The Adventures of Rickon and Osha Chapter 10
Outline
We now finally reach the story's denouement. Rickon and Osha, together with the former Clone trooper Able Fett have survived their ordeal with the Sith and the Galactic Empire. The story wraps up with our characters continuing on their journey south to the Last Hearth. Meanwhile, Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine cover up the Incident of Planet 4554647. Fans of the Star Wars Expanded Universe will also recognise a certain Captain Pellaeon and MSE mouse droids. Finally, we have a guest appearance from a very familiar Game of Thrones character. As always, please note that I don't own any of the characters except Able Fett. Everything else belongs to George R..R Martin, Lucasfilm, and J.K Rowling. Feel free to leave feedback and comments but keep them respectful.
Part 1: Rickon and Osha
Following the tumultuous battle that previous night, Rickon, Osha, Able Fett, and the mortally wounded Jedi Knight Han Lee had travelled south. Shaggydog tailed behind them, nursing a wounded paw. After being sure that they were not being followed, Rickon and his companions had settled down in the middle of a forest thicket. Han Lee was in a bad state and near death. Despite Osha and Fett's best efforts, they were unable to stop the blood seeping out of his abdomen. Darth Vader's lightsaber had left a deep wound, piercing through his liver, stomach and intestines. Han was also bleeding from more than a dozen cuts all over his body. While Han was still strong in the Force, he had lost much of his energy fighting the two Sith Lords. Now, he was losing more power as his blood leaked out.
"Rickon and Osha, you have learnt a lot about the Force and the Jedi way despite our short time together," said Han Lee, biting back the pain and struggling to flash a smile "Ahh..ahh... I'm sorry I can't guide you on your Jedi path anymore. But the Force will always be with you both."
With tears flowing down his eyes, Rickon said: "Han, please, don't go. You can't die."
"Don't worry," said Osha, laying her arm on Rickon's shoulders. "I'll always be there for you little one."
"You have both been very good and diligent students," smiled Han Lee "It has been an honour teaching you both. Rickon, I foresee that you have a great destiny ahead of you. But you must remain here on Westeros. Rickon, I also give you my lightsaber. Take care of it."
Han Lee passed the cylindrical blade to Rickon. Master Tamati Kiore's lightsaber had been taken by Mara Taral and was destroyed when her landing ship collided with Darth Vader's shuttle during the battle. Rickon's lightsaber had been destroyed during the fight with Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine.
"I'm sorry that I didn't get to you on time," added Able "But I'm glad that we dealt a hard punch to the Sith and their Empire. It was an honour fighting alongside a Jedi like you again."
"Able, please watch over Rickon and Osha as they travel to the Last Hearth," croaked Han, spitting out blood "Since I won't be able to accompany them on their journey."
"Well, it's been an honour meeting all of you," said Han Lee "And…may the Force be with you always."
Han then breathed his last and closed his eyes for the final time. Despite his blood stained clothes, Han's face looked peaceful and serene as if he was asleep. After a brief period of mourning, Rickon, Osha, and Able built a funeral pyre out of nearby branches and twigs. This was done at the urging of Osha, who alone had first-hand experience of the insidious threat that lay north beyond the Wall. After cremating Han's remains, the three travellers and Shaggydog departed on their journey south to the Last Hearth the following morning.
Throughout the journey, Able Fett talked about his life as a Clone trooper and the battles that he had fought in during the Clone Wars. In exchange, Rickon and Osha shared their stories with Fett. Rickon related his time growing up as the youngest son of Eddard Stark, the Lord of Winterfell and the former Warden of the North. He also shared how his half-brother Jon Snow had found six direwolf pups and talked his father into allowing the children to adopt the pups rather than let them starve to death. Direwolves were the sigil of his family House Stark, one of the important noble families in the North. Meanwhile, Osha related her time growing up as a Wildling spearwife in the lands beyond the Wall. She told Fett how she had fallen in love with a man named Bruni only to lose him to the White Walkers. She had travelled south to escape the onslaught of the White Walkers only to cross paths with Bran and Rickon Stark.
"I'll accompany you to Greatjon Umber's castle at the Last Hearth," said Able Fett "But after that, I'll like to do some traveling around your world. I have travelled across the galaxy during my time as a soldier for the Republic and then the Empire. But I have never gotten the chance to travel freely by myself."
"Whatever you do," said Osha "Don't go North beyond the Wall. Only ice and death awaits you."
"My half-brother Jon Snow lives at Castle Black," added Rickon "He's joined the Night's Watch."
"Oh, tell me more about this Jon Snow and the Night's Watch," replied Able Fett.
Part 2: The Imperials
Captain Gilad Pellaeon strode across the corridor. Emperor Palpatine was seeking an audience with the Chimaera's captain in the VIP medical bay. After Mara Taral had captured Rickon Stark, Darth Vader and the Emperor had travelled all the way from Coruscant to Planet 4554647 to rendezvous with Mara. However, Mara had then turned on the Sith and attempted to seize power. The Chimaera had received Vader's distress signal and dispatched two landing ships to aid the Sith. By the time, the Imperial Navy landing parties had arrived, the battle was pretty much over. Rickon and his rescuers had fled for parts unknown and Mara was dead, killed by one of her own men.
Both Lord Vader and Palpatine had been wounded during the fighting. Vader's prosthetic right had had been severed and his life-support suit had been breached. Fortunately, the Chimaera had the necessary staff and facilities to repair Vader's armour. By contrast, Palpatine was in a more serious condition. The Galactic Emperor had sustained two blaster shots to the chest. The first blaster blot had landed mere centimetres below his heart while the second had shattered a rib, piercing his right lung. Only immediate medical intervention at the hands of the Imperial Navy's most advanced medical droids had saved the Sith Lord. Due to timely medical intervention, Palpatine was now in a stable condition.
While turning a corner to the right, Pellaeon narrowly tripped over a speeding MSE mouse droid. The droid angrily screeched in an incomprehensible mechanical language and then sped off. The Chadra-Fan company Rebaxan Columni had decided to manufacture an entire of droids based on a "cute" pet animal from their homeworld of Chad. Rebaxan had hoped that the inherent "cuteness" of their droids would appeal to their consumers. Unfortunately, the MSE-6 droids only reminded them of a certain vermin and the project had driven the company to bankruptcy. In the end, Rebaxan had sold all their remaining stocks to the burgeoning Imperial Navy, which was desperate for droids. The MSE mouse droids now found their niche on Imperial starships as message couriers and repairmen. Unlike sentient beings, droids did not talk back or demand pay rises. It was more economical for the Imperial Navy to buy a billion MSE mouse droids than to hire sentients to do the work.
Palpatine's VIP medical bay was guarded by two Stormtroopers, survivors of one of the 501st squads that had accompanied Vader and Palpatine on their ill-fated mission to Westeros. The two Stormtroopers saluted Captain Pellaeon, who returned their salute, and opened the sliding doors. Out of Vader's eighteen Stormtroopers, eight had fallen. Another seven had been seriously wounded. There had been reports of large canine creature ripping arms and legs of Stormtroopers. These unfortunate Stormtroopers would receive prosthetic limbs, courtesy of the Imperial taxpayer. By contrast, all of Mara's troops had been killed during the battle. Their bodies had been brought aboard the Chimaera to be returned to their families. Pellaeon expected that the official cover story would say that these men had died fighting valiantly against some Jedi or Rebel holdout in uncharted space
Gilad Pellaeon entered the medical bay and turned to the nearest bed on his right. On Palpatine's left, a humanoid 2-1B Surgical Droid was checking the Emperor's blood pressure and pulse. On his right, Darth Vader loomed tall and foreboding. Pellaeon bent his right knee and kneeled before the Emperor.
"Enough with the pomp and ceremony, cough," said Palpatine, gesturing his hand "Let's get on to business."
"Your Majesty, we have recovered all the bodies from the battlefield that we could," reported Pellaeon "Including those from Vader's wrecked shuttle at the bottom cliff."
"Good," said Darth Vader in his usual stentorian tone "We cannot afford for the inhabitants of that planet to find out about the existence of the wider galaxy. We may have failed to win over the boy. But on the positive side, Mara is out of the way."
"Yes, yes," said Palpatine "Mara was a great Inquisitor but she too ambitious. If left to her own devices, she would have become a greater threat. It was folly for us to have rewarded her with so much power and privileges including raising her own troops. That's a mistake we'll never repeat again."
"Thank you for getting rid of that Mara," remarked Pellaeon "Off the record, she was a horrible boss to work with. She levelled almost an entire city block on Nar Shaddaa just to kill three Jedi. She even Force choked my chief gunnery officer for allowing a group of smugglers to make the jump into hyperspace near the Kessel Run. "
"That Rickon reminded me of the offspring of Anakin Skywalker," added Vader "They may have died with Padme but there is a chance they may still be alive. I must resume my search for them."
"Patience, my apprentice," replied Palpatine "First, we must deal with the growing Rebellion in our midst."
"My lords, we are on the edge of Planet 4554647's star system," said Pellaeon "We have enough supplies for two standard months. As Captain of this ship, it is my honour to ask you where do you wish to go. Do you want to return to Coruscant?"
"No, not yet," said Palpatine calmly "I wish to pay our good friend Grand Moff Tarkin a visit to review progress on the construction of our Death Star battlestation. Set your course for the Despayre system."
"Yes my master," replied Pellaeon
"And one more thing," added Palpatine "I want you to scrub all records and logs of Westeros and Planet 4554647. We will not be returning to that blasted planet"
"Really, but don't you want to conquer Westeros," said Pellaeon "That planet is rich in natural resources and labour and it would make an ideal base for…"
Vader interjected: "Well, let the White Walkers take them. The galaxy can never afford to find out that the Sith were defeated by Jedi and primitive locals. That would only bolster the Rebellion."
"As you wish my Lords," replied a timid Pellaeon "I will carry out your orders. There will be no more trace of Planet 4554647 on our logs. We'll then travel straight to Despayre. It should take about six standard days."
Part 3: Jon Snow's POV
There was a clash of metal blades. Jon Snow, a brother of the Night's Watch, watched as two new recruits sparred with their swords. The two trainees were youths who had recently joined the Night's Watch. The first youth, Peter, was a freckled-faced peasant farm boy with orange hair. Peter had come from a hamlet near Mole's Town that had been razed to the ground by a Wildling raiding party. The second youth, named Kunte, was a brindled-skin street urchin from White Harbor who had been sent to the Wall for stealing a loaf of bread. The youth had been offered the choice of losing his hand or "taking the Black." Kunte originally came from the distant continent of Sothoryos. He had been enslaved by a Ghiscari slaving party and become a cabin boy aboard a Yunkish merchant ship. Unwilling to endure any more brutality at the hands of the ship's sadistic captain, Kunte had jumped ship at the first opportunity.
It had been almost a week since Jon Snow had returned from his expedition to deal with the mutineers at Craster's Keep. While the mission had been a success with all the Betrayers killed, the Night's Watch had lost five men. Snow had narrowly survived death at the hands of Rast, the leader of the mutineers. Had it not been for Sissy, one of Crasters' wives, he would have ended up dead with his ashes scattered in the snow. With their numbers barely above a hundred men, the Night's Watch needed every able-bodied man or lad they could find.
"Lord Snow," grunted a familiar voice.
Jon Snow turned round to face Alliser Thorne, acting Commander of the Night's Watch in lieu of Jeor Mormont. Thorne was still unhappy that Jon had been acquitted during the tribunal before the leadership of the Night's Watch. Apart from Thorne and Janos Slynt, the disgraced commander of the City Watch, the other three Black Brothers had accepted Jon's account that he had infiltrated the Free Folk to gain intelligence on Mance Rayder. Jon regretted having to kill Qhorin Halfhand to maintain the ruse that he had deserted the Night's Watch. But most of all, he regretted having to deceive Ygritte, the red-haired Wildling girl he had encountered on his travels North of the Wall. Thorne was even more sorely disappointed to learn that Jon had not perished on his mission to quell the mutineers at Craster's Keep. Since he had returned, Thorne had developed a grudging respect for Jon. However, Jon could sense the barely concealed resentment and jealousy that emanated beneath Thorne's seemingly calm demeanour
"It's my honour to inform you that you have a visitor," said Thorne coldly "He's waiting at the mess hall."
"What's his business?," asked Jon
"He says he wishes to talk with you in private," replied Thorne "He says it's only for your ears. He's a strange warrior donning a suit of black armour."
"Thanks, Thorne," said Jon, who then turned to face the lads sparing in the courtyard.
"Allright, boys it's enough for the day," said Jon "We'll continue the training tomorrow."
John Snow then headed towards the mess hall. When he arrived he found the stranger, sitting at a small table by the corner. The man had olive skin and wore black armour made from a strange material he had never laid his eyes upon. There was a scar on his left cheek but that did not spoil the man's handsome face.
"Greetings, so you are Jon Snow," said the stranger "I'm pleased to finally get to meet you face to face."
"Who are you?," asked Jon "And what is your business here?"
"My name is Able Fett," replied Fett "And I bring you good news about one of your half-brothers. The littlest one called Rickon Stark."
Jon Snow's face glowed as his mood lifted. It had been more than a full month since he had returned to Castle Black only to learn that his younger half-brothers Bran and Rickon had been killed or kidnapped by Theon Greyjoy, the family's Ironborn ward. It had grieved Snow even more to hear that his half-brother Robb Stark and his half-mother Catelyn had met a horrific death at the Twins. Snow's blood had boiled upon learning that Walder Frey had killed his guests after breaking bread and extending guest right to them. There was also no sign of his half-sisters. Arya Stark had completely disappeared. Meanwhile, Sansa had been taken captive by the Lannisters and forced to marry the Imp. The latest news he had heard from King's Landing was that Sansa and the Imp had killed King Joffrey and that Sansa had fled as a fugitive to parts unknown.
"What in seven hells? I can't believe what I'm hearing?," said Jon, half amazed and half astounded "Where is Rickon now? Is he safe?"
"It's a long story but I can assure you that Rickon is safe," replied Able "I accompanied Rickon, his Wildlife guardian Osha, and his direwolf Shaggydog to the Last Hearth. He's staying with a lord named Greatjon Umber and he's in very good hands."
"How can I be sure you are telling the truth," asked Jon Snow
"Osha told me to pass you this," said Able, handing the Black Brother a leather pouch. "It contains a letter for you from Rickon."
Jon opened the leather pouch and grabbed the parchment. On the parchment, was scribbled a handwritten note by Rickon. Their father, Ned Stark, had taught all his children to read as with many other high-borns. Rickon's handwriting was messy and untidy but Snow recognised it as his half-brother's handwriting. Rickon was only learning how to write when Jon had last left for the Wall to "take the black." The letter read:
"Dear Jon,
You [sic] be pleased to know that me and Shaggydog are safe with Lord Greatjon Umber. Aunty Osha took great care of me. Bran and his friends are travelin [sic] North to find the three eyed raven. Some bad men led by a witch tried to kidnap me. But a man named Han Lee, who came from the stars rescued me and Osha. He says he is a Jedi and he had a green laser sword. Han took me, Osha and Shaggydog to another Jedi, a talking rat called Tamati Kiore. He taught me and Osha how to fight with laser swords and to use something called the Force. It is all around us.
The bad witch and her men came for me again and killed Tamati. However, Aunty Osha, Han and Able Fett came and rescued me from the baddies. But Han got killed trying to save me from the witch's masters. Able used to work for the baddies but he had a change of heart and helped me, Osha, and Han. Me and Aunt Osha are now living with Lord Greatjon Umber, one of our family's friends. How are you doin [sic] at the Wall? How is Ghost?
I am sending Able Fett with news that me and Osha are safe.
Cheers,
Rickon Stark"
Beneath the text, Rickon had scribbled a cute funny face. His mood lifted, Jon Snow smiled.
"Thank you, so very much," said Jon "This is the best news that I had heard in months."
"No problem," replied Able Fett "By the way, I heard that your Night's Watch are short on men. I may not be good with swords but I have this…"
Able Fett placed his large blaster rifle on the table.
"What's this?," asked Jon curiously
"That is a blaster rifle," responded Able "Where I come from, I was trained how to shoot with this. I could give you a demonstration outside."
"And where is it that you come from?," asked Jon "Are you from the stars as well? Are there other planets and civilizations out there?"
"That's right, there's a whole big universe out there," said Able "It's a long story but here's how it beings…"
Endnotes
Dear readers,
Thank you very much for following my story. I hope you enjoyed it and learnt a lot about Game of Thrones, Star Wars, and Harry Potter in the process. I enjoyed writing this story and giving Rickon and Osha a voice. This is the final chapter. It's all for fun and not to be taken too seriously. I wish you all the best with writing your stories. I can imagine that Able Feet subsequently joined the Night's Watch and played a very useful role in the Battle of Black Castle. He would have been sniping away or crossing swords with Tormund's raiding party. If I have any more stories, I'll post them online here. Finally, my humble acknowledgement to George RR Martin, George Lucas, and JK Rowling for creating their fantasy worlds and universes. Also, special thanks to this website for providing a valuable hosting service to us fans.
Cheers,
Andrew Lim