The Summer Strikes Back, Part 9

“Here ye, here ye! Friends, residents, and everyone else!” Luke raised his glass of root beer at the long wooden tables set up in Chirrut and Baze's backyard. “A toast to all of us! We worked together and saved our homes.”

“At least for now.” Kanan put his Budweiser bottle aside. “Not to be a wet blanket, but I know the Imperial Gang. I've...dealt with them before. They're not going to give up just because they drank hot sauce and had eggs thrown at them. They'll be back.”

“Not here.” Leia bit into her Mandarin-style ribs. “I got Officer Madine to slap a restraining order on the Imperials. They can't come near the Cottages unless they want to end up in jail for real.”

“We don't just live here, Leia.” Kes was cutting up his son's hot dog. “I have two surf shops. Tarkin's already asked me three times to sell the one on the boardwalk.”

“He won't be bothering you anymore.” Hank smirked as he gulped a Welch soda. “Skeletor's in jail for a list of infractions as long as my arm, starting with threatening half the town and ending with assault and battery. Heard he may lose his license, too.”

“Good riddance, I say, mate.” Charlie's paper plate was groaning with mountains of barbecue ribs, chicken, burgers, potato salad, and cole slaw.

“I brought the plans and tapes to the City Council this afternoon.” Leia grinned at Arturro and Chip. “With help from Mr. Detonski and Mr. Thompson here.”

Arturro took a bow. Chip pulled him back down. “Arturro, behave yourself! You're not the only one who helped with those plans. I did my share too, you know.” Arturro let out a stream of his language, shaking a hot dog at his best friend. “I mostly hid and screamed? Who lead those nasty men at Organa Island away from the boat? Who put his life on the line to make sure we both got back safe and sound?”

“All right, you two.” Leia stood. “I thank each and every one of you for coming to this dinner. Luke and I just heard from the hospital. Uncle Ben will live, but he'll be in the hospital for a week, and then off his feet for at least another three to four weeks. We're not only going to need your help taking care of the Cottages while he's away.” Leia cleared her throat and stood as tall as was possible with her diminutive stature. “The mortgage on the Cottages are due at the end of August. We can't pay those and Uncle Ben's hospital bills. We have to figure out ways to come up with money, fast.”

Wes raised his hand. “I could sell kisses. Girls love that.”

Biggs smirked. “To whom? Atilla the Hun?”

His buddy glared at him. “Hey, I know girls! I've played Monopoly with girls!”

“How about a yard sale?” Kes looked down at his son, whose face was smeared with barbecue sauce. “I've been meaning to clear out some of Poe's baby toys. He's not that little anymore.”

Poe grinned between bites of hot dog. “Nope! I'm a big boy!”

Chirrut nodded. “We have kitchen equipment we could get rid of.”

“Uncle Ben has all those old surfboards,” Luke added. “They have to be worth something.”

“We need more than that.” Leia frowned. “The mortgage on the Cottages alone is three thousand dollars.”

Luke grinned. “What if we added to it? Sold food, drinks, crafts...it could be a block party! We could have Admiral Ackbar cater it, Chirrut and Baze could make the desserts, we could have a band or a DJ, use the Gazebo at Phineas Estate Park for dancing...”

Kanan raised his hand. “Not only do my kids work at Ackbar's, but Hera says she knows Fulcrum personally.”

“She does?” Hobbie's mouth dropped open. “No one knows Fulcrum! She's the best-kept secret in Ocean View! She won't even give out autographs.”

“I do. Or, Hera says she does.” Kanan shrugged. “When she gets back from fishing, she might be able to talk to her.”

“That would bring in half the town alone.” Wes smirked. “Everyone wants to know who Fulcrum is!”

“We could charge money for the entrance. Make a big campaign out of it.” Wedge nudged Hobbie. “We could make commercials. Put them up at the movie theaters, and maybe even get them on the community bulletin board on Channel 13.”

Sabine raised her hand. “I could make posters. We'll put them up in the neighborhood, in Ackbar's, in Kes' stores, and in town.”

“We'll hang them at our place, too.” Baze rubbed Chirrut's shoulder. “And we'll tell our regular customers about it.”

“I'll talk to the kids in the Endor Estates development a few streets down. They're my friends,” Ezra started. He swallowed a huge mouthful of grilled chicken before adding “I could probably get them to help hand out flyers in town. They might want to donate toys to the yard sale, too.”

“We'll advertise the surfing contest at the Block Party.” Luke wiped his saucy red fingers on a napkin. “We could do the contest the morning of the Ocean View Boat Pageant. It'll be a great way to lead up to the boat show. That's always in the evening.”

Hank and Charlie exchanged looks. Hank stood, clearing his throat. “Charlie and I discussed this, and...we'd like to donate the Falcon as the Cottages' entry into the Ocean View Boat Pageant.”

Leia frowned. “I thought you two were going on a fishing trip.”

“We can't run out on you now, lass.” Charlie shrugged. “Not in the lurch like this. You're gonna need help fixin' things, with your Uncle on the mend.”

“But we'll still be leaving by the end of the summer,” Hank added quickly.

Charlie glared at him before turning to Leia with a big smile. “We'll help you for as long as you need us, lass.”

“I don't know about this.” Kris Kenyon, a friend of Cassian's, was eating his grilled chicken with a fork. He was a very tall young man, over 6 feet, with skinny arms and legs and a shock of shiny black hair. “The odds are very high that the Imperial Gang could still come around and cause trouble.”

“He's right,” Chip continued. “We don't want to lose anyone else.”

Luke exchanged sneaky grins with Wedge and Hobbie. “Leave that to us.”

~*~*~*~*~*~

Vader was called to the Big Man's office at Alderaan Manor two days later. Everything in his office was calculated to be intimidating, from the straight metal bar with the gleaming walnut liquor cabinet to the industrial iron shelves. Even the leather-backed chairs were more functional than comfortable. “We have problems, Boss. Tarkin got his bony ass arrested for breaking and entering, and now those numbskulls at the Cottages are onto us.”

“So I heard.” A pale, slightly wrinkled, perfectly-manicured hand tossed that morning's Ocean View Gazette onto the the heavy dark-wood desk. “Tarkin was foolish. Empire Industries has disavowed any knowledge of his previous actions. He'll be in jail for a good ten to twenty years, and his license will be revoked.” His voice held not a hint of sympathy. “So sad. He was quite good at his job. It's a pity he simply pushed too hard.”

Even Vader had to take a breath in when Palpatine turned to address him. He looked old, older than Tarkin, with his white hair and bony, wrinkled face. His navy pinstriped suit and gray dotted tie only made him look even more opaque. “The City Council is now arguing over what to do with the plans.” Simon Palpatine's smile was more appropriate for a killer in a slasher movie than one of the top CEOs in the United States. “I'm hoping to make them see my point of view. Perhaps with a few...modifications...to the original blueprints.”

“Boss,” Vader started, “we'll deal with those assholes. We ain't as nice as Tarkin. We don't ask. We take.”

Palpatine swiveled towards the window and the sweeping vistas of Ocean View Harbor. “We have a new enemy, my boy. Seems Kenobi's niece and nephew are running the Cottages in his absence.” He raised an eyebrow at the man in the newly-scrubbed black motorcycle helmet. “Familiar names, those two. Luke and Leia Walker.”

“They're just kids, sir.” Vader's hissing grew more pronounced. “Their uncle can't help them while he's laid up.”

“Not 'kids,' Vader.” Palpatine looked over his shoulder. “The newspaper said they're both 19. Leia Walker is keen on entering politics. They both know the area, know how to rally people around them. They could destroy us.”

“Maybe not.” Vader crossed his arms. “If I could make 'em see the light, maybe they could join the gang.”

Palpatine's skeletal grin became even wider. “Yes. They both show some promise. The boy could work with your gang. The girl would work on my board of directors. Can it be done?”

Vader gave a slight nod. “They'll join us, or die, boss.”