Coruscant
One day later
When the buzzer sounded, Leia yelled out from the refresher,
"Chewie... can you see who's there?"
She looked in the mirror, noting her pale face and red-rimmed eyes. Luke should have contacted her by now, unless
things went wrong. She could tell her
brother was still alive, but he seemed distressed, and Leia was unable to
establish a strong connection with his Force-sense.
The loud howl of the Wookiee reached her ears, and although Leia
couldn't understand exactly what Chewie was saying, he seemed to be upset. Leia quickly made her way to the living area,
and saw General Rieekan standing in the middle of the room, worry lines
creasing his face. Han... "General," Leia said slowly. "What brings you here?"
"I...I have to bring Chewie in for questioning,
Princess," Rieekan replied, his discomfort increasing. "And I'm terribly sorry, you'll have to
come in later, as well."
"Questioning?"
"Do you know a Chauncy Cesna?" Rieekan asked.
Leia's face grew hard.
"That... woman that threw herself at Han the night of Lando's
party."
"She was murdered last night, after leaving a
nightclub."
"That's too bad," Leia said shortly, not really feeling
much sympathy. "What does that have
to do with me, or Chewie?"
"The patrons claim a Wookiee was seen following her
outside."
"Chewie's not the only Wookiee on Coruscant," Leia
snapped out.
Rieekan shook his head.
"I agree. Unfortunately, according to Ms. Wennit, he had a
motive."
"Wennit? Maybe you
should be questioning her."
"The authorities already have, Leia. She's accusing you of sending Chewie to
murder Cesna."
***************
Two days later
Dathomir
Han was truly getting tired of being dragged from place to
place. Apparently, they had arrived at
his latest destination, now Zsinj and his puppet Melvar were escorting Han to
the surface of this unidentified system.
"Care to enlighten me where we're at?" Han finally asked,
unable to remain silent.
"Dathomir," Zsinj replied, sounding pleased Han had
finally spoken.
"Never heard of it."
"In a few days, you'll wish you never had, that's for
certain," he chortled.
"Fun place, huh?" Han prodded, refusing to express fear
to his captors.
"You might say so. The
human men prisoners certainly find it.... entertaining enough."
That reply was odd, to say the least. "Men? You don't keep female prisoners here?"
"Sure we do. They just
don't have quite as much fun as the men," Zsinj said thoughtfully. "Although the pretty ones get their
share. We see to that."
General Melvar snorted in laughter. "I do like to show the ladies a good
time, Solo."
Han couldn't hide his disgust.
"You Imps are all alike.
Sadistic pervs, all of you. No
wonder you couldn't stay in power."
"Our defeat was only a temporary setback, Solo. Soon, Coruscant will be history, and the
"Don't tell me you jerks have another Death Star sitting
around," Han said lightly, feeling his pulse quicken and his stomach
lurch. What did he mean, 'Coruscant will
be history?' His family was on
Coruscant. It was supposedly the safest
system in the galaxy, and now it was being threatened.
"Not a Death Star.
Something better, something just as deadly, but far more
maneuverable. You Rebels won't be able
to destroy this weapon, because you won't be able to catch it."
This didn't sound good. Han
felt the shuttle land, and he was jerked to his feet, then dragged out into
what sounded and smelled like a forest planet.
"Where do you wish us to take him, Grand Admiral?" one
of the guards asked.
"Holding cell 25, with the kid." Then, addressing Han he added, "Don't
get comfortable, Solo. Tomorrow, you'll
be given to your new owners, and they'll make us sadistic Imperials look like
kindly solar worshipping monks."
********
Carida
Luke admitted to himself that he'd been impressed with what he'd
seen so far of Mara Jade's skill level with a lightsaber. Even with her minimal Force training, she was
a powerful opponent. Darth Incuse's
talents were also raw, but powerful as well.
Together, they would be a formidable opponent for the
He backed away from the practice duel with Incuse, meeting the
man's green eyes. "I can feel the
conflict in you, Corran. You don't truly
want to be evil."
"I'm not evil," he snapped back at the Jedi. "The Rebels are the evil ones. You claim to be such a good man,
Skywalker. How many people died when you
blew up the Death Star?"
"Bad argument, Corran.
The Death Star was exactly that.... death. Those serving on the station had just
destroyed Alderaan. Billions of innocent
lives were wiped out. And the Emperor
would have used it against other systems, as well."
"Don't call me Corran, it's no longer my name. My name is
Darth Incuse. Incuse. It means forged. Hammered.
Just like I plan on doing to you and your cohorts, hammering at them
until they beg for mercy or death."
Empress Jade had been listening to this exchange, her lips pursed
in amusement. "Come, Darth
Incuse," she ordered, standing up and taking Luke's saber from his
grasp. "I have something I need for
you to do." She looked back over
her shoulder at Luke. "I'll be back
soon, Jedi."
Luke watched as they left his room, then headed to the window,
gazing out over the Imperial base.
Although the window couldn't be opened, Luke was pretty sure he could
escape when the time came. Still, he
hadn't been able to pry any information as to Han's whereabouts from either
Horn or Jade. If he didn't discover
something soon, he knew he'd be forced to leave and return to Coruscant. Leia would be crushed if he failed to find
Han. He couldn't let her down.
***********
"What is it you wish me to do, Empress?" Darth Incuse
asked as they entered a heavily fortified chamber. Guards were positioned all around the
perimeter.
"I wish you to be the pilot for the Sun Crusher, and
meet up with the Iron Fist in two days."
"Where is the Iron Fist heading?" Incuse asked,
thinking about the small, needle-nosed ship Empress Jade had showed him
earlier. It thrilled him to think he
would be the one piloting the sleek craft, that his Empress trusted him with such
a powerful weapon. At the same time, it
bothered him that she was sending him away from Carida, away from her and Jedi
Skywalker. Did she want Skywalker
to replace him? Would Skywalker become
her lover in his absence? It took all of
Incuse's self control not to reveal his troubled thoughts to his Empress.
"Coruscant, my dear Incuse."
Incuse hesitated, then asked, "Coruscant? I assume to regain control?"
"No, Darth Incuse, we are attacking Coruscant, and when we
are done, nothing will remain. The
planet will be destroyed."
Darth Incuse's mind could barely register what he was hearing.
"The entire planet?"
"The Sun Crusher is the most heavily shielded ship
ever created. It's indestructible. You will drive the Sun Crusher through
the heart of the system," Jade replied, her expression growing
pleased. "By doing so, you will
start a chain reaction. Superheated
magma will rise instantly to the surface, and massive earthquakes will follow. The buildings will fall, one on top of the
other. The atmosphere will become toxic.
Eons will pass before the planet ever becomes stable again - if it ever
does."
"Has anyone ever tested this ship? Is it capable of accomplishing such a
thing?" Incuse asked shakily, trying to hide his shock. In his wildest
imagination, Darth Incuse never thought he'd be called upon to do something
this unspeakable.
"Are you afraid, Darth Incuse?" the Empress
sneered. "I thought you'd be
thrilled to be the first pilot to actually use the Sun Crusher."
"I'm not afraid," Incuse lied. "I will take the ship
to Coruscant as you wish."
*********
Dathomir
Han was pushed into another cell, and his binders were
removed. Sighing, he started his usual
procedure of feeling the length of his new quarters. He'd only taken one step, when a young voice
spoke.
"You blind?"
This was the 'kid' Zsinj said was being held prisoner in this
cold, stone cell. "Yeah, I'm
blind."
"How?"
"The Imperials play rough," Han answered shortly, not
feeling like going into any lengthy explanation right now about carbon freezing
and its long term effects. Even after a
year and a half, there were specialists that contacted him, asking if they
could 'study' him. They could be every
bit as annoying as holo-reporters at times.
"Can't you see anything at all?"
"Flashes of light, sometimes. And I can see murky shadows, if
it's bright enough in the room. But in
places where there's hardly any light, like in here, I can't see a damn
thing."
"Oh."
"What's your name, kid?" Han asked. By this point, he'd assumed the child was a
boy, but when they were young, sometimes it was difficult to tell.
"Kyp. Kyp
Durron."
"Kyp." Definitely
a boy, then. "My name's Han
Solo. How old are you, Kyp?"
"Twelve."
"Twelve, huh? So
what'dya do to get thrown in an Imp prison?
Stealin' the Emperor's stuffed bantha toy?"
"Nah... my folks were brought here because they were accused
of spying. I had a brother, too, but my
brother wasn't brought to this planet."
Kyp was quiet for a moment before continuing. "My dad was taken
away a few weeks after we got here, and we never saw him again."
Solo wondered if the kid's father had been given to the same
people Zsinj intended to turn him over to, and he strongly suspected that was
the case. "I'm sorry to hear that, kid.
What about your mom?"
"She stayed with me a little while longer. Then the guards took her away, too. I could
hear them telling her if she was nice to them, they wouldn't hurt
me." The boy's voice grew
soft. "I think my mom and dad are
both dead. I can't feel them
anymore."
"Feel them?"
"I used to be able to... feel them. When they were taken away, I could tell they
were.." the boy hesitated.
"They were hurting and afraid, and, and... ashamed. Then I just stopped feeling them. I can't
explain it..."
"I think I can," Han said gently. "You're probably Force sensitive,
Kyp." Maybe that old Jedi Twi'lek
was right, after all. What were the odds
of being locked up in the same cell with a Force-sensitive kid on some
backwater planet?
"The Force. Yeah,
that's what my mom said, but I wasn't supposed to tell anyone."
"That's probably a good idea," Han concurred. "Hey, Kyp?"
"Yeah?"
Han leaned forward, whispering as softly as he could. "How would you like to help me break
outta here?"
"For sure?"
"For sure. Breakin'
outta prisons is one of my strong suits, kid."
"What does that mean?" the boy asked.
Solo laughed, thinking about his wife, and finding renewed
determination to find his way back home.
"It means, never tell me the odds."
*************
Coruscant
"I can't believe she's accused me of sending Chewie out to
murder someone," Leia said, her ire growing by the second. The nerve of that woman!
The Chief of Internal Investigations leaned back in his heavy
chair, frowning. A tall man with sandy,
thinning hair, and a growing paunch, he'd had this job for a year now, and was
rapidly becoming overwhelmed by the number of murder cases this district alone
suffered on a weekly basis. Most of the
murders were on the lower levels, the victims often never identified. The murder of a beautiful up-and-coming
actress was something new. And the
possibility that the perpetrator was someone like Organa-Solo made Chief Bauts
mouth water in anticipation. "She
gave me an audio recording of you speaking, Ambassador Organa-Solo. It sounded like a threat to me."
Leia stared in disbelief at this impudent law officer. "I beg your pardon?"
"You spoke to Massy Wennit in your office, the day after your
husband was seen kissing the victim in public.
You told her, and I quote, 'If you and your little actress friend don't
leave me and my husband alone, you're going to be sorry.'" The man cleared his throat. "Would you like to listen to her
recording? If you're telling me it's a
fake..."
"No," Leia snapped out.
"It's not fake. But I wasn't
threatening to murder her!"
"Leia, calm down," General Rieekan said, placing a hand
on her forearm. He would represent her
in any defense she needed, and had insisted on attending Chewie's interview
yesterday, and Leia's interview today.
"Ms. Wennit also handed over a holo-recording taken from a
passing hovercraft the night of Calrissian's party. It clearly shows your husband engaged in
extra-marital activities with Ms. Cesna.
I think Massy Wennit is being quite open and upfront with this investigation."
"A holo-recording?
Don't you think that's mighty convenient, that someone would just
happen to be passing by that balcony, and just happened to record that
incident?"
"Stranger things happen.
And we do have witnesses that are willing to swear to the fact they saw
a Wookiee following Ms. Cesna out of the club the night of her murder."
"It wasn't Chewbacca!
He was with me," Leia protested.
"And who, besides Chewbacca, would be your alibi,
Ambassador?"
"You don't have to answer that question, Princess,"
Rieekan advised.
Leia opened her mouth, then snapped it shut. Although Rieekan didn't know it yet, she had
no alibi for that night, for either her or Chewie.
**********
By the time Leia left the Investigator's office, she was reeling
with emotions. Murder! She was being accused of using Chewie to
murder that trollop. There was little
hard evidence of that, but when this became public to the holo-news, proof
would hardly matter. The reporters would
swarm down like a flock of hungry krayt vultures - she and Chewie would be
convicted through the holonet without so much as a trial. She felt her comlink sound, and raised it to
her mouth. "Yes?"
"Ambassador?" a tinny voice said. "The Lady Luck has requested landing
clearance. You asked to be
notified..."
"Thank you. I'm on my
way." Finally, something was going
right. Maybe Luke and Lando had found and rescued Han, and now everything would
start to go right. Except for the small
detail that Leia couldn't sense either her husband or her brother in any close
proximity. I'm just too upset to
concentrate... Still, she felt her
worry start to increase, rather than lessen as she hurried to meet the Luck.
Reaching the landing platform, Leia noted the Lady Luck setting
down with some difficulty. Perhaps it
had been damaged during the escape, although there didn't appear to be any
outward signs of a battle. Moving
forward as the landing ramp lowered, the Princess gasped as Lando Calrissian
staggered out, dragging his heavily bandaged right leg.
"Lando!"
"Princess, I'm sorry.... we got caught. We failed..." Calrissian dropped to the surface, unable to
walk another step.
************
Carida
Threepio and Artoo had spent the past three days lurking in the
corridors of the Carida military base, trying to act casual. It was easy for Artoo, quite difficult for
Threepio, who constantly worried they would be caught and melted into
slag. Artoo had also come across the Empress's
plan to destroy Coruscant, so that worried Threepio, too. Getting Master Luke free so he could warn
Mistress Leia seemed to be imperative.
Now they only had to figure out how to enter Master Luke's locked
and heavily guarded room without arousing suspicion. It was enough to make a droid short-circuit.
**********
Dathomir
"Tonight? You wanna
escape tonight?" Kyp asked, astounded.
Han was leaning against the stone wall and pushing around the
unappetizing meal of tough stew they'd been served. "Sooner the better. I have a feeling tomorrow will be too late
for me."
"Why?"
"The head idiot told me he was handin' me over to some
different people real soon, and they don't sound like the sort I wanna get to
know, kid."
"Oh." Kyp was
quiet, then said, "All the men disappear once they get here. I heard some guards say they're given to
witches. What's a witch?"
"Uh... witches are supposedly women that have special
powers."
"Like the Force?"
"Maybe," Han replied. "You're asking me things I
don't know."
"That explains why I've felt others."
"Others?"
"People that I can feel stronger than regular people. And I feel lots of strong other people
here."
"Oh. Great."
"Is that good, then?"
"I doubt it, Kyp. I
really doubt it."
Han stood up and walked to the window, open to the cool night air
except for the fact heavy bars were embedded into the stone blocks. "How far down is the ground from here,
Kyp? Can you describe this prison
compound to me?"
He listened as the boy came up next to him. "It's about twenty feet to the ground,
maybe. The prison is like a big stone box,
with all the cells on the outer walls, and there's a big, open area in the
middle where most of the prisoners spend the day. I think this used to be an ancient fort, and
the Imps are just using it for a prison.
There are five floors. The guards
sleep on the top floor, the bottom section is used for eating and
interrogations. The three middle floors
are where the prisoners are kept. We're
on the third floor."
"Are there lots of guards?"
"No. About ten guards
walk around on top of the edge of the wall, because they can see down on both
sides. Then, when it's getting dark,
another guard makes the rounds and checks the doors to make sure they're
locked. He comes the same time, every
night. The Imps think the prisoners
won't try to escape, since there's nowhere to go if you get out."
So only about a dozen guards? Han mused, wondering why the Imps
weren't more afraid of the local witches. Perhaps because they were keeping the
witches supplied with prisoners so they could be used as slaves or sacrifices.
Either way, it sounded like a situation to be avoided. "Kyp, I have an
idea, but you have to do exactly what I say, and it could be dangerous."
"I don't mind dangerous, Han.
I'd like to escape, too.
"Can you fly a ship, Kyp?"
"No," the boy replied, slightly abashed. "My dad said I was too young to learn,
only I didn't think so. Besides, the
Imps don't keep any ships around; I even saw the shuttle you came in head back
up. I think they're afraid the witches
are going to steal them."
"Too bad," Han said, deciding they'd figure a way off
the planet after they were free.
Supplies certainly had to arrive, troops had to come and go. "Still, we're gettin' outta here. When the guard comes around, I want you to
act like I'm hurting you. Yell and holler
really loud. Pretend like you're
crying."
"Crying? I don't
cry!"
Han sighed. "Just
pretend, kid. Then when the guard comes
in, I'll jump him and you use your Force stuff to grab his weapon away,
okay?"
"I'll try," the boy replied gamely.
"Kid, let me tell you something my brother-in-law always
says: 'Do or Do not, there is no try'."
"Okay... I'll do it," the boy said, trying to work up
his confidence.
Han stepped back. Sitting
down cross legged on the straw mattress, Han grabbed the ratty material and
started tearing it into strips so they would have some rope to tie up the
guard.
***********
Carida
The rather large object clattered to the floor, and Mara Jade
stood up, her face hardening in anger.
"Levitating objects is unnecessary.
Show me how to use the Force to manipulate minds," she demanded of
her reluctant teacher.
"You have to learn patience, Empress," Luke tried to
explain. "Levitating is part of the
full range of skills you need to learn."
"Patience? I don't
need patience," she snapped back.
"I'm not a Jedi, I'm a Sith."
"Even a Sith needs patience."
"Teach me how to create Force-lightning," she demanded.
"I can't do that," Luke replied quietly. "Force-lightning is of the dark side,
and I won't touch the dark side."
"That's what you think, Jedi.
You'll change your mind soon enough."
"No, I won't."
Luke approached the woman, stopping himself from touching her arm. "Mara, the Emperor used you. This isn't the way you have to act. You can still free yourself from his influence,
and turn to the light side. You're
strong in the Force, and you would make a wonderful Jedi."
"He didn't use me," she argued back, forgetting he'd
called her 'Mara' instead of Empress.
"I already told you, I don't want to turn from the dark side. I want to rule the galaxy."
"That's Palpatine talking.
Please, let me help you."
"Do you find me attractive, Skywalker?" she asked
suddenly, throwing him off balance with the question. Over the years, Mara had discovered that men
could be easily swayed to do her bidding if she promised them feminine
favors. Not that they ever actually got
those favors, but that was besides the point.
Just dangle the incentive, and they would turn into meek bantha pups,
begging to please her with their obedience.
"You're a beautiful woman, Mara."
"You want me, Skywalker.
I can feel it."
"A Jedi knows no passion."
She tossed her head back, laughing at his words. "Passion. Desire.
More emotions supposedly of the dark side." Then she looked at Luke, her green eyes
narrowing. "Does your sister not
feel passion for her husband?"
Luke shifted, uncomfortable with this question. "She was already in love with Han before
she found out she was Force-sensitive."
"So that makes it alright?"
"I don't know. There's
a lot I don't know, Mara. But I know you
have good inside you, and so does Corran.
Neither one of you has to travel in darkness. You have time to turn back, find inner peace,
instead of anger and hatred," Luke answered truthfully. Then he cautiously decided to ask, "Where did you take Han?"
"You'll never know, Skywalker," Jade taunted. "But Solo's going to learn more about
dark side desires than he ever dreamed about."
With that ominous statement, she left his room. Luke heard the door click shut and lock. Her presence moved away, so he was a bit
surprised when the outer door cycled opened - a moment later a tall golden
droid entered the room, pushing a food cart.
Luke felt his mouth drop open in surprise. "Threepio?"
"Master Luke! It's
been terrible... just awful! Sneaking
around, hiding from stormtroopers, any moment knowing we could be
terminated!" Threepio leaned over
and pulled at the white table cloth.
"Come out of there, you coward!
Why am I always the one taking all the risks?"
Artoo gave a raspberry toward his partner, then rolled out from
under the food cart. He then gave a long
series of beeps, looking from Threepio to Luke.
"What's he saying, Threepio?"
"Oh, he's found out some terrible plot that Empress Jade has
concocted, the little showoff. Something
about attacking Coruscant with someone named Zsinj, and destroying Coruscant
with a terrible weapon called the Sun Crusher." Threepio paused, and tilted his head
thoughtfully. "I suppose it could
be worse.... we could be on Coruscant."
"We need to get to Coruscant, guys. Do you know the fastest route to the landing
docks?"
Artoo toodled happily, and rocked back and forth on his 'foot'.
"Artoo says the Millennium Falcon is parked in an
out-of-the way location, and will be easier to access than the Imperial
ships. I should have suspected you would
want to go to Coruscant. Oh, dear me, my
circuits can't take all this stress."
The Falcon. Luke
smiled as he thought about the battered, fast freighter. "Artoo, did you happen to find out any
information about Han?"
"Breepo."
"He says he researched, and could only tell that Captain Solo
was taken aboard the Iron Fist, immediately before we landed."
"Let's go, then. We
don't have much time," Luke quickly shielded himself, then started for the
doorway. He wished he had his lightsaber
- leaving it behind was a disappointment.<
Another disappointment was his inability to convince either Corran
or Mara to reject the dark side, but he wasn't done trying to win Mara Jade
back from the dark side, not by a long shot.
***********
Dathomir, evening
"The guard is coming," Kyp told Han several hours
later. Quickly, Han moved toward the
edge of the doorway, and crouched down.
"HELP!" Kyp screamed as loudly as he was able. "He's insane! He's killing me!" The boy let loose with a loud wail, trying to
pretend he was being murdered.
"HOLD STILL, YOU KREFFIN' KID!" Han yelled back. "I can't choke you if you keep moving
around!"
The sound of the door sliding open was Han's cue. Acting on instinct, he lunged toward the
stormtrooper, taking the man down in a tangle of limbs, groping for the
rifle. The Imperial twisted around,
using his armor to his advantage, punching Han in the stomach, then trying to
lift the weapon and aim for the deranged prisoner.
Then it was Kyp's turn.
Hoping he could do what Han asked, he reached forward, concentrating on
his very raw skills, and pulled the rifle away from the Imperial. It was heavy, and Kyp wasn't too sure how it
worked, but he aimed it at the thrashing men and pulled the trigger. At such a close range he couldn't miss, and
the trooper died instantly.
Han staggered to his feet, swiping at his forehead. "Kid, that was too close. I felt the heat right next to my
temple."
"But I didn't blast you," he pointed out, pushing Han
toward the now open doorway.
"No. No, you
didn't. And I appreciate it, more than I
can say."
With that, Han grabbed the make-shift rope he no longer needed to
use to tie up the stormtrooper, and followed the young boy out the door.
***********
Carida
The Millennium Falcon sat, alone and deserted - just as
Artoo promised. "It looks like
we've made it," Luke said to his droids as he urged them forward.
"Looks can be deceiving, Skywalker," the Empress's silky
voice said, stepping out from behind the landing struts.
"Mara. Just allow me
to leave. I don't want to kill
you."
She flashed him a big smile.
"Really? How generous. You're breaking your word by escaping,
Skywalker. I thought noble Jedi didn't
break promises."
"I never promised to not escape. I only said that I'd train you. I tried doing
that. Something more urgent has come to
my attention back on Coruscant," Luke said, waiting for her to react.
"You can't stop what's about to happen, Skywalker," she
taunted.
"Don't do this, Mara.
It's not too late to call off your ships. Think about all the billions of innocent
lives," he pleaded.
The Empress reached on her belt clip, and tossed Luke his
lightsaber. "It's time to put your
credits on your precious light side, Jedi.
Prove to me you're stronger."
She turned on her own purple blade, and attacked.
*********
Dathomir
"This door is locked," Kyp said, pulling on the wooden
door.
"Blast it," Han instructed.
Stepping back, the young boy shut his eyes and fired at the lock,
sending smoke and splinters flying. He
pushed it open, and peered inside. "It's a stairwell," he informed
Han, just as alarms sounded.
"Great," the Corellian muttered, "We need to get
out of this compound - fast. Is there a
window near here?"
Kyp looked around.
"Yeah... at the other end of the corridor."
"Are there bars across it?"
"No... it looks like a regular window."
"Good. Take me over
there, kid."
The boy quickly guided Han over to the window, and Han handed him
one end of the makeshift rope. “Is this
wall on the outside of the compound, Kyp?" Han questioned.
"Yes. But it looks
like a long drop, and then there isn't anything but trees right past the
wall."
Han's fingers groped the window sill. "Is there something to tie this rope
to?"
"Well," Kyp said, his voice uncertain. "There's a rusty metal frame that holds
the duraglass in - I could loop it through.
But it doesn't look too sturdy."
"Just do it... we don't have much time."
Quickly, Kyp tied the rope to the casing, then looked expectantly
toward Han. "Now what?"
"Now you go over the edge, and I'll make sure it doesn't let
loose. Once you're down, I'll
follow."
"Okay," Kyp replied, sounding less and less sure this
was a good plan. Still, he gamely went
over the side, and shimmied down the rope, dropping to the ground. "I'm down," he said as quietly as
he could, and still be heard.
Han threw his leg over the window ledge, then started down the
rope. Unfortunately, halfway down, the
metal sill let go, and Han plunged to the ground with a thud.
********
Carida
Green and purple lightsabers clashed in a battle for
supremacy. The Empress was bitterly
determined to turn Luke to the dark side, or failing that, kill him. Luke was just as determined to survive, to
warn Coruscant of her plans. The only
problem was that Luke didn't want to kill Mara, or he could have ended the
battle quickly.
Instead, he parried her blows, and moved away from her assault as
he defending himself, trying to formulate a plan that would allow him to escape
with both his life.... and hers. It was
a dilemma.
Empress Jade saw through Luke's motives. Panting, she backed away. "You're weak, Skywalker. You can't bring yourself to kill me, can you?"
"I don't think you deserve to die, Mara. I can tell you're not truly evil, that you've
been twisted and manipulated by Palpatine.
Let me help you."
"I have a better idea.... join me in ruling the galaxy,"
Jade returned harshly. "Become my
partner, in every way." Jade turned
on her charm to full force. "Incuse
wants me, but you're the one that can have me, Skywalker."
"I don't want you, Mara.
Not like you are - hard and angry.
You're beautiful on the outside, and ugly inside, where it truly matters. Physical beauty is transient...inner beauty
is for all time."
"How dare you speak to me like that," she hissed out,
her rage growing by the second.
"You can't win.. why can't you understand? Darth Incuse is already on his way to the
rendezvous point with Zsinj. Coruscant
is going to be destroyed, whether you leave here, or not." She moved forward like a snake, striking her
saber at her opponent, forcing Luke to take cover under the lowered ramp of the
Falcon. Still she followed him under
the belly of the ship, moving to drive him out into the open.
It was at that point Luke made a very difficult decision.
**********
Dathomir
"Ow."
"Han... are you okay?" Kyp asked, shaking his arm. "We have to run, or the guards will
figure out where we went."
Gingerly, Han stood on his throbbing ankle, and flexed his
foot. The ankle hurt, but it didn't
appear to be broken. Still, a sprain
would slow them down. "Kyp, can you
tell where these witches are located, by using the Force?"
"I think so... I think they're to the south of the
fort."
"South, huh?" Han
said with a lopsided grin. "Then
why don't we go to the north?"
"Sounds good to me," Kyp concurred, taking Solo by the
wrist and leading the way. They'd only
gone a few yards when blaster fire sizzled the ground next to them. "Han?
I think the guards have seen us!"
"You think?" Han replied, unable to stifle his sarcasm
in time. Sprain or not, they started to
run, the bolts striking the trees and bushes, creating small brush fires as
they tried to make their escape.
"Kyp.... are they following us?"
The boy looked back over his shoulder, his eyes tracking the
blaster fire. "No.... they're
shooting from the top of the wall. They
won't leave the fortress... they're too
afraid of the witches and the rancors."
"RANCORS?! Why didn't
you tell me there were rancors out here?"
"You didn't ask."
***********
Coruscant
Massy Wennit passed an untraceable credit voucher at the creature
sitting across the table from her in the dingy diner. Right now, he looked like Bothan, but in
reality this being was a Clawdite, a changling.
"You did well, Flit," Massy told him. "You're the best employee I've ever
had."
"Thank you," he said, his fur rippling in pleasure. He took the credit voucher, smiling at the
large sum. "Anything else you
require?"
The holo-reporter leaned forward, lowering her voice. "Not at the moment, but you never
know." She gave a wicked grin. "Too bad Solo and his high and mighty
wife thought they were too good to be on my show."
"And too bad the actress tried blackmailing you," the
Clawdite added. "It was her last
mistake."
"Yes, it was. Shows
what happens when you get too greedy."
Massy shrugged. "She was a
second rate actress, anyway. No one will
miss her. With your species' talent for
altering appearances, you could be the holo-star."
The two got up, throwing some credit chips on the table before
they left the restaurant. The moment the
outer door closed, a woman lowered her cowl, revealing her long, snow white
hair, then watched as the pair walk down the outside street. Sometimes, her past training as a Rebel spy came in very handy.
*********
Carida
Taking a deep breath, Luke focused on the left landing strut
supporting the saucer-shaped ship, then pushed it outward, bending it
down. The Falcon shuddered and
tilted to the left, the underside of the ship striking the top of Jade's head,
sending her reeling to the ground. Her
lightsaber clattered from her fingers, then rolled away, automatically turning
off. Luke picked up her saber, then carefully approached the woman, kneeling
down and feeling her neck. She was still
alive. I should finish her off. If I don't, she'll just continue to cause the
"Master Luke?" Threepio asked, peering down the
Falcon's off-kilter ramp nervously.
"What are you doing? We
should leave!"
"I know, Threepio.
We're going."
"You're not bringing the Empress with us, are you?"
He hadn't intended to do that - he was only planning to move her
to safety so the Falcon could lift without killing her. Luke smiled at the droid. "Threepio, sometimes you're a
genius." Carrying Mara Jade up into
the ship, Luke paused only to close the ramp.
He ignored the shocked protests of both droids as he strapped Empress
Jade to the medical cot, and rushed to the cockpit. Taking off with a damaged landing strut would
be a challenge, but the Falcon had suffered worse damage and still
flown. It was times like this that Luke
realized he placed as much faith in the battered old ship as Han did.
The Millennium Falcon rose up and turned to face the
sky. The Imperials tried to contact the
pilot, and when Luke didn't reply, they sent TIE fighters to pursue. Unfortunately for the Imperials, it was far
too late by then to stop the speedy freighter.
**********
Dathomir, dawn
Zsinj was furious when he heard the news of Han’s escape. He faced
Melvar, the blaster in his hand trembling in his rage. "Order a dozen guards to leave the Iron
Fist and come planetside.” He turned
to the remaining guards, barely able to see straight in his fury. "You are all to go outside of the
fortress and track Solo and the kid.
Don't come back here if you can't find them."
Dismissed, the guards left the room, knowing their deceased
comrade was the lucky one.
"We are scheduled to leave Dathomir in ten hours, sir,"
Melvar reminded Zsinj politely.
"Empress Jade will not be pleased if we are late to the rendezvous
point."
Zsinj turned toward Melvar, his face a bright red. "I know that, General. One more word out of you, and you can go
outside and hunt for Solo, too."
Melvar was silent.
****
"Kyp? Is it day or
night?" Han asked as he tiredly limped along beside the young boy. They had been walking, sometimes running, for
hours now.
"The sun is coming up," Kyp replied. "We made it through the night
alive."
"Maybe we can rest now," Han suggested. "I don't think I can keep up this pace
much longer, kid."
"We can stop, I guess.
I don't think I can sense anyone following us." Kyp pulled Han over to some low hanging tree
branches, and told him to sit on the moss covered ground.
Leaning against the tree trunk, Han gave a groan. "So far, so good. No witches, no rancors, and no Imps."
"I guess," Kyp mumbled, also exhausted from the long
night. He curled into a ball, then fell
fast asleep. After a while, Han drifted
into a restless slumber, as well.
***********
Coruscant
Winter told Leia, Chewie and General Rieekan exactly what she had
overheard - word by word. Her memory
was, as always, flawless.
"Altering appearances?" Rieekan asked, frowning, then
surmising, "A Clawdite."
"That would be my guess," Winter replied. "It was amazing how much he managed to
look like a Bothan. I would never have
known."
"That explains why a Wookiee was seen leaving the
nightclub," Leia added, shaking her head.
"Now, how are we going to prove it?"
*I could dangle Wennit over the walkway by her blue hair until she
confesses,* Chewie woofed out his suggestion. *It's a long drop to the bottom
of Coruscant.*
Rieekan laughed as he listened to Winter's translation. Another perk of her fantastic memory was her
ability to learn languages in a matter of days.
"I don't think that would hold up in court, Chewie," Rieekan
said. "We have to think of a way to
trick her into confessing, in front of witnesses."
There was only one problem with that idea. No one had any idea how to make the conniving
holo-reporter do that...until Leia thought about Lando Calrissian, slowly
recovering from his wounded leg. If
anyone could figure out how to out-con a con-artist, it would be the flamboyant
Calrissian.
****
"You want me to do what?" Lando asked from his
hospital bed, his eyes wide.
"Seduce Massy Wennit," Leia repeated, looking the
gambler over carefully. Even in the
medic ward, he was dressed up in the finest mauve and yellow silk bathrobe, the
bacta cast was covered with an expensive gray blanket with silver threads laced
throughout. The doctors had told Lando
he'd regain full use of his leg, even though he'd always have a scar and a
slight limp from the cut tendons. The
cut had been too deep, and the treatment too slow in coming to prevent these
problems from occurring.
"She's horrid!" Lando objected, shuddering at the
thought. "I'm not sure she's even
female!"
Leia sighed. "She's a
female. Would you rather see me and
Chewie put on trial for Cesna's murder?"
"No," Lando groused out.
"Why couldn't it have been Chauncy Cesna that killed Massy
Wennit? I wouldn't have minded seducing
her one bit."
"I'll bet not," Leia answered. "So you'll do it?"
"I've already done an awful lot for you Skywalkers and Solos,
you know."
The Princess's eyes welled up, thinking about her missing husband
and captured brother. Luke had promised he would be careful -
instead he'd ended up another victim of Empress Jade. No one knew where Han was taken - perhaps he
wasn't even alive, anymore. To make all this even worse, the holo-news had already
gotten a hold of the information that Leia was a suspect in the murder of
Cesna, and had been hounding her secretary relentlessly.
The Baron noted the tears, barely held in check. "I'll do it, Princess. You know I will." He reached for her hand. "Luke will escape, and we'll still find
Han. Who knows? Han might already be on his way back to
Coruscant. Never bet against that
scoundrel."
Leia squeezed Lando's fingers. "I don't, Lando. Believe me."
**********
Dathomir
"Do not move," a soft voice with a heavy accent spoke in
Solo's ear. "I do not wish to harm you, or the child."
It was a woman, perhaps one of the witches Kyp had warned him
about. Han moved fast, twisting around
and sitting up, grabbing the woman around the waist and pushing her to the
ground. "KYP! Wake up!
Run, kid!"
"Han?" Kyp's bleary voice asked. "What's
happening?"
"RUN!"
Han listened as the boy started to rise, then heard the woman yell
out. "Stay!"
"All... right," Kyp whispered, sinking to his knees as
he felt an uncontrollable urge to obey.
What was he doing?
"Kyp, don't listen to her," Han said, struggling to hold the
woman in place. Suddenly Han was on his
stomach, his arms wrenched behind his back as the woman reversed their
positions. A tight rope was twisted
around his wrists, then his ankles. The
entire time she was tying him up, he couldn't move a muscle. He was turned over, then dragged into a
sitting position by his shirt.
"You're one of them," Han said slowly. "A witch."
"I am Teneniel Djo, from a tribe called the
"The name's Han Solo," he snapped out as he felt himself
lifted to his feet. How strong was this woman, anyway? "And, no, I can't
see."
"You and the boy should not be out here," Teneniel
said. "If the Nightsisters find
you, you will not be pleased."
"Nightsisters?"
Kyp finally spoke up, "Those are the witches the guards give
the men prisoners to. I heard them say
that word."
"The Nightsisters are evil," Teneniel explained. "They purchase the off-worlders and
abuse them, or kill them for amusement.
The same will happen to you, if they catch you."
"And is your tribe of witches different?" Han
questioned.
"We do not abuse our men, or kill them."
Han felt his jaw tighten.
"But you keep them as slaves, anyway?"
"We must go," Teneniel said, freeing Han's ankles so he
could walk, but keeping his wrists tied.
"The off-worlders that trade with the Nightsisters are coming, and
the Nightsisters will soon know there is a breeder on the loose. They will come for you, Han Solo." Forcing Han to move, she waved at Kyp. "Come young male. I will not leave you behind,
either." Then she looked up at the
tall man reluctantly following her.
"You have nothing to fear, Han Solo. All will be explained to you, but not
now. First we must get to safety."
**********
Onboard the Falcon
The trip back to Coruscant had become rather interesting after
Empress Jade awoke and found herself not only alive, but Luke Skywalker's
prisoner. How in the stars did their
roles become reversed? Things like this
simply didn't happen to a Sith Empress.
Obviously, she had underestimated her opponent. "You can't be
serious," Mara Jade snapped after hearing Luke's intentions, while tugging
at her binders to no avail. It must
be the headache, or maybe drugs, that was causing her this inability to use the
Force. Surely the Jedi wasn't this
powerful... or was he? Had he been
simply playing her this entire time, allowing her to assume she was the
one in control?
"I'm quite serious," Luke replied, watching her struggle
while he gently used the Force to ensure the binders remained locked. He had
also bandaged her head, and given her medication before she woke up, fully
aware that it was unlikely that she would be very cooperative. "You're coming with me to
Coruscant."
"We can't go there!"
"Because you've ordered Coruscant to be attacked," Luke
said. It wasn't a question. "When we get there, it might be a good
idea to call off your Imperial troops."
"You don't understand," she said, grinding her teeth in
frustration. "They are under strict
orders not to pay attention to any transmissions from Coruscant. They won't even have their communications
tuned in to Coruscant. I knew the
"What are your plans?" Luke questioned.
"I'm not telling you."
"Then you'll probably die, since you already told me you
intend to destroy the planet." Mara
turned her head away from Luke, refusing to look at him. "Mara, you don't have to die. No one has to die. Just tell me how you plan on attacking
Coruscant so we can defend ourselves."
"There is no defense against the Sun Crusher. Darth Incuse will use it, and you will all
die." She turned her face back to him.
"Why didn't you just kill me back on Carida, if you intended to
take me back to Coruscant to die, anyway?"
"I don't want you to die, Mara." Luke sighed.
"What is the Sun Crusher?"
For the first time since waking, she smiled, but it was a smile
filled with contempt. "It can fly
through anything, Jedi. Anything at
all. It's a ship that's so heavily
shielded, it's indestructible. It can
fly through another ship, or a primary and make it go nova. Or it can drill its way through a planet and
come out the other side unscathed."
That information took Luke's breath away. "It's not possible," he whispered
in shock.
"No? Neither was the
Death Star, was it? You just wait and
see what happens. Of course, you can
start evacuations." She looked
thoughtful. "How many thousands of
beings can make it to safety in time?
Thousands... out of billions. I'm
sure all the wealthy will make it out alive, but that won't endear the galaxy
to the
"Mara, please," Luke pleaded. "This is the Emperor talking, not
you. He killed your parents... he used
you, he brainwashed you to do his bidding.
What will killing billions accomplish?
Eventually, the galaxy will know it was your order that killed those
beings. You'll never find peace or
happiness following the dark side.
Please, reconsider."
Empress Jade shut her eyes, unable to look at the Jedi. "Never." But for the first time since she'd given the
order, she felt a stirring of fear and self-doubt.
********
Coruscant
Massy Wennit was busy pouring over the daily holo-news, tracking
the comings and goings of the rich and famous while looking for another story
to report. She had to pay lip service to
the biggest breaking story, of course.
After all, how many times did a Princess get accused of conspiring to murder
her husband's lover? A soft knock
sounded on her office door.
"Yes?" she snapped, wondering why her secretary was
knocking instead of speaking through the comlink.
The door opened and a tall dark skinned man stuck his head in.
"Massy Wennit? I've always wanted to
meet you."
"Really? Where is my
secretary?"
"Oh, she went out for some pastries. I told her I'd love to have some fresh
sweets, wouldn't you?" Lando
entered the room with a slight limp, wearing his usual flashy clothes, with the
added flair of a new silver-tipped cane made of the finest engraved
orowood. "Let me introduce
myself... my name is -"
"Lando Calrissian," Massy finished for him, feeling her
heart give a little flutter. Men this
good-looking didn't pay attention to Massy, unless she bribed them first by
flaunting her wealth around. "I was
at your lifeday party. You're quite
famous, actually."
"Why, thank you!" He gave a dramatic bow. "May I have a seat?"
"Of course..."
She waved at a chair.
"You're friends with the Solos."
"Friends. If you can
call it that." Lando shifted in the
chair, adjusting his red-lined cape.
"That's what I'd like to talk to you about, Madam Wennit. The Solos."
"You're not friends with them?"
"Did you ever hear, exactly, what went on when Solo and the
Princess came to Bespin?"
"That's when Solo got frozen in carbonite?"
"Yes. Well. I'd have to say my life has a tendency to
intersect with Solo, but would I call him my friend?" Lando gave her a dazzling smile and leaned
forward. "How would you like to go
to dinner with me tonight? Perhaps you
and I could become true friends, and you can learn a lot of, shall we
say, dirty secrets about Han Solo and his wife?"
A date with Lando Calrissian, and gossip about the
Solos? It was too good a proposal to
pass up. "I'd love to have dinner with you, Baron."
*********
Dathomir
Kyp followed behind Solo and Teneniel as they entered the
village. They had passed a small group
of perhaps twenty men laboring in the fields, watched over by several women
holding long spears. The men were
dressed in leather loincloths, while the women wore short leather dresses,
their thick long hair braided and entwined with colorful beads. But it was the appearance of the men that
fascinated Kyp. They were very thin, and
short - not much taller than Kyp. They
had very little hair on their heads, and it hung down in long, unkempt strands
past their bare waists. They all seemed
to move in slow motion, while a few wandered around aimlessly, staring off into
the sky. "Are those your slaves?" Kyp finally asked, pointing at the
field.
"Those are the worker drones," Teneniel replied
casually.
"Sounds like a nice description," Han muttered
sarcastically.
"You don't understand," the young woman told him,
guiding Han toward the center of the village.
"No, I don't," Han snapped back. "I'll never
understand the mindset of people that force other people to be slaves."
Kyp watched as several older women approached, frowning in
disapproval at Teneniel Djo.
"Teneniel," one woman spoke up. "You were told not to steal the
off-worlder slaves from the Nightsisters.
You disobeyed."
"These do not belong to the Nightsisters, Mother
Augwynne," Teneniel answered, quickly defending herself. "I found them alone, and they told me
they'd escaped from the old castle the off-worlders use as their base." She smiled, unable to stop herself. "The older one will make a good
breeder."
"We do not force off-worlders to become breeders. We are not like the Nightsisters,"
Augwynne informed her. She looked at the
young boy, instantly aware he was a male warrior. How was that possible? Males could not have powers. "Take this child away and feed him. He is young, and needs his nourishment."
One of the women reached for his arm, and Kyp pulled away
fearfully. "Han?"
"It's okay, kid. Just
go with them for right now," Han said, trying to sound reassuring.
He listened as the sound of footsteps faded away. Then the first voice, the one Teneniel called
Mother Augwynne, said, "How did you lose your vision?"
"The Imperials, the same type those Nightsisters are dealing
with, used me as an experiment and I ended up blind," Han explained,
feeling like he should just make a recording of his explanation, and pass it
out whenever he met someone new.
"Why do you keep men as slaves?
I hate to be the one to tell you this, but slavery is wrong,
ladies."
"Our men don't speak," another unidentified woman
said.
"Oh? So you punish
them for talkin', huh? Nice."
"No, Han Solo," Teneniel tried to explain. "They are never punished. They cannot speak, or think for themselves. Many generations ago, our world was much
different. Then a terrible sickness came
over our people." She paused,
looking at the Mother, and waited for a signal that it was alright to
continue. The Mother nodded her
approval, and Teneniel continued, "When the sickness was finally over,
things changed. Babies born male were
... simple minded. Weak and sickly, and
most were unable to become fathers."
She took a breath. "And then
the females all were born with powers we did not have before, and we became
warriors. Soon fighting broke out, and
some warriors stole the breeder males and fled.
Then more fighting, and more stealing.
As each generation passes, fewer and fewer Dathomirians are born, and
each village grows smaller and smaller.
A large number of villages no longer exist. Only the Nightsisters have a birth rate now
that allows them to survive beyond a few more generations."
"Let me guess why. The
off-worlders," Han surmised.
"Yes. Our males that
are able to create babies are kept separate from the worker drones, like the
ones that Kyp saw in the field. We must
protect them from other villages that, in desperation, seek more breeders so
their bloodline will continue. But our
village only has five breeders left."
"How many woman?" Han asked, suddenly curious, and aware
he was beginning to feel sorry for these people.
"This village has two hundred thirty nine warriors, but only
around eighty are within their childbearing years. Twenty years ago our village numbered a
little over one thousand, fifty years before that, over ten
thousand." She reached forward,
lightly touching his arm. "I have
heard the male children fathered by off-worlders are normal males... like
you. If you would agree to become a
breeder - "
"No," Han cut her off quickly. "I'm sorry. Truly I am, but I'm married, and I
couldn't."
"Married?"
Apparently, they didn't understand the concept of marriage. "It's when a man and a woman exchange
vows, promising to keep each other safe and their children safe ... and stay
faithful, physically. I can't break that
vow."
"We understand," Augwynne answered. "Unfortunately, the Nightsisters do not
care about such matters as vows or honor.
If they hear about you, they may attack our village, and kill us to get
to you."
"I'm sorry," Han repeated. "If you untie me, I'll go. I don't want that to happen to you."
"Go?" Teneniel Djo asked, her voice incredulous. "But.. but you cannot see! If you go, you will either be killed by wild
beasts, or captured by the Nightsisters."
"You will not leave here," Mother Augwynne
declared. "You and the boy are now
under our protection, whether I like it or not.
We will guard you, and take care of you, Han Solo, the off-worlder that
has taken a vow to another female. That
is our vow, to you."
Han realized that during the course of this discussion, his view
about these women had changed dramatically.
Sometimes those first impressions could be deceiving. "Thank you," he said, sincerely
meaning those words.
************
Above the planet of Dathomir, Zsinj's fleet of ships, led by the Iron
Fist, left orbit to meet up with the Sun Crusher, and follow through
with the orders of Empress Mara Jade.