Disclaimer: I am not George Lucas or J.K. Rowling.
Enter Luke, Han, and Leia, in Teyr Cottage.
Enter Alema.
Alema. Luke. San Hill would like to speak to you. He is in the smallest bedroom. He says he does not want to be overheard.
Exit Alema.
Luke, Han, and Leia enter San Hill's room.
Enter Hill.
Hill. I have reached my decision, Luke Skywalker, Though the Muuns of the Banking Clan will consider it base treachery, I have decided to help you . . . in return for payment.
Luke. [taken aback] What do you want? I've got credits, lots of them.
Hill. I have no interest in credits. I want the vibrosword, the vibrosword of Darth Revan.
Luke. You can't have that. I'm sorry.
Hill. Then we have a problem.
Han. We can give you something else. I'll bet the Isards have got a lot of stuff. You can take your pick once we get into the vault.
Hill. [angry] I am not a thief, boy. I am not trying to procure treasures to which I have no right.
Han. The vibrosword's ours . . .
Hill. It is not.
Han. We're Revans. And it was Darth Revan's . . .
Hill. And before it was Revan's, whose was it?
Han. No one's. It was made for him, wasn't it?
Hill. [angry] No. Jedi arrogance again. That vibrosword was Damask the Wise's, taken from him by Darth Revan. It is a lost treasure, a masterpiece of Muun handiwork. It belongs with the Muuns. The vibrosword is the price of my hire. Take it or leave it.
Hills glares at the humans.
Luke. We need to discuss this, Hill, if that's all right. Could you give us a few minutes?
Hill nods.
Luke, Han, and Leia step out of Hill's room.
Exit Hill.
Is it true? Was the vibrosword stolen by Revan?
Leia. I don't know. Republic history often skates over what the Jedi have done to other Force-sensitive species. But there's no account that I know of that says Revan stole the vibrosword.
Han. It will be one of those Muun stories about how the Jedi are always trying to get one over them. I suppose we should thank the Force he hasn't asked for one of our lightsabers.
Leia. Muuns have got good reason to dislike humans, Han. They've been treated brutally in the past.
Han. Muuns aren't exactly fluffy little chickatili, though, are they? They've killed plenty of us. They've fought dirty, too.
Leia. But arguing with Hill about which race is most underhanded and violent isn't going to make him more likely to help us, is it?
Han. Okay. How's this? We tell Hill we need the vibrosword until we get inside the vault. And then he can have it. There's a fake in there, isn't there? We switch them. And give him the fake.
Leia. Han. He'd know the difference better than we would. He's the only one who realized there had been a swap.
Han. Yeah. But we could haul jets before he realizes . . .
Leia glares at Han.
Leia. That is despicable. Ask for his help, then double-cross him? And you wonder why Muuns don't like humans, Han?
Han. All right, all right. It was the only thing I could think of. What's your solution, then?
Leia. We need to offer him something else, something of equal value.
Han. [sarcastic] Astral. I'll go and get one of our other ancient Muun-made vibroswords, and you can gift wrap it.
Luke. Maybe he's lying, Hill. Maybe Revan didn't take the vibrosword. How do we know the Muun version of history's right?
Leia. Does it make a difference?
Luke. It changes how I feel about it. [takes a deep breath] We'll tell him he can have the vibrosword after he's helped us get into that vault. But we'll be careful to avoid telling him exactly when he can have it.
Han grins.
Leia. [alarmed] Luke. We can't . . .
Luke. He can have it after we've used it on all of the clones. I'll make sure he gets it then. I'll keep my word.
Leia. But that could take years.
Luke. I know that. But he doesn't have to know. I won't be lying, really.
Leia. I don't like this.
Luke. Nor do I, much.
Han. Let's go and tell him. Everything will be fine.
Enter Hill.
Hill. I have your word, Luke Skywalker, that you will give me the vibrosword of Revan if I help you?
Luke. Yes.
Hill. Then shake.
Luke and Hill shake hands.
So, we begin. I have visited the Isards' vault only once, on the occasion I was told to place inside it the false vibrosword. It is one of the most ancient chambers. The oldest Force-sensitive families store their treasures at the deepest level, where the vaults are largest and best protected. . . .
After she, Luke, and Han spend the day planning with Hill, Leia checks her supply of ooglith masquers.
Leia. There's only enough for one of us.
Luke. [examines Hill's map of Muunilinst] That will be enough. If we plan this right, only one of us will need to transform.
Exit all.
