Chapter 6
Everyone exited the Flacon and made their way onto the hanger of the giant freighter. Han runs straight over to the control panel, each of them following close behind.
"This is where you have been Han? Hauling Rathtars and who knows what else." Elsi could not believe that this is where he had been all this time. He could have easily contacted Leia. Their relationship needed to be sorted out, pronto. And Han needed to get his priorities in order.
"I'm hauling Rathtars."
Peering down at the control screen, Han could see a transport ship pulling into land on the freighter.
"Oh great. It's the Guavian Death Gang - they must've tracked us from Nantoon."
"Death gang? That doesn't sound too good." Elsi looked to Chewie and Han who immediately made their way down a narrow corridor lined with cargo containers.
"What's a Rathtar?" Rey questioned.
"They're big and dangerous."
"Nice description." Elsi hurried forward to keep up checking behind to see if BB-8 was following okay; he was the mission after all.
"I got three of 'em going to King Prana."
"Three?! How did you get them on board?"
"I used to have a bigger crew." Chewie groans in agreement with Han.
When they rounded the corner Han pulled up a grate in the floor.
"Get below deck and stay there until I say so. Don't even think about taking the Falcon."
Elsi knew the type of trouble that Han would often get into. She also knew that the people Han often dealt with were the shoot first, ask questions later types of gangs. "Han if you guys are in trouble then let me help you."
"No Elsi we'll be fine just stay down there with them where it is safe. I'll keep BB-8 with me as assurance that those two won't run off with him. Then I'll help you find another ship so that you can take that droid back to Leia."
"What about the Rathtars? Where are you keeping them?" A loud bang against the door behind Finn answered his question for him.
"There's one."
Rey stepped forward. "What are you gonna do?"
"Same thing I always do, talk my way out of it."
Chewie roars.
Elsi raised her eyebrows. "Yeh I agree with chewie, how often does that actually work Han?"
"Every time."
Finn, Rey and Elsi each crawl down into the panels below and follow behind Han and Chewie walking over the panels above them.
After a few minutes of waiting, the door far down the corridor opens. "Han Solo you are a dead man." A man that Elsi couldn't see greeted Han. Though it was obvious that they were not old friends.
"Oh Han what have you gotten yourself into this time." Elsi whispers.
"Bala-Tik. What's the problem?"
"The problem is we loaned you fifty thousand for this job and fifty thousand from Kanjiklub."
"One hundred thousand?! Han seriously, have you learnt nothing." Elsi whispered again only to be shushed by Rey and Finn who were still crawling forward and trying to see above them.
Rey looked back at Elsi and mouthed to Elsi 'they have blasters.'
Elsi looked up at Han and Chewie and by what she could hear, Bala-Tik seemed to be growing restless.
Elsi got ready just in case, she lifted her hood over her head and pulled the bottom of her cowl up to try and hide most of her face.
They continued to talk above her and she could hear that by now another group had also entered. This was not good.
"Wrong again Solo. Its over for you." Bala-Tik cocked his weapon and Finn and Rey looked at Elsi in confusion. She was sitting calmly with her eyes closed and hands resting on her knees in front of her.
"What is she doing?" Finn questioned.
Rey just shook her head.
Elsi continued to relax her mind, meditate with the force and feel the energy around her. Whilst Elsi had tried to turn her back on the force so long ago, it was possible that they would need the force's help to get through this. Desperate times call for desperate measures.
What was said next caught all of their attention, especially Elsi's.
"That BB unit. The first order is looking for one just like it. Along with three fugitives."
Elsi's eyes shot open.
Bala-Tik ordered more of his men to ready their weapons as the other group leader told his men to search the freighter for Elsi, Finn and Rey.
"Kill them and take the droid!"
Elsi had had enough.
"Oh no they don't, not with my family."
Elsi jumps up from her kneeling position, force pushing the panel open above her. She jumps in front of Han just as the first three shots go off heading towards them.
Bala-Tik stops shooting, eyes wide open in fear as in front of Elsi, mere inches from her face is the first blaster shot was frozen in mid-air; the other two shots frozen a few meters behind the first.
Han looked in shock at Elsi who stood in front of him, arm stretched to stop the blaster shots. He had seen her use the force before, but it had been quite a long time since he had seen it up close. She had just saved his life.
Elsi was struggling to keep the shots frozen but she didn't let it appear that way. On the outside she looked menacing with her face covered, wearing all black. But on the inside she was straining. She did not often practice using the force and it had been especially long since she had used it in combat. The action was draining her.
Bala-Tik stepped forward recognising her concealed appearance. "It's the bounty hunter, The Fae."
Han again looks at Elsi in shock, 'Is she really that bounty hunter people have been talking about, The Fae? Guess that would make the outfit make sense.'
Luckily, she didn't have to hold the shots for long because the lights went red causing everyone to look around in confusion.
Elsi let the blaster shots shoot off into the walls of the ship.
Both gangs flinched in fear, but Han was more concerned about what the red lights meant.
"I've got a bad feeling about this."
Elsi begins to sway on her feet after feeling her energy drain from using the force so suddenly. Chewie rushes forward to steady her.
She glances back towards the gangs as a Rathtar suddenly appears behind them roaring and attacking anyone in its path.
"RUN!" Han shouts grabbing Elsi's arm and moving her to run ahead of him as they race down the corridor.
"You're The Fae?! A bounty hunter?!" Han was shocked at the revelation but wanted an explanation from Elsi.
"Another time Han!" She shouts back.
Han punches a member of the Kanjiklub gang, as they come around the corner, and throws him towards the Rathtar.
Elsi skids to a halt a few paces ahead of them, realising that Han had stopped to deal with the gang member.
She is about to run back to them but a Rathtar suddenly appears from the corridor between them, cutting her off from Han.
"GO! GO! Meet us at the Falcon."
The Rathtar takes a moment to decide who to follow but as Elsi was the closest he quickly rushes towards her. Elsi runs around the corridors for several minutes trying to find a way to lose the fast creature. As she nears a T junction she slows down so that the creature is directly behind her and at the last second she force jumps over the back of the Rathtars head and watches as it slams straight into the wall in front of it. Knocking it out. Elsi cringes.
"Ooh, looks like someone's going to have a headache in the morning."
Elsi heads off running again down the corridor she can sense leads back to the Falcon.
Since using the force again so recently it has become so much easier to use. Almost like an instinct again.
She could only hope that Rey and Finn got out okay.
She could hear voices up ahead, along with the sounds of blaster shots echoing off the walls.
"HAN!" She screamed watching as he battled his way to take cover with Chewie and BB-8.
Han shot a gang member at the end of the hall.
Elsi runs faster towards them and takes cover as best as she can next to them.
"I got the door, you both cover us!"
Chewie groans out his agreement and together him and Elsi fire down the hall; Elsi using her blaster, Chewie using his crossbow.
Han finally gets the hatch to the falcon unlocked as suddenly Chewie gets hit in the shoulder by enemy fire.
He goes down with a loud groan.
"CHEWIE!" Elsi shouts moving to grab chewie as he drops to the floor in pain.
"Chewie, you okay?" Han grabs Chewie's bowcaster and shoots the guy who shot Chewie from down the hall. He looks down at the weapon in awe. "Wow."
He reaches down to help Elsi bring Chewie into the hanger.
"Elsi!" Finn, and Rey run into the hanger towards them.
Han points to Rey. "You, close the door behind us!" He turns to Finn. "You, help Elsi take care of Chewie." They all ran up the ramp of the Falcon, with Han heading straight to the cockpit to start up the ship.
"It's okay Chewie you'll be fine. I'm sure you and Han have survived worse than this."
Chewie roared out in pain as they led him to lay on the bench inside the Falcon.
Rey runs to the front of the ship to help Han.
Elsi moved into the next room to grab the first aid kit, meanwhile Finn was being wrestled by Chewie who kept groaning out in pain.
"Hang on back there." Han shouted to the back.
"Trying. No problem." Finn managed to croak out.
Blaster shots rock against the side of the Falcon as Elsi brings the first aid kit back to Finn.
Seeing Chewie holding him in a headlock, she rushes forward to help.
"Chewie! Stop it! He's trying to help."
Chewie reluctantly lets go of Finn as Elsi opens the first aid kit handing the bandage to Finn.
"What! You want me to bandage this hairy thing?" Finn flinches as Chewie moves forward to whack Finn in response to his insult. "Stop attacking me."
"You hurt Chewie, then you're gonna deal with me." Han shouts back again.
"Hurt him?! He almost killed me six times!"
Before Chewie could move to grab Finn by the collar Elsi reacts. "CHEWIE! Stop being such a big baby and let us bandage your arm! If you don't be quiet and sit still then Ill be sure to let Leia know about how much you have been misbehaving!" Chewie let out a soft groan but nevertheless listened to Elsi and reluctantly held out his arm to her. He wouldn't dare face Leia's wrath.
"Thank you." Elsi looked at Finn and nodded towards Chewie. "He'll be okay now. Best you do it so that he learns to trust you."
Authors Note:
Hi everyone, hope you are all well. It looks like Elsi is starting to use the force fully again. I'm really happy that this story has over 350 views. I would really appreciate some reviews just so that I know how I'm doing and whether I should keep writing this story. It would really motivate me, even if you just write a couple of words. Thanks to those who have reviewed/followed/favourited already. I can't wait for the next few chapters. We're getting closer to the reunion of Ben and Elsi. May the 4th be with you! Thanks again, ZV.
