I ran into the main room, startled by his tone of voice. “Yes sir?”

He was in a state of growing panic as he carried an unconscious Mrs. Solo to the couch and set her down. “Call the Med. Center. Tell them we’re coming.”

“What happened, sir?” I asked, truly frightened about Mrs. Solo’s state.

Mr. Solo was checking his wife’s vital signs and trying to awaken her. “Don’t ask questions now, please, Esme. Just hurry and call them.”

“Yes sir.” I rushed to the comlink and notified the Med. Center. “Should I wake Anakin?”

Mr. Solo thought for a moment. “No; let him sleep.”

Just then Jaina and Jacen came running in. “What’s wrong with mom?” Jacen asked, his sister inquiring at the same time, “What happened?”

“That’s what I’m gonna find out,” Mr. Solo answered, pulling his boots on. “You all stay here, okay?” He stood once more, and picked up Mrs. Solo.

“But dad,” Jaina argued. “Why can’t we go and see what happened?”

“Jaina, will you just do what I say!” Jaina had obviously never heard her father talk in such a way. She bowed her head and shrunk back into her room, crying.

Mr. Solo sighed. “Jaina...!”

“I’ll go after her, sir,” I said.

“Thanks, Esme,” he said, and hurried out the door.

Jacen paused his video game, I turned off my disk player, I dragged Jaina out of bed then I took Ani my the hand and we all met Mr. Solo in the kitchen. “What’s up, Papa?” Ani asked, sucking his thumb. He does that when he senses something is wrong.

Mr. Solo looked worried and tired. “We know what happened to mom.” He paused for such a long time, Jaina prompted, “Well?”

“Well...they think she overdosed on Anaranjado Spice.”

“Overdosed?” I inquired. “But...but she doesn’t even do spice!” I was getting excited at this point. “Someone must have framed her! Someone had to have framed her!”

“Ezie...” Mr. Solo beckoned me closer. He hugged me. “Esme, it’s all right. Calm down...shhh....”

I could hardly believe what was happening. My shoulders shook as I tried to keep back angry sobs. “You believe it, don’t you? You think she overdosed!”

“No!” Mr. Solo said firmly. “No...I don’t think she overdosed. I think you might be right, but...there’s nothing we can do at the moment. Right now, we have to make sure she’s okay physically...then maybe she can tell us what happened...okay?”

I calmed down mostly for Ani’s sake; he was cuddled up next to me, frightened and crying from both the news and my emotional display. “C-can we go see Mama?” he inquired in a small voice.

“Of course we can, Sport,” Mr. Solo told his son, picking him up.

“Is she all right, sir?” I asked quietly.

“For the most part,” he answered. “She’s awake; you guys can talk to her...but they’re still running tests. Come on, kids,” he said, ushering us in to the main room so as to get our coats. He hugged Anakin, then set him down. “Let’s go see mama.”

“Do you honestly believe I took Anaranjado Spice?” Mrs. Solo replied.

“Leia...I didn’t say that,” Mr. Solo said anxiously.

“Oh, you didn’t?” There was some movement. “Han...listen. No, I didn’t overdose on that stuff. I wasn’t aware I took any at all.”

“Tell me what happened,” Mr. Solo ordered softly.

There was a pause and some more movement. “The last meeting I had was with a Santurian named Ti`Amar. He said he was the representative for his planet and he wanted to join the Republic. Things were normal. At one point, a droid came in and offered us drinks. Only a couple officers and I accepted them.

“The meeting went on as those meetings usually do. I...had to excuse myself a little early because I was feeling lightheaded. I...rang the doorbell...you answered...and then I passed out. That’s all that happened.”

Mr. Solo was silent for a long moment. “Did the other officers who took those drinks have the same problem?”

“I don’t know. If they did, no one found out.”

“What were their names?”

“Rieeken and...I think Mon Mothma did too.”

“We’ll have to talk with them tomorrow.”

“Right. And Ezie...you can go to bed.”

“Esme Zend,” I replied, drawing myself up in a regal manner.

“Come in.” The door opened with a soft whoosh, then closed the same way behind us. “What is it?”

“Um...Mon Mothma, we wanted to ask you a few things about the night of that meeting with Ti`Amar.”

Mon Mothma smiled. “Of course, dear. Go ahead. Um, you children may sit if you like.” We all did, Ani finding it more comfortable to sit on my lap.

Jaina began. “Mom said that during the meeting there was a droid who offered drinks....”

“And you, General Rieeken, and mom accepted them,” Jacen finished.

Mon Mothma nodded. “That’s correct.”

“Well,” I continued. “Did you experience any lightheadedness or fainting?”

Mon Mothma thought a while. “Yes, I think so.”

I smiled. “The same thing happened to Mrs. Solo! There must have been spice in the drinks!” Ani smiled too.

“I think you might be right, dear,” Mon Mothma said, delighted. “But I think you should ask General Rieeken the same before you draw any conclusions.”

“Ti`Amar must have thought that when the New Republic found I was an addict, he could make his way to the top much easier,” Mrs. Solo said.

Mr. Solo put and arm around Mrs. Solo. “Yeah, well now, the only place he’ll be in charge of is his jail cell.”

That reminded me. “Sir? Where is Ti`Amar right now?”

“Don’t worry; we have him in custody. He won’t escape.”