For a moment, it was almost as bad as Alderaan. Nausea swept up through his stomach as the death cries of thousands of people shook through him, creating thousands of ripples in the Force. Luke closed his eyes and took several deep breaths through the respirator, the magnitude of his actions sinking in on him.

He had just killed hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people, with a single shot.

His father! Luke desperately reached out for the Force to make sure that his father hadn't been caught in the blast and breathed a sigh of relief when he felt his father's familiar presence at the edges of his mind.

"All right!" The commander's voice shouted gleefully. "Great work, everyone!"

He must not be Force-sensitive, Luke noted dully, the ripples of the Force still running through him like the tones of a bell after being hit.

"Let's go back to the base!"

I'm sorry, Father.

I know.

Luke climbed out of his X-Wing as if on autopilot. Leia ran up to him and embraced him, smiling joyfully. "Luke, you did it!"

He stared at her weakly. "I am a murderer of thousands," he whispered, reeling from the realization. He froze.

Leia frowned. "Luke…"

He shrugged her off and leaned against his ship, breathing heavily for a few moments before freezing. He whipped around. "They can't know it was me!" he said urgently.

"Why not?" Leia asked, bewildered, as Mon Mothma walked over, beaming.

"Leia—I'm supposed to be dead," Luke hissed. "My father lied to the Emperor to keep me safe! If he finds out"—

"We will tell them that Commander Darklighter's torpedoes hit the targets," said Mothma, interrupting. "But you have done a great deed for the Alliance today, Skywalker," she said. "I apologize for the lack of a welcome."

Luke waved a hand. "You've got make sure everyone understands," he told her seriously. "It's bad enough that I just murdered hundreds of thousands of people, but to have my father get hurt"—

"I will do as you ask, Skywalker," said Mothma gently. "Go and celebrate."

"Celebrate?" he scoffed, his face darkening. "Celebrate over death? I don't think so," he said, turning and walking past Leia stiffly.

Leia looked sadly after him just as the Millennium Falcon landed next to his X-Wing and Han and Chewie appeared. She grinned. "You came back!"

"Had to watch his back," said Han with a roguish grin. He looked over to Luke's retreating back and his face fell. "He's killin' himself again, isn't he?" he said heavily.

Leia nodded. "He… He's guilty."

"Over his dad or the Death Star?" Han asked, cocking his head.

"Both, I think," said Leia. "Should we go talk to him?"

"Nah. I will," said Han. He turned to Chewie, who gave a loud roar. "Yeah, you can come too," he said offhandedly. "Come on, furball."

Leia watched them depart, frowning, just as her mother, veiled as always, walked up beside her. "He did it, didn't he?" Amidala asked gently.

"Yes," said Leia heavily, wishing that she could explain the entire situation to her mother. "He feels guilty."

"Like a true Jedi," said Amidala softly.

"You knew his father?" Leia asked, turning to face her mother with interest.

Amidala's shoulders tightened. "I did. He was an influential Jedi at the time of my senatorial term," she said. "Now come, darling. Let's celebrate that the Alliance has survived to fight another day."

Leia furrowed her brow at her mother's evasion of the subject. "Let's," she said finally, taking her mother's arm.

Luke sat on his cot, staring blankly at the wall. What had he done? Had his brazen use of the Force—thus identifying him—just condemned his father? Had he just betrayed his father's trust? Vader had risked everything to save Luke's life, and now this was the way that Luke repaid that risk, by placing both of them in danger?

He buried his head in his hands. How could he have done this? What had he been thinking? Besides his father, he had just wantonly destroyed thousands of lives. People called his father a monster, but he had turned out to be far worse! What kind of person killed people with a simple push of a button?

He angrily brushed away the tears that slipped down his cheeks just as two large furry arms reached out and crushed him to a large, furry chest. "Agh! Chewie, you're killing me!" he cried out in surprise. Odd that he had not felt them approach.

"Kid, are you okay?" Han asked, leaning in the doorway.

"I'm fine," said Luke. "What are you doing here?"

"Someone has gotta look after you," said Han airily. "These Rebels send you on a suicide flight as soon as I leave, so I stepped back in."

"Thanks," said Luke, staring at his feet.

"Stop torturin' yourself, kid," said Han, walking into the room and shutting the door. "Think about Alderaan. You stopped that from happening ever again."

"That doesn't change what I did, Han," said Luke sorrowfully. "And that on top of what'll happen to my father if I'm found out…" he trailed off. "What am I going to do?"

"Forgive yourself, first off," said Han. "You think that all the troubles of the Galaxy are your fault. Lighten up a bit, kid. You did what was necessary."

"But my father"—

"Can take care of himself, like I've said a million times," said Han, exasperated. "This is a war. People die, like it or not. Don't hate yourself for it."

Luke slumped. "You're right," he mumbled. "Thanks, Han."

"That's what I'm here for, kid," said Han with a grin. "Though you're more moody than a Zabrak with a score to settle," he said. "I mean it. Lighten up."

When Luke reemerged the following day, the members of his squad assaulted him. "We're not s'posed to be talkin' about it, man, and I dunno why not, but that was some flying!" said Wedge Antilles, grinning.

"Thanks," Luke said weakly.

"I'm impressed," said another voice, and Luke turned to see a man slightly taller than himself wearing a helmet and armor. He held out his hand. "I am Terzé Ba'kuun," he said. "It's an honor to meet you, Luke Skywalker."

"Thanks," said Luke, shaking his hand and feeling some strange sense of familiarity with the man. "I heard you came here with Lady Amidala?"

He inclined his head. "I am the child of her best friend, who died when I was a child," he explained. "She watched over me, and when I grew, I protected her. I still do so today."

"That's very noble of you," said Luke sincerely.

"It is repayment," said Terzé softly. "

"So I hear we're gettin' ready to leave this place," said another. "'pparently Vader survived it and he's bein' sent out here to fight us off with that big mother-ship of his."

"The Executor?" Terzé asked interestedly. "Just that one ship, or are other star destroyers going to come as well?"

The boy shrugged. "I dunno. I just heard Lady Mothma and General Rieekan talkin' about it."

"Shouldn't eavesdrop," said Wedge with a frown. "For all we know, they were discussing possibilities."

"I doubt it," said another one with a snort. "Vader's pride's been injured. He'll prob'ly come after us his self."

Luke tensed as they turned to him. "Whaddya think, Skywalker?"

"I don't know," he said shortly. "Perhaps the Emperor's pride had been injured. That would make more sense."

"Yeah, and just like 'im to send his little lapdog to do his dirty work," someone else spat. Luke froze and reached out for the Force to help him control his anger.

Han sidled up. "Don' think you're s'posed to be talkin' about Alliance plans," he said airily.

"And who're you?" Another one asked in surprise.

"Han Solo at your service," he said with a grin. "C'mon, Skywalker," he said, grabbing Luke's arm and pulling him away.

"What is it?" Luke asked, frowning as he rubbed his arm.

"Kid, I can spot an oncoming temper tantrum any day. D'you remember when that Mon Cal chick called your dad a bloodsucking assassin droid-man?" Han said patiently. "Things started shakin' and jumpin' around, and you woulda choked her too, without even knowin' it."

"Point taken," said Luke heavily. "What can I do, Han? Everybody here has got something to say about my father that bothers me. I'll give up my cover way too easily if I get angry."

"You gotta control your temper," Han said sagely. "Like, if someone insults my ship, I'll get offended but I can control myself."

"Most of the time," Luke snorted. "Remember that time in the cantina?"

"Ah, he took the worst of it," said Han lightly. "But that's not the point."

"But it's not my ship they're insulting, Han," said Luke as they walked down the hall, heading towards Luke's quarters. "It's my father. Every time somebody calls him a robot or whatever… It bothers me because they don't even know what happened to him. If they did, they wouldn't be so quick to attack him." Luke's face darkened.

"Well what happened, then?" Han asked diplomatically as they entered his room to see Chewie sprawled out on the cot.

Luke bit his lip. "You know I don't want to say."

"You keep bringin' it up," said Han with raised eyebrows. "If you can't tell me, who can you?"

"That's true," Luke admitted, sliding to the floor and crossing his legs. "In short…" He closed his eyes briefly and leaned against the wall. "He was fighting his best friend, who he thought betrayed him," he began slowly. "And basically… Obi-Wan cut off"—

"Obi-Wan?" Han asked, confused. "Who's that?"

"His friend," Luke explained. "Obi-Wan cut off his arm and his legs and then left him to burn on the banks of a lava flow," he said haltingly, fighting back the images from his own dream. "That's why he has a respirator. They found him a few hours later, and he was… completely charred." He grimaced at the adjective.

Han was staring at him, mouth open. "How could anyone survive that?"

"I don't know how he did," Luke admitted. "I mean… I wanted to die."

"What?"

Luke winced. "When I first went to him… I had a dream of it like I was him," he explained. "It's not something I'll forget too easily."

Han visibly recoiled. "You dreamt it?"

"Yeah. I guess… It was the Force, I suppose," said Luke.

For once Han didn't roll his eyes. "Wow," he said finally. "I'm sure as hell not gonna talk about him again," he said.

"Like you would anyway," Luke snorted. "But you can see why I get angry."

"Yeah," said Han weakly, just as Chewie woke up. "It's about time," he said loudly to the wookiee, who replied rudely, causing Luke to smile.

Suddenly the door swung open and Wedge Antilles stuck his head inside. "There's a meeting for all pilots," he announced to Luke, who nodded.

After the door shut, Luke stood and stretched. "I've gotta go."

"I'll come too," said Han off-handedly.

"What?" Luke's eyes narrowed, and then he broke into a grin. "You joined the Rebellion, didn't you?"

"I wouldn't call it that," said Han, shrugging. "After I showed up at the Death Star they thought they could use me. I figure there's a nice payoff if the Alliance actually wins, anyway. And I gotta stick around to make sure you don' get into any trouble anyway," he added. "Might as well do somethin' with my time."

Luke shook his head, grinning. "Never thought I'd see the day, Solo."

"Ah, it's temporary."

Amidala's eyes were drawn to her son as soon as she walked into the meeting hall, Terzé at her side. She sighed. How she wished that she could tell her boy who she was… But she couldn't. She knew that. She had her Leia, but to have her son so tantalizingly close…

He shot a grin at the wookiee and for an instant, Amidala was transported back twenty years, when Anakin would laugh at the younglings in the Temple. The same smile, the same blue eyes… She recalled the adoring children watching him as he balanced various objects on his head, or performed some other equally silly trick. He had loved the younglings.

Before he had killed them all.

No, she admonished herself. He hadn't killed them. Obi-Wan had been mistaken.

She let out a heavy sigh and hung her head, her heart aching for its other half. "My lady?" Terzé asked concernedly. "Are you all right?" He touched her palm with his gloved one.

"I'm quite all right, Terzé, thank you," she said tiredly. How tired she was… After returning to Coruscant and burying Terzé's mother as if it was herself, she had gone into hiding, knowing that Palpatine would seek her out as a dissenter and a senator. She had run from place to place, bringing Terzé along with her and wondering all the while about her own children. She heard on the holonet of the Jedi Purge, and hoped and prayed that her Ani was safe from the monster that was Darth Vader.

And now she had her children back, but she could only watch Luke from afar. She glanced up once more to see her beautiful boy listening intently to General Rieekan, and she brought herself back to the present after her son's example.

"…Obviously we can't stay on Yavin IV," Rieekan was saying. "Through the Bothan spynet, we've received information that the Imperial fleet is amassing and planning to launch an attack within the week. The loss of the Death Star was a difficult one, but by no means is the Empire crippled. Now, we need to find a secure location where we can build our ranks…"

Amidala faded away, not really listening to the General. She observed Luke further, noting the way his too long hair curled at the ends like his father's. Why had Vader let him go? Why had he not killed him in the first place? When she had first learned that Luke Skywalker was on the Executor, and was being trained by the ship's master himself, she had given her baby up for dead. But when the news reached her that Vader had been ordered to kill him and sent him into hiding instead, her heart had leapt, thinking that somehow, they would be reunited.

And they were. Three years later. But if word got out that Padmé Naberrie still lived, she would endanger the entire Alliance still further. Palpatine knew that she had not supported him at the end, despite her early encouragement. If he learned that Leia was her daughter, and Luke her son… She shuddered to think of the measures that he would take to find them, to kill Luke, who had the potential to destroy him.

The Son of the Suns. Her Ani. Her Luke.

"My lady?" Terzé said, standing. Amidala looked up to see that the meeting had ended. She sighed. "I apologize, Terzé. I am growing old," she said with a rueful smile.

She felt a stab through her heart. She was growing old without Anakin. He was lost to her, he had abandoned her to fight this hopeless fight alone… No, she reprimanded herself. Not hopeless.

"You are like fine wine, my lady," said Terzé, and she knew he was smiling behind the helmet. "You grow more wonderful with age."

"Then I'm vintage," she quipped, standing and adjusting her veil. "Thank you for sitting with me, Terzé."

"My pleasure, my lady," said the man gently. "I think you should rest. It seems as if his arrival has taken a toll on you."

Amidala didn't need to ask to whom he was referring. "Perhaps you are right," she said wearily. "Wake me at mess?"

"Of course, my lady," said Terzé. "Let me accompany you."

"No, go on," said Amidala, smiling. "I can manage."

"If you're sure, Lady Amidala."

"Of course, Terzé," she said. "I will enjoy the walk."

He nodded and turned to leave, and Amidala let out another heavy sigh, turning and beginning the trek to her own room. If they were indeed moving once again, she would need to repack her belongings.

Once she returned to her chamber, she silently went through her things. Her hand lingered on the carved Japor snippet Ani had given her from so long ago… She had secretly removed it from Beshka's hand at her funeral, long after the mourner's had dispersed. Her remaining handmaidens had discouraged her from doing so, but she couldn't bear to lose her memento of her beloved. She picked up the trinket, her fingers slipping over the polished surface, caressing the smooth wood. She bit back tears. Why did it affect her so? Was it because Luke had come to the Rebellion that her thoughts hardly ever drifted from Anakin?

With a sigh, she placed the amulet into a small box and placed it at the bottom of her bag. Wearing it would certainly arise questions that she couldn't possibly answer.

With a sigh, Luke sunk onto his cot after the meeting, intending to meditate. He fell back on the blanket. He hadn't been able to sleep since the Death Star. It wasn't surprising, but still the reality of tossing and turning, or worse, dreaming about it, left him exhausted. He wondered idly how his father managed to be satisfied with meditation instead of sleep. Without realizing what he was doing, he reached out for his father's comforting—if conflicted—presence and found it nearer than he expected.

Son.

Father, Luke returned, grateful for the contact. Where are you?

You think to spy on me for the Rebellion, Luke? His father's mind-voice was light, but Luke knew that he was only joking partway.

No. I can tell you're nearby. It's just…

You're guilty.

Yes. How did you know?

Any Force-sensitive within a few lightyears would be able to tell, Vader said dryly. You need to remember to practice your shields.

Aren't you angry with me? Luke asked, surprised at the lack of bad feeling on his father's part.

Over what? The Death Star? No. It's better that monstrous technological toy was destroyed. You needn't feel guilty.

I do anyway.

I know. It will pass.

I don't want it to! Luke protested. If it does it'll mean that I've become—he cut himself off sharply.

Like me? You think me without guilt?

Not over the Jedi. Not over the Rebels. Luke said, glad that his father didn't seem angry

That is not all I have to feel guilty about.

Luke considered asking but he refrained. I miss you.

There was a long pause, and Luke wondered whether his father had cut the link. It is dangerous for us to talk. Do not give me an excuse to come after the Rebels. With that, Vader truly severed the bond and Luke was left alone. With a sigh, he leaned back on his bed. Had this been how Obi-Wan had felt, all those years in the Jundland Wastes? Luke craved the intimate contact only another Force-sensitive person could provide, and especially desired the bond with his father. He rolled over on his stomach, hoping that his conversation with his father had somehow lessened his guilt.

"Mother?"

Amidala looked up to see her daughter—her lovely daughter—enter the room. "Terzé said that you weren't feeling well." Leia sounded concerned. She walked inside and sat next to her mother on the cot.

"I'm fine. Just tired," said Amidala with a smile. She had removed her veil, and her daughter lifted a hand to touch her cheek gently.

"I am astute enough to sense something is bothering you," Leia said softly. "What is it? You know you can tell me."

With the years of practice on schooling her features, Amidala was able to hide her raging emotions. How she wished she could tell Leia everything! How she wished that her family would be reunited! She settled for a long sigh. "I've lived a long life, Leia," she told her daughter. "It's catching up with me. That's all."

"You're sad," Leia stated, taking her mother's hand.

"Of course," said Amidala, carefully keeping the bitter note from her voice. "I have many sorrows in my life, from seeing the Republic fall to letting you go."

"You did it to protect me," said Leia. "Please don't feel badly."

Amidala looked at her daughter fondly and saw Ani's jaw, Ani's smile. She closed her eyes and hung her head before she realized what she was doing. "Mother? Mother, what is it?"

Amidala glanced upwards, unable to stop her lip from quivering. "I long for a galaxy that is lost to me," she said, speaking more to herself than to Leia, as if trying to convince her heart. "I long for a future that can never be."

"Please don't talk that way," said Leia. "The Alliance is strong! We can overcome the Empire, and restore justice and freedom. We can, and we will. I know it." Leia's voice rose and fell passionately as she described the New Republic—one that would never be suspect to corruption, to a creature like Palpatine.

Amidala smiled sadly. She thinks I believe the Alliance will fail, when in reality…I just want the comfort of my beloved's arms around me and my children nearby.

"Get some rest, Mother," said Leia quietly. "We will be leaving Yavin IV soon. You'll need your strength."

"Thank you, darling," said Amidala as her daughter rose and left the room. With another sigh, she lay back on her cot, squeezing her eyes shut. How had it come to this? How had the Galaxy been torn apart? How had she lost her love, and seen her children ripped from her arms? How could she had watched everything, and done nothing…?

Hoth.

It was a cold, barren planet with a climate the polar opposite of Tatooine.

Despite his years in space, Luke remained a true son of Tatooine, and he proved it as he shivered and gasped as the Rebellion began to set up base in the remote iceworld. Most of the other pilots laughed at him, but one of them sympathized—a humanoid from a desert planet, while not in a binary star system, that had an average temperature of 80 degrees Celsius. He and Luke shivered together while Chewie went back and forth into the snow, shaking his head.

"C'mon, kid, you're wearing double the layers as the rest of us," said Han, grinning. "It's not that bad."

"Go freeze yourself," Luke managed out of chattering teeth as Chewie walked up and picked him up, squeezing the former farmboy to his chest. Luke cried out and Chewie let go, growling playfully. "Oh, go jump in the snow," Luke retorted, drawing his wraps closer around himself.

"Surely a Jedi isn't afraid of a little cold," said Leia, laughing, as she tramped into the hangar, brushing off the white powder from her jacket.

"I'm not a Jedi yet," Luke responded, grinning. "I can be afraid if I want."

Leia rolled her eyes. "Well, you're in for it, then, because Mothma is sending out all the pilots to reconnaissance the surrounding area to make sure it's safe."

Luke let out a moan. "You can't be serious!"

Leia laughed again. "Go get some food, or something, Luke," she instructed, and the boy drew himself up.

"I will," he said, maintaining a scrap of his dignity as he ran inside the building.

Han shook his head in wonderment. "Kid's been a space rat for over three years, and I still have to take back the blankets he steals from me," he said, grinning.

"How did you come to be together?" asked Leia delicately as she accepted a small crate from Chewie, who seemed to be enjoying himself.

Han scratched his head. "It's a long story. And I'm not allowed to tell part of it," he said with a smile.

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Got my orders from the man in black himself," said Han with another uncomfortable smile. "He… sorta gave me responsibility for Luke. I'm afraid of what'll do if the kid gets hurt, so I stick around."

Leia ignored the mention of Vader. "That can't be the only reason you're here," she said. "You're like brothers."

"Well, we've been workin' together for a few years," Han replied off-handedly. He gave her a sudden grin. "He's gotten us outta some tough scrapes, lemme tell ya."

"Oh?" Leia seemed interested.

"Yep. There was that one time, when this Rodian crime boss figured out we conned him into givin' us twice the pay for this load of spice, and he sent his thugs to get us after we had fixed the deal," Han said. "These two Gamorreans jump out at us and took my blaster," he continued. "Then the kid jumps over to 'em, armed only with his saber, and is like, 'Tell Beti—that was the Rodian—to come and kill us himself if he wants us dead.' The two thugs laugh at him and a second later, Luke had his saber out and at their necks. Scared 'em good."

"He killed them?" Leia asked, horrified.

"Of course not," Han said impatiently. "Kid hasn't killed no one besides the Death Star. And…" He trailed off, remembering that day in the cell as they flew towards this super star destroyer. "This one kid. When he was fourteen."

"He killed someone at fourteen?" Leia asked, wondering if she had perhaps been wrong about Luke. It sounded as if he was well on the way to becoming Vader's little copy.

Han was obviously uncomfortable. "It's how we met," he explained. "I'm not exactly sure what happened, only that after it happened he ran away in a TIE fighter and asked me for passage. He was real shaken up, guilty an' all that. At the beginning, he used to have nightmares about it. Never told 'im I knew, though."

Leia was subdued. It didn't seem as though Luke would have been guilty if he was as evil as Vader. But did that mean he wasn't dangerous? She remembered the gleam of anger in his eyes whenever someone insulted his father. He kept himself in control, but the thought of what he could do if he didn't…

"Don't worry about him, Princess," said Han reassuringly. "He's not gonna go crazy, or anythin.' And he isn't about to turn traitor, either."

"I know," said Leia, not sure of how she knew. She had felt a strange connection with Luke, as though she understood him, since their first meeting. "It just scares me."

"All that Force stuff scares me. I can't very well say I don' believe in it anymore… but I don' gotta understand it," said Han sympathetically. "I leave that up to Luke, and I don't think he understands it much either."

"Leia tells me you're from Tatooine," said Amidala, walking over to Luke with two cups of stimcaf. Luke looked up in surprise.

"You've heard of Tatooine?" he asked in surprise.

Amidala laughed, ignoring the gut-wrenching desire to tell him that yes, she knew Tatooine. It was the place she had first met his father, a sweet, generous boy that had risked everything to help her… "I am from Naboo," she explained, not noticing the tension suddenly in his shoulders. "It is a nearby system to Tatooine."

"Oh," Luke said, accepting the steaming cup. "Thank you."

"Don't worry about it," said Amidala warmly.

"Did you know a Padmé?" Luke asked suddenly, looking up at her with a reckless hope in her eyes.

Amidala froze. How did he know that name? "I did not," she said, before her silence gave her away. "If I may inquire, who is she?"

Luke's hope faded away and he glanced down to his cup. "She was my mother. I never knew her," he explained quietly.

Amidala's heart cried out for him. Her poor, lost boy! How she desperately wished to cry out, to hold him, to tell him the truth…! She forced words past the lump in her throat. "I am very sorry to hear that."

He nodded silently and then stood. "Thank you for the caf," he repeated. Amidala smiled, but of course he couldn't tell from behind the veil.

"My pleasure," she told him, and watched her son, her beloved son walk away.

A few minutes later, Terzé sat down in his spot. "You shouldn't be spending too much time with him, my lady," he gently admonished her.

"I know," Amidala said heavily. "He asked me about Padmé, Terzé," she said, looking up to her protector's helmeted head. "How could he know?"

It was her imagination, or Terzé tensed and he started to squirm in discomfort before carefully pushing his emotions away. "I don't know. Perhaps… Perhaps his guardians told him."

"I suppose that's it," Amidala acknowledged. She stared at her reflection, seeing past the veil to her tired face. "Thank you for grounding me, as always, my friend," she said to the man.

He inclined his head. "Of course." She got up to leave but he stayed, wondering if he had been wrong to lie. How weak he had been, that he couldn't bear to see his guardian hurt, and had thus kept the truth from her!

He scowled behind the helmet. What would have changed, if he had told the truth all those years ago? Would Luke and Leia and Padmé be reunited? And Vader with them, if they three managed to bring him to the light? Would Palpatine be dead?

He carefully herded his wild thoughts back behind the walls. He had learned many things during his lifetime, and had created his own beliefs from his experiences, and one he would never forget was that the past belonged in the past. Slowly, he stood, biting back his annoyance at the armor he wore. With a sigh that no one heard, he turned and left the makeshift mess hall to go help the others.

"We are not invincible," said General Rieekan to his audience. "A sudden attack on the part of indigenous peoples or by the Empire could have disastrous consequences. Rogue Squadron, you're to be provided with Tauntauns and you will scout the area for any possible dangers."

Luke's squadron let out various answers to the affirmative and he groaned inwardly. Would the Force keep him warm? Nothing else was likely to work. He stood and adjusted his various coverings, just as Leia walked up with Han, smiling. "You're in luck," Leia said lightly. "We know how much you love the snow."

"Ha, ha," Luke retorted sarcastically. "Why, of all places, did you have to suggest this one, Leia?" he questioned. "The most Force-forsaken hunk of rock in the entire galaxy?"

"I thought that was Tatooine," said Han, grinning. "Come on, kid. I'm gonna go with you. And surely your lightsaber can do somethin' to warm ya up?"

"Oh, yes," said Luke. "I'll test it on you. I'm sure you wouldn't mind losing your arm."

Han held up two hands as a gesture of peace and goodwill, laughing. "It's not that bad. We do what we gotta do, get back, and you can crawl into your bed," said Han. "We're settin' out as soon as you're ready."

"Fine, fine," Luke said, walking past him to where a makeshift quartermaster was handing out the proper cold-weather gear. A few minutes later, he returned with his arms full of clothes, boots, and a face mask.

"Luke, it won't be that bad," Leia chided. "Like Han said, you've been in space for the past three years."

"And that's the only part I hate," Luke returned. "You'll be sorry when they drag me in, frozen to death."

Leia rolled her eyes. "Go on. Your tauntaun is waiting."