AN: Back to Han and Leia...

Missing

XXI.

Leia hugged the startled but pleased Solo as he stepped from the Falcon. He gently returned the embrace then grinned as Leia lightly blushed. He turned to Chewbacca, laughing. "We should be away more often, if this is the return reception we receive!"

"Don't you dare, Han Solo," the princess scolded in good humour, as they turned from the ship toward Raymar's buildings. "Where have you two been, anyway?"

Han's mood darkened immediately, his face clouding. "Is there somewhere we could talk - private-like?"

Leia nodded, her previous light-heartedness falling. "Why?"

"Get the generals, too," Han continued, ignoring her question. "You've got a problem."

Deeply concerned, Leia led Han and Chewbacca to the small conference room.

ooOOoo

The storage facility was empty of personnel. The lights were dimmed, keeping the vast room in quiet twilight. The short crackles and clicks of an open com channel were the only sounds which broke the steady silence. The squad sergeant sat on a packing crate hidden from the doorway by a large pile of other storage containers and packaging. On his lap sat a remote sub-space com his fingers quickly and lightly punching in codes and commands. Once satisfied that his transmission would be lost in the general chatter of communications on the Rebel base, and that his words would be suitably scrambled and encoded, he began to speak as his eyes darted furtively to the surrounding shadows. Now he knew the full plans of the operation the Rebels were planning he could relay them to his superiors.

"Record this as a Priority One transmission; actuating code delta three nine nine…"

"Aw, to hell with this!" Grumbled a second voice close by.

The sergeant never saw the laser bolt; he only felt it sear his hand as the com was torn from his grasp; the connection broken. The lights suddenly glared brightly and he turned, blinking, then focused on an angry Han Solo standing by another set of packing crates and holding a blaster on him.

"What are you doing?" Solo's whisper was low and dangerous.

"Solo? I was…" he stuttered, panicked.

"It was a rhetorical question." If the situation hadn't been so serious, Han might have enjoyed himself. "I know damned fine what you were doing."

The sergeant seemed to get a grip on himself. His question was nervous, but not stunted. "What are you going to do?"

Han grinned humourlessly. "What does the Empire do with spies?"

The Imperial agent paled. "We can work this out!"

Han gestured with his gun. "Get up and get against the wall."

"Look, Solo, let's talk! Don't get hasty." His eyes never left Han's gun, as he moved slowly to the wall. He talked rapidly. "I'm a high ranking Imperial Agent - I could get you amnesty!"

The spacer's lip curled a half-smile, and his voice held a hint of pleasure as he answered, "What makes you think I want it?"

The Imperial rapidly changed his tactics, appealing to Han's other side, the side the Corellian would deny was there: his concern for others. "I'm valuable to you." The man's voice was smooth now, patronising. "If you kill me, you'll never know what happened to Sky walker."

Han's eyes narrowed, his temper flaring. His gun hand rose, swinging in the same movement, knocking the sergeant to the floor. Roughly, he grabbed the false Rebel's uniform, dragging the man to his feet and throwing him against the wall. "What about Luke?" he growled, his face just inches from the sergeant's.

"He's alive!" the Imperial blurted, panicked now, wondering if he should have kept his mouth closed. "At least he was when I saw him last."

"He wasn't shot?"

"Yes, yes, he was… but it wouldn't have killed him, not outright."

"And you left him to be leeched?" Han's calm manner did nothing to hide his trembling fury. "I ought to kill you right now!"

"Han!" Leia stepped into the room, feeling that Han had heard what he needed. It was also what she had needed. Dodonna and two uniformed guards followed her. "I think the sergeant has much to tell us. His death won't bring Luke back to us."

"Yeah," Han breathed heavily, as he let the man go, "but it'd make me feel a whole lot better."

"Captain." Dodonna clapped his hand on Solo's shoulder, guiding the smuggler away from the Imperial. "Would it make you feel better if you had the chance to bring Luke home?"

Han glanced to Leia, the look an unspoken question which needed no explanation. She nodded. "Irlam is to be our decoy to cover for Minoan. We need someone to lead the attack."

Han watched the Imperial as he was led away, and his hand wiped the sweat from his upper lip. "I'll do it."