Adrianne Palicki as Lilah Amidala
Shelley Hennig as Thalia Kenobi
We don't own Star Wars. (Only our plot points)
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Within the next hour Lilah, Luke, Thalia, Obi-Wan and the two droids were speeding through the Jundland wastes otherwise known as the Jundland, were consider the hottest, dry, and rocky regions within the whole planet that was in between the north dune sea west dune sea, and they were heading to the community of Anchorhead which Luke would say was as far as he was willing to go. Only on the way they came across what was left of a Jawa sandcrawler with the smoke rising into the air and painting the scene black due to small fires that were burning within the vehicle as dozens of Jawa's lay dead on the ground.
It wasn't a sight Thalia was expecting to see as they stopped to overlook the damage. Jawa's were known to sell and trade in town and droid always hide-even though droids that wander off or get thrown out as junk are Jawa's favorite targets-and people watch over their speeder's extra closely. Things tend to disappear when Jawas were around. It made the female Kenobi wonder who the Jawa's angered to be slaughtered in such a way.
Luke looked over the wreckage, examining the blaster marks that were on the metal parts of the vehicle along with the marks that wiped out the Jawa's. "It looks like the sand people did this, alright." Luke explained to the group as he pointed toward the ground. "Look, there's graffiti sticks, bantha tracks. I Just..." Something about all of this didn't set right within the young male. "I never heard of them hitting anything this big before."
Obi-Wan knelt down as Lilah looked around the canyon wasteland with a frown. "They didn't" Lilah spoke, looking over the unsightly scene. A sense of unease running through her fast. "This wasn't them."
"Lilah is right, we are meant to think they did." These tracks are side by side. Sand people always ride single file to hide their numbers." Obi-Wan informed, getting up from the sand and shook his head wisely. He looked at the three younglings with old eyes. "And those blast points, too accurate for sand people. Only Imperial Stormtroopers are so precise." A sense of dread washed over them.
"Stormtroopers? Here?" Lilah questioned with a concerned frown and felt her hand fall to her waist at the ready. What the hell? The Empire never came out this far-not really.
"The Empire would've had to come all the way out here for a reason." Thalia explained and mimicked Lilah by resting her own hand on her own lightsaber. It was rare for the Empire to come walking out into the deepest parts of the desert just to kill Jawa's. The organization never did anything without a reason.
"Why would Imperial troops want to slaughter Jawas?" Luke asked the group, only for his blue eyes to drift over toward the droids once he remembered the message and how he came to have them. These Jawa's were the ones to sell the droids to him which meant...
Everyone took into Luke's meaning by the look in his blue eyes. They all felt dread. The Empire had come after the droid with the stolen plans.
"Luke, where did you get those droids?" Obi-Wan asked carefully as it seemed to hit everyone like a spaceship. Lilah let out a small shaky breath of realization.
"They wouldn't have come out this far without a reason." Lilah watched as Luke came to the horrifying conclusion.
"If they traced the droids here, they may have learned who they sold them to. And that would lead them home!" Luke yelped and raced for the speeder. Without even bothering to listen to the cries of the others he raced off, leaving the Kenobi family, Lilah, and the droids alone with the burning sandcrawler.
Ben tried to call for him to come back but the younger man was already out of range. "Boy is going to get himself killed." Lilah started with a shake of her head.
When Luke arrived back almost two hours later, the three Jedi were burning the Jawa's bodies. They stood ablaze in front of the sandcrawler. "There's nothing you could've done, Luke." Obi-Wan told the young man as he stood by his side. "You would've been killed, too, and the droids would be in the hands of the Empire." Which would be devastating most likely.
"I want to come with you to Alderaan," Luke said, speaking for the first time. Pain in his eyes and voice because of the most recent loss of his aunt and uncle. His anguish hit Lilah fast and she felt for him. She knew Thalia did too. "There's nothing here for me now. I want to learn the ways of the Force and become a Jedi like my father."
-8-8-8-8-
Within a day's time the group stood on a cliff and overlooked Mos Eisley, the largest spaceport on the whole planet that was home to thieves, smugglers, and pirates. Frequent travelers that only visit planets even knew better than to stay within the town for more than a day. When tourists wished they stayed home after learning or discovering everything that happened within the area. It was a danger zone to most.
"Mos Eisley spaceport," Obi-Wan explained to the group. "Never would you find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy." He paused and looked toward his daughter and ward. "We must be cautious."
Thalia smiled at her father's words. "I'm always cautious." But both Lilah and she knew that was a lie.
"Right and Ben doesn't scold me for reckless behavior." Lilah deadpanned at her friend and sister. Thalia was more of a sister then a friend, she had been for years. The beautiful and dangerous looking woman was reckless, but she had a good heart.
Luke looked at the older Jedi, giving them a determined look. The Speeder, as Lilah discovered, was crowded with four people and two droids. But they made it work; having three in the front and three in the back seat. As they came up on a crowded street.
Lilah noticed a few Stormtroopers coming their way. "Hell." She muttered and looked to the younger man, who looked like he wanted to jump out of his skin. "Just stay calm." She ordered as the troopers began to question Luke about the droids.
"How long have you had these droids?"
"About three to four seasons." Luke tried to shake his voice free of the nervous feeling inside of him.
"They're up for sale if you want them." Obi-Wan informed calmly as though it were every day he was stopped by a trooper. But Lilah knew what he was doing and looked at the Stormtroopers.
For sale? Thalia questioned in her head as she let a smile form on her face. Her father was going to use a Jedi mind-trick on the weak minded Stormtroopers.
The squad leader for the troopers spoke; "Let me see some identification."
"You don't need to see his identification." Obi-Wan spoke in a calm and controlled tone.
Thalia and Lilah started to help through the Force. Getting the troopers to let them pass.
"We don't need to see his identification."
"There aren't the droids you're looking for."
"These aren't the droids we're looking for."
"He can go about his business."
"He can go about his business."
"Move along."
"Move along."
Then Luke moved the land speeder away from the Stormtroopers and speeded down the road once more. He drove the speeder for a little while before parking. A Jawa came up and began to admire the speeder a little closely. Frowning Lilah pushed the creature away, ordering it to move along and quickly.
"I can't understand how we got by those troopers." Luke confessed to them as they all got out. "I thought we were dead."
"The Force can have a strong influence on the weak-minded," Obi-Wan explained as they all got out and headed away from the speeder. "You will find it a powerful ally." Luke had no idea how the Force worked, so it was understandable why he was questioning it.
"Do you really think we're going to find a pilot here that'll take us to Alderaan?" Luke couldn't help but wonder. He rarely ventured out of the confines of his home. And even when he did he never really went this far out.
"Well, most of the best freighter pilots can be found here." Obi-Wan said almost off hand.
Lilah gave an almost vicious looking grin. "I'd watch yourself, though. This place can be a bit rough." Especially for farm boys. She thought.
Luke shot them all a determined look. "I'm ready for anything." He claimed to them all. More so to the woman who was grinning. He was just as tough as this family.
Thalia knew Luke was trying to be tough and the place they were entering one had to be or you could end up dead if the wrong person disliked you. "Let's hope so." She told him before walking with her father toward the cantina with her father.
The droids noticed three Jawas loitering in front of the cantina near a large Dewback. The droid's didn't wish to be out here in the middle of town with those monsters again.
"Come long, R2." C-3PO said to the little droid that stood beside him. They followed their Master Luke and the Kenobi family inside.
Ben walked away from the group to go and talk with the Galactic space pirates to see which one from the lot would be willing to give them a ride to Alderaan. Hopefully the group will make it to the planet in no time to deliver the droid to Bail Organa. But something in the Force was whispering they might not be so lucky.
Like most buildings in Mos Eisley, the cantina was essentially a hole in the ground that was covered by a domed roof. Its interior was dark, and the air was filled with thick Smoak and fast music. Beyond the entry lobby, a short flight of mud-packed steps descended into a crowded room. A U-shaped bar dominated the room's center, and the walls were lined by small booths that offered some slight possibility for aliens, as were the Bith musicians who performed at the bandstand to the right of the bar.
It was no place for the squeamish, but for its regulars, the cantina provides a pan-galactic atmosphere that helps distract hole of Mos Eisley. The regular band suits many tastes, and as long as foolish outsiders don't step in and get their heads blown off, everyone can have their own version of a good time. Deals get made, things get drunk, and the wrong sorts of business go the right sorts of ways. The Bartender maintains a semblance of order by threatening to poison the drinks of creatures that give him trouble.
Luke remained at the top of the steps in the lobby for a moment, overwhelmed by the sight of so many exotic creatures. C-3PO and R2-D2 walked up behind him, then Luke descended the steps as Thalia moved down them. C-3PO tried to follow Master Luke down to the cantina floor, Luke heard a chime from a device in the lobby behind him.
"Hey," The gruff sound of the bartender shouted from across the room. "Hey, we don't serve their kind."
Luke caught sight of the bartender, a disheveled middle-aged man with hardened features. The bartender was glaring toward him. "What?" Luke asked, confused.
"Your droids. They'll have to wait outside." The bartender explained. "We don't want them here."
Luke realized that the chime had sounded from a droid detector. He was also aware of the angry stares of several patrons. He turned to C-3PO and said, "Listen why don't you-" He was stopped by Lilah.
"Luke hold on, I'll handle this." Lilah claimed to the younger man as she walked over to the bartender. She learned it and Luke watched her with plain fascination and curiosity. The man shifted and Lilah gave a nod of triumph before walking back to the group. "The droids can stay, just keep them close." She said with an easy tone.
"How did you do that?" Luke wondered to her with wide childlike eyes as C-3PO thanked the woman. Since he was all new to this, he wanted to know what just happened.
"I just convinced him that the droids wouldn't be a problem." Convinced. Right, she meant she manipulated his mind. Luke might not know that, but the girls sure did. "Now come on, let's get a drink." She might not have given the rough establishment a second thought, but this was all new to Luke.
"Negola dewaghi wooldugger?!" A creature said to Luke as they sat down at the bar, and Lilah got her drink.
Luke just looked over, a confused look on his face. "Don't look in its eyes." Lilah warned as she sensed they were being watched, but paid no mind to it, deciding to enjoy her drink.
The boy chose to ignore the creature and listen to Lilah, only for the short creature to come up to him. "He doesn't like you." The creature spoke.
Luke didn't know what to say. "I'm sorry." He breathed out, apologized before turning back around toward the bar.
Thalia, who had been watching the whole event from her father's side as he talked to a Wookiee that might be able to get them a ship to Alderaan. She started to move toward Luke in hopes of stopping any kind of fight that might end up breaking out.
"I don't like you either. Or your friend." The creature said, pointing a finger toward Lilah, who took another sip of her drink. "You just watch yourself. We're wanted men. I have the death sentence on twelve systems."
"No, no." Thalia said, being in-between the creatures and Luke. "We don't want any trouble here." She told them, hand going toward her lightsaber that was on her belt. Though Thalia didn't want to fight in this place, someone was going to get hurt if the creatures didn't back down soon.
"You'll be dead." The alien man snarled at Luke. When Lilah heard the words you'll be dead she put her cup down.
A powerful blow from the unpleasant creature sent Luke sailing across the room, crashing through the table. The bartender panicked as the other monster drew his pistol, but the Jedi were faster. With astounding agility. Obi-Wan whipped out his lightsaber and cut the creature in two.
Luke groaned a little and got up on shaky legs as Obi-Wan put away his sword.
One of the creatures panicked a little and was about to get out their own weapon, but Lilah made her move faster, brandishing her own magenta lightsaber as his neck. "Make a move-I dare you." She warned the shaking alien in a dangerous whisper. She was just waiting for him to do something.
"Lilah!" Thalia shouted toward her friend, who was basically a sister to her for a long time. "He's not worth it." The creature really wasn't worth their time or effort.
The creature started to slowly back away from Lilah, who was still watching him until the creature was a safe distance away. She deactivated her lightsaber and put it back onto her belt.
Thalia went over to Luke and helped the boy back to his feet. Her tree-brown eyes were looking him over and didn't even find a mark on him. It was a good thing her father had intervened, only when her eyes wandered away from Luke and saw the companion her father brought over with him. The Wookiee they were speaking with earlier.
"This is Chewbacca." Obi-Wan explained to the younger three before him. "He's the first mate on a ship that might suit us."
A might Wookiee from the planet of Kashyyk, Chewbacca was recused from slavery by the daring Han Solo. Teaming up with him to repay the traditional Wookiee life debt, Chewbacca later on adopted the wayward Corellian and became his best friend. The great Wookiee now uses his mechanical abilities to keep Solo's heavily modified firecracker spaceship flying, and serves as both a fiercely loyal copilot and trusty fellow adventurer. Chewie enjoys a good fight and likes the action that Solo gets them into, but sometimes acts as his partner's conscience when Han gets a bit too mercenary.
Music continued to play in the background as they approached a man sitting at a dark corner table. Lilah watched him for a moment with critical eyes. He was at least fifteen years older than her nineteen years of age. Handsome in a rough and dangerous sort of way. How he carried himself though was interesting to her, it was like he owned the table he was sitting at.
Cocky. He was young and cocky and he knew it.
Luke sat next to Obi-Wan while Lilah stood next to Thalia, deciding it was probably best to keep silent.
"Han Solo. Captain of the Millennium Falcon. Chewie here tells me you're looking for passage to the Alderaan system." Han spoke to the group but his eyes were directed toward the older male, not bothering to glance over at the two women that stood off to the side, or the kid that sat beside the older man that was across from Chewie. His eyes were on one thing and one thing only-the job and the profit.
Thalia let her eyes drift toward Lilah for a moment and both knew the man was full of himself, maybe even more so than most people within the galaxy. That was saying a lot due to how the male introduced himself to the group. It was like Han Solo was within his own little world which never had any trouble at all.
"Yes, indeed." Obi-Wan informed the younger captain that was seated before him, eyes cool and calm as he asked the main question he needed answered for this to work. "If it's a fast ship?" Wishing to know more about the ship-having hope that it will be fast enough to get them there without any trouble.
Luke remained seated and ever watchful of the two men talking, waiting for a moment to jump in if needed. His blue eyes drifted toward the girls and noticed they were doing the same thing he was doing. Waiting and watching. Listening carefully for the moment they were needed to help Ben with Han Solo. Already knowing that Thalia would jump in if Han insulted her father, and Lilah, all he could hope was that the lightsaber didn't return.
Lilah continued to watch both new men critically with her own eyes as she stood behind Obi-Wan and Luke. She took in Solo, handsome as he was, and Chewie, a large Wookiee, on guard.
"Fast ship? You've never heard of the Millennium Falcon?" Han scoffed with disbelief that they never heard of the ship. "It's the ship that made the Kessel run in less than 12 parsecs." He bragged with a smirk and a small gleam in his eyes.
"I'm sure you did." Lilah mumbled out before Obi-Wan could speak a word in. This was where her father's personality came into play. She always did have something smart to say. Obi-Wan held up a hand to silence Lilah. The girl might not be his by blood, but he loved her all the same, he loved her as though she were his biological daughter, like Thalia.
The woman took immediate direction to him, something Luke noticed but said nothing. She and Thalia both were strong women, but he noticed that they greatly respected the older man.
Han looked in Lilah's direction and smirked upward toward her. "I sure did, Sunshine. I've outrun Imperial starships, not the local bulk cruisers, mind you. I'm talking about the Big Corellian ships now. She's fast enough for you, old man?" Then his eyes went back toward the older male and asked; "What's your cargo?"
Thalia bit her lip as she watched Lilah's face for her reaction toward the nickname. Waiting for one that will yell toward Han about calling her that.
"Does it matter, Mr. Solo?" Thalia asked toward him, sounding nice and sweet even though her eyes were secretly glaring at him. She knew her father would be mad at her for speaking out of term, but the female didn't like how Han Solo was sounding toward them.
Lilah's eyes twitched a little bit as she breathed out self-control. Sunshine? Clever. She thought to herself dryly.
"Only passengers." Obi-Wan informed the young pilot, holding his other hand out to silence Thalia. His daughter was strong willed as she was usually better mannered then this. Her mother, may the force be with her, and himself were both easy going and well mannered, raising their child to be just that. Although children had a tendency to go off on their own paths. "Myself, my daughters, the boy, two droids, and no questions asked." They didn't need anybody questioning why they were going to their destination.
They couldn't afford that at all and they knew it. One word to the Empire and they were all dead or worse.
Han Solo was never one for a job without figuring out the means behind the task. The space pirate was suspicious to say the least due to the no questions part. By the sound of it they weren't just looking for a ship but a smuggler as well. "What is it? Some kind of local trouble?" Han asked, leaning forward in his chair.
Thalia rolled her eyes. "You can say that Mr. Hotshot."
Luke looked at Thalia in surprise by her tone of voice because this girl was about head strong as Lilah. They weren't the kind of women that let anyone walk over them and he wondered where he stood within the females list.
"And didn't we just say no questions asked?" Lilah spoke up with crossing arms. Her eyes flaring up with a lava hot fire. "Are you deaf? Or just hard at hearing?" She wondered with a raised eyebrow and her head cocked at the pilot man. She had applauded him for being on the cautious side, so he wasn't a complete moron it seemed. It was dangerous business to be in these days-well any day really-but especially now.
"You'll have to forgive my daughters." Obi-Wan apologized to the younger man. "They are both protective." They couldn't really be blamed for it though, not with everything going around. "Let's just say we'd like to avoid any Imperial entanglements."
Han kept silent for a moment and let his answer hang in the air. Will he help or not is now the question? "Well, that's the real trick, isn't it?" He asked the older male. Now was the time for what Han loved the most in the galaxy which was the deal. "And it's gonna cost you something extra. Ten thousand, all in advance." It was rather fair from Han's point of view due to him doing most of the work with the ship.
"What?!" Thalia shirked toward the captain in shock. That amount of money was hard for someone to come by on this planet. "You want how much?" She looked worriedly toward her father, he shouldn't do a deal with this man. Even if they did have that kind of money, what were the odds of Han not taking the money and running with it?
Luke let out a gasp at the moment of the pay Han wanted up front. "Ten Thousand?" He questioned himself and out loud. He never had ever seen that amount of money from his uncle and aunt before in his life. That kind of money no one ever comes across on Tatooine. "We could almost buy our own ship for that." No, they could buy a ship for that on this planet. He looked toward Obi-Wan and the girls, surely they agreed with him. Thalia's expression said it all.
Han lifted an eyebrow in the air when it came to the kids' words. "But who's going to fly it, kid? You?" He challenged the young boy that might never have left the planet before in his life.
Lilah just shook her head, choosing now to stay quiet. It was a heavy price, but it was the best they were going to get around here and they had a limited amount of time. So even Lilah, a headstrong woman, knew that one.
She heard the taunt in Solo's voice when he asked who was going to fly the ship. And while Lilah didn't doubt Luke was a good pilot, hell she was a good pilot, they needed someone with a hell of a lot more experience than either of them had. Even if it meant being flown by the cocky sort of a bitch.
"You bet I could. I'm not such a bad pilot myself!" Luke claimed boldly. He wasn't that bad, really good, but he was overselling it and he knew it. He looked to the other members, wondering if they were thinking right now. "We don't have to sit here and listen..."
"We don't have that much with us." Obi-Wan explained truthfully, swiftly cutting off Luke and all the others impending comments. "But we could pay you two thousand now, plus fifteen when we reach Alderaan." More than what Captain Han Solo was asking for.
Thalia felt her mouth fall open by her father's words. She was shocked that he was willing to offer Han more than he was originally asking for. She tried to find words only to realize she had none. As much as she wished Lilah and Luke could fly the ship. It would seem they would all have to trust this pilot to get them to Alderaan without any trouble from the Galactic Empire.
Han was surprise and sat back in his seat and pondered over the situation within his mind because that amount of money would save his skin from Jabba the Hutt. They were determined and those kinds of people will do anything for a ship. He loved those kinds of people that always pay no matter the cost. "Okay. You guys got yourselves a ship. We'll leave as soon as you're ready. Docking bay Ninety-Four."
Obi-Wan agreed with a nod of his head toward Han. "Ninety-Four." He repeated just glad that the group had a ship.
The R2 beeped lowly, suddenly alert. Looking up they realized they caught some attention and the group disappeared discreetly outside.
-8-8-8-8-
Once outside Ben trailed behind the females and Luke next to him. The droids were beeping behind them, attempting to keep up with them. They talked about how they were going to have to sell the speeder, and they would need all they could get from it. It would be worth it if it was a ship like the arrogant man said.
Lilah looked back at Ben, he looked old and weary suddenly. "He looks tired." She said absently to Thalia, looking back at the old man briefly before facing forward again. Ben did indeed look tired as he fell back, his senses on high. He looked his age for once in the sense of fragility.
Thalia had to agree with Lilah words about her father being tried. "You're right. He has been tired since Maria-my mother-passed into the Force. He hasn't been the same since she died." Only she knew that her mother's death was the first in the many events of the last few days that had taken key roles in how her father was at the moment.
In all truth, Obi-Wan had hardly been able to sleep through the night, his thoughts had gone to his deceased wife every night for the past few days, and he didn't feel whole without her. No wonder Maria had married him during the Clone Wars and before everything in their lives changed when the Order fell. The two had gone against the Jedi code together and later on had a daughter which they called Thalia, his brave and strong little girl. She was one of the few things that still kept the man going along with Lilah and Luke.
Thalia had taken after her mother Maria with the dark brown eyes that spoke measures to anyone that came across her, along with brown hair. Thalia's eyes had a slight difference for they were ones that didn't show fear to anything due to the planet she lived on her whole life. One that would always speak her mind and keep the people around her safe from harm.
"He hasn't." Lilah said knowingly, her sharp face softened a little more. She loved Ben-he was her master and friend-the only man she ever considered a father.
A shift in the Force seemed to be felt for the Jedi and they felt like someone was watching them. A low-life informant carrying an Imperial comlink. Only they didn't see anyone so they went about their business.