Disclaimer: Luke, Han and all StarWars Universe belong to George Lucas.
Rating: M
Time period: Shortly after ROTJ
Warnings: Slash. Luke/Han pairing.
Chapter six: revelations
Chewbacca had found Artoo hidden in the backyard and made the droid restore the house system to normal settings. Finally free, Han grabbed his blaster and ran to where he last saw the Dark Hunter and Luke.
"Find out what's wrong with the tin can" he'd told Chewie before leaving. "I'm pretty sure the sonofabitch somehow messed up with his circuits. If you fix him he may be able to give us some useful info!"
Hours had passed since Luke was taken and the wind had partially erased the footprints on the sand but still there was enough to have an idea of the direction he should follow. Anyway, few minutes after he reached the beach his com biped.
/Artoo knows where they are. I'm sending the coordinates./
"Great job, pal."
/I didn't do anything, Han. Artoo simply gave out the information even before I asked. It was as if he had been programmed to do it./ Chewie's barks sounded totally baffled. /Be careful, my friend. It can be a trap./
"I will!"
The coordinates led to somewhere in the middle of the woods – a perfect place for an ambush. Knowing that didn't stop Han from running there as fast as he could, though. Ambush or not, it was his only clue to save Luke.
Hang on, kid. Hang on just a little more, I'm coming!
I can't lose you. I can't. I can't! I love you. I love you and it scares me to death to say it because I don't want it to be like it was with Leia...
Leia. She was so quiet the day they parted. She hadn't so much as twitched when he told that he was leaving and why.
"I want only one thing from you, Han."
"What?"
"Do not hurt Luke the way you hurt me." her eyes were cold steel when she'd said that. Han could only give an incredulous snort.
"Why would I hurt the kid? Dammit, I love him!"
"Are you sure?"
"Sith, would I risk making a fool of myself and tell you if I weren't? Of course I'm sure!"
"But back there in Endor, when we decided to commit to marriage...you were sure you loved me, weren't you?"
That had taken him aback. Yes, at that time he was sure he loved Leia more than anything. But then...
Feelings change.
"Yes, feelings change and I can live with that, Han. But I don't think Luke can. He's so... so intense. And after he became a Jedi and learned to keep his emotions at bay it seems he is growing even more passionate deep inside. I actually believe you could destroy Luke if you started a relationship with him and changed your mind later, like you have already done to me..."
And so she left, not giving him a chance to talk back. No tears, no shouts, just that cold warning. Funny how their relationship had blossomed while they were bickering furiously and started to wither precisely when they stopped doing that.
Why are you in such rush, Falcon?
Han stopped dead and blinked in surprise. He had reached a clearing in the woods when he heard the voice in his head. It took him some time to discern the house partially covered in thick ivies and the tall, pale man in front of it.
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Luke startled awoke. Han was near, he could sense him. The young Jedi sat up and realized he was alone in the bedroom. He was feeling a bit groggy but the lethargy and the disgusting sensation in his insides was gone.
Oh Gods, he did it! He turned me into a... a...
Overwhelmed by horror the boy frantically started to look for a weapon – a blaster, his lightsaber, anything he could use to kill himself. Then, he spotted a small red vial and a holomessage disc blinking on the sidetable. His father's holopic was gone.
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The best way to defeat a Dark Hunter is to make him bleed.
Of all the things grandpa used to speak constantly about Dark Hunters Han could remember that one clearly, thank the Gods for that. A blaster usually produced scorch wounds so it wouldn't work; this was one rare situation in which a blade would be the best choice.
The Corellian reached for the knife he had hidden in his boot – an ancient weapon, the only one legacy his family ever had. He used to keep it in a secret vault in the Falcon. Chewbacca had brought it and handed it to him before his desperate run after Luke.
/I had a hunch you would need it./
Wookies do have a great intuition...
The best targets were the throat, wrists, thighs and ankles. If he could cut deep at one of those without being caught...
"Where's Luke?"
"He's inside." the Dark Hunter didn't move a muscle, his arms crossed in a sign of determination. "You will have to put me down to get to him."
Han lunged at his oponent ferociously. Julian Dronn stepped aside and smirked as the Corellian fell on the ground.
"You are too slow, Falcon."
"But I got you."
It was only then that Dronn realized a small cut in his hand. It was not deep but it bled considerably.
For some minutes the two men engaged in fierce combat, none of them managing to get any advantage.
Han lunged again but this time the Dark Hunter grabbed his throat. He had an iron grip and soon the Corellian was gasping for air, trying desperately to keep blowing with the knife. Make him bleed, make the son of a bitch bleed enough and he'll loose the grip!
And then, there was a sound of wood breaking, the familiar swoosh of a lightsaber and somebody yelled behind them.
"Stop!"
With great effort Luke had managed to blast the doors open using the Force. He felt horribly drained and dizzy but did his best not to show.
Julian Dronn released the unconscious Falcon and gave Luke a sad smile. He stared at his own bleeding arms.
"This is not enough to kill me..." he muttered, seeming slightly disappointed.
"You don't have to die." Luke turned off his lightsaber and offered his hand. "You didn't do it, did you? The blood you gave me..."
The Dark Hunter turned his back to the young Jedi, looking embarrassed.
"My blood can only prevent the bug from reactivating itself. It will not cure you. As I told you, this virus you have will never be eliminated. You will never be able to use your Jedi abilities to the fullest again.."
"I don't care. Not now. I'm just glad to be alive and normal, and to know you never meant to turn me into a Dark Hunter."
"Oh, I did mean to do it, child. If I had given you just a little more of my blood, just two or three drops, you would have been transformed." Dronn leaned against a tree and closed hiseyes for a moment.
"You don't know what it is to be so utterly alone in this Universe."
Wouldthat young Jediunderstand like his father did? Probably not.But the Dark Hunter didn't care. He just wanted to keep talking until he could gather the courage to leave and give up what little hope he still had to escape from his fate.
"When I first met your father he was badly wounded, almost dead. He had confronted Obi Wan Kenobi and lost. As I nursed him back to life we became friends... and for the first time in decades I had someone by my side... a humanoid who could read my soul like one of my kind. Then Palpatine came and took him from me and I was alone again. But this time loneliness hurt twice as bad. I wanted you to be my companion, I thought it would make me miss him less. It wouldn't work, though, I soon realized it. You are not Anakin."
"So you wanted to die, didn't you? I bet you weren't even fighting seriously... you were actually trying to make Han kill you." Luke offered his hand once more. "You don't have to die. We will find a way to help you."
The Dark Hunter laughed bitterly.
"You have too much hope. Your heart is not dark enough." he glanced at the young Jedi and sighed in defeat. "Do not pity me. I will not kill myself if this is what you fear, young one. It is impossible for a Dark Hunter to commit suicide."
"It's not pity, I really want to help..."
"It is pity and it is hurting what is left of my pride. I do not want to speak with you anymore. Farewell, Jedi. Forget about me and take care of yourself. You have other enemies, most of them not as powerful as I am but much, much more traitorous..."
And with that, he left the clearing at an inhuman speed. In a blink of an eye he was gone. Luke reached to the small red vial he had put in his pocket – some drops of the Dark Hunter's blood that, according to the information in the holodisc, would be enough to produce a vaccin and immunize Leia and any remaining Force sensitive in the Galaxy from the virus.
"Thank you, Julian..."
And now that our heroes are safe, will they fall on each other's arms at last?
Coming up next - The Final Chapter!
P.S.: I wish to thank the reviewers. You made my day! -
I hope to be sending msgs to each of you by the time this is online.