As she prepared for her return to work, Leia had trouble focusing on the task at hand. She found herself daydreaming, her mind recalling something Han had said in their last conversation two days ago. What, Princess? Do ya' think we had some big romance on Ord Mantell that I'm not telling you about?

She had been so quick to answer, so intent on hiding her feelings, that she had almost missed his look of disappointment. In fact, she hadn't even noticed that his statement marked the second time that he had mentioned the possibility of a romance between them. Earlier in the conversation, he had taunted her, implying that she was afraid that she had fallen for him during their trip.

Surely she was not imagining that things had changed between them, that something had happened on Ord Mantell despite his claims to the contrary. Feelings simply did not intensify over such a short period of time for no apparent reason. Yet, she could not remember any part of that fateful mission.

She tried to rely on logic to understand the situation, but logic always seemed to fail her where Han Solo was concerned. At times, he seemed so caring, so concerned about her well-being. Why, then, had he ignored her since their return? Why did she have to chase him down to find the answers she needed? Why was he so evasive when she asked him questions?

Maybe he was in love with her, but was afraid to admit it. Han Solo was not exactly the type to commit to anyone or anything, despite his assurances to Luke that he would stay with the rebellion. This might be part of it, she reasoned, but it did not seem to ring true somehow. Maybe he was just a good friend, and she was projecting her feelings on to him. He did save her life. Maybe these feelings were just the result of some variation of the phenomenon in which the patient falls for the doctor out of sheer gratitude.

She was about to ponder that situation further when the intercom interrupted her thoughts.

"Princess Leia?"

"Yes."

"General Rieekan would like to see you at your earliest convenience."

"Of course. Tell him I'll be there within the hour."

"Yes, ma'am."

The brief intercom conversation spurred Leia to reassess her priorities. She chided herself for acting like a child with a crush. She had important work to complete, a duty to the universe that far outweighed some silly preoccupation with Han Solo.

Dressing quickly, she left her room with a renewed sense of purpose. She would only invest her energy in causes that would allow her to have a positive impact. She had fought for freedom and justice throughout her young life, and the rebellion allowed her to use her skills to the fullest. Han Solo, meanwhile, was an unknown quantity, an investment that would most assuredly lead to heartbreak. It was time to refocus on something she could control.

"May I come in, General?" Leia asked, as she stood at the doorway of General Rieekan's office.

Looking up from his paperwork, the general's face broke into a wide smile, and he stood up quickly to greet the princess. "Leia, my dear," the general said, moving toward her. "It's so good to see you on your feet again. You look terrific."

Rieekan hugged her gently as Leia replied, "Thanks. I'm glad to be back at work."

"We're happy to have you back, my girl. Have a seat."

The general ushered her to one of the chairs and sat down opposite her.

"What can I do for you?" Leia asked, unsure of why she had been summoned.

"Leia, I wanted to ask you for your opinion on a rather sensitive matter."

"I'll be happy to help in any way I can."

"Great…I'll just get right to it then. What is your opinion of Malad Eleisoeve?"

Leia thought for a moment, determined to choose her words carefully. She could not stand Malad, but it was unfair to condemn a man based on personal feelings, especially when she had no hard evidence to back her suspicions. "He's been a decent officer...," she began.

"Leia," Rieekan scolded, cutting her off. "I asked for your opinion, not some diplomatic bantha fodder."

Sufficiently chastised, Leia responded, "Fine. If you want the truth, I'll tell you that I cannot stand the man. I have no idea why the Alliance leadership put him in such an important position. He's arrogant, ruthless, and incompetent. However, no one seems to call him on it because his subordinates always end up taking the blame for his mistakes. Furthermore, he lacks a sense of…propriety," she said at last, fumbling for the proper word.

"What do you mean?"

"He and I were alone together one night. I went to the hangar's data center looking for some supply records and found Malad there. He seemed surprised to see me, but his tone quickly changed and he…started making advances toward me."

"Why didn't you report this?" Rieekan asked, clearly concerned.

"He didn't actually do anything…I was able to fend him off verbally until Han came in and decked him."

"Leia, you should have reported the incident. That type of behavior is completely inappropriate for an Alliance officer."

"I know, but I thought…."

"Ah," Rieekan said gently, a knowing smile on his face. "You thought Solo might get in trouble for defending you."

"The Alliance leaders have never trusted Han, and I didn't want them to have more ammunition to use against him. He's been a valuable asset to the rebellion."

"You don't have to convince me, Leia."

"I'm glad, General. As it turns out, Han got the third degree anyway. Malad had intel harassing Han at every opportunity. I had to call in some favors to get him to back off."

"I see," the general mused. "Leia, do you have any idea what Malad was doing in the hangar's data center?"

"I'm not sure. Now that I think of it, though, he seemed to be hiding something when I walked in."

"What?"

"I don't know, but the data file on shipment records was still open after he left. Maybe it had something to do with that."

"Hmmm…that's interesting."

"General, is there something you're not telling me? Why do you want to know so much about Malad?"

"No reason, Leia. I was just going over evaluation reports and something just didn't sit right with me."

"Maybe I should help you investigate."

"Leia, it's your first day back. This is a matter that I should handle personally anyway."

"But, general…."

"Leia, don't make me give you a direct order."

"Yes, sir," she said, then added boldly, "You know…technically…."

"There's no technicality involved here, Leia. If I give you an order, you will follow it."

"Fine," she said simply, clearly not happy about the turn of events. "If you need me, I'll be at my post."

As she turned to go, the general asked, "Leia, it just occurred to me…why was Han Solo in the data room with you and Malad?"

That question stopped Leia in her tracks. Flustered, she replied, "Um…I don't know. Maybe he had to get some data on a supply run."

With a serious look on his face, Rieekan said, "You know, it's interesting how Solo always seems to be watching out for you. He…."

At just that moment, the intercom roared to life. "General, it's time for your meeting."

"Ah, yes. I almost forgot. I'll be there in a moment." To Leia, he said, "I'm sorry to cut this short. We really need to sit down and have a chat soon."

"Of course, General. I'll just let myself out."

Leia quickly walked to the command center, intent on getting some work done. Still, she couldn't help but wonder what the general had been about to say. What did he know about Han that she didn't? She was sure of one thing, however. She would help the general find out the truth about Malad whether he wanted her help or not.

The next few days were busy ones for both Han and Leia. With the assistance of Luke and Chewie, Han set up full time surveillance on Malad. He also spent much of his day collecting information from his contacts and keeping Rieekan informed on his progress. In his spare time, he took his assigned shifts in the freezing cold collecting data on the new rebel home world. The things a man did for love.

Leia, meanwhile, was conducting an investigation of her own. She performed all of her duties to the utmost of her ability, but she spent all of her spare time finding out more about Malad's activities.

Working the overnight shift, Leia's computer alerted her to Malad's presence in the hangar's data center. She quickly told her colleagues that she was going on break and rushed in the direction of the hangar. Just before she reached the data center, however, someone grabbed her from behind, clamped a hand over her mouth, and dragged her against her will into a nearby storage closet. As fear set in, she lashed out, trying desperately to employ every self-defense technique she knew. It was to no avail.