Chapter 64 - Mission at the Casino

"Are you sure... " Leia's protests were cut off by Chewy giving a loud bellow.

"Of course I'm sure. We've been putting a lot of work into her, and the Falcon will do fine on this mission," Han defended.

"All I'm saying is we could easily take one of the fleet." Leia said.

Han looked offended. "No thank you. The Falcon will do us fine, won't she." He stroked the ship's side with affection and Leia rolled her eyes.

"What's the matter, you Jealous of my attention?" Han waggled his eyebrows.

"Jealous? Of this bucket of bolts, Please! I just don't want to get stranded on Ord Mantell when her engine needs repairs… Again." Leia only wished Luke were here. He never believes her when she complains how glaringly overt and boorish his friend's flirting can be.

"Guys, It's really not worth getting into an argument over this." Mara walked in. "My Dad's probably going to put a fork in this whole thing. It was a miracle he's allowed it to go this far."

"He's allowed it because My dad spoke to your Mom, in that politician's voice he was trained in," Luke chose now to walk in and start paying attention, of course. "Mom says it took years to train him. It'll be your first mission and it will be fine. I have every faith in you."

Mara smiled and laughed at his Joke. "Still, my Dad's probably gonna call the whole thing off. He's talking to Master Yoda now. It isn't worth arguing over."

"Arguing, who's arguing?" Luke looked around.

"I'm not arguing with anyone." Han said.

Leia rolled her eyes again and shook her head. "It isn't worth it. Let me know when we're ready to board." She stomped off, almost running into Master Yoda and the Viceroy of Alderaan.

"Understand your fears, I do. But Learn from experience Younglings must," Yoda lectured. "And , a youngling no longer, at eighteen she is."

Bail sighed, "Of course Master Yoda. And I know you'll keep her safe."

"So… Does that mean we can go?" Leia asked.

"Yes. I'm still worried, but it seems I've been overruled." Bail hung his head.

"Yesss!" Leia cheered. "Mara will be glad to hear that."

"Yes, she will. I'll go tell her now." Bail bowed as he left them.

"Prepared to go, are we?" Yoda asked.

"Almost Master, Han and Chewy were just finishing preparing for the flight. He's still insisting on taking the Falcon." Leia rolled her eyes.

"Good," Yoda said, and she looked up in shock. "Know that ship well, he does. Safer in a fight, it will be."

"Yeah, I guess I can see that," Leia admitted through clenched teeth. She would never admit it to Han though, but she did see what Yoda was talking about.


"Hey Leia, guess what! I'm coming too. Luke announced to Leia as she was on her way back to the Falcon. "Just need to go get my stuff."

"What!" Leia looked around and saw Han shrug from his location on top of the Falcon.

"It was my idea. I asked him to join your mission." Bail explained, walking away from Mara. "An extra Jedi would make it safer, I can only hope."

Leia sighed. "Two Jedi already on this mission, why not send three." she tried to smile. "I'm sure Luke will be of great help." Of course, Luke hadn't begun to read the intelligence reports. And her brother's understanding of the political situation on Ord Mantell was gleaned from the hyperspace buillitins they advertised their casinos on. But at least Bail wasn't pulling the plug and stopping the whole mission.

"Good, I'm glad you see it that way," Bail said, oblivious to her true feelings.

"You might as well send word to the crew. We're ready to leave," Han spoke up.

"Yes, I'll tell Captain Donael, and your crew. They'll be on their way," Bail said.


"Here we are, Ord Mantell. The only planet where credits really talk. They say goodbye." Han looked around for affirmation.

Leia folded her arms. She would not give him any, even if she thought his joke might have deserved a chuckle.

"Of course, if later, once the mishy is over, you wanna have some fun… What happens in Ord Mantell, stays in Ord Mantell..."

"Oh Master…" Leia called out, and Han got quiet fast. 'There, I thought that would get him to switch off.'

Leia and Han made their way to the Main Hold, where the rest of their team waited.

"I assume we've arrived?" Captain Donael said. Han nodded. "Good. Listen, some new intelligence just came in and I will have to go to the other side of Worlport. Luke, would you take my place in this mission? You'll be working alongside Rob to shadow Mara in the facility."

"No, I don't mind at all." Luke shared a look with the princess, one that had Leia questioning what that meant.

"Good, then we're set. Leia will be Mara's decoy. Protecting her will be Yoda and Aretti. Luke and Rob will be Mara's protection." Everyone nodded.

Luke looked up at Han, who was quietly observing all of this. "And what will your role be?"

"Me, I'm the ride. I have a few friends in town that I'm dying to meet, and one of them knows where to get a new Iceladionic Carburetor. I'll have plenty to keep me busy with, thank you."

Leia was almost impressed with his ability to keep it civil. Then Han opened his mouth again.

"Besides, taking Chewy to a casino. Bad idea."

"Raaaaaaaaaaaaawr," Chewy objected.

"You'd enjoy it too much. But you kids go have fun. Call if you need bail." Han winked.


"So, do you go to places like this often?" Luke asked.

Rob laughed. "With what the Alliance pays me, I wouldn't make one of those back alley game rooms."

Luke laughed as well, "I mean undercover. Missions and stuff."

"No, until recently we were mostly taking the Princess on educational trips and the like. Nothing this…"

The two stopped talking suddenly, their attention drawn across the establishment. Luke and Rob were dressed in wealthy business attire, and given a few credits to make it look like they were enjoying themselves.

"I see the mark." Luke whispered into his comlink. "Release the Flynocks."

On the other side of the casino, a ruckus was starting to form, as his Sister, dressed as the Princess of Alderaan, was starting to enjoy herself. But Luke focused back on their Mark. Master Yoda would look after his sister. She would be the distraction, while the real Princess did all the work.

Mara walked in next. Dressed in a very plain black dress. Her hair was tied back and dyed black. She would draw no attention to herself this way. She walked up to the worker's table, and placed a single credit chip in play.

"When did you ever see a fatter Porg?" Mara asked him, she was careful to enunciate the code words in the sentence.

The man looked around him, in a very non discrete way, and leaned closer to whisper something to the princess. Luke assumed he wasn't used to acting covertly.

The message the rebellion received said that the imperials had been bribing the Ord Mantell leaders into silent cooperation, but not everyone was happy with how things were. Their source being one of them. Only he was nervous to talk to anyone and insisted it being someone of rank. Which was why it made sense to send Mara. As his father put it, a nervous informant would open up better to the young princess, because she had both rank, and a gentleness. A higher ranking soldier, or even the Viceroy himself would've been instantly intimidating to the nervous croupier.

Mara whispered back, and showed him her ring, with the Alderaanian royal seal on it. The two soon nodded. He handed her a data-chip, and she pocketed it. She stayed until the game was played, then accepted the meager winning, and turned to leave.

"Alright, Flynocks fly home," Rob said. The code word would tell Leia to wrap it up.

Luke carefully followed Mara out of the establishment.


Leia met up with her brother and the rest of her crew in a warehouse close to the Casino.

"That was so thrilling!" Mara exclaimed.

"Success," Yoda questioned, "Did you have?"

Mara's lips went tight as she faked a contemplative look. Then she smiled and held out the chip. "This is from security. It's of the Empire's discussions with their leaders. There is a small network of rebels here. Mostly people from outside of the cities. They don't like that their world is a huge tourist trap, and they especially don't like the Empire coming around so often. He said they don't have proof yet, but they think it's more than just tourism, the empire's business here."

Yoda stood on his tippitoes to take the chip from Mara. "Appreciate this, the Rebellion will. Good work, you have done."

"What about you, Sister? Did you enjoy going wild in the Casino?" Luke asked.

Leia shrugged her shoulders. "It would've been more fun if I didn't have to lose so much."

"Suspicious, the staff would have been, if too much, you won." Yoda pointed out.

"Is it my fault the little ball's path was so easy to predict with the Force?" Leia sighed. "Or that I can tell what's on the next card without even looking."

"I know what I'm doing with my next Paycheck," Rob remarked.

Arietti shook her head. "Yoooooo…" Her statement was stopped short as she fell unconscious to the floor. There was a dart in her back.

Leia pulled her lightsaber, and noticed Luke and Yoda doing the same.

A human-ish man approached them with a gun. Leia couldn't tell what species exactly he was. He had yellow skin and a pointy ear on the right side, but the entire left side of his face was covered in a cybernetic faceplate which included a highly technical eye.

'Uh oh! Was this guy sent by the Empire here, or does he work for the local authorities? There shouldn't be any leaks on their end. No one, except for their contact, knew they got the information today.' Leia tried to work it out in her head.

Meanwhile, Luke took up position guarding Mara, while Yoda swung his saber at their attacker.

The cyborg whistled, and around the room a team of thugs emerged. Yoda swung his saber and attacked one near him, while Leia swung her own saber to fight back the darts.

Luke stepped to the side while guarding Mara with her saber. Then out of nowhere a Rybet jumped out and stunned Luke with his gun. Mara's screams were cut short as he stunned her next.

Leia looked around her and realized she was alone. Rob, Luke, and Mara had fallen to the darts that the force told her were only sedatives, 'Thank goodness.' and Yoda had been able to slip past the men at the door. He sent a quiet reassurance over their force bond, and Leia knew he got away safely. And that he would be back for them, she had no doubt. So she deactivated her saber and closed her eyes as one of the lucky darts sped through and hit her in the neck. She remembered nothing else.


Hello,

I got the basic idea for this chapter from something that happened in both the canon and legends universes. Though many of the details are different, something similar to this did happen in Canon.

Han's line about Credits saying goodbye is based on a quote from Frank Sinatra about Las Vegas.

Next chapter, I have no idea how long it'll take me. Sorry to leave this one as such a cliffhanger, but I couldn't resist.