Worlds Under Sky: Chapter Five
Disclaimer: Don't own it.
Author's Note: I sincerely apologize for the long, long wait in between chapters. My computer has been possessed by an evil computer demon, and I've had to perform hours of sacred rites just to check my e-mail. So without further delay…
Han and Leia left the café with Leia leading the way. She figured they had plenty of time to make their rendezvous with time left over to scout things out.
They reached the square from the morning before. Leia started toward a left-hand exit street, but Han steered her toward the fountain in which their contact's body had been found.
"I just want a quick look," he said, "and you do, too."
She did, she knew it was a bad idea, but she was too preoccupied to argue.
They strolled past the fountain, not catching a glimpse of anything relevant—not that either had expected to. But as they cut across the square again, Leia saw someone out of the corner of her eye.
"We're being followed," they muttered at the same time.
Leia said, "It could be our new contact," but she didn't really think it was.
Han shook his head. "No, it's a bounty hunter. Not one I recognize, though."
"Oh, so it's not one of the hundreds that were after you last year?"
They took the side street and immediately turned left again.
"Come on. I'm sure there were more than hundreds."
They spent the next fifteen minutes getting themselves thoroughly lost, and the next half-hour finding their way through the crooked streets to their meeting place. They were pretty sure they'd lost their tail in all wrong turns they'd taken.
They entered another small square.
"This is it," Leia said.
"Now what?"
"We get out of the open," said someone behind them. Leia and Han wheeled around. A very large man was beckoning them to come with him. "You have lost the first one, but there may be others. Quickly. I must give you the information you came for, and then we must find you some way back to your ship. I'm afraid the local spies, at least, are alerted to your presence."
Han and Leia exchanged a look.
Han asked, "Are you sure about this guy?"
Leia studied the man for a second as he started up the outside stairs of the nearest building. He had dark skin, and short, curly black hair. She guessed he was a native Sunaran from the way he dressed. He turned around and Leia got the sense that he was out of place, that he would be much more comfortable laughing at a joke in a bar like the one they'd gone to when they first arrived. He was nervous, but confident.
Slowly she nodded. "I think it's okay." Han shrugged his own assent.
The man smiled warmly. "Then let's get going."
He opened a door at the top of the stairs and ushered them into a small room.
"My name is Matil. I am sorry for the problems you've experienced here. It seems the Empire's spies compromised one of our cells just in time to learn of your arrival."
Matil handed Leia a datachip. "This is the information you'll need for the Q'Alde. And, may I say, it's an honor, princess. The Sunarans grieve for Alderaan."
Leia felt her eyes prickle slightly. His matter-of-fact approach was oddly comforting. Most people tended to avoid the subject altogether, not knowing what to say.
"Thank you, Matil." Leia's voice was rough.
Matil turned to Han. "I'm sorry, but I do not know who you are."
Han, who had watched the previous exchange with some interest (and Leia thought maybe worry), feigned offense. "Not know who Han Solo is? I'm hurt."
Matil laughed. "Ah, I should have known. The princess' protector would be none other than the famous Corellian pilot."
At Matil's words, Han got a peculiar look on his face, but didn't say anything. Neither did Leia, although she debated between outrage and laughter for a moment.
Matil said, "I have other clothes for you, but you may want to disguise yourselves further."
Han said, "We could always cut your hair, Highness."
Leia blinked. "Are you insane?"
Han gave a melodramatic sigh. "Haven't I answered that to your satisfaction yet?"
Matil grinned. "I am sorry the selection is not better, but I am afraid I must head back, or I will be missed. Good luck."
He left through a door at the far end of the room.
"Not much for small talk, I guess," Han said while examining the clothes Matil had left behind.
They changed quickly. Han was stuck with a shapeless brown robe that would have been almost a foot too long for Leia, while Leia changed into form-fitting, stiff cream-colored pants she suspected were real leather and a sleeveless vest that matched and left her feeling very exposed. After a short debate, she pulled her hair back into a single long braid that hung down her back, and took her sash and tied it over her head and threaded it around her braid.
"There," she announced. Han turned to look at her. The outfit, besides fitting her very well (too well, he thought), made her look even younger than she was. Han thought it probably also made him look older in comparison, especially with the brown robe.
Leia glanced him over and sighed. "If we pull this off, it'll be a miracle."
They left the building and started guessing their way through alleys, sometimes having to backtrack when they guessed incorrectly. Partly they were trying to avoid being picked up by the spies they knew had to be looking for them, and partly they wanted to avoid as many of the regular patrols they could. They had almost reached the spaceport and turned the last corner. The spaceport lay before them, as well as a large, empty space filled with beings of all shapes and sizes.
"So what do we do now?" Leia asked Han. "Split up?"
Han shook his head. "I think we should just run for it."
"And running is not going to attract attention?"
Han said, "We'll just…run casual?"
Leia opened her mouth while she tried to think of an adequate response, heard a click and turned to find several blasters pointed their way. In the center of the group was the bounty hunter they'd seen earlier.