Chapter 16
"I've been getting that a lot lately," Han said with a shrug.
Fiolla nodded. "Torsl, this man and his companions are known to me. I'll call for you if I need you."
"As you wish Madame," said replied the butler as he walked out.
As the door slid shut behind him, Fiolla gave a weak smile. "It's nice to see you again Solo. It sure has been a while." Her expression became slightly angry. "No contact for more than thirty years! You leave and then suddenly you helped kill the Death Star. Then I hear you're married to the Chief of State of the New Republic with three kids."
"I've heard that a few times recently. We didn't exactly part on the best of terms. Look Fiolla, I'm going to be straight with you. I need your help. Do you still work for the Authority?"
"No. I got displaced about ten years back when Vakir Garinoska took over. Why?"
"The New Republic needs information. Do you still have knowledge of the inner workings of the Authority?"
"I keep myself informed. Listen Solo, if you're asking me to betray my government, I'm not going to do it. The CSA gave me a job for more than twenty years."
"Then I guess we have nothing more to talk about," said Han as he stood up. He was walking towards the exit when the door exploded, knocking him down.
Anakin had his lightsaber drawn immediately, with Mara and Tahiri igniting their blades a split-second later. Even before the smoke cleared, blaster fire began to fill the doorway as several stormtroopers tried to enter the house.
"Do you have a speeder in the garage?" yelled Han over the din.
"Yes!"
"Take us to it! The stormies don't care who they kill as long as they get the four of us. We need to get to the Falcon now!"
Fiolla didn't argue as she lead them to her hover-limo. The Jedi made a fighting retreat, taking most of the black-clad stormtroopers out on the way to the garage.
Han started up the limo as Anakin and Mara hopped in, carrying Blastech E-77 rifles that were used by the stormtroopers.
"Is this thing armored?" Han asked Fiolla.
"Can a mynock fly? I was an Authority exec," she sounded worried as she pushed a button on the limo's console. The garage doors opened and revealed several military model landspeeders and speeder bikes.
"Mara!" called Anakin as he ignited his lightsaber. "Cut a hole to shoot out of!" Within seconds there were empty spaces where the doors had been. Anakin cut part of the crash restraints and secured the longest section to the back of his belt. Then he grabbed his blaster rifle and leaned out the window, ducking back in when a blaster bolt flashed by. On the opposite side of the limo, Mara did the same.
As Mara stuck her head out to return fire at the CSA stormies when there was a tremendous roar from above. Mara took a quick glance and saw an X-wing swoop down over the road, rattling her teeth. The X-wing's laser started flashing on stutterfire mode, wiping out most of their pursuers. "Thought you could use some help Han," said Kyp Durron over Han's comlink. "You oughta get out of there fast. The planet's under Rebellion assault. The Falcon might be a real help to us if you can get her into space."
"Thanks for the help Kyp. I'll see you up there."
"Alright Han. I've got to get back. The Defenders are escorting troops down to the surface." The X-wing's nose pointed to the sky and it jetted off as quickly as it had come.
I just hope we can get to the Falcon, thought Han. With a battle going on, it would be no easy task.