By Kelly Kline
Email. [email protected]
Spoilers: Draws on material from the Black Fleet Crisis and Crispin's Han Solo Trilogy.
 
 

Summary: A sequel to Shadows of the Mind.  Han Solo is forced to confront an old nemesis-Nil Spaar.  Reluctantly returning to the genocidal viceroy's spawnworld of N'zoth, he is willing to sacrifice just about anything to save his wife and child.

Disclaimer:  I don't own this sandbox and don't ever expect to make a dime off anything. This story, in no way, intends to infringe on the material copyrighted by Lucasfilm, Ltd. or its subsidiaries.  This story is for the enjoyment of the readers, a dabbling into the world of SW. Please don't sue me, you would only get the three bucks in my pocket.

Author's Note:  Originally printed in Imperium 8.  Shadows Before Dawn is a continuation of Shadows of the Mind previously published in Imperium 7 by Jamie C. Cohen and Dennis Biegel.  This story is dedicated to both of them.  Without them, this story could not be possible.
 
 
 
 
 

"Han?" Chief of State Leia Organa Solo called out as she walked into the unusually silent Solo apartment in the Imperial Palace.  Even with her twins Jaina and Jacen spending the summer with their Uncle Luke at the Jedi Academy on Yavin IV, Leia was still accustomed to baseline chaos at home.  After all, her eight-and-a-half-year-old son Anakin routinely kept her on her toes. "Anakin?  Where is everybody?"

"They are not here, Mistress Leia," the familiar voice of Threepio answered as the droid entered the main lounge.  "Master Han had mentioned that he had some work to do on the *Millennium Falcon.*  Anakin insisted that he accompany his father, even though he was not done with his studies."

* Just like Han, * Leia thought to herself with a smile.  * Why do work when there is the *Falcon* to tinker with? *  "That's all right, Threepio.  I'll go out there and retrieve the boys.  And don't worry.  I'll be sure that Anakin has his homework done for tomorrow."

Leia quickly changed out of the formal robes that she had worn to the Coruscant Military Academy commencement ceremony where she delivered the address to the graduates and received an honorary doctorate of humane letters.  She was very accustomed to the formal attire that her position in government demanded. After all, she had been involved in politics nearly half of her young life.  However, Leia was always more comfortable in a soft tunic and well-worn military pants.

The short trip to the docking bay that housed the *Millennium Falcon* allowed Leia to reflect on the events of the past few weeks.  She was glad that Anakin was spending more time with his father.  Anakin greatly missed his older siblings, often wishing that he could have accompanied them to Yavin IV.  But Han had more than adequately help fill that gap.  With Chewbacca taking an extended visit to his home world of Kashyyyk for the birth celebrations of his first grandson, Han had named his youngest son the *Falcon's* honorary first officer.  It was a duty that young Anakin took very seriously.

The time Han and Anakin were spending together was very therapeutic for Han as well.  Ever since he started having unsettling nightmares about the Yevethan viceroy Nil Spaar three months ago, Han had become more tense and short-tempered, emotions stemming from sleep deprivation and frustration.  But he always seemed more at ease when he was with Anakin, as if the young boy could temporarily allay his anxiety.

As Leia arrived at the *Millennium Falcon*, she quietly tiptoed up the entry ramp of the ship.  She could hear the voices of her husband and youngest son coming from inside the vessel.  Leia made her way to the cockpit to silently watch Han and Anakin work on the infamous hyperdrive motivator.

"Would you hand me the hydrospanner, Little Jedi," Han called out from below the control panel.

"Is this it?" Anakin answered as he handed his father the device from the toolbox.  "So, Dad, now that the hyperdrive's fixed, what else is there to do?"

"There's not much more to do tonight, Anakin," Han replied as he reemerged from the open panel in the wall.  "We've been out here a long time and you still have some school work to do for tomorrow.  What's your mom going to think if you don't have it ready?  She's not going to be happy with either of us, that's for sure."

"Uh-oh," Anakin murmured.  He leaned over to Han and whispered. "Mom already knows that we're out here.  She's here. I hope she's not mad."

"No sense sneaking up on you two!" Leia laughed.  Anakin, no doubt, had felt her presence the moment she came aboard.  "And just what have you two pirates been up to?"

"No good," Han bantered back as he stood to kiss his wife.  "How did your speech go?"

"Fine.  Academy graduates are much easier to address than hostile senators," Leia answered. "You weren't at the commencement, were you, Han?"

"No, I've been here all afternoon with Anakin," he replied.  "Why do you ask?"

"Oh, nothing," Leia sighed.  "I had the strangest feeling today.  When I was distributing the diplomas, I could feel your presence so strongly that I could've sworn you were standing in front of me."

"Sorry, Your Worship. Wasn't me," Han smiled proudly placing a hand on his son's shoulder.  "Like I said, I was here with my first officer.  Maybe the Force is playing tricks on you."

"I guess so," Leia stated, trying to put her feeling behind her.  Nevertheless, she could not shake the feeling that Han was at the commencement.  Her interpretations of the Force had never been this wrong.  "I must be tired. Come on, boys.  Don't you two think that you've spent enough time out here for one day?  And, Anakin, your father's right.  You really need to get your school work done."

*****

Quiet finally fell on the Solo household once Anakin was sound asleep.  As usual, Anakin had again tried to renegotiate a later bedtime.  Han, however, had long ago caught on to his son's sneaky tactics.  After all, Han was once Anakin's age and many a time had tried to convince Dewlanna, the Wookiee who cared for him as a child, to allow him to stay up late.  After one story, and not two as Anakin had requested, Han quietly exited his son's bedroom, turning off the overhead light as he left.  Putting Anakin to bed always seemed to exhaust Han as well.

Han yawned as he entered the softly lit lounge.  Soothing Alderaanian music played quietly in the background.  He found Leia sitting on the couch, her auburn hair freed from its tight braids and hanging down in a silken cascade around her face.  In her small hand was a steaming mug of floral tea.  Silently, she gestured to him, patting the seat next to her.  "Don't you know that's contagious?" she asked, referring to Han's poor attempt to stifle his yawn.  "You look as tired as Anakin."

Sliding next to Leia on the couch, Han replied, "I don't know where that kid finds the energy.  He wears me out, just like his mother."

Leia quickly poked Han in the ribs, "And just what do you mean by that?"

"Take it easy, Your Worship!" Han answered. " I'm only saying that he keeps me on my toes.  He, uh, attacks life with the same enthusiasm as you do."

"Nice save, flyboy," Leia quipped.  "You really do look tired.  Have you been sleeping well?"

Han quietly shook his head.  It was the nightmares. Leia knew that they had kept him from sleeping.  She could plainly see the fatigue that had etched face.  "Maybe we should go in the bedroom and unwind," she suggested.

"I don't know if I'm ready to go to sleep," Han answered.

"Who said anything about sleeping?" Leia coyly replied.  "I missed you today.  We have some catching up to do."

"Now wait a second," Han playfully retorted as a lop-sided grin began to spread across his face, "one minute you are trying to put me to bed and the next..."

"Like you said," Leia said as she stood, taking Han's hand in hers and leading them to their bedroom, "I attack life with enthusiasm.  Maybe I like to wear you out, General."

*****

Han awoke with a gasp from yet another night of restless sleep, sweat beading coldly on his forehead and chest.  It was another night of terrifying nightmares, another night he was forced to witness Leia's brutal murder in his dreams.  He glanced over at his sleeping wife, gladly relieved that she was still alive.  The peaceful ebb and flow of her breathing reassured him of that.  Quietly, he got out of bed and made his way to the small private balcony adjacent to the bedroom.  The cool night air quickly evaporated the perspiration that still clung to his body.  He let out a sigh as he gazed down on the quiet city below, allowing the moonlight to wash over him as if to extinguish the remaining shadows of his nightmare.

Han shook his head in frustration.  The disturbing visions that plagued his dreams were all too familiar to him.  It was the same torment only on a different night.  Despite the relaxation exercises that Leia had suggested, he could still neither rest nor shake the images from his head.  He could predict the nightly events of his dreams as if they were scripted.  His nightmares would transport him back to the events three years ago, to the midst of the Black Fleet Crisis when he was a pawn in Nil Spaar's wicked power play against the New Republic.  With every nightmare, Han could still feel the metal bar restraining his hands securely behind his back.  He still felt his head snap back in agony with every blow from Nil Spaar's powerful fists.  He still tasted his own blood trickling down the back of his throat in a nauseating stream.  Worst of all, Han could still experience the searing white-hot pain of Nil Spaar's razor sharp dewclaw ripping his flesh.

Aside from these memories, Han had very little recollection of his rescue and subsequent recovery.  He was frustrated that he still had many gaps in his memory years later.  He wasn't sure how he escaped from the Yevetha, but he vaguely recalled Chewbacca blasting his way aboard the Yevethan flagship and carrying him to safety.  Foggier yet, Han remembered fragmented bits of a conversation with his brother-in-law Luke during a brief wakeful moment.

The next tangible memory Han recalled was waking in the Fleet Hospital back on Coruscant.  He could still remember the soothing sensation of the cool sheets that covered his exhausted body and the sweet scent of Leia's perfume that reassured him that he was home, that he was safe.  The trauma physician that cared for Han had once told him that, considering the severity of the head injuries he sustained during his capture, he may never recall the missing events.  What Han did know about those missing two weeks-the rescue, the surgery to remove a growing blood clot that was dangerously pressing on his brain, the night he nearly died-he learned from physicians, family and friends.

Han did, however, have a very faint recollection of the endless bacta therapies that he had required.  He did not remember being immersed in the sticky solution.  But he did recall the odd sensation of floating between dreams and reality-a realm devoid of sight, sound, smell, or touch. It was a claustrophobic sensation akin to a tomb, to carbonite.

He shuddered at the memory.  Twice he had come so close to death-once in the carbon freezing chamber of Cloud City and once when Nil Spaar savagely beat him within a centimeter of his life.  The faint scar traversing the length of his chest was daily reminder of how close he came to dying three years ago, how close he came from being stripped from Leia forever.

To be forever separated from her was a thought that terrified him more than anything else in the galaxy.  He loved her more than he cherished his own life.  To know how Leia had suffered during his imprisonment hurt him more than Nil Spaar's beatings ever could.  Leia had acknowledged how difficult it was to see him so battered, and it enraged Han to know how Nil Spaar tortured her with visual documentation of his savage beating.  He remembered how anguished Leia appeared when he awoke in the Fleet Hospital.  It was the same sorrow-filled expression that was the last image he had seen as he was lowered into the carbon freezing pit.  It pained him to know how these events had taken their emotional toll on his beloved wife.

Their lives were so enmeshed that he couldn't imagine a life without Leia.  She was such an integral part of his existence that he couldn't bear to think that they would ever be torn apart.  He cherished his family above everything else.  His extended family--Leia, their children, Luke, and Chewbacca--was the most precious thing in his life.  Han would quickly lay down his life to protect any one of them.  As an orphan wandering the streets of Corellia, he never knew the importance of family.  It was a concept very foreign to him, foreign until he met Leia.  Several years ago, Han promised himself that he would do everything in his power to keep his loved ones out of harm's way.

For that reason, Han's nightmares chilled him to the core.  Granted, it was horrifying to relive his encounter with Nil Spaar, but it was more painful and frightening to view the viceroy murder Leia and Anakin.  Yes, that portion of his nightmare truly was a dream with no foundation in reality.  But his nightly images where he was frozen, unable to move a muscle as Nil Spaar viciously ripped open Leia and their youngest son hurt and terrified him more than any physical torment ever could.  The haunting images never changed--Leia screaming in agony as Nil Spaar ripped her abdomen open, Leia falling to the ground dead, a pool of her blood spreading from her lifeless body.  In every nightmare Nil Spaar wickedly smiled at Han as he licked his victims' blood from his massive dewclaw, all the while Han unable to protect his family.

Leia had reassured him numerous times that his grotesque dreams were merely intangible images, not a warning of the future.  She reminded him over and over again that Nil Spaar was a threat to no one.  But was he?  The viceroy's body had never been recovered.  No records of Nil Spaar after his defeat were ever found.  It was assumed by many that Nil Spaar perished in the conflict.  But Han did not assume it.  Despite multiple reassurances, he felt that his frequent night terrors served as a premonition.  He knew that he would never be Force sensitive, but Han had long ago come to trust his instincts.  He was convinced that his family was in grave danger.

A small voice brought his drifting mind back to the balcony.  "Han?" Leia sleepily called from the entryway.

"I'm out here, Leia," Han quietly answered.

Leia walked over to her husband.  Wrapping her arms around Han's waist, she asked, "How long have you been out here, love?"

"I don't know.  A while," he answered.  "I couldn't sleep."

Leia knew what that meant.  She knew that Han had awoken from yet another nightmare.  She had suggested numerous times that Han discuss his recurring dreams with a therapist at Psychological Services.  But each time she offered, he steadfastly refused.  He half-heartedly tried to convince her that his dreams were not as frequent, that they were not as disturbing as they had previously been.  But she did not believe him.  She knew that he still awoke sweat-covered, pulse racing on a nightly basis.

"Another dream?" she gently asked.

"Yeah," Han absently answered as he continued to distantly gaze at the sleeping city.

"Do you want to talk about it, Han?" she inquired.

"Not really," Han replied.  "There's not much to talk about.  Nothing ever changes.  I'm sorry I woke you.  It must be late."

"Then do you want to come back to bed?  It's past three." Leia added, but he didn't answer her.  Leia turned him so that their eyes met.  "Han," she insisted, "you can't keep this up forever. You need to sleep."

"I know," he sighed as he embraced her.  "It's just so hard to see that monster hurt you every time I close my eyes."

Leia tightened her embrace around her husband.  She knew how his nightmares were affecting him.  During the past weeks he had grown more and more fatigued.  She had found him nodding off many a time at his desk only to witness him resist slumber even there.  His mood had darkened, and he was more short than usual with Chewbacca and Threepio.  "Han, nothing is going to happen to me. I'm fine.  It's-"

"-only a dream.  I know," Han stated, completing her sentence.  "But I just can't shake the images.  They're so real."

"But they're not real," Leia soothed.  "Nil Spaar is long gone.  He can't hurt anyone ever again.  Now why don't you try coming back to sleep.  The reception at the Academy is tomorrow night.  You don't want to be asleep on your feet when you meet the Corellian graduates, do you?  Come on, nerfherder, let's get some rest."

*****

"Han, hurry up!" Leia called above the news telecast on the holovid in the main lounge.  "We're going to be late if we don't leave soon."

Han entered the lounge.  He looked as handsome as ever in his military finery.  He grinned at Leia as he replied, "Would love to, sweetheart, but I can't find my boots.  Have you seen them?"

No one appeared to be watching or listening to the holovid that broadcast the evening news in the background.  A young journalist on the screen reported:  "And in our lead story this evening--the missing space freighter dubbed the "Jumbo Slumbo" believed to been destroyed in hyperspace months ago reappeared as mysteriously as it vanished.  The freighter which disappeared three months ago en route to Darnath IV was discovered floating adrift in the Outer Rim system of Vl'prasa.  Several escape pods appear to have been jettisoned.  Yet one question remains: what happened to her twelve crew members?  Not a single life form was found aboard the vessel.  Reports from Vl'prasa..."

Leia turned off the holovid and called out, "Anakin, do you still have Daddy's boots?  He needs them now, sweetie."

Anakin came plodding into the living room wearing Han's dress boots, the tops of the boots extending high above his knees.  In addition, he was wearing a blanket as a cape and carried a small rod that served as his lightsaber.  "Sorry, Mom.  I was just playing."

Han swiftly removed his boots from Anakin's feet and placed them on his own.  "Don't worry, Little Jedi.  You can still save the galaxy bare-footed," he smiled as he tugged on the bootstrap.

"Is my sister going to be there tonight, Dad?" the youngest Solo asked.

"What are you talking about, Anakin?" Han asked.  He was used to the odd questions and strange pronouncements that Anakin would make from time to time.

"My sister," Anakin again stated.

"Anakin, you know that Jaina's with Jacen visiting Uncle Luke," Leia answered.  "I know you miss them, but they aren't coming back for another two weeks."

Han bent down to face Anakin eye to eye.  "Now you behave yourself, Anakin," he instructed.  "Chewie's still visiting his family. It's only going to be you and Threepio tonight.  I trust that you'll not reprogram the droids or burn down the place."

Anakin saluted his father. "I won't.  You can count on me, Dad.  And don't worry, I'll keep an eye on Mr. Threep.  When will you be back?"

"After your bedtime," Leia smiled as she kissed her son on the cheek. "We'll see you in the morning."  Turning to Han, Leia wrapped her arm in his and said, "Come on, General.  We don't want to be too late."

As they were turning towards the door, Han said to his young son, "Good night, sport.  See you when you wake up"

*****

Smiling graduates and beaming parents filled the Great Hall at the Coruscant Military Academy situated on the shore of Lake Victory.  The gathering consisted of the brightest representatives from the many systems of the New Republic.  For the first time in history, Dathomir proudly had seven women graduate from the academy.  As usual, the majority of the graduates came from Coruscant, Chandrila, and Corellia.  Regardless of their home planets, this collection of youth represented the future military and political leaders for the New Republic.

General Han Solo absently tugged at the stiff collar of formal uniform.  He had become accustomed to the formality of the reception as he and Leia made the graduation festivities a yearly event.  He enjoyed meeting the Corellian graduates.  Nevertheless, he would never feel comfortable in his blasted uniform.  To make matters worse, Leia told him the worst thing he could have imagined,  "I'm going to speak with General Rieekan.  Why don't you mingle until I get back."

*Mingle,* Han quietly thought to himself.  *Why don't you tie me up and drag me to the opera, too?*  Han smiled as he looked around at the beaming Corellian graduates.  Watching the graduates brought back memories of his own graduation from the Imperial Academy years ago.  While Leia was busy with General Rieekan, Han took advantage of the opportunity to briefly talk to many of the young Corellians.  For the graduates, it was an opportunity to meet one the New Republic's living legends.

As he crossed the Great Hall in search of Leia, General Etahn A'baht, Commander of the Defense Fleet, stopped him.  The general approached Han as he called out, "Han, I have a young officer that I would like you to meet."

Han stopped and waited for the general and student.

"Han, this is one of my star graduate students," A'baht stated as the young woman looked on nervously.  "I would like you to meet Lieutenant Kierna Tharen."

Tharen.  Han felt as if his heart had skipped a beat.  He hadn't heard that name in decades, and the young lieutenant's name caught him off guard.  The woman shared the same surname with a woman from his past, a woman Han had once deeply cared for.  But it was also a name he had shut out of his mind long ago, a name of a woman dead for many years.  It was Bria's name.

"General," Lieutenant Tharen said, trying to get Han's attention, "are you all right?"

Snapping back to the present, Han replied, "Sorry, my mind was wandering a bit.  I have to apologize.  I've been rather tired lately."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir," she added. "I've heard much about you."

Curious to know if this young woman was, in some way, related to Bria Tharen, Han asked, "By any chance is Pavik Tharen your father?"

"Actually," Kierna replied, "Pavik is my uncle.  I was raised by my grandparents.  My mother was Uncle Pavik's sister Bria.  But I never really knew my mother.  She died when I was young."

Bria.  The sound of her name brought back so many memories for Han.  Bria was his first love, the only woman other than Leia that he could honestly say that he loved or trusted.  "I never knew that your mother ever had any children," he stated.

"That's because Bria never wanted anyone to know that she was a mother," a voice came from behind Han.

Solo turned towards the voice.  An elderly gentleman with graying hair and beard stood before him.  The face was familiar, only more worn from time.  It had been nearly thirty years since he had last seen the man--Renn Tharen, Bria's father.  "Renn!" Han exclaimed, "It's been a long time."

"Too long, Han," the older gentleman soberly replied.  "There's something that I need to tell you, son--something that I should have to told you a long time ago.  Is there somewhere more private where we can talk?"

Nervousness washed over Han.  No one had called him "son" in decades.  Hearing it now made him all the more anxious.  "What's this all about?" he asked as he, Kierna, and the elder Tharen walked out to an empty terrace overlooking Lake Victory.  "What do you need to tell me?"

"I see that you've met my granddaughter Kierna," Tharen stated as he began to pace across the terrace. "I apologize for not telling you this sooner.  But there's something that you need to know about her.  There's no easy way to tell you this."

"No, Grandpapa," the younger Tharen pleaded.  "It's not the right time for this."

"There will never be a right time for this, my child," Renn quickly answered. "But Han has a right to know."

The younger Tharen briefly glared at her grandfather.  "Fine," she seethed.  "Go right ahead and tell him!  I'm not responsible for the fallout."

The exchange between Kierna and Renn only heightened Han's anxiety.  His mouth was suddenly dry.  "What is it, Renn?  What do I need to know?"

Renn suddenly stopped pacing and looked Han firmly in the eyes. "Han, Kierna is your daughter."

Silence filled the terrace.  For one of the few times in Han Solo's life, he was completely speechless.  He could not believe his ears.  Before him a very poised young woman, his daughter.  Gazing at her, Han suddenly recognized Bria's beautiful features--the same thick red-gold hair, the same tall lithe frame.  Like Bria, Kierna stood nearly a half of a head taller than Leia.  He was startled to realize that as he looked into Kierna's eyes, his own familiar hazel depths stared back at him.  He felt completely blindsided. "My daughter?"  he whispered.

"General," Kierna said apologetically.  "I never meant for this to happen the way it did.  I'm sorry.  I didn't know what to do when General A'baht insisted that I meet you."

"How long have you known about this, Renn?"  Han said desperately trying to keep his emotions in check.  Suddenly the stiff collar of his uniform was even more uncomfortable than usual.

"Since the beginning," Tharen answered.  "I've known since Bria told me that she was pregnant.  That's why she left you on Coruscant.  Bria knew then that she was carrying your child.  She was scared, and didn't know what to do.  She desperately wanted you to apply to the Imperial Academy, but she was convinced that she and a baby would only get in the way."

"But how come no one ever told me?" Han inquired.

"At first, Bria was fighting her addiction to that damned spice Exultation," Renn answered.  "She didn't want anyone to know that she was pregnant.  Like I said, she wanted you to succeed.  She did not want to be a burden to you."

"But I saw her years later.  She never mentioned to me that she--we had a child," Han added.

"And what would you have done if you had learned the truth, Han?" Renn inquired.

"I don't know," Han replied with anger creeping into his voice. "I guess I would've been a father."

"Han, that's the experience of having three children talking," Renn answered.  "Back then, would you really have been ready to be a parent?  You were practically a kid then yourself!  A war was starting.  Bounty hunters wanted you dead. You had a price on your head several times over."

"I know these are only weak excuses," the elder Tharen paused.  "But I guess there were multiple reasons, most of them selfish, why I never told you about Kierna.  When Bria died, my world collapsed.  Kierna was my only connection to her.  I did not want to lose Kierna like I lost my Bria.

"My wife Sera didn't help matters.  She knew how to twist things to her advantage.  She blamed you for years for Bria's death.  She had it in her head that if Bria had never become pregnant, she would have settled down on Corellia, never to get involved in the Corellian Resistance.  I knew that these were the words of a spiteful old woman.  But somehow, she got me to believe that Kierna would not be safe with you, that we would never see her again.  She believed that you would not be able to care for Kierna, that she would end up some bounty hunter's prize because of your debts.  But looking back, I know that this is not true.  I was selfish, Han.  I kept Kierna a secret because I could not image a life without her.  She helped fill Bria's void, as if Bria still lived on in her.

"I know these are feeble excuses, and I don't expect you to forgive me, Han," Renn finally added.  "Now that Sera has passed on, I'm left with only the guilt of keeping this precious secret from you.  I'm sorry, so truly sorry that I have been so dishonest.  That's why I had to tell you the truth tonight. Twenty-eight years of deception was far too long."

"General," Kierna interjected as she approached Han.

"Please, Kierna," Han sighed as he rubbed his face, "don't call me that."  Considering the recently shocking course of events, the title "general" was far too formal and more uncomfortable than usual.  Then again, Han was not sure if he was ready for this woman to call him "dad" either.

"How about, 'Han?' " she replied.

"Han's fine," he answered.

"Han," she stated, "I knew this would be a shock to you, but I'm just a guilty as my grandfather.  I've known the truth for a while and have kept it from you."

"And you just decided to keep this your secret?" Han said somewhat annoyed and betrayed by the entire deceptive Tharen family.  How could Bria keep a child--their child--a secret from him?  Worse yet, how could her family withhold the truth for so long?

"No," Kierna replied, "I didn't want to hurt you or your family.  Your wife is, after all, the Chief of State.  The presidency certainly doesn't need a scandal.  Think about it. The newsgrid reporters would have a feeding frenzy with news of a long-lost bastard child!"

Han turned and walked over to the edge of the terrace to look out on the lake.  As he did so he answered, "What's more hurtful, the truth or decades of deception?  Did you feel that you couldn't come to me with this?"

"I didn't feel that it was my place," Kierna stated as she walked over to where he stood.  "Look, Han, I never wanted to disrupt your family.  By the time Grandpapa told me who you were, you had just gotten married.  I was just happy knowing that my father was alive.  News like this destroys marriages.  You didn't need a bombshell like this.  And besides, I didn't feel like having the New Republic's Chief of State hating me because I ruined her family life.  It certainly wouldn't be the best career move."

"I don't know how I could ever hate you," a voice called from terrace's doorway.  As Leia stepped out of the shadows, Han noticed that her eyes were glistening with unshed tears.  "Because every time that I look at you, I feel Han's presence radiate from you."

He quickly strode over to his wife. "Leia," he quietly asked and he put his arms around her in a comforting embrace, "how much did you hear?"

"Enough," she whispered as she wiped away stray tear that began to roll down her cheek.

Drawing her to him, Han could feel her tension and sense her pain.  She had just been dealt a devastating blow.  He felt that it was his fault that she was hurting, that somehow he had betrayed her.  Leia knew that Han had other lovers before her and that once he deeply loved a girl named Bria.  But he had long ago reassured her that his heart and soul would forever be irrefutably committed to her.  Nevertheless, he felt that he had truly wounded her. "I'm so sorry," he murmured in Leia's ear.

"There's nothing to be sorry for," Leia quietly replied.  Regaining her regal composure, Leia turned to Han's grown daughter and said, "It was you at the commencement.  When I was handing out diplomas, when I shook your hand, I thought that I felt Han's presence.  But it was your presence that I felt, not his."

In Leia's mind there was no question that Kierna was Han's daughter.  The resemblance between the two was undeniable. But more importantly, Leia trusted her ability to interpret the Force, and it was through the Force that she felt the link between Han and this woman.  Still the news was hard to process, but she felt that she could not despise the young Corellian.  She was, however, not sure if she was ready to share Han with Kierna.

But Leia's own selfishness made her feel guilty.  How could she deny this girl her father?  As a child Leia had know similar desires.  She knew what it was like to lose a parent  When she had been  small girl, she had wanted nothing more in the world than to know her mother.

"Madame President," Kierna softly started.

"Call me Leia," she replied trying her best to smile.  "We can dispense with the formalities--your father, after all, is my husband."

"Leia, " Kierna stated, "I know this has been some awful news to receive tonight, and for that I'm very sorry.  I meant what I said when I told Han that I didn't want to disrupt your family. I don't want to cause your children any pain."

Han kept his arm protectively around his wife as if to shield her from further anguish.  Leia sniffled back the remainder of her tears and said to Kierna, "Thank you for your concern, Kierna.  You're right, my children are my greatest concern right now, and I want to protect them from any pain that this may cause.  This is going to be hard for them to understand.  But at the same time, I think it is very important for them to meet you.  I want them to get to know their older sister."

* What and amazing woman, * Han remarked to himself.  * Always concerned about others. *

"How are you doing, Leia?" Han gently asked.

"I'll be all right," she answered gazing into her husband's concerned hazel eyes.  "This is a lot to take right now. I think I need some time alone.  I need to think about this and figure out how we're going to tell the kids."

"The kids," Han painfully echoed as he realized how this new sibling would greatly impact their lives.  "How are they going to deal with this?"

"The same was we are going to get through this," Leia reassured.  "This isn't the right time to talk about it.  We have time to work this out, Han.  But right now I really should get going."

"Then I'll get the driver," Han offered.  "We can talk about this more at home."

"No, Han," she quickly replied.  "I want to be alone for a while. You and Kierna need some time together alone.  You need to talk to her, Han.  She's your daughter.  Spend some time getting to know her.  I can wait."

* What have I done? * Han thought to himself as pangs of guilt painfully stabbed at him.  Leia so infrequently pushed him away.  The last time he remembered her exiting so quickly was after one of their seething spats on the frozen world of Hoth.  Back then she retreated to hide her emotions from him-her anger, her frustration, her pain.  This desire to be alone now only reaffirmed Han's guilt for Leia's present sadness.  * I've hurt her again. *

"Are you sure that's what you want?" Han asked.

"Yeah," she whispered.  "I think it's best if I go home."

"Will you be okay?"

"I will be," Leia answered.  She sensed his concern and could feel his guilt.  "Han, I'll be okay.  This isn't your fault.  It's not anyone's fault.  I'm not mad at you.  I just need some time by myself to deal with this."

Han hugged his wife and kissed her forehead.  "I love you, Leia," he murmured in her ear, hoping that his words would comfort her, make wrongs right.

"I know," she whispered back.  "I know you do.  We'll get through this."  She released her embrace from around her husband and quietly exited the terrace.  "I'll see you later tonight," she said as she vanished behind the doorway.

Kierna walked over to Han as he silently watched his wife leave.  The young Corellian placed an hand on Han's shoulder as she stated, "Now can you see why I didn't want to tell you?  Your family will never be the same after this."

"But we'll get by, " Han replied attempting to reassure Kierna, but more importantly, to reassure himself.

Kierna's concern for his family made him suddenly realize how she was so very much like her mother.  Bria had always been concerned about how her life would directly impact others.  "You know, you remind me a lot of your mother," he stated.

"How so?"

"She was always worried about how her actions would affect others.  She was a very compassionate woman, " Han explained.

Kierna sighed and answered, "I guess that's why I never got to know her that well."

Han gave her a puzzled look and asked, "What do you mean?"

"When my mother joined the Resistance," Kierna added, "she knew it would be dangerous and that she may die.  But she always said that she had joined the Resistance so that I wouldn't have to grow up in the shadow of the Empire.  But as she got more involved, the less and less I saw of her."

"Family was a liability," Renn continued.  "Bria knew that the more involved with the Resistance she became, the more the Empire would want to eliminate her.  And she felt that if the Empire knew her identity, they would use her family to flush her out.  She became anonymous, no family with no past to trace.  By then I only had contact with her through encrypted messages.  The last message that I received was from you, Han, to tell me that she was gone."

Han could see the anguish wash over Renn Tharen as the older gentleman reflected on his dead daughter.  Han knew that he had been very close to his daughter, just as he was to his own three children.  He knew that Bria's untimely death had been a devastating blow to Renn.  He could empathize with the old man. If anything were to happen to his own three children, he knew that his own heart would be ripped in two.

"I'm sorry that I had to be the one to tell you, Renn," Han stated as he reflected on the brief transmission that he had sent Tharen shortly after Bria's death.  "I wish I would've told you in person.  Maybe then I would've learned about Kierna,"

The three continued to talk about the past.  Han learned that his daughter had moved to Coruscant four years ago to at the Military Academy.  More importantly, Han used the opportunity to attempt to close the immense gap between Kierna and himself.  He wanted, with all of his heart, to get to know this young woman.  But at the same time, he was hesitant to open up to her.  After all, he had once trusted and loved her mother only to have his heart betrayed by her.  He was not sure if he wanted history to repeat itself.  Nevertheless he used the night to take the first step in forming a tangible relationship with this young woman.

The conversation continued for about another hour when it was interrupted by a high-pitched chirping emanating from the inner pocket of his military jacket.  Pulling the comm from his pocket, Han spoke into the device.  "Solo here."

"General Solo," a solemn voice on the other side of the transmission stated, "this is Detective Copeland Dequavis from Palace Security."

"What's wrong?" Han quickly answered.

"General, there has been a break-in at your home this evening."

"What do you mean, a break-in?" he inquired as the icy fingers of dread gripped his stomach.  "Leia and my son, are they okay?"

"General, I think it would be best if you come home-"

"I'll be right there.  Solo out," he quickly interrupted as he felt the wave of fear surround him, chilling him to the core.

Turning to Kierna and her father, Han urgently explained, "We need to finish this later."

Kierna sensed the urgency in Han's voice.  "What's going on?"

"Something's happened at home," Han explained.  "Someone or something has broken into my house."

"Leia?  Your children?" Renn Tharen replied.  "Are they all right?"

"I don't know.  That's why I've got to go," Han said as he ran out of the Great Hall.

Han hailed the first speedercab that he saw.  He quickly gave the droid driving the vehicle the destination and urged the droid to waste no time reaching the Imperial Palace.  Sitting in the cab, Han felt as if his thoughts were rushing at lightspeed.  He had a nauseatingly sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.  Were Anakin and his beautiful wife dead?  He shuddered at the thought.  Suddenly images from Han's very familiar nightmares escaped the recesses of his mind and forced themselves into his consciousness.  All he could imagine was Leia, his precious princess lying face down in a pool of her own crimson blood, her face a permanently sculpted mask painfully etched with the frighteningly finite moments of death.  He attempted to erase the image of Anakin's outstretched and torn body just out of arm's reach from hers as if they were stretching to reach each other, to comfort each other in their final moments.

Han shook his head violently as if to dash away his disturbing grotesque visions.  He was furious with himself for not being home to protect his family.  Would they have been in danger if he had gone home with Leia?

As the speeder cab reached the Imperial Palace, Han quickly paid the droid and sprinted to the turbolift leading to the front entrance of his home.  Keying his entrance code to the front gardens, Han pushed his way past the two detectives standing in the doorway.  The overhead light in the foyer which normally shone brightly now flickered off and on with a dull orange glow.  An antique Corellian vase lay shattered in a hundred pieces on the floor.  "Leia!" Han shouted urgently as he made his way to the main lounge.  "Leia!  Anakin!"

Han's heart heaved against his chest and blood roared in his ears as he saw a jagged gash in the wall extending from one end of the lounge and wandering its way down the hall to Anakin's bedroom.  Han immediately recognized this type of gash.  It wasn't created by a vibroblade or other type of tool.  Rather, the gaping wound in the wall could only be caused by one thing, a claw, a Yevethan dewclaw.

"Nil Spaar," Han muttered under his breath.  He felt his body go numb at the thought of the crazed viceroy.  That murdering animal had been able to transcend Han's dreams and cross over into reality.  He followed the gash in the wall, silently tracing it with his finger to the doorway of Anakin's empty bedroom.

"They're not here, General," the voice of Detective Dequavis called from behind Han.  "The Chief of State and your son were taken-"

"By the Yevetha," Han absently answered as he picked up Anakin's blanket which lay crumpled on the floor, discarded carelessly when Han's youngest son was plucked from his bed by his captors.

The little blanket brought back many memories for Han Solo.  It had been Anakin's blanket since he was an infant.  As a toddler, Anakin had clung to the blanket for security.  Now it was a well-loved plaything, serving as a tent in a make-believe Tatooine desert one day and a Jedi cloak the next.  But Han's fondest memory of the tattered blanket was of wrapping a newborn Anakin in it and gently rocking the infant to sleep.

Holding the blanket also flooded Han with memories of the other time that he feared for both Anakin's and Leia's lives-Anakin's birth.  It was an event mingled with immense joy and overwhelming fear. Anakin had turned and was in a breech presentation at delivery making Leia's job all the more arduous.  Leia had been pushing for several hours and was beginning to quickly exhaust. Han recalled the helplessness he experienced when he saw his youngest son for the first time.  Little Anakin had come out limp and blue, his umbilical cord tightly wrapped around his neck.  Immediately the newborn was surrounded by physicians and nurses who worked to revive him.

To make matters worse, Leia had begun to hemorrhage so severely that she required a sanguisynth transfusion.  Blood poured out of her as her obstetrician frantically worked to stop the bleeding.  At the time, Han was forced to face the stark reality that he might lose his young wife and newborn son.  He hated the vulnerability of being unable to help either one.

But Han also recalled the overwhelming wave of relief that washed over him as he heard Anakin's first cry pierce the tense air.  Silent tears had coursed down his cheeks as he was handed his son for the first time.  Han had held Anakin tightly as he patiently waited for the obstetrician to stitch up Leia, only willing to let go of the newborn when Leia was out of danger, when she was ready to hold her youngest son.  Han painfully remembered the pledge that he had whispered in Anakin's ear as he kissed the baby and placed him in his mother's waiting arms saying, "I'll never let anything happen to you again."

Guilt again overtook Han.  He had not been there to protect his son from the Yevetha, his pledge to Anakin broken.  Now those monsters held his innocent son, and again Han felt helpless, unable to help him.  He placed the blanket on Anakin's empty bed.  "It's the Yevetha-Nil Spaar, isn't it?" he asked already knowing the answer.

"I'm afraid so, sir," the detective answered.  "It looks like they stormed through the front of the residence."

"But what about security?" Han angrily asked.  "There's supposed to be security guards protecting Leia at all times.  Where are they?"

"The Chief of State's body guards were found in the front garden.  Their throats were slashed.  By the time reinforcements arrived minutes after an alarm was sounded, the Chief of State and your son were gone."

"Did they leave any ransom demands?" Han asked.

"Not exactly," Dequavis answered.  "But Nil Spaar has left you a message.  It is in the back bedroom."

Detective Dequavis gestured to the hallway leading to Han and Leia's bedroom.  As they walked down the darkened hallway, Han stooped to touch the remains of Threepio, the droid's head completely severed and resting several meters away.  "It looks like your protocol droid tried to protect the Chief of State."

"Damn it, would you stop calling her that!" Han growled as he found the detective an easy target for his anger and frustration.  "You make her sound like she's a droid or something.  She is human.  She's got a name!  It's Leia!"

As the two men reached the bedchamber, it was obvious to Han that a violent struggle had taken place within its walls.  A mug which once held floral tea lay on the floor, its now cold contents soaked into the pale carpet.  Items that normally rested on Leia's vanity--a hairbrush, a mirror, holos of the children-were strewn across the floor.  The chair normally in the far corner of the room now rested on the opposite end of the chamber.  Large gashes now exposed its cushion's stuffing.  In the private bathroom, tepid water filled the tub and Leia's nightgown and robe still hung on a hook as if she had planned to relax in a steaming bath but never reached her destination.  Han also noticed one of the bedside lamps smashed against a wall.  Hopefully Leia had thrown it at her attacker in an attempt to defend herself.

Han felt the blood drain from his face as he walked toward the bed.  A splatter of blood-Leia's blood-fanned out across the creamy ecru surface of the bedspread.  That Yevethan bastard had struck Han's beloved Leia hard enough to draw blood!  The thought of Leia frightened and injured was enough to rekindle his fear and rage.  He clenched his teeth in anger as he pictured his wife in the hands of the Yevetha.

Gazing at the bed, Han noticed a dark object resting on one of the pillows.  He gasped as he picked it up.  To his horror, it was a large lock of Leia's thick brown hair, raggedly cut, no doubt, with a Yevethan dewclaw and left behind to taunt and torment him.  "Oh, Leia," he whispered as he closed his eyes, a nauseating wave of emptiness, of renewed pain overcoming him.  "Why didn't I just come home with you tonight?"

"Han," the voice of Admiral Hiram Drayson, director of Alpha Blue, called out as he entered the room, "if you'd been here, there's a good chance all three of you would be dead right now.  No sense beating yourself up."

Han carefully placed the lock of Leia's hair on her vanity as he let out an exasperated sigh.  He knew the director of the highly secret security and intelligence arm of the New Republic's military was right.  Nil Spaar had abducted Leia and Anakin to send a message.  If the viceroy had wanted to kill them outright, he would have left their bodies for all to see.

Han turned to the admiral and answered, "I suppose you're right."

"Han, this wasn't some spur of the moment coup.  It was well planned.  The Yevetha knew what they were doing.  They had the element of surprise.  They had these," Drayson explained he held up two small translucent scales.

"What are they?" Han asked as he nervously ran a hand through his hair.

"Ysalimeri scales," the admiral answered.

Han Solo was very familiar with the ysalimeri.  The small gray lizards, through millennia of evolution, had developed the ability to negate and completely block out the Force in a large radius surrounding themselves.  As a result, the Force adept would be shut off from their lifeline to the Force anytime they encountered one of the beasts.  Armed with ysalimeri, the Yevetha would be able to ambush Leia and Anakin.  Neither of them would have been able to sense the approaching Yevetha.  "That bastard did his homework," Han mumbled to himself.  "She never saw them coming."

"It also appears that they were also well versed with the ins and outs of the Imperial Palace as well," Drayson added.

"What do you mean?"

"The Yevetha managed to avoid most of the surveillance scanners set up throughout the palace," Detective Dequavis interjected, "Like I said before, they were able to enter through the front gardens and apparently exited with you wife and son through the bedroom balcony without detection."

Han crossed the room and stepped out on the small private balcony to look out on the darkened city as if her was searching for his lost family.  The warm summer air swirled around him.  It was a peacefully warm Coruscant summer evening not unlike the many evenings that he and Leia would sneak out to that same  balcony after the children were fast asleep. But now he stood alone on the balcony and suddenly it became yet another agonizing reminder of the bottomless void that Nil Spaar had just created in his heart.  For the first time, he did not feel comfortable in his own home.  His world had been violated.  Everywhere he turned, he was reminded of Leia.  Everywhere he looked, he was reminded that she was missing, abducted by a madman hell bent on revenge.

Shaking his head in frustration, Han turned to Detective Dequavis and asked as he again entered the upturned bedchamber, "Didn't you say that Nil Spaar left a message?"

"It's in here, Han," Admiral Drayson said holding a small black message cube.  "Nil Spaar left it for you.  I've already listened to it.  Han, I have to warn you; it's only going to make you more angry."

Han silently held out his hand as the admiral placed the cube in the center of Solo's palm.  He activated the device and sat down on the foot of the bed as the message began.  The menacing voice of Nil Spaar immediately sent an unsettling chill racing through Han Solo's body.

"Solo, it has been a long time since I've had the pleasure of your company," the recording began, the Yevethan viceroy's calm and confidant voice resonating through every corner of the bedchamber.  "And now, I have something that you want.  I have the vermin queen and her prince.  I have drawn your queen's blood, and it is as insipid as I had expected.  Hardly the noble blood of a leader.  I am hard-pressed to understand how this republic of yours bows down and blindly follows this weak little insect."

Han's blood began to boil as he listened to Nil Spaar verbally degrade his beloved wife.  But the viceroy's taunts did not end there.  They continued as the transmission continued to play.

"And for that, her actions against the Yevetha are all the more offensive.  Your vermin mate is nothing more than a child-murderer.  In her attempt to defeat the blessed Yevetha, our vessel sustained damage. The * maranas * carrying my unborn children were carelessly destroyed.  My children perished as a result of your pathetic mate's actions.

"I have had a long time to mourn their deaths.  You see, Solo, for the past three years I have been neither alive nor dead.  The Imperials had unsuccessfully sent me to my death.  For the past three years I have been forever hurtling through hyperspace in perfect hibernation, every moment praying for salvation, every second plotting my revenge."

Han closed his eyes as he shuddered at the phrase.  Perfect hibernation for him had been a carbonite filled void of infinite blackness as his sightless eyes forever searched for light, intangible pain as every nerve in his body cried out for stimulation, and burning suffocation as his dormant lungs screamed for life-giving oxygen.  For Han, perfect hibernation had been anything but perfect.  It was a maddening, endless, living death.  After the ordeal, he had barely survived with his sanity.  Now, as he listened to the hate-filled Yevethan, he wondered if Nil Spaar did not.

"You will mourn just as I have, Solo," Nil Spaar's voice continued.  "I shall rip the soft white belly of the vermin prince, spilling his entrails before me.  But I will not stop there.  I will hunt down and destroy you other offspring, erasing your seed from history.  And when your mate comes to me begging for mercy, when she acknowledges me as her * darama *, when she kneels before me and offers me her neck, I will take her life.   Only then will I know that my children's lives have been avenged, confident knowing that you will understand my pain and die someday both mateless and childless.  Only then shall I be satisfied.

"But if you wish to beg for their pathetic lives, I challenge you to return to the Koornacht Cluster.  Perhaps I shall show you mercy and be willing to spare one of their lives in return for yours.  Come, Solo, come to Koornacht and kneel before me.  Come and beg for the vermin queen's life and that of her offspring's.  This is your decision to make.  I may spare one of them; but then again, I may kill you all.  I shall be waiting for you, Solo."

Even after the viceroy's transmission ended, his sinister threat still hung heavily in the air.  Han squeezed the message cube that he held in his hand so tightly so hard that his fingernails dug painfully into his palm.  Reigning in his swirling emotions, he fought the urge to hurl the cube as hard as he could against the wall.  Rather, he set the cube down on the bed next to him.  Looking up at Drayson he asked as desperation filled his voice, "Now what do we do?"

"For starters," Drayson replied, "we have to do some damage control.  We can't cause a republic-wide panic.  The public can't know that Leia has been abducted."

"How are we going to do that?" Han asked.  "It's only a matter of time before the media catches wind of this."

"Simple, Han," the admiral explained.  "We let it leak to the newsgrids that Leia was urgently called offworld because your daughter is ill, that she had to leave immediately, and that you would meet her on Yavin IV.  That should be able to buy us some time."

Han arched an eyebrow.  "Do you think it'll work?"

"Put it this way," Drayson smiled, "I've had years of experience manipulating the media.  When I'm done, the public will never suspect a thing."

Han stood up and looked Admiral Drayson in the eyes.  "Hiram, I can't sit around here any longer.  I'm leaving for Koornacht."

"When are you leaving, General?" Detective Dequavis inquired.

"As soon as I can get my things together.  The sooner the better."

"Han," Drayson pleaded, "let's not be hasty-"

"Hasty?" Han spat.  "Hasty?  That Yevethan madman has Leia and Anakin!  I'm not going to sit around and do nothing while their lives are in danger."

"I didn't say that," Drayson answered as he tried to diffuse Han's growing frustration.  "At least wait until we have strike team assembled."

Han turned back at the admiral as he headed toward the main lounge.  "Hiram, I don't have that kind of time.  And besides, I have to play by Nil Spaar's rules.  When he said that he was waiting for me, I don't think that he meant that he was waiting for me and the entire Fifth Fleet.  I'm pretty sure that he meant me alone."

Drayson followed Han into the lounge.  "Solo, you can't go there alone.  It would be suicide!"  the admiral stated.  "At least wait until one of my agents arrives.  She should be here any moment.  She can help you.  She knows the Yevetha."  But Han was not listening to him. He was shutting out everything that Admiral Drayson was saying.  "Damn it, Han, why do you always have to be so stubborn?"

"Admiral Drayson's right, Han," a familiar feminine voice called out from the foyer.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Han snarled at the young woman.

"I'm the agent that the admiral was speaking of," Lieutenant Kierna Tharen answered.  Gone was the formal military uniform.  In its place, she wore a simple black tunic and combat pants.  Her long golden red hair hung down her back in a thick braid.  "I was paged by Hiram right after you left the reception."

Han glared at the young woman.  There was so much about her that he did not know.  "Well, Kierna," he hissed, "are there any other secrets about yourself that you would like to share?"

"Settle down Han," Drayson said as he tried to end a conflict before it started.  "I know that Kierna is your daughter, and I don't want your relationship-"

"What?" Han interrupted as he stared at Kierna and angrily pointed an index finger at the director of Alpha Blue.  "You told him before you would tell me?"

Kierna let out a sigh as Drayson again tried to end the growing tension.  "For her security clearance, I needed to know about her background.  I'm sorry if that is a source of conflict for you.  But as I was trying to say before, I don't want your relationship with Kierna to cloud your judgment.  I really think that she can help you.  Besides you and Leia, she knows more about Yevethan behavior and particularly Nil Spaar better than anyone.  I am uncomfortable with you going to Koornacht alone.  I really think that you should consider allowing Kierna to accompany you."

"I just don't know that I trust her, Hiram," Han said.  "Gods, I just met her, not to mention, I just found out that I'm her father!  What else *don't* I know about her?  I don't know if I want to team up with someone I don't trust knowing that Leia's life is on the line.  The stakes are just too high to put blind faith in anyone!"

"Han," Kierna said, "this isn't about us. I know you're worried about Leia and your son.  I'm only trying to help.  I know the Yevetha.  For the past three years I have been researching them.  I am familiar with Yevethan geography.  Han, I want to help you get your family back."

His emotions threatening to spiral out of control, Han desperately fought to halt his growing anger, overwhelming fear, and frustrating helplessness.  He knew that it would do neither Leia nor Anakin any good to lash out at Kierna.  He also knew it was crazy to think he could stand up to Nil Spaar alone.  If he had any chance at bringing his family safely home, Han realized that he would need Kierna's expertise with the Yevetha.  He needed to set aside his own unsettling emotions and think rationally.  Han needed to remember what was truly important, Leia and Anakin's lives.

Han looked up at Kierna as he began to pick up the shattered remnants of a vase.  "Meet me at docking bay kappa," he said.  "If you're not there in one hour, I'm leaving for Koornacht without you.

*****

Han was busying himself with the Falcon's preflight maintenance check when he heard footsteps coming up the entry ramp.  He took a deep breath to clear his head as he prepared to team up with his grown daughter.  He needed to trust her, he reminded himself.  As a graduate of the Academy, Kierna was, no doubt, a level-headed soldier.  But she still was not a comfortable substitute for a first officer aboard the *Falcon.*  Over the years he and Chewbacca had traveled from one end of the galaxy to the other together.  They were a team.  Sitting alone in the Falcon waiting for a daughter he had never known, Han Solo felt Chewie's absence now more than ever.  If Chewbacca were at his side, Han was sure that he would not feel as if he was blindly plunging into the unknown.  Unfortunately Han did not have enough time to wait for Chewbacca.  He needed to depart for the Yevethan spawnworld of N'zoth as soon as possible.  But he would not be plunging into the unknown alone in his search Leia and Anakin.  He would be heading to N'zoth with his daughter Kierna.  The sooner he accepted that fact, the sooner he would be able to help his family.

"So this is the famous * Millennium Falcon *," Kierna smiled as she carried a rucksack over one shoulder.

"Still the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy," Han replied attempting to smile back at her, gone was the contempt that filled his voice only an hour earlier.

As she looked at Han, she did not see a seasoned general preparing for battle.  Rather, she saw a man risking everything-even his life-to protect his family.  It was obvious to her that this was a personal mission to bring his lost family safely home.  "Thanks for waiting for me," she added.

"You can use the kids' cabin," Han stated.  "Why don't you put your things in there.  We're just about ready for takeoff."

She quickly walked down the corridor and placed her rucksack on the lower bunk in the children's cabin.  Opening the pack, she pulled out two extra charges for the blaster strapped to her right thigh.  *What a way to get to know your dad,* she thought to herself as she let out a sigh.  When she met Han in the cockpit, she immediately sat in the copilot's chair as he obtained final clearance from Flight Command.

"This is General Han Solo requesting permission for takeoff," he said as he forwarded his flight commands.

"Copy that, General," the voice on the comm crackled.  "Your trajectory is confirmed and you're cleared for take off.  Proceed on flight path zeta psi.  Clear skies, sir and have a safe journey."

"Thank you Flight Command," Han replied as he fired up the *Falcon's* engines, and the vessel began to slowly exit the docking bay.  "Solo out."

The moment that it cleared the docking facilities, the *Millennium Falcon* quickly accelerated and screamed through the darkened stratosphere.  Distant stars rushed at the *Falcon* as it entered the outstretched blackness of space.  In a matter of minutes, Coruscant was a tiny blue and white pearl far behind the vessel.  Han exhaled in relief as the familiar embrace of space enveloped his ship.  As a child raised among the stars, he had always found a comforting solace amid the vastness of space.

The stars became faint smudges on a black background as he punched the controls and the *Falcon* lurched into hyperspace.  The turbulence of space travel was instantly calmed, the blackened sea placid.

After a long awkward silence, Kierna decided to attempt to ease the tension that had quickly formed between herself and her father.  "Han, I'm sorry that I didn't tell you about Alpha Blue.  I thought that I would have more time than we had," she started.  "But I just couldn't announce my position in such a public place.  I promise that I have no other secrets."

"I'm sorry too," he quietly replied.  "I shouldn't have snapped at you, Kierna.  Tonight has been pretty stressful on me, and I shouldn't take it out on you."  Quickly changing the subject, he added, "So tell me what you know about the Yevetha."

"After the Black Fleet Crisis, as you know, the former Imperials regained control of the region and reestablished their own government.  So, of course, Alpha Blue has kept a close eye on them.  Koornacht has been pretty peaceful, and the Imperials have kept order among the Yevetha.  We currently didn't think that they posed a threat to the New Republic."

"Do you think the Imps know that Nil Spaar has taken Leia?" Han interrupted.

"No," Kierna answered.  "I don't think they even knew that Nil Spaar was alive.  I think the Yevetha are acting independently.  You see, for the past two years, there has been a growing Yevethan independence underground movement.  The Yevetha have no love for the New Republic, but, until tonight, they have only made small strikes against the Imperials."

"With Nil Spaar back, the Yevetha will only grow stronger," Han said as his face again became creased with a frown.  "He'll use Leia's capture to rally his forces."

Kierna immediately saw anxiety return to Han's exhausted face with the mention of Nil Spaar's name.  "Han," she said, "I know you're worried about Leia and Anakin.  We'll get them back."

"I certainly hope so," he replied, "or I'm going to die trying."

"So tell me," Han began, "how come you know so much about the Yevetha?"

Kierna took a moment to answer but finally said, "Guess it was you.  After your run-in with them, I wanted to learn more about the race.  Call it crazy, but it felt like I got to know a little about you in the process."

Han glanced at the small chrono on the control panel, not surprised that it was after four in the morning back on Coruscant.  As Kierna let out a yawn, he suggested, "It's pretty late.  Why don't you go back and rest.  We'll have plenty of time to talk more."

Realizing that she was fatigued, she replied, "You don't mind?"

"No," he answered, "I'm going to double-check our trajectory, and then I'll probably turn in too."

Han nodded to Kierna as she said, "I'll see you in a couple of hours."

As he heard the door to her cabin hiss shut, he began to power down the cockpit and checked the navicomputer as he did on his many previous voyages.  At the *Falcon's* current trajectory, they would reach the Koornacht Cluster in a little over forty hours.  He turned the overhead lights off, and only the faint glow from the instruments illuminated the cockpit.  With the lights dimmed, the view of the swirling cosmos was more vivid, more hypnotic.

Han eased back in the pilot's seat and allowed his mind to briefly wander as his body relaxed.  The tension that had been steadily growing temporarily released its grip on his cramped shoulders and neck.  From the first time he had ever experienced hyperspace travel, Han had been mesmerized by it.  Even amid the crisis before him, he still found it a familiar traveling companion, a constant reassuring comfort.

His eyelids became very heavy, and again Han fought the tantalizing temptation of slumber.  He knew the horrors that awaited him if he allowed himself to drift to sleep.  He was not ready to face his nightmares.  Han would be facing Nil Spaar soon enough.  He did not need a graphic preview.  He could not remember a night where he escaped free of dreams, but Han Solo was determined to win his battle against slumber yet another night.

He forced his eyes open, but he could not find the energy to move from his seat.  Suddenly he was very comfortable.  The drone of the *Falcon's* engines, like a seductive siren's song, threatened to draw him closer and closer to danger as he felt his body ease into the welcoming embrace of slumber.  The sound of the *Falcon's* engines had lulled him to sleep countless times in the past.  This time, Han could do nothing to resist the spacer's lullaby.  The roar of the engines became more distant as Han's mind stepped away from reality and toward a dream-filled slumber.  The deeper he drifted to sleep, the more difficult it was to resist the inevitable journey.

Once fast asleep, Han's pulse quickened as he was surrounded by complete blackness and utter silence.  He panicked for a moment as he briefly thought that he was again encased in a carbonite tomb.  But a faint sound far in the distance quickly reassured him that he was not.  He slowly walked toward the sound, but stopped in his tracks as he heard the electrical crackles and snaps that were unmistakably coming from a scan grid.  He doubled over in pain as the sound became closer, the torment more excruciating as the sound crept forward.  He let out an anguished gasp.  His flesh felt blistered and raw as if he was suspended over a painful shock array.  His first reaction was to turn and run in the opposite direction.

Han had previous unsettling nightmares where Vader had tried to break his will  with the shock array.  In those dreams, he was unable to prevent the inevitable torment.  He was forced to endure the pain in each of the dreams.  But this time the nightmare was different.  This time he was able to step back and realize that he was dreaming.  He was able to take control of the dream and end the pain.  Both the phantom scan grid and the searing pain evaporated as mysteriously as the materialized when he yelled, "It's only a dream!"

He continued to blindly walk forward through the darkness, his hands outstretched in front of him for stability, his mind fighting confusion and disorientation.  He trekked on for what felt like kilometer after kilometer.  Then suddenly he again stopped when he heard a new sound in the darkness.  He strained to hear the faint whisper of a sound over his own pounding heartbeat.  Like the sounds of the scan grid, this new sensation grew louder with every step that Han took forward.  He ambled on until he thought that he could recognize it as quiet laughter, no, crying.  Han turned his head toward the sound, and he was convinced that he heard someone softly crying.  But he could not make out voice, nevertheless he was convinced that he knew it.

Determined to find the source of the crying, he continued toward it, uncertain what or who he would find.  His heart felt as if it had skipped a beat when he heard the voice plaintively call out, "Daddy!"  Instantly he recognized the voice.  Anakin.  His youngest son was crying; he was scared; he was in danger.

"Anakin!" Han called out in the darkness.  He began to run toward Anakin's small voice.  Sensing that his son was in danger, he had an overwhelming need to find the little boy.

"Daddy, help me!" Anakin's small voice pleaded.  "Help me, please.  Daddy where are you?"

Han had never heard so much fear radiate from his son's voice.  He knew that he had to reach his son.  Still he could not see Anakin, but he used the boy's voice as a beacon to find him.

"Hurry Daddy," the boy cried out, his voice echoing in the blackness.  "I can't hold on much longer.  Hurry!"

A new voice resonated throughout the sightless vacuum.  "Yes, Solo," the familiar voice of Nil Spaar taunted.  "Hurry and save your vermin prince."

Han's eyes searched the darkness for the Yevethan viceroy.  "Don't you touch my son, you bastard!"

He ran faster in search of his son.  Suddenly a painfully bright light shone on a spot on the ground several hundred meters ahead.  He sprinted toward the light wondering if he would find his son or Nil Spaar.  Han cried out "Anakin!" as he reached the edge of a wide abyss.  Just below the lip of the pit, Han Solo's youngest son gripped the jagged surface for dear life, the young boy's hands bloodied from the effort.  "Hang on, Little Jedi!"  he called out to his son.  "I'm here.  I'm gonna get you out."

"I'm so tired, Daddy," the boy said.  "I can't hold on!"

As Han quickly kneeled on the edge of the abyss and attempted to reach down too grab his son below, he screamed, "No!"  Instantly his hands were securely bound behind him by a Yevethan restraining bar.  "Let me go, you animal!" he called into the surrounding darkness.  But Han received not answer to his demand.  He only heard his own voice echo in the distance.  He struggled to free himself from the bar until every muscle fiber in his arms burned in agony.

Han's eyes widened with fear as he heard Anakin cry out.  The young boy was beginning to slip further into the abyss.  "Hold on, Anakin!" Han cried out as his son stopped his descent and grabbed the stone.

He knew that his son would die if he could not reach the boy.  He had to free himself of his restraints if he had any hope to save Anakin.  *Damn it Solo, calm down,* he thought to himself.  He would not be able help Anakin if he wasn't thinking clearly.  Then suddenly a thought came to him.  He recalled how he ended the invisible shock array's torture earlier.  He closed his eyes and tried to gather his composure.  He took a deep breath and attempted to reassure himself with the words, "This isn't happening.  It's only a dream."

With those words, Han's hands were free, and he quickly attempted to pull his son from the large pit.  "Anakin, take my hand, son!" he called out as he thrust his right arm toward the boy.  But as Anakin reached out to grab his father's hand, the boy slipped further.  His hand briefly touched Anakin's fingertips as the boy began a rapid descent into the abyss.  Anakin called out one last time for his father as he was swallowed by the mist-filled maw.  Anakin was gone, but the boy's voice echoed in the abyss for several seconds.  As if in shock, Han silently stared at his hand.  Seconds ago his fingers could feel the warmth of his son's skin, but now his fingers felt nothing but the cold air.  They ached with a phantom pain for the grip of Anakin's small hand.

Laughter erupted in the darkness.  The Yevethan viceroy let out a menacing cackle and again tormented Han.  "You're too late, Solo," he said.  "Too late.  And now your son is dead!"

He had failed again.  His promise to protect Anakin broken yet another time.  The emptiness of the loss began to consume Han as he felt his body turn ice-cold.  Again he looked at his hand.  Burying his head in it, Han Solo painfully cried, "Anakin!"

Another voice, one filled with concern, crept its way into the void.  He thought he recognized it as it grabbed a hold of him and to pull him toward the surface of consciousness.  "Han," the voice called out.  "Han, wake up!"

As he moved one step closer to wakefulness, the steady hum of the *Falcon's* powerful engines began to again flood his senses.  Before he could open his eyes, he realized that someone was shaking him.  "Han, wake up!" the woman's voice again pleaded.

His vision was blurred as Han Solo opened his eyes, and the dimness of the cockpit only further hindered his efforts to see clearly.  As his eyes finally came into focus, Han realized that a woman silhouetted against the darkness was standing before him.  Still groggy from sleep, he immediately assumed that the woman was his wife.  "Leia," he groaned.  "Leia, we have to find Anakin."

The woman flipped the switch for the overhead lights.  The cockpit was instantly flooded with harsh light.  Han squinted as he allowed his eyes to adjust to the change.  "Sorry," Kierna said, her hazel eyes filled with concern.  "Leia's not here.  We're on the *Falcon *, remember?"

"Right," he muttered, somewhat embarrassed that Kierna heard him calling out in his sleep.  "I must've been dreaming."

As Kierna slid into the copilot's chair next to Han, she replied, "Sounds more like a nightmare to me."

He rubbed his hand over his face in one last attempt to rouse himself into complete wakefulness.  "That's nothing new," he added.

Kierna quietly gazed at him for a few seconds, then asked, "So you've had them before?"

Han was reluctant to answer her question.  He was not sure if he was ready to be that open with the young Corellian.  *She's going to think that I'm crazy*, he thought to himself.  Suddenly uncomfortable in his well-worn pilot seat, he stood and exited the cockpit.  "Yeah, I've had them before," he called over his shoulder as he headed toward the galley.  "But this one was different."

Kierna quickly followed him to the galley.  As she entered the small room, Han was pouring himself a steaming cup of caffa from the beverage replicator.  "What do you mean?" she asked, attempting to get him to elaborate.  "What have you been dreaming about?"

"Nil Spaar," Han sighed, finding no good reason to withhold this information from her.  "I've been having dreams about Nil Spaar."

In her research of Nil Spaar, Kierna learned about the brutality Han had suffered at the hand of the Yevethan viceroy.  She was not surprised that the Yevethan had invaded his dreams.  He had, after all, survived a terrible ordeal.  "How long have they been going on?"

"I don't know," Han answered.  "About three months."

Suddenly she realized why he appeared so utterly exhausted.  "I take it you haven't had a good night's sleep since."

he took a sip of caffa and replied, "No, I haven't.  And I really have had no desire to see that bastard every time I close my eyes."

Feeling that the barriers between herself and Han were beginning to come down, she questioned further.  "But you said this nightmare was different.  How so?"

Judging for her intent gaze, Han was certain that Kierna was truly interested in his answer.  He gestured to the holochess table in the adjacent lounge.  As both of them sat down at the table, he started to explain.  "Before tonight, I had the same dream just about every night," he stated as he stared at the swirling eddies of steam rising from his mug.  "Nil Spaar would be in our home.  He would slaughter Anakin with that dewclaw of his, and then he'd turn it on Leia.  And every time, I can't do a damn thing to stop him.  I'm forced to watch him murder them every single time that I go to sleep!

"But this one," he added, "this dream was different.  Nil Spaar wasn't in it.  But I could hear him; he was laughing, taunting.  Only Anakin was in this dream."

"You were calling out Anakin's name tonight," Kierna quietly interrupted.

"Anakin was in danger," he stated.  "I felt that Nil Spaar was trying to harm him. I knew that if I couldn't get to Anakin, something bad was going to happen to him.  And again, I couldn't help him!  Even though I realized that I was dreaming this time, I could still do nothing to stop him from dying.  He was in some type of pit.  I reached down to pull him up, but he slipped from my hands!

"I know this sounds crazy, but ever since I started having these dreams," Han continued, "I've had a bad feeling that Nil Spaar would return and endanger Leia and Anakin's lives."

"But Han," Kierna said, "they're just that-only dreams."

"Dreams or not," he quickly retorted, "that monster has Leia and Anakin captive.  I'm really scared that he's going to kill them."

"And that's why we are going to get them back," she reassured.  "We'll make sure that Nil Spaar can't harm anyone again."

Han was about to reply to her statement when he heard the cockpit comm hailing an incoming message.  "Why don't you get some caffa while I answer this," he suggested.  "I'll be right back."

Kierna watched her father head back to the cockpit and then headed to the galley for some caffa.  As she headed back to the cockpit herself, she overheard the middle of Han's conversation with Jedi Master Luke Skywalker.  "-ysalimiri, that explains it.  I got a little concerned when Leia's presence suddenly wasn't there.  Are you sure it's Nil Spaar?" the Jedi Master voice crackled over the comm.

"I'm positive, kid," Han answered.  "He left a message.  He's got them somewhere on N'zoth.  That's where I'm heading right now."

"Why didn't you wait for me?" Luke asked.  "I could've given you a hand."

"No," Han firmly replied, "I need you to stay with the twins.  They're in danger, too.  Nil Spaar not only threatened to kill Leia and Anakin, but he also wants to kill Jaina and Jacen.  I want you to protect them, Luke.  Make sure that Nil Spaar can't reach them, because if I can't stop him, he will go after the twins."

"You have my word, Han," Luke said, "They'll be safe here on Yavin.  He won't find them."

"Hey, Luke," Han quietly added as his voice began to fill with emotion.  "If anything should happen to Leia or me, I just want to know that you will always be there for the kids."

"Han, you're beginning to scare me," Luke interrupted.

"That's okay.  I'm scared too," Han half-heartedly joked.  "I don't know what I'm walking into, Luke.  I just don't know.  But I sure as hell don't want to orphan my children anytime soon."

"But what should I tell Jaina and Jacen?"  Luke asked.  "They're worried too.  They know something has happened to their mom and Anakin."

Han paused for a moment, as if he was searching for the right words.  He took a deep breath and answered his brother-in-law.  "Tell them that I love them.  And tell them not to worry.  I'll be back soon with Leia and Anakin."

"Be careful," Luke replied.

"I will," the Corellian answered attempting reassure himself and Luke.  "Besides, I'm not going into this alone.  I have a little help."

"Clear skies, my friend," Luke quietly stated.

"Clear skies, Luke," Han whispered back.  "Solo out."

Han flipped the comm off and turned around to find Kierna standing in the rear of the cockpit.  "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop," she said as her cheeks began to redden with embarrassment.  "Your family really means a lot to you," she added.

"More than anything," Han replied without hesitation.

"You never told me what you were planning to do," Kierna inquired.  "What happens when reach N'zoth?"

Han shifted in his seat.  "I'm not sure," he answered.  "I guess I'm going to do whatever Nil Spaar wants me to."

"So you are just going to surrender to him?"

"If that's what it takes for a chance at winning Leia and Anakin's freedom," Han stated, his confidence somewhat wavering.  "Then, yes, I'll surrender myself to him."

Kierna again slid into the copilot's chair.  Opening the lateral pocket of her combat pants, she removed a small cylinder from it and carefully retrieved its small contents.  "Then I'm going to have to be able to track you if you want me to know where he's taking you.  That way you won't be going into it alone. I'll be able to follow you and help you get Leia and Anakin out safely."

Han turned to face her.  "And just how do think we are going to pull this one off?  Security is bound to be pretty tight around Nil Spaar.  I don't think he's just going to let you follow me."

"Like I said, I'm going to track you.  So here," she explained as she presented him with the small gray capsule that she had retrieved from her pocket, "I want you to swallow this."

"What is it?" Han skeptically asked.

"It's a nanotransmitter," she matter-of-factly answered.

"A nanowhat?" he asked as a puzzled look swept across his face.

"A nanotransmitter," she repeated.  "It's an experimental device that Alpha Blue has been working on.  After you swallow the capsule, millions of nanotransmitters will be absorbed and dispersed into your circulation.  Each of the nanotransmitters will emit a signal that will amplify your biophysical array.  I'll use that signal to track you."

Taking the capsule from Kierna's hand, he carefully inspected the tiny object.  "Will Nil Spaar know the transmitters are there?"

"No," she replied as she shook her head.  "The transmitters are way too small to be detected by standard sensors.  You need a nanosensor, which I have and he does not, to pick up their signals."

Still staring at the tiny object, he inquired, "Is this thing safe?"

"Trust me," Kierna answered as she let out a small laugh, "of course it's safe.  The nanotransmitters work for about ten days, and then they break down.  After that, your body just filters them out.  You won't feel them while they're there, and you certainly won't know when they've been cleared from your system."  Handing him his mug of caffa, she added, "The capsule's pretty big.  You may want to wash it down with this."

Accepting the beverage, Han placed the capsule in his mouth and took a gulp of the caffa.  He grimaced as he swallowed the device.  "I just hope this works," he stated.  "Now what about you?  I'm sure the Yevetha will search the ship when we get to N'zoth.  You can hide in one of the smuggling compartments, but I'm sure they'll use a scanner when they search it."

Kierna confidently smiled.  "They won't find me, and they won't detect me either.  I'll be using a nanodamper."

"Let me guess," he smiled, "It makes you invisible to their sensors."

"You catch on quick for an old general," she quipped with a smile.

*****

The remainder of the flight to N'zoth was uneventful.  Aside from the brief encounter with two outdated Imperial Tie-fighters that kept their distance from the * Millennium Falcon, * Han and Kierna did not encounter another sentient being during the remainder of their brief journey.  She could easily tell that Han was growing more tense every hour they grew closer to N'zoth.  Although it was obvious that he was far beyond exhausted, he had not slept another wink while aboard the * Falcon.*  She quickly realized that he would pace the halls of the vessel in attempt to ward off fatigue.  As they entered the Koornacht Cluster, she silently wondered if he had managed to wear a path in the * Falcon's * deckplates.

Kierna was finishing a small meal of tasteless broth and Corellian flat bread when the ship entered the system of N'zoth.  Han was already sitting in the cockpit when she walked into the compartment.  "Han, aren't you hungry?" she inquired.  "You haven't eaten in a while."

"No," he quietly answered.  "I've had too much on my mind to be hungry."  He continued to stare at the growing green and tan orb in the distance-N'zoth.  He never dreamed that he would ever set foot on that planet ever again.  It briefly served as his prison when he was Nil Spaar's captive three years ago.  The mere sight of the planet rekindled his fear and hatred for the Yevetha.  It was on N'zoth where he first realized the insane brutality of its viceroy.  It was in a small cell that he had witnessed Nil Spaar calmly rip apart his lieutenant.  After his rescue from the Yevetha, Han swore that he would never again return to Koornacht.  But his unbreakable obligations to his family had called him back to this frightening Outer Rim planet.

The high-pitched signal from the comm interrupted his thoughts, and brought his wandering mind back to the *Falcon's * cockpit.  A distinctly Yevethan voice hailed,  " *Millennium Falcon, do you copy?  This is Xur Gdaan, Proctor General of the Yevethan Protectorate."

Han took a deep breath and spoke into the comm, "Solo here.  I copy you."

he shivered as he thought he could feel the Yevethan's menacing smile as the proctor replied, "General Solo, our most blessed Viceroy has been expecting you.  You are to slow your vessel's speed and proceed to a holding pattern in orbit above N'zoth.  From there we will guide you in with our tractor beam.  Any deviation from these instructions will be considered an act of aggression, and you will be dealt with accordingly.  Do I make myself clear, General?"

"Perfectly," Han muttered as he rolled his eyes and slowed the * Falcon's * sublight engines and entered the spawnworld's orbit.  "Anything else?" he sarcastically added.

"You will wait until the Viceroy is ready to receive you.  Gdaan out."

Han began to unstrap his worn blaster holster from his right thigh as he felt the Yevethan tractor beam engage the * Millennium Falcon. *  An unsettling sinking feeling found its way into the pit of his stomach as he felt his vessel lurch toward the planet's surface.  He removed the holster and its contents and handed it to Kierna.  "I better not take this if I am going to surrender," he remarked.  "Don't want it to be mistaken for some *act of aggression.*  Kierna, If I don't make it back, I want you to give this to Jacen."

She immediately frowned at her father.  "I'm going to do no such thing," she stated.  "You're going to give it to him when you are old and gray.  Let's be a little more positive about this, Han.  We * are * going to bring Leia and your son home."

Han allowed himself a brief smile. "Kierna, you are about as determined as your mother.  I wish I were as optimistic as you are.  Now you better go hide yourself in the compartment in the rear deckplate.  We should be touching down in a few minutes."

He escorted her to the rear hallway.  He flipped the well-hidden release and effortlessly opened the panel on the floor.  "Not the most luxurious accommodations, but they shouldn't find you in here."

She checked her blaster and charges on her belt one last time before hopping into the recess in the floor.  Once she was settled in the small compartment, he handed Kierna her small rucksack.  "Good luck, Han," she said her eyes locking with his one last time.

"Thanks," he replied as he closed the compartment.  "I'm going to need it."

After securing his daughter safely in the smuggling compartment, he erased any evidence of her from the cockpit and galley.  Once he completed that task, he sat in the cockpit, impatiently waiting for the ship to land.  It was long past the N'zoth sunset when the *Falcon* entered the atmosphere.  The twinkling lights of a distant metropolis shone faintly on the horizon as the landing pad became more visible below the vessel.  Han's pulse quickened as the external beam engaged the *Falcon's* central computer and initiated the landing sequence.  The massive landing gear activated, and the vessel gently touched the tarmac.  He was startled when the engines halted, and the *Falcon * came to a complete stop.

Han ran his fingers along the cockpit's control panel one last time in attempt to calm his nerves.  He activated the entry ramp and headed toward the entrance.  As he peered out the entrance, Han saw four Yevethan soldiers.  Each appeared to be heavy armed.  Blinding floodlights bathed the * Falcon * in illumination, a stark contrast to the darkened evening sky.  He took one cleansing breath as he began his descent down the ramp.  Holding his hands above his head, he called out, "I'm unarmed!"

As he reached the bottom of the ramp, he was flanked by the four Yevetha, each pointing a blaster at his head.  Han came to a halt, still holding his hands for the soldiers to see.  In front of him, a speeder car came to a stop.  A large Yevethan male confidently exited the car.  Han recognized the male as a proctor from his distinctive attire.  The proctor gestured to the soldiers, and two of them immediately yanked his hands behind his back, securing his arms with a restraining bar.  He did nothing to resist their actions.  He passively stood before the proctor, silently glaring at him.

"Welcome to N'zoth, General," the Yevethan stated, a condescending grin spreading across his face.  "I am Proctor Xur Gdaan.  I trust your journey was a pleasant one.  Our viceroy eagerly awaits the pleasure of your company."

Han did not see one of the soldiers lift his rifle and strike him firmly on the side of the head with the butt of the gun.  The last thing he remembered was his head snapping to the side.  Stunned, the Corellian dropped to his knees as silence and dizzying blackness surrounded him.

*****

It seemed like an eternity had passed by the time Han Solo finally awoke to find himself sitting on the floor of an arid darkened cell.  Immediately, his head began to throb with a blinding pain as he reached full consciousness.  Peering into the darkness, he let out a sharp wince as he located the source of the agony.  Only then did he realize that the entire left side of his head, ear, and neck were caked with his own drying blood.  * That was some bump on the head, * he thought to himself as he remembered the Yevethan's rifle making contact with his skull.

Instinctively, he attempted to bring a hand to his injured head to assess the damage, but it was met with immediate resistance.  The restraining bar that firmly bound his arms behind him was securely locked to a metal clasp on the floor.  He quickly jerked his body to see if he could free the bar.  Unsuccessful, he settled back and leaned his head against the cool metal wall behind him.  He weakly groaned as he was hit with a wave of gut-wrenching nausea brought on by the movement.  In addition to the large gash on his scalp, he, in all likelihood, had sustained a concussion.

"Great," Han mumbled to himself.  "Just great."  Closing his eyes, he desperately attempted to halt the rising bile in his throat.  He took a long, deep breath as the queasiness in the pit of his stomach gradually began to subside.

He began to wonder what he had gotten himself into.  How much help could be to Leia and their son if he was weak and nauseous?  His thoughts drifted to Kierna.  Only hours before, he met the young Corellian.  Now, he was trusting her not only with own his life but also with the lives of his wife and son.  So much was riding on the fragile bond of trust he began to forge with her on their brief journey to N'zoth.  He prayed that she would be able to successfully locate him, but more importantly, locate Leia and Anakin.  Suddenly remembering the nanotransmitter capsule that he ingested, Han managed a small smile. *I better not throw up,* he thought to himself, *or she'll never figure out where I am.*

Han jumped with a startle when the door of the small cell hissed open.  The light from the corridor silhouetted the guard standing in the doorway.  The Yevethan entered the cell as did the other standing behind him.  One guard bent to unlock the clasp holding the restraining bar while the other kept a rifle trained squarely at Solo's chest.  With a harsh tug, the guard pulled him to a standing position as he commanded, "On your feet, prisoner.  * Darama * summons you."

Han fought to steady himself as another powerful wave of nausea slammed into his body.  "Good, I was beginning to wonder if you goons had forgotten about me," he replied as the guards pulled him into the hallway.

He was lead down a dimly lit narrow corridor.  The air was stale, and Han's nostrils burned with every breath that he took.  The harsh lighting of the narrow corridor made his head ache with greater intensity. The roughly hewn corridor reminded him of a primitive mine shaft on Kessel.  The small transport rail that they passed only confirmed his suspicions.  The Yevetha were using an abandoned mine as some sort of bunker, no doubt, to hide from the present rulers of N'zoth-the Imperials.

When they finally reached their destination, Han was pushed into a large chamber.  It did not have the same sterile appearance of the abattoir-like room where he was first brought before Nil Spaar three years ago.  Nevertheless, he knew that he would surely again meet with the viceroy in this room.  The two guards flanked Han, each firmly holding one of his restrained arms as a door on the opposite side of the chamber opened. Han silently observed several more Yevethan guards enter the chamber.  They were followed by Xur Gdaan.  As before, his face was etched with a menacing smile.  Han had to use every gram of will to keep himself from visibly shivering as the final Yevethan entered the chamber-Viceroy Nil Spaar.  The sight of the Yevethan was enough to renew all of the horrid memories of his previous imprisonment.  Yet he refused to give the monster the satisfaction of seeing him cower away.  He stood his ground and awaited the * darama. *

The viceroy did not waste anytime striding over to his captive.  With a wide smile that dripped of contempt, he taunted Han Solo, "General, it is a pleasure to see you again.  I am glad that you could join us."

"Thanks for the invitation.  The accommodations, as always, are impeccable," Han said attempting to hide his growing fear behind a wall of sarcasm.

"Solo," Nil Spaar said as he stepped one step closer to Han, "you are as predictable as the sunrise.  I knew that you would follow your pathetic little mate to the ends of the galaxy.  I was hoping very much that you would be able to join us for her execution."

Rage began to overcome his fear.  The thought of Nil Spaar causing Leia pain sickened him.  "Where's Leia?  Where's my son?" he demanded.  "Let me see them!"

"All in due time, General," Nil Spaar answered as he turned his back to Han.  "All in due time."

Han attempted to lunge at the viceroy, but the two Yevetha holding his arms quickly halted his movement.  "Don't you dare hurt her, you animal!" he growled.

Without a word, Nil Spaar quickly spun around.  His fighting crests flared for a brief second as he swiftly backhanded Han in the mouth, splitting the Corellian's lower lip and instantly drawing blood.  Unconsciousness again threatened to take a hold of Han Solo as his head snapped back.  Blackness called to him as the room began to spin and his vision began to gray.  His head began to ache with renewed ferocity.  It took every bit of strength in his being to stop from passing out.

"Insolent as ever," the Yevethan leader whispered as he moved to stand mere centimeters from Han's face.  "You are in no position to be making demands, human.  Let me remind you that you are my prisoner!"

The Yevethan's breath reeked of blood.  He had, no doubt, recently feasted on an underling's carcass.  The stench was enough to make Han's stomach turn.  Yet he defiantly stood his ground.  Staring the viceroy firmly in the eyes, he again calmly demanded, "Let me see my wife."

Nil Spaar again smiled at Han Solo.  "You will see your vermin queen, Solo.  I don't want you to miss her death when I open her frail neck and drain the life blood from her weak little body."

Han knew better than to pick a fight with the powerful Yevethan.  The last time he had stood face to face with Nil Spaar he was beaten to the point of death and wound up hospitalized for over two weeks. And in his weakened condition, he knew that he would never stand a chance against the viceroy.  If he had any hope of getting Leia and Anakin out alive, he had to remain calm.  He would not allow himself to be drawn into a melee by Nil Spaar's taunting.  He could not risk inciting the Yevethan's rage.

The door on the far side of the chamber again opened, and two guards entered carrying small metallic cages.  Han immediately recognized the distinct musky odor of ysalamiri coming from the cages.  As the guards set the cages on opposite ends of the room, His heart sank as he saw his wife.  She was still dressed in the once shimmering gown that she had worn to the Academy commencement reception.  It was now tattered and stained with grime.  Her hair was disheveled; a tangle of strands hung from loose braids.  Leia fell to the floor as her guards unceremoniously shoved her into the room.

He gasped as he saw Leia's face for the first time.  Her regal countenance was replaced with unbridled fear.  It was easy to see that the mere presence of the ysalimeri was making her physically ill.  They appeared to not only negate her Force abilities, but they also seemed to drain her fading energy reserves.  Her face was clearly wan, and her porcelain complexion was marred with an angry, swollen bruise over her left cheekbone.  Her nostrils were rimmed in crusted blood.

"Leia!" he exclaimed as she hit the floor.

She turned her head toward his voice as she unsteadily stood.  Leia's arms were not bound as his, but it was obvious that her wrists had been restrained with some sort of binder.  As she regained her balance, she began to rub her red, chafed wrists.

"Han," she weakly answered, "what are you doing here?"  A look of concern washed across her face as she saw her battered husband.  She was horrified to see his covered in his own dried blood.  Since her capture, Leia had held on to the hope that Han would, somehow, find her and Anakin.  It was the dream of rescue that enabled her to endure the beating she received from Nil Spaar and his proctor Xur Gdaan.  It was that hope that had comforted her when the pummeling ended and unconsciousness had enveloped her.  But seeing him as bloodied and bruised as she erased every last bit of hope, every dream of salvation.  she painfully realized that there was no escape from this hell, that no one would rescue them.  He was another defenseless captive in this world of horrors.  Her soul felt as cold and dead as the wastelands of Hoth, and hopelessness consumed her.  Han had been her only hope.  But now his fate, like hers and their son's, was in the hands of a madman.  She no longer envisioned freedom, but anticipated an inescapable death for not only herself, but also for him and Anakin.

Han so desperately wanted to put his arms around his exhausted wife.  Leia looked so frail as she silently gazed at him.  She could hide her fears from the Yevetha, but she could not hide them from her husband.  He wanted nothing more than to comfort her, to place a gentle kiss on her forehead.  But the firm hold that his guards had on his arms quickly dashed that idea.  "Are you all right?" he asked as concern flooded his voice.

She nodded, but he wasn't convinced of her answer.  In all of the years that he had known her, he had never seen her so completely exhausted.  She was one of the strongest people that he had ever known, and it was unsettling to Han Solo to see her so frightened.

"Where's Anakin?" he asked her.

Her eyes were filled with sorrow as she quietly answered, "I don't know.  I can't even feel his presence.  I don't know where he is, Han."

Nil Spaar began to laugh.  "What a touching family reunion.  And don't worry, little princess, your precious son is fine.  I have not touched a single hair on his tiny head.  The three of you will be reunited soon.  I want you both to be present as I begin to purge the galaxy of your seed."

The Yevethan viceroy turned to Xur Gdaan and silently gestured to the proctor.  Gdaan quickly exited the chamber, but returned only minutes later with the youngest Solo in tow.  Little Anakin appeared unharmed as he entered the chamber.  The young boy's fears were temporarily erased when he saw his parents as if he was attempting to be brave for them.  He jerked his arm free from Xur Gdaan's grasp and ran to his mother.

"Momma," Anakin called out as he threw his arms around her.

But before she could return the embrace, Anakin was forcefully pulled away as Nil Spaar grabbed the little boy's arms.

Leia reached deep inside to find the strength to challenge the viceroy.  "Leave him alone!" she spat.

Without hesitating, Nil Spaar immediately drew back his hand as if to strike Leia for her outburst.  To Han's amazement, Leia flinched at the movement.  Throughout the years she had stood up to the likes of Vader and Jabba the Hutt without even blinking an eye.  He had always been amazed by her strength.  Seeing her curl away in fear now only made his heart ache all the more.  How many times did Nil Spaar have to strike her to get such a terrified, conditioned response?

Pulling the struggling Anakin to the center of the chamber, Nil Spaar displayed the boy before his guards.  "Blessed Yevetha," he began as his grip on Anakin's arm grew stronger, "the time has come to avenge the death of my young.  The vermin queen and her mate will pay for the irreparable damage they have inflicted upon us!  You see, my comrades, they are directly responsible for the deaths of my unborn children.  They call themselves noble leaders, but they are nothing more than murders.  And as murderers they shall be treated!

"Like I, they will feel the sting of unimaginable grief as their child is ripped from them.  They will mourn as I have.  As * darama * of the Blessed, I shall be their judge and jury.  And I condemn them to death for the crimes that they have committed against us.  Yevethan law dictates swift and fitting retribution.  My children's deaths will be avenged as I spill the blood of their vermin prince!  I do this for the Blessed, for the All!"

Nil Spaar finished his speech by raising his right hand triumphantly overhead.  He exposed his razor-sharp dewclaw, its tip reflecting in the light.  As the viceroy grabbed a handful of Anakin's hair to yank the boy's head forward and expose the back of his small neck, the small crowd of Yevethans burst out with frenzied cheers of approval.

Leia cried out "No!" as tears began to freely flow down her cheeks.  She attempted to run toward her frightened son, but was immediately struck in the head by Xur Gdaan.

"Leia!" Han called out as she hit the cold stone floor.

Blood began to freely flow from her nose and mouth and spill onto the floor.  She was clearly dazed by the blow.  With unfocussed eyes, she reached out in the direction of her son and cried, "Anakin!"

The Yevethan viceroy paid no attention to her plea.  He again drew his massive dewclaw to its full length and placed the sharp tip on Anakin's neck.

"Wait!" Han called out briefly grabbing Nil Spaar's attention.  "Just wait!  You said that if I came to N'zoth, you would be willing to trade one of their lives for mine.  So here," he added as he fell to one knee and bent his neck downward in a sign of Yevethan submission.  "I offer you my neck.  As the powerful * darama, * you have the power to take life and extend mercy.  I offer my life to you in return for Anakin's. I am begging you, let the boy live.  He's innocent.  He's done nothing to harm you.  Kill me if it avenges your young's deaths.  But, please, just let him live."

Nil Spaar, curiously surprised by the honesty emanating from Han's voice, released his grip of Anakin and walked over to where Han was kneeling.  "You are willing to surrender your own life so that your offspring may live?" the Yevethan asked.

Looking Nil Spaar firmly in the eyes, Han answered unwaveringly, "In a heartbeat."

His gaze then shifted to his injured wife.  Leia was trying with all of her might to push herself off the floor, but the blow to the head had drained her of all energy.  Her innate Force abilities quieted, she could nothing to stop Nil Spaar from harming him.  She so desperately wanted to stop the madman's attack, but her injuries prevented her from even standing.  She could do nothing more than stare back at her husband as she fought the enticing void of unconsciousness, her eyes still swimming with stinging tears.
 
Nil Spaar stood before Han staring him again face to face and placed a powerful hand on the back of Solo's skull.  Gesturing to the two guards flanking Han, he silently commanded them to step away from their prisoner.

Han Solo choked back a scream as Nil Spaar quickly lashed out with his right dewclaw and carved a shallow blood-filled gash on his left cheek.  It was as if Nil Spaar was laying claim to his new sacrifice by marking him with his own blood.  The small crowd of Yevethans became increasingly wild with excitement at the mere sight of Solo's blood.  They howled eagerly in anticipation for further bloodletting, for the sacrifice yet to come.

"No!" Leia shrieked above the cheering Yevetha, clearly horrified by the bloody wound on the side of her husband's face.  "Haven't you done enough?  Stop hurting him!"

"You are brave, Solo," the viceroy began, ignoring Leia's cries.  "You do not cower away in fear like I thought you would.  I shall accept your sacrifice.  Your blood will help to ease the pain of my children's deaths."

Han silently screamed Kierna's name, though he knew that she would never hear him.  Where the hell was she?  Had she betrayed him when he need her most just as Bria had so many years ago?  Han quickly attempted to dash that thought from his head.  Surely she had not traveled this far only to now stab him in the back.  As he kneeled before an inevitable death, he did not wish for the young Corellian to come and save his life.  All he could think of was his family's safety  At that moment, his life meant nothing to him.  Perhaps his own death would buy Kierna some time to find Leia and Anakin.

As Nil Spaar grabbed a fistful of his kneeling prisoner's hair, all resistance drained out of Han Solo's body.  He completely submitted himself to the viceroy and awaited his approaching death.  He hoped that it would be instantaneously painless.  "I'm sorry, Leia," he whispered as he searched for her gaze.  He never imagined that things would end this way.  Han silently cursed himself for failing his family, for being unable bring them home to safety.  He prayed to unseen gods that Leia and their precious son would somehow survive this ordeal.

For him, history was repeating itself.  Just as in Cloud City, he stood on the edge of the unknown.  Again he passively awaited his fate, unwilling to put up a futile struggle.  Again he attempted to win the battle with the overwhelming fear bubbling up from his core.  He had to be strong for Leia.  He couldn't show any fear now.  Again her face was etched in soul-shattering sorrow.  It was the same look of despair that he had seen as he was lowered into the carbon freezing pit in Cloud City.  Back then, he thought that Leia's consuming grief would be the last vision that he would ever see.  Now he silently wondered to himself if her sad face truly would be the last image he would ever see before sinking forever into nothingness.  He mourned not his own death, but grieved for the pain and suffering it would inflict upon his family.

As Leia's gaze locked with his, Han was no longer able to hold back the swell of emotions ripping through him.   Tears began to well up in his eyes as he realized that they were, perhaps for the last time, saying good-bye.

"I love you," was all she could manage to say.  The anguish on her face conveyed a thousand unsaid words.  But she did not have the time or the strength to say them all.  Rather, she summed up every feeling, every experience she had ever shared with Han in three simple words.

"I know, Leia," Han quietly answered as he blinked and a stray tear slid down his bruised cheek.  "I know.  And I will always love you."

"Daddy, no!" Anakin cried as he struggled against his captors.

Han turned to his small son.  "It's all right, Anakin," he mournfully told the child.  "Your mom, you have to take care of her.  Do you hear me?"

"How touching," Nil Spaar mocked.  "It is too bad that your death will be in vain.  For once your blood is nothing more than a cold puddle on the floor, I shall then turn my claw on your wife and child."  Turning to Anakin, he grinned, "My little vermin prince, it is now time to say good-bye to Daddy."

"Let my daddy go!" the youngest Solo demanded as the Yevethan pulled Han's head back, exposing the Corellian's vulnerable neck.

But the viceroy did not quickly sever his head from the body as he had done countless times with other sacrifices.  Rather, he silently placed his dewclaw on Han's rapidly throbbing carotid artery. "Your pulse betrays you, Solo," Nil Spaar whispered in Solo's ear.  "I can feel the fear coursing through your body."

Han closed his eyes in anticipation of the searing pain to come.  He knew that his execution was near as Nil Spaar forcefully thrust his head forward.  He held the images of Leia and their children close to his heart as he tried to curb his growing fear.  Though he tried, he could not stop his body from shivering.  Beads of sweat formed on his brow as he felt the point of Nil Spaar's dewclaw press further into his neck.  He bit his lip as the point of the claw broke the skin, and a small stream of blood began to roll down his neck.  Second by second, the pressure from the claw was building against his flesh.  He silently cursed Nil Spaar for dragging out the inevitable by slowly teasing him.

But the pressure on his neck subsided as the ground shook with a low rumble.  Han Solo opened his eyes to find Nil Spaar looking at his guards with bewilderment.

"*Darama,*" Xur Gdaan called out, "you must complete the sacrifice so that we my retreat further below ground.  The Imperials are again firing on the compound!"

"Silence," Nil Spaar answered sharply.  "I will not be rushed.  The sacrifice shall continue.  It would be unclean if it is mingled with haste!"

As Nil Spaar was about to again place his massive dewclaw on Han's neck, another blast hit the compound sending dust and debris tumbling from the ceiling.  He was not going to let rocket fire disrupt his deluded sense of retribution.

After another blast ripped through the compound, one of Nil Spaar's personal guards added, "Please, Blessed One, we must seek shelter now.  Let the prisoners perish in the blast, but we must retreat before this level collapses!"

Larger bits of metal and stone rained from the ceiling as a stronger blast shook the chamber.  Leia weakly covered her head to protect herself from the falling debris.  Her small hands were raggedly cut by the shards of falling permecrete.  She limply collapsed on the floor as a large piece of the permecrete struck the back of her head and darkness consumed her.  The air began to fill with choking dust, and Han began to uncontrollably cough.

Nil Spaar hesitated for a brief moment as if he were torn between revenge and saving his own hide.  Thrusting Han's head toward the ground, he called out to his fellow Yevetha.  "Xur Gdaan, you are correct, my proctor," he regally stated.  We shall allow the Imperials to bury the vermin queen and her mate alive.  We shall let the fates determine whether or not they are crushed to death.  But as for their offspring, we shall take him with us.  We shall wait for a day when the sacrifice shall be clean.  We shall wait until then to honor the All and execute him. As for our guests, seal them in this room so that they will not escape.  But come now, brethren, let us retreat to safety!"

Before Han could react, Nil Spaar again had his arms securely around Anakin's.  The little boy did not, however, follow the Yevethan viceroy quietly.  In typical Solo fashion, Anakin swiftly kicked his captor in the shin.  The viceroy bellowed in pain as he tightened his grip on the boy and forced him toward the door.  Anakin called out angrily in pain as the viceroy slapped him firmly on the cheek.

As Nil Spaar reached the door on the far side of the chamber, he heard a new anger-filled voice in the chamber.  Emerging from a ventilation duct in the wall stood Kierna Tharen, her blaster rifle pointing at the Yevethan leader.  "Let the boy go," she confidently spat as she entered the chamber.

Nil Spaar glared back at the young woman.  His nostrils flared as he took in the scent of this new vermin warrior.  "Come for your insect queen, have you?" he sneered.  "Little girl, I would put that blaster down if I were you."  Nil Spaar fully exposed one of his dewclaws and placed it over young Anakin Solo's chest.  "If you take one more step forward," he added, "I shall rip the boy's beating heart from his chest!"

Kierna stopped in her tracks as she listened to Nil Spaar's demand.  She did not want to risk Anakin's life by any making any hasty moves that would provoke the Yevethan madman.  At the same time, she realized that if she stood still and did nothing, Anakin could still very well die at the hands of the crazed Yevethan.  Taking one step forward, she again insisted, "I said put the boy down!"

But her demands were met with Yevethan blaster fire.  "Get down!" Han yelled as he saw the guards fire their rifles from the doorway.  Kierna went diving toward the corner of the room as the laser bolts ricocheted off the far wall.  Han threw his body toward Leia's still form in a feeble attempt to shield her from the gunfire.  Kierna again drew her weapon, but as she aimed at the door, she quickly realized that Nil Spaar had stealthily escaped with Anakin.  The blaster fight was merely a diversion to ensure his exit.

She cursed under her breath as another blast shook the entire room.  Running over to Han, she pulled a small vibroblade from her right boot.  Using the device to pick the lock, she skillfully released the restraining bar from Han's bound arms. Once his hands were finally free, she quickly reached over her shoulder to retrieve Han's blaster from the small pack on her back.  "Thought you might need this," she stated as she placed the weapon in her father's hand.   "Now get Leia out of here.  The whole building's bound to collapse any second!"

"But-" Han began.

"I'll find Anakin," she sternly interrupted.  "We don't have time to discuss this in committee, Han.  The Imps are firing on compound, and I don't know how long the structure's going to hold together.  You need to get Leia out of here now!  You should be able to find cover a few hundred meters from the compound."  As she bolted out of the door in pursuit of Nil Spaar, she called out, "Don't worry, I'll get Anakin out safely.  Just go!"

As she ran out of the chamber, Han immediately directed his attention to his injured wife.  It felt like ages since the last time that he had held her safely in his arms.  A fresh wave of sorrow washed over him as he gently brushed the tangled strands of hair away from her bruised and grimy face.  Leia quietly groaned in response.  "What has that monster done to you?" Han softly asked a barely-conscious Leia.  He reached down and picked up her feather-light form, protectively cradling her head against his chest.   "Come on sweetheart, let's get you out of here."

As he exited the room, he had to momentarily lean against the wall and clear his head as the dizziness from his head injuries threatened to claim him. He could not afford to drop his injured and unconscious wife. He patiently waited until the attack of vertigo and nausea had passed before continuing his trek.  Blindly searching for the passage leading to the outside and freedom, he paused for a brief second.  "Please," he pleaded to unlistening ears, "let Kierna find Anakin."

Amid the chaos of the collapsing building, he wandered through hallways.  With the latest round of bombing, the narrow corridors were blackened, making the journey to the surface all the more precarious.  Oddly, the passage was empty.  Apparently, the Yevethan guards had all scurried for cover with the first round of bombings.  Although he was carrying Leia securely in his arms, he still was able to a fire off a round of blaster fire and stop an approaching Yevethan warrior.

He continued to wander aimlessly until he saw the first red and orange of the approaching sunrise flicker through a break in a sealed window.  Only then did he realize that he was on the ground level of the compound.  Shifting Leia gently in his arms, he managed to negotiate the pile of rubble that blocked the exit to the building.  As he stepped outside, he took in a breathful of the cool morning air.  "Hang in there, sweetheart," he murmured to his wife as he placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head.  "We're almost there."

The scream of tie fighter thrusters began to fill the air, each second growing louder.  Han quickly realized that the Imperial squadron was returning to bomb the Yevethan compound yet again.  He knew that he would have to find the safety of cover if he and Leia were to survive the attack.  Spotting a large culvert below the utility road about two hundred meters ahead of him, he staggered across the paved lot.  Reaching the sheltered culvert, He carefully placed Leia inside the tunnel as he crawled inside, laying her gently on the ground beside him.

Outside the air was still fairly chilly, and immediately Leia began to shiver.  As she struggled to regain consciousness, she managed to quietly moan her husband's name.  "Han," she mumbled.

Without giving it a second thought, he quickly peeled off his dark blue flight jacket and wrapped it around her shivering form.  "I'm right here, Leia.  Everything's going to be okay," he reassured as he managed a small grin.  "You're safe now."

As her eyes came into focus, concern washed across her face.  She could not take her eyes off the gaping bloody wound on his face.  Suddenly Leia felt sick to her stomach as she remembered how the Nil Spaar had mercilessly ripped Han's face open.  Weakly, she raised a hand to touch his bleeding cheek.  "You're hurt," she whispered as her dark eyes found his.

Capturing her small hand in his own, he kissed her fingertips and returned her hand to her chest.  "I'm fine, Leia," he stated.  "Nothing a little bacta gel won't fix."

he used the back of his hand to wipe away the clotting blood from the deep gash.  He had denied his own excruciating pain and bone-aching fatigue as he had carried Leia out of the Yevethan compound.  He would not allow a pounding headache or a bleeding laceration to prevent him from accomplishing this goal. Her safety was vastly more important than his comfort.  Only now as he touched the raw edges of the gash did the stinging pain return to his face.  His cheek felt as if it was on fire and his head began to throb with a new intensity as he knelt beside her.  * Maybe bacta gel won't be enough, * he silently thought to himself as his fingers appreciated the depth of the wound.  Han realized that the gash on his cheek would heal into a very disfiguring scar if he did not seek proper medical attention.  The large scar on his chest was one reminder too many of all the suffering that Nil Spaar had created.  Han certainly did not need any other permanent reminders of the viceroy.

Anxiety filled her exhausted voice as she attempted to sit up as she realized that their son was not with them.  "Anakin," she urgently asked, "where's Anakin?"

Han immediately put his hands on her shoulders and guided her back down to a supine position.  "Easy, sweetheart.  Lay back down," he soothed.  "He'll be here soon."

But his words did not reassure her.  "Where is he, Han?" she insisted as her brow knitted into a frown.

Reluctantly, he replied, "He's still inside the compound."

Again Leia attempted to bolt upright.  "Still in there!" she answered.  "Han, we have to go back in.  Our baby's in there.  We can't leave him in there alone with that monster!"

Han placed a finger on her lips to stifle her protests.  "You're in no condition to go anywhere," he insisted.  "You've got a nasty bump on your head, and probably have a concussion.  I needed to get you out of there.  It's okay, Leia.  Anakin's not alone.  Kierna's in there looking for him."

"Kierna?" she said as confusion filled her mind.  "What's Kierna doing here?"

"She came with me," Han asserted.  "I'll explain it later.  Just rest, princess.  Everything's going to be alright."

For his own sake and Leia's, he had to believe that the young Corellian would find their youngest son.  He could not bear the thought of losing their child, and Han Solo felt torn between protecting his injured wife and searching for his captive son.  But he knew that in his weakened state he would be of no help to Kierna.  He cursed his inability to help Anakin.  He wished it were he, not Kierna, that would face the Yevethan viceroy.  He wanted retribution for all of the pain, all of the agony that Nil Spaar had ever inflicted upon his family.  But he realized at that moment his place was with Leia.  Kierna had promised to bring Anakin safely out of the Yevethan compound.  He reassured himself over and over again with the silent mantra, *She will find him. *  Like Leia he had to helplessly wait as another searched for their missing boy.

Leia's shivering returned and her teeth began to uncontrollably chatter.  The lightweight jacket was not enough to ward off the early morning chill.  "I'm so cold, Han," she managed to utter.

Pulling her into his arms, he hoped that his own body heat would be enough to warm the petite woman.  Wrapping his arms around her shivering body he said, "Let me hold you, Leia.  I'll try to keep you warm."

As she snuggled her head against his chest, fatigue overcame her and she began to drift into a restless unconsciousness.  "Anakin," she incoherently mumbled as the Imperials again fired on the compound.  He pulled her closer as their mention of their son's name painfully stabbed him to the core.  He cursed the Imperials for bombing the building.  As the bombs exploded, he would not allow himself to even think of Anakin perishing in the aftermath of the bombing raid.  Yet there was nothing Han could do.  For Han Solo, the painstakingly frustrating waiting began as he prayed for Anakin's safe return.

*****

Kierna Tharen continued her search for Anakin in complete blackness.  One of the bombs from the Imperial tie fighters had destroyed the main generator for the compound.  Every light had blinked out simultaneously.  Instead of strapping a microilluminator to the muzzle of her rifle, she pulled a small pair of night vision goggles from her hip pack and placed them over her eyes.  She did not want even the faintest flicker of light to give away her location.  She knew that Nil Spaar was a very dangerous and intelligent opponent.  She knew that she needed the element of surprise on her side if she was to successfully find her half brother.  She quickly ducked into a side hall as she heard two Yevethan race toward her as they made their way to defend the entrance of the compound.

Further down the corridor she heard the small boy's voice defiantly demand, "I said let me go!  I want my mom!"

She smiled as she said to herself, "That a boy, Anakin.  You keep letting me know where you are."  Unable to use any tracking device to find him, she had been using the child's voice as a beacon.  No matter how far she pursued Anakin and his captor, she always felt that she was several steps behind them.  She had not yet caught up to Nil Spaar and Anakin, but she continued to follow the voice of the outspoken young Solo deeper and deeper into the underground caverns of the compound.

The young Corellian stopped in her tracks as she heard a scuffle ahead in the corridor.  The sounds of the boy scampering away from his captor echoed in the passage.  "Come back here you little imp!" the viceroy bellowed.

Kierna snapped the microilluminator to her blaster's muzzle as she heard what sounded like a small rock smash against a wall and the boy yell, "Stay away from me!"

Preparing to round the corner and face Nil Spaar, she removed the goggles and flipped the illuminator on, bathing the corridor in light.  Facing the viceroy, she demanded, "Back away from him!"

Enraged, the Yevethan viceroy lunged at Kierna Tharen, both of his dewclaws fully extended for battle.  In one blinding second he lashed one of his razor-sharp claws at the Alpha Blue agent.  Instinctively, she managed to jump back and prevent Nil Spaar from spilling open her abdomen.  However, he was able to hook the muzzle of her rifle and hurl it across the corridor.  The clattering echo of the blaster smashing against the wall filled the hallway, and darkness descended on the hallway as her microilluminator blinked off as the rifle hit the floor.

Before she could react, she was knocked to the ground with enough force to knock the wind out of her.  Toppled to the floor by the attacking viceroy, she attempted to roll away from Nil Spaar as she saw the faint glimmer of dewclaw bearing down on her face.  She angrily spat a Corellian curse as Nil Spaar's claw made contact with her shoulder.

"Run, Anakin!" she yelled as she tried to escape from the fiercely strong Yevetha that was pinning her to the ground.  "Get out of here!"

The terrified little boy did not question her order.  Anakin ran quickly down the hall before Nil Spaar could snare one of his small legs.  In the darkness Kierna heard Anakin's rapid footsteps grow more distant as he sprinted toward freedom.  But she could not dwell on the boy's escape.  She had one hundred kilograms of rabid muscle, sinew, and claw to contend with.  Infuriated by Anakin's apparent  escape, Nil Spaar turned his anger and frustration on the Corellian woman.  Again he raised a deadly dewclaw to rip her apart.  She grunted with effort as she grabbed his wrist with both of her hands in an attempt to prevent the point of the claw from making contact with her body.  Her arms began to betray her, and they began to involuntarily shake with fatigue as the point of his claw inched closer and closer to face.  Her energy quickly fading, she did not know how she could overcome the Yevethan.

Just as the vibroblade sharp tip of Nil Spaar's dewclaw was about to break the surface of her left cheek, another devastating blast slammed into the compound.  Every corridor shook as the Imperials pummeled the building.  The blast was enough to momentarily distract the enraged viceroy.  She managed to raise a knee and thrust Nil Spaar's massive form off her pinned body.  Scrambling to her feet, she knew that she had only milliseconds to make her next move before Nil Spaar attacked again.  Her blaster was several meters out of reach, and she immediately realized that she would not be able to outrun him.

She hoped that she would elude Nil Spaar in the darkness.  She stealthily crept toward her dropped weapon.  As she bent to retrieve the blaster, she was forcefully thrown against the wall.  Again the Yevethan was attacking from the shadows.  Through the blackness, she thought that she caught a glimpse of his flaring fighting crests.

She ducked as Nil Spaar threw a fist toward her jaw.  He howled in pain as his massive fist struck the wall.  As she attempted to shove him away she quickly scrambled toward her blaster.  He knocked her to the cold stone floor in a thundering crash.  She swallowed an anguished cry as her knee smashed into the floor.  Grabbing the blaster, she aimed the muzzle of the weapon toward the Yevethan.  Just as she was about to squeeze the trigger and burn whole through Nil Spaar's head, the corridor began to shake yet again as an Imperial bomb slammed into the underground compound.

She instinctively covered her head as rock and debris rained from the ceiling.  Her body burned with pain as the stones slammed against her.  The roar of the cavern collapsing around her was deafening.  The thick cloud of dust that filled the corridor began to coat her throat in with choking film.  The falling debris ripped into her tunic and pants, leaving blood rimmed holes of fabric where they struck her.   As the avalanche of stone and permecrete settled, She began to cough.  Her body ached with a thousand new pains.  But she thanked the Maker that she was still alive.

Relieved that her arms and legs still worked, Kierna shoved the fallen debris from her bruised body.  Weakly reaching for her blaster, she flipped the microilluminator on.  The beam of light filtered through the floating dust.  Pointing the beam of light toward her feet, she surveyed her surroundings.  A motionless, bloodied Yevethan hand reached for ankle.  Underneath a pile of permecrete lay Nil Spaar.  She breathlessly waited for the Yevethan viceroy to lunge yet again her.  But he did not even twitch a muscle.  She didn't want to wait to see if the viceroy was dead or still alive.  Gingerly, she pulled herself to a standing position.  She winced as she put her full weight on her left leg.  Thankfully it was not broken, just very sore.  Once steadily on her feet, Kierna Tharen trekked down the hallway again in search of her young half-brother.  She knew that both of them had a very short amount of time left before the entire Yevethan bunker was reduced to rubble.

As she continued down the long darkened corridors, Kierna kept her blaster aimed in front of her.  She did not want to be ambushed by another Yevethan.  Her brief melee with Nil Spaar had clearly exhausted her.  "Anakin!" she called out.  "Anakin, where are you?"  Her voice echoed down the dusty passage.  She received no response from the little boy.  "It's okay, Anakin," she again yelled into the darkness.  "Don't be scared.  I'm here with your dad.  We've come to help you."

Still there was no answer from Anakin Solo.  Kierna continued down the hallway, occasionally spotting one of the little boy's footprints on the dusty floor.  She knew she was still heading in the right direction. She stopped to wipe the sweat from her forehead when she heard a faint sound in the distance.  She stood motionless as she attempted to identify the small sound.  "Help!" the weak little voice cried.  "Somebody, please."

Immediately she recognized it as the voice of the youngest Solo child.  She sprinted toward the noise.  She pictured Anakin trapped under a pile of permecrete as he called out into nothingness.  She did not want to fail Han.  She promised to find the boy.  She had to find his son.  "I'm coming, Anakin!"  she yelled as she followed the sound of her brother's voice.

She continued down the corridor, Anakin's crying growing louder with every stride she took.  Small pebbles and bits of permecrete continued to fall from the cracked ceiling.  Fortunately the bombing had again stopped.  But she knew that the reprieve from the Imperial assault would be very short lived.  They would undoubtedly return to pummel the compound yet again.  It would only take a few more blasts before Anakin and she would be buried alive.

Anakin's voice sounded very close as she heard him yell, "Hurry, I can't hold on!"

Pointing the microilluminator ahead of her, Kierna replied,  "Where are you?"  She spotted a break in the floor several meters ahead of her.

"Down here," a small voice came from the direction of the break.

A sinking feeling filled the pit of her stomach as she approached the recess.  Shining the light down in the hole she spotted young Anakin Solo clinging a rough outcropping of rock several meters below.  The small boy's face was streaked with dirt and tears.  His legs dangled below him as he held on for dear life.  One of the blasts had opened up a sealed over mine shaft.  Unfortunately for Anakin, he was standing in the wrong place at the wrong time when the maw had opened.

*Han's dream, * Kierna quickly thought to herself, horrified that her father's nightmare was coming true.  Calming herself, she set her blaster on the lip of the shaft and aimed the microilluminator toward Anakin.  Futilely, she reached down to grab the young boy, but immediately she realized that the gap between them was much farther than her arm's length.  "Hang on, Anakin," she reassured.  "I'll come down there and get you."

"I'm scared," he whimpered.  "I don't think I can hold on!"

"I'm scared, too," she soothed.  she couldn't afford to have Anakin panic and put both of their lives in even more danger.  She had to calm the boy.  "But we both have to be brave right now.  I'm coming down.  Just hang on."

"I'm trying," he weakly replied.

Wishing she had a safety cable, Kierna slid herself into the lip of the mineshaft.  Slowly, she tested each bit of rock as she secured her grip.  Her feet slowly found sturdy outcroppings as she lowered herself centimeter by centimeter lower into the pit.  "Kreth!" she spat as her footing gave way.  She slid a meter deeper into the mineshaft before she could grab a jagged bit of the wall and stop her descent.  Her arm felt like it was ripped out of its socket as her fall came to a stop.  She sharply exhaled as she tired to halt her growing fear.  She only had a little further to climb before she reached him.  She was not going to allow this small mishap to prevent her from reaching him.

As she finally reached Anakin, she found a secure but tiny ledge to plant her feet.

"I'm getting tired," he stated as his terrified face met hers.  "I wanna go home."

"We're going home," she answered.  "But first, we both have to climb out of this hole."

"I can't!"  Anakin whimpered as his icy blue eyes stared at Kierna.

"Yes you can, Anakin," she asserted.   "I'll help you."  Moving closer to the small boy, she added, "Now I want you to put your foot down there.  And with your right hand, I want you to grab that bit of rock and pull your self up."

Anakin did as he was instructed.  As the little boy began to slowly began to climb, Kierna gave his rump a shove to aid his ascent.  "That's it.  Good job, Anakin," she coaxed.  "Now grab over there with your left hand, and push up with your right leg."

Slowly both Kierna and Anakin pulled themselves closer to the top of the mineshaft.  She didn't need to remind the small boy not to look down.  He already knew that his salvation rested at the top, not the bottom, of the darkened shaft.  Like Kierna, the youngest Solo had to call on every gram of energy to haul her body to the surface of the pit.  When they were a mere meter from the lip of the mineshaft, she instructed, "We're almost there, Anakin.  I'm going to give you a push, and I want you to throw a leg over the edge.  Once you're out, I'll follow you.  On the count of three, okay?"  He quickly nodded.  "Ready then, one, two, three," she added as she shoved Anakin upward.  The boy grunted as he kicked a small leg over the lip of the mineshaft and rolled to safety.  Relieved that Anakin had reached the top, Kierna used her free hand to wipe away the dirt and sweat that was stinging her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she grabbed yet another bit of the jagged wall, set her footing, and propelled herself out of the endlessly deep pit.  Like Anakin, she rolled away from the dangerous edge.

Out of breath, she slowly pulled herself to a kneeling position, far too exhausted to stand.  Two small arms immediately embraced her with a suffocating hug as Anakin exclaimed.  "I knew it, Kierna.  I knew you would come and help me!"

Returning the embrace, she felt the boy tighten his grip around her.  It took her a few minutes to realize that the small boy already knew her name.  In the mad rush to help him, she had never told him her name.  Yet, oddly enough, he knew who she was.  She had once heard that Han's young children had rudimentary Force capabilities.   Perhaps Anakin was drawing on these abilities when he so readily identified her.

Taking only a brief moment to regain her strength, she quickly retrieved her blaster from the floor.  Grabbing Anakin's hand with her free one, she said.  "Come on, let's get out here.  I know a mom and dad that are looking for their son."

*****

Again the Imperials had completed yet another strike on the compound as the first rays of sunshine peered over the eastern horizon.  Han and Leia remained in the safety of the drainage culvert, hidden from view from the Imperials.  Leia had regained consciousness and lay huddled next to her husband in the tunnel, Han's arms still protectively encircling her.  The large gash on his face had stopped bleeding and was now a sticky, clotted mess on his left cheek.  He kept a silent vigil, constantly peering at the smashed bunker for any moment.  He continued to hope that he would see Kierna emerge from the rubble with his son.  But as every second dragged into the next, he felt that hope fade.  He knew that the longer they remained in the bunker, their chances of being crushed to death in the destruction increased.  Yet he would not allow Leia to see him worry.  Outwardly he remained optimistic for his injured wife.  But inwardly, he began to fear that he would never see Anakin or Kierna ever again.

In the distance he saw movement in the billowing dust surrounding the compound.  Picking up his blaster that rested on the ground by his thigh, Han prepared for battle.  He squinted into the distance in an attempt to identify the silhouetted in the shadows of dawn.

Leia sensed Han's quickly changing mood.  She did not miss the fact that his blaster was securely in his hand.  "What's going?" she quietly asked.

"Stay here, Leia," he answered.  "Let me check this out."

"Is it Anakin?" she hopefully asked.

Crawling his way to the culvert's opening, he looked back at Leia.  "I'm not sure.  Just stay put.  I'll be right back."

Han cautiously crept back toward the bunker, his blaster ready for action.  He sprinted to an overturned transport speeder, using it to shield himself from a possible attack from the bunker.  The shadows grew closer, and he prepared himself for the worst.  His heart leapt in his chest as he heard his son's voice grow closer.  He fought back tears of joy as he identified the approaching figures as his oldest daughter and youngest son.  Stepping out from the speeder's shadow, he called out, "Anakin!"

"Daddy!" the boy joyously replied as he released his grip on Kierna's hand and sprinted toward his father.  Han bent down to embrace his son.  Anakin dove into his waiting arms with a fierce hug.  Still unsteady from his head injury, Han did not let his throbbing headache ruin their reunion.  Returning the hug, Han Solo savored the moment and cherished his son's recovery.  Overcome with relief, he was speechless.  He clung to his son until the little boy wiggled free.

"Let me take a look at you," Han said as he surveyed his grimy but unharmed son.  "Are you okay?"

Anakin's small face wrinkled into a frown that mirrored Han's familiar scowl.  "I'm fine, Dad," the boy replied.  "But you don't look that great."

Tousling his son's disheveled hair.  "I'm fine now that you're here, sport," he smiled.  "Now just how did you get out of there?"

As Kierna reached the two, Anakin grabbed her hand and proudly answered, "Kierna helped me Dad," he answered.  "I knew my sister would come and help me!"

 Han quickly threw her a puzzled glance.  "I didn't tell him," she answered as if she could read his mind.  "He just, well he just knew that I was his sister."

Putting his arm around Anakin and drawing his to his side as if to reassure himself that Anakin was real and not a dream, Han stated, "That sounds like my Little Jedi.  He tends to know things that other's don't.  You'll get used to it."

"Kierna was great, Dad," Anakin explained.  "There was this explosion, and I fell into this hole.  She helped me get out!"

Han and Kierna exchanged glances.  A silent understanding passed between them.  She was well aware of his nightmare and how he had feared for Anakin's life.  But she alone was able to change the course of events.  Han could not find the right words to express his gratitude.  This young Corellian--his daughter--was able to overcome the Yevethan monster and save his son.  She was able to vanquish his nightmare.  Wrapping his free arm around the woman, he drew her closer to him.  "Thank you, Kierna," he whispered.

Completing the circle, she put her arms around both Han and Anakin. Kierna felt comfort wash over her as she was welcomed into his embrace, his family.  "You're welcome, Dad," she quietly answered.

*****

Far from N'zoth, Han exhaled a sigh of relief as the *Millennium Falcon* exited the Koornacht Cluster.   Hopefully he would never again lay eyes on the miserable system.  Their departure from N'zoth was uneventful.  Rather than commit an act of war by firing on the New Republic's Chief of State, the Imperial forces ruling the planet were more than willing to allow the *Falcon* safe passage through the Cluster.

He took one last look at the distant planet before making the jump to lightspeed and exiting the cockpit to make his way to the galley.  He felt worlds better after a steaming-hot shower in the fresher and a change of clothes.  The analgesic patch on his upper arm helped erase the countless aches and pains that had been assailing his battered body.  Kierna had tried her best to approximate the gaping wound on his face with steristrips.  However the itching bacta dressing that covered the wound was beginning to drive him absolutely crazy.  Programming the replicator, he prepared a mug of floral tea for his wife.  He wrinkled his nose at the aroma, but he knew that it would be a soothing beverage for Leia.

Dressed in her old robe that she retrieved from their cabin, Leia quietly entered the small galley.  Her wet hair hung down her back, and she was pressing a coldpack firmly against her bruised and swollen cheekbone.  "You read my mind," she smiled as she accepted the steaming mug from Han.

"How are you feeling?" he asked with concern.

Following him out to the lounge, Leia sat at the small table with Han.  "Like I've been run over by a bantha," she wearily answered.  "But I feel much better now.  I'm just glad to get out of there in once piece.  I can't believe that you and Kierna came after us alone."

Han replied as Leia leaned into his arms, "The only thing that matters is that you both are safe.  You both mean so much to me.  I couldn't sit still while Nil Spaar had you two."  To emphasize this point, he placed a tender kiss on her forehead.

Leia savored the silence for a few moments before she asked, "Where's Anakin?  It's awfully quiet right now."

"I think Kierna's getting him ready for bed," he answered.

"Seems like those two have really hit it off," Leia observed as she took a sip of her tea.

"That's one down, two to go," he said referring to his three younger children.  "How do you think Jaina and Jacen are going to react to this?"

Pausing to contemplate the question, Leia finally answered, "We have two weeks to figure that one out.  Let's wait until they get back from Yavin to tell them about Kierna.  I don't want to disrupt their remaining time with Luke.  We'll figure out what to do by then."

"I just hope they're as receptive as Anakin was," Han stated.

"I'm not worried about Jacen," Leia said.  "He'll do just fine.  It's Jaina I'm worried about."

"Yeah, she's about as hot-tempered as her feisty mother!" he teased.

"Han Solo," she scolded, "you take that back!"

Giving her a squeeze and a quick kiss.  "Hey, Your Highnessness, I only call it like I see it," he laughed.  "And you seem pretty wound up and feisty right now."

"I'll give you feisty!" she giggled as she threw her arms around her husband and fiercely kissed him.

Their kiss was interrupted as Anakin noisily entered the lounge with Kierna closely behind.  Clearly disgusted by his parents' display of affection, Anakin grimaced and matter-of-factly proclaimed, "You two are so gross!"

Unable to stifle a giggle, Leia bantered back, "I guess grown-ups can be pretty gross from time to time."

"Mom, where am I supposed to sleep?" the boy asked as he stood before his parents in his pajamas.  "Kierna's stuff is in the kids' cabin."

Han quickly came up with an answer to appease the boy.  "You're the first officer, remember?" he asked.  "The first officer always sleeps in the first officer's cabin."

"I get to sleep in Chewie's cabin?" Anakin excitedly replied as a huge smile spread across his face.  Pride swept through the boy as his father acknowledged him as the *Falcon's* first officer.

"Speaking of sleep," Leia interrupted, "that's where you should be headed."

"But Mom," Anakin pleaded, "I'm not tired."

Han gave his son a stern look.  "Don't argue with your mother, Anakin," he said as he stood and stared down at the boy.  "You've been yawning since we left N'zoth.  And you've been through a lot during the past few days.  Now say goodnight to Mom.  Let's let her finish her tea, and I'll go tuck you in."

Too fatigued to continue the debate, Anakin snapped to attention and saluted his mother.  "First Officer Solo requesting permission to go to bed!" he stated in his best military tone of voice.

Leia let out a chuckle and kissed her youngest son on the cheek.  "Granted, First Officer Solo.  Now goodnight, Anakin."

"Goodnight Mom. 'Night, Kierna," Anakin said as his father scooped him up into his strong arms.

"Come on, you little nerfherder," Han said as he tickled his son and the boy began to uncontrollably giggle, "let's get you to bed."

The sounds of the boy's laughter grew fainter as Anakin and Han made their way the Chewbacca's large cabin.  As Kierna sat down at the table, Leia set down her mug of tea and said, "I can't thank you enough for everything you've done, Kierna.  If you hadn't come here with Han, I don't know if any of us would be alive right now."

"I'm glad I was able to help," the young Corellian replied.

Leia smiled at the younger woman.  "It seems like the Fates have brought you into our lives.  I know Han is very proud of what you've done, as am I."

Kierna felt awkward she listened to Leia's statement.  But somehow she felt at ease with her new position in the Solo family.  For the first time in her life, she understood the pleasure of having the love of a father.  Although she knew that Leia could never fill the insurmountable gap that was left by her mother Bria, Kierna felt that the Leia would grow to be a role model, a confidante, a life-long friend.  Both women, too exhausted to delve into the details of the rescue, silently enjoyed each other's company, both welcoming a moment of quiet, healing peace.

After a while Leia broke the silence.  "I wonder what's keeping Han," she quietly stated.  "He's been gone for a while."  Standing up, she added, "I'll be right back.  I'm going to see what's keeping him.

Leia strode down the corridor to the cabins and found the overhead lights to Chewbacca's cabin still on.  As she peered through the open door, she leaned against the doorframe and smiled as she found her husband and son.  Sprawled out on the large bunk was her husband fast asleep, his chest gently rising and falling with every breath he took.  On the floor was the book he had been reading to their son.  Snuggled in the crook of Han's arm was a sleeping Anakin, his father's arms protectively encircling the small boy. Unwilling to wake either of them, she picked up the blanket folded at the foot of the bed and silently covered both of the sleeping Solos with it.

As she quietly made her way to the doorway of the cabin, Leia turned to look at them one last time.  She was grateful to be reunited with her family.  But she was more relieved to see her husband peacefully resting.  Gone was the tension-filled frown that so often had marred his face as he slept.  She was sure that his slumber finally restful, the horrifying nightmares a thing of the past.  Nil Spaar was no longer a threat to her family.  For the first time in months, Han looked at peace.  And with this newly discovered peace, she found contentment.  Palming the controls for the overhead lights, Leia flipped off the lights and quietly exited the cabin, closing the door behind her.

END