Chapter Twenty-eight
The Prince fumbled for his blaster in order to defend himself, belatedly realizing he should have taken it from his belt the moment he noticed the lightsaber burning through the door panel. He was still fumbling when the doorway slid open and a large, enraged Wookiee burst inside the interrogation room, roaring at the top of its lungs, baring its fangs as its blue eyes took in the condition of the Corellian strapped to the board.
Before any of the Jedi could react, the Wookiee grabbed Isolder by his arm and flung him with ferocious strength across the room. The Hapan Prince screamed in pain, only dimly aware of his tendons tearing from bone, his shoulder slipping from its socket before his head collided with the wall and blackness overcame him.
Leia pushed past Chewbacca, who was still roaring in grief, and rushed over to Han. A wave of relief swept through her when she saw he was still breathing. I would have felt his death. "Luke! Help me get him down!"
"The needles have to come out before we take the binders off or they'll tear his flesh," Corran wisely pointed out, his eyes taking in his employer's dire condition.
The Princess started to attempt to remove a needle but her hands were shaking so badly that Mara pulled her aside. "Leia, let Corran and Luke handle this. You're too upset."
"She's right," Luke said, projecting tranquility toward his sister and Chewie. "We all need to stay calm."
*He needs clothing,* Chewie woofed, his tone instantly quieter.
Mara's eyes scanned the small area and saw a bundle of dark clothes that had been haphazardly tossed in the corner and pointed. "That's probably what he was wearing."
"I wonder what they were injecting Evin with," Corran said worriedly as he worked with Luke to remove the needles. "Chewie, can you take one of the vials that still has something left inside? The medics on Corellia will need to analyze it."
Leia stood, holding the clothing, feeling useless. Han, can you hear me? she whispered through the Force. There was no response.
Finally free of needles and binders, the unresponsive Corellian was gently lowered to the floor. Immediately, Chewie took the clothing from Leia's grasp and started to pull pants on his friend while Luke, kneeling next to Han, lifted each eyelid to check for a response, then felt his neck for a pulse.
"Han's not in there anymore, is he?" Leia whispered, her voice catching. "We got here too late. His mind is gone."
Luke sat back on his heels and looked up. "He's not gone, Leia. He's slipped into a coma, probably to protect his sanity. It might be up to us to bring him back to reality."
"Should we use the Force to wake him right now?"
"No," Luke quickly decided. "It will be too much of a shock to bring him back to awareness right away. He'd be in too much pain, and it's not necessary. His body needs to heal… his mind needs time to heal. Let's allow him to rest for right now."
"I need to find Isabell," Leia declared, suddenly slipping into her 'take charge' mode. "Chewie, you and Corran get Han back to the Princess. Luke will help me rescue my daughter."
"I have a better idea," Mara said. "The Fire is much closer since we set down inside the Palace, and he needs medical attention as quickly as possible. Corran and Chewie can take my ship and we'll take the Princess back to Corellia."
"That's a great idea," Luke concurred. "Give Corran the access codes so we can get this second rescue underway."
Mara told Corran, "Use Code "Greeneyesredhair" first letter cap the rest small, and the hatch will open for you. Any questions?"
"Just one," Corran said, his eyes narrowed in suspicion as he looked at Luke. "Why is the Princess calling Evin by the name Han? I'm sure that's what I heard her say the first time, after the dinner concert, when you told me Leia called him 'hon.' I know for a fact she didn't say 'hon' this time. She clearly said 'Han.' Oh, and why is Chewbacca suddenly acting like he owes a Life Debt to Evin?"
"That's two questions," Mara replied, looking amused at Leia's wide-eyed realization that she'd slipped and referred to Evin as Han. "And we don't have time to answer either one."
Corran nodded. "Luke?"
"Yes?" Luke asked, thinking Corran was going to keep pursuing this line of questioning.
"You need to find the recording of this torture session and bring it along with you. It's evidence."
Leia took a sharp breath. "Do you think they actually recorded Han's torture?"
"I worked in CorSec for far too long not to know that all good psychopaths needs a souvenir of their handiwork. There's a recording, trust me." He looked around, then pointed at a small vid-cam mounted directly in front of the restraining slab.
"I'll find it," Luke promised. "Contact Wedge before you take off so he can give you cover and tell him to wait around for me, Mara and Leia to leave on the Princess."
"Got it. And I expect an explanation of this business of why Evin Daysun is being called Han Solo, too, when we all get safely back to Corellia."
Luke said nothing since he wasn't sure that was something he could promise anyway as he watched Chewie carefully gather Han up in his powerful arms.
*Lead the way, Horn.*
"Safe skies," Corran said, nodding to the other three Jedi as he followed the Wookiee from the room.
The Princess gave Isolder a glance, picked up a syringe and a vial and filled the needle. "I'm guessing this is a stim and he was using it to keep Han awake. Now let's see how he likes it." She jabbed the needle into her ex-husband's neck, releasing the liquid and watched in satisfaction as he awoke.
"My… my arm," the Hapan gasped, shutting his eyes from the bright overhead lights as he grasped his useless right limb with his good hand. "That… animal…" He carefully opened his eyes again, looking around the room. "The beast... it's gone?"
Leia had no time for niceties, jerking Isolder to a sitting position, uncaring that he screamed again in agony from the torn ligaments. "Where is the disc?"
"D..disc?"
"The holo-recording of Evin's torture?" She jammed her blaster against his crotch. "Tell me right now, or you'll be more useless down there than your arm is." Leia gave a smirk. "Of course, now that I think about it, that particular part of you was pretty much always useless."
Eyes wide, Isolder stuttered out, "The room across the hall, opposite this one."
"I'll go get it," Mara said, disappearing into the corridor.
Leia wasn't done with her own interrogation and ground the blaster even harder into his groin. "Is Isabell in your mother's apartment?"
"She's … she's always there."
"You'd better not be lying, Hapan Slime," Leia snarled, pleased to use Han's description of Isolder to his face. She turned to Luke. "Help me strap him onto that board."
It was Luke's turn to be surprised, as well as a bit dismayed. "Leia, I understand how you're feeling, but we can't stoop to his level."
"I'm not taking time to actually use the fucking thing on him," she snapped. "We need to make sure he's not going to inform his mother we're on our way."
"Oh." Luke bent to pull Isolder to his feet, not feeling too badly about the man's whimpers, either. "Leia?"
"Yes," she asked, snapping the binders around Isolder's wrists and ankles as Luke held him in place with the Force.
"Fucking? I think you've been hanging around Evin too much."
Leia paused at her task to smile at Luke. "Not nearly enough, Luke. Not nearly enough."
With Isolder firmly in strapped in place and Mara returning with the disc, Luke nodded as he and Mara stood near the exit of the interrogation room, "Show us the way to the Queen's apartment, Sis."
"I'll be right there, Luke," Leia replied. "Wait for me in the corridor. I have something to say to my ex in private."
"Okay." He sounded a bit wary, but left her alone.
"You won't win, Isolder, even if you think so right now," Leia said, glaring up at her helpless ex. "Evin will survive. He always survives."
"Physically, yes," Isolder ground out through the throbbing pain in his useless arm. "But he won't wake up, at least not with his sanity intact." He watched with a terrified expression on his face as Leia picked up the control box, fiddling with the dials as she pointed it in his direction. "What are you doing?"
"Giving you a little taste of your own medicine," Leia said sweetly. "Don't worry, darling. I've reset it to level one, and I'm certain you're man enough to handle level one." She flicked the switch, set the device on the floor and left with only the empty room to listen to Isolder's screams.
"Is he strapped in?" Horn asked as the Wookiee joined him in the cockpit.
*Yes.*
Corran shrugged, hoping that meant Chewie had taken care of Evin in the sickbay. "I've contacted Wedge. They'll be escorting us through the patrols. He pointed to the Hapan perimeter defenses. "I'm taking those laser cannons out with the Fire's quads before we lift off. I don't want to be shot down before we even clear the palace walls."
*I'd like to take this entire place out,* Chewie growled, fastening his restraints.
Corran proceeded to blow apart the lasers, and in a few short moments they were safe to lift off, with the X-Wing squadron providing them cover.
"And, just so you are aware, I'm not forgetting about the fact Leia keeps calling Evin the wrong name, and no one seems to correct her or think it's in the least bit strange."
*That is not my problem,* Chewie woofed in amusement, knowing Horn couldn't understand a word he was saying. *I'm just pleased to know I was not the last to find out.*
Queen Filamina's Apartment inside the Palace.
When Luke, Mara and Leia burst into the Queen Mother's apartment, it became apparent she was fully aware that the Jedi were closing in. She stood at the edge of her balcony, holding Isabell in her arms as a shield, facing the intruders.
"Come closer, and I will drop her off," Filamina stated flatly. "It is fourteen stories down. She will not survive."
Isabell twisted in her grandmother's arms, looking at the Princess, then reaching for her with pudgy small arms. "Momma?"
Heartbroken at seeing her child, Leia felt another surge of rage directed now at the Queen, barely aware that Luke was trying once again to calm her down. "Is that all Isabell means to you? A way to blackmail me? A way to survive and not be cut down by a lightsaber?"
"She could be the future Queen, but it matters not if she never serves Hapes," Filamina said, shrugging. "My son is still young and healthy. He can provide me with another granddaughter."
"I'm wouldn't be too sure about the healthy part," Mara muttered under her breath, knowing full well that Leia had turned on the interrogation machine before leaving the room. It had caused a bit of an argument about the dark side versus the light side between brother and sister during the rush over to the Queen's Chambers. In the end, Luke had conceded he didn't have the time to go back and turn it off, although Mara thought, perhaps deep inside his heart, Luke was pleased that Isolder was getting some of what he'd dished out to Han.
"You cannot seriously believe that killing an innocent child will help you escape your fate?" Luke said, carefully stepping closer to the vengeful woman.
"Fate?" Filamina laughed. "What do you know about my fate? I am the Queen! I have had many people killed with no consequences to my rule. This would be just an accident, or I could claim that you Jedi were responsible for her death. My people will believe me. My only fate is to continue to rule Hapes."
"You would rather kill Isabell than allow me to take her from you?" Leia questioned grimly.
"I had my first born son killed because he disobeyed me," the Queen replied with a shrug. "I had my husband executed for treason, when all he actually did was flirt with my cousin's handmaiden. This child can be replaced, but to answer your question, yes, I would rather her die than give her to you." Her smile became feral. "If you leave the Consortium now, she will live. Her life is in your hands. And you cannot strike me down with blaster or saber without causing the Consortium to go to war with the New Republic. I'm sure you are well aware of that."
"Give me Isabell, and I will be out of your life forever," Leia snapped back, keeping her fear barely in check while watching as Mara and Luke inched closer and closer to the balcony. "Killing her is pointless, especially if you think she's so easily replaced."
The next moments were both a blur and seemed to occur in slow motion to Leia's eyes. Mara dove her body low, grasping for the Queen's legs, while Luke lunged forward, trying to wrestle Isabell from the Queen's arms.
As she was falling to the floor, Filamina tossed the toddler over the railing.