The Millennium Falcon shuddered as it banked hard through a narrow ice tunnel, rock and frost blurring past the cockpit in jagged streaks. The din of distant explosions echoed behind them—faint now, but still present. The Empire was closing in, yet again.
Han Solo sat in the pilot's seat, jaw clenched, eyes fixed ahead as he jerked the controls to avoid another unstable overhang. Chewie grunted from beside him, his massive hands moving across the console with surprising precision. They were almost out.
Behind them, in the crew compartment, Leia stirred.
She blinked slowly, the sharp edge of reality returning with a dull ache behind her eyes. Her head felt heavy, like she'd just come out of a deep meditation—but there was no peace. Only confusion.
And anger.
She sat up too fast, grabbing the edge of the seat for balance. "What the—? Where—" Her voice caught in her throat, memory flooding back like a broken dam. The hangar. The battle. Kai's hand raised toward her—
"He knocked me out," she said aloud, her voice rising in disbelief.
Chewie gave a low, uncertain wuff from the front.
Han didn't look back. "You're welcome, by the way. We're still alive. He made sure of that."
Leia was already pushing herself to her feet, staggering slightly as the ship jostled. "Where is he? Did he make it out?"
Han's silence was answer enough.
She moved forward into the cockpit, one hand braced against the wall. "Tell me you saw him leave."
Han glanced at her sidelong, then back at the navicomputer. "He stayed behind for Vader. Told me to run, and took your tantrum like a champ."
Leia's eyes flickered, fury and fear warring behind them. "You just left him?"
Han rounded on her now, just enough to meet her glare. "He left us, Princess. Gave me no choice. Said he had it handled."
Leia opened her mouth to retort—but nothing came. Just the memory of Kai's hand on her shoulder, the calm resolve in his eyes before the black overtook her. Her chest felt tight. Betrayed, maybe—but more than that… worried.
She sank into the co-pilot's seat with a bitter breath, watching the snow-covered cliffs shrink in the viewport.
A moment of silence passed before a beep lit up the console.
Han blinked. "Transmission?"
Chewie growled confirmation.
Han toggled the receiver, and the static cleared.
"Leia? Han?" came Luke's voice, crackling through the speakers. "Can you hear me?"
Leia straightened, relief flooding her face. "Luke! We hear you!"
"I'm in the air," Luke replied, his voice tight. "Just got clear of my crash site. I saw Kai's X-wing take off—" a pause, "—but I lost track of him. Did he make it to you?"
Leia's eyes dimmed slightly. She looked to Han, who shook his head.
"No," she answered. "He didn't."
Static hummed for a beat too long.
Then Luke's voice returned, quieter. "Then… he's still down there."
Leia said nothing. She just stared out into the stars, the glint of moisture behind her eyes held firmly at bay.
Han muttered under his breath, "Damn fool hero."
Chewie roared in agreement, while Leia closed her eyes for just a moment—wishing she could feel something in the Force to confirm he was still alive.
Wishing she could know.
The Millennium Falcon soared through the upper atmosphere of Hoth, breaking free of the planet's icy grip and streaking into the stars. Inside, Leia leaned forward in her seat, her eyes still fixed on the glowing comms display. Luke's voice came through again—clearer now, calmer, but with a sense of urgency.
"I'm headed to Dagobah," Luke said. "I don't have long—Obi-Wan came to me in a vision. He said there's someone I need to find there. A Jedi Master… Yoda."
Han raised a brow. "Yoda? Sounds made up."
Leia ignored him, speaking into the comm. "You're going alone?"
There was a pause. "I won't be alone for long," Luke said with certainty. "Kai said he knows the way. He'll meet me there."
Han scoffed lightly. "If he's still alive."
Just then, an alert blared through the Falcon. Red lights flashed across the cockpit.
"Incoming!" Chewie roared, pointing at the sensor screen. "TIEs!"
From the viewport, the dark specks of Imperial starfighters broke through the void, fanning out like a swarm. Blaster fire lit up space in bursts of green and red. The Falcon jerked sharply as Han threw the ship into evasive maneuvers.
"Hang on!" he shouted. "Shields up! Leia, strap in!"
Leia fumbled with the harness, cursing under her breath as a blast rocked the ship. Smoke hissed from a rear console, and warning klaxons screamed louder.
"Hyperdrive's hit!" Han barked, frantically switching switches and slamming a panel closed. "We're not jumping anywhere!"
Another blast struck the hull, sending the Falcon into a spin.
Leia's knuckles whitened as she gripped the armrest. "We won't hold much longer—"
Then, suddenly—
WHOOM.
A brilliant streak of light cut through the stars, and one of the TIEs exploded in a flash of fire and debris. Another shot zipped past the Falcon and struck a second fighter dead-on, sending it spiraling.
A third was clipped in the wing, trying to flee—only to be finished off with a precise proton torpedo that lit up the dark.
Leia's eyes widened. "That—wasn't us."
Han narrowed his eyes, watching as an X-wing rolled into view from above, peeling through the TIE formation like a blade through smoke. It twisted, dodged, fired—every movement surgical, every strike lethal. A maneuver that should've gotten him killed ended instead with two more fighters clipped mid-turn.
The voice came through the Falcon's open channel, calm and almost amused:
"You guys always leave the hard part to me?"
Leia gasped, her relief crashing into her like a wave. "Kai."
Han blinked, incredulous. "He's flying that like it's a speeder bike…"
"Hyperdrive's gone," Kai added through the comm, his tone shifting. "Get to cover. I'll draw them off, buy you a path out. Find a freighter or something—just stay alive. I've got Luke."
"Wait," Leia said quickly, leaning forward. "You're going to Dagobah with him?"
"That's the plan," Kai replied. "I promised I'd show him the way. It's what Obi-Wan wanted. What Yoda's waiting for."
Another TIE raced in from behind him—Kai twisted, dropped, then shot upward, spinning and firing in one seamless move. The fighter exploded in a fireball behind him.
"And Leia?" he said, just before cutting the channel.
"Yes?" she said quickly.
There was a pause.
"You're welcome."
Then the comms cut, and Kai's X-wing veered sharply, engaging the last wave of TIEs as they swarmed toward him, leading them away from the crippled Falcon.
Leia sank back in her seat, stunned.
Han glanced at her sideways. "Still mad he knocked you out?"
She didn't answer.
Chewie gave a rumbling chuckle, guiding the Falcon toward a distant asteroid field—cover enough to regroup.
Outside, in the cold vacuum of space, Kai's lone X-wing danced between laser fire and wreckage. The Force moved through him like a current now—sharp, vibrant, alive.
And far beyond, Dagobah waited.