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'The bacta are growing well,' she said as she looked at his healing wounds. 'The scars should be gone in a day or so. Does it still hurt you?'

Across the room, the door banged open. Artoo beeped a cheerful greeting as he rolled toward Luke, and Threepio clanked noisily toward Luke's bed. 'Master Luke, it's good to see you functional again.'

Thanks, Threepio.'

Artoo emitted a series of happy beeps and whistles.

'Artoo expresses his relief also,' Threepio translated helpfully.

Luke was certainly grateful for the robots' concern. But before he could reply to either of the droids, he met with yet another interruption.

'Hi, kid,' Han Solo greeted him boisterously as he and Chewbacca burst into the medical center.

The Wookiee growled a friendly greeting.

'You look strong enough to wrestle a Gundark,' Han observed.

Luke felt that strong, and felt grateful to his friend. Thanks to you.'

That's two you owe me, junior.' Han gave the princess a wide, devilish grin. 'Well, Your Worship,' he said mockingly, 'it looks like you arranged to keep me close by for a while longer.'

'I had nothing to do with it,' Leia said hotly, annoyed at Han's vanity. 'General Rieekan thinks it's dangerous for any ships to leave the system until the generators are operational.'

'That makes a good story. But I think you just can't bear to let me out of your sight.'

'I don't know where you get your delusions, laser brains,' she retorted.

Chewbacca, amused by this verbal battle between two of the strongest human wills he had ever encountered, let out a roaring Wookiee laugh.

'Laugh it up, fuzz ball,' Han said goodnaturedly. 'You didn't see us alone in the south passage.'

Until now, Luke had scarcely listened to this lively exchange. Han and the princess had argued frequently enough in the past. But that reference to the south passage sparked his curiosity, and he looked at Leia for an explanation.

'She expressed her true feeling for me,' Han continued, delighting in the rosy flush that appeared on the princess's cheeks. 'Come on, Your Highness, you've already forgotten.'

'Why, you low-down, stuck-up, half-witted, scruffy-looking nerf-herder...' she sputtered in fury.

'Who's scruffy-looking?' he grinned. 'I tell ya, sweetheart, I must've hit pretty close to the mark to get you hoppin' like this. Doesn't it look that way to you, Luke?'

'Yeah,' he said, staring at the princess incredulously, 'it does ... kind of.'

Leia looked over at Luke with a strange mixture of emotions showing on her flushed face. Something vulnerable, almost child like, was reflected in her eyes for a moment. And then the tough mask fell again.

'Oh, it does, does it?' she said. 'Well, I guess you don't understand everything about women, do you?'

Luke agreed silently. He agreed even more when in the next moment Leia leaned over and kissed him firmly on the lips. Then she turned on her heel and marched across the room, slamming the door behind her. Everyone in the room - human, Wookiee, and droid - looked at one another, speechless.

In the distance, a warning alarm blared through the subterranean corridors.

General Rieekan and his head controller were conferring in the Rebel command center when Han Solo and Chewbacca burst into the room. Princess Leia and Threepio, who had been listening to the general and his officer, turned in anticipation at their approach.

A warning signal blared across the chamber from the huge console located behind Rieekan and monitored by Rebel control officers.

'General,' the sensor controller called.

Grimly attentive, General Rieekan watched the console screens. Suddenly he saw a flashing signal that had not been there a moment before. 'Princess,' he said, 'I think we have a visitor.'

Leia, Han, Chewbacca, and Threepio gathered around the general and watched the beeping monitor screens.

'We've picked up something outside the base in Zone Twelve. It's moving east,' said Rieekan.

'Whatever it is, it's metal,' the sensor controller observed.

Leia's eyes widened in surprise. 'Then it can't be one of those creatures that