A/N: While some parts of this story were initially seen in drabbles, certain aspects of it were not. This part? This is one of those aspects.

She'd joined the men of Rogue Squadron at a table in the mess hall out of habit, wanting to spend as much time with Tycho as she could while at Echo Base. Her orders were to leave in the morning, but for now... now they were worried, and rightfully so, about their missing Commander. She carefully grasped Tycho's hand and he smiled back at her. "I picked a heck of a time to visit between missions."

Wedge, further down the table, simply nodded, and then his facial expression softened slightly. "I wonder how he actually managed to get her to stop doing repairs?"

Winter frowned at him, then turned to follow his line of sight, only to frown again at seeing a woman she'd never expected to find among the Rebel Alliance, holding hands with Wes Janson as he led her to their table. "Lady Ismaren?"

She winced at the title, then sat and stared at her hands. "Don't call me that. And of course you would be here, too, if Princess Organa is. Hello, Lady Retrac."

"I'm leaving in the morning," Winter mentioned, befuddled at how out of sorts she was, and confused as to why a courtesan from the Imperial Court was here, dressed so plainly, with hair so un-styled and ordinary.

"Oh." Roganda raised her head to find the pilots watching her, sighed, and returned to looking at her hands. "I'm fine. No need to stare, Gentlemen."

"No, no," Tycho said, with an amused tone in his voice. "We just aren't used to seeing you without a hydrospanner in your hand and Chewie at your side, working on a problem with Solo's ship."

Wes returned right then with a tray of food and a ration bar for himself. He set the tray down in front of Roganda, who stared down at it instead of her hands, and then sat down himself. "Eat."

Roganda frowned. "Every meal seems to be some kind of fish derivative. Why is that? Did they find an undersea ocean on this iceball?"

Now Wedge laughed. "No, but there is a planet whose main export is fish in the sector. Not telling you where or which one."

"Better that you don't," Roganda agreed. "The fewer that actually know, the better. And at least it's not the ice chips you all keep joking about."

Now Dak, a pilot Winter wasn't really all that familiar with, laughed. "Oh, that wasn't a joke. It was quarantine. It's funny now, but..."

Roganda nodded and began to eat as she'd been told to. Then she paused and looked up at them again. "Why are all of you in here together? Shouldn't at least some of you be getting some sleep?"

"Too worried," Hobbie admitted, startling Winter at the sound of his voice, because he'd been so quiet up until now. "Luke's from Tatooine and still doesn't tolerate cold very well, though you'd never know it watching him."

Roganda paused again, then looked over Winter's shoulder. "What do you think, Senator Organa? Should most of these guys go to bed?"

Winter turned, suddenly realizing she had been so focused on Roganda that she'd not been observant of their surroundings. Leia was seated at the next table with the Wookiee, a sheet of flimsy and a pen between them.

Leia smiled at the expression on Winter's face, and then nodded in affirmation. "Yes. Nothing is going to happen tonight. Bed, most of you."

Winter grabbed Tycho's hand, silently making him stay as most of Rogue Group got up to leave the mess hall, albeit reluctantly. Left behind were Wedge, Wes, Hobbie, and Tycho. She frowned at Hobbie, who simply shrugged.

"I was on Dawn Patrol," Hobbie explained. "I was just waking up when Solo rushed out of here."

"Oh." They lapsed into silence as Wes chewed on his ration bar and Roganda ate reluctantly. When she was done, she pushed the tray aside and resumed staring at her hands, which Winter now realized were noticeably scarred. What had gone on, that both of her hands looked like that? She wanted to ask, but was startled at the sharp intake of breath and then Roganda was massaging her temples and muttering under her breath. Winter felt, rather than saw, Tycho tense up, and Leia joined them at the table.

"Roganda?" Leia asked carefully.

No immediate answer came, and then the muttering got louder and more distinct, and Winter froze. She knew that dialect. She hadn't realized, until just this moment, how much she had yearned to hear it spoken. "Um... is she calling the Emperor a nag repeatedly, or am I imagining it?"

"Among other things," Tycho confirmed as he caught Wes's gaze. "Did you know she was from Alderaan?"

Wes shook his head. "No. She has been so focused on just keeping busy that we hadn't talked much." He started to reach over, to get Roganda's attention, but Leia stopped him.

"Let her," Leia said, emotion in her voice so thick that Winter wanted to give her a hug. "It is a privilege to hear someone, anyone, swearing in Thon Taiald. Let her say what she wants."

Winter nodded in agreement. Not only did she know that dialect, but it was the one she had taught to Leia that her own mother had spoken. It was, indeed, a privilege to hear it... even if Roganda needed help with pronunciation. "She can't have been that old."

Tycho frowned at her. "What?"

"Her structure is off..." Winter reached across to catch one of Roganda's hands, and when the woman looked at her with pained eyes, she asked a question in the dialect. Roganda's answer was short, to the point, and for a moment, Winter felt like she was staring back at a young girl of nine or ten rather than the adult woman in front of her. [["Oh. That young. I'm sorry."]] Roganda tried pulling her hand out of Winter's firm grasp, but Winter held firm and held eye contact with her. She wasn't sure what this was, but it felt really important to lend her full and total support now.

One by one, Tycho, Wedge, Wes, Leia, Hobbie, and Chewbacca laid their hands on top of Winter's, lending their own silent support, and Roganda blinked, startled at them all. "I... I..." Chewbacca grunted at her, and Roganda took a deep breath, then let it out. "Can't."

"Can't what?" Wes asked, tone both curious and gentle. "It's just us, of course you can."

"Talk," she ground out. She winced, but held Winter's gaze. [["Master Ameesa told me loyalty was everything. Always."]]

Leia suddenly nudged Chewie, who looked at her. "Flimsy. Now." Chewie stared at her, and, carefully removing his furry hand from the pile and went to get the requested item. He brought it back, and set it so Leia could write with her free hand, and then slid the flimsy into Winter's line of sight.

Winter glanced down at it quickly... 'Ameesa Darys, another supposed courtesan. Probably actually also Imperial Secret Service. Ask how this Ameesa is her Master.' She frowned in confusion, then realized what needed to be asked. She met Roganda's pained gaze again. [["How is Ameesa your Master? And why?"]]

[["Has been since Lagan died. She did it."]] There was the young girl, buried deep inside, again as Roganda paled and had to take another deep breath, and squeezed Winter's hand tighter. [["Since Ming and Eris never came back. Never saw again. Since Belsavis."]]

"Belsavis?" Winter asked, in basic for Wedge, Wes, and Hobbie, so they could follow along, however minutely. [["What about Belsavis?"]]

[["Sheltered. Secret. Until... weren't."]]

Winter dared to look at Leia, to find her writing again, and then the Flimsy was back... 'That's enough. Guide her back to the now. If you can.' She nodded, and was about to do exactly that when Roganda yawned, blinked, and shook her head. Just as suddenly as it started, the little girl vanished again beneath the surface.

Roganda frowned, looked at Leia. "Princess, if you don't mind? My head hurts, and-"

Leia nodded, and they all let go, except for Winter, who was still puzzled at the difference between the personas. "It is getting late, and we have much to do tomorrow."

Winter finally let go and watched as the woman slowly got to her feet, nodded to Wes, and let Chewbacca lead her out of the mess hall. "What was that?"

"That," Leia told her, her voice firm. "Is more questions than answers, given how young she must have been." She muttered a prayer under her breath, and Tycho and Winter joined her. Here, in the presence of a Corellian, a man from Taanab, and a native to Ralltiir, three Alderaanians gave thanks that they could add one more to their number.