GOING BACK TO YESTERDAY # 12
THE LATER ADVENTURES OF HAN SOLO
Mayhem in the Falcon
"Leia?" Han clicked the com-link switch a couples of times…. Guess she's
still busy." He commented setting down the com-link and rising from his pilot's seat. "You want some kava when I get back from feeding and watering those txori?
Chewbacca nodded, keeping his eyes on the flight console.
"It'll take me a while." Han called over his shoulder as he walked down the corridor to the cargo hold. He could hear the peeps, squalks and squeals of the avians before he opened the door. "I'm coming…I'm coming." He muttered. It was almost deafening inside as the critters bunched near the feeding and watering troughs on the edge of the cages.
He filled the water troughs first then started with the feed…the troughs lifted out of the cages and left quite an opening and a couple of the smaller avians got out and were running around on the floor before he could replace the feed troughs. "Watch out!" He yelled, a booted foot almost stepping on one of them. The small things were fast and he had to hustle to catch them and put them back in the cage, but not without a few pecks on his hands. It was quite a chore to fill all two-hundred cages with feed and water, but when finished, he headed for the galley to make the kava.
"You're going to take care of those avians next time." Han told his partner, handing him a steaming cup before sitting down, his eyes flickering over the console, checking the readings.
Chewbacca took the cup, glancing up at Han and started shaking with rumbled laughter.
"Something funny?"
Chewbacca reached up and plucked a few yellow feathers out of Han's hair. ("You always said you wanted to fly.").
Han brushed a hand over his shaggy locks. "Yeah." He mumbled back, irritated.
A siren sounded, startling Han as he sat. "What the hell?" He scanned the console…
nothing was out of range….then Chewbacca nudged him on the shoulder and pointed
out the cockpit…both saw the blue-black roiling cloud coming into their viewing area; streaks of red lightning forking wickedly through it.
"What IS that?" Han punched buttons for an outside reading. Lights began flickering
randomly across the console. Chewbacca worked his side of the console. Something caught Han's eye; he turned and saw the com-link floating beside him. Other
small objects in the cockpit began elevating… "Anti-gravity storm!" Han yelled and began increasing the gravity pressure within the ship. "We gotta get away from that."
The cup of kava he'd sat down on the console tilted sideways and spilled on the floor.
"Kith's fire!" The pilot cursed, but continued to stabilize and move away from the storm.
"Keep an eye on that outside reading, Chewie, tell me when we are out of it's reach."
The Wookiee mumbled. After a frantic half hour, things began dropping in the cockpit.
("We're clear.") Chewbacca told him.
"I better go check on those avians."
Inside the cargo hold, the creatures didn't seem flustered and quite a few were already
settled down with their beaks nestled in their side feathers.. sleeping.
"Leia? Can you hear me?" Han tried to contact his wife when back in the cockpit again.
("Think there could be a power failure?"). Chewbacca knew his friend was worried.
Han shook his head, wrinkling his brow….
"Han….don't break the connection….I can hear you."
Han lifted the keyed com-link back to his mouth…."Leia…anything wrong?"
After a slight pause, which unnerved him, Leia answered. "Your son hid the com-link. I just found it."
"Why did he do that?"
"I think because he didn't want me to tell you what he'd done."
Han took a deep breath…"And what was that?"
"He was trying to levitate things, like Uncle Luke, only he was doing it backwards."
"Backwards?"
"When he couldn't get the things to rise, he threw them up in the air and tried to make them stay there. We had quite a mess here…broken dishes, lamps, pottery…the vase
you gave me…things like that….."
"Did you punish him?"
"I had Luke talk to him."
"Luke's talked to him before, doesn't seem like that worked. Want me to say something to him now?
"He's in bed asleep…it's dark-time here. You can have a talk with him when you get home."
"We're half-way to Ziad with the avians. Once we unload them, we'll come straight
home."
"I'm glad. We miss you."
"I miss you and Ben, too. He'll be fine, Leia. I'll take him on a run with me when we
get back from our trip."
"I'm looking so forward to time alone with you, Han." Leia whispered sweetly.
"I'll make it real special, Leia. You get some rest. Get in touch with you later.
Comm me if you need me. I love you."
"I love you, Han."
The light from Ziad's sun shone through the cockpit window…it would have been a
welcome sight if it wasn't for Chewbacca's barks and roars coming from the cargo hold. Han smiled to himself… apparently Chewie was receiving a some avian pecks as he was watering and feeding the them.
After a few moments, Han felt a tug on his boot. Looking down, he was greeted with an
orange avian looking back up at him…suddenly another jumped up on the back of his pilot's seat…giving a weak crow…"What the…" He punched in the auto-pilot and rose from his seat. "I'd better go help Chewie." Turning toward the corridor, he saw dozens of avians roaming round…scooting past them he headed for the lounge…it, too, was filled with the things… on the seats, pecking at the game table…pulling at wiring..some sitting on the overhead ducting…"Chewie!" Han rushed toward the hold and saw some of the avians jumping down into the gun port…feathers flying everywhere…
"CHEWIE!" He began running to the hold, troding through a squalking, pecking, yellow sea….the Wookiee emerged from the hold, nearly covered with the avians. "What the hell happened?! You didn't let them out did you!" Chewbacca shook his head…"(I thought I'd fill the troughs all at once…I guess they got out through the tray slots.") "Aw, Chewie…." The Wookiee shrugged his shoulders.
Han gave a deep, exasperated sigh…"Let's round 'em up."
Taking turns checking the flight console, it took the pair several ship's hours rounding up the avians…from the gun port, the galley, Han's cabin…the lounge.. feathers and droppings were everywhere; Han slid and fell once tackling a larger avian….
"I think that's the last of them." Han said breathlessly, spitting out a piece of down, as they checked the locks on the cages and replaced the feeding and watering trays. Chewbacca was covered with so much down and yellow feathers he looked like a
giant avian. Han gave a wary smile. "This would be funny if it wasn't so pitiful. I'll
never order cooked avian again in any eating place! And I'll NEVER haul animals again!" Chewbacca shook his head in agreement…down flying off his fur.
"Captain Han Solo, requesting landing coordinates." Han keyed the com-link to the spaceport frequency.
"Captain Solo, land berth 27."
"Got it." Han replied. "Let get this done and go home." Han told Chewbacca, who nodded his head, anxious as Han to get the crates of avians off the Falcon.
Passing through the doors of the spaceport, Han waited his turn at the counter…apparently a couple of other ships loaded with livestock had landed before him and the pilots and cargo were being processed.
"What's your cargo?" The barrel chested humanoid asked Han, who was caught
unaware and pointed to himself, mouthing "Me?"
"Yes…name and identification of your ship and your cargo."
"Han Solo, Millennium Falcon arriving with two-hundred crates of txori." Han drew the cargo manifest from his vest and spread it out on the counter.
"We've been expecting these."
"All we need to do is unload and clean out our ship and leave. Some of the avians
got out of their cages…feathers and droppings inside..is there a ship cleaning service?" Han asked, looking around.
"There is…all ships carrying livestock are cleaned and decontaminated. You are on the list."
"How long til my ship is unloaded."
"It will be a while. There is a cantina on the other side of the delivery building. We'll notify you by intercom when your turn for unloading comes up."
"Oh, one thing, Captain Solo. Once your ship is unloaded and cleaned there is a five
day quarantine."
"I don't care how long you keep the avians…once unloaded, they're not my problem."
He was just glad the delivery was about over and he'd be free to go.
"You don't understand, Captain, not only will the avians be quarantined, but you and your ship will be quarantined as well for those five planet days. Also, you and your….partner…" He looked up at the Wookiee…will have to have a decontamination shower and clothes cleaned."
"WHAT?!…. I wasn't told about a quarantine…I can't stay here for five days!" Chewbacca growled.
"Authorized procedure, Captain, just in case any bacteria or infection of the avians is present. They can't be sent to other locations until they are cleared and since your ship
carried them, it can't be allowed to leave."
"Well, I'm not staying!" He declared emphatically, hitting the counter with the palm of his hand in frustration.
"Captain…" the humanoid began explaining calmly…"you must follow procedure…or your ship will be confiscated and you will be held by our security forces until the five days are completed."
Han fumed and cursed under his breath….
"Those are the rules, Captain, and if you don't following them your Guild Card will be
pulled. There are showers and rooms at the cantina. I suggest you go there to…
cool off?" The humanoid processor raised a purple eyebrow.
After a pause Han groused to his partner…"Come on, Chewie, I need to find a stiff drink and someone to talk me out of staying in this line of work!"
MORE TO COME….