped, twisting out of his embrace.

If Han had hoped that just seeing them would bring back her missing past, he was disappointed. Leia took a step back, glaring at him like he'd committed some crime. "Sweetheart, it's me," he prodded gently.

"Han," Luke spoke as he quickly came up behind them. This was not the time or the place to create a scene by telling Leia more than she could handle. "She has amnesia."

"I know who you are," Leia said sharply. "An arrogant, stuck on himself, mercenary. How much did you get paid to come help rescue me, Solo?"

"Paid?" Han asked, confused. The fact she remembered him was a very good thing, but the way she was treating him - it was like she blamed him for everything that had happened over the past five years. "I'm your - "

Then Leia turned and looked at Luke with a huge smile, cutting Han off. "Luke! You're alive! I was so worried about you."

"Leia, what exactly is the last thing you do remember?" Luke questioned gently.

"I.. I remember the Death Star blowing up ... Alderaan," she answered in a shaky voice. "I remember the medal ceremony." She looked at Luke, her eyes shiny. "Tenel Ka told me the Rebellion won the war. I'm glad you survived, Luke." Leia threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly.

Glancing over her shoulder, Luke could see the hurt in Han's eyes. Leia was pleased to see him, but far less pleased to see Han, her own husband. She doesn't remember she's married to him. She doesn't even remember I'm her brother, Luke thought worriedly. Luke pulled back, looking in Leia's eyes. "Leia. You've been frozen in carbonite for five years. Until a few days ago, we thought you were dead."

"Carbonite?"

"It's... a freezing process for long term storage and transportation. It's not meant to be used on humans, or sentients."

Sirens sounded in the distance as traffic control officers headed in their direction.

"Five years? But I can't remember seventeen years!" She paused, then added, "No, I guess it's more like fifteen years, now. I remember several bases after Yavin."

"I think your memory has been affected by the freezing, or maybe the unthawing process. But you haven't been missing for fifteen years."

Leia looked over at the red-headed woman standing behind Luke. "Who is this?"

"This ... is my wife, Mara Jade-Skywalker," Luke replied, watching Leia's reaction to this small revelation carefully. If she couldn't handle this information, then telling her about other, more important issues would have to be done with great caution.

Mara gave a small smile and nodded at the Princess. Mara knew that the last time Leia had seen her, the ex-assassin was still struggling with her past, and her last command by the Emperor to kill Luke. By the expression on Leia's face, the name Mara Jade didn't ring any bells - for that, Mara felt a wave of relief.

Wife? Luke is married? She felt a pang of something she couldn't quite place. Jealousy? Then she really looked at Luke. He was no longer the boy she remembered. He'd matured, and he'd changed. Luke Skywalker was now a very confident man, dressed in the robes of a Jedi. Had he become a Jedi, like Obi-Wan Kenobi had wanted? So much time had passed, events she couldn't remember. What else had changed in those missing years? Unwillingly, her eyes flicked back over to Han Solo. What had happened to him? His cocky expression was completely missing, and he was staring at her with a strange mixture of sadness and joy on his face. Something had changed Solo, as well.

"Princess Leia," Tenel Ka interrupted, pointing up as a ship passed overhead, heading in the direction of the palace. "That's my parents' shuttle returning to the Royal spaceport. They are back early."

"Luke," Leia started out tentatively, tearing her gaze away from Solo. "This is my friend, Tenel Ka. She saved me from the, the carbonite. And Tenel Ka, this is Luke Skywalker and his ... wife. Mara."

"Hello, Tenel Ka," Luke said, smiling. "The last time I saw you, you were still in diapers."

"I haven't been in diapers for a long time," she replied, staring up at Luke in fascination. Then she looked at the taller man, who was standing silently behind the Princess, looking upset, but unable to stop gazing at Leia. "Who are you?"

"I'm Leia's - " Han started to answer, but stopped when the approaching traffic security hovercrafts' sirens drowned out his words.

Hapan Traffic Security forces jumped out, weapons drawn. "Throw down your weapons, and put your hands up!"

Tenel Ka stalked toward the men. "I'm Princess Tenel Ka, and these are my friends." She pointed at the men face down on the ground. "Those are the two bad guys. You will contact my parents, and take us back to the palace. Right now!"

"Yes, your Highness!"


Three hours later.

At Luke's insistence, Han had not told Leia he was her husband, and Luke had not brought up the fact she was his twin. But it bothered Han a great deal that Leia was pleased to see Luke, while she barely acknowledged his existence. Had she hated him that much in the beginning? What if she would never recall that they had fallen in love? He worried if that happened, he wouldn't be able to win her love a second time. And what would happen when she discovered she had three children with a man she couldn't stand? It was killing him inside not to be able to hold her, kiss her, tell her how much he loved her and had missed her.

Now, back at the Hapan palace, Han, Luke, and Mara sat in a formal receiving room, while Prince Isolder and Queen Teneniel Djo tried to sort out what had happened. Tenel Ka had been sent with trusted caretakers back to the safety of her room, while Leia was currently being checked by a Hapan doctor.

"It just seems impossible to me that Mother did all this," Isolder said, shaking his head in dismay. Earlier, Luke had also filled Isolder and Teneniel in on Leia's memory loss, and they agreed to leave it to Leia's family to tell the details of her missing years.

"Why?" Han groused out. "Your mother isn't exactly up for any philanthropy awards."

The current Queen Mother got up and paced the room. "I'm not surprised she could take some demented revenge out on Princess Leia," she said, her voice bitter. "But ordering those guards to kill her own granddaughter? That's even lower than I thought it was possible for her to stoop."

"Has anyone found Ta'a Chume yet?" Mara asked.

"We are looking. All but two of her paid guards have been arrested, and the ones we caught are telling us everything. Unfortunately, Mother and those two guards are missing."

"Missing?" Han asked, trying unsuccessfully to keep the anger out of his voice. "Someone had to see them leave! Maybe you're just trying to protect her from me!"

"That is not the case, Captain Solo," Isolder said, annoyed. "I promise you she will be found and brought to justice." He paused briefly, then added, "I am truly sorry for everything Mother has done to you and your family."

"Sorry doesn't even begin to make up for this," Han shot back hotly. "How are you going to explain this to the New Republic government? Why don't you come tell my kids you're sorry they haven't had their mother for five years!" He was pleased when Isolder was unable to keep looking at him. Apparently, the Prince did have a few more scruples than his mother, and had the grace to appear ashamed of his mother's behavior

"Captain Solo," Teneniel Djo spoke softly. "There is absolutely nothing I wouldn't give to change what happened five years ago. Perhaps your government will request the Hapan Consortium leave the New Republic - if that is the case, we will withdraw immediately. But are you certain this is something Leia wants to happen?"

Isolder watched as Han looked away, his eyes filled with uncertainty and grief over the years he'd lost with his wife. "Credits won't make up for this, but we will compensate you and your family, Solo."

"I don't want your money," Han replied tightly, then belatedly thought about Tenel Ka. He had to admit the little girl was remarkably heroic and selfless, even if she was Isolder's child, and it would be unfair of him not to acknowledge her efforts. "I appreciate what your daughter did, the risks she took to help Leia."

"How did Ta'a Chume do all this?" Luke questioned into the uncomfortable silence that followed. "Did her guards explain?"

The Prince took a deep breath and then spoke. "Apparently, she wanted President Organa-Solo either dead, or the next best thing. Her private guards told us she hired specialists and bounty hunters to infiltrate the Kashyyyk Embassy dedication, and plant the bomb. If the bomb failed to kill her, then they were to kidnap her during the confusion following the explosion. After your Wookiee friend threw Leia off the stage, the bounty hunters grabbed and drugged her. She wasn't able to use the Force to sense there was any danger, because they were carrying the ysalamir with them. Once they brought her to Hapes, Mother had Leia placed in carbonite, so she could never escape."

"Why is there a carbonite chamber in the palace?" Mara asked, narrowing her green eyes.

Isolder gave a harsh laugh. "There isn't. Mother had one brought in and assembled, just in case the bomb failed to kill Leia. As soon as she was frozen, the carbon freezing chamber was disassembled and removed, to get rid of the evidence."

"She thought of everything," Han said flatly, staring at the carpet. "If the ysalamir wouldn't have died, we would never have found Leia."

"Maybe that proves she didn't think of everything," Teneniel Djo replied gently.


The Hapan doctor carefully and thoroughly checked the Princess, running every test she could think to run. The Princess appeared to be in amazingly good health, considering what she had been through, and said as much to her.

"Then why can't I remember everything? Why am I still missing fifteen years?" Leia questioned, frustrated.

"I can only surmise that Tenel Ka did not release you from the carbonite correctly. I have checked with her, and asked the experts on carbon freezing. There is a pattern you must press, and it must be exact. Press two buttons wrong, and that deviation can cause death or brain damage. A one button deviation can cause - "

"Memory loss," Leia interrupted. "I know this, somehow."

"Yes, the memory loss is caused by an interruption in your neural connections. The good news is that your memory should return in time. It appears that it's already coming back to you, a little bit at a time," Dr. Kann'i replied.

"That's a relief," Leia whispered, nodding in agreement. In fact, seeing Luke and Han had jarred some additional memories. She could now remember spending a great deal of time on missions with both men, especially Han Solo. General Rieekan always seemed to get some odd pleasure from pushing her into assignments with Solo as her pilot. And she could remember the Rebels deciding to move to Hoth, much to the annoyance of a certain, aggravating Corellian. Something bad had happened on Hoth, Leia thought, trying hard to remember. It was right there, tantalizingly close at the edge of her memories...

"There's one other item you should be aware of, Princess."

"Yes?"

"You should know that you are five weeks pregnant, but the freezing process did not appear to harm your fetus."


Luke jumped up, his eyes wide. "Leia..."

"What about her, kid?" Han asked, instantly afraid. He turned to Isolder, his hand coming to rest on the butt of his blaster. "You said she was safe! Where is this medical ward?"

"I'll take you there," Isolder replied as he stood up.

"Han," Luke said, quickly returning his focus on the room. "She's not in any physical danger. She's..."

"She's what?"

"She's in emotional distress. I didn't tell the doctor... I should have, but in all the confusion, I forgot..."

"Luke!" Han snapped out impatiently. "What did you forget?"

"I forgot to tell the doctor not to inform Leia about her relationship to us."

They quickly followed Isolder to the medical wing.


Leia stared at the doctor like she was speaking an alien language Leia couldn't quite comprehend. "Pregnant?"

"Yes. I take it you didn't know yet," Dr. Kann'i said with a smile. "Congratulations."

"Con..congratulations?" Leia stuttered. "This isn't possible!"

"Not possible? You mean you and your husband were taking precautions? Well, unfortunately, sometimes that fails, or people misjudge or forget when to get their birth control updates."

This can't be happening... Wait! What did she say? "Husband? I don't have a husband!" Leia spluttered out, still unable to fully comprehend what the doctor had just told her.

"Ah, I see," the doctor said with an understanding nod. "You don't remember him yet. You will - just give it time."

"Who... who is my husband?" Is it Luke? Is that why I felt jealous when he introduced Mara Jade as his wife?

The doctor looked at her information on the small computer screen. "Organa-Solo. I guess your husband's last name is Solo."

"SOLO?" the Princess yelled, jumping off the examine table, and pulling the new dress that Teneniel Djo had given her over her head. "This is crazy! You're crazy! I wouldn't marry that ... that scoundrel if he were the last man in the galaxy!" Quickly, she buttoned up the dress, and pulled on her boots.

"Mrs. Solo, calm down - "

"Don't call me that! My name is NOT Solo!" Leia's eyes darted around the room, her heart racing. A thought occurred to her. "He put you up to this, didn't he? I remember now he's got a warped sense of humor... always pulling pranks... this is a ... a joke, right? Right?"

Dr. Kann'i's face got stony. "I am a professional, Princess Leia Organa-Solo," she replied, her voice frosty. "I do not lie to my patients, nor do I 'pull pranks', as you put it, on my patients." She stood up, placing her hands on her hips. "I can assure you that you are, indeed, five weeks pregnant. Whether or not Solo is the father of this child is between the two of you. I'm sorry if this information has upset you, but perhaps you don't need to worry about it."

Leia stood still, trying to absorb this avalanche of information. "Not worry? If I married that laser brained nerf-herder, I must have lost my mind before the carbonite."

"What I meant to say, Princess, is that it has been five years. Five years is a long time for a husband to grieve for a deceased wife. Perhaps, believing you were dead, he has remarried. Then you can simply divorce or annul your marriage to this man you don't seem to like, much less love."

Remarried? He wouldn't dare! Wait.. what am I thinking? Why would I care if he was remarried? Did I used to love him? DO I still love him? Does he love ME? Leia had never felt more confused or conflicted - all she could remember was non-stop arguing with Han Solo, and his claims about not caring about anyone but himself. Of course, he was always risking his life for her, and he did care about Chewbacca. Where was Chewie, anyway? It seemed odd that the ever-present Wookiee was not at Han's side.

If I'm pregnant, and Han is the father, that means... Her face flushed at the thought of having been intimate with Solo. The idea of having been another one of his many conquests upset her - didn't she always swear that would never, ever happen? - but if he married her, then wouldn't that mean she was more than just another notch in his gunbelt? Han Solo, husband! Those two words just didn't seem to fit together, it was just too surreal to wrap her mind around. Still, Leia could remember the long nights she'd spent thinking about the Corellian, wondering what it might be like to kiss him. I must have found out what it's like, she thought, feeling a bit woozy. "What about the baby?" Leia asked.

"You don't have to have it," was the doctor's curt reply.

That statement brought Leia up short, and she put her hand over her stomach. Not have it? "I... I wouldn't do that..."

"That's your decision, Princess. Perhaps you can just have Solo raise this baby without your help. He must be taking care of your other children."

"Others?" Leia whispered.

The doctor's voice grew softer, realizing that she'd told her patient more than she intended. "My examine shows you have given birth before, Princess. I'd say more than once."

Leia's mouth literally dropped open. How could I forget about having children? she thought, astounded, desperately trying to recall ever having been pregnant, or giving birth. Maybe that's why he married me, because he felt obligated. Or Luke and Chewie forced him to marry me. That has to be the reason.

The sound of the door opening made Leia turn around. Han Solo stood in the entrance, his expression filled with compassion and concern. "Leia -"

"You've got a lot of nerve, flyboy," Leia snapped out, fighting back the impulse to slap his face. She was not about to let him see any weakness, or think she was about to fall swooning into his arms. He'd like that, and probably have some arrogant wisecrack comment about his virility, or her lack of self control. Although she couldn't place where it happened, a memory came back to her. "You just couldn't stand to let a gorgeous guy like me outta your sight." "I hate you," she said, her voice brittle. Quickly, she pushed past the stunned Corellian, and rushed out of the room.

"I'm afraid this is my fault," the doctor told them. "She's overwhelmed with too much information, too fast."

"What did you tell her?" Han managed to ask.

"Princess Leia is five weeks pregnant. She didn't handle that news too well, or the fact that she's married."

"Pregnant?" Han said with a gasp. "A... a baby?"

"The baby is fine," Dr. Kann'i assured him, but Han wasn't listening. He turned and started to follow Leia out of the room.

"Han," Luke stopped him. "Let me talk to her."

"No. She's my wife."

"She doesn't remember that."

"She doesn't remember you're her brother, either," Han returned.

"Maybe both of you should just leave her alone for a while," Mara put in. "She needs time to assimilate everything she's just heard."

Han was about to argue when a scream came from down the hallway.

"LEIA!" Han shouted, trying to push past Luke and Mara, while drawing out his blaster.

"Wait, Solo!" Isolder yelled. "That sounded like Teneniel."

The three men rushed out of the room, unaware that a certain red-head was moving in a different direction. Following Luke, they quickly entered the throne room, and instantly saw the problem. Queen Teneniel Djo stood to one side of the room next to Princess Leia, and each woman had one of Ta'a Chume's guards standing behind them, while Ta'a Chume stood near the tall windows, holding Tenel Ka around her neck with one arm, the other hand pointing a blaster at the girl's temple.

"Stay back, or I'll kill her," she snarled as the men entered the room. "And my guards will kill those witches, too."

"Please, Ta'a Chume," Teneniel begged her mother-in-law, her face white with fear. "Tenel Ka is only a child. Let her go."

"Where were you hiding, Mother?" Isolder spat out in disgust.

"She was in her secret tun-" Tenel Ka started to say.

"SHUT UP!" the former Queen screamed, her arm tightening around the girl's throat. "You're just like her, spying on me all the time! You're like both of them! They hate me... they laugh because I'm no longer in power! Because Hapes is under the control of the New Republic!"

"You can't get away, Mother," Isolder said slowly. "Let Tenel Ka go, and tell your guards to drop their weapons."

"You drop your weapons," Ta'a Chume ordered sharply. "Starting with you, Solo. Or I'll have my guard kill your wife, first."

Han glanced over at the guard standing behind Leia. He looked nervous, and very uncertain. Still, he wasn't willing to risk Leia's life with a sabacc bluff, so he tossed his blaster on the floor. "Let them go," Han repeated the Queen's plea. "If you need a hostage, I'll go with you."

"How noble of you, smuggler," Ta'a Chume said with a harsh laugh. "What makes you think I'll let you take her place?" She looked over at the Princess. "My only mistake was allowing you to live, even in carbonite. But I stole your life, anyway, didn't I? I took you away from your husband and your babies. I doubt they even remember their royal mother."

It took all of Leia's skills as a diplomat to speak calmly. "I'll go with you, Ta'a Chume. Just let Tenel Ka go unharmed. She's your grandchild. You must feel some love for her."

"Love?" The older woman snorted. "I don't believe in love. Just look at my son. One minute he claimed he loved you, and the next minute he claimed to love that worthless witch from Dathomir. And you're no better, Princess. You claimed to love Solo, yet you very nearly let the idea of being the Hapan Queen sway you into marrying Isolder, a man you had barely met. Love is a joke."

"You need to let go of your hatred," Luke said, trying to use the Force to gain some control of the situation. "It's blinding you, Ta'a Chume. Making you think only power is important - more important than your family."

"My family? I have nothing but fools and idiots for my family! Power is more important, Skywalker - why do you think your father became Vader and tossed aside his family? He loved that power more than he loved you and your sister."

Leia felt her legs get weak at that comment. Vader! Vader was Luke's father? And Luke had a sister?

"Our father saw the truth in the end," Luke argued, able to feel Leia's shock through the Force.

"Then he was a fool at the end, as well," Ta'a Chume answered.

Luke shook his head, and only then noticed a movement outside the window.


Mara moved along the edge of the narrow stone window sill, trying to keep her balance. It was a five story drop to the ground from where she was. Probably not fatal, especially for a Jedi, but it was likely to hurt. As fast as possible, she made her way over to the ornate balcony in front of the throne room, and dropped silently down to the outside stone. She glanced through the curtains, into the throne room. Ta'a Chume stood rigid, her back toward the balcony, holding a blaster to her grandchild's head. Mara shook her head in disgust. Ta'a Chume reminded her of Palpatine in so many ways. Cruel. Power hungry. Not caring who they hurt or killed.

She turned on her lightsaber, trying to make as little noise as possible. It was unlikely they'd be able to hear the snap hiss of a saber through the thick doors, but she kept her eyes glued to Ta'a Chume, just in case. She cut through the lock, and nudged it open. As the old door swung out, the hinges gave a squeal, and Mara's eyes opened wide.


Everything happened at once. To Leia, it seemed to happen both at lightning speed, and in slow motion.

Ta'a Chume heard the noise, and quickly tried to turn around, keeping Tenel Ka in front of her body. Mara moved forward, striking her blue saber down, and severing the former Queen's right arm from her body, preventing her from pulling the trigger. Luke moved forward, reaching out with the Force and hauling the child to safety while the grandmother screamed in agony.

Teneniel Djo twisted around, and using her own Force skills, threw the guard standing behind her against the wall. Isolder rushed past his wife, grappling with the man's weapon, and wrenching it away.

Leia dropped to the ground, trying to get out of the firing range just as the man standing behind her pulled the trigger. She saw Han diving forward as he lunged for his blaster, she could feel the heat of the blaster bolt as it barely missed the top of her head and left a smoldering hole in the wall across the room. She watched, to her horror, as Han grasped his blaster, aiming at the guard, but the guard fired off a second shot, this time at Han. "HAN!" Leia heard herself screaming a warning the moment before the blast hit the Corellian in his left side. Still, Han managed to get off his own shot, striking the guard through his heart. Leia started to stand up, knowing she had to get to Han, when the dead weight of the guard fell on top of her, slamming her into the marble floor. She felt the impact knock the air from her lungs, and her head cracking against the hard surface.

Then blackness.


"She's awake," Dr. Kann'i told a worried Luke and Mara as she exited Leia's room. Luke and Mara quickly stood, but the doctor held up her hand, stopping them from entering Leia's room. "She's lost the fetus. I tried drugs to stop the bleeding, but I'm afraid it didn't work. Since we have so little information about carbon freezing on humans, a miscarriage may have happened anyway, even without this latest trauma to her body."

"Does she know?" Mara asked.

"I've told her. Right now, she's far more concerned about her husband."

Luke nodded. "Can we see her?"

"Go ahead. But she needs to rest, so keep it quick."

They entered the dimly lit room, waiting a moment for their eyes to adjust. "Leia?"

The Princess turned her bandaged head to Luke. "I remember Bespin. And what happened on Endor." She gave a choked sob, reaching for Luke's hand. "You're my brother."

Reaching out, Luke grasped his sister's hand. "It's been a long five years, Leia. A very long five years."

"Han's dead, isn't he?"

The Jedi knelt down next to her bed. "No. He's in surgery right now. He's going to make it. You have to believe that."

"I love him."

"I know you love him. Han knows you love him, too."

"I still can't remember everything - I can't remember getting married, or having children... but I know Han's my other half." She took an unsteady breath and continued, "I can't believe what I said to him today."

"He knows you didn't mean it, that you didn't remember very much. Don't beat yourself up about this, Leia."

"What are their names?" she asked softly, trying not to think too hard about the baby she'd only known existed for less than an hour, before she lost it.

Luke knew what she was asking. "The twins are Jaina and Jacen. They're eight, the same age as Tenel Ka. Anakin is six."

"Anakin? I named, I named my son... after him?"

"Yes. It took a while, but you finally came to understand he wasn't always evil. He was a good man in the beginning, and a good man at the end, when he needed to be. It was your way of making peace with our father, and the past."

Leia looked up at Mara. "I can't remember you, either."

Mara gave a wan smile. "I'm an ex-assassin that worked for Palpatine. I tried to kill Luke before I decided to marry him."

There was a stunned moment of silence in the room. Then Leia started laughing hysterically, right before bursting into tears. Luke drew up and sat on the side of her bed, holding her. "The Skywalker family likes to pick interesting spouses. Spouses that keep us on our toes, make us feel alive, and challenge how we believe."

"Ta'a Chume is right," Leia said sadly. "They won't remember me. I've missed their entire childhood."

"Not their entire childhoods. I know they'll be thrilled to have you back in their lives." Luke smiled, before warning her, "They're quite a handful."

"Have you been raising them?"

"No. Han's raising them, but right now we're all living on Yavin where I have my Jedi academy. Your children are learning how to be Jedi."

The Princess was amazed that Han Solo had accepted the fact his children were Force-sensitive, and was willing to allow Luke to teach them about 'that hokey religion'. "Han's living on Yavin, too?"

Mara laughed. "It was quite the battle to get him to move there, but three months ago he finally saw the light."

"Why?" Leia swiped away her tears. "How did he 'see the light'?"

Luke shifted on the bed, looking away. "It might have had something to do with Anakin levitating his classmates to the ceiling."

"Or Jacen using the Force to free thirty big spiders in his classroom," Mara added.

"Or maybe Jaina deciding to see how the fire repression system in the school worked," Luke continued. "All in the span of two days."

Leia's eyes grew wide. "Oh, dear."

Mara patted Leia's arm. "Don't worry. Han's been dealing with this for five years now. He's gotten rather good at it, too."

"Well, at least he's had help," she replied. "Chewie's been there, right?"

Luke and Mara looked at each other, suddenly uncomfortable.

"Luke? Where's Chewie?" Leia wasn't too sure she wanted to hear the answer.

There was no way he could avoid telling her. "He died, Leia. The day you disappeared, he saved your life by throwing you off the platform, seconds before the bomb went off. He didn't make it."

The Princess buried her face in her hands, shutting her eyes tightly. Chewie was dead. Died because of his loyalty to her and Han. "Chewie," she whispered, her heart breaking. "My poor Han."

Luke bent over and kissed Leia's forehead, trying to use the Force to soothe her troubled senses. "Get some rest. And like I said, don't worry about Han. I'll wait up until he's safely out of surgery."

"Don't let him die, Luke."

"He won't die. I promise."


"We're losing him," the surgeon snapped out, "We need to get his blood pressure back up."

Han stared at the scene, watching as medical droids and Hapan doctors rushed around his body, trying to save his life. He could see himself lying on the table, his side cut open as the doctors tried to stop the bleeding, and repair the damage caused by the blaster shot. The doctors, the droids, even his own body looked like a holo-projection, or like his son had described his grandfather - shiny. "I'm dying," he said quietly, calmly, knowing they couldn't hear him, even though he could hear them quite clearly. He thought, I should be upset, but he felt oddly at peace with the idea of dying. Somehow, he knew Leia was okay, and even if he died she'd still be okay. His Princess was strong, far stronger than anyone he knew.

"It isn't your time, Han," a man's voice spoke from behind his shoulder.

Han turned and looked at the older man. Tall, dressed in Jedi robes, with sandy hair and blue eyes. The same color blue as Luke's and his youngest son's eyes. He was very real, and very solid. "Anakin Skywalker?" Han asked in surprise, feeling no fear from this man that used to be Darth Vader.

The Jedi smiled and nodded. "Leia needs you, son. She's lost the baby she was carrying. She can't lose you."

"You've been watching over my family for the past five years, haven't you?"

Anakin nodded. "Things weren't right, and when so much time passed, I knew I needed to help make them right - make some amends to my children for all the grief I caused while I was living. Leia needed to be rescued from carbonite, and your children - my grandchildren - needed to be trained as Jedi. You did the right thing by taking them to Yavin. Thank you."

A sudden thought occurred to Han. "You made that zookeeper kill the ysalamir, didn't you?"

"Perhaps I shouldn't have, but yes, I convinced the zookeeper to poison the tree. I could see no other path to free Leia from the carbonite."

"Then I'm the one that should be thanking you," Han said, sincerely. He turned around as the doctors' voices grew more frantic. Monitors in the room were sounding, very loudly.

"You need to go back now, Han. Before it's too late."

Han nodded. He started to move toward his body, then quickly looked back at Anakin. "Hey, if you see Chewie, can you tell the furball I love him?"

"He knows. He's watching over you and your family, just like I am."


Warm. Fuzzy. Those were the two words Han would have used to describe how he was currently feeling. Then he forced his eyes open and the fuzzy feeling turned into dizziness. He quickly shut his eyes, trying to swallow against a dry mouth and throat. Slowly, he reopened his eyes and carefully turned his head. Leia was sitting in a chair next to his bed, wearing a hospital robe. A large bandage was on her forehead, her head slumped forward in exhaustion.

"Leia?" It sounded like a croak rather than a name. Still, she was instantly aware and sat up.

"Han?" Tears filled her eyes. "You're awake!" She leaned over and gave him a careful hug. "We almost lost you during the surgery."

How do I know that? Han thought in bewilderment, since he hadn't been awake during that time. He watched her fumbling for a small cup, filling it with water, before gently propping her hand beneath his head, allowing him to take a sip.

Then another thought occurred to him. "The baby?"

"I... I lost it," she said, her eyes downcast.

Somehow, he was aware of that, too. Han tried to reach for her hand, but was frustrated by the tubes in his wrists. "Leia... I love you."

"I know." She looked up, and smiled. "I remember."


Yavin, five days later.

"I can't believe I'm really here," Tenel Ka said excitedly as she peered up at the ancient temples. "My parents actually let me come with you, and start my training."

With her arm looped through Luke's, Mara smiled at the young Hapan Princess as they walked down the lowered ramp of the Falcon. Now that Ta'a Chume was in prison - along with her aide Trisdin, who was caught trying to sneak out of the palace grounds - Tenel Ka would have the opportunity to become a great Jedi. "I think you'll really enjoy training, Tenel Ka," Mara said. "And your parents know you've earned the right to begin your journey as a Jedi."

Pausing at the bottom of the ramp, Luke looked back up at his sister and Han, standing in the open hatch. During the past few days, her memory had finally returned - almost all of it, anyway. Of course, the five years spent in carbonite would always be missing, and she still could not recall the explosion or the time spent in carbonite.

Hearing the sound of young voices yelling in excitement, the Jedi Master turned as the three Solo children and little Leia came running out of the stone temple.

"Master Luke!" Threepio called out, shuffling behind with trusty R2-D2. "I tried to tell them to wait in the apartment... but they never listen to me!"

"Dad!" Anakin yelled out, tearing around in circles. "We missed you!"

"And you, too, Uncle Luke and Aunt Mara!" the diplomatic Jacen added.

Leia realized she was trembling as she walked down the ramp, watching as Han gathered his children, one at a time, into a huge hug. "Kids," Han started out tentatively. "I'd like to introduce you to some people." He motioned toward Tenel Ka, who was watching the other children with interest. "This is Tenel Ka. She's Luke's new student at the academy, so you need to show her the ropes, but try not to get her into trouble."

"I get into enough trouble on my own," Tenel Ka stated. "And that's a fact."

They greeted the new girl, then turned their attention back to their father, waiting for him to continue. Han straightened, and pulled Leia to stand next to him. "And this is someone you've already met, but you probably don't remember her. She's your - "

"Mom," Jaina finished before Han could say any more. Then she addressed Leia directly, "You look exactly like I remember."

Bending over and hugging all three children, it was all Leia could do to keep from sobbing in joy. At first, the children felt cautious in returning her hugs, then grew bolder and tightened their grasp. Greedily, Leia soaked in what they looked like, what they smelled like, everything about them. "Jaina and Jacen, you were only three, just babies - and now look at how you've grown." She looked at her youngest. "All of you, you're just so big now... I've missed you so much."

"I'm glad you came home, mommy," Anakin said, holding onto Leia tightly. "Listening to you talk to me wasn't good enough."

"Talk to you?"

"You talked to us, mom," Jaina agreed with her younger brother. "Right before dad, Uncle Luke and Aunt Mara went to rescue you, you talked to us through the Force."

Still kneeling, Leia glanced over at Luke, who nodded. "You did, sister. You reached out to me, asking for help. And you reached out for your children, and Han."

The last one surprised her. "Han? But he's not - "

"No, I'm not," Han quickly put in, not wanting to go into the details of her 'communications' with him in front of witnesses. "I couldn't answer you, but you were there in my mind, sweetheart. Trust me."

"Mommy," little Leia tugged at her mother's hand, wanting some attention of her own. "I made lots more pitchers for you while you were gone."

"Yes, she did," Threepio said primly. "I don't believe I will ever get the paint and glue out of my joints."

Everyone laughed, much to Threepio's dismay. "I can't wait to see them, Leia," Mara said, reaching down to pick up her daughter.

"Leia?" Leia asked, shocked, as Han helped her stand up while her children refused to let go of her hands and legs. "This is your child? And you named her Leia?"

Luke grinned. "Leia, I'd like to introduce you to your niece, little Leia. We thought we should wait and surprise you about one thing on Yavin, anyway."

"I call her Lelee," Anakin said. "It makes her laugh."

"That might be a good nickname, Anakin," Mara said. "We can't have her getting confused now that Leia is back home."

"I like Lelee," little Leia informed them.

"I can do better than that," Luke replied, kissing his daughter. "I love Lelee."

"I can't wait to show you our apartment, mom," Jacen said enthusiastically. "I think you'll like it – it's got really big rooms. And super high ceilings! I've been feeding some birds at the windows, and sometimes they fly around inside."

Threepio looked worriedly at Han. "I have tried to tell him that he should keep his pets outside, but he never listens to me. Not one of your children listens to me! It's quite distressing, if I do say so myself."

Ignoring the droid, Jacen tugged on his mother's hand. "Come on... I want to show you everything."

Han reached over and pulled Leia into his arms. "I think that's the best idea I've heard in a long time. Let's go home."


Epilogue

Two weeks later

Mara Jade-Skywalker was not happy. Just yesterday, Han Solo had bested her! He'd actually won a stupid blaster contest that involved hitting moving targets. Threepio had been chosen to fire a small propulsion cannon filled with rocks, aiming them into the air - one, two, or sometimes three at a time. Each contestant - which was to say Han and Mara - took turns shooting down the rocks.

After one hundred rocks, Mara had hit ninety-seven of them. To her disgust, Han had hit ninety-eight. Of course, if she'd been allowed to use the Force, even just a little, she could have hit all one hundred of them. The blasted Corellian had been gloating ever since the contest. It was enough to make her want to Force-choke him a bit, or maybe levitate him to the ceiling like Anakin did his classmate. But, oh no... Luke wouldn't let her. He insisted she had to act like an adult, and be a good example to the children.

Now they were positioned on speeder bikes, ready to race around on a predetermined course. And, once again, use of the Force was forbidden. The entire group of Jedi and padawans stood around, watching and placing bets, much to the dismay of Jedi Master Luke Skywalker. Placing bets just seemed so unJedi-like.

Leia looked at the two determined racers, then watched the overly excited children jump from boulder to boulder. The past two weeks had been a crash course in re-learning what her children were like. And one thing she had learned was that Anakin, Jaina, and sometimes even Jacen, had a tendency to get into a great deal of trouble with very little effort. Definitely, they had inherited that from her husband. It was never far from her thoughts about all the years with them she'd missed, years that could never be regained. It was for that reason she decided to remain on Yavin, rather than return to Coruscant. Leia had so much time she needed to make up, and a return to the political life would just take her away from her family again. Besides, continuing her training as a Jedi was also a big consideration.

"Han?" Leia called out over the noisy, rambunctious children. "Are you sure you want to do this? It could be dangerous!"

Han paused before sliding the helmet over his head. "Ah, sweetheart. Danger is my middle name."

"I could have sworn it was nerf-brain," she replied to the giggles of the kids, and the loud laughter of the adults.

"Watch it!" He gave her a mock-injured look, and wagged a finger in her direction. "Besides - " He put on the helmet and his voice became muffled as he put the face cover down. "I won yesterday, and I'm gonna win today."

"In your dreams, Solo," Mara shot back, putting on her own helmet.

"Good luck," Luke called out, watching as Threepio raised the starting horn into the air.

"Thanks, kid!" Han said cheerfully.

"He meant me," Mara groused back.

"He didn't say your name."

The starter sounded, and the speeders raced away. Leia looked over at her brother. "What was it you said about Skywalkers picking interesting spouses?"

"Did I say interesting?" Luke said dryly. "I think I meant insane."

THE END