Though the Alliance brass still seemed to trust him, Malad was getting nervous. The fools believed his story about his lieutenant's incompetence and even kept his security clearance intact. Still, it seemed that he was privy to less information these days, which was not a good sign. Furthermore, he sensed that Han Solo was still a threat to his security. He hadn't seen Solo lurking around lately, but that smuggler was simply not the type to give up.

Fortunately, he wouldn't have to deal with the Alliance and its band of common criminals much longer. His shipment would leave in a matter of minutes, and he would be able to slip away in just a couple of days during the chaos of the scheduled combat readiness drill.

All he needed to do was to use his security clearance to disable the base sensors long enough for his shipment to leave unnoticed. The gullible techs would never know that the sensors were disabled because he had pre-programmed a normal data feedback loop to cover the time the equipment was inoperative. Oh, how he loved technology!

Unfortunately for the base, however, Malad had chosen a particularly poor time to disable the sensors. He succeeded in allowing the contraband to leave the system without incident, but he also allowed danger to sneak in unnoticed.

Han Solo was cold. Part of him was extremely glad that this would be his last tauntaun excursion into this frozen wasteland. However, he knew that the end of this mission meant that he would be leaving the people he had grown to love. He was particularly concerned about a certain princess. She hadn't spoken to him since their argument in the closet, but she had deposited a large sum of credits into his account. She really does think I'm a mercenary, he thought miserably

It amazed him how much it hurt to know that she had such a low opinion of him. He desperately wanted to protect her in case he didn't come back, but he also wanted to have the chance to win her love if he did return. He hadn't counted on the fact that his actions might cause her to hate him. He also hadn't realized how painful it would be to have her contempt, to be ignored by her. He needed her in his life, needed her to respond to him.

"Blast it," he yelled out of sheer frustration.

Suddenly, his comlink came to life. "Echo Three to Echo Seven. Han, old buddy, do you read me?"

"Loud and clear, kid. What's up?"

"Well, I finished my circle. I don't pick up any life readings."

"There isn't enough life on this ice cube to fill a space cruiser. The sensors are placed. I'm going back."

"Right. I'll see you shortly. There's a meteorite that hit the ground near here. I want to check it out. It won't take long."

Have fun, kid, Solo thought to himself. He felt somewhat guilty that he had not said a proper goodbye to Luke, but he couldn't quite figure out what to say. He decided to send a message to Luke when he got a chance.

He also found himself very reluctant to go back to base. He didn't want to leave, and he cursed the circumstances of his life that forced him to make such a choice. He thought of Leia and how the mist had caressed her face as they gazed at the waterfall on Ord Mantell. He remembered the feel of her soft lips on his and the heart-stopping moment when she said that she loved him. It killed him to see the coldness in her eyes, but he reminded himself once again that he was doing the noble thing by protecting her. Why did it seem so wrong, then?

Shaking his head to clear such thoughts from his mind, he said to himself, "I can't put this off any longer. I've gotta get back to base and get this plan going. I just hope Leia and Luke can forgive me."

With that, he rode through the barren wilderness of Hoth toward the relative warmth of the base and an unknown destiny.

After a brief exchange with Chewie, Han gathered his courage and headed for the command center. From the moment he entered the room, he sensed her staring at him with an intensity that threatened to overwhelm his senses. It took all of his willpower to avoid her siren's call and focus his attention on the plan. Slowly, yet purposefully, he walked toward the general, avoiding eye contact with the princess. As he approached Rieekan, he noticed Malad watching with interest from the corner of the room. Let's put on a good show!

"Solo?" the general questioned, looking up from his console.

"No sign of life out there, General. The sensors are in place. You'll know if anything comes around."

"Commander Skywalker reported in yet?"

"No. He's checking out a meteorite that hit near him."

Indicating the radar screen, Rieekan added, "With all the meteor activity in this

system, it's going to be difficult to spot approaching ships."

Or departing ones, Han thought, realizing that Rieekan was reminding him to keep careful watch for the inevitable departure of Malad's ship.

Knowing that there was no turning back, Han took a deep breath before saying, "General, I've got to leave. I can't stay anymore."

Out of the corner of his eye, he gauged Leia's reaction. She seemed visibly upset for a just a brief moment before regaining her composure. He was so intent on surreptitiously watching his princess that he barely registered Rieekan's words.

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Well, there's a price on my head. If I don't pay off Jabba the Hutt, I'm a dead man." He said these words to the general, but the explanation was clearly meant for Leia. He needed her to know that he had a good reason for leaving.

"A death mark's not an easy thing to live with. You're a good fighter, Solo. I hate to lose you."

"Thank you, General," he said, sealing their pact before turning to Leia. Gods, she is beautiful!

"Well, Your Highness, I guess this is it," he said simply, his heart begging for her acknowledgement.

"That's right," she said, anger and frustration simmering underneath her cool exterior.

"Well, don't get all mushy on me. So long, Princess."

Han couldn't take her seeming rejection of him and turned to leave as quickly as possible. He knew that he was responsible for her attitude. He was the one who had pushed her away when they were hiding from Malad. He was the one who made her believe he was a mercenary. He was responsible for a debt to Jabba that had almost cost Leia her life, and now he was paying for it.

He was still determined to protect her at all costs, but it took everything in his power to keep from turning around and kissing her passionately until she remembered the love that they shared.

Leia was in shock. Han had always threatened to leave, but she never really believed he would do so until now.

I can't lose him. I can't!

As Han continued to talk to the general, her mind wrestled with ways to get him to stay. She could wire the money to Jabba from her own personal funds, giving the gangster a bonus large enough to make him forget his vendetta against Han. Somehow, though, she knew that wouldn't work.

She also realized that Han could never live with being indebted to her in that manner. Besides, she wasn't convinced that he wanted to stay anyway. Since their return from Ord Mantell, he had rejected her in a thousand different ways. Hadn't he made it clear that he was only in this for the reward? These feelings aren't real, she insisted to herself. They are just some warped sense of gratitude to a good friend. He has been a good friend, she reminded herself. Then why is he leaving when I need him the most?

Anger welled up in her again, and she used it to create a protective mask. She couldn't let him see how much this was affecting her, how much she wanted him to stay. She willed herself to remain calm, to appear uncaring no matter what he might say.

"Well, Your Highness, I guess this is it."

"That's right," she said, amazed at how cold she sounded.

"Well, don't get all mushy on me. So long, Princess."

Something in the way Han spoke left her speechless and terribly confused. Why did he seem so vulnerable?

She stood there for a moment, trying to understand his behavior through careful analysis. Logic failed her, however, and her heart spurred her to action. Go after him!

She hesitated no further, running after him as fast as her legs could carry her. She did not know what she would say when she found him…she only knew that she must find a way to bridge the gap between them before it was too late.

"Han!"

Upon hearing her voice, Han turned to face his princess. He never expected her to follow him, but now that she had, he had no idea what to do next. Confused, he turned to the sarcasm that had serviced him so well in the past.

"Yes, Your Highnessness?"

Leia winced inwardly at the old teasing nickname, but stood her ground. She needed to know the truth. "I thought you decided to stay."

"Well, the bounty hunter we ran into on Ord Mantell changed my mind." She would never know how true that statement was, or how much it hurt him to even think about it.

Don't go! "Han, we need you!"

"We need?"

"Yes."

"Oh, what about you need?"

"I need? I don't know what you're talking about." She knew, but she couldn't risk her heart…not if he were leaving.

"You probably don't," he said, frustrated that she still couldn't admit her feelings.

"And what precisely am I supposed to know?" she asked, anger rising in the face of his challenge.

"Come on! You want me to stay because of the way you feel about me." It amazed him how much he needed her to say it, even though he knew it would be better for her if he had just followed his original plan.

"Yes. You're a great help to us. You're a natural leader...," she said sincerely, opting for the safer version of the truth.

"No! That's not it," Han said emphatically, pointing accusingly at Leia. "Come on."

He separated from Leia long enough to let an amused member of the Alliance pass before moving in again, reading her telltale expression. "Aahhh! Come on!"

"You're imagining things," Leia said quickly, too quickly.

"Am I? Then why are you following me? Afraid I was going to leave without giving you a goodbye kiss?" He was out of control, he knew, but he didn't care at this moment. All he could think of was getting her to respond, forcing her to break this tension between them.

How dare he! "I'd just as soon kiss a Wookiee," not meaning a word of it, but lashing out nonetheless.

"I can arrange that. You could use a good kiss!" Han yelled, storming off down the corridor.

As emotions propelled him swiftly through the corridors towards the hangar, his anger at her dissipated into a strong sense of self-loathing. He hated the fact that he had let his insecurities keep him from doing what was best for her. Stopping to compose himself, he silently spoke to her, Forgive me, Leia. You deserve so much more than I've got to offer, but I'll make this up to you, I promise.

His mind made up, he prepared to carry out the rest of his plan. He probably wouldn't be able to win her back if he survived, but at least he would know that she was safe from both Malad and Jabba. It would have to be enough.

Leia, meanwhile, stared at Han's retreating form in disbelief. Why did she keep pushing him away? Why couldn't she seem to let anyone too close? You're a coward, Organa! Now you really do have nothing left but the Alliance. Don't screw that up too!

With that, Leia prepared to attack her work with a vengeance. She might never see Han again or feel close to another human being, but at least she could make a positive contribution to the universe. It would have to be enough.

Cursing to himself, Han made his way to the main hangar. Why had he even considered the possibility of there being a bittersweet goodbye scene between them? Of course Leia wouldn't offer an emotional plea for him to stay, especially when he had done his best to convince her that he had no feelings for her. Still, he wanted to believe more than anything that she did still love him, despite her memory loss.

Frustrated almost to his breaking point, Solo arrived at the Falcon ready to get on with this cursed mission. Noticing Chewie underneath the ship, Han quickly moved to join him.

When he saw what Chewie was doing, however, Han directed the full force of his irritation toward his friend. "Why do you take this apart now? I'm trying to get us out of here and you pull both of these." Nothing is going right today!

"Excuse me, sir."

Could this day get any worse? Han tried to ignore Goldenrod, instead choosing to yell instructions to Chewie about fixing the Falcon.

"Might I have a word with you?"

Unable to sound even remotely polite, Solo could only hiss, "What do you want?"

"Well, it's Princess Leia, sir. She's been trying to get you on the communicator."

Just what I need…another go round with Leia! "I turned it off. I don't want to talk to her."

"Oh. Well, Princess Leia is wondering about Master Luke. He hasn't come back yet. She doesn't know where he is."

"I don't know where he is."

"Nobody knows where he is."

"What do you mean, 'nobody knows'?"

Han quickly called the deck officer over to straighten out the situation. Luke wasn't in any trouble when he last checked in. What could have happened?

As Han walked toward the tauntaun holding pen, his fear and frustration mounted. How could these idiotic bureaucrats fail to realize that an officer had been missing for some time?

Finally, the deck officer returned with news. "Sir, Commander Skywalker hasn't come in through the south entrance. He might have forgotten to check in."

By-the-book-Luke failing to check in? "Not likely. Are the speeders ready?"

"Not yet. We're having some trouble adapting them to the cold." Couldn't these fools do anything right?

"Then we'll have to go out on tauntauns," Solo said with determination, heading toward a mount.

"Sir, the temperature's dropping too rapidly."

Turning, Han pointed an accusing finger at the officer. "That's right. And my friend's out in it."

Seeing that Solo was dead set on such a suicidal mission, the deck officer tried to reason with him. "Your Tauntaun'll freeze before you reach the first marker."

Not one for logic, reason, or the odds, Han mounted the tauntaun and yelled back, "Then I'll see you in hell!"

"Base, this is Solo."

"Major Derlin here."

"I'm at marker two, about to move out of com range. Any word on Luke?"

"No, sir."

"I'm heading toward Luke's last known position. He was checking out a meteorite crash near marker five."

"I'll make a note of that, sir."

"Major, make sure you tell Rieekan what's going on."

"He's already been informed, sir."

"Good, and get those speeders up and running, Major…it's cold out here."

"Yes, sir."

"Solo out."

Han Solo urged his mount forward at a frantic pace. The temperature was dropping at an alarming rate, but Han barely registered the biting wind and sub-freezing conditions. He scanned the darkening horizon, desperate to find any sign of his young friend.

Han couldn't imagine life without Luke. Somehow, that "ignorant farm boy" had made an indelible impact on him, awakening long-dormant notions of decency, honor, and justice. Chewie had given Solo a lifelong friendship, but Luke had widened that circle of friends, giving him a sense of belonging. Plus, Luke was the only person who had ever really seen him as a mentor. Luke actually listened to Han's crazy notions about life and came to Han for advice concerning everything from spatial mechanics to women.

Those talks made Han feel important, but they also made him feel responsible. Maybe that was why he kept coming back to save Luke's butt…well, that and a certain petite brunette with a sharp tongue and an even sharper wit. Truly, it was the tag team action of Luke's exuberance and Leia's passionate beliefs that had helped to make him into the man he didn't even realize he wanted to be. He thought of Leia and all the heartbreak she had endured in the past few months. He couldn't allow her to lose Luke as well.

Han brought his tauntaun to a halt and pulled out the bulky long-range scanner. Walking forward a few paces, he calibrated the machine and monitored the results. The scans revealed nothing, and Han began to lose hope. Just as he began to turn away, however, the instrument picked up a faint life sign. Han rushed to his mount and rode at full speed toward the indicated spot.

To his horror, Han found Luke lying face down in the snow. Rushing to the kid, Han grabbed him and turned him over. Hoping against hope that his friend was still alive, Han cried, "Luke! Luke! Don't do this, Luke. Come on, give me a sign here."

Worried by his friend's lack of response, Han was at least encouraged by the fact that he was still breathing. Determined to get him back to safety, Han prepared to move Luke toward his tauntaun. At that moment, his mount keeled over, overcome by exhaustion and the extreme cold. By the time Han was able to drag Luke to the fallen creature, the tauntaun was dead.

"Not much time," he muttered, pushing Luke close to the tauntaun's belly.

Drifting back into consciousness, Luke began to mumble, "Ben...Ben..."

Han grabbed Luke's lightsaber, knowing he was running out of time. "Hang on, kid."

Luke continued to babble as Han cut open the tauntaun and removed its innards. "Whew. This may smell bad, kid, but it will keep you warm til I get the shelter built."

After struggling to move Luke inside the carcass for warmth, Han leaned against the beast, trying to catch his breath in the freezing cold. The stench of the creature was almost overpowering, and Han dealt with the situation in his typical manner: he tried to lighten the situation with a joke. "Ooh," he said breathlessly. "I thought they smelled

bad on the outside!" Fortified by his own sense of humor, Han grabbed his tools and set about building the emergency shelter. It would be a long night.