Chapter Eleven

Later that evening

Han leaned back in his chair and waited until the server droid removed his dinner plate before moving back forward. "Dinner okay?"

Mara nodded. "Yes, it was excellent. I'm sure you employ top-notch chefs."

"Actually," Han informed her, "I don't. I have a Chandrillan, Nai Trium, that oversees the housekeeping droids and sometimes she'll fix a meal for me. Her husband, Peir, oversees the droids taking care of the estate grounds. They live in one of the town homes."

"So Nai Trium made this dinner?" Mara asked. "She's very good, considering she's not a professional."

"Uh, no," Han said, shifting a in his seat. "I, um, made it. While you an' Luke were resting and getting unpacked."

Luke bit his lower lip to keep from grinning. He knew from the days he'd spent flying around in the Falcon that Han could cook, but his fiancee wouldn't have known that. "Thanks, Evin. Great grub you threw together. Almost better than a ration bar," he teased.

Mara said mockingly, "Is there nothing the multi-talented Evin Daysun can't do?"

"He can't wield a lightsaber or lift objects with his mind," Luke shot back, trying to get a rise out of Han.

It didn't work. "I can shoot a blaster straight and true, and that's better than a 'saber any day of the week."

Mara cleared her throat. "Luke told me about your offer to build the Academy. That's very charitable and generous."

Another thing that hadn't changed in Han, Luke thought, was his discomfort over sincere compliments." "I was thinking," Luke put in, seeing Han was getting embarrassed, "that maybe Mara and I could use that Groom's House, out by the equinoid barn, until the Academy building is finished. If that's okay with you, of course."

The request set Han back. "The Groom's House?"

"It's not being used, is it?"

"No..." Han said, trying to keep the disappointment out of his tone and his expression. It was harder, much harder, to keep it out of his emotions. "I guess you can use it."

Luke immediately could tell something was bothering Han. "You don't want us to use it."

"Well," Han said, flushing and suddenly studying his kaf cup like it was an expensive antique in a museum. "I was just thinkin', assuming, I guess, that you an' Mara would live here." With me. "In this house. It's so big, and it has so many bedrooms, and the Groom's House only has one..." he trailed off, rubbing his thumb on the rim of the cup.

"We only need one," Mara said, noting the look Luke shot her after she spoke.

Han's lonely, Luke realized with a start. He lives in this huge house, all alone, with no one but cleaning droids to talk to and interact with. He was hoping... "I don't see a reason we can't move in here."

Mara looked startled and Han looked up, his expression that of happiness and relief. "That's great, Luke! You can have the entire east wing. Four entire bedrooms all to yourself."

"We only need one," Luke replied with a grin.

"For right now," Han put in. "But you'll have kids someday."

"Wait a second," Mara interrupted. "Don't I have any say in this? Where we live? If we have..." she glared at Luke, "...have kids?" She whipped her head to face Solo. "And how long do you expect us to live here with you, anyway?"

Han wanted to reply forever, but instead he said, "Until I get married an' me and my wife have so many kids we need to kick you out so they can all have their own bedrooms."

"This house has eight bedrooms," Luke said, again trying not to laugh. "Your poor, future wife..."

"She ain't gonna be poor," Han responded in kind. "Nanny droids, Luke. Lots of nannies."

Luke turned to look at Mara. "I'm sorry, I should have asked you first. Where do you want to live?"

Mara glanced back and forth between Luke and Han, trying to figure out this strange friendship that seemed to pop out of nowhere. "We can stay here," she finally agreed. "Think of the stories we'll be able to tell our grandchildren. They'll never believe we once lived in the mansion of the Immortal Evin Daysun."

"Immoral?" Han asked, eyes wide and pretending to misunderstand. "I'll have you know that Lando won't let me mess around with my fans anymore. Says it could cause legal problems in the future."

"And you actually listened to Calrissian?"

"Sometimes I listen, but only when I want to," Han responded with a sly grin.

"I suppose that's the reason you get all those threatening letters from boyfriends and husbands," Luke joked. The second he spoke, he could see Han's face cloud over.

"Those letters ain't funny, Luke." He stood up and stomped away.

"You had to go and offended him," Mara told her fiance with a straight face. "Now he won't build your Academy."

"I guess I should go find him and apologize," Luke said, shaking his head. "I forgot how sensitive he can be."

"You forgot?" Mara frowned. "Luke, something weird is going on here, and I..."

She stopped talking as Han came thundering back into the dining room. He shoved a flimsi in Luke's direction and demanded, "Read this."

Luke pulled it out of its envelope, noting the thick block lettering on the front addressed to Evin Daysun at his estate's address. The letter was unlike anything Luke had ever read before in his life. It started out by stating the writer was a fan, but then went into graphic, violent details about how this fan intended to kidnap, sexually assault and then kill Evin Daysun. It left little to the imagination, and Luke was actually stunned and shaking after he'd finished. Silently, he handed it over for Mara to read, as well.

"Oh, Sith," Mara whispered as her eyes scanned the contents. "This is terrible."

"Yeah," Han agreed through gritted teeth. "And I get lots of those types of letters, from all over the galaxy."

"You need us to stay here," Luke surmised quietly. "You need protection."

"No, that's not the reason I asked you," Han said gruffly. "I have Corran for my Security Chief, and he's great at doing his job. He's a Jedi, too, you know."

"I know Corran is good," Luke replied. "But you'll still be safer with me and Mara actually living here with you. You'd be even safer if you let me train you..."

"Oh, for KRIFF'S SAKE," Han shouted at his friend. "Let it go, already, Luke. I'm good at takin' care of myself, ya know. It's what I'm best at, if I recall correctly."

Mara handed the disgusting letter back to Han. "Do you know who sent this trash?"

"Actually, Corran did figure out who sent it. The scan mark from the mailing location in Coronet City helped, and then he got a DNA match. We have the name of the guy, and CorSec said they'd keep an eye on him, like that'd do any good." Han suddenly grinned at Luke. "Hey, I have an idea. Do you have any plans for tonight?"

"Your ideas are usually bad. And dangerous. And reckless."

"But fun."

"What is it you want to do?" Luke asked suspiciously.

Coronet City

"Mara hated this idea," Luke spoke to Han inside the dark interior of his hovercar. "She said you're a bad influence on me, and this is coming from knowing you less than a day."

Han smirked. "So you're saying she has good insight into a person's character?"

"Yes, she does."

"Don't say much for your insight, huh?"

"Nope," Luke agreed, looking over at the little, rundown house in a bad part of town. Several broken speeders sat in the front lawn, with various parts strewn about carelessly. "He's not exactly a tidy sort, is he?"

"Doesn't look like it," Han agreed, then joked, "They must not have a very good HOA in this neighborhood."

"You never know," Luke replied, looking at the other dimly lit, shabby homes. "He might be the President." Luke then added hopefully, "Maybe he's not home."

"Nah, he's in there," Han replied, eyes fixed on the house. "If I can tell, you sure as hell can tell."

Sighing, Luke got out of the hovercar. "Let's get this over with. I hope he doesn't have his house rigged up with thermal detonators. Unstable people do things like that."

"Detonators cost lots of credits," Han pointed out.

"With our luck, he's a thief and stole them."

Han seemed to find this remark amusing and headed up the narrow walkway. "You ring the comm, and I'll stand a little behind you until he answers."

"Afraid?"

"No, I wanna step out and give him the shock of his life." Han removed his blaster from the holster. "Keep your fingers on your 'saber, kid. Can't trust lunatics."

"And yet, here I am, with you." Without waiting for Han to respond to that insult, Luke rang the buzzer.

Only seconds passed when the door partially opened, and a very short, bald man peered out nervously from the narrow slot. "Can I help you?"

"We're with the Corellian Revenue Service, and we would like to speak to you about the last five years of your tax filings," Luke said, using Han's 'opening suggestion.' "You are Urik Zetle, right?"

The man stuttered out, "It's late! You people usually call first!"

Luke heard Han give a snort from behind him and say, "Figures."

"Are you going to let us in, or not?" Luke demanded. "This won't look good in the report if you send us away."

"Okay, fine," the man said, sounding miffed as he stepped aside to allow entry. "But I'm getting the name of your supervisor and complaining about your methods."

"You do that," Han said, moving out from behind Luke as he stuck his blaster into the man's frightened face. "Recognize me?"

The small man slowly looked up, his face registering shock. "Evin...?

"Yeah, it's,me, Evin Daysun." Han sneered as he pulled the letter from his pocket, waving it under the man's nose. "Thought I'd give you the chance to explain this shit before I send you down to visit your Sith relatives in hell."

"I... I..."

"Great explanation. Sorta what I was expecting."

Luke, meantime, had looked over the small dining-living area, The furniture was like the exterior, shabby and broken and the paint on the walls peeling. It was nothing remarkable, and neither was the tiny refresher or the bedroom off to one side. There was, however, another door, but this one was shut and locked. "Can you open this?" Luke asked, projecting calmness toward the scared man.

"I, um, rather not..."

"Luke, just open it," Han said impatiently.

The Jedi turned on his lightsaber, drawing yet another shocked gasp from their victim. He opened the door with ease, and flipped on the lights. Then he stepped back in surprise.

"Evin...?"

"Yeah?" Han replied, not taking his eyes off Urik.

"You might want to take a look at this... room."

Han grabbed Urik by his nightgown and shoved him toward Luke, keeping his blaster tight against the man's ribcage. It was Han's turn to be stunned into silence. The room was plastered, walls and ceiling, with flimsi's, every one showing his image from various holo-cubes and the two movies he'd been in. But the most shocking part of the room was the narrow bed in the center of the room, with stun cuffs attached to each corner post, sharp utility knives and violent, pain inducing sex toys sold from the darkest reaches of the galaxy.

Urik broke the silence. "It was only a fantasy... I would never... I don't have the ability..."

"Shut the fuck up!" Han screamed, his face red with rage. "You... you are sick! I really SHOULD blow your fucking brains out!"

"Ha.. Evin," Luke said, putting a hand on Han's sleeve and trying to project a sense of calmness and balance toward his friend. "You can't do that. It's illegal, for one thing, and kinda dark side for another."

Han turned his furious gaze toward Luke. "What do you suggest I do? Walk away and laugh? This ain't funny!"

"No, it's not," Luke replied. He turned to Urik. "You will take every single flimsi down and send it through the 'cyler. And you will put all that...stuff into a box and Evin and I will take it with us and destroy it. Do you understand?"

"Yes...yes..."

"Good. And don't even think about putting this room back together once we're gone, because I'm a Jedi and I will know if you are doing that, or even thinking about it, no matter where I am in the galaxy. Do you understand?"

"Y... yes.."

"Do it. Now."

The man jumped to obey Luke, and an hour later, with the offending objects in the back of the hovercar, Luke and Han drove away.

"Do you think that jerk actually believes you can tell what he's doing, all the time, from anywhere in the galaxy?" Han asked thoughtfully.

"He believes, and that's all that matters. I don't think you'll ever have a problem with Urik Zetle again."

"Yeah, one down, five thousand six hundred forty two more to go."

Luke laughed, knowing it was a number Han just made up, but it probably wasn't too far off the mark in reality. Yes, his Corellian friend needed him, and Luke fully intended to stay around and help as much as possible.