Han Solo (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
ishotfirst) wrote2008-06-12 12:31 am
ishotfirst) wrote2008-06-12 12:31 am
(no subject)
The ship tilts as the blasts of laser fire from the Avenger slam into the hull, warning lights flickering in and out in the cockpit, silent alarms, warnings, everything telling Han what's happening to his baby and what she needs to stay in one piece.
This ship following them is faster than the others, and she wants them bad and Han knows it. No Star Destroyer would be following them through the asteroid field, taking the direct hits from the smaller rocks unless it was operating with one goal in mind. Not to kill, no, but to capture.
Like hell they're getting me alive.
"Oh, thank goodness," the droid exclaims. "We're coming out of the asteroid field."
While the others may breathe a sigh of relief, Han doesn't say a word, just adjusts the angle to the ship. The grav sensors are working overtime to keep them steady as an explosion rocks the back of the ship, sending them at an awkward tilt until they correct themselves.
"Let's get out of here," he mutters, then looks at his co-pilot. "Ready for lightspeed? One...two...three."
He yanks the hyperdrive throttle back and expects the streaking of stars, but again, nothing happens.
In his first true moment of panic, Han tries again. "It's not fair!"
"No lightspeed?" Leia asks quietly, a tone of knowing in her voice.
"The transfer circuits are working. It's not my fault!" Another round of flak slams into their side. "It's not my fault."
"Sir," Threepio informs them. "We just lost the main rear deflector shield. One more hit on the rear quarter, and we're done for."
Han can hear his heart pounding in his ears as he veers wildly, to avoid taking more fire from the chasing ship, then he makes a decision.
"Turn her around."
Chewie grumbles at him in surprise.
"I said turn her around." Han orders. "I'm gonna put all the power on the front shield."
Leia stares at him as the wookie obeys and the ship swings around. "You're going to attack them?!"
But Han isn't listening to her. He's staring at the Avenger and glaring at the destroyer, the massive hulk of grey and machinery, and he dives in close.
"Sir, the odds of surviving a direct assault on an Imperial Star Destroyer..."
Leia turns and snaps at Threepio, saving Han the trouble. "Shut up!"
++++
They're clinging to the back of the bridge of the Avenger, waiting. What exactly for, none of them are sure, as Han sits and does calculations in his head and hopes that his plan works. The droid is going on about surrendering and how this plan is obviously going to fail, when the princess leans over and shuts him down, mid-sentence.
"Thank you."
With a look that says 'don't mention it', she slides into the seat behind him. "What did you have in mind for the next move?"
"Well, if they follow standard Imperial procedure, they'll dump their garbage before they go to lightspeed," he glides a hand across the window. "And we'll just float away."
"With the rest of the garbage," she deadpans.
"Then we've got to find a safe port around here."
That takes some time to consider. They're not really anywhere near anything, which is the problem when you can't travel through hyperspace. He's scanning the readouts on the monitor when it clicks in his head.
Lando. More specifically, Lando's mining colony floating about Bespin, Cloud City.
He and Lando are friends, or at least, they have the same feelings about the Empire. It's far, but he knows the ship can make it. They'll just have to be careful about it. Leia smiles at him when the Imps do in fact, dump the garbage and they detach from the bridge, floating off, tumbling slowly until after the destroyer has made the jump to lightspeed and disappeared into the distance, and kisses his cheek softly.
Han smiles at that, then turns the ship towards Bespin, and fires up the engines.
Lando remembers him, alright. After surviving a slightly nerve wracking landing, meeting up with his old friend, and getting a chance to change into a new uniform, Han finds Leia pacing nervously in a lounge room.
The droid is missing. Probably just off talking to someone, but she doesn't like it.
The Falcon is almost ready, only a few more repairs and then they'll be out of there and headed away from the colony and back towards the rest of the ships to meet up with the Alliance. While they're talking about Lando, and he's trying to calm her nerves, Chewie barges in with a bundle of parts...Threepio.
Not too long after that, Lando arrives and offers them all to join him for refreshments.
The way he tries to smooth talk Leia makes his nerves jump and jealousy spring up in his chest, but Han knows that since Lando is fixing the Falcon and keeping them safe from Vader, for the time being, he can't get too testy with him or risk ruining their welcome.
"So you see, since we're a small operation, we don't fall into the...uh...jurisdiction of the Empire." Lando explains.
"So you're part of the mining guild then?" Leia asks.
Lando shakes his head. "No, not actually. Our operation is small enough not to be noticed...which is advantageous for everybody since our customers are anxious to avoid attracting attention to themselves."
Han narrows his eyes slightly as he walks alongside the two of them down a large, white corridor, heading for a doorway at the end. "Aren't you afraid the Empire's going to find out about this little operation and shut you down?"
"That's always been a danger looming like a shadow over everything we've built here," Lando replies as he nears the doors and pauses. "But things have developed that will insure security. I've just made a deal that will keep the Empire out of here forever."
When he opens the large doors, Han looks from Lando to the interior of the room, and a wave of instant shock passes over him.
Vader.
And Boba Fett.
Han wastes no time in drawing his blaster and firing several shots in the Sith's direction, which Vader easily deflects, before he uses the Force to rip the blaster out of the smuggler's hands and place it on the table.
That tin-can voice echoes across the room. "We would be honored, if you would join us."
Han shoots his eyes across the doorway as stormtroopers in white armor surround them, and glares at Lando. Part of him can't believe this. The other part, sadly, can. But he trusted Lando, he trusted him with his life, with Leia's life, with Chewie's life...kriff, even the droid, and the Falcon...
"I had no choice," Lando says, tone flat, eyes blank. "They arrived right before you did. I'm sorry."
There's a short pause, as Han reaches over and pulls Leia closer to him. "I'm sorry too."
If looks could kill, Lando Calrissian would have died a thousand deaths within the time it takes Han to finally break his stare and blink.
This ship following them is faster than the others, and she wants them bad and Han knows it. No Star Destroyer would be following them through the asteroid field, taking the direct hits from the smaller rocks unless it was operating with one goal in mind. Not to kill, no, but to capture.
Like hell they're getting me alive.
"Oh, thank goodness," the droid exclaims. "We're coming out of the asteroid field."
While the others may breathe a sigh of relief, Han doesn't say a word, just adjusts the angle to the ship. The grav sensors are working overtime to keep them steady as an explosion rocks the back of the ship, sending them at an awkward tilt until they correct themselves.
"Let's get out of here," he mutters, then looks at his co-pilot. "Ready for lightspeed? One...two...three."
He yanks the hyperdrive throttle back and expects the streaking of stars, but again, nothing happens.
In his first true moment of panic, Han tries again. "It's not fair!"
"No lightspeed?" Leia asks quietly, a tone of knowing in her voice.
"The transfer circuits are working. It's not my fault!" Another round of flak slams into their side. "It's not my fault."
"Sir," Threepio informs them. "We just lost the main rear deflector shield. One more hit on the rear quarter, and we're done for."
Han can hear his heart pounding in his ears as he veers wildly, to avoid taking more fire from the chasing ship, then he makes a decision.
"Turn her around."
Chewie grumbles at him in surprise.
"I said turn her around." Han orders. "I'm gonna put all the power on the front shield."
Leia stares at him as the wookie obeys and the ship swings around. "You're going to attack them?!"
But Han isn't listening to her. He's staring at the Avenger and glaring at the destroyer, the massive hulk of grey and machinery, and he dives in close.
"Sir, the odds of surviving a direct assault on an Imperial Star Destroyer..."
Leia turns and snaps at Threepio, saving Han the trouble. "Shut up!"
++++
They're clinging to the back of the bridge of the Avenger, waiting. What exactly for, none of them are sure, as Han sits and does calculations in his head and hopes that his plan works. The droid is going on about surrendering and how this plan is obviously going to fail, when the princess leans over and shuts him down, mid-sentence.
"Thank you."
With a look that says 'don't mention it', she slides into the seat behind him. "What did you have in mind for the next move?"
"Well, if they follow standard Imperial procedure, they'll dump their garbage before they go to lightspeed," he glides a hand across the window. "And we'll just float away."
"With the rest of the garbage," she deadpans.
"Then we've got to find a safe port around here."
That takes some time to consider. They're not really anywhere near anything, which is the problem when you can't travel through hyperspace. He's scanning the readouts on the monitor when it clicks in his head.
Lando. More specifically, Lando's mining colony floating about Bespin, Cloud City.
He and Lando are friends, or at least, they have the same feelings about the Empire. It's far, but he knows the ship can make it. They'll just have to be careful about it. Leia smiles at him when the Imps do in fact, dump the garbage and they detach from the bridge, floating off, tumbling slowly until after the destroyer has made the jump to lightspeed and disappeared into the distance, and kisses his cheek softly.
Han smiles at that, then turns the ship towards Bespin, and fires up the engines.
Lando remembers him, alright. After surviving a slightly nerve wracking landing, meeting up with his old friend, and getting a chance to change into a new uniform, Han finds Leia pacing nervously in a lounge room.
The droid is missing. Probably just off talking to someone, but she doesn't like it.
The Falcon is almost ready, only a few more repairs and then they'll be out of there and headed away from the colony and back towards the rest of the ships to meet up with the Alliance. While they're talking about Lando, and he's trying to calm her nerves, Chewie barges in with a bundle of parts...Threepio.
Not too long after that, Lando arrives and offers them all to join him for refreshments.
The way he tries to smooth talk Leia makes his nerves jump and jealousy spring up in his chest, but Han knows that since Lando is fixing the Falcon and keeping them safe from Vader, for the time being, he can't get too testy with him or risk ruining their welcome.
"So you see, since we're a small operation, we don't fall into the...uh...jurisdiction of the Empire." Lando explains.
"So you're part of the mining guild then?" Leia asks.
Lando shakes his head. "No, not actually. Our operation is small enough not to be noticed...which is advantageous for everybody since our customers are anxious to avoid attracting attention to themselves."
Han narrows his eyes slightly as he walks alongside the two of them down a large, white corridor, heading for a doorway at the end. "Aren't you afraid the Empire's going to find out about this little operation and shut you down?"
"That's always been a danger looming like a shadow over everything we've built here," Lando replies as he nears the doors and pauses. "But things have developed that will insure security. I've just made a deal that will keep the Empire out of here forever."
When he opens the large doors, Han looks from Lando to the interior of the room, and a wave of instant shock passes over him.
Vader.
And Boba Fett.
Han wastes no time in drawing his blaster and firing several shots in the Sith's direction, which Vader easily deflects, before he uses the Force to rip the blaster out of the smuggler's hands and place it on the table.
That tin-can voice echoes across the room. "We would be honored, if you would join us."
Han shoots his eyes across the doorway as stormtroopers in white armor surround them, and glares at Lando. Part of him can't believe this. The other part, sadly, can. But he trusted Lando, he trusted him with his life, with Leia's life, with Chewie's life...kriff, even the droid, and the Falcon...
"I had no choice," Lando says, tone flat, eyes blank. "They arrived right before you did. I'm sorry."
There's a short pause, as Han reaches over and pulls Leia closer to him. "I'm sorry too."
If looks could kill, Lando Calrissian would have died a thousand deaths within the time it takes Han to finally break his stare and blink.