When Leia was a girl, she liked to swing high under the Chandrillan tree. She knew who she was, a princess, and when her legs kicked out straight, her future with Alderaan soared certain and permanent. She glimpsed the sky through the branches, the bluish gray hue of the mountains in the distance, and it was a thrill. Then she pumped her legs back, and her shadow moved across the grass, sweeping along the history of the House of Organa, and the Maidens waited in varying degrees of patience.
Somewhere along that timeline, several hundred and odd years ago, one queen from the House of Organa ushered in a new era. Somewhere in a room of the same palace where Leia had grown up, the Queen proposed an idea. It became known as the Recent Experiment.
After thousands of years of armed conflict, both on her soil and beyond, the Queen proposed to her people that Alderaan become a pacifist world. It was a complicated concept, one easier to imagine as an ideal rather than a reality, and there was no doubt in practice it was flawed.
It had a rather long-lasting counter-effect as well in the political arena. Alderaan was content to no longer be the aggressor. The world stepped back, out; lost power and influence at the same time it wrapped itself in a kind of quiet superiority. The idea that violence should be a last resort in solving conflict made Alderaan's destruction particularly bitter.
The Recent Experiment was over. Leia would be a warrior queen.
If only she had known that sooner.
One of the holos Leia's father inserted into the cube to remind him of the things he loved was the official portrait of Queen Breha and her family. The Queen wore the crown, which had a large whitish stone set in the middle. In the portrait it's hard to see the inner fire of orange and yellow- Leia loved to hold the crown in her hand, and tilt it in all directions, causing the colors to change. The crown belonged to Alderaan, not just a House. The stone was said to have fallen from the hands of the goddesses, and from that came their earthly daughter, and whichever House succeeded in installing a queen, it was that crown that graced the top of her head.
In the holo Leia is a child, perhaps nine years old. When Han saw the holocube, he told her he could recognize her by her eyes but she found staring into her younger self's eyes hypnotic and eerie. Were they the same? Large and brown, yes, but what they held in them ... was it still there? Leia thought she looked- not confident, not quite competent... Secure. That's what it was. She had been a fortunate child, she told herself.
But luck was not in her eyes, and the curve of her gentle smile was even a little bit sad. I knew, didn't I, that she would only have her mother a few more years. Sad, but still secure. A solid foundation. The blessing of the goddesses.
Little child, Leia spoke to her younger self in her mind, Alderaan... goes away. The swing, the past and future, her mother again, the stone in the crown.
The crown wasn't the only interesting artifact in the portrait. It meant her mother was Alderaan, her thoughts and purpose. But her father held a star chart, similar to Han's, and it represented Alderaan's place in the Republic. The star chart is set to the Core Worlds, and the Senator's finger rests near Alderaan, as if he is pointing at the planet.
Nine year old Princess Leia holds nothing in her portrait. She wanted to, Leia remembered, and she complained. In amazement, Leia found she remembered this, as if the nine year old Princess was telling her the story.
Her mother had smiled. "Oh, Leilei, don't worry, they will look at you. You hold childhood."
"What would you hold?" her father asked. And he started naming things, because he saw that his daughter was close to a thoughtful sulk, and he wanted to get her to smile for the holoartist. "Your shoes?"
"Pati," Leia disdained.
"A flower?" and Leia shook her head. It hadn't seemed... important enough.
"Your tongue?" His eyes were twinkling and Breha laughed.
Little Leia had spun at him, sticking out her tongue, and she had said, "you can't hold a tongue!"
"Goddesses forbid," her parents laughed some more. The holoartist waited patiently.
"A databoard," Leia finally had her answer. "So if I don't know, I can look it up."
"Oh," Bail Organa's brows went up. He spoke to the holoartist. "Is it too late to change my prop?"
A portrait was done each year. So there were only two or three after that included Queen Breha. Ten year old Leia didn't hold a databoard, Leia didn't think; in the year's time the conversation had been forgotten. So why did she remember it now?
And she had a weird thought, and shook it away, but it came back as she tread the icy passages of Echo Base. It was the sight of her mother, and the crown, and the knowledge that her mother was... mortal, something the goddesses intended, but history made the succession of queens seem timeless. Did the goddesses know, like her father must have known about Luke- was this some strange secret they kept to themselves. That Alderaan's time was limited. That the Queen's health failed because the Death Star was being built...
A Seer's orb might have told the little Princess better than a databoard.
Sometimes she made a slashing motion with her hand when thoughts like that started to swirl around. This was the Death Star and Emperor Palpatine, she chided herself, not a mythology. One man's quest for power, not the life and death of a planet. And being desperate for an explanation wasn't going to change what happened, nor was it going to help end the war.
It was Luke, she decided. He bothered her. Not through any fault of his own; it was her father and the coincidences of their start, like some epic tale, and also the administrative fact he was due in any moment. The mechs and techs informed her- with a flair for exaggerated storytelling- of the exploits of Rogue Squadron, and they were excited to meet Red Five, and the man whose capture Darth Vader sought.
They were struck by his potential, she thought. Which- well, it seemed a waste of time. Potential was deceptive. Or it was spent, like energy. Wind it up, let it go, and eventually it came to a stop.
Leia detoured at an intersection and marched down the passage. There were ways to stop the thoughts. Fresh air and work. Unfortunately today she didn't have much of either, so she sought another type of distraction.
On the blueprint, the tiny offices corridor was labled SSW2, but it was nicknamed The Neighborhood. The offices were doorless; General Rieekan had put a stop to some of the construction. If they were conveniences, he determined, then they weren't necessary. Seeing the unfinished construction projects bothered him. He didn't want meetings detailing door installations; he wanted to get to war. "You're out of time," he'd told the builders. It was the only time she'd seen him really agitated. The construction crew found his attitude perplexing, and General Rieekan hadn't explained, probably because he couldn't.
Leia couldn't either, but she sensed she knew. It was a kind of aspect, a dichotomy on one thing set against another. Like Luke was to her, the Farmboy and the Princess. For Rieekan, who knew, really; there were things that set her off that took her by surprise. But the result was those in charge of building the base were sent away, and the number of those coming to defend the base was growing.
A glove on an ice wall didn't make much sound, and Dr. Renzatl did not hear Leia's knock. She was bent over, arms extended deep into a crate. Her hair was tied back as usual and a snug hat covered her ears. It took Leia a moment to get used to her in the tan snowsuit, puffy and thick.
Leia stepped in. "Dr. Renzatl?"
The doctor straightened, her eyes searching. "Oh! Your Highness," she greeted when she finally spotted Leia. "I didn't see you at first. You're almost as white as the wall," she smiled.
Leia looked down at her white snowsuit and smiled back. "My camouflage. I see your office is coming along," she said pleasantly.
Dr. Renzatl nodded. "It'll do," she said. "I need a door."
"Oh." The irony was not lost on Leia. TRAD demanded privacy. Dr. Renzatl had told Leia that herself. "Doors are in short supply here," she said apologetically. "The northwest passage has some offices with doors," Leia said. "Otherwise..."
"Otherwise is what I've been told," Dr. Renzatl said dryly. "I actually said 'kriff' when someone suggested I move offices again. Not on this ice!"
Leia smiled. It was nice to see that simple conversation wasn't turned into analysis.
"I'll work something out," Dr. Renzatl said with a frank pragmatism that reminded Leia of Han. "I'll fashion a curtain somehow."
Leia walked a bit further into the office, watching for shiny patches of ice. Dr. Renzatl would hold sessions at the back of it. There were two simple chairs, and a kaf brewer was on a small table. She stood in front of it. There were no supplies laid out for anyone to make a cup. "I'll have to see that you get some kaf," she said.
"Thank you. I have some I packed from Buteral. It isn't here yet. These chairs and tables and brewer were already here. I hope they weren't just acquired from someone still using them."
"The engineers," Leia told her. "They've gone." She turned from the table to face the doctor. "Thank you for answering my letter," she said quietly. "I was able to get it when we made a stop."
"You are welcome, Your Highness. And I was so pleased to get yours."
Leia nodded again and attempted a faltering smile. "I suppose we both went beyond the call of duty."
Dr. Renzatl smiled fully. "We certainly did."
"So your... your... pieces, from the Bombing. They aren't here yet?"
"Not yet. I used to have five. But the others crumbled. Now I always wrap them carefully, and I hold my breath when I unwrap them. So far, the remaining two have held up well. I'm not sure where I'll put them. There's no built-in shelving."
"I found it interesting," Leia began. "What you shared. About wanting it with you. Chewbacca wanted to get me a piece from the Graveyard. What's left of Alderaan."
"I met him," Dr. Renzatl beamed. "Before I left Buteral. From space, though?" She frowned. "How would he do that?"
"He didn't." Leia navigated back to the front of the room, holding onto chair arms and surfaces of tables. "There were millions and millions of pieces, swirling about. Captain Solo had the shields up so we wouldn't get pelleted. And he said there was probably a high level of radiation."
"Oh yes," Dr. Renzatl agreed, her lips pursed. "From the Death Star's laser."
"Yes."
"Would you like to continue talking about our rubble, Your Highness? Together, as we did?" Leia's lips parted but no answer came. Dr. Renzatl added, "It's no longer requred. I just thought-"
"I know it's not." Leia stopped to think. She could be done. She only had to say. But then why had she come? "I would. It's helpful. Yes."
Dr. Renzatl smiled. "Good. I'm glad you find it so."
Leia made to leave. "I'll let you finish setting up your office." She walked to the border of where office met passage. "About Chewbacca," Leia tried to keep her voice casual, her gloved hand touching the ice wall, "did you meet Captain Solo as well?"
"I did," Dr. Renzatl beamed again. "The contents of my office might actually be traveling on his ship."
"Oh," Leia breathed.
"We talked about Corellia," Dr. Renzatl reported. She popped her eyes at Leia a bit. "He didn't like it."
Leia was taken aback by the face Dr. Renzatl made at her, but then the words got heard, and she found she almost laughed.
The snow speeders were still not functioning properly; one had gotten badly damaged on a test flight. It was unable to maintain altitude, and skipped along the Prairie with crashing bounces. At least their towing capability seemed to function, so they'd be good for something, dragging twelve cooled X-wings into the hangar.
Leia had checked the roster. Wedge Antilles, the only other survivor of Yavin with Luke, was still alive. In fact, the death rate of Rogue Squadron was highlighted as one of their achievements: it hadn't lost a pilot. Leia said, yet, and if anyone else thought it they kept it to themselves.
The rush of incoming supplies and personnel couldn't be helped, though landings were scheduled to be deliberately infrequent. A mobile docking station in this part of space would call unwanted attention to Hoth so in effect the Alliance personnel would be stranded. Four transports would land and wouldn't depart. Sims were ordered, for the fighter pilots and the ground troops she would be training, as well as weapons, targets, exercise equipment. Everyone might have to go without for a while. Food was more important. Weighted duroboards lined the centers of passages and it was easier to get around. Lieutenant Taryn had managed to hack into Tokmia's files ("I'm curious how they manage the cold.") She found a purchase order for the mining colony, and discovered from what company they bought dehydrated food. It gave Leia an idea. She and Lt. Taryn proposed it before General Rieekan.
"With your permission, General. We have an alternate method to obtain many of our day-to-day living supplies."
Rieekan had looked up, drumming his stylus absently. "Did the meteors give you the idea? They gave me one for defense of this base."
"Not the meteors, no," Leia smiled. "Capitalism did. If we set up a pseudo business, we can order and ship supplies, at the same time circumventing the communications ladder with Shino-ak, which is prone to hackers."
"Are you saying incorporate Echo Base? That certainly isn't po-"
"An extreme recreation tour company would cover the traffic in and out of Hoth" Leia watched Rieekan frown, and spoke in a rush. "Lt. Taryn says on her world such a company might be run from a big city, anywhere. They sell vacation packages. Tours that take place all over the galaxy."
Beside her, Lt. Taryn nodded. She was easy to talk to, Leia found. She kept a respectful distance, but then the only person who didn't was Han, and one more like him was too much. Lt. Taryn watched the monitors at night, and if Leia couldn't sleep she kept her company in the control room. It reminded her of the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon.
Meteors fell with regular frequency. Sometimes Leia saw them during the day, streaking orange through the sky, descending fire. Most broke up before they hit, but some were quite large and hit the ground with a powerful impact, making flecks of ice fall from the ceiling of their ice cavern. Lt. Taryn made note of the coordinates of the landing. It would have to wait until morning, when the weather was clearer, and- until the snow speeders could handle the job- two men on the much slower carts would ride out and inspect the landing site. Sometimes it was frustratingly too far away for them to make an inspection. The carts were too slow, the cold too dangerous.
Leia continued, "These businesses provide guides, food, supplies and transportation to places registrants are willing to risk their lives experiencing. Hoth would be that destination! Only, of course, we don't actually ever sign up anyone. But it would legitimately provide a basis for the purchase of dehy foods, blankets, emergency shelters. Maybe even the purchase of tauntauns."
Rieekan rubbed his jaw, thinking. "Hoth is extreme. But you can't operate the business from here."
"No. Maybe somewhere we have a spy cell. We can rent a warehouse, and get someone to take delivery."
"Then the trouble is to deliver it here."
"Yes. But that could be done under the guise of a trip. And it would be one ship, versus many."
Rieekan was nodding. "I like it. A small company ordering one thousand packets of dehy a month might look a little unusual, but the Empire would have to be digging deep to notice."
"Once I determine where, I'll put in for a business license, credit application, and whatever else. I'll need some funds diverted."
Rieekan wasn't troubled by the credits. "It'd be a purchase order to Shino-ak to feed us. Same line on the budget. Flesh out this idea some more, Your Highness. Tell me where- it's got to be somewhere and with someone we trust, that's been cleared. Relatively safe. Not watched by the Empire. And transport is a big issue.
"Hoth was chosen right after Yavin," he continued. "And they already had supplies for cold weather gear."
Leia had a dim memory of checking inventory with Han, his first run for the Alliance. "I remember," she said.
"Yes, well, the Empire hacked into it-"
"-Lt. Taryn hacked into Tokmia's."
"- and they hit Analask, thinking we were setting a base there. Thank the goddesses the Death Star is gone or I'm afraid there'd be rubble all over the galaxy."
Leia nodded curtly, wondering why he was reminding her of targets and losses. Was there hidden meaning?
"They're still looking. This has got to be set up very carefully, Your Highness," Rieekan warned as he brought their meeting to a close. I emphasize that. Very."
Like the techs of Echo Base, Rogue Squadron apparently enjoyed a distraction. But rather than find it, they preferred to make it. Each X-wing was towed in with its cockpit canopy wide open, and the pilot stood atop the seat, rigid as a statue, flight helmet off and arm frozen in a salute. The techs clapped in welcome, smiling and calling out.
They probably reminded General Rieekan of his sons, Leia thought. They were young men, full of life but under the tremendous pressure of war. They also had a very good idea of their reputation and were pretending to be indifferent as they opened the storage hatches of the space craft and pulled out their belongings.
"Rather a breath of fresh air, eh, General?" Lt. Taryn remarked.
"A breeze is nice," he returned in amusement. "But a gale force is a bit much."
Luke's Homestead was the last to be brought in. He wasn't standing on his seat, but the canopy was open and his helmet was off, and he was looking around. It wasn't new anymore; at Yavin he'd been amazed at the sight of everything: the ancient temples, the fleet, the greenery. Now he was just being observant. But when he spied Leia standing next to General Rieekan, he leaned forward, his hands gripping the edge of the open cockpit and he looked like he was going to jump out.
"Ah, Commander Skywalker," General Rieekan noted. When he noticed Leia's smile, he said, "He looks surprised."
"He may not have known of my transfer."
"He's almost bouncing in his seat," Rieekan observed and her smile widened.
The blue of Luke's eyes wasn't as brilliant against his skin, now less tanned. But he was unquestionably the same. I'm here to rescue you, he'd said on the Death Star because he didn't know what else to say. He was a farmboy playing hero. But the meaning changed slightly in the time since Leia first heard those words. Anytime she was bitten by an envy of his ascendant path, intersecting with hers downward, she remembered what he had said. Now she took them to mean, I came to be with you.
He scrambled down the ship's ladder and led his squadron to General Rieekan. Several jostled for position, elbows angling out, and a couple fell off the duroboard and slipped on the ice. He kept his eyes on Leia, taking cues from her clasped hands and her quiet, welcoming smile.
"General Rieekan," Luke said importantly, ignoring the antics of his men behind him. "Rogue Squadron reporting for duty. I'm Commander Skywalker." He introduced the other men, too quickly. Leia only caught the first few names.
"We're glad to have you, Commander. Get a tour, find your bunks. After you sleep off the time difference we'll sit down and figure out how you can make sure the Empire doesn't find us."
"Yes, sir." Luke waited until Rieekan was out of earshot. His pilots gathered him in a conference. "Not now. Later," Luke repeated, giving a few gentle shoves. "Go on, guys. I'll find you," he told his men. They drifted away suspiciously, and Luke and Leia were patient, both grinning at each other from the sides of their mouths.
"They want to know about you," he said. "They recognize you."
Leia nodded. "I have my own salute," she boasted as a joke. "I'm sure the techs will teach them."
"Princess salute, huh?"
The effect of Time was interesting, Leia thought. Perhaps it was unfortunate, or necessary. The more time passed since the Death Star, the more outward influences affected their behavior toward one another. On Yavin, neither had cared a whit who saw them shout or jump at each other. Both were much more reserved now.
Why should they let others temper their bond, Leia wanted to know. Why should Time cause it to fade? The same would happen to Alderaan if she let it. Luke caught the steely look in her eyes just before she pulled him into a hug.
"Luke," she said into his shoulder. "I'm glad you're here."
"I wasn't until I saw you." He stepped back and there was concern in his eyes. "What are you doing here? I like your hair. And where'd you get that?" he indicated her snowsuit. "Mine's Alliance-colored. Sand."
"Princess white," she said.
"Yeah, figures," Luke mused. "You kind of blend in. To the walls, I mean. You stick out but you blend in."
Lt. Taryn giggled.
"This is Lt. Taryn. Communications officer," Leia introduced them. "Luke Skywalker." She almost added about the Death Star but decided it was unnecessary.
Lt. Taryn smiled and shook Luke's hand. "Welcome to Echo Base."
"I just hope we don't wear out our welcome," Luke said. Turning to Leia, he added, "Sorry I couldn't comm. We've been out almost all the time. I've got loads to tell you. But first, I'm freezing! I want to change or put on more clothes or something. And I got some commander stuff to do," he pouted.
"My quarters are down NW, number 3. I've got some tea Chewie left me I'll make for you."
"Chewie!" Luke beamed. "Gods, I haven't seen them in a Tuskan moon either. I'll be by soon as I can!" He jogged back to his X-Wing to collect his belongings.