The Adventures of the Crimson Hawk, Part 21

The Paradise was the largest and most elaborate boat to ever sail Shaw Bay. It was more like an ocean liner than a typical sailing ship. The billowing sails alone dwarfed most of the buildings on Tatoonie Island. Everything was state-of-the-art, from the red and gold velvet staterooms to the two dining halls that could seat a hundred each. Even the crew's quarters were more luxurious than most ocean liner's rooms.

Most of the activity was currently centered on the main deck. Jenkins, resplendent in an elaborate nautical-style blue and white suit, resided on a lounge by the front of the deck, where he could see everyone enter and greet his guests on arrival or throw off anyone whom he didn't like.

Leia perched demurely alongside him in the lounge. Her pale blue jacket with the brass buttons was low-cut enough for Jenkins to get his fingers into her bosom and fondle her breasts every now and then. The short, fluffy blue skirt was a bit looser than was fashionable, as per Jenkins' orders. He enjoyed ogling her trim ankles in shiny dark boots. She held a lacy blue parasol over her head.

Jenkins smirked, pulling Leia into one arm and a glass of wine in the other. “Why don't you enjoy yourself, pet? Have a drink. Maybe after this, you'll learn to appreciate me.” While she shipped the strong tropical liquor, he stroked her dark hair and her soft, white neck.

Cedric couldn't believe the cacophony aboard that ship. Musicians played a lively native tune while the dancers in scanty beaded gowns shimmied and writhed before them. To his surprise, one of the women bore a close resemblance to Miss Jyn. Ahsoka, also clad in a red and gold beaded dancer's costume, sat on Mr. Fortuna's lap and played with his shiny bald head. Cassian acted as a bouncer for the dancers, glaring at any man who got anywhere near his sweetheart or any of the other women.

He had just turned the corner to find the little translator's room when he ran into someone in the dining area. “I'm terribly sorry, but I was trying to find...”

“Hush, Goldie.” Rusty nudged him so hard, he almost ended up back on the floor. “I'm not supposed to be here. I'm replacing one of the waiters. They were going to leave me on shore. I can't leave the kid.” He patted the rolling serving tray covered with a white tablecloth. “I have what he needs right here.” The smaller man shoved up the sleeves of his too-big white coat and handed a glass to Cedric. “What's your poison? White wine? Claret? I have a champagne that everyone says is amazing...”

“I'm not here to watch you serve drinks.” The taller man gazed around him nervously. “They're going to execute Mr. Skywalker, Mr. Solo, and Mr. Bacca. If we're not careful, we'll be on the chopping block next.”

“Don't worry, Goldie.” Rusty patted what he could reach of his friend's back. “Luke knows what he's doin'.”

Cedric sniffed. “I wish I had your confidence.”

The hot late-August sun must have been getting to him, Cedric thought as he made his way to the bathrooms downstairs. He thought he saw Captain Hera, Zeb, and Sabine, one of Senator Mothma's servants, among the seedier characters in armor and slightly disreputable suits who acted as bodyguards for Prime Minister Huttman. Two more familiar men passed by him, both dressed in the loose, colorful silk robes of the Orient. He distinctly saw a bun sticking out of the turban of the first man, and wisps of blue hair out of the second.

When he got back on-deck, the two men had replaced the dancers as the primary entertainment. The taller of the two billed them as “Jarrus and Bridger, Mind-Readers of Old India.” If they were Indian, Cedric was a flying horse. Neither looked remotely Indian. Their act seemed to go over well enough as they insisted to the women that they would have many children, and that the men would all be successful in business. Even after their act was finished, they continued to linger on the opposite side of the decks, performing their tricks for the admiring dancers.

“And now, the main event.” Jenkins waved his hand as Cedric repeated his words in several languages. “The feeding of the sharks!”

Cedric was quite surprised to see Langdon Croydon among the security guards who dragged Mr. Skywalker, Mr. Solo, and Mr. Bacca up from the hold. Mr. Solo was struggling and shoving and yelling, his eyes still a bit clouded. His two companions appeared to be far less concerned. Mr. Skywalker was downright serene.

A thick board had been pushed out over the turquoise waters of the bay. Cedric made the mistake of peering over the sides...and right into the pink jaw of a very hungry shark! He jumped back in horror. There were at least five or six such creatures swimming around the vessel, each one with teeth as sharp as knives and mouths as wide as the ship's wheel.

“Hey you! Goldie!” Jenkins called him over. “Make with the announcements. I wanna get this over with.”

“Very well, Prime Minister.” Cedric made his way to where the musicians had been playing just moments before. “Victims of the jaws of the sharks of Shaw Bay, the prime minister wishes you should die honorably. But if any of you wish to beg for mercy, our great prime minister will now listen to your pleas.”

“I'd like to take that mercy and stuff it down his fat throat, if it can fit in there,” Henry started saying to the back of the vessel. Charles turned him to face Jenkins and his court without missing a beat. “He won't get any such pleasure from us, right Charles?”

His manservant nodded. “Forget it, Huttman. You're acting like a bloody baby over a matter that could be settled in court. You don't deserve mercy. You deserve a whack in the arse.”

Luke stood tall and firm against the stiff bay breezes. His black suit stood in start contrast to the hazy blue sky and the bright costumes of the assembled couriers. “This is your last chance, Jenkins. Free us, or die.”

The entire court burst into laughter, Jenkins longest of all. Henry gave Luke a shaky smirk. “I don't think they believed you, Junior.” He blinked, looking around. “I think my eyes are getting better. Instead of a big dark blur, I see a big light blur.”

“There's nothing to see but sand and palm trees.” Luke gave him his own wan smile. “I used to live here, you know.”

“You're going to die here, you know.” Henry shrugged. “Convenient.”

“Just stick close to Charles and Langdon.” Luke patted his shoulder. “I've taken care of everything.”

Henry was not convinced. “Right. Great.”

Cedric and Leia watched as Luke stepped out onto the wooden platform. His blue eyes took in the hungry sharks in the sparkling turquoise waters, the court hooting and jeering around him. He nodded at one of the security guards. He nudged the dancer on Bibbi Fortuna's lap, who shook the elbow of one of the dancers. She grabbed the arm of the bouncer, then gave their own nod to the performers and three of Jenkins' bodyguards. The bounty hunter in pink armor nodded at Rusty and another short waiter with orange-ish skin as the taller one grabbed the two performers from the crowd.

The moment the guard on the board forced Luke off the plank, he grabbed the end, then did a spectacular jump over the crowd and onto the musicians' bandstand! Rusty threw off the tablecloth on the rolling serving cart, revealing a pile of weapons, including three electrical sabers. He helped Luke quickly into his, while the two performers grabbed a blue one and a smaller one with a handle shaped like a pistol.

Henry cheered loudly. “I don't know what the kid just did, but it sounds like it got Jenkins mad, and that's good enough for me!” His grin grew even wider as the sound of three electrical sabers being switched on sizzled across the vehicle. “Oh, Jenkins, you are a dead man now. Go for it, Junior!”

Rusty tossed Charles his favorite mechanical longbow and a light rifle for Henry. “You think you can handle this, mate?” the taller native asked his friend.

“No clue, Charlie.” Two big hands pulled Henry back as the sounds of gunfire reached his ears. “But it doesn't sound like I have much of a choice.” He waved it around, hoping to at least hit someone important.

Jenkins was screaming at the top of his lungs as people ran helter-skelter and his guards fought with Luke's group. Hera, Sabine, and Langdon revealed their own light guns. Cassian pulled out his gun and handed one to Jyn, who was setting up the camera she'd hidden below to take photos of the chaos. Zeb knocked guards overboard and into waiting shark jaws with his long oak wood staff.

“Stop them!” Jenkins was screaming at the top of his considerable lungs. “Stop them! They're ruining this party! They should be shark burps right now, not running all over the place, acting like this is a circus! Get them! Kill the...hurk!”

Gold chains circling around his neck brought an end to his tirade. Leia had scrambled behind his chair the moment he released her chain. She wrenched as hard as she possibly could, until the fat gangster's face turned several shades of purple and his thick greasy tongue hung out of his mouth. He finally sagged into the lounge, killed by the one thing he thought he owned.

“Here, Your Grace.” Rusty unlocked the collar around Leia's neck as she pulled off the jacket. “I've got the light rifle you wanted, too.” He frowned. “You sure about this? The League of the Crimson Hawk has never had a female member...”

Leia gave him a grin Henry would have loved if he could see it. “Well, you're about to get your first.” She unbuttoned her skirt and threw it and the petticoats off, revealing a pair of tight tan trousers over the black stockings and boots. Under the jacket was a white blouse with a wide ruffled collar, a white sash, and a black vest with gold trim and brass buttons, similar to the ones worn by the Crimson Hawk and his men.

“Who are you supposed to be?” one of the dancers asked her, shocked at her mix of masculine and feminine garb.

“You'll find out.” Leia dashed across the deck, where Bibbi Fortuna was fighting with Langdon. She shot the tall, bald man, knocking him and Langdon over the side. Fortuna went screaming into the blue waters.

Langdon managed to grab a rigging on the way down. “Helllp!” He dangled precariously over a shark's waiting jaws. “I don't want to end up as a dinner for a giant fish! I'm not enough to eat, anyway! There are people up there who taste a lot better than me. How about Jenkins?” The shark snapped at him. “Ok, forget that. He'd probably put too much fat in your diet anyway.”

Henry was still swinging at everyone he could actually hear when someone turned him around and kissed him. He couldn't help melting into the passionate embrace. “Leia?” Hazel eyes squinted, taking in her outfit, gently running his hands down her hips. “You look...good. I think.”

“We'll talk about my joining the League later.” She pushed him gently towards the side. “Langdon needs you. I accidentally knocked him overboard. Charles, go with him.”

The moment Solo's woman throttled the life out of his boss, Boba Fettson knew it was time to make an exit. He pulled off his own jacket, revealing what appeared to be two metal cylinders. His gloved fingers pulled a handle on one that made them light up, shooting him into the afternoon sky.

“Oh no, you don't!” Luke shimmied up the masts as quickly as he could. “You're not getting away that easily. Not after what you did to Henry!”

“I did my job, kid.” He smirked as the boy made it to the top of the railing. “So, how did the meeting between you and Daddy Vader go?”

Luke's eyes widened. “You knew about that?”

Fettson pulled out his two heavy guns, aiming them for Luke's heart. “Who do you think told him he had a son? Felt it was my duty to inform His Excellency that he still had some family left.” His dark eyes narrowed. “At least you have your father. The Jedi took mine when I was ten years old. I saw one cut his head off.” He shot Luke in the hand before he could pull out his saber. “Vader's still offering a damn good reward for turning you over to him, Jedi brat. That money will go a long way towards setting me up in my own business, seeing how your girlfriend down there killed my boss.”

A green beam popped over Luke's shoulder, hitting one of Fettson's canisters dead-center. They went wild, sending the green-clad bounty hunter careening wildly around the ship. The broken one backfired as Fettson tried to regain control. The whiplash from the blast was enough to send him soaring over the bay, past the sharks and back towards the mainland.

Holding his burned hand, Luke turned to his rescuer. “Leia? What are you doing up here?” He smiled at her outfit. “You look good in that. I knew you'd be perfect for the League.”

“Thank you.” She threw the rifle into a holster on her back. “I think it's time we went downstairs. They're going to need someone to clean up the leftovers.”

Luke nodded. “The view's incredible up here, but we do have a few things we need to finish.” He grabbed her waist, took a rope from the billowing sails, and swung down to the musicians' stage.

The party was just about over. Ahsoka lead the dancers in tying up any of Jenkins' men who hadn't been thrown overboard. Zeb ran upstairs, followed by Chester and Sabine. Jyn continued to snap photos of the mess. “The remainin' bounty hunters are downstairs in the hold, Yer Grace, Mr. Skwalker,” Zeb explained. “We'll turn the lot in to the authorities when we get back to land.”

Henry and Charles were just pulling Langdon onto the boat. “Are you ok, buddy?” Henry checked his friend over. “Anythin' broken?”

“Uh, Han,” Langdon pushed his hand away, “please don't do that while you can't see. Your hand almost landed somewhere private. This is hardly the time or place to renew old acquaintances.”

Charles pulled a black vest over Henry. “Mate, how long has it been since we commandeered a ship?”

His employer grinned back. “Too long, old pal.”

Leia took Luke and Henry's hands as the group made their way to the musicians' stage. “Ladies and gentlemen of the court!” she called. “I am the...the White Swan, agent of the Crimson Hawk, the friend of the friendless, the rescuer of the helpless! We have now taken control of this ship. Those of you who wish to be returned to shore with Prime Minister Huttman's men will be permitted to do so. As for the rest of you, if you want to join our cause, come forward now!”

Ahsoka was the first to step onto the stage, the dancers from the casino following her. “These women have been used and abused.” She put her arm around two of them. “No more. A swan may look delicate when it glides across the water, but threaten its young or its family, and it can be as vicious as any bird of prey. These swans will fight in any way they can to keep other women from being used, too.” The musicians followed, then the waiters and much of the yacht's crew. Even a few bounty hunters pledged their allegiance.

“Thank you!” Luke raised his sword. “As soon as we leave the others at Anchorhead and turn Jenkins' men over to the authorities, we're going to return to Naboo and release our men from Nabarrie Palace. Then, it's onto the Diamond Gala Ball!” His sunny grin was nearly as hot as the yellow orb in the hazy horizon. “It'll be an event Palpatine and Fa...Baron Vader will never forget!”

As the others cheered, Ahsoka shook Luke's shoulder. “Um, we're missing two people. Where's Cedric and Rusty?”

“I found them!” Ezra pointed overboard. Two familiar figures screamed, waving their arms in the turquoise waters. “Want me to toss them a life preserver?”

Hera had already taken the wheel. “That would be nice. Chester, help him.”

Cedric looked up...just in time to see a life preserver coming right at his head. “Ouch!” The rough cloth and cork flotation device smacked his forehead hard, finally landed several yards behind him.

“Serves you right.” Rusty's snickering joined that of the others on the ship. “I told you to swim clear of the ring!”

“It's your fault we're in here at all! You just had to knock us off!” Cedric grabbed the rough rope-bound ring. “If you weren't such a midget dimwit, we wouldn't get into half the trouble we do!”

Rusty rolled his eyes as the League of the Crimson Hawk towed them to the boat. “Blow it out your ear, Goldie.”