Chapter 9

1 Month Later

The planet was dark. The constant mist that shrouded the planet was so thick that even flames seemed muffled. Through the darkness, a dark-robed figure walked effortlessly toward a Cantina. Though the Cantina was busy, the mist muted the sounds from it, and it sounded as though the joyful noises came from far away, on a different sphere of reality.

The small black-cloaked stranger opened the door and stepped inside. The difference was as blatant as night and day. Music instantly enveloped the figure's ears, and she winced as her green eyes swept the Cantina. Finally they settled on a lone man sitting at the bar.

Even though all around him, creatures were laughing and joyous, the stranger seemed to be surrounded by a cloud of despair. Rolling her eyes, Buffy threw back her cloak and made her way toward the man at the bar.

Han Solo nursed his drink as he stared morosely at nothing. His thoughts were so intent, that he didn't hear her approaching until she laid a hand upon his shoulder and said, "Should've known I'd find you here."

Han jumped, spilling his drink on his new sleeve. Cursing, he wiped it up and glared at the small blonde, who just stared at him, unimpressed.

"Can't you just leave me alone?" he growled.

"Nuh-uh," Buffy said, shaking her head. "You saved me and Chewbacca. Somebody's got to watch your back. The imperialists are crawling all over the galaxy looking for you, and you're sitting at the bar getting drunk. Can you say stupid?"

"Get out of here," Han muttered and took another sip of his drink.

"Come on, fly boy," Buffy said, grabbing his arm and hauling him out of his chair. "Chewbacca wanted to show you something."

Han angrily tried to shake her off his arm. "Look, I don't need you or the furball, okay? Just leave me alone!"

Buffy rolled her eyes and continued to drag him toward the door. "Chewbacca said not to take no for an answer. You really need to get out of this bar. Whatever you're drinking is making you really unpleasant."

Han, finding himself unable to escape from Buffy's grip, allowed himself to be pulled out the door, ignoring the catcalls that followed from various sources.

"It's not the drink," Han muttered, as they left the bright lights of the Cantina and were once again enveloped in the muffling darkness. He rubbed his face, and Buffy looked surprised at the look of real pain the flashed across his features.

Spinning him around to face her, Buffy stared intensely into his face. "Look, Han. You've been a real pain in the rear ever since you saved our lives, and granted, we've given you a bit of slack because of the whole 'we owe you our lives' thing, but honestly? The pity-party is getting old. What's up with you?"

"You wouldn't understand," Han said. He sank down on a dead tree, and put his aching head in his hands, enjoying the feel of the cool mist against his skin.

"Try me," Buffy tried, crouching down in front of him.

Han sighed, and then, sensing something in the girl in front of him, he tried to explain his thoughts. "I grew up with nothing. No family, no home. I was less than a piece of trash. I always wanted to be something more, something respectable. Ever since I was a kid, I've lied, cheated, and stolen to survive. But when I made it into the academy, I was somebody. I represented something great. And I did it on my own.

"I was at the top of my class, and I was succeeding. I had dreams and plans to change the face of the republic, but now, I've lost everything. There's no going back, and it's all because I made a stupid decision. My life is over. I don't have a future anymore, Buffy."

Buffy stayed silent as she felt the impact of the young man's decision hit her. As she thought, she absently scratched underneath her slave collar. She and Chewbacca had tried everything to get it off, but so far, nothing had worked. Usually, when they tried, it jolted her with enough voltage that she was knocked unconscious, so lately, they hadn't been trying as hard. Buffy had almost gotten used to it.

She focused for a moment. Han Solo hadn't just saved her life, he'd given up his hopes for a future as well. Buffy didn't really know what to say to make that right, and maybe nothing she would say would make a difference, but she had to try something. She owed the guy after all.

"Han,' she began, than hesitated. Finally, she continued, "you didn't belong with the stormtroopers anyway."

Whatever he had been expecting, that was certainly not it. His head shot up, and he looked at her surprised. "What?" he asked.

"Face it," she said, shrugging, "they're a bunch of idiots. Not to mention they're the bad guys. I mean, anybody who supports kidnaping little baby wookies and selling them into slavery can't be somebody you'd want to represent anyway. You're way better than that. You actually have a heart, and a soul, and believe me when I tell you I've met critters who don't. You're future isn't over, Han. You've just had a whole bunch of new horizons opened up to you. And you're not alone in it. I mean, Chewbacca and I, we've got your back. Whatever you need, we're here for you."

Han continued to stare at her in shock, and then unexpectedly, he began to laugh. Buffy looked at him askance for a moment, and then she cracked a grin, as he finished and looked at her. "I don't know where you came from, Buffy, but you're free to hang around with me as long as you like."

She grinned wryly at him, and then, growing serious, said, "And you're not the only one who's lost everything. We'll just have to find a new future together, okay?"

Han blinked and wondered once again where this strange little blond girl had come from. She talked funny, she acted funny, she was outrageously strong, and she was wise beyond her years. Han couldn't help but be impressed.

"Let's start over, then," Han grinned at her and stuck out his hand, "Friends?"

Taking it, she grinned back and said, "Friends."

He extended an elbow, and she took it. Together they walked back toward Chewbacca and their freighter.

"Does this mean you're going to teach me the Wookie language now?" Buffy asked as the mist began to shroud their forms.

Han's laughter was her only answer and it was quickly muffled in the darkness.

Chewbacca was worried. Han Solo had taken off again, and Buffy had volunteered to go find him. Without thinking, Chewbacca had agreed, but now he was pacing with worry. Han was trouble wherever they went, and Buffy found trouble wherever she went. Chewbacca could only imagine the trouble the two of them together would find. Ever since their escape a month ago, Han had been sulking. He hadn't tried to talk to either of them, and as soon as they landed on a planet, he would take off and get drunk. He also had managed to win some money playing Sabacc, but Chewbacca didn't like to support gambling.

Chewbacca was also torn in a different direction. He couldn't see Han staying with them, and now Chewbacca owed not one, but two life debts. He didn't know how to accomplish both debts if Han decided to take off. Chewbacca sighed in frustration and looked at Mr. Gordo, who was sitting on the consul. "If I can just keep from incurring anymore life debts, things should be fine," he muttered at the robot.

"No kidding," Mr. Gordo snorted in a buffy-like way.

"Watch it," Chewbacca growled. Hearing the robot sound like Buffy, just made him worry more.

"If they're not back in five minutes, I'm going to..." just than, Chewbacca heard the sound of Buffy and Han's voices approaching, and could that be...laughter?

Chewbacca stared in stunned surprise as Han and Buffy entered the ship, linked arm in arm. Han's whole countenance had changed, and Buffy looked equally as happy.

"What happened?" Chewbacca questioned. Mr. Gordo quickly translated.

Buffy elbowed Han gently in the side, and said, "Han just got his issues worked out, that's all."

Han looked like he was about to argue, but then he just grinned and shrugged. Chewbacca celebrated. It looked like Han was going to be staying around after all.

Commander Nyklas sat in his chair, massaging his sore throat. He was lucky to be alive. Darth Vader had not been happy to find the Emperor's Prize gone when he had arrived. He had used that creepy force magic to choke Nyklas to an inch of his life, and now, two weeks later, his throat still hurt. Nyklas was lucky that the Emperor had stopped Vader, or he'd be dead now.

The Emperor. Nyklas shuddered as he remembered that encounter. The Emperor himself had come to Nyklas' ship, and Nyklas had disappointed him. After Darth Vader had choked him to an inch of his life, Nyklas had shown Darth Vader and the Emperor all the footage he had of the girl, and the Emperor's eyes had gleamed with something dangerous as he had viewed the footage. Nyklas had never been in his presence before, and though he looked deceptively fragile, Nyklas could feel the power rolling off him in waves.

"She is who we felt, my apprentice," the emperor had croaked at Darth Vader, and Vader had nodded, his breathing loud in the silence. "She will be my greatest prize. Post a bounty. Tell all the bounty hunters that they shall be rewarded greatly for her capture."

"And Nyklas," the Emperor had crooned, turning his attention on the Commander,. Nyklas had gulped and stuttered, "Y-y-yes, my Lord?"

"Until she is recovered, your sole purpose of existing will be to find her. If you succeed, you shall be forgiven. If you fail, well, let's just say that Lord Vader will not be so kind next time."

Nyklas had nodded frantically. The Emperor had smiled and the two of them had left his ship, leaving Nyklas with his new orders. Nyklas' heart burned with hate for Solo. He could only imagine how different things would have been if that cocky little pilot hadn't interfered. He would make him pay when he found them. They would all pay.

"So, what's the plan now?" Buffy asked. "I mean, what's the goal of our trio here? Isn't that why you wanted me to fetch Solo?"

Chewbacca roared and waved his hairy arms, and Buffy waited patiently for the translation, longing for the day when she could just understand Chewbacca herself.

"He says that we have a freighter. Why not use it?"

"Hey," Han said, "now we're talking. Before I joined the academy, I used to be in the smuggling business, and I was a darned good one too."

"Sure you were," Buffy said sweetly. Then she frowned and said, "But isn't smuggling, oh, I don't know, illegal?"

Han grinned, "Buffy, Buffy. You're the one who just said that the Empire is evil. Thus, breaking evil laws is a good thing, right?"

Stunned by his baffling logic, Buffy just stared at him for a moment, and then cracked a huge grin. "So, you're saying we smuggle things that the Empire doesn't want passed around. And then, maybe while we're at it, we can see what other nasty ways we can upset Jolly Old Nyklas and all his friends."

Chewbacca smiled a toothy smile and bellowed.

"Exactly," Mr. Gordo translated.

Han threw his arm around Buffy's shoulders and said, "Does that still trip up your moral wire?"

"Nah," Buffy said, "that just makes it wriggle in a pleasant way."

"Well," Han said, "now all that remains is to name our future gold mine of a ship?"

Buffy looked around and then said, "How about Dreamer?"

Chewbacca growled his agreement, and Han nodded. Maybe this endeavor was just a dream bound to fail, but he was going to stick with it. After all, he had nothing else to lose.