They had not gone far when the afternoon rains set in, dropping visibility to zero and forcing a halt.

"This is no good," Solo shouted over the rain. "We'll have to wait until it stops!"

He got no arguments and they sat, getting what shelter they could in the buttress of a huge tree, but they hadn't been there five minutes when Chewie rumbled ominously. He surged to his feet and the others followed suit, looking around nervously, unable to see more than a metre in front of them. Then they all heard what the Wookiee's keener ears had already picked up. The same beast as before...

Leia moaned, "Oh, no..."

"It couldn't be the same one, could it?" Luke said as he unholstered his blaster.

Solo was waving his own blaster in the general direction of the approaching noise. "Who knows? Who cares?"

They looked about futilely for somewhere to run. The tree was unscaleable; the first branch more than thirty metres up.

"Maybe it won't be able to see us?" Luke did not sound convinced.

"Probably smelled us a kilometre away," Solo growled.

They all had their weapons drawn and the roaring and crashing was almost upon them. Unnoticed, Luke holstered his blaster and drew his lightsabre, feeling compelled to do so.

Then a large, dark shape lunged at them, obviously not having the visibility difficulties they were. Solo fired and Luke heard Chewie's bowcaster fire. The beast screamed. Luke gripped the lightsabre in both hands and tried to concentrate on feeling the Force, but the bellowing of the beast was deafening and it seemed to be everywhere.

The rain became thunderous, as if in sympathy with the beast. Solo and Leia were firing almost constantly, but if either of them was hitting the creature it was having no effect except to make it angrier. Luke cursed as a blaster bolt just missed him. Why hadn't they stayed close together? They'd be lucky if they didn't kill each other at this rate! He could barely see a metre in front of him and pulled his helmet off in irritation. But it didn't help; now the rain drenched his hair and ran into his eyes! A tingling at the back of his mind made him jump sideways and he just missed being struck by the lethal tail, but he thought he heard Leia cry out. Luke tried to move in the direction the tail had taken.

"Leia?"

The lightsabre was hissing madly in the rain and the monster lunged at it. Luke drew a deep burn down the animal's face and it screamed then snapped at him. A bone-jarring sound of teeth on teeth. Luke jumped aside and swung the lightsabre down, pressing his attack and cutting into the massive jaw. The beast roared its fury to the sky and a bowcaster bolt took out an eye. Screaming, it turned its remaining eye to the lightsabre and lunged. Luke twisted instinctively, came up under its head and cut its throat.

The animal staggered and gurgled defiantly, spraying him with blood, and seemed to take forever before finally crashing to the ground. The sudden quiet was almost as deafening as the noise. The rain was thunderous and the beast's sides still heaved as it tried to breathe.

Solo yelled, "Luke?"

Luke was shaking. "Over here." He saw Solo approaching and switched off the lightsabre, grateful for the cleansing nature of the rain.

Solo put a hand on his shoulder and asked, "You alright?" Luke simply nodded. "Where's Leia?"

"I don't know. I think she got hit by the tail."

Solo looked suddenly worried and moved away, calling for her, "Princess?" No answer. "Princess?"

Luke heard a weak, "Over here..." and alerted Solo as he headed in what he hoped was the right direction.

It took a moment for him to locate her; and when he did he just stood and stared. Leia was hanging, three metres up, caught in a tangle of spurred vines. Solo swore as he and Chewie came up beside him.

"Don't move," Solo told her as he looked around for something that might help them get her down.

"Don't worry, I won't," was her tense reply.

"Have you been stuck?" Luke called up to her, his voice thick with worry. "By the thorns, I mean."

"I don't think so... but..."

"But what?"

"I think something's broken."

Solo looked up at her, sharply, "Can you move?"

"I don't know. I didn't want to risk it."

"Wise."

Behind them, unnoticed, several figures were descending on ropes from the enormous tree. They moved silently to inspect the dead beast.

Solo shook his head, still trying to come up with a solution to their dilemma.

"What if we secure your coat between two sticks?" Luke suggested. "Make a kind of bed. If Chewie could hold it up long enough, Leia could roll onto it and we could slide her out."

Solo looked impressed. "It might work." Chewie rumbled and Solo agreed, "Yeah."

The rain had abated somewhat, and Leia, from her vantage spot, suddenly saw the natives. She pointed and hissed, "Han!" then yelped as she accidentally slashed her hand on one of the thorns. Solo and Chewie spun to look in the direction she'd pointed, only Luke realising with horror what she'd done.

"Are you alright?!"

"Ah..." she winced as fire shot up her arm, "no..."

"Han!"

Solo and Chewie were contemplating the necessity of a confrontation with the natives and looked back at him in confusion.'

"It got her."

"What did?"

"The vine!"

Solo looked at the princess, saw her bloody hand and swore.

"Now what do we do?" Luke's voice had an hysterical edge.

"We have to get her out of there now." Solo called up to Leia, "Whatever's broken, I hope it's not your back! Chewie pick me up."

The Wookiee squatted and Solo climbed onto his shoulders, then Chewbacca stood, holding onto his friend's legs.

"Don't drop me..." Solo said to his friend, then reached out to the princess. "Alright, give me your hands."

She hesitated and Solo yelled at her, "Give me your hands!"

Leia reached out to him and he grabbed her hands. Excruciating pain in her right hand made her cry out and jerk it away. Solo didn't have time for this; he grabbed at it again and Chewie teetered at the sudden change in balance. "Come on! Come on! Before I end up in there with you!"

Leia thrust out her hand and he grabbed it by the wrist. He paused a moment, gathering his strength, and the princess clenched her jaw in anticipation.

Solo gritted his resolve, tightened his hold on her wrists and gripped the Wookiee as hard as he could with his legs.

"Chewie; on three! One... two... three!" Solo pulled her upward as Chewbacca pulled back. Her cloak caught on a thorn and tore. Leia tried to keep her mouth shut, but the cry of agony was out before she could stop it. Chewie turned and Solo swung her towards Luke who caught her and lowered her to the ground. Solo jumped down and hurried over and Luke looked up at him grimly.

Solo opened his bag. "Alright, alright, doc's here." He knelt beside her, "What's happening?"

From the look on her face she was obviously suffering. "What've you got?"

"Not much," Solo admitted.

"I think it's a nerve model." She held out her hand. It was shaking.

Solo took her hand and studied the wound carefully. It was jagged and deep. "Could be trauma," he said, and fished a cloth from his bag to wipe away the blood so he could see it better.

Leia gritted her teeth, trying to disassociate the pain. "I can feel it," she said. "It's not trauma. But it is fast moving. What've you got?"

Solo watched as the wound quickly welled with blood again. From the look of it there was anticoagulant in the poison. He put her hand down and rifled through the bag.

"Well... there's good old ligrin?"

Leia shook her head and closed her eyes. "Thins the blood; poison'll travel." She opened her eyes and looked at him. "Plus things are not great elsewhere."

He looked at her sharply, "What d'you mean?"

Leia indicated her right side. "Here. What else?"

Back in the bag, Solo suggested, "How about millerangin?"

"Need... a suppressant..."

Solo looked at her. She was visibly trembling. He went back to digging in the bag.

Luke glanced over at the natives. They were busily carving up the monster, all the while keeping an eye on their little group. Nothing like taking advantage of an opportunity, Luke thought sourly.

Solo muttered, "What we really need is some berrenigo or something like it." He caught movement out of the corner of his eye and looked up in time to see Chewie moving towards the vine. "Chewie, get away from it!"

Chewie growled an intolerant response and Leia looked at him alarmed. She grabbed Solo's arm and hissed, "Don't let him touch it!"

"Will you stay still? You'll have the poison through you in no time!"

The princess forced herself to relax, closing her eyes, "Can't im... magine you... carrying a... Wook..."

Solo smiled at her, but there was deep concern in his eyes. He shared a worried look with Luke.

Chewie started chattering and Solo frowned at him, "Cut it?" He pulled a small vibroblade from his boot as he joined the Wookiee, but the vibroblade barely marked the thick vine, and Solo scowled irritably. "With what?"

Luke produced his lightsabre and hurried over. "Here, this'll cut through anything." Chewbacca indicated eagerly and Luke ignited the lightsabre and swiftly cut through the metre thick vine. The natives stopped what they were doing, riveted. By the light of the lightsabre, Luke was relieved to see that, although the sabre had cauterised eighty percent of the severed vine, a small part was bleeding a clear sap. Chewie rumbled happily and fossicked in his bag for a cup.

Solo went back to squat beside the princess and she asked quietly, concentrating on keeping her muscles under control, "What are they doing?"

Solo had been watching the proceedings intently and looked back at her. "There's a vine on Kashyyyk," he said. "Highly poisonous. But the antidote is in the sap... if you can get to it." He glanced at Luke and Chewie, then back to the princess. "Chewie thinks there's a good chance that this one's very similar."

She opened her eyes and looked at him. Solo tried to smile and hoped his expression was reassuring.

Leia smiled weakly. "Either that or... kill m... me out... right..."

Solo regarded her grimly.

Luke was watching the princess, deeply concerned, and irrationally wondered why she and Han weren't fighting. His lightsabre was hissing frantically in the rain, helping the Wookiee to see what he was doing. Most of the natives were back at their task, if somewhat distracted, but one was blatantly staring and slowly edging closer.

Chewbacca decided he had enough in the cup and moved over to the princess, Luke following. Solo got out of the way as Chewbacca knelt beside her and gently cradled her lacerated hand, studying it. Her hand looked ridiculously small against the Wookiee's and it was bleeding freely.

Leia watched as Chewbacca poured a little of the sap into her palm. He put down the cup carefully and, with one finger, worked the clear syrup into the wound. It immediately turned milky and became quite runny. Leia changed the angle of her hand to stop it from running off.

"It's st... st... opped the... burning."

Chewie rumbled reassuringly and Solo translated, "He says that's a good sign."

Hopefully it means it's neutralised, Leia thought to herself, unable to face the prospect of trying to say it aloud.

"How long before we know if it's worked?" Luke asked, still holding the hissing lightsabre up as a lightsource.

Leia smiled shakily. "If I...d...drop...dead...know..." She grimaced and clenched her jaw.

"What's wrong?" Luke sounded terrified.

"I... I... I..."

Leia gave up, closed her eyes and clenched her teeth, trying not to bite her tongue. Chewbacca fussed meticulously over her; checking her eyes, her gums, her pulse. The shaking had become pronounced.

Solo muttered unhappily, "Chewie..."

Chewbacca barked something terse, checked some more then rumbled again. From the look on Solo's face, it wasn't good.

"What?" Luke demanded, seriously alarmed.

"Ah... he says it's working but she needs it intravenously."

"How do we do that?"

Solo wouldn't or couldn't look at him. "We don't."

Now Luke was angry. "Don't you even have a hypo in there?!"

"Sure," Solo said, finally looking at him. "But the serum has to be in a pressurised cylinder."

Luke rolled his eyes. Of course. He wasn't thinking rationally. Rain was dripping off his hair and getting in his eyes. He brushed it angrily away with his hand. Then a thought occurred to him.

"What about orally?"

Solo and the Wookiee looked at each other for a moment then Solo grabbed the cup and, with Chewie supporting her, tried to feed it to the princess. She struggled against him but he persevered and finally poured it down her throat. She gagged, but it stayed down. She shook violently for one horribly long minute, then abruptly stopped.

"Leia?" Luke held the lightsabre a little closer, trying to see her face. "Leia?" She looked dead and Luke felt as though something unseen had coiled itself around his heart preparatory to ripping it out of his chest. He wanted to scream at the Wookiee to do something, but he couldn't breathe.

Chewbacca's hand was around her throat, feeling her pulse, when he suddenly thumped her chest with his fist. The princess' body bounced from the impact, but there was no other response. Chewbacca felt for her pulse then hit her again and Leia gasped, coughed, took a deep breath and opened her eyes. Luke, Solo and Chewie all let theirs out, unaware they'd even been holding it. She was alive and their relief was palpable. Leia herself did not seem so thrilled...

"I think I'm going to be sick..."

Solo put a hand over her mouth. "No, don't!" Then, at her look of alarm, explained, "Not yet. Let some of it be absorbed." He removed his hand and smiled encouragingly. "Besides, I wouldn't move if I were you. At least not until we figure out the extent of your injuries."

Luke caught movement out of the corner of his eye and noticed that some of the natives had moved in very close. He said quietly, "Han."

Solo glanced at him, then quickly in the direction Luke was looking. "Oh, great..." His hand dropped to his blaster and he got to his feet, but Luke stopped him.

"Wait," Luke said, and Solo frowned at him. "I think they're okay," Luke murmured.

Solo turned back to the natives. "Just curious, huh?" He looked at Chewie. "What d'you think?" Chewbacca rumbled a few words. "Yeah, well keep your eyes on 'em." He jerked his thumb at the lightsabre. "Better switch that off."

Luke obliged. Yes, it was attracting unwanted attention.

Solo squatted beside the princess and said light-heartedly, "Alright, sweetheart; here comes the fun part. Luke, help me get her cloak off." Solo undid her belt and they lifted the cloak over her head, not bothering to pull it out from under her. There was no blood on her jacket and Luke hoped that was a good sign.

"Where were you hit?" Solo asked, opening her jacket.

Leia indicated her right side and winced as he promptly ran his hands down her left. He moved to the right and she groaned and shut her eyes. Nausea threatened to overwhelm her.

Solo had a good idea how she was feeling and carried on. The quicker he did this, the sooner it would be over.

"What was it?" he asked, talking in an effort to distract her. "The tail?" Leia nodded faintly and Solo saw her flinch as his fingers found the break in one rib. "I thought you'd broken your back." Second rib, two breaks. "One thing's for sure," third rib, one break, "you don't do things by halves, do you? I don't know how I would have explained it to Rieekan if you'd died." He moved his hand to her diaphragm and felt gently. Definite distension. Leia's eyes flew open. Solo read the signs and quickly rolled her onto her left side. She vomited and, even in the poor light, Solo could tell it was mostly blood. Not good.

"I keep telling you, sweetheart, you've got to stop this binge drinking."

She retched again, but little came up. And again. Leia wailed; every muscle spasm an agony. Solo dragged her sideways a little and Luke wiped her face. Leia felt humiliated but it was all she could do to remain conscious.

Luke said quietly to Solo, "What's the verdict?"

Solo looked across the princess at him. "She needs a medcentre. Urgently."

"Which is closer, the Falcon or the city?"

"Probably the Falcon - "

Chewie gave a warning growl and Luke and Solo looked at the natives, expecting to find primitive weapons pointed at them. But the natives were on alert.

Then they heard it. An all too familiar shriek.

Luke leapt to his feet. "It's another one of those creatures!"

Solo climbed wearily to his feet and unholstered his blaster. "Here we go again."

Suddenly two of the natives were arguing loudly, gesturing wildly between the carcass and the crew of the Millennium Falcon. The shriek sounded again, closer, and the two resorted to fists. Finally, one broke away and fled angrily up the tree. The one remaining then turned and yelled at the others. Two thirds vanished up the tree, loaded with meat, the remainder bustling over the carcass to get as much as they could in the time left to them. The winner of the fight moved a little closer to the Falcon crew and... said something to them.

Solo regarded the native warily. "Yeah... right..."

Luke lamented, "Where's Threepio when we need him?"

The native spoke at them some more and indicated the ropes leading up into the canopy of the tree. Luke glanced at Solo. "I think he wants us to go up the tree."

Solo looked at the princess then back at the tree, obviously wondering how in hell they would accomplish that. Then two natives approached, one of the large meat baskets between them.

Much closer now, the monster roared. They didn't have a choice; it would be on them in moments. Luke and Solo hurriedly lifted her into the basket and Leia, realising what was going on, shook her head, "Oh, no... Oh, no, no, no, no, no..." The others ignored her.

"Do you know anything about them?" Luke asked Solo, under his breath as the princess' basket was yanked skyward.

Solo looked at him and answered grimly, "Only that they always kill outsiders."

Luke was mortified. "What?!"