Reality was strange one. A black abyss that sang with sounds, yet he heard nothing. He could touch, yet felt nothing. He could see, yet saw nothing. He could smell, yet the smells never stayed long enough for him to recognize them. He was floating. Or was he falling? Whichever way it was, the darkness swallowed him up like sinking sand and held him close.

And then, it was as mysteriously over as it had mysteriously began.

Light pried at his eyelids, gentle, but insistent. Then came feeling as his eyes began to flutter. Someone was touching his forehead. Or rather, something. A cloth, Luke finally identified the material pressed against his face, cool and soothing. Just like when he used to get dust fevers, and Aunt Beru would cluck over him with boundless worry.

"Mom..." Luke mumbled, a hand coming up to ward off the overbearing presence. A smaller dainty hand simply took his firmly and laid his arm across his stomach.

"Easy Luke." Came soft words, the tone not of his elderly guardian. Instead it was a young voice. Young and soft and simply beautiful. A voice Luke found his heart beating fast to hear again and confirm his suspicions.

"Leia?" He ventured.

A small chuckle reached his ears as the cloth left his forehead. In the blurry light Princess Leia's silhouette was angelic as Luke felt her weight settle on the bed. One of her hands slipped under his head, gently raising him up while the tip of a cup was pressed to his lips.

The need for water hit Luke hard and eagerly he accepted this gift, sipping as fast he could without choking. Once he was satisfied Leia gently laid his head back against the fluffed pillow.

"There, now rest Luke, just rest." Leia's honey sweet voice said, her smooth hand running through his hair before touching his eyelids, bidding them to close again.

Tired and compliant, Luke relaxed to her touch, Leia's hand a gentle guide back to a warm darkness to hide away in and sleep peacefully.

~~~

Two more days past before Luke was able to awaken, and stay fully conscious. The treatments of the dedicated doctors had finally paid off, and their Rebel Hero was now guaranteed a successful recovery.

And Luke was glad to hear it, but he was not quite sure how he'd been hurt in the first place. After a check up, Leia and Obi-Wan were sitting with him as Luke was served a jiggly substance for breakfast.

"What is this." Luke asked suspiciously once the cook had left and wouldn't hear Luke's question.

Leia held back a laugh, causing Luke's cheeks to feel hot. "It's called jello, and it's good for you."

"Indeed it is!" Threepio chimed in from his corner in Luke's recovery room. "This mixture it especially good for your health Master Luke, it contains several vitamins for your immune, digestive and regenerative systems. I would suggest you eat it all." The informative droid said in his usual prissiness.

Luke sighed and turned his attention to the jello, whacking it with his spoon and watching its weird, unnatural, almost lifelike wiggling before he finally took a bite. And another, and another. It was not half bad and soon enough the platter was cleaned of all jiggly soft food.

Threepio took the plate and spoon, heading for (in his words) the shoddy kitchens while Leia tucked the blankets around Luke tight.

"You should stay under the blankets, stay warm." Leia said as she pushed Luke slowly back into his pillows to rest.

"But I'm feeling better." Luke said, tone on the verge of sounding whiny while he wiggled under the warm blankets. Leia said nothing as she finished off this little task. Luke withheld a sigh and turned his head to Obi-Wan, who was quietly sitting in a chair with a book in hand.

"Where's Han?" Luke asked curiously. "And Chewie, and Tallis? Have they visited yet?"

At his words, both his friends stilled. Obi-Wan's bright blue eyes were clouded with some indecipherable emotion while Leia became cold as stone.

Luke felt his blood turn icey. "What happened? What happened to them?" He asked insistently, hating the churning feeling in his gut, the anxiety that something bad happened to his friends. Not again, not like Biggs...

"Tell me what happened!" Luke demanded, his raised voice seeming to startle Leia out of her cold stupor. She shivered with a sharp inhale before her brown eyes finally make contact with Luke's.

"We had reasons to believe Han planted the bomb that you were injured by. We thought he tried to kill you-"

"No you're wrong! How could you even say that?" Luke immediately cut in vehemently. "I know Han! I do, and he would never hurt me, or any one else here! Never!" How could Leia even be saying these things? Luke found it unbelievable of her to think that Han was capable of treachery like this. Luke could not, and would not believe that such a thing was even remotely possible.

Leia bit the bottom of her lip, her fair skin an unnatural white as she bowed her head, small arms crossed in resignation. "I know." She murmured, uncharacteristically quiet and tolerant.

Luke blinked and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you." He said, leaning forward to touch Leia's arm.

Leia did not try to escape the contact, and with a shaky sigh, began to speak.

"While you were being treated, we interrogated Han. He denied everything, but we found traces of bomb material in the Falcon. We could not dismiss it, we had no other leads. A week ago Chewbacca and Tallis broke Han out." Leia shook her head. "We tried to get them grounded, but they escaped. And there's no telling where they are now."

Luke felt his mouth hanging open at the brief, but insightful tale Leia spoke. "Did rebels shoot at them?" He asked slowly.

Leia nodded.

The world crashed down at that point. Luke pinched the bridge of his nose. "They didn't do it. I know they couldn't have."

"Of that I am certain."

Luke looked to Obi-Wan, having almost forgot the old Jedi was here.

"No doubt they are trying to clear the captain's name right now." Obi-Wan continued as he stood from his seat, and crossed the room to place a hand over Luke's shoulder. "But we cannot help them. We have our own problem. Someone is out there who wants Luke dead, and there is not much time before they find out Luke is well, if they don't know it already."

Leia nodded. "Yes, we must get Luke out of here quietly and hide him."

"Hey wait a minute!" Luke objected. "I am not going to go hide in a cave while Han goes head on into danger! I want to help him!"

"And we will." Obi-Wan said patiently. "But right now your safety must be tended to. And we must leave very soon now that you have your strength."

Luke balled his fists, about to speak out again when Obi-Wan gently squeezed his shoulder. "Luke, you must trust Leia and I. Otherwise your fate may well be doomed."

Reluctantly, Luke sighed and nodded. He really wanted to fight and help Han . . . But Obi-Wan was right. He may endanger himself, and his friends if they stayed here.

"Alright, but I have a few conditions."

"Like what?" Leia asked.

Luke grinned. "You have to come with us. If I'm in danger, no doubt you will be to."

Leia frowned, seemed to mull it over, and then sighed and nodded in agreement. "Okay, what else?"

Luke now turned his gaze to Obi-Wan. "I get to pick where we hideout."