CHAPTER 9

Toshiro slowly lowered the boxes to the ground, all of which froze over at the corners to balance on their edges and slowly stood up from his handstand. Rangiku looked at the way he had arranged them and sighed. "Alright, I'm in. there's no way I'm passing up a chance to make Haineko stronger!" She said. "Oh… and seriously… where can I get some sake?"

Obi-Wan blinked, "What is this sake, you speak of?"

"Wha-?" Rangiku's mouth dropped open. Toshiro sighed and said, "It is our world's alcohol, and unfortunately for us, she functions better the more drunk she is."

Luke called them back in from the door. Han and Leia were seated in two chairs when they came back in, they looked like they were exhausted. Chewbacca had young Jacen riding on his shoulder as the small boy giggled and grabbed tufts of Chewie's hair to hang on.

Luke poured his three guests glasses of purple alcohol from a bottle that said "Corellian Brandy". He made sure to offer Rangiku some and pour her a glass as well.

Han and Leia Solo introduced themselves to the unfamiliar faces that entered the room. "Graaauh!" Chewie said. Han pointed at the Wookie, "Oh yeah, that's Chewbacca….or Chewie."

Han rubbed his eyes wearily as Yoda and Obi-Wan entertained the child on the floor by making things hover for him with the force while Han and Leia spoke.

"Haven't had a good night's sleep in a week." Han said as he gulped down the brandy "I knew being a dad would be difficult for me, I'm usually not the kind to stay in one place for long...just settling down was a new challenge. I tell ya I never saw this coming when I was smuggling spice in the Falcon. I didn't even think it was real until you came along, Luke." Han said.

Leia spoke up, looking equally as tired as Han. "What Han is trying to say is...um..well….last weekend we noticed stuff happening...always centered around Jacen." Leia looked at her baby and Luke's nephew with a slight smile. Jasen had wandered over to the Bleach crew who he hadn't met before and greeted them with a very enthusiastic: "Hiiiii!"

"Why hello there! What's your name, young man?" Rangiku said cheerfully as she bent over to the young boy's height, which in turn showed even more cleavage than before.(if that were possible.).

"Wait...are you saying that he's-" Luke said wide eyed as he looked over at Jacen. Leia smiled, "He's force sensitive, yes."
"What we're getting at is that we don't know how to teach him how to control it so he's not causing stuff to fly around and keep us awake all hours of the night." Han said, taking another sip of brandy and yawning.

Jacen had wandered over to Olivia and upon seeing the hole in her torso his lip began to quiver and he looked up at her. "D-did somebody hurt you?"

Olivia got a distant look in her eyes, but only for half a second before smiling with just a hint of regret in her voice. "No… it's just a hole. Think of it like a Lekku. It's genetic."

Toshiro chose to focus on the adults in the room. "So even at that age, you can sense the Force in someone?"

Ichigo was too busy staring at Chewbacca, who was only a foot taller than him. "He's not carnivorous is he?" Ichigo asked Han nervously. Rukia slapped Ichigo. "Rude-ass! Don't insult his feelings!" she shouted at him while he rubbed his cheek muttering "What was that for!?"

Han smirked at Ichigo, "They are omnivorous actually, but they've been known to tear people's arms out of their sockets when they lose a game of Sabacc or something."

"Uhhh… remind me to never play a game with him then." Ichigo answered. "I like my arms where they are."

Olivia laughed. "That's what I call reversal of high stakes!" she joked. When the Reapers looked at her disapprovingly she said. "What? I'm just suggesting a new strategy. Let the wookie win!" she shrugged.

Luke grinned knowingly, remembering hearing this said somewhere...but not able to place it. He turned to Toshiro, "Force sensitive children normally show signs of unrefined force abilities at this age. It's why the Jedi Order from the old days would take the children and raise them in the temple at a very young age."

"At such a young age? That is… impressive!" Rangiku said. Toshiro nodded. "Indeed. I wish to ask however… that power you used to free me… the electricity… was that the Force as well?"

Luke nodded, "It was believed to be a power that only the dark side could grant. But I teach the belief that the Force is a neutral concept and does not align itself with dark or light in terms of the powers it can offer. It is commonly called Force Lightning, and I believe good or evil comes from how you use your power...not the power itself." Luke held up his hand and a few tiny eruptions of blue lightning arced off his fingers and faded into the air.

Toshiro's eyes widened. "Well… While I am not sure I could achieve that level of power..." he held up his palm, which froze over in a dragon claw-esque representation and a cold mist enveloped him as he flexed the palm. "I am quite adept at another element as you can see. No offense, Master."

Turning to Han and Leia, "I will train him, no need to worry." Leia smiled gratefully at her brother.

Quinlan Vos appeared on a holo-disc built into one of the floor panels in the center of the room. "Master Skywalker," Vos bowed. "I have detected a very large force presence on Mandalore...and I mean absolutely enormous!"

Luke nodded, "Thank you, Master Vos." he turned to the Bleach crew. "It would be good experience for you to travel to Mandalore to investigate this. They are a planet of warriors who have a high sense of honor and pride. They pretty much live for combat and fighting, they are led by a man who is referred to as Manda'lor or Lord Manda'lor….who proves himself worthy of leading them by challenging the previous one to hold the title. I am not going to go with you, this will be your test."

Olivia immediately took a step towards Luke (a little too quickly in Toshiro's opinion) and said, "I think I will stay behind to work on… a more suitable weapon...and… uh… my temperament?" She said, looking at luke's pex and blushing.

Ichigo nodded, ignoring Olivia, and Rukia and Toshiro nodded. Rangiku shrugged then blinked. "Wait… we're going into space?" she asked. Toshiro sighed. "So you just sort of ended up on this planet when we were all brought to that desert with Luke?"

"Yes." She said bluntly in response.

"You know, it makes me wonder why we're not all insane from temporal displacement sickness." Toshiro sighed as they all stood from their seats.

"So… who's gonna pilot us there?" Rukia asked as Olivia followed Luke, still slightly more interested in his pex than she should have been with Jacen following them.

Han and Chewie approached the group, "We're parked right outside, we can take you there in the Millennium Falcon." Han kissed Leia and told Jacen goodbye. "Bye bye daddy!"

"Behave yourself for uncle Luke!" Han ruffled Jasen's hair as he and Chewie led the group out to the hangar of the temple where a round disc-like ship was docked.

"There she is!" He spread his arms to present the Falcon.

Ichigo scowled. "I don't see what's so great about it!"

Seeing their unenthusiastic looks he frowned. "She may not look like much but she's got it where it counts. I've outrun Imperial starships in this thing, and not the pissant cruisers I'm talkin' big ones. Come on Chewie!"

"Graaagh!" Chewie replied as they climbed aboard.

"As long as you've got scotch, I'm game!" Rangiku said cheerfully. Toshiro sighed and followed. "You do know he's a married man, right?" He said, mildly displeased.

As the ship took off the quartet of Soul Reapers watched the stars fly by with slightly impressed expressions, still not fully over the fact that they were in space(except for Rangiku who was looking out the window with a shocked and slightly dizzy look on her face.)

Rangiku wandered to the back of the Falcon. "I need a drink." She said as she sat down. Ichigo rolled his eyes and sat a ways away from her as Rukia leaned against his chest. Toshiro sighed. "How can you ask for alcohol in the vacuum of space?" He asked. "Especially if you are motion sick?"

Rukia was heard snoring in Ichigo's shoulder, and the young Substitute was smiling down at her.

Han called to the back where Rangiku wandered off. "Yo, Bee! Grab me and Juggs here a couple Flameouts!"

Han stood up from his pilot's chair and sat at the deactivated holochess table. A droid that looked like it was rotating on an orange and white painted sphere rolled over with a round tray balanced on its head. The tray had a bottle of blue liquid and two scotch glasses, Han nodded and took the bottle and placed a glass before Rangiku. "How about a Flameout drinking contest? It's known for making your tongue feel scalded and your throat feel frozen. Think you can handle it?"

"Well what with you calling me Jugs and then challenging me, I can't refuse, now can I, studmuffin?" Rangiku said, winking at Han suggestively.

The contest started with them both on level ground. By the fifth round(of five drinks each) Rangiku was showing much more experience with holding her liquor down, and Han was regretting his challenge, since he was technically the only pilot.

Rangiku laughed as she slurred. "a'mit it! you're j'lous!"

Toshiro was shown to visibly pale, knowing where this was headed. "Lieutenant! You've had enough!"

Han fell out of his chair and flopped onto the floor facedown. He spoke with his lips smooshed against the tiles of the Falcon's floor. "Nuh-urh! Yuu'v got enufgh for erreybody!"

Toshirou was fuming, which meant some of the ship would probably freeze if they didn't calm him down.

Rukia snorted, now fully awake and said "Don't you have a wife at home...perverted old man!" To which Ichigo snickered. "Captain. I suggest you go pilot the ship before my Lieutenant seduces you into doing something you regret." Toshiro stated.

Rangiku whined. "Awww, Cmon Toshi! I was jus' gun' have a lil' fuuuun~!"

Han grumbled and picked himself off the floor, shoving past Ichigo and Toshiro drunkenly as he staggered down the hall. "Dayum...kids...can't life wif dem….c-cauhnt shoot em either!"

"We're NOT Kids!" Both Toshiro and Ichigo shouted at the same time.