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

Like that would have happened anyway?

 

Two posts in one this time, since they're short. Thanks everyone who's reading this so far! I'm glad you're all enjoying it; it's going to get even more interesting when they try to pay off Jabba.

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Han had announced that the ship was about to arrive in the Tantooine system only minutes before it actually reverted to realspace. It had been a rush for everyone on board to strap in before the ship came out of hyperspace with a jolt. Threepio hadn?t quite made it, and had ended up lodged in an exposed power conduit system. None of the crew really paid much attention to him, as they were glad to be rid of him for even a few moments.

It had been a couple of days, and while the diverse members of the group occasionally got on each others nerves, as a whole they seemed to work together better than Luke had ever thought possible. He had been sure that each and every member would have wanted out by now, but instead they were talking as if they had all known each other for years. For some reason, Luke felt as if he were the only outsider anymore, even though he had known Han and Chewie for slightly longer than any of the others. He wondered if focusing all his attentions on training was a mistake, and if it might be a good idea to focus more on his companions, and less on his perceived responsibilities.

Luke wasn?t quite sure what to make of it as he stared out into space, watching Tantooine loom up in the viewport slowly but surely. ?I never thought I?d be back on this piece of sand. I really didn?t think I?d be back in less than two weeks.?

?Life?s funny like that, kid. The second you swear you?ll never come back to a place, somebody forces you back there the next day, the next week or the next year. It?s like the galaxy loves irony,? Han replied over his shoulder, setting the Falcon on an elliptical course for Mos Eisley.

?I just wish we were coming back under better circumstances. I was born here, but I?d rather not die here.?

?Oh, don?t worry, you?ve got me to protect you, Luke,? Wes assured him, ?And Hobbie here to take laser bolts for you. He?s great, because no matter how much you hurt him, he never dies!?

?It?s true: bacta is my best friend. I?ve nearly lost the use of my arms seven times, but bacta always come through for me!? Hobbie asserted.

Luke just staired at the duo, both of whom were keeping perfectly straight faces. Wedge?s voice came over the com, ?Don?t even try to comprehend them, Luke. It?s better that way.?

Han coughed slightly and said, ?I hate to interrupt you guys, but shouldn?t you be checking the scopes, Janson? It?s kind of your job.?

?Oh, I thought my job was to just sit around and look handsome. But the scopes are clean, boss. Just a few transports in system: no Imperials, bounty hunters or any other assorted nasties.?

?Great,? Han said, ?You and Chewie can get back to your seats, Wedge: we won?t need the quad guns after all.?

?Roger that.?

Chewbacca?s growl answered a second later, in what Luke took to be the affirmative. Everyone one board was starting to pick up a little Wookie, even after just a few days of being exposed to the gargantuan first mate. Even Wes?s little games had taught him quite a bit of Wookie. Janson had even attempted to speak Wookie, but Chewbacca punching him in the arm had quickly remedied that. Janson still had the welt to remind him not to mock the Wookie.

?Ok, Chewbacca?s on his way: Hobbie, let Luke have your seat; Luke, let Chewie have his seat back.?

Wes snorted, ?So that?s how the ranking works around here.?

?Don?t worry about it, Hobbie,? Luke interjected, ?I?ll get out of the way.?

?Luke, don?t leave me up here with these jokers. They?ll try and put bows in Chewies hair or something, and I?ll end up covered in blood. Besides, you?ve been disappearing the entire trip; you?re gonna forget how to run the Falcon pretty soon.?

?You really want me up here, Han?? Luke asked.

?Yeah, kid, I do. We?ve already lost Leia. I don?t want to lose you, too. Hobbie, get out of the seat. Luke got here first, foll

 

another great post, poor luke gets to watch wes and hobbie, how'd he pull that job, by the end he will end up looking for trouble hoping on of them gets hurt, well this is a great story, can't wait for more u are doing a great job

 

This one was funny.

 

Are you sure you aren't Aaron Allston? That was so funny. Sounds like the guys need to learn Wookiee really fast. Luke isn't exactly an unknown; he grew up there.

 

Yeah, but he didn't go to Mos Eisley often: Ben had to explain to him that it was a "hive of scum and villany". And thank you very much for your compliments

 

Maybe Ponda and Evazon are there and try something again and Luke blasts them to pieces. hehe

 

"Things are different now. Really!"

Right, Han, yup.

 

Wedge was amazed that the Empire let a place like Mos Eisley exist. It went against everything the Empire stood for: order, law and a human dominated society. It was the kind of place that made everything Han said a little more possible. If a place like this could exist with an Imperial garrison right on top of it, there was a chance that they might be able to foment a new rebellion after all. It might take a little while, but it was entirely possible. Then again, Wedge had always been an optimist.

?So, where are we headed, anyway?? Wedge asked as the trio walked through the corridors of Mos Eisley, obviously with some kind of purpose.

?The Furnace, a cantina where I haven?t kill anybody lately. If Holgurn isn?t there, there?ll be someone who knows where he is.?

Han grinned back to Wedge, who had changed into comfortable spacers slacks and a light shirt. Han was in his usual uniform trousers and blouse, with his utility vest rest over the blouse. His rather oversized blaster hung low on his hip in the gunslingers fashion, the gunsight filed off to facilitate the speed draw. Wedge wondered if his own holster?s carriage betrayed his recent military service; Han had already ribbed him several times that the stiff way he walked was a dead giveaway to his former profession.

?Uh, is there a chance that we?ll have to kill anyone? Not that I object horribly, but I?d like to know what I?m getting myself in for.?

Chewbacca growled, flashing his teeth in a grin.

?What did he just say?? Wedge asked.

?He said that we generally only have to kill one or two people per trip to Mos Eisley, not counting Stormtroopers. And he?s right. Besides, we have a large, angry looking Wookie with a bowcaster, and we?ve both got our blasters. Chances are most goons will leave us alone, unless Jabba has declared me persona non grata.?

?What happens then?? Wedge asked, concern dripping into his tone.

?Everyone in the town tries to kill me, and we get the hell out of here. But I?m sure that didn?t happen. I told Jabba I?d be back in less than a couple of weeks, and here I am, right on schedule, with his money on my ship.?

?What if he decides to just kill you and take your ship and your money??

?If he wanted to do that, he could have had me mowed down two weeks ago when I met with him. No, he values me as a smuggler. As long as I pay my debts, I don?t die. Though quitting might have another effect on him entirely.?

?What? What kind of effect??

?Don?t worry about it! I?m almost positive I?ll be able to explain things to him.?

Chewbacca growled slightly, a look of skepticism plastered on his face. That worried Wedge.

?Uh, not that I doubt you, but what happens if you can?t explain things to him??

?We probably won?t make it off the planet alive. But don?t worry, I?ve got everything under control.?

Wedge just stared at Han as he continued through the crowds, no sense of worry or anxiousness about him at all. Wedge shook his head and continued on behind the smuggler and the Wookie, stating clearly, ?I have a bad feeling about this.?

?Welcome to my world, kid,? Han replied, then stopped in front of a building larger than most of the others scattered around the streets of Mos Eisley, though Wedge still thought it looked miniscule compared to houses on other worlds, ?We?re here.?

The cantina was much larger than Wedge was expecting from the exterior of the place, and it was still packed despite the size. Humans and aliens of all shapes and sizes crowded the bar and the surrounding booths, jabbering at each other in a variety of languages. Wedge was used to aliens and crowds from his youth on a refueling station in the Corellia system, but places like this still never ceased to amaze him. It was just beautiful how many races existed in the galaxy, so many that even after all these years, he still couldn?t name half the species in this bar. ?What is it, the evening rush?? Wedge asked as they entered.

?On Mos Eisley, it?s always the evening rush, Wedge. Nothing to do around here but make deals, drink, get

 

another great post, this is a great story, can't wait for more, u are doing a great job, jabba planning for everything that is not a surprise at all, as for a bad feeling anything planned by Han has a bad feeling to it

 

Cool! Great posts as always, Coota. I'm kinda nervous about Jabba already expecting Han. I love the dialogue and the character ineraction. This really does read just like an Allston book.

inez

p.s. I think it's supposed to by Tatooine, not Tantooine.

 

I think you'll all really like the Jabba scene.

 

Thought I'd toss in another post today, as long as I was getting ahead of schedule. I'm nearly finished with the fourth chapter "Leaving Mos Eisley". And yes, it's a play on "Leaving Las Vegas" and no, it doesn't involve LSD or bats in any way. And then, on to Corellia and the Terriks! Hee... 'li'l' eighteen year old Myra/Mirax Terrik, Veggies *ahem* Wedge, Booster and Han are going to be fun to write for.

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Wes Janson was a much more serious man than he liked to let on. He?d seen friends die, and he?d seen lives collapse around him; after a while, the only thing he could do to make up for it was to live his life moment by moment. The more he enjoyed life, the less he would regret it when his time finally came. Now, at the fall of the Rebellion, he had every right to be morose. He wondered if it was a bad thing that he was having the time of his life.

?So, Luke, Han told me about that cantina you went to, where Kenobi had to chop off that aliens arm?,? Wes began as they walked along the dusty streets of Mos Eisley, out in the open. Whereas Han had decided to prowl the backstreets, Luke, Wes and Hobbie had decided to stick to the less constricted areas.

?What about it??

?We?re going there, right??

?I?m not sure if I want to go to a cantina where I nearly got killed? two weeks ago.?

?C?mon, Luke, it?s probably the best place to find jobs, anyway; it?s not like we know what we?re doing. Besides, if it?ll appease Janson, he might quiet down for a little while,? Hobbie explained.

?Good point. At least I?m a little less likely to draw attention; I don?t look like nearly as much of a farm boy now,? Luke admitted, motioning to the pilot?s jumpsuit he was wearing. The suit was mostly drab grays with a few white spots, but it had fitted well and gave Luke the appearance of a veteran spacer. Han had commented that they weren?t going for fashion statements on Mos Eisley anyhow.

?Yeah, you?re lucky: we look like a couple of deserters,? Hobbie pointed out.

Wes grinned widely at that, because the description really did suit them. They wore a stripped down version of the Alliance officers uniform with all insignia torn off. Janson had elected to keep the tunic, while Hobbie had replaced it with an undershirt and spacers jacket. The part of the outfit where they matched, and even stuck out a little, was the uniform trousers and their generic spacers boots, but everyone who flew wore spacers boots. Still, Wes had already made a resolution to pick up some new clothes at the first possible opportunity.

?We are a couple of deserters,? he mentioned to Hobbie.

?We didn?t desert, Wes. We were discharged honorably. Kind of.?

?I was a little offended when the General at Tierfon base didn?t even try to convince us to come with the Rebellion.?

?The guy had no sense of decorum,? Hobbie agreed, ?He could have at least pretended like he hated to lose us.?

?Do you two ever run out of pat banter?? Luke asked, rolling his eyes.

?Well, from time to time. Hobbies usually pretty quiet, actually. Look, don?t worry about it, boss: despite our demeanors, we are actually trained professionals.?

Luke smiled at that, ?I know, Wes, but it?s just sometimes hard to convince myself of that.?

?Well, as much as I hate being serious, just know that if you ever get in any trouble, Hobbie and I will get you out. So just trust us.?

Wes flashed his best grin and slapped Luke on the back in as friendly a manner as possible. He liked the kid, and he already felt that he could depend on him, despite barely even knowing him. Janson just wanted to make sure that the kid knew that he could depend on them, as well.

?Right, right, Wes. Just promise me that you?re not gonna start any barfights.?

?Barfights? We wouldn?t even think about it. Hobbie and I are the very souls of decency. So, where is this place, anyway??

?It should be around here somewhere? ah, it?s right over there, by the dewbacks? geeze, you?d think someone would move their giant lizard over the course of two weeks,? Luke muttered.

?Leave it to

 

This story is really cool

 

great post, great barfight, new that wes couldn;t not get in a fight in the bar, has to keep/get the rougue reutation doing, can't wati for a another post u are doing a great job keep up the great work

 

Coota, you have definitely hooked a new reader.. I love this!

 

Thanks! Glad to see new readers, too. Things are moving along well on my end; I'm really enjoying writing this.

 

Barfight! WooHoo!!!!

inez

 

marathon read

Jade243 suggested I read this and boy, am I glad I did! I love this! It's so funny .. everyone is just GREAT! Wes and Chewie are a hoot .. then again, they all are!

A new and very happy reader!

 

Thanks everyone, and welcome aboard, Mira! Your namesake should appear in Chapter 5

 

Congrats, getting Mira_Terrik to review a fic is not easy. Great story to read, I love it.

--RP

 

the banter is great. I especially liked Han's comment about going to a bar where he hadn't killed somebody and then Wes and Hobbie begging Luke to let them fight.

this is great after a long day at work.

 

I'm really glad that I'm providing something like that for you, RebelMom I know how it is to come home and just want to settle down and read something.

Thank you all for your support; it seems like a lot of people are really enjoying this, and that makes me pretty happy. Especially knowing that you feel I'm doing a good job with these characters; they're my favorites, and I'd hate to feel as if I were butchering them.

In other news, I just started "Chapter Five: The Boss?s Daughter and Other Challenges", and I'm working out some scenes that I think people are really going to enjoy. Thanks for your support, again, and I'm looking forward to writing and seeing you all read whatever comes next!

 

The end of Chapter 3, the meeting with Jabba the Hutt. I have discovered, to my dismay, that my geography(Mos Eisley was not built on the ruins or even nearby Mos Espa) is a bit off, but hell, it's AU anyhow. I will check things like this in the future, however.

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Han hadn?t been quite sure whether he should berate Luke, Wes and Hobbie or praise them. They had managed to get the group set up with a job, but they had managed to contract with a man working for employers that Han knew nothing about. At the very least, it seemed to be a one-time job, with no strings attached. Han had of course discounted that comfort, though; there were always strings attached.

Reveres had dropped by at the appointed time of night, and after a short round of bargaining had agreed to 12,500 for the run, with four thousand up front. It would be more than enough to keep them going for a while longer, or at least get them to Booster?s current location. They just needed to get off the planet alive, first.

The Millennium Falcon?s crew had spent the entire night loading her with the illegitimate goods that Reveres wanted shipped, along with a legitimate shipment of preserved agri-products Han had picked up on his way back from the meeting with Holgurn. It was always better to be hauling something, no matter what it was, because otherwise customs inspectors got suspicious.

It had been exhausting work, as Han had refused to let Reveres? men provide assistance: Han didn?t want any surprises turning up on his ship by ?accident.? Chewie had checked each crate of weaponry for tracking beacons and other surprises, making sure they all came up clean, while the rest of the crew loaded everything on the Falcon. It had taken hours, and the smugglers had slept far into the late morning hours after they had completed it.

That hadn?t kept Han from making preparations for the meet with Jabba, however. Now that time was upon them, Han felt reasonably comfortable about his chances of survival. He just hoped that his little surprises outweighed Jabbas. The chances of that were slim, of course, since the Hutt had far more resources at his disposal, but it was worth a shot.

?Is everything loaded up back there, Chewie?? Han asked, looking over the industrial speeder he had rented.

?<20,000 credits, all in strong boxes, all counted down to the last piece. It brings sadness to my heart to lose another fortune like this, but I suppose I should get used to it.>?

?Oh, c?mon Chewie, it ain?t that bad. We?ll have another one before we even blink an eye, I promise.?

?<I?ve heard that before.>? Chewbacca grunted, seating himself in the speeder?s bed, next to all the credits, his crossbow tucked in his arms.

?And I?ve been right before, haven?t I? Just because we can?t actually maintain a steady credit balance doesn?t mean that I haven?t been right about all those credits we?ve made.?

The Wookie scoffed, and barked something about Han?s questionable logic. Han just grinned and called back into the ship.

?Hey, Luke, Wedge, you coming? Hobbie and Janson are already set up, and we can?t be late for a meeting with a Hutt.?

Solo placed himself in the drivers seat of the speeder, waiting impatiently for the two other members of the little expedition. A moment later, Wedge and Luke emerged, each carrying an assault rifle in addition to their holstered pistols. Han couldn?t help but feeling that as heavily armed as they were, they looked just a little suspicious. It didn?t particularly matter though, as this was Mos Eisley: everyone in the city was heavily armed. A being carrying an assault rifle barely drew notice, and most people actively tried to stay away from anyone carrying really large scale weaponry. Still, Han had decided to stick with his blaster, since it was the only thing he felt comfortable with. Most of the time, it was all he needed.

?What took you two so long?? Han asked as Luke jumped into the passengers seat and Wedge got in the back with Chewbacca.

?We were eating our last meal,? Wedge replied, ?Even though what

 

This is incredible. I can hear Han's voice throughout; you've really got his character down pat. The action is well-thought-out and believable, and everything seems to true to the spirit of Star Wars. Well done!