The Liberty
Hanger Bay D
2 hours later
"Hey, Dalam, what's up?"
Luke grinned at Wedge Antilles. He had met the slightly older man only recently, but they had bonded over a shared love of flying.
"Not much, Wedge," he said lightly. "Just wanted to examine the X-wing I'll be flying more carefully. She's similar to the landspeeders I piloted in my youth, but the more I know about her instrumentation, the better."
Wedge frowned, "I thought you were on sims tomorrow."
"Yep, but I'll be back in space eventually."
Antilles nodded, "Ok. Make sure you don't take anything apart or Dodonna will have both our hides."
"You got it."
Luke strolled casually out of Wedge's sight, keeping his body language relaxed. Once he had turned a corner, he picked up speed. The X-wing assigned to him was, thankfully, near the shield between the ship and space...
"Going somewhere, Luke?" a voice inquired sarcastically.
/-
Hanger 87
The Death Star
Han Solo, captain of the Millennium Falcon, carefully rolled the last boxes of portable heating units into the main cargo hold, stacked them onto the floor, and stood up, panting slightly.
He definitely needed to step up his exercise regimen. With a mild groan and a hand to his aching back, he wandered out into the main cabin of his ship, calling for his first mate.
"Chewie? Chewie!"
He heard a roar from outside, and strode rapidly down the ramp, calling, "What are you doing, you big fuzzball. Let's get out of ..."
He stopped, abruptly. Standing two meters from the bottom of the ramp was a startling attractive middle-aged woman, dark haired piled high. At her back, incredibly enough, was a two meter tall cyborg. Darth Vader.
Solo's hand slowly drifted to his blaster, even as he walked cautiously down the ramp to stand next to his Wookiee co-pilot. He was used to tall sentients so Vader's height wasn't that intimidating, but the weird breathing and menacing aura were, he admitted to himself, more than a little on the creepy side.
"Captain Solo?" the woman asked. Her voice was cultured and pleasant, but this entire scenario screamed dangerous.
"Who wants to know?" he demanded in response.
There was a slight twitch from Vader, but the woman put up a calming hand, then stepped forward with the same hand outstretched.
"Padme ... Dalam, Captain Solo," she introduced herself, "Head of Dalam Enterprises."
Solo blinked, then blinked again.
A gorgeous woman was the head of Dalam Enterprises?
"O ... kay," he said slowly, shaking her hand in return.
"Your time is valuable, Captain Solo," she said briskly, "and so is mine. As you are doubtless aware, we are evacuating much of the Death Star."
"Yes, I know," Solo said carefully.
She stepped a little closer, "Among the occupants of this battle station is a group of 98 Wookiee slaves, Captain Solo."
The smuggler stiffened and glanced at Chewbacca, who moaned softly.
"We need to get them safely off the Death Star. Since your co-pilot is the only Wookiee crew member of any of the vessels currently stripping the Death Star of its more mobile booty, we request your assistance."
"We require your assistance," Vader said, speaking for the first time. The bass voice was definitely intimidating.
Solo's eyes narrowed, "No."
Again, a slight movement from the Dark Lord, and the woman put up her hand again.
"Why not, Captain Solo?" she asked in a relaxed tone.
He hesitated, then decided to go with a partial truth, "I'm a business man, Dalam, with a tight schedule. I don't have time for a mercy mission."
There was a disgruntled howl from Chewbacca and then, to Solo's surprise, Vader spoke.
"I assure you, Captain, that if our desire were to enslave your Wookiee copilot, we have simpler methods than tiresome subterfuge."
The woman nodded with understanding now, "Oh, I see. I assure you that my intentions are good, Solo. We have your history on file; you gave up your Imperial career to save your copilot from slavery. We have every intention of freeing the Wookiee slaves. I promise you."
Solo took another step closer, "And why would you do that? Lord Vader here was responsible for the sacking of Kashyyyk."
He suspected he was on risky ground here, but he was loyal to Chewie, as Chewie was loyal to him.
The woman's face grew sorrowful, and tears filled her eyes, "I am aware of some of the devastation that Ani ... that Lord Vader inflicted on Kashyyyk, Captain Solo. Think of the freeing of the slaves here as one tiny step in the right direction."
Han Solo thought for a long moment, "I really am on a tight schedule."
Reality was, if he didn't get Jabba paid back in the next week, the Hutt would put a huge bounty on his head. Solo had strung the old gangster on longer than most had ever managed, but he knew that Jabba's patience was at an end. With the cargo in his hold, he could pay off his debts but he really didn't have time for any delays.
"And besides," he continued, "you have protocol droids, surely, who understand Shyriiwook. Why do you need us?"
Dalam shook her head, her face now calm, "Yes, we have protocol droids, but the Wookiees have no reason to trust an Imperial protocol droid. More to the point, there are cultural considerations that are best understood by a Wookiee native of Kashyyyk. And, Solo, I am aware of your problem with the Hutt. I will send the required payment to him immediately, with the understanding that you will pay Dalam Enterprises back after you sell the cargo in your hold. And once the Wookiees have been resettled, I'm sure I can find additional, profitable work for a man of your talents."
Solo hesitated for a moment. He didn't trust Vader farther than he could throw him, which was likely about 1 mm based on the gargantuan stature of the man. But he usually had good instincts about people, and he trusted Padme Dalam.
He looked at Chewie, "What do you think, Buddy?"
Chewbacca howled at some length.
"All right, lead us to them."
/-
The Liberty
Hanger Bay D
"Hi, Leia," Luke said weakly.
"You're leaving, aren't you?" his twin stated.
A pause.
"R2D2 spilled the Antarian peas about the message from R2M3. Have you really thought through this?"
Luke shot R2D2 a stern glance. The droid whistled guiltily.
The youth sighed, "Yes, I've thought about it. First of all, I don't want to be kept safe and secure like a piece of expensive artwork. Second, Mom really needs me and perhaps Father does as well. I don't know, he's weird."
"He's more than weird," Leia responded, her voice rising slightly, before she forced herself to quiet herself. "He's homicidal and dangerous. And that's why I wonder if you've really thought this through. Emotionally, I understand your desire to be with Mother and ... even Vader, but it may not be safe. He is a Sith Lord, you know?"
"Which I know almost nothing about," Luke replied firmly. "Sith sounds vaguely like 'hiss' which makes me think of a snake and I am not overly fond of snakes. I get that Sith are bad, but the details are obscure to me."
"And that is a problem, Luke," Leia said with a worried frown. "I know that Vader said he won't push the Dark Side on you, but the reality is he has been steeped in the negative side of the Force for our entire lives. Obi-Wan Kenobi is a far safer teacher ..."
"Leia," Luke interrupted her gently but firmly, "have you ever felt something right here ..."
He touched his chest.
"Where you know without a doubt what you are supposed to do?"
She gazed at him, then nodded with understanding, "Yes, I have."
"This is what I'm supposed to do. I know that."
Leia heaved a sigh and nodded again, "Ok. So how are you going to leave? I mean, you don't want to be shot down for leaving without authorization."
The youth looked uneasy, "To be honest, I didn't really, uh, think about that."
There were a series of trills from R2D2, and Leia rolled her eyes, "All right, R2 and I will hack into the command structure and pave your way."
"You won't get into trouble?"
"I'm a princess. I'm accustomed to doing esoteric things and looking down my regal nose when I'm called out for it. I'm good."
Luke still looked worried and she smiled and reached forward to envelop her twin in a hug, "Really, I've got it, Luke. I ... I wish we had more time together but always know that I love you."
"I love you too, Leia. May the Force be with us all."
/-
The Death Star
In Orbit around Maridun
90 minutes later
Han Solo had a strong stomach, but he felt queasy.
It wasn't the state of the 'quarters' for the Wookiee captives. Jabba the Hutt's detention cells were far less hygienic, and far more disgusting. It wasn't even the lack of food and the poor health of the slaves.
Solo was not a man accustomed to analyzing his own feelings, so it took some pondering to get to the root of his discomfort.
It was the bland indifference of it all, he finally realized. The Imperials didn't hate the Wookiees. They merely used them. The system was dispassionately cruel. The family relationships of the captives were in the 'puter system. Any failure on the part of an adult would result in punishment of a spouse or, worse yet, child. The shock collars were set high enough to cause agony but not permanent damage so that the slave would be able to work. The security system was harsh, indifferent, and efficient.
The Wookiees were being treated like non-sentient shaaks, except that shaak herders were usually far more benevolent.
To Solo's relief, his Wookiee co-pilot was taking the situation in stride. But Chewbacca was over 200 years old and had seen far more pain and hatred, along with love and joy, than most people.
And at least both smugglers had plenty of Imperial help. Or something help. The human pirate had strongly doubted that the woman calling herself Padme Dalam was the real leader of Dalam Enterprises. He had expected an old and crusty male of some species. But a few minutes in Dalam's presence quickly dissipated Han's doubts.
She and her hulking Sith Lord sidekick had installed themselves in an office next to the detention facility containing the Wookiee slaves. Within 30 minutes, she had generated a list of four possible sanctuary planets for these Wookiees to settle on while Kashyyyk remained under Imperial control. After conferring with Chewie and the Wookiee leaders, she had quickly settled on Endor, an Outer Rim forest moon which would be a safe place for the Wookiees to recover. Within another 20 minutes, Dalam had lined up transport for the individuals well enough to travel, and had med droids with up to date programming on Wookiee anatomy assisting those in ill health.
He didn't know what the woman's middle name was, but it should be 'efficiency.'
As for Vader, he too appeared to be very busy, talking to various officers, diligently typing away on a holopad. Periodically, the beautiful 40 something woman and the 2 meter cyborg held low level conversations about various matters, and then they would break off to do more individual work. It was an odd dynamic. The aura generating off of Darth Vader was protectiveness and concern for his female companion, and that was downright peculiar where the Sith was concerned.
Whatever. He'd be off soon and if Dalam fulfilled her part of the deal, his running and hiding from Jabba would be over. He'd take care not to get involved with the Hutt again. Padme Dalam was far more charming and, apparently, kindly.
Not that that was saying much. Hutts were a lot of things, but kind wasn't one of them.
There was a sudden and startled exclamation from Darth Vader which made everyone in auditory range fall into immediate silence. The man (if he was a man) lifted his head to gaze at a blank wall, his posture intent.
"Ani?" Dalam asked anxiously. "What is it?"
For a long moment, the mechanical monstrosity stood tall and still, then he turned and with heartfelt emotion in his voice said, "It's Luke, Padme. Luke is here."
Author Note: My apologies for the delay in posting this chapter. Another story leaped into my head and I got distracted writing it instead. I am a bit hesitant about throwing Han Solo into the story because it seems a little contrived, but I like Han Solo. Hey, it's my story, right!? Thank you, dear husband, for editing two stories at once. I know it's not easy!