"Justice so moves that those only learn
Who suffer; and the future
You shall know when it has come; before then, forget it."
—Agamemnon
Chapter Seven: Suffering Learners
"How are you holding up?" Han called through the roaring of the snow.
Connan shivered again and patted her tauntaun. "I'm fine. Let's just keep moving."
Han nodded and set his tauntaun to the last spot he'd seen Luke. Connan followed, ignoring how her headache grew worse with each separate bounce of the tauntaun's movements.
It only took them around ten minutes to get to their starting point. Han took his goggles off and looked around. "This is where I left him. He said a meteorite dropped nearby."
"Let's see, then." Connan replied. She removed her own goggles and examined the area.
"It's not like we'll find footprints or anything." Han chided. "If a wampa got him, like you said, we should search the surrounding caves."
"Hang on a moment." Connan replied. She closed her eyes and concentrated.
Connan pulled at the link between her and Luke and grasped onto it. Her head began ringing with pain as she felt Luke swinging back and forth as he had been before. He was still unconscious, from what Connan could tell. She nudged at his mind.
"Luke? Luke, are you there?" Connan thought toward him. "Wake up, sleepy-head."
Nothing happened. With a sigh, Connan tried again. "Wake up, Luke. I need to see where you are and I can't do that if you're not awake."
Still nothing. Connan pushed harder at his mind.
"Wake up!"
Luke's mind jolted and his eyes opened wide. Connan could feel Luke's position a lot more, now. It beckoned to her as if a light was shining over his location.
Connan pointed to the west. "He's that way."
Han frowned. "You're sure?"
"Yes." Connan nodded.
Han shrugged. "Let's go."
XXXXX
Carth stood at the still-open entrance to the base, rubbing his shoulders to keep warm and watching the two utility droids for any sign of life.
Han and Connan had been gone for hours, now. They'd gone far enough away that the tracking device R7 had given Connan no longer showed their location.
Even knowing that Connan and Han could definitely look after themselves, Carth still worried.
"You must come along now, Master Carth." C3PO stated as he joined them outside. "There's really nothing more that can be done."
"Connan's still out there." Carth replied. "I'm not going anywhere until she comes back."
"We're going to stay with Carth." R2 agreed. R7 beep in concurrence.
"But my joints are freezing up!" C3PO whined.
"Feel free to go back inside." R7 stated, bobbing his head up in what could be considered a droid-shrug.
"It's probably warmer in there." R2 added. Then he beeped sadly. "We're never going to see any of them ever again, are we?"
"No, we're not." R7 answered.
"Don't say things like that! Of course we'll see Master Luke and the others again." C3PO turned and headed for the blast doors leading inside. "And they'll all be quite all right. You'll see."
Carth sighed and rubbed his shoulders harder. "Tell me truthfully, R7, is there any sort of chance that they'll come back tonight?"
For a minute R7 was silent. "Tonight? Impossible. It's getting colder by the second, and if they're not back inside the base in the next half-hour, there's no way they'll be able to go anywhere. Their tauntauns will freeze to death, if they haven't already."
Carth closed his eyes and nodded.
R7 continued. "Connan might be exceptionally good at breaking the odds of things against her, but I'm afraid there's no hope of any of them coming back tonight. If, however, you're certain of her chances of survival outside on Hoth's surface as being positive, tomorrow might look more hopeful."
Carth shook his head, chuckling. "I guess that's the most we can hope for. I'm going in."
Carth entered the base and was immediately set upon by Mission. "Can R7 still read her? Is she all right? Did they find him?"
Carth held a hand over Mission's mouth. "R7 lost the signal a few hours ago. Connan got out of range. I don't know anything else."
"Sir!" The Deck Officer came running up to Carth. "Sir, all the patrols are in. Still no—"
"Shh!" Mission interrupted, glancing over at a worried Leia, who was sitting on top of a crate and staring at Carth and Mission intently.
"—Still no contact from Skywalker, Frai or Solo." He shook his head sadly. "It's getting late. If we keep the doors open much longer, everyone will suffer."
Carth nodded and turned toward Leia, who was conversing with C3PO.
"Leia," He started. "There's nothing more we can do tonight."
"You're just going to leave them out there?" Leia seethed.
"They've gone so far out that R7's sensors can't pick them up anymore. If we leave the doors open any longer we're all going to get sick." He laid a hand on Leia's shoulder. "They'll be all right. Han and Connan can take care of themselves, and each other. When morning comes we'll be the first ones out."
Leia closed her eyes and nodded. "Close the doors."
R2 beeped. C3PO stared at him then looked back up at Leia. "R2 says the chances of survival are seven-hundred twenty-five to one."
As the blast doors shut and sealed themselves closed, Chewbacca roared out miserably.
Even Carth couldn't stand the thought of leaving Connan and Han out in the cold all night.
"Actually," C3PO said quietly. "R2 has been known to make mistakes… from time to time."
XXXXX
The good news was: the pressure in her head went down, suggesting that Luke had successfully gotten away from whatever trap the wampa had put him in.
The bad news was: Now Connan was really cold, and getting lightheaded.
"He's out here somewhere," Connan called to Han. "He's not in the wampa cave anymore."
"Everything is the same color out here!" Han shoulder back. "Any idea where to start looking?"
Connan shivered. It was getting colder.
"This way."
Connan cried out, obviously taken by surprise at the new voice. She looked up and saw Obi Wan—although transparent—walking backward.
"What? What is it?" Han asked when Connan didn't reply.
"He's over here." Obi Wan repeated, still backing up and keeping an eye on Connan.
"Let's try this way." Connan called behind her, not looking away from Obi Wan. If he disappeared, their chance at finding Luke might be gone. She nudged her tauntaun forward, hoping Han was following. She smirked when he pulled up beside her.
"I see him!" Han called out, pointing. "Look, there in the snow."
Connan saw it, too. She could make out Luke's black vest popping out from the snow. She leapt off her tauntaun and raced toward him. Han lurched forward, pulling his tauntaun closer before getting off.
Connan knelt down next to Luke and turned him over, onto his back.
"Don't do this, Luke." Connan murmured. "Say something."
"Is he alive?" Han asked.
"He's alive. I'm trying to get him conscious." Connan replied. "Find something to warm him up with."
While Han looked around for something to use, Connan began pumping Force energy into Luke, willing it to warm him up from the inside.
A loud screech startled Connan and made her jump up. "It's all right," Han calmed her. "My tauntuan just died." He knelt down and snatched up Luke's lightsaber. "Bring Luke over here."
Connan grabbed at Luke and hoisted him up, using the Force to do most of the work. Her frozen limbs could barely get a grip on him, and the last thing Luke needed right now was to be dropped.
Luke twitched. "Ben," He murmured. "Ben."
"What's he talking about?" Han asked as Connan set Luke down beside the dead tauntaun.
"He's delirious." Connan answered. "He's talking about Obi Wan."
Han fumbled around with the lightsaber until he turned it on. Then he leaned over and sliced open the dead tauntaun's stomach with it.
Connan stopped breathing. The stench hit her and made her sick.
"Hang on, Luke." Han said.
"Dagobah system…." Luke muttered. Connan stared at Luke, sitting him up.
"Whew," Han exclaimed, grabbing Luke's other shoulder and helping Connan. "This may smell bad, kid, but it'll keep you warm… at least until we get the shelter up."
"Yoda…." Luke shook his head roughly.
Connan was so surprised at the name that she let go of Luke.
Han promptly thrust him inside the tauntaun, making Connan shudder and squeal. She fell backward and propped herself up on her arms, trying not to breathe in the horrible smell.
Look on the bright side, Connan thought. At least Luke was safe.
"Ben… Dagobah… Yoda…."
Connan looked over at her tauntaun farther back to see it on its side, completely still. "It seems my tauntaun is as alive as yours is." She stated, standing up. "We're going to need some sort of food for the night. I'll drag it over here. You set up the shelter."
Han nodded and groaned, leaning on top of the dead tauntaun. "I thought they smelled back on the outside."
Connan laughed.
XXXXX
After wake-up call that next morning, everyone in the Base went to work. Carth was one of the first ones inside one of the shuttles, and he was part of the first group of four leaving the Base to look for the missing leaders.
Having known where Luke's scouting range was, Carth took R7-B3 with him and went straight to work.
"My sensors are reacting to the tracking device." R7 reported. "It's coming from the west."
"Got it." Carth replied. "Echo Base, I think I've got something."
Carth flew a ways more before turning on his radio. "Commander Skywalker, do you copy? This is Rogue Two."
Nothing.
"Han? Connan? This is Carth. Are you there?"
Still nothing. Getting steadily more worried, Carth kept his eyes open and on the lookout.
XXXXX
Han and Luke were still asleep, somehow. True, they weren't in any danger of dying anytime soon, but it was still freezing all around them. Connan hadn't been able to sleep at all.
After Han made the shelter big enough for the three of them, he and Connan pushed Luke down into it before going in themselves. It was a pretty deep hole for a shelter. Connan grinned and made fun of Han for being able to dig holes so quickly. He sneered and shot something back about trying to eat tauntaun meat.
For a while during the night, she and Han had batted around ideas about trying to get back to the Base on their own. True, they had no tauntauns anymore, and they would have to carry a wounded Luke around with them, but getting closer to the Base than where they were at the moment would make it easier to get back in the morning, right?
The ideas had stopped, however, when the top of the shelter nearly blew off because of the force of the wind outside. There was no way they'd make any progress in that kind of weather. They were stuck with waiting it out.
Han had been lucky enough to fall asleep shortly after that. Unfortunately for Connan, the cold had never done good things for her, and consequently kept her up all night.
Not that she minded. She needed to think about what Luke had said in his delirium.
Luke had mentioned Yoda while they were trying to get the boy warm. Now, since Connan was pretty damn sure that Luke had never heard of Yoda before, there was no way he could know the man's name now.
Unless, of course, Connan thought, Obi Wan told him the name.
It was plausible. If Obi Wan had appeared to Connan in an attempt to help her find Luke, why wouldn't be appear to Luke and tell him about Yoda?
But then, why would be appear and tell Luke about Yoda?
By the time the sun rose, Connan still hadn't come up with a sure answer. She had a few ideas batting around in her head, like wanting Yoda to train him, or wanting them to recruit Yoda into the war, and she couldn't pinpoint which one was right.
Then the radio inside her bag sparked to life and whistled at her. She called it to her with the Force and stared at it.
"—you there?"
Han jerked himself awake at the voice and stared at the radio in Connan's hand.
"Who is it?" He asked groggily.
Connan shrugged. "I don't know. That's the first time that's happened."
There was static until Connan adjusted the signal again and listened.
"Connan, Han, this is Carth. Can you hear me?"
Han grinned, taking the radio and pressing the button on the side. "Good morning!"
Connan smiled. "Nice of you to drop by." She pulled herself up out of the shelter and waved at the fighter passing by.
As Carth landed, Han and Connan pulled Luke out of the shelter, trying not to hit his head on anything. Carth got to them and helped load him into the ship.
"There's a medical crew already waiting at the entrance of the Base." Carth explained. "We should get there as fast as possible."
"You two go ahead and sit in the back." Han offered. "I'll get us back to Base."
"Are you sure?" Connan asked. "I don't mind sitting in the back with you, or I could—"
Han leaned close and whispered into Connan's ear. "Trust me, Connan. Carth hasn't looked away from you yet."
Connan turned red as Carth pulled her into the back seat of the fighter, sitting her on his lap.
XXXXX
Carth made sure Connan was sitting next to him in the medbay, as well. He beckoned one of the medics over to her as soon as he found one, much to Connan's annoyance, and made sure she got a thorough check-up.
Now they both sat silently, watching as the medics did what they could to help Luke.
Carth had his hand entwined with Connan's, his thumb stroking the top of her hand. Every now and again he squeezed it like he was trying to wring out any bits of coldness trying to hide beneath the surface.
Mission sat on Connan's other side, everyone and again throwing another blanket around her or getting her something to eat.
The medics had now given Luke over to the droids, who sat him inside the bacta tank.
Connan leaned over and stared at Carth. He didn't look too good. There were purple bags underneath his eyes and his hair was in every which direction, like he hadn't even had time to comb it before leaving.
"You look like you didn't sleep at all last night." Connan commented quietly.
Carth smirked at Connan. The bruise across her face was fading, but at the moment it was still an ugly purple color. It matched the purple under her own eyes, which stood out compared to her pale skin, still a bit colorless from the cold.
"So do you, beautiful." Carth replied, kissing the top of her hand. It still felt too chilly for his satisfaction.
Connan wrinkled her nose. "I was too cold to sleep."
Carth placed both of his hands around one of Connan's, rubbing it to try and bring some warmth back to it. "And I was too lonely to sleep."
Connan turned bright red.
"Sheesh," Mission grumbled from the other side of Connan. She threw another blanket around the frozen woman and wrapped her up in it. "Get a room, guys."
Connan stuck her tongue out.
"That's not a bad idea, actually." Han stated, coming over to the three with Leia in tow. "I just spoke to the head medic. Luke's going to be in the tank for a while, and even when they take him out it'll be hours before they'll let anyone in to see him." He nodded toward the door. "Go get some sleep, both of you."
Connan opened her mouth to protest, but her words broke into a squeal as Carth lifted her up and held her close.
"Great. Thank you, Han." He nodded to the man, who smirked and held back a laugh. "Be sure to call us when he's accepting visitors."
With that, Carth turned and left, ignoring Connan's indignant whines and holding her all the tighter.
XXXXX
Later that day, Connan and Carth stepped into the medbay to see Luke sitting up and staring at them.
"You're alive!" Connan shouted, throwing her arms around the boy and hugging him.
"Wow, and you're warm." Luke retorted, hugging Connan close as well.
Connan turned red for the third time that day and looked away.
"Yes, well, uh—f"
"Master Luke, sir, it's so good to see you fully functional again!" C3PO interrupted, bursting into the room with R2-D2 and R7-B3 following him.
Luke smiled. "Thanks, 3PO."
"I'm so glad you're all right!" R2 chirped.
"I can't believe you survived that." R7 said in astonishment. Connan laughed.
C3PO looked at a loss for words. "Uhh… R2 and R7 express their relief also."
The door opened, letting Han, Leia, Mission, and Chewbacca enter before closing again.
"How you feeling, kid?" Han asked.
"Aw, he doesn't look so bad to me." Mission chided. "He looks strong enough to pull off the ears of a gundark!"
"Thanks to Han." Luke nodded to the man.
Han barked out a laugh. "That's two you owe me, junior."
Then Han turned around to face Leia, who stood in the background with her arms crossed. "Well, Your Worship, looks like you managed to keep me around for a little while longer."
Leia looked insulted. "I had nothing to do with it."
"We had to order everyone to stay." Connan reminded him. "It's dangerous for any ships to leave the system until we've activated the energy shield."
Han nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, that's a good story." He crossed his arms smugly. "I think she just can't bear to let a gorgeous guy like me out of her sight."
Behind Han, Luke rolled his eyes and shook his head. Connan held a hand to her mouth to stop herself from laughing.
Leia sneered. "I don't know where you get your delusions, laser brain."
Chewbacca laughed.
Han turned to face Chewbacca, a mock-offended look on his face. "Laugh it up, fuzzball, but you didn't see us out there in the south passage." He turned and walked toward Leia, putting an arm around her shoulders and pulling her toward him. "Where she expressed her true feelings for me."
"My—" Leia scoffed, yanking herself away from him and glaring. "Why, you stuck-up, half-witted, scruffy-looking nerf herder!"
Connan burst into laughter. She clutched her stomach and braced herself on Mission, who was laughing almost as hard as she was.
Han turned back to look at Leia, ignoring the two laughing girls on the other side of the room. "Who's scruffy-looking?"
Leia's eye twitched.
Han turned to stage-whisper to Luke. "I must have hit pretty close to the mark to get her all riled up like that, huh, kid?"
Connan and Mission stopped laughing so they could look at Leia. Leia nodded, making her way toward Han and Luke. She brushed past Han, leaning over Luke, staring Han straight in the face.
"Well, I guess you don't know everything about women yet."
Then she reached out and pulled Luke's face toward hers, catching him in a fiery kiss.
Han froze, simply staring in disbelief. Chewbacca looked from Han to Leia, wondering if it would be okay to laugh.
Connan, Carth, and Mission all had their mouths wide open, staring in blatant shock.
Then Leia broke the kiss, glared once more at Han, and left. Luke lay back with his hands behind his head, a self-satisfied look on his face.
"Whoa. I didn't think she'd do that!" Chewbacca muttered.
As soon as the doors closed, signaling that Leia had left, Connan, Carth, and Mission all burst into uncontrollable laughter. Mission and Connan leaned onto each other, futilely trying to hold each other up. They hit the ground and still kept laughing. Carth held onto the table next to him, sitting down into the chair on the other side of the table and laying his head down.
"All right, all right," Han snarled over the laughter. "Take it easy." Then he turned and left, Chewbacca following close behind.
"Please excuse us," C3PO stated. He ushered the two utility droids out as well.
"Okay, it wasn't that funny." Luke said to the three laughing people left in the room.
"Oh, Luke, you have no idea how funny it is." Connan stated, standing and trying to find some air. She was still giggling under her breath. "I haven't laughed that hard in a long time."
Luke scowled. "Don't you have some work you should be doing?"
"As a matter of fact, she does." Carth replied, wiping the tears from his eyes and tugging on Connan's arm. Mission stood up and followed. "And you've got to be resting."
"We'll come see you later!" Connan called as she waved to him. When the door closed behind them she let out a breathy chuckle. "Oh, I wonder what Obi Wan's reaction to that was."
"I wonder what'd Padmé's reaction to that was." Carth corrected.
Connan simply laughed.
XXXXX
Hi, guys! It's a day late, but happy Fourth of July!! I had a lot of fun. Some of my friends and I went out and blew up fireworks. I have them on my phone.
There's not too much to talk about. I spent about $200 at GameStop yesterday. I bought a PSP, a game for the PSP, and I preordered the Kingdom Hearts: 385/2 Days so I can get it when it comes out September 29th. In truth, the only reason I bought the PSP was because another of the Kingdom Hearts games is going to come out on it sooner or later, and I'd like to already have one before everyone else tries to get their hands on one.
Anyway, I'm on chapter 10 and I'm 0:18:19 of the way through. If nothing happens, I should update on schedule next week.
Until next time, then.
Amme Moto
