* * *

Luke screamed in anger. "Let me go, Valena! You can't hold me like this!" The Jedi only tightened her grip on his wrists.

"I can, and I will. Control your anger, Luke. Don't let it control you." Her calm tone stabilized him a little, and his knees gave out. Valena maintained her hold on his hands, but now it was meant to comfort instead of restrain. Luke sobbed on the wet grass of the meadow.

"I'm so sorry. I shouldn't lose control like this, not after all this time." It had been twelve standard weeks since the Emperor had left him at Endor, but Luke was still prone to dangerous, towering rages. Leia had come and gone, and in a week of visiting had built her own ruby bladed lightsaber. Luke had begged her to leave, because he knew that his angers affected her adversely. From time to time, he contacted her through the Force, but they had not been in the same system for several months. She was worried about him, as were the rest of his friends. His father was still working on Coruscant, but he would be joining Valena on Agra soon. When Luke considered himself recovered, he would be welcome on the Alliance's capital world as well.

From what Leia had told him, many of the Imperials had fled at the Empire's dissolution and gone into hiding. The Alliance was seeking them out, but they were well hidden. The general consensus among Alliance members was that the escapees had gone to Carida, but that system was the central one in a large coalition of systems who had been the Empire's staunchest supporters and refused to accept that the Senate was back in session.

"No, you shouldn't," she agreed. "You must learn patience, Luke. Do not allow minor irritations to affect you like this."

"I know, I know, I must learn patience," he repeated. "That's what everyone has always told me. Be calm, be patient, be at peace. But there's so much easy power in anger, and it comes to hand so readily!" he protested.

"Shhh. I know. Darkness can only bring ruin, however. Power is a very poor trade for love, friendship and trust, I think." Valena paused to consider her next words. "You have tried both paths. Which was more to your liking, really?"

"The darkness was so lonely, Valena. I missed having companions I could truly trust. But it's so hard to stay away from." He shook his head, trying to throw away the temptation. "I want to stay in the Light. I know that's what I want, but I don't know if I can."

"You must be strong, Luke. The way of the Jedi is not an easy one, but it is your path. You chose it years ago, and it has bound you. Forsaking it now would harm you and would ultimately be impossible." Valena let the boy go, and he stared at her, breathing hard.

Luke turned away from her after a few moments, sighing. "I know. I will prevail over myself- I hope."

"It is your own choice, Luke."



Leia turned off the comm to Mon Mothma's office and sighed. The Alliance was not making much headway with the Core Systems, and some reports said that the systems were fighting amongst themselves. That was a waste of time, and should be prevented. The warring systems had not accepted the offer to join the Galactic Senate, and anarchy reigned. Palpatine had done a much better job of uniting worlds than the Alliance was. Recalcitrant governors in several sectors had even refused to maintain the Empire's so-called ambassadors, who had been set up as onplanet negotiators. She knew that the most loyal Imperial systems had most probably kept that post, which might help the discussion processes, if the Alliance could ever be allowed into the systems.The only planet that had contacted them was Carida, home of the largest stormtrooper training facilities, and it had been defiant and only calling to declare its permanent separation from the Alliance.

The holocomm interrupted her reverie, and she answered it wearily. The familiar face of Han rejuvenated her quite a bit. "Evening, your Highness. Would you care to join me for dinner?" He grinned hopefully at her, and she smiled back.

"That would be lovely, Han. Do you know of any nice restaurants around here? I've been so busy these weeks all I've seen is the cafeteria."

"Sure, Leia. I'll pick you up in half an hour at your office, all right?"

"Sounds good to me. See you then." She tapped off the holocomm and smiled to herself. Perhaps a nice relaxing evening with Han was just what she needed.



She answered the door when the chime first rang and Han stepped in carrying a small package under his arm. "Are you ready? I've got the perfect place- the ambiance is great, really cozy."

"I've got to get out of here before I go crazy," she told him and embraced him. He offered the package and blushed.

"I found it in one of the freight lockers the other day. We haven't used the Falcon for cargo in so long, I completely forgot about it. Lando gave it to me for you."

She took the package and examined it, reading the tag. " 'With apologies'? Well, I don't know what that's about, but-" She worked the silver thread binding it together off and the neat prism exploded gently in a flower of grey cloth. She shook the expanding folds out of the garnet, and its shape became apparent. "A cape?" The fabric was soft beneath her exploring fingers; its smooth grain seemed to beckon them onward. The threads shimmered softly as Leia tossed it lightly to open out the remaining wrinkles. The silver fiber that had held the package closed was the clasp of the cape. Leia tugged dispiritedly at her own worn diplomatic robes and then put the cape on. She twirled a little and it seemed to soar. "What a beautiful gift! He must have been very sorry." She looked at Han sharply. "What was he sorry about, Han? I haven't spoken to him since Endor."

Han looked at the floor and fidgeted a little. "We had a falling out when Wedge went to look for you, when you were with Valena. I sort of blew up at him about Bespin, and when happened to the Falcon during the battle, and how he stole months out of my life by freezing me in carbonite. So he gave me that thing, for you. And I forgot about it until Chewie decided to give the Falcon a bath."

"I can't say I blame you for being angry with him. Considering everything that's happened between you, I wouldn't want to be Lando's friend if I were you." She stroked the cape again. "What kind of fabric is this? It's beautiful."

Han touched the fabric where it lay across her shoulder, appraising it with a smuggler's eye. "Fine Carpthian spider silk. He must have had it back on Bespin. This stuff is really rare. I used it as a sideline for the times when the Empire decided to crack down on Kessel spice. Big demand, mostly among the highups who could get their dealers around trade laws. He really went to some expense to buy your forgiveness." Han pulled his hand away. "Don't let him, Leia. Don't let the scum get to you. Give it back to him if you gotta, but don't let him blackmail you."

Leia fingered the soft cloak, thinking. "I don't know, Han, I really don't. I would feel wrong keeping it, but-" She paused, looking at a thumbsized box she found in the pocket of the cape. Inside lay a datachip. "Let's hear what he had to say, shall we?" Han shrugged and she sidestepped around her desk, placing the chip in a reader. A small holo of Lando sprang up, looking slightly disheveled. He smiled blankly at them.

"Leia, this cape is yours. I found it in a trade bazaar a few years ago, and I thought how beautiful you would look in it. It is Carpthian spider silk; Han will recognize the name if you don't. Keep it and enjoy it. Tell Han where I've gone in a month- the coordinates are at the end of this recording. Perhaps by then he will have forgiven me." The figure disappeared in a burst of static to be followed by a series of numbers. Leia fumbled for a datapad and recorded the coordinates as they fizzed out of existence and the data stream ended.

"Well," Han said to break the sudden silence, "that settles that matter. You didn't need to record those numbers, you know. He called me a few weeks back to say he was on Coruscant. Let's get out of here before the sun burns out." He opened the door for her and she tossed the datapad onto the desk and followed him out.



Leia berated Han over their meal. "Don't you feel any guilt for sending Lando away?" she whispered to him. She was having trouble breathing in the thick air of Han's lovely little nook, and if she wasn't whispering fifty beings could have overheard their conversation.

"As a matter of fact, I don't. My heart is clear of that guilt, at least. Lando made me angry and I'm glad he's outta my life. He's messed me over enough over the years. Let him go jinx someone else for a change." Han tore off a corner of his baked grain roll and chewed pointedly to prove to Leia that he couldn't talk at the moment. Leia drummed her fingers on the table, containing her anger.

"If you feel that way, I can't make you talk with him. You'll have to work it out on your own." She sighed.

"All right, Your Worship. We'll work it out- just not in this world. Will you just forget about Lando? He's survived everything else the galaxy has thrown at him without me; he'll survive this." Han reached across the table and touched her hand, trying to comfort her and keep her off his back. "We have better things to talk about, Leia."

She looked up at him, curious. Leia could feel that he was almost pleading with her, and she gave in. "All right. What do you suggest we talk about?"

"Well-" he faltered. "I love you."

"I know. Go on." Her tone was encouraging.

"And- I'm not sure how to say it, but with all the government building that's been going on, I feel kinda forgotten. And I don't like that, and I worry about you." He smiled hopefully. "I want to know that my favorite princess had someone waiting for her after a hard day's work, someone to make sure she didn't kill herself working. With Luke off making his peace with the universe, there's no one looking out for you but you, and you're not making a very good job of it. Leia, really, you look exhausted. I want to be there for you when you need me, officially or unofficially. That's your choice, your Highness, but I insist on being there for you." She could see the prayer in his eyes, and was speechless for a moment.

"Well, I don't know," she replied when her tongue began working again. "I'm very willing to try it out- having you around a lot more, I mean." Light dawned across Han's face. "As for the official part, well, let's give it time. I don't know," she repeated. "I've been so busy recently."

He laughed. "That's the reason I'm going to be with you, Leia. You need me to force you into taking a break now and then."

She nodded. "Mon Mothma and my father will understand," she continued. "They may have anticipated us somewhat; I was wondering why I was given such large quarters. There's plenty of space there for two people. When do you want to go through with it?"

"As soon as possible, I guess. How does tomorrow sound? While you're in whatever meetings you have, I can move some of my junk in. Chewie knows about this, and I can't say that he's happy about having separate quarters, but there's nothing to be done for it."

"We'll work something out soon. There's a lot more governmental red tape to move a Wookiee and a human than just a human, especially if the Wookiee needs his own quarters. Which he does." Leia thought of the long haul they had had to Bespin, and then the trip to Tatooine and shuddered. It had taken several weeks to get the fur and smell off of her clothing, even with the Falcon's sonic cleaners and the marginally better ones along the way. She certainly didn't need that day in and day out. "Let's get out of here. I'm not hungry, and I'll register your voice in the doorlock."





"You're not going to Carida! Not without me or Luke; I won't let you, Leia!" Han embraced her, but she pulled away roughly.

"Han, Luke's still on Agra and I don't want to interrupt him. He's been there for eleven months now, and he probably wants to stay longer since he hasn't come away yet. You can't understand what he's going through, but I do. If you come, the Imperials will all fixate on your rank and it will be even more difficult for me than it already will be. You know how they think. We can't afford any extra trouble." She tugged her head away and nearly begged him. "Just let me go. The sooner I can live, the sooner I can get back. Make it easier on all of us and calm down."

"I am calm! I do know how Imperials think, that's why I'm going with you. I spent enough time with their damned army to know that if you, a woman, go without an illustrious bodyguard you'll be in deep trouble. Diplomatic difficulties are nothing compared to death, Leia. If you don't want a general, take a Jedi- or a Wookiee- or at least Wedge. A Commander is not a very intimidating rank, but I'd trust him with my life, and I can almost trust him with yours. He might be just a fighter pilot, but he's one of the few I could trust."

"All right, all right." She opened a comm channel to the barracks where Wedge's squadron was staying. "Leia Organa to speak with Commander Antilles, please."

"Immediately, ma'am," came the answer. There was silence for a moment.

"Commander Antilles speaking, Madam Organa."

"Wedge, how would you like to accompany me on a simple diplomatic mission to Carida? Rogue Squadron can survive without you for a while, since the Empire is in hiding. I don't know of a Commander I'd rather have at my side, and" she paused to glare at Han, "certain parties won't let me leave without an escort."

"When are we leaving?" Wedge seemed to be suppressing laughter.

"I'll call you as soon as I know for sure. Thank you, Commander Antilles. You will keep a very close eye on me so I don't get into trouble, won't you?" She grinned at both men.

"Of course, Madam Organa." Wedge was laughing outright now. "No harm will come to you under my wing."

"Glad to hear it Wedge, because you'll be reporting to me personally for the next century if anything happens to Leia," Han broke in sternly, but his own voice was tinged with laughter.

"Understood, General Solo. Commander Antilles out." Wedge cut the comm, still laughing.

"Madam Organa, may I respectfully report an instance of rudeness to a superior officer. Commander Antilles of Rogue Squadron showed no respect when I issued an order to him today." Han controlled his laughter with a steely tone and managed to keep his face in a serious expression.

"Duly noted, General Solo." Leia made a show of recording something on a datapad, then ended her laughing spree abruptly. "Are you sure you're all right with this? Luke would come, if I asked, and I would if you really thought it was necessary."

"I'll be in touch with you every day, and with Luke, and if you need him suddenly you can have him. You will speak with me daily, won't you?" he asked her sharply, almost threatening.

She raised a hand in protest and reassurance. "Of course, every day. Oh, say, noon Coruscant time, I'll call you by holo. The day I don't will be the day you and Luke start for Carida."

"I can deal with that. Let's go arrange the trip. As you said, the sooner you go, the sooner you can return." She started to respond with an I-told-you-so type phrase, but he silenced her with a kiss.



The comm unit began beeping the moment the Alliance cruiser Yavin dropped out of hyperspace. "Rebel ship, please respond," came the hailing. "If you refuse, you will be fired upon."

"Commander Antilles of the cruiser Yavin speaking. No need to get hostile, Carida. This mission is for purely diplomatic purposes. May we have landing clearance?" Wedge rolled his eyes at Leia. The look he gave her said that if they had to fight through Imperial bureaucracies, they'd be in trouble.

"Granted, Yavin." The bridge crew released visibly. "Please approach our capital city carefully. Any active weaponry will result in instantaneous destruction of your cruiser. We do not tolerate rebels who violate diplomatic truces." With that, the haughty Imperial cut the transmission.

"How reckless do they think we are?" Leia asked the crew. "Attack a fully armed and defended planet with one space cruiser? Sorry Carida, we're not suicidal. The Alliance would not exist if we had a penchant for that sort of thing."

"There is a point in their favor, though. Attacking a Death Star with snub fighters was pretty ridiculous, and see what we did there. Maybe they think we've found their thermal exhaust port and are going to blow them up. Besides, we did reject the Emperor's New Order, and that's a lunatic thing to do by Imperial standards," Wedge responded, more to tease than to fight for the Imperials' side.

The comm unit alarm went off again. The comm officer opened the channel. "Rebel cruiser Yavin, you are granted clearance at Docking Bay 426. Concealed weaponry and anything larger than a hand blaster will be confiscated and attacks will bring about the termination of your diplomatic party."

"Acknowledged, Carida." The ship came to the capital city, and the comm cut off abruptly once more. "We won't try anything, will we?"

Wedge turned to address the crew. "All of you stay on board, remember? I'll have a hand comm unit for emergencies, as will Madam Organa. Should anything happen, we will contact you immediately. If you are boarded, let us know. Good luck, friends." Wedge stood and saluted the crew, which they returned.

"May the Force be with us," Leia said simply and left the ship with Wedge.

Carida's orange sun lit an oppressed and oppressive planet with sickly orange light. Three squadrons of stormtroopers waited just outside the docking bay entrance. "Three squadrons just for us? I'm flattered!" Leia whispered to Wedge. "A woman and a Commander, both sworn to a truce. How many would they have brought out for Han?" An officer stepped out of the forest of fully armed soldiers and eyed the pair scornfully.

"Commander Antilles of the Yavin, I presume. Princess Leia Organa, late of Alderaan, traitor to the Empire and diplomat of the Rebellion, welcome to Carida." The officer spat on the ground and Leia stepped back, her face a mask concealing her disapproval.

"Thank you," Wedge squinted at the officer's insignia, "Commander. May I ask whom I am addressing?"

"I am General Pereza," the man said, stressing the title. "I am here to supervise the weapon check of your diplomatic party. Please follow me." Pereza turned sharply and strode off straight through the crowd of armor. Leia followed him, still silent and holding Wedge's arm. He could tell by her grip that she was agitated, but she refused to let it show on her face. Once they had passed, stormtroopers closed in behind them and cut them off from the cruiser. When they cleared the last ranks, they entered a small artificially lit corridor and were forced to rush after Pereza so that they would not lose their way. They were ushered into a single room off to the left. Imperial officers stood in the first, and an open door revealed a second chamber with more officers. "Antilles, go into the other room. Any questionable weapons will result in both of you being taken into custody."

"Fair enough," Leia said. Her tone hardly concealed her irritation. Wedge disappeared, and Pereza turned to her. With a peremptory gesture, he indicated where she was to stand. The officer searched her for concealed weapons and found none. He pulled away from her after a few moments, scowling in disgust and holding the lightsaber Leia had had on her belt. He ignited it without asking for permission and examined the rich red blade. She simply watched, keeping her anger under control. Any objection on her part would just make everything harder, something they didn't need at that point. Pereza feinted at her with the lightsaber, but she did not flinch. He shut it off and handed it to her. Leia accepted it with a nod.

"Are you a Jedi, Organa? Too bad you weren't when the Senate fell; Vader would have had an even better reason to kill you." He turned to his flunkies. "If we watch her- and be assured we will, Organa- she will be of minimal danger with the saber." Leia had a great deal of trouble not reacting to his sneering tone and went into one of Valena's exercises to calm herself. She then clipped the lightsaber back to her belt and waited. In a few minutes, Wedge's grey suited escort returned with him. Wedge was grinning defiantly in a way that reminded her of Han, and he still wore his small hand blaster.

Three officers conferred and one reported to Pereza, "Sir, they seem to be honoring our agreement about weaponry. We do not recommend trusting the rebels unless they are under constant surveillance, but they should be assumed mostly harmless for the time being." He ended his report and saluted.

"Well done, sir. I will escort them to their ship again now. Commander, Your Highness?" The stormtrooper escort returned and pushed them along the corridor back to the Yavin.

As they entered the ship with their escort, Leia's wristunit vibrated and she nudged Wedge. "It's noon on Coruscant." She turned to Pereza and drew on all her royally bred reserves of haughtiness. "General, it is the assigned time for us to contact our government. If they do not hear from us at this time each day, they will attack you. I suggest that you allow us privacy with our holocomm. Promptly." If the Imperials could threaten, why shouldn't the Alliance?

"We will not charge you for the single imperative daily call on our holonet system, but any further connections will be on your shoulders," the general told them. Pereza left then with a hateful look, and his stormtroopers accompanied him.

Leia sat in her small office adjoining the bridge with a sigh and keyed in Coruscant's coordinates, the code for Imperial City and finally Han's frequency. He answered immediately as she began the connection. "I was beginning to worry, Leia. Could you try to be a bit more prompt tomorrow?"

"I'm sorry, Han. We just fought our way through a weapon check, and I wonder what they have in store for us next. Maybe I'll even be allowed to speak with some sort of diplomat sooner or later. Tell Mon Mothma our situation is not very promising as of yet, and that there may well be a monitor on our ship soon, if there isn't one now." Leia grimaced. "It's a good thing we came expecting this, or we'd be very unpleasantly surprised."

She knew that Han was grinning, even though she couldn't see his face clearly in the low resolution holocomm. "So, Commander Antilles, have you been fulfilling your duties to the best of your capabilities? Our wonderful Imperial friends don't need to know what they are quite yet, but they must be completed."

"Understood, sir. This frequency is not secure, so I will have to report to you in person how they have gone." Wedge smiled, letting his frustrations at the Imperials fuel the torment of Imperial monitors, whether anyone was listening or not. Keeping Leia safe was his only assignment, and so far it had been completely easy and successful. With the Imperials aggravated, it might not be so easy, but it was a price he was willing to pay.

"If that is all, Commander Antilles, Madam Organa, I sincerely hope to hear from you in just under twenty-four standard hours. General Solo out." There was a brief burst of static before Leia shut the holocomm off.

"I give Pereza thirty seconds to show up here, whether he was monitoring our conversation or just our connection," Wedge whispered to Leia. "Ten, nine, eight-" There was a knock at the door and Wedge gave her a triumphant look. Pereza stormed in without waiting for an answer.

"If your communication with your Rebel base is complete, you will be pleased to accompany me to meet the Ambassador now."

"Yes, we most certainly will," Leia replied. Wedge was glaring at the rude officer, more out of habit than anything else. "Come along, Commander Antilles," she told him sternly. "It's not polite to keep an Ambassador waiting." They left the ship and acquired a stormtrooper escort within a hundred meters. The passageways were straight, but the way to the Ambassador's office seemed confusing even within the grid setup.

The office itself was very small, smaller than Leia's office on the Yavin and completely windowless. Wedge felt a wave of claustrophobia. He didn't mind space cruisers, and fighters like the X-wing were his life, but in an X-wing you could see the limitless galaxy. This place was simply enclosed. He covered his eyes as the walls seemed to surge inward from their already limiting positions, then pushed down the weakness and shut the door behind him.

The ambassador smiled at Leia once the hostile General Pereza departed. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Princess. I have heard much about you." He gave the Imperial salute for want of a better respectful gesture. "I am Felar, once of the planet Tatooine. I trust that you have heard of it?"

"Indeed, sir. The pleasure is all mine. I have been to your home planet, and it wasn't a very pleasant experience for me, but it is good to meet you." She eyed him warily, and he seemed taken aback.

"Please, Madam Organa, there is no need for you to be overly on your guard with me. I greet you as a fellow member of the diplomatic profession. Please, be seated." He pulled a pair of folding chairs from behind his small desk and opened them for the pair. As Leia sat in hers, Felar leaned toward her and whispered in her ear, "I'm all for the Rebels. It's just an act." Then he say at his own cramped desk again.

Wedge did not hear what he told Leia, so he racked his mind for something diplomatic to say. "I have known several skilled pilots from Tatooine," he attempted, trying to make the best of a bad situation. "Skywalker, Darklighter and Boma. Unfortunately Darklighter was killed in the attack on the first Death Star years back."

"He's dead?" the ambassador demanded.

"Yes, his X-wing was destroyed in that mission." All color was draining from Felar's face. Leia gave Wedge a glance that told him to stop talking.

"And I was the one who told him, all those years ago, and now he's gone," the ambassador muttered to himself. "How delightful." He pinched his lips together and seemed to be holding back some emotion. "Carida needs me even if Biggs doesn't. Madam? I believe you came her to begin the Rebellion's surrender agreement negotiations?"

"I haven't any idea where you got that notion. We won't surrender."

"Wait!" Wedge broke in. "How did you know Darklighter's name?"

"He was my brother before he jumped ship for the Rebellion." There was pain in the ambassador's eyes, but he spoke angrily. "Good riddance. I hope you all die like that!" Felar Darklighter wiped at his face, irritated. "He never was very trustworthy. At least the Empire knew what to do with scum like that." His face disagreed with his words. "You'll never be victorious. These negotiations are our game, and you'll all go into oblivion. Why not save yourself from battles beyond number and surrender? Go away from here. The Empire cannot be toppled so easily as you seem to think!" He cut off abruptly. "That's more than enough of that sort of thing. They finally turned off the damn monitors. You see, I can hear the noise they make when they're on. If I begin ranting at you again, that's why." Felar put his hand to his face, overcome. "And Biggs has been dead for years, and here you are to tell me the news. Well, thank you Commander, Madam Organa. At least Skywalker survived. Small consolation, but I knew him too. The past is past." Wedge was looking at him, sympathetic but still wary.

"You two are in grave danger," Felar told them. "The Grand Admirals have a plot to take hostages and you are on the top of the list. If you leave right after our meeting, they will suspect me, and I can't have that. If I'm not trusted, I can't warn all of you as to Imperial plans."

"You're really Biggs's brother?" Wedge asked.

"Yes, I really am. I left Tatooine for the Academy quite a few years before he could, and I told him about everything I saw, and how horrible the Imperials were. He wanted to know where a Rebel base was, and so I used a few simple searches and found one for him. Very well hidden, really- my compliments on that, but Yavin 4 was absolutely where you were. I just knew from our scans, but no one else seemed to know. I sent him there, and erased all my records. I couldn't defect then; I was too deep in the diplomatic training I was receiving. Running off couldn't help me, but I got Biggs out."

Felar shook his head. "I swear that I didn't tell anyone where you were, but within a few days Tarkin seemed to find you. The Death Star was there and destroyed before I knew a single thing about it, and you know what happened next. I didn't know until now whether Biggs had reached you or not, and I hadn't had the faintest idea about Skywalker until he showed up all over the holonet's news transmissions.

"I've been doing my best in the negotiation parts of the Empire to prepare for a day just like today. Diplomatic Empire is almost an oxymoron- why should a supposedly all-powerful dictatorship stop to talk anything over? Especially Carida, since it's always been just an indoctrination camp. When the governmental bunch arrived, they never thought to kick me out of this office, since it's never meant anything but an apparent bow to interplanetary courtesies." He shrugged, then glared at them. "Get out of here before I call a squadron of stormtroopers! You will all die!" They both stood quickly and fled out the door. Three stormtroopers fell in behind them, as always.

Pereza stepped out in front of them and cut them off. "Are you so frightened already? Just give up and surrender your cruiser now. You are most welcome to do so. There is nothing that you can do. Remember, any attempted attack from you or your den of anarchy on Coruscant will result in the termination of your ship." He smirked and guided them to their cruiser.

"How could we forget?" Leia asked harshly. Pereza ignored her and snapped his fingers, pulling them and the stormtroopers along. The Yavin seemed to be a haven after the awful atmosphere on Carida.

Wedge turned to Leia as they entered the small office. "This certainly is no simple diplomatic mission, Leia. Darklighter. I haven't thought about him in years, but that's what you have to do in war. If we all spent our time remembering every one of the fallen, we'd be paralyzed with grief. It could have been my own brother in there, and Darklighter bringing him the news years after the fact. There's no justice in the galaxy, not really. All we can do is to pretend that there is and let the disproving kill us." Wedge sighed and sat heavily on a chair.

Leia listened to him seriously and then sat with a sigh at her own desk. "How many innocents has the Empire destroyed? How many childhoods has it stolen forever? It took mine before it even began, although I was left with naive idealism to taunt me." She shook her head. "We should not sit and mourn the lost now. It is time to speak with the bridge crew." She left her office for the bridge and Wedge followed her, a little reluctantly.

"We are having some difficulty here," Leia informed the crew. "All Carida wants to discuss is our surrender. It does not seem likely that they will consider a peace treaty or even an uneasy truce with us as it has stood for months. Even so, I am unwilling to return to Coruscant yet. The Imperials would view that as cowardice, which would put us at an even great disadvantage."

The communications officer, a Calamarian named Bliffnik, spoke up. "Do you want to inform Mon Mothma of this, Madam Organa?"

"Not at this time, sir. She and I had expected approximately this reaction, but that does not make it any easier to bear. We have also received a warning that Commander Antilles and I may be abducted or at least detained. If we need assistance and this ship is not captured, please contact Coruscant immediately. While General Solo will send aid as soon as we miss our assigned noon holocomm, more speed may be required. However, we may be peacefully temporarily detained from time to time, so do not jump to conclusions too quickly. I cannot predict what schedule the bureaucracy will set us to."

"What will we do if the Caridans refuse to bargain?" a crewmember asked.

"We will return to Coruscant and plan from there. Carida has offered enough official threats as to our actions on this world to choke a Wookiee. Please keep that in mind in all of your dealings with them."