Han dropped the stolen ship out of hyperspace right into his and Leia's destination: the Csilla system.
But instead of finding themselves in the midst of a pitched battle between Derapp Joil'ask's Bothan Assault Cruisers and whatever Chiss forces that they'd be fighting, the Solos found themselves in a quiet and peaceful system, with Zonama Sekot a standard sun's distance away from Csilla and with three Star Destroyers in orbit over the living planet.
Immediately, the stolen ship was hailed, and an authoritative, accented female voice said in Basic, "Unidentified vessel, identify yourself and state your intentions in the Csilla system."
Han answered right away. "This is Han Solo, here with my wife Leia Organa Solo. We're here to help our daughter, Jaina." At least that was the plan anyway.
"Han Solo?" the voice asked. "I thought your ship was the Millennium Falcon."
"It's a long story," Han said.
"I'd like to hear it," the voice replied. It was clear from her tone that it was a demand instead of an insistence.
Han figured why; coming here in a vessel that wasn't the Falcon and identifying yourself as the legendary Han Solo was kind of suspicious. He didn't blame her.
"My wife and I had to... disobey a direct order to come here," he admitted, "and it involved the incapacitation of the Falcon back on Denon."
He looked at Leia, who returned his stare with a regretful expression; confessing that they had to resort to criminality to come here, even in non-Chiss territory, was just asking for trouble here. Especially since the GA and the Ascendancy were on good terms; Han figured that the Chiss would be more than happy to extradite him and Leia back into Alliance jurisdiction to be arrested for resisting Kenth Hamner's orders. But, really, what else could Han have told the Chiss on the other end of the link that wouldn't be suspicious?
"I see," the Chiss replied in a subdued tone. "So, aside from hijacking a starship, what exactly did you do wrong?"
Might as let her know since he was this far in. "We were given a direct order by Jedi Master Kenth Hamner not to come here, or we would have risked our daughter's life under Captain Joil'ask's hands. Obviously, my wife and I wouldn't take no for an answer."
"Interesting," the Chiss said. "Please remain where you are or you will be destroyed. I will return to this conversation soon." The link was then cut off.
Both Solos sighed as they sagged back into their seats. "Well, I guess we might as well prepare to escape," Han said as he then sat back up to plot a course out of the system. "At least we know Jaina's alright." Leia had told him that their daughter was still alive, as she was able to sense that Jaina was still alive through the Force.
"Wait, Han," Leia said as she placed a hand on her husband's forearm, stopping him from continuing. "I'm not sensing any ill intent toward us from any of the Chiss here."
"What do you mean?" Han asked. "You mean the woman we just talked to doesn't wanna snitch on us for breaking a few Galactic Alliance laws?"
"No, I believe she'll tell, but... from what I sense from that individual, it seems like... she would be willing to help us," Leia said.
"Help us?" Han inquired. "Why?"
Leia shrugged. "I don't know. But I think we should probably stick around to find out why."
"And let the Chiss get a better opportunity to catch us? The woman we talked to might wanna help us for whatever reason, but her superiors might think otherwise."
"Look, Han, let's just give this a chance," Leia said. "We might even be able to see Jaina again."
"Yeah. Probably from behind a separating glass in a Chiss prison," Han muttered.
Leia ignored him, especially since he complied by sitting back and waiting with her.
When the female Chiss's voice finally returned from the other end of the transmission, the alien said, "You are cleared to land on Zonama Sekot; your daughter is waiting there for the both of you. These are your landing coordinates."
Han's eyes widened in surprise, but when he looked at his wife, he saw that her expression was one of expected content. Hurriedly, Han replied on the transmission. "Uh, thanks. Thank you."
"You are welcome. Have a nice day," the Chiss said with a degree of gladness, as if she were a chipper fast-food restaurant employee rather than a soldier in the Chiss Ascendancy. The link was then cut off from the Chiss's end.
"Not what I expected from Chiss," Han said as he piloted the stolen ship toward Zonama Sekot on the set course on one of the datascreens. "Especially not after we... well, after I openly admitted that we were criminals of the Galactic Alliance."
"It is because of the influence of Sekot," Leia explained. "I can feel her subtly shifting their thoughts and feelings to her favor."
Han looked back at Leia in further surprise before returning his sight back to the living planet ahead. "She's influencing them?"
"Yes. With the Force, she is bringing out the better part of their nature; she is making them more trusting of others and of each other."
"Don't you think it's still a little... weird?" Han asked. "I mean, isn't influencing the wills and minds of others a dark side trait or something?"
"Not always," Leia said. "After all, Jedi use mind-tricks to get what they want sometimes. But Sekot's influence is only partial enough so that she is not making the Chiss unwilling puppets; they have just enough free thought and will to make the decisions that they feel that they absolutely have to."
"I don't know... if Chiss are willing to allow two people who have committed crimes in the Galactic Alliance to get away with it, I'm thinking Sekot's influence might be a little stronger than you're letting on, Leia."
"Maybe the Chiss aren't as willing to work with the GA as was once thought," Leia suggested. "And that may not even be from Sekot's influence."
"I could buy that," Han conceded, though still a little uncertain.
Leia grinned and laid her hand on her husband's forearm again, though, this time, it was in assurance. "Hey, relax, alright? Think of it like this: if Sekot was such a mind-bender, would she even allow you to be this suspicious of her to begin with?"
Han's expression flashed into one of neutral acknowledgement. "I guess that would calm me down better."
"There we go," Leia said as she sat back in her seat. "And besides, at least we get to see Jaina again."
"How is she, can you sense it?" Han asked.
Leia sighed. "Physically, she's fine. Emotionally..."
"Uh-oh? What, did she and Jag Fel break up or somethin'? Oh, I knew that guy wasn't good for-"
"No, no, it's not that," Leia said. "At least... I don't think it is. Hopefully, she'll tell us if we ask her."
Minutes later, Han set the stolen ship down where the coordinates told them to land, which was a plain, open field of green grass. Then, after they stepped down the opened boarding ramp, Han asked his wife, "So where's Jaina?"
Leia pointed in the direction of one of the three villages in their sight, which was the leftmost one. "That way."
Han sighed. "Do we really have to walk? I'm too old for a hike."
"I don't think that'll be necessary, Han," Leia replied.
Han was about to ask his wife what she meant by that when he looked in the direction she was looking and saw that, from the leftmost village, an organic hovering transport was headed in their direction.
"I take it that'll be our ride?" he asked.
"Yep," Leia answered with a nod.
"Wonderful," he said without his trademark sarcasm.
They waited as Sekot's organic equivalent of a hovertaxi arrived, and they seated themselves in the backseat before the pilot sped back toward where he and his living vehicle came from.
"Uh, just so you know, man," Han said, "my wife and I don't really have any money to-"
"That won't be necessary," the Ferroan pilot replied. "We don't operate on that kind of economy here on Zonama."
"Well, that at least makes things simple," Han said.
Nothing else was said as the rest of the trip was made to the village that Leia first spotted the hovertaxi riding away from, and when they arrived, the pilot put his vehicle to a halt.
"Here's your stop," he said.
"Thank you," Leia said as she and Han stepped out.
After the vehicle hovered away, Han asked his wife, "So where to now?"
"The hut right there," Leia said as she pointed to the primitive-looking house that was right in front of them. "Jaina's waiting for us inside."
They walked up to the door and Han was about to knock before the door opened up by itself.
Leia was the first to enter, and when Han came in after, they were immediately embraced in a big hug by Jaina.
"I'm so glad to see you guys made it," their daughter said in a happy tone.
"Well, we're glad you're safe, honey," Han answered honestly, even though it stung that he and Leia had come all the way out here, having broken several GA laws, just to find that Jaina didn't need saving from them after all.
And the metaphorical acid burned more as Han thought that Hamner was in the right in the end; now he and Leia were in real trouble now that they lost their justification.
"How did you manage to escape, Jaina?" Leia asked.
That was where Jaina's expression dropped. "Jacen saved me."
"Jacen?" Han asked. "I thought he was back on that stupid sojourn of his? You mean to tell me he actually decided not to be a selfish brat and came to save your butt?"
"Han," Leia scolded him.
"What? I'm genuinely surprised," he said. He then looked back at Jaina. "Yeah, we told him you'd been kidnapped by Joil'ask, but we didn't think he'd actually do anything."
"Well, he did," Jaina said, "but he never wants to see me again."
"Why, because you took his time out from learning about the Force from whatever weird cult he's been visiting?" Han asked in resentment toward his son.
"No, because he was forced to kill ysalamiri to save me," Jaina explained. "And you know how he loves animals."
"So he couldn't get over that he killed some ysalamiri to save you?" Han snorted. "It's a wonder why he didn't just let them live instead of you."
"No, Dad, you don't understand," Jaina said. "He killed them using the Force, and he felt them when they died."
Han and Leia both looked shock at this.
"How's that even possible?" Leia asked. "I thought ysalamiri repressed the Force around them."
"Apparently, it was something that Jacen learned from whatever weird cult he's been visiting," Jaina echoed her father. "But it sickened him. It sickened him that, by killing innocent creatures who didn't know why they were about to die, he had to save someone who rejected him."
"Well... I guess I can... somewhat see his point," Han said.
But Leia sensed that Han sympathized with their son more than he was letting on.
"What happened to Jacen?" Leia asked her daughter.
"He left the system not long after I found out why he was upset," Jaina explained. "He didn't say where; he just up and left."
"Well, with any luck, he's probably back on his sojourn again," Han figured out loud. "Probably learning whatever new Force stuff there is out there in those other sects."
"Probably," Jaina agreed.
"Listen, Jaina, your father and I are in trouble," Leia explained, moving on to more pressing matters. "We had to disobey a direct order from Kenth Hamner not to come here, and, well..."
"It kinda got outta hand," Han said.
"Outta hand?" Jaina asked.
"To the point that we're now fugitives from Galactic Alliance law," Leia elaborated.
"Ah," Jaina said, her eyes widened.
"Yeah," Han said. "In fact, um... we didn't even come here on the Falcon. We had to steal a ship to get here."
"That sounds like a big problem," Jaina understated.
"And the weird thing is," Leia said, "your father actually admitted all this to the Chiss we talked to, and they actually allowed us in. I felt that it was Sekot's influence, but I have to wonder: how long do you think it'll be before that influence is overcome by Chiss law, especially since they're on good terms with the GA, Jaina?"
Jaina shrugged. "I'd say you wouldn't wanna stay long; you may wanna leave the Csilla system, and basically stay out of anyplace they have a claim to, and find a good place to hide."
"Sounds like a good plan to me," Han said. "Question is: where the kriff are your mother and I gonna hide?"
"Well, this is the Unknown Regions, Mom and Dad," Jaina pointed out. "I'm sure you'll find somewhere you can hide."
"Yeah, but personally, I prefer it to be safe," Han said.
"I don't blame ya, Dad," Jaina said. "But you know the saying: Good help can be so hard to find."
"Jaina's right, Han," Leia said. "We have to leave now, and find somewhere where neither the GA nor the Chiss can find us."
"Then we'd better start looking," Han said.
After a round of goodbyes with Jaina, Han and Leia turned and left the hut to head back to their stolen ship. From there, they were back out in space and given clearance by the three Chiss Star Destroyers in orbit over Zonama to leave the Csilla system.
Once hyperspace enfolded their illegally confiscated ship, Han looked to his wife and said, "You know, not that I actually wanna sound like I care about our selfish brat of a son, but... is Jacen okay?"
Leia stifled a grin to her husband, knowing that would only make him groan in annoyance. "Well, the Force can only tell me if he's alive or not, at least when we're not in the same system as him. So all I can tell you for sure is that he's still living and breathing. As for whether or not he's okay, at least emotionally? That's a bit iffy, but after what Jaina told us, I'm not sure he's having the best time, Han."
.
"Yeah!" Jacen yelped as he took another swig of the bottle of Hapan brandy, much to the applause of the pleased women around him.
He then continued dancing shirtless on top of the Hapan cantina tabletop of, gyrating his hips and body before all of them, and they all whooped in pleasure at the sight of his chiseled physique.
And all the while, seated in her own reserved private booth in the bar, Queen Mother Tenel Ka Djo watched in a more reserved admiration for Jacen's drunken dance.
Seated at either side of her, her cousins, Trista and Taryn Zel, sat averting their eyes in a mixture of shame and pity; Trista had her head in both her palms as her elbows were seated on the table while Taryn had only one of her elbows on the table, with the hand on it covering her own eyes; and both of their heads were bowed.
"If I may speak freely, cousin?" Trista said as she took her head out of her hands.
"As you wish," Tenel Ka allowed with mirth.
"I hope you are still not allowing this man to still get a continuous flow of your money into his bank account," Trista said. "Because I can understand, what with your history with him, why you would allow him the funds necessary to continue his sojourn. But ever since he came to you, saying that he wants to settle here on Hapes, I fail to see why you should keep giving him money if this-" she waved a hand at the drunk-dancing Jacen "-is how he'll spend his time now. It would be a waste of the royal funds, cousin!"
"Not when I have agreed to let Jacen be my primary paramour," Tenel Ka said, "and live with me in the Fountain Palace."
Taryn brought her head out of her hand and joined Trista in looking at their cousin in apprehension.
"You did not tell us that, cousin!" Taryn pointed out.
"And we are the chiefs of your security!" Trista furthered. "Why did you not tell us that to begin with?"
"Oh, I was going to tell the two of you!" Tenel Ka said with a friendly dismissive wave of her one hand. "But I wanted to have some entertainment first; and I must say, I find it difficult to see why you would not find this arousing."
"Beg your pardon, Your Majesty, but there is nothing arousing about drunkards to me," Trista said.
"Fair enough," Tenel Ka said. "Taryn, what about you?"
"You know I do not find men to be attractive, cousin," Taryn said.
"Ah, yes, of course. How is Jileek doing, by the way? I forgot to ask," Tenel Ka said.
"She is doing fine in her own bar, thank you," Taryn said. "One which does not allow things like this to happen." She indicated Jacen with a wave of her hand.
"At least men wouldn't do it?" Tenel Ka inquired with a quirky smile.
Taryn couldn't help but share the smile.
And at the same time, Jacen reached down and pulled up a dark-skinned Hapan woman and started to make out with her.
Trista's eyes widened, and looked to her cousin, who still had a mirthful look of entertainment. When Tenel Ka looked at her, she looked annoyed. "Oh, please! Let us not bring double standards, at least not in my company; if I am allowed multiple partners in bed, I believe Jacen should be allowed the same. In fact, I might even invite some over one night, if I am in the mood."
As Jacen pulled back from the kiss with the Hapan whom he was making out with, he suddenly lost his balance and fell off the table, much to the excited surprise of the women around him.
