Almost a half a year had passed since Luke had destroyed the Death Star and we found ourselves on the freezing cold planet of Hoth.

After running into a bounty hunter on Ord Mantelle Han had decided that he couldn't stay with the rebellion. After giving it a fair amount of thought I too had decided that it was time for me to leave. I had things that I needed to figure out. I couldn't very well do that if I was focusing on helping the rebellion. Which I wasn't sure was a good thing for me to be doing in the first place. Why had I gotten myself involved?

Currently Han and Luke were out scouting the planet for life signs. "I've finished my scans there's no sign of life here." Luke told Han over the intercom.

"There's not enough life on this rock to fill a space cruiser. The sensors are in place so I'm going to go back." Han told Luke.

"I spotted a meteor that landed nearby in going to check it out and then I'll head back." Luke told Han.

"Alright kid, I'll see you back at the base." Han replied. "

"Hay fella what's the matter do you smell something?" Luke joked as his Tauntaun started to make a worried sound. A few seconds later Luke found himself knocked off his Tauntaun by a huge white paw. As he was hit he was knocked unconscious.

"Chewie." Han nodded at his first mate who growled in frustration. "All right, don't loose your temper I'll come right back and help you out." Han told Chewie. "No signs of life out there. The sensors are in place if something comes around you'll know about it." Han told the General Rikan.

"Has Skywalker checked in yet?" Rikan asked.

"He's checking out a meteor that fell near by he'll be in shortly." Han replied.

"With all the meteors around here it's going to be hard to spot ships." Rikan replied as he looked at the sensors.

"General I can't stay here anymore I've got to leave." I could hear Han telling the General.

"I'm sorry to hear that." The general replied as they continued to walk.

"Well there's a price on my head and if I don't pay off Jabba the Hutt I'm a dead man." Han replied.

"A death marks not that easy to live with. Your a good fighter I hate to loose you." The General replied.

"Thanks." Han replied. Spotting Leia nearby he smiled and said smugly "well your highness I guess this is it."

"I guess it is." Leia replied with a frown. Han could tell that she was angry.

"Well your highness don't go getting mushy on me." Han replied with a slight scoff.

"Han!" I heard Leia call out angrily and Han paused for a moment. I smiled I knew that this was going to be a battle of the wills. Leia didn't want Han to leave. Han knew that he had no choice. Ultimately he would challenge her to reveal her true feelings for him which she would deny.

"Yes Your Highness?" Han asked turning towards her.

"I though you had decided to stay?" Leia replied crossing her arms angrily.

"Yeah well, that bounty hunter we met on ord Mendelle changed my mind." Han replied.

"Han We need you." Leia replied.

"We need?" Han replied rolling his eyes.

"Yes." Leia replied her hands on her hips.

"What about you need?" Han replied.

"I don't have the slightest idea what your talking about." Leia replied.

Han clicked his tounge im sure you don't." Han replied irritatedly.

"What precisely am I suppose to know?"

"Come on, you want me to stay because of the way you feel about me."

"Yes. Your a great help to us. Your a great leader..." Leia replied but Han interrupted her.

"No that's not it." Han replied his irritation growing with every passing moment. "Come on."

"Your imaging things." Leia replied starting to getting irritated herself.

"Am I? Then why are you following me Your Highness? Afraid I'd leave before giving you a good bye kiss?" Han replied.

"Id rather kiss a Wookie." Leia replied irritatedly.

"That can be arranged!" Han replied angrily stomping off.

"Han."

"What? Oh, it's you Catherine. What do you want? Are you going to lecture me too?" Han demanded.

"Actually, I was wondering if I could go with you. I've got to get out of here." I replied.

"You too?" Han asked surprised.

"The truth is I don't even know why I even came here with you guys. I never should have gotten involved this isn't my fight. Besides what good can I do I'm just a kid." I replied with a sigh.

"Now that's something we can agree on kid." Han replied. "What did you do this for?" Han demanded irritatedly as he and Chewie struggled with their central lifters. "I'm trying to get us out of here and you pull both of these off?! Put them back now!" Han demanded. Chewie growled in reply.

"Excuse me sir might I have a word?" C3Po said cautiously as he approached the falcon.

"What is it?" Han demanded irritatedly.

"It's the Princess sir, she's been trying to get ahold of you." 3PO replied.

"I turned my comlink off I don't want to talk to her!" Han replied.

"The Princess was wondering about Master Luke. He hasn't come back yet and she doesn't know where he is."

"I don't know where he is." Han replied grumpily.

"No one knows sir." 3PO replied.

That caught Han's attention "what do you mean no one knows?" Han demanded worriedly as he looked towards the entrance. It was getting dark and the temperature was dropping rapidly.

"Well uhh you see..." 3PO replied.

Han got down from where he was working and walked over to an officer "deck officer, deck officer!"

"Um excus.." 3PO started to ask Han a question but Han placed a hand over 3Po's mouth.

"Yes sir?" The deck officer replied walking over to where Han and I stood.

"Has Commander Skywalker checked in yet?"

"I haven't seen him. It's possible that he might have checked in on the south entrance."

"It's possible? Well why don't you go find out? It's getting dark out there!" Han replied irritatedly.

"Sir might I ask a question?" 3PO asked starting to feel completely confused.

"Why not?" Han replied irritatedly walking off.

"That man is impossible. Let's go find the Princess. Between you and me, I think Master Luke is in extreme danger." 3PO replied as they walked off.

"I have a feeling your right 3PO." I whispered as I watched him walk off. "Something's wrong. I can sense that Luke is indeed in danger. I sense some kind of presence. Some sort of creature. I've got to go find Luke."

"It's getting too dark. It's far too dangerous." R2 beeped at me but I ignored him as I jumped onto a tauntaun. "I'm going to find Luke. Do me a favor R2 don't tell anyone where I'm going. I don't want them stopping me. I'll be back soon. I promise." I replied as dashed off into the frozen tundra.

"3PO do you know where Catherine has wandered off too?" Leia asked crossing her arms.

"The last time I saw her was when she was with Captain Solo. Are you in need of her assistance?"

"No, there's nothing she can do to help right now. The truth is that I worry about her. She's just a little girl."

"Perhaps R2 might know where she is, would you like him to find her for you?" 3PO replied.

R2 began beeping at 3PO "what do you mean you can't tell me? She made you promise not to tell anyone..." I'm sorry Princess Leia, but it seems that Catherine made R2 promise not to say anything about her whereabouts."

"You've got to be kidding me." Leia muttered irritatedly. "That kid is nothing but trouble."

R2.... R2 began beeping once more. "No I do not think the Princess is happy with you. You just reconsider telling her what she wants to know. No I don't think you should abide by Catherine's wishes." 3PO replied. Crossing his arms and turning his back to R2. R2 beeped sadly but 3Po refused to listen. "No, I'm not happy with you either."

Meanwhile back in the hanger area the deck offer and his co-worker dashed up to Han. "Sir Skywalker hasn't checked in at the other entrance either. It could be that he forgot to check in." The deck officer replied.

"Not likely. Are those land speeders ready yet?"

"Not yet sir we are having trouble adapting them to the cold." The officer replied.

"Then we will have to go out on Tauntauns."
Han replied.

"Sir the temperature is dropping rapidly."

"Yeah and my friend is out there in it." Han replied.

"Your Tauntaun will freeze before you reach the first marker." The deck officer warned.

"Then I will see you in hell!" Han replied as he rushed off into the rapidly decreasing temperatures.

"Don't worry I'm sure Master Luke will be fine. Han's going to go search for him right now." 3Po told R2 who beeped worriedly. "Worried about Catherine? Now why are you worried about her? Does this have anything to do with where she disappeared too?" R2 beeped his message once mor this time with more urgency. "What do you mean you can't answer that? I don't like this one bit." 3Po said nervously but just to be sure he tapped Leia on the shoulder.

"What is it 3Po?" Leia asked with a sigh.

"R2 says that he is worried about Catherine."

"Look 3PO not to be rude but I've got more important things to worry about then the whereabouts of that kid. The temperature is dropping rapidly and there is still no word from Luke. I only hope Han can find him before we have to close those blast doors."

R2 began beeping 3Po looked at him confused. "Oh dear. She did what? Why would you let her do that? You bucket head. Heaven knows what could happen to her. Don't you know how dangerous it is out there? I'd best inform the Princess." "Um excuse me, Princess Leia, I'm afraid that I have some rather disturbing news to report."

"What is it 3PO?"

"R2 has just informed me of Catherine's whereabouts and I'm afraid that she's in a fair amount of trouble."

"How can she be in trouble when she's here in the base.?" Leia replied.

"That's just it, she's not in the base. It seems that Catherine went out in search of Master Luke about an hour ago and she hasn't returned."

"She what?! Oh great just great! Of all the stupid.." Leia tossed her arms up in the air in frustration. "Now we are going to have to double our search party!"

R2 stood at the doors scanning the horizons but could pick up nothing. "I'm sure they will be fine. There is nothing more we can do. Besides my joints are starting to freeze up. Come on R2." 3PO called to his companion who beeped a sad mornful tone. "Don't say such things I'm sure we will see Master Luke and Catherine again. They are rather resorsful for humans that is." 3PO replied turning and walking further into the base.

"There has been no sign or contact from either Solo or Skywalker or the young girl."!The lieutenant informed Durin who was standing watch with Leia.

"I'm afraid that R2 can't pick up any signs of life any where nearby. However he does admit that his sensors are limited. There is still hope." 3PO informed Leia who nodded but seemed lost in thought.

"Ma'am I'm afraid we are going to have to close the blast doors for the night. We can't afford to keep them open any longer." An officer informed Leia. Turning to the Lieutenant Officer Derlin ordered him to shut the blast doors.

"Yes sir." The Lieutenant replied shutting the blast doors for the night.

"R2 says the chance for survival is 775 to 1." 3Po informed Leia who now looked even more worried then before. Chewie let out a howl and 3Po replied quietly "however, R2 has been wrong from time to time."