Chapter 8
The desert…somewhere… a long, long way from Fraali Galactic Spaceport,
but not too far from Tortugaa.)
Dalhir, Meridian Sector.
Leia glanced down at the blinking nav screen mounted on the instrument panel of her 'borrowed' Speeder Bike. /According to what that idiot one-lekkued Twi-lek told me, Tortugaa is only half an hour or so away…. Oh force! What am I doing? Stealing Speeder Bikes to go looking for the hidden Pirate Space Port of Tortugaa?…./ She sighed to herself. /Typical… where else on this rock would Han be?….Nerf-Herder…/
"I'm gonna make that Corellian wish he'd never been born!"
The Golden Blaster – Tap-Caf of ill repute,
Booth next to Mara Jade and Radan Friluna,
Tortugaa Galactic Space Port, Dalhir, Meridian Sector
Chewie took a hearty swig of the bucket-sized 'glass' of Lum Ale before him.
Across the uneven tabletop Han Solo was waving madly at a serving droid. "That girl had a Corellian Burn! Haven't had one of them in years! Now seems as good a time as any…"
The girl he was referring to was sobbing and moaning despondently in the booth behind them. The male twi-lek with her, (Chewie could tell from his scent that it was the illustrious cousin their unwitting guide had referred to earlier.), had just ordered four of the red cocktails that had gotten Han so excited.
The Corellian didn't appear to have noticed that their ticket to meeting Karrde and finding the Ship Yard was right behind them.
Chewie sighed a long-suffering sigh.
Han was cheerfully ordering two Corellian Burns from a server droid.
Waiting patiently until his companion had finished, Chewie let out an attention grabbing bark. Han dutifully raised his eyebrows in query.
"The cousin of the idiot twi-lek is sitting behind us. He has one lekku and I just heard the sobbing human female call him 'Radan'."
Han smirked, "Excellent! We'll have to introduce ourselves don't you think?"
Chewie wasn't sure that was a good idea.
The server droid appeared with Han's drinks. Grinning like a maniac, Han picked them up and stood, motioning with his head for Chewie to follow. "Let's go charm us some pirates Chewie old buddy…"
Sighing again Chewbacca dutifully stood, preparing to follow Han Solo into another avoidable mess. "For the record, this was YOUR idea Han Solo…"
Han grinned, "Chewie, remember, all my ideas are good… We have nothing to worry about. Trust me."
"I'll be sure to remind you of that when we find ourselves in a Pirate's Dungeon in the midst of Tortugaa…"
"Ah, chill buddy, it'll be fine. Now, act casual…"
Wriggling his way out of the booth, Chewie followed Han over to the booth next door. The human female had stopped crying and was sitting with her forehead resting on the table. Her twi-lek companion was attempting to put out his drinks.
Han sidling over to him, "It's all in the wrist…" he put his own burning cocktails down next to the Twi-lek's, "You gotta slap your palm down, quick-like." He demonstrated on one. His hand cupped the glass and the flaming liquid inside extinguished with an audible Pop.
Impressed, his audience, (the human had half raised her head) made "Oooo!" noises. The woman spoke in a slurred Coruscanti accent, "I didn't know they made a pop…" She frowned for a moment then let her head return to the plasteel tabletop with a thud.
Han smiled winningly, "Well, I am Corellian. They teach us in school."
The woman made no attempt to respond. Her companion laughed too loudly.
The twi-lek, who was apparently drunk enough to take advice from a stranger in a tap-caf, despite being a feared pirate, (Chewie had heard his exchange with the previous patrons of their booth), bit his lip in concentration and mimicked Han. On his second attempt the drink extinguished with a soft pop.
Han slapped him on the back and congratulated him.
The twi-lek slid along the bench seat and motioned for Han to join him.
Chewie waited, he certainly wasn't going to fit on the bench next to Han and a Twi-lek.
Radan leant across the table, "Mara! Make room for the Wookie eh?"
The red-gold tangle of hair raised itself and green eyes glared in Chewie's direction, but eventually slid across to the wall for Chewie.
Carefully and politely lowering himself onto the crowded bench, Chewie got a whiff of the woman's scent.
There was something familiar about it…
Across the table Han and the twi-lek were getting on like best buddies. Han was currently telling an embellished story about a run-in he'd had with Imperials at Star's End. Chewie didn't like the story. It made it seem as if Han had rescued him. /That has only ever happened ONCE…/
The woman raised her head blearily, started a little at finding herself seated next to a Wookie and took a sip of her drink.
With the movement Chewbacca caught the familiarity of her scent again. "Han! There is something familiar about this woman…. I smell someone on her…"
Han frowned.
Radan raised his eyebrows, "What'd he say?"
Han stalled, "Ahh.. he said he wants me to buy him a drink. Sure thing buddy, what'd ya want?"
Chewie knew Han meant the question as an opening for him to explain himself, "I smell someone on her… I can't place it…"
Han nodded, "Um.. sure, well, let me know when you decide okay?"
He turned to Radan and smiled lopsidedly, "Wookies!".
The twi-lek laughed drunkenly.
Mara took another sip of her drink.
She sighed and rubbed her eyes. Again she started, this time at seeing Han.
Her mouth dropped open and she gasped.
Chewie had the good sense to mutter, "I told you this was a bad idea."
Tortugaa Palace – Home of Talon Karrde
Tortugaa Galactic Space Port, Dalhir, Meridian Sector
Luke wasn't sure how long he'd been in the 'bedroom'.
He remembered spending an unpleasant meal in Captain Karrde's company, trying very hard to control his temper, especially since without the force there was precious little he could achieve anyway.
The food had smelt very good but Luke, despite being famished, had eaten sparely. Force-blind he couldn't sense if the food was drugged.
/Obviously it was… ahh… my head… I think I'm getting weaker, not better…/
His arm was much worse than it had been when he'd been so pleasantly awoken by Mara Jade aboard the Lucky Karrde. His elbow where the artificial part of his limb met the real felt swollen, and the throbbing ache he'd felt since awaking had grown much worse. The young Jedi had assumed he'd strained the delicate muscle/wiring connections running through the flesh of his arm. The damage hadn't seemed too bad.
With the force to prevent inflammation of the tissue around the jarred foreign implants, the damage to the connection was minimal. He'd intended to use the force to keep it from infection until he got back to Coruscant or a med-centre equipped to deal with such repairs. Since entering Karrde's force-blinded Palace however, the pain had grow steadily worse.
Luke had a bad feeling that infection was setting in. His brain rattled of a clam explaination, /It's natural for my arm to reject foreign implants without drugs or suppressants of some sort… when they were carefully interwoven into the tendons and muscle my immune system couldn't tell them from my natural arm… now.. I can feel wires and synthflesh digging to the tissues… every time I move it's damaging my arm further… causing more inflammation… I need to see a surgeon… soon.. or at least get access to the force to slow the disintegration…."
Gingerly Luke let his left arm encircle his right bicep. The skin felt hot and a throb of pain flew from where his digits made contact with his flesh. /the infection is definitely spreading. My upper arm was only slightly tender when I woke up…./
Without the force there was very little that Luke Skywalker could so to improve his condition however.
Thoughts of his weakness and increasing physical ailment only served to depress him further.
He sighed, /at least Leia knows who has me.. if worse comes to worse she'll get me out of here…/
Letting his blue eyes slip closed, Luke drifted into a feverish sleep haunted by Mara Jade's green eyes and Leia's crimson lightsaber. He could almost here Obi-wan Kenobi's voice telling him to be strong, to trust in the force….
The Golden Blaster – Tap-Caf of ill repute,
Booth next to Mara Jade and Radan Friluna,
Tortugaa Galactic Space Port, Dalhir, Meridian Sector
Mara could hear voices. Two men. Both were familiar.
/I must have dozed off…/
Her head still throbbed from when she'd felt Luke Skywalker's death earlier, but the mind-numbing pain that had left her gasping on the floor had faded. Mostly.
/Not that I care about Skywalker. It's Good he'd dead…. Really…/ Stubbornly Mara ignored the part of her heart that was crying, mourning for her enemy.
/The Emperor's Last Command has been fulfilled, he has had his vengeance... Through Karrde…/ Mara knew that her boss had to be the one who'd killed the Jedi, and surprisingly she felt anger towards him. She wanted to make him pay for hurting Skywalker. /It's only because he killed him… He stole my last mission… that's why I want to get back at him… It's not because I want revenge…/
It took a lot of will power to make herself believe that one. Mara Jade knew that she'd had… 'confusing' feelings when it came to Luke Skywalker… That was why she wanted to hurt her boss and some-time friend Talon Karrde. Because she was angry that he'd hurt someone she… /what? Liked? Loved! I didn't even KNOW the man… I just need another drink…that's all…/
Forcing herself to open her eyes, Mara was surprised to find herself seated at The Golden Blaster next to a mountain of fur. /A wookie. Right.../ She frowned to herself, /Don't remember ever being friends with a wookie…/
Shaking her surprise off she took a grateful swig of Corellian Burn.
She was caught of guard by a wave of grief. Hiding her face again she squeezed her eyes shut. /I don't care about Skywalker. I don't care about Skywalker…I'm not sad he's dead…/
After a minute she was able to block her emotions again and raised her head to retrieve her cocktail.
As she sipped the warm red spirit, her eyes caught Radan's new friend across the table.
She almost choked.
Beside her the wookie rumbled.
/Wookie…/
She stared directly up at the wookie's brown furred face.
Before she could stop herself her mouth had ran ahead of her brain, "HAN SOLO? CHEWBACCA?"
Leaping to her feet, stumbling only slightly, she pointed accusingly at Radan, "Are. You. INSANE RADAN?"
Radan's eyes widened and he glanced from Solo to the Wookie and back again. After a moment his eyes widened in recognition.
"Oh! OH! I didn't know!"
Solo slouched back against the booth's dividing wall, "Well, you know, Chewie and I, we don't like to brag… Besides, I prefer to go incognito these days…" He grinned, "You know, the wife can scare people a bit… Lead to… Misunderstandings…" his grin vanished, " If you know what I mean."
Radan's mouth was opening and closing rapidly, all that seemed to be coming out of it was "Oh! But..but..but..but…"
Mara glared, trying not to sway where she stood.
Her outburst had gained some attention in the noisy Tap-Caf. "Misunderstanding? There's no misunderstanding. No one comes to Tortugaa unless Karrde lets them in." She smirked, "You're not gonna get outta here alive General Han Solo."
Chewbacca stood abruptly, towering twice as tall as Mara. His arms crossed.
Han sighed, "Look lady, I didn't come here as a 'General'. I resigned from that six months ago. Chewie and I ended up here through coincidence." He grinned, "But I must admit, I was curious to hear about this place from Radan here's," he gestured at he orange Twi-lek, "… idiot cousin."
Radan shook his head mournfully, "Why, why did I tell that idiot about tortugaa!"
Mara's eyes narrowed, "Your cousin? Radan? You've been letting people in on the Crater without Karrde's okay?" She shook her head, "He's not gonna be happy with you Radan… and your cousin, well, you'd better find him and blast off this rock while you still can…"
Radan swallowed.
Mara turned her attention to Solo and Chewbacca, "Now you two, you're gonna have to come with me."
Han stood and walked away from the booth.
He wanted to meet with Karrde, not get thrown in a dungeon.
Chewbacca followed.
"Solo! Don't you dare walk away from me! No one sneaks into Tortugaa and gets out alive!"
The other pirates and bounty hunters in the tap-caf where all listening. Mara knew that they'd back her up if needs be.
Solo ignored her. Impulsively Mara picked up a Corellian Burn and hurled it at Solo's back. He froze.
After a few seconds he turned back to her, "That. Was….my favourite shirt…".
"I can do a lot worse Solo…"
He just sneered, "Honestly, You think a back-water Tap-caf full of third rate privateers is gonna scare us?…" He crossed his arms, "Give it a rest already. Chewie and I've seen things that'd make your toes curl."
Chewbacca had joined him where he stood a few meters from Mara. Near the bar.
Mara let out loud laugh, the only sign she'd had too much to drink, "You've seen things that would make my toes curl?" She rolled her eyes. "Unlikely Solo."
The smuggler-turned-Rebel traitor raised an eyebrow, "Oh really? And what've you seen that'd make my toes curl girly?"
Chewie sighed, thinking they sounded like arguing children. 'Toes curling?.
Mara smirked, "Well… you as a wall decoration for one thing Solo."
The Corellian's face dropped a little.
Mara continued, "and that pretty princess of yours dancing like a harem girl for Jabba… She sure knew what she was doing Solo… Did you teach her that? Or was it part of the Rebel Alliances' Officer training?"
Those that were listening in on the conversation laughed menacingly.
Suddenly Han, Radan, Mara and Chewbacca were all pointing blasters and bowcaster at each other.
Silence descended and it looked like Mara Jade's question would go unanswered.
A clear regal voice cut through the thick silence in The Golden Blaster, "Well well, if it isn't Arica, Jabba's favourite dancer herself…."
Mara's eyes widened in disbelief, /Who?… No one but my master knew my cover…/
Across the tap-caf stood a petite blonde woman dressed in a white armoured body suit.
On her hip was a large DC-120 Blaster, and in her hand was a lightsaber that glowed crimson.
She smirked in a way that reminded Mara irritatingly of Solo, "I've come for Solo and the Wookie… But I have no qualms playing with you … privateers… if anyone feels like interfering…" She paused, "I haven't dismembered anything but Gammorean's today….so uncivilised…"
Mara heard someone whisper near the doorway, "Jex and Rak got cut-up this morning in the Bantha by a Jedi…"
The murmuring spread. It appeared the rumour about the two imbecile Gammoreans was not new to most of The Golden Blaster's clientele.
/Oh Sith. Of ALL the people to run into… She's probably Skywalker's girlfriend…/
Oddly, the thought that Skywalker had a blonde Jedi girlfriend made it much easy to rejoice over his death.
AN: thank you for the reviews! Ginchy-amanda, Tamuril Sails, Missredkat, ahmaira and especially 1e0nidas for her lovely message! (I hope that cleared up the whole arm thing.. :D)
Again… I'm still stuck in a netcafe.. (dammit!) so please excuse typos!
This is shorter than i would usually post, so sorry...longer chapter next week!