CHAPTER 12:

Reluctantly, Leia forced her eyes open. She yawned, her mouth stretching into the largest "O" possible. She blinked a few times, fighting the desire to go back to sleep. Where was Han? She turned her head to the right and then to the left. Where was she? She unlocked her fingers and stretched them. Tentatively, she reached out and touched the glass wall above her. It didn't budge under her pressure. The girl rolled onto her stomach, careful not to bump her head against the glass ceiling. She looked around the room and was disappointed not to find Han anywhere around.

So what had happened? The last thing Leia remembered was falling asleep in Han's arms under his jacket. She dropped her head onto the plump pillow and closed her eyes. How she wished she was there in his arms at this moment. She chuckled to herself. She never thought she'd be wishing that in a million standard years. But the arms that belonged to the most arrogant, irritating, conceited man she had ever known definitely felt more…reassuring than where she was now. She forced herself up on her elbows. Lying there, no matter how tired she was, wasn't going to get her anywhere.

The princess deeply yawned again. She studied the glass to the right of her. A smudged handprint caught her attention. She pressed her hand against it. The print on the glass dwarfed hers.

"Han," she whispered. It had to be his. The print was the right size. She closed her eyes, recalling the sensation of comparing her hand to his, how warm he was when she was so cold. She couldn't help but smile. Han was here, and Han was alive. Then she frowned. Why didn't he wake her?

And where was he now? Leia slammed her fist against the wall to her right and then to the wall to her left, hoping to break one open, but to no avail. She remained trapped in the glass box. She pushed away the pillow and mattress, looking for anything resembling a latch, but she found nothing. Suddenly fatigued, Leia dropped back down on the soft mattress and pillow, wrapping her arms around the pillow as she buried her face in it. Leia wished she just wake up. Maybe that's it. Maybe that's all this was, a very bad dream. Well, as far as bad dreams go, this was one of her better bad dreams. If only she knew where Han was…

With a click and a hiss, the glass case began to retract, and Leia lifted her head. She held her breath, unsure what to expect. Was all this part of the Doni's punishment? Did the Doni change their minds about the death sentence? Or was this what they had planned all along? For whatever reason, her captors were allowing her out of the glass box. Maybe it was Han. Leia sat on her knees and looked around. She didn't see him anywhere. In fact, she didn't see anyone.

The princess pursed her lips as she studied the strange room. The smooth white walls of the oval room were interrupted by a single open door. She stared at the door, waiting to see if anyone or anything passed by. But nothing did. She licked her lips and hopped off the ledge upon which she was perched, momentarily shocked by the cold floor against her bare feet. Leia looked around for her shoes, but there was nothing except the glass bed in the room. She had a very bad feeling about all this. Leia paused for a moment to conjure up some courage and then took small steps toward the open door.

The princess stretched her arms wide and stood on her tip-toes to wake up her body. When she felt the tiniest bit refreshed, she examined the open door. She took a step across the threshold and then pulled her foot back. How she hated cold floors. Where did they put her shoes? Leia sighed, ignored the cold floor, and crossed the threshold. The dim lighting must have had something to do with why the floors outside of the room felt colder.

There wasn't much outside the room she exited. The walls, floor, and ceiling were smooth white flexicrete. Leia looked in both directions down the dim corridor, uncertain which way to go. Her eyes floated up to the right, and after a moment of thought, the decision was easy. She would go left. Leia trailed her hand against the flat wall like a child as she tip-toed down the corridor.

The princess' choice of direction happened to be a good one. Well, that's the way she wanted to think about it. Not too far ahead she could hear muffled voices. She had no idea about who brought her here, where ever here was, but they saved her from death so maybe they weren't hostile. She was certain they saved Han; she could feel it in her heart. Leia froze and tilted her head as she listened. She thought one of the voices sounded like Han. Her breathing quickened; yes, it was definitely his. Han was there. Why hadn't he come to find her? She paused and her eyes shifted to the right. A cold chill ran down her spine. He was in danger. The corner of her mouth pulled up, and she looked around for anything that could be used as a weapon, but there was nothing.

Leia leaned against the wall, hoping her instincts were wrong. The voices subsided, and a pang of panic pierced her chest. She listened as hard as she could for Han's voice, for anyone's voice, but she heard nothing. This spurred her into motion. She had to find Han, especially if he was in danger. Leia quickened her pace down the hall, all the while in tune to every minute sound around her. She stopped at each door she passed, pressing her ear against it.

And then her efforts were rewarded. The door ahead of her was open, and Leia definitely heard Han's voice.

"I'm not too surprised to see you here," he drawled. "I was right about you all along."

Right about who?

Leia glanced through the doorway and saw only Han reclined on a repulsor chair. He obviously wasn't alone, but he didn't look distressed. Just annoyed. When did he not look annoyed? Despite the hairs raised at the back of her neck, Leia ignored her bad feeling and charged into the room, "Han!"

Han stood and his mouth fell open, "Leia!" He was both elated and afraid at the same time.

Leia plowed into him, and Han caught her in his arms, "You have a sick sense of humor, Sargoza."

"What?" Leia whirled around, noticing the large smiling man for the first time. And then her mouth dropped open as her eyes fell upon Sargoza's companion.

"General Serin!"

The general nodded at the princess but said nothing.

"It's good to see you awake, Your Highness," Sargoza slightly bowed. "I trust that you rested well?"

The princess looked up at Han, "What's going on?"

Han kept his eyes on Sargoza as he answered her, "Nothin' good."

Two large men dressed in matching brown uniforms entered the room and flanked Han and the princess.