Chapter 60- Captured and Avoiding Dinner
Talon looked through the brush and came to an absolute stop. He leaned over and picked up two hats. It was something that was common issue in the Alliance. Luke! Your Highness!" Solo's voice came to them. They ran to him and the remains of a speeder was on the forest floor.
"Oh, Master Luke, Your Highness," Threepio said, his metallic voice sounding almost fretful. Chewbacca growled.
"There's two more wrecked speeders back there. Uncle Talon found those," Luke said, indicating the hats in Talon's hands.
Talon tossed them to Solo. "I'm afraid that Artoo's sensors can find no trace of Princess Leia and Princess Lena," Threepio said dismally.
"I hope they're all right," Solo said, repeating Talon's concern. Of course Lena was a Jedi and could look after herself, but Leia had never been trained in the ways of the Force and it would cause some concern. Chewbacca roared loudly and went off in a direction. "What, Chewie?" Solo asked as they started to follow him. Chewbacca roared again. "What, Chewie?" Han asked.
Chewbacca ambled up to a tree with a dead animal attached. "Hey, I don't get it. Nah, it's just a dead animal, Chewie," Solo said as Chewbacca reached out to grab it.
"Chewie, no! Don't! Wait!" Talon and Luke both said and grabbed the Wookie's arms and all of them got lifted off their feet into some kind of net.
"Nice work. Great, Chewie. Great. Always thinkin' with your stomach," Solo grumbled.
"Will you take it easy, Solo? Let's just figure out a way to get out of this thing. Luke, Solo, can one of you reach my lightsaber?" Talon asked. Both of his hands were pinned at an angle where he couldn't reach his weapon, but maybe Solo or Luke could.
"Yeah. Sure," Solo said and the net shifted slightly as Solo leaned forward.
A sound of a whirring motor caught all of their attention. "Artoo, I'm not sure that's such a good idea. It's a very long drop!" Threepio's voice said, ending on a yelp as the net gave way and they all crashed to the forest floor unceremoniously. Stretching out with the Force, Talon checked to make sure no one had broken bones or necks.
"Are all of you okay?" Talon asked.
"I think so, Uncle," Luke said and they all sat up with grunts and groans.
They all froze as small creatures covered in fur and wearing rough cloaks came into their line of vision. Talon felt the urge to laugh as he looked at the creatures, and judging from Luke and Solo's faces, they had the same urge. Until one of the creatures pointed a spear at Solo. "Hey! Point that thing someplace else," Solo said, grabbing the spear and pushing it aside. Talon couldn't understand the creatures language, but their shock at Solo didn't need translation.
"Hey!" Solo exclaimed as the creature pointed the spear back at him. Solo pulled out his blaster and grabbed the spear with the other hand.
"Han, don't. It'll be all right. Chewie give them your crossbow," Luke said as he, Talon, and Solo gave up their weapons.
"Oh, my head," Threepio moaned as he sat up. The creatures looked excitedly at him, chattering away like mad.
"Oh, my goodness," Threepio said as they started prostrating in front of him and he started to have a conversation.
"Do you understand anything they're saying?" Talon asked.
"Oh, yes, Master Talon. Remember that I am fluent in over six million forms-" Threepio started to say enthusiastically.
"What are you telling them?" Solo interrupted.
"Hello, I think. I could be mistaken. They're using a very primitive dialect. But I do believe they think I am some sort of god," Threepio said. Talon bit his lip to keep from laughing. A god? Threepio? Behind him Talon could hear Chewbacca and Artoo laughing in Wookie and droid.
"Well, why don't you use your divine influence and get us out of this?" Solo asked sarcastically.
"I beg your pardon, General Solo, but that just wouldn't be proper," Threepio said, showing some very human shock. Enough shock to make Luke and Talon laugh outright.
"Proper?" Solo asked.
"It's against my programming to impersonate a deity," Threepio said primly. Talon bit down hard on his lip. If he looked at anyone, he would laugh outright. He hadn't been this amused since his son, Tredon, had put soap in everyone's soup accidentally with the Force.
Solo on the other hand didn't see the humor in it. "Why you-" Solo started to say as he got up, looking as if he was going to tear Threepio apart. Solo was stopped by spears pointing at him again. "My mistake. He's an old friend of mine," Solo said, having the sense to look abashed.
It didn't take long for the creatures to tie them all up to long sticks and carry them off to what amounted to houses in the trees. Threepio had told them that these creatures called themselves Ewoks and that was the only information the droid had given before the creatures carried them off. Talon stretched out with the Force so he wouldn't feel when they hit a bump. They reached the Ewok village by the time the sun was going down and Talon heard horns blow. Talon felt some faintness as he, Luke, Solo, and Chewbacca were hung over firepits.
Hey!" Solo exclaimed. Talon looked over as the Ewoks settled Threepio on a dais in a chair that they had made for him.
"I have a really bad feeling about this," Solo said as what looked like a tribal medicine man came up to Threepio on the dais and both him and the droid conversed in the Ewok language and the creature waved around Talon's lightsaber.
"What did he say?" Solo asked irritably.
"I'm rather embarrassed, General Solo, but it appears you are to be the main course at a banquet in my honor," Threepio said. If a droid could blush, Threepio would have been the right one for blushing. Talon closed his eyes as the Ewoks started singing and putting logs under them.
Lena and Leia came out of the hut the creatures had put them in. They had changed their clothes to dresses the women of the tribe had given and unbraided their long hair. Thankfully the creatures had allowed Lena to keep her lightsaber. To their thinking she was a warrior and needed her weapon. Lena and Leia stopped when they saw their family and friends. "Leia! Lena!" Luke exclaimed. Talon looked at Lena, surprise and happiness in his blue eyes as his gaze met theirs.
"Leia! Lena!" Han exclaimed, a smile on his face.
Lena tried to go to her father, but the creatures barred her way with their spears. "Your Royal Highnesses," Threepio said.
"But these are my father, brother, and friends. Threepio, tell them they must be set free," Lena said to the droid on the dais. Threepio started talking, but from all appearances the creatures continued building up the logs.
"Somehow, I got the feeling that didn't help us very much," Han said.
"Threepio, tell them if they don't do as you wish, you'll become angry and use your magic," Talon said. "Magic" had to involve using the Force, but Lena had no idea what her father would do in that regard.
"But, Master Talon, what magic? I couldn't possibly," Threepio protested.
"Just tell them," Talon said, his voice frayed with impatience. Even Threepio could try the patience of any Jedi knight at times. Talon Orran being no exception. Threepio spoke in the language the creatures used, inflecting a warning, followed by an explosion sound.
"You see, Master Talon? They didn't believe me, just as I said they wouldn't," Threepio said as the creatures wen to the men with burning sticks. Lena saw her father close his eyes and felt the Force stir as he called on it. Lena added her use of the Force to where her father directed it; Threepio's chair. She also felt Luke's use of the Force as well. Lena opened her eyes to see Threepio floating in the air and calling for help.
The creatures were afraid as they went to the stakes and untied them. Lena and Leia ran to Luke, Han, and Talon, hugging them hard as Talon lowered Threepio to the ground. "Thanks, Threepio," Talon said dryly, stroking Lena's hair absently.
"I never knew I had it in me," Threepio said more to himself as the creatures led them all to a hut.