Meeting the Pilot
With a series of growls and barks, Chewbacca, informed Han Solo of his meeting with one of the last members of the Jedi Council, Obi-Wan Kenobi.
"What's he willing to pay?" Chewie growled again, "What do you mean you didn't find out?" Chewie growled. "Well, I'll find out. We're going to need the credits to get ourselves out of this mess." Chewie moaned. "I know it's my fault, but what was I supposed to do once the Imperials latched onto me. Say what time is this meeting." He listened to Chewie's answer. "That in another four minutes. Look casual," he replied as he was approached by a familial Rodian. "Hello, Greedo," he stated with a cocky smile as he slowly positioned two blasters at him under the table.
"Jabba wants his money."
"Tell Jabba that I'll have his money."
"Too late, You should have paid him when you had the chance. Jabba's put a price on your head so large, every bounty hunter in the galaxy will be looking for you. I'm lucky I found you first."
"Yeah, but this time I've got the money."
"If you give it to me, I might forget I found you."
"I don't have it with me. Tell Jabba.."
"Jabba's through with you. He has no use for smugglers who drop their shipments at the first sign of an Imperial cruiser."
"Even I get boarded sometimes. Do you think I had a choice?"
"You can tell that to Jabba. He may only take your ship."
"Over my dead body."
"I was hoping you'd say that, I've been looking forward to this for a long time." And with that Greedo pulled out his blaster but before he could get a round off, Han Solo fired with his own. Everyone looked up for a moment and the bartender glared at him.
"Yeah, I bet you have," he replied to the dead body of Greedo.
"I don't want no trouble." Han Solo got up and tossed him a few credits.
"For your trouble."
"What trouble?" the bartender asked as Han Solo continued on his drink waiting for the old fossil to show up. A few moments later he saw an old man, with a young man, hardly older than a kid, dirty blonde hair, blue eyes, he looked rather innocent, and he saw a boy who couldn't have been older than thirteen with light brown hair cut in a short style with a longer braid reaching his shoulder, he too, had blue eyes the same color as the older boy. Thy must have been brothers. He watched them as Chewbacca went to greet them. The younger of the two boys sipped his drink and seemed to have closed his eyes, daydreaming, or sleeping, Han thought. The older of the two boys was talking with some dangerous looking creatures and the next thing he knew the younger boy ignited a lightsaber and sliced off one of the beings arms then without touching him he pushed him backwards several feet placing himself between the shady looking creatures and the elder boy. Wow, that younger boy was an asset, he wondered if Jabba knew about him. Perhaps, if he didn't get what he wanted from this little adventure he could convince the younger boy to work for Jabba as a way to even his debt. He watched as the older man lent his strength as he took the attackers outside before returning with Chewbacca. He then motioned for his young friends to join him and Han Solo braced himself for the naivety he was sure those boys were capable of.
"Hello, I was informed by your co-pilot, Chewbacca, that you have a ship."
"Fastest shop in the Galaxy. You haven't heard of the Millinum Falcon?"
"Should I have?"
"It's the ship that made the Kessel Run in twelve parsecs."
"Parsecs measured distance not time," the younger boy piped up.
"No kidding," he stated sarcastically, he didn't like being challenged, especially by some snot-nose punk of a kid. "What's the destination?"
"Alderaan."
"Cargo?"
"Myself. The kids. Two droids. And we'd like to avoid any Imperial entanglements."
"Well, now, that's the kicker isn't it? And it's gonna cost extra."
"How much?"
"Ten Thousand."
"Ten Thousand credits! We could almost buy our own ship for that."
"Yeah, you could, but whose gonna fly it? You?" he asked looking scornfully over the older kid.
"You bet I could. I'm not such a bad pilot myself."
"Luke," the older man gently scolded, "I'll give you twelve thousand. Six thousand now, and six when we reach Alderaan."
"It's a pleasure doing business with you. Name's Han Solo."
"Ben Kenobi. With me here are Anakin and Luke Skywalker."
"I'm ready to leave whenever you are. Docking Bay 2B."
"Thanks," he stated and he left followed by the two kids.
"Did you hear that Chewie? Twelve thousand credits. That will be enough to pay off Jabba plus a tidy profit for ourselves. All out troubles are over. I wonder about the Imperials though. Wonder if they are wanted by the Empire. Wonder if the Empire would reward me if I flew them straight to the Emperor." Chewie roared. "Of course not, Chewie, but it doesn't hurt to get as much info about them as I can. That kid, there was something strange about him, don't you think?" Chewie growled. "Yeah I saw what he did. A bunch of hokus pocus if you ask me. Come along, let's get to the ship."