Jedi Council Forums - The Dark Fire Chronicles (AU OT - Luke, Leia, Vader, Han, Mara, OCs and more!)

Poof has a love-hate relationship with the Saga. On the one hand, it’s where he has his shinning moments as a Jedi Knight on the Jedi Council. On the other hand, he dies during the Saga era, and that wasn’t much fun at all.

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Author	Topic: The Dark Fire Chronicles (AU OT - Luke, Leia, Vader, Han, Mara, OCs and more!) - new post 2/29/08!
ViariSkywalker Registered: Aug '02	Date Posted: 8/30/03 6:15pm Subject: RE: The Dark Fire Chronicles (AU OT) - new post 7/18 - Date Edited: 4/27 10:34pm (4 edits total) Edited By: ViariSkywalker
	[face_shocked] gasp Can it be? Is this story finally being updated? It's true! At long last, I have an update for you all, my dear, devoted readers. It's longer than some of my posts - maybe not the longest, but it's about quality, not quantity, right? Anyway, without any further ado, here is the post! *** Chapter Six: What Dawn Reveals “Can you believe that they would…” “…never thought it would happen…” “What made them do it?” Cal rolled over onto his stomach and let his head hang over the side of the bed as he half-listened to the hurried conversation in the other room. From the smoky blue light creeping through his tiny window, Cal could tell it was just before sunup. Time for him to head out to the Lars homestead. Groggily he twisted around and lifted himself out of bed, placing his feet on the floor. With a giant yawn, the young man pulled his sun-worn tunic over his head, not bothering to straighten his ruffled, light brown hair. Grabbing his cheap boots, he headed for the kitchen, which also served as the entranceway for the Nightrunner home. As he came into the kitchen he saw his mother and father sitting at the table, talking to a man who was standing near the door. Their conversation became hushed as Cal stood in the opening between the kitchen and his bedroom. His pale blue eyes darted from his mother’s pained expression, to the anger on his father’s features, and finally to the grim set of the other man’s jaw. He recognized the man as Huff Darklighter, a food magnate and one of the wealthiest human citizens on Tatooine. Cal was a friend of Huff’s son, Biggs, but they had never been exceptionally close. The only real common ground between them was that they both wanted to get off of Tatooine. Cal walked around the table toward his mother, watching the look on her face go from bad to worse. “Mom,” he said gently. “What’s wrong?” He knelt down beside her as she bit back tears. Tani placed her face in her hands. Cal looked over at his father. “Dad?” Eram sighed, trying to let off some steam. “Damn monsters,” he muttered. “Why don’t they just leave us alone?” Huff Darklighter placed a hand on Eram’s shoulder and looked over at Cal. “We received a message not ten minutes ago that there were Tusken Raiders attacking the settlements out beyond Anchorhead. Biggs and I are letting everyone know, just so we can all be ready if they come here.” Cal felt his eyes widen involuntarily. “Attacking? But they haven’t done more than damage vaporators for the last two decades.” Darklighter nodded. “I know. But there’s no mistake. A young couple escaped their homestead and came into Anchorhead as Biggs and I were setting out. They were attacked, and the husband’s father was killed.” Tani continued to muffle her cries in the palms of her small hands. Eram pounded the table, making Cal jump up in surprise. “Damn those animals!” He pointed at Tani, glaring somewhere beyond the small hovel. “Wasn’t the last time enough? Didn’t they spill enough blood? What more do they want?” “Revenge,” came a whisper from behind Tani’s hands. She drew her face away from her palms and looked at Huff with tear-filled eyes. “You said they were moving from homestead to homestead, just murdering and moving on?” “That’s what it sounds like.” Tani shook her head. “It can only be revenge. Not even the sand people would attack so furiously unless they wanted revenge and they’d been planning it for a long time.” Cal stared at his mother, who now seemed eerily calm and hard. The young farm hand leaned down and took hold of his mother’s left hand, trying to offer comfort. It was obvious she was remembering the death of her brother and the twenty-five other settlers. Cal glanced up at his father, unsure of what to do. Eram looked into his son’s eyes. “Guess that crazy farmer was right.” Cal thought of what Beru had told him the other day. Owen had known something would happen. And no one would have ever believed him. Now they would know he was not so crazy after all. Lightning struck at Cal’s very core, and for a second he forgot how to breathe. Owen and Beru were out there right now, alone and vulnerable to attack. Right in the path of the Tuskens. He didn’t know why he felt so strongly for the farmer and his wife, but the feeling pounded at his temples like blood rushing to his head. Darklighter made for the door. “I’m going to Drin’s next. Do you want to come?” He glanced at Tani. “Or maybe just stay here and prepare yourselves?” Drin was Eram’s brother. Cal suddenly had an idea. He strode over to Darklighter. “I’ll go with you.” “Fine with me. Let’s go.” The man turned his back and walked out the door. Cal turned back to his mother. A knowing look passed between them. “I won’t be long.” Without another word he dashed out into the sandy street, the door closing behind him. The first of Tatooine’s suns had begun to creep over the horizon and was casting a dim light across the small town. Cal didn’t need to follow Huff Darklighter; he knew exactly where his uncle’s house was. He flew his landspeeder past the grocer’s and took a right. At the first hovel he stopped. Huff was waiting for him. Cal hopped out of his speeder as the other man knocked. The door opened seconds later; Uncle Drin was always up before dawn, fiddling with spare parts. Cal and Huff walked into the little home. “Cal! What are you doing here so early?” Drin Nightrunner asked in surprise. Huff spoke up. “Tuskens are attacking the homesteads, not just raiding them. They’re not stopping to steal anything; they just keep moving. We’re letting everyone know.” As Drin digested the information, another young man came hurrying from the back room. “Cal?” His face was a mixture of happiness and confusion. Cal walked over to his cousin, who at age seventeen was two years Cal’s junior, and grabbed his arm. “We have to go, Seek. To the Lars’s.” Both Huff and Drin jerked their heads toward Cal in surprise. “What?” Drin nearly yelled. “I have to make sure Owen and Beru are all right,” Cal answered. He pulled Seek toward the door. The younger boy looked back and forth between his cousin and his father. “Dad, they’re all alone out there.” “So are a lot of people. There’s nothing we can do!” Drin raged. “But Owen knew this would happen!” Cal interjected. “He knew something was wrong with them. I can’t let them die!” How could he explain why he needed to go? It just wasn’t right for them to be hurt, when they had a loyal friend who could help them. Friend. Cal would have laughed if the situation weren’t so critical. He had just called himself Owen and Beru’s friend. He thought of the way Beru always greeted him as if he were her own son. How she always invited him to stay for supper. How she had secret strength hidden inside her that not everyone could see. Cal couldn’t let her die. The two older men stared at the younger ones in silence. Cal finally broke the quiet. “I’m nineteen, I’m grown up.” His eyes pleaded with his uncle. “I’m going.” Drin bowed his head for a moment, his shoulders slumping wearily. “Just be careful,” he told his son. Seek nodded gravely. “Let’s go,” he urged Cal. The two cousins hurried out the door and jumped into Cal’s speeder, taking off toward the edge of the town. They reached the desert and quickly gained speed. Along the way they noticed two black clouds rising into the sky. Cal realized it was smoke from burning homesteads. Thankfully they were not in the direction of Owen’s home. He kept driving. The trip seemed to last an eternity, but it was probably nowhere near as long as it took Cal to walk out to the homestead. When they arrived, he and Seek tumbled out of the speeder. The domed hovel seemed undamaged. The two boys jogged over to the large opening to the right of the dome that led to the courtyard. Peering into it, Cal noticed a few gaffi sticks embedded in the walls. Beyond the courtyard, Seek was studying the ground. “What is it?” Cal called out. Seek shook his head. “Bantha tracks!” he called back. “They’re gone now though.” Cal felt his heart plummet into his stomach at the news. So the Tuskens had been here. He raced back to the dome and stepped down, finding the door open. He descended the stairs cautiously in case Seek was mistaken. As he reached the level ground he heard moaning. Hope filled his being as he followed it. He came to the door of Owen and Beru’s bedroom. It was closed. “Owen? Beru?” There was a shuffling behind the door and the sound of rapid steps. The door opened, and a familiar face greeted the young farm hand. “Cal!” He braced himself as Beru wrapped her arms around him. She was crying – the poor woman was crying! He hugged her tight. Why didn’t she have any sons? No one to help her. That’s why I’m here. “Cal, you came all the way out here! I can’t believe it.” “I brought my cousin, too.” He peered into the room and saw Owen lying on the bed, his legs hastily bandaged. Beru followed his gaze. “He’s lost a lot of blood. But we don’t have a speeder, and he’s too big to carry across the back of the swoop. Even if I could drive it as well as he can.” Her voice was quiet but steady. She wiped away her tears. “Come in?” Cal allowed himself to be led to Owen’s bedside. The gruff man was glaring into space, muttering unintelligible words under his breath. His face was dirty and there were scratches all across his hands. “Mindless monsters…mindless monsters…” he repeated. Beru leaned over him, caressing his forehead. “Owen, we’re going to get you to Anchorhead and get you healed.” Owen jerked his body toward her. “It’s all his fault you know.” His voice was angry and pained. For a second Cal thought the farmer was talking about him, but then Owen continued. “Its his fault. He brought their wrath down on us all.” Beru tried to calm him. “It’s been over twenty years, Owen…” “That doesn’t matter! They know what happened! A whole tribe of sand people doesn’t just disappear!” He struggled to sit up but fell back onto the bed. Cal watched in morbid fascination. “Damn him! They know what happened to that tribe and they’ve been planning revenge. With no one here powerful enough to control them.” “Owen…” Beru pleaded. “Damn you, Anakin! Damn you!” The farmer’s face crumpled in anguish as he finally focused on his wife. “Oh Beru, I wish he’d never come here.” His voice was full of unshed tears. Beru hugged Owen, wiping the sweat off of his brow. “It’s not his fault, Owen.” She was crying again. “They would have burned down this entire place and murdered us if it weren’t for Anakin.” A strangled sound issued from Owen’s throat. “They wouldn’t have been too scared to keep going. They know that he was here all those years ago, and they were afraid.” “No…” “They were afraid that Anakin would show up and slaughter them all.” Cal backed up against the wall, watching as Beru cradled her husband, trying desperately to calm him. “I’ll be right back, ma’am,” he said quickly, running back up to the surface. Seek was standing on the edge of the courtyard wall. Cal waved at him. “Seek! Owen is injured. We’ve got to get him to Anchorhead!” He saw Seek nod and come running over to the hovel. They both ran down the steps and stood by the bed. Owen was quiet again, and for the first time seemed to notice the other people in the room. “Cal,” he murmured. “Thank the stars. Get me off this bloody bed, will you?” The boys gently lifted Owen off of the bed and walked toward the steps. Beru trailed behind them, holding the ends of Owen’s bandages that hung from his body. Finally the made it to the speeder. Cal noticed several other clouds of smoke looming on the horizon. The Tuskens had indeed barreled through the ring of homesteads. He shuddered at the thought of meeting one of the creatures alone. The four of them settled in the speeder, and without another thought, Cal gunned the engine. They left a cloud of dust behind them as the homestead disappeared against the sand. Cal drove on across the desert, his mind lost in thought. He’d had no idea what Owen was carrying on about back in the hovel, but whatever it was, he felt it had something to do with the story his mother had told him two days ago. Cal just couldn’t understand how it would all fit together. And who was Anakin? His mother had never said anything about an Anakin before. But whoever he was, he was dangerous. That much Cal had discerned. Anyone or anything that could take on a tribe of Tuskens was a force to be reckoned with. A shiver crawled down his spine as he continued across the vast brown landscape. This was all beyond his understanding, and not just because he didn’t have all the information. There was something in Owen and Beru’s voices that had hinted of a history he knew nothing about. A history that perhaps extended beyond Tatooine. He shook his head. His focus now should be getting Owen medical attention as soon as possible. He glanced over at Seek who sat in the passenger seat. His cousin’s face was pale. They exchanged a quick look of despair as more of the thick black smoke billowed against the morning sky. *** -----signature----- Big Sis of Lady_Rae Veil of Shadows (OT AU, L/M) - http://boards.theforce.net/b/b1/28500417 The Dark Fire Chronicles (OT AU) - http://boards.theforce.net/b/b1/11960028 ANGST!
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tatooinewizard Registered: May '03	Date Posted: 8/30/03 6:38pm Subject: RE: The Dark Fire Chronicles (AU OT) - new post 8/30
	All I have to say is that was a strong, but very good post. Well worth the wait. -----signature----- Dolores Lennox--SMG I (The Murderer) Fics in bio (The Legend of Black Saber--Winner for Best OC Story) lordmaul13's partner in crime "I'm the man in the box"--AIC There is no peace, only emotion
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RebelMom Title: TFF Secretary Registered: Apr '00	Date Posted: 8/30/03 7:29pm Subject: RE: The Dark Fire Chronicles (AU OT) - new post 8/30
	I hadn't even thought about the fact that the Tuskens might want revenge for that slaughter. One of them must have lived to tell others or the others figured it out by the lightsaber of something. Cal is such a nice kid. -----signature----- Short Story: Pressure Point http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/26961243/p1/?7 Jacen Solo and Anakin Skywalker - as it should have been. TFF: Cheryl
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Bri_Windstar Registered: May '02	Date Posted: 8/30/03 9:34pm Subject: RE: The Dark Fire Chronicles (AU OT) - new post 8/30
	:::squeals::: Vi!! A new post!! Yayness Bloody evil Sand People. Interesting that they have been plotting revenge. Took 18 years, too. Were they waiting to see if Anakin would ever come back? Hope everyone on Tatooine turns out ok. Awesome update, love how Cal is thinking of others and that Beru and Owen are OK for now ::Windstar Out:: -----signature----- Mediocrity- it takes a lot less time and most people won't notice the difference before it's too late. * OMG! SO RIDICULOUSLY AND AGGRAVATINGLY PERFECT!- Gabri * 11010110101000101011
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ViariSkywalker Registered: Aug '02	Date Posted: 8/31/03 1:45pm Subject: RE: The Dark Fire Chronicles (AU OT) - new post 8/30
	TW - Glad you liked it! Sorry for making you all wait so long. Mom - I figured that Anakin wouldn't have bothered to bury or burn the dead Tuskens. Sometime after he left with his mother, another tribe of sand people could have found the slaughtered tribe and seen the wounds. A lightsaber wound would probably be different from any they'd see...plus Anakin left other kinds of destruction...destroyed huts and such. Maybe a group of Tuskens from another tribe figured out where the attacker had gone and were afraid that he would still be there. (Thus, a fear of the Lars homestead.) Wow...long explanation. Sorry. Bri - Wait and see what happens to those on Tatooine. I'll say nothing more. It would seem that everyone likes Cal. That's nice. wonders if her readers have noticed what Owen said about there not being anyone on Tatooine powerful enough to help control the sand people Hmm...where is Obi? -----signature----- Big Sis of Lady_Rae Veil of Shadows (OT AU, L/M) - http://boards.theforce.net/b/b1/28500417 The Dark Fire Chronicles (OT AU) - http://boards.theforce.net/b/b1/11960028 ANGST!
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tatooinewizard Registered: May '03	Date Posted: 8/31/03 3:44pm Subject: RE: The Dark Fire Chronicles (AU OT) - new post 8/30
	Hmm...where is Obi? Now I'm curious! Where is Obi-Wan? Well maybe I have a guess, but I'll keep it to myself. -----signature----- Dolores Lennox--SMG I (The Murderer) Fics in bio (The Legend of Black Saber--Winner for Best OC Story) lordmaul13's partner in crime "I'm the man in the box"--AIC There is no peace, only emotion
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Gabri_Jade Title: Fan Fiction Archive Editor Emeritus Registered: Nov '02	Date Posted: 9/1/03 1:00am Subject: RE: The Dark Fire Chronicles (AU OT) - new post 8/30
	Oooh, nicely done, Vi! This is a fascinating twist. Cal is a nice guy, definitely. Poor Owen and Beru, though! I absolutely never know where you're going to go next with this story. Can't wait for the next installment! -----signature----- Evil Twin of LadyPadme This concept of "wuv" confuses and infuriates us! - Futurama All I can do is be me. Whoever that is. -Bob Dylan The Space Between Heartbeats - L/M AU vig http://boards.theforce.net/b/b1/28870280 !!11!1eleventy
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ViariSkywalker Registered: Aug '02	Date Posted: 9/1/03 11:49am Subject: RE: The Dark Fire Chronicles (AU OT) - new post 8/30 - Date Edited: 4/27 10:35pm (3 edits total) Edited By: ViariSkywalker
	TW - Gabi - I absolutely never know where you're going to go next with this story. That's a good thing, right? Here's the rest of chapter 6... *** Chapter Six cont. The patrons of this cantina knew not to mess with Aari. When she’d entered the dimly lit subterranean bar she was so angry she could have killed the first drunk male who came up to her. Fortunately for them, they recognized the murderous glint in her hazel eyes and stayed at a safe distance. She dropped into a seat a one of the small circular tables. Quickly she set her blaster on the table, letting everyone in the cantina know that she refused to be trifled with. She was prepared to wait all day long for Vic to arrive. If it took more than a day, she would remain in her seat. He had to pay for his betrayal, and she would definitely be here when he came. He had probably stolen the cargo intended for her, and was on his way to Tatooine to present it to Jabba the Hutt and collect all of the credits for himself. The selfish pig. She should never for an instant have trusted the man behind that cocky grin. There was one thing she knew about Vic for sure. He would not pass up the opportunity to gloat in the local cantina. She smiled in the smoky light. He was going to get the shock of his life when he saw her here, unharmed. Aari glanced around at some of the other bar patrons. She watched the Bith band play light tunes on their instruments. They were actually quite good. If she weren’t so upset, she might have enjoyed their music. Drumming her fingers next to her blaster, she thought about the ambush at Rodia. Despite all her anger, she had to admit that the betrayal had hurt very much. She couldn’t stand Vic, but she had trusted him to an extent. More than she should have, obviously. Aari sighed gruffly. Tatooine was such a hostile planet, with nothing but sand and more sand to gaze at, interrupted by the occasional town or spaceport. When she’d arrived she immediately noticed the light wind blowing sand into her hair. It stuck to her face, too. Then it had gotten into her boots. The natives of the planet seemed to be oblivious to the irritating matter. But Aari had never really been to a desert planet, and she found the environment stifling and uncivilized. The young woman sighed again. I should never have left Corellia, she heard her own voice echo in her head. It was all too true. She’d been seventeen when she finally left the planet with an old smuggler she had befriended. At age nineteen they had parted, Aari with her own ship and the dream of being free to go anywhere and do anything that she wanted. Of course this led her to follow her mentor’s steps and become a smuggler. Not two months after leaving the old man, she had met Vic Phancil. Why had she agreed to let him help her? He was just a smooth-talking cheat. He had told her that he worked as a mediator between new smugglers and their employers. He claimed that he did it to protect the naïve ones from being suckered in or possibly eliminated. Lies. They were all lies. Aari wished she had a drink just so that she could hurl the container across the cantina. That would have made her feel better for the moment. Taking a deep breath, the young woman steadied herself against the edge of the table, focusing on why she was here in the first place. She had to be calm so that when Vic arrived he would not suspect she was angry. Then she would let him have it. Again she smiled. Oh was he ever going to get it. *** -----signature----- Big Sis of Lady_Rae Veil of Shadows (OT AU, L/M) - http://boards.theforce.net/b/b1/28500417 The Dark Fire Chronicles (OT AU) - http://boards.theforce.net/b/b1/11960028 ANGST!
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tatooinewizard Registered: May '03	Date Posted: 9/1/03 11:59am Subject: RE: The Dark Fire Chronicles (AU OT) - updated 9/1
	Ooh. A new update! I hope Vic gets it! old smuggler Is this 'old smuggler' of any importance, or am I just reading something into a passing mention? -----signature----- Dolores Lennox--SMG I (The Murderer) Fics in bio (The Legend of Black Saber--Winner for Best OC Story) lordmaul13's partner in crime "I'm the man in the box"--AIC There is no peace, only emotion
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Bri_Windstar Registered: May '02	Date Posted: 9/1/03 3:27pm Subject: RE: The Dark Fire Chronicles (AU OT) - updated 9/1
	Ooh hoo, me thinks Vic is going to get himself ripped a new one! Aari is such a cool character, i hope we get to learn more about her as time goes on. ::Windstar Out:: -----signature----- Mediocrity- it takes a lot less time and most people won't notice the difference before it's too late. * OMG! SO RIDICULOUSLY AND AGGRAVATINGLY PERFECT!- Gabri * 11010110101000101011
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ViariSkywalker Registered: Aug '02	Date Posted: 9/2/03 2:19pm Subject: RE: The Dark Fire Chronicles (AU OT) - updated 9/1 - Date Edited: 4/27 10:35pm (6 edits total) Edited By: ViariSkywalker
	TW - Is this 'old smuggler' of any importance, or am I just reading something into a passing mention? He's just a passing mention...unless later I decide to be weird and incorporate him into the story. (Doubtful, but who knows?) Bri - Aari is such a cool character, i hope we get to learn more about her as time goes on. Oh you will, my friend. You will... Oh look! Another post! *** Chapter Seven: Unlikely Alliances A dark curtain was falling across the skyline of Imperial Center; but even as it did so, the city lights exploded in an array of color. Princess Leia hurried along one of the thousands of walkways in the city, aware that this was the time when less than reputable characters emerged from their holes and filtered into the gambling joints and nightclubs. She wasn’t afraid of the cloaked figures skulking along the edges of buildings – she could handle them. She just didn’t want to attract attention to her Sith skills. That would bring the Empire down on her so quickly it would make a podrace look sluggish. She couldn’t be dragged back to the palace. She still had to speak to Senator Organa. There was one nightclub that seemed to glow brighter than the others, and feeling a strange tug in that direction, Leia made her way through the crowd and into the establishment. As soon as she entered she began to analyze her surroundings. She recognized a few beings that looked slightly alien, although most of the patrons were humans. Leia had never understood the Emperor’s animosity toward non-humans. It was ridiculous. She continued on to the bar, wondering if the bartender would believe she was old enough to purchase alcohol. She wouldn’t actually drink it – she just didn’t want to be too conspicuous. The other people around her seemed to part as she walked, giving her a small path toward the bar. It was as if they knew she was somehow important. Strange, she thought to herself as she lowered her hood. I haven’t done anything out of the ordinary. Something her father had once told her rang in her memory. It had been several years ago, but she could recall every word as though it had just been spoken. “The average lifeform cannot feel the Force, but they sometimes sense when a Force-wielder is in their midst. You come from a special bloodline, Leia. You will attract attention, just as I did. Just as Luke will. Our strength in the Force is so great that it can hardly be contained. And people will be able to tell that you are special when you walk by.” The young princess nodded her head at the memory. So it was true. Her father had been right after all. Leia thought for a moment as she came toward the bar. Had her mother attracted such attention as well? The question slipped through her mind and disappeared as she sat down on a stool at the counter. The bartender glanced over at her, his eyes puzzled. He walked over to her. “Can I get ya something?” Leia allowed herself a cool smile. “Yes…I’ll have the Corellian Ale.” The bartender gave her a surprised look. “Are you sure?” “Yes.” The man shook his head. “All right then.” He turned and filled a small glass with the liquid. He turned and handed it to Leia. “Thanks,” she spoke up as he walked away. She looked down at the drink, picking up the glass and turning it around in her hand. “Good choice.” Leia spun around, trying to find where the voice had come from. A neon fuchsia light flashed over her right shoulder, and she caught a glimpse of a tall, rugged-looking young man with shaggy brown hair. She blinked as the light moved on; but he was still there, his features bathed in shadow. He pointed at her drink. “That’s a good choice,” he repeated. Leia felt her guard leap up instantly. Why was this man talking to her? The princess narrowed her eyes. “I know,” she replied shortly. She didn’t really know, but she wasn’t going to talk to the man any more than she had to. Seconds passed, and she could still feel him behind her, staring at her back. Leia turned abruptly. “What?” she asked, the irritation apparent in her voice. The man cocked one eyebrow. “Just wondering what a kid like you is doing with a shot of Corellian Ale.” He stepped closer, so that he was even with her right shoulder. He leaned in and stared at the glass, then looked over at Leia. “Lemme guess…fifteen, maybe sixteen?” Leia huffed indignantly. “I am nineteen, thank you. And don’t get any ideas.” This time the man smiled openly, his eyes dancing with wry amusement. “Ideas? Listen kid, the last thing I have on my mind is carrying off a little girl.” He said the words with distaste, wrinkling his eyebrows for affect. “I just wonder why a kid is ordering ale in a lower level nightclub. That’s all.” He began to walk away. “It’s not like I would have flown away with you, geez.” He pushed through the crowd, away from the bar. Leia felt something click in her mind. “Wait!” she called out. The man turned slightly, as if hesitant to stop. “Wait, please!” Leia hopped down from her stool and shoved her way through the patrons to get to the man. She stopped when she reached him and looked up at him. He was taller when she was standing on the ground, but still not quite as tall as her father. Leia took a quick breath. “You’re a pilot?” The man stared down at her with a mix of surprise and suspicion. “Yeah,” he replied slowly. “Why?” Leia felt her heart quicken. Maybe this was her ticket to Alderaan. “I need a ship.” The pilot tilted his head, studying the princess curiously. “Yeah?” He looked up and let his gaze glide over the club. “Sit down and we’ll talk.” He swept his right arm wide, gesturing for her to follow him. They forged a path through the mass of people, finally arriving at a small table for two. Leia sat down, followed by the pilot. “So,” the man started. “You need a ship.” He watched as Leia nodded. “You got credits?” Leia smirked. She reached into her cloak and pulled out a small datachip. Examining it for a second, she then slapped it onto the table in front of the man. “There’s ten thousand credits on that chip alone.” She noticed his eyes widen. “That’s the down payment. More will come if you get me where I want to go.” He picked up the chip, twirling it around in his fingers. “Really?” he murmured. His gaze became serious as he set the chip back on the table. “What if something happens, and I don’t get you there?” “Then you still keep the ten thousand.” The pilot eyed her carefully. “And you can afford to waste ten thousand credits?” Leia just smiled confidently. He whistled low, then picked up the chip and tucked it into his jacket. “So where do you want to go, kid?” Leia leaned in closer. “Alderaan.” His eyebrows rose in curiosity. “Alderaan?” He scratched his chin for a second. “All right. Alderaan it is.” He extended one hand. “Han Solo, captain of the Millennium Falcon. Looks like you’ve got yourself a ship, kid.” The princess placed her hand in his and shook solidly, without a second thought. “Leia,” she added. “Just Leia?” The girl nodded. “Okay, I won’t ask questions.” He glanced behind him, and Leia felt him tense up. “What is it?” she asked quietly. Han turned back to face her. “Will you be all right waiting by the door? I have some quick business to take care of.” Leia eyed him quizzically. “Sure.” She got up from the table and headed for the door, wondering why he’d so abruptly decided he had business. *** Han reached for his blaster and held it by his right hip as he approached the man he had come here to find. When he hadn’t found him at his ship, Han had decided to delve into the lower levels to find his quarry. And here he was, just getting up from a booth. Han moved in to intercept. “Going somewhere, Tiras?” he asked coldly as he wedged the end of his blaster into the man’s abdomen. Tiras was small young man with light blonde hair and a look in his eyes resembling that of a trapped animal. He risked glancing down at the blaster as Han shoved him back toward the booth he’d come from. Han forced him into one side while he casually sat down on the other side. “I thought you might want to discuss a little business, Tiras. Specifically the spice business.” Han kept his blaster trained on the other man, while beneath the table he pulled a second, smaller blaster from a holster on his thigh. Tiras ran a hand through his grimy hair. “Listen, Solo. I had nothing to do with—” “Now wait a minute, friend,” Han spoke soothingly. “I never said you did anything.” The other man clasped his hands together, aware of the trap that Han was weaving for him. “Of course not.” Han leaned back against the wall. “I know you’d never betray me to the Imperials. Not my friend Tiras.” He examined the blaster, then looked back up at the blonde man. “I heard other smugglers talking when I was on Nar Shaddaa. They said there was a spice dealer who’d agreed to work for the Imps. Said he was pretending to steal spice and then sell it to smugglers, hoping to catch them and turn them over to the Empire. But I knew they were just rumors.” “Rumors, yeah.” Tiras was trying not to fidget. “When they started pointing fingers and mentioning your name, I knew they were imagining things.” Han sat up a little straighter. “Even when I found out that Aari Zalash was ambushed by Imperials at Rodia, I refused to believe there was any betrayal there. Simply bad luck.” “That’s exactly what it—” “And then not more than a few hours after Zalash nearly got herself blown up, I went to pick up my spice cargo, and who should arrive to greet me but three Star Destroyers and more TIEs than I care to count.” Han’s voice had lost its mocking tone. He stared deep into Tiras’s eyes. Tiras didn’t answer. Han tightened his grip on the blaster. “I knew the only place to look for you was here on the Imp Center, licking your new master’s boots and celebrating your new career in the nightclubs. I hope the Empire knows you’re a traitor and you always will be.” Without warning, Tiras swung one arm above the table, revealing a blaster. He fired as Han ducked down. Han dropped his first blaster as he kicked the table upward. It landed on Tiras, knocking him against the wall. He reached for his blaster as Han pulled out the smaller weapon he’d kept hidden. He let off a quick shot, and it was all he needed. The traitor lay with the tabletop pinning him against the wall. Han retrieved the blaster he had dropped when he kicked the table, and he tucked both weapons back into their holsters. Walking away from the smoky booth, Han passed by the bartender, who was staring wide-eyed at the dead man. “Sorry about the mess,” Han quipped, tossing a few credits toward the bar. He headed for the doorway, where the kid was waiting for him, a dark frown etched across her otherwise pretty little face. “Was that really necessary?” she asked accusingly as she stepped into stride with him. Han smiled grimly. “Yeah. Yeah it was.” Together they left the nightclub and made their way to the hangar where Han had left his ship and his co-pilot. It would be an interesting trip. *** -----signature----- Big Sis of Lady_Rae Veil of Shadows (OT AU, L/M) - http://boards.theforce.net/b/b1/28500417 The Dark Fire Chronicles (OT AU) - http://boards.theforce.net/b/b1/11960028 ANGST!
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ViariSkywalker Registered: Aug '02	Date Posted: 9/2/03 6:00pm Subject: RE: The Dark Fire Chronicles (AU OT) - new post 9/2
	Methinks my readers will want to read the above post. <-- *this means the author has set in motion events that will someday become...ta da!...H/L!!!! (Why do I give these things away? ) Upsies! -----signature----- Big Sis of Lady_Rae Veil of Shadows (OT AU, L/M) - http://boards.theforce.net/b/b1/28500417 The Dark Fire Chronicles (OT AU) - http://boards.theforce.net/b/b1/11960028 ANGST!
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tatooinewizard Registered: May '03	Date Posted: 9/2/03 6:18pm Subject: RE: The Dark Fire Chronicles (AU OT) - new post 9/2
	Han, Leia, and the Falcon. What more could I ask for? -----signature----- Dolores Lennox--SMG I (The Murderer) Fics in bio (The Legend of Black Saber--Winner for Best OC Story) lordmaul13's partner in crime "I'm the man in the box"--AIC There is no peace, only emotion
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ViariSkywalker Registered: Aug '02	Date Posted: 9/3/03 12:08pm Subject: RE: The Dark Fire Chronicles (AU OT) - new post 9/2
	TW- Han, Leia, and the Falcon. What more could I ask for? Hehe... -----signature----- Big Sis of Lady_Rae Veil of Shadows (OT AU, L/M) - http://boards.theforce.net/b/b1/28500417 The Dark Fire Chronicles (OT AU) - http://boards.theforce.net/b/b1/11960028 ANGST!
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Bri_Windstar Registered: May '02	Date Posted: 9/3/03 12:49pm Subject: RE: The Dark Fire Chronicles (AU OT) - new post 9/2
	Vi!!! :::massive huggies::: We get Han/Leia stuff!! Tres cool Love the way they met up. And i like how Han's putting the whole spice manipulation together. I take the fact that he's knows, or at least knows OF, Aari, that their paths will cross somewhere down the line? Nice way of fitting that ANH scene in there. And yes, Han Solo ALWAYS shoots first ::Windstar Out:: -----signature----- Mediocrity- it takes a lot less time and most people won't notice the difference before it's too late. * OMG! SO RIDICULOUSLY AND AGGRAVATINGLY PERFECT!- Gabri * 11010110101000101011
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