Disclaimer: Same as in part one.
A/N: Again, same as in part one.
Bounty Part 3 By DamiaMulder
Wedge trudged through the marketplace, just a step or two behind Hope. She seemed to be wandering aimlessly in and out of shops and between stalls where vendors hawked their wares. One old woman called out to him, "Buy a necklace for your lady? I have a lovely fire-crystal pendant. One hundred fifty credits, but for you, seventy five."
Seeing that Hope had stopped a couple of stalls down, Wedge paused to examine the necklace the crone offered him. ~Iella would like this,~ he thought. the stone looked to be genuine, and at seventy five credits, a fire-crystal was a steal.
"Is it real?" he asked the woman.
"Merly don't sell anything that ain't," the man running the next stall told him, overhearing the conversation. "If she says it's a fire-crystal, you better believe it is."
Wedge nodded in thanks and fished in a pocket for the credits. He paid for the necklace and slipped it into a small pocket inside his tunic.
"Thet vas a good deal on the necklace," Hope said in his ear as he turned away from the old woman. He nearly jumped, but just barely managed to catch himself. "I hev not known Merly to drop her price like thet, though. Perheps you remind her of one of her sons. Ya, thet must be it." She nodded in emphasis. "Hungry?"
"A little," he answered, just as his stomach growled at him.
Hope smiled. "Hungrier then you let on. Come, we go to Salna's bar. Old friend and the food is vunderful." She walked back the way they'd come for a block, took a left, then a right and went down an alley to the next street over. Across the street and down a couple of buildings, a glowing purple sign proclaimed 'Salna's Cantina.'
As promised, the meal was great.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"No, Corran, he's still not here. I'm worried."
"Thanks, Iella. Call if he shows up. In the meantime, try not to worry too much." He signed off, then slumped in his chair and sighed. Two days of searching had turned up nothing. No tracks, no clues whatsoever as to where Wedge had disappeared to. The only thing he could think of was that an extremely good bounty hunter had caught up with him.
Spirits were low among Rogue Squadron. Even the perpetually cheerful, prank-playing Janson was feeling it.
~We'll find you, Wedge,~ Corran thought to himself. ~We'll find you and if necessary, rescue you. I swear it.~
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
They were in hyperspace once again. Wedge thought he would go crazy. Hope had allowed him to be in the cockpit with her, but she hadn't let him fly. It had been a week since he last flew, and it was driving him insane.
The reversion alarm went off, and Hope settled back into the pilot's seat.
They came out right on top of a blue and green world.
"Strap in," Hope ordered. "Ve are lending et these coordinates. You think you vould like to teke her there?" She transferred control of the ship to the copilot's station, where Wedge was seated, without even waiting for his answer.
"Now, don't try enything funny. My employer vishes to see you, safe and unhurt. I vould hate to disappoint." She swivelled her chair around and propped her feet on the chair at the navigator's station.
Wedge flew the small freighter to the exact coordinates, marveling at how the ship handled. It was completely unlike any other freighter he'd piloted before. In fact, it was most like an X-wing in its responsiveness.
He flew over a large estate and realized that the coordinates were right in the middle of the vast expanse of land. As he neared the designated landing zone, he saw it was a small bay, not unlike the ones at Mos Eisley, and that a large house and several smaller buildings were nearby.
As Wedge brought the small ship in for a landing, Hope got up and left the cockpit. She walked to the small cargo bay and lowered the ramp when she felt the slight 'thump' of the landing gear meeting the paved ground of the bay.
After powering down the engines, Wedge went to the cargo bay. Hope was inspecting some crates they'd picked up on Anobis when he walked in.
"Ah," she said. "There you are. You ken help me unload these cretes." She gestured to a small stack of crates at the top of the lowered ramp. "Be cereful vith the top two. They're brekeble. Eef they brek, I hev to go beck to Anobis and buy more." She fixed him with an unreadable stare, then said,"You do *not* vant to know how much thet vhiskey cost."
"No, I'm sure I don't want to know. Don't worry, Hope, I won't drop them."
After the last of the stack of crates had been unloaded, Hope opened one of the boxes that remained on the ship and withdrew two bottles.
"So, what do we do now?" Wedge asked of his abductor.
Hope handed him one of the bottles she carried. "Now, ve vait. Thet's a semple of the vhiskey I bought. Miss St-- eh, my employer says she prefers et over most other Corellian vhiskeys."
"Welcome to my home."
Wedge had heard no footsteps before the vaguely familiar, feminine voice had sounded from behind him.
"Thank you, Luna, for bringing him to me. Your payment will be delivered shortly. Make yourself at home." The woman paused and looked at Wedge, who had turned around to see who was speaking. "Hello, Veggies," she said.
The woman had long blonde hair and brown eyes.
"Syal?" he asked in stunned disbelief.
A/N: Again, same as in part one.
Bounty Part 3 By DamiaMulder
Wedge trudged through the marketplace, just a step or two behind Hope. She seemed to be wandering aimlessly in and out of shops and between stalls where vendors hawked their wares. One old woman called out to him, "Buy a necklace for your lady? I have a lovely fire-crystal pendant. One hundred fifty credits, but for you, seventy five."
Seeing that Hope had stopped a couple of stalls down, Wedge paused to examine the necklace the crone offered him. ~Iella would like this,~ he thought. the stone looked to be genuine, and at seventy five credits, a fire-crystal was a steal.
"Is it real?" he asked the woman.
"Merly don't sell anything that ain't," the man running the next stall told him, overhearing the conversation. "If she says it's a fire-crystal, you better believe it is."
Wedge nodded in thanks and fished in a pocket for the credits. He paid for the necklace and slipped it into a small pocket inside his tunic.
"Thet vas a good deal on the necklace," Hope said in his ear as he turned away from the old woman. He nearly jumped, but just barely managed to catch himself. "I hev not known Merly to drop her price like thet, though. Perheps you remind her of one of her sons. Ya, thet must be it." She nodded in emphasis. "Hungry?"
"A little," he answered, just as his stomach growled at him.
Hope smiled. "Hungrier then you let on. Come, we go to Salna's bar. Old friend and the food is vunderful." She walked back the way they'd come for a block, took a left, then a right and went down an alley to the next street over. Across the street and down a couple of buildings, a glowing purple sign proclaimed 'Salna's Cantina.'
As promised, the meal was great.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"No, Corran, he's still not here. I'm worried."
"Thanks, Iella. Call if he shows up. In the meantime, try not to worry too much." He signed off, then slumped in his chair and sighed. Two days of searching had turned up nothing. No tracks, no clues whatsoever as to where Wedge had disappeared to. The only thing he could think of was that an extremely good bounty hunter had caught up with him.
Spirits were low among Rogue Squadron. Even the perpetually cheerful, prank-playing Janson was feeling it.
~We'll find you, Wedge,~ Corran thought to himself. ~We'll find you and if necessary, rescue you. I swear it.~
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
They were in hyperspace once again. Wedge thought he would go crazy. Hope had allowed him to be in the cockpit with her, but she hadn't let him fly. It had been a week since he last flew, and it was driving him insane.
The reversion alarm went off, and Hope settled back into the pilot's seat.
They came out right on top of a blue and green world.
"Strap in," Hope ordered. "Ve are lending et these coordinates. You think you vould like to teke her there?" She transferred control of the ship to the copilot's station, where Wedge was seated, without even waiting for his answer.
"Now, don't try enything funny. My employer vishes to see you, safe and unhurt. I vould hate to disappoint." She swivelled her chair around and propped her feet on the chair at the navigator's station.
Wedge flew the small freighter to the exact coordinates, marveling at how the ship handled. It was completely unlike any other freighter he'd piloted before. In fact, it was most like an X-wing in its responsiveness.
He flew over a large estate and realized that the coordinates were right in the middle of the vast expanse of land. As he neared the designated landing zone, he saw it was a small bay, not unlike the ones at Mos Eisley, and that a large house and several smaller buildings were nearby.
As Wedge brought the small ship in for a landing, Hope got up and left the cockpit. She walked to the small cargo bay and lowered the ramp when she felt the slight 'thump' of the landing gear meeting the paved ground of the bay.
After powering down the engines, Wedge went to the cargo bay. Hope was inspecting some crates they'd picked up on Anobis when he walked in.
"Ah," she said. "There you are. You ken help me unload these cretes." She gestured to a small stack of crates at the top of the lowered ramp. "Be cereful vith the top two. They're brekeble. Eef they brek, I hev to go beck to Anobis and buy more." She fixed him with an unreadable stare, then said,"You do *not* vant to know how much thet vhiskey cost."
"No, I'm sure I don't want to know. Don't worry, Hope, I won't drop them."
After the last of the stack of crates had been unloaded, Hope opened one of the boxes that remained on the ship and withdrew two bottles.
"So, what do we do now?" Wedge asked of his abductor.
Hope handed him one of the bottles she carried. "Now, ve vait. Thet's a semple of the vhiskey I bought. Miss St-- eh, my employer says she prefers et over most other Corellian vhiskeys."
"Welcome to my home."
Wedge had heard no footsteps before the vaguely familiar, feminine voice had sounded from behind him.
"Thank you, Luna, for bringing him to me. Your payment will be delivered shortly. Make yourself at home." The woman paused and looked at Wedge, who had turned around to see who was speaking. "Hello, Veggies," she said.
The woman had long blonde hair and brown eyes.
"Syal?" he asked in stunned disbelief.