Chapter 7
The Bantha's Head Tap-Caf, Fraali Galactic Spaceport.
Dalhir, Meridian Sector.
The Princess of Alderaan subtly let her right hand drop to the lightsaber on her belt.
The Gammorean's blocking her way did not take the hint.
She lowered her left hand to rest on the blaster on her hip opposite the lightsaber. One of the gammorean's shifted a little and the other squinted. They did not seem threatened in the slightest.
Leia sighed.
Behind her she sensed the rest of the tap-caf slipping to silence as they watched.
/great. I guess I need more than a cloak and a blaster to fit in on Dalhir…/
She wasn't afraid, just annoyed with herself. Maybe she'd rushed things. After landing on Dalhir she'd pretty much grabbed a blaster and headed out to find Han. Now she'd have to waste time blasting her way out of the tap-caf and back to her ship to put on a better disguise then start her search for Han and Chewie.
Deciding that she had wasted too much time already, Leia pouted and tapped her foot impatiently, "Well! Are you going to try and blast me or not? I'm in a hurry. I have better things to do than stand here looking at your ugly mugs all night!"
There was collective gasp from the patrons of the tap-caf. They leaned closer, anticipating an entertaining end to the tiny well-dressed offworlder-woman who dared to speak to two huge, armed, gammoreans in such a manner.
The Gammoreans themselves looked shocked, then angry. With loud unintelligible yells then rushed her, obviously deciding she deserved to be beaten to a pulp by hand rather than mercifully dealt with by a blaster shot to the head.
Calling the force around her as her brother had taught her, Leia found herself able to duck and weave around the blundering brute force of her attackers easily. Unconsciously her body twisted and turned, blocking and avoiding their blows with a Jedi's unnatural speed and grace. She let them attack her for a few minutes, trying to decide to herself whether she should pull the 'Han Solo customised' DC-120 blaster on them or the crimson lightsaber her brother had helped her make. In the end her attackers made the decision for her. The smaller of the two slipped back and pulled a massive repeater blaster on her, letting out a series of red high-powered shots at her.
Without thinking her lightsaber was in her hand, activating with a loud 'Hsss'. Leia deflected the shots back easily. They impacted the Gammorean's head neatly one after the other, three wet thuds sending a mist of hot blood and steam onto the spectators around him as he flew across the bar and into a server droid.
With a neat back slash Leia removed the right arm of her remaining attacker, sending arm and blaster flying. He sunk to the glass strewn floor howling and clutching at his cauterised stump.
The tap-caf patrons were silent.
Leia Organa Solo's lightsaber cast an eerie hellish red glow over her dark cloaked figure. The Gammorean behind her stopped howling and sobbed pitifully, crawling forward to collect his arm. He reached for his blaster but as his fingers neared it a small white boot appeared on top of it.
He looked up at the woman holding a glowing crimson lightsaber pointed at his throat. Without a second thought the would-be mugger backed away on his knees then stood and backed towards the door nervously. As soon as it swished open behind him he was running and gone.
Leia straightened, relieved her cloak hood had stayed up, and deactivated her blade.
Turning to the barkeeper she tossed him a credit chip, trying to act cool… /what would Han do/… "Sorry about the mess."
The kubatz peered at the chip and nodded, before turning to right the server droid pinned under the dead gammorean.
The silence remained for a moment, then as one the patrons turned back to their own conversations. No one missed a Gammorean, and no one was gonna make trouble with a Jedi.
Leia adjusted her cloak then headed back to her ship. /I need a disguise pronto. If anyone had recognised me…/ Brawling in bars with a red lightsaber wasn't going to calm down the rumors Borsk Fya'la had started.
The Golden Blaster – Tap-Caf of ill repute,
Tortugaa Galactic Space Port, Dalhir, Meridian Sector.
The orange twi-lek next to her patted her shoulder understandingly.
Mara sniffed and took another sip of her drink. She choked a little at the acidic taste as it burnt her throat.
"Thanks Radan… You're a good listener.."
Radan smiled vaguely and took a drag on his pipe, "It's alright Jade, you always tell entertaining stories." He coughed a little, "Never picked you for the sort to agonise over a man though…"
Mara glared, "I'm not agonising Radan, I'm… confused."
The twi-lek snorted, "Yeah, sure." He smirked, "You gonna tell me who this mystery man is?"
Mara shook her head, /I'm not that drunk…/
The twi-lek pouted, "Karrde?"
His companion scoffed, "Not likely."
Radan grinned, "Didn't think so, not after that incident on Ord Tengol… How much brandy did the illustrious Karrde drink anyway? He must have gotten pretty fresh with you… That black eye took two weeks to fade…"
Mara finished her drink and waved to the server droid, "Karrde learnt his lesson on Ord Tengal Radan."
Her companion loaded his pipe again, "So? That navigator? The one with the scar over his cheek? The women on board seem to like him…" He paused as Mara ordered another Corellian Burn cocktail, managing to slur only slightly, "Ghent was heartbroken when that pretty blonde Med Nurse had a fling with him."
Mara rolled her eyes as she cupped her hand over her drink to put it out. "You mean Heder? That pretty boy? No chance." Gingerly Mara lifted her thumb. Satisfied her Corellian Burn had finished the 'burn' part of its name, she sipped at the bright red drink.
Radan grimaced, "How can you drink those things? They smell like speeder fuel."
Mara shrugged, the movement making her lose her balance a bit on her stool "Taste like It too.. but they sherve their purpose.."
"I can see that." Radan blinked slowly and shook his head, "Maybe I shouldn't have had that second smoke…"
Mara smiled and rested her head on the bar. "Uh-huh. Hee hee…"
Radan called the server droid back and gestured to Mara, "I'll have what the lady's having."
"hey…What happened to 'how can you drink that shtuff" ?"
The Alderaan – Leia Organa Solo's personal Star Yacht
Tortugaa Galactic Space Port, Dalhir, Meridian Sector
She'd noticed the blinking red light the moment she'd entered the ship.
There was a comm. message, from days before. Leia frowned, wondering how she'd missed it.
Pressing the activator, a blue holo of a tall man dressed in the jacket and hat of an Old Republic Admiral for some reason appeared. /How does this person have my personal ship's comm. codes/
"Greetings. My name is Captain Talon Karrde…."
Leia rolled her eyes, /well, that explains how he has my codes. I'm sure Karrde has access to all sorts of things he shouldn't../
"… I have some news of interest for you Madame Chief of State. My crew came across the wreck of Luke Skywalker's X-Wing during a trade run. Please contact me at this frequency to discuss this matter further. I have not contacted the authorities on this matter as I thought it …. appropriate you were the first to know." The resplendently dressed man nodded respectfully, "Talon Karrde Out.".
The blue Holo faded back into nothingness.
Leia frowned slightly. It was obvious that Talon Karrde was hoping to ransom Luke back to her, he hadn't even told Leia that he was alive in his message. Also, he hadn't let Luke use a comm. to contact her yet, and she knew he'd been awake and up all day. Karrde was probably trying to hold contacting the NR over her brother to keep him behaving.
/If Luke and I didn't have a force bond it might have actually worked too... maybe, until Luke lost his patience…/
Sitting down on the conform-couch in front of her ship's comm. suite, Leia tried to decide how to respond to Karrde's message. /Should I act clueless or surprise him?… I'm not sure what Luke is planning, if he's planning anything…./
To distract herself and give her mind time to think over her decision, the princess stood and made her way to her closet to select a disguise of some description.
Threepio followed her, "Mistress Leia? Can I be of any assistance?"
Leia waved her protocol droid off, "Not right now Threepio, thank you."
Ten minutes later Leia had decided that there was nothing in her closet that could make her look like she belonged on Dalhir. Everything was too well-made, too decorative, and mostly white. What she needed was something tatty, revealing and preferably black…
"Threepio!"
The droid appeared in the closet doorway, "Yes mistress Leia?"
"Do I own anything plain, dark and cheap looking?"
The driod tilted his golden head, "Why, no Mistress Leia. You wardrobe aboard the Alderaan consists primarily of diplomatic gowns in shades of white, pale blue and silver. The casual pieces and other clothing you have are also of the best quality. You have nothing 'tatty' or 'cheap looking'…. to my understanding of your meaning, that is Mistress Leia."
Leia sighed, "That's what I thought… Well, there's no way I'm going to fit in on this rock…"
Threepio waited to see if she required any more of his help.
She fingered her lightsaber, remembering how the patrons in the tap-caf had given her wide berth after she'd used it. "Well, if I'm gonna stand out, maybe I should at least make sure I stand out in a threatening way… I'd waste less time with thugs like those gammoreans…"
Threepio let out something like a gasp, "Oh! Gammoreans! Horrid creatures! Terribly violent and very primitive! I do suggest you stay away from their kind Princess Leia."
Leia smiled, "Thank you for your concern threepio, I'll try." She pulled out a white body suit of the sort she'd favoured during the rebellion. "Now, to make myself stand out…"
An Alley, Tortugaa Galactic Space Port,
Dalhir, Meridian Sector
"Whadda you mean you aren't gonna talk to the likes of us?"
The Rodian hissed something very insulting in Han's direction.
The Corellian pretended to look outraged, "Well I never! Chewie, ask him where the Ship Yard is… Rodian Bounty Hunters… scum…"
Chewbacca bared his teeth and advanced on the cowering bounty hunter.
"No! Wait! Wait! Don't set the wookie on me!" He glanced at Han pleadingly, "I'll remember where it is now!"
Han smirked, "well good. Enlighten us."
Chewie paused.
The Rodian was backed up against a wall, "The ship yards over on the western edge. In the caverns… It's very heavily gaurded though, Captain Karrde keeps his personal collection in there."
Han frowned, "Karrde? So he's in charge of Tortugaa?"
"You didn't knowthat! Of course Captain Karrde is in charge! This is his port! He took over years ago…"
"Interesting. I imagine he doesn't take well to strangers right bounty hunter?"
The Rodian nodded.
"Well, I suppose we should go pay our respects, right Chewie?"
The Wookie shrugged.
"Okay Rodian, beat it."
"Okay Chewie, Let's go get a drink. Karrde will send us a welcoming committee soon enough."
Chewie grumbled sceptically, "Are you sure this is a good idea Han?"
"Sure I'm sure. All my ideas are good."
Tortugaa Palace – Home of Talon Karrde
Tortugaa Galactic Space Port, Dalhir, Meridian Sector
Luke tried not to panic. He really did. But the moment he crossed into Karrde's opulent Palace, He'd lost his connection to the force.
Outwardly the only sign of this was a miniscule hesitation mid-step as he crossed the threshold into a Grand Entrance Hall.
Karrde's eyes where trained on him with an intensity that disturbed the Jedi. /He's doing it. He's watching to see my reaction… How is he doing this/
Meeting Karrde's eyes Luke raised an eyebrow in query, trying to seem unaffected.
Without the force to help him however, the pain from his near-healed wounds from his x-wing returned. The throb in his arm suddenly tripled, and the pain in his ribs whenever he drew a breath intensified.
His host looked a little disappointed, "I've had dinner laid out in the smaller dinner hall... I'm sure you are famished after you week in a…" he paused, pretending to need to think about it, "What was it Mara Jade called it?.. Ah! Yes! 'Jedi Healing Trance'.. intriguing idea. The force heals you does it Jedi?"
Luke nodded, noticing he felt slightly light-headed. "More or less. The force can help accelerate a Jedi's healing."
A servant droid was leading them through a series of halls lined with statues and holos that looked as fine as those Luke Skywalker had seen in the lower levels of the Imperial Palace. Like the Spaceport, Karrde's Palace looked very old. He wondered how long Tortugaa had been here and if it had always been under a pirate's control.
Eventually they ended up in a rather large dining hall.
Despite his throbbing arm and a building ache in his head, Luke was impressed by the beauty of the room, "wow."
The ceiling was vaulted and gilt and the furniture delicately carved wood, polished to a dark gleam. Marble columns lined the walls and in the alcove between each hung actual framed paintings, not holos.
Luke had only seen a few real paintings, they were rare even in the museums of Coruscant. These ones were a set of some sort. Each showed a young woman in elaborate regal costume in a variety of settings ranging from palatial interiors to lush gardens. Luke walked up to the nearest one for a closer look. For some reason the girl pictured, in a costume so rich it made Leia's ball gowns seem plain, was oddly familiar. From beneath her jewelled headdress, her brown eyes seemed to convey some special meaning to Luke, although her painted face betrayed no emotion. /She looks.. familiar…Is there a painting of her in the Imperial Palace?…/
Unconsciously Luke tried to reach into the force and read some deeper meaning into the painting. The fuzzy void that greeted him almost made him retch. His face went white, he'd never been blocked from the force before. Even as an untrained boy he'd subconsciously felt it surrounding him, now there was nothing. He swallowed thickly and took a deep breath.
Karrde smiled proudly, "Lovely aren't they? Some are hundreds of years old, authentic Nabooian, Very rare. Got them from the Royal Palace of Theed…" He paused to look at Luke smugly, "…The Elected Queens of Naboo. Pretty things aren't they? Although, that one there," He gestured to the teenage girl staring solemnly at Luke from the canvas, "… she was one of the last ones, was something of warrior queen according to quaint Naboo myth… ' he gave a little mocking laugh, '…Queen something-or-rather. Died during the clone wars."
The paintings lost their beauty in Luke's eyes as he realised that they had been stolen from their rightful owners. Looted from the walls of whichever Nabooian Palace they'd originally decorated. /Karrde probably killed their rightful owners… or descendants…/ A wave of disgust at Karrde filled him.
He looked at his host coldly, clasping his hands behind his back, ignoring the stab of pain from his arm, "Truly beautiful. They remind me of some that decorated Jabba the Hutt's palace on Tattooine…And I believe there are similar ones in the imperial collection… no doubt Palatine took first pick…"
Karrde's eyes flashed at the insult.
"Yes, Jabba had some interesting pieces I'm told… Why, your own sister and Han Solo were counted amongst his collection for a time were they not?"
Luke felt a growing tide of dark anger within himself, gritting his teeth he tried to let it flow through him, despite his inability to touch the force. /Again he calls Leia my sister… how does he know that? Or is he guessing… Only Han and Chewie know…/
Karrde smirked, "And of course the Imperial Collection was second to none… It contained you hand and father's lightsaber for a time did it not?"
A flash of phantom pain shot through Luke's artificial hand at Karrde's words. Still, years later, after all that had happened, memories of Bespin and the mistakes he had made there, and the wound his father had dealt him, physically and mentally, struck a deep painfully chord within him. Without the force, Luke Skywalker was having difficulty maintaining his Jedi Calm. /This headache isn't helping either…/
Fraali Galactic Spaceport, Dalhir, Meridian Sector.
The Millenium Falcon – Modified YT-1300 Corellian Freighter
Ignoring the curious, awestruck or nervous stares of the nearby Dalhiri, Leia punched the access code into the console next to the Falcon's ramp and headed inside.
She knew Han wasn't inside, she could feel him miles away, out in the middle of the desert according to her maps of Dalhiri, /Doing god knows what…/
Hopefully there would be a clue as too what her husband was up to in the middle of a desert, on an Outer Rim dustbowl, in his ship somewhere.
Leia sighed.
The Falcon looked like someone had ransacked it.
Access panels lay on the floor, the ships innards poking out in tangled masses of wiring from the gaping holes they left.
Tools, spare parts and a wielding shield helmet sat in the co-pilots over-sized seat. The comm. suite was in pieces across the rest of the instrument console, "Well, that explains why he never called."
Leia cleared some of wires and sat down in her husband's chair. Her fingers ran through her hair, she was unused to having it down. /Usually Han is the only one who sees my hair out…/
She allowed her mind to drift for a moment.
/Okay Leia! Time to drag that husband of yours out of whatever trouble he's gotten into! Then, do the same for that brother of yours…/
It took a few minutes, but eventually Leia had entered the light meditative state she'd been in when she'd first felt Han and Chewie on Dalhir. She could feel the swirl of the force around her, like a light that glowed from the centre of her body. Outside she could sense curious Dalhiri. In the corner of her mind, like figures just outside of her view, she could feel Han and Luke, it felt like if she turned her head she'd see them. Stretching out her senses she focused on the warm pull of her husband. She felt herself flying over the bustling, violent Fraali Space Port and away over the sand dunes. The desert seemed endless, almost as harsh as the Dune Sea of Tattooine. Pushing away worry that she'd find Han collapsed in a head on a dune somewhere, she let the force pull her. Suddenly the sand seemingly vanished.
A wide crater filled with a massive sprawling city/space port appeared before her. Her attention was caught by a huge Old Republic Class Dreadnought. It's massive length ran half the width of the crater city. She'd never seen a dreadnought docked on a planet before. Before she had time to think further she fell.
The scene before her swirled and suddenly turned black.
She could hear a woman's voice.
Focusing on it, she let the force guide her to its source.
A tall beautiful woman stood next to an orange twi-lek with one lekku. She was yelling at Han. Chewie stood nearby looking confused.
The woman emptied a vibrant red drink /Corellian Burn..Ugh../ onto Han.
Chewie sniggered. The orange Twi-lek pulled a mean looking blaster out and pointed the business end at him.
The wookie pulled down his loaded bowcaster.
Han glared darkly at the woman for a moment and then his DC-40 appeared in his hand as if by magic.
The woman had somehow already pulled out her own blaster.
The four figures all glared, the woman, Han and the twi-lek were all swaying slightly. /drunken blaster fight./ They appeared unaware that they all stood in each other's crossfire.
Chewie woofed something, Han frowned, and then the woman and the twi-lek's blasters flew out of their hands.
Leia felt a shock of surprise as she saw herself enter the scene, scowling.
She half heard herself say something when a tearing pain ripped through her, distracting her. Her mind was agony and her grip on the force failed. With a sickening lurch Leia snapped out of her vision.
Her stomach reeled and her head spun.
The blood in her veins seemed to have turned to ice cold sludge.
Something was wrong. Very wrong.
Spots danced before her eyes and she gasped. /what's wrong? What happened?.. it hurts/
Breathing heavily she tried to push the pain away. /When did I end up on the floor?../
The pain was fading, but her brain felt muddled. When she felt able she reached out gingerly with the force. Instantly she realised what the tearing pain had been. /Luke! He's gone again!…/
But it felt a hundred times worse than when he'd slipped from her force sense the week before. There hadn't been so much pain, such a rending ripping agony.
/oh gods! He's dead! No/
Vaguely she noticed that she was making a keening wailing sound.
/Luke/
Half an hour later Leia returned to her senses. She was still laying on the cockpit floor of the Falcon. She still could not sense Luke. She wasn't sure she could make herself move. She wasn't sure she wanted to.
/Han. Han still needs me./
There was a nagging feeling. Leia did not have time to mourn her twin. Han needed her. /I can't lose them both… besides… maybe.. maybe Luke's just unconscious… maybe…/
She made her way to the Falcon's fresher to tidy herself up then headed out into Fraali Space Port. /I need a speeder. I have to get to that hidden Space Port…/
The Golden Blaster – Tap-Caf of ill repute,
Tortugaa Galactic Space Port, Dalhir, Meridian Sector
Radan blinked drunkenly and stared at the floor.
Mara Jade was crouched at his feet beside her overturned barstool. Her eyes were squeezed shut and she was making a low groaning sound. /sounds like she's dying or something… I've never heard Mara Jade make a noise that implied pain…/
They'd been singing a particularly rousing rendition of 'Hey Ho and a Bottle of Lum' with the rest of The Golden Blaster's clientele when Jade had let out a weird ear-piercing yelping sound and fallen off her stool. In the revelry, no one save Radan had noticed.
Steadying himself on the edge of the bar, the twi-lek carefully got off his stool and slowly crouched down beside his fellow Lucky Karrde privateer. "Jade? You alright?"
Up close, Radan was able to see she was shaking minutely. Her silence worried him, "Jade?…. Too many Coreeelian.. Correllian… Birns?.. I mean, Corellian Burns?" He allowed himself a nice long blink /I've definitely had too many… urh… I remember why I hate them now…/
With tremendous effort Radan focused on Mara Jade again. "Jade?" The Tap-Caf had finished their singing for now. In the slightly quieter atmosphere he could make out words in between Mara's groaning. "ahh… dead…. Dead… last mission… urg.. hurts….over now…ahhh! No!… no… can't make me…. Can't do it.. he's dead…. Karrde… mmm….no more…not….mission com…plete…ed…nothing..ahhh..left..to..do..oh force!.. why does it hurt?.." She looked up, her big green eyes filled with tears.
The last bit seemed to be addressed to him so Radan tried to think of a response. "Um. It's.. kay.. Jade… Com'ere… you need to sit down, tha's all…"
Unsteadily he helped Mara to her feet and headed towards the nearest booth.
Seeing a Wookie staring at Jade from the dark depths of the booth he smoothly directed his companion to the next one along.
Gathering himself up a little, so as to appear threatening, and less inebriated, he bellowed at the dead beat spacers using it, "MOVE!"
Those seated at the table glared at him for a moment, but then grudgingly moved. The members of Karrde's crew were well know around the Port, and Mara Jade, being his First Mate and 'One Mean Lady' booked much respect, even if she was sobbing into a Corellian Burn. Radan stared at the drink, /hey! When she pick tha up again/
Shrugging to himself, Radan propelled Mara into a seat and waved at a server droid, /On second thoughts, Maybe I haven't had 'nuff Coreeelian.. Corralian.. Corellian Burny thingys…/
AN:
Thanks for the reviews! And sorry again for any errors…here's hoping i get a working comp. and home soon so i can stop hanging round netcafes!