The Adventures of the Crimson Hawk, Part 14

It took much longer than planned for the Falcon to make it to Bespin, closer to two weeks than the few days Henry originally planned. The ship broke down at least five times. The new engine wouldn't work. The khyber crystals bubbled too rapidly; the ensuing steam nearly blew them into the stratosphere. The turbo boosters he'd built into the engine to give it an extra kick kept stalling.

He and Charles spent a lot of that week on the ground in the Alderaanian woods, trying to repair the damage. Leia did the best she could to aid them. She took over much of the work that Henry's scorched arm made him unable to do. Cedric fussed over Henry's arm, ignoring his complaints that it was healing fine and he didn't need a mother, thank you.

Leia found Henry in the Captain's Quarters almost a week after the Regatta. They'd just taken off again, having finally repaired the engines enough to fly. “Hi, Henry. Charles is driving. Cedric's reading in one of the downstairs rooms.” She gave him a small grin. “I didn't know you were such a lover of romantic literature. Frankenstein, most of the works of Jane Austin and Jules Verne. The Verne shouldn't surprise me, but the Austin...”

“That's the kid.” Henry looked over his shoulder from the navigational chart he was studying. “My tastes run more towards American western novels and adventure stories.” He liked what he saw. Leia had traded her fancy white and black gown for a gold blouse and tight trousers borrowed from Luke's closet. Her flowing brown hair remained in its tight braided crown, but the hair was messy and stuck out in all directions. Pink cheeks and white hands were smeared with grease and khyber liquid. The blouse and the trousers clung to her in ways that emphasized her not-inconsiderable curves. The golden hawk pendant glowed against her delicate skin.

“You look...good, Leia,” he managed to stammer. “Softer, somehow.” He put his sexton aside as she pulled a chair up next to him. “Leia, how did you figure out who I was? Even Vader and Palpatine haven't put two and two together.”

“Vader and Palpatine only know Henry Solo, the businessman.” Leia lay her head on Henry's shoulder. “They haven't met Han Solo, the former pirate who took in a boy and his mentor when they had nowhere else to go, or frees Wookie slaves because his manservant is one of them, or brings food to the needy, or invents talking boxes and cutting lights that would boggle Thomas Edison.”

She gave him a little grin. “Besides, it was obvious. You and Luke and the Crimson Hawk and Golden Eagle were never in the same place at the same time. Your outfit looked like it was thrown on at Mon Mothma's party...because it was.”

“Yeah, it was.” He leaned in for a gentle kiss. “I guess I can't fool you, Your Worship. How long have you been onto us?”

“Since you rescued me.” She nibbled on his ear. “How long have you been faking that injury?”

“It wasn't fake. Not at first.” Henry winced and rubbed his right knee. “My knee cap actually was shattered by a bullet, and that is part of why I gave up my pirating career. That and I'd already met the kid and old man by then. They helped me get Solo Shipping up and running while I was still on crutches.”

Leia waved her hand at the maps. “Why are you doing this? Why pose as folk heroes, not to mention get Luke and Wedge and Charles and all the others involved?”

“You rebel in your way, sweetheart. I rebel in mine.” Henry shrugged. “I never agreed with the Coruscant Empire's treatment of the natives from Kashyakk Island. I met Charles when I joined the Coruscant Navy after a few...altercations...in the US. I stopped a couple of officers from beating him. They didn't take it too kindly. Stripped me of my commission and threw me out, but Charlie stayed with me. Said he owed me a debt.”

“I can understand that,” Leia admitted, “but why Luke and Sir Kenton?”

He pulled her closer. “What I'm about to tell you can't go outside this room. Charles and Rusty are the only ones still alive besides me who know.” He leaned into her ear, whispering softly. “I'm doing this because Luke is...”

“Captain Solo!” Cedric barged in without knocking. “Charles wanted to tell me that we're back on course. The turbo engines have been repaired!” His round gold eyes widened even more at the sight of Leia nearly on Henry's lap. “Captain Solo! Your Grace! You're not married yet! Your Grace, what would your parents say?”

They both coughed, quickly pushing away. “Thank you, Goldenrod,” Henry grumbled.

Cedric ignored the sarcasm. “You're perfectly welcome, Captain.”

Henry sighed and returned to the maps. “If my coordinates are correct, we should be in Cloud City within 24 hours.” He grinned at her. “You'll like it, Your Grace. Nice resort town. Really high-end. You'll fit right in. I have a buddy who owns a house there.”

Cedric gulped. “Captain, how do you plan on getting us around the border patrols? Naboo's battle carriages and steam ships will be searching for this ship, and ships like it.”

“Simple.” Henry sketched around the harbor. “There's a garbage scow that leaves from Hoth Harbor up north. It's tall enough to hide behind until we get into the open air again.” His small smirk returned. “When they dump the garbage, we'll just float away.”

“With the rest of the garbage.” Leia chuckled and leaned against his shoulder as Cedric shuffled out to relay the coordinates to Charles. “You do have your moments. Not many of them, but you do have them.”

Henry's blush after she kissed his cheek was reply enough.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

While Henry and Leia spent the two weeks in each others' arms, Luke spent it being trained by Yoda. He'd never run so fast, leaped so high, swung so far, or practiced so often in his entire life. He spent his mornings jumping through the bayou with Yoda in a pack on his back. In the evenings, he listened with rapt attention to Yoda and Rusty's stories about the Jedi and the Alliance Wars. The stories often ended with them arguing over one point or another. After they went to bed, Luke stayed up long into the night studying the ancient Jedi texts Yoda kept on a shelf in his little hut.

Luke learned a great deal about the Jedi Guards and the Force. Yoda spoke of the dark and light sides, of the khyber crystals that were made into the special light swords that only the Guards used. “Sith are guards who use their powers for evil. Dark side, they are,” the little man explained while riding on Luke's back. “Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny, as it did Obi-Wan's first apprentice.”

“Vader.” Breathing hard, Luke managed to look over his shoulder at the little man. “Is the dark side stronger?”

“No,” Yoda admitted. “Quicker, easier, more seductive. Light may not always be easy, but our hearts know that good, it is.”

Luke, Yoda, and Rusty explored every inch of that swampy peninsula, from the boggy shore to the tops of the gnarled trees. “I can understand why you moved here,” Luke puffed as he climbed a vine-covered tree with Yoda on his back. “Even if Vader did send a battalion of troops, they probably couldn't find anything.”

“This is not the only reason I came here.” Luke set his master on the ground and pulled on his fisherman's sweater. Yoda leaned on his walking stick. “Area has always had many mysteries.” He indicated an opening in a hollow old tree. “That tree. An agent of darkness, it is. They say, dark ghosts live there. Into it, you must go.”

Rusty plopped down next to Yoda, desperately trying to catch his breath. “I don't like this, old man.”

“For his own good, it is.” Yoda drew on the marshy ground with his walking stick. “Fear, he has. Much fear. Must learn to deal with it.”

As the boy gathered his light sword, his mentor shook his head. “Your weapon. You will not need it.” Luke just rolled his eyes and entered the cave.

When he emerged, over an hour later, his blue eyes were wide and shocked. Rusty went to his side. “You ok, kid?” He patted the boy's back. “You look like you've seen a ghost.”

“I did. I saw Baron Vader. I...I killed him.” His normally tanned face was haunted and white as mist. “I was him. My face was there. I'm...him. Or I could be him.” He groaned, his head dropping to his knees. “I'm never going to be a ruler. Not like Mother was.”

“You failed.” Yoda said simply. “You rushed off without thinking. Had you obeyed me, you would not have seen such things.”

“Lay off the kid! He's got enough trouble without you buggin' him.” Rusty put his arms around Luke, but he pushed him away.

“It's ok, Rusty.” Luke rubbed the back of his neck. “I just need some time alone.”

Rusty was worried. The kid had a lot on his plate. Yoda was a good teacher, but he could be a flat-out jerk at times. He remembered Yoda was better at teaching the younger trainees. Kids loved him. They thought he was hilarious and almost never questioned his rambling or his odd sayings. Twenty-year-old men were another story all together. He knew they weren't going to be able to stay here forever. Sooner or later, either Vader would find them, or Luke's restlessness would assert itself and they would catch up with Henry and Charles or rescue Wedge and his boys.

A few days after the cave incident, Luke was working on lifting things with his mind while standing on one hand. He lifted rocks. He lifted their lunch, in a black lacquered box Yoda owned. He lifted Yoda. He even lifted Rusty, to his annoyance.

Yoda kept talking, even as he was floating in mid-air. “Concentrate. Allow the visions to come to you. Do not force them.” Luke's eyes were closed, his face a mass of sweat and sand. “Through visions you will see the future, the past. Old friends long gone.”

Luke's eyes snapped open...and they were in shock. “Henry! Leia! Charles!”

Everything came crashing down – Luke, Yoda, the box with their lunch, the rocks, and Rusty. “What's eatin' ya, kid?” The short older man rubbed his bruised rear end. “That one's gonna smart.”

Yoda was completely unperturbed. “Control, control! You must learn control!”

“I saw...” Luke rubbed his head. “I saw a city in the clouds, way up in the mountains. My friends were there.” Sapphire blue eyes were very close to filling with tears. “They were in pain. Henry...his screams...and Leia...”

Yoda nodded. “It is future you see.”

“Damn fool Henry.” Rusty rolled his eyes. “What's he gotten himself into now?”

Luke waved Rusty off. “Will they die?”

Yoda shrugged. “Difficult to see. Always in motion, the future.”

“You and your damn mystical talk.” Rusty was already starting towards the boat. “Henry's my boss an' the kid's guardian. Not to mention, a nice girl and two of my best friends are with 'em. If they're in trouble, we gotta go help them.”

“I agree with Rusty.” Luke turned to Yoda. “I have to save them.” His handyman buddy was already loading their luggage onto the deck.

“If you leave now, help them you could.” The tiny former Jedi shook his head. “But you will destroy all for which they have fought for and suffered.”

Rusty crossed his arms. “Bullshit.”

Luke looked helplessly from the little Asian man on the shore by his feet to the little repairman standing on his ship.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Henry had the most blissful airship ride he'd ever experienced. Cedric's fussing aside, he and the Duchess were getting closer. She helped fix the Falcon's faulty engines. He and Charles taught her to drive the ship. Leia didn't even protest (well, not too much) when he slowly rubbed against her, showing her this dial or that button. She picked it up so quickly, she was helping Charles co-pilot by the end of the week.

Charles even made them a nice dinner one night from what little they had in their cupboards. Henry had no idea where the two quails they dined on with foraged vegetables from the woods came from. He suspected his old friend did a little illegal hunting during one of their many stops, but given the size of Charles' biceps and his temper, he didn't ask questions.

“We should be in Cloud City by tomorrow.” He held up the glass of wine he'd stolen off a Spanish galleon years ago during one of his pirating raids. “Here's to a quiet, relaxing visit with one of my closest friends.”

They clinked their glasses. “You know,” Leia began after taking a sip, “you haven't told me much about this friend of yours.”

“Langdon Croydon.” Henry chuckled. “Card player. Gambler. Scoundrel. You'd like him.” He took her hand across the table. “Cloud City is mostly a mountain resort, but he did mention running a small copper mining plant in the area along with the town itself. He's loaded, he's influential, he's the town's mayor, and he has no love for the Empire. Has his own fancy villa on the edge of town. This will be the perfect place to hide until the heat is off and I can get you and Cedric back to Chalindria Court.”

Leia's smile made his heart thump a bit harder. “Then you're as good as gone, aren't you?”

For once, Henry didn't know what to say. He should have left for the US weeks ago. He told himself he would, this time. If Bob Fettman was on his trail, he had to go. Fettman wouldn't stop until he brought him to Jenkins, probably in a body bag. Luke would be fine on his own. He had Wedge and his buddies. There was a small part of him, though, that wanted to be where ever the lovely, intelligent duchess was. Fettman could go to hell, where he belonged.

They finally landed in the backyard of Belle Vista late the next afternoon. Henry had to admit, he was impressed. He heard Langdon had done well, but he hadn't expected an elegant classical mansion, complete with all the latest conveniences, from gas lamps to indoor bathrooms. While it wasn't as large or sprawling as Chalindria Court, it was equally beautiful, with blushing pink climbing roses winding around the stone pathway to the glowing copper door.

Leia would have been more impressed if there was anyone outside, but they landed in an empty yard. Long paths wound through exotic greenery and brilliant hot house flowers. The patched Falcon was a wilted dandelion in a sea of perfect summer lilies.

Cedric made a face. “No one to greet us. This friend of yours is rather rude, Mr. Solo.”

“I don't like this.” Leia shuddered as she followed Henry down the gangplank. Everyone was back into the now-cleaned and pressed clothing they'd worn at the Regatta, the only good clothes any of them had at the moment.

Henry threw up his arms in defeat. “Well, what would you like?”

“They did let us land here,” Cedric added helpfully. “This is a private residence. They were under no obligation to.”

A handsome man with skin the color of rich cafe au lait and thick, black curls and a heavy, curling mustache emerged from the tree-shaded paths. “Henry, you old pirate!” The man wore the latest fashions from Paris, a pale blue linen suit with a matching cape lined in gold silk that fluttered around him in the breeze. “You have a lot of guts coming here, after what you pulled.” Even as Henry's hazel eyes grew large, his lips went from a thin line to a merry grin as he put his arms around his friend. “That doesn't mean I'm not happy to see you. Come here, you idiot.”

“Well,” Cedric admitted cheerfully as the rest of them started towards him, “he seems very friendly.”

Leia wasn't convinced. “Yes. Very friendly.”

Langdon's coffee-colored eyes turned to Leia the moment she came into their view. “Hello, what have we here?” His lips grew into a charming smirk. “I'm Langdon Croydon, administrator and mayor of Cloud City. And who might you be?”

She gave him a small, frosty smile. “Leia.”

Soft hands raised her silk-encased knuckles to coffee-colored lips. “Welcome, Leia. You honor my humble home.”

“All right.” Henry had no intention of sharing this one with his buddy. “Enough, you old smoothie.”

Leia barely noticed Cedric had begun to talk as they made their way across the yard. It was so much fresher than Naboo in August. Here in the mountains, the grass was still green, rather than burned brown, and the ruffled leaves were shady and cool. Delicate lilies and blushing poppies bowed in greeting.

“What's wrong with the Falcon now?” Langdon eyed the patched hull. “What have you done to my ship?”

“Your ship?” Henry smirked. “You lost her to me in that poker game fair and square. I told you I had ideas for her. I just need to get that engine fixed.”

“I'll have people look at it right away.” Langdon grinned. “Wouldn't do anything less for the fastest piece of junk in the Alliance.”

No one even noticed a grumbling Cedric wander off and over to a stone gazebo that overlooked the house...or heard the gunshot.

~*~*~*~*~*~

“The kid's goin', shorty.” Rusty tossed the last crate onto the Rogue. “And that's final.”

“Only a fully-trained Jedi knight can conquer Vader and Palpatine.” Yoda stood on the shore, a few meters from the boat. “If you end your training now, if you choose the quick and easy path, as Vader did, you will become as much of a tool of evil as he.”

Ben's voice echoed among the gnarled treetops. “Patience, Luke!”

“Ben, I figured you'd understand!” Luke shouted into the trees. “Henry took me in. He gave me a home, a job. I owe him more than I can ever repay. And Leia...” His voice became thoughtful. “There's something...just something about her. It's as if I've known her all my life.” He turned on his heel to Yoda. “And what about Charles and Cedric? I can't just sacrifice them! They're my friends!

Yoda poked his stick at him. “If you honor what they fight for? Yes!”

“I'd rather honor what they fight for by makin' sure they're ok.” Rusty glared at the little green man on the shore. “Look, I know you two are scared, but Luke's not like that. Just because we're rescuing our friends from themselves doesn't mean the kid's gonna go off and slaughter every child in a five mile radius.”

Luke's brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”

A sigh ruffled damp leaves in the marsh. “Vader murdered an entire school of Jedi trainees to keep them from becoming full Jedi. He burned down the Jedi headquarters and ordered the destruction of almost every member of our order, as well as the royal family. Palpatine wanted no one to stand in the way of his conquest of Europe.” Sir Benjamin's voice softened. “I don't want to lose you the way I lost him, Luke.”

“You won't.” He darted aboard the gangplank. “Fire up the engine, Rusty!”

“Luke,” Ben's voice called, “don't give into hate.”

“Mind what you've learned!” Yoda called after him.

“I'll come back!” Luke waved to them from the prow as the ship pulled away from the fetid marshes. “I promise!”

“Told you, I did. Reckless is he.” Yoda just shook his head. “Should not have listened to you. Now, matters are worse.”

“You forget.” Ben's voice was hopeful. “There's two.”

“Yes.” Yoda leaned on his stick. “Untrained, they are. Less patient than even Luke. But they may be our last hope.”