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On camel, the journey back to the Falcon didn't seem to be as long and strenuous as it had on foot going the other direction. Han and Leia were sharing a camel, with Indy and Sallah on the two camels ahead of them. Sallah was dressed as usual, insisting that he knew best how to keep comfortable in the desert. Indy was wearing his well-worn fedora, and even Leia had been loaned a cloth to cover her head from the sun. Indy had insisted that Han find some way to cover his head, so naturally, Han had refused. He was somewhat regretting that decision as noon drew closer.
"How much farther, you think?" Sallah asked without turning around. Han blinked and wiped a hand over his face to clear some of the sweat off his forehead.
"Uh, not too far." 'I hope' he added silently. He honestly hadn't been paying much attention to that. The group rode up yet another of the seemingly endless, yet somehow identical dunes. This time, they were delighted to look down from the top and see the Falcon were it had landed at the bottom of the hill. Sallah was frozen with his jaw open, staring at the enormous vehicle. Indy removed his hat and ran fingers through his wet hair, raising his eyebrows in amazement.
Leia turned to look at Han, who was gleaming with pride. First site of the beat-up freighter usually brought laughs, scoffing, even insult. Rarely was it met with awe. These people had never seen an interstellar craft. Just to fly in this planet's atmosphere was a crude and sometimes dangerous process to them. Any vessel, old or new, which could reach the stars was stunning. "That's your ship?" Indy asked Han. Han smiled, a genuine smile of happiness.
"That's my ship." The pilot replied with pride. Han managed to break himself out of his reverie. "C'mon, let's get inside before we get cooked out here." He said with a sharp tap to his camel to urge it down the sand. Sallah and Indy, both truly dumbfounded, mustered up enough confidence to follow.
Han casually unlocked the outer hatch, and lowered the ramp. He and Leia began walking up it, when he noticed that Indy and Sallah were not following. He stopped, and frowned at them. "C'mon, what are you waiting for? It's perfectly safe, I promise," Han urged them forward. Indy reluctantly started up with Sallah behind him. Once they were all inside, Han hit a button and closed the ramp. The sound of the airtight seal closing, which seemed so natural to Han, startled the Earthlings. Han wasn't able to stifle his laughter. "Little jumpy? Come on," he led them into the cargo hold, and waved at the couch. "Sit down and I'll get us something to drink. Then we've gotta figure out a way to get the Falcon back into orbit." Han poured some tea into mugs for all of them.
"Thanks." Indy said, taking his mug. He watched Leia nonchalantly gulp hers down, and followed suit. Sallah was a little more reluctant to try the strange drink, but after a few sips found out that he actually liked it. As they drank, Indy and Sallah's eyes wondered the room carefully examining the knobs and levers on the instrument panels.
Han leaned up against a bulkhead and drank his own tea, giving his guests time to survey their surroundings before asking them any questions. Finally, Indy asked, "So what's the problem with your ship? The engine's broke? Because I hate to break it to you, but we're going to have a hard time finding a replacement. I highly doubt any of the junk dealers in Cairo have spare million horse power engines lying around."
Leia didn't know what a horse was or how much power it provided, but she agreed that there wouldn't have been an engine suitable for the Falcon on this planet. Fortunately, they didn't need an engine... technically. "Our engines are fine, but the repulsors are virtually shot." She explained.
"Oh yeah, hate it when that happens." Indy remarked, obviously having no clue what a repulsor was.
"We can travel in space, but we don't have much to get us out of Earth's atmosphere." Leia explained. Indy sat back and rubbed his stubble-covered chin. He looked around the ship, gauging the approximate bulk of the vessel. "Well, if you got enough propulsion, you might be able to get this baby airborne. Do you think if you got it off the ground, you'd be able to have enough power to get into space again."
"Well what sort of engines do you have on this planet?" Han asked. "Is there a military?" he added.
Indy and Sallah exchanged a glance. Indy cleared his throat, "There are several large militaries from different countries. Right now, we are on the brink of war between many of the countries, though." By the look on their faces, there was something Indy and Sallah were not saying.
Han decided to pry further, "Well do they have any aircraft that we could, uh, borrow?" He asked.
Indy seemed very tense, and Sallah shook his head at his friend. He could not be thinking what Sallah thought he was thinking. A slow smile spread across Indy's face. He was. "Well, see the country I come from, America... we're trying to stay out of the whole war mess. We've got planes, but no large craft like, say, Germany."
Sallah let out a groan, "Indy, you cannot be thinking what I think you are." He pleaded.
Indy gave his friend a sly smile, "Relax Sallah. It's the only way."
Leia had been listening with much interest. The prospect of a means off the planet seemed hopeful. Not to mention, the diplomat in her was very interested in the workings of the complex multi-governments of this planet. "Who is Germany?" She asked inquisitively.
Indy took a deep breath and replied, "Well you see, Germany is this country in the part of Earth we call Europe, which is across the ocean from America. Recently, they've been gettin' some real crazy ideas on how their race, Aryans they call themselves, are supreme and should be in charge."
Han snorted, "Sound like regular Imperials to me."
Indy continued, "They've been trying to take over the other European countries, and with their military power they just might succeed." he said with a grimace. "Anyway, there's no doubt that they're building up an airforce for their raids. And they have these things called blimps too..... Just maybe enough to get you into space. The only problem is the Nazi Stormtroopers-"
"The what?" Leia cut him off.
"They're the ground troops of the Nazis, that's the name of the 'political party' ruling Germany right now." Indy explained. Han and Leia looked at each other, bewildered. "
Stormtroopers?" Han asked slowly. Indy nodded. Han shook his head. "That's just too weird." Han mumbled.
Indy cocked an eyebrow, "What?" he asked. Neither of the space-fairers said anything. "What?" he persisted.
"It's just that, Stormtroopers, that's exactly what the Empire's troops are called." Leia said. Indy's eyebrows both raised in amusement.
"That's a little creepy." Indy said.
"Tell me about it." Han commented. "Who'd have guessed that somewhere on the other side of the Universe, there was a guy who looks just like me and fights off the same type of goons." Everyone was silent for a while, pondering the eerie coincidences.
Then Indy shook his head, and cleared his throat. "Listen, if we can get to Germany, I have a pretty good plan on how to get a plane or a blimp back here...." he said, and began to explain.
Half an hour later, the group had agreed to Indy's idea. They all returned to the desert outside. Han locked up the Falcon, then re-mounted his camel with Leia.
"Indy," Sallah said, climbing aboard his own ride, "I am worried. I am not sure going into Germany is a god idea." he sounded concerned.
Indy laughed, and reached over to clap his friend on the shoulder from atop his own camel. "Oh come on Sallah, it'll be fine. What could possibly go wrong?"
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On camel, the journey back to the Falcon didn't seem to be as long and strenuous as it had on foot going the other direction. Han and Leia were sharing a camel, with Indy and Sallah on the two camels ahead of them. Sallah was dressed as usual, insisting that he knew best how to keep comfortable in the desert. Indy was wearing his well-worn fedora, and even Leia had been loaned a cloth to cover her head from the sun. Indy had insisted that Han find some way to cover his head, so naturally, Han had refused. He was somewhat regretting that decision as noon drew closer.
"How much farther, you think?" Sallah asked without turning around. Han blinked and wiped a hand over his face to clear some of the sweat off his forehead.
"Uh, not too far." 'I hope' he added silently. He honestly hadn't been paying much attention to that. The group rode up yet another of the seemingly endless, yet somehow identical dunes. This time, they were delighted to look down from the top and see the Falcon were it had landed at the bottom of the hill. Sallah was frozen with his jaw open, staring at the enormous vehicle. Indy removed his hat and ran fingers through his wet hair, raising his eyebrows in amazement.
Leia turned to look at Han, who was gleaming with pride. First site of the beat-up freighter usually brought laughs, scoffing, even insult. Rarely was it met with awe. These people had never seen an interstellar craft. Just to fly in this planet's atmosphere was a crude and sometimes dangerous process to them. Any vessel, old or new, which could reach the stars was stunning. "That's your ship?" Indy asked Han. Han smiled, a genuine smile of happiness.
"That's my ship." The pilot replied with pride. Han managed to break himself out of his reverie. "C'mon, let's get inside before we get cooked out here." He said with a sharp tap to his camel to urge it down the sand. Sallah and Indy, both truly dumbfounded, mustered up enough confidence to follow.
Han casually unlocked the outer hatch, and lowered the ramp. He and Leia began walking up it, when he noticed that Indy and Sallah were not following. He stopped, and frowned at them. "C'mon, what are you waiting for? It's perfectly safe, I promise," Han urged them forward. Indy reluctantly started up with Sallah behind him. Once they were all inside, Han hit a button and closed the ramp. The sound of the airtight seal closing, which seemed so natural to Han, startled the Earthlings. Han wasn't able to stifle his laughter. "Little jumpy? Come on," he led them into the cargo hold, and waved at the couch. "Sit down and I'll get us something to drink. Then we've gotta figure out a way to get the Falcon back into orbit." Han poured some tea into mugs for all of them.
"Thanks." Indy said, taking his mug. He watched Leia nonchalantly gulp hers down, and followed suit. Sallah was a little more reluctant to try the strange drink, but after a few sips found out that he actually liked it. As they drank, Indy and Sallah's eyes wondered the room carefully examining the knobs and levers on the instrument panels.
Han leaned up against a bulkhead and drank his own tea, giving his guests time to survey their surroundings before asking them any questions. Finally, Indy asked, "So what's the problem with your ship? The engine's broke? Because I hate to break it to you, but we're going to have a hard time finding a replacement. I highly doubt any of the junk dealers in Cairo have spare million horse power engines lying around."
Leia didn't know what a horse was or how much power it provided, but she agreed that there wouldn't have been an engine suitable for the Falcon on this planet. Fortunately, they didn't need an engine... technically. "Our engines are fine, but the repulsors are virtually shot." She explained.
"Oh yeah, hate it when that happens." Indy remarked, obviously having no clue what a repulsor was.
"We can travel in space, but we don't have much to get us out of Earth's atmosphere." Leia explained. Indy sat back and rubbed his stubble-covered chin. He looked around the ship, gauging the approximate bulk of the vessel. "Well, if you got enough propulsion, you might be able to get this baby airborne. Do you think if you got it off the ground, you'd be able to have enough power to get into space again."
"Well what sort of engines do you have on this planet?" Han asked. "Is there a military?" he added.
Indy and Sallah exchanged a glance. Indy cleared his throat, "There are several large militaries from different countries. Right now, we are on the brink of war between many of the countries, though." By the look on their faces, there was something Indy and Sallah were not saying.
Han decided to pry further, "Well do they have any aircraft that we could, uh, borrow?" He asked.
Indy seemed very tense, and Sallah shook his head at his friend. He could not be thinking what Sallah thought he was thinking. A slow smile spread across Indy's face. He was. "Well, see the country I come from, America... we're trying to stay out of the whole war mess. We've got planes, but no large craft like, say, Germany."
Sallah let out a groan, "Indy, you cannot be thinking what I think you are." He pleaded.
Indy gave his friend a sly smile, "Relax Sallah. It's the only way."
Leia had been listening with much interest. The prospect of a means off the planet seemed hopeful. Not to mention, the diplomat in her was very interested in the workings of the complex multi-governments of this planet. "Who is Germany?" She asked inquisitively.
Indy took a deep breath and replied, "Well you see, Germany is this country in the part of Earth we call Europe, which is across the ocean from America. Recently, they've been gettin' some real crazy ideas on how their race, Aryans they call themselves, are supreme and should be in charge."
Han snorted, "Sound like regular Imperials to me."
Indy continued, "They've been trying to take over the other European countries, and with their military power they just might succeed." he said with a grimace. "Anyway, there's no doubt that they're building up an airforce for their raids. And they have these things called blimps too..... Just maybe enough to get you into space. The only problem is the Nazi Stormtroopers-"
"The what?" Leia cut him off.
"They're the ground troops of the Nazis, that's the name of the 'political party' ruling Germany right now." Indy explained. Han and Leia looked at each other, bewildered. "
Stormtroopers?" Han asked slowly. Indy nodded. Han shook his head. "That's just too weird." Han mumbled.
Indy cocked an eyebrow, "What?" he asked. Neither of the space-fairers said anything. "What?" he persisted.
"It's just that, Stormtroopers, that's exactly what the Empire's troops are called." Leia said. Indy's eyebrows both raised in amusement.
"That's a little creepy." Indy said.
"Tell me about it." Han commented. "Who'd have guessed that somewhere on the other side of the Universe, there was a guy who looks just like me and fights off the same type of goons." Everyone was silent for a while, pondering the eerie coincidences.
Then Indy shook his head, and cleared his throat. "Listen, if we can get to Germany, I have a pretty good plan on how to get a plane or a blimp back here...." he said, and began to explain.
Half an hour later, the group had agreed to Indy's idea. They all returned to the desert outside. Han locked up the Falcon, then re-mounted his camel with Leia.
"Indy," Sallah said, climbing aboard his own ride, "I am worried. I am not sure going into Germany is a god idea." he sounded concerned.
Indy laughed, and reached over to clap his friend on the shoulder from atop his own camel. "Oh come on Sallah, it'll be fine. What could possibly go wrong?"
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