A Change of Plans: OT Fic

Why is it that every time I update "Youthful Mistakes" another story idea pops into my head? At this rate, I'm never going to finish it.

Well, here's another Original Trilogy fic for you guys to read while waiting for me to finish my other story. As always, please provide feedback.


--A Change of Plans--

Seated on the edge of one of the two small beds that occupied the dank, stale cubicle the hotel called a room, Han was growing impatient. He stared blankly at the dirty walls, wondering what could be taking Luke so long. The kid had said he was supposed to meet some rebel friend of his to pick up a datacard that was to be delivered back to Alliance headquarters. Han hoped the kid was capable enough to do this without any problems, but he definitely would have felt better if he?d been allowed to go along. After all, Luke was only two months off the farm, and, although a pretty fair fighter, not the most experienced rebel agent. The kid had been edgy, however, insisting that her Worship wanted him to accomplish this mission alone to avoid any unwanted attention to their presence here. He even went so far as to say that Han was merely here as hired transport, a comment which had angered Solo more than he?d let on, and, worse, had been a totally unexpected barb from Luke. Come to think of it, the kid hadn't been acting like himself at all. Not that Han could claim that he knew him all that well. However, he was convinced that something was bothering the kid. He was just completely baffled as to what.

Right now, however, none of that mattered. All that did matter was that the kid got back soon so they could leave this sorry excuse for a night?s lodging and get back to the Falcon. Even as he lamented the cramped, dingy quarters they?d chosen because of it?s "cash-only, no questions asked" reputation, he couldn?t help but laugh inwardly at his own changed perspective. How many months ago had it been since he?d stayed in a dive like this out of necessity without batting an eye? How could his estimation of such places have changed so drastically in just a few months with the Alliance and their new quarters on the small moon of Krall?

Shaking his head, he hardened his resolve to quit his association with these rebels as soon as possible before he really became the changed man her Highness was constantly joking about. It wasn?t like he?d really developed any feelings for these people. He?d only stuck around because they had continued to pay him for his services, and he was hoping to save up enough to pay back his debts. Besides, it would be a shame to see them all vaped so soon after the victory at Yavin. A victory for which he was still getting praise and recognition. Hero-worship did not sit well on Han Solo, which was another reason for his desire to leave the Rebellion. Luke especially seemed idolize him, even though Han couldn?t imagine why. The kid had skills that were absolutely amazing in one so young an inexperienced. He was as green as a dewback?s hide, however, and that probably explained his frequent attempts at emulating Han?s poise and attitude. Usually, the kid failed, with hilarious results. Sometimes, though, he made even a skilled Sabaac player like Han proud with his coolness and lack of readability.

He hoped the kid was employing his Sabaac face now.

Rising from the bed to shake off his unexpected and unexplained worry, Han paced the small floor. That settled it: as soon as he dropped the kid back off at the base, he and Chewie were saying "Goodbye." He wasn't going to get sucked into this any deeper than he'd already managed to get. He walked over to the small ?fresher unit, and filled a mostly clean glass with water. Wishing it was rum instead, he swallowed it quickly just as he heard the door of the room slide open behind him.

He turned around to see Luke walk in and sit tiredly on the edge of the opposite bed.

"Mission accomplished?" Han asked after a few moments during which the kid said nothing.

Luke nodded, removing a datacard from

 

Ah, the return of the blue-tinted food?

Seriously though, I really love all of your writings.
Are you SURE you don't want to put up a webpage with all of your stories on it?

 

Cripes, people keep writing multiple stories while I can barely write one at a time.

Luke does seem a bit out of character. Will it be long before we find out what's really bugging him?

I'll save my scathing reviews until I've read a bit more.

 

Great so far!
Wow in the trilogy too! I'm bookmarkin' it! ;D

 

Jee-dai, I'd love to, but I'm kind of a dunce at websites and such.

Aw, Herman. Why save them? I live for your scathing reviews! You always seem to bring up valid points.

Go ahead and shoot me down! ;D


Or you can wait unti the next post. It's totally up to you!

 

Okay, I'm writing this one on the fly, so here's more:


Opening the door to the room, Han noticed that Luke was still lying on the bed, apparently asleep. Setting the food down on the small table that occupied the space against the wall between the two beds, Han figured that he should wake him, even though he felt badly about it. After all, the kid had to eat. And Han certainly didn?t want to spend any more time on this forsaken planet than they absolutely had to.

"Luke," he called toward the sleeping form. "Food?s here."

The response he got was something akin to a low moan as Luke rolled away from Han and onto his side, curling up into a fetal position as he did so.

Han rose and crossed over to the kid, annoyed. "Yeah, well you can sleep on the Falcon. But she ain?t stocked with food, so up and at ?em." He swatted the kid's legs to get him to stir.

This time, Luke?s reaction was a violent shiver, and he drew his knees closer to his chest.

Something was very wrong, and Han's annoyance vanished. Now, he was worried. He knelt by the kid?s side and did a quick assessment. Luke?s face was flushed and covered with a sheen of sweat. His hair was damp and matted, and his breathing seemed irregular and labored. Reaching out a tentative hand, Han touched his forehead and was not surprised to find it alarmingly hot. He shook his head. "Luke, kid, don?t do this to me." Not now. Not when they needed to get back to the Alliance and get off this stupid planet. Not when the kid was wanted for the destruction of the Empire?s precious space station.

Not when the only thing standing between himself and his farewell to this stupid war was the final leg of this mission.

"Talk about your bad timing." He gently patted Luke?s face, hoping that the young rebel wasn?t delirious. "Come on, Luke. Wake up and look at me."

"Hmmmfph?" Luke grunted and blinked his eyes. Glassy and unfocused with fever, they stared at nothing.

"Luke, kid, I know you?re probably feeling really bad right about now, but do you think you can make it to the Falcon?" The last thing Han wanted was to be stuck planetside with a sick rebel who had an even higher price on his head then he did. Medical treatment wouldn?t even be an option in that case, and if Luke was really sick, that might be a serious problem. "Luke, answer me. Can you get to the Falcon on your own?"

"Falcon?" The whispered response was barely audible, but it was enough to encourage Han.

"Yeah, kid, the Falcon. Do you think you can get up and walk with me?" He waited expectantly for an answer.

Luke shut his eyes once more, and groaned. "Hurts . . ."

Han rubbed his eyes in frustration. "I know it hurts, Luke. But we?ve got to get out of here." He was beginning to get the sinking feeling that they were, in fact, stuck in this very cubicle he?d been so anxious to leave only twenty minutes earlier. He was still going to try, though. "Come on, kid. Help me out, here."

To Han?s relief, Luke?s eyes blinked open once again, and this time they focused on him. "Help."

Han wasn?t sure if Luke was merely repeating Han?s request or making one of his own, but he hoped it was the latter. Slipping an arm under the young man?s neck, he eased him into a sitting position. Although he leaned heavily against Han?s arm, Luke did not resist. Han only hoped the kid could stand. Chewie was waiting at the Falcon, but Han dared not contact his co-pilot out of concern that a Wookie would definitely draw attention to them. And Han certainly wouldn?t be able to carry Luke the entire way back to the ship. "Do you think you can walk?"

Weakly, Luke nodded. Han was surprised when the kid pushed away from him and struggled to stand up on his own. He swayed dizzily on his feet, and Han threw an arm around him for support.

"Come on, kid. Let?s get you out of here." Han glanced around the small room to see if there was anything personal of theirs laying about. The only thing he noted was the small bag Luke had brought with him, a

 

So Luke's sick eh? No wonder he's being such a pain. I know more than a few people who are no fun to be around when they're sick.

Not me of course.

 

Great job, KM!

BTW, everyone, I've got most (all?) of her stories at my site:

http://www.geocities.com/taramidala/SWFanfic.html

Can't wait to see how this turns out.

 

Yay! Another KnightMara ficcy!! However, this means I have to go hunt down 'Youthful Mistakes' tomorrow after school! :::muttering::: Stupid compy crashes...

 

UP!

 

oh knightmara i love you!!!!!!!!!!! another one! i haven't read, but i will. i just wanted to get this ont he active thread thing to remind myself to read!@

 

Whoohoo, you guys just made my day! I just got this warm fuzzy feeling coming here to check on my story and seeing how you guys started to read this simply because my name is on it. That's so cool!

Today has been so miserable. I've been sick for two days and not getting any better, but I really need to go back to work tomorrow. I've not been a happy camper. So your comments really boosted my spirits.

Funny how I started writing "Youthful Mistakes" out of a headache and this out of being sick. Art inspired by life, maybe? Maybe my next story will feature Luke having to deal with immature, disrespectful, and disruptive Jedi students on Yavin. hehehe

 

Okay, I take it all back. Boy, I piqued your interest for a day, and then blam. . .I sink to the netherworld of the forums.

Not that I really blame you, I'm a pretty fickle reader myself sometimes.

Okay, story! UP!

 

Hey, I thought it was bad manners to post more than one comment or "Up" inbetween posts! That's the only reason why I didn't up this story today.

 

That's okay, Jee-dai. Two days of steady rain and three days of an annoying bug are making me moody.


Next post:

Of course, the journey to the ship was an excruciatingly slow one, and Han's arm ached with fatigue from trying to support Luke's increasingly heavy form. The kid was growing weaker by the moment, and Han found himself nearly dragging him along by the time they reached the port. Focused on getting them to the Falcon as quickly as possible, Han barely noticed when Luke suddenly stiffened.

"We're being followed," the kid whispered hoarsely, gripping Han's arm.

Taken by surprise, Han glanced curiously at his companion before quickening his pace while continuing to look casual. The kid still looked feverish, but there was an eerie sense of clarity in his eyes. "You sure?" he ventured to whisper back with a sidelong glance.

Luke brought his hand to his mouth and coughed, masking his affirmative nod. "Two of them. Tall guy in a black jacket, and a lizardy thing in a neutral flight-suit."

Acting quickly, Han forced Luke to stumble. "You okay, kid?" Han asked loudly, shifting to thump Luke's back and taking a quick survey. He quickly spotted the two that the kid had described. The human was a total stranger, and looked like a mere hired thug. The reptilian Trandoshan, on the other hand, looked vaguely familiar. Even though he couldn't place him at the moment, his mind screamed, "Bounty hunter."

"Thought so," Luke replied to Han's muttered appraisal. "Any ideas?"

Momentarily caught off guard, the smuggler frantically searched his mind for a plan. "Not unless you think you're up to whipping out that laser sword of yours. But from the looks of you, kid, I don't think that's such a wise idea. Better try to lose ourselves in the crowd."

Luke grinned weakly. "And I thought you said you preferred straight fighting to sneaking around."

Han favored him with a wry smirk. "Don't make me leave you here, kid."

"And miss having me around?"

Han shook his head, resisting the urge to laugh good-naturedly at Luke's remark. The kid must be delirious if he thought that Han actually enjoyed his company. Obligated to save his hide was more like it. Although Han had to admit that he appreciated a guy who could maintain a sense of humor even in the toughest of situations. Sick as he was, Luke was definitely keeping his chin up.

Han was suddenly startled by Luke's sideways shove. "Huh?"

Luke continued to push Han toward an alleyway, "Trust me," he whispered. "I've got an idea."

"Luke, I'm not so sure," Han began, but Luke cut him off.

"We're not going to lose them," the kid explained hastily. "So we're gonna have to face them."

Han glanced about warily as they headed into the alley. "Somehow I didn't think that direct confrontation was your style, kid," he muttered as they moved.

The kid shrugged his shoulders weakly. "Picking it up from you, I guess."

"Or the fever's making you stupid," Han countered.

"Freeze," hissed a voice from behind, silencing any further conversation between the two.

Han grimaced and turned around slowly, continuing to support Luke the whole time. Two blasters were trained on them, held by the two bounty hunters he and Luke had identified before. "Something the matter, gentlemen?" Han drawled.

The Trandoshan hissed once more, "Yesss, it would ssseem that you have your handsss on my bounty."

Han gave his best innocent look. "Bounty?" He pointed at Luke, who was leaning more heavily against his shoulder than he was before. Biting back the panic that crept into his mind at the thought that the kid might have deliriously led them to their deaths without a real plan, Han continued, "You mean, this guy?"

"Don't play ssstupid with me," the bounty hunter sneered. "I don't like--"

Han never found out what he didn't like. At that very moment, Luke righted himself and his blue lightsaber flashed to life. The two bounty hunters, momentarily stunned by the unexpected maneuver, stood in shocke

 

Great line there about Han wishing Luke would start whining and complaining again after Luke lapsed into silence.

I got a few chuckles from the witty banter between Luke and Han. Luke's picking up all of Han's smart ass remarks.

Don't get discouraged about slipping back a few pages. I'm about to delve into the deeps to find my own story.

 

One of the best things about this story is that it's soooo Han. Han sounds like Han in his actions, words, and thoughts.

I also like how Luke is in disbelief/denial that he's sick even though he's collapsing and can't talk in more than one syllables very easily. Didn't our favorite golden-haired Jedi ever get sick on Tatooine?

 

For those of you who are keeping track of both this story and my other one, this is just to let you know that I'll probably be posting a lot today out of the fact that the entire county is flooded and schools are closed! Whoohoo!

I get bored too easily, so what else am I gonna do?

 

I never thought I'll be happy to see someone else's country flooded as I do now.

 

Just upping this so it'll make it easier for you to update tonight...








(So much for my one reply per post rule.)

 

Thanks, Jee-dai. I hate having to go search for my threads.

Okeedokiee, here's the next post:


"You're such a softy," Han remarked to his copilot as they finally prepared to blast off from Ryall. Upon reaching the Falcon, Chewie had immediately sensed that something was wrong with the kid, and had proceeded to treat Luke like a wounded cub. Han had laughed as Luke struggled vainly against Chewie's insistent coddling while the Wookie refused be swayed by any of his arguments. In his current state, Luke was no match for an overprotective Wookie anyway, and he finally allowed himself to be picked up and carried into the Falcon, much to Han's mirth. "You really have a thing for that kid, don't ya' pal?"

Chewie growled a reply, which caused Han to bristle.

"Hey, I was never that green! By the time I was his age, I'd seen more stuff than that kid'll ever see. So don't go comparing us!" Miffed, Han returned to the Falcon's controls. "Besides," he added, "the kid whines too much."

Chewie's next response evoked laughter from the smuggler.

"Nah, he whines even when he's not sick." Han looked up from the controls to throw a backward glance toward the cabin where he hoped the kid was sleeping peacefully. Luke had protested against resting in the medical bunk, whining about how it made him feel like an invalid when he wasn't. Then, in the midst of his argument, a horrendous cough had seized him and, weakened, he finally complied. In the last half-hour, Han had come to the solid conclusion that the kid was a lousy patient. And in the past few minutes he'd come to an even more disturbing realization: that bothered him.

Pushing back the foolish notion that he could begin caring about the people he was intent on getting as far away from as possible at the earliest convenience, he focused on the task at hand. "Do we have clearance, yet?"

Chewie growled an affirmative.

"Good," Han remarked. "Let's leave this party."

Within moments, Ryall was behind them and the coordinates for the hyperspace jump to Alliance HQ had been set. Han frowned at the ETA, but there was nothing they could do about that. He gave the signal to Chewie to make the jump, and the stars out the viewport shifted into lines as the Millennium Falcon streaked through hyperspace.

Han rose from his chair and headed out of the cockpit. "I'm just gonna' let the kid know our arrival time." At Chewie's hushed comment, Han turned on his copilot with a wry grin. "No, I'm not checking up on him. That's your job, remember? One softy on this ship is enough." At that, he quickly headed aft toward the sleeping cabin.

Poking his head inside, he noted that the entire cabin and both its bunks were totally empty. Han frowned at the thought of Luke meandering around the Falcon when he was so sick and so far away from a medic. Again, Han groaned at the thought of what a lousy patient the kid was turning out to be, and headed out the cabin door to find him. When a quick search of the forward hold failed to produce any sign of Luke, he continued on toward the galley. Upon entering the portside hold, a noise from the 'fresher both alerted him to the location of his quarry, as well as to his condition.

"You okay in there, kid?" he asked, slowly approaching the closed 'fresher door.

"Uh-huh," a weak voice, barely recognizable as Luke's, replied.

Han arched an eyebrow. "You sure?" The kid certainly didn't sound okay.

In reply, the door slid open and a pale and shaky Luke emerged trying desperately to remain upright. Within seconds, he lost the struggle and would have sunk to the floor had Han not reached for him at that moment.

"Whoa, kid," Han exclaimed as he grabbed Luke under the arms and hauled him back up. "Let's get you back to the bunk."

The kid didn't put up much of a fight this time around. For that, Han was grateful. However, Luke did continue to whine.

"Why do I feel like this?" he croaked.

"Because you're sick."

"But why do I feel so terrible? I mean I was cou

 

This is turning out nicely, KM. Can't wait for more.

 

The way Luke kept carrying on, I assumed there was someting seriously wrong with him.

Turns out he's just a big pain in the arse when he's sick.

 

Well, I wouldn't say that Luke has been unduly whining yet. He doesn't have the experience to know if it's just a mild case of the flu or a life-threatening-about-to-die-and -rupture-his-lungs case.

 

I don't understand why this story hasn't caught on.

UP!