The Adventures of Rickon and Osha Chapter 2

Plot Outline

So, we have introduced Rickon and Osha already. This chapter introduces a new character Han Lee, a survivor of the Great Jedi Purge who crash-landed his starfighter on Westeros. I made him a Human because Game of Thrones characters would probably not react too well to meeting an alien. Since there weren't a lot of Asians in Game of Thrones, I thought I'll add one. The tavern keeper "Big" Joe is a minor antagonist who is intended to be an informant working for the Galactic Empire. I have also tried to address the tensions between the First Men who live in the North and the Wildlings who live beyond the Wall. Basically, the First Men look down on Wildlings in the same that Europeans look down on Roma and Middle Eastern people. For those of you who are familiar with the Star Wars Expanded Universe, the Star Destroyer Chimaera and Captain Pellaeon may ring a bell.

Part 1: Rickon and Osha's POVs

After three days and nights of travelling through endless grasslands and forests, Rickon, Osha, and Shaggydog reached a remote hamlet called Frostville. It consisted of no more than a dozen wooden shacks which stood out on the grassy plain like chess pieces. It was evening and dusk was approaching. The three tired and grimy travellers headed to the settlement's main inn-and-tavern, a weathered one-storey building called The Seven Hells, a reference to the seven hells of the Faith of the Seven, the dominant religion on Westeros. The place was frequented by travellers and outlaws. It was in the middle of nowhere in the far north of the Seven Kingdoms where the Crown had very little authority. The Night's Watch was unable to exercise any control over this region, called The Gift, due to their depleted numbers.

Rickon and Osha had just arrived in Frostville just in time to hear the local town crier announcing the news that the that the Stark and Tully armies had been slaughtered during a wedding at The Twins, the stronghold of House Frey. Robb Stark, the King in the North, along with his pregnant wife Talisa and his mother Catelyn were dead, thus ending the Northern Rebellion. House Bolton and House Frey had switched sides and joined forces with the Lannisters and Tyrells. Roose Bolton was the new Warden of the North. This news made Rickon sick to the stomach. Anger, anguish and despair rose in him. So the dream had been true. Rickon however kept a lid on his temper and held his tongue, knowing that any outburst could expose him and Osha to danger..

Upon entering "The Seven Hells", Osha and Rickon found themselves in a quandary. They did not have enough money to rent even a small room for the night, let alone a place in the barn for Shaggydog. The taven-owner was a grumpy and mean-spirited stout fellow named "Big" Joe. He demanded that they pay up seven stars for lodging and food. Despite Osha's pleas and remonstrations, he refused to back down and insisted on getting paid the full board. He also demanded that they keep Shaggydog out of his sight or he would have the direwolf skinned for its pelt.

While the adults were arguing, Rickon was tempted to reveal his true identity. That he was the last-born natural son of the late Eddark Stark, Lord of Winterfell and the former Warden of the North. However, on second thought, he abandoned that idea. Most people believed that Eddard Stark was a traitor who had conspired to kill Joffrey Baratheon, the son of the late King Robert Baratheon. Plus, the tavern owner might be a spy working for the Lannisters and their new-found allies, the Boltons. Throughout their travels, Osha and Rickon had posed as Wildling refugees. Rickon was posing as Tom, Osha's son.

"I have only four stars and six pennies left," Osha pleaded "Please ser, don't leave us out to die in the cold for the night. The little one is hungry and tired."

"I'm not a ser and I bloody well don't care whether you and your boy die of cold or starve to death," roared "Big" Joe. "If you don't pay, you can bloody well get the hell out!"

"Perhaps, we could help wash the dishes in return," said Osha.

"To hell with you, I don't need any more Wildling scum working in my kitchen," growled "Big" Joe. "There's too many of your kind around breeding like rabbits. Let's hope the Night's Watch kill more of your kind."

"Oh, don't you dare tar us with the same brush," shouted Osha "Me and my boy are fleeing the White Walkers. They're awakened…"

"You can't bloody well scare me with myths and fairy tales," the tavern keeper replied "Five silvers and seven coppers or you and your boy can go find somewhere else to stay…"

"Don't worry, I will pay for them," said a man's voice from behind.

Osha and Rickon turned to see a man, dressed in rough travelling clothes. He was a yellow-skinned man with black hair, brown eyes, and a trim moustache. He had a kindly and friendly face.

"I said that I will pay for the Wildling mother and her son," said the kindly stranger, who was now facing the tavern keeper "Perhaps a little more compassion would come in handy."

"Hell no, I'm not taking any more Wildlings or strangefolk," roared "Big" Joe "I'm raising the raising the hotel fees to ten stars."

"No, you will not," said the stranger calm but without raising his voice "You will do no such thing."

"What!?," shouted "Big" Joe "Don't you dare tell me how to run my tavern."

Speaking in a calm but authoritative tone while raising his right hand, the stranger said: "You will accept Osha and her boy's payment of four stars."

"Big" Joe's facial expression rapidly changed from one of rage to one of bemusement. To Osha and Rickon's surprise, he then repeated the stranger's words in a dull monotonous tone: "I will accept Osha and her boy's payment of four stars."

The stranger then continued in a calm but authoritative voice: "You will give them your best room available and you will serve them the best cooked meal for free. You will also let their direwolf stay in the barn for the night."

As before, "Big" Joe repeated the stranger's command in the same monotonous tone.

Observing the standoff, Osha chuckled and turned to Rickon and whispered into his ear: "Looks like we have won this round."

With their place at the tavern secured, Rickon sent a telepathic signal for Shaggydog to enter the barn. After days out in the open, all three of them would be sleeping under a roof for the night. After parking their few belongings in their room, which consisted of a double-decker bed, Rickon and Osha joined the stranger for dinner. The stranger had ordered a red-wine beef stew, roast potatoes, boiled vegetables, buttered bread, and apple-cakes, Rickon's favourite dish, for desert. The tavern keeper had grumbled at first but ultimately complied, having experienced the stranger's "mind tricks." Whoever the stranger was, he seemed to have a soft heart for refugees. Rickon and Osha had not eaten this well since their flight from Winterfell months ago.

Osha related to the stranger their cover story of them being Wildling refugees fleeing the far north and traveling south with the hope of reaching the Last Hearth. The stranger identified himself as Han Lee, a traveller who loved exploring strange lands. For both a stranger and foreigner, Han Lee spoke the Common Tongue very well.

"Why did you help us?" asked Osha "Even though we were strangers."

"The strong and fortunate have an obligation to help the weak and unfortunate," replied Han Lee

"Well, we've living in bleak and unjust world," replied Osha "I've lost my husband and the boy has lost his family."

"Seems to be little different from where I come from," responded Han Lee "I've also lost many people whom I have considered to be my family."

"What on earth did you do to the tavern keeper?," asked Osha "What you did was bloody well amazing."

"It's simple. I simply convinced him that it was better for him to help you and your boy than to risk a public spat that would be very bad for his business," explained Han Lee "The Force can have a strong influence on the weak-minded."

"What is this Force you speak about", asked Rickon curiously "Me and my brother have the ability to warg. That is to enter into the minds of our pet direwolves."

"Well the Force is what gives me my power," replied Han Lee "It's an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us. It is what binds your world and this galaxy together."

"What is this mumbo jumbo?," demanded Osha sharply "My boy has had his head filled with enough talk about black magic. I won't let you subject him to this."

"Relax, Aunt Osha," said Rickon "If he meant us harm, he wouldn't have stepped into help us."

"What I'm saying may sound strange to your ears," Han Lee calmly explained "But I come from somewhere far, far away from your world."

"Where do you come?," Rickon asked, trying to remembering the geography lessons which Master Luwin had taught him and Bran. "Do you come from Yi Ti or the lands east of Essos?"

"Maybe, or perhaps even further away," replied Han Lee "I am not of this world. I come from beyond the stars."

"Now, you're talking it nonsense," said Osha "Perhaps you have had too much to drink or the cook has put too much wine in our stew."

While nibbling on a slice of apple cake, Rickon caught a glimpse of a silver baton-like object hanging from Han Lee's belt. It was partly obscured by his ragged, brown travelling cloak but he noticed that it had a red diamond-like button and a black hand-grip. It seemed to be some sort of strange relic from some far away land. Before he could take a closer look, it was swept under the man's swirling brown cloak. There was something also very peculiar about this man. Rickon sensed a strong calming presence around the man which enveloped him like a cloud.

"Where are you two traveling to?," asked Han Lee "It's quite dangerous for a woman and a child to travel alone in these rough lands and times."

"Why is it your business to know where we're heading two?," Osha said sharply "I'm taking my boy south away from the cold and fighting in the North. I can fight with a spear and I'm perfectly capable of looking after m boy."

"I've also got my pet direwolf Shaggydog," added Rickon amusingly "He can fight and bite."

"I do not doubt your courage and abilities," replied Han Lee "But I sense the boy is not actually your son but he is still someone important."

Osha and Rickon were astounded. How did this perfect stranger know who they were. Was he a mind-reader? Or was he a spy?

Osha turned to Han Lee and spoke sharply: "I don't know who in seven hells you are but we don't know who you nor do we trust you. Thank you for your help in securing lodging and a meal for me and my boy. But we are perfectly capable of looking ourselves on the road. Thank you for your offer but no thanks."

Unknown to Rickon, Osha and Han Lee, they were secretly being watched. The tavern keeper "Big" Joe it turned out was an undercover informant working for the Galactic Empire. He was a resident of Westeros who had encountered the Imperial "spacefolk" and agreed to become a spy in return for his weight in gold. Working as a spy helped bring extra income to feed his business. His inn and tavern business was struggling to stay afloat due to sheer poverty and remoteness of the Gift, the northernmost frontier of the North which lay between Winterfell and the Wall.

Part 2: Big Joe and Mara Taral's POVs

After watching his guests for about half an hour, "Big" Joe retreated to the barn behind his tavern. He pulled out a small palm-sized device from his pocket called a "comlink." It resembled a phone, a technology that was alien to Westeros. But this was no ordinary phone. It was capable of receiving and transmitting signals thousands of light years away. This small device consisted of a receiver, a transmitted and a crystal power source. The tavern keeper had been given this comlink by his "spacefolk" spy-masters. This was his only communication link with them.

After a few seconds of buzzing, Joe spoke "This is Shadow Cat calling Sarlaac."

After another seconds, a sinister female voice responded: "This is Sarlaac responding to Shadow Cat. You may come in."

Joe said: "I have gotten new information which may be of interest to the Empire. Have sighted the wolf cub and his Wildling guardian. But I have also encountered another person of interest…I believe he may be a Jedi."

"Are you sure?," replied the female voice "This better not be another false lead. The Empire does not take such crimes lightly,"

"Don't you dare question me again. I saw and experienced with my own eyes," barked Joe. "While I was trying to deal with my troubling Wildling customers, he played a trick on my mind. He tricked me into offering them lodging and food for four stars, that's not enough to pay even a month's wages for my damned scullery maids."

"Allright, I believe you," replied the female voice sarcastically. "You have been reliable in the past and I doubt that you would simply make up fairy tales…"

Joe interrupted: "I also demand to be paid my wages. I haven't been paid for two months. You won't want me revealing your Empire's presence to my people."

"Allright, I understand you frustrations," replied the female voice "You will receive a rich reward when I visit your planet. You have my word."

After finishing the conversation with the petulant bartender, the Dark Side Inquisitor Mara Taral left her office and entered the bridge of the Imperial Star Destroyer Chimaera. The starship was orbiting a gas giant within Planet 4554647's star system. There, it would be safe from prying eyes. The planet's inhabitants were still too primitive to have developed space observatories capable of peering deep into the stars or starships capable of traveling into space. The ship's commanding officer, Captain Pellaeon, was staring into a star-lit horizon.

"Captain, me and my fellow minions will be departing for Planet 4554647. I order that my shuttle be made ready for us."

"Yes, mi-lady," replied Captain Pellaeon "Your shuttle has been refuelled."

"Is this part of the Emperor's Children of the Force business?," asked the Captain.

"Yep, but there's more," replied Mara, relishing the thought of adding another Jedi to her score chart.