CHAPTER 1:

Han Solo yawned as he exited the hanger, nodded at the X-Wing tech he passed, and walked down the corridor on Home One that led to the mess hall. The only thing on his mind was breakfast. Chewbacca was supposed to restock the galley, but he failed to do so. Then the Wookie had the nerve to devour the last of the eggs and porquine. Han figured the powdered eggs and whatever side the mess hall was serving would be better than oatmeal without lami honey and bantha milk.

The smuggler's sour mien and rumbling stomach discouraged any small talk with the personnel he passed. The most they did was nod at him, and he responded with a grunt. When he made a right turn down the corridor, he saw her walking towards him. She didn't seem to notice him. Solo smiled to himself. He knew exactly how to improve his mood.

Han slowed his pace and walked down the middle of the corridor. Princess Leia's gaze was focused on her hands. Han's grin widened. Perfect. He came to a stop and waited. And just as he anticipated, Princess Leia Organa plowed right into his chest.

"Hey!" Han snapped. "Watch where yer goin'!"

She briefly looked up at him. "Sorry." Then she stepped around him and continued on her way.

Han lowered his brow. "Sorry?"

Leia stopped and turned around. "Yes. Please accept my apology." She started to walk away as she spoke over her shoulder, "I'm late for a meeting."

Han blinked a couple of times. Please accept my apology? Who was this person inhabiting the body of the princess? He took several long strides toward her and caught her arm. "You okay?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?" she answered him.

Han's mouth fell open.

"Please, Han. Let go of me. I'm late for a meeting."

He dropped his hand from her arm.

"You said that already."

"Then you understand."

"Is the meeting in the hanger?"

The princess stopped. "No. It's in the conference…hall…"

She blinked and her bit her bottom lip as she looked down the corridor.

"Thank you." She turned on her heel and walked in the direction from which she came…

…And slammed into Han's chest again.

The impact forced her to take a few steps back, and Han caught her by her arms before she fell.

"Sorry."

Another apology. Solo looked her up and down. Her hair was pulled back in a sloppy bun with some free locks framing her face, and her shirt was untucked and buttoned wrong.

"Need some help with your hair?"

Leia touched her bun. "My hair?"

"And your shirt?"

"My shirt?" Leia tucked in her shirt and then frowned at her buttons.

Her fingers proved clumsy as she fiddled the buttons. She dropped her hands and looked up at him. "Yes, I would appreciate your help."

"You want me to help you."

"Please?"

Han's brow furrowed. Princess Leia Organa, want-nothing-to-with him Leia, wanted his help buttoning her shirt. He hesitated and looked around. The corridor was empty. Solo pulled her shirt tails out, undid the mismatched buttons with deft fingers, and put them into their rightful holes. His eyes brushed over her underthings, but then a pinch of guilt nipped his stomach.

"Thank you."

Han placed his hands on his hips. She stood there for a moment, scratching the back of her left hand.

"I don't think you're okay."

"Why do you say that?"

He took her left hand in his. "What's this?"

Leia looked at her hand. "A spider bite."

Han used his free hand to tip her head up to get a look into her eyes. Large, brown, and unfocused.

"Did you see it?"

"What?"

"The spider."

"Yes. It's dead."

He placed the back of his hand on her forehead. Her skin was warm.

"Did you smash into oblivion?"

"No. It just died."

Han bit his lip. "What did it look like?"

"I don't know…a vibrant green with turquoise markings on its back and down each of his legs. It was rather pretty."

She started to scratch the welt swelling on her hand. Solo grabbed Leia's right wrist and jerked her hand away.

"Don't touch it."

"It itches."

"I'm sure. Scratching only makes it worse."

Solo lifted her left hand and scrutinized the welt. Upon the swollen spot were two pin-sized black marks. From the size and bruised appearance of her hand, she had been scratching at it for some time.

"Do you know when you were bitten?"

"This morning." She looked past the smuggler. "I have to get to my meeting."

"Exactly when?"

"Right now."

Han rolled his eyes. "Exactly when were you bitten?"

"I don't know. An hour ago. Maybe."

His brow furrowed as he ran his finger over her injured skin.

"Please, Han. I'm late for—"

"Where?"

"I told you. It's in the conference room."

Han bit back his impatience. "Where were you when you were bit?"

"I was in my quarters. It woke me up."

Han pressed his lips together. He flipped her hand over to expose her wrist. A jagged purple line ran under her skin, stopping three centimeters below the crook of her arm. The dark contrast of the line against her alabaster skin reminded Han of a porcelain doll he accidently dropped.

"Turn around."

"Why?"

"Just do it."

She sighed and did as he ordered. Han reached behind her head. Then he dismantled her sloppy bun, sliding the band down the tail of her hair. He put his hands on her shoulders and turned her back around to face him. Then he slipped the band over her hand and rolled it up her arm until it reached the end of the jagged line.

"What are you doing?"

Solo took her left hand again and tipped it to the right. He removed his small knife from the sheath on his belt. "Hold still."

With lightning speed, Han slid the knife across her hand between the two pin-sized holes in her skin.

"Ow. Why'd you do that?"

"To get the poison out now."

She squinted at the purple froth and blood that spurted out of the wound. "Poison?"

"Yeah."

Han pulled a rag from his back pocket and pressed it against the wound he created. He grabbed her elbows and guided her forward.

"We need to get to the medical bay."

"But my meeting—"

"You already went to the meeting."

Leia furrowed her brow. "Oh."

Besides, you're bleeding."

"Because you cut me."

"Come on." Han led her away.

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The medical center's glass doors slid open. The doctor on call, Dr. Reg Salimni had just finished up with his patient when Han and Leia entered.

"Another injury, Solo?" Dr. Salimni asked.

"It's not me."

The doctor then noticed the red rag Han held against Leia's hand and rose from his seat.

"What happened?"

"Han cut my hand open."

"What—"

"She was bitten by a nicco spider."

"Take her to the first examining room."

Solo did as he was told.

"A nicco spider, you say?"

The doctor pulled on some latex gloves, adjusted his spectacles, and took the bloody rag off of Leia's wound.

"Why in twin stars would you cut the bite open?"

"To release the poison that was gathering underneath her skin where she was scratching. The eggs will need to be removed.

"Eggs?" Leia asked.

Han gently pressed his fingers against each side of the cut on Leia's hand, exposing a tiny onion-like sac with dark purple veins running up its bulbous sides.

"I've never seen anything like this."

Leia started to reach for her bitten hand, but Han caught her left hand before she could touch it.

"I want them out."

The doctor reached into a drawer and pulled out tweezers.

"That's not gonna work."

"Can they be squeezed out?"

"Not until the eggs cyst can be neutralized. If they're not, the eggs will get into her bloodstream."

"How do we do that?"

Han pulled out his commlink. "Chewie."

The commlink emitted a roar.

"I don't care if you were asleep. Leia's been bitten by a nicco spider."

Chewbacca rumbled a reply, Han deactivated the commlink.

"We have the anti-venom on the Falcon. Chewie will bring it."

Dr. Salimni started to remove the hairband from Leia's arm. "This band will cut off her circulation, Captain."

"I needed to slow the bleeding."

Salimni reached into a nearby drawer and retrieved a tourniquet band. He pulled the hairband off of Leia's arm, careful not to let it touch the cut on her hand. He tied the tourniquet band in its place. The doctor grabbed a gauzy bandage and pressed it against her hand. He then addressed the inactive droid in the corner.

"Two-One-Bee, get the broad spectrum anti-venom."

The droid came to life and left the room.

"Broad spectrum anti-venom won't work on a nicco spider bite," Han countered. "Chewie's bringing everything we'll need."

"Never mind, Two-One-Bee."

The droid froze.

Dr. Salimni lifted the bloody bandage. Leia's wound still bled but at a slower pace. The doctor twisted her wrist and noticed the jagged line climbing her arm.

"I've never seen a spider bite quite like this one before."

"Nicco spider bites are distinctive."

"I've never heard of a nicco spider."

"Neither have I," Leia chimed in as she leaned forward to get a better look at what the doctor was looking at. "They're pretty, though."

The bandage on her wound turned a deep red. Dr. Salimni pressed a clean bandage onto it.

"Lie back." Han pressed Leia's shoulder and she laid her head on the pillow. "They're extremely rare and probably the most venomous spider in the galaxy. I've seen it take out the largest Wookie I've ever known. They're native to Iborin and its three moons. Those are the only places they can live."

"A spider as small as the one that bit me took out a Wookie?" Leia asked.

The smuggler forced a small closed-mouth smile. "You're too stubborn to be taken out by a nicco spider."

Her large brown eyes gazed into his as if she was gauging the amount of truth in his words.

"The anti-venom is rare to come by. That Wookie didn't have a chance. Luckily, Chewie and I managed to obtain it."

"You've been bitten before?" the princess asked.

"No."

Chewie?"

"No. We just wanted to be prepared."

Leia nodded and her eyes fluttered closed. Han placed the back of his hand on her forehead. "Doctor, I think she has a fever."

The doctor pulled out a thermometer from his pocket and pressed the nozzle into Leia's ear. "102.2 Is this a symptom of the spider bite?"

Han lowered his voice and looked into Dr. Salimni's brown eyes. "No. Nicco spiders carry the Polium virus."

Salimni's lips formed a thin line. He slid his fingers under her jaw. "Her lymph nodes are swollen."

The doctor then pulled a thin light from his shirt pocket, lifted Leia's eyelids, and peered into each one. She wrinkled her nose and pushed his hand away.

"No sign of jaundice."

Han's countenance relaxed. "Good."

The doctor pinched her cheek and watched her skin slowly plump back into place.

"She's dehydrated, though. Is it okay to give her fluids?"

"Yeah."

"Two-One-Bee, bring a vial of filicyrin and an IV of saline solution."

The droid left the room and returned with the medicine and IV bag.

Han said, "Hold off on giving her the filicyrin."

"Why?"

"The anti-venom will counteract the effectiveness of it. You'll have to wait until the anti-venom is out of her system."

"But she could—"

"I know. Let's hope we have the time."

The princess winced as Two-One-Bee connected the IV tube to a vein in the back of her left hand.

"Leia!"

Luke rushed in behind Chewbacca, stopped by her side, and took her hand.

"Luke. How did your recognizant mission go?"

"Chewie told me what happen to you."

"What? You stopped to have a conversation?" Han snapped.

Chewbacca lashed back. He pushed Han out of the way, removed the bandage from Leia's hand, and studied her wound.

"I ran into Chewie when I was on my way to the hangar."

"Han cut my hand."

Han rolled his eyes. "It was necessary. Do you want me to apologize?"

"You apologize? Am I dying?"

"Nice."

Chewbacca unrolled a piece of leather, exposing a row of glass needles, several vials, a thin jar, and tweezers. He took Leia's hand and gently squeezed the wound exposing the egg sac. He pulled out a glass syringe with a long needle. Leia bit her lip and turned her head away. Luke wrapped his fingers around her fingers and gave them a squeeze.

"What? Our fearless princess is afraid of a little old needle?"

Han tapped the top of her head and she looked up at him.

"No." Her shaky voice contrasted her firm answer.

"I thought you were just afraid of me."

She narrowed her eyes on him. "You? Hardly."

Han leaned over her and placed a kiss on her forehead at the same moment Chewbacca pierced the egg sac with the needle. Leia's eyes widened and retracted.

"That wasn't so bad was it?"

"Yes. And don't think that'll work again."

Chewbacca who held up the syringe that now contained a cloudy substance with some wiggling noodles. Han and Chewie shared a look. The eggs had already hatched and were on the verge of breaking through the sac and entering her blood stream.

The Wookie turned to Dr. Salimni and gurreefed.

"He needs a specimen jar—a glass jar—filled halfway with sterilizing solution."

Dr. Salimni fulfilled Chewbacca's request. Han took the tiny jar, screwed off the top, and held it out to Chewie. Chewie put the tip of the needle into the cup until it touched the bottom. He then pressed down on the plunger and released the contents into the jar. The white worms ceased moving.

Chewbacca took his tweezers. The tips were sharp and thin. He pressed his fingers down against the edge of the cut. The deflated egg sac popped to the surface. With a steady hand, Chewie plucked the egg sac that was connected to her vein he placed it in the specimen jar. Han screwed the cap back on and Han deposited in the biohazard waste container.

The Wookie grabbed a narrow jar; the contents were grey and mud-like. He unscrewed the cap, and Leia and Luke wrinkled her nose.

"What's that for?" Dr. Salimni asked.

The Wookie gurred.

"Chewie says it's an antiseptic. It counteracts the effects of any of the poisonous sac that nourished the eggs."

Chewbacca garruffed and pointed at the bandages. The doctor opened fresh bandage and handed it to Chewie. Chewie spread a large amount of the gray goop onto the inside of the bandage, and placed it over Leia's wound.

"You're not going to close it?"

"The antiseptic has to get into her bloodstream. After a couple of days, you can suture it up."

After the bandage was in place, Chewie wrapped Leia's hand in gauze, using the whole roll. He then indicated he needed a compression bandage to immobilize her hand. The doctor complied after Han translated the Wookie's words.

Chewie turned his attention to his tools. He took out another glass syringe and a vial of amber liquid. This syringe had a thicker needle that turned Leia's stomach. Chewie pressed the needle into the vial and pulled up the plunger. The amber liquid traveled up to the top of the syringe.

"What's that for?" Leia asked.

"It'll neutralize any poison that's gotten into your blood."

"Oh."

Luke squeezed Leia's hand again. She squeezed back before tightly closing her eyes. Chewie instructed her to make a fist. He flipped her hand to expose her wrist and located a vein closest to the purple line running up her arm. He then slipped the needle into her vein as gently as possible and pressed down on the plunger. He removed the needle and pressed a cotton ball to the point of entry. Han covered the cotton ball with a band aid.

Leia's large brown eyes popped open and she turned her face to Han.

"She's gonna throw up," Luke said.

Han grabbed a nearby bucket, and Leia leaned over it, expelling the contents of her stomach. Her eyes watered as she wretched two more times. Han frowned; there were traces of blood in the vomit, another symptom of the Polium virus.

Luke fetched a glass of water and held it to Leia's mouth. She sipped it, swished it in her mouth, and spit it into the bucket. Then she gulped the water down. Han took a paper towel and wiped the tears from her eyes and the blood from around her mouth.

"Feel better?"

She shook her head "no" as she lay back down.

"Tell me about the recognizant mission, Luke. Did you find safe place for the base?"

Dr. Salimni pulled Han aside. "Her symptoms are getting worse."

Han pressed his lips together. "We have to wait eight hours before the anti-venom serum is out of her bloodstream."

"She may not have that long."

"All we can do is treat the symptoms until her immune system kicks in," Han said. "We have bigger things to worry about."

"Like what?"

Chewie rumbled and gurred softly.

Han exchanged a look with his best friend and put his hands on his hips. "Nicco spiders can only survive on ships for a couple of hours. Space is too cold for them. They need a special habitat to survive."

"Then how did it get into the princess's quarters?"

"That's what I'm wondering."