“I just got a call from…from…someone,” Leia explained. “I don’t know who it was, but it wasn’t friendly.”

A click and then a deep voice: “What’s your favorite horror holo?”

Leia: “Who is this?”

Voice: “Do you like blood and gore? I do. But it’s so much more interesting in real life without the bantha blood…don’t you think?”

Leia: “Han…!”

There was a short silence and then: “Probably some stupid prank honey,” Han said. “Nothing to worry about.”

“You’re right,” said Leia. “I don’t know…I guess I’m getting too used to this war stuff…you know?”

There was a long silence. Finally Han said, “When I find out who you are, you’re gonna be grounded from all missions and/or council meetings for three months!” Another pause. “You’d better find a new sense of humor, kid, or I’m comin’ over an’ showin’ you what’s what!”

There was a “humph!” sound and then Han commented: “Well, we’re eager tonight, aren’t we?” Leia giggled.

Suddenly, I was in the main room of Mr. and Mrs. Solo’s apartment. Right in front of me, on the soiled carpet lay Winter! I knew she wasn’t dead, but she was hurt badly. She had been shot in the stomach and she was bearly conscious. My first thought was, where is everybody?

I heard footsteps behind me. Slowly, I turned around and found a very tall figure in a black cloak, wearing a white scull mask. I instantly knew he was the one who killed General Dadonna, the one who hurt Winter. At his feel was C-3PO, disassembled.

“Leia, could you go and get General Dadonna for me, please? I must speak with him,” Mon Mothma said from behind her desk.

“Sure,” Mrs. Solo answered. “Come along, kids.”

Anakin and I were there to give Mrs. Solo a messege from Mr. Solo and ended up accompanying her.

So, we followed suit into the General’s office. I was the first to see the bloodied corpse on the desk. “Mrs. Solo!” I cried (she had been stopped just outside the door by General Rieeken).

She turned around at the same time as Anakin, who let out a little horrified cry at the sight. “Oh my god!” Mrs. Solo gasped and brought General Rieeken to see as well. “S-stay here, you two,” Mrs. Solo told us, her voice shaking.

It wasn’t like either of us could move anyway; Anakin and I were frozen with fear. Mrs. Solo and the General inspected the body, only to find what we all feared; he was dead, strangled and stabbed. I heard Mrs. Solo gasp again and when she moved out of the way, Anakin and I saw that his eyes were open and staring at us! Just like the dreams!

Anakin let out another cry, more like a sob this time, and hid his face in my forearm. I looked at Mrs. Solo, my eyes wide with terror and, unable to speak, I “thought” to her: “This is like the dreams. Does that mean there’s a killer among us?”

Mrs. Solo came over to us as Rieeken called for the meds. She lifted her six and a half year old son and put an arm around me. Aloud, she said, “I think this is just a coincidence.” I knew that was just for Anakin’s sake when she “thought”, “I’m afraid there could be, Esme.”

We were well into the game, Jacen in the lead, when we heard Mrs. Solo cry out. We ran to where she stood at the closet and found a black cloak and a white skull mask on a hanger. I nearly fainted at the sight and sat down on the bed. Anakin followed me and curled up in my lap, trembling with fear.

Jaina, who had heard her mom’s cry as well, rushed into the room. “What happened, mom?” Jaina gasped as she caught a glimpse of the garment too.

Jacen pulled on Mrs. Solo’s sleeve. “I’m scared, mom.”

Mrs. Solo hugged him. “I know, honey, I know. I am too.”

Suddenly, as if coming out of a trance, Mrs. Solo beckoned us to get our shoes and coats. I was the first one to the hall closet, Anakin clinging to my hand. I reached to open the door, when, out of nowhere, and black-gloved hands reached out and clasped around my throat. I shooed Anakin away so he wouldn’t get hurt. He started crying and ran to get his mother. “Mama! Mama! It’s the bad man! He’s hurting Esme!”

Mrs. Solo herded Jacen, Anakin and Jaina into Jacen’s room and told them to stay there. Then, she rushed into the main room, blaster in hand.

That same deep voice we heard on the comlink said, “If you shoot, she will die.”

Mrs. Solo knew that was true and tried to forestall the killer as best she could. As it turned out, she didn’t have to wait long because she felt Mr. Solo’s presence and warned him. He came in very quietly, aimed his blaster, and shot the intruder in the head.

The man fell on top of me, and Mr. Solo pushed him off, so I could get up. I was shaking horribly and had to sit down on the carpeted floor before my knees buckled. It was very quiet all of a sudden—but not for long. The cloaked man suddenly jerked up and Mr. Solo quickly shot him again in the heart. The killer was still.