The Adventures of Han of the Hood, Part 2

A few hours later, the sun was on its way down as they continued to bounce down a barely-there path choked with roots. Chewbacca growled as the carriage bounced along a barely-there path. “Yeah, I agree,” Han muttered. “We're lucky the Sheriff's lackeys don't know the woods like we do.” He leaned over his shoulder as Leia put her arm around Luke. “Your Maidship, what's all this about, anyway? What note is so important that Vader is willing to kill for it?”

“The king is alive.” Leia gently removed the tube from Artoo's collar. “Uncle Bail is in prison in Austria, but he is alive. The Austrian empire demands thousands of pounds in gold and silver for a ransom. Prince Palpatine claims he's using the increase in taxes to pay the ransom, but he's really funding his claiming the throne for himself and his followers. Not a cent of it has gone to Austria.”

Luke looked up from his tears. “Then it's up to us to see that the ransom is collected. Friar Ben would have wanted it that way. He told me how important it was for the Saxons to release themselves from Norman rule.”

“Are you two crazy?” Han glared at them over his shoulder. “You saw the Sheriff's forces back there. He killed Friar Kenobi, lad, and we're damn lucky he didn't get his hands on us.”

She tucked the tube into a pocket in her robe. “If we could just find more help...”

Han snorted. “Like help is hiding behind every tree.”

Indeed, it turned out that there was something hiding behind trees, even if Han questioned how helpful they were. As they bounced towards the narrow wooden bridge over the rushing river that ran in the center of the forest, they came upon a rough wooden bridge, made of little more than rope and logs. Han was about to cross it when his way was blocked by a group of people in the rough green tunics and hose of the foresters who patrolled Sherwood.

“Uh, excuse us,” Han called. “Look, we need to get across, so if you'll just move for a minute...”

“Nothing doing.” A massive hulk of a man, easily as big as Chewbacca both ways, blocked their path. “If you're going to pass through this woods, you have to pay the toll.” He was flanked by a boy with short blue-black hair and an orange tunic, and a girl with pale hair and armor painted a flowery purple. Behind them was a tall, slender woman with long black braids done in green ribbons and flashing green eyes. A small boy clung to her leg, watching these newcomers curiously. The girl held the collar of an old pit bull with a squashed face and mottled orange and white fur that sniffed at them and snarled.

“Toll?” Han narrowed his eyes.”I've passed through these woods many times. I've never paid a toll.” Chewbacca nodded with a curt Arabic growl.

“Tell you what.” The hulking man with the long ears and the purple tunic and heavy iron gauntlets put out a thick oak staff. “If you can defeat me, I'll let you pass. If not, you'll have to pay.”

Leia frowned and took Han's arm. “Wait...”

He gave her his famous lopsided smirk. “I'll be fine, Your Maidship. I know what I'm doing. Chewie trained me with a staff when we were in the Crusades.”

“Take this one.” The woman with the braids tossed him hers. “I'm closer to your size than big Zeb here.”

Han caught it easily. “Thank you, missus.” They all stepped back as Han and Zeb fought, the planks of the bridge creaking under their weight. Zeb was a powerful fighter, strong and surprisingly quick for his size. Even as their staffs clacked back and forth, Han had to admit he was having a hard time keeping up with him. This big fellow might be more than a match for his skill.

Zeb finally smacked his opponent's hand, forcing Han to drop his staff. A mighty shove from the end of his opponent's staff sent him tumbling head-first into the bracing water. He came up shivering and spitting up mud. The group above him laughed, none more heartily than big Zeb himself. “That's what you get for not payin' the tolls, mate,” he snorted. He finally put out a gloved hand as Han managed to get onto his feet. “Had enough?”

Han gave him the famous little smile. “That I have.” He took hold of Zeb's sausage fingers...only to yank him into the water! Now it was his turn to laugh as Zeb gasped and floundered like a fish caught on a line. “How does it feel to be the one who's all wet?”

“Damn it, mate!” Zeb wailed. “I can't swim!”

“Here.” Han helped him to his feet. “It's not so bad.” As it turned out, the water barely came to their torsos. As chilly as it was, it wasn't moving fast enough to even make Zeb waver a little.

“Well, I'll be a bloomin' fool.” Now Zeb was chuckling. “I guess you got the best o' me there, mate. What's yer name?”

“Han Solo, mate.” He grinned again. “It's good to meet you, now that we're not fighting each other.”

Leia dashed out. “If you boys are quite finished, I need to talk to Hera and Ahsoka.”

“Leia!” The tall woman with the braids pushed past Zeb, pulling her son into her arms. “What are you doing here? We thought you were burned to death with Queen Breha.”

“I was captured on my way to Sherwood with my servants.” Leia rushed into her arms. “Thomas and Artoo escaped with the message, but I was taken to Nottingham Castle.” She nodded at Han shaking the water out of his hair and Chewbacca and Luke climbing out of the carriage. “These gentlemen helped me.”

Zeb chuckled. “Sorry about the dunking there, mate. We thought you were with the Sheriff.”

“It's water under the bridge.” Han gave him a smirk. “So to speak.” More people in green and forest brown tunics emerged from the treetops, curious about the conversation with this stranger. Han tugged his own cape away from one little boy who wanted to feel it. “What's going on here? Who are all of you?”

“We're the Rebels of Sherwood.” Another woman, this one dark-skinned and dressed in white and orange robes that covered her thick black hair wound with blue ribbons, emerged from the trees. “We were forced off our lands by the Sheriff and that usurper of a prince. We need those tolls for our family's survival.”

“We need them for more than that, Ahsoka.” Leia handed the woman in the robe the paper from the tube. “My uncle is being held captive in Austria. There's a ransom, but the money Prince Palpatine has collected is going into his pockets and Sheriff Vader's, not to the king or the people.”

Luke frowned. “There has to be some way we can fund that ransom.”

Ahsoka's grin lit up her dark face. “There is. We're already doing it.” She bowed before Leia. “Your Maidship, would you and your couriers be willing to join our own band of outlaws? We already rob the wealthy travelers who come through Sherwood and sell their valuables to buy food for poor families.”

“It's a good idea.” Leia turned to Han. “What about you, Solo? You're a good shot with that bow and arrow, and you know these woods better than anyone.”

“Now, wait a minute.” Han started to back away. “I have my own problems, Your Maidship. I can't get involved...” He backed right into Chewbacca, who took him by the arm with a curt grumble. “Chewie, we can't! We still need to get that money to Baron Du Hutt.”

“Fine, then.” Leia handed him a small cloth bag. “I think this more than cover your expenses. If money is all that you love, then that's what you'll receive.”

Luke only nodded. “Take care of yourself, Han. But that's what you're best at, isn't it?”

“Lad.” Han stopped him. “May the faith smile on you.”

The boy only nodded. “Aye.”

Han watched him before climbing into his cart. Chewbacca shook his head and growled in his language. “That's not true, Chewie. I know what I'm doing.” Despite Chewbacca's continued protests, he turned the cart around and trotted off into the woods.

They'd barely gone twenty minutes before passing men in royal armor on horseback. Han drove the cart into a thick grove of birches to avoid them...but he couldn't avoid hearing several of the soldiers brag about how they would destroy the Rebels and flush them out of their hiding spots. He and Chewbacca pulled up their hoods as Sheriff Vader and his second-in-command Lord Tarkin rode past him.

Tarkin's pale skeletal face was as sour as if he'd drank pure vinegar. “I'm taking an awful risk following you here, Vader. This had better work.”

“I assure you, the plan is foolproof,” Vader hissed under his heavy black iron armor. “Two of my men reported seeing Her Maidship and the runaway boy among the Rebels who are hiding in Sherwood Forest. We'll set the forest ablaze, at least enough to smoke them out.” He sounded entirely too satisfied. “This will be a day long remembered. It has seen the end of Kenobi and the Jedi monks, and will soon see the end of the Rebels of Sherwood and their pitiful Saxon forces.”

As soon as the men clip-clopped around the corner, Chewbacca turned to Han with a dark look in his blue eyes. “All right, all right, good friend!” Han sighed. “We'll go back and help them. Lad needs someone to look after him, and Her Maidship...” His lopsided smirk emerged as Chewbacca nudged him playfully. “I think I was almost beginning to like her.”

Han slapped the reins, pushing Falcon and Buraq as hard as he possibly could. They flew through the woods, just barely missing overhanging branches and thorny bushes that caught in the horses' tails. The carriage shook so badly as it flew over rocks and roots, it nearly shook to pieces. “Come on lass,” Han muttered, “hold together!” Chewbacca murmured a prayer softly in his native Arabic.

They arrived at the bridge just in time. The Rebels were fiercely fighting Vader's men, pushing them back towards the water with their staffs and shooting from the tops of trees. Several of the Rebels and Vader's men lay on the ground in their own blood, while others were barely hanging on.

Vader's own fighting skills were surprisingly impressive, given his size and the heavy armor he wore. Four men lay dead at his coal-black stallion's feet, including two he'd seen with the group earlier. He almost had his sword over Luke's head and was very close to swinging it at the boy and taking off his head.

Han whipped out his bow and an arrow from the quiver on his back and immediately set it at Vader. It went into his hand and bounced off, to the surprise of Han and Luke. The distraction was still enough for Luke to shove him away. Han's next arrow went through Vader's other hand. This time, he shrieked and rushed to one of his men to pull it out.

“Lad!” Han grabbed a sword and tossed it to the boy in the scarlet cloak. “Use this on Vader and his boys! I'll put out the fire!”

The boy in the scorched scarlet cloak nodded quickly and dashed over to the carnage. Leia, to Han's surprise, was putting in an even better show. Her arrows fired so quickly, they were nearly a blur, and he never saw her miss her target. Big Zeb threw men into the river with his staff, while Hera and Sabine shot at the girl from the safety of the tree branches. Ezra held his own with a smaller sword. Artoo the dog tried to tug Thomas out from behind the safety of a thick oak tree.

Han and Leia had just begun to smother the flames on the grass when they heard a screech. Luke, brandishing the torch like a club, had managed to set Vader's cape on fire. Tarkin let out his own screech and grabbed the torch, intending to use it on Luke. Instead, he accidentally let the flame catch on his arm. He leaped into the river to save himself.

“Young Saxon,” Vader's voice now sounded more surprised than angry as he made his way to Luke, his hand now wrapped with bandages. “You...I know you from somewhere..you're familiar to me...”

He'd just gotten back on his horse when Han grabbed a sword that had been dropped by one of the dead soldiers. “Here's a parting gift for you, Vader,” he grinned at the inspiration, “from Robin Hood, the legend of the woods!” He slapped Vader's horse on its flank with the side of the sword, sending the angry lawman bouncing off into the woods.

“Han!” Luke flung himself into his friend's arms. “I'm so glad you came back.”

Han couldn't help ruffling the boy's hair fondly. “I was hardly going to let you take the credit, boy.”

Leia and Chewbacca ran up between them, hugging them both. “I knew there was more to you than money, Robin Hood!” she said, her smile brighter than the fire that was now burning itself out.

She climbed onto a stump before the remaining group. “Good women and men of Sherwood Forest, this is our chance to right these wrongs and show these Normans that Saxon forces are as good as any who ever lived in the good country of England!”

Luke got up up next to her. “We'll become outlaws...but we break the law only to save the helpless and the friendless. We'll take gold and silver from Norman nobles coming through the woods and distribute part of it among the poor and among our families.”

“The rest,” Han added, “will go into a collection to pay off the ransom of King Bail.” Chewbacca gave him a nudge, and he nodded. “And a portion will also be kept to pay off those corrupt Norman lords and warmongers who now hold the rights on many former Saxon nobility's lands.”

“We'll show the Sheriff and his prince that we won't be intimidated by Normans, or anyone else who gets it in their heads to conquer the green, fertile fields of England!” Leia grabbed Han and Luke's hands and raised them in the air. “Rebels of Sherwood Forest, I give you Robin Hood....” She waved her hand at herself, Han, and Luke. “All of them.”

Luke frowned. “Wait a minute, Your Maidship, I don't think...”

“Luke, think about it.” She grinned. “Sheriff Vader will never know who's doing the stealing. We'll all wear green and a hood, and you and Han and I will all go under the name of Robin Hood. It'll deflect attention from one person and keep the Sheriff on his metal toes.”

“If,” Han smirked, “he could actually walk on those big heavy metal toes!”

“But Leia,” Luke took her hand. “I don't want you getting hurt.”

“That's all right, Luke.” Leia took out her bow and aimed it perfectly, sending an arrow directly through a leaf on the highest branch of a nearby tree. “I know how to take care of myself.”

Han wasn't entirely sure about this, but he and Chewie had to earn money to pay Du Hutt off somehow. At the very least, they'd have more help now. Besides, while he didn't really care much about King Bail, he had no fondness for Sheriff Vader, and even less for Palpatine. It was Palpatine who confiscated his family's land and homestead and gave it to Du Hutt.

What did he have to lose?