Nightly Incursions

"If this is your idea of a joke?"

"Joke, Mr. Solo? I don't know what you mean?"

"You know what I mean! Chewie isn't some animal to be shunted off to the side."

Jacks scratched his head. "I thought you said he was your...pack animal."

Han glared at him. "When did I say that?"

Gandalf coughed. "I believe you said that he was a tame species from the far east."

Han folded his arms. "And your point?"

"Oh be reasonable. It was quite obvious that you meant your friend to be a pack animal. It is only right that Jacks inferred Chewbacca needed the stable."

Chewbacca rumbled, and Han leaned forward. "Oh, and while we're at it, make sure Chewie gets plenty of food, rub him down, and CHAIN HIM UP! Or we could just leave this town and this idiot stable boy behind and get off this kriffing planet. Come on Chewie, let's get out of here."

Han stormed past the Wizard and innkeeper with Chewbacca behind him grumbling. Leia looked slightly embarrassed while Fenheath looked shocked.

"Is he always like that?" he asked the Princess.

"Only when he is mad. And I suppose whenever he is stranded on a planet he doesn't know about. You can't blame him too much. Being defeated by the Empire, crash landing, and totaling your ship will make anyone bitter."

"I suppose," replied Fenheath. "He has been rather...upset since I met him."

Gandalf sighed behind them. "Well, just because he wants to be impatient doesn't mean we have to be. I don't think he'll wander far. I'll take a room Jacks. And another for the lady."

Jacks nodded trying to put a half smile on but failing miserably. "You can have room 5 Gandalf. The lady can have room 15 upstairs." He glanced at Fenheath. "You sir?"

Fenheath shook his head. "Oh, I don't do beds. I never wake up from them. If you don't mind I'll just sleep under that table right there."

Jacks just stared at him and glanced to Gandalf. The wizard gave him a nod of approval and pushed a few extra coins across the counter. Jacks shrugged and took the coins. "Alright mister. You got that table."

Han stomped through the trees. He could hear Chewbacca's huge frame behind him and felt the Wookie's furry hand on his shoulder. Han stopped and sighed. "I'm sorry Chewie. I should have tried to reason with the man. But all this is heady."

He slide to ground, his back against a huge pine tree. Chewbacca rumbled.

"No, it isn't the Falcon." Han replied.

There was a silence. The Wookie gave Han a stare that exhibited complete disbelief. Han looked up at him but quickly looked away.

"Okay, maybe that's a little bit of it. I just can't get that picture of her crashed out of my mind."

Chewbacca growled again, this time with a touch of sympathy in his voice.

"Me too, Chewie. That ship was more than a ship. That was our life before...that stupid Rebellion. I should never have talked to that crazy old space monk in the first place."

Again, the Wookie rumbled.

"Never meet Leia? Well….Um….I don't know."

Chewbacca sighed a throaty, Wookie sigh and heaved his massive body down. He slung the body of C-3PO down next to him and started to tinker with the deactivated droid. C-3PO's body was the main issue. The droid could still function but couldn't really move much. Chewbacca frowned and took out some tools that he always carried. He looked up at Han sitting with his back against the tree. His friend's head had slumped down, and the Wookie could hear snoring sounds. Even though he was tired himself, he decided to let Han sleep first. He would wake him up later to take his turn watching. One could never be too careful in a strange land.

Han awoke with a start. Groggy-eyed he looked around. There was no sign of Chewbacca although the body of C-3PO lay propped next to a tree. Han rubbed his eyes and took a better look around. It was still dark although Han could see that dawn would come soon. He wandered over to C-3PO and casually looked over the droid. Chewie must have been working on him because he did look better. Han patted the droid's back absentmindedly. Much to his dismay, the droid shook and the yellow eyes of the protocol droid flashed to life.

"Oh, my. Where am I? Oh, Captain Solo, so happy to see you. Is everything alright?"

Han rolled his eyes and turned his back to the droid. "Chewie," he yelled. "Where are you, you big oaf."

He stood there a minute until he could hear the rustling sounds of footsteps on the fallen, autumn leaves. He turned around and was about to say something when he stopped. His eyes widened, for there before him, was the barrel of a carbine rifle. And behind that, one of the most feared men in the galaxy: Boba Fett.

"Ah! Who is that?" came the voice of C-3PO.

Han held his hands up slightly and stared at the bounty hunter.

The hard voice of the bounty hunter rang out. "Solo. It was a merry chase."

There was a pause. Finally, Han spoke up. "And your name is…"

Han couldn't tell what was going on under the helmet, but Fett did not seem to register the comment much to Han's chagrin.

"You do know you have two bounties on your head. One from the Empire and one from Jabba."

"It's good to know people care about me," retorted Han.

"I was told to bring you in alive. Unfortunately, it appears both of our ships did not survive the crash. I might have to rethink my ban on disintegrations."

Han was about to respond when he noticed a blur behind Fett. The bounty Hunter noticed Han's shift and quickly turned around to see a Wookie barreling towards him. Fett raised his carbine, but Han was too quick. He lashed out with his leg and kicked the bounty hunter's left leg out from under him. But Boba Fett was not the best of his generation for nothing. Instead of completely falling to the ground he took a knee and was able to swing his carbine in the face of the smuggler knocking him flat. But that did not slow Chewbacca. The entire force and weight of the Wookie slammed into Fett, and they both went down. Of course, anyone who has a Wookie on top of them probably never gets back up. But Boba Fett had armour on that protected him long enough to kick his jetpack on. The bounty hunter went flying, back to the ground with the Wookie holding on his legs. Fett got his hand free and flicked his flame thrower on. Thankfully, for Chewbacca, the jetpack, along with his grasp on Fett, made the fire explode slightly to the left of where the bounty hunter was aiming. Chewbacca got scorched but the projector was not aimed at his face. Boba Fett kicked to the side and the Wookie lost his grip. The bounty hunter did a barrel roll and landed on his feet, carbine aimed at Chewbacca. But as he did so, he heard the click of a blaster. Han Solo stood next to him with a gun aimed at his head.

"Drop it," commanded the smuggler.

Boba Fett stood still, carbine still in his hands and aimed at Chewbacca. He could feel Han tense up.

"I'll drop it alright. After I shoot your Wookie friend. If you pull that trigger, I pull mine."

Silence followed. Chewbacca was standing putting out the fire on his arm, growling at the bounty hunter. Han just now noticed that the darkness was fading away slowly. Sunrise was not far away. But that wouldn't help him in this situation. He was about to say something when he saw the faint outline of a man coming through the trees. Apparently Boba Fett saw him too and swiveled his helmet ever so slightly in that direction. As the man came closer, they could see that he was clapping.

"Bravo. Oh, bravo. Such an excellent performance. Really, it's too much. I don't suppose you could take a break for a minute though? I need to speak with you about fund allocation. Actually, I will do most of the speaking. You will do most of the funding. If you two could line up against that tree right there and get your cow...dog...thing to calm down I'm sure we can make this a pleasant enough process."

Without moving his blaster from Fett's head, Han frowned. "And who on this kriffing planet are you?"

The man looked shocked. "You haven't heard of me? Well, I am surprised. I am the Lord of the Lone Lands, Baron of Brigands, Earl of Eriador, Chieftan of….Well, I can't think of one for that. But evil fears me, women swoon over me, kids adore me, and no one can touch me. I own this land and all in it. Which means I take what I want, when I want. You may not fear me now, but you will if you cross me."

Han smirked. "And, who are you again?"

The man smiled. "They call me Ithwine, Robber Baron of the North. Although some have been known to call me Ithwine the Irresistible." He flashed a smile. "And I have at least twenty archers in the trees waiting for my signal to cut you down. So let's be reasonable and make this as bloodless as possible. I try my best to be chivalrous. Indeed, if there was a lady under that armour I just might leave you two without a word."

"I'm afraid you are going to be sorely disappointed," came the bounty hunter's harsh voice.

"Ah well. You can't win them all. Please gentleman. Line up against the tree there."

Han looked around and saw that there was movement amongst the trees. Ithwine didn't seem to bluffing. He decided that as long as the robbers were just going to rob them without killing them, this would be a good way to get the bounty hunter off his back. At least it would make him drop his carbine. So Han slowly lowered his gun to the ground and stepped towards the tree. After a few moments, Boba Fett did the same and back up towards the tree. But before, the man who called himself Ithwine could speak, a thud was heard and a man dropped from the tree above them. More thuds could be heard as men yelled out. Han felt a thud to the back of his head. He yelled in pain as he toppled forward. The last thing that he noticed as he slipped into unconsciousness was Ithwine yelling orders and small, misshapen monsters running up from behind the trees.