Han was jolted awake as the Falcon abruptly dropped out of hyperspace and slammed him to the floor. Picking himself up, he hastily grabbed the scanner and checked on Leia's health. Because of the medbunk restraints, she had suffered no ill effects of the hyperdrive malfunction. However, her condition had worsened slightly overnight, the scans revealing additional swelling and bleeding.
The medical instrument insisted that she was stable for the moment, so Han was able to leave Leia's side in order to run a diagnostic on his "other" girl. The Falcon was in relatively good shape except for some cosmetic damage and a broken hyperdrive. The Imperials had apparently been better shots than Han had thought. They caused some seemingly minor damage to the ship's hull that had ultimately manifested itself into a complete hyperdrive system shutdown. Han was confident that he could repair it, but the parts and equipment he needed were at the base.
"Blast it!" Han shouted out of sheer frustration. He desperately wanted to get Leia to the base so that the rebel doctors could care for her properly. They were fortunate that they had stayed in hyperspace so long, because they were only about three days away from the base at their current speed. Still, any delay was not a good delay as far as Han was concerned.
Han quickly reprogrammed the navicomputer and rushed back to Leia's side. She looked vulnerable, almost childlike, and his heart contracted painfully at the sight of his fiery princess in such a weakened state. He gently took her hand in his, lifted it up slowly, and brushed her fingers against his lips.
"You've gotta wake up, Princess. You're the only one who can knock me down a few pegs when I need it." Laughing sadly, he continued, "I never knew how much fun it was to have to climb back up those pegs until I met you." "Besides," he said, struggling to keep a light and positive tone, "the universe will never survive my massive ego without you to keep it in check. Humanity needs you, Leia…I need you."
He was about to say more when the medical equipment squawked for his attention. Though the alarm sent him into a momentary panic, he calmed down when he realized that Leia's condition had not taken a turn for the worse. Instead, the noise indicated that the medical computer had calculated a course of treatment. The complicated medical jargon frustrated Han, but treatment seemed easy enough. The Falcon's medical instrumentation would use sonic and laser technology to repair the wound without surgical intrusion.
This was the most important repair work Han had ever attempted, and he was meticulous in his approach. He researched the procedure to make sure it was completely safe, then worked diligently to ensure the machinery was calibrated properly. Only after triple-checking his work did he allow the procedure to begin.
He silently thanked Chewie for insisting that they invest in good medical equipment. What had Chewie said? As much trouble as you get into, Cub, we can't afford not to buy it. You'll never live to pay off Jabba if you don't. Chewbacca's concern for his safety would now help save the woman who gave his life meaning, the woman he loved. "That's one more I owe you, Chewie," he said aloud.
The next two days, Han ate little and slept even less. He poured all his energy into caring for Leia, willing her to get better. The computer had deemed its procedure to be a complete success, and scans showed a steady improvement in her vital signs. However, she had not yet regained consciousness, causing Han great concern.
He had done everything he was supposed to do, though he was a bit of a clumsy nursemaid at first. He applied nutrition and hydration patches at regular intervals, kept the wound clean and sterile, and massaged her limbs to keep her circulation strong. He had seen more of her body than he ever thought possible, yet he took no joy in it. He went to great lengths to protect her modesty, even as he cared for her in the most intimate of ways.
The old Leia would have rather died than have him touch her this way. He wondered how the new Leia would feel. Would she blame him for what happened? Would she fall willingly into his arms no matter who was around? At this point, he didn't really care. All he wanted was to see her healthy again.
He had just finished his morning routine, when the computer alerted him to their arrival in the Hoth system. He leaned down, placed a quick kiss on Leia's forehead, and said, "I'll be right back, Princess. We're almost home."
Upon reaching the cockpit, Han sent the proper transmission codes to Hoth base. A fresh faced Lieutenant appeared on screen saying, "Welcome back, Captain Solo."
"I wanna speak to Rieekan, Lieutenant."
"But, sir, he's in a meeting right now. Can someone else help you?"
"Lieutenant, you tell him to get on the comm right now!" he yelled, holding his blaster where the young man could see. "This is urgent business concerning the princess."
Han had said the magic words. "Yes, sir," the young man said, and, in a short while, Rieekan appeared.
"What's going on, Solo?" Rieekan inquired worriedly.
"The princess has been injured. I want the medcenter on standby when we arrive, and I want techs to meet us at the Falcon."
"Of course," Rieekan said quickly. "What's her condition?"
"She's stable and her vital signs are good, but she hasn't been conscious for three days."
"What happened, Solo?" he said, concern evident in his eyes.
"Your military intelligence booked us into a hotel with an entire convention of Imperial officers…that's what happened!"
"That's impossible! All our reports indicated a clean sector."
"Well, it ain't clean, I can tell ya that! This is either the worst case of incompetence I've seen yet or you've got an Imp working for ya!"
"I will handle this, I promise you. You take care of Leia…she's like family to me."
Han softened his stance a bit at the general's admission. "I know that, General. That's why I'm talking to you rather than taking target practice. Make sure that base is secure and bring us in with the tractor beam. I need to check on the princess."
"Will do, Solo. I'll deal with this personally."
"You do that, General. Solo out!"
"Princess," the voice called to her, whisper-soft as if carried over a great distance. The silken voice enveloped and caressed her, even as her senses strained to comprehend the shadow world she inhabited. She was enshrouded by a thick fog, an oppressive heaviness which had robbed her of taste and touch, sight and sound. She felt helpless and alone until a low rumbling tickled her ear and buried itself deep inside her.
"We're almost home."
The tenderness of the voice seemed to break the spell, the fog lifting slowly to reveal her beloved Alderaan. She gazed over a lush green valley nurtured by a golden river. In the distance, proud mountains dared to touch the bejeweled sky. Against this backdrop, her palace home seemed impossibly small. Obscured by the trees, the palace struggled to reach beyond the ridge and carve its own niche in the marvelous landscape.
Her heart soaring, Leia's thoughts returned to the voice. Who had found her and led her to the place she loved above all others? She knew, somehow, that it was not her father, though she could not understand her certainty. Alderaan was her home and Bail Organa was the only man who had ever loved her. Who else would speak to her with such emotion and bring her to this very spot?
Leia was gripped by confusion as images suddenly bombarded her consciousness. She saw her father's face as he prepared her for that fateful mission and said his final goodbye. She then saw the torturers who had gleefully abused her on the Death Star and was accosted by the fearsome mechanical breathing of Darth Vader. Though she begged the visions to stop, she remembered the terrible explosion, the silencing of millions of voices as her enemies looked on with pride. It hit her then--her father was dead and the Alderaan before her was just an imperfect memory.
She sank to the ground in defeat, her joy at seeing her home transformed into paralyzing pain. The tears that formed refused to fall, however, and her torment found no release. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw movement, a shadowy figure running toward a mountain that was out of place in this world. "Wait," she tried to call, but her throat failed to produce a single sound.
She struggled to her feet, driven to action by a need she could not comprehend. She followed the figure up the mountain, her strength increasing with each step. She scrambled forward, barely registering the abuse her body absorbed from thorns and brambles and fallen logs. She rushed past a thunderous waterfall, heedless of its siren's call. Even as the thick mists closed in around her, she fought her way up the path.
Upon reaching the top of the mountain, the fog lifted once again. This time, however, there was no beautiful vista awaiting her vision. Instead, she was greeted by a dull light source and a metallic ceiling. She tried to move, but her whole body convulsed in pain. Gathering her courage, she turned her head in search of that voice. All she saw, however, was a tiny room and an open doorway.
She closed her eyes for a moment and tried desperately to collect her thoughts. The room was certainly familiar, but where was she? What had happened and why was she in such pain? She must have been shot, but she had no idea how it had happened. Had she been captured? No, surely not. Imperials would never leave the door open to an interrogation room or prison cell without the presence of several guards. Okay, then, what was this place?
Feeling the familiar vibrations of a space going vessel, she quickly surmised that she was on a ship. Is this a rebel ship? No, it was too small, too independent-looking. Who could possibly own a ship like this? Her mind scrolled through an endless list of acquaintances and associates before settling on the image of an impossibly handsome smuggler. "Han," she recalled, drawing a sense of both comfort and unease from the realization.
As if controlled by her thoughts, Han Solo appeared in the doorway. His face was haggard from lack of sleep, and he sported the scruffy stubble of a new beard. His facial features were also marked by hard lines, displaying the unmistakable signs of anger and frustration…at least, until he realized that Leia was awake. Relief flooded his face, and he rushed to her side. Leia's body reacted immediately, as emotions she could not name overtook her system.
Han weaved her fingers in his and began stroking her hair gently with his free hand. "Sweetheart," he managed shakily, overcome by emotion. "It's so good to see you awake."
"What happened?" she croaked, her confusion mounting.
"The Imps shot you as we were trying to escape. It was only a stun blast, but you slammed your head pretty hard as you fell."
Leia detected a swirl of emotions in his eyes as he spoke—rage, fear, and something else she was unable to identify. The way he looked at her then, Leia could almost swear that he was in love with her. She dismissed that thought quickly. Solo couldn't possibly love her, but something had obviously happened between them. Why couldn't she remember?
"Han, I don't remember…I…"
She was about to say more, but the beeping of the comm panel interrupted their conversation.
"Solo here"
"You've landed safely, Captain Solo. The med team is ready to board the ship."
Han stepped over to the controls and released the landing ramp. "Once you board, turn left and follow the corridor to the open doorway."
"Will do, Captain."
Solo turned to Leia, then, regret and hope in his expression. He moved close to her, his eyes intently focused upon hers. "They'll fix you up good as new, Princess."
"I…," Leia started to speak, but hesitated, unsure of what to say next. She was drowning in those eyes of his, confused by emotions she couldn't understand.
"Thank you for watching out for me, Captain," she said, immediately regretting her choice of words.
Taken aback by the formality of her tone, Han allowed just a bit of his old sarcasm to creep into his reply. "Just doing my job, Your Highness."
Aware of the hurt in his eyes, Leia wracked her brain to find words to soothe the situation. Before she got the chance, however, the med team arrived, performed a quick check of her vital signs, and whisked her away to the base medical center.
Solo followed close behind, oblivious to the men and women who tried to welcome him back. He might have failed in protecting her from his past, but he would not fail in securing her future.