Cloud City was one of the few sights that actually left Kima Li breathless.
She
stared out through the transparisteel as they passed the uppermost layer of clouds. There
was a large structure hovering in the air with many others dotting the scenery.
"Hey Li, think you could stop fogging up my window long enough to get your
shoes on?" Zekk asked from behind her.
Kima turned around reluctantly and scooped up her shoes. "What an amazing
place," she commented, getting her left shoe all the way on.
"Yeah." Zekk smiled. "Did you know that Could City has no actual land, just
different layers of gases?"
"Well then, what happens if you fall of one of those floating cities?" Kima asked.
"You have a long time to regret it on the way down, that is, until the pressure kills
you."
Kima's face turned a shade pale.
"Relax," Zekk told her. You won't fall. Trust me."
Five minutes later, the Lightning Rod was descending into docking port 9. Zekk
extended the landing gear and the ship rolled to a stop. Through the window, he saw
Lando, dressed stylishly as ever with a red cape draped over one shoulder. Zekk noted
with some amusement that Lando's hair was now very short. It was an interesting look
for the former smuggler.
"Your friend Lando is kinda cute," Kima whispered as they stepped out of the
ship.
"Nah, he just wants you to think that."
Once the door closed behind them, Zekk strode forwards at an easy pace towards
Lando who was walking towards him and Kima.
When Lando came within about five feet of the couple he stopped-and scowled.
"Zekk, you dirty, rotten, no good bounty hunter. You have a lot of nerve coming
here after what you did."
***
"How do you even expect to find him?" Luke Skywalker demanded of Jaina.
"I'm a Jedi, remember. Besides, Zekk and I used to have a pretty strong Force
bond. I'm sure that's not all gone."
"Your mother will never agree to it," Luke said. "You and I both know that if I let
you do this, all the Jedi powers in the galaxy wouldn't protest me from Leia."
"Say that I snuck off of Yavin 4 and that you didn't know."
"She'd never believe it."
Jaina looked at Luke pleadingly. "Pease Uncle Luke. I think Zekk might be in
some real trouble."
"They're saying that he's helping a terrorist avoid capture." Luke told her.
"And you believe that?!"
"No, I just don't want you to do anything that would have negative political
repercussions for Leia."
Jaina paused. "Well what if I disguised myself."
"You're talking about going to extremes for a guy who left the academy of his
own volition. He's gone, Jaina. He's been gone for some time and I think its about time
you accepted that."
Luke saw a look of pain flash briefly across her features and almost regretted
being so blunt with her. Almost. She needed to hear that, even if it hurt.
"However," Luke said, "You may take 5 days off to do whatever you wish." He
held up 5 fingers, the micromotors in the artificial hand whirring softly.
"What's the catch?"
Luke laughed softly to himself at how much she looked like her father Han Solo
just now. "The catch is, you must take someone with you."
***
"Lando?" Zekk stepped back. "What are you talking about?"
Lando managed to keep the smile for a couple more seconds before he burst out
laughing.
"I don't get it," Kima muttered, still confused.
Lando was still laughing. "Man, talk about déjà vu. I did the same thing to Han
when he and Leia came here a long time ago." He patted Zekk on the shoulder. "Its good
to see you man."
"You too Lando."
Lando looked over at Kima. "Ah, the famed Kima Li." He took Kima's hand in
his, lifted it up, and kissed it in one smooth motion. "You have become something of a
celebrity over the past month."
"I wish," she said. "Everyone's out for my blood."
"Oh, I doubt everyone," Lando told her. "But still, that's quite a predicament you
are in."
"So do you think you could find her a hotel or something?" Zekk asked.
"I'll see what I can do," Lando replied. He turned and beckoned for the pair to
follow him as he strode towards the large door that led to the city. "Perhaps you would
like to find a nice restaurant," he suggested to Kima when the threesome entered the city.
"Are trying to get rid of me?"
"Yes."
Kima looked back and forth between Zekk and Lando. "Fine," she said at last.
She walked away somewhat angrily, her long black swishing just as angrily behind her.
***
Darth Omega smiled when he saw the Lightning Rod enter the atmosphere of
Cloud City. This would be too easy. The instructions that Malik had given were simple:
kill the boy and capture the girl. If inconspicuous capture becomes impossible, then drain
all the memory from the girl's head before you leave and take her later. His master's
words still rang fresh in his mind. He had also been warned for the third time about the
boy's Jedi powers but Omega was not worried. He hadn't met the Jedi yet who could
defeat him, believed such a person was nonexistent.
The Sith lord had to admit that he had been wrong about Zekk's intentions. As it
turned out, the bounty hunter was going to Cloud City. Finding this out had more than
atoned for Omega's mistake.
He keyed the forward thrusters and followed along behind the Lightning Rod, just
out of sight.
***
"What's up Lando?" Zekk asked once Kima was gone.
Lando gestured to a bench. "Please, sit down."
Zekk sat, crossing his arms. "Look Lando, I'm sorry we had to come here and
disrupt everything," he began without preamble.
"No problem." Lando sat down next to Zekk. "Listen, I heard what happened at
the Academy."
Zekk drew in a sharp breath. He had expected as much since Luke contacted
Lando often and the Solo twins along with Tenel Ka, the Dathomiri, visited almost as
frequently. The incident was bound to come up. "Okay," Zekk said nonchalantly.
"Hey, I'm not looking down on you anything. I just want to make sure you're all
right."
"I'm fine. Bounty hunting . suits me."
"Good to hear." Lando smiled. "And what about Kima? Why did you decide not
to deliver her to Foln?"
Zekk shrugged. "I didn't sense that she was lying when she told me that Foln was
lying."
"You mean you sensed with your Jedi abilities?"
"Yes."
Lando nodded. "You do know that as of now you are fugitive."
Zekk nodded. "Of course I do."
"Good," Lando said.
Zekk rose. "I don't intend to stay long at all. Just long enough to straighten things
out. You won't tell anyone about this, will you?"
"No way." Lando rose also. "Now we will have to do something about Kima's
hair. They've got pictures of her on every news station and all over the holonet. Its too
distinctive."
"I'll figure something out."
"Good." Lando pointed at a large building with a coned top. That's the best fast
food place we've got. Go get yourself something to eat."
/AN/ Don't forget to review.
stared out through the transparisteel as they passed the uppermost layer of clouds. There
was a large structure hovering in the air with many others dotting the scenery.
"Hey Li, think you could stop fogging up my window long enough to get your
shoes on?" Zekk asked from behind her.
Kima turned around reluctantly and scooped up her shoes. "What an amazing
place," she commented, getting her left shoe all the way on.
"Yeah." Zekk smiled. "Did you know that Could City has no actual land, just
different layers of gases?"
"Well then, what happens if you fall of one of those floating cities?" Kima asked.
"You have a long time to regret it on the way down, that is, until the pressure kills
you."
Kima's face turned a shade pale.
"Relax," Zekk told her. You won't fall. Trust me."
Five minutes later, the Lightning Rod was descending into docking port 9. Zekk
extended the landing gear and the ship rolled to a stop. Through the window, he saw
Lando, dressed stylishly as ever with a red cape draped over one shoulder. Zekk noted
with some amusement that Lando's hair was now very short. It was an interesting look
for the former smuggler.
"Your friend Lando is kinda cute," Kima whispered as they stepped out of the
ship.
"Nah, he just wants you to think that."
Once the door closed behind them, Zekk strode forwards at an easy pace towards
Lando who was walking towards him and Kima.
When Lando came within about five feet of the couple he stopped-and scowled.
"Zekk, you dirty, rotten, no good bounty hunter. You have a lot of nerve coming
here after what you did."
***
"How do you even expect to find him?" Luke Skywalker demanded of Jaina.
"I'm a Jedi, remember. Besides, Zekk and I used to have a pretty strong Force
bond. I'm sure that's not all gone."
"Your mother will never agree to it," Luke said. "You and I both know that if I let
you do this, all the Jedi powers in the galaxy wouldn't protest me from Leia."
"Say that I snuck off of Yavin 4 and that you didn't know."
"She'd never believe it."
Jaina looked at Luke pleadingly. "Pease Uncle Luke. I think Zekk might be in
some real trouble."
"They're saying that he's helping a terrorist avoid capture." Luke told her.
"And you believe that?!"
"No, I just don't want you to do anything that would have negative political
repercussions for Leia."
Jaina paused. "Well what if I disguised myself."
"You're talking about going to extremes for a guy who left the academy of his
own volition. He's gone, Jaina. He's been gone for some time and I think its about time
you accepted that."
Luke saw a look of pain flash briefly across her features and almost regretted
being so blunt with her. Almost. She needed to hear that, even if it hurt.
"However," Luke said, "You may take 5 days off to do whatever you wish." He
held up 5 fingers, the micromotors in the artificial hand whirring softly.
"What's the catch?"
Luke laughed softly to himself at how much she looked like her father Han Solo
just now. "The catch is, you must take someone with you."
***
"Lando?" Zekk stepped back. "What are you talking about?"
Lando managed to keep the smile for a couple more seconds before he burst out
laughing.
"I don't get it," Kima muttered, still confused.
Lando was still laughing. "Man, talk about déjà vu. I did the same thing to Han
when he and Leia came here a long time ago." He patted Zekk on the shoulder. "Its good
to see you man."
"You too Lando."
Lando looked over at Kima. "Ah, the famed Kima Li." He took Kima's hand in
his, lifted it up, and kissed it in one smooth motion. "You have become something of a
celebrity over the past month."
"I wish," she said. "Everyone's out for my blood."
"Oh, I doubt everyone," Lando told her. "But still, that's quite a predicament you
are in."
"So do you think you could find her a hotel or something?" Zekk asked.
"I'll see what I can do," Lando replied. He turned and beckoned for the pair to
follow him as he strode towards the large door that led to the city. "Perhaps you would
like to find a nice restaurant," he suggested to Kima when the threesome entered the city.
"Are trying to get rid of me?"
"Yes."
Kima looked back and forth between Zekk and Lando. "Fine," she said at last.
She walked away somewhat angrily, her long black swishing just as angrily behind her.
***
Darth Omega smiled when he saw the Lightning Rod enter the atmosphere of
Cloud City. This would be too easy. The instructions that Malik had given were simple:
kill the boy and capture the girl. If inconspicuous capture becomes impossible, then drain
all the memory from the girl's head before you leave and take her later. His master's
words still rang fresh in his mind. He had also been warned for the third time about the
boy's Jedi powers but Omega was not worried. He hadn't met the Jedi yet who could
defeat him, believed such a person was nonexistent.
The Sith lord had to admit that he had been wrong about Zekk's intentions. As it
turned out, the bounty hunter was going to Cloud City. Finding this out had more than
atoned for Omega's mistake.
He keyed the forward thrusters and followed along behind the Lightning Rod, just
out of sight.
***
"What's up Lando?" Zekk asked once Kima was gone.
Lando gestured to a bench. "Please, sit down."
Zekk sat, crossing his arms. "Look Lando, I'm sorry we had to come here and
disrupt everything," he began without preamble.
"No problem." Lando sat down next to Zekk. "Listen, I heard what happened at
the Academy."
Zekk drew in a sharp breath. He had expected as much since Luke contacted
Lando often and the Solo twins along with Tenel Ka, the Dathomiri, visited almost as
frequently. The incident was bound to come up. "Okay," Zekk said nonchalantly.
"Hey, I'm not looking down on you anything. I just want to make sure you're all
right."
"I'm fine. Bounty hunting . suits me."
"Good to hear." Lando smiled. "And what about Kima? Why did you decide not
to deliver her to Foln?"
Zekk shrugged. "I didn't sense that she was lying when she told me that Foln was
lying."
"You mean you sensed with your Jedi abilities?"
"Yes."
Lando nodded. "You do know that as of now you are fugitive."
Zekk nodded. "Of course I do."
"Good," Lando said.
Zekk rose. "I don't intend to stay long at all. Just long enough to straighten things
out. You won't tell anyone about this, will you?"
"No way." Lando rose also. "Now we will have to do something about Kima's
hair. They've got pictures of her on every news station and all over the holonet. Its too
distinctive."
"I'll figure something out."
"Good." Lando pointed at a large building with a coned top. That's the best fast
food place we've got. Go get yourself something to eat."
/AN/ Don't forget to review.