Wynn stared at the plans on his datapad, trying to focus. He needed to be certain he had left enough room for the atrium garden at the center of the library. In his mind's eye, he saw the smiling children exploring the garden paths. The scene reminded him of the happy Skywalker Twins, bringing back the distractions.

The Sith reporter could hardly have known he would be on this cruise, but she had certainly been pleased to find him. Undoubtedly, the Skywalkers had been her original target. Although he certainly didn't relish the idea of being stalked by the Sith, he was glad at least that he had drawn attention away from Vestara and Ben. It was unfortunate that none of the older Jedi had accompanied the young Skywalkers. Master Luke, Princess Leia or Ezra Bridger might have been able to sense Luri Khass's true intentions. Ben and Vestara were excellent Jedi but they simply did not have the years of experience of their elders. Their advice would have been quite helpful.

Advice. Nek Bwua'tu was on board the ship. The wily, old Bothan must have discovered something. Wynn grabbed his commlink.

"Chief, what can I do for you?" Nek asked.

"Do you trust your comm channel?"

Nek chuckled. "I'm a Bothan. I wouldn't use it if I didn't trust it. Unless I wanted someone to hear."

Wynn quirked a half-smile. "Good. Tell me what you know about the Sith on this ship."

"You mean the Sith Separatists. Intelligence alerted me three months ago when some of their members started sending and receiving coded transmissions from outside the Galaxy."

"Three months ago? Why wasn't I informed?"

Nek cleared his throat. "You were about to leave Office - or so we thought at the time."

So Nek wasn't one of the conspirators.

"I'm very glad to have you back," the Bothan added. "But we haven't had time for a briefing."

"Then let's make time." An extra-galactic threat combined with disgruntled darksiders could not be ignored. "Prepare whatever you have and meet me at 800 hours."

"Have you ever been to Hoth?" Chance asked, plopping Hayden down next to Natalie on the oversized couch.

Four freshly scrubbed Skywalker Twins lay on the couch, watching The Little Bantha Cub. Allana turned on the faucets in both tubes, putting Mark in one and Carrie in the other.

"No, but I've been skiing on Coruscant. And we have a snow planet in Hapes. Mom and Dad take me sledding, snowboarding, ice skating- I love it."

"Then you'll love Hoth. If we can just keep the Twins out of trouble. How can ice cream be so messy?"

Allana shrugged. "It's your dad's ice cream. Ask him. Here, Mark's clean. Put his pajamas on him."

Chance dressed the oldest Twin and added him to the pile on the couch. Turning back to Carrie, Allana frowned. Chance had a point. She wasn't even sure what was in the little girl's hair. They would need a really good plan to keep the kids safe when they visited Hoth in the morning. Drying off Carrie, Allana dressed her and put her with the others.

"Can we go sledding tomorrow? And build a snowman?" Carrie yawned, rubbed sleepy eyes.

"And make a snow base? And go ice skating?" Mark snuggled up to his Twin, looking hopefully at Allana.

She chuckled. "We'll try to fit all that in the schedule."

A schedule. That was it. They needed a carefully planned agenda with enough child-safe activities to keep the Twins out of trouble. Fortunately, she knew someone who was great at making schedules.

Grabbing her data pad, she thumbed on her comm.

"Hi, Wynn. I need your help."

Chance rang the bell to Allana's suite, then checked his chrono. 8:00. Right on time.

The door flew open and Allana appeared. "Chance, you're here!"

He tried not to chuckle. Still dressed in pajamas, she apparently hadn't had time to brush her hair, which stuck out from her head at odd angles. Little Daisy perched on her hip; Hayden and Natalie clung to her nightrobe.

"Do you need some help?" Chance forced a neutral expression.

"Do I look like I need help?"

"I'm pretty sure that's a loaded question, Princess."

"No, Mark!" Carrie's voice came from somewhere inside the suite. "You'll get hurt!"

Allana dashed back inside. Grabbing Hayden and Natalie, Chance followed.

Mark stood in the middle of the living room with an ignited lightsaber in his outstretched hands.

"That's Allana's lightsaber!" Carrie shrieked.

Stretching out her free hand, Allana used the Force to turn the lightsaber off and call it to her. "Still think it's a trick question?"

"How about I just get these bugbears some breakfast?"

"I'm hungry." Hayden squirmed free and bolted for the kitchen.

"Breakfast!" Mark and Carrie raced after him.

"Wait a minute." Chance caught up to them in the kitchen, relieved to find the room free from brul fruit.

"Everybody sit," he ordered. He fastened Adam and Daisy into their high chair. When all of the Twins were happily munching jam-filled pastries, Chance grinned at Allana.

"Why don't you go get dressed, Little Mother? I've got this."

She rolled her eyes. "That's what you think. Just wait."

She hurried off. Chance watched the Twins, his smile slipping. For the moment, they were under control. But could he and Allana really take care of them and keep them safe on Hoth? Of course they could. They just had to work together and stay alert.

Fifteen minutes later, Allana reappeared, carrying an armload of colorful snowsuits. " I had these personalized at one of your dad's shops." She held up a bright purple snowsuit with a large Aurabesh "S" decorating the back. The front sported a name plate with Allana's comm number. "Each Twin has a different color, so all we have to do is make sure we have all the colors. And if we lose one, we'll know who right away."

"Hey, that's good thinking."

She shrugged. "It was Wynn's idea. I knew he could help."

Wynn Dorvan. "I've been helping, too."

Smiling, Allana patted his arm. "I couldn't do it without you."

He hugged her warmly. "Aw, thanks. Let's brush the crumbs off the Twins and get them dressed."

"This has frightening implications." Wynn pulled the encrypted card from his personal data pad.

Nek's fur twitched, betraying his deep concern. "I wish I could have kept the children off this cruise. I just pray there won't be any violence."

"If you had shown your hand by alerting the Skywalkers, there would have been," Wynn observed quietly.

Nek exhaled. "Yes. We could use Jedi help, but we do not dare ask for it. Not if we understand the nature of the threat correctly."

"So, for now, it's best that they think BAMR's motives are petty revenge and easy money."

"I'm afraid so. Are you going down to Hoth?"

Wynn fingered his data pad. "I hadn't planned on it. I-"

The door chime interrupted him. Quickly handing the datacard back to the Grand Admiral, he rose and opened the door.

Desha greeted him with a box. "It's a snowsuit. I assume you didn't pack one?"

She wouldn't be so persistent if she didn't care, he reminded himself. "I really need to finish the library plans today."

"I thought they were finished. They look great to me." Desha shoved the box into his unwilling arms. "Come on. You'll have fun."

"You should go, Wynn," Nek agreed, the intensity in his eyes saying what his words did not. "It could do a lot of good."

More Sith intrigue. Just what he didn't need. "All right, I'll go."

Desha clapped her hands. " I'll meet you at the shuttles in 30 minutes!"

"Nope. There's a hot tub in our suite, too. Try again."

Ben huffed. "Okay, then. Umm, Uncle Lando introduces a new flavor of hot cocoa every year, and you can only get it on Hoth."

Vestara slowly rolled over on the bed to look at him. "Keep talking."

"Uncle Lando's Hoth hot cocoa is the best in the Galaxy. I had some at his house once."

"Then it isn't just on Hoth. I'll stay here."

Sitting down beside her, Ben took her hand. "Please, Ves. I know Allana and Chance are great with the Twins, but they're just kids themselves."

"Ben Skywalker." Vestara frowned. "You're keeping secrets. Tell me."

He sighed. "I got a sort of … prickle in the Force. We need to be there."

She sat up, falling forward into his embrace. "Let's go."

"But, Uncle Lando, you've got to have an extra shuttle," Ben protested. "Isn't it part of the fire code or something?"

"I have plenty of shuttles, but they're all planetside, except for this old girl here, and she's got an engine malfunction." Lando put a hand on Ben's shoulder. "Look, it'll just take me a minute to call HON-3 and have him head back. He'll be here in less than an hour."

"An hour?" Vestara bit her lip. Ben's "prickle" had developed into her own sense of urgency. "We can't wait that long."

"Your kids are fine. Allana and Chance are looking after them- and they've got Chief Dorvan and Admiral Bwua'tu helping."

"The Force says we need to be there." Vestara eyed the door to the parking garage. "I think we should find our own transportation, Ben."

Ben scooped her up and scurried for the door.

"Woah, you two!" Lando raised his hands and started to run after them. "I can't have you stealing other people's shuttles!"

"Chief Dorvan won't mind." Ben's Force assisted sprint quickly left Lando behind. "We're very good friends."

Vestara spotted Wynn's shuttle first. "There!"

Ben dropped her softly onto a nearby bench. "Sit here and rest while I break in."

Pressing his hand to the hatch, Ben called on the Force. Vestara could sense him overriding the security system. He carefully manipulated the locking mechanism, then stood back as the ramp slowly lowered.

"Ready, Ves?" He lifted her with the Force and floated her aboard.

"Wait a minute!" Lando gasped as he finally reached them.

"We don't have a minute." Vestara gently Force-pushed him backwards as Ben closed the hatch. "We have to go."

Author's Note:

Where Skywalkers go, trouble is sure to follow. They just can't help it. And it looks like their problems are a bit bigger than annoying tabloid articles.