The Storm - Sequel to The Art of War

Poor Cronn. Very true. But we learn one thing from this post: Without Erinin, Irek would be dead. He's the one Thrawn will have to keep an eye on now.

Irek is indeed the most powerful weapon in the galaxy, even if he is a loose cannon. Yet there is one even more powerful ...
____________________________________________

"Anakin?" Padmé peered at her husband's face in some concern. A faraway look played in his eyes, as he was staring off into the distance.

"What?" he asked, startled.

"What is going on? You seem distracted."

Turning his head to look at her his lips compressed into a thin line. For a moment there was a hint of that old anger lurking in the depths of his blue eyes. "There was a disturbance in the Force," he explained softly. "Cronn is dead, which can only mean that they have succeeded in bringing the Executor under control."

"Thrawn?" she asked, worry creasing her brow.

"I do not know. But we cannot be certain that he is alive."

She hugged her arms around his neck, holding him tightly. "I hope he is alive," she whispered. "What can we do?"

Anakin kept silent for a while. "There is something," he said at last. "I do not like it, but it might turn the tide."

"What is that?"

"If we make it public that Thrawn is attacking the New Republic, perhaps we can goad Irek into responding, maybe even respond in a way favorable to us."

Smiling up at him Padmé felt incredibly proud of her husband. "A good idea," she conceded. "But will it work?"

"We shall see, won't we? I hope Leia is truly planning what I think she does."

"Play the court against the military?"

"Yes. Zsinj is no fool, he knows that he is being manipulated by Andorwyn, but he agreed voluntarily, so there must be something in it for him, too. He'll help Andorwyn against Markhan, that is for sure. The question is whether Leia can convince the court to help her."

"She'll find a way, I am sure."

Anakin nodded slowly. "Yes, you are right. If anyone can find a way, it is her."

 

Well, Butler, in the midst of tragedy, pain, treachery and desperation, one has to find every glimmer of delight in the smallest places to stay sane.

[face_shocked] Oh boy, philosophy

But he was/is a cool Sith, don't you think?

 

Anakin has full faith in Leia and in his plan. QUestion is, is Irek that loose of a cannon to fall for it? And if he is, what if it's all part of the plan?

Can't wait for more goodies!

 

Yes, he was pretty cool. Of the Sith on Korriban he came third place after Chi'in and Nuron in regards to sympathy

Irek's madness part of a plan? With all the schemes going on that might well be the case...

Righty-right! We start the tenth chapter and we start it with a loooooooooooooong post.
____________________________________________


Telmann Page felt slightly uneasy as he walked along the dank hallways of Joral's fortress. The air stank like a Weequay's armpit and it was far too gloomy for his comfort. Not that he expected comfort of any sort. Upon their capture he and Kell had been transferred to a shuttle heading out to Nal Hutta, supposedly for questioning. But he did not quite understand why they were being brought to the Hutt, and not the Imperial commander. Roj Kell was walking at his side quietly and he was studying the fortress with mild interest. There was no sign of anxiety on his part. Well, as long as the Imps did not know they were facing a Sith the two of them might get a chance at escape.

In the throne room Joral was resting on his dais, and not surprisingly, really, there was a human standing next to him, dressed in an Imperial Captain's uniform. A Twi'lek prisoner, Haman, the General guessed, knelt quietly in front of them. He did not even look up when the newcomers arrived. Page and Kell were shoved forward and the troopers forced both men to their knees, so that the three capitves formed one neat row. The Captain looked them up and down and a sudden smile lit up his features. He gave Page a curt nod of acknowledgement.

"General. What a surprise."

"General?" the Hutt boomed. "Which one?"

The Captain pointed. "This is General Telmann Page of the New Republic. Chief Security Advisor, too, if I am informed correctly."

"What is he doing here, then?" Joral snorted.

"That's what I would like to know, too," the Captain said softly. "With your permission, Your Highness, I would like to remove the prisoner for questioning."

"Not yet, my friend. This one," the Hutt waved a pudgy hand in the general direction of Roj Kell. "Who is he?"

"Sir," one of the stormtroopers replied smartly, " he allegedly initiated this rebellion in the first place."

The Hutt's golden eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "Is that so? Haman!"

Jerking upright the Twi'lek raised his head. He was trembling. "Yes, master?"

Page gave a contemptuous grunt at the creature's pitiful whining tone. Had the thing no honor? The Captain threw him a quick, warning glance, but Joral ignored his reaction completely and continued: "I was led to believe that it was you who plotted behind my back, Haman. Perhaps you know this one?"

"You are mistaken about your ally's intentions, Joral." Roj Kell's voice was soft, and yet it commanded instant attention. The General noted with some satisfaction the surprise on the Imperial captain's face. Rising to his feet gracefully the Sith Lord took a step back, studying the chamber intently, and deliberately avoided eye-contact with the Hutt lounging on his throne-like dais. The Captain lay a hand on his blaster, causing a small uproar in the ranks of the stormtroopers, who tried to sort out their weapons and keep an eye on the prisoners at the same time.

"What makes you think so?" Joral asked calmly, and Page thought he could detect a hint of amusement in the huge alien's booming voice. Apparently Kell had noticed that too. Turning his head he gazed at the Hutt coldly, his expression almost a sneer.

"The Empire has betrayed you already and yet you are fool enough to trust them. There is just one reason for Imperial troops to interfere now."

"Yes, indeed. That reason is the impending attack of the New Republic navy."

"You are a fool to trust the Empire, and a fool to trust the word of the traitor Haman." Shaking his head Roj Kell faced the Hutt fully and took a step toward him, his move so full of menace that it made even Page jump. Joral though was perfectly calm. The Captain was dividing his attention nervously between the old man and the Hutt, and his ha

 

Belana frowned at Page's retreating back pensively, while two of Joral's henchmen rushed forward to escort Kell out of the room. She followed the trio slowly, at a loss of what to make of what had just happened. So the New Republic would confront Markhan's troops at Ryloth. How did that go together with Kell's plan? He owed her an explanation, that was for sure. They made their way to one of the palace's hangars, where an Imperial shuttle was waiting for them. A hurried exchange between the pilot and the guards almost resulted in violence, since Captain Kuyan was missing, but Kell calmed them down with a few Force-induced words of authority. What was he planning to do once they reached the Captain's flagship? After the shuttle had lifted off she tried to coax her lover into something of an answer, but, as it turned out, he himself was not certain what was about to happen.

"Who is that master he was going on about?" she asked, bewildered.

"I have no idea. Not Markhan, that much is clear. I suppose there is some sort of powerstruggle going on. Maybe some commanders think that Markhan is gaining too much power."

"What are you going to do now?"

"My task here is completed, even if it happened in a different way than I planned. The Twi'lek will join the New Republic and the Hutts will not dare to interfere."

"You told Page that you didn't want the rebellion to succeed...."

"To increase the pressure on the New Republic, and to force the Twi'lek to join. It is quite simple, really, when you know which levers to pull."

"Perhaps, in this case, that is even true," Belana conceded, astounded. So he had been planning on the Twi'lek joining the New Republic all along! And Joral had claimed that he was out of the game, which qualified as isolation, as far as she was concerned. Kell had thus achieved all of his objectives. "What about you?" she asked softly. "They will take you prisoner again, I know."

Kell scowled at that. "Thrawn didn't enjoy my company much, and neither will Markhan." His features lit up again when he added: "I don't think he'll like that message much. And I want to find out who is playing him and Joral both."

 

ANSWER TO THE QUESTIONS: Oh I'm not telling.

Joral was definately not the guy just sitting in the background, but he wasn't the lead in anything really. And Kell knew it.

More?

 

My vote for ultimate villain goes to...

CHEWBACCA!!

Think of it. Who else could have so easily set up Leia's abduction? Who would have been privy to the New Republic's secrets, but never suspected? And this alien race from the Outer Rim--how do we know it ain't a group of cannibalistic Wookies? The fact that Chewie's been in the Core for years bespeaks the depth of his cunning and deception.

Up!

 

LOL! Bring on the cannibals! No, no, no, I am sorry, Butler, the person in question has appeared several times already in the previous posts. Which actually brings us back to the question who Abla Othana really answers to.
__________________________________________________

Aboard the Victorious Yana was feeling like a fool. She had trusted Abla, had loved him, even. That he would betray her like this ... The very idea of his deception outraged her. He had killed Marten ? he had admitted it, when she had asked ? and he had been relaying her discoveries to Tious Markhan all along. Incredible, that she had fallen for this traitorous slicer completely, and that she still felt a tiny spark of affection as she watched him pace the small expanse of her cabin. It was true then, that love made a fool of everyone.

Seated on the single bunk, her shackled hands lying in ger lap, Yana tried to be as cool and forbidding as she could, while being so close to the man she had loved for close to two years now. He was seemingly trying to come up with some sort of apology, as if she could ever forgive him! Finally he stopped his pacing and turned to face her. Concern filled his dark eyes, concern and regret. She met his gaze haughtily, her lips compressed tightly in anger.

"Yana ? "

"What?"

"I can only say I am sorry."

"Being sorry won't save you, Abla," she hissed.

"Why can't you just see reason? He won't harm you, all he wants from you is a bit of committment to the cause ? "

"I don't want the Empire back!"

"You won't prevent its rebirth either, Yana. The New Republic cannot stand up to us. Not without Vader, not without Thrawn."

"What about Zsinj and the court?"

Abla shrugged dismissively and sat down beside her. "They are fools." Reaching out he ran the palm of his hand along her cheek tenderly. "Don't be a fool, Yana," he whispered softly.

She jerked her head away, but blushed immediately. It had felt so good to have him touch her again ... Too good. "Tell me Abla," she began hoarsely, "do you really believe the court will accept me when they know exactly that I am no more than Markhan's puppet?"

"You are the Emperor's daughter."

"And that's it, isn't it?" Looking him straight in the eye she said: "There has to be more for me, Abla. It is a poor bargain this way."

"I am sure the Grand Admiral will be amendable to your wishes."

She could see his relief clearly. But if he believed that he had managed to mellow her resolve he was badly mistaken. First chance she got she would kill him. In that regard she was very much like her father. Betrayal could not be tolerated, ever. Her thoughts of sweet vengeance were interrupted when the door opened without warning and a stormtrooper appeared, nodding at Abla.

"Sir, we have a problem."

"What problem? Is Captain Kuyan back?"

"No, sir. It seems that there have been some ? difficulties on Nal Hutta. Joral has sent a messenger. Perhaps you should see for yourself."

"A messenger?" Abla bounded to his feet and strode over to the trooper. "Where is the Captain?"

"Dead, I think."

"What?"

"The messenger was very specific on that."

"Have the man escorted to the bridge and inform Commander Antham. I want a channel open to Byss by the time I get to the bridge."

"Yes, sir. As ordered."

Once the stormtrooper had left again Abla turned to face Yana once more. "One of your little schemes, Yana? Joral always seemed to have a soft spot for you."

"Did he? I never noticed," she lied.

"Very funny, baby. Come on. I want you with me, just in case he is one of yours."

_____________________________________________________

Oooops, I think dear Abla has no idea about Joral....

 

Nope. It looks like he failed to realize it. That may be a hole in the plans, but we'll have to see.

As for Yana, talk fast and thinking faster. The longer you do things, the longer you live.

And yes; those Wookiees are dangerous and the conspiracy is there; look at the Ewoks and tell me it's coincedence!

 

Often mentioned, never quite obvious...PAGE! No, MON MOTHMA! No, CHI'IN!!

See what kind of insanity you're driving me to, Djuva.

 

I am not going to get into the guessing game. I am just going to sit here and go whoo, ahhh, whoo, ahh....

Random thought of the day: You know what we (all) should do? Print out our stories on novel-sized paper, bind it, and read it. Then we can read the entire story at one go without having to worry about exorbidant dial-up charges. *sigh*

Also makes it easier to track nafarious plot developments (okay, I'm a wimp).

 

Well, Delight, you can always download the single chapters from my website, print them, bind them etc

Again, Butler, far off the mark. But nice try. But I admit the person in question is not a very obvious choice.
____________________________________________

Abla let Yana walk ahead of him so he could better keep an eye on her. He did not trust her, not after she had promised to kill him. Yana was not someone to resort to empty threats. She held herself high, all haughtiness and cool composure, and Abla did not doubt that she would use any means that might arise to twist conditions to her advantage. Which was why he had warned the Grand Admiral to be very careful around her. Take this incident on Nal Hutta. Somehow he doubted that Joral had the imagination to see through Markhan's plot. Most likely Yana had made good use of the information she had undoubtedly gained on Yaga Minor. Damn Zsinj and those bootlickers of a court. But one fact cast doubts upon that theory. Yana had not really had a chance to contact Joral, or had she?

Frowning a bit Abla quickened his pace to catch up with her as she strode toward the bridge. She stopped dead in her tracks all of a sudden, prompting him to run straight into her. Abla caught her self-consciously, before she could fall, and got a sharp elbow rammed into his stomach for his trouble. Screeching like a cat Yana whirled around, her hands raised high and balled into tight fists that descended upon his head with a vicious blow. He tried to shield himself against the assault, but only the interference of two stormtroopers could end her attack.

"Bastard!" she yelled, face red with anger and blue eyes throwing furious sparks. "I'll get you, you can bet your sorry ass on that!"

"Easy, girl," he told her as he straightened and rubbed a hand over his bruised cheek. For the first time he became aware of the gaping faces all around. The entire bridge crew was staring at him. His pride ruffled he raised his head and gave Yana a cold glare. "Secure her."

The two troopers led the still quivering woman over to one of the empty seats and made her sit down. She fairly ignored them, her gaze fixed solely on Abla. Feeling a bit uncomfortable he turned away to address Commander Antham, whom Kuyan had left in charge of the Victorious before leaving for Nal Hutta.

"Have you established a channel to Byss yet?" the slicer asked a bit harshly and Antham threw him a quick smile.

"Yes, sir. As you requested. Grand Admiral?"

"I hear you, Commander," the familiar voice of Tious Markhan replied calmly. "Is there trouble, Abla?"

"Apparently Captain Kuyan was killed on Nal Hutta," he replied, ignoring the sniggers that rose from the crew around him.

"This calls for retribution, don't you think? Commander Antham, I want you to take the Victorious on a hit and fade mission to target Joral."

"His palace?"

"Of course. Commander, you spoke of a messenger?"

"He is on his way to the bridge, I am told," Antham explained, and Abla noticed the nervous glance the commander gave the bridge entrance. "Ah, here they come."

Four stormtroopers, with a black-clad security guard leading them, escorted the messenger onto the bridge. To Abla's surprise he was human, not Twi'lek, as he had expected. Dressed in dark brown pants the man wore a long cloak that looked slightly torn and burnt, for some reason. Age had left a net of thin lines across the man's features and he moved gingerly, as if he were injured, which he was, as Abla noted on second glance. Severe stun blast burns criss-crossed the man's bare torso. Despite his apparent age the newcomer's features were still sharply defined, and there was a strength in his gaze that had everyone spellbound instantly.

The sound of urgent little noises from Yana's direction made Abla tear his eyes away from the stranger to look over at her. Mouth hanging open she was gaping at the messenger openly. Incredulous surprise was plain on her pretty face, mixed with fear. Did she know him after all? Commander Antham was apparently oblivious

 

Hehehehe. Behave yourself Kell. Behave. Sit! Stay! Good doggy!

Yeah, right. Kell has them right where he wants them.

I hope.

 

Well, maybe we're overestimating Kell's abilities. Or maybe not.

*sigh* I'll give up guessing while I still have some brain cells left. Perhaps Djuva should copy Lucas and publish "The Storm" in hardcover, for fans who can't wait until the next post. Wait...why am I putting these ideas in her head?

 

We-ell. Kell has no idea what is going within the Empire, he can only guess, and he's good at that. For now he does have things under control, but hey, you'll see that indeed we are overestimating him here. To go back to what Butler said a few pages ago: the reason why Thrawn, Anakin and Kell seem weaker in this part of the story is because they are somewhat overwhelmed by events. Thrawn by Irek, Anakin by Leia's disappearance and Kell's scheme, and Kell - er - you shall see.

___________________________________________

"Lord Andorwyn! What is going on?" Leia darted after the Kuati, who was hurrying past the women's apartments down the hallway. The palace was in an uproar, and guards and nobles alike were running around aimlessly.

"Zsinj," Andorwyn answered curtly, his face a mask of worry. "He's suffered heavy losses at Ord Mantell. Chances are that the attackers will strike here next."

"What attackers?" the Princess asked, keeping up with his long strides with difficulty.

"They have wiped out almost the entire fleet Zsinj sent there. The Iron Fist is reported missing."

That made her stop in her tracks. "Zsinj is dead?"

"Presumably yes," he replied and turned to face her.

She lay a hand on his forearm urgently. "You know what that means! You will not escape Markhan now. He will hunt you down, all of you, and accuse you of high treason!"

"Come now, Princess," he replied with a cold smile, "you do not truly believe that the Grand Admiral is invincible, do you?"

"All I know is that he's got a fleet and you haven't. You are doomed. And I mean that."

He gave an incredulous laugh. "You are ridiculous! We are not on our own, and even if we were, we are powerful enough to - "

Leia propped her hands on her hips and raised her chin haughtily. "To do what? Raise an army? I doubt it. If that really is Markhan out at Ord Mantell you are dead."

"And what if it isn't him?"

Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "You know as well as I do what that would mean. Irek Ismaren will not look well upon you once he learns of your taking his mother prisoner."

She could see that she had hit a nerve there. Suddenly Andorwyn grabbed her arm and dragged her toward one of the windows. "Listen, Princess, this is no game. We are leaving Yaga Minor within the hour, and it would be best for you if you went with us."

"Whatever for?" Leia inquired, knowing full well what he was going to propose next.

"If ? if things don't turn out the way we have planned, we ? we might come to a mutual agreement."

Twisting out of his grip the Princess laughed. "You believe the New Republic will offer you asylum? A bunch of self-indulgent vultures who care nothing for what is going on beyond their own small world? No," her lips twisted into a sneer, "you'll have to come begging on your knees for that, my lord. And now you should hurry, if you really want to leave in one hour."

___________________________________________

If you have any pressing questions that need answering just send a PM

 

Careful, Leia: the other way he can by time is take YOU hostage.

Don't want to give him ideas.

I see now with the weakening of characters. Boy, that guy don't know about that SSD coming, does he?

FORWARD!

 

Anakin and Thrawn seem particularly weak because they have lost the initiative. While the Vader in AoW was implementing his detailed plan, Anakin is still reacting to events. Thrawn's ploy with Cronn had a good chance of success--but Djuva decided to kill off the only good Falleen in the galaxy.

Still, I doubt the old boys will stay in shock for long. Maybe Anakin should return to the Dark Side and just Force-choke everyone.

 

Yes, that's exactly it. Don't worry, they'll recover really soon, and someone else also will get deeply into the mix, someone a few of you thought too passive in AOW

Okay! Sorry about Cronn, but hey, some people do die in a war.
____________________________________________

Han Solo and Lando Calrissian pushed their way through the crowds surging toward the ports brutally. Everyone seemed to be on the run, and most people wore terrified expressions on their faces. Up ahead shuttles were descending on the landing pads of the governmental palace, and it looked as if the building was being evacuated.

"Do you think your Princess might have anything to do with that?" Lando joked.

"I doubt it," the Corellian growled back. "Where the hell has Fett vanished to?" The bounty-hunter had been with them only a moment ago, but Han could not see him any longer, a fact that concerned him very much.

"Don't worry about me, Solo." Boba Fett materialized out of the crowd and started toward the palace. "Better hurry, before ? "

The whining sound of approaching TIE fighters hushed the crowd into silence. Heads turned upward everyone tried to make out the attacking ships. And there they were, dropping right out of the sky, guns blazing away, The crowd panicked.

"Damn!" Han let loose a string of colorful Corellian curses, but followed Lando and the bounty-hunter to a niche set into one of the nearby houses. "What's going on?" he shouted over the roar of a few hundred beings screaming out their mutual terror.

"An Imperial armada is running an attack on the planet," Boba Fett explained, sounding awfully calm. "We had better get Magrody out of there fast. And your Princess, of course," he added as an after-thought.

Suddenly Han had his blaster out and Lando followed suite. Staring into the bounty-hunter's masked face the Corellian frowned darkly. "Where have you been?"

"You truly believe you could be fast enough?" Fett asked softly. "Only the two of you?"

"I'll take my chances," Han snorted, "and Lando's always been a bit of a gambler. He seldomn loses, by the way. Now, again, where have you been? You forbade us to communicate with anyone, you controlled the comm, and I believe you just received new instructions. Care to enlighten us?"

"Not bad, Solo. Not at all bad," the bounty-hunter replied, sounding genuinely surprised.

"Anything to do with this attack?"

When Fett moved he did not care to stop before he had disarmed Han with a well-placed blow of a gauntleted hand and spun around to wrestle the blaster from Lando's grip. Holding both weapons he kept very silent. Han swallowed a fat lump of fear and raised his hands tentatively, seeing the baron do the same. "I don't like your attitude, Solo. I have a job to do and you two are interfering with that immensely, so here is how it's gonna be: Lucky for you my contractor is Joral, or else you'd be dead by now. I will go in there and get Magrody. Whether you want to follow to get your Princess I don't care, but if you get in my way again you are dead. Clear?"

That must have been the longest speech Han had ever heard from a bounty-hunter. Usually it was just something on the lines of "Hey, you!" or the all-time favorite "Drop that blaster!". He nodded slowly. "Clear, sure. Isn't that so, Lando?"

"Yeah, crystal."

"Good." Whirling around Boba Fett vanished into the crowd, blasters and all.

"Hey!" Han yelled after him. "You've got something that belongs to me!"

"Wanna go and get her back?" Lando asked, arching his brows coolly. The Corellian grinned at the baron nastily.

"The lady cost me a fortune and I'm kinda attached to her."

"I was talking about Leia."

"Yeah. I know. Let's go."

 

I love Han and Lando banter. Too bad we'll never get Lando's attempt to steal Leia's affections. Calrissian in "ladies' man" mode cracks me up every time.

And Boba Fett can speak more than four sentences?! I'm all astonishment.

 

Hehehehehehe. Leia is expensive: Alderaanian women are high maintaince.

Fett isn't going to win an oscar, but at least he has some lines. Good post.

 

"Roganda, we are leaving," Leia announced, striding into the room like a queen. Looking up from where she had been studying the turmoil outside, Roganda nodded.

"I thought we might," she answered with a small smile and rose. It had only been a matter of time, really, until something like that happened. "Are those Markhan's troops or the New Republic's?"

The Princess gave her a look of faint surprise, then continued with throwing together some necessities she obviously planned to take with her. "Markhan. Lord Andorwyn told me that Zsinj's troops have been almost wiped out at Ord Mantell. It stands to reason that they would attack us next."

"Can we escape?" Roganda inquired, excitement taking hold of her all of a sudden. She was completely alert, her worries forgotten for the moment. "How are we going to leave?"

"We'll think of something," the Princess offered. "Take only what you absolutely need. We have to go."

She did as ordered, following the younger woman's instructions wordlessly. Reason told her that the girl had much more experience than her in a situation such as this, and additionally she had studied with her father. When all was said and done, it was Leia's knowledge that had to suffice to get both of them out of here.

Once they were finished with their hurried packing, Leia slung a bundle over her shoulder and secured it around her waist, so it would not distract her on the run. Roganda imitated her and joined the Princess by the door. The sounds of a fight going on inside the palace had reached them moments before, and it was chaos as they stepped into the hallway. Servants and clerks were running aimlessly, intent only on getting out of the building.

"We will need some weapons," Leia whispered and motioned her companion forward. Slipping down the corridor after her Roganda felt her heart beat in her throat. All of her senses were heightened and suddenly the Force seemed within reach, such a bright light, making her feel safe.

"Leia!" she called softly. "The hangars are that way."

"They'll hit those first. No, we need something more inconspicuous. Do you have any idea? You know the palace better than I do."

"I believe there is a small gate that's very hard to find from the outside. Let's head that way."

As she turned away, she felt the Princess' hand hold her back. Looking over her shoulder, Roganda met the other's dark gaze.

"I trust you, Roganda," Leia told her softly.

"You are my only chance to see my son again," she replied. "Come, we should hurry."

The ran side by side, but only two hallways further their flight was stopped by a squad of stormtroopers, who were exchanging fire with some of the palace guards. Suddenly a man called over the roar of blasters whining: "Cease fire!" The stormtroopers obeyed instantly and, crouched behind a corner, Roganda and Leia watched a stocky human step out from the armored soldiers to address the guards.

"I am General Zi'Assime, and I am making this offer only once: surrender now and nothing will happen to you, as loyal subjects of the Empire. Yaga Minor is, as of now, under military order, and I represent the military right here. Drop your weapons instantly."

Roganda noticed the Princess shaking her head in quiet pleading, eyes wide. After a moment's hesitation they could hear the clatter of blaster rifles hitting the floor. "No!" Leia moaned softly and a second later the stormtroopers opened fire on the now helpless guards. "Let's go!" Grabbing Roganda's wrist she sprinted toward the opposite corner and into the next hallway. A volley of blaster bolts followed them.

"Over there!" Roganda yelled and dived toward a small door. Pushing it open she found herself in a small courtyard. Leia followed her promptly and closed the door behind her.

"It doesn't have a lock," she commented, "and we have no weapons."

"Leia!"




Whirling toward the owner of that sweetly familiar voice the Princess found Han Solo racing across the gravelled ground toward her, a joyful smile splitting his face nearly in half. Sh

 

Yes, follow him: only Fett can lead you to salvation.

You know: praise the Force and 'pass' the ammunition to your enemies in just?

So who is to believe: Roganda, Yana, Joral? Who indeed.

FORWARD FROST!

 

Plenty of single females around for Lando! Hehe.
_____________________________________________

Running at Leia's side, Han Solo was grinning like a fool, happiness filling his heart with an aching longing. He suppressed an urge to reach out again and hold her hand for the sake of mobility, but kept gazing at her in wonder. Finally, finally they were back together. She wore a determined expression on her face and Han thought that fierceness made her look even more beautiful. That was how he knew her, his warrior princess who never gave up, and that he secretly preferred over Leia the politician. Not that he would tell her that to the face, but he suspected she knew. After all, she herself found it refreshing sometimes to forgo all that back-stabbing and manipulating for the much simpler principle of friend or foe.

He and Lando had managed to come by a few blasters and Han had given Leia a spare one, retaining two himself. It had been clear to everyone in their small group that Roganda certainly would not be outfitted with a weapon. He was wondering why Leia cared to take the woman with her at all, after she had had her kidnapped. Throwing Roganda a suspicious look, he saw tears streaming down her cheeks. What was it with her? Suddenly Lando tapped his shoulder and he stopped, catching his breath as he joined Leia, who stood at an intersection and was watching their quarry intently.

"We are on the southside of the port," Roganda supplied in a breathless voice.

"That's where the Falcon is," Han added, and cursed under his breath. "If that skunk dares touch my ship ? "

"Han!" Shaking her head at him Leia was smiling. "The question is how we can get off-planet."

"I won't leave the Falcon behind," he replied stubbornly.

Up ahead Fett was dragging an unresisting Magrody along the outer wall of the port, all the while scanning it for something they could not see. Then he stopped and raised his arm, wrist pointed at the sky. A grappling hook shot out from his utility belt and landed on the wall's top. The bounty-hunter tugged at it once to make sure that it would hold, then turned his helmeted head to look back straight at Han and his crew. The Corellian froze.

"Has he seen us?" Lando whispered.

"I think yes," Han whispered back. "What is he doing now?" he asked aloud when Fett unhooked a grenade from his belt and threw it over the wall. His eyes widened in surprise when he understood and a whole string of Corellian curses were launched at the bounty-hunter. Han grabbed his blasters and would have stepped out from the protective wall they were hiding behind, had Leia not held him back.

"Han, what is going on?"

"He's going to ? " The grenade went off on the other side of the wall circling the port with a loud boom. Fett snatched a knife from his belt and cut the cable on the grappling hook, then hurried further down the street, Magrody in tow.

"Great," Han huffed, "now every damn stormtrooper's bound to come poking around the Falcon."

"Does that mean we cannot escape?" Roganda asked softly.

"No, it just makes things harder. Come on." Han jogged over to the cable still hanging down the wall, the others hard on his heels. "Lando, you watch the street."

Hoisting himself up the cable Han was out of breath by the time he had reached the top. As expected, troopers were swarming toward the Millennium Falcon. He also noticed that the ship's hull had been slightly dented and blackened by the grenade explosion. Damn bounty-hunter! So far the troopers had not seen him and he carefully brought up his blasters. A movement further down loosened another curse from his tongue. How had Fett managed to get across the wall? Taking aim, he sent a blaster bolt toward the retreating bounty-hunter, thereby drawing attention not only on himself, but also on Fett. The troopers broke into confusion and Han yelled:

"Leia! Get up here and give me some cover!"

Heaving himself onto the top of the wall fully, he braced himself and jumped. Impacting hard against the Falcon's hull, he grappled for a better

 

Yeah, escape! Run! Shoot! Duck, duck, GOOSE!

Ol Fetty is a sly one, ain't he? His escape is bound to have some hitches to thanks to Han.

And Lando, you ding dong: Djuva's right, there's babes all over! Time to lay down some smoothness baby.

FORWARD!

 

Heheh, I suppose Lando's the tactical genius when it comes to ladies. While Lando and Roganda would be a sight to see, I have my heart set on Lando and Yana. She's lonely, just lost a lover, but she's also Palpy's girl. *starts humming the tune for "Mission: Impossible"*