Salmina shot through they alleys, driven faster by her burning anger. Those Imperials would pay one day. She knew what they had done to her, and she could handle them. But Jedi? How long could she keep running? Jedi were ancient allies with the Kimiro. As each of the peoples grew less in number, each had forgotten about the alliance, or assumed the other race dead. She had certainly thought that the Jedi were dead.
Her legs grew weak and she slowed then stopped, panting. There was someone up ahead. It sounded like the slow, heavy footsteps of a tired and depressed man- a human man. It sounded like business. She crept up beside him, startling him.
"Who are you, and what do you want?" He asked in a gruff voice.
"I am here to help you in return for your help." The Kimiro opening line.
"I-I need to find my wife." Ahh, thought Salmina. Bingo. This she could do.
"I am a Kimiro, well trained in many areas. I can help you." Another well-used Kimiro line. The man turned. In the dim illumination from the lights that filtered down this far, she saw a scraggy, forlorn figure. He moved like someone who had just made best friends with a few too many bottles. She was granted a blank stare for her troubles.
"Look, I'm sure I can help you find your wife. All I want is food and shelter while I am with you, and an additional charge for each day I am away searching."
Finally something seemed to catch in the man's mind. "I've heard of your kind. Can you pilot a ship?"
"Yes." The man sighed heavily.
"Okay, you've got a deal. I have a temporary place up this way. About your job: I need you to find my wife. Her name is Leia Organa Solo."
Some days later, Luke and Jessi were once again scanning the many-leveled streets. Jessi took the lead, chatting cheerily about the slave farm after Luke made the mistake of asking.
"... They're like family after a while. Even the mean ones." She sighed. "Namuhu was like a mom to me, and the Master... well... kinda like a father I guess. Do you remember your fa-" She caught herself mid-word. She felt Luke draw back and gave herself a virtual slap on the wrist for being so careless. She opened her mouth to attempt to repair the damage when a bright light shone in her face and an unfamiliar voice called out.
"Who's there?"
She heard Luke laugh lightly behind her. "Hey, point that light somewhere else!" The light came down and shone against the filthy street.
"Luke?! Is that you?"
Jessi could feel delight in seeing an old friend radiating from Luke. But what friend?
"Jessi, this is an old friend of mine, Han Solo. Han, this is Jessi Hamilton, my apprentice."
"No way! Man, too much has been happening lately."
Luke nodded. "I saw your house."
Han looked down uncomfortably. "Yeah, well... c'mon, I'll show you my temporary place. I'm glad you showed up, I need your help with something."
They walked a while, each filling the other in on what had happened since they parted. Finally they came to a beaten old shack.
"It's not the nicest place," said Han apologetically, "but it serves it's purpose. Uh, I'd better go in first. I have a visitor with whom I left explicit orders to protect the place." He opened the door and called a hello. A furry face followed by a huge furry body suddenly appearing at the doorway made Jessi jump.
"That's only Chewbacca. He won't hurt you as long as you're with me," he told Jessi. "He's not my visitor, by the way."
Chewie greeted Luke with a delighted roar.
"Good to see you again," replied Luke. He nudged Jessi.
"Um, hi," Jessi said nervously.
Chewie roared back a friendly greeting.
As they entered the small house, a figure stepped out of the doorway. Jessi and Luke found themselves looking into a familiar pale face framed with red-black hair, her red lips turned down in a scowl.
Her legs grew weak and she slowed then stopped, panting. There was someone up ahead. It sounded like the slow, heavy footsteps of a tired and depressed man- a human man. It sounded like business. She crept up beside him, startling him.
"Who are you, and what do you want?" He asked in a gruff voice.
"I am here to help you in return for your help." The Kimiro opening line.
"I-I need to find my wife." Ahh, thought Salmina. Bingo. This she could do.
"I am a Kimiro, well trained in many areas. I can help you." Another well-used Kimiro line. The man turned. In the dim illumination from the lights that filtered down this far, she saw a scraggy, forlorn figure. He moved like someone who had just made best friends with a few too many bottles. She was granted a blank stare for her troubles.
"Look, I'm sure I can help you find your wife. All I want is food and shelter while I am with you, and an additional charge for each day I am away searching."
Finally something seemed to catch in the man's mind. "I've heard of your kind. Can you pilot a ship?"
"Yes." The man sighed heavily.
"Okay, you've got a deal. I have a temporary place up this way. About your job: I need you to find my wife. Her name is Leia Organa Solo."
Some days later, Luke and Jessi were once again scanning the many-leveled streets. Jessi took the lead, chatting cheerily about the slave farm after Luke made the mistake of asking.
"... They're like family after a while. Even the mean ones." She sighed. "Namuhu was like a mom to me, and the Master... well... kinda like a father I guess. Do you remember your fa-" She caught herself mid-word. She felt Luke draw back and gave herself a virtual slap on the wrist for being so careless. She opened her mouth to attempt to repair the damage when a bright light shone in her face and an unfamiliar voice called out.
"Who's there?"
She heard Luke laugh lightly behind her. "Hey, point that light somewhere else!" The light came down and shone against the filthy street.
"Luke?! Is that you?"
Jessi could feel delight in seeing an old friend radiating from Luke. But what friend?
"Jessi, this is an old friend of mine, Han Solo. Han, this is Jessi Hamilton, my apprentice."
"No way! Man, too much has been happening lately."
Luke nodded. "I saw your house."
Han looked down uncomfortably. "Yeah, well... c'mon, I'll show you my temporary place. I'm glad you showed up, I need your help with something."
They walked a while, each filling the other in on what had happened since they parted. Finally they came to a beaten old shack.
"It's not the nicest place," said Han apologetically, "but it serves it's purpose. Uh, I'd better go in first. I have a visitor with whom I left explicit orders to protect the place." He opened the door and called a hello. A furry face followed by a huge furry body suddenly appearing at the doorway made Jessi jump.
"That's only Chewbacca. He won't hurt you as long as you're with me," he told Jessi. "He's not my visitor, by the way."
Chewie greeted Luke with a delighted roar.
"Good to see you again," replied Luke. He nudged Jessi.
"Um, hi," Jessi said nervously.
Chewie roared back a friendly greeting.
As they entered the small house, a figure stepped out of the doorway. Jessi and Luke found themselves looking into a familiar pale face framed with red-black hair, her red lips turned down in a scowl.