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| Finding a Path - Lando | ||||||||||||
| Disclaimer: Characters and Premise are borrowed from the movie "Star Wars." | ||||||||||||
| The Falcon was safe in hyperspace so I turned my attention to other matters. "I take it you have a reason for rescuing me?" I asked Han Solo. He smiled nervously, suddenly looking a lot younger. "Yes, I want you to teach me about being a smuggler." I did owe him for rescuing me, and Starfleet turned out a number of impressive pilots. "Okay kid, you've got a deal." "Um," Han started. "Yeah kid?" "What are we going to do with him," Han gestured to the Wookie, "I don't think he speaks Standard." The Wookie handed Han a data pad, on it was written, "I can understand it." "That's great," Han exclaimed, "So, where should we drop you off?" "I will stay with you," The Wookie wrote, "I am in your debt, I was slated for execution." "You don't owe me anything," Han objected, "I just set everyone free to distract the base while I escaped." The Wookie shrugged, "You still saved my life. The reason why doesn't matter." "Wookies feel very strongly about things like this," I whispered. "If you really want to stay I won't stop you," Han stated, "by the way, what's your name?" "Chewbacca." ============================================================== "What are we doing here?" Han asked, looking around the dilapidated bar. "We're setting up a job," I whispered, "now be quiet." I looked over at the guy I was supposed to meet, then back at Han and Chewbacca. Telleno was a pretty tough customer. Not the type of guy you wanted to approach with two amateurs in tow. Han and Chewbacca were both excellent pilots, but when it came to setting up a job, excellent was the last word I would have used to describe them. Han's temper was too hot, and he still sounded like a Starfleet cadet. Those two factors combined made it almost impossible for him to get anyone to trust him with a job. Chewbacca's problem was much simpler. Hardly anyone understood his language, and his vocal cords wouldn't let him speak Standard. Han was trying to learn Chewbacca's language, and I thought he understood it fairly well even if he couldn't even begin to speak it. But Chewbacca complained that he had to say everything very slowly and at least twice before Han understood. For quick communication they had also set up a system of hand signals. I turned back to Han, "Why don't you and your furry sidekick stay here?" "How am I supposed to learn about being a smuggler if you're always leaving me behind?" Han muttered rebelliously. "Just stay put, okay." Han turned to sign something to Chewbacca, and I found myself wishing I had thought to learn their silent language. If I had I would know what sort of trouble Han was planning now. "We'll stay," Han promised with his I'm-trying-to-look-innocent smile. I looked at Telleno who was impatiently tapping his foot, then back at Han and Chewbacca. I guess I'd just have to take Han at his word. Telleno looked up as I approached his table. "About time you got here." "Sorry to keep you waiting, what's the job?" "Captain Calrissian, I'd like you to meet my business associate, Eric Jaff." For the first time I noticed the young man sitting next to Telleno, "Eric represents a small group on his home world. He has managed to purchase a number of weapons for that group. All you have to do is pick up the weapons then take them and Mr. Jaff back to Corellus." "How much are you paying?" I asked. "1500 credits," Eric answered, "That's all the CRMC can afford." "2500 credits," I demanded. "If we get caught with a cargo like that it's the death penalty for us." "We don't have that kind of money," Eric insisted. "Alright, 2000," I pushed. Eric hesitated, "It's a deal," He agreed reluctantly. "Great, follow me," I instructed. "First we'll pick up my two partners. Then we'll get your weapons." All my earlier apprehension at leaving Han alone returned with a rush as I saw Chewbacca standing by himself. "Where is he?" I demanded. Chewbacca turned and lead me back toward the Sabacc tables. Scanning the tables I soon spotted Han sitting at one game. When he noticed me a brilliant smile lit up his face. I rushed over. "Did you enjoy setting up the job?" he asked calmly, "I had a marvelous time waiting for you." "What do you think you're doing!" I yelled. "Hey, we're playing a game here," one man objected. Han ignored him, "I'm waiting for you, you didn't expect me to do nothing at all while you were busy?" he asked innocently. "How much money have you lost?" I sighed. "I guess I got lucky this time, I actually made 15 credits," Han replied, "but next time I might be playing someone better." "Next time!" I gasped in disbelief. "There won't be a next time! I'm the only gambler in this partnership!" "Will you shut up and let the kid play!" the dealer demanded. "I'm out of the game," Han replied, "and Lando, unless you take me with you to set up a job or lock me up on the Falcon, how do you plan to stop me from doing whatever I please? I wouldn't advise locking me up though, I might find something even..." Suddenly Han broke off, standing up so quickly that he knocked his chair over. I turned to see what he was staring at. "What are you doing here?" Eric Jaff asked. "I was just about to ask you the same thing." "Han, I see you've already met our passenger," I commented. "Our what?" Han exclaimed just as Eric asked, "He's your partner?" Both of them sounded like they'd just found half a worm in their apple. "Han do you ever leave a favorable impression on people?" I asked. He blushed, probably remembering the girl he tried to rescue or some other similiar incident. "You can't trust Eric," Han warned. "At least the CRMC doesn't want to kill me. Can you say the same of the organization you supported?" Eric remarked. "The Rebel Government was subverted by the CRMC Eric, that's why I left the planet." "Look Han," I interrupted, "Eric is paying us good money to deliver him and his cargo to Corellus. For 2000 credits I could get along with anyone for a few weeks." "You don't know Eric Jaff," Han replied. "I'm not going to put up with him for the time it takes to get to Corellus," Eric added. "Okay, I've got another solution. For the duration of the trip Han, you'll stay in the cockpit and Eric, you'll stay in the lounge," I explained. "Fine with me," Han remarked. "Come on Chewie, lets get the Falcon checked out." ============================================================== My plan kept Han and Eric from fighting for about a week. By that time Han was bored with looking at the stars, so he and Chewbacca decided to play this game they'd found on some second class planet we'd stopped on. Unfortunately the game table was set up in the lounge. I was busy elsewhere on the ship and failed to notice the trouble till it was too late to keep my ship in one piece. Afterwards Han explained that it had started with the usual insults. Then one of them had challenged the other to a round of target practice to prove who was the better marksman. (They couldn't agree on who did the challenging.) Eric was the first to shoot, and he forgot to exchange his blaster's combat charge for a practice charge. His first shot missed the target globe but knocked out the hyperdrive. Eric insisted it was Han's fault because Han hadn't told him he needed a special charge. Han replied that "any idiot knows you don't practice with a combat charge." Then he claimed responsibility for the incident. Han said that he "should have remembered that Eric wasn't any idiot." None of which changed the fact that we were dead in the water and were going to have to send out a distress call. Not something I enjoy doing while carrying an illegal cargo. "Do you two understand the penalty for gun running?" I moaned. "It's death, as in the most permanent form of punishment available, as in being executed!" "It's not my fault!" Han and Eric claimed simultaneously. "Oh yes it is!" I yelled. "It's both of your faults that we're all going to be executed!" "You're really hung up on this execution thing," Han commented. "It's not good to be so pessimistic." "Why be negative!" I shouted, "I mean we've got two choices, right! Staying here and starving or sending out a distress call that will probably be answered by a Republic ship! A ship run by people whose laws we are breaking! Why worry, I am a gambler after all, why should I be worried if the odds for our survival are two to zero against it?!" "Well they might not find the guns," Eric commented hopefully. "Go right ahead!" I exploded. "Stake all our lives on a `might not' with a bunch of Republic officers poking around the ship wondering why we're out here in the first place!" Chewbacca growled something. "Could you repeat that?" Han requested. This time Chewie made each sound clear and distinct. Han tilted his head to one side, listening carefully. "That just might work," Han remarked. "What did he say?" I demanded impatiently. "Chewie just pointed out that we have a cargo bay besides the contraband compartment. The guns are hidden and if they ask why we're out here we just say that we're heading back to our home port after delivering a load of some sort of legal cargo," Han interpreted. "And," he added, "If they don't believe us, we'll tell 'em Eric hijacked us." At that Eric started looking angry. "It would be more believable if we told them you and Eric were a team," I observed. "After all, it was both of your faults." "Okay, I get the point," Han exclaimed, "We'll just tell 'em Chewie's story, and we'll be convincing." "You'll see, everything will work out wonderfully," Eric added. "If it doesn't I'm going to request that you and Han get executed first," I told them. "That way I can watch." ============================================================== My worst fears came to life when a Republic battle cruiser dropped out of hyperspace along side. After we explained our problem, the ship's Captain and a young engineer boarded the Falcon. To my surprise Han knew, and even more shocking, was friends with the engineer. "Hey Allen," He exclaimed as the pair exited the airlock. "How are ya doin'?" "Han, what are you doing out here?" the engineer asked. "Remember how you thought I should visit my home world sometime," Han began. "Well that's what I'm doing." The Captain looked questioningly at the young engineer. "Han does live out this way," Allen assured his Captain. "If you know these people, I can return to the ship," the Captain replied. For the first time since I felt the hyperdrive go out I relaxed a tiny bit. We had been incredibly lucky that Han's friend was on the ship that found us. Han lead the engineer to our hyperdrive, and I quietly trailed along. "What happened to this drive?" Allen asked. "Can't you tell?" Han replied smiling, "We were having a disagreement and Eric shot it." "If you say so. Han why are you really out here?" "Like I said, I'm visiting home," Han replied. "Please Han, I'd appreciate it if you would tell the truth," Allen commented. "I'm telling the truth!" Han insisted. Allen looked hurt, then Han added, "I just neglected to mention I was going home for business not sentimental reasons." "Would you mind telling me what business?" Allen asked. In the shadow of the doorway I tensed. "I'd love to tell you, but only if you don't tell anyone else," Han replied. "Then I assume your business isn't legal?" Allen suggested. "As my partner, and less than enthusiastic teacher has pointed out quite frequently in the last few days; if we get caught, we get killed." "I don't even want to know the details," Allen remarked. I slipped into the room, "A little too trusting aren't we?" I whispered as I passed Han. "How long till it's fixed?" I asked leaning over Allen. Allen started banging his head against the cover of the small maintenance hatch he had been peering into. "You move very quietly," he commented. "The repairs will take about a week." "A week, we're going to be stuck here for a week!" I yelled. "Relax Lando," Han instructed. "What could happen in a week?" "The best that could happen is that I'll be trapped on the same ship as you and Eric for a week with nothing for either of you to do. I can't even imagine the worst." ============================================================== Ten hours before the hyperdrive's new casing set Captain Kelnare received a report from another battle cruiser, the Marigo. It was information on a hostile ship. The report ended when the Marigo was destroyed by the other ship. And naturally the hostile ship's ETA from our current location was seven hours. "I've called for reinforcements," Kelnare sighed. "But if no one interferes, that ship will reach several inhabited planets before the calvary gets to this sector of space. So I'll have to engage it out here. Our other battle cruiser lasted about ten minutes. I'm sorry Captain Calrissian, but there's no way I can protect your ship or even your crew." "The Falcon isn't exactly helpless," Han suggested. "Thanks," Kelnare replied. "If it were a close match another ship just might make the difference. But the Marigo, a battle cruiser exactly like my ship was badly out classed by the ship we're going to be fighting. Your battered freighter couldn't make a difference." "We have another advantage the Marigo didn't have," Han insisted. "We have time and information on the enemy ship. If we use those things, we might come up with a workable plan." "I've already got most of my officers doing just that, but if you want to join them I would welcome your help." Captain Kelnare stated. Han nodded, "Who knows, I might find something they missed." "I'm going too," Eric declared. "I guess we'll all go," I added, glad that Han and Eric would have something to do besides fight while we waited. ============================================================== "Well, well, what have we got here?" Han said a smile evident in his voice. Kelnare walked around the table to peer over Han's shoulder, "They're using dispersal screens," he commented, not understanding why Han was so excited. "Dispersal screens aren't any good against solid objects," Han explained. "I know, but almost everyone uses them because they're better against energy weapons than deflector shields, and cheaper than combined shielding. Unfortunately that doesn't do us much good, battle cruisers don't carry anything but energy weapons." Kelnare replied. "I wasn't thinking of attacking them with a bunch of antique missiles," Han objected. "I want to ram the ship with an X-wing stuffed full of explosives." "Who would pilot the X-wing?" Kelnare's first officer asked. "We've got five hours, can't you guys rig one with a remote guidance system?" Han replied. The Chief Engineer looked thoughtful, "We could install the guidance system from one of our probes, that should allow you to control the X-wing by remote, but you wouldn't be able to fire the lasers." "Who needs 'em?" Han replied enthusiastically. "The other X-wings can cover it till they're right along side the ship." "I'm not convinced that an X-wing could destroy that ship," one of the other officers commented. "If I crash it through the bridge window the ship should be damaged badly enough that the Falcon and your Corona could finish it off," Han remarked. "It's the best plan anyone's come up with," I added. Kelnare looked around the room at his officers, "This plan may be a shot in the dark," he remarked quietly, "but it's also our only hope." ============================================================== The ship dropped out of hyperspace about a hundred meters ahead of us. It looked like an enormous Invincible class Dreadnought, and it could have carried a crew with the population of a respectably sized city. It's hull was a gleaming black, unmarred except for the blood red letters declaring the ships name, The Vampire. Everyone on both of our ships was ready for this moment. A cloud of X-wings exploded from the Corona. In the center of the cloud was the remote ship, piloted by one of Kelnare's people. Han and Chewbacca were waiting in the Falcon's gun turrets. For this battle I was piloting the ship. Han might have been the hotter pilot, (although I'd never admit that to him) but I didn't want to give away the Falcon's hidden capabilities, and Han could never resist adding frills when he flew. The Corona followed the X-wings and I took the Falcon into battle. Laser blasts dispersed harmlessly against the Vampire's shield, while we dodged the ship's return fire. Suddenly all but one of the X-wings pulled back, that one ship crashed headlong into The Vampire's bridge. Instantly Kelnare and I attacked. Han and Chewbacca had set the Falcon's lasers so they shot an incredibly concentrated beam of energy, forcing the dispersal shields to do more than a normal amount of work. Everyone focused their attack on several of The Vampire's vital points. Only a few minutes later the crippled Vampire struck back. Apparently we had done a great deal of damage, for the battle was just about even. I shrugged slightly, "Han, Chewie, it looks like it's time to unveil the true Falcon. "About time," Han replied. "Lets leave 'em speachless." Amaze them we did, the Falcon may look like a junk heap, but it flies like its namesake. The Falcon's abilities gave us the battle. About fifteen minutes later the Vampire self destructed. Kelnare had wanted to find out where the ship was from, but he acknowledged that no prisoners was a heck of a lot better than no victory. ============================================================== "Thank you for your help in the battle," someone behind me said. I turned to see Captain Kelnare standing in the airlock. "And tell Solo that without his idea we certainly would have failed to delay the Vampire long enough for our reinforcements to arrive at the Namree system. Over a million people live there." "Don't get too grateful to us," I replied, "if I could have protected the Falcon any other way I would have." "This ship really doesn't need much protecting," Kelnare remarked. "It may look like a floating scrape yard, but it certainly can fly, and it has a pretty powerful punch to boot." I tensed, this did not look good. "I should be very curious about why an honest cargo skipper like yourself would need a ship like the Falcon," I started to reach for my blaster just as he finished, "but at the moment I'm too grateful that the Falcon is like it is to bother." "Uh-uh Thank you," I stammered. As he turned to leave Kelnare remarked, "Clear skies smuggler." ============================================================== The rest of the trip was uneventful, mainly because I locked Han and Eric in the cargo bay. I figured they couldn't kill each other without their blasters, and they might even learn to get along. But whatever they did they couldn't disturb me or damage my ship. By the second day they were working together... to put up a divider across the bay. Since both of them seemed to be uninjured, I assumed they had decided against fighting, but name calling was to be their favorite pastime. Chewbacca didn't care for this arrangement, but he agreed not to interfere. When we landed on Corellus, I let them out to help unload Eric's cargo and collect our pay. ============================================================== "Lando, could we take a slight detour?" Han asked. "Sure, where are we going?" "Jotorus Range, I want to see if it was damaged by the Republic attack," Han replied. I hoped it hadn't been, Han was obviously upset by the hideous damage done to the city we had landed in. Many of the building had been destroyed. Their ruins still blocked the streets even though the attack had occurred over a year ago. We learned that the Rebel Government had been blamed for the attack because it had initiated Corellus' alliance with the Ibrias Coalition. That had been the last blow to the Rebel Government's tenuous control over the planet. For a short time CRMC took charge, but when conditions didn't improve immediately they lost support. New groups were formed by the dozens, but none of them were strong enough to bring the planet under their control. Without a government the war against the Colonists was forgotten, but they had been weakened so badly that they simply became one more contender for control of the planet. When I learned Han had supported the Rebel Government rather than Eric's CMRC I wasn't surprised, but I was worried that Han would try to destroy Eric's cargo. When I asked him about that he replied that he didn't care who won. All the groups were equally useless. ============================================================== Jotorus wasn't what I expected at all, but from Han's reaction I'd say it was just like it was supposed to be. After flying over endless meadows, canyons and other natural landscapes Han guided the ship toward the mountains. "There's Kaydose Pass," Han commented to himself. "Future Pass is over there, and Charis valley is somewhere in between." He slowed the Falcon to a near standstill as we coasted through the mountains. Finally we found an inhabited valley and Han landed the ship. A short while later about twenty people had gathered around us. Han went to meet them. "Hi everyone," he said nervously. A young woman rode up on a dull brown horse. The horse refused to stop to let her get off. Instead it hurried up to Han and began rubbing it's head against him. "Hey Dusty, I'm glad to see you too," he said softly. "Han?" the girl greeted him uncertainly. "None other," Han replied laughing. "How's it been Gwendalin?" Everyone was suddenly asking question and talking about what had happened since Han had last been there. After several minutes they noticed Chewbacca and I standing quietly at the head of the ramp. Han introduced everyone and in the end we were invited over for supper. While we were eating I noticed Han and a boy about his age named Alexander were doing a lot of quiet talking. I found out what they had been arranging when the Falcon lifted off. It wasn't a very professional take off so I knew Han wasn't at the controls. "It's an old bet," Gwendalin explained quietly. "Han and Alexander will make sure your ship gets back safely." Then she asked, "Do you want to come riding with Han and me tomorrow? Han asked Chewbacca, but he didn't think a horse could carry him." "Han can actually stay on top of a horse?" I asked. "He's really very good at it as long as he's riding Dusty." Gwendalin replied. "I'll just take your word for it," I commented. "I don't want to ruin you ride." "We really wouldn't mind," Gwendalin pressed. "I'd mind when I broke a limb falling off the thing. "By the way, what was that old bet of Han's?" I asked curiously. "Alexander and Han got in an argument over how difficult using a flying machine really is," Gwendalin explained. "Well with Han co-piloting nothing serious can go wrong," I sighed, knowing that there wasn't a thing I could do if I was wrong about that. ============================================================== Han and Alexander brought the Falcon back an hour later. The next day Han and Gwendalin packed a lunch and took off for Jotorus' plains. Han was riding the horse he called Dusty. Gwendalin took a dark brown horse with a black mane and tail. He and Gwendalin returned from the plains late that night. The next day Han, Chewbacca and I had to leave Corellus. ============================================================== "You know Han, I learned something about you on this trip," I commented. "And what was that?" Han asked leaning back in his chair. "You were a lot more mature when you were younger!" I exclaimed, thinking of all the problems between him and Eric. "I had more responsibilities back on Corellus," Han replied calmly. "I'm sure I can fix that." | ||||||||||||
