Chapter 11- Bar Fight and Han Solo
Lena stepped into the dark bar. It took her eyes a few minutes to adjust. The sight of many different aliens sat there, serenaded by a band of Biths, Outside of the Imperial senate Lena had never seen so may non-humans in her life. And all of them looked like the kind of person or creature her mother and Aunt Breha would say was up to no good. But Obi-Wan did say that the best pilot could be found here. Lena found herself begging the Force that the pilot would be an honorable man and wouldn't take her life alongside Luke's and Obi-Wan's. Of course that would prove difficult if she could reach her lightsaber in time. Lena found herself thanking the Force that she was no longer wearing it in her boot, but clipped inside her robe to her belt.
"Hey! We don't serve their kind here," the man at the bar said gruffly as he looked in Luke and Lena's direction. Lena had opted to stay next to Luke as he wasn't a Jedi yet and looked barely capable of peeling fruit, much less saving his own skin.
"What?" Luke asked confused.
"Your droids. They'll have to wait outside. We don't want them here," the bartender indicated R2 and Threepio with his hand.
"Uh, Threepio, why don't you and Artoo wait out by the speeder? We don't want any trouble," Lena whispered to the droid.
"I heartily agree with you, your Highness," Threepio said as Lena patted his metal shoulder and he and Artoo left. Lena and Luke went up to the bar and Lena ordered water for herself, followed by Luke. Luke looked around. If Lena could she would have told her brother that staring would dig his grave, but Luke hadn't been around the universe to know that as Lena had. An alien with what looked like reddish tusks in his mouth grabbed Luke's shoulder and pulled him roughly from the bar. Lena's hand went to her lightsaber.
He grunted at Luke in an unintelligible language. Luke nodded and turned back to his drink. A human with what looked like a pig-like nose tapped Luke on the shoulder. "He doesn't like you," the man said.
"I'm sorry," Luke said. Luke, don't talk to them, Lena thought. These creatures wouldn't have cared that Luke was sorry. Luke turned back to his drink and the man tapped his shoulder again.
"I don't like you either. You just watch yourself. We're wanted men. I have the death sentence on 12 systems," the man said, with barely concealed hatred and a fair amount of gloating.
"My brother will be careful," Lena said, layering her voice with the Force. Hopefully the mind trick would work on him as Obi-Wan's had done to the stormtrooper.
"No! He'll be dead!" The man said with a growl, proving to Lena that he wasn't weak-minded. To Lena's relief Obi-Wan then came beside her.
"These little ones are not worth the effort. Come let me get you something," Obi-Wan said politely. The man grabbed Luke's shoulder and threw him to the ground. Lena whipped out her lightsaber as the man's companion swung at Luke. He never had a chance to strike Luke. Lena effectively cut off the creature's arm with her pure blue blade. The creature screamed in agonized pain as he gripped the stub of his arm with his other hand. The creature ran off as Lena disengaged her blade and Obi-Wan killed the man who had started it.
"Are you okay, brother?" Lena asked as she and Obi-Wan helped him up.
"I'm all right," Luke said with a grunt.
Lena then noticed the seven-foot tall wookie standing next to Obi-Wan. "Hello," Lena said with a congenial smile as she fastened her lightsaber back to her belt. The wookie growled. Lena only knew the basics of the wookie language and knew enough to know he was greeting her.
"Chewbacca here is first mate on a ship that might suit us," Obi-Wan said in a low voice as they made their way to a table. A man with dark brown hair, blue eyes, and a charming grin sat across from them.
"Han Solo. I'm captain of the Millennium Falcon. Chewie here tells me you're looking for passage to the Alderaan System," Han said, getting down to business.
"Yes, indeed, if it's a fast ship," Obi-Wan said.
"Fast ship? You've never heard of the Millennium Falcon?" Han asked incredulously.
'Should we have?" Lena asked, raising her eyebrows.
"It's the ship that made the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs. I've outrun Imperial starships. Not the local bulk cruisers, mind you. I'm talkin' about the big Corellian ships now. She's fast enough for you, kid. What's the cargo?" Han asked.
"Only passengers; myself, the boy, the girl, two droids, and no questions asked," Obi-Wan said, using the same Force-layering Lena had done a few minutes ago, but like the criminals Han wasn't weak-minded either.
Han grinned. "What is it, some kind of local trouble?" Han asked.
"Let's just say we'd like to avoid any Imperial entanglements," Obi-Wan said.
"Well, that's the real trick, isn't it? And it's gonna cost you something extra. 10,000, all in advance," Han said.
"10,000? We could almost buy our own ship for that!" Luke exclaimed.
"But, who's gonna fly it, kid? You?" Han asked I'm a snarky tone.
"You bet I could. I'm not such a bad pilot myself. We don't have to sit here and listen-" Luke started to say, standing up. Lena gripped her brother's arm and sat him back in her chair, before fixing her blue eyes on Han.
"All right. We can pay you 2,000 now, plus 15 when we reach Alderaan. My father and uncle will pay you the rest," Lena said.
"Seventeen, huh? O.K., girl, you and these guys have got yourselves a ship. We'll leave as soon as you're ready. Docking bay 94," Han said.
"Ninety-four," Obi-Wan said by agreement.
Han looked up and the jovial expression on his face changed. "Looks like somebody's beginning to take an interest in you and the girl's handiwork," Han said. Luke, Obi-Wan,and Lena looked to the bar. The bartender was talking to two stormtroopers and looking in their direction. Without a word, Luke, Lena, and Obi-Wan got up and left the table and bar, unseen.