Chapter 65 - Clandestine Strategy
"Thanks Stevie," Han shouted. "Another, Oh, I better not. We've got friends on planet and…"
Chewie bellowed a loud moan "Rooooooaaaaaaaaaargrh."
"Yeah, we'd better go meet them before they call us late. It was fun. We should do this again."
"Grrraaaaaaaagrh," Chewy waved.
Han's friend Stevie ran the junk yard at Ord Mantell, and though his place wasn't listed in any tourism guides, It was Han's favorite place to visit. Not just because his friend had a taste for the real drinks, not that fancy stuff the casino's serve. But also because Stevie knew how to spot that rare part that to other junk dealers was just another piece of trash, and his collection was the best place to shop. The Falcon wasn't just any Freighter, no she needed the best parts. So what if some of them weren't being made anymore. It was still better than an imperial era engine, and nothing would convince Han to change that.
"Now, we won't be telling anyone where we got the new part." Han said to Chewy. "The princess might not approve."
"Rrrrrrrrgrrrrh hrrrrrrrrrrrgah?" Chewy asked.
Han rolled his eyes. "Which princess," He muttered to himself. Then he laughed. "Leia, of course. If Mara finds out she'd just go ewww, and refuse to touch it. Leia's the one who'd blame "That trash" for every hiccup the Falcon has.
"Mrrrrrrrrrrrmmmmmmmrgrh." Chewy rolled his eyes.
"Hey, I'll have you know, it's not just a crush. She's into me too." Han rushes after the Wookiee. "She spends most rides with me in the cockpit. Why would she do that if not for my company."
Chewy growls something mocking Han, as he climbs on board the Falcon. Han came behind him and was about to respond, when he noticed the lights were already on in the ship. "Did you leave that on?" he asked Chewy. At the same time he was reaching for his weapon. Chewy gave a low growl denying it. Han pulled out his blaster and crept quietly through the ship.
Then suddenly a small green head popped up. "Gone, the intruders are."
Han gasped, then took a moment to let his breathing return to normal. He barely managed to not shoot the little Jedi. "Master Yoda. Where are the others?"
Yoda's expression became serious. "Explains that, the recording does." He pointed to the nearby table, on which sat a new device. "This for you, the intruders left."
Han was curious now, so he walked over and pushed a button on the device. A holographic figure appeared above it and started talking.
"Han Solo. I am Skorr of the Bounty Hunters Guild. Christophsis Incorporated has issued a bounty on your head, one I am here to collect. Now, I could come in there guns blazing and try to take you by force, but then I might break a nail." The holo camera was turned and several other figures took form. Amongst them Han could clearly make out Luke and Leia. They were tied up and kicking, but it was all in vain. Then the holo camera turned again and Skorr's ugly, half cyborg mug was back on the screen. "If you want your friends to remain free, you will turn yourself in. Travel to these coordinates…" He moved his hand and a set of numbers was displayed holographically above his hand. "Come alone, without your wookiee or Jedi friends, and when you are in bonds, we will release the prisoners. Otherwise I will have to see who else is willing to pay for their pretty little faces."
Han could taste the bile from his throat. The thought of that man harming Leia, or any of the others, made him mad.
"Clouds the mind, anger does. Help, it does not." Yoda spoke up.
"Master, I…" Han started, his tone apologetic.
"Unnecessary, this is." Yoda didn't listen.
Han still felt it was necessary, so he continued, "He's right about the bounty. But I looked into it. It was small. It shouldn't have gotten any attention all the way out here. Leastwise any guild attention."
Chewy growled and placed a hand on Han's back. "Rrrrrrgrrrrrrraaaaaaah."
"Correct, he is. Your fault, another's greed is not." Yoda took a few steps closer. "Know where they are being kept, we do. Leave soon, we should. If free them, we are going to."
"Alright. Chewy, if we are going to get into trouble, take the new part and install it in the gun turret." Han didn't look for a reply as he turned to the cockpit. Yoda followed him and it was an unusual sight, the little Jedi making himself comfortable in the larger wookiee's co-pilot seat. Yoda used the Force to make levers move and push buttons. Soon the craft was prepped and Han took off.
"Okay, there are the coordinates down there," Han said.
"That warehouse, yes, that's it." Yoda said.
"Okay, Chewy and I are going to go in. You stay here and keep this ship running. When we leave, I have a feeling we're going to need to make a quick getaway."
Yoda shook his head. "Unfasten force cuffs, you are going to?"
"I'll find one of his men and get him to do it. I don't plan on asking nicely." Han said in a low voice. Then he turned his head and shouted, "Chewy, go get the big toys."
Yoda shook his head. "Looked for, your assault will be. Stealth, we'll need."
"Stealth. Not when you have the bigger guns." Han said.
Whack! Yoda's stick came down on Han's knees. "Always a bigger fish, there is."
"Oww!" Han rubbed his knees. He imagined for a second what it must be like for Leia, to listen to his prattle as wisdom every day. 'That must be what being a Jedi is like. Sore knees…'
"Come, I will." Yoda continued.
"Wait. I have an idea," Han said. Han leaned forward to whisper his plan to the Jedi Master. Yoda absorbed his thoughts with critical eyes.
"Work, that might. But training you will need."
Han rolled his eyes, "Yeah, I was afraid of that. Hold on, this gives me the chance to try out this new toy too." Han reached up to grab the golden dice he kept in his cockpit. Attached to the golden dice was a single button remote, that when pressed, would start up the Falcon's engines from anywhere and prep her for flight. This would make it a simple matter of running on board and jumping into the pilot chair to take off. Necessary if they were to make a quick run for it.
When Anakin gave him the engine startup remote it had a silver ring attached to it, which puzzled them all.
"What's that for?" Luke had asked his father.
"Oh, that. I found it in the restoration center. They were going to throw it away, but I thought, maybe he could stick some metal keys on it or something," Anakin answered.
"Keys! Who keeps metal keys anymore, Dad?" Luke had found that idea preposterous. But Han thanked him anyway.
He did find something to put at the end of the remote. Those gold dice weren't keys, but they did open up a whole new world to him. They were what won him the Falcon, and he found them the perfect attachment.
"Uh, my head." Leia groaned.
Aretti knelt over her, checking for a pulse, most likely. "Are you okay?" she asked.
"Yeah," Leia's head was still spinning, but there wasn't much to do about that.
"I don't understand, the sedative isn't affecting us like this." Rob knelt over Luke and Mara. Mara was unconscious on the ground, while Luke was just waking up."
"It isn't the sedative. It's these Force forsaken cuffs." Luke moaned.
"They prevent us from using the Force. Luke and I are stronger than average. Our minds are adapting to them, which is why they must have increased the setting."
"Oh, so she…" Aretti went on.
"Mara probably won't be waking up anytime soon." Leia confirmed.
"Yeah, we probably shouldn't try that again." Luke criticized.
"I almost had the keys." Leia moaned.
Sounds of footsteps approaching their "Cell" in the manager's office of the Warehouse made them all look up, holding their breaths.
"Get up," Gribbet croaked. Gribbet was a Rybet and one of the head thugs who worked for their captors. Luke tried to pick up Mara, but then he grabbed his head like it was still spinning. Rob stepped in to do it for him. Chained together, they all knew she'd be dragged along if she wasn't carried.
They were marched out to the largest door of the warehouse. The one opened to load cargo onto ships parked outside. It was opened today and the Millenium Falcon was parked outside. Han was kneeling next to Skorr, their captive.
"You're a Jedi?" The disbelief was evident in Skorr's voice.
"Yup," Han smiled proudly. Leia had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing at the thought of Han meditating on the Force.
Han lifted his hand and the yellow scarf Gribbet wore around his neck pulled off and floated in the air to it. Gribbet stuck his long tongue out and pulled the scarf back with an angry look in his eyes.
Leia's eyes opened wide with shock. Beside her, Luke cocked his head to the side.
"Master Yoda discovered I have a talent for it, and he offered to train me."
Skorr glared at Han. "Doesn't Force stuff require a lifetime to study and learn. Most Jedi start as younglings."
"I'm a quick study. Don't feel ashamed for what you weren't taught. Many of the truths we cling to depend on our point of view."
Leia had to just blink. This was not the Han she knew.
"Very well, bring me the switch for the cuffs." Skorr called. One of his thugs handed him a remote control.
He pushed a button and Leia could feel the sedative-like effect drain from her as her head stopped spinning and she felt the Force again.
"Put your hands in here." Skorr ordered.
"Hey, Skorkie. Aren't you going to release my friends?" Han asked.
Skorr set down the remote, and turned to glare at Han. "I will be keeping them until we receive your bounty. If we happen to discover another party wants their heads in the meantime, well that'll be fortunate. Force his hands in the cuffs." Skorr turned back to the remote.
Leia blinked. 'Wasn't the remote a different shade of grey?'
Skorr pushed the button anyways. Outside the engines of the Falcon flared to life. "Huh!" Skorr banged the remote against the crate and pushed the button again. Again the ship's engines flared. "I told you to come alone!"
Han shrugged.
They heard sounds coming from different places all around them. Then a Wookiee screamed from outside.
The thugs all looked around and at each other. They raised their hands and stepped back. Skorr growled at them. "What are you doing?"
Chewy growled and he rushed into the room. He threw a crate at Skorr. Yoda appeared next, holding the real remote in his hands. He pushed a button and the cuffs opened up. "Leave here, our allies will, If remain still, you do."
Leia pulled her wrists from the cuffs, and was just processing the state of being free, when Han grabbed her wrists and pulled her up. Mara was just waking up then, but Rob didn't set her down. He ran holding her out the door of the warehouse. Han reached over and grabbed the other remote from Skorr. Then he ran past Leia, whispering, "Run" to her as he did so. They both ran out, and onto the Falcon along with the others.
"I don't understand," Leia questioned. "What allies do you have, and what was all that about being Force sensitive?"
"Yoda was the only ally I needed," Han explained while sitting in the cockpit. "And I needed to get them to release the cuffs on you guys somehow."
"Um-hmm." Yoda hummed as he walked into the cockpit. "If fear are the eyes you look through, great dangers you will always find."
"Yeah, I had to deal with a lot of that just learning how to pass as one of you." Han rolled his eyes.
"A quick study, you were not. But passable for a Jedi, you were," said Yoda.
"Awe, thanks buddy." Han pressed a lever on the ship. "Okay, back to Yavin we go."
Hello,
I hope you all like this chapter. I know it took a really long time to get it to you. It took a while to figure it all out. I knew I wanted to have Han Solo and Yoda team up, kindof. It's a wonder why Han Solo and Yoda never met in Canon. Their personalities would be an interesting mix. Anyways, then I needed to figure how it would all work out. The idea of Han Solo being "Jedi Like" even if it was just an act was funny too.
If you are a reader of my other piece too. "Time Travel: To the Past Yoda Goes," It's recent chapter featured a Skorr character too. I'd just like to say that this is a different Skorr. Both are real Canon (or Legends) characters, but different characters entirely. This Skorr was never a Jedi or Sith Acolyte. To my knowledge, he didn't know Dooku.
