"See anything, kid?" Han's voice asked in Luke's ear. Luke, bundled up against the cold, peered around the snowy surroundings in futility.

"I see nothing except snow," he responded finally. "This place really is completely dead."

"Well, that's better than raging Imps," Han responded playfully, just as Luke saw a meteor streak from the sky to land nearby.

He narrowed his eyes. Something was definitely not right… "I just saw something," he told Han. "It looks like a meteor, but it doesn't feel right. I sense something."

Han, well-used to Luke's 'feelings', said nothing for a moment. "You've got your lightsaber, right?"

"Of course," Luke retorted. "You go back. I'll check it out and return back to Base, and let them know if it's something other than a meteor."

"I dunno, kid," said Han dubiously. "I don't wanna leave ya out here…"

"Han, I can take care of myself," Luke said dryly. "I'm more worried about you."

"Thanks," the smuggler retorted. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure. Go and warm up. Sidle up to Leia," Luke said with a grin that the cold gear coverings prevented.

"Whaddya mean?" Han asked indignantly.

"Never mind," Luke said, fighting back laughter.

"If you think I've got feelings for her, buddy, you've got another thing comin'"—Han said into the comm.

"Ah, you'll break her heart, I guess," said Luke teasingly.

The comm on the other end was suspiciously silent. "Oh, go freeze to death," Han said at last. "Good luck."

"Thanks for the advice," Luke returned. "Skywalker out."

Once the commlink was severed, Luke urged the smelly beast forward to where the meteor—or whatever it was—had landed. As he drew nearer, his worst fears were realized as several mechanical contraptions extended from the 'meteor.' A probe.

An Imperial probe.

Luke swore silently to himself and tried to shake off the warning that the Force was giving him. Something—he wasn't sure if it was the probe—felt wrong. Suddenly his tauntaun stopped abruptly and began to back away. Wondering if the creature felt the same warning as he did, Luke stopped the animal and dismounted, patting the beast on his flank. He rested a gloved hand on his lightsaber, glad that at least his right hand didn't feel cold.

His Force-sense prickled and instinctively, he jumped away as a gargantuan beast suddenly emerged from the shadows and swiped his clawed paw at the tauntaun, which let out an eerie scream. The force of the blow to the animal's neck snapped the bones instantly, and in an instant, dread replaced surprise in Luke's stomach. His means of transportation back to the Base had just been removed.

The enormous white-furred creature suddenly turned his attention to Luke, and it lunged towards him, but Luke was able to neatly sidestep the creature, wondering if it was against the Jedi code to kill animals. Or was it sentient? The creature crashed into the snow and lifted its head, shaking off the powder. With a roar, it rushed Luke again, and he moved to step away, his hands on his lightsaber, but his left leg got caught in the snow and he fell back, just as the creature's paw slammed into his face, knocking him out instantly.

When Han returned to the Base, he gratefully handed his tauntaun over to the keeper and removed his cold gear, sick of the oppressiveness of the costume.

"Han! You're back!" Leia came around the corner. Her gaze clouded. "Where's Luke?"

Han shrugged. "He wanted to stay behind to check out some meteor."

"You left him out there alone?" a sharp voice reprimanded. Han turned and blanched to see Lady Amidala—Leia's mother—giving him what he knew to be a look of disapproval from behind the black veil she wore at all times.

"Beggin' your pardon, your ladyship," said Han, more than a little stung at the insinuation that his judgement concerning Luke's safety was faulty. "But Luke is fine. He can take care of himself."

"We don't know the surrounding land well enough," said Amidala, ignoring his barb. "He could get injured somehow."

"Mother," said Leia, bewildered by Amidala's strange concern, "Luke is fine."

Amidala let out a sigh. "You're right, of course. But perhaps we should send out a guard to look for him…?"

"I'll go," said the lady's armored bodyguard that Han knew to be Terzé Ba'kuun, a pilot in Rogue Squadron. Han hadn't even noticed his approach.

Amidala patted his shoulder. "No," she said. "I won't have you endangering yourself, Terzé."

"But, ma'am"—Terzé began before stopping himself. "As you wish, my lady."

Han watched the exchange suspiciously. He had learned vague details about the Lady Amidala and her bodyguard—that Terzé was the son of her friend, and her protector—but his strange offering of himself to go find Luke was disturbing. Just who was he? And why the armor? And why did Amidala care so much, anyway?

"I'm gonna go change," he said finally. "He'll come in on the south east entrance."

The first things Luke noticed when he came to consciousness were a pounding ache in his head and sharp pain from his face. He dimly remembered the monster charging him and the feel of his lightsaber in his hands… but then it had all gone black.

Luke briefly wondered why his head felt so heavy when he realized he was upside down. He opened his eyes blearily and saw his feet above him, encased in a block of ice. Wincing as he realized that he couldn't feel them at all, he reached out with the Force to assess the damage to his body.

It didn't seem to be to bad. His face was bleeding, and he felt as though he'd been tossed around, but it was livable. He noticed that he was in some kind of cave with stalactites and stalagmites from the ground and ceiling. He felt for his lightsaber, hoping he hadn't lost it in the snow, and almost cried out in relief when he saw it nearby. He called it to his and freed himself from the ice easily enough. He bit back a cry of pain as he fell to the ground, feeling as though he had just made some bruises worse.

He glanced around and noticed for the first time the sound of crunching bones and slobbering teeth—he looked up and saw the horrifying snow-creature ripping meat off what he realized was his tauntaun. He felt a stab of regret—the poor creature hadn't deserved that—before very quickly noticing that the monster had seen that he was awake.

The beast stood and let out a growl, lunging towards Luke. He didn't have time to wonder if it was right according the Jedi Code to kill the creature—his feet were still too numb to do anything. He raised his lightsaber and cut the animal's arm off, hoping that his warning would get through to the animal.

The loss of its limb only seemed to infuriate the creature more. It let out a roar and leapt for Luke, who scrambled out of the way and swung his lightsaber in a deadly arc, decapitating the monster. There was a thunderous crash as the beast fell to the floor of the cave, and the disruption caused several stalactites to splinter. Luke lay still for a few moments, breathing heavily as he realized his peril.

He had to get back to the base. If he didn't, he would surely freeze to death in the sub-zero temperatures of Hoth. He stood, glad to see that the feeling had returned to his feet, and wrapped his ripped jacket around him snugly, replacing the facemask. Keeping his lightsaber in his hands, Luke finally ventured out into the rapidly failing evening, gasping as the winds permeated his coat and sent chills down his spine. Biting his lip, he cast tendrils of the Force out to help him identify his location, and tramped towards the base, the call of the people there easy to feel.

When Han returned to the hangar to help Chewie make some modifications to the Falcon, he was surprised to see Leia run up to him, her brow furrowed in worry. "Han, did you see Luke come in?" she asked urgently.

A short stab of fear hit Han's heart. "No, why?

"He's missing," said Leia. "We've checked all of the entrances, and no one has seen him since you two left."

"Are you serious?" Han asked in disbelief. "Then he's out there, alone and in the cold! We've got to do something!"

"They're trying to close the hangar entry, Han," said Leia. "What can we do?"

"You stay here," said Han, making his decision in a matter of seconds. "I'm going out there."

"What?" Leia questioned in complete surprise. "Are you mad?"

"Listen, I've promised to take care of that kid and I'm not about to stop now," said Han forcefully. "I'm getting out there."

"Han, no!" Leia begged, grabbing his arm. "You could die!"

"I won't," said Han, though it was more for her than for him. "I've got to go."

The cold was all consuming.

Luke had lost his vision long ago with the winds and the snow blocking anything he could have seen. His extremities were numb with cold, and his breaths came in short gasps. He felt the unconsciousness at the edges of his mind, and for some reason, it reminded him of that time three years earlier, being attacked by ruthless battle droids as he went dizzy in the heavily oxygenated environment of his father's house on Bain.

His father had come to save him then.

His father wasn't here now.

Luke tried to reach the Force to give him the strength he needed to repel some of the cold, but he was too exhausted and distracted for anything. He fell to his hands and knees and crawled forward, not knowing if he was heading towards the base or going in circles. He grabbed the snow with his mechanical hand, which seemed to be functioning poorly in the intense cold. He pulled himself along, his legs losing feeling. He collapsed in the snow, drawing his arms around his body, not having the energy even to shiver.

He blinked once, twice as a glowing figure materialized in front of him, untouched by the snow or winds.

Obi-Wan smiled at him. "You need to get back to the base, Luke," he said, and despite the wind, Luke heard him perfectly.

"T-t-t-too c-c-c-c-old," he heard himself say, the sound muffled by the facemask.

"The time has come for you to become the Jedi you were born to be, Luke," said Obi-Wan. "You must go to Dagobah alone. There you will find Jedi Master Yoda, the last remaining Jedi in the Galaxy."

"B-b-b-besides m-m-m-my father," Luke responded stubbornly. Dagobah? Dagobah was a wet, uninhabited world. Why would a Jedi Master be there?

"Your father is no longer a Jedi," said Obi-Wan. "He forsook the Order when he joined Palpatine. You have come far in your quest to defeat the Dark Side, Luke, but you have not purged yourself of it fully. The anger is still there."

Luke didn't have the energy to respond and closed his eyes. "Go to Dagobah, Luke. There you will learn your destiny."

Luke barely comprehending the Force ghost's words as another gust of wind bit into his frozen skin. Father…he moaned, not even fully aware of his actions, Help me.

Right before he passed, out, he reached for the activation switch on his lightsaber, pointed it upwards, and stuck his arm in the snow, immobilizing his hand and keeping the saber lit. Please, he prayed silently. Someone find me.

Aboard the Executor, Vader tried to shake off the feeling that something very bad was happening. He stalked towards the communications room of the giant ship. Palpatine had been furious about the destruction of the Death Star. It had been a personal blow against him and his pride, and already he was beginning to talk of building another one.

Vader curled his lip in disgust. Palpatine was forgetting the simple power of the Force in favor of technology. It nauseated him. His master had questioned him thoroughly about the pilot of the X-Wing who had blown up the battle station, and Vader had had to lie more to his master than ever before.

No, he had said, there was nothing special about the boy.

Yes, he had maintained, he was just an extraordinary pilot. We haven't found the identity of the pilot yet.

Palpatine hadn't been satisfied, and Vader had gotten the sickening sensation that his master was merely testing him, that he knew the truth. Vader hardly allowed himself to think of the consequences if the Emperor found out that his apprentice had lied to protect his son. His inaction had allowed a massive amount of money and effort manifested in the Death Star to become resources used completely in vain.

Vader had thrown himself into the search for the Rebels whole-heartedly, trying to show that he mirrored his master's feelings on the issue. In recognition, Palpatine had waved away any possible superiority over him on the parts of Grand Moffs. Vader was in complete command, in every way, of the military. No one dared to question his authority.

Father…. Help me…

Vader froze. The voice was weak, and it was his son's. He reached out, the Force surging through him as he felt for his son's presence. Where was he? A second later, he felt Luke's weakening consciousness on the remote iceworld of Hoth.

The rebels were on Hoth.

His son was dying on Hoth.

Vader stalked inside the communications chamber. "Set course for Hoth," he barked. "And prepare for a heavy land-based invasion," he said to Admiral Ozzel, who looked up in surprise.

"My lord, I don't think that Hoth is"—Ozzel stopped, Vader's anger and fear for his son creating a lethal invisible hand crushed his trachea. A second later, Ozzel dropped to the ground. "Set course for Hoth," he repeated to Ozzel's successor.

The man nodded and bowed, terrified out of his mind as Vader turned around, returning to his meditation room.

How dare the Rebels place his son in danger? Did they not know that Luke Skywalker was not some petty, expendable pilot? Surely they treated their heroes better than this?

Vader let his fury wash over him and mingle with his apprehension. Would Luke be all right? Would he get there in time?

Han tried to ward off the panic that was spreading through him like a cancer. He had found no sign of Luke or the tauntaun he had ridden on. He had scoured Luke's sector and hadn't seen anything out of the ordinary, much less the supposed meteor that Luke had seen.

He squinted into the howling winds that blew snow and cold into him and felt a deep despair grow in his heart. He couldn't see anything, and he was beginning to get abnormally cold. Luke had been out here for hours… Han could only imagine his condition.

He nudged his animal onwards, but the tauntaun didn't move. Frowning, Han jumped off the creature's back and to his dismay, the animal fell over, frozen stiff. Swearing to himself, Han stamped his feet in an effort to keep warm and lifted his hand to shield his brow. He scanned the horizon, hoping desperately to see something indicative of life.

Han's eyes almost passed over the glowing blue light because it was so far away. He froze. Could that be…? He broke into a run, stumbling through the snow towards the lightsaber. His heart jumped into his mouth when he saw the huddled frozen form, the lightsaber extending upwards. The light sword had kept most ice from forming on Luke's body and had a small globe of not-quite-so-cold air around him. Gingerly, Han reached down and pried the lightsaber from Luke's frozen fingers and watched in dismay as the blade deactivated. He stuffed it into his pocket and reached down to try and pick Luke up.

Han almost dropped him in surprise when Luke mumbled, "Obi-Wan… Dagobah… Master Yoda…"

Shaking his head, Han managed to sling Luke over his shoulder and tramped back the direction that he had come, towards his dead tauntaun. He grabbed the carcass and bent it so that the legs and body formed a kind of semi-circle. Removing the lightsaber apprehensively from his pocket, Han fumbled for the switch and it jumped to life with the snap-hiss he had heard so many times. He pressed it into the snow and the ozone evaporated the crystals within a hand span. Encouraged, Han managed to clear out an area and he shoved Luke's form into the snow-less hollow and crouched by him, hoping that they would live the night.

Amidala couldn't sleep. Her baby, her beautiful boy, was out in the barren environment, and he was so cold and in danger. She sat up, absentmindedly fingering the jappor snippet as if it would somehow call Ani from the Force to help him. Her boy's friend—Han Solo—had torn out of the base, disregarding practical advice and rushing headlong into danger to save his friend. Like Ani would have.

She smiled. Han was a good friend. One day, she would make sure he knew how grateful she was for watching over her son all these years. With a sigh, she settled back into the uncomfortable cot, remembering the luxury of Naboo.

Naboo. Her beautiful home was in ruins. In the darkness, she frowned. What cause had there been to wantonly destroy the peaceful planet? Granted, it was certainly not as complete a destruction as Alderaan's, for that there was no comparison, but still… To see her homeworld so completely stripped of beauty, of life… All by Palpatine's hand. He had done that to his own home.

For a brief second, Amidala let her anger wash over her before gently repelling it. A path to the Dark Side anger is. She gave another sad smile as she remembered wise old Yoda's words. She was no Force-sensitive, but the saying did have practicality. Anger does not solve anything.

But apathy doesn't help her son. Amidala hoped he was all right. He was resourceful and a Jedi, or at least in training to become one, so it was likely he had managed to find some sort of shelter. She hoped so. With another sigh, she closed her eyes to the dream she knew was coming, and—

The flames licked at her, crawling up her skin…

Han didn't know how he did it, but somehow he managed to actually sleep as the storm and winds raged around himself and Luke. In the morning, he examined the boy and was relieved to see that his facial injuries were only surface injuries. But Han didn't have the time or resources to make sure that he wasn't hurt anywhere else. Frowning, he leaned back against the frozen tauntaun, noticing that the lightsaber's evaporation of the snow hadn't lasted.

Luke had been delirious in that one moment of consciousness, but the mention of Obi-Wan startled Han. What had happened, to make him say that name? Repressing a shiver of cold, Han dug inside his jacket and removed a ration bar, grimacing as he bit through the tough, chewy food. It was worse than space food. He waited for a while, checking Luke's pulse every few minutes, until he finally heard the roar of engines nearby. He grabbed his commlink and toggled with the frequency until he was on the right one. "It's about time!" He said into the viewplate, and a second later the face of a pilot swam into view, grinning. "We'll be there soon!"

An hour later, they made it back to the base after using the speeder that had been sent to get them Luke was rushed to the improvised medbay and Han, relieved, allowed the medical droids to take him away and process him for a Bacta dip.

"I can't believe you went out there," said Leia, appearing at his elbow.

Han said nothing for a few moments. "I gotta watch his back," he said finally. "Have you heard of a Master Yoda?"

Leia's eyebrows raised. "Of course! Why?"

"Who is he?"

"He was one of the greatest Jedi that ever lived," said Leia enthusiastically. "He was small in stature, but very powerful," she explained. "He lived for over nine hundred years."

"So he's dead?" Han said, furrowing his brow.

"Well…" Leia thought a moment. "It's assumed that he is, considering the Purge. No one knows for sure. It just says 'presumed killed by Darth Vader' in the archives."

"Of course," said Han wryly.

A shadow passed over her face. "Of course."

Han scratched his head. "How's it possible he's Luke's dad? I mean… He's a good kid. A good person. He defends his dad to hell and back but that doesn't change that Vader is…"

"I know," said Leia heavily. "I suppose… I suppose he must have been good, at one time," she offered doubtfully. "I mean… someone must have loved him. You can't love someone who's evil."

Han shook his head. "I dunno. It's not something I'm gonna walk up and ask 'im though."

Leia laughed out loud. "I can just see it. Imagine Threepio: 'Um, excuse me, Lord Vader, but I was wondering how it was possible for anyone to love you?'"

Han burst out laughing. "Vader'd probably rip him limb from limb," he said.

"If you are to continue making noise then I suggest you leave the medical room," a mechanized voice suddenly told them, and Han and Leia whipped around to see a 2-1B unit looking as perturbed as a droid was able.

"We're sorry," said Leia. "Come on, Han," she said, grabbing the smuggler by the arm and leaving.

"Leia!"

Leia glanced up to see her mother standing in the hallway. "Mother, I'm surprised to see you here," she said.

"I was concerned for Mr. Skywalker," said Amidala after a moment. "You were very brave, Mr. Solo, to risk yourself to save him."

Han gave a short little bow. "Thanks for the compliment, ma'am."

"He'll be all right," said Leia. "The droids are prepping him for a Bacta dip. It looks like he had some frostbite and a little hypothermia. Han really did save him, though," she said, giving the briefest of proud smiles to the smuggler.

"Ah, I did what any friend'd do," said Han uncomfortably. "I'll see you later, Princess," he said. "Ma'am," he said to Amidala, who nodded regally as he passed.

"Mother, why the concern?" asked Leia as she took her mother's arm.

"Just curiosity," said Amidala. "It's not every day that a man risks himself for a friend."

Leia was unconvinced but she chose to let the matter slide. "Lady Mothma has expressed interest that you join the High Command," she said after a moment. "You were an excellent leader, Mother. You can be still."

"Perhaps," Amidala replied evasively. She had helped Bail Organa and Mon Mothma found the Alliance, of course, but she had done so from afar. As soon as her supposed funeral was over, she had left on a public transport to the Outer Rim and traveled from planet to planet, too absorbed in the pain of her dead husband and lost children that she couldn't bring herself to become an active part of the Rebellion.

"Mother," Leia reprimanded gently. "We need you. You could help us."

Amidala smiled at her daughter who was so much like she had been, back in the day… Back before the Empire, before her family's separation. She had always thought she could overcome anything, but after losing Ani… A tiny voice in the back of her mind asked her what Ani would want her to do, and she bit her lip. "I will talk to Lady Mothma."

Leia beamed. "Thank you, Mother."

Luke opened his eyes and the medbay swam into view. For a brief second, he thought he was back in his father's quarters on Bain, but on further inspection, he remembered where he was. Groaning, he sat up and examined his body for injuries. He frowned. He didn't seem to have any bruises. How had he gotten here, anyway? He dimly remembered using his lightsaber as a signal—

Luke's tiredness evaporated and he jerked his head towards the table beside his bed. No lightsaber. Feeling the beginnings of panic overwhelm him, Luke tried to think of where it could be. He hadn't relinquished his weapon in three years—it was his only reminder of his father, and it symbolized his future. If he had lost it, he wouldn't be able to replace it. His father had built the weapon, but he had no idea how to do so. He muttered a soft swear. Was it still out there? Had he lost it forever?

"You're awake, finally," came a familiar voice.

Luke looked to see Han enter the medbay. "Yeah," he said distractedly, peering over the side of his bed. Suddenly, the hilt of his saber was thrust in his face, and Luke looked up to see Han handing it over, smiling.

"Didn't think I'd let you leave it out there, did you?" he asked with a grin.

"You mean—you…?" Luke asked in surprise, accepting the weapon.

Han nodded and shoved his hands in his pockets. "They figured you were dead. I knew your dad would kill me if somethin' happened to ya, so…"

"Thanks."

"Who else is gonna get you out of these scrapes?" Han returned. "You feelin' okay?"

"How long have I been out?" Luke asked, his adrenaline-spurred energy dissipating now that he had found his saber. He leaned back into the pillows.

"A few days. You weren't in great shape when we made it back here," Han said. "What happened, anyway?"

Luke's eyes widened as he remembered. "The probe!"

"What?" Han asked sharply.

"The meteor was an Imperial probe," said Luke quickly. "I went to investigate and before I could get there, some giant… snow creature thing attacked me. It knocked me out and when I woke up, I was hanging upside down in its cave. I had to kill it before I got away."

"Why didn't you just stay in the cave?" Han asked, raising his eyebrows.

"I don't know. I should have," Luke admitted. "I thought I had to try and get back to the base."

"An Imperial probe, huh?" Han said finally. "Does that mean…?"

Luke paled. "Han…" he whispered.

"What?"

"When I was out there…" Luke shut his eyes tightly.

"What is it?"

"I called my father," Luke told his friend, biting his lip.

Han went white. "Then…."

"He's coming," Luke said, rubbing his temples with his hands. "Han, what have I done?"

"We've got to evacuate," said Han firmly. "There's a 'fresher over there. I'll let the High Command know what's going on."

"Luke found a probe out there," Han told Mon Mothma later. He stood in front of the High Command, uneasy with the attention.

"What kind of probe?" Mon asked sharply.

"An Imperial one," Han said heavily. "I think we should evacuate."

"Evacuate?" Mon repeated incredulously. "We've only just arrived, Captain Solo. It takes a lot of resources that we don't have to put up another base."

"What about the people? Surely they're harder to replace," Han retorted angrily. "The Imperials are gonna come, Lady Mothma. We've gotta get outta here."

Mon's gaze narrowed. "Watch your tone, Captain Solo.

Han let out a deep breath. "Listen, you've just got to trust me."

"No. Trust me," a new voice said.

The High Command looked up collectively as Luke stepped inside the audience chamber, looking pale, but healthy. "Skywalker. "We're glad to see you're well," said Mothma briefly.

Luke winced and wasted no time. "The Imperials are coming here," he told the leader of the Alliance. "It's my fault. When I was out in the snow, I…" He paused. "I was delirious. I called out to my father to help me."

"You did what?" Another member of the High Command exclaimed, and Luke remembered that she had been one of the ones to heartily discourage Mothma from letting him join.

"If I know my father," said Luke slowly. "He'll come quickly."

Mon said nothing for a few moments. "And how, exactly, did you do this? You used a commlink?"

"No," Luke said. "It's…" He hesitated. "I can communicate with him telepathically. Because we're both Force-users, and because we're related."

Mon froze. "You will be punished later," she said quickly, the urgency of the matter causing her to disregard the manner in that the information was given to her. "We've got to evacuate."

"Where can we go?" General Rieekan retorted. "We plan out our bases months in advance!"

"I know where you can go," said Luke, ignoring the sting of betrayal in his heart.

"I don't think we're going to trust you," someone said. "You have just called the Imperials down on us! You've done enough!"

"No, let him speak. You know a place?" Mon asked.

Luke swallowed. "Mustafar," he said, his heart sinking. He called out a silent apology to his father. "It's a volcanic planet and uninhabited."

"A volcanic planet? Brilliant. Let's add another mortal risk," someone snorted.

"Why Mustafar?" Mon asked, narrowing her eyes.

Luke bit his lip. "My father will never go there. He hates it."

"Why?"

Luke's eyes flashed. "Isn't it enough just to know that?" he said, trying to calm himself.

"We need assurance."

Luke squeezed his eyes shut, his hands trembling. "He avoids it at all costs," he said finally. "It's the reason he's on a respirator."

Mon stared at him curiously. "Is it livable?"

"It was used as a hideaway for Separatists before the Empire," Luke continued, glad that the focus shifted away from his father. "There are buildings there." After his dream, he had looked up the planet, and was glad he had done so now.

Mon sighed and they waited for her to continue. "Very well," she said at last. "Change the rendezvous points. We're going to Mustafar."