The Snow Queen, Part 1

Rating: PG

Parings: Han/Leia

Disclaimer: Star Wars belongs to Lucsafilm and the Walt Disney Company.

Notes: This is set in the three years between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back.

Han looked over his shoulder at Leia as the Millennium Falcon came out of hyperspace. “Are you sure this is a good idea, Princess?” The smuggler made a face. “Norweden has always been neutral. Queen Frostra is pretty good about looking the other way unless you try to melt her ice castle or something. I heard that the Empire's tried four times to get her to join them. She trades with them, but she's not officially Imperial.”

“Norweden can't afford to stay neutral much longer.” Leia peered around his shoulder at the blue and white sphere that glistened just beyond the cockpit window. “They're may be on the Outer Rim, but several shipping lanes do go by this way, and they've just started to mine at least two kinds of crystals used as reflectors for blasters.”

Luke pushed between them, his blue eyes wide. “It's beautiful,” he whispered, almost reverently. “I've never seen anything like it.”

“You won't be saying that once you've tried to walk through a snowbank that's up to your knees.” His pilot friend shivered. “Give me a nice, warm space ship anyday.” Han's co-pilot, the massive furry Wookie Chewbacca, let out a series of barks that indicated his agreement.

“It's not as cold as, say, Hoth.” The Princess was already looking up information on her data pad. “They do have warmer months that can get up to as much as 40 degrees. That's when the snow melts and the local dewdrop flowers are harvested for their spring festival. It's also how, unlike Hoth, they can sustain human habitation. There's villages, small towns, and even cities, but they're spread out.”

“They mainly export flowers and vegetables. Sometimes really exotic stuff.” Han smirked as Leia raised an eyebrow at him. “What? I've done a little business on this planet. I've paid attention to what goes in and out of the country. They have hothouses in several major cities that raise crops for the outlying villages. Some of the most prized flowers in the galaxy come from this iceberg. We smuggle 'em to other Outer Rim planets where flowers are harder to grow.”

The Millennium Falcon entered the atmosphere over what appeared to Luke to be a series of sparkling lights. As they got closer, he realized the “lights” were tall spires made from blue and white crystal that glowed from within. “It's beautiful,” Luke gasped, his blue eyes widening.

“Yeah, if you like freezing your rear end off.” Han finally settled the Falcon down at a frost-covered airfield just outside of the city. “Not to mention, this is just the cities. The outlying areas are infested with bandits and trolls and tauntauns. Most people stick to their settlements and leave the country to the criminals.”

Leia was already running her finger across her holo-pad. “Trolls are mischievous creatures with, it's said, dark magical powers. They have been known to attack larger animals, but that's mainly for food. They mainly use their powers to play pranks on humans. Some of those pranks can be quite dangerous.”

“Those idiots?” Han rolled his eyes. “You leave them alone, they'll leave you alone.” Chewie growled and frowned. His partner made a face as they landed on a hard crystal surface. “No, I don't count the one time they chased us when we were delivering spices. You stole their dinner!” Chewie's series of growls and arm-waving indicated that he remembered the incident too well. “I told you not to take that tauntaun meat! I can get you all the tauntaun meat you want the next time we load up on supplies!”

“Enough, you two.” Leia set her pad aside. “The queen won't be meeting us. Something about being called away to her palace in the Far North. We'll be greeted by her second-in-command, Lady Gerda.”

Indeed, an older woman awaited them as they disembarked. She sported a heavy pale blue velvet cloak trimmed with thick wampa fur and a blue gown that sparkled with crystals and beads. A narrow circlet of crystal beads lined her long silver hair. Her eyes were a lovely warm dark blue, and her cheeks were rosy despite her pale skin. Truthfully, Leia felt dowdy next to this elegant woman in her white quilted Alliance snow-weather uniform.

“It's wonderful to meet you.” The older woman grasped her hand. She was flanked by two towering men in shiny crystal armor and visors that covered their faces. “I'm Lady Gerda of the Snowflake Hills clan, the emissary of Queen Frostra.”

“I'm Princess Leia, of the Organa clan.” She nodded at Luke and Han behind her. Luke gawked at every single building, his mouth hanging open. Han leaned casually against Chewie, awaiting even the slightest sign of danger. “This is Commander Luke Skywalker, also of the Alliance, Han Solo, Captain of the Millennium Falcon, and Chewbacca, his first mate.”

“Charmed to meet all of you.” Lady Gerda clasped Luke's hand next. “My boy, I've heard so much about you. They say you're the one who destroyed the Death Star. That was a brave and wonderful thing you did, young one.”

Luke turned red under his snow cap and raised goggles. “Thank you, Your Ladyship. Your planet's beautiful! I was raised on a desert planet. I've only read about snow before.”

“We'll have to show you every bit of our city. It may be cold, but we call it home.” Gerda turned to Han. “You can put your weapon away, Captain. I have my own guard with me.” She nodded at Chewbacca. “You too, furry one. As long as you're with the royal entourage, you're safe.”

Han finally eased off of Chewie and looked like he was considering it for a minute before finally sliding his blaster back into its holster. “All right, Your Ladyship.” His familiar annoying smirk spread across his face. “Since you asked so nicely.”

She lead them to a wide white vehicle trimmed with silver curls on either side. It was pulled by two of the large, shaggy tauntauns. “It's easier to ride here by repulser-sleigh. The weather is too cold for most ordinary landspeeders, and snowspeeders are mainly reserved for deliveries and the military.”

Luke's jaw dropped even further when they entered the city. The shining spires gave way to smaller, but equally charming, buildings made of stone and crystal. These were the homes and stores for ordinary citizens, the merchants and everyday workers.

They kept going until they came to one of the largest houses, a tall crystal rectangle that wasn't quite as spectacular as the buildings near the air field, but was more elaborate that the workers' homes. The armored guard tugged on the reins of the tauntauns, stopping them right at the main door of the house. The snow to the walkway was being blown away by blue crystal droids that slid along on the icy paths. A glow came from an all-crystal enclosure off to the side of the building.

“This is my home. You may rest and refresh yourselves here while Queen Frostra returns from the city.” Lady Gerda smiled at Luke's wide blue eyes that took in every detail. “I take it you approve of my home, Commander.”

Luke finally remembered where he was and pulled his head away. “Oh yes, Your Highness. Forgive my staring, but I've never seen anywhere like this before.”

“I daresay I'd be the one staring if I were on your desert planet. I've lived here all my life.” One of the guards hurried around to the side of the repulsor-sleigh and helped Lady Gerda out. “Would you like to see my hot house, Commander? You too Captain, Your Highness, Mr. Chewbacca.”

Leia smiled back as the guard helped her out. “I'd love to. I haven't been in a hothouse since Alderaan.”

“If you've seen one flower, you've seen 'em all.” Han insisted. He stretched as Chewie helped him and Luke out. “I'm gonna take a nap, preferably somewhere warm.” Chewie turned to Han with a growl...just as his stomach let out an even bigger one. “My co-pilot here could use some of that refreshment you were talkin' about, Your Ladyship.”

The pale lady gave Chewie a wan smile. “Well, we do have some tauntaun steaks in the kitchen we could spare. I don't suppose you need them cooked.”

“Nahh, he'll eat 'em any old way.” The lanky captain shivered. “Could we go inside? I'm freezin' out here.”

Gerda shivered and pulled her cloak further around her. “Certainly. I'll have my cook prepare hot dewdrop fruit cider for all of us.”

She lead them through the doors and into a sparkling stone wall of blue and white. The colors were echoed in the soft blues and creams of the frosty wood and velvet furniture. Crystal chandeliers sparkled overhead. Holo-art with silver frames depicted men and women in fine crystal-studded white gowns and robes, their massive crowns framing hair so pale, it resembled the snow outside.

“These are the Kings and Queens of our planet over the years.” Gerda stopped in front of the last holo-frame. “This one is of the current Queen, Frostra. She's ruled the planet for ten years now.”

“Wow.” Luke couldn't stop looking at her. Everything about Frostra was crystal. Her white hair and lashes were laced with sparkling diamonds. Her fingernails were stardust, and her lips were ice blue. “She's beautiful. She's the most beautiful woman I've ever seen.”

Han just made a face. “Yeah, but I heard all that ice is in her veins. Rumor has it that her heart is as cold as her castle. She'll just as sure as dump you in her dungeon and let you freeze or make you into a slave as look at you.”

The younger man just couldn't help himself. He'd never seen anyone like her. Those pale blue eyes flashed with intelligence and strength, and her lips were set in a tiny little smile that seemed to beguile him. It was too bad they'd only get to see each other in a formal meeting. He'd really like to get to know her someday. He didn't leave the holo-art until Leia finally dragged him along.

After a rest period and a lunch of roast tauntaun and snow sprouts in their rooms, Luke and Leia followed Lady Gerda to the hot house on the side of the manor. “Your home is really lovely, Your Ladyship,” Leia said kindly. “It reminds me a bit of our home at Alderaan.” Her voice choked up a bit, like it always did when she thought of Alderaan. “We had four Norweden crystal chandeliers, and furniture in three parlors made from frost wood.”

“I'm so sorry about what happened to Alderaan.” Lady Gerda frowned, her own blue eyes becoming concerned. “That's part of why we're hesitant to support the Alliance. We don't want the Empire to come down on us the way they did on your planet.”

“But that's why you need to join.” Leia leaned over a spicy-scented yellow flower with star-shaped petals and inhaled it deeply. “The more planets pledge their support, the more we can keep catastrophes like the destruction of Alderaan from happening again.”

Luke strolled through rows and rows of colorful flowering plants. He'd rarely seen plants in his life that weren't for harvesting moisture, never mind ones as bright and cheerful as these. He finally stopped before a row of blood-red flowers with a sweet smell that grew in hearty green bushes. He reached for one, but drew back when the stem pricked his finger.

“Ouch!” He sucked at his wounded digit as Leia and Lady Gerda hurried over. “That flower bit me! What did I do?”

The lady laughed and took a pair of shears from a work table nearby. “You didn't do anything. Commander. Roses have sharp thorns that protect them from intruders.” She cut the flower, wrapped the stem in a bit of paper, and handed it to Luke. “Here, Commander. A gift, from me to you.”

His smile could have melted every bit of snow for miles around. “Thank you, Your Ladyship!”

“Call me Gerda.” She clipped another rose for Leia. “And this one is for you, Your Highness.”

Leia buried her nose in it. “It smells wonderful. My mother wore a perfume made from Alderaan roses for years.” She looked up with a smile. “And you can call me Leia.”

“Look!” Luke pointed out the window. “It's snowing again!” Indeed, the snow was coming down in full-force. It was so hard, they could barely see out the window.

“Ahh.” Lady Gerda laughed. “I see that the white bees are swarming.” She joined Leia and Luke at the window, smiling at their confused expressions. “That's what locals call the blizzards. They're white bees, gathering the frost nectar to create the crystals in the mountains.”

Luke's eyes never left the powdery crystals falling from the sky. “Do they have a queen bee?”

“Oh, yes.” Gerda clipped another flower, a ruffly pale yellow starflower, and placed it behind her ear. “They say that the ruler of Norweden is the head of the bees. They use their powers to gather the harvest and send it out among the people, making sure that there's plenty of crystals to unearth, build with, and trade.”

The commander's blue eyes were far away. “The Queen must be the most wonderful woman in the galaxy!”

“I just hope she'll change her mind and join the Alliance.” Leia stroked the velvety red petals. “We need your crystals and your manpower. Your people are used to extreme temperatures, and we frequently make our headquarters in some very rugged places.”

The elder lady sighed. “I'll see what I can do to talk to her. She can be stubborn when she sets her mind to it. She's almost as bad as her sister Zoma.”

“Zoma?” Leia raised an eyebrow. “The Summer Lady? Queen Frostra's sister? I thought she left the planet. Some kind of dispute with her family a few years ago.”

“She only left the castle.” Lady Gerda clipped a handful of large ruffled flowers whose petals were so pale blue, they were almost translucent. “Her magic revolves around warmth and warmer climes. She keeps her own home and garden near the Misty Blue River. There's rumors that she wicked witch who turns children into flowers and adults who displease her into mindless beasts...but I know Zoma isn't like that. She's mostly just lonely.”

“Poor woman!” Luke frowned. “Maybe we should visit her after we talk to Queen Frostra and bring her some fruit or cookies. Make her feel better.”

Gerda sighed. “All she really wants is someone to talk to her. I really need to visit her as soon as we have this meeting.” She nodded at the curtain of white that continued to fall. “It looks like the snow is letting up a bit. Why don't you take your friends and go outside and enjoy it, before Frostra returns?”

“Can we?” Luke swung to Leia, his bright blue eyes shining. “Can we, Leia? I've never played in the snow before!”

“And I haven't in a long time.” She gave him a small smile. “All right. Just for a little while. We'll have to come in and dry off before Queen Frostra arrives.”

“Let's bring Han, too.” Luke put the rose on a table in the entrance. “I'll come back for this.”

“Let's bring me to do what?” The lanky Captain shuffled downstairs, stretching his long limbs, while Chewbacca followed him.

Luke was already tying his cap. “We're going to go out in the snow, Han. Want to join us?”

Chewbacca nudged him and nodded at the windows. Han made a face. “Chewie, I just got warm!” The wookie's big paw waved at the windows again, throwing in a long, eager bark. “Ok, ok! We'll go out. Just let me get my coat.”

“This is going to be so much fun!” Luke zippered his own coat as Leia pulled on her hat. “Do you think we'll see then Snow Queen when she arrives? Queen Frostra sounds amazing.”

“With any luck, we'll be inside well before that.” Leia smirked as she tied her thick nerf-wool scarf. “Race you to the door!”

“No fair!” Luke yelped as the princess pushed past him. “You got a head start!”

~*~*~*~*~*~

Above them, in the hills that overlooked the town, were three trolls. Gangling, furry, and about as dumb as a post, the trio of mischief-makers mostly confined their pranks to rolling snowballs and tossing rocks at unsuspecting humans, or letting out such noisy screeches that they created avalanches that could bury humans in their homes for days. Today, they had more ambitious plans.

“Look at this, brother!” The largest troll held a magnificent mirror. It shined in the darkness of their crystal cave, reflecting the ugly pig-nosed creature. “I made this myself, from the snow and our magic! Just crushed up the crystal, blew on it, and we have this!”

The second-largest troll pushed him aside, grabbing this wonder and looking it over. “But what does it do?” He ran a long claw down the mirror, creating a crack and making the most god-awful sound.

The smallest with the softest wavy fur winced. “It sure don't make pretty music!” she whined, throwing her paws over her ears.

“Gimme that!” The eldest troll snatched it back. “It's magic crystal. When it hits a human, it'll freeze them up, make 'em act the opposite of how they usually do.”

“That sounds like fun!” The female troll giggled. “How does it work?”

“Like this.” The old troll picked up a crystal. “Just break it, and let the shards fly!” He used the sharp crystal and his own claws to break the glass into a million pieces.

“I like this!” The second-largest let out a bark of a laugh. “Now, let's let the wind carry it away!” He gently pushed his shards into the wind, watching as the pieces blew helter-skelter in the air.

The largest troll turned his gaze to the big human house-cave at the bottom of the hill, pointing at three humans stumbling outside. “Hey! I ain't never seen those people! Let's play with them!”

“I like that.” The smallest blew hers in the direction of the trio. “It'll be fun to see how they turn against each other!”

“There they go!” The largest troll blew his hard, scattering his shards to the four corners. “Ok, mirror, do what you're told! Turn those humans' hearts from warmth to cold!”

~*~*~*~*~*~

The snow was coming down lighter when they finally made it outside. Luke nearly fell to his knees in a snowdrift. “Look at this!” He grabbed snow and tossed it in the air, letting it flutter over his head with the flakes that were still coming down. He tilted his face toward the crystals as they blew overhead. “It's like thousands of little feathers!”

“It's cold.” A heavy parka hood covered Han's head. His navy jacket almost blended in with the dark sky. He finally leaned over and made a ball from the snow in his hands. “Hey kid, incoming!”

Splat! The snow hit Luke dead center in the chest. “Hey!” Luke started to form a ball of his own as Leia and Chewbacca pushed past the drifts. “Two can play at that game! Take this!” He chucked the snow at Han as hard as he could.

“Yow!” Han had jumped out of the way. The snowball ended up hitting Leia. “Oh, that's the way we're going to play, huh?” She formed her own ball and hurled it at Luke. It hit him right in the face.

“Oww!” He wiped it off. “That's cold!” He threw another at her and hit her in the side with enough force to nearly land her in the snow.

Pretty soon, all four were throwing snow as hard as they could at each other and laughing more than any of them had in a long time. Even Chewbacca joined in, although his balls were usually three times the size of the others, thanks to his huge paws and strong arms. Chewie's balls could easily knock them head over heels into a snowbank.

After about twenty minutes, Leia finally put up a hand. “Let me catch my breath. I haven't had this kind of exercise since the last time we had to outrun the Imperials.”

“You spend too much time in some office or the other.” Han smirked. “You need to get out more, Your Worship. Have a little fun once in a while.”

Leia made a face at him. “This war won't win itself, you know. Some of us care if the rest of the galaxy lives or dies.”

Luke wasn't paying attention to their usual argument. “I wonder,” he murmured, “what the Snow Queen will be like when we see her?” He turned to Chewie. “Have you ever seen her?”

The big brown Wookie shrugged and let out a bark. Luke thought he was getting better at understanding the big navigator. That sounded like a “sure, kid.” “I can't wait to meet her. I hope she's as beautiful and graceful as her holo-portrait.”

“Maybe we'd better get inside.” Chewie barked at Han, whose eyes were now on the hill behind them. “I swear I saw something move up there. I think we're bein' watched.”

Leia turned in the same direction and only saw the wind blowing the snow into more mounds. “You're imagining things. All I see up there is snow.”

“It is getting dark, though.” Luke shivered as another burst of wind howled across the yard, sending snow and ice everywhere. “I think it's time to go in.”

“Yeah, kid.” Han shielded his face with his gloved hands. “Before we're blown half-way back to the Falcon.”

“I think we ought to...owww!” Luke blinked rapidly as glittering ice shards hit him right in the face, One lodged in his eye, sticking right by the lashes. “That really hurt!”

“Luke?” Leia waddled to his side in the snow. “Are you all right? Let me see your eye.”

He pushed her away harder than was really necessary. “Leia, cut it out! I'm fine! You don't need to play princess for everybody!”

The girl's mouth dropped. “You don't have to be rude! I was just trying to help!”

“Well, don't!” He pushed her so hard, she toppled backwards in the snow.

Han grabbed Luke's hand. “That wasn't necessary, kid. She was being nice. What's gotten into you?”

“Don't call me a kid!” The youth yanked his hand away. “I'm not a kid! It's not like you're that much older than I am! You treat me like a five-year-old!”

“You're acting like one right now.” The older smuggler glared at him. “K...Luke, knock it off. Pushing people wasn't necessary. Why don't we go inside and see if we can get whatever it is that's in your eye out?”

“No!” Luke stumbled back. “Leave me alone, all of you! Just...leave me alone! I don't want to be a part of this anymore!” He turned on his heel as well as he could and stomped off into the snow, vanishing in the winds.

“Luke!” Leia started after him. “Luke, where are you? Luke!” She turned to Han, worry creasing her brow. “We have to stop him. He doesn't know this planet. He could freeze to death!”

“I'm more worried about how he was acting. That's not like the kid.” Han nodded as Chewie growled. “Chewie says he can try to sniff around for Luke, but the snow may be blocking a lot of his scent.”

Leia was already starting towards the house. “I'm going to borrow the repulsor-sleigh from Lady Gerda. We'll be able to catch up with him faster in the sleigh than on foot.”

“I'm right behind you.” The captain added, he and his towering first mate following on her heels. “Let's go save Luke from the snow and himself.”

~*~*~*~*~*~

The snow continued to rage around him, but Luke barely noticed. He just wanted to get away. All those two ever did was treat him like he was a baby. Like he was less than they were. So he wasn't a captain or a princess. He blew up the Death Star! Neither of them did that, even if Han did help. He didn't care about them or anything else. Let that stupid Empire come! Darth Vader didn't scare him. His chest felt heavy and numb, the warmth normally inside freezing from within.

As he gazed into the raging wind, he heard the silvery tinkling of bells on the horizon. As they came closer, the most magnificent repulsor-sleigh he'd ever seen hovered up to him. It was easily twice the size of Lady Gerda's. The sides were trimmed with silver leaf and chiming bells. Crystal beads sparkled on the curling ends. Each of the six white tauntauns who pulled the carriage were more magnificent and spirited than the next.

A figure swathed all in white fur, velvet, and crystal sat next to another figure in silver armor. “Hello, my boy.” Frostra of the holo-art gazed out from under lashes so pale, they resembled the crystal tiara in her creamy white hair. “What brings you out here? Humans can't survive in weather like this.”

“You're...you're beautiful.” He couldn't help staring. “I've never seen anyone so beautiful.”

The queen's smile was as icy as her hard, pale blue eyes. “Thank you, my boy. What are you doing out here?”

“I'm...” He looked around, and realized that he didn't quite know where he was. “I guess I'm lost.”

“Perhaps it's not such a bad thing to be lost.” Frostra put out a hand covered in white velvet. “Come to the Castle of the Seven Crystals with me. I think you'll do admirably as a plaything for me, a doll I can amuse myself with. You have a...a certain power...to you.”

“Really?” Luke's grin could have melted every last bit of snow. “Thank you!”

She helped him into the carriage. “One more thing, my little one. If you're to be my plaything, I must give you a kiss. It's the only way you'll survive at my home in the Frozen North.”

The moment she pressed her lips against his, Luke let out a gasp. His heart, which was already icy from the trolls' power, suddenly froze over and became a lump of ice. He felt like he would die. After a few moments of his heavy breathing and clutching his heart, he opened his eyes again...and they were pale and icy as her own, without a hint of feeling or compassion in them.

“Much better. You'll be such a lovely little toy.” She stroked his head. “I think I'll keep you, if no one comes to claim you. I won't let my summer sister have you. She tries to take too many of my toys. You'll be mine, and mine alone.”

The driver finally turned them north, with the enormous carriage vanishing in the swirling blizzard.