Chapter 26: Slimy Mudholes

"Oh this is great, just friggen great!" Han exclaimed, walking on the edge of the bog the Millennium Falcon had crashed in. "We'll never get it out!"

Obi-wan Kenobi hid a slight chuckle at the Corellian's obvious frustrations. "Calm yourself, Captain. I'm sure with Master Yoda's help, we can easily remove the Falcon from the swamp." He said, trying to placate the irate captain.

Chewbacca looked at the half submerged Falcon with a sigh. Even with the Jedi's help, it would take months to get all of the accumulated gunk out of the Falcon's many nooks and crannies.

Olee Starstone stood besides Han with a supportive look. "It's alright, Han. We can get it out. Remember, Size matters not." She said with her winning smile.

"Clearly you've never been to Kentaria." Han said, not even glancing in her direction.

Leia Skywalker, standing next to little Het and a now swamp covered Red, tried to help calm the upset Captain. "It's alright, Han. We'll help you, you know this."

"Ok, ok. "Han said, taking a deep breath, "so we need this Yoda guy. I suggest we all split up and begin our search… you're the Jedi types, why don't you just pull one of your Jedi mind whammies to find him?"

Master Asharad Het stepped forward as he answered. "Because this place is a nexus in the Force. We cannot use our abilities to find him because this place is hidden from our minds."

"Great… just friggen great…. " Han looked at his baby once more, tried to calm down, and failed. "SITHSPIT!"

Jayden Vel Dar couldn't hold it in anymore, and let out a small chuckle, but as Han turned to glare at him, he quickly changed the subject. "Captain Solo is correct, we need to split up to find Master Yoda. We should split up into teams. Master Kenobi, you should go with Leia and Het to the north. Master A'sharad, you and Qu Rahn should take the south, myself and Olee will take the west, while Captain Solo and Chewbacca should take the east. We can stay in contact with our communicators." He looked at the corellian "Does that sound acceptable?"

"Yeah, yeah… have a friggen party." Han said, his eyes still locked on his baby slowly settling in the tepid bog.

As the Jedi all prepared themselves to leave, Han sat at the edge of the bog. "Chewie… go on without me… I… I just need a few moments alone."

Chewbacca growled in his own language supportively, but Han waved him away with a shoo gesture. "I'll be fine ya big oaf. Go find your friend."

Chewbacca looked beseechingly at Olee, who nodded. "I'll go with Chewbacca, Master Dar. Is that alright?"

Jayden nodded. "Alright. I'm sure I'll be alright alone." He turned towards the west, and started to walk. Olee walked up to Han, and put her hand on his shoulder. "You gonna be ok?"

"Fine, fine." Han said slowly. "You have no idea how hard it was to get her. I had to win her in a sabbacc tournament… last hand, me and my old buddy Lando were the last players. I bet all I had, and he bet one ship on his lot… I chose the Falcon when I won." He looked at the Falcon in silence for a few moments. "Go on. I'll be fine right here."

Olee nodded and knelt, kissing Han on the cheek. "Watch out for yourself, Captain." She said, then hurried to catch up with the huge Wookie.

Han sat in silence for what seemed like a few hours. He watched bubbles form around the hull of the Falcon as trapped air pockets escaped from her hull. "Oh man." He said softly. Besides himself, the only other member of their landing party there was little Red, who was trying desperately to clean himself off with his little arms to little success.

"Why did I have to come to this place?" he asked himself. Little Red knew he wasn't talking to him, so he kept his counsel to himself. "This place gives me the creeps." Now Red answered with a supportive beep, clearly sharing Han's opinion of the swamp world.

"Im hungry." Han said slowly. "I feel like…"

"You feel like what?"

Han's blaster pistol appeared in his hand like it had been conjured there, spinning with the speed of a seasoned gunslinger. As he turned he saw a tiny creature standing directly behind him. Han immediately stepped back in surprise, and his boot squished into the edge of the swamp; this little being seemed to have materialized out of nowhere! It stood no more than a half meter in height, fearlessly holding its ground in front of the towering Corellian who wielded an awesome blaster pistol.

The little wizened thing could have been any age. Its face was deeply lined, but was framed with elfin, pointed ears that gave it a look of eternal youth. Long white hair grown thin was parted down the middle and hung down on either side of the green-skinned head. The being was bipedal, and stood on short legs that terminated in tridactyl, almost reptilian feet. It wore rags as grey as the mists of the swamp, and in such tatters they must have approximated the creature's very age.

For a moment, Han could not decide whether to be frightened or to laugh. But when he gazed into those bulbous eyes and sensed the being's kindly nature, he relaxed. As last the creature motioned towards the pistol in Han's hand.

"Away put your weapon. I mean you no harm." He said.

After some hesitation, Han quietly put his pistol back into his belt. As he did so, he wondered why he felt impelled to obey this little creature.

"I am wondering," the creature spoke again. "why are you here?"

"Me and my friends are looking for someone." Han answered.

"Looking?" the creature repeated curiously with a wide smile beginning to crease his already-lined face. "Found someone you have, yes!"

Han had to force himself not to smile. "Right."

"Help you I can, yes!"

Inexplicably Han found himself trusting the odd creature. But wasn't sure that such a tiny individual could be of help on this particular journey. "I don't think so." He replied gruffly. "We're looking for a great warrior."

"Oh, great warrior." The creature shook his head, the whitish hair flopping about his pointy ears. "Wars not make one great!"

A strange phrase, Han thought. But before he could answer, Han saw the tiny hominid hobble over to the top of the supply cases the Jedi had taken from the Falcon to create their base-camp. Shocked, he watched as the creature began to rummage through the articles they had brought to their camp.

"Hey, little guy." Han said, a little annoyed. "Get away from there." He was surprised at this sudden strange behavior.

Moving across the ground, Red waddled toward the pile of cases, standing just about at optical sensor level with the creature. The droid squealed his disapproval as he scanned the creature that was carelessly digging through the supplies.

The strange being grabbed the container holding some of their food rations and took a bite.

"Hey!" Han exclaimed, stepping forward. "That's our dinner!"

But no sooner had the creature taken his first bite than he spat out what he had tasted, his deeply lined face wrinkling like a prune. "Peewh!" he said, spitting. "How get you so big eating food of this kind?" he looked Han up and down.

Before the astounded Corellian could reply, the creature flipped the food container in Han's direction, forcing the captain to stumble forward in an attempt to catch it before it spilled its contents, then the little creature dipped one of its small and delicate hands into another supply case.

"Listen, little man!" Han said, now growing more annoyed. "Why don't you scratch gravel?"

Han approached menacingly, and suddenly he yelped in pain as the little creature whacked him across the shins with its little cane. "Manners, mind them you will!" the little creature said, diving back into the crates.

Rubbing his shin, Han looked up at the little creature with murder in his eyes. "Listen, little man, We didn't mean to crash here. And if I could get my ship out of this puddle, I would be long gone, but I can't, so – "

"Aww… cannot get your ship out." The little creature said, its head still buried in the case. "Have you tried?"

Han had to admit to himself that he had not, but then the whole idea was patently ludicrous. He didn't have the proper equipment to –

Something in the case had attracted the creature's interest. Han finally reached the end of his patience when the saw the crazy little being snatch a miniature power-lamp from the case. Han grabbed for the case, but the creature held on to his prize. The little light came alive in the creature's hand, throwing its radiance up into his delighted face, and he immediately began to examine his treasure.

"Give me that!" Han cried

WHACK! Han yelped in pain as he was smacked across his other shin with the cane. "Mine!" the creature then retreated from the wincing smuggler like a petulant child. "Mine! Or I will help you not!"

Still clutching the lamp to his chest, the creature stepped backward, inadvertently bumping into Red. Not remembering that the droid was at all animate, the being stood next to it as Han approached, now weary of the little creatures cane.

"I don't want your help!" Han said indignantly. "I want my lamp back. I'll need it to get out of this slimy mudhole."

"Mudhole? Slimy? My home this is!" the little creature yelled up at him, whacking his knee this time with its cane, showing Han that this little creature held absolutely no fear of him whatsoever.

"Stop that!" Han said, kneeling to rub his knee… and finding himself at eye-level with the little creature, who promptly whacked him on top of the head with a giggle. "Apologize you will!"

Han was about to explode in anger, but watched as Red slowly reached out a mechanical arm. Han smirked a small half smile and said. "I will not apologize to a slimy mudhole of a planet."

The little creature was about to let Han have it again with the cane, when Red's appendage grabbed the pilfered lamp and immediately the two little figures were engaged in an epic tug-of-war over the stolen prize. As they spun about in battle, Red beeped a few electronic "give me that's"

"Mine! Mine! Give it back!" the creature cried. It bashed against Red's flowerpot head with the offending cane repeatedly.

At the sight of the titanic struggle, Han could hold back his laughter no longer. He laughed long and hard, enjoying the little spectacle. Finally he decided to be nice to the little guy… even though if he hit him with the cane again, he would get tossed somewhere. "Alright Red… let it go."

Red emitted a loud, outraged beep, and immediately released the power lamp.

The victor grinned at the glowing object in his tiny hands, gleefully repeating, "Mine, mine."

"Alright, little man. Now get out of here. We've got things to do." Han said down to the little guy, making sure he was out of cane range.

"No, no!" the creature pleaded excitedly. "Stay and help you I will. Find your friend!"

"We're not looking for a friend," Han said. "We're looking for a Jedi Master."

"Oh." The creature's eyes widened as he spoke. "Jedi Master. Yoda, you seek Yoda!"

Mention of that name surprised Han. "You know him?"

The little creature laughed at some unknown joke. "Closer to you than you think he is." The creature said proudly. "Take you to him I will."

Han reached for his comm, when he heard Chewbacca's gleeful roar. Emerging from the swamp with Olee Starstone, he charged towards Han and the little creature with all the commotion of finding a hunk of bantha-steak. It took a moment to realize that Chewbacca was yelling the word "Yoda!" Over and over again.

Han grew suspicious when Chewbacca picked up the little green creature and twirled him around like he was his own child, howling with happiness. While most beings being charged by a wildly baying Wookiee would be terrified, the little green creature was actually laughing and hugging Chewbacca.

"Missed you I have, Chewbacca!" the little creature said.

Olee Starstone ran up and stood besides a flabbergasted Solo. "I see you found Master Yoda. Good work, Han." She said, kissing him on the cheek.

Han stood there with little Red, both of them staring at the spectacle of his partner acting like a child, hugging and speaking like old friends with the odd little creature.

"Why did the guy who whacks me with a cane have to be the one we're searching for?" Han asked the cosmos.

Olee turned to look at Han. "He hit you with his cane? What did you do to tick him off?"

"Oh sure, take his side!"