NORULAC, 40 YEARS ABE:
Han turned to gape at his wife, stricken, thinking the worst. It was Bail who croaked, "Rey's in pain. She's alive, but she's hurt." He managed to drag himself upright enough to look his father in the eye as Han turned back to stare at Bail. "I think...I think she's been captured." Bail forced himself to straighten and closed his eyes, taking deep breaths. He didn't try and free himself from his father's arms.
Chewbacca let out a soft, anxious moan. Han shook his head. "Let the boy...let the boy think," he said. "Don't rush him." He immediately followed this good advice by asking, "Bail?"
Leia's eyes were closed too, her face strained; she didn't seem to notice that she had lowered her hands in front of her, or that Lando was holding them both in one of his own while his other arm braced her around her delicate shoulders. His eyes were large with fear, the whites standing out starkly against his brown cheeks.
"Captured...being hurt. Tortured." Bail's voice was a mere breath and Han held his in response, as though afraid that even exhaling might be distracting enough to break the tenuous connection between the twins. "She's on a ship...the Super Star Destroyer, I think. There's someoneā¦" He frowned, hesitated. "Someone there...someone Dark."
His eyes opened. "I'm sorry," he said. He was panting and his face was pale and drawn with strain. "It's gone. We're too far away for me to sense any more."
"That's-that's fine, kid," Han said gruffly. He cleared his throat and patted his son's shoulder. "You did good."
"We have to rescue her," said Bail.
Han was already nodding; Chewbacca's emphatic bark beat his reassuring "We will, don't worry," by milliseconds.
"What do you need?" said Lando. All the hesitation was gone now, his face and his stance both firm and ready.
Han shot him a dark look. "You sure you want to be tangled up in this?" he asked nastily.
No one paid any attention to Threepio as he started to say admonishingly, "Now Captain Solo-"
Lando met his glare without flinching. "Of course I am."
"Changed your tune fast."
"This isn't politics, this is Breha. What can I do to help?"
"We do still need to contact the fleet," Leia pointed out. Her face was pained, almost apologetic.
"Give me the coordinates, I'll send someone I trust to carry the message."
Leia didn't look happy, but she nodded reluctantly.
"The rest of us need a way onto a Super Star Destroyer that nobody knew existed this time yesterday, right?" Lando continued.
This time they all nodded, Chewbacca underscoring the confirmation with a rumble.
Lando's smile seemed to be all teeth. "Follow me," he said.
