An Alderaanian Love Story

Chapter 28

  Bail had to admit, if even just to himself, he was disappointed. He'd been so excited to meet this Han Solo. He'd been preparing a few words to say to the Corellian before dumping him in prison and happily reporting his punishment to his home planet and whatever crime lord it was that Solo owed money. In Bail's mind, the kriffing space jockey had it coming.

  Bail had already formed a good most of his plans for the smuggler. He had it all envisioned in his mind and was beginning to lay out the more specific details. It was all going perfectly. He was going to scream in Han Solo's ears and beat him to a pulp for even coming near his little princess. And then an extra punch for every kiss Solo had laid upon his daughter's sweet lips. But, instead of Solo, a wookiee had showed up and Bail was running low on patience in waiting to meet Han Solo.
  The father turned and watched Leia leave. She only walked at first after briskly turning away from the group. Then, her pace had turned into a fast walk until finally, losing her composed stature, she'd run off, her shoulders shaking with sobs. He couldn't watch her anymore and so, Bail turned away. Why did he have to feel so bad for her?
  The wookiee drank in Leia's words and he slowly nodded, approaching Bail. In the natural wookiee tongue of Shyriiwook, he told him quietly, [Tatooine. He's already gone to Tatooine to speak with Jabba.]

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  "Kriff," Han muttered, throwing his small pouch of credits aside. "Come on, Chewie!"

  He'd searched the whole hotel, not that it was that big. He'd gone back and forth through every hall, both floors, and around the small city of Mos Eisley. He hadn't found Chewie anywhere. Or the Millennium Falcon. Han had things he needed to get done. He had places he needed to be as soon as possible and people to meet. . . . A bounty to get rid of. And Chewbacca was't making this trip any easier. In fact, Han was growing more frustrated with every passing minute and he was ready to leave for Jabba's palace without any more of a proper goodbye to his old friend. He needed to get this done, get the bounty hunters' job done so Leia wouldn't be in danger any longer. He couldn't let her get hurt because of him. He couldn't let her get hurt at all.

  Giving up, Han took the credits along with the remainder of his earnings from Ducchi that he hadn't already spent and left the hotel. On a mission, his pace was brisk. He didn't have much time left, he figured, so he might as well hurry up with it. He called a speeder and took the ride as close to Jabba's palace as the driver would take him. Then, with every credcoin Han Solo had to his name, he knocked on the tall, broad durasteel door, thinking one last time, I love you, Princess.

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  "So," Janson turned to Leia and began to ask, adjusting how his rifle sat in his arms. "What's the plan again?"
  Janson, Farlander, Porkins, and Leia were all lying on their stomachs side by side, hiding just behind a dune in front of Jabba's palace. Tatooine. They were on Tatooine. A cold, biting wind blew at their backs and they'd all pulled long robes and hoodies over their heads to protect them from the blowing sand.

  "There is no plan, remember?" It was Farlander who said this and he looked less than pleased with it. Holding his hold-out blaster at his side, he sighed and added to his own thought. "I've been asking for a plan for the past couple days."

  Hardly even paying much attention to his words, Leia shook her head. "I'm sorry, but you agreed to come. I never told you you had to. You just volunteered to. And I'm sorry, but I don't have time nor patience. I have things I need to get done and I need to be somewhere before someone else is."

  "We have no idea what we're doing."

  "Yeah. Neither do I. What else am I going to do, though? We don't have any more time."
  "Why didn't you just hire your own hunter or someone to find Han for you-"