Here is the first of 3 stories I wrote where Leia is the one chasing after Han. A few of you have been waiting for it, hope you enjoy it!
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Shackled
By Dant Solo
Han Solo had participated in many illegal dealings in his life, starting as a young boy. A pickpocket, thief, and a cheater at gambling, he had scraped by using whatever means he could. His conscience rarely troubled him. Sometimes, you had to do whatever you could to survive.
But, the one thing Han could not abide was slavery. For some reason, it had never sat well with him. Perhaps it was because, as a child, he had been used by untrustworthy adults, sought out to do their bidding, the naiveté of a child set against him.
Having been hired by Jabba the Hutt to help smuggle a shipment, he hadn't asked any questions when he boarded the ship Huttese Birth, along with four other human males.
Now, he stood, blood silently boiling, as a dozen Wookiee slaves boarded the ship.
He couldn't go through with this. What could he do? Tell the other smugglers that he was going to stay here, on Cantaur Prime?
The twenty-or-so slave handlers chatted casually with the smugglers, leaving Han with the impression that those traveling with him had done this run before.
The near-total darkness behind the warehouse gave the night a surreal feeling. It was humid and the air was heavy on his skin. The chatter was the only sound to be heard in this secluded, abandoned area. His breath felt labored from a mixture of heat and fury.
A startlingly loud snarl sounded from the ramp of the ship and it seemed to echo and bounce in the night. Everyone's eyes were immediately drawn to the sight of a Wookiee pulling and twisting at the chains that shackled him to both the Wookiee in front of him and the one behind him.
Clearly defeated and broken, the other Wookiees regarded this one rebel with caution and mild surprise. A sudden electric shock at the collar around his neck jolted him and he yowled in pain for just a moment. When the effects dissipated, the huge Wookiee bellowed in outrage, muscles tight and bulging.
Han watched the scene, upper lip curled in disgust, fists clenched, pulse pounding in his ears. The Wookiee continued to rage, receiving another shock and still another and Han's teeth ground harder together with each one. The howls seemed to reverberate in his head and he almost felt an actual snap within him as he drew his blaster with the lightning speed he was known for.
"All right, that's enough!" His voice rang out and his blaster was aimed at the slaver holding the collar's remote.
All eyes, human and Wookiee, turned to him and for a moment, there was no sound.
"Solo, what's your problem?" one of Jabba's men called out casually.
For just an instance, he wasn't sure how to respond. "This isn't right," he finally gritted out.
"Put your blaster away, Solo," the guy with the remote ordered.
He never wavered. "Can't do that. Take that collar off him."
A grating laugh came from another source. "He's gotta be kiddin'."
He didn't know what he was going to do. He didn't know what he could do. Han Solo only knew that this horrific cruelty was more than he could bear witness to.
The holder of the remote, a small man with a cruel smile and teeth that were rotting in his mouth, took a step towards Han. "Listen, pal. I'm gonna give you one chance to walk away from here. You don't want to be part of this? Fine. But, you're not gonna get in our way."
Mind searching for a way out of this mess, he stood his ground. "You take that collar off. Then I'll walk away."
The smaller man grinned. "How you think you're gonna make me do that? There's only one o'you."
With false bravado, Han grinned back. If there was one thing he knew how to do, it was bluff. "I've got an explosive in my shoe that'll send us all to hell."
Silence stretched and Han tried to come up with something to back up his threat, but before he could gather his thoughts, a bolt burst into his back, buzzed his mind, and everything went black.
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Discomfort. Everything ached, especially a point on his back, and Han couldn't figure out where he was, couldn't even open his eyes to find out. He felt fuzzy and heavy. Why couldn't he move his arms or legs?
Gradually, he became aware of loud breathing coming from behind him. He wanted to call out but couldn't seem to get his mouth to cooperate. For a long time, he lay there, fading in and out, uncertain of how much time had passed.
At last, the fog began to clear and he was able to move his mouth, but all that came out was a slight groan. He struggled his eyes open and was disconcerted that he couldn't see. His arms and legs finally began to move slightly and, very close behind him, a quiet grumble sounded in Shyriiwook.
Movement beneath and behind him and something warm shifted him and it all came back in a rush.
The Wookiees. The slavers. Han groaned again.
The Wookiee, who seemed to be cradling Han in the bulk of his furry arms, spoke to him in low barks and grunts.
"Why can't I see?"
In Shyriiwook, he was informed that they were in the cargo hold of the ship with the lights off.
"What happened? I gut stunned?"
He paused for a moment, quite possibly in surprise that this human understood him. He growled an affirmative then complimented him on the resourcefulness of his bluff about the explosive then pointed out how clearly flawed it had been.
"Sorry," Han sneered. "I didn't have much to work with. What happened after I blacked out?"
When the Wookiee informed him that he had been shackled to him and the slavers planned on including him as part of the slave trade, Han cursed a blue streak.
How had he gotten himself into this mess? This was what happened when he failed to look out for number one…himself.
"I had to get involved," he berated himself under his breath.
The Wookiee told him that his name was Chewbacca and he owed him a life debt for his valiant attempt to free him.
Han sat up and all the muscles in his body ached. "Great," he grunted.
Chewbacca growled a vow to always protect Han and follow him to the ends of the galaxy.
Han's teeth gritted together. "Just what I always wanted," he muttered. Great. Now, not only was he going to be sold into slavery, he was shackled to this furry mountain, both literally and figuratively.
Chewbacca began reciting some Wookiee oath about blood loyalty, bravery, and brotherhood. Han rolled his eyes and tuned him out. He became aware of movement and low grunts and growls of the other Wookiees onboard.
He had to get out of this.
