GOING BACK TO YESTERDAY…THE LATER ADVENTURES OF HAN SOLO #8

Unloading on Viakinnou.

Han drained his second glass of ale and watched as others came in or left the busy cantina.

He didn't like waiting….Reaching for the bottle of ale again, Chewbacca pushed his hand away, shaking his hairy head, growling. Han gave him a nasty look. "I know, I know…I don't need any more."

Twirling the glass on it's bottom, Han cocked his head, listening intently….he sat up from his slouched position, his boots scuffing against the floor. "Hear that, Chewie?" The Wookiee turned his head…then shook 'no'.

"Someone is speaking old Corellian." Han scooted out of the booth, Chewbacca following.

He made his way casually around the cantina.. And honing in on the speaker, stopped at a

table furthest from the bar.

At that particular table sat three…a Corellian, a Sazunief , a lizard like being with a humanoid

face, and a Pleanat, a winged two headed-one male, one female-Orinthian. The seated Corellian

looked up at the man who stopped at his table.

"Sorry to interrupt," Han began, 'But I heard you speaking old Corellian…I'm Corellian too.

"That right?" The younger, dark haired man clicked off his com-link, stood and thrust out a hand for a shake. "I'm Dom Tolar." Han grasped the offered hand. "Han Solo."

"Have a seat."

The other two entities rose, saying in their language they had other business to attend; nodding to Han and Chewbacca.

Han sat down, Chewbacca standing behind him. "This is my partner, Chewbacca." He introduced.

"A Wookiee." Dom smiled, and waved for Chewbacca to sit, then held out a bottle to Han, who

waved it away. "Haven't heard old Corellian spoken since my great-grandmother was alive." Han explained.

"I learned it from my grandmother too. I find it to be a good 'code language' when discussing plans and propositions or saying anything you don't want anyone to understand." Dom replied with a raised eyebrow. "You are the first to ever recognize it outside Corellia." He took a sip from the bottle of ale.

"You one of the haulers?" Han asked.

"Not in the usual way. I come every three months or so and pick up the scrap metal, building material, broken machinery and any other discards. They pay me to haul it away, then I sell it to junk dealers."

"Ah, you get paid both ways." Han smiled. Corellians always knew how to make a good deal.

"Best job I ever had…no restrictions, no questions….and no galactic taxes."

"That too." Han laughed.

"You?"

"Just brought in a load of building poles. Waiting to get unloaded. I've never seen such

rules and regulations since the military."

"So, you're a government hauler." Dom surmised.

"No. I left the military years ago, I'm independent." Han didn't want to go further into his past until he knew more about this Corellian. "Looking to hook up with another job once my ship is unloaded."

"This is a booming planet." Dom looked around the full cantina. "You might check into moving animals or the refugees that are going to be resettled here."

"Don't think I want to haul beings. Animals? That might be a thought." Han rubbed his chin, considering."

"Here…" Dom reached in a shirt pocket and drew out a ragged piece of parchment. "This is the where the livestock is being held until movement to here and other planets."

Han took the paper… 'Living Agricultural Procurement.' Transporters needed.

His lips moved slightly as he read the com-link frequency. "Thanks, I just might check this out."

(You told Leia you'd be going home.) Chewbacca reminded him.

"I told Leia I'd be home…if we didn't get another haul." Han answered.

"Leia?" Dom queried.

"My wife." Han smiled.

"Lucky you." Dom replied. There was a quiet pause, just the noise of multiple languages,

the clink of bottles and glasses and the shuffle of feet of those coming and going filled the

cantina.

Han licked his lips…. "How are things on Corellia? I haven't been back for quite a while."

"Some new building are being built there also, the government seems to be stable. Daily life

going on as usual; I haven't heard of any outside threats. I get home about once a galactic year."

Han shook his head as he listened, glad to learn things seemed good. He didn't let the thoughts

linger, not wanting to resurrect more memories…..

They were interrupted by the little purple being Han first met when he'd entered the landing port office. "Captain Solo, the unloaders are ready for your ship. You need to go to

the office and get your Guild membership card."

Han and Chewbacca stood. "Been waiting for this." He told Dom. "Nice to meet you.

Good flight."

Dom rose and gave a friendly slap to Han's shoulder. "You too, buddy. Hope our paths cross again, one day."

The pair left the cantina and again passed denzins, droids and machinery on their way to the office. Once inside, Han waited at the counter.

"Captain Solo." The secretary acknowledged him. "Here is your Guild card. The unloaders

are at your ship now. Just show them this card. I assume after your cargo is unloaded you will be leaving."

"That's right." Han said flatly.

The membership card was handed to the Corellian and the secretary informed him. "That will be five-thousand credits."

"What?!" If this kept on he'd be paying them for hauling in the cargo. Chewbacca groaned.

"That is your Guild membership fee." She calmly explained.

"I have to pay that every time I make a cargo delivery?"

"No, that is a one time joining fee, but you will have to pay a fee each time you make a haul."

Han shuffled from one foot to the other in frustration. This 'legal' hauling was getting to be a

pain in the ass.

"There will be an unloading fee, and, since you will be leaving right after, you'll have to pay a landing pad fee."

At Han's murderous look, she quickly explained, "The haulers have to be paid and you took

up space on the landing pad.. that goes for the use of the pad.

Han jerked out the credit plate and handed it to the secretary who subtracted the Guild membership fee, the dockworkers pay and the landing pad fee then handed the it back to

the obviously angry Corellian.

Looking at the plate when she returned it, Han saw that his 'pay' was diminishing.

The pair left the office and headed back to where the Falcon rested. Han could see the huge

crane-crawler nearby. The dockworkers waved as Han and Chewbacca approached.

"Your buddy looks like he could do the unloading by himself." The worker chuckled nodding at

the big Wookiee."

"He's my bodyguard." Han deadpanned. Chewbacca growled and shook his bow caster.

The worker blanched and took a few steps back. "If you'll give me your Guild card to verify, we'll start unloading those poles."

Han gave him the card. "The quicker the better." Then he and Chewbacca moved to unlock the aft cargo holds, hoping the poles didn't show any damage or distress from the solar wave they'd encountered.

The crawler-crane could lift three poles at a time, moving and placing them on a flat-hauler, but it still took several hours for the job to be completed. Han watched the whole time…making sure no damage was done to the Falcon.

It was approaching sundown on Viakinnou when the last of the poles were lifted from the cargo hold and the dock foreman asked for Han's signature on a delivery verification. "Don't see many

of these YT-1300s any more." He commented holding out a stylus.

Han only nodded as he wrote his name.

The foreman looked to the cloud- shot sky… "Gonna be dark soon, you both might as well stay and get a fresh start in the morning. Entertainment at the cantina tonight."

"Nope." Han said, pulling on his flight gloves. "Going to see about another job.

Thanks."

The dockworker sauntered to the crawler and gave a hand direction for the flat-loader,

which was powering up to move.

Chewbacca ambled up to Han from behind the ship; finished with securing and locking down the cargo holds.

The Corellian took a deep breath and looked around the area one last time. They'd completed their first legitimate hauling job. Han gave a sardonic smile and commented to Chewbacca,

"Let's get out of here before they charge us for something else."

MORE TO COME…..