Disclaimer: Don't sue me; I don't own any of this. But one of these days . . .

Chapter 3: The Millennium Falcon

"I can't go to Alderaan! I have to get home. Its late, I'm in for it already."

Lila sighed. Luke and Ben were embroiled in an argument about going to Alderaan.

"I need your help, Luke. I'm getting too old for this sort of thing."

"What? And what am I, a womp rat?" asked Lila indignantly.

"No, but you both are going to have to help me, and Luke still needs to know the Force."

"Fine, be that way," said Lila grumpily. She turned to Luke. "You have to come."

Luke shrugged helplessly. "I can get you as far as Anchorhead, and you can get a ride to Mos Eisley, or wherever you're going, but . . ."

SWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSWSW

Noon found them in a sandy landscape, near a Jawa Sandcrawler. Dead Jawas were everywhere; the Sandcrawler was covered in blaster shots.

"It looks like Sand People did this, I mean, there are gaffi sticks and Bantha tracks, only I've never heard of them hitting anything this big before," said Luke, confused.

"They didn't," said Lila. "The shots are too accurate, and Sand People ride single file. These tracks are in rows."

"Only Imperial stormtroopers are this accurate," commented Ben.

"But why would stormtroopers want to attack Jawas?" asked Luke. He looked around and his gaze fell on the droids. "These are the same Jawas that sold us Artoo and Threepio! If they found out who they sold them to, that would take them back . . . home!" he ran to his speeder, climbed in, and zoomed off in the direction of the Lars homestead.

Lila shook her head. "One day that kid is going to have to learn some self-control." She moved to where Artoo had started a fire and started throwing Jawas on it.

Luke came back after ten minutes. He walked up to Ben. "I want to go to Alderaan," he said quietly. "There's nothing for me here."

Lila clapped him on the back. "Good thinking." When he didn't reply, she sighed. "Look, it'll be fun! You get to travel the galaxy and see all kinds of cool stuff and learn how to be a Jedi!"

He shrugged and went back to the speeder. Lila rolled her eyes, and she and Ben followed. The droids got in the back. "Sir, might I ask where we're going?" asked Threepio. "No," growled Lila.

Luke drove them to Mos Eisley without saying anything, despite Lila's repeated attempts to make conversation. Finally she gave up, with a muttered, "You're hopeless."

"Mos Eisley," stated Ben. "You will never find a more wretched hide of scum and villainy."

As they entered the spaceport, they were stopped by three stormtroopers. "How long have you had these droids?" asked one.

"Three or four seasons," replied Luke.

"They're up for sale if you want them," said Ben.

"These arent the ones you want," stated Lila.

"These arent the droids we want," said the trooper to his comrades.

"He can go about his business," continued Ben.

"You can go about your business," repeated the trooper to Luke.

"Go away," said Lila.

"Go away," said the stormtrooper.

Luke was amazed. "How did you do that?"

"The Force can have much influence over the weak-minded," explained Ben.

Walking through Mos Eisley, Lila became increasingly nervous. Her eyes darted from side to side, and she kept a hand on her lightsaber at all times. "What's wrong with you?" wondered Luke.

"Lila and Jabba the Hutt got into a few spats," said Ben.

"Yeah, some retarded shopkeeper accused me of stealing when I paid him and he miscounted. Then Jabba tried to make a move on me when I was arrested, so I had to kill a few guards to get out," muttered Lila. "So now he put a bounty on my head."

They entered an extremely conspicuous-looking cantina. "You really think we're going to find a pilot here?" asked Luke.

"Most of the best freighter pilots can be found here. Come on," said Ben.

They walked in. the bartender looked up at spoke. "We don't serve their kind here!"

"What?" asked Luke.

"Your droids. They'll have to wait outside."

Luke turned to the droids. "You'd better go. We really don't want any trouble."

"I heartily agree, sir."

"Shut up," muttered Lila.

Ben and Luke walked in. Lila stayed and lurked in the doorway, glaring suspiciously at everybody.

A hand grabbed her shoulder. She spun around and found herself face-to-face with a familiar human male. She narrowed her eyes. "What do you want, Dengar?"

The bounty hunter smiled. "You. Do you know how much Jabba is asking for you?"

"No, and I don't really care," replied Lila coolly.

"But I do. 18,000 credits is quite a lot. And you, my dear Lila, are my ticket to a better life."

"Too bad." Lila grabbed Dengar's blaster and shot him in the stomach. Waltzing into the cantina, she slid into a chair next to Ben and Luke where they were sitting with a man and a Wookie.

"What kept you?" asked Ben.

"I had a little run-in with Dengar." The man sitting across from them listened interestedly. She looked at him. "I'll tell you later," she muttered to Ben.

He returned his attention to the man, who then spoke. "Han Solo, captain of the Millennium Falcon. Chewie tells me you want passage to Alderaan."

"If it's fast enough."

"Fast? You've never heard of the Millennium Falcon?"

"Should I have?" asked Ben. Han was amazed.

"This is the ship that made the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs!"

"You do know that a parsec is a measure of distance, right? Not time," said Lila.

"Who're you, anyway?"

"Your worst nightmare." Lila smirked.

Han glared at her and continued. "I've outrun Imperial starships. Not the slow ones, I mean the big Corellian ships. She's fast enough for you, old man. What's the cargo?"

Ben shot Lila a warning glance before speaking. "Only passengers. Myself, the two adolescents—" Lila sputtered in fury "—two droids, and no questions asked."

"Some kind of local trouble?" asked Han. His gaze flickered to Lila before resettling on Ben.

"Let's just say we'd like to avoid any. . . Imperial entanglements."

"Well . . . that's the real trick, isn't it? And it's going to cost you something extra. Ten thousand in advance."

"Ten thousand!" exclaimed Luke. "We could buy our own ship for that!"

"You're really desperate, aren't you?" asked Lila.

"Shut up,"saidHan.

"We can pay you two thousand now, plus another fifteen when we reach Alderaan."

"Seventeen, huh? You've got yourselves a ship. We'll leave as soon as you're ready. Docking bay 94."

"Right." As they exited the cantina, Lila said quietly, "I'll keep an eye on him." Ben raised his eyebrows. "Why?"

"I don't trust him." Ben accepted this.

She saw Han and Chewbacca talking. Faint strains of their conversation reached her ears.

"Seventeen! This could really save my neck. Get the ship ready." Before Han could leave, a green-skinned being stopped him. Lila couldn't understand him, but she gathered from what Han was saying that he, too, was wanted by Jabba.

Han shot the alien. He stood up and moved to the door. Lila joined him as he walked out. "You and I have something in common," she said wistfully.

"Oh? And what's that?" he asked.

"We're both wanted by Jabba."

"Why you?"

"Some idiot shopkeeper accused me of stealing when he only miscounted the money. I got arrested, Jabba tried to make a move on me. I ended up killing four of his guards and stabbing Jabba's tail to escape."

Han winced. "I can see why that would make you worth Dengar's time."

"Yeah. What about you?"

"I had to drop a load I was smuggling under threat of being boarded by Imperials."

Lila looked at him sharply. "You're a smuggler?"

"At your service."

" . . . I see. How much are you wanted for?"

"No clue. You?"

"Argh, I was hoping you wouldn't ask. Actually, I only found out ten minutes ago. Eighteen thousand."

He whistled softly. She gave a wry grin. "Well, that's what I get for burning a hole in the tail of the guy who controls the planet."

They had reached the hangar. Lila was amused. "You say this thing goes point five past lightspeed?"

"Well, it does!" said Han rather defensively. Lila laughed. "Yeah, right. Five credits says it doesn't work. And that goes for as long as I know you. Untill you and I part ways, I'm willing to bet that at least once the hyperdrive will cut out."

"You're on."

Lila looked around the hangar and swore in Huttese. "What?" asked Han. Then he also swore.

Jabba the Hutt was standing- sitting- (oh, I don't know) in front of the ship. "Solo! Come out, Solo!"

"Right here, Jabba." Jabba turned and saw Han and Lila.

"Solo and Skywalker. Well Solo, you have to understand I can't make exceptions. What if every smuggler I had dropped their load at the first sign of an Imperial starship?"

"Look Jabba, even I get boarded sometimes. Do you think I had a choice? But I've got an easy charter now, and I'll pay you back, plus a little extra. I need more time."

"So for a little twenty percent—"

"Fifteen, Jabba, don't push it."

Jabba returned his attention to Lila, who by now had her lightsaber out and ready. "And you, Lila. Why did you burn my tail?"

She replied in Huttese. "Why? You want to know why? How ironic. You should be a poet."

She marched past him. Several people who had come with Jabba started shooting her, but she deflected the shots. "Don't try to shoot me." She turned to Jabba. "I burned you once, I can do it again. Stop asking stupid questions, and stop sending stupid bounty hunters out after me. Send someone competent, I want a challenge." She stepped into the ship.

Luke and Ben walked into the hangar sometime after Jabba left. "What a piece of junk!" said Luke upon seeing the ship.

"Yeah, I already made a bet with Han on the quality of the hyperdrive." Lila appeared in the entrance.

"We're a little rushed, so if everyone would just get onboard, we can leave," said Han.

Chewie got into the pilot's seat. Eight stormtroopers rushed into the hangar and started shooting at Han, who rushed into the ship. "Chewie, get us out of here!"

The ship lifted into the air. They left the Tatooine atmosphere and were in open space. Several things started beeping at once, and a ship appeared on the sensors. "Looks like an Imperial cruiser. Our passengers must be hotter than I thought," muttered Han.

"You have no idea," said Lila.

Han turned to Chewie. "Angle the deflector shields and try to hold them off while I make the jump to lightspeed."

Chewbacca growled. Han rolled his eyes. "Watch out two more are coming in; they might try to cut us off!"

"I thought you said this thing was fats, why don't you try to outrun them?" asked Luke.

"You watch it, kid, or you might find yourself floating to Alderaan. We'll be safe in a minute. Besides, I know a few little maneuvers . . ."

"How long before we can get to hyperspace?" asked Lila.

"Hang on, I need to get the coordinates from the navi-computer—"

"Are you kidding? At the rate they're gaining?" cried Luke.

"Going to lightspeed isnt like dusting crops, boy! Without the right coordinates we could fly into a star or bounce too close to a supernova, and that would end your trip real fast!"

A light flashed. Lila tapped Han on the shoulder. "The deflector shield is dying, just thought you might want to know."

"Strap yourselves in, I'm making the jump to lightspeed." The stars turned into blue streaks as the ship's engines galvanized themselves into action, and the Millennium Falcon sped off toward Alderaan.

Another chapter done. Things should start picking up from here!

Cowgirl4Christ: Yep, and they're going to get into a LOT of arguments . . .

I'm happy someone likes it. This really isnt good for my self-esteem, getting only one review per chapter, all by the same person . . . :(

(Don't worry, Cowgirl4Christ, you are awesome.)

YOU ARE WELCOME TO FLAME ME IF IT MEANS YOU WILL REVIEW! PLEASE! I'M GETTING DESPERATE HERE!