Bill took off his jacket and threw it on the back of a kitchen chair.

"I'm not going to your party in this get up, Ralph."

"Aw, come on Bill. It won't be right without you! Star Wars is a great movie! They made three of them. They're really popular, with Return of the Jedi just coming out. Come on! It'll be a big hit!"

"You want me to wear my pyjamas? In public?"

"Welcome to my world, partner!" Ralph could tell that Bill had never seen the Star Wars movies. It did not surprise him, either.

"No, Bill, I promise you won't wear pyjamas. And you get to play the Harrison Ford character."

Bill thought about it for a moment. "Who's that?"

"Aw, come on, Bill," Pam chimed in. "He played Indiana Jones."

Bill looked at them, as if they were speaking a whole other language. In reality, they were.

Ralph and Pam looked at each other, at a loss for words. Finally, Ralph added a final film credit.

"And, and, and... he played the Lieutenant Colonel from Force 10 from Navarrone."

Pam looked confused, as Bill's eyes lit up - just a bit. Ralph put his finger to his lips, sensing Pam was going to ask about that movie. Ralph, however, didn't want to spoil the illusion for Bill. After a moment, as he reflected on the image, Bill shook his head, and grumbled a deep "Nah."

"Aw, come on, Bill. This is perfect! The three of us, fighting evil, just like Leia, Han and Luke in Star Wars! Pam is Princess Leia, who fights to free her people from the evil Empire. I am a Jedi Knight, who uses the powers of the Force to control things..."

"The force?" Bill asked.

"Yes! The force! It's an energy that binds the universe together. And if you can control it, you can control things..."

Ralph touched the patch of red that peeked out from under his white costume with his left hand, then using his right, used his telekenetic powers to pull one of Bill's guns off the wall. As it floated through the air and landed in his hand, he smiled.

"Come on, I make the perfect Luke Skywalker!! Don't you think?"

Pam smiled widely. "Yeah honey. I think you'd be much better than that Mark Hamil guy. Better looking, too!" Ralph smiled back, then came in to hug his wife. As he did, her face turned serious, and she pushed him away. Bill noticed that move, and looked at the two even more confused.

"Well, Bill," Pam explained. "Luke doesn't get the girl in the end..." By the tone of her voice, she was obviously teasing him. Ralph, understanding, played along and took an exaggerated step back.

"Oh, yeah. That's right. Luke doesn't get the Princess, Bill." Ralph shook his head, and made a sad face.

Bill looked at the two of them, suspecting something. Ralph continued.

"Yeah, Bill, it seems that Han Solo gets the girl in the end... Luke's best friend and partner winds up with the woman I love..."

Bill's eyes lit up, and he tried to fight back a little smile. He began to giggle.

"Really?"

Ralph, a little defensive, shot an angry glance back at his partner.

"Han Solo does, Bill. Not you!!" He quickly returned to Pam's side, and put his arm around her.

Trying to diffuse the tension that had just mounted in the room, Pam broke in.

"Well, Han Solo is the best shot, the best pilot, and the best looking guy in all the galaxy Bill! He gets ALL the girls!!" Pam shot Ralph a knowing look.

Play along with me, she seemed to say, as she winked at him. For all he knows, Han could be the best pizza maker, too. He'd never know.

"Oh, yeah, Bill. Lots of girls... every where he goes, they throw themselves at him!"

Bill was a bit skeptical, but at least willing to listen.

"Well, I dunno. What do I have to wear."

Ralph let out a single "Ha!", clapped his hands, and took the vest that Pam still held in her hands. He handed it to Bill, enthusiastic that his plan may be coming together at last.

"Ok, Bill. It's easy. You just wear your black pants, a pair of boots, and a white shirt with rolled up sleeves! We brought you the vest and the holster. That's it! Really easy!"

Bill, took the black vest. As he inspected it's simplicity, he cautiously smiled and nodded. He even chuckled briefly, as he realized that costume wouldn't be too bad.

"Bill, think of it as a Space Cowboy..."

"And I get the girls?" Bill asked, knowing it was more of a joke than anything he would really act on.

"Yup," replied Ralph. "Every last one in the movie..."

–continued--