"What happened?" I asked, struggling to sit up.
"You collapsed," Luke explained.
We were in a dark place and I could barely see Luke's face, or Leia's. The ground was cold and damp underneath of me.
"Where are we?" I asked. What happened to my father's voice?
"We were captured shortly after you passed out," Leia explained. "They've put us in some kind of dungeon."
"Oh, great," I said, propping myself against what felt like steel bars. "Gotta love dungeons. Where are the others?"
"Over to your right," I heard Jaina say.
Chewie rumbled something.
"Okay," Han grumbled. "There's someone here who's been patiently waiting for you to wake up," Han translated.
"Who?" I automatically asked.
"Me."
Brin - ? That was the same voice I heard in the field.
"Dad?" My heart pounded. The blood rushed in my ears. Was that really him? I froze. I searched frantically with my eyes, groping through the darkness to see any sign of him. Then, the darkness cleared. He was right beside me, leaning against a stonewall. I crawled over to him. What to say? "Dad?" A sob choked my voice.
"How've you been?" He asked, like it was any normal day. His voice was scratchy, unused. His cheekbones stuck out, cheeks sunk in. Black circles made his eyes seem wild. His arms and legs were like twigs.
"What have they done to you?" I reached out and grasped his hand. So bony, and cold. It was like he was already dead, withering away.
"Nothing short of killing me," he said quietly. His eyes were watering. "I'll be fine once we get out of here. I promise. I'll make it up to you, all the things we put you through."
At the mention of We, I asked, "Where's mom?"
Silence.
"Dead." I barely heard him.
The word hung in the cold air between us. Teasing me, dancing before my eyes; yet, not quite entering my mind. Not sinking in. With a whirlwind it was sucked in and I gasped. "Dead?" I was numb. I hadn't expected this. I thought I'd find him, and she'd be here, too. "When?"
"Shortly after we were dumped here. She wouldn't work. They killed her," his sentences were choppy as he took deep gasps between them.
When he didn't say anything more, I said, "I saw you in a dream. Master Luke helped me find you…I saw what they were doing to you," Dad flinched. "Why? Why were they doing that?"
"They need this stuff - drugs. It's illegal to sell, but they get good money smuggling into the inner rim. Did you come across an asteroid field?" At my nod, he continued, "They used to mine there, but there was an accident and the moon exploded. They're close to doing that to this planet. You've got to stop them, Brin."
"I don't know. I don't think we can."
"Jal said you were special," he was looking to a point over my shoulder. I turned to see Luke watching us. "I should have listened. You would have had a better life."
"No, I wouldn't have had a better life. Without the life I've lived, I would never have had the guts to come after you."
"Why did you come?" A light appeared on the wall behind my father. He squinted his eyes, raising his left hand to shield them.
"Somebody's coming," Leia hissed.
The sound of footfalls echoed around the cavern.
I shifted my weight to see an old man carrying an artificial light source. He had graying hair that spilled over his shoulders. It was neatly combed tight against his scalp. He was bony, his shoulders stuck out like sticks from under his robes. Following the old man was a much younger man; he was well built and dragged Aarton along in his grasp. In Aarton's arms was his pet, Lynk.
The old man opened the door; it groaned and wailed.
Han leapt to his feet, reaching for a blaster that wasn't there. Chewie roared. Leia also leapt to her feet, grasping Han's arm she said, "No, Han."
The young man flung Aarton in where he promptly fell into Chewie, who roared again and sent Aarton leaping out of Chewie's grasp.
The old man closed the barred door and said, "Don't expect to live much longer." His voice was raspy, sounding like a hundred buzzing flies.
"It's you who won't live much longer," Han bellowed to their retreating backs. He yanked away from Leia, walking the boundaries of the dungeon; his hands spread. He walked with a determination. We all watched curiously.
"Han," Leia began softly. "You've already checked the walls."
Han raised his hand to silence her. "No. There's a breeze. Feel it?"
We all remained silent, waiting for the breeze he was talking about. I was about to say I didn't feel anything, when the hair on my arms rose, creating goosebumps that made me shiver. Standing up, I followed the breeze to the far corner of the dungeon. There, two feet above my head was a long crack.
"I found it," I said. Han had followed me, and now Luke and Jaina joined us. Leia moved to sit next to Dad, mumbling something quietly to him.
"Chewie, think you could dig this wider?" Han asked.
Chewie rumbled and pushed everyone aside roughly, me included. "Okay, okay. I get the hint," I mumbled when Chewie pushed me against the wall in an attempt to move me out of the way. I stepped away from him and stood next to Jaina. I flinched when dirt began to spray in all direction as Chewie's hairy arms wildly began to dig.
"You human are crazy. No one has ever made it out of here alive. Once you get out, there will be many people waiting. I told you danger was here. Didn't I say?" Aarton rambled. "But did you listen? Oh, no, you make me take you here."
"Shut up!" My father, Jaina, Han, and I bellowed together.
Aarton quieted, sulking as he held Lynk close to his chest.
Chewie stepped back as he finished. The crack was now large enough to be classified as a hole. It was only a foot thick. Stepping forward, I said, "I'll go first."
No one stopped me when I leapt through. Chewie had to boost me. Once I had scrambled through, it took a moment to get my eyes to adjust to the dark. If I had thought it was dark down there, it was definitely darker up here. I stretched my hand forward and saw nothing. I stumbled forward into a wall. Stone. Another cavern?
"It's safe," I called down.
"I'm coming up," I heard Luke say.
There was a whoosh of wind and then he was standing before me. I gaped at him, although I knew he couldn't see me. "How?" I asked. He didn't reply. I heard his boots scuffling nearby as he made his way around the cavern.
"I don't think there's a way out of here," I said.
Luke still didn't reply. A moment later he called, "I think I found something. Come here."
I followed his voice and Luke grabbed my hand, pressing it against the cold stone. It was uneven, the edges sharp. "Is that -?"
"Yup," Luke said.
I moved to call Chewie up, but Luke silenced me. "I think I can do it. The rock here seems soft," He said quietly.
The wall groaned and creaked. Pebbles scattered across the floor and I took two cautious steps back. How was he doing that? More rocks fell to the ground and landed at my feet. The cavern was brightening; I could now see Luke's intense face, marked with concentration. His eyes were closed; his hand was outstretched toward the wall.
Green foliage peeked through the crack; I could hear birds whistling back and forth to each other. Their calls were different, unfamiliar to me.
Luke stopped and slumped against the wall. He was pale and sweat wetted his brow. He blinked his eyes rapidly, clearing away the dust. Wiping a hand against his brow, he said quietly, "Call up the others."
I found my way easily over to the hole; six anxious faces peered up at me. Apparently, Leia had help Dad over.
"Come on up. Luke opened a way out." I stepped back, ready to help if I was needed. First up came Leia, she saw Luke and at his nod she stayed to help me get the others up. Jaina was pushed through next, than Han. He lowered his torso back down and grasped Dad from Chewie's paws. Han panted as he struggled to pull the man from the whole, although Dad tried to help, he was too weak to do much.
"Geez," Han groaned. "Either I'm out of shape, or you're a heavy guy, Saan."
"Thanks, Solo. Seeing as how I'm skin and bones, I'll just say you're out of shape," Dad said, reaching for my offered hand. Together Han and I pulled him up, where he promptly collapsed at my feet.
"Dad?" I crouched down to his side. He was breathing heavily and sheeted in a blanket of sweat. He waved me away weakly. Pushing himself into a sitting position he said, "I'll be all right in a moment. I just need to catch my breath."
"Oh," wailed Aarton as he crawled up the shaft. "He's dead? Didn't I say escaping would kill us?"
I shot a pleading look at Han. He, too, was barely controlling his annoyance with the little being. "Is there any way we can shove him in a bag and throw him out one of the airlocks when we get aboard?"
"I wish," Han snorted. He bent to help Dad up, he slowly stood and used both Han and me like crutches. "Let's go. These caverns are making me uneasy."
"You uneasy!" Aarton exploded.
No one replied to him.
"I agree with Solo," Dad said. His voice seemed strong, but his face was ashen, his bright eyes dull. He must have a fever, I thought. He was shivering, yet, his skin was warm and he was coated in sweat. Why hadn't I noticed it before?
We all headed towards the Falcon, praying to whatever gods were out there that we'd make it before anyone came after us.