The Zygerrian Gambit
As the war rages onwards, more and more planets fall under Imperial control. With assaults led by Darth Vader and General Krenin, the Alliance fleet and army finds itself stretched across the galaxy.
On the agricultural world of Dantooine, the former location of a hidden Rebel base, a battle rages as Luke Skywalker and Han Solo attempt to reclaim the planet.
Dantooine
Chewbacca rode on an AT-RT across the plains of Dantooine with Han hanging off the side of the vehicle tight. Chewbacca groaned.
"I am holding on, Chewie" said Han. He pointed his blaster at a stormtrooper and shot him. "Nineteen!" Suddenly, a large blast from a 2-M repulsor tank him them, knocking their walker over. "So much for the big entrance" A group of stormtroopers started surrounding them and started shooting. Han and Chewbacca got up and returned fire. "Twenty! Twenty-one! Twenty-two! Twenty-three!" At that moment, Corea flew down on her jetpack and began shooting down stormtroopers in her path.
"Looks like I arrived in the nick of time" smirked Corea.
"C'mon, we had it handled" said Han.
"Tell that to the stormtroopers who had you surrounded" said Corea.
"There is such a thing as a rough patch" smirked Han.
"Anyways, I had a look over the hill" said Corea "Guess what; the general's stationed there, and he doesn't even have a proper building complex"
"And what prevents you from taking him out?" said Han.
"Probably all the stormtroopers he has guarding him" said Corea "Not that I can't take them out on my own, I just feel like having some extra firepower"
"Well, you came to the right place" smirked Han "Chewie, let's go end a battle" Chewbacca growled in response. "So anyway, how many did you get? I'm up to twenty-three"
"Well; including the ones I just shot down, about twenty-nine" replied Corea.
"What; seriously?" said Han.
"Ha; can't handle competition, can you?" smirked Corea.
"So; we're making a game out of this, huh?" said Han "Well; when we get over the hill, I bet there'll be heaps of stormtroopers, just waiting for us to shoot them down. Let's see who wins then, huh?"
"Okay, I'll play your little game" said Corea "Any particular rules?"
"Only that each individual only counts as one, no matter how impressive the shot" replied Han "And that it doesn't count after the battle is over. What do you say?"
"I say; let the best shooter win" smirked Corea.
Meanwhile
Luke flew through the skies in his X-Wing, shooting down TIE fighters in his path.
"Nice shot, Luke" said Ahsoka through the starfighter's comlink.
"Thanks, I'm sure you're doing well too" said Luke. Whilst Luke couldn't see it, Ahsoka had a slight blush.
"Luke, I think the TIE fighters are thinning down now" said Wedge through the starfighter's comlink.
"Yeah, I noticed that too" said Luke "Perhaps they don't want to waste any more resources"
"Wise choice, if you ask me" said Wedge "Unfortunately; I don't think the ground forces are doing as good"
"Then we'll just have to help them" said Ahsoka "Aim for the Imperial walkers and tanks" Luke flew down and blasted an AT-ST.
"That's one down" said Luke. Ahsoka descended down and blasted an MTV-7 Multi-Terrain Vehicle.
"Got another" said Ahsoka.
"If we keep this up, we could finish this battle sooner than we—" said Wedge, shortly before an X-Wing next to him got shot down "Oh no; Luke, we've lost a ship" A TIE Defender covered in black Sith tattoos flew passed them, followed by several other TIE fighters. The TIE Defender shot down another X-Wing. "We've lost another one"
"Aim for the Defender; that must be they're leader" said Ahsoka. Wedge carefully targeted onto the TIE Defender and fired, only for it to swerve out of the way just in time.
"What the!?" exclaimed Wedge "It just escaped my shot!"
"I saw that too" said Ahsoka "I don't think I've ever seen a TIE pilot do something like that before"
"This is no ordinary pilot" said Luke "The Force is with them" Inside the TIE Defender sat Emerl Hatana, who locked onto another X-Wing and shot it down. It was then that the hologram projector started beeping, so she answered it. A hologram of an Imperial captain with a large grey mustache came up.
"Captain Pellaeon, what news is there to report?" asked Hatana.
"Commander Hatana, the Rebel fleet is overwhelming us" replied the captain "This was unexpected and I may have to issue a retreat"
"No, hold your position!" snapped Hatana "Only retreat when it is absolutely necessary"
"We may not be able to hold out much longer" said Pellaeon "We've already lost five ships"
"That hardly matters!" snapped Hatana "Stay put!"
"Understood" said Pellaeon. The hologram turned off. Hatana looked out and saw Luke in the cockpit of his X-Wing.
"Well, well, well; look what we have here" said Hatana "Time for a bit of fun" She descended down and began to bump into Luke's X-Wing.
"Luke, I just saw the Defender clash into you" said Ahsoka "Are you alright?"
"I think I'm fine" said Luke "But I'm not sure why—" He looked over at the TIE Defender and noticed Hatana in the cockpit. "Hatana!"
"What; she's here" said Ahsoka.
"She's leading the TIE fighters" said Luke.
"Luke, don't engage her, that's what she wants" said Ahsoka.
"I know that" said Luke "I'll try to stay away" He flew over to the right, only for Hatana to bash into him some more. R2 beeped. "I know; she just isn't leaving me alone, is she" Hatana extended out her hand and crushed one of Luke's engines through the Force. "Oh no!" He began rocketing towards the ground.
"Luke, what just happened?" said Ahsoka.
"I lost an engine" said Luke "I'll try to control my crash" R2 beeped. "Hand on, R2" He crash into the ground next to a large tree. He emerged from his destroyed ship and pulled his helmet off. "R2, can you get out?" R2, who was trapped by a fallen branch, beeped frustrated. Luke ran over to him. "Hang on, little buddy; I'll get you out of there. Just give me a sec" R2 beeped nervously. Suddenly, Hatana landed her TIE Defender next to him and leapt out.
"Look what we've got here" smirked Hatana "Been a while; hasn't it, Luke" Luke grabbed his lightsaber from his belt and ignited it. Hatana ignited both her lightsaber, leapt at him, and they clashed violently. "I've been waiting for this a long time!"
Meanwhile
Han, Chewbacca, and Corea snuck up the hill. They peered out and saw a portable hologram table with an Imperial general and several stormtroopers surrounding it. Seeing that they were preoccupied, they began sneaking up behind them.
"Move the AT-STs to the north position" said the Imperial general "We may be losing the skies, but we still have the ground"
"If I may give some advice; if we don't reclaim the orbit position, we won't last long" said a stormtrooper commander.
"I'm in charge here!" snapped the Imperial general "You're just a stormtrooper"
"No, he's right" said Han "It's better off if you have both playing fields"
"What are you doing here?" snapped the Imperial general.
"Well; my colleagues and I decided to go for a little stroll up the hill, and just happened to land upon your little site" smirked Han "Quite a nice planet, isn't it? When you go for a walk, you just lose focus of almost everything el—"
"Who do you think you are to just enter our site unannounced?" snapped the Imperial general.
"Oh, I don't believe we've met" said Han "Han Solo, captain of the Millennium Falcon. This is Chewbacca and Corea Narth"
"What do you want?" snapped the Imperial general.
"Funny you should that; because when I said we were going for a little stroll, I was just joking" smirked Han "In actuality, we're with the Alliance and we've come to negotiate a surrender. Either that or we can just make you. Your call"
"I will not negotiate with rebel scum like you!" snapped the Imperial general "Blast them!" The stormtroopers began shooting at them. Han sighed.
"No one wants to talk things out nowadays" said Han. He, Chewbacca, and Corea began shooting back. "Chewie, get a hold of the general!" Chewbacca groaned, knocked the stormtrooper commander out of the way with his bowcaster, leapt forward, and grabbed onto the Imperial general who struggled.
"Get off of me!" snapped the Imperial general. Chewbacca merely growled and pinned him to the table.
"Well, that was exciting" smirked Han after shooting the last stormtrooper. He walked over to the Imperial general. "Interested in a negotiation now?"
"Rebel filth!" said the Imperial general "Do you really expect me to bow to you?"
"No, I expect you to do what I say" replied Han "Call your troops off and surrender unconditionally"
"Do you take me for a fool?" said the Imperial general "I'll be punished for losing Dantooine"
"Believe me when I say this, losing your badge will be a drink compared to five minutes with an angry Wookiee" said Han. Chewbacca roared furiously.
"Alright, alright!" snapped the Imperial general "Just let me make a transmission" Chewbacca pulled him back up.
"That wasn't too hard, now was it?" smirked Han whilst placing his blaster at the Imperial general's back. The Imperial general brought up a hologram of a stormtrooper commander.
"Commander, lay down your weapons and surrender" said the Imperial general.
"But sir, we have them" said the stormtrooper commander "Just give us a few more minutes" Han pressed his blaster into the Imperial general's back.
"That is an order, commander" said the Imperial general "You must obey it"
"It will be done, general" said the stormtrooper commander "But I completely disagree with the notion" The hologram switched. Han walked back from the Imperial general.
"You see, Chewie; there's still some reason to this chaotic and hostile galaxy" smirked Han. The Imperial general noticed a blaster lying on the ground next to him. "You just need to press hard enough" The Imperial general grabbed ahold of the blaster and fired a shot, only for Han to dodge it and shot him through the chest. Chewbacca groaned. "Okay, I admit that this time he shot first. But he missed and I got him, so it doesn't matter" Chewbacca huffed.
"So; now that's all over, how many did you get in total" said Corea "I got about thirty-nine"
"Let's see" said Han "Including the general, about say…forty. Looks like I win by a single shot" It was then that the stormtrooper commander who Chewbacca had knocked out regained coconscious, grabbed ahold of his blaster, and pointed it at Han, only for Corea to shoot him.
"We'll call it a draw" said Corea.
"Battle's over, doesn't count" said Han.
"They're surrendering at this moment" said Corea "Battle's technically not over just yet"
Meanwhile
Luke and Hatana clashed with R2 watching helplessly. Hatana force-gripped a rock and threw it at Luke, but he missed it by an inch. The two began clashing again.
"Tell me something, Luke; I've noticed that you're always with that partner of yours, you're certainly attached to each other" smirked Hatana "More so than a Jedi should" Luke began gripping his lightsaber hard. "So; the Jedi's got a soft spot, that's cute! Maybe once you're gone, I'll give her a little visit!" Luke pushed back furiously and charged at her, only to be stunned by her force-lightning. "You always fall for that" She walked over to Luke and pointed her lightsabers at him. "As much as I'll miss our little reunions, Luke; handing your lightsaber over to Vader is too great an opportunity to miss. See you on the other side!" She was able to swing her lightsabers forward when they were met by a green blade, which came from Ahsoka's lightsaber. "And here comes your backup" She leapt back. Luke got himself back up and reignited his lightsaber.
"It's over!" said Ahsoka.
"Really?" smirked Hatana. Luke and Ahsoka leapt forward and began clashing with her again. "Can you just end this already? You know how much I hate a third wheel" It was then that she heard her hologram projector beeping from inside her TIE Defender. "Speak of the devil!" She leapt backwards onto her TIE Defender, dropped inside, and took off, waving "goodbye" mockingly.
"She got away again" said Luke. Hatana answered her hologram projector and brought up a hologram of Captain Pellaeon.
"What is it?" said Hatana.
"Commander Hatana, I have received word that the ground forces have surrendered" said Pellaeon.
"How is this possible?" said Hatana.
"I am not sure" replied Pellaeon "But we cannot stay out here any longer or we could lose more resources. I am ordering a retreat"
"Wait for my arrival, captain" said Hatana "We'll let Lord Vader know of this failure"
Meanwhile
As Hatana's TIE Defender flew away, Luke and Ahsoka pulled the branch of off Luke's crashed X-Wing. R2 beeped happily and popped out.
"It's not nice being trapped, is it?" said Ahsoka.
"That was quite a battle" said Luke "I wonder how the others are doing"
"Last I saw of the Empire's ground forces, they had ours outnumbered" said Ahsoka.
"I'm sure Han will figure something out" said Luke.
"Hey kid; good news, the Empire's surrendered" said Han "We've won this fight"
"Well, looks like Dantooine is ours again" said Luke.
Later on Corellia
In the Rogue Shadow's training room, Luke was preparing ten blank droids with Ahsoka. R2 and PROXY stood on the side. Han and Chewbacca walked in.
"What are you doing, kid?" asked Han.
"Just preparing for a training program" said Luke "I was to get ahold of some hologram droids and programmed them with several Imperial infantry personas"
"Does this mean I am useless now?" said PROXY.
"What you mean by that, PROXY?" asked Ahsoka.
"I am your source of training" said PROXY "If these droids are to replace me in that respect, am I useless now?"
"No, of course not, PROXY" said Luke "These droids are merely to prepare us for multiple enemies attacking at once. If we ever need someone to have one-on-one lightsaber training, you're our droid"
"Oh; thank you, master" said PROXY. Luke and Ahsoka walked to the center of the room.
"Well; got nothing better to do, may as well watch you two get beaten around" said Han.
"We've faced multiple Imperial troopers all at once before" said Ahsoka.
"Only difference is that those droids are probably better trained than most Imperial troopers" said Han.
"Run Program: Imperial Riot Trooper for all units" said Luke "Level 10" The hologram droids took the form of Imperial riot troopers and charged at them. Luke and Ahsoka ignited their lightsabers and readied for attack. They were able to counterattack the first few strikes; but as time went on, they became more and more overwhelmed.
"This seems a little harder than I thought" said Ahsoka "Should we try at a lower level?"
"Not just yet" said Luke "We'll just have to…WOAH!" He was swept back by the riot troopers who began beating him around with their electrostaffs.
"I've got a bad feeling about thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiisssss!" said Ahsoka before being swept back and beaten around as well. Unable to counterattack, the two of them were constantly thrown around amongst the riot troopers.
"Well; this is entertaining" smirked Han. The riot troopers beat Luke and Ahsoka back at the middle where they knocked each other on the foreheads and got swept back and beaten around again. Finally, they were thrown to the side.
"End…program…" breathed Luke.
"Great job, kid" said Han "You did better than I thought"
"Geez…" breathed Ahsoka "Is this what it's like to be in a bar room brawl?"
"No, it's much worse" said Han "Now; I'm just going to do some maintenance for the Falcon. C'mon, Chewie" They walked out of the Rogue Shadow and over to the landing pad the Millennium Falcon was on. But just as they were about to enter, their attention was drawn to a voice from across the pad.
"Wow, you own that hunk of junk?" said the voice. Han turned his head over to see a Dug and an Aleena standing near the ship.
"Excuse me?" said Han.
"Your ship; do your seriously own that piece of junk?" said the Dug.
"Firstly; yes, she is my ship" said Han "Secondly; I have no idea about what piece of junk you are talking about"
"Didn't he make it obvious?" said the Aleena "Your ship looks like it was badly beaten by a rancor before being nibbled away by mynocks and crushed between two cruisers at once"
"Who are you to talk that way about my ship?" said Han.
"Name's Pugwis" said the Dug "This is Aleha Helranth"
"Oh, okay" said Han "You do realize that you're making fun of my ship without any knowledge on whom she actually is. This, my friends, is the Millennium Falcon; the ship that made the Kessel Run is less than twelve parsecs"
"All ridiculous" said Pugwis "For starters; a parsec is a unit of distance, not time. Pity; if our one wasn't busy being fixed up at the moment, we'd show you what a real one actually looks like"
"So, your ship's been beaten up, huh?" said Han.
"Only because we live risky with it" said Helranth "I bet you don't even have fun with that scrapheap of yours" Chewbacca roared angrily.
"Easy, Chewie; let me handle this" said Han "You think I don't have fun with my ship? I'm up for any ways of proving it"
"Really?" said Pugwis. He walked over to Han. "Between you and me; there's a place in the Outer Rim where scum like us can do whatever the heck we want with our ships, and we get away with it"
"Name the place" said Han.
"It's a space station orbiting one of the moons of Kintan" said Pugwis "There's going to be a big ship race there later today. Helranth and I were on our way when we came across your ship. What do you think?"
"Challenge accepted" said Han. Pugwis grinned.
"See you there" smirked Pugwis "Hope you're a good loser"
"You'd better hope I'm a pleasant winner" said Han. Pugwis and Helranth walked off. "Let's prep the Falcon, Chewie; we've got a race to win"
Meanwhile
Luke and Ahsoka lay on the floor of the training room.
"Next time…let's try a lower level…" said Luke.
"Agreed…" said Ahsoka. It was then that a hologram projector on Luke's belt began to beep. He exhaustedly reached for it before finally grabbing it, pulling himself to his feet, and brining up a hologram of Sarke.
"Chief-of-state Sarke, what a surprise" said Luke.
"Commander Skywalker, I have a mission for you" said Sarke "I need you to capture a criminal who may be involved with the Empire" A hologram of a male Zygerrian came up. "This is Barak Sheotah; he is a Zygerrian crime lord and has ties to many others"
"Zygerrian!" said Ahsoka whilst scrambling to her feet.
"We believe he is supplying the Empire with slave labor" said Sarke.
"Where can we find him?" asked Luke.
"He is usually elusive so he cannot be traced" replied Sarke "However, I have received information that he has having a meeting with the heads of his cartel. The meeting will be located at a space station orbiting one of the moons of Kintan. It's a place for low lives and thugs. Sending an armed battalion may be a little too alarming and could alert them to your presence, so it would be better to do something more subtle"
"But how do I take him down?" asked Luke "I mean, it's not like I could just walk in on that meeting and tell him to surrender. Best guess, he's well protected"
"Perhaps you could infiltrate them" said Sarke.
"I'm not sure if they're hiring Jedi" said Luke.
"Perhaps not" said Sarke "However, I have received information that his cartel is currently looking for smugglers to hire" It was then that Luke realized what he was implying.
"Han!" said Luke "We could get Han to infiltrate for us"
"That is a good plan, Commander Skywalker" said Sarke "I have good faith in you. I am sending you additional information now" The hologram switched off.
"Let's go get Han" said Luke.
Meanwhile
"Well; looks like we've got her at her best, Chewie" said Han "Time to leave" It was then that Luke and Ahsoka walked up to him.
"Hey Han, we need your help" said Luke "We've been given a mission and—"
"Sorry; can't help you, kid" said Han "I've got something to do" Chewbacca groaned. "No, Chewie; I can't just back down from a fight"
"But we really need you, Han" said Ahsoka.
"Yeah, you're the only one who can help us on this mission" said Luke.
"And why exactly?" asked Han. Luke sighed.
"We have to take down a crime lord and the best way to do that is to have a smuggler working for him" replied Luke "But we have to get organized quick; the meeting's in a couple of hours and we have to get to a space station around Kintan—"
"Wait, you're going to Kintan?" said Han "That's actually where I'm going. How many hours is this meeting?"
"About five approximately" replied Luke. Han scratched his chin.
"Yes" said Han "That could actually work. I'll contact Corea, and then it's off to Kintan. You guys can fill me in on the way"
Later
The Millennium Falcon came out of hyperspace above Kintan. It flew down to a space station which orbited one of the moons and landed in one of the docking bays. Luke and Ahsoka walked out, both wearing long cloaks and hoods to cover themselves. To their surprise, the Millennium Falcon took off again.
"Han, what is the meaning of this?" asked Luke into his comlink.
"To do what I came here for" replied Han through his comlink "Don't worry; I'll be back in no time, before the meeting even goes down" Luke sighed.
"Well, we may as well have a look around" said Ahsoka.
Meanwhile
Han flew the Millennium Falcon towards a long shielded tube which extended out into a racing circuit-like shape.
"This looks like the place" said Han.
"I still think this is a stupid idea" said Corea.
"Your opinion is noted" smirked Han. Corea sighed.
"Classic Han!" said Corea. Han flew the ship into the tube and placed it next to a group of other ships on the starting line. Next to them was a modified ZH-25 Questor, and Han could notice Pugwis and Helranth in its cockpit who gave them a grin.
"There he is" said Han.
"Don't let him get under your skin, Han" said Corea.
"I won't" said Han.
"Just stay concentrated" said Corea "We're already dumb enough for coming here" At the top of stands lay the announcer's box. The Muttani race announcer entered the box, grabbed the microphone, and spoke.
"Greetings, one and all!" announced the race announcer. The spectators cheered. "Today, some of the most dangerous and recklessly stupid pilots have gathered together to race and risk everything for your amusement! By the end of this race; only one ship will escape unscathed, leaving the rest to complain!" He peered out and noticed the Millennium Falcon with Han in the cockpit. "What? Can it be? Are my eyes deceiving me? No! Today it appears that none other than the infamous Han Solo and the Millennium Falcon have showed up!" The crowd cheered louder.
"You seem pretty popular" said Corea.
"Hey, it's me" smirked Han.
"I never knew so many people knew who you are" said Corea.
"I'm quite surprised myself" said Han "I guess my stories just go around, if you know what I mean" From the crowd, a hooded figure took one look before standing up and leaving the stands.
"Now this will be interesting indeed" said the race announcer "In case none of you are familiar, Han Solo is a smuggler who has earned a name in the Outer Rim through smuggling. He has made many friends, it would seem; and many enemies, as well. But can his popularity help him win the day, or will he go home with his pride dented? Let's find out!" Pugwis moved his finger across his throat tauntingly. Han just gave him a stern look.
"Did he just cross the line?" said Corea.
"He crossed the line the moment he mocked my ship" said Han.
"Prepare yourselves, pilots!" said the race announcer "Are you ready…set…GO!" The ships zoomed off, with Pugwis taking the lead.
"Wow, that was quick" said Corea.
"We've still got two more laps after this one" said Han.
"Woah!" said Corea as they zoomed passed a freighter "You may want to be a little more careful"
"Don't worry, we won't get too beat up" said Han "I read all about these races before we got here. They're prepared for crashes"
"How exactly?" asked Corea.
"You'll find out very shortly" replied Han. Pugwis looked over at a freighter that was catching up to them.
"That doesn't look good" said Helranth.
"I've got it handled" smirked Pugwis. He started bumping into the freighter continuously, until eventually knocking him into the outline of the tube which surrounded them, trapping the freighter. A loud siren called.
"No!" snarled the Kajain'sa'Nikto pilot.
"We have our first out!" said the race announcer "For those of you who don't know; the shielding which surrounds us suppresses down energy, meaning crashes are not as severe as they would be"
"Wow, they really thought this out" said Corea.
"Yeah; impressive, isn't it" said Han "The shielding which surrounds us will dull down any explosion. And if you touch the shielding, it'll merely entrap you; but you'll be out" They passed the starting line. "One down, two to go"
Meanwhile
"Astromechs!" called a Snivvian salesman "Get your astromechs!" Luke and Ahsoka walked through the space station, walking past many shops.
"I've got fresh meat!" said an Adarian butcher whilst cutting an assortment of meat up with a cleaver.
"I have spare parts, handy for incomplete droids" said a Ruurian junk dealer. Luke and Ahsoka came up to a cantina.
"There" said Luke "According to Sarke's information, that's where the meeting will take place"
"It's not for another three hours" said Ahsoka "What do we do in the meantime?"
"We stay around here and stay undercover" said Luke. He noticed a drink stand. "You know, this waiting is thirsty work. Want to get a drink?"
"Sure" replied Ahsoka. They walked over to the stand.
"Hello there" said the Gotal at the stand "What will it be?"
"Ardees please" said Luke.
"Same" said Ahsoka.
"Two Jawa juices comin' right up" said the Gotal. He filled two cups with ardees and handed it to them. Luke gave him some credits.
"Well, to the mission" said Luke. They knocked their glasses together and took a sip. At that moment, an Ishi Tib with a crate hovering behind him walked up.
"C'mon, c'mon…" said the Ishi Tib desperately. It was then that one of the pads burst, causing the crate to collapse on the ground. "No, no, no!" The lid for the crate fell off, causing spice to fall everywhere. "Oh; this is not good, this is not good!" Unbeknownst to anyone, a silent shadowy figure kneeled above a shop looking down on him. The figure leapt down, revealing himself to be Cad Bane. Ahsoka gasped silently and pulled Luke out in the opposite direction.
"Luke, look away" said Ahsoka quietly.
"What is it?" asked Luke quietly.
"It's Bane, now be quiet and don't look" said Ahsoka quietly. It didn't take long for the Ishi Tib to realize Cad Bane's presence.
"Huh, Bane!?" exclaimed the Ishi Tib.
"Hello, Bricar" said Bane.
"What are you doing here?" said Bricar (the Ishi Tib).
"You know why" said Bane "Or need I remind you how much my client hates a smuggler who doesn't make his schedule?"
"Look; I meant to get it on time, but there were complications" begged Bricar "It's not my fault"
"That hardly matters" said Bane "You should have made the delivery whilst you had the chance"
"But I have the spice!" begged Bricar.
"Which means my pay has only doubled" said Bane.
"Okay, look; what if I give you the spice and you let me go?" said Bricar.
"It's too late for that" said Bane "Time to earn my pay"
"Oh really?" said Bricar. He grabbed a blaster from his belt and was about to shot, but Cad Bane shot him in the chest and the face before he could he even pull the trigger. Everyone looked over at him.
"It's just a job" said Bane. Everyone carried on with what they were doing. He then walked up to the spilled spice crate and got out a comm-device from his pocket.
"Got your spice" said Bane "Seems he used a faulty crate and pads, though; a lot of it will be useless"
"And what of Bricar?" asked a voice.
"He's been dealt with" said Bane.
"Leaving a tracer in the crate" said the voice "We'll retrieve it shortly"
"Got it" said Bane. He got out a small device and placed it within the crate. He then walked off, not seeing Luke and Ahsoka.
"What was all that about?" said Luke.
"That was bounty hunter Cad Bane" said the Gotal.
"What's he doing here?" asked Luke.
"Recently, he's been taking out smugglers who don't deliver their cargo on time" said Gotal.
"That's not right" said Ahsoka "That's simple hitman work, well above a bounty hunter of his caliber. There must be something else to it"
"I guess we all need to work, no matter how small the fry is" said the Gotal. Luke and Ahsoka walked away from the stand.
"We have to be careful, Luke" said Ahsoka "For all we know, that smuggler could be working for Sheotah. I mean; we know that he's looking for smugglers, and that could've been one of the ones he hired. If Bane is working for him, we may be in more trouble than we originally thought"
"Understood" said Luke "We'll keep an eye out for him"
Meanwhile
The Millennium Falcon passed the starting line for the second lap.
"One more lap to go" said Han "Chewie, full speed ahead!" Chewbacca roared as they blasted forward past the other freighters.
"It looks like Solo is bursting forward for the lead" said the race announcer "But can he take it in time?" Pugwis knocked another freighter into the shield and laughed, before Han zoomed past him.
"What the!?" said Pugwis "Oh no you don't!" They flew forward up to Han. "The race is mine!" He began to beat Han towards the shield.
"Looks like we've got ourselves a sore loser" said Han. Chewbacca groaned.
"Won't he get disqualified for this?" said Corea.
"It's against the rules to use weapons" said Han "It doesn't say anything about playing dirty in general"
"I'll show you to mess with me!" said Pugwis whilst knocking Han "They may have banned me from podracing; but out here, I can do whatever the heck I want!"
"We really have to do something" said Corea "We're like an inch away from disqualification"
"Wait for it" said Han. Pugwis crashed into him again.
"What are you doing, Han?" said Corea "He's going to—"
"Wait for it" said Han. Corea sighed and placed a hand on her hip.
"Take this, space scum!" laughed Pugwis as he collided towards Han again.
"Chewie, pull back!" said Han. They pulled back, causing Pugwis to hurtle towards the shielding.
"AHHHH!" screamed Pugwis and Helranth simultaneously as they slammed into the shielding.
"No!" yelled Pugwis. He slammed the control panel with both his hands and feet continuously.
"Calm down, calm down!" said Helranth.
"ARRRR!" snarled Pugwis "It's just like how my grandfather got beaten by a kid at Boonta Eve!" The Millennium Falcon passed the finish line, their arrival being followed by cheering and applause. Chewbacca roared triumphantly.
"Yeah!" cheered Han.
"Ha; play off their attacks, oldest trick in the book" smirked Corea.
Later
Han, Chewbacca, and Corea walked up to Luke and Ahsoka.
"Well; I'm here, kid" smirked Han.
"And where were you?" asked Luke.
"I'll tell you about it later; right now, we've got a mission to handle" said Han.
"We've got two hours left" said Luke "We have to stay out of sight for when the meeting starts"
"Woah there" said Han "Are you really expecting me to just walk in there, say I'm up for a job, and expect everything to run smoothly. Something I've learned over the years is that there are times when you make a gamble and there are times when you don't. And this ain't the time"
"And you have a better idea?" said Luke.
"Yes, actually" smirked Han "I was thinking about on the way here, but you have to trust me. And you have to let me take the lead on this one"
Later
Han walked into the cantina and sat at the counter.
"Sarlacc kicker" said Han. The Rodian bartender poured a glass for him and handed it to him. Han placed some credits on the table. "Keep the change" He drank down the drink in an instance and placed the cup head-down on the counter. He got up and walked over to a corner of the cantina.
"Hey!" snapped a Trandoshan thug who pointed a blaster at him "Where do you think you're going?"
"At ease, Annusk" said a voice. In the corner of the cantina lay a small booth, where Sheotah and several other crime lords sat. "Well, Captain Han Solo; an unexpected surprise. Please, take a seat" Han took a seat at the table. "For what business have you come here for?"
"Well; I'm a smuggler, and I heard you had an opening for that kind of job" said Han.
"Where did you hear this?" said Cugkur Kom (a male Quarren with an eyepatch on his right eye).
"You know, around" replied Han "News travels fast in this galaxy"
"It is true we needed more smugglers; especially after all the mishaps we've had lately" said Sarli Blanck (a female Zeltron with pink skin and purple hair).
"New help is always welcome" said Beiarg (a grey male Barabel wearing a blue cloak and hood) "And if you're anything like your reputation says, we could have good use for you"
"I don't like it" said Kedo Sovros (a female Zabrak) "I've heard you've been doing work for the Rebel Alliance"
"Really?" said Han "I admit that I may have stayed with them a bit because it looked like they were winning. But you know; all that work, not enough payment, it just wasn't worth it. Jump off that sinking ship"
"Nevertheless, why should we trust you?" snapped Sovros.
"I thought you were going to say that" said Han "Chewie, bring 'em out" Chewbacca entered holding two handcuffed figures with bags over their heads. He brought them up to the table and made them kneel before it.
"What's this you have brought us?" asked Sheotah.
"A gift to show just how loyal to the Alliance I am" replied Han. Chewbacca pulled the bags off the figures heads, revealing them to be Luke and Ahsoka who wore gags around their mouths.
"What is this?" said Sovros.
"Here's a hint" replied Han. He placed Luke and Ahsoka's lightsabers on the table.
"Jedi?" said Beiarg.
"How could you do that?" said Kom "It takes great skill to kill a Jedi, let alone capture one"
"It just so happens that I have skill" smirked Han "Which is why you must accept me" Sheotah smiled.
"Very well" said Sheotah "You have proven your worth. Welcome to my syndicate. Annusk, take these two Jedi to the back with the others" Annusk grabbed them by the necks and dragged them to a door next to them. He led them into a small room filled with cages and threw them in a cage together. He then ripped the gags off their mouths painfully.
"Don't bother with your Jedi mind tricks" said Annusk "There's nothing free here to free you" He walked out.
"There is always him" said Ahsoka quietly.
"But that's not part of the plan, is it?" said Luke quietly.
"Of course, I nearly forgot about that" said Ahsoka sarcastically.
"Who's there?" said a voice. In the shadows, Luke could see Ephant Mon trapped in a cage. "Jedi? What are doing here?"
"It's kind of a long story" said Ahsoka.
"Wait a second, I saw you at Jabba's palace" said Luke.
"That is correct" said Ephant Mon "My name is Ephant Mon; I am a follower of the great Jabba the Hutt"
"What are you doing here?" asked Luke.
"Sheotah wants to ransom us back to the crime-lords he follows" said Ephant Mon "How naïve he is; Hutts do not break that easily"
"Us?" said Luke. Ephant Mon pointed to another cage, wherein lay the shivering form of Kavi Umdal.
"That is Kavi Umdal, the majordomo to Rotta the Hutt" said Ephant "But we are only just the beginning"
Later
An Aurore-class freighter came out of hyperspace above Sleheyron. It descended down and landed into a small hanger. Sheotah, Han, and Annusk got out.
"Welcome to Sleheyron" said Sheotah.
"So this is your palace" said Han "No offense, but thought it would look…different"
"This is but an outpost" said Sheotah "The real palace is miles away and still under construction"
"Why not land closer?" asked Han.
"We cannot risk the location of my palace being discovered, especially when it is incomplete" said Sheotah "I've had some rivalry with Gardulla the Hutt in the past, and my criminal empire isn't big enough to take on hers just yet"
"That's what you get for basing yourself in Hutt Space" said Han.
"A small price to pay when compared to the slave market here" said Sheotah. He brought Han to the platform of a train station.
"So this is how we are getting there?" said Han.
"It is the only way we can travel those miles discreet" said Sheotah. Han noticed two B1-worker droids each carrying a cage with an anooba in them.
"What's with the animals?" asked Han.
"The train serves purposes beyond my criminal empire" replied Sheotah "I heard a local circus just ordered them. Now come aboard, we've got a long journey ahead of us" Han could see Chewbacca standing in a corner and walked over to him.
"I'll be accompanying Spiky here on his little train trip" said Han "Find a vehicle of some kind and follow us, but be subtle about it" Chewbacca groaned. "I don't know, use your imagination or something"
Meanwhile
A B1-worker droid loaded the cage that held Luke and Ahsoka to a carriage and placed them inside.
"I'm just hoping Han knows what he's doing" said Luke. Ahsoka looked around at the cages around them. They contained many Twi'leks, Togrutas, and Mon Calamari of various ages and genders.
"That Zygerrian!" said Ahsoka "We have to take him down, Luke"
"We will" said Luke "We just need Han to do his part first" The train powered up and left the station.
Meanwhile
Sheotah brought Han into his personal carriage and sat down at his desk.
"I know it's not my place to ask questions, but are the slaves for anything else besides your empire?" asked Han.
"Don't worry; you can ask that question" said Sheotah "About a year or two ago, I made an agreement with the Galactic Empire; I'll provide them slaves, they'll provide resources to build my criminal empire"
"Really?" said Han.
"Yes" said Sheotah "Most of them can be bigheaded, especially the majority who hate us Non-Humans, but some them are very reasonable; especially Darth Vader"
"You're very determined with this criminal empire" said Han.
"It goes back a long time" said Sheotah "Back in the days of the Old Republic; my people were proud and powerful, we were the top slavers in the galaxy. Even the Hutts would give us recognition; our queen even had a place on the Separatist council. But the Jedi didn't believe in our ways and pulled us down"
"You seem pretty open about all of that" said Han.
"Probably because I won't let you out of here alive" said Sheotah "Annusk!" Annusk pointed his blaster at Han.
"What's this for?" said Han.
"Do you take me for a fool?" said Sheotah "No one can simply apprehend a Jedi that easily; not even you, Solo. I knew you were playing me this whole time, which is why I played you" As Annusk walked in closer, Han got out his blaster and pointed it at Sheotah.
"Not so fast!" said Han "If he shoots me, I shoot you"
"Are you certain about that?" said a voice. Cad Bane stepped out of the shadows, his blaster drawn and pointed at Han.
"Bane!" said Han.
"Hello, Solo" said Bane "Long time, no see"
"You're in the service of a Zygerrian?" said Han "I thought you were above that"
"A temporary arrangement" said Bane "You know I prefer to not stick to a job"
"But you've been very helpful" said Sheotah.
"What are you going to do with me?" asked Han.
"Once my slave market is up and running, I'll put you on sale for all to see" replied Sheotah "You'll be surprised how much of the underworld wants a piece of you, I'll just have to pick the highest bidder. As for your Jedi friends, I'll make them suffer for what their kind has done to mine. Give up, Solo; you can't win this one"
"What if I told you that an Alliance fleet is on its way to your position right now?" said Han.
"I would say that you're bluffing" said Sheotah.
"Wrong answer" smirked Han whilst lifting his wrist up to reveal his wrist piece "I had you recorded this whole time; the Empire, the slaves, all of it. And since it was live, it means they got it instantaneously" Sheotah frowned.
"Take him away" said Sheotah "And give the lightsabers to me" Annusk walked up to Han to snatch the lightsabers off his belt, but Han thrust himself forward and knocked him out of the way. Bane fired a shot, but Han dashed out of the door. "After him!" Han found himself on the coupling between carriages. He grabbed hold of the carriage and climbed up onto the top. He leapt onto the carriage behind it, only to find himself followed by Bane and Annusk.
"There he is!" said Annusk. He began shooting at Han, who dodged the shots with ease. He ran across the top of the carriage and dashed between the parallel heads of two zeer. He leapt down onto the coupling of the next carriage and entered it, only to find that he had to crawl across a railing above pits filled with reptiles.
"This day just keeps getting better" said Han sarcastically. Whilst crawling across, he looked down saw pits filled with dune lizards and vine snakes beneath him. At one point, he lost his grip and dangled down over a large fanned rawl, which looked up and hissed at him. "Wouldn't like to be in there"
Meanwhile
"I feel bad about not being able to something for them" said Ahsoka "If only we could—" At that moment, Han entered.
"Great; right carriage this time!" said Han.
"Finally" said Luke. Han walked over to them and dropped their lightsabers through the cage.
"Change of plans; Sheotah figured it out, but the Alliance is coming and we have enough information" said Han.
"You may want to stay back for this part" said Luke. Han stepped back as Luke and Ahsoka ignited their lightsabers and cut their cage open.
"What about us!?" exclaimed Umdal "You're not going to leave us here?"
"Because they'll come back for us" said Ephant Mon.
"Don't worry, we will" said Luke. At that moment, a blaster bolt hit the wall.
"You two, find and stop Sheotah; there's no way he's getting off a moving vehicle" said Han.
"What about you?" asked Ahsoka.
"I'll keep the henchmen busy" said Han. He ran out of the door and climbed up onto the carriage, noticing that Annusk was now accompanied by various thugs. He let out a whistle. "Over here!"
"Get him!" snarled Annusk. They ran forward and chased after Han. A thug ran at him and shot, but Han ducked down and knocked him off his feet; sending the thug flying off.
"Die, Solo!" snarled a thug who began shooting at him. Han dodged the shots and shot back, hitting the thug in the chest. Han leapt onto the next carriage, only for Annusk to leap down onto him.
"I've got you now!" snarled Annusk. However, the collision with the carriage had disturbed the reek inside, who let out a loud call and thrust its horn upwards, puncturing the top of the carriage.
"Get…off!" said Han. Suddenly, the reek's horn punctured the area between Han's legs, drawing both of their attention away. "Woah!" He used the opportunity to push Annusk off. The two got to their feet again. Annusk shot at him but Han shot the blaster out of his hand. Annusk snarled and ran towards him, only for Han to shoot him in the leg.
"AH!" snarled Annusk. The shot caused him to stumble back towards the edge of the carriage. "AH AH AH…AHHHHH!' He fell off of the carriage and down into the abyss on the side of the cliff. At that moment, the thugs began shooting at Han again.
"Gotta' get out of here" said Han.
Meanwhile
Luke and Ahsoka entered Sheotah's personal carriage, and found the Zygerrian sitting at his desk.
"Well, look who got out of their cage" said Sheotah.
"It's over, Sheotah" said Luke whilst pointing his lightsaber at the Zygerrian.
"You've got nowhere to run" said Ahsoka.
"I don't think so" said Sheotah. He pushed his desk forward and ran out of the carriage. Luke and Ahsoka ran after him.
Meanwhile
Han entered the next carriage, only to find himself stuck in there with a large tusk cat.
"Oh great!" said Han. The tusk cat slowly walked up to him, letting out a low snarl. Han saw a shock whip on the ground, grabbed it, activated it, and gave the tusk cat a small whip. The tusk cat roared angrily, but Han gave it another whip to keep it back. He then swiftly left the carriage and climbed up on top of it. "I don't know why I went in there for"
"You should have stayed in there" said a voice. Cad Bane flew down and landed on the carriage. He pulled out both his blasters and fired shots. Han desperately avoided them and fired back, but Bane was too quick for him and leapt towards him, pushing him back with a large kick.
"You know, the Alliance could pay you a lot for standing down" said Han.
"Not interested" replied Bane. Han threw a punch at him, but Bane caught it mid-air and electrocuted him, before giving him a kick across the face.
Meanwhile
Luke and Ahsoka ran through the carriages after Sheotah, until eventually reaching the locomotive itself which was now coming up to a bridge.
"Looks like you've reached a dead end" said Ahsoka. Behind his back, Sheotah activated a device on his wrist.
"We'll see about that" said Sheotah. He got out a blaster and shot it at the controls. "The train was preset for the destination, no need for pilots. Now let's make this more interesting" He got out a trigger and pressed the button. The bridge blew up and crumbled to pieces. "You had better make peace with the Force, Jedi; because I'd like to see you come back from this"
"You'll die too" said Ahsoka.
"No, I won't" said Sheotah. His slave freighter flew down close to the locomotive. He shot the window and leapt out, grabbing hold of the loading ramp and pulling himself up.
"You're going to lose a lot from this, you know" said Ahsoka.
"You can keep the slaves, I'll just get more" said Sheotah. The freighter flew off.
"Looks like we have to stop this train, or we're all going to die" said Ahsoka.
"He shot the controls, there's no way of repairing that" said Luke.
"Then we'll just have to stop it manually" said Ahsoka.
"Meaning?" asked Luke.
"We use the Force, of course" smirked Ahsoka.
Meanwhile
Han and Bane continued shooting at each other. Suddenly, Bane fired up his flamethrower, causing Han to duck. He rolled up to the Duros bounty hunter and punched him in the left leg, only to find his hand in pain because it was cybernetic.
"AHHH!" said Han. Bane pointed his blaster at him and shot, only for Han to roll out of the way and leap back onto his feet. "You know, you're getting a little old for this job. Ever thought of settling down, letting the next generation do all the work?"
"Because it's a job you take to the grave" replied Bane. Han pulled out a smoke grenade and threw it at Bane, running past him in the confusion. However, Bane shot a bola at him which brought him down. He then walked over to him, shot a fibercord whip at his wrists, activated his jets, and flew out over the cliff, dangling Han with him. "You lost today, kid; but it doesn't mean you have to like it" He retracted the fibercord and let Han fall. He then pressed a button his wrist device, summoning the Xanadu Blood to him. He got into the cockpit and flew off. After he had left, however, the Millennium Falcon rose up with Han lying on top.
"Hey Han, did I catch you too low?" said Corea through Han's comlink "You won't have to spend the rest of your life in a power chair, right?" Han smirked and got himself up.
"Don't worry; it was just fine" said Han into his comlink "You see, this is why I left you with the ship"
Meanwhile
"Okay; clear your mind, Luke" said Ahsoka. The two of them stood parallel from each other. "Now extend yourself out through the Force and pull" The two of them gripped the side of the train together and began pulling it. The train, whilst slowing down, was still going at a tremendous speed towards the destroyed the bridge. "Pull!" The twos of them pulled harder. The train got closer and closer towards the end of the tracks; but just as they were about to fall over the edge, it stopped. Luke and Ahsoka huffed to catch breath before collapsing.
Meanwhile
Corea landed the Millennium Falcon next to the train and Han slid himself off. At that moment, Chewbacca arrived on a speeder bike and groaned.
"Sorry, Chewie; looks like you missed out on all the fun" said Han. Chewbacca roared frustrated. "Maybe next time" Corea stepped out of the Falcon and looked up at the sky, where Rebel ships were descending down.
"Well, looks like the Alliance has arrived" said Corea.
"Speaking of which, you could've been a little faster on the rescue" smirked Han.
"What?" said Corea "I didn't want Bane to see the ship"
"Still though" smirked Han "Anyways; looks like those flying lessons with the Falcon payed off. Even better is that we actually have the Falcon"
"I still think it was way too coincidental to just find her in that Imperial outpost" said Corea.
"I'd call it luck" smirked Han.
"Sometimes you shouldn't rely on luck" said Corea. At that moment, Chewbacca came up with Luke and Ahsoka hung around his shoulders.
"Huh; oh!" said Han "They pretty messed up. Place them in the crew quarters, I'm sure they'll wake up eventually" Chewbacca huffed and entered the Falcon.
Author's note #1: The train fight scene was a homage to the opening scene of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
Author's note #2: Sorry about not having replies in the last chapter, it just slipped my mind.
Just a Crazy-Man: It's nice to see you're enjoying the story so far, thank you.
Martin: Hey, glad to see that you're enjoying the story so far. I don't want to give anything away; but the ancient evil from Korriban will be one of the big things this season so I won't be revealing it straight away, but they'll be more details along the way. Just to let you know, my headcanon will follow the Pre-Disney Kyle Katarn storyline instead of Rogue One, I hope this isn't too upsetting. As for the C-3PO, R2-D2, and PROXY chapter, I'll see if I can fit it in the series.