Chapter Twenty-Five:
Riczo Quo crept deeper into the shadows of the grandstands as his accomplice returned from the starting line. The small Aleena strode proudly up to him, the being's blue skin blending in nicely with the shadows. The smaller alien's triangular head shifted to take in their surroundings and make sure they were alone.
"You finished the task, then?" Riczo asked, lifting a brow.
"Indeed," the Aleena replied, offering the evidence to Riczo. "His pod has limited time left before it malfunctions."
Riczo took the small piece of machinery and smiled predatorily. "You have done very well."
The Aleena sniffed in disdain. "Humans don't belong in pod racing. It's a disgrace that the Smalls team thinks their little boy can keep up."
Riczo laughed. "Indeed." He handed over the prearranged payment, and then nodded as he started to move away. "It's been a pleasure doing business with you."
"If you ever need my services again, you can find me at these comm. codes." The Aleena tossed something to Riczo, and then departed also, tucking away his money.
As for Riczo, he found a seat in the grandstands, eager to watch his revenge unfold. He was still furious at how Smalls had turned the tables on him at Dantooine in the swoop race. He'd show that stupid human who was smarter.
And he would enjoy watching Smalls die.
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Darth Vader entered the atmosphere without waiting for permission, coming onto the comm. with a menacing voice that had the controller on the ground shaking in her boots.
"L-Lord V-Vader!" she squeaked. "P-Please, land wherever you wish."
"I will." Vader snapped, in no mood to be toyed with. The race had just begun, Vader had learned the second he'd exited hyperspace. He had contacted Adriav, who hadn't answered, though Daveena had.
She had explained where they were and what was happening as far as they understood things. Vader was pleased that Adriav had placed himself within arm's reach of Garris. Because he suspected when they apprehended Luke, Garris would turn violent. Adriav would no doubt delay the fool if nothing else.
"And tell no one I am here." Vader added on a whim. The last thing he needed was for his presence to become widely known and draw a crowd when he was aiming for subtlety.
"Yes, M-Milord."
Vader turned off the communications console and glanced to Obi Wan, who was monitoring the live feed of the race from a portable datapad. "How does it look so far?"
Obi Wan glanced to Vader. "I supposed this is similar to what Qui Gon felt when he watched another Skywalker race," he murmured, turning the screen. "So far, Luke seems to be holding his own."
Vader had to land first so he didn't crash the shuttle, but then he snatched the screen from Obi Wan and studied Luke every time his son's pod racer came into full view. A steep feeling of nostalgia hit him when he recognized his old pod racer. The very vehicle he had built under Watto's trunked nose all those years ago.
It had been given a touch-up obviously, but to see it, with Anakin's son in the cockpit... was strangely elating. And yet, there was something about the way Luke's arms were moving that gave Vader cause for concern.
"Something isn't right." Vader rumbled, watching as Luke avoided the first few obstacles easily, but then started to hug the walls of the snowy canyons a bit too much. "We need to get out there."
He didn't wait for an answer; he just leapt for the landing ramp, trusting Obi Wan to keep up.
Please don't let me be too late... Vader begged of the Force. Not when I am so close...
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Luke had experienced cold before: the Trader's Luck had visited a variety of planets over the years, many of them with a cold winter or even some with perpetual snow. Luke already hated the cold, having hailed from the warm desert.
But this... this was a whole new level of torture. It was cold here yes, but the high speeds he was moving at were generating a strong draft of air that was making the weather ten times worse. Luke's face was painfully cold, and though he didn't know what frostbite felt like, he was beginning to think he had a pretty good idea.
And despite the extra padding his suit had been given, Luke's body was still too cold, and his fingers were already frozen. The only thing keeping Luke's grip on the throttle was his braces forcing him to. But his fingers were so cold they hurt fiercely.
All the pain was distracting him from racing at his best. Luke knew he could podrace: he had done so every practice session, but he was not ready for the elements on Ando Prime at such high speeds.
Luke was shaken from his fog when he narrowly avoided colliding with the exit of the canyon he was in and out onto the first frozen lake. Luke shook his head, high on natural adrenaline for the moment; enhancing the drug he'd already been given. Garris had ordered another double dose be given to Luke.
And since it still hadn't been properly tested, Luke was now dealing with the newest side-effect: the double dose, combined with his already weakened state, was making him lethargic. Not terribly so, but in such a high-speed race, Luke knew that millimeters could mean the difference between life and death.
Luke took a deep breath, focusing on the track he had memorized thanks to Garris' insistence that he do so. He pushed aside his fear, feeling that it would do him no good right now. He was putting everything he had into staying alert and keeping up with his sixth sense, which had been giving Luke warnings left and right.
And it's only the first lap. Luke thought wearily. There were three laps in total in this race.
Luke dodged a triple set of vertical spits of rock on a curve and followed the subsequent s-curve to an open ravine. There was a bridge to cross, but if Luke didn't fly straight, he'd go off the edge and fall to a death far, far below.
He breathed in relief as he reached the end of the bridge, entering a wide tunnel with the walls reaching up toward each other but not touching, leaving a line of sunlight to shine through. However, when Luke came to an adjoining canyon, there was a solid line of thick ice on the floor that looked ominous.
Luke grew wary of the upcoming set of frozen lakes as he went up the natural ramp. He had heard from some of the other racers that with the temperature fluctuations this year, the ice wasn't as thick as it usually was.
Luke completed the ramp and became airborne over the first small frozen lake. His heart leapt into his throat when Luke realized he was approaching a naturally formed stone archway. He realized he was too high, and so Luke laid off the throttle just enough to dip below the upper edge of the hole. He passed through and found himself still airborne, and he sailed right over the second frozen lake to land halfway through the third, slightly larger lake.
Thank goodness! Luke shouted inwardly, though he had to navigate another stone archway, this one a bit taller, if narrower. Luke went through this second one just fine, and found himself skirting along the ice of the fourth and largest lake.
There were three huge rock islands in this one, and Luke went between the two on the left, angling for the pass that would take him to solid ground again. Just before Luke went through, another racer cut him off, waving rudely at Luke and jeering.
Luke ignored the other, focusing instead on survival. He still had time to make up ground, and when he realized he was now in a large, open, snowy plain, Luke opened the throttle and shot past the man who'd just insulted him.
The other was furious, and he even threw something at Luke, who tried to dodge. Whatever it was that hit the boy hurt, and though it hit his helmet, he still felt the effect of the hard object. He was momentarily dazed, and Luke struggled to not become more lethargic than he already was.
He never noticed the speeder waiting just inside the opening from the lake to the valley, though when Luke got to another cavernous tunnel, he managed to refocus.
Mostly.
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"That piece of bantha fodder!" Han swore angrily as he watched through his macro binoculars— he'd discovered a pair in the speeder— while the Phuii alien attacked Luke with a wrench.
[Is Luke alright?] Dewlanna fretted, gesturing as Luke's pod wobbled.
Han zeroed in on his brother, watching as the blond struggled to regroup. Just when Han feared Luke would smash into the wall, Luke disappeared into the ravine.
"I think he's alright, do you still have our viewing screen?" Han asked, looking to the device in Dewlanna's hands. She had snagged it from the stool that had been left behind at the final gate after Chewie exited the vehicle.
[The boy seems to be doing alright, but his movements are not as fluid as before.] Dewlanna pointed at Luke's vehicle to emphasize her point.
Han frowned when Luke's pod veered somewhat toward the left side of the track while the boy moved into another open area and finally the last cave system. Camera droids within the space showed Luke having to dodge random spires of limestone in diminished lighting. And though Luke managed to make it through, Han spied the tell-tale signs of his brother really fighting to stay fully alert.
"We need to stop his pod... without making his crash." Han decided aloud.
[This open field would be the best place to do that.] Dewlanna pointed out.
"Agreed." Han leapt from the speeder and searched for some way to create a cushion for Luke to hit. The only thing he could think of was to pile up snow. "Can you help me?"
Dewlanna was dubious, but nor did she have any better plans. [Alright.]
They dug like animals to create the largest berm they possibly could, all while trying to keep track of where Luke was now.
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Adriav was on the edge of his seat, nearing the point of biting his nails as he observed the struggle Luke was putting up. Judging by the way Garris kept balling a fist and muttering darkly— but always just under the audible range of hearing— he wasn't very happy with the race so far either.
But their reasoning for concern was vastly different.
"It would seem Smalls is having some trouble today. Could it be that the racer bit off more than he could chew?" the announcer asked, only adding fuel to the fire.
Adriav kept an eye out for Darth Vader, wondering where he was and what he planned to do to stop the race. Daveena was beside him, openly squeezing his hand now and trembling.
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Darth Vader and Obi Wan hustled through the streets of the city, thankful it wasn't an exceptionally large one. But it was large enough that it was taking him too much time to get to the track. Vader planned to first slow, and then stop Luke's pod with the Force so he didn't make his son crash and get hurt... or worse.
But to do that, he had to be at the track.
And the crowd of onlookers at every publicly available screen wasn't helping. Vader had already Force-shoved three separate groups when he had no other way through.
Obi Wan was keeping up, though he was also preventing Vader from doing something foolish, for which he was grateful. With all his progress in the correct direction, he didn't want to risk slipping down the slope and never coming back up.
So he had to settle for finding his way through the city and hoping he could find Luke before he was taken from his father forever.
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Luke passed the starting line and went around the giant statue in the center of the plaza there, moving with growing difficulty onto the first part of the track again. When he began his ascent up the mountain again, with one side open the other a tall rock-face, Luke's pod racer began to sound strange.
Luke's heart clenched in primal fear: first it had been his lethargy, then the injury, and now a fault in his pod racer? The boy was really beginning to think he had finally started his final race.
But determination set in, and Luke gritted his teeth as he passed into the canyon lands again. That same Phuii who'd hit him passed Luke a second time, still gloating... right before he crashed into something since he was more focused on besting Luke than in driving. The fireball blinded Luke, and he passed right through it, although the blast of heat was welcome.
Luke could no longer feel his face or fingers, and despite his best efforts, Luke was steadily losing his battle to remain awake. His eyes kept attempting to shut, with Luke straining to keep them open.
Luke was just entering the ravine just before the bridge, when his pod shuddered. Luke swallowed, not knowing if he would be able to pull over or not. He desperately wanted to, but Garris had control over Luke's limbs right now via the braces.
The bridge came, and Luke narrowly went over the side, though at the last second he startled and moved away. The bridge came to an end, and Luke's head lolled without his consent. This time when Luke jerked awake, he was scraping the wall of the ravine enough to send up a shower of sparks. How he hadn't wiped out was beyond him, but he straightened out... and that was when his pod began to splutter ominously.
Luke's heart was racing in time with his pod now, and he tried to fight against the braces so he could stop the pod. To his horror, a feature he had been left in the dark about showed itself when Luke went against the braces.
Little spikes appeared and pricked Luke, causing him pain so he would have to relax and relent to their control to avoid the discomfort. Luke had no choice but to do so, and then he was up and over the first two lakes again... he almost hit the first arch...
And then in a terrifying moment of perfect silence his pod stopped whining.
Seconds later, when he moved to exit the third lake and out onto the final one, Luke's left engine exploded, somehow not taking with rest of the vehicle with it. But that explosion gave Luke extra air, and then made him plummet nearly straight down.
Luke screamed, fighting against his braces now despite the spikes that caused him pain. Little dribbles of blood could be felt underneath his sleeve, and Luke's eyes flooded with tears, though he closed his eyes as his vehicle collided violently with the ice. The only thing that saved him was the slippery nature of the frozen water, though the impact caused a rupture in the ice.
Luke had managed to delude himself into thinking it was thick and would hold his weight. Maybe it would have had his vehicle not compromised its integrity. Luke's pod slid all the way to the right-most of the two rock islands he'd passed before, and the collision broke his vehicle up the remainder of the way.
Luke's cockpit rebounded though, moving Luke out a few feet from the stone archway. The boy was so overwhelmed that he could do nothing. However, when he heard a thick, ominous cracking sound, Luke's fear doubled.
He looked over his shoulder to see a large section of the lake's ice cracking... all the way to where Luke sat in his cockpit. Luke spun back around in his seat and strained against the braces, which had to be released by Garris unless something strong enough could break him free instead.
He cried out in pain when the braces in fact remained locked, and he sobbed when the cockpit began to wobble. He leaned over the edge to see the ice breaking up, with the dark water between the cracks looking anything but welcoming.
"HELP ME!" Luke screamed when his cockpit abruptly tilted down into the water, taking Luke with it as it sat awkwardly halfway in and out of the water.
Luke's breath was stolen as the biting cold of the water hit him like a boulder landing on his chest. It was so cold Luke's heart hammered painfully in shock, making him gasp despite the temperature. Luke was then panting desperately, and fearing the worst if his cockpit should go the rest of the way into the water.
It wasn't exactly buoyant...
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"KID!" Han hollered when he and Dewlanna witnessed the crash.
Han broke into a sprint for the speeder, Dewlanna hot on his heels. They dove into the vehicle and sped out onto the lake, ignoring it when a few racers appeared on their own circuits and had to dodge them.
Thankfully it was a relatively short distance to the archway Luke had hit. Han could hear an odd splashing sound, and he put off his confusion in favor of getting to his brother. Han skidded around the rock and stopped the speeder just on the edge of the broken ice, which was completely open on their end and almost done breaking apart on the side Luke was on.
And while the cockpit had been held up momentarily, it finally slipped completely into the frigid liquid as Han stopped the speeder. Han leapt out, only to be grabbed by the scruff of his neck and hauled back into the vehicle before his feet even touched the ice.
[HAN!] Dewlanna barked. {Don't be a fool!]
"Luke is in the water!" Han all but screamed at her, tears streaking down his face as he realized Luke had seen the pair and was now calling out frantically to them.
"H-Han!" Luke's voice was rapidly losing strength, and the older boy realized that odd splashing came from Luke struggling to move his arms. Why he wouldn't let go of the yoke befuddled Han.
"Luke let go!" Han hollered.
"I... I c-can't..." Luke breathed with much difficulty, his eyes fluttering shut as his pod's cockpit filled entirely with water and began to sink... with the boy still in it.
"LUKE!" Han shrieked, struggling against Dewlanna again. "LET GO!"
[I will go!] Dewlanna slammed Han into the seat and got out of the speeder, diving into the icy water before the boy could protest. Han stared; suddenly afraid he would lose his entire family today.
Dewlanna had thick fur, yes, but that water was well below the freezing mark! And how would she get Luke if she couldn't see?
Somebody help us! Han prayed.
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"NO!" Adriav shouted when Luke went under. Despite the race still going on, part of the screen was focused on the spectacle that was Luke, a Wookiee and a boy not much older than Luke himself.
"Kriff it!" Garris roared, turning to Dessh. "You told me he would be just fine!"
Dessh glared angrily back. "I warned you he would freeze!"
Adriav snapped then, leaping to his feet and whipping out his blaster to point at Garris. "If Luke dies, you die also!" he snarled.
Garris' anger at being targeted shifted to shock. "How do you know his real name?"
"That is for me to know." Adriav shot back. "You are a monster! And Dessh is no better!"
Garris narrowed his eyes to dangerous slits. "I would think real carefully about what you're doing here, Pic."
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Dewlanna dove for the very spot Luke had disappeared into, counting on the minimal light to catch at least a shadow of the boy and his vehicle. The water was cold even for Dewlanna with her thick fur.
But she would not leave this water without her second Cub!
She used her powerful arms to make big strokes until she literally ran into the cockpit. She grabbed hold of it and then felt about for Luke. He was completely limp, and Dewlanna would have roared in distress if she wasn't under water.
Dewlanna tugged at the boy, trying to lift him from his seat, but he wouldn't budge, even after she released his restraints. In a harried maneuver, she attempted to lift entire cockpit, but since it was filled with water, it was too heavy even for her.
The seconds were ticking by for Luke, Dewlanna knew, and she grabbed for his arms, finding his hands on the handlebars still. She pulled at them, and felt Luke actually jerk, and she thought he'd screamed, before going limp again.
Registering his pain, Dewlanna went for the handlebars themselves. Grunting with the strain, Dewlanna braced her feet against the cockpit's side, grabbed the handlebars and pulled with all her strength.
It took three tries before the assembly broke free of the cockpit, at which point Dewlanna grabbed Luke around the arms and hauled him to the surface. She gasped in air, fearing for the worst when Luke made absolutely no move to breathe.
Dewlanna swam for the shoreline, waving at Han. [Pull him up from the speeder!]
Han didn't argue this time; he just reached over the side of the vehicle and, with a frown, grabbed the metal equipment and pulled Luke out of the water to lie on the ice safely away from the lip of the ice. Dewlanna managed to haul herself out, but then she had to lie for a moment once she was also far enough away from the edge.
Han moved the speeder to join her, and then he leapt out to check on Luke. The boy was far too pale, with his lips an alarming blue hue. Desperate, Han began what he knew of CPR, pumping Luke's chest and breathing for him several times.
When Luke still didn't respond, Han began to cry again. "Come on Luke! Come on! Fight!"
Han pounded Luke's chest, and jumped when Luke abruptly spit out water. Han rolled the boy onto his side and let the other boy finish spewing liquid. Once Luke was breathing again, he slipped into unconsciousness, going limp again.
[We need to warm him up somewhere!] Dewlanna cried, hauling Luke into the speeder while Han resumed the controls.
Han opened the throttle to full, taking the speeder into the rest of the track at a reckless pace.
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By the time Luke was taken from the frozen lake and whisked away after the dark-haired boy got him breathing again, Vader was just about ready to rip a driver from their vehicle and take it for himself.
He should have been on Ando Prime yesterday, and thus prevented Luke from racing at all! But blast it if Palpatine wasn't hindering his plans! Vader vowed to remove the despot from power the first chance he got.
Now, however, instead of trying to get to the track, Obi Wan suggested a new plan. "I think we should find these rescuers."
Vader sighed. "Agreed."
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[Come on Chewie!] Han hollered as he approached the gate. The Wookiee started to run for the speeder, but then turned when a loud noise rose up from behind him.
The workers were out and trying to barricade Han's way. Chewbacca snarled and roared at top volume, making many of them scramble back. Those that didn't run attempted to fight off the Wookiee, and Han saw what his friend was doing.
"Thanks Pal!" Han shouted as he passed Chewie, who waved him onward.
He still had some workers to dodge, so Han veered here and there in his attempt to keep from being stopped and overrun. If they were caught now, it would all be over. Luke needed a hospital, and he needed it now!
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"I have thought about it: for several years in fact." Adriav growled.
Garris straightened. "Lower your weapon, Agent. Empire or no, I will not be threatened."
"You've endangered Luke," Daveena spoke at last, her hatred of Garris clear.
"And which of you two will save him when one of you will be dying as well?" Garris asked menacingly.
At that moment Dessh grabbed Daveena by the hair and held a knife against her throat.
"Daveena!" Adriav cried even as Garris leapt to his feet to hit Adriav in the jaw. Adriav saw red, and he fought back, ducking Garris' follow-up strike to stomp-kick Garris in the stomach.
Garris stumbled into the controls for their pod and it began to lower. Adriav came in again with several punches that Garris mostly deflected. The two men tussled for a short bit, with Adriav gaining ground until Dessh threw something into Adriav's face.
The drink took him by surprise, allowing Garris to get in a solid right-hook.
"Back away from Garris." Dessh warned Adriav once he'd recovered.
Adriav hesitated, but did as he was told when Dessh's blade drew a hint of blood from Daveena's neck. Garris slipped from the pod, and Dessh stabbed the knife into Daveena's arm. She screamed while Dessh leapt over the edge of the pod.
"I want that boy back in my custody!" Garris yelled as he and Dessh leapt into a speeder and chased after the one that blasted by them with a Wookiee and two humans inside it.
Adriav leapt for his fiancée, concern for her washing out all else in that moment. "Daveena!"
She had collapsed to a sitting position, and now held her arm, the blade still in it. "I... I'll be alright."
Adriav carefully removed the knife and then pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket to wrap about the injury. "There. Can you make do?"
"Yes." Daveena stood, willing away her pain. "We have a child to save."
The two raced away, trying to track Garris and Dessh, but losing them in the confusion of the crowd breaking up now that the race was over. Adriav didn't even know— or care— who had won.
"They're going to try and get Luke back," Adriav determined, looking in the direction Garris and Dessh had gone.
"Then we follow Luke," Daveena replied, already hustling for their vehicle.
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Han was putting every ounce of his piloting know-how to get them away from Garris, who was now openly shooting at Dewlanna and him. Han already had a blaster burn on his bicep, and Dewlanna had been dodging fire for a solid two minutes now.
Not to mention that the female Wookiee's wet fur was now icing over, with solid crystals forming where the water had been draining in steady rivulets from some points of her body. And though he could tell she was starting to be affected negatively by the cold, she was focused on Luke. They had found an emergency kit under the passenger seat, in which had been a small blanket. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing, Han knew.
Han wished he knew the city better, but he would have to make do. At some point Han crossed a street and then the blasterfire stopped. Wary now, Han glanced back and saw that somehow they had lost Garris.
"Where'd he go?" Han asked suspiciously. "I'mnot that lucky!"
[Take this chance to go through some different streets,] Dewlanna said, pointing to a back alley they could see as they passed a three-way intersection.
Han nodded, knowing they'd fare better off the main roads anyway. Han was trying to angle for their ship, though he didn't know what they could do for Luke medically. But at least it would be far warmer.
Han braked and took the next right he came to, and then guided the vehicle into the second right again so he was in a less-popular street. Han also slowed down, thinking that if Garris had been trying to cut them off, he'd have been betting on Han sticking to the main streets and going faster. Han began peeking down every cross-road, watching out for Garris and Dessh.
Sure enough, he spied them almost by accident, doubling back and searching for their missing target. Han smiled crookedly, and waited to cross at his intersection until he thought it was safe. He didn't notice Garris spot them just as they entered the new alley.
Han looked around them and made a decision. He pulled into the first parking space he could and exited the vehicle.
Dewlanna was looking at him strangely. [What are you doing? Why did you stop?]
"We'll be harder to track on foot," Han replied, "because we are smaller than a speeder."
Dewlanna considered even as Han started to maneuver Luke. Finally she hefted the unconscious boy into her arms. Han took a moment to make certain Luke was covered, cursing the mechanical parts still attached to his arms.
"Why did you bring part of his cockpit along?" Han inquired as he looked around and then led the way to an even smaller street, one suited only for pedestrians.
[I couldn't get his grip free of them, and there was no time to do anything else,] Dewlanna responded.
"But why can't he let go?" Han asked the million-credit question. But neither did they have the luxury of stopping to find out.
One downside to their walking, Han realized when people began to stare, was that they stood out like a sore thumb, especially with a wet Wookiee carrying a limp boy with metal rods in his grasp.
Suddenly Garris and Dessh crossed their street to the rear, and Garris shouted as he laid eyes on them.
"Stang!" Han cursed. "Come on!"
Dewlanna followed him at a fast jog, and they heard cursing as Garris and Dessh followed, also on foot now since their speeder wouldn't fit. Han sped along, looking for any place to hide, but every door he came to was locked up tight, and soon the stopping and searching was slowing them down too much.
Han looked behind them to see Garris and Dessh almost on them, and so the boy whipped out his DL-44, taking aim at Garris. But Han never got off a shot, because a tan figure bowled the man over, and Garris went down with a shriek.
Han blinked in shock, but then registered Chewie when he roared and threw a punch into Garris' stomach. Then he grabbed Dessh's arm when he tried to shoot Han... and suddenly Dessh only had one arm.
Dessh's screams were deafening as the Devaronian dropped to his knees. Han gaped for a moment, but then Garris rose to his feet, and Chewie grabbed Han's arm and ushered him into a run. Dewlanna was already sprinting again, so Han and Chewie had to catch up.
Garris was yelling after them, and the blasterfire from the man intensified as he sprinted after the group.
"We need to get out of the open!" Han hollered as they broke from the alley into some small plaza that had seen better days in Han's opinion.
[What about some of those old tables?] Chewbacca suggested.
Han spied the cluster of tables in question and he pointed Dewlanna in that direction. "Get over there with Luke!"
Dewlanna had barely taken a few steps, however, when Garris burst into the square, his eyes dark with fury, and his blaster aimed for Han's heart.
"It's over, Solo!" Garris snarled. "Hand Luke over, and I might let you sorry lot go alive."
Han glared openly and stepped in front of Luke and Dewlanna. "You're going to have to go through me to get either Luke or Dewlanna."
Garris smirked. "So be it. You've always been a thorn in my side anyhow."
He lifted his weapon... but though the blaster went off, it never landed. Han didn't know what had happened: one moment the red shot of death was headed his way, and the next, a red shaft of light blocked it.
Another light shaft, this one blue, joined the fray and cut Garris' weapon in half. Then another sound registered, one that gave Han chills. The most famous respirator in the galaxy was within Han's earshot.
And the owner of that respirator stood between Han and his enemy at the moment, his lightsaber ignited and pointed at Garris.
"The boy is mine, Shrike," Darth Vader said menacingly. "And you have a lot to atone for."
Garris back-stepped, but thought swiftly, seeking for any sort of leverage. "We have a contract, Lord Vader!"
Vader laughed; a sound that was quite frightening to Han. "It's funny that you think I would ever do business with the likes of you. I'd never stoop to your pitiful level."
Garris frowned. "What are you talking about? Your agent..."
"Has only been working for me." Vader cut him off, and then Garris was flying through the air by some invisible cord. He stopped before Vader, his throat now within the black gloved hand Darth Vader had extended. "And he has brought me much intelligence regarding your treatment of Luke. Rest assured you will pay for what you have done!"
Garris paled. "I thought you were a man of honor, Lord Vader." He dared to challenge. "You made a deal with me, and I expect you to honor it!"
Vader leaned forward. "I would think you of all people would be able to tell a fake document from the real article."
Garris reddened in the face, putting two and two together, especially when two more people Han didn't know appeared in the square. They were hauling a weakened Dessh between them.
"What is this, a reunion?" Han muttered. He wondered if, in the heat of the moment, he and his group could slip away with Luke. Han leaned against Dewlanna, who was glancing from Luke to Vader and back again.
"I think if we go now, we can get a head start on Vader," Han whispered.
"You will be going nowhere with Luke," Vader said, turning his head to regard Han.
Han managed not to show fear in the face of that helmet, instead standing brave and tall. "Oh, sure, and we're just supposed to turn him over to the Emperor's right-hand man, is that it?"
The Jedi— Han could see now that it was one— stepped forward, hands open in a gesture of peace. "I can vouch for Vader, young man."
Han frowned. "Why is a Jedi hanging out with Vader? Wasn't he hunting them all to extinction?"
Vader and the Jedi both winced, but Vader spoke, though this time it was in a softer tone. "I have made... many mistakes. But I assure you Luke is not now, nor will ever be one of them."
Han laughed. "That's a good one. Darth Vader has a sense of humor, who'd have guessed?"
The man and woman stepped forward to stand on Vader's other side, though the man paused to slap a pair of cuffs on Garris. "I have been tracking Luke since shortly after he left Tatooine. I can also assure the validity of Lord Vader's claims. He wishes only for the best for Luke."
Han narrowed his eyes. "How much is he paying you to stick up for him, huh? Did you all take stupid pills this morning? This is Darth Vader we're talking about."
"I am right here, young man," Vader remarked drily.
Han glanced to the other, and despite the situation, smirked somewhat. But he was adamant. "I'm not handing Luke over."
[Han, we should trust him.] Dewlanna touched his arm gently.
Han stared at her as if she'd grown another head. "You can't be serious!"
[I know it sounds crazy, but Vader will not harm Luke,] Dewlanna said.
Han started to snap back at her when Chewie stepped forward. [She's right Han. Vader and Luke belong together.]
Han's mouth dropped open in incredulity, staring around him with growing frustration. "Why am I the only one fighting this? What does everyone here know that I don't huh? Am I the only one who cares that Luke will be in Vader's so-called care?"
[Han...]
"I will explain." Vader gently cut Dewlanna off. He turned to Han. "I care very much for Luke. I even love him."
Han was feeling cornered, and he reacted defensively. "When have you ever loved anyone? All you ever do is hurt people."
Vader sighed, but continued. "Luke is my son."
Han had his mouth open to refute when the claim registered. Han was so taken aback that he wasn't able to move when Dewlanna stepped forward with Luke, who hadn't so much as twitched on his own since he'd been rescued.
[He's got hypothermia, aside from that I don't know what else is wrong with him,] she told the Dark Lord softly.
Vader nodded. "You both have my thanks for your rescue of my son. You will of course be compensated."
Han came-to when Vader reached for the boy. "No!"
Han stepped forward and placed a hand on Luke's chest, relieved beyond measure to still feel a heartbeat, however faint it was. When Vader began to protest, Han met his gaze, unafraid. "I'm going with you. I am not leaving Luke." Han declared firmly. "He might be your son, but he is my brother."
Vader stared, clearly trying to figure out what Han meant. Dewlanna placed a hand on Han's shoulder. [I wish to stay with Luke also, he is my Cub.]
Vader looked between the two, and finally at the last occupant of the space. "And what of the other Wookiee?"
"He goes where I do," Han answered, meeting Chewie's gaze pointedly. "He's got a life debt to me, and he's a great friend."
Chewbacca smiled just enough for Han to see, dipping his head in gratitude of Han accepting the Wookiee's custom.
"Very well." Vader allowed. "But we must go; Luke is in dire need of a medic."
"Finally we can agree on something." Han remarked, following the Dark Lord and the group to the Sith's shuttle.
What have I just done? He wondered.