Saga - OT A Different Hope [Plot Bunny Adoption] ANH with Different Circumstances

Title: A Different Hope
Author: RX_Sith
Rating: G for everyone
Time Frame: During and After A New Hope
Characters: Han Solo, Leia Organa, Luke Skywalker, Chewbacca, others

A/N: this is a Plot Bunny from @Anedon who posted the following:

During ANH the Falcon actually manages to escape the Death Stars tractor beam(or never gets caught at all) and the Falcon escapes the system with thing chaingin from there:
-Obi Wan doesn´t die and continues to train Luke
-The crew of the Falcon have to find the Rebels on their own
-Luke and Han never become close friends without their time on the death Star, possibly leading Han to leave after finding the rebellion and paying Jabba in time
-Leia is either executed(as Tarkin had ordered) or brought before the emperor(who could discover who she truly is)
-the empire can´t trak the Falcon to the rebel base so they continue searching for it
-the Death Star isn´t destroyed, Tarkin survives
-after getting the plans to the rebellion they would have the time to prepare a full scale assault on the death star instead of just a few fighters

...

A Different Hope

Part One

"That's no moon," Obi-Wan warned, "That's a space station!"

"It's too big to be a space station," Han told him, "Plus it's right where Alderaan should be."

"I've got a bad feeling about this," Luke cautiously stated, "We need to get out of here now!"

"You're right, kid," Han agreed with his assessment of the situation, "Prepare to engage hyperdrive, Chewie."

Chewbacca barked in agreement as he entered the coordinates into the navi-computer. Suddenly, the ship lurched as if caught in something.

"They got us in a tractor beam," Han warned everyone, "I'm going to have to shut down."

"Why?" Luke worried, "Can't you escape?"

"Well, we could try fighting," Han mused, "But, that might not turn out the way we want."

"You have to try, don't you?" Luke urged him to fight, "Otherwise, we will be pulled in."

"What do you suggest, old man? Han questioned Obi-Wan hoping that he would have a better solution to their current predicament.

"There are alternatives to fighting," Obi-Wan stated sincerely, "I think we can escape from the inside instead."

"Are you crazy?" Han wondered if the old geezer had lost his mind, "We'll never get out of there alive."

"Leave that to me," Obi-Wan told him, "I promise that I can get us out."

Suddenly, though the tractor pull disengaged for a moment as a TIE Fighter approached for landing.

"Sorry, old man," Han told him, "We are jumping now. Punch it, Chewie!"

Chewbacca immediately engaged the hyperdrive and the Millenium Falcon luckily escaped from being pulled into the mysterious space station.

...

Meanwhile on the mysterious space station....

"Governor Tarkin," the Imperial Officer ran up to him panting, "We had a ship caught in our tractor beam, but then it escaped once we disengaged it due to a returning TIE Fighter."

"Lord Vader," Tarkin ordered the Dark Lord of the Sith, "Take care of this nuisance."

"As you wish," Vader obliged him and Force Choked the hapless Imperial Officer who collapsed to the floor lifeless, "I felt something for an instant," he mused to himself, "Something familiar...."

"They must have been trying to rescue the Princess," Tarkin summized, "Perhaps, she could be of use to us after all. We we stay her execution for now," he ordered another Imperial Officer nearby.

"Yes, sir," the Imperial Officer ran off before he could be harmed and to carry out Tarkin's new orders concerning Princess Leia Organa.

...

Meanwhile, back on the Millenium Falcon, Han now has to figure out where they go from here.

"Well, at least we got out of that situation without a fight or having to worry about how to escape," Han gleefully stated, "I guess we got lucky."

"Luck, had nothing to do with it," Obi-Wan told him, "The Force has apparently given us a different path now. Still, we do need to rescue the Princess."

"I'm not going back there!" Han told him, "Alderaan is no more. That space station or something else must have destroyed it somehow."

"That is why we have to go back and destroy it," Obi-Wan stated sincerely, "It cannot be allowed to destroy more systems."

"Hey, we had a mission to Alderaan, which is now not around," Han reminded him, "And I'm not crazy enough to go back and get this time caught and pulled inside of that thing. I expect to be paid. I still have to pay back Jabba before he realizes that I have been gone too long."

"If money is all that you want, then money will be all that you get," Obi-Wan told him, "Drop us off at the Yavin system on the fourth moon instead."

"You've got it, old man," Han put in the coordinates to Yavin IV, "But, I better be paid."

"Oh, you will be," Obi-Wan made sure to Han that he was not lying, "I guarantee it."

...

To Be Continued...

 

Awesome start and very pivotal changes from ANH leading to completely unexpected choices/paths

 

Very interesting thoughts and plot. Would like to read more. Lynda V.

 

I'm looking forward to seeing where you take this. Great start!

 

@WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

Yes, this time the story will be quite different for everyone involved.

@Hopefulwriter

Next part is coming up next...

@Sara_Kenobi

Thanks. It will be very interesting indeed.

***

The Millenium Falcon landed at the Rebel Base on Yavin IV. Han received the reward that he needed to repay Jabba the Hutt and left back towards Tatooine as soon as it was secured aboard his ship.

"Don't take this the wrong way, old man," Han almost tried to apologize to Obi-Wan, "But, I hope that you do find another way to that space station near Alderaan. Just don't ask me."

"I won't," Obi-Wan thanked him for at least getting himself and Luke this far, "Thanks for your assistance in at least getting us here."

With that, Han turned and boarded his ship and punched in the coordinates back to Tatooine. The Millenium Falcon re-entered hyperspace as soon as it was clear from the moon and would arrive just in time for Han to repay Jabba.

Han landed this time in Docking Bay 36 since he did not want to use the same docking bay that they had left from when they left. He called Jabba and set up a meeting where the money could be exchanged in a neutral setting since he still did not trust Jabba with calling off his bounty since he fried Greedo.

"Here's your money, Jabba," Han wheeled the large containers towards Jabba and his cohorts, "You will find that I've even given you a little more than necessary to compensate for the loss of Greedo. No hard feelings, right?"

"Solo," Jabba spoke in Huttese, "My friend, I will let you off with a warning this time. But, cross me again, or kill anymore of my associates and I will put a price on your head so high that you would never be able to repay it."

"That's fine with me," Han retorted, "I'm done smuggling anyway. No more missions for me."

"I think that is best," Jabba agreed, "After all, I've hired others who are way better smugglers than you, anyway. No hard feelings, right?"

"Right," Han assured him, "Now, if you don't mind, I hope to never see you again."

As Han left from the neutral site, Jabba turned towards a specific Bounty Hunter; Boba Fett, "Take care of him so that he can keep that promise."

"It will be done," Boba assured him, "You will never see him again."

***

Meanwhile, back on Yavin IV, Obi-Wan further instructs Luke in the ways of The Force while they await a way back to the space station.

"I was told that I could get transport to the mysterious space station that we encountered," Obi-Wan stated to Mon Mothma, "You must allow me an opportunity to rescue Princess Leia from the clutches of the Empire."

"That is too dangerous of a mission," Mon Mothma told him, "The Artoo unit that was with you had plans to the battle station within it. We have analyzed that data and determined that there is a flaw in the design of the battle station. We plan to launch an assault on it."

"But, if you attack, she could be killed," Obi-Wan urged her to reconsider, "Please, let me try to rescue her first before you attempt to attack it."

"I'm sorry," she told him sincerely, "It's the only way."

She turned and left him there with Luke now wandering up towards him.

"What's wrong?" Luke asked him seeing that Obi-Wan was visibly upset.

"No..." Obi-Wan muttered to himself ignoring Luke, "There is another...."

***

To Be Continued...

 

Fascinating seeing Han get clear of Jabba, apparently so easily. Everything on Luke's and Obi-Wan's side is very complicated all of a sudden.

 

An interesting turn of events!