"You sure you don't have time before you meet with the General?"

Han leaned flush against Leia's back in the 'fresher as she adjusted the front of her head wrap in the mirror.

She met his eyes in their reflection and gave him an amused look. "I'm sure. You'll just have to wait until tonight."

"Mmmm." He nuzzled her neck, threatening to dislodge the wrap over her braids. "That's not the answer I was hoping for."

"Stop. I don't want to have to redo this."

"I'll do it. I've already done it once." He gave up on uncovering more bare skin and began tracing slow arcs over her breasts.

"And if I remember correctly you took your sweet time."

"That was entirely strategic."

She couldn't help smiling as she turned in his arms. Their kiss was lingering, almost lazy, and held the promise of a different type of negotiation in the near future. "Tonight."

The morning fog had not yet dispersed when Leia found Yavcik huddled with several soldiers in the center of the village. He towered over the other Kyrols making Leia wonder if military hierarchy on Caldira was determined by feats of strength.

"There you are, Princess," he said as he strode over. He planted himself in front of her and then spread his hands out as if he were a clerk catering to a dissatisfied customer. "Now, how can I help you?"

"General. Good morning. Did Maryk fill you in on our discussions back in Ilia?"

"Yes, he did." Yavcik inclined his head distantly. "But I'm frankly not sure how we can be of assistance to your organization."

Leia recognized the performative disinterest despite the fact that an officer in his position would be well aware of the purpose of her visit.

"Maryk gave me an outline of the conflict during the past few years but I'd be interested in hearing it from you."

He grunted and started toward the boundary of the village. "There's not much to say. We continue to track and eliminate our Veroni enemies as best we can."

"And the attack we experienced yesterday? From what I was told, those are getting less common."

"They are," he said shortly. "My men in the encampment up ahead conduct raids in the surrounding area. We continue to track and capture many Veroni insurgents before they have the chance to carry out their missions."

"And what happens to those Veroni?"

"They are taken to Ilia for interrogation."

"Along with the villagers who are suspected of harboring them?"

He looked at her sharply. "Princess, one might say that an organization such as yours has no business interfering with internal matters of Caldira."

"One might also say that our organization is throwing you a lifeline before Caldira descends further into anarchy and obsolescence."

Leia felt him bristle beside her as they continued toward the encampment. She took a breath to push her point further.

"General, any deal we agree to would include direct contacts with other planets who are interested in pursing trade with Caldira. I know your king is quite interested in that aspect." She paused. "But I am more interested in the other benefits that each side can offer and I think you are too."

They meandered through a copse of trees before reaching a clearing. Temporary barracks had been constructed and Kyrol units milled in and out of tents and hastily-assembled armories. In contrast to the solidity of the Ilia base, the area had a dispirited, rundown atmosphere.

"And what benefits would those be, Princess?"

"Tactical benefits. Leveraging Caldira's strength in intelligence-gathering and code-breaking in exchange for our efforts to establish peace here."

A soldier approached them and handed the General a map scribbled with indecipherable text. Yavcik scanned it and indicated a specific location before handing it back.

"General, why don't you hold talks with the Veroni? Isn't it time for this internal conflict to come to an end? Imagine what Caldira could become if it was focused instead on strengthening the entire planet instead of factions fighting in opposition."

"We initiated talks almost two years ago." Yavcik let out a long-suffering sigh. "But a week after a cease-fire was signed, the Veroni set off an explosion in one of the major cities out east. Fifteen people were killed."

"Then re-start the discussions. Let the Alliance send a team of negotiators," Leia insisted. "Deals often fail again and again until the time they don't."

"Princess, you do not know the stubbornness of our opponents," Yavcik lectured. "They have no interest in peace on Caldira."

It took all of Leia's willpower to keep from rolling her eyes. "The Alliance has spent years cobbling together a diverse group of planets to fight the Empire. Trust me, we have abundant experience in reconciling oppositional factions with little in common. In fact," she folded her arms, "often the only thing Alliance members share is the determination to defeat the Empire and free the galaxy. The Kyrols and the Veroni inhabit the same planet; you must have a common goal that can bind you." She cast a glance around the haphazard barracks. "Or you can continue to fight the same war over and over for the remainder of your lives."

"That is not the warning you may think it is, Princess," Yavcik reminded her. "For Caldirans, it is an honor to die in battle."

"And which battle would you prefer to die in?" Leia pressed. "One fought over small stakes with no chance of greater glory, or one that is truly worthy of your people? Perhaps one that can even change the fate of billions of beings in the galaxy?"

He kept his gaze straight ahead as they paced alongside a tent. "Somehow I doubt the Veroni would agree with this."

"Give us a chance to present that argument to them," Leia urged. "Accept a team of Alliance negotiators for a summit between the Kyrols and the Veroni."

His expression was unreadable. "And in return?"

"You can begin contributing to a more meaningful effort. Loan us one of your intelligence teams. They can teach us new strategies — strategies that the Kyrols have honed over decades — that can assist us in our fight."

They had circled around the barracks twice by now and had arrived at the fork that led back to the village. At her last proposal, Yavcik stopped short and Leia held her breath, praying that she hadn't jumped too far ahead.

He pivoted to face her, his eyes narrow. "You have a bounty on your head. By the Empire."

The abrupt change in topic startled her. "Many of us in the Alliance have bounties on our heads."

"But yours is particularly high." He appraised her thoughtfully. "My sources tell me that you were captured and held prisoner and then escaped."

"Yes."

"And you have built up your Alliance even larger since then."

"We're not large enough yet. Some think that we're a long-shot against the Empire." She pursed her lips. "But we will win."

The beginnings of a smile threatened to break through his severe features. "For the first time I am inclined to believe that."

Yavcik let his gaze linger on her a moment longer before turning onto the path to the village. "It will be difficult to remove one of our units from their current operations," he said slowly. "But I suppose we can combine a few teams to free one up to work with your Alliance."

"Excellent." Leia mentally calculated the next moves. "I will let our leaders know and make arrangements for their visit. We can communicate through the established channels to work out the details."

They had reached the outskirts of the village. Yavcik clapped her on her shoulders, nearly knocking her to the ground. "Princess, I have enjoyed our talk. I will inform my superiors of our arrangement and we will begin working on the next steps. But first," his eyes glinted with something akin to merriment, "we will celebrate. Tonight you and Captain Solo will be our guests in a traditional Caldiran bratvak roast."

Yavcik strode over to Maryk huddled in a group and pulled him aside. They spoke briefly, gesturing in Leia's direction, until Yavcik moved on toward the opposite end of the village.

Maryk approached her somberly. "Princess. The general has informed me of your discussion and asked me to review our intelligence units with you to identify an appropriate one for this new work." He led her to a nearby house where they sat at a table heaped with maps and communications.

"Now." He leaned back in his chair and looked at her intently. "Where should we start?"

"Well." Leia's mind raced. How best to convey what the Alliance needed without revealing any meaningful details? "Early on in the rebellion we had some success with decoding Imperial communications. That gave us a leg up on their major operations and allowed us to secure a few key victories.

"But in the last few months we have cracked very few of their communications. It appears that their encryption algorithms have changed and we're still trying to determine how."

"You realize we don't intercept Imperial activity here on Caldira, Princess," Maryk stated evenly.

Absent any evidence for or against that statement, she decided to play along. "Yes, I'm aware. But what I saw of your intelligence process with the team in Ilia made me hopeful that you can assist us in this challenge."

He didn't respond so she continued. "If your team can work with ours for a short time — perhaps a few weeks at the most —." She waited for a reaction before continuing but he only frowned at table and shifted some maps around absently.

Leia sighed internally and tried again. "You don't agree with the General's decision to help the Alliance, do you, Maryk?"

"I have my orders," Maryk said tersely. "But I do worry that the General's — impulsiveness — may be detrimental to our current operations." He turned and looked out the window. "And I am a little concerned about having one of our teams off-planet for a significant length of time."

"We will do everything in our power to keep them safe and comfortable," Leia assured him. As neither of those words described Hoth in the least, she made a mental note to talk with Rieekan about an alternate base for this work. That would mean shifting around Alliance personnel and potentially rotating the current units on Echo Base to —.

"I have no fears for their safety or comfort," Maryk was saying. "Only that they may be exposed to external influences that could prove harmful if brought back to Caldira."

"Maryk, an opening of relations between Caldira and the Alliance will benefit both of us. Both sides can learn from the other. And perhaps exposure to other planets and races will bring new ideas to your planet, ideas that can help instill a lasting peace for your people."

"We will see." Maryk stood up and walked to the window. He appeared lost in thought as the silence stretched between them. Finally, he turned to face her. "We have several teams who have experience with encryption strategies, and one of them in particular may be able to help you. I will tell them to be ready for this new assignment."

Leia released the breath she was holding. "Thank you."

"But," he added, "we will need to be in frequent communication with them while they are with the Alliance. That is non-negotiable."

"Fine," Leia replied. The actual contract could hash out terms like that. She felt a swell of impatience rise up within her. The sooner she could get back to Hoth, the sooner this arrangement could come to fruition.

She followed Maryk outside to find the village entirely deserted. "Princess, I'm afraid I must leave you and go meet my men. We are establishing additional tracking units and shelters at greater distances from this encampment. If you're looking for Captain Solo, I believe Biron is showing him a few of our lookout towers." He paused and looked briefly perplexed. "Your captain said he has a friend who used to live in trees."

Leia smiled. "Yes, he does."

With the day's discussions fresh in her mind, Leia went back to her and Han's house to record her notes and draft plans for the proposed summit. Sitting at the table next to the small kitchen, she looked up from her work only when she heard shouts drift through the open window.

She left the house and followed the sounds to a crowd of Kyrol soldiers gathered in a clearing looking on appreciatively at a very large, very dead animal. Two of them, their faces glistening with sweat, cut through the ropes binding the creature's legs together. There was no sign of Han anywhere in the activity. Leia was about to go back to her work when she observed a figure slip furtively into the trees. Was it Biron? The bald head was distinctive but she couldn't tell for sure. Looking around to make sure no one was watching, she edged into the forest and angled toward the direction she had seen him. Trying to keep her steps as light as possible, she found what she hoped was the path he had taken.

Treading softly, she followed the trail deeper in to the woods. Except for the scurrying of small creatures over the dead leaves, there was no sign of movement. The path was narrow but distinct and she wondered whether it would lead her to one of the lookouts or perhaps another distant village further in the range. She pressed on, her legs overruling the logical part of her brain that argued that Biron was simply out checking on the outposts or other mundane tasks, that surely there was no devious intent.

She was so caught up in her thoughts that she yelped in shock when the trail turned sharply and Han materialized from the opposite direction.

"Leia?" His surprise mirrored her own. "Is everything okay? What are you doing out here?"

She ignored his questions. "Did you see Biron? Did he come this way?"

"Uh, no." He looked around confusedly. "I haven't seen anyone recently. I got separated from him during the hunt. At least now I know I'm on the right path back." He was clearly still perplexed. "Are you following him?"

"I guess so." She was beginning to feel faintly ridiculous. "I was back at the village and saw him leave the others after they brought back that animal. It just —." She gazed around at the surrounding trees; where could he have gone? "It just seemed suspicious."

"Okay," Han said slowly. He turned back in the direction he had come from. "There's a lookout tower not far from here. You want to check if we can see anything from it?"

She nodded and they trekked quickly to the tower and climbed up the wooden stairs. Halfway up, at the level of the treetops, Leia stopped; any higher and they wouldn't be able to make out anything on the ground below. She turned slowly in a circle searching for movement through the trees. The only sounds were Han's breathing above her ear and faint, indistinct forest noises that betrayed no indication of their source.

Leia related to him in a low voice of how she had observed Biron weaving on and off the trail prior to the previous day's attack. "You and Maryk killed one of the snipers, right? But we never saw the other body, the one that Biron said he killed."

Han drew back. "You think Biron is working for the other side?" he asked in disbelief.

She shook her head. "I don't know. Maybe, maybe not. But something seems off."

"Maybe," he echoed vaguely. She was making another sweep in the direction of the village when she sensed Han's eyes boring into her. Their bodies were necessarily close as they stood on the small landing between the flights of wooden stairs.

"Han. Focus."

"Alright."

And then his mouth was on hers and one arm slid around to hold her securely against him. Her gasp of surprise was swallowed by the kiss as his tongue delved into her mouth. Betrayed by her body's reaction, by the buzzing that flourished low in her torso, she leaned into his lips, into his chest, and closed her eyes.

"You know that's not what I meant," she whispered when they finally parted.

"It wasn't? You should be more specific."

She was about to chastise him further when a new sound rose up above the murmur of the forest. "Shhh," she hissed.

They stood as still as they could while searching for the source of the noise. Off to the side, not directly on the path she had taken, Leia could faintly make out three figures. One may have been Biron, but the other two, at least as she could judge through the branches, were smaller and dark from head to toe. They were standing, surely talking, but only the crackle of leaves and sticks under their feet were detectable from the tower. She sensed Han assessing the riskiness of edging a bit closer and she dug her fingers into his arm; any movement on their part could alert the trio to their existence.

It wasn't long before the two dark figures crept away and the third, now almost certainly Biron, moved back onto the trail and disappeared in the direction of the village.

"Come on." Now Han was as intent as she was. They trotted quickly down the steps and jogged along the path away from the tower. Suddenly he froze in front of her. "Here," he said, pointing to a separation in the trees.

It barely qualified as a trail and as they walked Leia couldn't tell whether they were staying on it or veering off. The trees were closing in on them when Han stopped again. "You smell that?"

It was clearly the stench of smoke. "Keep going," she whispered. They crept softly until the smell grew stronger and Han stopped short when they observed movement ahead. Leia crouched low behind a jagged stump and peered closely at the activity. A small fire and a single tent were visible and she could make out one figure at first and then a second one emerging from the tent. They were dressed in black from head to toe.

"Just as I thought," Han whispered behind her. "Two women."

Leia snapped her head toward him and then looked again carefully at the figures. Yes, that was definitely a head wrap similar to the one she was wearing. One woman was tending the fire and the other seemed to be gathering tools or ingredients to cook in a small pot. They were at ease with their tasks, an automatic competence that comes only from repetition.

"You have to admit it's a kind of poetic justice," Han muttered in her ear.

"You think—?" She felt him shrug at her unspoken question before he backed up, tugging her sleeve to pull her with him. They retreated quietly until they met the trail to the village.

Han crossed his arms. "Well, that certainly supports your theory about Biron if those two are Veroni insurgents."

"What if —." She ran through various options in her mind. "They could be women from the village. Biron could be giving them information about their husbands. Maybe they're being held in Ilia."

He shook his head. "Why would he need to sneak off to do that? It doesn't make any sense."

"It also doesn't make sense that they would be starting a fire when these woods are guarded by Yavcik's troops."

"Maybe that's what Biron tells them. Schedules of troop coverage or something like that." He glanced at the sky. "Besides, it's nearing dusk and they'll be roasting that bratvak tonight. The patrols might be done for the day."

"Should we go back and talk to Yavcik? Or confront Biron?" She wasn't accustomed to feeling indecisive about her next move.

"I don't know. I don't think we know enough." He scuffed at the dirt with his toe. "If Biron had advance knowledge about the attack yesterday that killed Gerod… well, that's a serious accusation."

"Assuming Gerod was even the target." Leia remembered how close the first shot had come to her. Lost in thought, she started toward the village, replaying to Han her discussions with Yavcik and Maryk earlier in the day and the agreement they had reached. "I'm not sure how this new development would affect that," she said more to herself than to him.

They had almost reached the edge of the forest. The shadows cast by the trees had lengthened and faint shouts and laughter from the Kyrol soldiers filtered from the encampment. Han pulled her against a thick trunk, effectively blocking them from view.

"I wonder —." He stopped and frowned in the distance.

"Wonder what?"

He shook his head vaguely. "I'm not entirely sure. Let me think about it some more."

She nodded and looked around them again for any signs of intruders. The colors of the forest were turning an indistinct gray in the fading light and sounds she associated with evening were starting up.

"You know, we could have been doing this on our previous assignments," Han was saying, smoothing his hand down her arm. The muted touch through her sleeve sparked a heat inside her, resurfacing memories of the previous night, of his hands on her thighs, of his lean body on top of hers.

"Doing what?" she asked, although she knew perfectly well what he meant.

"This." His mouth descended onto hers and against her better judgement she threaded her fingers through his hair and down his neck until she was clutching the collar of his shirt. He kept her sandwiched between his body and the tree, his lips firm and insistent. When they broke apart, she shuddered as he brushed across her cheek to her wrap and dotted kisses along its edge. "Can't wait to get this off you later," he murmured.

She leaned her head against his chest, her fingers playing over his shirt before brushing off a curled leaf that clung to the fabric. "We should get back."

"Yeah." He backed away reluctantly and she followed him until they neared their house and circled around casually to the gathering on the opposite side of the village.

The crowd of soldiers around the fire pit had grown larger in their absence. The bratvak had been cleaned and was splayed out on a spit above the naked logs. Yavcik emerged from the brace of warriors and lumbered over to them with a hearty greeting. "Just in time for the celebration, Princess," he said approvingly. "I trust you had a productive discussion with Maryk earlier?"

"Yes, I did," Leia responded smoothly. "We solidified the arrangements and I look forward to the forthcoming visit from one of your encryption teams."

"Excellent, excellent." Clearly at ease playing the gregarious host, Yavcik waved them toward a soldier pouring mugs of ale. "Captain Solo, you must tell me about your adventures as a pilot. Biron described your ship to me and it sounds most unusual."

Leaving Han with an unidentifiable look, Leia meandered around the fire pit and sipped her drink. She spotted Biron talking with a couple of soldiers, his manner no different from the other times she had observed him with others. Before long the ceremonial lighting of the fire was underway followed by numerous enthusiastic toasts by Yavcik: to their distinguished guests, to the fierceness of the Kyrol warriors, to the glorious history of the Caldiran race, and to the noble sacrifice of the lone bratvak, who undoubtedly had wandered into this part of the forest for the sole purpose of offering them the opportunity to consume its delicious flesh.

Barrels of ale were emptied and platters of steaming meat were passed around as the stars overhead diminished amidst the smoke and roaring flames. Cheerful warriors soon became drunk with ale and camaraderie, and songs, composed of many long-winded verses, inevitably started up. Leia sipped her drink as slowly as she could, but as soon as the liquid dipped below half full, a friendly Kyrol was at her side, topping her off with a grin.

When the last of the singing died out, smaller groups of soldiers armed with mugs and jokes broke away from the larger circle. Someone tossed another log on the dying fire and sparks shot up, drifting on wayward paths in the black night before blinking out. Suddenly wanting nothing more than to be alone with Han, Leia searched and saw him standing with Maryk, gesturing at the flames. She caught his eye and indicated toward their house with a tilt of her head. He nodded in understanding and turned back his companion, now rocking almost imperceptibly back and forth on his feet as he reacted to something Maryk said.

Smiling to herself, Leia walked back alone. Individual thoughts faded and she was left with only a pleasant buzz from her drinks and the charged anticipation at the thought of a night with Han. In the house, she turned on a few lamps and scrubbed her face at the 'fresher sink. Focusing on her wavering reflection in the mirror, she removed the pins and the wrap before unraveling her braids and plaiting her hair into a single thick strand her back.

When she came out of the 'fresher she saw that Han had returned and was perched on the bed unlacing his boots, his brow furrowed almost comically in concentration. Leia leaned against the doorframe, relishing the opportunity to watch him openly without the fear of being overseen by others or just lectured by the part of herself that insisted on uprightness and propriety as a way of avoiding tempting interactions with cocky smugglers.

"That was quite a party," he said without looking up. He peeled his boots off and leaned back on his hands, letting his eyes roam up and down her form leisurely. "What are you doing all the way over there?"

She straightened up from the wall and walked over to him slowly, the effects of the ale making her sway on her feet. Han, not nearly as affected, bracketed her with his knees and searched for an opening in her floor-length dress.

"This feels like it was designed to protect your virtue," he grumbled. "How do you —?"

She smiled indulgently and unhooked a swath of material over her shoulder to reveal a zipper. "You poor man."

"Not anymore." He unzipped her dress and tugged the fabric down her shoulders until it pooled at her feet, exposing her near-nakedness underneath.

His finger traced the lace edge of her bra deliberately. "You always wear stuff like this?"

"Maybe," she said coyly. It was by far her nicest one but he didn't need to know that.

"Hmm." He pressed his lips gently on her skin above the lace and pulled it slowly over her nipple. "Can't decide if I want to take it off or leave it on."

She inhaled sharply as he lowered his mouth to her. The texture of the material under his tongue only heightened the sensation. "I don't see why we can't do both."

He smiled and raised his eyes. "Always coming up with the optimal solution, Princess."

She couldn't disagree with that, but his natural tendency was to resist such solutions, and so seconds later her bra was unhooked and tossed on the floor. Her underwear and his shirt soon followed and then she was straddling him, her hands searching on his face and neck and chest. His fingers curled between her legs and she gasped into his mouth as a single digit entered her.

He moaned in return as his other arm spanned her back, keeping her flush against him. Her lightheadedness only increased as his finger crooked up and against her front.

His voice was rough in her ear. "Were you always this wet for me, Sweetheart?"

"Yes." There was no reason to deny it now. She moved against his hand but her body was begging for more. Her arm clutched around his neck while the she labored to undo his belt buckle. "Why are you still wearing this?"

Between the two of them they managed to push his pants over his hips. "Kriff, Leia." He was hot and hard and the tip of his cock kept hitting her opening as she worked him with her hand. "Want you like —," and then he was lifting her up and sheathing her onto him.

She shuddered as she sank all the way down. It was almost too much, fuller than she remembered from the previous night. He kept his hands wrapped around her bottom as he thrust up into her again and again. They kissed sloppily before her concentration flagged and she nestled her face into the side of his neck instead. He held her even tighter as he turned her onto her back and then he was hovering over her, stroking deeper and deeper. One thrust was sharp against her cervix and she cried out, gripping his shoulder involuntarily.

His movements stilled. "Are you —?" He braced himself on his elbow, looking down at her with concern.

Exhaling, she nodded as the sharpness receded. "I'm okay. You can move."

"You sure? I don't want to hurt you."

Her hand smoothed over his back and pressed down on the swell of his ass. "Move. That's an order."

He chuckled and started to rock against her gently. "You're lucky that this is the one place I'll accept an order."

"I'll keep that in mind." She was smiling up at him again and he dropped his head to kiss her forehead.

She ran her hand up and down his back as his movements sped up incrementally. His eyes drifted shut again. "Just let me know if it's — too much."

It wasn't. Her body had adjusted and she started to feel a tightening at the base of her stomach, familiar enough and yet infused with the new pleasurable friction of him inside her. His back was bowed as he kissed across her breasts and without thinking she snaked her hand down to her juncture. She was getting closer and all she needed was —.

"Leia. Fuck." He watched her hand move between her legs, her fingers brushing against his cock each time he withdrew. It drove him even harder and his hand gripped under her knee as her leg bent back further. "Sweetheart, please," he gasped into her hair, but she couldn't respond with her climax closing in and she pressed against her nerves harder until it bloomed fully, pulling him along with her.

The room was still hazy when Han collapsed on his side next to her, his arm flopping across her body. "Gods. That was —." He squeezed the hand that lay on top of her thigh and brought it to his lips. "You don't have to be shy with me."

She turned her head languidly toward him. His face was flushed and he was still breathing rapidly as he took in her sprawled body. "I didn't think I was."

"I'm glad." He ran his hand down her ribs and waist to the swell of her hip. She was still turned toward him and his mouth was centims from hers when she closed the distance. His fingers smoothed over her head and splayed across her shoulder blades under her braid, pulling her tighter against him so that her breasts pressed against his chest. He parted her lips with his tongue and she sighed in response, her breath mingling with his as they kissed. She felt a pleasant ache low in her body fueled by his tongue sliding against hers and his hands playing up and down her back.

"So what do we do tomorrow?" he asked when they eventually pulled apart and she had settled her head on his chest. "Should we check out the campsite again before we leave?" Yavcik had made it clear at the roast that they were to accompany him back to Ilia the following day.

"I don't know," she murmured. "Maybe we'll have a better idea in the morning." She raised her head and looked at him pointedly. "What were you thinking, back then? When you said you needed some time before telling me?"

"I was just —." He paused and pushed his hair off his forehead before weaving his fingers back through her hair to massage her scalp tenderly. "Do you think Yavcik agreed to your proposal too easily?"

She was caught off-guard by the question. "I don't know. He certainly wasn't enthusiastic initially."

"If those two women were really Veroni," Han mused, "and if Biron knows it and is feeding them information, then maybe Yavcik knows too. Maybe he wants to have a good reason to align with the Alliance. And the continuing of hostilities and attacks by so-called terrorists is a pretty good reason."

"You think there are others in the Kyrol hierarchy who would rather side with the Empire?" Under her intent gaze Han gave a helpless shrug. "And that Yavcik is purposely having his men killed….?" Her voice trailed off.

"I'm not saying it's not farfetched," Han said dryly.

Leia sat up fully and tried to clear away her ale- and sex-induced fuzziness. "If there's internal division among the Kyrols, then they're much weaker than we thought. I think we need to go back to our sources working here and see what they can find out."

"Can you contact them while we're on-planet?" He reluctantly raised his eyes from her bare chest to her face.

She shook her head. "It's too risky. We'll have to wait until we get back."

At the reminder of returning to Hoth, they both fell quiet. Despite the challenges of this trip, she wasn't sure how she felt about going back to the fleet and guessed that Han was similarly conflicted. The idyll, however brief, provided by this small house had been a respite from the tension and weariness of the war. And being with him like this, naked and enflamed and yet still them, still playful and sharp and familiar all at once; well — she wasn't sure she could give that up now.

"You know," Han murmured as he pulled her down to him, "my bunk on the Falcon isn't nearly as large as this bed. You think we can manage?"

Leia gave an exaggerated sigh. "I suppose so. As long as you're the one to sleep on the floor if it gets too tight."

She felt his hand move slowly up her thigh until he was spanning her buttocks with his fingers. Her knee shifted higher as she pressed her sex against the protruding bone of hip. "I like it tight," he whispered. He dipped his hand between her thighs and started tracing light circles around her opening. "And I wasn't counting on much sleeping, y'know."

"Is that a promise?" She gripped his arm and rotated them on the mattress so that he was almost on top of her. She bit his shoulder gently and moaned against his skin as he slipped two fingers inside her. Heat surged through her anew and she reached impatiently between their bodies to assess the state of his recovery.

He drew back to look at her before lowering his mouth down to tender skin under her ear. The thrusts against her palm were growing more urgent and she pulled him fully on top of her and spread her legs further as the flush of longing spread throughout her body. "Yeah, that's a promise, Princess," he whispered.