Remain in Light – Chapter 8: Leia by Erin Darroch

Ratings/Warnings: T; mild language; themes; angst

Chapter 8: Leia

Part 1:

Han's presence was still with her when she opened her eyes.

Arising from her bunk, Leia stood in the middle of the small chamber, her bare feet planted on the same spot where she'd stood the night before. With a lingering sense of wonder, she remembered the electric moment when Han had reached out to her through the Force.

How? Han, of all people...

She attempted to reconcile the image of her sardonic, inveterately sceptical husband with the idea of him actively trying to use the Force, but it made her shake her head in disbelief. He was the last person in the galaxy she could imagine doing that. But she was relieved to confirm that he was still there on the other end of that channel, gently pulsing in her awareness. She could sense that he was probably asleep—his presence felt far too calm and quiet to be otherwise—so she suppressed the urge to make direct contact. It was enough, for now, to know that he was alive. Her stomach fluttered with hope that he might somehow make his way back home.

Her next steps would be to figure out exactly where Han was and how to retrieve him. The telepathy between them seemed to have its limits, at least as far as they were equipped to use it. Emotions and simple imagery came through powerfully enough, but words—words seemed to be far more difficult for them. She'd had the distinct impression from Han that he'd been trying to convey something very specific, something she could neither feel, nor envision in her mind's eye. He'd eventually given up in frustration and exhaustion, but the final impression she'd gathered from their midnight communion was something like soothing reassurance. Somehow she knew that meant he was working on a plan from his end, and that she should wait. Unfortunately, waiting around was not Leia's strong suit.

Right. Patience, Organa. Find something to do.

Feeling cautiously optimistic, Leia quickly washed and dressed, and headed out to meet Admiral Statura for their habitual morning conference. Statura was one of the few people on board of equivalent rank to Leia and, in recent years, had become one of her most trusted advisors. A master strategist and a chief co-ordinator of starfighter combat, he also provided his expertise in matters of ground warfare when needed, which often brought the two of them into close contact. Some fifteen years her junior, Leia was aware that he was attracted to her nonetheless, and would welcome any sign from her that she returned his interest. Unfortunately for Statura, she did not.

The corridors of the Sabedoro were quiet at this hour, but the environmental control systems were already in the process of gradually shifting the lighting from night to day, and the ship would soon be bustling again with activity. The low hum of the ship as it travelled at sub-light speed through the Gadael system matched the pleasant hum of the connection that persisted between herself and Han. She thought of their daughter, whose reassuring presence Leia could likewise feel through the Force, and felt a giddy rush of excitement at the idea of telling Han that news, and of eventually having them both in her arms again. Leia realised, as she made her way to the small meeting room where Statura would soon be joining her, that she could feel a genuine smile on her face.

How long has it been since I felt truly happy?

At times it felt as if her entire life had been nothing but one long, grim, miserable war. By age sixteen, she'd already engaged with it, fighting at the side of her adopted father and his allies in the political battle against the growing threat of Palpatine and his Galactic Empire. At nineteen, she'd watched helplessly as Bail Organa and the entire planet of Alderaan—her childhood home—had been obliterated. Yavin, Hoth, Endor. She'd engaged in so many battles, in what had seemed like never-ending war, always struggling to find small moments of peace to enjoy with her small circle of friends. And then, finally, a year after they'd celebrated the destruction of the second Death Star, the decisive Battle of Jakku had taken down the last of the Empire's Super Star Destroyers—and suddenly, they'd had peace.

Absorbed in thought, Leia crossed the room, placed a cup from a nearby tray onto the hot plate and punched a button. As the cup filled with hot, fragrant kaffe, she thought about that word. Peace. How many years had she known peace? It was dismayingly easy to forget, during this time of renewed galactic strife and in the wake of calamitous personal tragedy, that she'd enjoyed many years of it. When it became clear that the Empire was not going to recover quickly, if at all, from the events above Jakku, she and her allies had gradually come to accept that the war was over. Somewhat awkwardly at first, and then with increasing confidence, she'd set about trying to live a normal life.

With a soft snort, Leia lifted the cup of kaffe and brought it to her lips. Normal. There's a rich idea. She smiled at the memory of the continued courtship between herself and Han in the aftermath of the Battle of Endor, on the heels of Han's rescue from carbonite, and fresh from the clutches of Jabba the Hutt. Despite their eagerness to pick up where they'd left off in Cloud City, Leia had first ensured that Han understood a few important facts—that Luke was her brother; that Leia herself was Force-sensitive; that Darth Vader was their father. But Han had scarcely batted an eye at any of it, preferring to take her on her own merits, as she'd taken him. Freed from the distractions of outright war and the pursuit of bounty hunters, they'd settled into a committed life together that Leia could now recall as perfectly happy—not without its difficulties, dangers or disagreements, of course—but happy nonetheless. Not long after the formal celebration of their marriage, they'd made an arrangement with the burgeoning New Republic that allowed them to travel and work together. The next two years of close living aboard the Falcon, roaming the galaxy together, had bonded them completely.

Leia realised that she was grinning into her cup and gave a short laugh. The twinkling awareness of Han was still with her, making her feel downright cheerful. Wondering what was keeping Statura, she moved to sit down at the long table and cast a glance at the ship's time display as she did so. Statura was not late, she realised, then; she was very early. She sighed. None of the amenities in her quarters were in working order, neither the Holonet station nor her chrono display. With credits in short supply and higher priorities to attend to, the failing technologies of the old Liberator Cruiser were the least of their worries. Realising that she had some time to kill, she dragged one of the ubiquitous datapads across to her position, powered it up and resumed her line of thought.

Peace.

She and Han had enjoyed relative peace for how long? Sixteen years? Seventeen? Until the moment they'd learned of Ben's betrayal and the disappearance of their daughter, they'd been happy—her more recent political difficulties with the New Republic notwithstanding—and blissfully unaware of what the future held in store. Her thoughts drifted into dark territory as she considered their lost, beloved, wretched son. Setting aside for a moment the knowledge of what he'd become and what he'd done, she tried to remember what their lives had been like when he was born.

Their decision to have a child together had been thrilling and terrifying, and they'd loved every minute of it. The momentous event itself, and the joys—and terrors—of new parenthood stood out in her memory as among the best years of her life. Han had undertaken fatherhood with the same contradictory mixture of wariness, great enthusiasm and cocky self-assurance with which he approached virtually everything else. He'd lovingly nurtured Ben in babyhood, chased after him in toddlerhood and guided his development as a growing boy. Leia had revelled in her role as Ben's mother, delighting especially in his lively intelligence, his sharp focus and his enquiring mind. Together, they'd marvelled over the beautiful child they'd created together—a child borne from love and dearly cherished by them both.

It was only in his seventh year, not long before the surprise arrival of a daughter, that they'd had any significant cause to worry about him. A precocious and avid reader, he'd suddenly focused his keen attention on the lore of the Jedi Knights, and everything to do with the Force. He knew, of course, about Luke, and had spent time with his uncle on her brother's occasional visits to their home on Corellia. But Leia bitterly regretted telling Ben about her own father at such a young age. She'd taken that decision in order to forestall the possibility that Ben would find out from someone else, but it had clearly been a mistake. She felt miserably responsible for the resulting fixation that had warped Ben's further development. In light of her knowledge about Snoke and his machinations, taking the blame for Ben's fall was not a rational notion. But she felt it still, and always would. In hindsight, she could see that their time of peace had been imperilled from the moment she'd revealed to Ben the identity of his grandfather.

The datapad beeped to warn her that it would soon power down due to inactivity. With a start, Leia realised how lost she'd become in reverie. She picked up the datapad just as Lee Statura walked through the door with a warm smile, and a stack of orders for her review. He prepared himself a cup of kaffe and pulled up a chair. Leia's working day had begun.

-:¦:-:¦:-:¦:-

Two hours later, with the myriad details in hand of their imminent arrival at the second rendezvous, Statura took his leave. He was planning to visit the surface of the planet Yfory for a meeting with allies there, and had much to do to prepare for it. Leia's part in those preparations was done, and she would be free for the remainder of the day to pursue other matters. First on her agenda was to make her way to the designated repair hangar, where technicians would be working on damaged or inoperable fighters and support vehicles.

Standing idly in the empty turbolift as it began its descent, she allowed her thoughts to drift back to Han and the rather pressing matter of trying to bring him home. She wondered how he was progressing with his "plan" and how long she would have to wait. It made her anxious and uncomfortable to sit idly by while he was in unknown circumstances and possibly at risk of death again. She'd deduced that he was being held by hostile forces by the simple fact that he hadn't contacted her by more traditional methods. His resorting to Force telepathy was both mind-boggling and frightening. It meant that he had no other options available to him, and that was a worry.

Han's presence was still there in her mind, winking gently like a beacon in the distance. She hesitated, considered her current environment in the plunging lift, but then closed her eyes and reached out. His response was immediate, welcoming and warm. She wondered if he'd been waiting for her contact, because she was immediately inundated with a crystal clear vision of a stormtrooper. Recoiling, she winced again as he showed her a quick succession of images. With her mind's eye, she caught a glimpse of a glossy corridor floor, a narrow bed, a figure in a medical uniform, and a second, more persistent impression of the stormtrooper. There followed a confused sort of impression, a repetition of something he'd insistently tried to convey to her before but, frustratingly, it was still meaningless to her.

Leia's eyes snapped open as the lift chimed her arrival at the hangar level. She stepped out and then stepped to one side while she concentrated on trying to communicate with Han. The hangar was a hive of activity as crews went about the post-conflict business of putting the pieces back together, and she didn't want to get in the way.

Leia understood that Han was trying to tell her that he was incarcerated by the First Order, possibly in some sort of medical centre. She'd figured out most of that already. But she had a choice of at least several hundred medical stations operated by the First Order, scattered all over the galaxy. She needed more detailed information if she were to have any hope of locating him. She tried to communicate that need with a thought, and his response, when it came, was something like resigned frustration.

Knowing now with certainty that Han was in the hands of the First Order, Leia felt her worry intensifying. She'd already toyed with—and rejected—the idea of putting out intelligence feelers to try to locate him more precisely. If Ben didn't already know that Han had survived, she didn't want to plant that rumour where he might hear of it. With his powers and his resources, it would take him no time at all to locate and eliminate his father. The feeling of helplessness was ratcheting up her anxiety and, not for the first time, she regretted her decision not to go to Luke herself. Now, more than ever, she felt she could use his counsel, as well as his vastly superior abilities in the use of the Force.

From across the hangar, a communications technician stood up and waved to get her attention. She lifted her chin, acknowledging the gesture. The commtech put his hand to his mouth and shouted.

"General! A holocomm message for you!"

Part 2:

"I miss you, Mum," Rey's holographic image said in greeting, and Leia's heart skipped a beat.

She hadn't heard that name from those lips—or, indeed, at all—in many years. During their few days together after the events at Starkiller Base, Rey had simply called her 'Leia', like everyone else. To hear the word again in her daughter's voice—albeit in a slightly changed accent—brought tears to Leia's eyes.

"I hope you're well. We're near the system, but Chewie thinks we may have some trouble with communications as we get closer. In case that happens, I wanted to let you know of our progress."

In the confined space of the repair hangar comms office, Leia listened raptly to her daughter's vaguely garbled voice. She was alone in the room, the techs having vacated it to give her privacy. The hollow reproduction of Rey's voice filled the air.

"We'll be in touch again when we've found the one we're looking for." Leia noted that Rey hadn't said Luke's name. She smiled at the tiny image.

"If Finn is awake—I hope he's awake by now—tell him I'm sorry...about everything. And I wish he could be here."

The image flickered as Rey moved. It was difficult to tell, but it looked like she was recording in the main hold, just opposite the dejarik table. She seemed to hesitate for a moment.

"I've been thinking about my father."

Leia's heart did another flip. She wondered if it had occurred to Rey to seek Han's presence after he fell, to use the Force to reach him, as Leia had. If so, it would be surprising indeed if Rey hadn't sensed him. Even at nineteen, she seemed to be continuing her precocious development in the ways of the Force. Leaning in to peer closely at the holographic image, Leia tried to read the expression on Rey's face.

The girl hesitated again, and then said, "I suppose you have been, too. I wish I could be with you now. But I'll be back soon. I promise."

The message ended and Leia sat in contemplative silence. She resolved to compose a reply promptly to ensure that it reached the Falcon before they encountered any comms disruptions. She wondered at Rey's mention of Han, and debated with herself whether or not to mention the recent developments regarding him in her reply, but quickly dismissed the notion. It would be cruel to raise hopes when she still had no idea where he was being held, never mind a plan for getting him out.

With a sigh of resignation, Leia returned to her mundane duties. She circulated amongst the crew, checking progress and noting requirements, then returned to the upper levels and stopped by the medical bay to see Finn. He was due to be discharged, she knew, and she planned to see him to his new quarters personally. Ordinarily, a new recruit like Finn would be assigned to a commander among a cohort of ground troops or—if he were a pilot—a squadron, and he would be given a bed in a suitable barrack. But Leia had intervened in this process, a rare gesture for her, to ensure that Finn had a place within her own sphere. She wanted to keep an eye on him for Rey's sake, and to honour him personally for saving her daughter's life. He had been awarded a medal in absentia for his role in taking down the shield at Starkiller Base, but Leia suspected that Rey would like to present that to him upon her return. In the meantime, Leia was still trying to decide on a suitable role for the ex-stormtrooper. To that end, she planned to get to know him a little better.

On arrival at the medical bay, Leia learned to her surprise that Finn had already departed, evidently to go in search of the nearest mess deck for some "real food". The medic on duty in the small hospital station was Dr. Kel Kalonia, a former New Republic physician and a trusted friend who had, as it happened, assisted at the birth of Leia's daughter. She'd been among the first to find out that the scavenger from Jakku was, in fact, the missing Solo child.

The older woman gave Leia a meaningful look and a warm smile as she stripped the hospital bed.

"That young man needs something to do," she said wisely. "Otherwise, I think he's going to get himself into trouble."

Leia agreed with her readily, and they talked for a while, discussing possible options for Finn's future career with the Resistance. It was idle chatter, nothing more than a time filler for Leia while she waited in increasing frustration for some word from Han that would allow her to take action.

Taking her leave of Kalonia, she detoured to the communications centre where she recorded a quick response to Rey's message, keeping her tone light and choosing words that would soothe and comfort. She wanted more than anything to talk to Rey about Han, but the time wasn't right for that. Not yet. Afterwards, Leia began making her way to the nearest mess deck, intent upon finding Finn before he finished his meal so that she could see him to his quarters. She was trying valiantly to keep herself busy, but the distractions weren't working. In fact, the mundane activities she'd been engaging in all day were beginning to grate on her nerves. She need to do something to help Han.

As she walked through the bustling ship, Leia felt a rising anxiety over her inability to take action, and a keen sense of her own isolation in trying to deal with the problem on her own. Inwardly, she acknowledged that the primary reason for her silence on the matter so far had everything to do with the way in which she'd learned of Han's current situation.

Although she never advertised the fact, it was no secret that she was the child of Anakin Skywalker, the hated Sith lord who had terrorized the galaxy as Darth Vader. That news had been leaked to the media at a strategic point during the New Republic elections for First Senator six years ago, effectively ending Leia's political career. However, it was less well-known that Leia herself was Force-sensitive, although most of her colleagues had naturally surmised it to be the case when it became known that Luke Skywalker, a Jedi Knight, was her twin brother. Still, Leia was reluctant to broadcast the fact that she was in telepathic contact with her supposedly-dead husband, the one who'd just been memorialised on D'Qar a short time before. She didn't fear being pitied as a woman in mourning whose delusions had overtaken her, so much as being ignored by people who had no understanding of the workings of the Force.

As she approached the bank of lifts that would take her to the mess deck, she shook her head in frustration. There was no one amongst her friends in the Resistance to whom she would happily confide such information, at least not until she had some more specific details with which to make a plan of action.

Emerging into the crowded canteen, she scanned the babbling crowd of diners for Finn's face. She spotted him easily enough, and smiled when she noticed that he was sitting with Poe Dameron.

Both men welcomed her warmly as she slipped into a vacant seat next to Finn. Poe sat across from them, scraping up the last of his meal with a satisfied air. Finn was on his second helping, and he continued to eat as Leia explained her reasons for seeking him out. She told him about his new living quarters, and her ideas for his future employment with the Resistance. He was clearly touched by her gesture. Setting down his fork, he dabbed at his mouth and turned his head to look at Leia. His dark eyes met hers in a candid expression of gratitude.

"Thank you," he said, sincerely. "Thank you for giving me a chance."

Leia started to brush off his thanks as unnecessary, but he stopped her. "No, please. You don't know what it means to me to be accepted here. To be trusted. Because that was the last thing I expected to happen."

Poe rocked back from the table with his hands linked over his chest, eyeing Finn with fond interest. The two had clearly formed a close friendship in a very short period of time, and Dameron had already expressed to Leia his good opinion of the former stormtrooper.

She was conscious of the fact that Finn's entire life up to this point had been spent in service to the First Order, that he'd been trained to behave like an automaton, to obey orders blindly, to kill without conscience. But, somehow, he'd thrown off that yoke in a moment of remarkable bravery, and had saved Poe's life as a consequence. His subsequent actions in defence of Rey had only confirmed his status as a hero in Leia's eyes, and she told him as much. The light in his eyes and the lift of his chin as she praised him made Leia smile.

Later on, in her chambers, the encounter with Finn and Poe lingered in her mind. Poe had grown up with close exposure to the Force through his family's long association with Luke and herself, and Finn had recently witnessed the Force in action, and in person. It occurred to her for the first time that they were both people in whom she might confide about Han's situation and how she'd come to know of it. Furthermore, they would both be delighted to hear the news.

Pondering these notions, she curled up in her lonely bunk and reached out to Han again, as she'd done periodically throughout the day. He was still there, still warmly connected and vibrant. She tried to quell the worry in her heart and the rising fear that she would fail to think of a solution in time to save his life. Frustrated with the wasted day, she fell into a fitful sleep with a question looming in her mind.

Where are you?

Part 3:

Hours later, she awoke to an echo of Han calling to her through the Force and, suddenly, she had the answer. In a vivid flash, she saw an image of a First Order medical record flimsy being held up to a light source. Her focus on the page shifted automatically, as if being directed by someone else, and landed in turn on two words: Avarshina. Chol. In her mind's eye, she scanned between the two words over and over again, feeling the same urgency that Han had communicated earlier. She memorised the words and sent him a reassuring communication in return:

Got it.

Bounding out of bed she went to her Holonet station, recalling only when it failed to initialise that it was out of order. Without bothering to dress, she threw on a thin wrap and shoved her feet into short boots. She was almost running by the time she reached the communications centre in search of a working Holonet station. It was the middle of the night on ship's time, and the room was largely deserted. However, there was a familiar figure perched on the edge of a console, flirtatiously chatting with young Ensign Domina.

"Finn! What are you—," Leia started to exclaim in surprise, brushing past him to take a seat at the far end of the row. Immediately, she waved him off. "Oh, never mind. I don't want to know."

Out of the corner of her eye, she was aware of Irina Domina's discomfiture. The blue-skinned Twi'lek woman was supposed to be on duty, and she was clearly embarrassed to be caught by General Organa in mid-flirt with the new recruit. Studiously, she returned to her work, leaving Finn at loose ends.

Naturally, he wandered over to where Leia was impatiently waiting for the ancient station to initialise. She gave him a stern get lost look, but he didn't seem to notice. Instead, he eyed her curiously up and down, evidently taking in her sleepwear, her tousled hair and the incongruous work boots dangling loosely on her sockless feet.

"Something wrong?" he asked.

Leia tried to hide her irritation. She had her finger on a possible solution to finding Han, and she didn't want to be interrupted. However, Finn was already taking a seat beside her, leaning in with a concerned air to try to catch her gaze. As the station finally came online, Leia made a snap decision.

"If I tell you something," she began, fixing her eyes on him to emphasise her tone, "you must keep it a secret. Can you do that?"

"Sure," Finn responded immediately, then with more conviction as she raised an eyebrow. "Absolutely."

Turning to the Holonet station, Leia pulled up a search function and typed in the word: Avarshina. The ancient system began performing the search, and Leia turned to Finn.

"Han is alive."

The moment she said it, she realised her mistake. Instead of whooping with excitement or laughing with delight, Finn simply stared at her, his eyes roaming her face with an expression of sadness and pity. Reaching out a hand, he rested it on her arm.

"I'm sorry, General," he said solemnly. "But he is not. I saw what happened." Finn shook his head with certainty, brooking no argument. "He was impaled by a—."

"I know what happened," Leia interrupted him more sharply than she'd intended to, unable to disguise the pain provoked by his words. Her thoughts veered away from the memory of that moment, away from the scorched scar in her mind where that encounter would forever be preserved. She tried a reassuring smile and spoke more gently. "Finn, I know what happened. I sensed it all. Through the Force."

She waited for a moment, scanning his face for signs of comprehension. He drew his head back slightly, his eyebrows rising in a dubious expression.

"Okaaay," he said slowly. "And that's how you know that he is...". His voice trailed off. He clearly wasn't convinced, but he was reluctant to contradict her again.

Leia sighed, mustering all of her patience. "Finn, you've seen the power of the Force yourself. Haven't you?" She hadn't considered that she would need to persuade him, but on reflection it made some sense. He'd watched the horrible moment with his own eyes. He'd seen Han impaled, had seen him fall.

"I know what you saw, but I also know what happened after that," she told him firmly. "Han survived and he is now in the hands of the First Order. He's being held somewhere, a medical bay or a hospital station of some kind."

Finn was simultaneously nodding and shaking his head from side to side, frowning and trying to smile at the same time. He started to speak, but Leia interrupted him again.

"Listen, Finn. Do you know who I am?" The question sounded pompous, arrogant, even to her own ears, but she pressed on. "Do you know who my father was?"

The wary light in the back of Finn's eyes told her the answer to that even before he nodded. It was no secret now, even amongst enemy forces, and people liked to gossip. Virtually everyone knew that Darth Vader had left behind two children—two children who had fought more fiercely than anyone else against his tyranny. It was a fact now passing into legend.

"And you know who my brother is?"

Again, a silent nod. Finn's shoulders dropped and he fixed her with a gaze that looked marginally more convinced, but still confused.

"The Force is strong in my family," she told him. "It was my choice not to train as a Jedi, but that doesn't mean I don't have abilities. In fact, I do. And one of those is the ability to communicate telepathically."

There. She'd said it out loud. She waited, watching his handsome face as he looked away, digesting her words. After a beat, his eyes fell on her again and he gave a decisive nod.

"Where is he? How do we get to him?"

Straight into action. And volunteering already, Leia thought, noting Finn's use of the word "we". I'm really starting to like this kid.

Gesturing to the waiting Holonet search, she drew him closer to examine the results.

"Han communicated something to me. I think it's his location or a name of some sort." She pointed to the word on the screen: Avarshina

Together, they scanned the list of matches. A galactic freight company. A musical group from Jork. A topical cream for the treatment of some unpleasant condition or other. The name of a star system. A settlement on the planet Darzo. The last two drew Leia's attention and her fingers flew over the Holonet board, deepening the search.

"Here. Avarshina." It was a small town on the eastern coast of the largest continent on Darzo, a planet in the Avarshina star system.

"Is there a First Order base there? A medical centre?" Finn leaned close, trying to read the dense display.

Leia shook her head, scanning the results of her follow-up search. "No. Nothing. It's a fishing community, really. Not very big."

"What about the rest of the star system? Is there a First Order base anywhere?"

Leia was already performing that search and they both had to stifle a whoop of excitement when the results blinked into view on the screen. Ensign Domina glanced in their direction but she quickly returned her attention to her work. Leia's trembling finger traced the words on the screen.

Avarshina Medical Station, currently in orbit over the planet Keugo.

Her stomach was doing flips as she closed her eyes and reached for Han. His immediate response reflected satisfaction and pride at the speed of her success. She lingered a moment with him, revelling in the pleasure of the connection and the renewed hope that she might, somehow, miraculously, see his face again.

Finn was looking at her curiously when she opened her eyes.

"Are you, uh, talking to him now?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. He looked simultaneously puzzled and intrigued.

"Not talking, exactly," Leia responded, "but communicating, yes. And there's something else he communicated to me. Another word." She typed it into the search: Chol.

Several long minutes later, she sat back in frustration. It was not a planet or a moon, nor another medical station or First Order base. She thought it might be something inside Avarshina Medical Station, perhaps the name of his precise location within its structure. But generic Holonet resources were insufficient for such detail. Thwarted, she considered her options.

Finn was thinking, too. "He's in a medical centre, right?" he mused aloud. "A First Order medical centre. And he's still alive. So either they don't know who he is or they are hiding him for some reason." He didn't have to identify the person from whom Han would need to be hidden. "So maybe it's a name? The name they're holding him under? Can't you just—ask him?"

Leia smiled and shook her head. "I'm afraid it doesn't work that way. Not yet, anyway."

Intuitively, Leia knew Finn was on the right track with his guess about it being a person's name. She glanced over his shoulder at Ensign Domina, who was now paying very close attention to her assigned tasks.

"Irina," she called softly, indicating with the use of the girl's personal name that she was not speaking in her capacity as a commanding officer. The young Twi'lek turned her tentacled head in Leia's direction, her golden eyes smiling shyly. Leia returned the smile. "I need your help."

-:¦:-:¦:-:¦:-

Leia and Finn watched over Irina's slim blue shoulders as she put her skills to work. Her workstation provided access to more detailed information than the ordinary Holonet stations, including classified intelligence data about First Order bases and installations. She was also skilled in the arts of espionage in her own right. She had aided Leia's investigations into the machinations of the First Order from an undercover position on the planet Vectra in the Outer Rim, before joining the Resistance outright two years prior. Leia trusted her, but she was not yet ready to reveal the reason for her urgent request. The Twi'lek spy, for her part, knew better than to ask.

As they studied the resulting matches that spilled onto the display, Leia's scanning eyes caught sight of the name she wanted: Lieutenant Sulvan Chol, a former patient of the medical station, now in a holding cell, awaiting further orders for his dispatch. The indication of a holding cell supported the identity of the inmate as someone not aligned with the First Order. If he were an ordinary patient, she surmised, he would have been discharged and returned to his post, or to the planet below. Scanning across the line, Leia saw that the name of the commanding officer was also displayed: Phasma.

Exultant, Leia communicated her findings to Han with a burst of glee.

Got you.

Han's reaction was something like astonished congratulations and a swell of deep pride. Leia grinned at his appreciation of her speedy work.

With a heartfelt thanks to Ensign Domina, Leia whirled around and headed rapidly for the exit.

"Wait, where are you going?" Finn called, then ran to catch up as she reached the corridor and turned to wait for him. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to make a plan," she told him. Her bold nature was at war with her tempered sense of caution, but she was already considering her resources and her options, weighing up the consequences of each. "I need to think. Get some sleep, and we'll talk in the morning."

Turning, she proceeded purposefully towards the lifts that would take her back to her quarters. Finn, momentarily disconcerted, caught up with her again as she waited by the lift doors. He was agitated, nearly bouncing with excitement.

"We gotta go get him!" he exclaimed. "Obviously! What is there to think about?"

Leia regarded him with fondness, wryly tolerant of his youthful enthusiasm, and sadly reminded of her own jaded perspective.

"It's not that simple," she told him. "It's not as though I can divert this entire transport, or dispatch a squadron to go and fetch him. He's in First Order territory, on a First Order station, under guard. We need a plan."

The lift chimed and the doors opened. Leia stepped on, but turned to stop Finn with a look. He started to object again but she held up a hand.

"Wait," she implored, gently shaking her head. She was desperate to be alone for a moment, to work out her next steps and to think through the implications. "Give me time. I'll think of something. But we need a plan."

As the doors began to close between them, she heard him speak again.

"No," Finn said with conviction, his eyes meeting hers through the narrowing gap. "We just need a pilot."

Part 4:

Leia was not terribly surprised, therefore, to see Poe Dameron's handsome face at her door little more than an hour later. He outlined for her the information he'd received from Finn, a note of wonder in his voice.

"Is it true?" he asked, sounding amazed but hopeful. "Are you sure?"

Glancing over Poe's shoulder, Leia cocked an eyebrow at Finn.

"I thought you said you could keep a secret," she reminded him, smiling slightly to soften the words. She was dressed and ready to go, so she nudged past them and gestured for them to follow. "Come on."

Behind her, she could hear them hissing at each other as they made their way back to the communications centre. They seemed to be arguing, over what she could not imagine. They fell silent in the lift and Leia didn't pry. On arrival at Comms, Leia spotted Irina Domina again, still at her post. She walked with purpose over to the woman's workstation and handed her a note. Without a word, Irina turned back to her console and set to work.

Turning to face the two men, Leia noted that they'd stopped a short distance away and were once again immersed in agitated conversation.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, indicating with a gesture that they should approach her to discuss it. "What is it?

Finn was first to speak, casting a look of reproach in Dameron's direction as he explained to Leia, "Poe wants to go alone. But I'm going with him." He asserted the last point with a hot glare at Poe, who looked somewhat pained. The pilot clapped a hand on Finn's shoulder.

"I appreciate the offer, buddy, but I would be better off alone. One man can get inside faster and easier than two."

Finn was shaking his head, refusing to concede the point. "And two men can get out of a scrape faster and easier than one," he countered. "Do I need to remind you that I was a—."

Leia interrupted them with a raised hand and a pointed look. "Who says either one of you is going anywhere?" That got their attention. They both stared at her for a moment, mouths open in surprise. After a heartbeat, she relented, her shoulders dropping. She had few options open to her, and she was anxious to take action quickly.

"Of course you may go, if that is what you want to do. I am honoured—and very grateful—that you would volunteer. But, for the record, Poe, no one is better off alone. You'll go together, or not at all." The two men exchanged glances, and Poe nodded.

"But," Leia warned solemnly, looking from one face to the other with grave concern, "our resources are scarce, and it will be a risky mission. There is no guarantee of success, and you may not return from it."

Finn's expression turned to one of grim resolve, but Poe's face creased in a wide, confident grin. "Oh, we'll return from it," he said, his cocky self-assurance an echo of Han's own at that age. "And we'll bring him back with us."

Leia's answering smile was a reflection of the intense hope that had suddenly bloomed in her heart and a tremulous fear of the unknown outcomes. She wished with all of her might that Poe's confidence would be rewarded, but she quailed inside at the thought of the risks they would be taking, and the danger to Han if they failed. All things considered, however, she could not make a different choice. She had to try to rescue Han, and these two men were well placed to help her do that.

Her anxiety turned to resolve as Ensign Domina called for her attention. She had in her hand a printout from the search of the database that she'd just executed at Leia's behest. Leia took it from her, scanned it quickly and then turned to the two volunteers.

"Right, well," she said with a deep breath, "let me tell you my plan."

The men listened intently as she outlined the steps they would need to take. The Sabedoro was swiftly approaching their second rendezvous point above the planet Yfory, where they would linger for a time to conduct some business before moving on. Leia would supply them with a ship, but they would not be able to take it into First Order territory without attracting unwanted attention. Instead, they would take their ship aboard fast freight transport to the Anoat system.

"From there," she explained, "you'll make your way to a base on the second moon of the fourth planet Pujool, called Iro. You'll need to approach with caution, but I'll give you some information and some codes that will help you reach the man that you need to see there."

She paused, looking from one young face to the other. "He's an old pirate, but he's resourceful, and he'll be able to get you another ship to take to Avarshina. He's a good friend and he has known Han for a long time. Tell him that I sent you, and he will help you if he can."

Almost as an afterthought, she added, "And I'll give you some credits, too, to pay him, just in case."

As the two men left to make their preparations, Leia sank down into a nearby seat and closed her eyes, heedless of Ensign Domina's curious gaze. Han was waiting for her, his sense of anticipation and excitement nearly palpable in her mind.

Hang on, she whispered to him through the golden thread that tethered them to one another. We're on our way.

:: :: :: * :: :: ::

NB: I was as frustrated as Leia was with the lack of action in this chapter. Waiting around is not my strong suit, either, Princess. I'm trying to finish this story before I have to return to work, before the grind of lesson prep and marking essays zaps all of my energy. All of these positive reviews and encouraging words are keeping me going. Thank you!