CHAPTER 9:
The flames of the fire towered over the pair and the black smoke smothered the stars in the sky. Han pulled Leia close to him, "I don't know how we're gonna get outa this one."
Leia held Han's hand in a vise-grip, and they stood back to back. They were now surrounded by an inferno of flames and the heavy soot in the air threatened to cut off their air supply.
"There!" Leia yelled as she dragged Han toward a small window in the flames. They crouched down and ignored the searing smoke that burned their lungs and the sharp slashes on their skin from the razor grass. They ran as fast as they could under the circumstances, their hope rising as the flames seemed to recede.
But that hope was squelched as the fire leapt boldly in their path. Han grabbed Leia and held her to his chest as they watched their only hope go up in flames—literally. The princess turned around in Han's arms to face him. They looked into each other's eyes, but what was there to say? Leia's hands found Han's face, and she pulled him to her. Han cradled her head and leaned in close to her.
Just as their lips were about to meet, several cutter ships grazed overhead. They both looked up.
"Just great!" Han yelled, "Now we have Imperials to deal with."
"I think the Imperials are the least of our worries now," Leia reminded him.
Han glanced around him and then his eyes fell on his small companion once again. He had every intention of finishing what they started. What did he have to lose? This time he lifted her up, pulling her into the position she was when they scaled the cliff wall. Now face to face, he moved in to kiss her.
And just as their lips were about to meet, the pair were doused with water. The overwhelming force of the water knocked them to the ground. They looked up just in time to see another small cutter pass overhead and drop another load of water.
Leia coughed, "I don't think they are Imperials."
"Maybe things aren't as bad as we thought," Han smiled. And then they were saturated with another dump of water.
Han reached for Leia and pulled his jacket over their heads as they endured a few more beatings of water. But to their relief, the fire was quickly extinguished. Han dropped his jacket and smiled at Leia. She returned the same sodden sooty smile. Their luck was too good to be true. Luke would say it was the workings of the Force. Han didn't care; they were going to live another day—or night, if one wanted to be technical.
But their joy and relief were short-lived. Beams of light penetrated the smoke surrounding them. As the lights moved closer, large shadows closed in on them. Han positioned himself between Leia and whoever the torch bearers were. He reached for his blaster only to find his holster empty. They could try to run, but in the dark, through the remnants of the razor grass, they wouldn't get far. And they'd probably end up hopelessly loss. Han and Leia had no choice but to face their fate.
Solo held up his hand to block the light from his eyes and attempted to see the faces of the beings holding the torches.
"You two were mighty lucky, I say," a crinkled old man with a kink in his spine greeted them.
A woman who looked only a few years younger than the man shined her torch on Han's face and then the princess', "What are you doing out here?"
Han glanced down at the princess and then back at the woman, "We got lost."
Solo now could distinguish a small crowd of humans in the shadows of the torches they all seemed to be holding. A middle-aged woman yelled out, "Lost? Lost from where?"
Han scratched at the back of his head. Should he go with the crashed ship story? Leia certainly looked the part of a Corellian teenager, but what if they asked to see the ship? Maybe he should be truthful to a certain point. He could tell these people weren't connected to the ones in the wild land. If they were, he and Leia would have already been dead or worse. Maybe these people didn't like the inhabitants of the wild land any better than he and Leia did. Maybe they could get their sympathy, which could lead to some help.
"There were some of those men in the wild land after us," Han explained, wearing the most innocently fearful expression he could conjure up. "They stole our speeder and everything in it."
The middle-aged woman looked back at the crowd that formed behind her, "They don't come down here." She focused her torch directly in Han's face, "They stay up there on that cliff."
"That's where we came from," Leia answered.
"You all climbed down that cliff?" another man asked.
"Yes, we did."
A low mumble ran through the crowd. The old man with the kink in his spine smiled at the pair, "That's pretty impressive." And the crowd nodded in unison. Then the old man leaned in, "Do you know anything about this fire?"
Solo glanced at the girl at his side. Leia decided to answer that question, "We were just trying to stay warm. The fire raged out of control. We tried to put it out, but we didn't have anything to stop it."
"So you started it," someone in the crowd shouted out.
"It was an accident, really," Han interjected. "It wasn't our fault."
Leia gave her companion a reproachful look, "He means that we had no intention of setting the field on fire. We're terribly sorry."
The men and women looked at each other, carrying on conversations that faded before they reached the ears of Han and Leia. The two rebels exchanged glances, unsure what was going to happen next. Han wished he had his blaster, but it probably wouldn't help. There were too many of them. Besides since they were unarmed, Han and Leia seemed to pose less of a threat.
"Starting fires out here is illegal," the old man with the kink in his spine informed them.
"We're terribly sorry," Leia hung her head in shame. "If we had known it was illegal, we wouldn't have started one."
"Ignorance of the law isn't an excuse," the old woman reprimanded.
"We're not from here," Han explained. "We're from Corellia. Our ship crashed in the wild land."
"You two are Corellian?"
Han nodded before Leia could say anything, "Uh-huh." Leia discretely kicked her companion, her face screwed up in a scowl.
"Corellians aren't to be trusted," someone called out. "They're nothing but smugglers and thieves."
"That's not fair. Some Corellians are trustworthy," Han shrugged. "And I just happen to be one of those Corellians."
That didn't seem to placate the crowd. Leia pushed her way in front of Han, "He's Corellian. I'm Alderaanian."
"Alderaan no longer exists," the old woman pointed out. "Corellians lie."
"But I'm not Corellian," Leia correct. "I was off-planet when the Empire destroyed Alderaan." She sucked in a breath in hopes to push down memories that threatened to resurface. "I ended up on Corellia."
Han grabbed one of Leia's tails and twisted it into a bun over her ear, "See? Alderaanian."
She pulled her hair out of Han's hands, looked up at him, and squeezed his hand, "He was kind enough to take me in. I would have been on the streets trying to fend for myself. I'm Alderaanian, not Corellian. I wouldn't have lasted long. This man is trustworthy."
"And what did he expect from you?"
"What?"
"How did you pay him back?"
Leia's brow knitted together, "He didn't ask anything in return." She let Han's hand go and positioned herself between Han and the crowd, "You're right Corellians live up to their infamous reputation. But this one has a good heart."
"Well, that's fine and all," the old woman said. "Alderaanian or not, you two still broke the law."
"We're going to have to arrest you," a man informed them matter-of-factly as four men stepped forward.
"Are you armed?"
"No," Han answered.
"A Corellian not armed?" the man trained one eye on Han.
"We have a vibroblade," Leia held out her hand to Han and he gave her the knife. "Look, it's a small one, not intended for a weapon. Here."
One of them men took the knife out of her hand. Two of them men grabbed Han's arms while the other one grabbed Leia. Leia gave Han a warning look, and he resisted all his urges to fight. Leia was right in complying. He knew that. These people didn't seem very aggressive. Maybe they'd survive this somehow. The princess was a good talker, being a diplomat and all. If anyone would be able to get themselves out of this situation, it would be Leia, Han reasoned. Han and Leia complied with their captors, letting themselves be led away.
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It took the opaike ani about a standard hour to decide what to do with their prisoners. While they waited for the elders who made up the opaike ani to come to a consensus, Han and Leia sat in the middle of the group in the house of the Ab Goktek, the old man with the kink in his spine. From what Leia figured, he was the informal leader of the tribe. There were seven men and six women who calmly exchanged words in a language neither Han nor Leia understood. Not one person raised his or her voice. The princess was impressed with the mutual respect they showed each other. The Senate, when it still existed, was never like this, and Leia dreamed of a government that could come together and work out their differences this peacefully.
She glanced over at Han. He obviously didn't appreciate the finer qualities of the debate. He wore a sour expression and stared up at the smooth ceiling. Leia just hoped wasn't conjuring up some stupid plan that would get them killed. Despite their folksy ways, the Doni tribe was anything but primitive. The Ab Goktek's house had all the modern amenities that would be found in a luxurious apartment on Coruscant. They certainly would have weaponry to match. She silently prayed Han wouldn't underestimate the Doni.
Han turned to Leia as she sucked in air. Their hands were loosely bound behind their back with a tether made of razor grass, and every time they made a wrong move their skin was torn by the sharp edged of the slender sheathing leaves. He leaned back to get a look at her wrists. The bindings had opened up the previous wound inflicted on her by Sargoza's men, and a stream of blood dripped through her fingers.
"Hey!" Han called out, and all faces turned to him, mouths wide with shock. Leia narrowed her eyes on him and held her breath.
"We'd appreciate it if you would keep quiet," the Akona, the eldest woman, said.
"And I'd appreciate it if you'd take off these bindings," Han ordered. "She's bleeding."
"She shouldn't have moved around," another woman answered.
"I'm okay, Han," Leia whispered, hoping not to bring any more trouble upon them.
Han ignored her, "Could you just help her?"
The Akona wiggled her way out of the repulsor chair and onto her feet, "Etu, go fetch the syn-flesh."
A younger woman with a purple scarf woven in her hair obediently rose and disappeared through a door. The Akona waddled over to the princess and took a soldering knife out of her pocket. She awkwardly squatted down behind Leia and burned through the razor grass bindings. The old woman gently twisted the princess' arm around to get a look at the wound.
"Oh, Deary," she pushed her spectacles up her elongated nose, "This doesn't look good." Then she looked at Etu who had a can of syn-flesh in her hands, "Go get some bacta gel, too."
The princess leaned forward to get a look at her own arm, "It's not bad, really."
The Akona peered into the Leia's face, "Nonsense." She looked over her spectacles to give Han a reprimanding stare, "This wasn't caused by the bindings, young man."
"But the bindings didn't help," he yelled back.
"Han," Leia whispered, "there's no reason to raise your voice."
"Like hell there is!" Han snapped, "You're bleeding."
The princess covered her eyes with her unwounded hand. The Akona still held Leia's wounded arm up for inspection as she waited for Etu to bring the bacta gel. Then Leia turned her large brown eyes up to the aged woman, "Please forgive him. He doesn't mean any malice."
The Ab Goktek interjected, "He's Corellian."
"I really wish everyone would stop saying that like it's somethin' bad," Han bristled.
Everyone in the room ignored him as they intently watched the Akona tend to Leia's wound. The old woman's touch was so gentle, so maternally that Leia was reminded of her own adopted mother who looked after her scrapes and bruises as a child. She blinked back a few tears.
"Did I hurt you, Deary?" the Akona peered over her spectacles to get a good look at the princess' face.
Leia feebly shook her head, "I'm fine," she whispered.
Han instinctively moved toward Leia, and his wrist scraped against the sharp tether. The Ab Goktek frowned as he sighed, "Unbind the Corellian as well. There's no need for this cruelty."
The opaike ani who had Han's vibroblade stepped forward and cut Han free. The Akona finished up with the princess and placed a soft kiss on the top of her head. She silently moved over to Solo and tended his wounds. Han's eyes were on Leia who now stared at the ground. He paid no attention to the healing touch of the Akona. As soon as she moved away from him, Han placed his hand on the top of the girl's head and forced her to look up at him.
Having regained her composure, she smiled up at him, "I'm fine, Han."
Solo didn't believe her, but he returned her smile as he brushed his thumb along her cheek. Then he returned his attention to the goings-on in the room and noticed that everyone was silent, and all eyes were focused on them. Han bit his lip and unconsciously grabbed a hold of Leia's hand as if to protect her. He wasn't sure what was going to happen, but from the way they had been treated, things weren't looking so bad.
"So," Ab Goktek broke the silence. "It is settled. Our offenders will be placed in the care of Abut Opa. Etu and her Oe are responsible for our offenders' attire. Be sure to measure them for proper fit before Abut Opa takes them. We will assemble at dawn for the feast."
Han's eyebrows rose and his lips slid into his characteristic lop-sided grin. Things definitely didn't look too bad at all. He smiled down at his companion, but her face was skewed in a question mark. Han leaned over and whispered into Leia's ear, "Smile, Sweetheart. I think starting that fire might have been the best thing that happened. They'll probably help us get off this rock."
Leia's brow knitted and she tilted her head. "Something's not right, Han," she whispered. "We broke a law. They called us 'offenders'. There's something off here."
"Aw, relax, Your Worship," he sighed. "They're clothing us, feeding us. I really don't think we need to worry too much."
"And that's what worries me."
Han didn't have a chance to respond as he and Leia were pulled to their feet. Etu had a string that she used to measure Han's body, and she roughly pushed and twisted him around as she did her job. Etu's Oe mimicked the same measuring methods on Leia. Once the women were finished, several of the opaike ani escorted Han and Leia down a hall that led to two doors. The women opaike ani opened the door at the left and ushered Leia in. When Han realized that they were being separated he was anything but happy about it.
"Where are you taking her?" he demanded as the opaike ani men held him back.
One of the women, a slender lady with willowy limbs, touched his face, "Don't worry, my lad. We are going to give her the tender loving care that she deserves."
Leia's eyes flashed to Han's. Han fought harder to get to her, "What exactly does that mean?"
The lady who addressed him before kindly smiled at Solo, "When is the last time you two have eaten or rested? Doesn't a nice hot bath sound inviting?"
"Not at the moment!"
"We will take good care of her, and you too. We promise," she pinched Han's cheek and he flinched. "We will not harm her."
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As they promised, Leia was not in the least mistreated. Several young attendants undressed her and treated her to a hot jalisim scented bath. The pallid blue petals of the rare flower floated on the water, the steam of the bath releasing the delicate scent and nourishing oil. The princess closed her eyes and inhaled as deep as she could. While she relaxed in the hot water, two other attendants massaged her head as they washed her hair. The fragrance of the room and the care of the attendants reminded Leia of the life she once had. She wanted nothing more than to be left alone so she could grieve her loss, not the loss of the luxury she was accustom to, but the loss of her home, her family. The only thing that kept her from crying in front of the attendants was the thought of Han receiving the same treatment as she. She almost laughed out loud as she imagined his attendants trying to undress him.
Once the attendants felt she was clean enough, they wrapped her in a silken robe and led her to a smaller room. She was treated with various fruits and pastries as they combed and styled her hair. The attendants stepped away and the tray of food was removed when Etu brought out the most beautiful blue dress Leia had ever seen. Etu herself helped the princess into her new clothes while a younger attendant applied rouge to her lips and cheeks.
When they finally finished with her, they paraded the princess through the street. Faces appeared in the windows from behind curtains. Only the Doni children were bold enough to press their faces against the glass. The walk down the street was short, and the attendants presented their prisoner to a heavy man at the door of an elaborately decorated house.
"Abut Opa," Etu bowed, "We hope the offender is to your liking."
The princess' large brown eyes grew even larger, but she didn't have any say in her fate. The man grunted and grabbed her arm. He guided her through the opulent rooms. When they reached a door adorned with flowers of various colors and fragrance, he opened it and directed her into the room.
"Leia!" Han stood up and rushed over to her, crushing her to his chest.
The princess sighed with relief and returned her companions embrace with the same enthusiasm. Han inhaled the sweet scent of her hair and skin, and he had to step away before he lost his mind. He held her hands out and looked her up and down. Leia's long coppery hair was pinned in soft, flowing curls that were embellished with silky blue and silver ribbons and white star-shaped flowers. The dress she wore matched the ribbons. It was cinched tight underneath her breasts, enhancing her curves in a way Han had never seen. Countless soft transparent layers of blue fabric that glittered in the dim light draped over the rest of her body, and ribbons of the same color crisscrossed through the shimmering silver fabric of the fitted sleeves.
Han Solo dropped her hands and took a few more steps away from her. The tips of her eyebrows rose in confusion, and Han felt his heart skip a couple of beats. Although he was used to this girl walking around with the most stuck-up regal attitude, he had never seen her look so…royal.
"What?" Leia
Solo, probably for the first time in his life, was rendered speechless. His mouth opened and closed like a hoi out of water. When Han failed to answer her, Leia lips melded into a combination of a pout and a smile. She slowly strolled around her companion who seemed rooted to the ground below him. She appraised Han's new look. He wore a deep blue button down tunic with red piping that ran along the collar and the edges. Each brass-colored button imitated the minute details of a zima bloom. Although he wore his customary blood-stripe pants, his boots were shinier than Leia had ever seen them. He was shinier than she'd ever seen him.
The princess coyly smiled up at Han when she was standing in front of him once again, "I have to say, you clean up quite well."
"You… (cough), you, too," Han managed to get out. Sith! She's doing it again. Completely flustered, he pulled on his collar. It suddenly felt as if the air was closing in on him. He cleared his throat, "So do you still thing something's wrong with this situation?"
The princess' eyes shifted to the right as she thought about his question, "Yes. I have a bad feeling about all this."
"What? Did they hurt you?"
"Not at all."
"Then what?" Han crossed his arms over his chest and stared at her expectantly.
She tilted her head and mimicked his stance, "First of all, they refer to us as 'offenders'."
"Well, we did have something to do with that fire," Han conceded.
"Then why are they treating us so well?" she challenged. When he failed to answer, Leia continued on with her reasoning, "What about this room? There's nothing in here but us."
Han smirked, "I kinda like that." He waggled his eyebrows.
The princess rolled her eyes and walked over to the door. She pulled on the old-fashioned door knob, but it was securely locked.
Han leered at his young companion, "So we have a little privacy. Whaddya want to do with it?"
Leia sighed in frustration and turned away from Han. The windowless room lacked any of the ornate adornments of the rest of the house. The only interruptions in the smooth permecrete walls were slim black vents a half a meter off of the ground. The grim appearance of the room only added to Leia's bad feeling.
"I don't like this," she spoke out loud.
"Hey," Han held his hands out, "What's so wrong with being stuck with me?"
Leia incredulously shook her head, "It's not you…well, maybe a little of you." She smirked mischievously at the sight of his mock-hurt expression.
There was a click at the door and both of them turned to face it. With a rusty creek, the door swung open and Ab Goktek and the Akona filed in followed by the rest of the members of the opaike ani, forcing Han and the princess to the far wall of the room, which really wasn't that far at all.
Ab Goktek raised his chin, "It is my unfortunate duty to inform you of your punishment for breaking the law."
"We didn't mean to break any law," Han argued. Leia pulled on his sleeve, hoping he'd shut up.
"We can only tolerate so much insolence, Corellian," Abut Opa calmly stated.
"Starting any fires for any reasons in the razor grass fields," Ab Goktek continued, "is a reproachable offense, for it is the grass that protects us from invaders." He nodded in the direction of the Akona.
The Akona's spectacles slid to the tip of her elongated nose as she peered at the offenders, "The punishment is death."
"What?" Han yelled. "It was an accident."
"Nevertheless, you broke the law," the Akona said matter-of-factly. "The penalty is death."
"Look," Han stepped in front of Leia, "It was my fault. She was asleep when the fire got outa hand."
"Han!" Leia pulled on his arm, but he just pushed her back.
"I broke the law," Han argued. "Punish me, but let her go."
"That may be a fact," Ab Goktek nodded, "but she is an accessory."
"It wasn't her fault!" Han yelled.
"Han, please!" Leia continued pulling on his arm to no avail.
"Young man," the Akona's matronly voice caught Han's attention, giving him a moment of hope. "I fear you do not understand. If a law is broken, the punishment is death. It does not matter if she started the fire or was just an accessory, death is still the punishment."
"What kinda messed up law is that?" he yelled.
Abut Opa interjected, "Break any law and you die. We have a very low crime rate. Not much of a crime rate at all, really. It is quite simple here."
"You will die a painless death," Ab Goktek informed them. "You will sleep and never wake up. You should be comforted that we have properly prepared you for the underworld."
"What?"
"We have tended to your worldly needs and have dressed you like royalty," the Akona explained. "The guardians of the underworld will see that we hold no grudge against you, and you will be well-received."
"Your crossing into the underworld will be a peaceful one," Ab Goktek bowed his head. "We are quite humane."
"Since when is any death penalty humane?" Han argued. He looked back at Leia. She's the diplomat. Why wasn't she saying anything?
"You may have your opinions, but we must follow our customs," the Akona tried to placate the angry man. "You will have plenty of time to make peace with your deity. You will die at the closing of the Feast of Death that will begin at dawn."
Han rolled his eyes, "At least we won't die on an empty stomach." He smiled at Leia.
"I'm afraid you misunderstand," Ab Goktek said. "You are not guests of the feast."
"Don't tell me we are the feast?"
The Akona looked angry for the first time, "We are not heathens. We feast in the celebration of your life and death." With that, the opaike ani turned around and filed out the door.
"Hey, wait!" Han started after them, "Isn't there some way we can appeal?"
He was answered with a slam and click of the door. Han stared at door for a moment before he turned to face his companion. Leia had slid down the wall. He large eyes were cast down on the floor. She hugged herself tightly, and her beautiful dress pooled around her. Han wanted to comfort her but couldn't think of anything comforting about their situation at all.