The moment she woke Leia spent time wondering how it felt to die. This did not disturb her, nor frighten her. She thought it a natural progression from where she'd been. At least she didn't feel guilty about being alive anymore.

She was very curious about death, what it was, how it happened.

An act like looking out a window made her think of her father but mornings she thought about her mother, who had died in her bed.

It was afternoon, she remembered. The cooks had prepared dinner.

Her mother was bedridden for days before it happened, on her back, her head turned toward the window and her mouth slack. Everyone counted the breaths. Her father held her hand and talked to her or smoothed her hair. Sometimes her eyes were open and she stared out the window with a fierceness that was eerie.

"What do you see, Mati?" Leia would ask. In the presence of the Queen's Maidens she was supposed to address her mother as the queen but her father wouldn't send them out so she disobeyed protocol. And her mother didn't correct her.

There was nothing out the window that Leia could see. She watched the horizon of trees for a bird to come soaring out, but it was far away and nothing caught Leia's eye. Her mother was just watching the sky.

Did she see? Something? A spirit, a goddess? Or did the sky tether her to the world she wasn't ready yet to leave?

Leia remembered her father's soft voice and how he didn't beg for a reaction but sometimes his voice cracked.

On her own cot in the Falcon Leia's mouth didn't even drop open. And she was so aware of her body, the brightness of her mind. Someday, she thought, she would be like her mother, dying. But right now it didn't feel possible.

The ship thudded, and Leia wondered what Han was doing now. He was always testing some system or another. Sometimes whatever it was malfunctioned during the test, and then Chewie would yell at him for running a test- Leia didn't need the exasperation translated- and Han would yell back that that's what tests were for.

She was entertained by them, a little envious too. Their friendship could be prickly but the teamwork was very smooth. Somewhere there was foundation, a bedrock.

Or maybe they were pulling out of hyperspace. They should be getting close, Leia thought. This was the third morning on the cot, thinking about her mother.

Back to Buteral...

Leia wondered how things had been going. She was absent almost a week. Were there arrivals scheduled? She couldn't remember.

She'd missed an appointment with Dr. Renzatl, and Carlist would want to talk with her, about the Alderaani living in Imperial City. Marcov Petron, if he was still there, would want to celebrate her press conference with her.

She hadn't given it much thought since leaving Imperial City. In flight one couldn't access current files on the holoweb, only archived ones, so she had no idea if the Emperor responded, or how. And it occurred to her- it should have earlier, but didn't- how she'd only asked for permission to travel to Imperial City to accompany Jargist; Carlist, and- Leia groaned at the thought of Mon- must have been as surprised to see her speaking to the press as the Emperor was.

"-her things together and throw her in the hold."

Leia blinked and listened carefully. Outside the cabin, her ears picked up a frenzy of activity.

"Princess!" Han hollered.

She was only wearing a t-shirt, one of Han's he gave her to sleep in.

She was pulling on her leggings when Chewie used the override and burst into her cabin.

"What is it?" she asked. Chewie's arms were gesturing wildly, hurriedly. He grabbed her Thought Bowl and backpack and indicated she needed to throw everything else in it, too. "Chewie, what?"

He circled the room, stripping the cot quickly and stuffing the bedding in a locker. He dashed to the 'fresher and thrust her things at her to pack.

Leia grabbed her data pad. "That's all I have," she told him. "What?" But he took her elbow and dragged her out to the corridor. A panel of the floor was removed, revealing a deep, rectangular pit.

Chewie lifted her and deposited her, not very gently, into the hole. It was almost as deep as she stood.

"What is going on?" she demanded. "What are you do-"

Han appeared, a finger to his mouth. "Shut up," he hissed. "No trace, Chewie?"

The Wookiee growled an affirmative.

"OK, get in."

Chewie hopped in beside Leia and slid down the side wall to sit, knees up. Han replaced the panel without saying a word, forcing Leia to hunch over. She sat, and heard his steps move away.

She breathed in the dark. He's buried me alive. There was an odor. Not musty or stale. It was fresh, musky and alive. Chewie, she realized, and tried to summon comfort in his presence. In the dark she could make out the glisten of his eyes but that was it.

She had so many questions, and was trying to add up the noises to get answers. It wasn't a malfunction, obviously.

They heard Han's steps again, and the motor of the lift.

Something in her backpack was poking her, and she shifted out of its way. From out of nowhere Chewie gave her a warning tap.

Han's voice came, distant at first, growing stronger as he neared the hidden panel, conversational. "... surprised you're so far out. If you'd just tell me what you're looking for, I can make this a quick stop for you."

They'd been boarded! Leia's heart started to race and the walls of the floor compartment seemed to close in.

No one answered Han.

"How about you just talk," Han said dryly.

Again, he got no reaction. All Leia heard was her blood in her ears and steps shuffling over them. Her palms were sweaty. He's buried me alive.

Think of something else, she ordered herself. Think... safe. He's-

His blaster. Holstered at his thigh. Had they disarmed Han? Probably, she thought.

"You know," Han said, no longer friendly, "I was thinkin' it was impressive, the Empire making random stops like this, keeping us freighter pilots safe and all, but now I'm startin' to get pissed."

"This the Underneath the Black Moon?" The voice was a raspy tenor, Coruscanti accent.

"You tell me. You're holdin' the registration."

Leia stared at her kneecaps. She was close to a pant and had this urge to burst out of the compartment, or rip her shirt off or something. Chewie somehow sensed her distress; maybe Leia smelled, she thought, and he patted her leg and she told herself they'd put her down here for a reason, and she needed to sit still and play it out. But it was tight down here, dark and crowded...

"You lifted off from Imperial City."

"Ooh, a mind reading act." Leia could picture Han waving his hands mockingly and she hoped he wouldn't get smacked around. Imagining the conversation taking place above her occupied her; it helped keep panic at bay.

"And you're headed to Buteral."

No, Leia thought. Not Buteral.

"Tell me something I don't know."

Not Buteral. What if they blew it up?

They couldn't, she answered herself. Stop. Luke got rid of the Death Star.

"How long have you had this ship?"

"I don't. I fly for the CTC. Maybe you heard about their presence on Buteral. Alderaan ring a bell?" Han pretended to wait for an answer. "No? Anyway, check with them; it's their ship."

"A ship, same make and model, was at the Battle of Yavin."

"No shit? And you think this is her? That's probably how the CTC got their hands on her; they don't have their own fleet. Charity organization, you know. Get donations and the like. Heard Yavin was a blood bath. I mean, look at her. Not a bad ship, though."

Good goddess, Han, Leia thought. He's buried me alive and now he's bragging.

"Who's your copilot?"

"I aint' got one. We're assigned an available ship. This is a great gig for a pilot who don't have his own. Pays better than the Navy, I can tell you that. You two oughta look into it. With the war going on, we're pretty busy, as you can imagine."

"Stop talking."

"Sure," Han said easily.

"Why's there an over-sized chair in the cockpit?"

Han didn't answer.

Leia wracked her brains. Her chin was lowered to her chest and she was rocking back and forth. What were they after? Who were they after? Him, her, or Chewie?

"I said why is there an over-sized chair in the cockpit?"

"Oh. Thought you wanted me quiet. Search me. Look, I'm on contract, and I got a deadline. Is there something I can do for you? I thought you pulled ships out to look for trafficking. You're just askin' me a bunch of questions about stuff no one gives a shit about. Big chairs and old battles," Han scoffed. "Give me a break."

"Princess Leia Organa was also recently in Imperial City."

Leia's breath froze and Chewie's hand squeezed the top of her head.

"Was she?" Han said. "So you heard of her, huh. You gonna look for signs of her in the big chair? I wouldn't know. I fly supplies to refugee camps."

"Reports say she was seen boarding a YT freighter departing Imperial City."

"Was she." There was dull menace in Han's voice now. "I see. Not a random stop."

"We'll look around," the voice told Han.

"Sure. Look around, and fuck you and fuck the Empire, involvin' me in all this political intrigue shit." From the sounds of it, Han was pacing back and forth. "Then get off this ship while I look for a different job. Last thing I need is the Empire marking my license."

"Cargo bays unlocked?"

"Do I look like the kind of guy who consorts with a princess?"

"Cargo bays unlocked?"

"Yes, they're unlocked. See if you find my harem of princesses," Han snapped. "I keep them in a special place."

Leia had used the same word, harem, asking about the freed Wookiee slaves. The use of the word cut through the too-tight space, broadening it. She found it oddly uplifting that it had stuck with Han.

"You check crew quarters," the raspy tenor ordered his silent partner. "You wait in the cockpit," he must have told Han, because there wasn't anyone else to talk to that Leia could figure.

"I'll leave the big chair for you," Han said.

Leia heard him walk away and then didn't hear anything for a long time. She was biting her lip and her eyes were closed so the darkness didn't press on her. She pictured the shoal of Buteral, and the big, powerful waves were her breaths.

Then came two blaster shots. Leia stood rapidly, forgetting the low ceiling, and bumped her head. Chewie pulled her close against his fur and she felt the metal rod of his crossbow.

Chewie wouldn't let harm come to Han, she told herself. Han is safe.

Steps sounded. One person, Leia counted. The ceiling shifted and air, blissfully cooler and fresher, drifted down. Leia gulped it.

"All clear," Han said. "Except-"

"Get me out of here," Leia demanded.

"Right away, Your Highness," Han turned sarcastic and made no move to assist her.

Leia squinted up at him. His familiar holster was not at his thigh. "How did you-"

"I keep a palm pistol in every room on this ship," he boasted.

"Your precaution paid off," Leia granted.

Chewie picked her up around the waist and lifted her out of the smuggling hold. The shirt and pants of her lower back was damp with sweat; maybe it was her own body odor she smelled. Leia took a shaky breath. She was so glad to be out of there, but needed to recover her composure.

"Remind me to look where I sit," she hoped her usual cynical humor sounded normal.

"'Cept now there's two dead Imps that won't be checking in, so we gotta do something. Chewie, take them back to the airlock. But don't release them yet, got that?" He looked at Leia. "Don't think the Empire will appreciate watching two bodies float out."

"Get their comms," Leia called after Chewie, relieved to hear her forethought. She turned back to Han. "Where are we?"

Han shrugged. "Pulled out of hyper about an hour ago. We're in the system; got another hour or so before we start Buteral's orbit."

"Was it a Star Destroyer?" Leia walked to the cockpit to see out the viewport. It smelled of blaster fire and the navigator's seat was bent. A body must have fallen against it, she realized.

"A cruiser."

"Could you take it on?"

Han took in air and raised his brows to consider.

"It's lightly armed," Leia said. "Right? And no hangar of fighter ships."

"Yeah..." Han didn't seem enthused. "I could. That'd get us away. But it would confirm the stop."

Leia nodded. "The Princess traveling to Buteral," she understood. "We have to keep them away from Buteral."

"I'm sure they already know the Empire is posted nearby."

"Yes, of course." Her thoughts trailed the impulses of adrenaline. "Is that what they wanted?"

"You? Probably. They didn't show me any warrants or anything."

"Is this-" she gestured outside the ship- "unusual? Stopping ships mid-journey?"

"No. Easier to catch pirates and slavers red-handed. It's how I lost Jabba's shipment."

"They- if it was me they were after, they were going to do it now." Comprehension was coming slowly, and Leia nodded, encouraging it along.

Han was with her. "Sneaky and quiet."

"They didn't want to arrest me on Buteral."

They were looking at each other when Chewie returned. He placed a few items in the navigator's seat and cocked his head at it. He warbled something at Han, who spread his palms in resigned answer.

"Leave me the fuck alone," Han said. "Kriff, they were talking about impounding the Black Moon. 'Course I shot 'em."

Chewie assumed a power lift pose and wrenched the seat back into shape. He gloated at Han, who said only, "Now we need a new chair."

"Four blasters," Leia counted.

"Two of those are mine," Han owned up. "Guess they found a couple of hiding spaces."

Leia picked up a small datapad the Imperial officer carried along with a comm unit.

"That's where any warrants would be," Han said. "They fill one out?"

"Not that I can see," Leia said. "But there's all sorts of forms on here."

"Yeah? Lemme see that." Han held out his hand. "I got an idea. Chewie, set course for Ansion."

"Ansion?" Leia repeated. "The Imperial base?"

"Yeah. Closest one."

"You want to go to an Imperial base?"

"Still have to hit hyper to get there... Here, you fill this out." Han returned the data pad to Leia. "You're a bureaucrat."

"I'm a princess." But she saw what his plan was. An impoundment order was pulled up on the screen. "You're going to carry on with their inspection."

"Damn right. Someone's got to fly her when the captain is under arrest. Hey, Chewie," Han had a last-minute thought. "Go back and make sure those two ain't the kind of peons that carry locaters on their person. I don't want to be tracked."

"And as soon as we hit hyper, you'll reset coords." She nodded, and removed the stylus she kept in her braid. "That should work."

"Guess you were a little too public in Imperial City," Han said. He watched as Leia tapped on the screen. "I don't get it, though. Why so sneaky? Obviously, they knew when we left Coruscant who we were. They coulda nabbed you there, or on Buteral. After your little stunt, you're a prize."

"A prize that could backfire." Leia kept her eyes on the datapad. "This way, I'm silenced quietly. Whereas an assassination or noisy arrest risks a battle. Even bad publicity. You said it yourself. The Emperor fights dirty."

Han shook his head. "This is a weird war, you know that? Corellian kings never toppled a throne with a smear campaign."

The mention of history made Leia feel wistful. "Neither did Alderaani queens. It is a weird war. It's the weapons. Mistruths or bombs; Palpatine lobs both and spreads what damage he can."

"Who needs an army when you can throw a bomb," Han said. "Or fire a laser."

Leia nodded sadly at him. "The monarch's army of old is second to these weapons. Instead of fighting to gain territory, he pushes a button to destroy it. The armies are needed to defend the weapon." She put the stylus back in her braid and showed the datapad to Han. "The form is sent."

He brightened. "Good. And coords are set. We'll fly about thirty clicks to play it safe and then find somewhere to comm Buteral."

Leia felt... a growing sureness again, like she had that time after Luke came; at least like she wasn't her own worst enemy. Maybe it was the talk of war, of queens and armies. She remembered her history and knew what to do. The Emperor's move gave her a confidence. The episode of claustrophobia was fading.

"Make it thirty-one."

"One?"

The expression on her face warned him of memory and adventure. "The Empire counts by tens."