Author's Note: Sticksy has been aprehended and charged with hijacking...I don't know why she insists on meddling with perfectly good angst. At any rate, as a result of her meddling, I've had to revise the rating of this little story. It took awhile for the change to take effect, but it seems to be in place now. That taken care of, we return to the story...

"Princess... we have a visitor," remarked General Rieekan as the group entered the command center. "We've picked up something outside the base in zone twelve, moving east."

"It's metal," the senior controller added.

"Then it couldn't be one of those creatures that attacked Luke," Leia observed.

"It could be a speeder, one of ours," Han offered.

"No," the senior controller said. "Wait - there's something very weak coming through."

Hoping to be useful, Threepio chimed in, "Sir, I am fluent in six million forms of communication. This signal is not used by the Alliance. It could be an Imperial code."

"It isn't friendly, whatever it is," Han added worriedly. "Come on, Chewie, let's check it out."

The icy Hoth wind made Han think twice about his decision to investigate the source of the Imperial code. Memories of his recent experience with the harsh climate made him shiver inwardly, but it was better than sharing another awkward or angry moment with the princess.

He remembered the promise he made to tell her the truth, yet his discovery of her newfound relationship with Luke made that impossible. He couldn't get that kiss out of his mind, couldn't stand to see them together. The memory of Leia's lips decending to cover Luke's was more than he could bear. He had to get out of this place before he was destroyed completely.

Suddenly, Han saw the object he had been seeking before him. Shaking the memories from his mind, he concentrated on his task at hand. The droid was large and black, with a menacing quality about it. Definitely not friendly, he thought.

Suddenly, the droid became aware of Chewie's presence and fired two quick shots. Han, thankful that the shots had missed, fired a shot in return, hitting the droid squarely. The droid sent a laser blast in his direction, but Han's next shot was more lethal, triggering the explosion of the machine.

Annoyed, Han switched on the comm unit. "Afraid there's not much left," he reported.

"What was it?" Leia's voice replied.

"Droid of some kind. I didn't hit it that hard. It must have had a self-destruct."

"An Imperial probe droid," Leia said resignedly, knowing the Empire would soon find them.

"It's a good bet the Empire knows we're here," Han said, confirming her thoughts

"We'd better start the evacuation," Rieekan added, hurrying off to start the preparations.

Soon they would all be on the run, both from the Empire and themselves.

"Solo, I need to talk to you," Rieekan said, pulling Han aside amidst the evacuation proceedings.

"What is it, General?"

"Let's go into my office," Rieekan said quietly, directing Han to follow.

Once they were safely within the walls of the general's office, Rieekan gave Solo the bad news. "Malad's escaped."

"What do you mean he's escaped?" Han asked angrily.

"He made up a phony story about being ill, then programmed the sensors to detect his presence and rigged up a voice answering system to disguise his absence."

"How did you let this happen?" Han asked, his voice rising.

"Calm down, Solo. We were a bit busy with your disappearance and with the Imperial activity in the sector."

"So he got away with it," he said, seething. "He got away with drugging our forces and almost killing Leia."

"Not exactly. Unbeknownst to Major Eleisoeve, we've had surveillance chips placed on all rebel ships for awhile. Once we were able to figure out which ship he stole, we were able to trace his flight path before his trail disappeared."

"How did his trail disappear?"

"We're not sure. He might have found the device and disabled it. He might have run into trouble and been captured or destroyed. We want you to find out."

"I'll do this job for you, General. I'll make Malad pay for what he did to the princess."

"I know you will, son," Rieekan said kindly. "I've already deposited the credits in your account."

Shaking his head, Solo argued, "You shouldn't have, General. I haven't completed the job yet."

"You'll get it done, Solo. I have faith in you."

"I won't let you down, General," Han said, a touch of sadness in his voice.

Rieekan watched as the young man turned to leave, then remembered the datachip in his desk. "Hold on a minute, Solo. You'll be needing this."

Reaching out to take the chip from Rieekan, he asked, "What is it?"

"It's the code you'll need to find us when you're done."

Solo shook his head and placed the chip back in Rieekan's hand. "I don't need it."

"And why is that?"

"It's better if I don't come back."

"What do you mean? Leia will be devastated if you don't return."

"Nah," Solo said, his voice filled with unspoken pain. "She's got Luke now. She doesn't need me."

"What gave you that idea?"

"She kissed him," he said flatly.

"When?" Rieekan asked, surprised.

"In the med center just now. And it wasn't a friendly peck on the cheek either."

"Had you two been fighting?"

"Well, yeah…I was teasing her about having feelings for me, and she got kinda angry."

Solo, why do you keep making this so difficult? thought Rieekan, shaking his head. "Did it ever occur to you that she might have been trying to make you jealous?"

Han just shook his head, unconvinced that Leia would do such a thing.

"Luke may be her friend, Solo, but Leia's in love with you."

"If things had been different, maybe. Luke's the one she wants now."

"I don't know where you got your information, but I'm telling you that you're wrong. She was distraught over the possibility of losing you that night you went after Luke."

"I'm sure she was worried, but I think she was more concerned about Luke. Luke was the one she followed to the med center, Luke was the one she cried for."

"And Luke was the one that almost died, not you. Of course she was upset—he's her friend."

"I think he's more than that."

"If that's true, Solo, why was she calling out your name that night?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I overheard her, Solo. She was in the gym, punching the bag and trying desperately to keep her composure. It was you she called out for."

"You said she was punching the bag, General. She was probably just working on her plan to kill me."

Rieekan chuckled then. "Solo, I guarantee that if she wanted to kill you, you'd be dead already. As it so happens, she kept saying 'Han, come back to me. You've got to live.' I don't think she was planning your execution."

"Are you sure that's what she said?" Han asked, not daring to hope that it might be true.

"I'm older than you, Han, but I'm not deaf. I know that girl. She's in love with someone, and it's not Luke. Grant her wish—come back to her."

"I…," Han started, unsure.

"C'mon, son. I know you love her."

Rieekan's encouragement strengthened his resolve. "I'll do my best, General."

"I know you will," he said, a smile lighting the corners of his eyes. "Safe journey, Solo."

"The same to you, General."

Leia watched in silence as Han Solo and the general entered the command center. Han's eyes immediately sought hers, daring her to look away. Her body responded to the heat of his gaze, as a surge of energy coursed through her system. She saw in him a whirlwind of emotions—fear, passion, hope, and regret. She could have even sworn that he loved her…and then he was gone.

His abrupt departure left her with a feeling of emptiness, a feeling compounded by the general's stunning new order.

Turning to one of the officers, Rieekan said, "Solo has clearance to leave as soon as he is ready."

"Yes, General. I'll make sure that the control crew is informed."

"Thank you, Lieutenant."

Leia was in shock, faced with the stark reality that he was leaving and that she would never see him again. It took all of her strength to remain in the command center and oversee the evacuation preparations.

The next few hours passed in a whirlwind of activity. Leia banished the pain of losing Han by immersing herself in her work. She attended several strategy sessions with the generals and formulated a plan to transport all crucial equipment to the rendezvous point.

In a rare moment of downtime, she sought out Luke for a brief farewell. In the aftermath of Han's departure, she needed to know that there was at least one person she could count on to be there for her.

"Luke," she said in greeting, entering the med center. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, Leia. I've just been cleared for duty."

"Are you sure you are well enough? Maybe I should find you a space on one of the transports."

Noting the concern in her voice, he tried to reassure her. "I'm as good as new, thanks to Han. Those Imps don't stand a chance."

Leia tried to smile in response, but she just couldn't manage it. The mention of Han, combined with reality of the impending Imperial attack, filled her with despair. She moved to Luke and hugged him tightly. "You be careful, OK?" she whispered.

"I will, Leia," he said urgently, wrapping his arms around her and trying to infuse her with strength. After a moment, he pulled back and looked directly into her eyes. He had never seen her so vulnerable. Normally, she was in complete control, but today she seemed lost.

He wondered how much Han had to do with her current emotional state. They obviously hadn't worked out their differences, though it was clear that they were both in hopelessly in love with one another (that weird kiss she had given him a few hours earlier notwithstanding). Smiling gently at her, he said, "It will all work out, Leia. I promise."

She moved out of his embrace and shook her head sadly, "That's sweet, Luke, but not even a Jedi can guarantee that."

"Let's just say it's a strong hunch," he said, ducking his head to catch her gaze. "After all, you're talking to the guy that predicted the outcome of the tauntaun races three times in a row."

She laughed then, saying "Well, with a track record like that, I guess I'll have to believe you then." Becoming more serious, she added, "Listen, Luke, I'm sorry about earlier today. I…"

Cutting her off, he replied quickly, "Don't worry about it, Leia. I know that we're just friends. I also know that…."

"Princess Leia, please report to the command center immediately," the loudspeaker blared.

"I've got to go, Luke. Take care of yourself."

"I will. You too."

With one last smile she was gone, leaving him to prepare for the upcoming battle. Though he still believed that everything would turn out for the best, a strong feeling of dread told him that it wouldn't be easy…for any of them.

Han Solo returned to the Falcon determined to find Malad and complete his mission. To his annoyance, however, his ship was refusing to cooperate. At least three major systems were balky, and Chewie was nowhere to be found. Frustrated, Han pulled the nearest panel and began working on the most crucial problem.

A few moments later, he heard the Wookie return. "Where have you been, Chewie?" he yelled.

"There is no need to raise your voice, Cub. I went to procure some spare parts for the Falcon. Where have you been?"

"Gettin' a mission from Rieekan. We've gotta get the Falcon up and flying now!"

"We have much to do, then. I will start with the navigation system."

"Thanks, Chewie," Han said sincerely, genuinely sorry for his outburst.

"All is well, Han. Now, get to work."

They worked tirelessly for the next few hours, trying desperately to make the ship fully operational. The Falcon hadn't been quite herself since taking heavy damage from the Imps on that terrible mission to Ord Mantell. Chewie and Han worked in close coordination with the repair droids, but the ship continued to spark and flare in protest. Han wondered briefly if his beloved ship was part of some vast conspiracy to keep him from leaving without Leia.

He dismissed that thought quickly and continued his frustrating game of trial and error. Their progress was briefly interrupted, however, by an impromptu visit from Luke.

Chewie was the first to greet the young man, ruffling his hair and drawing him into a tight hug.

Curious about the commotion, Han stopped his efforts for the moment and peered over the side of the Falcon. "Hi, kid," he said in greeting, before being distracted by the maintenance droid.

Relaying instructions to the mechanical assistant, he said, "There's got to be a reason for it. Check it at the other end. Wait a second."

Turning back to Luke, he noticed a strange hesitancy in his friend and asked, "You all right?"

Luke wanted to confront Han about Leia, to fix things between them. Sensing that he couldn't really help them right now, he settled for a short reply. "Yeah."

"Be careful," Han said, hoping Luke realized how important he had become to him.

"You, too," Luke replied with a smile, waving to his friend as he walked away. After a few steps, he stopped and looked back, thankful for the friendship they had developed. Duty called, however, and he moved forward to meet his destiny.

Han was welding the hull plating on his ship when he noticed Leia enter the hangar. He stood paralyzed for the moment, drinking in the sight of her before him. Her appearance had not changed since he had seen her earlier, but the reality of their impending separation caused him to try to memorize every strand of hair, every look, every gesture.

He wondered what he would say to her, how he could reassure her that he would be back for her. She didn't give him the chance, however, as she steadfastly refused to look in his direction. She had a job to do, and she couldn't waste any more time on a man determined to leave her. As it was, she could barely keep herself from running over to his ship and begging him to stay.

Instead, she savagely chained that impulse and remained focused on the task at hand. At least in briefing the pilots on their mission, she could make herself useful, promote the cause that had become her only lifeline. They would be successful, she tried to convince herself, and they would do so without his help.

When the briefing was over and the troops were sufficiently encouraged, Leia straightened her spine and exited the hangar with as much dignityas she could manage. She was proud of her self control, proud that she had squashed the emotions that had threatened to overwhelm her over the past few weeks. She was strong again, and she definitely didn't need him anymore. Keep telling yourself that, Organa! Still, as she left, she couldn't help but feel a pair of eyes tracking her every move, boring themselves into her and holding her heart captive. Would she ever really be free? Did she even want that kind of freedom?

The repairs on the Falcon were progressing, but not quickly enough for Han. The Empire was closing in on the rebels, and Han was worried about completing his mission and paying off Jabba. He was also having trouble keeping his mind focused on the task at hand, his thoughts continually returning to his fiery little princess.

He had just finished the most crucial of the repairs to the Falcon when he heard men shouting that the command center had been hit. Leia, he thought immediately, his heart seizing in panic. Reacting quickly, Han scrambled down from the top of the ship and ran in the direction of the destruction.

"Where are you going, Han? We have not finished the necessary repairs." Chewie yelled, confused by his friend's actions.

"The command center's been hit," Han shouted back, knowing that further explanation was unnecessary. "Finish up without me."

Han didn't wait for an answer as he turned and raced down the corridor. Nearing his destination, his fear escalated in response to the extent of the damage. She has to be okay!

Picking his way through broken beams and chunks of ice, he found, to his great relief, that Leia was alive and well. "You all right?" he asked, his concern evident.

"Why are you still here?" she snapped, turning to face him. I've just gotten used to the idea of him leaving, and he pulls this?

"I heard the command center had been hit," he explained. And I thought I was going to lose you.

"You got your clearance to leave," she spat out angrily. She hadn't realized until this very moment how much she had been hurt by the news of his departure. Please just leave me alone.

Shocked by her reaction, Han replied bitterly, "Don't worry. I'll leave. First, I'm going to get you to your ship."

Hoping to be helpful, Threepio took the opportunity to interject, "Your Highness, we must take this last transport. It's our only hope."

Acquiescing, Leia gave some quick instructions to the controller as a blast rocked the command center. Suddenly, the loudspeaker came to life once more: "Imperial troops have entered the base."

Grasping her in a manner that brooked no protest, Han said sternly, "Come on... that's it."

Turning to the controller, Leia said, "Give the evacuation code signal and get to your transports!"

Unwilling to wait longer, Han grabbed her by the arm and dragged her from the room.

They had made some progress towards their destination when the base was rocked by yet another explosion. Han quickly pulled Leia close and fell on top of her, determined to shield her from the falling debris. He held her for a moment longer than necessary to ensure her safety, then got up to inspect the damage.

Leia remained on the ground for the moment, her body still tingling from the contact. Gods, Leia! Your whole base is about to be destroyed by the Empire and all you can think about is how good it feels to be touched by Han Solo. He's leaving…protect yourself while you still can.

They were fortunate that they had not been farther down the corridor, as both of them could have been killed by the cave-in. As it was, they were completely cut off from her transport. Recognizing the problem, Han commed the captain, "Transport, this is Solo. Better take off - I can't get to you. I'll get the princess out on the Falcon."

They then rushed back up the corridor toward the ship, leaving a very confused Threepio in their wake.

Their escape from the clutches of the Empire was a typical Han Solo operation—a long string of mishaps countered by improvisation and a brilliant form of insanity that left enemies and friends alike shaking their heads in disbelief.

Han Solo was a magician, a masterful illusionist capable of making an entire freighter disappear in the blink of an eye. He had outmaneuvered Star Destroyers, TIE fighters, and tumbling rocks of all shapes and sizes. Yet, as he prepared to set the Falcon down in the safe haven he had spotted, he wondered if he had enough magic left to dispel the anger of a woman betrayed.

Even in the heat of battle, the resentment dripping from her comments had not escaped his notice. Leia spared little in her attack, targeting his ship, his judgment, and his motives with equal ferocity. "You don't have to do this to impress me," she had said, her anger momentarily replaced by doubt and fear. Yes, I do, Sweetheart! Yes, I do.

As the ship entered the cave, Leia's emotions had cooled under a flood of relief. "I hope you know what you're doing," she said softly, unconsciously placing a hand on the back of his chair.

"Yeah, me too." Everything depends on it.


After powering down the ship and sending Chewie and Threepio to work on the hyperdrive, Han found himself alone with Leia. He was just about to engage her in conversation when fate literally threw her into his arms. Holding her tightly, Han fell back into the pilot's chair. Kest, I've missed holding her, he thought, tightening his arms around her.

Feeling the possessiveness and intimacy of the embrace, Leia suddenly became very uncomfortable. "Let go."

"Shhh," he countered, trying to figure out the source of the cave's instability but also hoping to hold her a bit longer.

"Let go, please," she begged, the panic rising in her voice. Internally, she was engaged in a war between a strong instinct to flee and her insane desire to kiss him senseless.

"Don't get excited," he said, annoyed that she couldn't just enjoy the moment.

"Captain, being held by you isn't quite enough to get me excited," she said haughtily, her internal battle solved by Han's tone.

"Sorry, Sweetheart," he replied, setting her on her feet and giving her his best suggestive leer. "We don't have time for anything else."

Her mouth gaped open as he smirked at her and left the cockpit. The nerve of that man, she thought, turning around and hitting one of the Falcon's panels out of sheer frustration. She was angry with herself for giving him the perfect exit line and angry at Han for embarrassing her yet again. More than anything, however, she was furious at her inner voice for reminding her how wonderful it felt to have Han's arms around her, his warm breath tickling her ear, his deep voice resonating throughout her body.

Supressing a shiver, she wondered how she would survive the journey to the rendezvous point. He doesn't care about you enough to stay, Leia, she reminded herself. Don't make this any more difficult than it already is.

When she had sufficiently reined in her anger, Leia sought out a work assignment from Han. She be damned if she'd let him know just how much he had affected her a few moments earlier in the cockpit. Plus, she was determined to pull her own weight as a temporary member of Han's crew. He had risked his life to come after her in the command center. Even though he was an insufferable egomanic sometimes, she owed him for that…owed him for so many things, really.

Upon entering the main hold, she straightened her back and employed her most diplomatic and formal tone. "Captain Solo, I'd like to know how I can be of assistance."

Bristling at the detachment in her voice, Han reverted to old tactics. "Well, Princess, there are no servants here to order around, so there's not much for you to do. Why don't you just lie down on the couch and have Goldenrod feed you some fruit. At least it would get him out of my way," he said sarcastically, unable to stop himself from goading her.

Narrowing her eyes at him, she replied, "You know very well that I am capable of much more than giving orders to servants. Don't make me feel useless."

Surprised by her serious response, Han just stared at her for a moment, unsure of what to say. He was about to zing her with a snappy retort when Chewie intervened.

"Han," he growled in warning.

Thinking better of his first instinct, Han said simply, "We've got some valves in the circuitry bay that need repair. Do ya' think you can handle the welding work?"

"I'll get right on it," she said, thankful to have something else to occupy her troubled mind.

The next hour or so progressed without incident. Han and Chewie made headway in repairing some of the damaged systems, and Threepio finally managed to communicate with the Falcon's computer.

Han was about to get started on the hyperdrive repairs when he noticed Leia in the circuitry bay. She was intent on her work, methodically attacking her tedious assignment without complaint.

Yet, there was something in the way she held herself that beckoned to him. He had hurt her, he was sure of it. Ever since their return from Ord Mantell, he had tried to keep her safe, tried to protect her heart. Seeing her now, however, he realized that he had failed miserably. He didn't know how he was going to fix things with Leia—he only knew that he had to try before it was too late.

Leia was struggling with the mechanism to re-engage the valve, when she felt a familiar pair of arms wrap around her in an effort to help. After the earlier incident, Leia refused to give her traitorous inner voice any more ammunition. She elbowed Han violently and shot him a dirty look. She didn't need him—not for this and not for anything else.

"Hey, Your Worship, I'm only trying to help."

"Would you please stop calling me that?" she asked tiredly, still trying to muscle the mechanism into cooperation.

"Sure…Leia," he said experimentally, calling her by name for the first time since Ord Mantell.

Closing her eyes for a brief moment at way his voice wrapped itself around her name, Leia returned her attention to the balky valve. Never looking at Han, she said with mild exasperation, "Oh, you make it so difficult sometimes."

Sensing her defenses lowering somewhat, Han decided to play along. "I do, I really do. You could be a little nicer, though." Pleasantly surprised by her lack of a reaction, he pressed her further. "Come on, admit it. Sometimes you think I'm all right."

Letting go of the lever, she nodded her head slightly, and nursed her injured hand. "Occasionally...maybe…" she said haltingly, turning toward him for the first time.

"... when you aren't acting like a scoundrel."

She was barely able to finish the sentence, however, as Han surprised her by taking her hand and massaging it intimately.

Laughing softly at her choice of words, Han's eyes lit up as he replied, "Scoundrel? Scoundrel? I like the sound of that."

As he moved in closer, Leia felt her heart begin to pound. Her eyes flicked down to her hand and then back up to his eyes. "Stop that," she commanded shakily, trying to take control of the situation.

"Stop what?" Han asked innocently, knowing full well what she meant.

Blushing, Leia continued lamely, "Stop that! My hands are dirty."

C'mon, Leia. You can do better than that. "My hands are dirty, too. What are you afraid of?"

"Afraid?" she asked simply, unable to voice her fears to anyone. Losing control, the power you have over me, loving you and not being loved in return.…

"You're trembling," he said, noticing the slight swaying of her body, the tremors in her hands.

"I'm not trembling." I'm shaking violently. What are you doing to me, Han Solo?

Defiant until the very end, aren't you Sweetheart? It's time for you to give in, for both of us to surrender. Pulling her to him with excruciating slowness, he confronted her with the truth. "You like me because I'm a scoundrel. There aren't enough scoundrels in your life."

"I happen to like nice men," she said softly, unwilling to tear her eyes away from his, unable to put up more than a half-hearted fight.

"I'm a nice man," he replied, his lips tantalizingly close to hers now.

"No, you're not. You're…" …amazing, her mind finished, as her emotions and senses were simultaneously overloaded.

Overcoming the last bit of resistance, Han closed the final distance between them. For Han, the kiss was a homecoming. He hadn't realized how much he had missed her until he felt her lips on his once again. Gods, I love you, Leia. He kissed her slowly, savoring the sweet taste of her mouth and the heat generated by her hand sliding up his arm. He reveled in the sensation of her fingers playing with his hair, her body melting deeper into his embrace.

For Leia, the experience was a revelation. She had never imagined that a simple kiss could make her feel so deeply. Her lips were on fire, her body was electric, and her mind was deliciously chaotic. It was wonderfully freeing, marvelously tactile. She pulled him closer, wanting to participate fully in this enchanting new game. No one had ever kissed her like this, and yet there was an odd sense of déjà vu, as if she and Han had somehow been entwined before. It was magical, enchanting, spellbinding…and, with their luck holding true to form, doomed to be interrupted.

As if on cue, Threepio appeared in the doorway, intent on sharing some "important" news with Captain Solo. Tapping Han on the shoulder, he babbled excitedly, "Sir, sir! I've isolated the reverse power flux coupling."

Breaking the kiss, Han turned to the droid with a murderous look in his eyes. In a supreme display of willpower, he did not bash Goldenrod into a million pieces. Instead, he growled a response, "Thank you. Thank you very much."

Oblivious, Threepio interpreted his words as praise and replied merrily, "Oh, you're perfectly welcome, sir."

In that moment, Leia took the opportunity to escape, her feelings in utter turmoil.

Watching her as she fled, Han knew that he could never again deny his love for Leia. He would take it slowly with her this time, giving her the chance to opt out of his uncertain future if the consequences proved to be too painful. However, he would not waste the precious few moments they had left to spend together. Soon, they would reach the rendezvous point, and he would be forced to leave her once more. He would not burden her with a spoken declaration of his emotions, but he would make sure that she felt desired, cherished, and loved. In that way, she would be strong enough to survive his absence…and his hoped-for return.