Mos Eisley Spaceport
Thanks to AZNMAGICMAN and Fredo942 for favouriting and following this story.
Luke, Obi-Wan, Juno, R2 and 3PO all stood on top of a bluff overlooking the city of Mos Eisley; a motley array of hovels and docking bays, where ships were taking off and landing. "Mos Eisley spaceport. You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy." Obi-Wan told the two youngsters. "We must be cautious."
"I'm always cautious, Master." Juno replied wryly.
Luke and Juno's speeders were soon heading into the city. Mos Eisley was certainly a hive of activity, with worker droids moving heavy loads, people walking about and Jawas riding Rontos. Most ominously, Imperial Sandtroopers were on patrol. As the two speeders reached the end of a long street, a squad of Sandtroopers flagged them down and approached them. The Sandtrooper commander looked at Luke's speeder. "How long have you had these droids?" he demanded.
"About three or four seasons?" Luke tried.
"They're up for sale if you want them." Obi-Wan added calmly.
"Let me see your identification." the Sandtrooper commander demanded.
"You don't need to see his identification." Obi-Wan said calmly, waving his hand.
"We don't need to see his identification." the Sandtrooper said to his men.
"These aren't the droids you're looking for." Obi-Wan said.
"These aren't the droids we're looking for." the Sandtrooper said, seemingly under some sort of influence.
"We can go about our business."
"You can go about your business."
"Move along."
"Move along, move along." the Sandtrooper waved the speeders away, and Luke and Juno wasted no time in driving away.
Luke and Juno continued driving through the city streets until Obi-Wan instructed Luke to stop at Chalman's Cantina, a rundown blockhouse on the outskirts of the spaceport. As soon as Luke pulled up, a Jawa ran over and began fondling the landspeeder. "I can't abide those Jawas. Disgusting creatures." 3PO complained as everyone disembarked.
"Go on, go on." Luke said as he shoed the Jawa away, then he turned to Obi-Wan. "I can't understand how we got by those troops. I thought we were dead."
"The Force can have a strong influence on the weak-minded." Obi-Wan replied. "You will find it a powerful ally."
Juno dismounted her bike and joined the group as Luke eyed the rather shabby-looking cantina. "Are we really gonna find a pilot here that'll take us to Alderaan?" he asked incredulously.
"Well, most of the best freighter pilots are to be found here." Obi-Wan replied. "Only watch your step. This place can be a little rough." he cautioned.
"I'm ready for anything." Luke replied.
"Me too." Juno concurred, taking a lightsabre hilt from the bike's cargo hold and attaching it to her belt, using her cloak to hide it.
"Come along, R2." 3PO called to his counterpart.
R2 beeped a response, and the group made their way towards the cantina.
~8~
Luke found that 'rough' was an understatement as he studied the patrons of the cantina. There were creatures of all sorts to be seen, all drinking, some smoking death sticks and all conversing in all kinds of languages, while a band of Bith musicians played a catchy song. The young farm boy could only stand in the doorway in bewilderment, while Obi-Wan and Juno went to the bar and Obi-Wan began talking to a towering Wookie, while Juno ordered herself a drink from the rather surly-looking bartender. The bartender then called to Luke, "Hey! We don't serve their kind here!"
"What?" Luke blinked, still in shock from seeing so many outlandish creatures and not catching the bartender's drift.
"Your droids." the bartender told him, pointing to R2 and 3PO. "They'll have to wait outside, we don't want them here!"
Seeing several patrons giving them unfriendly glare, Luke turned to 3PO. "Why don't you wait out by the speeders?" he suggested. "We don't want any trouble."
"I heartidly agree with you, sir." 3PO acknowledged, and he and R2 left the cantina.
Luke cautiously made his way over to the bar and joined Juno. "What you having?" she asked him.
"Uh, I'll have one of these." Luke replied, nodding to Juno's glass.
"Right, another Juri juice, please." Juno said to the bartender, who begrudgingly gave Luke his drink and the young man began sipping it, all the while casting a look around the cantina and it's shady-looking clientele, while Obi-Wan continued to talk to the Wookie.
Suddenly, Luke was rather roughly turned round by an Aqualish who had clearly had too much to drink and the Aqualish yelled something to him. Deciding to pay the drunk alien no attention, Luke turned back to his drink, only for someone to tap him on the shoulder and he turned round to see an unpleasant-looking Human male with a scarred face standing next to the Aqualish. "He doesn't like you." the man said to Luke.
"Sorry." Luke said calmly, smelling alcohol in the man's breath and deciding not to antagonise him.
"I don't like you either!" the drunk man growled. "You better watch yourself, we're wanted men. I have the death sentence on 12 systems."
"I'll be careful." Luke said tightly, but it seemed that nothing could defuse the tense situation.
"You'll be dead!" the drunk man spat.
Juno then decided to try and intervene. "Don't even think about it!" she growled to the man.
Having overhead the row, Obi-Wan decided to intervene himself. "These little ones aren't worth the effort." he said calmly to the two drunks. "Come, let me get you something." But it seemed that the two drunks were too intoxicated to listen to reason and the man promptly threw Luke across the room like a ragdoll, then he drew a blaster and levelled it at Obi-Wan, who calmly reached for his own lightsabre and ignited it's blue blade. The drunken man unwisely opened fire on Obi-Wan, who used his lightsabre to deflect the shots, then with one clean sweep, he sliced the man in two.
The Aqualish then drew out a blaster pistol of their own, but before they could use it, Juno ignited her own lightsabre and aimed it's purple blade at the creature's neck. "I don't think so." she told it coolly. "Now, go home and rethink your life."
The Aqualish took the hint and wisely fled the cantina. Smirking, Juno deactivated her lightsabre and went to help Luke off the floor, while Obi-Wan stood with his lightsabre out, almost daring anyone else to try any nonsense. Satisfied that no one else was going to cause them any trouble, Obi-Wan deactivated his lightsabre then he and the Wookie approached the two youngsters. "I'm alright." Luke reassured as Juno helped him to stand.
"Chewbacca here is first mate on a ship that might suit us." Obi-Wan told them as they followed the Wookie to a private corner of the cantina.
~8~
Outside the cantina, R2 and 3PO watched as a patron who had fled the cantina after seeing the brawl between the Jedi and the two drunks was telling some Sandtroopers all about it. "I don't like the look of this." 3PO told his counterpart worriedly.
R2 beeped a response, sharing 3PO's concerns.
~8~
The mood inside the cantina had gone back to casual, with the patrons going back to their drinks and chatter, while the Bith band had moved onto their next song. Luke, Juno and Obi-Wan sat at a table opposite Chewbacca as a roguish-looking Human man wearing the clothes of a professional smuggler sat down next to Chewbacca. "Han Solo. I'm captain of the Millennium Falcon." the man introduced. "Chewie here tells me you're looking for passage to the Alderaan system."
"Yes, indeed." Obi-Wan replied. "If it's a fast ship."
"Fast ship?" Han snorted. "You've never heard of the Millennium Falcon?"
"Should I have?" Obi-Wan retorted coolly.
"It's the ship that made the Kessel run in less than 12 parsecs." Han replied proudly.
"I bet you have." Juno snorted, knowing that a parsec was a unit of distance, not time, and that Han was likely making it up to impress them.
Han turned to her. "I sure did, sweetheart." he smirked. "I've outrun Imperial starships. Not the local bulk cruisers, mind you, I'm talkin' about Star Destroyers now." He turned back to Obi-Wan. "She's fast enough for you, Old Man. What's the cargo?"
"Only passengers." Obi-Wan replied. "Myself, the boy, the young lady, two droids... and no questions asked."
"What, is it some kinda local trouble?" Han asked cheekily.
"Hey, are you deaf, Hotshot? He said no questions asked!" Juno said sharply.
Obi-Wan held up a hand to calm down his headstrong protégé. "Let's just say we'd like to avoid any Imperial entanglements." he told Han, a smile on his face but his tone was deadly serious.
"Well, that's the real trick, isn't it?" Han said. "And it's gonna cost ya something extra. 10,000, all in advance."
"10,000?!" Luke stared. "We could almost buy our own ship for that!"
"But who's gonna fly it, kid? You?" Han retorted, giving Luke a condescending look.
"You bet I could!" Luke shot back. "I'm not such a bad pilot myself. We don't have to sit here and listen..." He started to get up, but Obi-Wan held him down.
"We haven't got that much with us, but we can pay you 2000 now, plus 15 when we reach Alderaan." the Jedi told Han calmly.
"17, huh?" Han asked, considering this, and Obi-Wan nodded in confirmation. "Ok, you guys got yourselves a ship." Han conceded. "We'll leave as soon as ya ready. Docking bay 94."
"94." Obi-wan nodded in confirmation.
Han looked over the trio's shoulders at something at bar. "Looks like someone's beginning to take an interest in your handiwork." he commented, and Luke, Juno and Obi-Wan looked round to see four Sandtroopers talking to the bartender who was pointing in their direction.
"Alright, we'll check it out." a Sandtrooper said to the bartender, and the four troopers made their way over to Han's table to find only Han and Chewbacca. Seeing nothing abnormal, the troopers walked away.
"17,000!" Han laughed once the Sandtroopers had gone. "Those guys must really be desperate. This could really save my neck. Get back to the ship and get her ready." he told Chewbacca, who growled in acknowledgement and left the cantina.
~8~
"You'll have to sell your speeders." Obi-Wan told Luke and Juno as they left the cantina.
"That's ok. I'm never coming back to this planet again." Luke replied.
"And we're gonna need as much money as we can to pay Hotshot in there." Juno added.
~8~
As Han got up to leave the cantina, he suddenly found himself being held at gunpoint by a Rodian bounty hunter. "Going somewhere, Solo?" the Rodian asked coolly in Huttese.
"Yes, Greedo." Han rolled his eyes. "As a matter of fact, I was just gonna see your boss and tell Jabba I've got his money."
"It's too late. You should've paid him when you had the chance." Greedo told him, forcing Han to sit back down again. "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." he cackled.
"Yeah, but this time I've got the money." Han persisted.
"If you give it to me, I might forget I found you."
"I don't have it with me." Han rolled his eyes, subtly reaching for the blaster pistol holstered on his thigh. "Tell Jabba..."
"Jabba's through with you." Greedo interrupted. "He has no time for smugglers who drop their shipments at the first sign of an Imperial crusier."
"Look, even I get boarded sometimes." Han said reasonably, unholstering his blaster under the table. "D'ya think I had a choice?!"
"You can tell that to Jabba." Greedo remarked. "He may only take your ship."
"Over my dead body." Han retorted defiantly.
"That's the idea." Greedo said smugly. "I've been looking forward to this for a long time."
"Yes, I bet you have!" Han retorted, and he promptly shot the annoying Rodian point-blank range. A few patrons looked up when they heard the shot, but when they saw that Greedo was the victim, they all went back to their drinks. No one was going to miss him! Han meanwhile got to his feet and strode over to the bar. "Sorry 'bout the mess." he said casually to the bartender, tossing him a gold truggat, then he left the cantina.
~8~
Aboard the Death Star, Vader was informing Tarkin of how his interrogation of Princess Leia had gone. "Her resistance to the mind probe is considerable. It'll be some time before we can extract any information from her or her aide." Vader reported.
Just then, Admiral Motti came over. "The final check-out is complete, all systems are operational. What course shall we set?"
Tarkin pondered. "Perhaps they will respond to an alternative form of persuasion." he said calmly.
"What do you mean?" Vader questioned.
"I think it is time we demonstrated the full power of this station." Tarkin answered. "Set your course for Alderaan." he ordered Motti.
"With pleasure." Motti smirked evilly.
~8~
Four armed Sandtroopers marched down a Mos Eisley street. "Lock the door, R2." 3PO urged his counterpart as they hid in a doorway.
R2 did just that, and the door slid shut just before the troopers reached it. "This one's locked." a Sandtrooper reported as he failed to get the locked door open.
"Alright, move onto the next one." his commander ordered, and the troopers moved on.
Once they were gone, the door slid open to reveal the two droids. "I would much rather have gone with Master Luke than stay here with you." 3PO complained. "I don't know what this trouble is about, but I'm sure it must be your fault."
R2 beeped an angry response.
"You watch your language!" 3PO scolded.
~8~
Elsewhere in Mos Eisley, Luke, Juno and Obi-Wan were at a used speeder lot. Juno had managed to sell her speeder bike for 950 gold peggats and 50 truggats, while Luke was currently haggling over the price he was willing to sell his landspeeder for. "Alright, give it to me, I'll take it." he conceded to the buyer, who gave him 1000 peggats for the speeder. Luke retrieved his poncho from the speeder and he, Juno and Obi-Wan left the lot. "Look at this." Luke sighed, looking at the money he'd gotten. "Ever since the XP-38 came out, they just ain't in demand."
"Never mind, we've got enough." Obi-Wan told him. They reunited with the droids at docking bay 94. "If the ship's as fast as he's boasting, we ought to do well." Obi-Wan remarked.
Chewbacca was waiting for them outside the docking bay and he led them inside to reveal that the Millennium Falcon was a dilapidated old Corellian YT-1300 series freighter that had clearly seen better days. "What a piece of junk!" Luke burst out.
"Can this tin can even get off the ground?" Juno asked dryly.
Han, who had been running some last minute checks on the ship, took offence to those remarks. "She'll make point five past lightspeed." he said indignantly. "She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts, kids. I've made a lot of special modifications myself. But, we're a little rushed, so if you'll just get on board, we'll get outta here." And so Obi-Wan and the youngsters followed Chewbacca inside the ship.
"Hello, sir." 3PO greeted Han as he and R2 passed him.
Han just rolled his eyes and went back to his checks. He had just finished up when he heard a voice yell "Stop that ship! Blast them!" And he looked round to see a squad of Sandtroopers storm into the docking bay and open fire with their rifles.
Han quickly drew his blaster and returned fire, dislodging some masonry from the entrance's ceiling which knocked a few troopers down and gave Han a chance to scramble up the Falcon's boarding ramp. "Chewie, get us out of here!" he yelled as he ran towards the cockpit.
In the passenger compartment, Luke, Juno and Obi-Wan all quickly fastened their seatbelts as the ship's engines rumbled into life. "Oh my, I've forgotten how much I hate space travel." 3PO moaned.
The Sandtroopers continued to fire in vain at the Falcon as the ship quickly lifted off from the docking bay and sped skywards. The ship was soon clear of Tatoonie's atmosphere, but they weren't out of the woods yet. Han checked his sensor readings to see that another ship was gaining on them. "Looks like a Star Destroyer." he observed. "Our passengers must be hotter than I thought. Try and hold 'em off. Angle the deflector shields while I make the calculations for the jump to lightspeed." he ordered Chewbacca.
As the Millennium Falcon raced towards open space, two Imperial Star Destroyers went in pursuit of the freighter.
"Stay sharp, there's another one comin' in." Han told Chewbacca. "They're gonna try and cut us off."
Luke, Juno and Obi-Wan entered the cockpit at that moment. "Why don't ya outrun 'em. I thought you said this thing was fast." Luke sassed.
"Watch ya mouth, kid, or you're gonna find yourself floating home." Han retorted. "We'll be safe enough once we make the jump to hyperspace. Besides, I know a few manoeuvres. We'll loose 'em." The Star Destroyers at this point had entered firing range of the Falcon and they lost no time to do so. The little freighter shuddered from the impacts, causing Luke to grab hold of one of the passenger seats to avoid falling flat on his face. "This is where the fun begins." Han smirked.
"Speak for yourself, Hotshot." Juno snorted.
"How long before you can make the jump to lightspeed?" Obi-Wan asked.
"It'll take a few moments to get the co-ordinates from the navicomputer." Han replied.
"Are you kidding? At the rate they're gaining..." Luke began as more laser blasts rocked the ship.
"Travelling through hyperspace ain't like dustin' crops, boy." Han retorted. "Without precise calculations, we'd fly right through a star or bounce too close to a super nova, and that would end your trip real quick, wouldn't it?"
A red warning light suddenly began flashing on the control panel. "What's that flashing?" Luke asked, pointing to the light.
"We're losing a deflector shield." Han said, smacking Luke's hand away, "Go strap yourselves in, I'm gonna make the jump to lightspeed." And so Obi-Wan, Juno and Luke went back to the passenger compartment, while Han flipped a switch to activate the Falcon's hyperdrive. The ship promptly streaked off into hyperspace, leaving Tatooine and the pursuing Star Destroyers far behind.
~8~
The Death Star entered orbit of Alderaan. Grand Moff Tarkin stood in the control room, watching the planet come into view on the main screen. "We've entered the Alderaan system." Admiral Motti reported.
Just then, Vader entered, accompanied by two Fleet troopers escorting Princess Leia and Kali Marek. Both Rebels' hands were bound, but their spirits remained defiant. "Governor Tarkin. I should've expected to find you holding Vader's leash." Leia snarked. "I recognised your foul stench when we were brought on board."
Tarkin smirked. "Charming to the last. You don't know how hard I found it signing the order to terminate your life."
"I'm surprised you had the courage to take on the responsibility yourself." Leia retorted.
Kali meanwhile was looking around the control room with mock interest. "Nice place." she commented. "It'd be a terrible shame if something were to happen to it."
"Princess Leia, Kali Marek, before your executions, I would like you both to be my guests at a ceremony that will make this battle station operational." Tarkin announced. "No star systems will dare oppose the Emperor now."
"You wish." Kali snorted.
"The more you tighten your grip, Tarkin, the more star systems will slip through your fingers." Leia told Tarkin sweetly.
"Not after we demonstrate the power of this station." Tarkin replied calmly. "In a way, you have determined the choice of the planet that will be destroyed first. Since you are reluctant to provide us with the location of the Rebel base, I have chosen to test this station's destructive power on your home planet of Alderaan."
Both Leia and Kali were horrified. "What?!" Kali stared.
"No!" Leia burst out. "Alderaan is peaceful, we have no weapons. You can't possibly..."
"You would prefer another target? A military target? Then name the system!" Tarkin demanded, raising his voice only so slightly. "I grow tired of asking this, so it will be the last time. Where is the Rebel base?"
Leia looked to Kali, who nodded, apparently both women realising that they had no choice. "Dantooine. They're on Dantooine." Leia told Tarkin quietly.
"Yeah, you win, Tarkin. Our base on Datooine." Kali added. "Please, just leave Alderaan out of this, we've done nothing to you."
Tarkin raised a brow. "You see, Lord Vader? They can be reasonable." He turned to Motti. "Continue with the operation. You may fire when ready."
"What?!" Leia and Kali cried together.
"You're both far too trusting." Tarkin said sweetly. "Dantooine is too remote to make an effective demonstration, but don't worry. We will deal with your Rebel friends soon enough."
"You murderers!" Kali burst out. She made to rush forward, but a Fleet trooper held her back.
~8~
Technicians in the Death Star's superlaser control room pressed buttons and flipped switches, ready to commit their horrific act of mass murder. "Commence primary ignition." the order came from main control.
An enormous green bolt of energy formed in the Death Star's superlaser dish and lanced out at Alderaan. The lush blue-green planet was instantly blown to space dust.
~8~
Leia and Kali had seen everything from the control room. "And you call yourselves Human?!" Leia glared at the Imperials.
"You'll pay for this, Tarkin, I promise you." Kali said with restrained fury. "If it's the last thing we ever do, we'll destroy this evil toy of yours and all of you with it!"
Tarkin was unimpressed at the threat. "Take them away." he said contemptuously, and the Fleet troopers escorted the two woman back to their detention cells.
Author's notes: And we meet Han Solo and Chewbacca. This chapter reveals that Juno wields a purple lightsabre. I debated for a bit as to what colour her weapon would be, but I've ultimately gone with purple, which seems to be the popular choice for OCs. Incidentally, although we first saw a purple lightsabre on screen with Mace Windu in Attack of the Clones, purple sabres did exist in the Expanded Universe before that. Mara Jade was often depicted with a purple sabre in various media, such as on comic book covers and in the Mysteries of the Sith game. Boc in Dark Forces II: Jedi Knight wielded two purple lightsabres and the original actions figures of Ki-Adi Mundi and Saesee Tiin both had purple lightsabres. Regarding the destruction of Alderaan, that horrific act does seem to get swept under the rug pretty quickly in the film, however I've given Leia and Kali appropriate reactions to it. So, hope you like this chapter and hope to see you next time.