Han
stared placidly at the swarming city lights from a near-empty walkway
edge-rail. Quolle stood beside him, leaning on the rail. She observed his
gritty facial features, touseled hair, unshaven chin…
"You don't talk much, do you?" she asked.
"Nothing to say," Han replied. He looked at her; their eyes connected briefly,
then he looked away again casually. "I've got a lot on my mind…"
"What made you join the rebellion?" she asked. "Money?"
Han shook his head, smirking. "I met this kid from a moisture farm on Tatooine
that has more spirit and determination than anybody I know."
"So?"
"So I can't sit back and let some kid try to do what the whole galaxy's been
wanting to do for all these years. Probably get ourselves killed, but at least
we tried, right?"
"I see you're strongly devoted to your pride," she said.
"Well, everyone wants to be remembered for something…"
Several small speeders dropped from above onto the opposite side of the
building. Han took Quolle by the hand and led her away as more speeders landed
on the walk nearest them. As they briskly walked, Han pulled his comlink from
his belt.
"Chewie, get out of the building right now," he said, which was quickly replied
with a querulous roar. "Stormtroopers," Han said, "in the front and back.
You'll have to go down. Quolle and I will meet you beneath the palace in thirty
minutes."
Chewbacca gurgled his affirmative, and Han could hear him roaring to the others
before he closed the connection.
An explosion rocked the ground beneath them, but Han tried not to imagine
Chewbacca's fate if he didn't make it out.
"What are we going to do at the palace?" Quolle asked.
"We're going to look for Lando and hopefully bring him with us, then take
whatever strike force we can assemble and do what we came here to do."
"Our odds have severely diminished."
"Then we'll just have to fight harder, won't we?"
