The jungle mists of Dagobah were a distant memory, replaced now by the infinite cold of space.
Kai sat in the cockpit of his battered X-wing, R6 whistling softly behind him as they emerged from hyperspace. Before them stretched the frozen expanse of Hoth—white, silent, and brutal. It pulsed in the Force like a buried heartbeat beneath the ice. Not darkness, exactly, but something hushed. Old. Watching.
He angled the X-wing toward the surface, the ship shuddering as it broke through the planet's blizzard-wracked atmosphere. Visibility dropped in seconds. Wind howled across the hull. Kai narrowed his eyes, straining against the storm as he scanned for any signs of life.
It didn't take long.
Flashes of metal. Defensive turrets. Snow-caked antennae.
The Rebellion had already come.
Sensors lit up suddenly—warning klaxons. Lock-on alerts. His comm sputtered to life, voices barking warnings and demands.
"Unidentified fighter, you are entering restricted airspace. Power down your weapons and identify yourself immediately!"
Kai didn't hesitate. He reached for the comm. "This is Kai—formerly attached to Leia Organa's unit. I'm not hostile. Repeat, I am not hostile. Requesting permission to land."
There was a pause. Then: "Stand down and divert to landing coordinates now. You will be met on the ground."
The X-wing touched down in a snow-covered clearing outside the main hangar, the blast doors opening slowly to accept the stranger's arrival. Kai climbed down, cloak whipping around him in the icy wind.
He was barely three steps away from his ship before blaster rifles were trained on him.
A squad of Rebel soldiers surrounded him, faces hidden beneath cold-weather helmets. Their leader, a stern woman with captain's markings, stepped forward. "You've got a lot of nerve flying unannounced into a secured location. Identification?"
Kai kept his hands where they could see them and nodded calmly. "Kai. I flew in the Battle of Yavin. Check your records. I'm looking for Leia Organa—or Luke Skywalker. Or Han Solo."
There was a murmur among the squad. A few looked at one another. The captain held her ground, though her expression shifted ever so slightly.
"You're coming with us."
No restraints. Just rifles and escort. Kai walked steadily as they led him through ice-carved tunnels and reinforced corridors. The base hummed with controlled activity—mechanics shouting over repulsorlifts, medics rushing between supply rooms, droids wheeling past underfoot. It had the feel of a war camp preparing for something inevitable.
Finally, they reached the command center. Leia was there, pacing near the holo-table, wrapped in her white uniform and resolve. She looked up as they approached.
Her eyes locked on Kai—and widened with surprise.
"Kai?" she asked, stepping forward.
He gave a tired but genuine smile. "Leia. It's good to see you."
She waved off the guards. "Stand down."
As they stepped away, she studied him, arms folding. "You've been gone a long time."
"Yeah," he said quietly. "I had... things I needed to learn."
Leia looked at him carefully, not unkindly. There was a tension in her posture, but also warmth—recognition. "Well. You picked a hell of a time to come back."
Kai glanced around the base. "I can feel it. Something's coming."
Leia nodded grimly. "We all feel it."
He hesitated, gaze flicking toward a nearby corridor. "Luke—?"
"Out on patrol," she answered. "Han went after him. He should've been back by now."
A beat passed.
Kai closed his eyes for a moment, reaching gently with the Force. The storm beyond the walls was growing stronger—but there were two flickers of life, steady. Cold, but alive.
"They'll be back soon," he said.
Leia blinked, a little taken aback, but she trusted him enough not to question it.
"Come on," she said, gesturing toward the corridor. "You can warm up. You look half-frozen."
Kai nodded, falling in step beside her.
Whatever the cold held—whatever the Force had brought him here for—it was beginning now.
And this time, he would not be standing on the sidelines.