The Legion Renewed
Chapter Six
It had been nearly eight years-eight standard years, that was, more like ten Corellian years-since Han had last set foot on the planet of his origins. He had sworn he would never come back here, and now look what he was doing.
Don't I ever learn? he asked himself.
Apparently not, his other half answered.
So here he was, just out of hyperspace, waiting for clearance for planetfall. And it was taking a hell of a long time, too. For half an instant, he considered just dropping into the atmosphere without clearance, but this was Corellia. One didn't just "drop in" unannounced.
Chewbacca barked with impatient concern.
"Yeah, I know." Han replied.
"What did he say?" Leia asked.
"Nothing. Why don't you go strap yourself in the back. We should get clearance any minute now." Actually, he wanted to talk to Chewbacca alone. Leia wasn't a half-bad navigator when given the chance, but there were times when she definitely got in the way.
Fortunately, Leia didn't protest. She left Han to his ship and found herself a comfortable chair in the back.
"Brrrwl. Arnnww," the Wookiee said softly when she had gone.
"How in the Hell should I know?" Han asked. "They never said anything about forbidding me to come back. 'Course, I didn't stay around long enough to find out, either..."
Chewie shook his head. "Wfflnraww abrawgnnarr."
"Well at least I didn't get thrown out for speaking against the local gods. You're not getting homesick on me, are you, Pal?"
Chewbacca looked over at his partner and woofed.
Solo grinned. "Well, I guess I can't argue with that. Lay in a course for Pander-what's-it's-name. If they don't answer by the time you get it up, we're gonna turn this bucket around. I didn't want to come here anyway."
Just then, Han's headset came to life with the voice of the ground-controller Han had spoken with before. The youthful quality of the voice made Han sure he was talking with a greenhorn, but that was still no excuse for holding things up for so long.
"Millenium Falcon, you've been given clearance for planetfall over sector twelve, airbase twelve, and landing on platform eighteen. Over."
"Took you long enough. What'd you do, hang your laundry out and wait for it to dry?"
"Sorry for the delay, sir. I've been instructed to welcome you back to Corellia, Captain Solo. Please do not veer from your designated course."
A "welcome" and a "do not veer from your designated course" in the same breath. Han raised an eyebrow at that.
"Your escort should be with you momentarily," the ground controller continued.
Escort? Something weird was going on, and Han didn't like the looks of it. "Chewie, engage main thrusters. We're getting out of here."
But as Han started to nose the ship up to veer away from the planet, the ship gave a shudder, as if it had been hit by a laser blast. Han glanced at the scanner, and sucked in his breath. Just coming into range were at least a dozen Corellian fighters, all manned, he knew, by top-notch Corellian pilots. The blast had been a warning shot. If it had been for real, the ship and all its crew would have been space-dust by now. They had caught him completely off-guard, without any shields up for protection. Escape was extremely unlikely. They couldn't jump into hypespace this deep in the system, and the Falcon, fast as she was, couldn't outrun that many Corellian fighters at this close range.
How could I have been so stupid? Han asked himself. He should have known something was up. But Why? The reason eluded him.
He had, however, never been one to dwell on questions, especially at a time like this. He preferred actions.
Leia came running breathlessly from the main part of the ship. "What was that?" she asked.
"Strap yourself in," Han ordered. "This may get a little rough."
Leia slid into the navigator's chair and buckled her straps. Her expression was full of questions, probably the same ones Han had, but he didn't have time for conversations right now.
"Here's where the fun begins!" Han declared, pushing the throttle forward and setting the ship into a spin. Lousy odds had never deterred him before.
Leia caught her breath as the planet rushed up at them with dizzying speed. She had hoped that this sort of thing would be over when the war was over. It was not a welcome experience.
Not to her, anyway.
Han, on the other hand, was almost smiling. "Charge up the guns, Chewie. We'll give 'em a run for their money."
The Wookie co-pilot barked.
"Half-power for now," Solo replied, "but full-power on standby. As long as they don't hurt us, I'll be gentle. But Deities help 'em if they start getting rough. How are those shields holding up?" He knew Chewbacca had switched them on at the first sign of trouble.
Chewbacca answered, and Han gave a satisfied nod. "Okay then, go climb into the bottom turret. We're gonna start smokin' in about thirty seconds."
With a speed that didn't seem possible for such a great lumbering bulk, Chewbacca disentangled himself from the co-pilot's chair and rushed aft to the keel-side gun turret. Leia decided to risk asking Han for information.
"What's going on?" she said.
Han glanced backwards at her. "If I knew, I wouldn't be askin' that myself."
Before Leia could inquire further into the cryptic reply, Han looped the ship downward and doubled back the way they had come, only flying upside down now. "Here they come, Chewie!"
There was a short growl over the internal speaker for a reply.
Someone, apparently sensing what Han was about to do, tried to reach the Falcon on the communication channel. "Millenium Falcon, this is escort commander. Our orders are to see you safely down to planetside. If you cooperate, no one will be hurt. Please acknowledge, over."
"Like Hell," Solo muttered. Aloud to the transmitter pickup he said, "Sorry, fellas. I just changed my vacation plans. Maybe next year. And be advised that I have a woman on board." He ripped the headset off and thrust it backwards at Leia. "Say something," he said.
"Uh, hello," Leia said.
Han grinned, switched the mode back to ship's intercom, and pulled the headset back on. He doubted whether Leia's presence would make any difference to the more experienced pilots, but it might make a cadet or two hesitate, and every little bit helped.
"This one's for the money, Chewie!" he said. "Double stakes!"
Chewbacca hooted and lined up one of the slick, stream-lined Corellian fighters in his sights. Already the ships were beginning to spin away, and the pulsating bolts from Chewie's gun exploded harmlessly to one side of the one he was aiming at. The Wookie howled in frustration.
But the fighter formation was beginning to break up, and that was all Han wanted. He dove into what had been the center of the formation and pulled up in a steep, high-g climb that would have made the Falcon's crew black out if the ship's gravity compensators had not been functioning.
"Let's see 'em follow us through that!" Han said smugly. It wasn't much of a headstart, but maybe they could reach the edge of the system before the fighters caught up with them again, and the coordinates were already set for the hyperspace jump.
But in the upper atmosphere, Han found about as many new fighters as he had just left.
Whoever had put this 'escort' together was good. Or maybe he just knew how good Han was.
The fighters quickly closed in around the Falcon, trapping her. Chewbacca managed to hit a few of the ships with bright flashes of half-power warning shots. The ships did not immediately return fire, but they closed their net tighter, forcing Han back towards the planet's surface.
"Full power, Chewie!" Han said. "I'm tired of playing games."
But once again, his actions had been anticipated. "Millenium Falcon, the next shot you fire will be your last. We'll blow up your gun turrets as well as whoever's manning them."
And they could, Han knew. Chewbacca might be able to pick off one or two, but in the end, they would lose. He spoke into the intercom pickup. "Belay that, Chewie. Get back up here. Looks like we're goin' down."
Meanwhile, the first batch of fighters had regrouped and were now taking up positions with the second group around the Falcon. Han's scope registered a count of twenty-six ships total. Whoever wanted him, wanted him bad.
"What's going on?" Leia asked tightly, for the second time. "Han, if you've violated some minor law, I've still got diplomatic immunity. It should be extended to you, also."
Han's mouth was set in a firm line. "Your 'diplomatic immunity' doesn't hold water on Corellia. I don't even know what complaint they've conjured up against me this time. They already court-martialed me. You'd think they'd be happy enough with that."
"Court-martialed?"
"Your hubby's just full of surprises, Sweetheart." He turned his attention back to the speaker.
"Millenium Falcon, please assume designated heading. Captain Solo, we don't wish to hurt you or your ship, but our orders are to see you down. Cooperate, and no one will be injured."
Leia leaned forward to whisper in her husband's ear. "Han, if you can send a transmission back to Mimban advising them of our situation, they should be able to straighten this out." She paused, then said, "Why didn't you tell me you were in trouble here?"
Han glanced around as Chewbacca entered the cockpit and took the co-pilot seat back. "Your diplomats wouldn't be able to get us out of a paper bag here." He righted the ship, and the ship's artificial gravity compensated for the shift in relationship to the planet's natural gravity. "All right, Chewie, let's switch to landing cycle. But don't go to automatic; let's keep it on manual. At least we can still show them what we're made of."
"Han-" Leia began nervously.
"Don't worry," he said. "This is my territory now." But the grim half-smile he wore was anything but reassuring to the Princess. She had seen that expression before-when he had been on the verge of trying something insane.
It wasn't long in coming. At just the moment when Han should have been firing his retros for a nice, smooth, soft landing, he turned the Falcon on its saucer-dish side and went into free-fall.
All Leia could see out the cockpit window were clouds screaming past at an alarming rate. They looked like they were moving from left to right, but Leia knew that the ship and its crew were plunging downward at a very dangerous speed.
"Starboard thrusters, Chewie!"
Leia's mouth fell in disbelief. Starboard thrusters would push them toward the planet surface even faster. "Are you trying to kill us?" she demanded. The white-hot metal glowing on the port side of the hull outside the window did nothing to relieve her apprehension.
"Hang on, Sweetheart!"
Chewbacca engaged starboard thrusters. Han kept his hand on maneuvering controls. "Not yet, not yet..." he chanted to himself. Chewbacca rattled off a string of woofs that Leia could only guess were translatable as numbers.
She held her breath.
"Now!"
Han pulled at the controls, and the Millenium Falcon banked sharply upward. Leia gasped as the planet surface momentarily became visible through the cockpit window. They seemed no higher than the tree tops as they skimmed along above it. It had been close, a dare-devil maneuver that only someone as good, or as insane, as Han would ever try. Han stretched back in his chair leisurely, seemingly oblivious to the hair-raising speed at which they were traveling. "Take us in, Chewie. Airbase twelve, platform eighteen, just like the man said."
"You didn't lose them," Leia informed him, looking at the scanners.
"Didn't plan on it," Han replied. "Just wanted to shake 'em long enough to let them know that landing was my idea."
Leia was silent for a moment, then said quietly, "Han, why didn't you ever tell me you were court-martialed?"
He didn't look at her. "If I had, would you be sitting there now?"
"You know I would."
"Do I? You get so wrapped up in your titles and names sometimes that you forget about other things."
"That's unfair."
"Really? Yesterday you were so involved with Mon Mothma that you couldn't even see me."
"It was an important meeting."
"So important that you couldn't include me, or even tell me about it?"
"It was nothing that you'd be interested. Politics, charters, boring topics like that."
"You don't trust me to keep my mouth shut about your political secrets, do you."
"I never said that."
"You didn't have to. It was written all over your face. Hang on, we're landing."
The landing was smooth and uneventful. The platform wasn't anything special, just the standard enclosure with a sliding roof. The center area of the floor was blackened from use, and several spots on the walls were charred, too. What surprised Han was the fact that there were no "special arrangements" made for them at the site, given the armed "escort" that had greeted them earlier. Han's curiosity was acute. He honestly could not figure out why they wanted him so badly. Chewbacca secured the landing claw and began shutting down systems while Han unbuckled his straps.
"You and Leia stay here. I'm gonna leave my com-mike on. If I tell you to lift off, you get the Hell out of here. Understand?" Chewbacca grumbled something that seemed to be an affirmative. Solo moved to the back of the cockpit. Leia followed him, and he turned on her. "Where do you think you're going?" he asked.
"With you."
"No, you're not. You're staying here, just like I told Chewie."
"'For better or worse,' remember? You're not getting rid of me that easily."
Han sighed and extended his hand. Leia reached out to take it, but then he grabbed her wrist instead. "Chewie, hang onto her." Before Leia could realize what was happening, her wrist was held captive in an unbreakable Wookiee grip. Han smiled to himself as he left the cabin, leaving Leia struggling and cursing behind him.
Once outside the ship, Han took a deep, nervous breath. The platform looked absolutely peaceful. There wasn't even a single trooper in sight. Perhaps they were all waiting on the other side of the entrance. Han's fears were confirmed as the doors slid open. Beyond it were two ranks of soldiers, facing each other. To Han's surprise, they didn't rush in as soon as the doors were open, but stayed where they were. One figure did come in, however, walking with smooth, confident strides.
Han whistled softly. Even from where he was, he could recognize the uniform of a general. To call out this kind of show...
Han rested his hand on the butt of his blaster. The calmly approaching figure didn't even slow. "Sit tight, Chewie," he whispered into the microphone of his headset, which he hadn't removed. "I'm gonna find out what this ruckus is all about." Everything that had happened with the court-martial had happened so long ago. He'd have thought everyone would have forgotten by now. Except for Marina, of course. Funny that he should think of her now.
The approaching figure waved. Han tightened his grip on his blaster, ready to draw it out in a hurry. "Solo!" the man called.
Han started at the sound of the voice. "Taj?" he said softly. Then more loudly. "Taj!" The surprise of seeing Taj again had caused Solo's hand to move away from his gun, a move he instantly regretted.
The other man broke into a slow trot, but stopped short when Han's fingers again returned to the butt of his weapon. "Hey, easy there! It's me, remember?"
"Go to Hell, Taj," Solo muttered. "Where were you ten years ago when I needed you?"
"Is that any way to talk to an old friend? I stuck my neck out for you, you know."
"Oh, sure. I sat there and watched you sitting in the audience, not saying a word. Why didn't you speak up for me, Taj?"
"For the same reason you didn't call on me as a witness. You knew I couldn't do anything to help you. Not then. If I had opened my mouth, I would have been court-martialed, too. I needed my freedom to move in the military circles."
"And I needed mine!" Han said. "The starfleet was my life! You took it away from me."
"Not me," Taj reminded. "Bergos. And I repaid him for you."
"I can see you had only my welfare at heart," Han said sarcastically, eying the uniform up and down.
"So?" The general pointed to the red military piping on Han's trousers. "I see you kept your bloodstripe. I wasn't going to give up my career."
"And Marina? Did you keep her, too?"
The general smiled. "As a matter of fact, I did. We're married now, you know, and we have a daughter-"
"Why, you-" Han swung his fist up for a right cross. Taj blocked it and used Han's momentum against him, pulling him around and side-stepping Han's attempt at a follow-up. Solo winced in pain as his arm was twisted behind his back, but he did not cry out.
"Before I let you go," Taj whispered in his ear, "I'm going to tell you something. Your ego may be a little bruised by this, but I was always Marina's first choice. She knew you were innocent just as much as I did. Your court-martial had nothing to do with who she picked. In fact, she refused to marry me until-"
"Don't move!" The voice came from behind Solo and Taj, from the direction of the ship. It was dangerously feminine.
Han tried to crane his neck around to see over Taj's shoulder, but failed. "Leia, dammit, I told you to stay on the ship!"
"Shut up, Han! You, there, let him go."
"Of course," Taj said agreeably, releasing his grip on Han and turning to face Leia.
Han turned, too. "Leia, you bluthering idiot, I told you to-"
"Where's the Wook," Taj asked, smiling. He took a step toward the Princess. "I take it that was Chewbacca manning the guns, wasn't it?"
"Don't move!" Leia repeated, but her eyes flicked to Han uncertainly.
In that instant, Taj was upon her, twisting the gun out of her hand and spinning her in front of him as a hostage. Now it was Leia who was the captive.
Han made a move as if to rush Taj, but the general brought the muzzle of the blaster to one side of Leia's head threateningly. "I wouldn't try it, Han," he said. "But I would call out the Wook, if I were you. Tell him to step out where I can see him."
Han sighed. He had no choice. The big, dumb monkey was one of the best pilots in the galaxy, but he had a soft spot where Leia was concerned. She must have somehow persuaded him to disobey orders. Idiots, the two of them. Of course he was around here somewhere. "All right, Chewie," Han called. "Come on out."
From out of the Falcon's shadows, a huge, hairy form emerged. At Han's nod, Chewbacca lowered his bowcaster and set it on the floor, but he snarled menacingly at Taj. One-time friend or no, Taj was now threatening the two humans he cared about most, and Wookiees didn't take too kindly to that sort of thing.
"All right," Taj said pleasantly. "Straight ahead now, through that door. The Wookiee first, and then you. Move."
Han signalled Chewbacca to obey. For the time being, Taj held all the cards. Han would have to make his play later.
"I'm sorry, Han," Leia said quietly.
"Yeah." He mumbled. "Me, too."
As Chewbacca started through the phalanx of guards, Han considered making his move right then and there. But he decided against it. The odds were still too great.
The instant Han's foot stepped through the door, the rank of Corellians on each side of him snapped to attention and saluted, moving as a single unit with practiced precision.
Puzzled, Han risked a backwards glance at the general, but Taj was making matters even more confusing by releasing Leia and returning her blaster to her butt-end first. Taj was grinning as if he were enjoying a good joke. He stepped forward and extended his hand. "Welcome back to Corellia, Captain Solo."
Without warning, Han's right fist shot out to strike Taj across the jaw in a blow that sent him staggering against one of the soldiers. Han whirled to fend off the attack he expected to come from the other soldiers, but there was nothing. Not a single Corellian made a move out of line to restrain him. It made no sense.
Taj picked himself up, rubbing his chin ruefully. "Feel better?" he asked.
"A little," Han replied. "Not much. That was only for the 'escort.' I still owe you for taking my job, stealing my girl, and-"
"He didn't steal me," said a female voice.
Han looked up to see the owner of the voice approaching from the far end of the ranks of soldiers. She looked the same as she had ten years ago. She was dressed in a long, white tunic that reached nearly to her knees, underneath of which flowed a matching white pants suit. Her dark hair was pulled up into a bun that framed her smooth, oval features and accented her deep, black eyes.
"Marina..." Han said.