My dearest Winter, friend for all time,

I hope you are safe. I had described to someone- General Kenobi, you might remember him- that it was a dark hour, and since then I seem to be living on borrowed time, and every once in a while I find a glimmer of light. You are one.

I miss your even temperament, your perspective. Who else can provide me with the grace, reason, and humility to get me through these next hours? Anything to stop me from strangling the captain of this freighter I'm on!

I'd love to hear your assessment. "Imagine how much longer his strides would be," I can hear you say. Yes, his pants are tight. Very. An odd thing to notice at such a time, don't you find, Winter? Perhaps I am in shock. I don't feel like it, though. In every other aspect of thought I am quite composed. And yet I am somewhat fascinated by his appearance. Is it because so much of it is revealed by what he wears, or doesn't? I would not say his shirt is a size too small, but it is true that it does not cover much of his skin.

He is the rudest piece of man.

All I did was ask for a databoard so I could write out my debrief. There won't be time when we get to Yavin. He asked what I wanted it for. I told him it was none of his business.

I keep staring at him. Waiting for the next outburst of rudeness. It doesn't go with the rest of him. You wouldn't think someone with hair like that would be rude. It's nice hair. No one ever said rude hair, did they?

And eyes are supposed to be the window to the soul. His can be brown, like mine, the color of-

I won't stoop to that level. Someone actually had the gall to say that to me when I was a child once. I threatened them with royal imprisonment. It wouldn't happen, of course; Father and Mother aren't irrational dictators-

Sorry for the abrupt discontinuance. I had to be sick a moment. You will understand.

He caught me. He was standing nearby, halfway inside a maintenance hatch. And you really can't quiet the sound, can you? When I was still in there, rinsing my mouth, he hollered out that I better clean up! But when I came out, he leaned out of the hatch and he was looking at me. I met his eyes, an acid retort ready on my tongue, but I was startled to see they were no longer brown. The greenish color was far more concerned-looking than the brown. And so I learned that when his eyes are brown that idiomatic window is only closed.

Father always said I had a way of concealing myself as well. That I would lift my chin and my voice would turn frosty-

Pardon me.

I think I will stay here, on the sani, and finish writing this.

I am going to task him with ensuring this reaches you. I'll probably have to pay him. I don't know where I am going to find the credits to do so, not after…

There's another man on board. His name is Luke. He's very young. He seems to have been swept up in all this. He's clever, yet stupidly so. He promised the captain he'd get a reward for rescuing me! Where is that supposed to come from?

The reason he will bring this to you is I am not sure I will survive. The Death Star, which-

It is tracking us, this freighter. To Yavin, where the fleet is. I debated with myself, the proper course of action. At this time, the fleet is unaware (communications were knocked out during a brief space battle) and I am the sole… everything. Possessor, commander, person. It is my battle. As it should be.

The rude captain with the revealing shirt has made it clear he won't be of any assistance. A part of me can't blame him. It does seem a hopeless endeavor, and I will let him go because at least there will be one witness to tell the galaxy, and he will tell you. Although the Empire will probably gloat about the destruction of two beautiful, unique-

Goddesses.

So he will come and find you- oh! Luke is knocking at the door. Apparently he needs to use the sani.

Winter! I would become a heartless dictator for one hour if I could, just to put this horrid captain in chains! He actually said, upon seeing me exit the 'fresher, that Luke "dethroned" me!

Do you know what, Winter. I don't even want you to meet him. I'll leave this here, in case I can't get it to you myself, but in the meantime I am going to exert every fiber of my will into destroying the Empire. The fact that that man can trivialize the very survival of humankind while wearing unnecessarily tight trousers has galvanized me. I want to see those brown eyes of his and know that it was my light that turned them green.

Until we meet again, Winter, if ever.

My loving friendship always,

Leia