Prologue
According to Merriam Webster's Dictionary, the definition of fate is the will or principle or determining cause by which things in general are believed to come to be as they are or events to happen as they do. The second definition states that fate is an inevitable and often adverse outcome, condition, or end. In such rare events, fate hated Jo. Jo had thought of about this theory before, but now she was certain. Fate wanted to destroy her. The particular event in question that sparked this answer, was the night she developed the stomach flu. The stomach flu crept slowly upon her throughout the day. It began that morning at work with a minor stomach complication. That minor complication became a messy major problem when Jo finally laid her head upon her pillow of her bed after she returned from a long arduous journey from the bathroom.
Jo felt the room around her spinning and she tightly shut her eyes. Eventually, sleep overcame her struggles and the dizziness faded. Time and space crowded the surrounding air around her. The pressure in her chest built, squeezing her very heart. Jo's eyes flew open and she took a sudden gasp for air. Jo brought a fist to her chest, clutching the front of her shirt. She eventually calmed down long enough to take in her surroundings. Expecting to see the darkness of her room and bedroom door wide open, she instead found herself reclining in what looked like a half circle diner booth seat. Jo's pulse quickened back up and a cold sweat broke out on the back of her neck. Jo began to panic. She looked all around her.
The setting was familiar, as if she had been there before, but this was not her room. And her room had been the last place she remembered being in. Jo gasped for air. She felt like she was in a half mission control room and half crudely decorated bachelor's pad. Her eyes stung from tears and her stomach protested against her.
'Oh my God! I've been kidnapped.' she thought as she shut her eyes. Her eyes snapped back open when she heard footsteps echo down a corridor to the entrance of the room she resided in. Jo let out a groan as she flew under the circular table that sat in front of the diner booth. The footsteps grew closer and closer, only to stop at the entrance.
"What is it, Ben?" a young male's voice inquired making Jo's heart skip a beat in fear. Jo froze and flattened herself against the booth.
"We are not alone here," another male voice replied to the other. Jo shut her eyes begging silently they would not find her.
"What?" the younger voice held surprise. Soft footsteps started again towards the table Jo had herself crammed under. Jo opened one eye to find a pair of brown boots peeking out of a long garb of clothing in front of her. Jo covered her ears rocking a bit from side to side.
"Please please please please please," she mouthed silently to herself.
"Ben?" another pair of footsteps joined its companion.
"It seems Solo has gained another passenger." with that there was some rustling of clothes against the table as one of the voice's owners crouched down to have a look under the table.
"Hello," someone said uncertainly. Jo let out an inhuman sound as a boy around her age stared timidly back at her. Not even bothering to register his other features, Jo gave a startled cry bringing her leg out from under her and sharply kicking the boy in the face. Her knee crashed into the table as the boy shouted, "Hey!" in pain. Jo scrambled out from under the table banging her head against the underside of it.
Jo dove for the circle opening that led into the corridor. Just as she did, she ran into a large object. The object gripped her shoulders and Jo glanced up in fear. A frightening being looked right back at her. The being tightened the hold it had on her shoulders making her cry out in pain. Jo quickly noticed how much hair it had and it's height. The creature bared its teeth and lowered its head threateningly. It let out a sharp deafening roar that made Jo scream. She turned to go back under the table, managing to break the creature's hold momentarily. The creature reached out and caught her by the scruff of the neck. He jerked her backwards. Jo fought against it, but the creature growled in retaliation. This action only made Jo cry harder.
"What in the blazes is going on in here!" a new voice exclaimed joining the scene. The creature turned its body and Jo toward the newcomer. Jo froze and cowered back against the creature. Jo knew who it was. Jo's eyes prickled with fresh tears as she took in the man in front of her. Sharp hazel eyes stared brutally back at her. "Who the hell are you and what are you doing on my ship!" Jo's stomach gave an uncomfortable lurch and a sheen of sweat perspired upon her forehead. Jo managed to break the hold on her neck and bent forward releasing the remaining contents from her stomach and on top of the one and only's, Han Solo's boots. Jo crumpled to the floor as Han let out a slew of creative curses.
The floor was cool against Jo's cheek and legs. She was vaguely aware that she was not wearing any pants, but an over-sized T-shirt she had thrown on for comfort before this mess. Jo's cries were louder than Chewbacca's speech as he and Han yelled at each other. Jo curled into herself.
"I don't know where I am. I don't know where I am," she choked out. This caught everybody's attention.
"You don't know where you are?" Han gritted out. "Well, you are a stowaway on the Millennium Falcon, girl! And the next stop we make will be the end of your stay!"
"Nooooo," Jo cried. Chewbacca let out a few drawn out sounds.
"Might I suggest an alternate action?" the forgotten people by the booth decided to join in.
"And what might that be, old man?" growled Han.
"The girl is clearly in a state of distress. Interrogating her further is not the wisest choice to make at the moment." through Jo's blurred vision she could see none other than Obi-Wan Kenobi standing above her.
"Ben's right. She doesn't look so good," Luke Skywalker entered her line of sight by Obi-Wan. He glanced down at her.
"What clued you in, kid?" Han spat gesturing to the vomit all over his boots.
Obi-Wan turned to the wookiee. "Chewbacca, would you pick the girl up and take her to your living quarters?" Chewbacca huffed and looked at Han.
"Listen, old man, I give the orders here and this girl is getting no such luxuries from us!" Han crossed his arms. As he stated this, Chewbacca gave Jo a calculating glare. Before Obi-Wan was able to say anything, Chewbacca bent down and picked up Jo. This rekindled a new life in her as she kicked into full fight-or-flight mode. "Chewie! What are you doing?" Han demanded. Chewbacca ignored his friend and started walking with Jo in his arms.
"Please please please please," Jo begged sorrowfully aloud. Obi-Wan and Luke followed closely behind the wookiee as he carried her into a cramped room. He tossed her onto a rather hard cot.
Jo struggled to get up, but Chewbacca placed a large furry paw on top of her chest to push her back down. He growled at her making her freeze.
"Thank you, old friend." Obi-Wan said placing a wrinkled hand on Chewbacca's arm. Chewbacca barked a response as he side-stepped out of the room. Obi-Wan came to the side of the cot closest to Jo. "Hello there, young one." He said kindly. He lifted his left hand and placed it onto Jo's fevered forehead. "You must rest now."
He slid his calloused hand over Jo's eyes. A soft warm lull washed over her body and mind. Her eyelids grew heavy. "Sleep..." she heard the voice drift into her ears. She felt Obi-Wan get up. Jo blinked blearily up to see a wide pair of blue eyes stare right back at her. The heaviness grew unbearable. Her eyes slowly shut and she drifted away. She knew nothing more but the darkness that cradled her.