CHAPTER 9:

He found himself staring into the largest bluest eyes he had ever seen. The only thing that was more startling about those eyes, so familiar yet so strange, was the innocent idealism that lied within their pools. Luke? These eyes offset a sun-kissed complexion and platinum streaked tresses.

"Lieutenant?" the guard's voice broke the spell that settled on the Imperial officer and his prisoner.

"Sorry, deputy," the officer stumbled.

"I completely understand," the deputy's lips slipped into a gentle smile. "She took me surprise as well." He shook his head, "Such a young thing, but you know kids these days."

"Yes, they are becoming a menace these days," he narrowed his eyes on the girl behind the bars.

"As I told you, she hasn't said much," the deputy placed his hand on the bar, partially blocking his prisoner from the angry Lieutenant. "She's not really worthy of Imperial attention."

The officer cleared his throat, "I'll be the judge of that, deputy. Now if you please?"

"Of course," the deputy plucked a key off of his belt and pushed it into the lock. The door of the cell creaked open. He reached out his hand to the girl, "Come on, now."

Leia stayed frozen where she sat, and the deputy nervously glanced at the Lieutenant whose patience was visibly wearing thin. The deputy took hurried steps toward her and pulled her up by her arm. He then led her out of the cell.

"Should I cuff her, Lieutenant?" But before the officer had a chance the answer, the deputy smiled nervously, "What am I thinking? She's obviously harmless."

The Lieutenant raised his brow and glared at the deputy.

The deputy dropped his head, "What am I thinking?"

"That's alright," the Imperial officer snapped a pair of cuffs off of his belt. "I'll take care of it."

"Of course."

The Lieutenant yanked the princess from the deputy's hold and quickly clapped the cuffs around her tiny wrists.

"Ow!" she protested.

The Lieutenant ignored her discomfort, "Well, thank you for your cooperation. I'll best be on my way."

"Excuse me," the sheriff called out as he approached. "Lt. Solo, is it?"

"That's right."

The lean caramel-skinned sheriff squeezed one eye up as he looked the princess over. "You sure you have the authority to take her?"

"With all due respect, Sheriff," Lt. Solo began ushering Leia toward the exit, "I wouldn't be here wasting my time if I didn't."

The sheriff nodded and exchanged glances with his deputy. He nervously chuckled, "I just want to be sure I'm following proper protocol here. You got here pretty fast."

The genteel deputy's fuzzy brows knitted together, "You called the Imperials?"

"We don't have the means of dealing with terrorists," the sheriff said as he eyed the princess.

"She's just a kid who made a mistake," the deputy argued.

"Deputy," the sheriff raised an eyebrow, "Watch your station."

The chastised deputy lowered his head, "Sorry, sir."

Lt. Solo tilted his head and nudged the girl toward the exit.

"Lt. Solo?"

Solo scowled then slowly turned around, "Yes, Sheriff?"

"Pardon me," he rubbed his belly as he spoke, "but you didn't answer my question."

"I was in the neighborhood," the Lieutenant put just the right amount of threat in his voice. "Now, if you please, we must be on our way."

Without another word, Solo ushered Leia through the corridor and into the reception area. He let out a tense sigh as he pushed open the double doors.

"Freeze!"

"Aw, crap!" Han cursed as his eyes roamed over the black and white armor blocking his way.

"Hands on your head!"

Leia shook her head as she put her cuffed hands on the back of her head, "Brilliant plan."

"I thought so," Han mumbled, and he put his hands on his head.

The princess glared at Han, "Aren't they your friends?"

"Do they look like my friends?" he asked out of the side of his mouth.

"Yes!"

"Hold still and keep quiet," ordered one stormtrooper who kept his blaster pointed square on Han's chest.

"I think you made a mistake," Solo yelled.

"The Emperor and his loyalists do not make mistakes."

"You might notice that I'm wearing the same uniform as you," Han took a step forward, though he was careful to keep his hands on his head. "Well, not the same since I'm an officer and you're not."

"Stand down, Lieutenant."

"So you do recognize my rank?"

"I recognize you uniform, sir, but I have not confirmed your identity."

"Would you like to see my ID card?" Han shrugged, and his companion's large blue eyes widened.

"Of course, sir," the trooper lowered his gun, though two other companions remained poised for action.

Han lowered his right hand and slowly tapped the identification badge twice. His identification card clicked off, and he carefully held it out to the stormtrooper.

Just as the trooper's hand made contact with the identification badge, a quick pop near the trooper's feet incited Han to jump back. Then the air became clouded with an opaque pink smoke. The stormtroopers blindly began to shoot into the haze.

Princess Leia shoved Han to the ground and ripped his blaster from its holster. She immediately began to return fire though she could see none of her targets.

"What the hell are you doin'?" Han pushed himself up to a seated position.

"What I always have to do," she yelled over the screaming blasters. "Saving our skins!"

"Whaddya gonna do? Keep shootin' 'til the smoke clears?" Han frowned as Leia glanced at him. "Come on," he dragged her to her feet and retreated into the detention center.

"Don't move!"

Han whirled around, stole the blaster out of Leia's hand, and shot the sheriff square in the chest.

Leia's large blue eyes blinked twice, "Was that necessary?"

"You wanna get out of this alive?"

The deputy jogged into the room, "What's going on—"

"Han, no!" Leia yanked the blaster from Solo with her shackled hands.

The deputy's mouth fell open but his law enforcement reflexes kicked in. He had his side arm steadily aimed at Solo. Before the deputy had a chance to squeeze off a shot, Leia fired and felled the genteel deputy.

A silence settled over the room. Leia's chest rose and fell as she stared at the dead deputy. Han took his blaster back and searched the small detention center.

"How many guards and prisoners?"

Leia's blue eyes remained on the man she shot. She had shot others before, mainly stormtroopers, and never gave it a thought. But this deputy…she didn't even know his name. He had treated her with such kindness. When he pointed his blaster at Han... Leia slowly inhaled. He was going to shoot Han, and that's all that ran through Leia's mind when she pulled the trigger, not about the niceties he showered on her, or the family he might have waiting for him at home, but that he was going to kill Han.

"Leia?"

She looked up, "What were you thinking?"

"Whaddya mean?"

"What possessed you to steal an Imperial uniform—"

"Who said I stole it?" Han yelled as he finished his search of the tiny detention center. "All clear."

"And the identification card?" Leia whispered.

"If you held back on your little smoke show, you would've got your answer to that," Han rushed passed her as he searched for an escape route. "Any more surprises hidden in that mess around your head?"

"No," she looked down at her cuffed hands and then at the fallen deputy.

"Now if you leave the rescuin' to me, we might get out of this. Ha!" He disappeared into a small alcove. "Back door."

With a jiggle and a nudge of the hip, the door popped open. Han held his blaster ready as he peered out of the door, "Looks like they haven't recovered from your attack." He looked over his shoulder, "Come on."

But Leia stayed where she was.

Han's brow lowered as he stomped over to her, "What's wrong with you!" He grabbed her arm and dragged her out the door.

The frantic yelling and stomping of boots pulled Leia out of her haze, and she pumped her feet hard to keep up with Han. The stormtroopers, however, were too busy to notice Han and Leia's escape. They were caught up in a firefight with a black coup across from the detention center.

Han stopped for a moment. He held his commlink up to his mouth, "I got her, Luke. Get out of there."

"Luke's out there?"

"Yeah," Han grunted. "Maybe you shoulda thought about that before you did something stupid!"

"It wasn't stupid," Leia mumbled. Yes, she was captured, but most of the non-Humans escaped. But she never intended to endanger Luke. Or Han.

Han waited until he saw the black coup zip around the corner. Then he pulled Leia down one alley and then another, making her dizzy as she tried to keep up with him. The sun had almost disappeared over the skyline, giving the fugitives shadowed roads and dark crevices to hide in.

"Stop," Leia weakly protested as she bent over to catch her breath.

"We can't stop now," Han admonished.

"I hid the swoop bike," she panted. "I…I think it's over there."

"I know."

Leia narrowed her blue eyes on Han, "How do you know?"

"How do you think I found you?" Han disappeared deeper into the shadows.

"Han?"

The swoop bike roared to life, and Leia quickly glanced around to see if they had captured any unwanted attention. She relaxed a little, and Han maneuvered the bike out of its hiding place behind a large dumpster and stopped in front of Leia.

"Hop on."

Leia' brow peeked and she held up her hands, "How am I supposed to hang on?"

"Sith!" He scooted back. "You in front, but I'm driving."