"Carry on my wayward son
For there'll be peace when you are done
Lay your weary head to rest
Don't you cry no more…."
"Would you turn that OFF?!" Leia demanded hotly, practically shouting, her hands on her hips, glaring up at the man she loved. "You're going to alert the whole jungle that we're here with that racket!" She wasn't sure if that was exactly true, but wouldn't be shocked if it was. Though Han's drilling and Chewie's hammering on the hull, and the old rock music literally blasting from the Falcon was loud, the sounds of the jungle were, arguably, just as loud, she had to admit. But perhaps because they were supposed to be guarding the Falcon from any unwanted visitors (AKA, Inquisitors), the sound of them working on the ship - not to mention their attempts at being a Classic Rock radio station for the entire Amazon - seemed so much louder than anything Leia had ever heard before.
"Once I rose above the noise and confusion
Just to get a glimpse beyond the illusion
I was soaring ever higher, but I flew too high
Though my eyes could see I still was a blind man
Though my mind could think I still was a mad man
I hear the voices when I'm dreamin', I can hear them say…
Carry on my wayward son
For there'll be peace when you are done
Lay your weary head to rest
Don't you cry no more…"
Leia sighed and rolled her eyes. Of course, Han and Chewie were ignoring her. Or, the loud music made them deaf and they couldn't hear her. She was putting her money on the former to be honest. Not that that would get us anywhere, she stewed to herself silently.
If they were attacked, and the ship got damaged, or worse, destroyed...it would be one hell of a trek out from the middle of the Amazon Rainforest back to civilization. If no one but Palpatine had discovered the Jedi temple way out here in the last who knows how many years, Leia doubted that they'd be able to find their way out. GPS be damned.
"Masquerading as a man with a reason
My charade is the event of the season
And if I claim to be a wise man, it surely means that I don't know
On a stormy sea of moving emotion
Tossed about I'm like a ship on the ocean
I set a course for winds of fortune, but I hear the voices say…
Carry on my wayward son
For there'll be peace when you are done
Lay your weary head to rest
Don't you cry no more…"
Sighing again, she tried sticking her fingers in her ears to block out the music. To no avail. Still. Even though she knew this, it didn't mean that she didn't want to be there with her brother and father, her uncle, and her best friend. To see an ancient Jedi Temple...well, another one at least...it would have been breathtaking. Yet her father didn't trust Han and Chewie, despite Leia and Luke's vouching for the smugglers...actually, it was probably because Luke and Leia vouched for them that her dad continued to regard Han with the utmost scrutiny. Especially Leia's vouching. Hence, here she was, reluctantly stuck on guard duty with her two rather raucous DJs, while her brother got to do all the super cool stuff. Such was the price of becoming a Jedi Knight, she supposed with a huff.
"Carry on, you will always remember
Carry on, nothing equals the splendor
Now your life's no longer empty
Surely heaven waits for you…
Carry on my wayward son
For there'll be peace when you are done
Lay your weary head to rest
Don't you cry no more…"
Han suddenly stopped drilling, which seemed to take the noise down only a decibel, and a moment later he poked his head over the edge of the ship to stare down at her, one eyebrow quirked. "Well, excuse me, Princess," he said, and Leia pursed her lips as the nickname hit home. How many times had he called her that in their past universe? "I'm making sure that our getaway ship stays in one piece! She may have been big enough to carry the lot of us," which was the only reason her dad had consented to take the Falcon, she thought dryly, "But she's also too big for this death trap." He motioned around at the trees surrounding their landing spot. "I'm not going to consult the committee every time I need to do something to my ship!"
That, she hadn't heard in this world. Shocked at the blatant similarities between her Han and this Han, Leia sputtered without thinking, "I am NOT a committee!"
Han gave her his signature sarcastic grin. "Ya could've fooled me, Princess."
"And for the last time, I am not a princess!" In this world, you stuck-up, half-witted, scruffy-looking Nerfherder!, she added mentally. But, that last comment, coupled with her now throbbing eardrums, had her heading towards the ladder, determined to set things straight with the smartass smuggler. "Look, you," she snapped as she climbed. When she reached the top, Chewie was hunched over his work, pretending not to listen, and Han was standing, arms crossed, waiting, the challenge in his eyes that both infuriated her...and made her insides melt. "I am the Jedi Knight in charge of protecting your precious ship!" She stormed right up to him and jabbed the tip of her index finger into his chest. "If you don't want to attract all of the Inquisitors in the entire jungle, I'd suggest you at least turn off your blasted music!"
"It's not my music...it's Luke's," Han began, and Chewie said something in his strange garbled English that only Han could understand. "Okay, so, maybe I think the kid has good taste." Han amended with a shrug, "But this is still my ship, and I'll do what I damn well want with it, when I want with it!" Leia gave him a scorching look, staring him right in those chocolate-colored eyes of his until the stubborn expression began to waver into one of uncertainty. After a moment, Han sighed. "Fine. Chewie, go turn it down."
Chewie made a noise that sounded like laughter as he lumbered to his feet and climbed off the hull of the Falcon, leaving Han and Leia alone together, still staring one another down. It was then that Leia realized how close they were. Their chests were practically stuck together, and all Han had to do was lean down and he'd be kissing her...She immediately blushed, and began to step away. "Thank you," she began in a voice that trembled. She cursed herself, and forced herself to say in a more confident voice, "It's a start…"
"Now wait a minute, Your Worship," Han's hand had reached out, and before she could pull away, he'd gripped her hand. The touch of his bare skin on her own sent fire up her arm, and it was all she could do not to shudder. When she looked back up into his eyes, he was looking at her as if he were trying to remember something, something he'd once known long ago. "Leia," his voice was soft...and yet suspicious. "Do you get the feeling that…" he paused. "No. I know you do."
"Let go." She said, her face beginning to flush hotly. She knew that look. Han was getting serious. When Han got serious, especially when it came to what was between them...for once, he was much better with his words than she was. That was a rarity in and of itself. This time, however, Leia knew she wouldn't deny it. Not now, not after everything she remembered, of the life they'd shared, how it had ended, how she'd lost him...and now, here he was, his hand holding hers, the chance at a new beginning stretching between them. If they did this now, in the middle of the jungle, with who knew how many enemies out there...she couldn't concentrate. And, she needed to concentrate. As her father, uncle, and Aunt Soka had taught them, Dark Side users, especially those trained by Palpatine, could never be underestimated.
Han didn't let go. No surprise there. "We know each other. Don't we?"
Leia was at a loss. Did Han remember her? The way he was searching her face, she wasn't sure if he did or didn't. But now definitely wasn't the time for that discussion. "Now isn't the time, Han…" she began, trying to pull away again, but Han held fast.
"There's never a perfect time around your family," Han reminded her wryly. "You're all constantly dodging evil magic wizards…"
"Sith, Han. Not wizards. They're Sith," Leia said dryly, "Or Inquisitors…"
"Whatever." Han shrugged it off like it was no big deal. "Point is, you and I...there's something between us. Something that goes beyond you being my best friend's twin sister. Beyond you and me just being friends." He paused, tilting his head a little. "It's why you kissed me, isn't it?"
Leia's mouth went dry. The entire world seemed to fade away. She stared at him, the man that, in her mind, was still her husband...even if they'd been on rather complicated terms when he'd been killed. Words sprang to her lips, longing to be said...but like always, they weren't spoken. How many times had she longed to speak her heart...and she'd always kept silent? Too often. Still, she knew that the moment she started, the dam would break, and there would be no stopping her from pouring her heart out to him. "It's complicated." She said instead, her voice rough. "You wouldn't believe me even if I-"
"Don't give me that bullshit, Your Highness," Han scowled, his hand tightening on hers. "Ever since I met Luke and Mara, my life has been filled with a lot of things I normally wouldn't believe in. But even I can't deny the proof staring me right in the face." He leaned forward, his eyes darkening, and Leia could hardly breathe. He was right there. All she had to do was lean in...and unconsciously, she realized that she was. "Tell me," Han breathed, and his gaze strayed to her lips, she was sure of it, "why you're looking at me this way, and why I don't want you to stop."
Leia parted her lips. Just an inch more and… "I…" she began.
Just as the music changed. And, got unbelievably louder...Not to mention more obnoxious.
"Welcome to the jungle, we got fun and games
We got everything you want honey, we know the names
We are the people that can find whatever you may need
If you got the money, honey we got your disease…
In the jungle, welcome to the jungle
Watch it bring you to your sha na na na na knees knees
I wanna watch you bleed…"
The sudden sound of lots of lightsabers activating was hard to hear over the thunderous music now thumping from the Falcon's speakers, but it was enough to snap her back to reality, her awareness instantly stretching into the Force, feeling the presence of 5...no, 10, no….Oh, who cared?! The clearing the Falcon barely fit in was suddenly surrounded by Inquisitors. Oh Shit!
"Get to the guns!" Leia ordered, and Han, having heard the sound as well, finally let go of her hand, nodding brusquely as he passed her and rushed to the ladder, pulling his own pistol out. Leia used the Force to call her own lightsaber from her belt to her hand, and it ignited in a flash of brilliant blue, and she leapt through the air, using the Force to help her land smoothly in front of the ladder, intent on giving Han cover while he moved.
Stupid, she thought angrily, as the Dark Users stepped out of the cover of the trees in droves, grinning at her like she was easy prey. How could she be so damn stupid? Her feelings for Han were a distraction, one she used to believe she couldn't always afford. Perhaps that had been why she'd let him go before...but surrounded by brain-washed Inquisitors, it was hard to feel that way. Just that she should have insisted on postponing that conversation…
She reached out with the Force to find her father, trying to send him the message of impending danger. All she got in response was a general sense of her father's own dire predicament, and she knew she'd somehow need to stall them. "You don't have to do this." Leia called out to them, as they began to advance casually, apparently confident in their victory over them. Behind her, she sensed Han moving into the ship, and she didn't have to be in there to know that he was rallying Chewie to help him come up with probably some insane scheme to get them all killed...er, rescued. "Palpatine has lied to you, just as he lied to my brother. Your families are looking for you."
She didn't admit that the last part was a general guess. So far, with the Inquisitors they'd caught, they'd found out that most of them who still had family left believed them to be long dead. Once they were calm enough to listen to reason (which up until now, had only been like, four of them), the Jedi Masters worked to reunite them with those families. She, therefore assumed, it was the same of all Inquisitors, but she carefully guarded those thoughts, willing them to sense the truth in her words. They were only, after all, no older than she and Luke were at most. They could still be reasoned with. She had to believe that.
"Welcome to the jungle we take it day by day
If you want it you're gonna bleed but it's the price you pay
And you're a very sexy girl very hard to please
You can taste the bright lights but you won't get there for free
In the jungle welcome to the jungle
Feel my, my, my, my serpentine
I, I wanna hear you scream…"
But, her words (Or was it the blasted music?) only seemed to make them scoff, their expressions twisting into feral expressions of almost animalistic delight that looked quite ominous in the red light of their sabers. She swallowed, thickly, raising her lightsaber up defensively. "I don't want to hurt you." She said, her voice sounding more calm than she was. "You're innocent victims in this. Please don't make me."
"Save it." One of them said with a sneer. "The Grand Inquisitor warned us about your lies. Prepare to die, Jedi Scum!" And, they charged. Leia called upon the Force, well aware of their pitiful odds, ready to defend…
"Welcome to the jungle it gets worse here everyday
You learn to live like an animal in the jungle where we play
If you got a hunger for what you see you'll take it eventually
You can have everything you want but you better not take it from me…
In the jungle, welcome to the jungle
Watch it bring you to your sha na na na na knees knees
I'm gonna watch you plead…"
Three things happened all at once. First, the top side and bottom side guns on the Falcon sprung to life, the top side shooting a volley of bullets between her and the oncoming Inquisitors, while the bottom side did the same for the ones charging in from behind her, forcing the Inquisitors to stop and take defensive positions. Second, grenades suddenly flew through the air to her right, landing in the midst of the Inquisitors. One was immediately pushed out of range, but the other two exploded with a double Boom! on impact, and Leia felt the deaths and serious injuries of some of the Inquisitors through the Force, making her wince in sorrow. Third, flipping up and through the air gracefully like she was in a circus act rather than a fight to the death, Mara landed in a ready crouch next to Leia, her purple blade igniting with a snap hiss. "Nice music. You Skywalkers," Mara commented dryly, turning to face the Inquisitors from behind them, "always needing to get your hides saved at the last moment."
"And when you're high you never ever want to come down
So down, so down, so down, yeah
You know where you are?
You're in the jungle baby, you gonna dieee
In the jungle welcome to the jungle
Watch it bring you to your sha na na na na knees knees
In the jungle welcome to the jungle
Feel my, my, my my serpentine
Jungle welcome to the jungle
Watch it bring you to your sha na na na na knees knees
Down in the jungle welcome to the jungle
Watch it bring you to you
It's gonna bring you down, ha!"
Leia raised an eyebrow at that comment, but she was too relieved to have another Jedi or...whatever Mara was in this world on their side to protest.
"Welcome to the party," Leia said as the guns died from the Falcon, probably needing to be reloaded.
"Don't you mean 'Jungle?'," Mara's rather dryly amused comment reached Leia's ears, as the music continued it's assault on their sense of hearing, as there was a clicking sound from the speakers...and then the same song began thundering out across the clearing again, eliciting a chuckle from an obviously amused Mara and a wince from a rather perturbed Leia.
"Welcome to the jungle we got fun and games
We got everything you want honey, we know the names
We are the people that can find whatever you may need
If you got the money honey we got your disease
In the jungle, welcome to the jungle
Watch it bring you to your sha na na na na knees knees
I wanna watch you bleed…"
The remaining Inquisitors didn't waste any time charging forward again, leaving their dead and wounded where they lay on the mossy clearing floor, focused entirely on killing them. "Oh, ha ha ha...Very funny. Do try not to kill them all. They're victims in this."
She could practically hear Mara roll her eyes. "What do you want me to do, chop off limbs instead?" The Inquisitors reached them, and both Leia and Mara stretched forth their hands, creating a massive Force-push that knocked most of them back out of range.
"Yes," Leia said through clenched teeth, as she engaged two that hadn't been knocked back, "That would be preferable."
"I'm probably going to disappoint you then. Sorry," Mara replied calmly, as she too engaged an Inquisitor. The guns had started up from the Falcon again, once more preoccupying most of the group of Inquisitors. Leia felt more deaths in the Force, as two Inquisitors behind her missed blocking the bullets and were shot. But, even though she didn't want to kill them, she herself ended up stabbing her lightsaber through one of her opponents, and cutting off the hands of another one, who screamed and fell back, staring in horror at the stumps where his hands had once been.
"Where are the others?" Leia panted, as more Inquisitors moved forward, having blocked enough bullets to get through. She moved forward to meet them head on.
"Coming! Impatient much?," Mara huffed. The bottom gun that had been covering Mara had stopped, and Mara was now trying to defend herself against four Inquisitors at once.
But not for long.
"MARA, MOVE!" Han yelled, and Mara didn't ask questions. She leapt back, and Leia too moved with her, putting space between them and the advancing Inquisitors. It was a good thing they moved too, because a split second later there was a loud POP and then a huge explosion echoed across the jungle and rocked the ground where Mara had been standing, sending dirt and debris everywhere in a large orange fireball, almost knocking Leia and Mara to the ground. The four Inquisitors were dead, their life snuffed out and returning to the Force.
She glanced back at Han, wide-eyed, to find him with none other than a rocket launcher on his broad shoulder, loading another canister into the chamber. "Do I even want to know where you guys got that thing?" Leia demanded, rolling her eyes and turning back to the oncoming hordes of Inquisitors who were now eyeing Han and his weapon, clearly trying to figure out how to get past the two Jedi to get to him and take him out. Even a lightsaber couldn't block something that explosive, and a Force shield wouldn't do much if they were directly hit.
"In the jungle, welcome to the jungle
Watch it bring you to your sha na na na na knees knees
I'm gonna watch you plead
And when you're high you never ever want to come down
So down, so down, so down, yeah…"
"It's better not to ask questions. Trust me," Mara replied cheerfully with a feral grin, as Han shot another round at the Inquisitors, making them back up to avoid getting hit, as another gigantic fireball lit the clearing, sending shockwaves out from the impact. "But hey, we're down to only eight Inquisitors now! Uh...Seven, if you don't count the guy with his hands chopped off. And, you whined at me about chopping limbs off," She said it so casually, like they were discussing the weather. Leia was reminded of just how long Mara had been fighting these guys with Luke, and again she wondered when her dad would…
As if on queue, four more Jedi burst into the clearing, lightsabers of green and blue blazing, as they moved to engage the Inquisitors from the side….and just as the sickening song loop started up yet again, dammit…
"Welcome to the jungle we got fun and games
We got everything you want honey, we know the names
We are the people that can find whatever you may need
If you got the money honey we got your disease
In the jungle, welcome to the jungle
Watch it bring you to your sha na na na na knees knees
I wanna watch you bleed…"
"Now!" Mara cried, advancing to box them in. Leia followed suit. Han, seeing that their odds had evened out, and recognizing that firing a rocket launcher into a tight group of friends and enemies wouldn't win him any brownie points with Anakin or Ben, tossed the rocket launcher back up the ramp, pulling out his own pistol once again, though he did not advance. Han had been around Luke and Mara long enough to know that bullets from a simple pistol would do no good against a trained Force Sensitive.
The moment Mara had jumped back into the fray, Leia couldn't help but notice that both Mara and Luke automatically moved close together, back to back, fighting almost as one fluid entity. Had Leia not engaged with another Inquisitor, she might have stopped to watch. Even now, in this world, they moved completely as a team, one seamless unit, making up for one another's weaknesses, keeping an eye on each other's backs. She and Han had worked well together, true, but when it was two Force Sensitives who knew each other better than anyone else...that was a whole different level of communication and teamwork.
And, it was fascinating to watch and admire. Well, if you had the time, that was.
Right now, was not the time, she had to admit.
Now, that they were evenly matched (and with both Jedi Grandmasters on their side), the Inquisitors began to retreat. Her dad pressed the advantage, calling over his shoulder, "SOLO! GET THE SHIP RUNNING!" Leia didn't need to turn around to know Han was already up the ramp and headed to the cockpit, and she too pressed her advantage until they heard the engines of the Falcon power up behind them. The moment they did, her father stretched out his hand and a massive Force push erupted before him, much larger than her own and Mara's combined, knocking the remaining Inquisitors back. "GO!" He shouted to them all, and Leia didn't hesitate to turn and run towards the Falcon's ramp, followed closely by Ella, Uncle Ben, and Luke and Mara.
It should have been done with. They should have made it safely onto the ship with no further casualties on either side. Han and Chewie should have blasted off towards home and safety. Of course, nothing is ever easy or uncomplicated with Skywalkers. So, as Leia reached the top of the ramp, she heard gunshots ring out in the clearing. Strange, she thought, turning around, Jedi didn't usually use guns. They didn't need them.
But, these were not Jedi, or even Sith. Inquisitors were something else, and as she turned, she watched, to her horror, as one of the bullets hit Mara in the shoulder, sending her tumbling to the floor of the ramp with a scream of pain and a splatter of blood.
Everything seemed to move in slow motion. Luke froze, his skin paling, his eyes going wide with more terror than she'd ever seen on his face, before he whirled back to his wife...er...girlfriend. "MARA!" He was shouting, but the gunshots were still going off. Again, he ignited his lightsaber, and for one horrifying moment, Leia was certain Luke was going to go after those Inquisitors and slaughter them.
But though he moved to do so, her dad, still fending off bullets himself while backing towards the Falcon, shouted "NO, LUKE!," as if reading his son's intentions. He probably had. Leia was afraid Luke would ignore him, and she began to head back down the ramp to stop him, to help Mara who was on the floor groaning in pain as she cradled her bloody shoulder, but she felt someone grab her from behind, keeping her from jumping back into danger.
"No! Let your father handle this," Her Uncle Ben's voice was in her ear. She hardly heard him, so terrified was she that Luke would lose control and enact revenge on those who had hurt Mara, or just as bad, that Mara would die. But, Luke stopped, snarling in frustration and fury, and instead began using his lightsaber to block any bullets that were coming his or Mara's way. Moments later, her dad was there, allowing Luke to cover for him while he disengaged his lightsaber, hooked it back to his belt, and picked Mara up, heading up the ramp.
"Let's go!" Her dad called after Luke, and for a moment Luke didn't respond, didn't move from his spot where he was blocking bullet after bullet with incredible Force-induced speed. "Luke, I said let's go!" There was now a firm command in her dad's voice, the command of not only a father, but a Jedi Grandmaster. Hesitantly, and to Leia's great relief, Luke finally moved up the ramp, dodging bullets, breathing hard as he reached Leia, his eyes immediately going to Mara who was now spitting quite colorful curse words, as she tried to get Anakin to put her down. In Leia's mind, if Mara was doing that, the wound couldn't have been critical...but she wasn't a healer, and from Luke's expression, she didn't think Luke gave a damn about that. She didn't blame him. If that were Han...she'd be upset, too.
Making sure Luke was fully on board and not about to go jumping back into the fray, Leia slammed the switch to raise the ramp and called back to Han and Chewie, "Punch it!" And moments later, they were up in the air, flying over the unending green Amazon treetops, and speeding back towards home. Unfortunately, the same damn song was still thumping loudly from the onboard speakers, causing the floor to literally vibrate inside the ship.
"Welcome to the jungle we got fun and games
We got everything you want honey, we know the names
We are the people that can find whatever you may need
If you got the money honey we got your disease…"
Beyond frustrated...and fearing they'd all go deaf by the time they got back home...not to mention afraid they'd all go insane from listening to this blasted song all the way back to Houston, Leia marched over to the control panel off the main cabin area where the music controls were housed, lit her saber, and immediately shoved it into the control box, sending sparks flying...but silencing the music. She couldn't help sighing in blessed relief. Her father was just sitting Mara down on a bench, and he stood up and called out at the same time as her Uncle Ben, "Thank you!"
Han, who'd just walked out of the cockpit, wasn't so thrilled, a look of horror crossing his face as he bemoaned, "My ship!"
Mara just shook her head, "You people have no appreciation for good music. You know that?"
Luke, still obviously upset that Mara was injured, nonetheless shook his head and replied, "This is why I love you, Mara. No appreciation at all," as he knelt next to her and gingerly began wiping blood from her shoulder with a medical kit. Leia didn't miss the look of surprise of Mara's face, of the grunt of dismay from her father at the "L" word.
Han simply arched his eyebrows, crossed his arms, and glared at Leia, "You can say that again, Kid. Why'd you do that, Your Highness?"
Leia calmly turned around and glared right back at Han, "Because, you scruffy looking Nerfherder, I've got ears."
Ben and Anakin exchanged an amused glance and had to cover their mouths to keep from bursting out laughing at the wounded expression on Han's face. "Who's scruffy looking? And, what the hell is a Nerfherder anyway? Is that more of your family's weird hokey religion?"
Chewie appeared at Han's back and barked out something in his own garbled dialect, "Yeah, Chewie. I think you're right. Let's go fly the ship and leave them to it...even if they don't appreciate good music...Which was Luke's, by the way…"
I swear the late update had nothing to do with this being an action chapter, and everything to do with me being in Texas for a month, and then California, and then getting sick and having no voice whatsoever and being grumpy about that (thanks dad *glares at my dad who got me sick*). This was actually a lot of fun for me to write, and my beta to beta (her texts while she beta'd were pretty funny lol).
So obviously, you guys know the songs for this chapter...
Carry On My Wayward Son by Kansas
Welcome to the Jungle by Guns N Roses (btw. I had this planned before Jumangi).
I also just realized this is my first update after Ep 8...I LOVED THE MOVIE! 3 And I maaaaay be leaning heavily on a Reylo ship...just cuz...I obviously have a soft spot for characters like Kylo Ren...I won't say more since it's still in theaters, though I'm pretty sure if all of you are avid readers of fanfic, you've seen like 5 million spoilers in story descriptions alone so.
Anyhow, review!
Love,
Sarah
