Now I know why Han always called me 'Ice Princess' when I first met him, thought Leia miserably as she flopped down on the bed in her cabin. Dinner had not gone well. Leia had received the same treatment from Han as she had given him for a long time – until his innuendos had been too much for her to take anymore – he'd managed not to speak a word more than necessary to her throughout the entire meal.

She rolled onto her side with a sigh. But really, what had she been expecting? After what she had done to him, this was by no means going to be easy. Han wasn't about to let himself get hurt again and Leia couldn't really blame him. Maybe she should try talking to Luke; he always seemed to have suggestions – even if they weren't always helpful. The old Jedi policy on love didn't exactly make them the best to turn to when it came to relationship issues. At least some of the strange old proverbs Luke had memorized were amusing.

Sitting up, Leia began slowly taking out the braids in her hair and setting down the various pins and clips beside her. It wasn't very late, but she felt exhausted anyway. Maybe some sleep would help her come up with a plan. Re-braiding her hair into two long, simple plaits, Leia removed her formal clothes and pulled a nightgown over her head before slipping between the sheets of her bed.

ooooo

Isolder leaned back in the seat of his person ship, thinking. The Ta'a Chume had arranged for him to board the Destiny's Hope on its last drop out of hyperspace to pick up diplomats before the fleet arrived at Akkinth. Hopefully he would get there before anything happened to Leia. If Solo so much as lay one finger on her…

Turning his gaze away from the mesmerizing star streaks of hyperspace, the prince picked up the holonews article from its place on the seat next to him. The title glared at him accusingly in big, black, bold letters: General Solo Back on the Scene. Isolder frowned as he peered at the picture for the thousandth time that day. It wasn't the best quality picture ever taken. Leia's figure was as clear as day – surprise and shock evident in her expression even to those unfamiliar with how the Alderaanian princess expressed her emotions. Skywalker, too, was obviously surprised, though not quite as much as his twin and also looked rather worried. The Jedi's feelings were hard to read beyond that though.

Then there was the final person of interest in the holo. Unlike Leia and Skywalker who must have frozen at the sight of the third person, the man was in mid movement – his face blurred slightly and somewhat indistinct so that, unless one knew what they were looking for, the man would have been unrecognizable. Isolder didn't need to be able to see a face to be able to interpret the man's emotions, though, just the body language spoke volumes in and of its self. The man, who Isolder assumed was Solo, had been caught mid turn by the holographer, his head whipped back over his shoulder to look at the two people behind him. One foot wasn't solidly on the ground yet and his arms, strangely enough, were half raised in front of his chest in almost a defensive posture. Defensive, almost… afraid? No, that couldn't be right. Solo was trying to steal Leia away from him, not the other way around. It was Solo who was the villain here.

The prince of the Hapes let the holo drop back to the seat next to him with a sigh. Was Solo trying to wreck Isolder's life or something? Drumming his fingers lightly on the top of the nav computer, Isolder closed his eyes searching for some sort of permanent solution to his problem in his mind, but none came.

ooooo

Leia slipped silently across the patch of moonlight with filtered through one of the few grungy windows and onto the sandy floor in front of her. The filter of the hideous black helmet she wore made she breathing sound deafeningly loud and raspy to her own ears, though anyone else would have had to be within inches of her to actually hear it. She ducked furtively as her helmet accidentally brushed against a strange ornament hanging from the low ceiling. Quiet, Leia needed to be quiet, otherwise all would be for not.

Her black boots picked their way carefully through the unconscious, snoring beings who litter the floor near the rooms entrance. Within a matter of moments she had crossed the dark room and was standing at the very edge of another dim puddle of moonlight observing what she had come all this way for. Graceful steps carried her around the light staining the floor and to the side of the slab of cold metal which held him prisoner. Hesitantly, she depressed the lever on the wall causing the large object to come to the ground a little too quickly. A dull thud echoed around the room but none of the slumbering beings showed any signs of wakefulness as Leia hurriedly glanced their way.

Still not allowing herself the slightest sigh of relief, her fingers quickly engaged the systems to wake him up and free him. The key pad blinked green several times and Leia took several steps back, inwardly cringing at the high pitched tone created as the carbonite slowly began to melt away reluctantly releasing its prisoner. Han's body fell limply to the ground with a sickening thud and Leia quickly darted to his side to help him. She pulled him into her arms and cradled his head and shoulders like he was a child but he didn't respond to this contact.

Under her helmet Leia's brows furrowed. Something felt wrong… Her eyes widened. Han wasn't moving at all. Wrenching off her helmet Leia peered desperately down into his face searching for signs of life, any signs of life, but his expression was blank – a cold, lifeless mask. She was too late. After all she had done to get him back Han had still died!

Tears brimmed in her eyes and she buried her face into his lifeless chest, longing to feel his warmth and hear his steady heartbeat – knowing that it would never happen again. From somewhere behind her Leia heard someone begin to laugh. As she slowly raised her head, Leia found that she was no longer on the floor of Jabba's palace, but in a bright, light, airy room – the ballroom on the Hapes where she had first met Isolder and danced with him so many months ago. She shuffled around on her knees still gently holding Han's limp form to see who it was who was behind her. Her eyes widened in surprise.

There stood Isolder, the Ta'a Chume, and Mon Mothma the latter two both smiling at her nastily. Isolder, who was lying on a stylish couch, sat up and patted the cushion next to him.

"Come here, Leia." It was a command instead of a request. She shook her head and the three frowned.

"Do as he says, Leia, for the good of the New Republic," insisted Mon Mothma, but again Leia stubbornly shook her head, clutching Han nearer her chest.

"Fine then," snarled the Ta'a Chume, the terrifying gleam in her eye visible even through the vale she always wore, "if you won't come when you are told, you shall face the consequences!"

Suddenly the lifeless body in Leia's arms stirred and as she looked down Han's hazel eyes slowly opened and peered up at her.

"Leia…?" It was barely a rasping whisper, but her heart jumped for joy.

"You're alive!" She bent down to kiss him but was jerked back as a metal collar and chain materialized around her neck. The chain drew taunt once more and began to drag her towards the couch and Isolder half strangling her in the process. "No! Han!" The cry ripped from her lungs as the collar slackened enough for her to speak. The Corellian watched her helplessly from the floor where she'd left him as Isolder's arms circled around her waist and lifted her onto the couch next to him.

"My new Queen of the Hapes," he said stroking her hair and sounding immensely pleased with himself. The Ta'a Chume leaned down next to her ear and whispered in a voice that reminded Leia of hundreds of fingernails screeching down blackboards,

"Now do you see what happens when you do not do as you're told?"

Leia looked down at her lap and found that she was no longer wearing the bounty hunter's disguise she had used to rescue Han. Instead, she was wearing the white senatorial robes that she had had on the Death Star. Her head snapped up.

She was on the Death Star again, but there was no Tarkin, no Darth Vader, only Isolder, the Ta'a Chume, and Mon Mothma. Alderaan was floating peacefully outside the view port and… and on the floor in front of her… lay Han, but he wasn't alone. Luke and Rieekan were sprawled lifeless on the ground too. No… no…

Mon Mothma looked away from Leia for a moment and smiled at one of the operators who was wearing one of the oddly shaped black helmets.

"Fire when ready."

The Ta'a Chume was smiling as well,

"You're far too trusting."

"NOOOO!!!"

ooooo

Luke could hear the screaming through his supposedly sound proof wall and it was only a matter of moments before he was abusing his Force powers by using them to force the lock on Leia's door because he didn't have a key. He found her curled up in a ball on the bed, sheets strewn everywhere, still sobbing in her sleep. Grabbing he shoulders Luke shook her, a little more forcefully than he had intended to. Her eyes snapped open and she quieted as her watery eyes peered at his face.

"L- Luke?"

"Yeah, it's me. I'm right here. It was just a nightmare."

Leia shook her head and wiped the back of her hand across her eyes.

"Even so," she started hesitantly, voice still a little hoarse from all the screaming she'd done in her sleep, "there's something I need to talk to you about."

Inwardly, Luke let out a relieved sigh.

A/N: SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP ME!!! I have lots of ideas for after Han and Leia get back together and all that but I have no clue how to go about getting them back together in the first place! Some thoughts from y'all would REALLY be appreciated! It would also help me to be able to update faster. Anyway, thanks for reading! Hope you're enjoying the story!