Chapter 23

Hard Choices

Don moaned as he started to regain consciousness. When he opened his eyes he found himself in the same position he had found Judy, wrists in stun cuffs and hanging from an overhead pipe. His leather jacket had been stripped off him, his tee shirt was torn in more places than it was whole, and his brain felt like it had been screwed into a light socket. 'Judy…' He struggled to remember what had happened.

A distant voice demanded to know who he was and whom he worked for. Don couldn't have answered if he wanted too. His mind was still too groggy from the neuronic whip to form a coherent thought. A storm trooper stomped over and wrenched his head up by the hair. The trooper repeated the demands of the distant voice.

'Name…' Don thought to himself. He moved his mouth and sound did indeed come out. "We-West."

"Whom do you work for?"

His mind was beginning to clear. The distant voice spoke again. "What is your relationship to the New Republic?"

"What… What happened to the girl?" Don asked.

Delvardus strode over to Don, hands behind his back. "You do not ask the questions here, West!"

The 'effin' nerfherder was wearing his leather jacket! Don was steamed. First he'd get Judy back and then he'd get his jacket. No one was taking his jacket and his girl from him. A shock wave traveled down his arms as the stun cuffs were electrified and he twitched in pain as it hit his torso.

"I will ask this – nicely - one more time. What is your relationship with the New Republic?"

"West. Major. 07251967," was his reply.

Delvardus moved to within inches of Don's face. "You will learn to cooperate, West, or you will suffer. Your choice."

Don was zapped again through the stun cuffs. "Now… is the New Republic planning a new campaign?"

Don grunted from the electric shock. "West. Major. 07251967."

"I grow tired of your stubbornness, West. Cooperate, or die… slowly."

"West. Major. 07251967."

Delvardus stood back and unfurled his neuronic whip, striking Don again into oblivion.

Judy sat in the small crystal garden on the viewing deck of the Lady Luck. She and Don had spent much time amongst the stars and she felt some comfort there. She moved to stare into the meditation pool when Luke came out to join her.

"Judy, is there anything I can do?"

"No, Luke. Not now."

Her voice was flat, but he sensed that she was barely able to control her anger.

"I'll leave you alone then." He turned and started to walk away.

"You should have left me there," Judy tossed the words at him as if she was throwing daggers at his back.

"What?" He faced her.

She walked up to him. "You should have left me there!" she shouted at him.

"That's not what Don wanted!"

"He wouldn't have left me!" Tears flowed from her eyes and she pounded Luke on the chest. "He wouldn't have left me…" Luke held her as she fought against him. "I shouldn't have left," she cried over and over, mumbling to herself more than to him.

Lando wandered out to the crystal garden. He picked up a small light blue stone, and placed it in the palm of her hand.

"What's that?" Luke asked.

"Celestite. It clears and calms the mind and replaces pain with love."

Lando placed a hand on her back and waited for the crystal's healing powers to calm her.

Judy clutched the crystal and brought it to her heart. She raised her head and took a deep breath to clear her mind. Luke was right. Don would have wanted her safe. She removed herself from Luke's hold and said, "I'm sorry. I'll be all right."

The two men stepped back to give her space. "Are you sure?" Luke asked.

"Yes, Luke, I'm sure. How long until we get to Fondor?"

"About this time tomorrow," Lando replied.

"And then?"

"And then we wait for Han and go back to Thyferra. We will rescue him, Judy."

She nodded, but prayed that it wouldn't be too late. 'Don't die on me, Don.'

Han was tired of arguing. He agreed that the Jupiter should be slaved to the Falcon for the trip to Fondor. Its medical facilities out classed anything on the Falcon and probably would be needed immediately. What he didn't agree to was having the entire Robinson clan and their robot accompany him on the trip. It wasn't John Robinson who was insisting. It was his wife.

"General Solo, we are a family with a commitment to stay together, especially when one of us is in trouble. If you can't understand that, then I can't help you."

"Dr. Robinson, I never had a family. Maybe I don't understand where you're comin' from, but I do know enough not to bring children into a dangerous situation."

Leia took Han's arm. "It's not your decision, Han. It's John's and Maureen's. Sometimes parents have to make hard choices, and I think they've made the right one in this case."

He stared at Leia. If anyone would know about hard choices, it was she. He crossed his arms. "All right, but, whether you're ready or not, we're leavin' now."

Maureen smiled at the stubborn, over-protective man. "We're ready."