The Scoundrel Chronicles- Birth of a Rebellion After ANH, AU; Han, Wedge, Wes, Luke, Hobbie, Chewie

It was another good one, Coota.

 

Coota! This is great! I love how you brought in the 'last of the old, first of the new' reference.

Look at me! I'm bouncing in my seat with glee! Not joy, not enthusiasm: GLEE.

inez

 

Great characterizations. *g* Looking forward to see how this all goes.

 

I'm just trying to keep the Luke angst at a balanced minimum Though I suppose he is kind of a balance for the rest of the crew.

Thanks for your words, too; I'm really glad people are enjoying reading this as much as I'm enjoying writing it.

 

Can't... stop... updating....

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Wedge couldn?t believe what he was doing. He had decided an hour ago, and here he was, sitting in the Millenium Falcon running systems checks with Chewbacca. The Wookie had seemed territorial at first, but was rapidly getting used to Wedge?s presence and his abilities. They weren?t as finely honed a team as Han and the Wookie, but with the help of Janson and Hobbie they had managed to get the Falcon into top condition. The fact that they had access to all of the spare equipment the Rebellion had left behind at the base had helped, but it was mostly because they were all getting along, to a point.

The Wookie did occasionally growl loudly whenever Wes made a stupid remark, or Wedge pushed the wrong button at the wrong time, or when Hobbie became too morose about a certain systems fate.

Wedge Antilles, the man who was the son of murdered parents, onetime freelance trader, ex-Rebel Alliance snubfighter pilot, and now a kind of rebel smuggler, could not place where exactly he was in the world. Everything had changed, but he kind of liked the change. It would be nice to see little Myra again, if they all survived paying off Jabba.

?I?m gonna miss the Rebellion,? Wedge stated out loud, drawing a look from Chewie, followed by a low sorrowful kind of moan.

Wedge smiled slightly, ?I don?t understand Wookie; though I guess I?ll have to learn fast. I think I get the gist though.?

The Wookie growled again, grinning widely. Wedge had at least quickly learned the difference between a Wookie who was smiling and a Wookie was threatening you, thanks to Wes?s interactions with Chewbacca. Now the grin was only slightly unsettling, and he had a feeling he would get used to it quickly.

?I guess the Rebellion was the only thing holding my life together. It was what kept me going. Now, I need something new. Maybe this is it. If not, at the very least it should be interesting. Pass me the tuner; I think the transistor for the hyperdrive is shorted out?,? Wedge continued, almost talking to himself.

Chewbacca handed Wedge the tool, then took the hydrospanner from the tool box and slid under the crawl space and work on another system that needed some repair. The escape from the Imperials had not been nearly as clean as the Wookie had hoped, or Han had thought. A lot the shielded circuitry had been damaged during the rapid rewiring that had occurred during the escape, overloaded as too much power got shunted to the shield generator.

?You talking to the ship, again, Wedge?? came Wes?s voice.

?No, I?m talking to the Wookie,? Wedge replied, looking up at the young man with his best irritable look. It didn?t seem to do any good.

?Isn?t that about the same thing? I mean, they?re both big, and they both get angry at you if you make the slightest wrong move,? Wes explained, his hands demonstrating his words.

?You know that he can hear you, and he?s perfectly willing to tear your arms out of your sockets, right??

?Yeah, but I?ve got a bet going with Hobbie. If I can survive this entire trip to Tantooine being my usual self and without getting killed by Chewbacca, he buys me a lum. If I lose? I bequeath all my belongings to Hobbie.?

A growl, probably approximating, ?Shut-up and get back to work,? emanated from the crawl space, followed by a hydrospanner aimed directly at Wes?s head. Only quick thinking on his part kept the hydrospanner from being permanently embedded in the gunman?s skull.

Wedge chuckled, ?So, how do I get in on Hobbie?s side of the bet??

 

Wow. That was great. ^-^ I could never update so fast like you. Heh. Wedge amuses me, I can see him doing that. Great post.

--RP

 

You must be an Aaron Allston fan Coota.

 

How'd you guess? Though I'm trying to reflect their personalities and characterizations in the post ANH period, way before they became the aces they were in the X-Wing series. Though I think Wes might never change

 

great post, Coota. I'm also an X-wing series fan.

inez

 

Inez: It's a great series; Wes is one of my favorite characters ever.

RangerPrincess: I'm lucky I write fast; I've actually got Chapter Two all the way finished, with chapter three halfway done. I'm just posting in increments to give myself some breathing room

 

another great post, these charectors are all so funny, u are doing a great job, can't wait for more

 

I figured that I might as well finish Chapter 2 off today, since posts are going to slow down to one a day after this(really!).

Anyhow, this the last Rebel ship is waiting to take off... and well, you can read the rest!

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Han sighed as he stared at the Princess, sitting regally in her chamber aboard the transport Alderaan?s Memory. He couldn?t help but feel that the transports name was a perversion of sorts. He felt that if she really remembered Alderaan, she wouldn?t be running away. However, he reminded himself to keep any anger out of his voice.

?So, sweetheart, I guess this is it.?

?I suppose so. Luke didn?t change his mind, did he??

?I did my best to make sure that he didn?t. He?s coming with me, Janson, Hobbie and Chewbacca.?

?I wish you?d reconsider, Han. We need men like you out in the Unknown regions. It will be a long and dangerous journey, and our military forces are so small?,? she began.

?Sorry, sister. I have a cause now, and I?m following through on it. You once asked if I believed in anything, or anyone: I believe, sister. I believe. And I?m not giving up after one little battlestation failed to blow up.?

?But can?t you see? It?s futile to attack it again until our forces are stronger.?

?I was fighting the Empire long before you were out of highschool and into the senate, your highnessness. I once led a ragtag group of smugglers against an Imperial fleet and won. You don?t need stronger forces, you need stronger wills. We?ll get back around to the Death Star one day, but we?ll have already won long before that. We?ll make it impossible for the Emperor to use it without creating his own funeral pyre. Or we?ll have died. Either way, we?re going to show them that a few very angry criminals can bankrupt an empire.?

?So why did you come here, Han? Just to say goodbye? To taunt me one last time??

?No, I came to see if Luke was right, if you had really given up. Leia, I liked you. You had spunk, and you were willing to do anything for your cause, even if your companions weren?t. In a lot of ways you were stronger than any of us. In other ways, I see now, you were weaker than a lot of us. You just haven?t gotten used to defeat yet. Luke hasn?t either, but he?s willing to learn.?

?Learned about defeat? I learned enough when I saw Alderaan die. When I saw the Death Star survive.?

?Yeah, but you didn?t take any lessons away, sweetheart. Luke did. Then again, if I had seen my homeworld destroyed, another defeat probably would have pushed me over the edge, too. But I suffered enough small defeats early on to get used to it. You needed a victory to save you, and you didn?t get one. It?s too bad. You would have made a great woman.?

Han turned to go, but Leia?s voice stopped him. ?Wait, Han??

?Yeah?? Han asked, turning expectantly, his look inquisitive.

?I?. I had R2 repaired. Luke will want him? and C3PO wants to go with him. They are inseperable.?

?Yeah, I guess they are at that. Alright, I?ll take Goldenrod and the trashcan with me, but chances are I?ll dump them both out the airlock the first chance I get.?

Leia smiled slightly, ?Be strong enough, Han. Stay alive. Keep Luke alive. Prove me wrong.?

?I plan on it, Leia. I plan on it,? Han said quietly, yet with enough force to fill the whole room.

?Thank you. I?ll miss all of you, and the memories we had.?

?Well, just remember to keep the engines warm. If this works, we might need a few senators to run things after the Empire dies. Even senators who weren?t willing to stick around for the fight.?

?We will Han? R2 is programmed with the coordinates to reach us at. It won?t be our home, but it will the location of a beacon that we?ll leave behind. If you follow the trail, you?ll find us. He won?t tell them to anyone without your approval, and he?ll destroy them if he feels they?re about to be captured. Come visit us sometime, if you feel it?s safe.?

Han stared at her, trying to resist something deep inside himself. Eventually, he conquered it, though only with great difficulty. ?I would

 

another great post, i can't wait for more this is a great story, uare doing a great job

 

Thanks; I should be able to keep up a pretty regular schedule.

 

Poor old Leia. She sounds like she's been broken -- I hope she can get up again.

Had to laugh at "I believe, sister," and at the bet that Wes made about surviving the trip with a Wookiee. This is very entertaining! Keep up the great work!

 

Onto Part 1 of Chapter 3! The group heads to Tantooine to speak to Jabba the Hutt. Wedge slowly goes insane.


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Chapter 3: How to Make Friends and Influence Hutts

Wedge Antilles reflected that it was going to be a very, very long flight. Wes had lasted about an hour before attempting to find something ?fun? to do, and had quickly discovered that Threepio offered endless entertainment possibilities. It was taking all Wedge had as a human being to keep himself from tying the gunner to a chair. Wedge guessed that that probably wouldn?t even work; Janson would probably find a way to remove the bolts and move around with the chair tied to his back. At the very least, Janson?s newest game had kept him occupied in the cockpit, far away from Wedge. It involved getting Threepio to speak Wookie, by using the pretense that he needed to learn Chewbacca?s language.

For the few moments that he could stand watching, Wedge could see why Janson was so amused. Listening to the grunts and growls of the Wookie language coming out of Threepio?s almost prissy mouth was actually pretty funny, on a grade school level. Chewbacca?s corrections to Threepio?s Wookie grammar, though, had been what kept Janson around for over an hour now. Listening to Threepio and the Wookie argue over Wookie grammatical structure had actually managed to hold Wes?s short attention span.

?So, how would a Wookie say, ?I?d like a mug of lum??? Janson had asked, a grin spread across his face, while Wedge was still in the cockpit, watching patiently.

?Well, Janson, in Chewbacca?s Shrrii?wook dialect, the Wookie would say,? Threepio had begun, and then let out a couple of barks and growls. Janson?s grin only grew wider: Wedge guessed that he was trying to compensate for all the laughter he wanted to let out.

Chewbacca had interjected with a series of growls, with what Wedge recognized as a slightly annoyed look on his face.

?Well, Chewbacca, I hardly doubt that a civilized Wookie would ever use anything other proper language.?

Another series of growls followed, followed by Chewbacca rolling his eyes.

?No, I don?t think I need to teach him Wookie casual talk; it would hardly be proper protocol to speak in such a casual manner to any Wookies he might meet. It might result in his arms being removed,? Threepio explained.

Chewbacca raised his arms in the air in a frustrated manner and growled loudly.

Threepio responded, equally annoyed, ?Well, I never. You certainly are self centered, Chewbacca: I?m sure he?d much rather be able to understand all Wookies, and not just you.?

It had continued like that consistently for five minutes before Wes brought Threepio back to the lesson, and before Wedge gave up and walked out to see what the other occupants of the Falcon were doing.

Luke had been trying to relieve himself of all the stress that had been building up since the Battle of Yavin, practicing lightsaber cadences with a remote training drone. Wedge had found him in the cargo bay after a little bit of a search. It was cold, since the life support systems were turned down in the bay, but Luke obviously didn?t notice the chill. The cadences had been almost hypnotic to Wedge: it was beautiful watching as Luke slowly became more confident about blocking the drones laser blasts. The fact that he was wearing a helmet with the blastshield down only made it more interesting. Of course, there was the occasional shot that struck Luke in the leg, which would break his concentration for at least three cadences, but he was getting better at focusing. Wedge had wondered if witnessing something like this would give credence to the Force for a cynic like Han Solo, or if it would merely make him more cynical about it.

R2, who had been controlling the drone, noticed Wedge after several minutes and let out a bleep. Luke powered off his lightsbaer and raised his visor, greeting his visitor. ?Hey, Wedge, what are you doing down here??

?Trying to retain my sanity. I was just watching you. You?re getting pretty good with that thing.?

?Thank

 

Wedge is so funny. Guess that's why he's my favorite character so far.

Keep it up, coota.

 

Wow! For a minute there, I thought you were channeling Aaron Allston. Great post, Coota! I think you have the characters just right.

inez

WOOHOO!!! I got post #42!

 

another great post, this story is really funny, it is great, can't wait for more u are doing a great job

 

Thanks, everybody! I just finished Chapter 3 today, and am moving on to chapter 4.

 

Up =)
Another great post.

 

Thanks, Princess. It seems this might be my permanant audience, though; noone else seems to be replying Nearly through with the first part of Chapter 4.

 

This has got the feel of an XWing book. Love it.

 

Hobbie shook his head solemnly, ?Actually, I think he may have made it worse: now you?ll have Janson with Threepio?s voice. I couldn?t possibly imagine anything more horrible.?

HA HA HA! I almost died laughing at that! So funny!

Poor Wedge, not finding anything to do while everybody else around him is involved in something or the other. I liked the way he was thinking of "what could have been" with Luke and mentioning that he could have gone on to become the greatest pilot in the Alliance. Awww ...

 

Yeehaw!!!! This is a great ride Coota! I'm looking forward to more!




(I know, I know.... I'm in an exclamation point rehab program as we speak!)