GreatOne: Well, I certainly don't wish to out-do the great LadyPadme, do I? And, yes – I am eternally grateful that I may delay a possible viewing by the amazing pyromaniac herself. Thanks for the laughing break, GreatOne – I needed it!

Dm1: Welcome! Leia really isn't around to defend her actions, now, is she? She must have a good reason for doing it, right? Thanks for reading, dm1! I'm glad it's getting interesting . . .

Sweetdeath04: Welcome to PwtD! On a side note: what does your name mean? Just curious.

SailorLeia: Wow! I made you start writing your fics again? I feel so important now! Welcome! And I'm sending you some sleeping pills through the mail; they should come within the week. He he!

Thanks for your reviews guys! I seem to have lost some readers along the way . . . if Darth Real Life is the culprit, I completely understand – review when you can. If you are just being shy, come and join us! We're fun, I promise!

Running. Breathing. Want to stop. Can't stop. What am I going to do?

Okay, there. That's where I'm going. Er . . . ignore it – keep going. They'll be there. Go!

This is not happening! Stupid, idiotic –

Go!

What . . . ? What?! How could they –

Luke jerked awake, eyes snapping open and hands rushing out towards his forehead. His breathing was ragged, punctured by images lost to him, words (thoughts?) half-spoken, mostly unheard, questions unasked, begging for answers. He tried to calm himself, adjust his racing heart to a normal rhythm, but it wouldn't obey. He lowered his hands and gripped the bedclothes huddled somewhere in the vicinity of his knees and closed his eyes, trying to make sense of his physiological state.

Go –

He opened his eyes again, blinking rapidly, trying to erase the thought that he knew was creeping on him. As he had done so many times in the past five days, Luke stretched out with the Force, searching for the connection, the tenuous hold that made him believe his mind and not his eyes or ears. He felt her signature, that blessed sense of fierce independence and self-reliance that characterized his twin, felt her concentrate on one command –

And then disappear.

Han's eyebrows rose as he appeared to comprehend Luke's words. If he wasn't so frantic with worry, Luke might have laughed at the absurd expression on his friend's face.

"Okay, kid, spell it out for us non-Jedi types. What're you saying?"

Luke took a deep breath. "I'm saying I can't feel Leia anymore. No! No – she's not dead," he added when he saw the stricken look on Han's face. "I would have felt that." I think. I would have felt that, right? "She's not dead. She's just . . . uh, gone."

"Gone? Like you lost her or something?"

"Uh, well, yeah. Kinda. It's complicated."

Han rolled his eyes. "What else is new?" He wiped a hand across his eyes. "Where is she?"

"I don't know."

"What's she doing?"

"She never told me, Han."

"Is she hurt?"

"I can't tell – "

"What can you tell me?"

Luke sighed. He should have known this wasn't going to easy. Like dealing with Han Solo ever is. "She was running, I think. Away from something. Or someone. She found something and then . . . she just kinda, uh, left."

Han's stare was almost menacing. "Way to be specific, kid."

"Look, I'm trying real hard to make sense of all this, and I just don't know!" Luke's eyes momentarily closed and he took a deep breath. Good job with the whole calm Jedi Master thing there, Luke. "Even before we found out some things, I had this feeling that Leia was always around. I felt her all the time. I knew when she was nearby, when she was happy, or –"he glanced significantly at Han, "when she was mad or upset."

Han grinned innocently, a shadow of a patented look. "What?"

Luke felt a lightening in his chest. "Whatever. I knew how she was. All the time."

"Like a weird tracking device thing."

"Yeah. Kinda. Last night, I felt her. I saw her. And then I didn't. She just disappeared out of thin air. No pain or shock or anything. Just gone."

Han sighed audibly, and sat down onto a nearby console. "So, what does that mean?"

"I don't know. But I know that I'm going crazy not knowing what's happening. Where she is, at least." Luke looked hopefully at Han. "The way I figure it, we've got a right to know what's going on. I'm a close relative, and you – "he dropped off.

"I'm me," Han finished.

Luke smirked. "Right." I'm glad I didn't have to finish that sentence. I'm not even going to think about what he considers himself. "But you're still a general, right? You didn't resign your commission?"

Han frowned. "Guess not. I never actually said that I was, at least. But I wasn't gonna go anywhere near Coruscant again anytime soon."

"Hey, sometimes the best of us break our promises."

"Don't get me started. What about the Praxeum? Won't your kids notice when their high-and-mighty Jedi guy up and leaves them?"

"Kam's more than capable of teaching for a week or two. They'll be fine."

"You sure?"

Luke grinned at the last time Han had said those words. Circumstances have changed. "Yep."

"Alright. Lemme go find Chewie and we'll be outta here faster than you can say 'Coruscant'.

Coruscant, Luke thought, you better have some answers for me.

"I'm sorry, sir, but I really can't let you – "

Han allowed his voice to cool by several degrees. "You're not gonna let me? Who says?"

Luke tried to intervene. "Han – Sir, I'm sorry. But it's really important that we see Mon Mothma immediately."

"You don't have access – "

"You think that's gonna stop me? Look, hero-guy, I'm gonna talk to her whether you like it or not, so make it all easier on everyone around, and let us through."

"Sir, you don't have an appointment!"

"An appointment? An appointment! You better believe I have an appointment, buddy. Seven days ago, I made an appointment to meet with this woman. You know what happened seven days ago?"

"The princess' death, sir."

"Yeah. I've got some things to sort out with her presidential-ness about security around here – "

"Margeth, please allow these gentlemen in. They do indeed need to see me."

The voice floated almost lazily from the speaker at the aide's desk to where Han was verbally sparring with the security guard stationed outside the Presidential office of the New Republic. Luke stood a few paces behind Han, ready to give backup if the guard took offense to what Han was accusing.

Fortunately the guard did nothing but squint his eyes at Han and shuffled to the left to allow access.

"Thank you," Han said. The sarcasm was dripping into a puddle on the floor. He pushed past the guard and through the opened hatch, Luke close behind his heels.

The outer section of the offices was furnished in a typical Chandrilan style, soft blues and greens accentuating the prevalent water theme. The offices were circular apparently; they stood in an outside parameter, lined by understated art pieces depicting ocean scenes in stark detail as opposed to the flowing mixture of color. Han felt decidedly uncomfortable, not in the least because he tended to hate waiting.

"Nice yelling, Han," Luke said from his right elbow. He had turned and was examining a holo of an ocean sunset. "I'm sure everyone in Imperial City heard you."

"Hey, you said to be convincing. I was convincing."

"You didn't have to insult the guard."

"I didn't insult him – "

The inner door swiveled open, halting Han's retort immediately. They stepped through the door, Han still at point, Luke covering, and entered the office.

Han's gaze turned immediately down to the far end of the office where sat the president and chief-of-state of the New Republic, almost-smiling gently at her two visitors.

She gestured to two chairs in front of her desk and said, "Welcome. Please sit."

When she had dispensed with the pleasantries, Mon Mothma leaned back in her chair and appraised Luke and Han with a trained diplomat's eye.

"I'm assuming that you are here to discuss Leia's recent activities? Your presence here, both of you, implies to me that you've discussed, and discovered, our secret. And, by the look on your faces, it seems you wish to inquire as to the particulars. Am I correct?"

Han shook his head in private amusement. They must teach unnatural perception at politician school. "Yes."

"Doubtless you saw the holorecording. I must apologize; had the timing worked to our benefit, Meridian would have been finished before the ruse was necessary. And I assure you that it was necessary – you know that Leia would never have agreed to such a distraction had it not been absolutely clear that she needed to be out of the public eye."

Luke took a much more diplomatic view to the whole situation than Han did. "We assumed as much. But we need much more than particulars, Madam President. We have some information for you, too."

One manicured eyebrow lifted. "And that would be?"

"I can't detect Leia's Force signature at all. She's practically disappeared from my senses." Luke gazed at the president's face, noting her small smile slip down at the revelation. Her eyes suddenly lost focus and she slumped a bit into her seat. It was, in fact, the first show of emotion that he'd seen from her throughout their meeting.

"She's not – "

"No, ma'am. Leia is not dead," Luke interrupted. "She is just invisible to me right now."

"I see." Eyes wide and searching her desktop, Mon Mothma looked like she was collecting her thoughts. "How is this possible?"

"I'm not sure. It has to be something at her end. I can sense everything else around me."

Mon Mothma shifted in her seat, and rested her gaze on the two men. After several seconds of silence, she spoke again. This was a statement: "You wish to rescue her."

Han and Luke glanced at each other, and Han had the distinct impression that the chief was chastising him. "Now, wait a second – "

"I am not telling you that what you desire to do is wrong, General Solo, but what you wish to do sacrifices all our work. All Leia's work."

Luke, probably sensing what Han intended to say regarding that comment, interposed himself between the president and Han's ire. "Are you then willing to sacrifice Leia as well?"

"No. But the circumstances of her mission are tenacious. It was an ambitious and ambiguous mission in the first place, and to attempt a rescue might shatter every parameter and careful measure we've established."

"So you're just gonna – "

"I am not going to do what you think I am, General. Leia is a valuable asset, a Jedi with the mind of a diplomat. Her qualifications for rescue are the same as those we needed for the mission to begin with."

That's all she is to you? A Jedi with the mind of a diplomat?

Mon Mothma continued, innocent to Han's inner commentary. "Her rescue, if you believe it to be required, should not be put in the hands of her brother and – "

Go ahead. Try it, Han thought with amusement. Maybe you'll do better than Luke did.

"- well, her close relations." Nope, no better. "This should be handled by another who is not so close to the situation, who is not prone to sacrifice reason for emotion. Perhaps Madine would be willing – "

Han interjected immediately. "No. I'm going. I just need some answers."

She stared at him, and then nodded. "Very well. I assumed as much."

She took a deep breath and then plunged in headfirst. "About six months ago, an encrypted communiqué was received by Intelligence from an Imperial general. General Hovett has been blockading the planet of Anselm for over a year now. His communiqué hinted at a possible cease fire if he was granted absolute political immunity upon his return to Coruscant."

Mon Mothma stood up and began to pace. "From what Intelligence has told me, Hovett has a ruthless political and military background, leading us to suspect that he has another agenda. His communiqué told us that he expected a New Republic dignitary three days ago to meet and discuss possible contracts." She stopped pacing and turned to face Han and Luke. "Knowing what we do about him, we suspected a trap of some sort. Naturally we tried to research both Anselm and Hovett's military capabilities, but both entries are rather brief or outdated."

"In other words, you have no idea of the planet's terrain or the size of the force blockading it," Luke added in disbelief.

"Precisely. There was no way to properly anticipate what our ambassador would face. We needed either a fighter who could be diplomatic or a politician that knew how to defend herself. Leia fit the specifications."

"She volunteered, you mean." Han's eyes closed against his certainty.

"After we let her in on the intelligence, yes. The clearance to view this information was above hers. She didn't know anything about the communiqué until about a month ago, when she came to talk to you on Yavin Four, Master Skywalker."

There was an over-arching sense of unreality in the office following this announcement. Mon Mothma was standing behind her desk, watching the emotions flit over her visitors' faces and Luke looked like he was trying not to scream.

Han wasn't the least bit concerned about his emotional display. "It was a dead drop, a blind jump. You just let her go, without any resources, no backup, nothing?"

"I assure you, General Solo, Leia was ready. She is more than capable of handling both sides to this mission, and she has my every confidence that she can carry it out if Hovett's intentions are indeed honest."

"Obviously something went wrong. Luke can't feel her."

"Yes. That is disconcerting. I will continue to back my opinions on the matter, however. If anyone is capable of completing this mission and freeing Anselm, it is Leia." Her eyes narrowed at Luke. "You are absolutely certain that she is in danger?"

"Yes." A small lie – Luke isn't sure of anything more than I am.

"And you feel that a rescue is needed?"

"Absolutely."

She continued to switch gazes, from Luke to Han and back to Luke, until she sighed. "I suppose I would be incapable of preventing such a measure anyway. You two tend to do whatever you feel is necessary. I will warn you, however, that I cannot give you any resources, either. It cannot be a Republic-sanctioned rescue. Should Hovett's honesty be true, you would be considered vigilantes against the Republic and its peaceful acceptance of Imperials."

"Not to worry, Chief. I have a feeling that that is the least of our worries."

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