There was no Dark Jedi waiting for the Rebel Bothans or the two human Jedi, just a wall of military machinery - the Bothan version of AT AT's - headed in their direction, firing lasers as they approached. Luke and Mara ignited their sabers, doing their best to deflect the blaster bolts.
"This way," Sar'ren yelled, waving his troops and the Jedi toward mounds. The Rebels tore off the covering, revealing speeder bikes hidden in the leaf litter of the forest floor. Quickly, they jumped on, two per bike, speeding off as they tried to avoid the heavy artillery. Some of them actually made it. Luke pulled a bike upright, mounting it and turning on the controls. "Hurry," he yelled over his shoulder as Mara covered him with her lightsaber. "Get on... "
She turned and jumped on behind Luke, barely having time to turn off her saber before he tore off. "Do you know how to fly one of these things?" Mara yelled in his ear.
"Sure... they're just like the speeders back on Tatooine."
"Were you any good?"
"Of course," he yelled back, needing to shout to be heard over the rush of wind. "I hardly ever crashed."
"That's so reassuring, Skywalker."
Luke swung his speeder bike through the trees, drawing on the Force to guide him. Mara clung to his shirt, not interrupting his concentration as the AT-AT's blasted huge craters around them. Whoever was firing, meant to kill them - not capture them. Other Both'sequst members on the bikes were not faring as well as the Jedi. Many of them were either vaporized in the heavy laser fire, or driving too fast in fear they crashed into the trees, dying upon impact.
But the trees served to also slow down the cumbersome AT-AT's, and soon Luke shot into clearing. Squinting against the wind, Mara could see the surviving members of the Rebels rushing across the field.
"I hope they have a way off this planet," Mara shouted. "But I'm not crazy about leaving the Fire behind, even for a short while."
Luke suddenly skidded his bike to a halt, resting his foot on the ground. "We need to head into the city."
"What?"
"If we follow those Rebels..." Luke trailed off, his eyes unfocused.
She looked at the small specks that were the speeders on the horizon. "If we follow them, what?" Then her eyes tracked up to the sky as a wave of small fighters came over the crest, firing at the remaining Rebels. "Head into the city, Farmboy. I should know better than to question your wisdom," she said with a smirk as Luke pulled the speeder to make a hard turn to the right.
Corellia
Ignoring the holo-reporters, Leia rushed into the Security Headquarters, followed by Winter. A robust man of medium height stuck out his meaty hand, his red face breaking into a large grin. "Commander Quist at your service, Ambassador," he boomed out, his voice matching his frame.
Leia took his hand. "Thank you. My daughter...?"
Quist shifted, the smile leaving his face. "She's quite the handful, your daughter. I must say, she knows exactly what she wants and is very insistent that she get it."
"I want to see her," Leia ordered, not wanting to listen to a stranger tell her Shannon was spoiled. Leia knew this, and she wasn't proud of the fact, either. Now that Vail was gone, things were going to change with Shannon's attitude, and fast.
"Yes, ma'am. But..."
"But, what?"
"We, um, no one has told the child about her father. And she keeps asking to see her daddy, too."
"I see," Leia said. Telling Shannon her beloved father was dead was going to be very difficult. Leia could only hope that hearing it from her mother would help soften the blow. She looked up at the Corellian. "Where is Captain Solo?"
Quist looked surprised at the question. "Solo? He's in the tightest lockup we've got, both him and the Wookiee. Obviously he hired those men seen on the security holo's from Coruscant, the day of the kidnapping - "
"Why is that obvious?" Leia interrupted.
"Your daughter said - "
"Take me to her. Now," Leia ordered.
The Commander nodded, and led Leia through a doorway, while Winter waited. Shannon sat sullenly at a table, busily coloring the white tabletop with markers and ignoring the stacks of flimsies the Corellians had provided.
"Shannon," Leia spoke softly. Her daughter was alive and well, and for that she would be forever grateful.
"Mommy!" The child threw the color sticks aside, rushing over and hugging her mother tightly.
Leia looked over at the Commander. "Leave us. I need to speak to her in private."
"Yes, ma'am." Quist bowed his head, and left the room.
"Mommy... where's daddy?"
"Shannon, I need to find out what happened," Leia said gently as she knelt in front of Shannon. Once she told her daughter about Vail's death, there would be no talking to her.
"That mean man had some people kidnap me," Shannon replied, sticking out her lower lip defiantly.
"Mean man?"
"Captain Solo, and his stupid Wookiee friend."
Leia didn't have much training in the Force, but one thing she was rather accomplished at was her ability to sense the truth. Shannon wasn't being truthful, and Leia felt a wave of relief. "Shannon, don't lie to me."
"I'm not!"
The mother took her daughter by her shoulders, and looked her directly in the eyes. "Shannon, this is important. Tell me the truth."
"Where's daddy?" she whined, squirming under her mother's keen gaze. Her daddy would not accuse her of lying. He would go find Captain Solo and make him apologize to her.
"Shannon!" Leia snapped, trying to keep calm. "This isn't a game. You're destroying two people's lives, and letting the bad people that took you get away. Is that what you want to happen? The real bad guys never getting caught, because you're blaming the wrong people?"
"No...I... I don't know who took me," the child admitted, looking at the floor. "Some strange man - not Captain Solo - and a Gamorrean took me, and then I saw a Bothan, later on." She dared to look at her mother. "Am I in trouble?"
"How did you end up with Captain Solo?"
"I escaped from the mean Bothan," she said, sniffing back tears. If she cried, daddy wouldn't punish her for lying. It worked all the time. "And I snuck onboard his ... Captain Solo's... old ship so the Bothan wouldn't find me. I never saw Captain Solo pay anybody to take me. But Captain Solo was mean to me, too! He wouldn't feed me, unless I ate some crummy old stew! And he wouldn't stop and buy me bristleberry jam! And, and... he told me I had to stay in a boring room with nothing to do," she said, working up a great deal of indignation to go along with her tears. "So I told the officers he was the one that stole me." When her mother said nothing, Shannon asked, "Is Captain Solo's wife okay? I think when he found her, she was sick. I probably shouldn't have gotten him in trouble, if he had a sick wife."
Wife? Han's married? Leia felt her face flush, and her guts tighten at the thought. Of course he'd moved on with his own life, why wouldn't he have? I was the one that told him to leave, and that I never wanted to see him again.
"Mommy?"
"Yes, Shannon?" Leia answered, trying to swallow the hard lump in her throat.
"Where is daddy?"
"My Shannon, my baby," Leia started out, then wrapped her daughter in a tight hug. Shannon would never be punished for lying about Captain Solo, because the next hour would be the most traumatic event in Shannon Golden's young life, and no punishment would ever touch the pain Shannon experienced when she found out her father was dead.
Three hours later...
Han was ordered to his feet, and two guards escorted him down several floors and into a small, sunny room. The binders were removed, which surprised him. Then the guards left the room, surprising him a second time.
The third surprise happened when the door opened again, and Leia Organa entered, her face pale, her eyes red-rimmed. But she was still beautiful, still the woman he remembered and loved. "Ambassador..." he started out formally, preparing to explain his side of the story, and hoping to hell she'd listen before actually killing him.
She hurried toward him, raising her hand to his face. Han flinched back, expecting her to strike him. Instead, Leia rested the palm of her hand against his cheek. "They told me your wife died," she whispered. "I'm so sorry."
"I'm sorry about your husband, too," he said quietly. "Leia... I didn't have anything to do with kidnapping your - " His protest of innocence was cut off when she pulled his head down and stopped his words with a very long kiss. By that time, Han was starting to wonder if the surprises would ever end.
Han broke the kiss first, drawing away, a million questions filtering through his eyes. "Leia?"
The Princess flushed, looking down at the floor. "I'm sorry," she said again. "I don't know what came over me. That was... very inappropriate. I never act like that."
"Like what?"
"Impulsively. Without thinking." Leia felt a twinge of guilt, in fact she'd thought about kissing Han from the first second she heard his name, although she hadn't intended to act on those desires. She still wasn't sure what possessed her to kiss a man she hadn't seen for nine years, especially when she considered that Han must be thinking she was crazy.
Uncertain how to respond, Han tried to steer the conversation back to the more pressing issue. "I didn't kidnap Shannon."
"I know, she told me." Leia sighed. "Shannon likes to get her way, and when you were mean to her - "
"I wasn't mean to her," Han interrupted, irritated. "She kicked me. So I told her she had to stay in the crew quarters until she apologized, only your kid is as stubborn as you are, Princess. She wouldn't apologize or eat the damn stew. It wasn't like I was gonna poison her."
"I'm not stubborn," Leia protested, then laughed at the absurdity of the situation. "We're starting again, Han. Less than a minute in the same room, and already we're arguing."
"I hardly ever argued with Alli," Han remarked quietly.
"You loved her."
Han gave a ragged sigh, running his fingers through his hair. "Alli needed me. Her boys needed me. It felt good to be needed for a change, Princess."
I needed you. I still need you, Leia thought, but didn't say aloud.
"She was a good friend and a wonderful person to be around," Han continued. "You would have liked her, Princess. I'm gonna miss her."
"You don't know where her boys are?"
"Brill Gils took them," Han answered, his voice growing cold. "He killed Alli, too, but I doubt I'll ever be able to prove that."
Leia touched the Corellian's arm. "I'll help you find them, Han. I wish..."
"Wish?"
She headed over to the window, looking out over the distant rooftops. "Why didn't you stop me?"
"Stop you? I don't understand."
"When you left me, I felt dead inside. I know I told you to leave, but I never thought you'd really go. Not really, not after everything we'd already survived together. Why didn't you come back to me?"
Han was silent for a long minute before speaking. "I wanted to come back, Leia. But then when you announced your engagement to another man so fast, I thought that was a pretty clear sign you'd meant what you said."
Leia gave a short, choked laugh. "I accepted Vail's proposal because I thought once you heard I was engaged, you would come charging back into my life, and save me from myself one more time. Only you never came, and things moved along so quickly that I found myself married before I knew it."
"Did you love him?"
"You were lucky, Han. At least you cared for Alli... you knew she was a good person and you had her friendship. Vail wasn't even my friend. Everyone considered Vail my perfect match, and maybe he was. He was the ultimate politician, and he wanted everyone to think he was perfect. The perfect husband, son, father, and the perfect next President." She put her head in her hands. "Tomorrow I have to go to his memorial service and tell the galaxy how much I'll miss him, when in fact, I feel relief that I'm free of him. And I feel guilty, like I'm a terrible person, for feeling relief." She felt Han touch her shoulder, thinking, Please don't leave me again... I don't think I could bear it.
Bothawui
Luke parked the speeder in a dark alley, and Mara quickly swung herself off the bike. "I can't believe we made it into town alive."
"Hey," Luke protested, plastering a mock-hurt look across his face. "I told you I hardly ever crashed. Have some faith in me."
"That will happen once we get off this system alive," Mara returned, trying not to smile. "But so far, we seem to be attracting the wrong sort of attention."
They'd taken a few steps when Luke suddenly stopped, holding out his hand for Mara to stop. Quickly, they both drew out their lightsabers. "I know someone's here," Luke warned. "So you'd better come out peacefully."
"Don't hurt me," a voice said from behind a broken crate.
"That's up to you," Mara snapped. "Come out where we can see you."
Slowly, with both hands raised, a frightened Bothan covered with dirt crawled out, staggering to his feet. "Help me," he gasped, lurching forward. "I've been shot."
In the dim light of the alley, Luke could see a wound in the Bothan's side. The being was obviously on the verge of losing consciousness. "Who are you?"
"My name is Ce'rlle," he groaned. "If you don't help me, I'm dead."
Mara frowned at the blaster wound. "It looks painful, but not fatal."
"No... no... you don't understand. I let the human get away... and now they want me dead because I know too much."
"What human?" Mara asked.
"The child... the senator's child."
Luke and Mara exchanged worried looks. "Who are 'they'?" Luke questioned.
"Fey'lya ... He - "
A blaster shot lit up the alley, striking the Bothan in the neck, and he dropped to the ground dead.
Coruscant
"The child has rescinded her statement accusing Solo," the Commander Quist informed the Bothan. "I had no choice but to allow him and the Wookiee to leave."
Fey'lya wrinkled up his snout into a grin. "It doesn't matter. You did well to record the meeting between Solo and Organa."
"They said nothing that would incriminate themselves. Quite the contrary," Quist replied, mystified.
"I have experts that can alter anything, Quist. Have no fear, by the time the holo-net receives this recording, what Solo and the Princess will be heard saying will be enough to destroy them both. And once I am President, you will receive a very large promotion, Quist."
Quist smiled. "Thank you, Senator. I always enjoy doing business with you."
Bothawui
Luke and Mara spun around, prepared to defend themselves against the assailant, but whoever fired the shot killing the Bothan had fled. "I guess he wasn't kidding about someone wanting him dead," Mara said, following Luke as they ran out of the alley. The murderer was long gone, having driven off in a hover-craft.
"Fey'lya's behind this?" Luke asked, turning to Mara as he stopped running.
"You did tell me you thought this whole thing was more about Vail Golden than Shannon," Mara pointed out. "So, if Fey'lya is behind his death, that would make sense."
"And it would explain why he's trying to blame the insurrectionists."
Mara nodded. "He gets two things accomplished at once - his political rivals dead, and the group that is giving him all this hassle is discredited as criminals."
"That sounds like Fey'lya," Luke agreed. "It would explain why we have so many Bothans shooting at us all the time."
"I'm going to wring that little furry politician neck of his when we get back to Coruscant," Mara growled out. "No one damages my ship and gets away with it."
"Wringing furry necks is of the Dark Side, Mara," Luke said, wagging his finger at her.
"Why is it everything worthwhile or fun of the Dark Side?"
"A better question would be - how are we going to get back to Coruscant?"
"I suggest we steal a furry Bothan ship," Mara replied, heading off toward the landing docks. "And if you say one word, just one word, about stealing being of the Dark Side..."
"I'm not sure Yoda ever said anything about that."
"Good. Finally, something we agree on."
"I'm not sure I technically agree with you on this - "
"Do you think that matters?" Mara asked.
"Not at all," he replied with a sigh as he followed.
Corellia
"Vail was a great man, a great leader for the citizens of Corellia," Leia spoke from the podium. She glanced down at her daughter, sitting between Parry and Linna Golden, the parents of Vail. The older couple, dressed in expensive dark clothing, sat rigid and expressionless, reminding Leia of Vail's belief of never letting strangers see you too happy, or too upset. "His tragic and untimely death leaves an enormous void within his family and the leadership of the New Republic."
Coruscant
The holo-recording of Leia and Han's altered conversation competed with the memorial service on Corellia. The citizens of the New Republic listened as Leia give a short, choked laugh. "I accepted Vail's proposal because I thought once you heard I was engaged, you would come charging back into my life, and save me from myself one more time. Only you never came, and things moved along so quickly that I found myself married before I knew it."
"You didn't love him."
Leia touched the Corellian's arm. "Not really. Vail wasn't even my friend, and I needed him dead. I knew I had to get you back, and I after everything we'd already survived together, you would do anything at all to get me back, too."
Corellia
Continuing her speech, Leia said, "Senator Vail Golden always put the welfare of his constituents ahead of all things in his life. He often told me his greatest desire was to ensure the freedom of all beings, and the longevity of the New Republic. His desire to someday become President, however, will never be realized. The citizens of Corellia have lost their brightest star."
Coruscant
"I knew you wanted me back, Leia. I thought that was a pretty clear sign you'd meant what you said when you asked me to kill him, and no one will ever be able to prove it."
"Vail wasn't even my friend. Everyone considered Vail my perfect match, but he wasn't. He was a terrible politician, and he wanted everyone to think he was perfect. The perfect husband, son, father, and the perfect next President." She put her head in her hands. "I have to go to his memorial service and tell the galaxy how much I'll miss him, when in fact, I feel relief that I'm free of him."
Then Leia headed over to the window, looking out over the distant rooftops. "Nothing can stop us now, Han."
Corellia
"Vail was a husband, a friend, and a father. Even though Vail is gone, Corellia will always have a part of him with Shannon Golden, a true child of Corellia." Leia bowed her head briefly as the people gave muted applause, unaware of the storm brewing over Coruscant.
Mara punched in the warm-up codes, nodding to herself in satisfaction as the stolen shuttle hummed to life. She glanced over at Luke, who was attempting to contact Leia - to no avail. "Still nothing?"
"No," he commented. "I'm going to see if Wedge answers on Coruscant."
It didn't take long for Wedge's face to appear on the small screen. "Luke! I've been trying to contact you. Where are you?"
"Bothawui, but we're leaving the system right now." Luke could tell something had happened, just by his friend's expression. "What's wrong?"
"The Coruscant Daily News has broadcast a holo-recording of Leia and Han supposedly discussing killing Vail Golden. I just got word that Leia's been arrested on Corellia, and Han and Chewie were re-arrested."
"Re-arrested?" Luke asked, confused. "Han's on Corellia?"
"Somehow Solo got mixed up with Shannon Golden's kidnapping, and he was arrested on that charge. Then he was released when Leia got there, but now all three are locked up. For murder." Wedge sighed. "You should hear Fey'lya going on and on about how he always suspected Leia was still involved with Han. It's like everyone's already forgotten how close Leia came to dying in that attack, too."
"Thanks, Wedge," Luke said. "I'm on my way to Corellia. Can you have Ghent contact me?"
Wedge grinned. "He's been very busy with that request you gave him earlier. Fey'lya's been getting quite a few transmissions, not only from Kothlis, but now Corellia. Unfortunately, all those transmissions are so heavily encrypted he's been working overtime trying to break the codes."
"Tell him I appreciate all the hard work he's doing," Luke added.
"Sure enough."
"Also," Mara put in as she angled the shuttle up, readying for the hyperspace jump. "Ask him if can check out that supposed holo-recording of Solo and the Princess. If Fey'lya's behind this..."
"I'll put him on it right away," Wedge replied.
"Maybe send Artoo over to his room," Luke suggested. "I wouldn't want Ghent to pass out from lack of sleep. Thanks again, Wedge."
"No problem. Take care, Luke... Wedge out."
The image disappeared, and Mara raised an eyebrow at Luke. "So... is the signal from the Force about Solo being involved clearing up yet?"
"I should have contacted him earlier," Luke agreed, watching as Mara pulled the lever and the stolen ship shot into hyperspace.
"Told you so."
Corellia
Leia discovered that Commander Quist was no longer a pleasant person to deal with. The memorial service had been over for less than five minutes when armed security guards surrounded her, ordering her arrest for Vail's murder. Her in-laws had appeared stunned, and Shannon became hysterical as Leia was placed in cuffs and dragged away.
Inside the small questioning room, the Commander had been more than happy to show Leia the holo-recording of her 'confession', and happily told her Solo and Chewbacca had been re-arrested, since their release had only been a ruse.
"I knew all along you were in on this, Ambassador," Quist said with a sneer. "You gave yourself away faster than a greased Hutt sliding down a glacier."
The Princess narrowed her eyes at the smug man. "You're going to pay for this, Quist. False arrest, tampering with evidence... whatever your motives are, you'll find it wasn't worth it."
"Corellian justice works quickly," he remarked, casually flicking on another screen. This one showed Han Solo chained to a chair in a similar room as the one they were in. CorSec guards were busy working Solo over as they tried to get him to confess to Alli and the boys' deaths, and Leia felt her stomach lurch at the scene. "The holo-recording with you and Solo kissing and plotting will be enough to send Solo to his execution. I've scheduled his trial for tomorrow morning, and the judge will render a verdict before the sun sets." Quist grinned at her. "Corellian executions generally take place within two days of the guilty verdict, but I'll see what I can do about convincing the judge to move Solo's up a bit. Fast justice is always the best kind."
Unable to stop herself, Leia let loose with a long string of Corellian insults directed at Quist's heritage. He only laughed. "Solo certainly was a bad influence on you. I suggest you use that for your defense. Maybe you'll only get hard time for life on Kessel, instead of the death penalty."
"My brother will stop you," Leia snapped, forcing herself to look away from Han's beating. "How are you going to explain the fact I was nearly killed in that attack?"
"Easy. You're not the only one that can lay claim to falsified evidence. Your Jedi brother used his powers to make it appear you were injured, when in fact, you were never hurt. I look forward to seeing one Jedi up against CorSec and Corellia's most powerful family. That should be interesting."
"The Goldens don't believe I'm guilty of this," Leia protested.
"Really? Is that why they've filed for full and legal custody of their granddaughter?"
"They... wouldn't do that."
"They already have," he said, smirking at her.
Leia knew that was one thing he wasn't lying about. Luke... wherever you are, please hurry! We need you!
Han was lying on his back, trying not to think about how much his body was aching when the his cell door opened and Commander Quist walked in alone, pointedly holding a stun rod. "Solo, we have a lot to discuss," he said, before waving the guards away. "Your trial is set to begin in two hours."
Eyeing the stun rod warily, Han sat up. "I've got nothing to say to you."
The Commander grinned. "You've seen the holo-recording?"
"Our conversation was altered, and you know it. Kriff... you're the one that probably did it."
Quist shrugged. "The Judge won't believe you. He's an old guy that hates smugglers, by the way."
"I'm not a smuggler anymore," Han spat back. "I haven't been a smuggler for over thirteen years."
"Doesn't really matter, Solo. Your past will be enough to convince him to execute you, and the Wookiee, too. Ambassador Organa I'm not too sure about, but knowing old Judge Wuldter, he'll think that her part in Senator Golden's murder, and the fact she's having an affair with you is enough to eliminate her."
Han struggled to his feet, ignoring the stabbing pains in his torso. "There are experts that can show that recording was tampered with."
"It would take too long, and Wuldter won't have that kind of patience... not for the likes of you."
"So why are you here, Commander?" Han asked, sneering at the man. "Just to gloat?"
"To offer you a deal."
"What kind of deal?" Han questioned suspiciously.
"You plead guilty to murdering Golden, and I'll use my considerable influence to request that Wuldter only sentence the Wookiee and Organa to life on Kessel. Once you admit the recording is real, they won't even be tried, just sentenced."
"I love the Corellian justice system," Han said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"So ... how about it? Your life, to spare your friend and your lover?"
"Let me think about it," Han replied, looking at the ceiling. Then he glared at Quist. "I've thought about it... go to hell."
"In two days, that's exactly where you and your friends will be," Quist snapped, signaling the guards to return and allow him to exit the cell. "Maybe I'll make you watch them die first, Solo. That way, you can live to regret this decision."
Coruscant
Artoo toodled happily, a sure sign he'd broken the encrypted message sent from Kothlis. "Hey, little guy," Ghent said, rubbing his tired eyes. "Let's see what you've got." The young slicer watched as Fey'lya's face filled the viewer.
Borsk Fey'lya was furious. "You shouldn't be contacting me like this," he snapped out. "We have couriers for this type of emergency."
"I realize that," she sniffed. "But these are Jedi we're dealing with. And they're already suspicious of us."
"They know nothing," the Senator growled back. "I expect you to keep it that way."
"What would you suggest I do?"
"Nothing. Do nothing! I will take care of matters myself," Fey'lya replied as he reached down and cut off the communication.
Then, a second message came up, this one dated only two standard days ago.
"This is wonderful," Fey'lya said into the viewer as he listened to the news about the current situation. "Solo is the perfect one to take the blame. I couldn't have planned it any better if I would have tried."
Governor Rei'bedu frowned. "This still does not eliminate the problem with the Insurrections on Bothawui. And the General tells me that the Jedi are now with Sar'ren. If they know, or even suspect, we are in serious trouble."
"Then the Jedi must not survive. Isn't that so?" Fey'lya snapped. "Do whatever you must. Just be very certain none of this can be traced back to me."
"Yes, Senator. What about the Ambassador?"
"I can't take the chance of eliminating her right now. It will have to wait, until Solo has been executed."
Smiling, Ghent leaned back. "I guess Luke and Mara are right... Fey'lya is behind all of this. Now, if we can only break the encryption from that latest message from Corellia, we'll be heroes."
Artoo have a long, indignant beep.
"Okay, okay! You're already a hero, I know. How about you can be a hero again?"
That made Artoo happy, and he turned his attention back to the message from Corellia.
When Han Solo was brought in for his trial in binders, the courtroom was empty except for Judge Wuldter, Commander Quist and a very nervous looking young man that Han had never seen before. The four guards escorting Han forced him to sit in a hard chair directly in front of the Judge's bench, fastening his ankles to the chair legs. The guards then withdrew to the edges of the large room, guarding the two exits.
Quist stood up and approached the white haired judge. "Your majesty, the honorable Judge Wuldter," he said, inclining his head. "I will be submitting the evidence for finding Han Solo guilty." The Commander turned and grinned at Han. "This is Bret Nehoc," he said, waving his hand at the other man. "I asked him to be your Defender, Solo."
"How old are you?" Han asked, eyeing the kid up and down. "Twelve?"
The young man flushed a deep red, before he mumbled, "I'm twenty-one."
"How many people have you defended? Successfully, that is?" Han questioned, trying not to roll his eyes.
"Um, well..." Bret coughed. "You're my first case."
"EVER?"
"Yes."
Wuldter slammed his small hammer down on the table. "This is unnecessary babble! Present your case, Commander Quist!"
Smirking, Quist walked over and hit the 'on' button on a holo-vision viewer. The same scene with Han and Leia discussing Vail's murder played. When it was over, the judge looked at Defender Nehoc. "Do you have any defense against this evidence?"
"I'm not sure." The young man squirmed uncomfortably, then addressed Han. "Do we?"
Ignoring the kid, Han glared at the judge. "That recording's been altered. If you have experts - "
"Out of order," Wuldter snapped. "Do not address the judge directly, prisoner." He turned his steely gaze at Nehoc. "Are there experts analyzing this recording?"
"No..."
"Do you have any witnesses that have seen this evidence being altered?"
"No."
There was a shuffling sound at the door, and all eyes focused on a man wearing a brown robe, the cowl pulled over his face. "I will testify for the Defense," the man spoke from across the room.
Two of the guards moved forward to intercept the stranger, then staggered backwards as though they'd been pushed, but the man never touched them. The other two guards then tried to point blasters in his direction, but the weapons flew from their hands, clattering harmlessly against the far wall.
Han's face broke into a grin at this display. "Luke!"
Moving forward, the Jedi pulled back his cowl, unable to stop himself from returning his friend's smile. "It's been a long time, Han. How are things going?"
"Same as always," Han replied, nodding toward the judge and Quist.
"That bad, huh?"
"What gives you the right to interrupt these proceedings?" Quist demanded, his face flushing in anger.
"I have evidence which shows Han Solo, Chewbacca and Leia Organa are being set up," Luke replied calmly, pulling out a small disk as he felt a rush of gratitude for Artoo and Ghent's abilities.
Quist stared at the disk, unwilling to take it from the Jedi's hand. "Evidence?"
Bret Nehoc stood up. "I move we view this new evidence, your honor."
"This court does not appreciate surprise witnesses," Wuldter muttered. Then he waved his hand toward the viewer. "Show us what you have brought, Jedi."
Luke nodded, then inserted the disk. The faces and voices of Senator Fey'lya and Governor Rei'bedu appeared, and the Judge listened to the communications. When it finished, he looked at Luke with disbelief. "Are you telling me these two upstanding heroes and statesbeings are responsible for Senator Golden's death?"
"Yes," Luke answered, keeping his tone respectful. "Fey'lya wanted Senator Golden dead because he was the most likely candidate to become the next President, something he wants himself."
"Then why kidnap the child?" Quist snapped out.
"To confuse the issue, and cast blame on Bothan insurrectionists." Luke took a breath, then continued, "I have experts trying to decrypt a message sent from Corellia to Coruscant. I believe it will show the original conversation between Leia and Han, before it was altered."
"He's lying!" Quist shouted, fully aware if the message he sent to Fey'lya was decrypted he would be ruined. "This supposed Jedi is the brother to Leia Organa! He'd say anything to save his sister's life. And let's not forget who their father is, either."
"Leia was badly injured in that attack. If she was involved - "
"Jedi are mind-alterers! She could have made it appear she was injured!" Quist interrupted. "Solo took the child, and when the ransom was paid by the Golden family, then the Ambassador would have met Solo at a contact point. Then, the three of them would have changed their identities and lived the high life on the ransom money!" He turned to the Judge. "The man we are trying is a criminal... a smuggler! He also killed his own wife and her two boys just so he could be with Organa!"
"I didn't kill Alli or the boys!" Han protested.
"You have no evidence - " Luke started out, but was again cut off.
"I am inclined to believe Commander Quist," the old Judge said, his face stern. "This recording you presented could be altered just as easily as the one you claim is altered."
Luke bowed his head. "Very true. Leia Organa is my sister, and I dearly love her. I would do anything to save her life."
Quist grinned. "Anything?"
"Yes."
"Would you admit in this court that Solo killed Golden, and your sister was not in her right mind at the time? I would be pleased if I didn't have to actually prosecute Organa."
Luke looked directly into Quist's eyes. "If you turn Leia Organa and Chewbacca over to me so they can face trial on Coruscant, I will withdraw this evidence, and allow Solo to be found guilty."
"What?" Han yelled, wishing he could stand up. "Why would you - "
"Deal, Jedi," Quist replied, sticking out his hand. "But they will be transported to Coruscant on a Corellian transport, under guard."
Luke grasped the man's clammy palm. "Deal."
The Judge cleared his throat loudly. "Han Solo, I find you guilty of the murder of Senator Golden, and you are hereby sentenced to die by lethal injection tomorrow morning." Wuldter looked at Luke. "Once Solo is declared dead, you may take Organa and the Wookiee to Coruscant immediately."
"That's fine," Luke agreed, trying to block out Han's feelings of shock and betrayal. "I would like one more small favor, your honor."
"What would that be?"
"Solo's body, once he's deceased."
"That's highly unusual..."
"But acceptable," Luke said firmly.
"Yes," the Judge muttered, feeling confused. "Acceptable."
Coruscant, one hour later.
Fey'lya was furious when Quist contacted him. "You let her go? I told you ..."
"I know what you told me!" Quist snapped. "I can't have that holo-recording decrypted!"
"And I can't have Organa return to Coruscant!" Fey'lya replied. "I want her dead."
"They won't make it off of Corellia alive," Quist reassured the Bothan. "I will arrange for the Jedi's ship to 'malfunction'. You find the slicer, and get rid of him and the evidence."
"I don't like how this is going, Quist."
"Trust me," the Corellian responded. "I'll take care of my end."
"You'd better," Fey'lya warned.
"How did she take it?" Mara asked Luke after he'd returned from visiting his sister.
"She was furious," Luke admitted. "Leia told me I had no right to trade Han's life for hers, and she's not going to leave Corellia without Shannon, either."
Mara leaned back against the acceleration couch in the shuttle's main room. "I can't blame her."
Slumping into the seat across from Mara, Luke ran his fingers nervously through his hair. "You should have been in the courtroom. I've never felt such intense hurt coming from Han's emotions."
"It's not like you could fill him in on the details," Mara replied. "He should know you well enough to trust you, and so should Leia."
"I'm not too crazy about any of this plan," Luke said with a sigh. "I don't think Leia or Han would be fond of it, even if I could spell it out for them beforehand." He fixed his blue eyes on Mara. "I don't like having you take such risks, either."
"I can handle this," she said, smirking. "After all, I used to dispose of beings for a living. Solo will just be one more victim."
"Did you find the right chemicals?"
Mara held up two small vials. "It never ceases to amaze me what you can purchase on the streets for the right amount of credits."
"I hope whoever sold it to you was telling you the truth, and it's not something else," Luke said, eyeing the small container warily.
"He was telling the truth," Mara answered. "My lightsaber was quite enough to convince him not to double-cross me."
"Mara! What did I tell you about darkside threats?"
Laughing, she stood up. "I have places to go, Skywalker, and so do you. I'll see you tomorrow morning... with Solo's body."
"Be careful, Mara," Luke admonished as he watched her head off for her next assignment.
In the early morning hours, Luke Skywalker scaled the security fence surrounding the Golden Estate. Using his lightsaber, he disable the main control box outside, then reached out with the Force to assess any further danger. Luke was certain there were security droids, which he would not be able to sense, so he moved slowly, staying in the deep shadows of the trees and shrubs.
Despite the extensive and very expensive security measures taken by the Goldens, getting inside the house was not much of a challenge for a Jedi. Luke could easily locate his niece's Force-signature, and quickly headed for her room. If everything went according to plan, Shannon would soon be safely inside the stolen Bothan shuttle about the same time Han was being executed.
Mara would then ensure the Corellian's body was moved to the transport vessel, where Luke would meet up with Leia and Chewie. Mara would then hurry to the shuttle, and leave Corellia with Shannon at the same time the transport was leaving with the rest of them.
This plan should work, Luke kept telling himself as he made his way toward Shannon's room. But the Force was warning him that something was not going to go as planned.
It wasn't even dawn when the six guards came for Han. Although he struggled and fought, Han was outnumbered and they slammed him into the wall, knocking the air from his lungs before they clamped heavy binders around his ankles and wrists. Then, dragged from the small cell, Han was hoisted onto a cart where his arms and legs were strapped down painfully tight, cutting off his circulation.
As the hover-cart moved down the stark white halls, Han stared up at the ceiling. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that Luke had given up so quickly, and so willingly accepted his death sentence. Did Luke truly believe these people were simply going to allow Chewie and Leia to leave peacefully for Coruscant? The way he was being rushed through that mockery of a trial and sent to his death was a sure sign someone high up was involved with Vail Golden's murder. Luke, of all people, should be able to see this. So why couldn't he?
Eventually, the hover-cart was pushed into the center of a small, round room, with an observation deck along the top edge of the wall. Commander Quist, as well as the old Judge sat staring down. Several newer model One-Bee droids shuffled around the walls, and the guards quickly left. The room smelled like oil and stale, musty air.
Another door slid open, and a pretty woman with red hair tied back into a bun entered the room, holding a syringe. Han swallowed hard against his dry throat, looking away from the needle, but met the woman's green eyes with a defiant glare. "Flunk out of regular medical school, sweetheart?"
The corners of her lips twitched upwards, but the rest of her face was expressionless. "It takes skill to kill someone cleanly, Solo. It's a special talent of mine. You should be grateful I'm such an expert."
"Yeah, I'm so grateful, I can't even move a muscle."
She approached him, and Han glanced at the identity badge on her white gown. While the face matched, the name said, 'Dr. Burt Keile'. "Burt?" Han asked, taking in her calm, almost amused demeanor. "You don't look like a 'Burt', Doctor Keile."
"My parents were hoping for a boy," she replied, tugging his sleeve up.
"Instead, they got an assassin," Han shot back, wincing as the needle pieced his vein.
"True," she said, raising her eyebrows. "Any last words?"
"How about a last kiss?" he asked sarcastically.
"Maybe next time," she replied, depressing the plunger and watching Solo's eyes flutter close.
"Shannon?" Luke whispered, gently shaking the child. "Wake up."
She mumbled and stirred. "Daddy?"
"No... it's Uncle Luke," he answered quietly. "I'm going to take you home, Shannon. Okay?"
The girl sat up, rubbing her sleepy eyes. Then, looking into Luke's face, she screamed.
"Shhhh..." Luke whispered, holding his hand lightly over her mouth. This only made matters worse, since Shannon started screaming louder.
"Gramma! Grampa!"
"Shannon!" Luke yelled over her screams. "Be quiet... don't you want to see your mommy?"
"Mommy killed daddy! Gramma and Grampa told me so! I never want to see my mommy again!"
The lights in the outside hallway came on, shining under the edge of the bedroom door. Luke tried again to reason with the girl. "Shannon, listen to me. Your mother did NOT kill your father. I know who did, and we're going to catch him real soon, I promise. Your mommy loves you, she would never do anything to hurt you."
"SHANNON?" Linna Golden called down the hall. "Are you alright, dear? Grandmother's coming."
Luke quickly stood up, trying to gather the struggling child up into his arms.
"GRAMMA! UNCLE LUKE IS TRYING TO KILL ME!"
The door started to open, so Luke quickly reached out with the Force, keeping it securely shut. By this time, Shannon was sobbing and hysterical, and only Luke's Force abilities kept the girl from freeing herself. He headed over to the window, noting the three story drop. Normally, this wouldn't be a problem. However, under his current state of siege, making the jump while holding the girl was going to make the drop interesting.
"Stand back, Shannon," Parry Golden, the grandfather, yelled out. "I'm going to blast this door open. I've already called CorSec, so you're in deep trouble, Jedi Skywalker!"
Luke jumped out of the window just seconds before the bedroom door blasted into pieces.
'Dr. Burt Keile' bent over the apparently lifeless body of Han Solo, listening for his heartbeat. The drug she had administered slowed the heart dramatically, but did not stop it from beating. Anyone giving a quick check would think Solo was quite dead. Mara knew Han would fully recover, although he would remain in a near-death state until she administered the antidote. She looked up at the Judge and Commander Quist. "Solo is dead," she declared, signaling the One-Bee droid over to her side. The droid peered at the still human, then pulled a sheet up over the man's head.
Quist leaned over and spoke into a comlink. "Wonderful. Have the guards take the body to docking bay seventy-two, and load him into the shuttle." He looked to the Judge. "I'll go accompany Organa and the Wookiee to the shuttle." Both men stood up and headed out of the viewing room, leaving Mara alone with Han and the two medical droids.
Then the comlink on her belt started vibrating - a signal from Luke that he was in trouble. Nothing ever goes as planned, Mara mentally grumbled to herself. Reaching out with the Force, she turned off both droids, then pushed the hover-cart out of the room. Four guards were standing by, waiting to assist her. "I can handle taking the corpse to the shuttle," Mara ordered the men. "Quist requested your help with controlling the Wookiee at docking bay fourteen."
The men exchanged puzzled looks. "Are you sure? Commander Quist said we were supposed to take the body - "
"Of course I'm sure!" Mara snapped. "Why the kriff would a dead body need four guards escorting it? Are you afraid of the Wookiee? Should I report you for insubordination?"
"No...no..."
"Then go! Docking bay fourteen!"
"Yes, ma'am."
She watched the men hurry off, then pushed the cart in the opposite direction. She almost made it to the exit when loud alarms started blaring through the speakers, and a voice announced over the speakers, "Dr. Burt Keile has been discovered unconscious and tied up in a storage room. The woman going by the name Keile is an imposter. Please find her and detain immediately!"
Coruscant
Ghent let out a loud hoot of happiness as the last piece of the decryption code fell into place. "Artoo! We did it!" He bent over, turning on the unaltered conversation between Han Solo and Leia Organa. "We've got to send this to Luke right away," he added, glancing over at the little droid.
Artoo let out a warble, agreeing with the human slicer. Ghent removed the small disk, and stood up. When he turned around, his smile faded, and he slowly raised his hands. Standing in the doorway was Senator Borsk Fey'lya, holding a blaster that was pointed directly at his chest.
Corellia
Luke hit the ground a lot harder than he intended, grimacing as his ankle twisted. His right ear was starting to ring with the high pitched screeching coming from the seven year old girl. It amazed Luke that so much noise could come from such a small person. "Shannon!" he yelled again. "Please... I'm not going to kill you. I love you, and so does your mommy."
Shannon sniffed loudly, then ran her hand over her dripping nose before wiping her fingers on Luke's tunic. "Gramma and Grampa Golden says Jedi are bad."
Trying to ignore the slime, Luke took off toward the gate, using the Force to send the security droids flying high into the air. He knew none of them would fire weapons, since he was carrying Shannon. It was also no longer necessary to sneak around, escaping through the gate would be the easiest way out, much easier than trying to scale the wall again, holding an uncooperative child. "Jedi are good people, Shannon. Why would they tell you we're bad?"
"Cuz they said momma's father was a very, very bad man. He was a Jedi that killed lotsa people, even little kids."
How dare they scare her like that? Luke thought, feeling indignant. No wonder Shannon was so terrified of him. How was he going to explain Darth Vader to a child? "Shannon, my father... and your mother's father was a very bad man for a while. He did really bad things, but he wasn't always bad."
"Did he kill little kids? Gramma said he killed little kids."
"I suppose he did," Luke admitted reluctantly he knelt down by the closed gate. "But that has nothing to do with me, or your mommy." Off in the distance, Luke could hear the whine of sirens as they headed toward the Golden Estate. Drawing out his lightsaber, he switched it on, slicing open the lock and pushing the heavy gate open with the Force.
"Would he have killed me?"
"Shannon, listen to me," Luke said, looking directly in her eyes. "In the end, when it counted, my father died to save my life. He wasn't a bad man anymore when he died."
"Really?"
"Yes. Do you really never want to see your mommy... ever again?" Luke questioned as he hurried toward his rented land speeder.
"No. I ...I want to see my mommy," she answered, hiccupping from crying so hard.
Luke placed her gently into the passenger seat, then climbed inside and started up the engine. "Then let's go see her." He turned onto the main roadway and pressed the accelerator down as hard as he could, watching as the CorSec vehicles skidded around to follow him.
Wearing a prison uniform and binders, Leia Organa-Golden was escorted out of the compound, and hurried into a large ground transportation unit. A loud roar greeted her when she entered, and the Princess forced herself to look at Chewie's concerned face. The Wookiee was already sitting on a bench, heavy chains attaching him the fortified outside wall of the ground transport. Leia strongly suspected Chewie knew nothing about Luke's deal with Commander Quist, which meant he had no clue his best friend was dead.
Leia barely felt the guards as they pushed her to sit down, then chained her to the wall. Han's dead, she thought, her heart breaking at the idea. Just when I thought we might have another chance together... She heard Chewie give a questioning woof, but couldn't bring herself to look at him again. Han's dead, because of my daughter and my brother. It took all of her control not to cry, and it suddenly occurred to her she had never even wanted to shed tears for Vail, her husband and the father of her child.
Okay, Mara thought grimly. My cover's blown, and I can't just walk out of here pushing this gurney. Which mean I'll have to shoot my way out. Or, at the very least, run fast. She pulled the cover off Solo's face, frowning at the pale, deathly-still Corellian. "It's time you earned your keep, Solo," she muttered aloud, taking the antidote out of her pocket and jabbing it into the man's arm. "Wake up, sleepyhead."
Han groaned, and turned his head sharply to the side, drawing a ragged gasp of air. He opened his eyes in time to see the 'doctor' take out a lightsaber and start cutting through the straps and binders. He blinked, his head throbbing. The blare of sirens, the humming lightsaber, and the bright purple glow made his already bad headache hurt even worse. "I guess you really did flunk out of med school?" he croaked out.
Mara grabbed Han by his prison shirt, hauling him into a seated position. She felt a pang of sympathy when he grabbed his head, and moaned. "I'm here to rescue you, Solo, and I gave you a drug called Peleridron to make you appear dead," she explained. "It'll give you a major migraine for about a day. Sorry about that," she said, not sounding very sorry at all. Mara pushed him to get off the cart, catching his arm as he stumbled and nearly fell. "Guards are going to be coming around that corner in a few seconds, and I plan on getting at least a few of their weapons. I don't care how straight you can shoot at this moment, Solo, but once we get those blasters I want you to start shooting at the bad guys, anyway. You can complain about your headache when we get out of here in one piece."
He eyed the lightsaber, then gave her a smirk. "You're a Jedi. Let me make a guess. This was all another one of Luke's great rescue plans. Kinda reminds me of the time he got me outta Jabba's."
"Quit griping, Solo," Mara answered just as two security guards came charging around the corner, weapons drawn. "If the rescue works, it works."
Seeing Mara and Han, they immediately started firing, forcing Mara to deflect the shots with her saber. Han eyed the hover-cart, then ducked his head down grabbing the end, and pushing it down the hall like a battering ram. Taken by surprise, the guards jumped to either side. Han leapt out from behind the cart, tackling the closest guard, and wrestling for his weapon.
Mara charged after, using the Force to snatch the second guard's blaster from his hand, and quickly set it to stun before firing at the man. The other blaster was fired in Mara's direction, nearly singeing her hair. Quickly, Mara readjusted her aim, taking out the guard struggling with Solo.
The Corellian staggered to his feet as he gathered the blaster. "Now we have blasters," he pointed out smugly.
"Luke was right. You are crazy."
"Well, if that's not like one Hutt calling the other Hutt a slob, I don't know what is," Han grumbled as he hurried after the woman. "Hey, Burt!"
Mara shot a glare over her shoulder. "What?"
"What's your real name?"
"Mara Jade. And guess what?
"What?"
"I really did used to be an Imperial assassin, so if you dare call me 'Burt' one more time..."
"Just keep those nasty needles away from me, and we'll get along fine," Han said, laughing, and unable to stop himself from adding, "Burt."
Coruscant
"Senator?" Ghent asked, eyes wide as he stared at the blaster. "What's the matter?"
"I think you know what I want," Fey'lya snapped out. "Hand me that disk."
"Su..sure..." Shaking, Ghent moved his hand slowly forward, not wanting to do anything rash.
It was at that moment that Threepio came bustling into the small room. "Artoo! There you are. I've been - "
Fey'lya swung his blaster around, causing the protocol droid to throw up his arms in fear. "Dear me! Don't shoot!" Threepio cried out, just as Artoo rolled forward, shooting a small blast of electrical current directly at the one place the little droid knew for certain caused sentients - especially male sentients - the most pain.
The Bothan screamed in pain, and Ghent flung himself forward to the ground, trying to tackle the Senator around his ankles. The blaster fired.
Corellia
"Why are we driving so fast?" Shannon demanded, frowning and folding her arms across her chest. "This isn't safe, you know."
Luke glanced over his shoulder at the pursuing CorSec officers. "I don't have much of a choice, Shannon."
"Security Officers are our friends," she said in her best 'lecture' tone. "My teachers tell me we're supposed to obey laws, not break them."
"That's usually true," Luke agreed, making a hard left turn in an attempt to lose them. Unfortunately, they were good drivers, and two of the three made the same turn. "One down, two to go..."
"You're going to get into trouble," Shannon informed her uncle. "Or get us into an accident."
"I'm already in trouble," Luke replied with a sigh. Sometimes he wondered how his sister put up with Shannon. He knew she had tried her best to discipline the girl, but whenever Leia tried to set limits, Vail overrode her rules and punishment. Vail always enjoyed putting Leia in the position as the 'bad guy' with their child, and Shannon was well versed in playing one parent off the other to get what she wanted. "Don't worry about crashing, Shannon."
"I'm not worried," she said, looking up into the sky. "But now we have air patrols chasing us, too."
"No wonder the Force was telling me things were going to go wrong," Luke muttered under his breath. He pressed the code to raise Mara on his comlink. Maybe she could come up with some alternative plan of action.
Commander Quist hurried off the transport, and then raised a comlink to his lips as he leaned against a wall. "Is the bomb in place?"
A disembodied voice spoke back, "It's all set to go, sir. What about the CorSec personnel onboard?"
"There will be only droids piloting that shuttle," the Commander replied. "Other than Skywalker, his sister and the Wookiee, of course."
"Yes, sir. The bomb will detonate as soon as the hyperspace lever is pulled."
Quist grinned and turned of his comlink. As long as Fey'lya took care of the slicer, all their problems would be over. He strolled away, never even noticing the young lawyer that had considered him a Corellian hero standing around the corner - stunned at the overheard conversation.
Han ducked his head, avoiding the blaster fire that sizzled past. "Escaping that way is pretty much out of the question, Jedi Doctor Burt."
"Then we need to head up to the rooftop," she replied, cutting the lock off the fire-escape door.
Han looked at her, incredulous. "Up? UP?"
"That's what I said," Mara snapped. "Is that word too big for you to understand?"
"I understand the word, but I don't understand the concept. Once we're on the roof, then what? Is there a landing port with a ship waiting for us?"
"No." She gave Han a sugary sweet smile. "Once we're up on the roof, we'll jump off. They'll never expect that." Mara headed up the stairs, listening in satisfaction as Solo followed.
"And you called me crazy? This building is about ten stories high, in case you didn't notice...of course they'll never expect it. It's suicide!"
"I noticed the building height. It's only seven stories high."
"Why didn't you say so?" Han grumbled sarcastically. "So we'll only break every bone in our bodies, instead of dying instantly upon impact. Sounds a lot better to me."
"I'm a Jedi," she replied, getting exasperated. "I can jump from heights regular people can't, and not hurt myself."
"In case you haven't heard... I can't use your hocus-pocus, Jedi Doctor Burt," Han pointed out, starting to gasp for breath from the fast dash up seven flights of stairs.
Mara looked back as they reached the top door. "Maybe I'll be kind and use the Force to lower you gently to the ground. Or maybe I'll only lower you halfway, then drop you on your backside for being so annoying."
"I'm shocked that you would suggest such a thing, Jedi Doctor Burt! That's not a very Jedi-ee thing to say," Han said, widening his eyes. He grinned, watching as she glared threateningly at him before heading off onto the open roof.
Coruscant
"Ahhhhh!" Threepio screamed as he tumbled forward, and crashed into the Bothan. "I've been shot, Artoo! Call the mechanics! I require immediate emergency care!"
Fey'lya stumbled to the ground as the blaster flew from his fingers, his head striking the ground. The Bothan curled into a fetal position, clutching his abused, slightly singed fur. "That droid shot me," he screeched loudly. "It's defective. I demand you dismantle it!"
Ghent grasped the dropped blaster and stood up, shaking. "You're not in any position to demand anything, Senator." He spared a glance to the little droid. "Good job, Artoo. Contact security, please."
The astromech droid gave a happy warble, then rolled over to plug himself into a socket.
Threepio sat up stiffly, looking at his charred torso. "Security? You're going to call Security instead of a mechanic? My requirements should come first."
"We'll get you fixed up, Threepio," Ghent reassured the droid, wondering how Luke tolerated him. "It's not like you're going to bleed to death."
"Why do these terrible things always happen to me?" Threepio moaned.
Corellia
Peering over the edge, Mara decided Han might have been right after all... it did look like a very long drop to the surface of the duracrete. She felt the comlink vibrate again, took it out of her pocket and turned it on. Luke's voice immediately came over the little speaker.
"Mara?"
"Yes?"
"I'm having a bit of trouble here... two CorSec vehicles on my tail and an air patrol overhead. I'm not sure if I can shake them."
"Do they know it's you driving?" Mara asked.
"Probably by now. Shannon made things difficult."
Mara could hear the little girl immediately start to argue with Luke, and Han gave a snort. "The kid made things difficult? You couldn't have predicted that? I'm not impressed with this big rescue so far, Luke."
"Is that Han I hear?"
The Corellian leaned closer to the comlink. "The one and only. You really had me going there, thinkin' Doctor Burt here was gonna kill me."
"Burt still might kill you," Mara said dryly.
"Burt? Who is Burt?" Luke asked, confused. "Why is Han awake already? How are we going to get off this system with Leia and Chewie if we don't have a body?"
"Listen," Mara snapped, getting impatient. "Go directly to the Corellian transport. Solo and I will meet you there, and we'll come up with a plan then. I hope."
Han threw up his hands, pretending to look up toward the sky for inspiration. "Plans? Since when do we need plans?"
"Alright... I'll see you at the space port," Luke said, switching off the comlink.
Without another word, Mara jumped off the roof, concentrating on slowing her descent using the Force. She landed lightly, then looked up, calling as quietly as possible considering the distance. "Jump, Solo. I'll keep you from breaking anything too important."
Chewing his lip nervously, Han took a deep breath and jumped...and plummeted toward the ground at breakneck speed. For a heart stopping few seconds, Han thought he was dead. Then he realized he was no longer falling and carefully opened his eyes, staring down at the duracrete surface... inches from his nose.
"Are you going to call me 'Burt' again?" Mara asked conversationally.
"No," he gasped, the word coming out of his throat like a strangled croak.
"I'm glad. I'd hate to actually do something really terrible to you next time, but you can't say I didn't warn you."
Bret Nehoc entered the Corellian transport, nervously looking around. Either Commander Quist was lying about evacuating the guards before the shuttle lifted, or the two men hadn't received their orders yet. He glanced over at the grief-stricken Ambassador Organa-Golden, and the fierce looking Wookiee, sitting on a hard bench and chained to the wall.
"Can I help you?" the taller guard asked, stepping between the lawyer and the prisoners.
"Y..yes.." Bret fumbled for some flimsies. "I was Solo's Defender, and I need to have Commander Quist sign this Execution Witness Statement before Solo's body leaves for Coruscant."
His words brought a huge, angry roar from the huge Wookiee, and Bret took a step backwards as the creature suddenly seemed to go berserk. The guard turned around, drawing his blaster and pointing it at the Wookiee. "Shut up, animal!"
The Wookiee whipped his head around, looking at the Ambassador, snarling and roaring.
"I couldn't tell you," she whispered. "I'm sorry, Chewie... this is my fault."
"Shut up!" the guard screamed at his prisoners, waving the blaster around.
"Do you know where Commander Quist is?" Nehoc asked timidly.
"He left a few minutes - " The guard stopped talking as Nehoc grabbed his wrist, twisting the blaster from his fingers.
Bret Nehoc had never even held a weapon in his life, and his face was pale and sweating as he yelled at the second guard, "Take your blaster and throw it down! Now!"
"What do you think you're doing?" the man asked, slowly obeying.
"This ship is wired to blow up when it goes hyper, so I'm saving your life," Bret replied, feeling lightheaded. "Now, let the prisoners go, and no one gets hurt."
"Are you crazy?" the first guard muttered, rubbing his throbbing fingers where the blaster had been wrenched away from his grip. "The animal will kill us!"
"If you don't do what I say, I'll kill you."
Reluctantly, the guards released Leia and Chewbacca, quickly stepping back in fear from the Wookiee as the Ambassador picked up the blaster lying on the floor. "Now what?" Leia asked, looking at the young man.
"I don't know. I didn't really have a plan past this point."
"Of course not," Leia grumbled, then sighed. "I guess this is where I take over." She looked at the shorter guard. "Take off your clothes."
"But - "
"NOW!"
Flushing, the guard did as he was told.
Coruscant
"You did a great job, Ghent," Wedge said, patting the slicer on the back as the Security forces hauled a still protesting Fey'lya off to the detention area. "This will clear the Ambassador and Solo, and put the good Bothan out of action for the rest of his life."
"Thanks," Ghent replied, grinning. "I couldn't have done it without Artoo's help."
The little droid gave a beep, rocking on his 'foot' at the compliment.
Wedge smiled at the droid, then looked over at Threepio. "You'll be fixed up good as new in a few hours, Threepio."
"I should hope so!" He turned his glowing eyes down at the scorched and melted metal on his chest plate. "This has been a very upsetting day, I must say."
"We should try and contact Luke again," Ghent quickly inserted, before Threepio could get worked up. "I don't understand why he's not answering."
"He's probably in the middle of something too important to interrupt, if I know Luke," Wedge replied knowingly. "If he doesn't answer soon, I'll take the squadron and head to Corellia."
Corellia
Leaving the two guards sitting chained to the bench, Leia, Chewie and Bret cautiously exited the transport. Leia's eyes darted around the hanger. "I don't see any CorSec guards right here."
Dressed in the guard's uniform, the lawyer tugged at the too tight collar. "I'm sure they think everything is under control, and they're just waiting for Solo's body to arrive."
Chewie let out a long howl, making the young man jump in fear. "Can you tell him to be quiet?"
"He's upset!" Leia hissed back as they hurried across the open space. "His best friend was just murdered by your so-called justice system." And the only man I'll ever love...
"I admit I'm new to this Defense stuff, but I've been in a lot of courtrooms," Bret told her. "This was the first time I've ever seen someone's trial rushed through like that. It was a travesty, but Quist is my boss so there wasn't anything I could do. I'm sorry."
"Sorry isn't good enough," Leia replied tightly.
"This is my hover-craft," Bret said, grateful to have something to discuss other than Solo's death. "I can take you to my apartment to hide."
"Oh, now that's what I call a great hiding place," Leia muttered sarcastically. "We're not hiding, Defender Nehoc. I'm going to go get my daughter, and then we're getting off this system."
"Once they find out you've escaped, they'll know you'll be heading to the Golden's Estate," Bret argued.
Leia frowned at the man, knowing he was correct. "I'm not leaving without my child."
The young Corellian sighed. "Okay. I have some friends that I know are off-system. How about we go to their apartment, and try to contact some of your associates?"
Unable to think of a better solution, Leia nodded. "I suppose contacting Coruscant might be a good idea."
Chewie insisted on driving, and Bret wasn't about to argue, so they climbed into the land speeder and roared off.
Although Mara had wanted to take her land speeder to the space port, she decided that would be the first place CorSec would be waiting for them. Instead, they chose to take the risk of being seen in a more public location, hoping that Security wouldn't think to check there.
"Do you and Luke have a thing going?" Han asked, staring out of the window of the 'CorTrans', a public ground transportation vehicle.
Mara jerked her head up, glaring at the Corellian. "He's my teacher."
"That's not a denial," he pointed out, amused by how she flushed at the question.
"What's it your business?"
"It's not," Han said, shrugging. "I was just curious."
"So why were you such an idiot to walk out of the Princess's life?" Mara asked. "Just curious."
This was one sharp lady, and if Luke wasn't interested in her, Han decided he'd need to have a serious discussion with the kid, or maybe suggest Luke get his vision checked. "You pretty much answered your own question. I was an idiot."
"Ah." Mara nodded. "So are you planning on fixing the situation?"
"If I can. If she'll take me back after everything that's happened between us. If I can find my step-sons, and make Alli's lousy ex pay for what he did to her..." He trailed off, his eyes focused far away. "If Leia accepts Trey and Rue as a part of my life."
"That's a lot of 'if's'," Mara noted. "Can you accept Leia's career? Or her child? Being a step-father to Shannon would be quite a challenge."
"True," Han said, smiling. "But I haven't pulled out the big gun, yet. Shannon doesn't know about my secret weapon for disciplining children."
"Secret weapon?"
"A really intimidating Wookiee named Chewbacca. Once he puts his hairy paws on her, lifts her off the ground and roars in her face, she'll get scared straight, I promise you that!"
Leia turned her head, watching as the landspeeder in the opposite lane tore past, followed by CorSec security patrols. A familiar tingle went down her spine, the same feeling she had when they were leaving Bespin. "Luke's in that landspeeder! Turn around!"
The Wookiee let out a giant roar, turning the hovercar so quickly in a half-circle that Leia sincerely hoped Bret Nehoc wouldn't sue them for whiplash.
"How is following them going to help anything?" Bret ground out, digging his fingernails so hard against the seat cushions he was going to leave permanent marks.
"I'm not going to head in the opposite direction, not when my brother is in trouble," Leia snapped at the man, then felt guilty for yelling at him when he'd taken such a great risk to save their lives. "The CorSec people aren't going to be expecting us to be coming up behind them," she explained in a softer tone. "And I don't expect you to take any more chances helping us. You can stay in the once we jump out."
"Are you kidding me?" Bret asked. "I'm in this up to my neck now, so whether you want my help or not, you've got it."
"We never turn down help of any kind," Leia replied. She had learned that lesson back on Endor, and would never again underestimate anyone's abilities to turn around a battle.
