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                          A Harbinger of Tragedy

                                    by
                             Patricia McKnight

     The shuttle slowly dropped from the landing bay of the  Imperial  Star
Destroyer ADRIA, its wings gracefully unfolding, then silently locking into
place.   It nosed forward away from the ADRIA, heading toward a small green
planet, the fourth from the sun of the Hallgarth system.

     The shuttle slid into orbit around the planet  of  Hallgarth,  waiting
for  its  destination  to come into view.  As its objective approached, the
shuttle dropped into the atmosphere and headed directly  toward  Celandine,
the capitol city of that world.

                                 * * * * *

     Senator  Taran,  a middle aged man of medium build with green eyes and
brown hair, was just sitting down to lunch with his family.  The  vid-phone
chirped  and  the  Senator's  assistant,  who  answered it, rushed into the
dining room, looking upset.  "Senator, it's for you.   It's  the  spaceport
authorities,  they  say  it's quite urgent.  There's an incoming shuttle on
their screens that refuses to answer their transmissions and has passed  up
the 'port completely.  They're tracking the ship, and it appears to be on a
trajectory for the palace grounds."

     "Thank  you,  Jaran.   I'll  look  into  it  immediately," the Senator
replied. "So much for a nice quiet lunch," he said to Aislinn, his wife. He
stood up to leave.

     She patted his hand sympathetically.  "We'll save you some, Kyne," she
said.  Aislinn Hvasta Taran was also  middle  aged,  had  blonde,  shoulder
length  hair  and  blue  eyes  that now gave her husband an indulgent look.
"Perhaps we can even convince our unexpected guest to join you for lunch."

     Their two children had been listening to the  conversation  and  their
fifteen  year  old  daughter, Elania stopped eating, indignation blazing in
her eyes as she turned to stare at her mother.  "Who could be inconsiderate
enough to expect Father to see them without an appointment?" she said.

     "Probably Imperials," her older brother, Tiree, answered with a scowl.
"They tend to think that they're above  such  mundane  concerns  as  proper
protocol and courtesy."

     "That's  enough  from  you,  young man!" the Senator snapped.  "No one
likes what's been going on, but unless you want to wind  up  in  the  spice
mines on Kessel, you had better learn to curb your tongue."

     "Yes,  sir.   I  guess I forgot my manners," Tiree mumbled, noticeably
chastened.

     "That's better.  Now, I have to  go  and  take  care  of  this  little
problem  before it becomes a major incident," Senator Taran said as he left
the room.

     As soon as he was out of hearing range, both  of  the  Taran  children
began  to  deluge  their  mother  with all kinds of questions about who she
thought their unannounced visitor could be.

                                 * * * * *

     The shuttle was folding its wings and slowly dropping to  the  landing
pad  adjacent  to  the Taran family palace as the Senator walked out to the
landing area.  He stared at the Emperor's markings and shook  his  head  in
disgust.   No  matter  how ill-advised his son's outburst had been, the boy
had been right. Their unannounced and rather rude visitor was  an  Imperial
Representative.

     Senator   Taran   wondered  just  what  could  be  so  important  that
Palpatine's envoy risked creating an incident with the 'port authorities by
such a stunt. He was preparing to give that person a real good castigation,
but the words died on his tongue when the tall, black armored figure exited
the shuttle.

                                 * * * * *

     The Dark Lord of the Sith saw Senator Taran waiting for him beside the
landing pad and smiled to himself behind his breath  mask.   This  one  was
quite  easy  to read, the Senator was preparing a tongue lashing about lack
of protocol.  And like everyone else  who  found  themselves  facing  Darth
Vader,  he  would  calm down quickly.  It was the usual response, caused by
the overwhelming fear that Vader inspired in those around him.

     As he approached the  shocked  Senator,  Vader  gave  a  curt  nod  of
greeting.  "Senator Taran, how fortunate that you are here, and not away on
Senatorial matters.  I have come to discuss something of urgent concern  to
the Emperor," he said.

     "Indeed,  Lord  Vader?  How  may my poor world be of aid to someone as
powerful as Emperor Palpatine?" the Senator responded politely.

     "Shall we talk inside? It concerns  the  whole  Taran  family",  Vader
replied.

     Senator  Taran could barely hide the shudder that ran through him.  He
wondered what the  Emperor  wanted.   For  it  to  concern  anyone  besides
himself or his brother, who was away on business, was highly unusual. "This
way, Lord Vader," he said, pointing the way to the palace.

                                 * * * * *

     As  they entered the foyer, Senator Taran asked one of the servants to
show Lord Vader to the sitting room, then inform his wife that their  guest
felt  this  visit  concerned the whole family.  He paused to speak with his
assistant for a moment before seeing to the business with Lord Vader.

     "Jaran, please call the spaceport and inform them that our guest, Lord
Vader, has arrived.  Tell them that he is here on urgent business  for  the
Emperor.   He  may  also  wish  for  immediate clearance when he's ready to
leave, so it may be a good idea to have them hold  an  emergency  lift  off
space for him."

     "Yes,  sir.   I'll do my best to work it out with them," his assistant
said softly.  "But they still won't like it," he added in a whisper.

     "I know, but we can't afford an incident here like the one  on  Madros
a  few  months  ago.   Our  'Port  Commissioner  would  be too difficult to
replace," the Senator whispered back, "so do try  and  smooth  things  over
with the 'port."

                                 * * * * *

     The  two  teenagers  hadn't finished their lunch yet because they were
still  speculating  about  their  visitor.   At  the  sound  of   footsteps
approaching,  Aislinn  and  the  two children turned to see who the visitor
was.

     When the servant entered and told them that Lord Vader was waiting  in
the  sitting  room,  the  Senator's wife gasped.  Astonishment mingled with
fear and she quickly got up to go to the  sitting  room,  followed  by  her
children.

     "The  Dark  Lord of the Sith, here?" Elania whispered fearfully to her
brother.  "What could he possibly want with us?"

     "I don't know, but I'll bet it's not good.  For either this family  or
our planet," Tiree replied.

     Aislinn  paused  by the dining room door, turned and stared at her two
children.  "Both of you, hush up! Your father and I have taught you  better
than to speak so rashly about a member of the Imperial Court.

     "Now  finish  your  meal,  then  off  with you while your father and I
discuss whatever this business of his is."

     "Yes, Mother," they both said at the same  time.   They  waited  until
she was entering the sitting room, then followed her down the hall.

                                 * * * * *




                              5th of Edrea, 3153



                    My dearest Aislinn,

                         I could barely believe it when I
                    heard of the slaughter of that young
                    Jedi, Timon Samara.  How anyone outside
                    of the other Jedi could have known what
                    his mission was, I have no idea.  Secret
                    though it was, someone in the Imperial
                    Court found out and stopped him from
                    fulfilling it.

                         What is even more incredible is
                    that it must have been one of our own
                    who betrayed him.  But who? And why
                    would they do such a thing? The Jedi
                    have been the protectors of peace and
                    justice for a thousand years.  And now
                    to have such suspicions cast upon us!

                         Child, be careful of all that you
                    do and say.  I know that wonderful
                    husband of yours has been newly
                    appointed to succeed his father to the
                    Senate, but I don't know if that will
                    help protect you in these times when
                    even the Jedi fall victim to the
                    intrigues of the Imperial Court.

                         I must finish up now, it is nearly
                    time for the new Jedi's lessons, and the
                    master has asked that I assist some of
                    the newer students in catching up.

                         I will be getting a short leave
                    from the Jedi School soon and will come
                    to visit.  Until then, my love to you
                    and your husband, along with my
                    grandson.

                              Love, Mother



                                 * * * * *

     At  the  sound  of  the  sitting room door being opened, the Dark Lord
turned from the window that he had been looking out of.  "The Emperor sends
his greetings to the Lady Aislinn, the daughter of  the  Jedi  Elana  Aloia
Hvasta.   And his wishes for your continued good health, as well as that of
your husband and  two  children,"  he  said.   Somehow,  what  was  usually
considered  quite  an  elegant  greeting,  came  out sounding like a veiled
threat when spoken by Darth Vader.

     "Welcome to our  home,  Lord  Vader,"  she  replied.   Proper  manners
dictated  that  she  be  courteous, no matter how suspicious she was of the
reason for this visit.  Nor did protocol leave her the room  to  order  the
Dark Lord from her home, which she desperately wished to do.

     Just  then,  Senator  Taran  entered the sitting room.  He had to push
past his son, who was standing in the  doorway.   The  Senator  turned  and
glared at the boy, and motioned for him to leave.  But, Tiree just gave his
father  an  innocent  look, then shrugged as he continued to lounge against
the doorframe, with Elania peering into the room from behind him.

     "I don't believe I've met your children," Vader  said,  noticing  them
in the doorway.

     "That  is  my  son,  Tiree,"  Aislinn  said, indicating the tall, dark
haired teenage boy standing in the doorway.

     "Lord Vader," the seventeen year old boy mumbled.   Then  nodded  with
the  barest  minimum  of  civility he could get away with, which provoked a
glower from his father.

     His mother also glared at him.  Then she looked over  at  Elania,  who
was slowly inching her way into the room, wide-eyed with curiosity. Aislinn
turned  to the girl, and with feelings of trepidation, introduced her also.
"And this is my daughter, Elania."

     "Good afternoon, Lord  Vader,"  she  said,  then  gave  him  a  polite
curtsey  as  she'd  been  taught  to  do whenever she was introduced to any
visiting dignatary.

     Vader gave her an appraising look; what he saw was  a  small,  slender
girl  with  waist  length golden brown hair, falling loosely about her, and
blue-green eyes.  As he searched to see if  the  stories  the  Emperor  had
heard  about her were true, Vader felt a definate vibration of the Force in
the girl.  He began to probe more deeply, trying to  determine  how  strong
the Force was with her.

     Suddenly, Elania gave the Dark Lord a puzzled look that quickly became
frightened.   She  shivered slightly.  "May we be excused now, Mother?" she
squeaked.  "I  have  some  lessons  I  still  need  to  finish  for  school
tomorrow."  When  her mother nodded, she fled the room as if something were
after her.  Her brother, Tiree followed at a more nonchalant pace.

     The Dark Lord stared after her.  He was almost certain that  the  girl
had  felt  his  surreptitious probings, and that they were what had alarmed
her.

     "Shall we get directly to the point?" Vader said, continuing to  stare
after  the  young girl for a moment.  Then he returned his attention to the
Senator and Aislinn.  "The Emperor has heard certain  `rumors'  about  your
daughter,  and  I  have been sent to ascertain whether or not there is some
grain of truth in them."

     Aislinn gave her husband a terrified look, feeling  certain  that  she
knew what the Dark Lord was refering to.  Elania's fumbling, but determined
attempts  to  use the abilities she was born with had somehow attracted the
attention of Emperor Palpatine.

     "And just what kind of rumors could be spread about a child  that  has
never  even  set foot off of her home world?" Kyne Taran snapped.  Maybe if
he could discredit the stories, the child's abilities  could  be  protected
from  discovery  by  this loathsome minion of darkness and his foul master,
Emperor Palpatine.

     Before the Dark Lord had a chance to answer,  the  Senator's  brother,
who had just arrived back home, came into the room.  "Good day, Lord Vader.
To what do we owe the honor of this visit?" Baron Morai Taran asked, bowing
formally.

                                 * * * * *

     Fifteen  year  old  Elania Taran had not needed to finish any lessons,
that had only been a convenient excuse to leave the room.  She had heard  a
lot of terrifying stories about Darth Vader; but then, who hadn't?

     That  was  not  the  reason  she had been so anxious to leave, though.
She had felt something that had made her want to run as far away  from  the
Dark Lord's presence as she could possibly get.

     But  she  settled  for  the  orchard  that adjoined the Taran family's
home.  She sat down under a tree, leaned back against it and  took  several
deep  breaths, attempting to calm herself from the trembling that possessed
her.

                                 * * * * *

                              25th of Malidae, 3153



                    Aislinn, my dear,

                         I know that it had been many
                    months since my last letter.  I do not
                    usually wait so long between letters,
                    but this could not be helped.

                         Do you remember the young Jedi
                    that I spoke about - the one who was
                    killed on a secret mission? Well, he
                    was not alone.  Since then, there have
                    been many more incidents.

                         Many of the Jedi and students have
                    gone into hiding, and the school is
                    almost empty now.  There are only a few
                    of us remaining to keep it going.  And
                    we live in fear, wondering what will
                    happen next.

                         I must go now, Obi Wan has
                    insisted that the rest of us leave for
                    awhile, also.

                         My love to all of you.  And may
                    the Force protect you from what is to
                    come!

                              Love,
                              Mother

                                   * * * * *

     The Dark Lord nodded to the older, balding man who had  just  entered.
"I've  come  to  discuss  some rather interesting stories about your niece,
which have been making the rounds at the Imperial Court."

     "Really? I was not aware that anyone in  the  Royal  Court  even  knew
Elania," Morai replied.  "After all, she is only a child."

     "A  specially  gifted one if the stories are true," Vader said slowly.
"According to these stories, she has inherited the special abilities  of  a
Jedi  Healer; and it is well known that her grandmother was a Jedi.  I have
come to find out if these rumors are true."

     "Since  when  does  the  Emperor  start   giving   credence   to   the
gossipmongers in the Imperial Court?" the Senator questioned defensively.

     "If  she has inherited the Jedi Elana's healing powers, then the child
must accompany me back to the Imperial Court so that I  may  train  her  in
their use," the Dark Lord continued as if he had not been interrupted.

     "And  just  how  is  that  sort  of  ability  determined?"  her father
challenged.

     "There are ways to recognize a Force sensitive, Senator Taran,"  Vader
replied ominously.

     Aislinn  stared  at the masked figure in front of her.  It was finally
out in the open, the Dark Lord had said what she  felt  certain  all  along
that  he had come here to say.  A premonitory chill wrapped its icy fingers
around her heart.

     She shivered involutarily.  There was no way that she would allow  the
Dark  Lord  to  take  her  daughter, even if it meant her own death to save
Elania from the horrible fate that Vader had planned for the child.

     "Would you excuse me, please? I need to take care of some  matters  in
the kitchen," she said, hoping that she sounded calmer than she felt.

     "Certainly,  my  dear," her brother-in-law said.  "It is getting quite
late, perhaps Lord Vader would like to stay the  night?"  she  heard  Morai
offering as she left the room.

     She  forced  herself  to walk out of the room at a normal pace, hoping
that she wouldn't betray the fear she felt.

     First, Aislinn went to her's and Kyne's room and  opened  the  dresser
drawer.  She took out a small stack of letters that were held together by a
piece  of  old  blue  ribbon  and  stuffed them deep into the pocket of her
dress. Then she began to look for her children.

     She found Tiree immediately.  In the library, reading.  She  told  him
to  go  to their nanny's old room ... without being seen and wait there for
his sister.

     Then Aislinn went to look for  her  daughter.   The  girl  had  looked
terribly  upset  when she fled the sitting room, so that meant that she was
not going to be anywhere inside of the Taran family's palace.  She  checked
several of the girl's favorite places to go when troubled, finally locating
her in the orchard.

                                 * * * * *

                              2nd of Astraea, 3153



                    Aislinn, my dear daughter,

                         I may be the last of the Jedi left
                    alive.  Obi Wan Kenobi has disapppeared
                    and I fear that he may have fallen to
                    our betrayer, also.  He left a note in
                    his office at the school, saying that
                    he's discovered the identity of the Jedi
                    who is responsible for all of this
                    terrible carnage, and that he has gone
                    to look for the miscreant, alone.

                         I followed him as soon as I found
                    his note, but by the time I caught up
                    with Obi Wan there was no trace of him
                    to be found anywhere.

                         I did find one of our other Jedi,
                    a student at the school.  I didn't know
                    him very well, but recognized him, as
                    the friend (and pupil) of Obi Wan's by
                    the name of Anakin...I'm sorry but the
                    last name eludes me.  I may be strong in
                    the Force, but I'm afraid that my memory
                    isn't what it used to be, just like any
                    other old woman.

                         Anyway, I found Anakin on the
                    world that I had traced Obi Wan to.  The
                    man was almost dead, severaly burned
                    and disfigured from falling into a
                    volcano.  How he had been able to
                    survive that long, I had no idea.

                         I helped him, healing as much as
                    was possible, then giving of my own
                    strength to keep him from leaving this
                    plane.  That was when I discovered the
                    dreadful secret that had kept him
                    hanging on as long as he had.

                         By then, it was too late to change
                    what I had done.  The doctors that I had
                    summoned from the Medical Center when I
                    first found him, dying, had arrived.

                         And besides, being a Healer, I
                    could not have done any differently than
                    I did.  Though sometimes, the knowledge
                    that I helped this plague upon the
                    galaxy to survive, still haunts me.

                         You see, what I discovered is that
                    Obi Wan's student was no longer the same
                    young man who came to us thirsting for
                    knowledge.  He has been touched by the
                    dark side, and there is no turning back
                    once that has happened.

                         Oh, I did try to turn his mind
                    back, but I couldn't.  It had become so
                    twisted and perverted by Palpatine's
                    machinations that nothing of Anakin was
                    left.

                         And the injuries that nearly
                    killed him, they were caused by Obi Wan
                    Kenobi.  He had tried also to bring the
                    young man back to us, and failed.
                    Whereupon his friend, now his enemy,
                    turned on Obi Wan and tried to kill him.
                    Their battle is now irreversibly burned
                    into the former Jedi's mind, and he is
                    determined to get revenge.

                         I'm sorry to be burdening you with
                    all of this, but it may be the last time
                    I am able to write to you or to see you
                    again.  This former Jedi, who now calls
                    himself Darth Vader, is almost well
                    physically - except for the need of
                    certain life support systems to aid
                    him.  And he has ordered that I be taken
                    prisoner as soon as he is ready to leave
                    the Med Center.  It seems that I am to
                    go with him when he returns to the
                    Imperial Court.

                         His new master, the Emperor
                    Palpatine has expressed an interest in
                    my abilities.  What he wants with me, I
                    am afraid to even guess, but I doubt
                    that I will be returning home again.

                         I guess this is good bye, my dear.
                    I will miss you, and love you always.

                              Love,
                              Mother



                                   * * * * *

     Elania  was  still  sitting under the tree, leaning back with her eyes
closed.  She sensed her mother standing by the tree  and  glanced  up.   `I
wonder  what's  wrong? Mother looks upset,' Elania thought when she saw the
deeply troubled expression in Aislinn Taran's eyes.

     "May I join you, dear?" Aislinn asked her daughter.

     Elania nodded, motioning to  a  spot  next  to  her.   "What's  wrong,
Mother? You seem terribly upset about something."

     "I  am, Elania.  No, you haven't done anything to upset me," she added
quickly in reply to the  girl's  slightly  panicked  look.   "But  it  does
concern you and your brother.  Your safety and your lives are at stake."

     Elania  sat  forward,  staring  at  her  mother  with  an  incredulous
expression in her eyes.

     "You must escape the  Emperor's  servant,  Lord  Vader.   There  isn't
enough time to explain right now," Aislinn said as Elania started to speak.
"Tiree  is  waiting  for  you in Nanny's old room.  I want you to go in the
back way, making certain that no one ... and I mean no one at all ...  sees
you.  Both of you are to stay there, quietly until very late tonight.

     "When  everyone  is  otherwise  occupied or asleep, I want you to take
one of the shuttles and go to your father's  friend  on  Alderaan,  Senator
Bail Organa. Tell him that the daughter of Elana requests his sanctuary for
you,  and that what we have feared all of these years has finally come.  He
will know what to do."

     "But Mother," Elania interrupted.

     Aislinn took her daughter's hand.  "No more  questions,  dear.   There
isn't  enough  time for me to answer them all." She reached into her pocket
and took out the bundle of letters.   "I  want  you  to  read  these,  they
contain the answers to the questions that you want to ask me," Aislinn told
her as she handed the letters to Elania.  "Now, go and join yous brother."

     "Aren't you and Father coming with us?" the girl persisted.

     "We  can't,  Elania.   Your  father and I have to stay behind to cover
you and your brother's disappearances.  If it is safe, Senator Organa  will
get word to us somehow when you've arrived.  Now hurry, please."

     She  watched  as  her  daughter ran back toward the palace, and said a
prayer for her children's success.

                                 * * * * *

     "What's going on, 'Lani?"  Tiree  whispered  urgently  to  his  sister
after she had slipped into the deserted room and closed the door.

     "I'm  not sure, but Mother wants us to stay hidden in here until later
tonight, then confiscate one of the  family  shuttles  and  go  to  Senator
Organa  on  Alderaan,"  she  replied.  "I think it has something to do with
Lord Vader's visit." She sat down on the floor beside her brother, and  set
the bundle of letters in her lap.

     "What's that?"

     "Some  old  letters.   Mother says that we're to read them ... they're
supposed to contain the answers to what's happening," she  replied  as  she
untied  the  ribbon.  "Here, you take these and I'll take the rest," Elania
said as she handed Tiree the bottom half of the stack.

     They had each read several letters apiece when Elania looked  up  from
her  share.   "Grandmother  tells  some  interesting stories about the Jedi
school, but the rest of it is just the usual sort of stuff  that  a  mother
would write to her daughter," she said in a puzzled tone.

     Tiree put up his hand to silence her.  Somewhat later, he returned the
letters  to their envelopes.  "We definately have to leave tonight, but not
in one of the family shuttles," he whispered urgently.  "They'll be able to
track us to Alderaan that way, so our only choice is to stow  away  on  the
first  ship leaving Hallgarth.  We'll worry about getting to Alderaan after
we're out of Vader's reach."

     "Tiree, what's in those letters?" Elania asked fearfully.

     "Everything!" he replied.  She reached for the letters, but  he  shook
his head.  "Not now! They're just going to upset you, and Vader may be able
to  feel that through the Force.  He could use it to find us, and the fewer
the possibilities he has of tracing us, the better.  Which  means  NONE  of
your  Force  meddling  while we're within a hundred parsecs of home, do you
understand?" he said fiercely.

                                 * * * * *




                              27th of Lymene, 3153



     My dearest Aislinn,

                         I have found one of the prison
                    guards to be most susceptible to
                    "persuasion", which is how this letter
                    is reaching you.  He will never even
                    remember that he has appropriated the
                    writing materials, or that he is sending
                    off the letters.

                         I am writing to give you some
                    information of great importance. It is
                    not only of import to you and your
                    family, but to all of the worlds that
                    make up the Republic.  Maybe even
                    beyond, if the full scope of the
                    Emperor's ambitions become realized.

                         I have discovered the reason why I
                    am the only one of the Jedi to be taken
                    before Emperor Palpatine, rather than
                    killed.

                         Our Emperor is a Force sensitive,
                    and an extremely powerful master of the
                    dark side of the Force.  He is also old
                    ... old beyond our usual human lifespan.

                         Have you ever wondered what
                    becomes of a Healer who turns to the
                    dark side of the Force? I have found
                    out that the Emperor used to be a Healer
                    once...before political ambition and
                    greed set his footsteps onto the path
                    leading to the dark side more decades
                    ago than you would like to imagine.

                         Now, the abilities that once went
                    to healing are being used for death and
                    destruction in whatever way they can
                    help him to acquire more power and
                    control over an ever expanding area of
                    the galaxy.  And where a Healer gives
                    life and strength through the Force,
                    Palpatine uses the dark side to take
                    life and strength.

                         But, all of that evil and greed
                    have taken their toll on him.  He can no
                    longer heal anyone, and his physical
                    body has begun aging more rapidly as he
                    needs to increasingly use his dark
                    powers to maintain his present rank,
                    which he has acquired through their use.

                         And that is where I fit into the
                    picture.  He needs me to keep his body
                    from deteriorating any more than it
                    already has.  He consumes my healing
                    abilities, and my life energy; but
                    fortunately I am an old woman and there
                    is not enough strength left in me to
                    provide him with all that he really
                    wants.

                         He wishes ferverantly for the
                    return of the health and vigor of his
                    younger days once again.  THAT would be
                    the worst thing possible for this
                    universe.  Hence, I am grateful that I
                    no longer have my youth for him to seize
                    and use for his dark purposes.

                         It is therefore necessary that you
                    find a way to make all of this known to
                    the Senate somehow.  They mustn't be
                    lulled into complacency and the belief
                    that all will be as it was, now that we
                    have a strong ruler on the throne.  If
                    this creature of darkness has his way,
                    we will all be lost.

                         Tell your husband to pass this
                    information on to his friend, Senator
                    Bail Organa of Alderaan.  Senator
                    Organa and Obi Wan once fought together
                    in the clone wars, and if Obi Wan is
                    still alive, the Senator may know how to
                    find him.

                         Just remember that you and Kyne
                    must use the utmost caution at all times
                    in everything that you do and say.

                         And also remember that I love all
                    of you.

                              Love,
                              Mother



                                 * * * * *

     Aislinn waited until her daughter was out of sight, then went  to  the
kitchen  to  see  to  the evening meal.  She also made arrangements to have
some food sent over to the landing pad for the pilot and the  rest  of  the
crew on Darth Vader's shuttle.  Then she went back to the sitting room.

                                 * * * * *

     "I  really  can't  believe  that you would deny Elania this kind of an
opportunity, Kyne," Morai was shouting.  "To be invited to the Royal  Court
is  considered  an  honor  for a young girl.  And she is far more likely to
meet some young man worthy of her position there, than  she  will  here  at
home."

     "Damn  it,  Morai! Are money and position all that you ever think of?"
Kyne replied angrily.

     Aislinn could hear her husband and his brother shouting  all  the  way
down the hall.  She ran back to the sitting room, and flung open the doors.
"Stop  it! Both of you!" she said in a soft, but amazingly commanding tone.
Both men fell silent instantly.

     The Dark Lord turned and stared, surprised, at Aislinn, who was  still
standing  in the doorway.  Neither he, nor the Emperor had anticipated this
turn of events.  Not only had they been led to  believe  that  Aislinn  was
untrained, but also lacking in all sensitivity to the Force.

     She turned her attention to Darth Vader.  "I will not let you, or your
Emperor  take  my  daughter.   Is  that quite clear, Lord Vader?" she said,
using even more of the Force's voice manipulation ability than she had used
to stop the argument.

     "I was not aware that you had been trained in the Force,"  he  replied
icily.   "You  may have the strength to resist me, but I doubt that you are
strong enough to refuse the Emperor."

     "Then I will die trying.  But be assured of one thing, you will  never
get my daughter," she responded calmly.

     "Have  you  gone  mad,  Aislinn? Lord Vader has offered Elania a great
honor," her brother-in-law, Morai exclaimed.

      "They have no great honor planned for her, only a  slow  and  painful
death...the same kind of death my mother suffered," she replied.

     The  Senator  went  to his wife, and put his arm around her waist.  He
looked at his brother.  "You have to  make  a  decision  about  who's  side
you're  on, Morai.  Can you in good conscience turn your niece over to this
creature of darkness and his Emperor?"

     "Yes, you must choose which side you are on,  Baron,"  the  Dark  Lord
said menacingly, resting his hand on the hilt of his Lightsaber.

     Morai  looked at his brother, then Vader, terrified.  He was beginning
to wish that he had never told anyone about Elania's abilities in the first
place. It had certainly not brought the results that he had expected.

     Aislinn turned and stared, aghast, at her  brotherin-law.   Morai  had
become  easily  readable  in  his  fear  and  confusion.  "It was you!" she
exclaimed.  "You were the one who betrayed Elania to  the  Imperial  Court,
and the Emperor!"

     "Is  that  true?"  the  Senator  hissed,  staring incredulously at his
brother.

     "I was only thinking of Elania, and what would be best  for  her,"  he
whimpered.   "It's  time  to  start  arrangements  for  her betrothal to an
eligible young man, I thought that the child's  abilities  would  gain  her
special  favor  among  the  royal  families  in  the  upper echelons of the
Imperial Court.  And a profitable marriage,  one  that  could  regain  this
family's  position in the Royal Court.  A position that you've alienated us
from for some unknown reason."

     "This family has its share of power and wealth.  Why  should  we  need
more of it?" Kyne shouted.  Don't you realize what you've done?"

     "You  still  have a chance to gain those things for your niece, Baron.
All you have to do is turn the girl over to me," Vader offered seductively.

     "Don't listen to him, Morai," Aislinn countered.  "That  is  the  dark
side  of the Force talking.  There are no rewards waiting for those who let
themselves be seduced by its false promises."

     Morai looked at Vader, then at his sister-in-law, and at Vader  again.
He shook his head, trying to clear it.

     "Morai, you must believe that I am telling you the truth," she urged.

     "ENOUGH!"  the  Dark  Lord  roared angrily as he felt the Baron's will
wavering back towards Aislinn.  "We will see how strong you really are when
you face the Emperor." He opened a channel on his comlink and spoke into it
briefly.

                                 * * * * *




                              10th of Karthian, 3154



                    My dearest Aislinn,

                         I do hear a certain amount of the
                    court gossip each time that I am let out
                    of my cell to be taken before the
                    Emperor.  That is how I have heard that
                    you are expecting another child.  I am
                    very happy for you and Kyne, and for
                    little Tiree, who will now have a
                    sister to grow up with.

                         Oh dear! Here I am doing it again,
                    knowing a little of the information and
                    telling you the rest (like whether your
                    child is going to be a boy or a girl
                    before the child is even born).

                         I have also felt something else
                    since hearing of your pregnancy. The
                    Force will be strong with this child,
                    and she will have the abilities of a
                    Healer.

                         I only wish that the Jedi school
                    still existed.  They would have trained
                    her in those abilities when she reached
                    the right age, but perhaps it is just as
                    well.  Her inablity to use her powers
                    may help conceal those very powers from
                    the Emperor's knowledge.

                         And above all, he must never find
                    out about those abilities, or he will
                    use them, and her, against her will as
                    he does me.  And with youth and health
                    to give, she would be able to restore
                    his body to what it once was.  Something
                    that must not happen.

                         So, take care that your little
                    daughter never comes into the Emperor's
                    notice.

                         Again, my love to you all.  And
                    may the Force protect you and your
                    family.

                              Love,
                              Mother



                                   * * * * *

     The  front  door  of  the  palace  opened  with  a  crash,   and   the
stormtroopers  that  Darth  Vader  had summoned entered.  They methodically
spread out through the palace, rounding up everyone that  they  could  find
and  herding  them  into  a large ballroom on the first floor.  They cuffed
Aislinn, Kyne and Morai before having them join the rest of the household.

     "Did you find  the  girl  and  her  brother,  yet?"  Vader  asked  the
stormtrooper Captain when he entered the ballroom.

     "No,  Lord  Vader,  not  yet.  The palace is rather large, and it will
take some time to fully search all of the rooms on each floor."

     "Make certain you do not miss anything.  I want  that  girl  found  as
soon as possible," Vader replied.

     "Yes, my Lord," the Captain said and hurried off.

     The  Dark  Lord  turned  to  Aislinn.   "You  were  gone seeing to the
preparations for the evening meal for some time.  Perhaps even long  enough
to send your children into hiding.  Where have they gone?"

     Aislinn  stared  defiantly  at  the  black  armored figure standing in
front of her.  "I have no idea what you are talking about, Lord Vader."

     "So, you chose to be stubborn," Vader growled irritably.  "Very  well.
I will let the Emperor deal with you."

     The  Dark  Lord  spoke  into  his  comlink  again,  then turned to the
stormtroopers who still remained in the ballroom.  "I am going to meet  the
Emperor, guard the prisoners while I am gone," he ordered, then left.

     Aislinn  looked up at her husband worriedly.  She wasn't sure how long
she could hold out against Emperor Palpatine.  She could only pray that  it
would be long enough for her children to make their escape.

     Which  meant  that  they  would have to leave immediately, rather than
waiting until late as she had originally planned.  She concentrated  for  a
moment, then turned to face whatever fate had in store for her and Kyne.

                                 * * * * *

     "...  may  have  to  walk  ..." Tiree paused and stared at his sister.
"'Lani, are you even listening to me?"

     Elania had gotten a strange, faraway expression in  her  eyes;  as  if
she were listening to something that no one else could hear.  She looked up
at her brother.  "We've got to leave, now," she said frantically.

     "But  Mother said to wait until late, after everyone is asleep," Tiree
admonished her.

     "I know.  But something's terribly wrong, and she wants  us  to  leave
right away.  I can feel it."

     "Oh, no! I thought I told you ..."

     "I'm  not  doing it, Tiree," she cut him off.  "Besides, I don't think
sensing trouble can be considered Force `meddling' as you like to call  it.
Now come on, before it's too late," she insisted.

     "We'll need to get some money," Tiree said.

     "There's  no  time  for that," Elania exclaimed, heading for the door.
"Oh, the letters!" she squealed, scooping them up and shoving them into the
pockets of her dress.  Then she dashed out the door.

     Tiree stood, shaking his head in consternation.  Even though he  loved
his  sister  dearly,  sometimes  she  could  be  so hard to understand.  He
wondered if it was an inherent trait with Force sensitives,  or  if  Elania
was just eccentric.

     She  dashed  back  into  the room, and grabbed Tiree's arm.  "Come on!
We've got to get out of here!" she insisted, trying to physically drag  him
toward the door.

     "All  right,  all  right.   I'm coming," he said, following her out of
the door and down the hallway.  "Just answer  one  question.   How  are  we
going  to  get out without being seen? It's late afternoon, and that's when
the servants and Father's aide's all have their shift change."

     "I've explored this palace from the top to bottom floors,  I  found  a
secret passage," she replied.  "And no one even remembers that it exists."

     "I should have known! So, that's how you always manage to disappear so
fast," her brother commented.

     "It  leads  to  where  Father  keeps  the  speeders.   We can take the
unmarked T-16."

     "A missing skyhopper is going  to  be  noticed,  then  Vader  will  be
searching the whole city for us," Tiree argued.

     "We're  too  far  from the 'port to put enough distance between us and
the palace in the short time we have left," she replied.  "We'd never  make
it on foot."

     "I  suppose  we  could  take  it  most  of  the way, and ditch it just
outside of the city," he mused.

                                 * * * * *

     Nearly a timepart later, six red robed  Imperial  guards  entered  the
palace,  followed by the Emperor.  "Master," Vader greeted him and bowed as
Palpatine approached.

     "You may  rise,  Lord  Vader,"  the  Emperor  said.   "What  have  you
discovered about the girl, Elania?"

     "I definately sensed the Force in her, Master," the Dark Lord replied.
"And  though  she  is  totally  untrained in its use, the girl became quite
alarmed during my probing to determine her abilities and fled the room.   I
believe that she somehow sensed what I was doing."

     "Very good, Lord Vader," the Emperor responded.  He started toward the
ballroom  and  motioned  for the Dark Lord to accompany him.  "It sounds as
if the child may have the potential to be as powerful  as  her  grandmother
was, perhaps even more so ... with the right training."

     "It  seems that her parents do not wish her to receive proper training
in the Force, though.  Especially her mother.  The Lady  Aislinn  is  being
very  difficult  and I have reason to believe that she has sent both of the
children away," Vader said in annoyance.

     "Then, I will just have to persuade her that it would be best for  all
concerned  if  she  changed  her  mind,"  the Emperor said with a malicious
smile.

     When they reached the ballroom, one of  the  Emperor's  guards  opened
the  door  so  that  he and Vader could enter, then all six of them took up
stations just outside of the ballroom.

     Palpatine walked over to Aislinn and stood staring at her for  several
moments.   "You  are  only  making  it  more difficult on yourself and your
husband by being so stubborn.  Don't you realize that you can not hide  the
girl's whereabouts from me forever?" he declared.

     Aislinn  stared  right  back at him.  "I still don't know what you are
talking about," she answered defiantly.

     "Perhaps  you  will  respond  to  a   small   demonstration   of   the
consequences  of your behavior," the Emperor suggested.  He motioned to the
Dark Lord, and Vader dragged one of the  servants  to  the  center  of  the
ballroom.  "Kill him!" Vader commanded the stormtroopers.

     Aislinn buried her face on her husband's shoulder as the stormtroopers
fired  on  the  servant  with  their  blasters.  Vader pulled her away from
Kyne, and turned her to  face  the  body  on  the  floor.   "If  necessary,
everyone  in  this  room  will be killed the same way.  Unless, you tell us
where you hid the girl."

     "Lord Vader, certainly one teenaged girl can't  be  worth  killing  so
many innocent people," her brother-in-law, Morai nervously interrupted.

     "Do you have another suggestion, Baron?" the Dark Lord replied.

                                 * * * * *

     Tiree  peered into the hanger, making certain that it was clear before
entering.  When he was sure that no one was around, he motioned for  Elania
to  join  him.   They slipped inside and dashed over to the T-16's, looking
for the one that was still unmarked with either the family  crest,  or  the
markings of an Imperial Senator.

     They  finally  found  it  and  Tiree  carefully  piloted it out of the
hanger.  He looked around once more, puzzled.  He couldn't  understand  why
there was no one out and moving about the grounds as usual.  He decided not
to  question  their luck too closely and headed toward Celandine, flying as
low as possible to avoid detection.

     As Elania turned and looked back toward her home, she  saw  a  shuttle
landing  directly  in  front  of  the  palace.  "Tiree, look! The Emperor's
guards," she exclaimed as six red robed Imperial Guards exited the shuttle.

     "It looks like you were right, 'Lani.  We didn't leave one moment  too
soon!" he answered.

                                 * * * * *

     "Well, I ... I ..." Morai sputtered.

     "Take  him  out  of  here,  I grow tired of his indecisiveness," Vader
boomed. One of the stormtroopers herded Morai from the room.

     "Now, my dear, do you wish to watch your whole staff  die,  one  at  a
time?" Palpatine hissed.  "Or will you tell me where your daughter is?"

     Aislinn  was  shaking  with  fear,  but knew that if she gave in, more
than just her household would suffer.  She fought back the tears that  were
threatening to fall.  She didn't like having to choose between the lives of
those  directly  around her, and all who inhabited the galaxy.  But she had
no choice.  If Palpatine used her daughter to restore  himself,  the  whole
galaxy would suffer for it.

     She  gave  the  Emperor  an  innocent stare.  "I can't help it if your
stormtroopers can't find a couple of teenagers, who are probably  just  out
playing  somewhere  on  the grounds.  You really should stop recruiting men
with such low intelligence, Your Majesty."

     "I have heard enough! Lord Vader, I  believe  some  stronger  form  of
persuasion may be necessary," Palpatine said angrily.

                                 * * * * *

     Tiree  landed  the  T-16  just  outside  of  the business disrict that
catered to the spaceport.  Elania hopped out as her brother fed  a  program
into  the  autopilot  function.  He threw the autopilot switch, then jumped
out as the ship began to rise from the ground again.

     "What did you do?" his sister inquired curiously.

     "I sent it to Alomar, by way of the palace," he  replied  smugly.   "I
programmed  it  to  stay  low  till  it  reaches home, then to increase the
altitude enough to be scanned heading for Alomar."

     "But it didn't have enough fuel to make it that far.   It  will  crash
before it gets halfway between the palace and Alomar," she commented.

     "Precisely.   That  way,  Vader  will  think  we were killed trying to
escape. By the time he finds out that we weren't, if he ever does find out,
we'll be long gone from here."

     "Tiree, you're a genius!" she exclaimed, hugging her brother.

     "Yeah, I know," he replied with a grin.  "Now let's go find  a  likely
ship, so we can get out of here."

     They  hurried  through  the  streets  toward  the  landing bays of the
Celandine Spaceport.

                                 * * * * *

     After checking several bays, they  finally  found  a  small  freighter
class  ship that was temporarily unwatched.  It was rather old and battered
looking, which might explain why no one was bothering to guard  it.   After
all,  who  would  want to steal a ship that looked like it was probably not
even worth the metal it took to make it?

     "Are you sure  this  thing  can  even  get  off  the  ground?"  Elania
whispered  to  her brother.  "It looks like a piece of junk that's going to
fall apart anytime."

     "We don't really have much choice, 'Lani.  This is the only ship we've
found that's been unguarded.  Come on, while we still have a chance to  get
into the cargo hold unseen."

     "I  just hope you know what you're doing, Tiree," she said with a sigh
and followed him to the ship.

                                 * * * * *

     The stormtrooper Captain  entered  the  ballroom.   "Lord  Vader,  I'm
sorry  to interrupt.  One of my men has discovered a skyhopper missing from
the hangers," he said.

     The Dark Lord had Aislinn by the arm and he pushed her aside when  the
stormtrooper  Captain  told him about the missing skyhopper.  The woman had
proven infuriatingly resistant to a mind probe.  Perhaps he  could  find  a
way  to  use this new development to the Emperor's advantage.  He turned to
his stormtrooper Captain.

     "Bring the Baron back in here, I have some questions about the missing
ship.  Perhaps he will be more  co-operative  than  the  Lady  Aislinn  has
been."

     "Yes,  my  Lord."  The  stormtrooper  Captain  left  and a few moments
later, he herded Morai back into the room.

     "Your Captain said that you wanted to ask me some questions about  one
of the skyhoppers," the Baron said in a puzzled tone.

     "There  appears  to  one  missing, I was hoping you would know who had
taken it."

     "I'm sorry, my Lord, but I wasn't even  aware  that  one  was  missing
until now," Morai answered.

     "Could  you  tell  which  one  is  gone if the Captain took you to the
hanger?" Palpatine interjected.

     "I'm not sure.  There are several  skyhoppers  kept  in  the  hangers,
including ones belonging to the staff," the Baron replied.

     "Take  him,  and  see  if  he  can  identify  the missing ship," Vader
ordered.

                                 * * * * *

     After double checking to make  sure  the  coast  was  clear,  the  two
teenagers  dashed  up  the  ramp  of  the freighter.  As they looked around
unsuccessfully for the door to the cargo hold, Elania tripped and fell over
a section of floor that was jutting upward.  Her foot  got  caught  on  the
edge  of  it,  and  the  flooring  slid  sideways as she tried to extricate
herself from it.

     "What in the ..." Elania exclaimed when she noticed the  opening  that
had been made.

     Tiree  bent over and inspected the small gap, then he pushed the piece
of flooring aside and peered in.  "It looks like some kind of compartment,"
he observed.

     They could hear voices out in the landing bay and Elania looked at her
brother fearfully.  "What now?"

     "It looks like there's more than enough room for both of us.   We  get
into  the compartment, fast." He jumped down, reached up for his sister and
helped her down into it.  Then they pulled the section of floor  back  into
place, just in time.  They heard the voices coming up the ramp and into the
ship only a few moments after replacing the section of flooring.

     "...  don't  know  what's  goin'  on.  This is the first time anyone's
hired us, then skipped out like that.  I'd just as soon  take  off  early,"
they heard a man's voice saying irritably.

     His  partner  agreed  wholeheartedly  in a series of barks and growls,
and the teenagers looked at each other curiously.

     "A Wookiee?" Elania whispered in surprise.  Tiree motioned at  her  to
be quiet.  "Sorry," she mouthed silently.

     They  heard  the voices and footsteps move away through the ship.  The
two tenagers sat down, settling in for the trip that was ahead of them.

                                 * * * * *

     "Were you able to identify the missing skyhopper, Baron?" Vader  asked
impatiently.

     "I think so.  It's an old one, which means it probably didn't have any
markings to identify it," Morai answered.

     Vader  turned  on  Aislinn  and Kyne.  "Despite your denial of sending
them away, the missing ship does seem to indicate  otherwise,"  he  accused
angrily.

     "An unmarked skyhopper missing doesn't indicate anything, Lord Vader,"
Baron  Morai Taran observed.  "It could have been stolen by thieves for all
any of us know."

     "I doubt that very strongly, Baron.  This palace is too  well  guarded
for  thieves to break in and take a skyhopper," the Dark Lord retorted.  He
grabbed Aislinn by the arm again, and shook her angrily.  "Where have  they
gone?"

     "I told you before ..."

     The  Dark  Lord's comlink beeped, and he shoved her away to answer it.
"Yes, what is it?" he answered in an annoyed tone.

     "Lord Vader, we've picked up a small ship on  the  scope  and  run  an
identification  scan  on  it,"  his  communications officer said.  "It's an
older ship that has been registered to the Taran family  for  a  number  of
years."

     "I   want   you   to  continue  tracking  it  and  inform  me  of  its
destination," he told the officer.

     "Yes, Lord Vader.  I'll call you  as  soon  as  they've  landed."  The
officer  was  starting to sign off when one of the other men on the shuttle
spoke to him. "One moment, Lord Vader.  There seems to be  a  problem,"  he
said.

     "Lost  them, how?" Vader could hear the communications officer saying.
"Are you sure?" The officer spoke directly into the  comlink  again.   "I'm
sorry,  Lord  Vader.   It  apppears  that  the  ship  has  crashed about 25
kilometers outside the city of Alomar."

     "Send someone at once to the crash site.  I want the occupants of that
shuttle, if they are still alive," Vader ordered.

     Senator Kyne Taran looked at  his  wife  with  a  pained,  questioning
expression.   She  closed her eyes a moment, then smiled with relief as she
looked back at her husband and shook her head.

     A full timepart had gone by before the search team  finally  contacted
Vader.   "I'm  sorry,  Lord  Vader.   The  skyhopper burned completely upon
impact. There couldn't possibly have been any survivors," they reported.

     Vader turned to the Emperor, who was  glaring  at  Aislinn  balefully.
"What are your wishes, my Master?" he asked.

     "Have  the whole household terminated immediately," the Emperor hissed
angrily.  "Except  for  these  two,  I  want  you  to  take  care  of  them
personally,"  he said, indicating Aislinn and Kyne.  "After they've watched
the rest of their staff and servants die, first."

                                 * * * * *

     They had been sitting quietly, when suddenly Elania looked  frightened
and  edged up against her brother, trembling.  Tiree tried to reassure her,
thinking that she was getting jittery about the impending take  off.   But,
he  was  unable  to  calm her down.  Instead, she seemed to be getting more
upset.  "Oh no, they're going to kill Father!" she moaned, and  burst  into
tears.

     Suddenly,  she  doubled over as if in pain and screamed several times.
Tiree grabbed her by the shoulders, and tried to pull  her  toward  him  to
quiet  her  down.   But  Elania seemed to be unaware of anything, including
where she was.

     Tiree was certain that there was no way the crew could not have  heard
his sister screaming, but there might still be a chance of preventing their
specific  location  from  being discovered.  If he could quiet Elania down.
"Elania!" he whispered urgently.  But she didn't seem to hear him.

     He  was  becoming  desperate,  nothing  seemed  to  be  reaching  her.
Finally, he shook her.  "Elania! Stop it! 'Lani, do you hear me? You've got
to stop it!"

     It  seemed  like forever, but she finally stopped screaming and stared
dazedly at Tiree.  "They're ... dead ... both of them!" she cried.

     "What are you talking about?" he whispered.

     "I ... I ... FELT ... it," she moaned between gasps  for  breath.   "I
... s-saw ... Father die ... th-through ... Mother's eyes.  Then ... it was
awful!  I  ...  FELT  ...  Mother ... die!" she ranted.  "Lord Va-Vader ...
killed them! I SAW ... AND ... FELT IT!"

     She threw her arms around Tiree and began weeping uncontrollably.   He
hugged  Elania  tightly,  trying  to  comfort her as his eyes became blurry
with the threat of his own tears.

                                 * * * * *

     The Millenium Falcon had just left the Spaceport of Celendine, and  as
far as its Captain was concerned, it hadn't been soon enough.

     "...   never  been  treated  ..." Han Solo froze in mid sentence as an
eerie, shrieking sound echoed  through  the  ship.   "WHAT  WAS  THAT?"  he
shouted.

     His  copilot,  Chewbacca  covered  his ears in an effort to muffle the
piercing  sound.   As  it  died  away,  the  Wookiee  looked  over  at  Han
questioningly.

     "I  think  you'd better go check out the engines, Chewie.  I'd hate to
have them break down on us now," Han said worriedly.

     The Wookiee barked in agreement, and went back into the  hold  of  the
ship.  As he crossed over the deck plates, Chewbacca paused, listening.  He
thought that he'd heard something.  It sounded almost like  a  human  girl,
weeping  hysterically.   And  it  was  coming  from  one  of  the smuggling
compartments below him.

     He stepped back  and  began  pulling  up  the  deck  plates  over  the
compartments.   He  discovered  the two stowaways in the second compartment
that he opened.

     "Han,  I  think  you  had  better  come here immediately," the Wookiee
called up to the cockpit.

     Han came running into the  hold.   Chewbacca  pointed  to  the  opened
compartment  and  Han  peered  in.  What they saw was a teenage boy holding
onto a slightly younger, hysterically weeping teenage girl.

     "What  the  ..."  Han  exclaimed  when  he  saw  the  two   teenagers.
"Stowaways!  I  don't  believe  it, in all the years ... ah, get 'em out of
there, Chewie!"

     Chewbacca reached into the compartment and the girl screamed again  as
a  shadow  from  the Wookiee's paw passed over her.  The boy slapped at the
huge paw.  "Leave us alone!" he said fearfully.

     Chewbacca regarded him curiously, but Han was  getting  angry.   "This
is  MY  ship, and if I want you out of that compartment, then you're comin'
out of that compartment," he snapped.  "Now, come on out of there!"

     "Han, they are only frightened children," Chewbacca chastised.

     "Yeah? They're also stowaways on this ship.  And you know what kind of
trouble that can bring!" the Corellian retorted.  "The last thing  we  need
is  trouble.   If  I  weren't so anxious to get off of that world, I'd turn
right around and dump them back at the Celendine Spaceport.  But they DO go
at the next stop we make.  And that's final!" Han said as he  stalked  back
up to the cockpit.

     He hadn't quite reached the door of the cockpit when an alarm went off
rather  loudly.   "Now what! I thought the spaceport said we were all clear
on this heading," Han shouted as he ran into the cockpit.

     "What was that?" Tiree asked of Chewbacca.

     "A proximity alarm, there is another ship in our flight path.  I  must
go," the Wookiee replied, and rushed off toward the cockpit.

     "Come  on,  'Lani.   If  they've got to do any fancy course changes, I
think we'd be better off strapped in," Tiree said.   He  stood  and  pulled
Elania up with him.

     "You  go  first," he said.  He laced his fingers together and held his
hands out, palms up, for her.  As she put  her  foot  into  his  hands,  he
boosted  her  up until she could reach the edge of the compartment and pull
herself over the side.  Then he  jumped  up  and  grabbed  onto  the  edge,
pulling himself over.

     "Where's the cockpit?" Elania whispered.

     "I'm not sure," Tiree said.

     He was drowned out by a very loudly shouted comment, punctuated with a
couple  if Corellian oaths.  "Where the #$%$# did those #$%$# Imperial Star
Destroyers come from, anyway? They  weren't  here  two  days  ago  when  we
landed!" Han could be heard yelling.

     "From  the sound of it, I'd say in that direction," Tiree said leading
her toward where the shouting was coming from.

     Han heard them enter.  "Sit down and strap yourselves in," he  ordered
without  looking  away  from the course change that he was making.  Then he
glanced over briefly at Tiree as a sudden thought  struck  him.   "Are  you
from Hallgarth?" he asked.

     The  two  teenagers  looked  at each other for a moment.  Then, Elania
lowered her head and closed her eyes, as if concentrating on something.

     "Elania ..." Tiree said warningly.

     "All that's left  is  relying  on  our  feelings,"  she  said  slowly,
looking back up at her brother.  "And I feel they can be trusted."

     "Oh,  I really like that!" Han exclaimed.  "They stow away on my ship,
and she's talking about being able to trust us!"

     "Please, don't be angry with my sister?"  Tiree  said  quickly.   "Our
parents  were  just  killed by the Imperials, so she's upset and not really
coherent."

     "Are you trying to tell me that those two  Star  Destroyers  are  here
because  of  your  family?"  Han  asked in amazement.  "What did they do to
bring that much fire power down on them?"

     "The Emperor is after my sister," Tiree answered.

     "HER?" Han shouted.  "What could a child like her do to  threaten  the
Empire?"

     "Elania's  a  Force sensitive," he replied, "and the Emperor wants her
because of her abilities as a Healer."

     Elania stared at her brother for a while, before returning to  staring
down at the floor.

     "I  don't want to hear anymore," Han replied.  "I don't believe in any
of those hokey religions." He turned back to his manuevers.

     "Looks like we got around that Destroyer without as much trouble as  I
was  expecting," Han commented as they finished circling the huge ship.  "I
just hope they don't decide to start checking every ship that leaves 'port.
The last thing I need is for them to pull me in looking for you two."

     "They won't," Tiree answered.

     "I said I didn't want to hear about any more of this  Force  stuff  of
yours."

     "I'm  not talking about the Force.  I fixed it so they would think our
'hopper crashed, and we were killed," Tiree explained.

     "Chewie, I think I like the way this kid thinks," Han replied.

     "Yes, that was a very wise thing for him to do," the Wookie replied.

     "Look, I'm sorry I yelled at  you  two,"  Han  apologized.   "I  don't
usually  get  stowaways  on  my  ship, and I kinda lost my temper.  My next
'port really isn't safe, especially for your sister.   Losing  your  folks,
that's  really  rough.   I know what it feels like, so I'll let you stay on
board until I reach a safer spaceport.  I can drop you off there,  and  you
can catch a shuttle to wherever you're trying to get, okay?" he offered.

     "Thanks.  We really appreciate it, Captain ..." Tiree said gratefully.

     "Han ..."

     That  was  as  far he got.  Elania reached out and grabbed Han's wrist
frantically.  "No names, please? If they do catch us, I don't  want  to  be
able to identify who helped us."

     Han  looked at her strangely.  "Another of your `feelings'?" he asked.
"Okay, this one I'll go along with, only because it's got a basis  in  good
sense, too.

     "Chewie,  show  them  to  one of the crew cabins.  They could probably
use some rest."

     Chewbacca led them to a cabin.  "Here, this one has two  bunks.   That
way you can keep an eye on your sister."

                                 * * * * *

     Tiree had waited until he thought that his sister was settled down and
asleep  before leaving the cabin to talk to Han and Chewbacca.  But as soon
as the cabin door closed behind him, Elania opened her eyes.  She  was  far
too upset and afraid to sleep, but she didn't want to worry her brother any
more than he already was.

     Elania  sat up in the bed and dug her grandmother's letters out of her
pocket.  She began sorting through them, looking for the  ones  that  Tiree
had  refused to let her read earlier.  She had to know what her brother had
meant when he told the ship's Captain that the Emperor wanted  her  because
of  her  healing  abilities, and what was so important that her parents had
been murdered because of them.

     After Elania finished reading the letters, she just sat and stared  at
them for a long time.  Her mother hadn't really encouraged, or trained her,
in  the use of her Force abilities ... and Elania had never understood why.
That, and so many other things began to make sense to her, now.

     And it was just  too  much  for  her  to  deal  with  at  the  moment.
Dazedly,  she  put  the  letters back into their envelopes and stuffed them
into the pocket of her dress again.

     Then, overwhelmed by emotional stress  and  physical  exhaustion,  she
laid  back  down on the small bunk.  It wasn't long before she fell into an
exhausted, but uneasy sleep.

     Elania kept having strange dreams and nightmares and finally woke  up,
crying out fearfully.  She sat up in the bunk and covered her face with her
hands, fighting back the tears that threatened to overwhelm her again.  She
looked  up  as the cabin door hissed open, her brother and the Wookiee came
rushing into the room.

     "'Lani, what's wrong?" Tiree asked worriedly.  "We could hear you  all
the way up in the cockpit."

     "I  had  a  ...  strange  dream  ...  a ... nightmare, but ... I can't
remember it," she replied, looking as shaken as she sounded.

     "Perhaps a light tranquilzer will help your sister to  sleep  better,"
Chewbacca suggested.

     "NO!"  she  exclaimed,  "no  tranquilizers, I don't want to go back to
sleep. Please, can I just go up to the cockpit with the rest of you?"

     "I don't see any reason why not," Han said from the doorway.

     "Thank you," Elania replied.

     Han nodded, then turned to his copilot.  "C'mon  Chewie,  it's  almost
time to leave hyperspace."

     "I  must  go now.  You are welcome to join us when you are ready," the
Wookie said to Elania, then he followed Han out of the room.

     Elania got out of the bunk and trailed after Han  and  Chewbacca,  but
she  had  a  listless  and  apathetic  attitude about it.  Almost as if she
didn't actually care where she was, as long as she  wasn't  totally  alone.
Which  wasn't  like  Elania, who usually preferred to be alone when she was
upset.

     As Tiree followed  his  sister  to  the  cockpit,  he  stared  at  her
worriedly,  trying  to  make some kind of sense out of her behavior.  These
weren't the typical actions that  could  be  shrugged  off  as  the  normal
eccentricities  of  a  Force  sensitive.  Tiree was beginning to think that
Elania was in emotional shock, and he didn't have the faintest idea of what
to do for her.

     There was no way that they could go to a Med  Center  because  of  the
possibility of being identified.  That meant the only thing he could do was
watch  over  her,  and  hope that Senator Organa would know how to help his
sister when they got to Alderaan.

                                 * * * * *

     When  they'd  finished  landing,  Han  turned  to  his   two   teenage
passengers.  "This  is a pretty rough 'port, you two had better stay inside
the ship and out of sight until we get back.  We  shouldn't  be  gone  very
long." He stood up and headed for the cargo hold, followed by Chewbacca.

                                 * * * * *

     It  was almost two timeparts later when Han and Chewbacca came rushing
into the cockpit.  "Tune into that station as soon as we're  out  of  here,
Chewie.   I  want  to  hear all of that emergency announcement," he shouted
while throwing himself into the pilot's chair.

     "What is it, Captain?" Tiree asked.

     "You two kids may be hotter than you thought," he  replied.   "I  only
heard  part  of  the announcement while we were in the city, I want to find
out for certain.  And just in case you are,  we're  getting  out  of  here,
immediately."

     Han  contacted the spaceport, requesting clearance to take off as soon
as possible, and got one in only a quarter of a timepart.  He began getting
ready to take off as Chewbacca worked on finding the Imperial station  that
they'd heard when they delivered their cargo.

     The   Falcon  had almost cleared the planet's gravitational field when
Chewbacca spoke up.  "This is  the  station,  do  you  want  it  over  your
comlink?" he asked.

     "Can we can hear it, too?" Tiree asked.

     Han  nodded.  "Put it on the speakers." Chewbacca flipped a switch and
the channel came on in the cockpit, just as the the emergency  announcement
was repeated.

                         "We  interrupt  this  broadcast  to
                    bring you an  emergency  news  bulletin.
                    Imperial    Senator    Kyne   Taran   of
                    Hallgarth, and  his  wife  Aislinn  have
                    been  found  murdered,  along  with  the
                    rest of their household and staff.

                         It     was     Senator      Taran's
                    Ambassadorial    Representative,   Reade
                    Conlan, who reported the deaths  to  the
                    authorities.   Ambassador  Conlan  found
                    the bodies when he returned to  work  at
                    the  Taran  family  palace after a short
                    vacation.

                         The local authorities on  Hallgarth
                    said  there  were  indications  that the
                    Taran    family's    home    had    been
                    vandalized,  perhaps in the process of a
                    robbery.  A safe was found opened,  much
                    of  the  palace had been ransacked and a
                    skyhopper was missing from the hanger.

                         The bodies of  their  two  teenaged
                    children,  Tiree  and  Elania,  were not
                    found with the rest and it is not  known
                    what  has  happened to them, yet.  There
                    is  speculation  as   to   whether   the
                    children  were kidnapped, or just off on
                    a holiday  somewhere  when  the  murders
                    were  committed.   A concerted effort is
                    being  made  to   locate   the   missing
                    children as soon as possible.

                         We  will bring you any further news
                    on this tragedy when we receive it."

     Han turned his chair around to face the teenagers.  "Were they talking
about  you two? You're the kids of an Imperial Senator?" he asked, somewhat
stunned.

     Tiree nodded.  "We were also one of the royal families in the Imperial
Court ... for all the good it did," he  replied  sarcastically.   "And  who
thought  up  that  incredible bunch of lies? They don't really think anyone
will believe that a household as large as a Senator's could all  be  killed
in a stupid robbery attempt, do they?"

     "They  had  to  come  up  with  something  to explain the deaths of an
Imperial Senator and his whole household," Han commented.

     "The Captain's right, Tiree.  They're not about to admit  the  Emperor
and  Lord  Vader  killed so many people because of a fifteen year old Force
sensitive," Elania said in a monotone.

     Han turned and stared at her.  He wasn't sure what bothered him  more,
the  revelation  of  who  actually  killed  their family or the spiritless,
apathetic way that she spoke  what  would  normally  be  considered  bitter
sounding  words.  The other thing that bothered him was the idea of leaving
them off at some 'port to fend for themselves with the Empire  looking  for
them.

     "That  sort  of  ends  the  idea  of leaving you two to catch a public
shuttle," he said.  "If it's all over the radio stations, then it'll be  on
the  video stations, too.  That means you'll be recognized and captured the
instant you leave this ship."

     "What will we do with them, then?" Chewbacca asked.

     "I  guess  we'll  just  have  to  take  them  to  their   destination,
ourselves.  I can't let a couple of kids be captured by the Empire, can I?"
Han replied.

     "No,  it  would  not be right.  I am glad that you wish to help them,"
Chewbacca answered.

     Han turned to Tiree.  "So, where are you  trying  to  get  to  anyway,
kid?"

     "Our  mother told Elania to go to Alderaan, and ask Senator Organa for
help," Tiree answered.

     Han whistled.  "Getting you in to see a  Senator  isn't  going  to  be
easy. And Alderaan's not even on the way to any of our stops, although that
part  shouldn't  be  too hard to arrange.  I'll just start asking around at
each of the 'ports we hit and see what I can find to get us there."

     "Can't you just  contact  Senator  Organa's  office  and  ask  for  an
appointment?  Then  when you get in, you can tell him that Tiree and Elania
Taran are waiting on your ship to see him," Tiree replied.

     "Not after that news bulletin.  He may  think  that  we're  trying  to
hold you for ransom or something," Han replied.

     "I hadn't thought of that."

     "Don't worry, kid.  We'll work something out," Han said reassuringly.

                                 * * * * *

     When  the  Millenium Falcon landed at the next stop on Han's schedule,
he turned to Tiree and Elania.  "I'm sorry, I know it's  not  going  to  be
very  comfortable, but the safest place for you to hide is in the smuggling
compartments where we found you.  Until the  Imperials  find  that  crashed
skyhopper  of  yours  and  quit  looking for you, there's a possibility any
ship that was in the Hallgarth system recently will be searched."

     "We understand, Captain," Tiree replied.  "Right, 'Lani?"

     She nodded absently, and trailed after Han and Chewbacca as  they  led
her and Tiree back to the compartment that they had been found in.

                                 * * * * *

     At  each  of  the Millenium Falcon's next three stops, it was the same
routine.  The two teenagers hid in the smuggling compartments until Han and
Chewbacca returned from delivering their cargo, and Han asked around  about
any  shipments  to  Alderaan  ... there wasn't anything that would even get
them near Alderaan.

     Finally, on their last stop, a delivery to  Semira  Spaceport,  things
started looking up.

     On  the  way  back  to  the ship, Han stopped off at his friend Gair's
Cantina to pick up a few `supplies' of his own.  And to see if  Gair  might
know of anyone looking for a ship to make a delivery to Alderaan.

     Han  and  Chewbacca  had  only  been sitting down in their booth for a
short time when Gair came over and  joined  them.   "How's  it  going?"  he
asked.

     "Not  too  good.   We  were supposed to have this real profitable deal
going on Hallgarth ...  but the guy we had it with never  showed  up,"  Han
said disgustedly.  "You wouldn't by any chance ..."

     "I  may have just the thing for you, then," Gair said.  "Phelan was in
a little while ago, asking if I had seen  you.   It  seems  he  has  a  new
customer  on  Alderaan  ...  a  very  rich  customer  ...   with a priority
delivery.  And this customer is willing to pay extra for a fast  ship  that
can deliver it as soon as possible.  Are you interested?"

     Han  and  Chewbacca  turned  and  stared  at each other, they couldn't
believe their luck.  "Yes, I am," Han replied.  "Thanks for the tip, Gair."

     Han turned to the Wookiee.  "I'll leave  you  here  to  take  care  of
picking  up  our  regular  supplies  while I go talk with Phelan about this
delivery to  Alderann.   I'll  meet  you  back  at  the  ship  about  1500,
everything should be arranged by then."

     Chewbacca  barked  in agreement, then followed Gair back to the supply
room as Han left for Phelan's shipping office.

                                 * * * * *

     "CHEWIE!" Han shouted as he dashed up the ramp and into the  Millenium
Falcon,  skidding  to  a stop when he got to the smuggling compartment that
Tiree and Elania were hidden in.  "Get the ship ready.  I'm asking for  the
earliest lift off time that's available.  We're going to Phelan's warehouse
just outside of the city to pick up a load."

     He  yanked  up  the  deck plates and shouted down to them.  "Hey kids!
I've got great news for you!"

     They both jumped and stared up at him, momentarily startled.   "You've
got a shipment to Alderaan?" Tiree asked hopefully.

     "Yeah,  and  it  gets even better.  You'll never believe who it's to!"
Han replied.  "None other than Senator Bail Organa."

     "That is good news," Chewbacca shouted out from the cockpit  as  Tiree
helped  Elania  out  of  the smuggling compartment.  Then they followed Han
into the cockpit and sat down.

     Another news bulletin came on just as Chewbacca started to  reach  for
the  radio  to  turn it off so that Han could talk to the 'port authorities
about lifting off.  The Wookiee paused and they all listened  to  see  what
the latest bulletin had to say about the two teenagers.

     This  one told about finding the crashed skyhopper and the authorities
belief that both Elania and Tiree had been killed in the crash.

     Tiree gave a huge sigh of relief.   "Well,  at  least  they  won't  be
searching for us any more," he said.

     Then,  the  news  went  on  to  say that Senator Taran's Ambassadorial
Representative, Reade Conlan and his family  had  mysteriously  disappeared
after  he  had  discovered  the  dead bodies in the Taran family palace and
reported it to the local  authorities.   The  news  broadcaster  speculated
about  the  possibility  of  foul play in the Conlan family's disappearance
also.

     Elania turned very pale as she listened to the news broadcast of their
supposed deaths, then  the  disappearance  of  her  best  friend's  family.
Suddenly, everything that had happened hit her all at once.

     "Oh  Maker,  when  is  this  nightmare  going  to  end?"  she shouted,
bursting into tears.  "Our parents are dead ... my best friend ... and  her
family  may  have  been  arrested by the Empire ... the whole galaxy thinks
we're dead ...  we'll never be able to go home again  ...  not  after  what
happened  there!"  she  gasped  between  sobs.   "And I barely know Senator
Organa ... how am I supposed to live the rest of my life on Alderaan?"

     Han and Chewbacca exchanged worried looks.  If  she  had  reservations
about  going  to  Alderaan,  it  could complicate things.  But, it was also
possible the girl was finally coming out of the state  of  emotional  shock
that  she'd  been  in  and  would  calm down after crying it all out of her
system.

     Tiree jumped up and ran over to Elania, then put his  arm  around  her
comfortingly.   "You  do  know  his daughter, Leia.  I thought that you and
she were friends."

     "Yes, but it has been several months since  I've  seen  Leia.   And  I
don't   really  know  anyone  else  in  the  Organa  family,"  she  replied
hesitantly.

     "I've met Senator Organa several times and he seems to be very  nice,"
Tiree  said,  trying to reassure her.  "I don't believe it's going to be as
bad living with them on Alderaan as you seem to think it is."

     `At least, I hope not,' he thought.

     "I guess it's just because I'm  upset  and  scared  after  all  that's
happened,"  Elania  said.   "And  I'm  really worried about Deidre.  What's
happened to the Conlan family? Where are they?"

     "I don't know, 'Lani.  Maybe we can ask Senator Organa to make  a  few
discreet inquiries, okay?" Tiree asked.

     Elania nodded.  "That sounds like a good idea."

     "It's  settled  then,  you're  going  to  Alderaan?"  Han  said  in  a
questioning tone.

     Both teenagers turned to him and nodded.  "We're going  to  Alderaan,"
Elania replied.  "Thank you for being being so patient with me, Captain.  I
promise I won't have any more hysterics during this trip."

     "It's  okay,  I  understand,"  he  answered,  then  turned back to the
communication system.  As Han called the 'port to  arrange  for  lift  off,
Chewbacca  led  the  two teenagers back to the crew cabin to hide while the
ship was being loaded.

                                 * * * * *

     "Your cargo is  all  ready  to  be  loaded,  Captain  Solo,"  Phelan's
warehouse  foreman  reported, handing Han his copies of the manifest sheet.
"Right over there, by the cargo bay doors." The man pointed to  huge  stack
of crates piled on a cargo lift.

     "Thanks,"  Han  replied.   He  stared  at  the  size of the load, then
glanced curiously at the manifest sheet.  The inventory was listed  as  800
cases  of ... An expression of disbelief crossed his face, but Han kept his
thoughts to himself, for the time being.

     He turned to the Wookiee.  "Chewie, go open the  outer  hatch  to  the
smuggling  compartments  so  we  can  start  loading  this stuff," he said,
trying to control his temptation to laugh out loud at the bizarre shipment.

     Chewbacca could tell that something on the manifest sheet  had  struck
his  partner  as funny, but he couldn't even begin to imagine what it could
be.  "Han, what are we carrying?" he asked.

     "I'll tell you when we're done  loading  it  and  back  on  the  ship,
Chewie.  I really don't want to go into it here," Han answered, suppressing
a grin.

     The  Wookiee  shrugged  and  ambled off to open the outer hatch to the
smuggling compartments as Han steered the cargo lift over to the  Millenium
Falcon.

                                 * * * * *

     When  they'd finished loading and checking to make sure that the count
was accurate, they closed the hatch and  went  back  into  the  ship.   The
Corellian  waited until they had lifted off and gone into hyperspace before
heading to the cabin Tiree and Elania were hiding in.  Chewbacca got up and
followed him.  By the time they had reached the cabin door, Han was  nearly
doubled over with laughter.

     "Han,  what  is  so  funny about this shipment?" Chewbacca asked as he
unlocked, then opened the cabin door for the two teenagers.

     Han was out of breath from laughing, so he just  handed  the  manifest
sheet  to  Chewbacca  and let the Wookiee read it for himself.  The totally
amazed look on his partner's face got the Corellian snickering.

     "What is it?," Tiree  asked  as  he  and  Elania  stared  at  Han  and
Chewbacca curiously.

     "Senator  Bail Organa of Alderaan is having a black market shipment of
800 cases of personal hygiene sheets sent to him," Han replied,  trying  to
look  serious.   But  he broke up again at the expressions on the teenagers
faces.

     "What! 800 cases? What in the universe is he ever  going  to  do  with
that much?" Elania exclaimed.

     "I'm  not  sure,  but  he  must have a good scam of some kind going to
make an order that large," Han answered with a grin.

     "Maybe he's planning to  do  some  exterior  decoration  on  someone's
home," Tiree suggested.

     "It  would  have  to  be  an  extremely  large  one.  There are enough
personal hygiene sheets in this order to do an 'exterior decoration' job on
at least half of the Empire's capital city," Chewbacca replied.

     "Then  again,  I  suppose he could have a terminal case of Palpatine's
revenge," the Corellian retorted with a wicked grin.   "Oh  Maker!"  Elania
gasped as she dissolved into a case of uncontrollable giggles and slid down
the  wall  to  the floor.  They all stared at her for several moments, then
burst out laughing, too.

     "Captain, you have got the strangest sense of  humor  that  I've  ever
encountered,"  Elania  said  when  they had all finally regained control of
themselves.  Her eyes were watering  from  laughing  so  hard,  and  Elania
wiped  at  her face as she continued, "It's going to be months before I can
look at a stack of personal hygiene sheets without laughing."

     "Only the personal hygiene sheets?"  Han  asked  with  a  grin.   "How
about the Senator?"

     Elania  began  to  giggle  again.  "Please, no more, Captain.  I don't
want to even think about that, or I  may  embarrass  Tiree  and  myself  by
laughing when we see Senator Organa."

     "That's  not  what  will  be embarrassing, it's the explanation of why
you're laughing that will embarrass us," her brother retorted.  "So,  don't
even think about it for the rest of this trip, okay?"

     Elania  covered  her  mouth  as  she  continued  to giggle and nodded,
trying to look serious.  Everyone stared at her with such questioning looks
that she just couldn't stop  herself  from  laughing  again.   "Excuse  me,
please," Elania gasped and dashed off toward the cockpit.

     Han  and  Chewbacca  stared  after her, then Han looked over at Tiree.
"Is your sister all right?" he asked, wondering if this was a new  form  of
her earlier hysterics.

     "She's fine, Captain," he replied.  "Occasionally, Elania just gets an
incredibly  bad  case  of the giggles and has trouble stopping them, that's
all."

     "Oh," was the best answer Han could think of as he gave the young  man
a  confused look.  He'd always thought that sometimes women could get a bit
strange, obviously teenage girls were even worse.  He shook  his  head  and
wandered  off  to  the  storage compartment to look for what they needed to
smuggle the two teenagers in to Senator Organa.

                                 * * * * *

     Shortly before they were due to leave hyperspace, Han came  back  out,
dragging  a  couple  of  empty shipping crates from the storage compartment
into the main hold.  Tiree and Chewbacca were playing a game of holographic
chess as Elania watched and when Han brought the crates in, she  looked  up
curiously.

     "Okay,   kids,  it's  time  to  join  the  rest  of  Senator  Organa's
shipment," he said, brushing several layers of dust off the crates.

     Elania stared at the crates, then at Han.   "What  do  you  mean?  And
what  are  they  for?"  she  asked apprehensively, pointing at the shipping
crates.

     "They're for smuggling you in to the Senator without being seen,"  Han
answered.

     "But  why go to all that trouble when officially, we no longer exist?"
she replied.

     "Because there are people who wouldn't have any qualms  about  turning
you  in  to  the  Empire  for  a big reward if they saw, and recognized you
two," Chewbacca explained to her.

     Elania  stared  at  the  Wookiee  in  stunned  disbelief  for  several
moments,  then  shivered.   "I  hadn't  thought  of  that possibility," she
muttered.  "I guess I'm just too trusting of people to  think  that  anyone
could do such a thing."

     "Unfortunately,  there  are  lots of people like that in this galaxy,"
Han said.  "So, we take precautions to  make  sure  that  you  get  to  the
Senator and his family safely."

                                 * * * * *

     The Alderaan Spaceport had directed the Millenium Falcon to the palace
grounds  themselves.  From there, the Senator's aide had authorized them to
use one of the landing pads next to  Senator  Organa's  private  warehouse,
which was located on the eastern end of the palace grounds.

     The  warehouse  foreman  and  his  work  crew  were waiting as Han and
Chewbacca  exited  the  Falcon  and  opened  the  hatch  to  the  smuggling
compartments.   The dock-walloper droids unloaded the shipment onto a cargo
lift, counting it as they worked.  When the last crate had  been  unloaded,
the droid in charge went over to the foreman.

     "Sir,  there seems to be a discrepency between Captain Solo's manifest
sheet and the unloaded cargo," he said.  "There is an overage of two crates
in the shipment.  Also, they don't have the same appearance as the others."

     The foreman quickly inspected the two crates that  the  droid  pointed
out.  They  were  made  of  a  sturdier material than the ones carrying the
personal hygiene sheets and were slatted, instead of being solid.

     The crates were marked 'To: Senator Bail Organa' and addressed to  the
palace.   They  were also marked 'Fragile Handle With Care,' and 'This Side
Up' with an arrow pointing to the side that was to face up.  He  looked  at
the  manifest sheet and the two extra crates, then went to catch Han before
he left.

     "Captain, just a moment," the  foreman  shouted  as  Han  headed  back
toward  the  Millenium  Falcon.  "The manifest sheet says that there should
only be 800 cases, and there are 802."

     "Those last two cases  aren't  part  of  the  personal  hygiene  sheet
shipment," Han replied.  "They're a special delivery for Senator Organa."

     "But  they  aren't  listed anywhere on the manifest," the foreman said
with a puzzled look.  "What are they?"

     "A special delivery for Senator Organa himself," Han said.

     "But what are they?"

     "Look, it'll be your job on the line if the Senator doesn't  get  this
as  soon  as  possible." The Corellian sounded like he was starting to lose
his patience.

     "I'm just trying to do my job, which includes a record  of  all  items
that go through this warehouse," he insisted.

     "Well,  if  you  really  have  to  know  ..."  Han  lowered  his voice
conspiritorally.  "They're monogrammed, all right?"

     "Monogrammed?" the foreman asked, looking confused.

     "Monogrammed personal hygiene sheets for Bail Organa.  Okay?"

     The foreman gave Han an incredulous stare, then  walked  away  shaking
his  head.   The  case  sitting  next to Han began shaking slightly and Han
could hear giggling coming from it.

     "Shhh!" he hissed, lightly kicking the side of the crate.   The  sound
stopped,  but  the case continued to shake for a few more moments as Elania
Taran covered her mouth while gasping out one last fit  of  giggles  before
finally  regaining  her  composure.   Barely  in  time.   The  foreman  was
returning.

     "I talked to the Senator and he doesn't know anything about  it,"  the
foreman  said, giving Han a suspicious look.  "He's on his way down here to
see for himself."

     "Of course not, it's a gift.  From Phelan ... he likes to let his  new
customers  know how much he appreciates them," Han replied.  "May I go now?
I do have a schedule to maintain."

     "Go on Captain, I don't want to make you late," the foreman said  with
a sigh as he walked away to wait for Senator Organa.

     Han  glanced  around,  making  sure  that no one would see or hear him
before he knelt down between the two crates.  "Well, I guess  this  is  it.
Goodbye kids," he whispered.

     "'Bye,  and  thank  you,  Captain.  May the Force be with you," Elania
whispered back.

     "We really do appreciate your help, Sir," Tiree added.

     "Good luck, you two," Han said, patting the top of the crates.   Then,
he got up and headed back to the Millenium Falcon.

                                 * * * * *

     The  Millenium Falcon had been gone about half a timepart when Senator
Bail Organa arrived at the warehouse to inspect his strange delivery. After
examining the crates thoroughly,  he  stood  up  and  sighed.   "They  look
harmless  enough,  maybe  they  are  just  a couple of cases of monogrammed
personal hygiene sheets, like the Captain said.  There's only  one  way  to
find out," he said, prying one of the top slats loose.

     "By  the  Maker, I don't believe it!" Senator Bail Organa whispered as
he looked inside and saw seventeen year old Tiree Taran looking up  at  him
and motioning frantically at him not to say anything.

     "What is it, Sir?" the foreman asked.

     Bail Organa gave the man a quick sideglance.  As a member of the Rebel
Alliance,   his  warehouse  foreman  could  be  trusted  with  this  little
surprise, as could the major portion of the Senator's  staff.   But,  young
Tiree  had  no way of knowing that, so for the obviously worried teenager's
sake, the Senator quickly recovered the crate before the man had  a  chance
to look inside.

     "Just what the Captain said, monogrammed personal hygiene sheets," the
Senator  answered.   "I've never seen anything like this before," he added,
shaking his head in amusement.  "Have the  crates  loaded  on  my  speeder,
I'll take them up to the palace myself."

     "Yes,  Sir,"  the  foreman  replied  and  motioned for a couple of the
droids to take care of it.

     'Nor am I likely to again,' Bail Organa thought as he walked  back  to
his speeder.

                                 * * * * *

     A  short  time  later, Senator Organa arrived with the crates.  As the
droids took the crates into his study, Bail Organa turned to  his  servant.
"Tarrik,  would you please go and tell my daughter that I'd like to see her
in my study."

     "Yes, Sir," the servant replied and went to look for the Princess.

     The Senator dismissed the droids, then went into his study  and  began
prying  the  rest of the slats off the top of the first crate.  Tiree Taran
stood up and stepped out, then helped the Senator pry the top  off  of  the
second crate.

     His sister, Elania, stood up slowly, blinking in the brightness of the
study's  lighting.   Tiree  helped her out of the crate.  "We made it!" she
gasped with relief as they hugged each other.

     There was a brief knock on the door and a soft  voice  inquired,  "You
wanted to see me, Father?"

     "Yes, Leia. Come in, please," he replied.

     The  door  opened,  Leia started into the study and paused a few steps
after. She stood and stared at the teenage girl who had turned  toward  the
door  as  the Princess entered.  The girl was incredibly disheveled looking
and it took a few  moments  for  Leia  to  recognize  her.   "Elania!"  she
suddenly squealed, running over to hug her younger friend delightedly. "The
news  services  all  said you were dead, I never thought I'd see you again.
What happened, where have you been?" she gasped excitedly.

     Elania began to cry.  "Oh Leia, you have no idea  what's  happened  to
us the last few days.  Most of it has been just awful ..."

     "Leia,  why  don't you take Elania upstairs to your room, while I talk
to Tiree," the Senator suggested.  Leia nodded and led Elania  out  of  the
study.

     The  Senator  waited  until Leia and Elania had left the room, then he
turned to Tiree.  "Have a seat, young man," he said, pointing to one of the
chairs.  "I just can't believe that ridiculous  story  about  an  attempted
robbery.  What really happened to your family?"

     "I  don't  know  any  of the details, but I do know that the Empire is
responsible for our parents'  deaths,"  he  began,  and  told  the  Senator
everything he knew, including why he thought their parents had been killed.

     When  Tiree  had  finished, Senator Organa patted the young man on the
arm sympathetically.  "Your father and I were good friends, I couldn't even
consider turning you two away.  Rest  assured,  you  and  your  sister  are
welcome to stay with Leia and I for as long as you want."

     "Thank  you,  sir.   I  really appreciate it, and so will 'Lani when I
tell her," Tiree replied.

                                 * * * * *

     "... really helped us, after he got over being mad about stowaways  on
his ship," Elania said, finishing up telling her friend everything that had
happened to her and Tiree.

     "The  captain  of that freighter was actually kind of nice.  Though he
did have a rather unique sense  of  humor."  She  remembered  some  of  the
comments about the personal hygiene sheets and giggled for a moment, before
continuing.   "I  think  you would have liked him.  It's too bad you didn't
get a chance to meet him, Leia."

     "Who knows, maybe I will someday," Leia mused.

                               * * * * * * *