Frozen in Hell
AN: If you can't guess from the title what this chapter's all about, it's about Han frozen in carbonite. I can't imagine it was a picnic for him, so I explored my reasoning that it was his own personal hell. This was another one of my original chapter ideas, actually. Thank you for all who reviewed! And thanks to my reviewers, I really appreciate your comments and insights! You guys are awesome! One more chapter after this...
Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars.
It was so cold. I'd never felt this incredibly cold before. Every intake of breath was sharp in my lungs.
I looked around; the sprawling white landscape was familiar. Hoth. I can't believe the Alliance had chosen to come back here to this frozen wasteland hell.
A movement in the distance caught my attention: a figure floundering in the snow. "Luke!" I shouted.
I ran towards him, but each step was slow and clumsy. Where had my tauntaun gone? I couldn't seem to get to him. He was getting farther and farther away. I had to get to him!
I wasn't fast enough. His small, unmoving form faded into the distance and I stopped short.
Darkness descended, and it got colder.
Then to my right a figure emerged from the swirling snow. It was Luke.
"Luke!" I cried, stepping towards him, relieved that he was there. But I was soon appalled when I saw him.
He was bedraggled and bleeding from several wounds, and his cloths were torn. He had a horrible, bone-chilling glare, accentuated by a scar that ran over his eye.
"How could you leave me, Han?" he demanded.
"No, Luke, I –"
"You left me to die," he said. "You left us to fight the Death Star alone. We all died, all because you care only about yourself!"
His form flickered and wavered, then vanished back into the falling snow.
"No!" I cried, distressed at what I'd heard. It couldn't be true. Then suddenly I realized who else would have died, and a horrible panic struck me. "Leia!"
As if she heard me, she appeared before me, very much like Luke in appearance.
"No, Leia," I whispered, despair in my voice.
She glared at me. "Captain." She spit the word. With just two syllables she managed to convey absolute loath and disgust more than any ugly word. "I hope the money makes you happy." And with that she too disappeared.
"Leia?" I called, searching frantically for her. I had to save her. Vader had her! But the snow was too deep, and I kept getting caught. It took all my strength not to fall over. "Leia!"
A horrible chuckle had me spinning around, to see Lando appear. He was grinning maliciously and had a smiling, content Leia in his embrace. "Don't worry Han," he said mockingly, "I'll take good care of her."
Rage boiled inside me. "My friend," I said bitterly, and swung a fist at his image. It sailed right through, and he turned back to snow.
I wandered around in the dark for some time, trying to find the base, when another figure blocked my path. He had a blinding light around him, and despite everything, I recognized him not only from when I'd picked him and the kid up, but also from all those years ago.
"Obi Wan Kenobi." How did I know his name? He had simply been introduced as Ben to me.
He smiled at me. "Yes, Han. Little do you know the important role you play in the galaxy."
I scowled at him. I swear, he'd come back just to haunt me. "Yeah, uh huh," I said.
But he just smiled and sidled past me, and left me with some parting words: "Your path will be lit before you soon enough."
A blinding light exploded, searing my eyes, bringing my arm up to shield my face. When I brought it down, I found myself in a land that stretched before me with sand.
It was hot. My feet burned and I found myself without shoes. The suns beat down on me and I realized I was on Tatooine. Why in the seven Corellian hells would I come back to Tatooine?
Up in the distance I spotted Luke and Leia walking across the sand.
Smiling, I called out to them. "Luke, Leia! Wait up guys!"
I ran towards them but never seemed to get closer, and they never stopped walking. Leia turned her head towards me, shot a disapproving glance and slung an arm around Luke. Before I knew it, they disappeared.
The suns were so hot, and I couldn't find any shelter or water. Just then, a familiar howl reached my ears.
"Chewie!" I called, but I could not follow his voice. Everywhere I looked I saw only sand. Sand, sand, and more sand.
"Han, Han!" I heard a small voice cry. Danny came running towards me, his eyes wide with fear. "He's dead! Skywalker's dead! Darth Vader's coming! The Temple's been attacked!"
And I was suddenly back in the Home, watching all the children run around in panic. Screams filled the air as Madam Liska tried to usher them inside. I could smell the smoke in the air. I could see troops making their way down the streets. I saw the fear, smelled the fear. I heard the screams, like echoes replaying in my mind, over and over again.
I saw Madam Liska fall, and many of the other children, and Danny, who stood right in front of me. His wide, unseeing blue eyes seemed to swallow me.
The next thing I knew, I was following Jusik down the narrow alleyways. Shots went off around me, but I ignored them. I tore down endless alleyways, the thumping of my heart getting louder and louder until I heard nothing else…
Then I was on fire. Slowly burning. I fell to the floor, my vision fading to blackness.
And then I saw no more.
