The waking state for Tallis was most unwelcome. Her head throbbed hard and frantic. She opened her eyes and only saw blurred objects like paintings spoiled in the rain. She felt hot yet she felt cold. Sweat broke out on her forehead as she spread her fingers over the fabric beneath her. Moments passed before she recognized the texture. Han's bunks.
Han. Chewie.
Drionn.
Tallis pushed herself up on an elbow. The world tilted suddenly. Her stomach tightened with obvious intent. Still she pushed these feelings down, finding the Force long enough to pull herself out of bed.
Taking hold of the higher bunk to keep herself upright, Tallis spent several minutes breathing. Simply breathing and trying to purge the poison from her body.
She used the ridged, curving walls to navigate the Falcon and eventually got to the cockpit. All the while painful memory resurfaced.
Drionn betrayed them. Why? She remembered Drionn as a good man. He may not have always been perfect, but who was ever perfect in a realistic view? Still Drionn was a good man. He fought the Empire and worked hard to protect his friends. He cared. He loved them all. Drionn had not been a bounty hunter back then. Maybe that was the change. His mindset was different.
But that did not matter right now. What mattered was getting Han and Chewbacca back. Once that was done she could deal with Drionn.
"Sorry Han." Tallis could not help but murmur the apology for piloting his precious ship without him around to give permission or to supervise. He'd understand. Probably.
Aimless for several minutes, Tallis ran her hands over the consoles of buttons and levers before her vision and mind cleared enough to allow memory to resurface on how Han got this hunk of beaten metal started up. Once that part was figured out and permission from the dock managers to leave was given Tallis found piloting to not be too complicated. Perhaps it was even better when one was not under a drugged state as she.
The computers did most of the work once she left Ord Mantell's atmosphere. The coordinates were set and the Falcon found the space lane. Easing the lever forward, the already splotchy stars smeared against the viewport as the ship shot into hyperspace.
A sigh of relief left her lips as Tallis leaned back against her seat, closing her eyes against the onslaught of colors too bright to look at. Perhaps more rest would ready her for the coming mission.Han moaned more in annoyance rather than pain even as his brain pounded against his skull. He had been awake for several hours now and the throbbing had only lessened to a bearable rhythm. Chewbacca grunted beside him, complaining in both length and volume of his own headache. The wookiee was a pouty softie though Han chalked it up to his friend being worried about Tallis and acting out with fussy words.
The distinct sound of boots clipping on metal eventually quieted Chewbacca's fit. Han stood, using the cell wall to steady himself. He had concluded a while ago that this ship was a large freighter, much larger than his own. Their cell was in fact a part of a whole cellblock. It was a perfect ship for hunters who had to keep live prey for their employers.
The blue armored Mandalorian, Drionn Ikas, appeared at the front of the cell. He was protected from Han and Chewie by durasteel bars, a ray shield and the fact that neither had their weapons. In a different situation the Mando would be toast.
"Was beginning to think you weren't around." Han said cheerily. "Let me guess, you found out about Chewie and I's bounty."
"Jabba has become quite obsessed." Drionn replied.
"That hutt sure hangs onto a grudge." Han agreed with that. "But hey, we have some time. So what did you do with Blue?"
Drionn chuckled dryly. "She's the very least of your worries, scum."
"Maybe," again Han agreed, a devilish smirk touched his lips, "but Chewie here has a thing about people hurting his friends. You just hit the top five on his kill list."
The Mando's blue helmet tilted forward with an aura of confidence in his safety. "Ah yes. She always did have some wookiee babysitter." Drionn said with a grin in his modulated voice. "They seem to gravitate towards her and meet bloody ends."
"So what did you do?" Han pressed.
"If it'll shut you up . . . I gave her a dose of something I like to call Jedi poison. I've used it on several Jedi, she reacted no different." He sounded proud of himself, gloating almost over the fact he'd taken down nothing more than a kid.
Han grimaced. "You just hit number two on my kill list. Where is she, tell me!"
"She's fine." Drionn said, voice annoyingly soft. "It's not a killing agent, the Empire prefers live, but manageable Jedi. She'll be fine." He repeated sternly.
Han snorted. "Sorry if I don't feel reassured."
"My job is to deliver you to Jabba, not to coddle you over your lost Jedi child." Drionn said stiffly.
Han bristled. "You know what? She trusted you." He said suddenly. "Granted I don't know the kid well, but that look in her eye everytime you spoke . . . She loves you. And she convinced me to trust you when my gut said otherwise."
Drionn's posture was rigid, his hands balled into fists. Han scowled.
"And here you are with 'Jedi poison' and admitting to delivering her kind to the Empire. I've betrayed people before but for more solid reasons than you. You're a sick pile of bantha fodder."
Drionn's chin lifted a fraction higher. "Don't accuse me of atrocities when you don't even know me. Tallis will be fine and that is what counts. I let her go easy, the Imps won't find her and she won't find us."
Han scoffed. "Blue is an idiot. So if I know her at all, she's gonna drive you into the ground. Maybe not in time to save me and Chewie, but it'll happen and I'll enjoy the show from Hell."
"I doubt that." Drionn hissed. He turned on his heel and marched away.
Han gave the Mando a nasty scowl as the self-righteous piece of poodoo went on his way. Begrudgingly Han returned to his place beside Chewbacca. The odds that Tallis would be able to help them were almost out of the question. There was no way to know for sure if Drionn was telling the truth. No way to know if Tallis was going to be all right.
Chewbacca wuffed softly in question, taking Han's focus off his growing fury.
"It'll be okay Chewie."
Chewbacca grunted.
Han chuckled. "Don't worry, I'm working out a plan."
