Chapter 24: Reconcilliation

Han frowned, muttering softly to himself as he reviewed a read-out of the ship's damage. Under normal circumstances, the damage would have been reparable, but not on an uninhabited planet where they were about to fall under attack from hostile forces. He gazed through the cockpit window into the darkening sky, looking with fascination at the Zanthodine Maelstrom shimmering above, dominating the night sky with swirling blue and purple vortexes of stellar gas. One of several maelstroms in a complex system of disturbances in space, it presented a formidable barrier that, throughout recorded history had split a third of the galaxy away from the main galaxy. Many attempts had been made to chart a navigable path through the maelstroms, and all of them had proven unsuccessful. Now that Han had encountered some of the horrors that lay beyond, he was grateful that the attempts had failed.

Han's gaze returned to the ship, which was decidedly less awe-inspiring. He ran his finger over a tear in the fabric in the seams of his captain's chair. He knew there was not much time left before the attack would begin, but he still could not bring himself to move away from the cockpit. Something in him told him this might be the last time he ever saw the ship. He had felt that way before a few times, particularly at Endor, but he had to admit to himself that he was not sure how they would get out of this one. He flipped a switch that shut down many of the Falcon's critical systems, including most of L-7's higher level functions. It was a wrench shutting her down after all the modifications, all the help she gave, and all the stinging remarks about Han's mechanical prowess that had simultaneously amused and annoyed him. She had been a pain in the neck to deal with much of the time, but she was a huge part of what made the Falcon what it was. If Lando were here, Han thought to himself, imagining the rebuke and the scandalized look he would get for what he was about to do to the ship.

He allowed himself a slight smile, then became aware that somebody had joined him. He turned his head over his shoulder and saw Leia standing in the doorway. His smile faltered at the look on her face, which was grim and determined.

"It's nearly time," she said, weariness in her voice.

Han looked away back to the cockpit, not answering her. She read the sadness and regret on his face, and she said, "I'm sorry, Han."

Han did not have words for the grief he felt for the ship. It had been there before Leia, before Luke, and before Ben. He had run in it, saved lives with it, and discovered secrets in it. "Yeah. . . we've been through a lot."

"To think I thought it was a hunk of junk," Leia said kindly as she patted the filthy walls of the cockpit.

Han allowed himself a chuckle, and Leia, seeing him relax slightly, sat down in the co-pilot's seat. After a moment's silence that felt strangely comfortable given their estrangement, she said, "Han, I'm sorry I never told you."

Han allowed himself another smile, then looked her in the eyes. "Oh, I guessed it a long time ago."

"How?" Leia asked, surprised.

"That night on Endor when Luke rushed off to find Vader. You were heartbroken. Then you told me he was your brother." Han thought for a moment, then continued. "It was the only explanation I could think of for Luke running off like that."

"Are you angry?" Leia asked.

"I never was," Han admitted. "Honestly, I don't know what the big deal is. I was a stormtrooper and a smuggler in debt to the Hutts before I joined the Rebellion. I just assumed everybody has skeletons in their closet."

Leia smiled. With their distance and estrangement, she had forgotten how refreshing his pragmatic attitude toward the galaxy could be, especially given how personal grievance, ambition, and vendettas dominated politics. He might have come across as cocky and arrogant, but beneath it, there was a shrewd humility in how he viewed life. So many people could not understand why somebody in her position might have chosen somebody escaping the dregs of the galaxy, but Leia mused to herself that nobody from the upper rungs of the galactic social ladder could see the galaxy the way Han Solo did.

"Then I guess I should apologize for something more important," she continued. "I'm sorry I left you behind."

This time, Han did not smile. She could see the hurt beneath the veneer, but since Han was already mourning his ship, she could tell he did not have the will to keep up the façade. She continued, saying, "I've been thinking about it ever since Bolsko revealed the truth. All the decisions I made to try to save the galaxy. . . had I just learned to let go of the need to control everything, I could have kept you." She paused, then added in a constricted whisper with tears rimming her eyes. "I could have kept Ben, too."

Han reached his hand over to hold hers. At his touch, tears began to stream down her face. He leaned in close and said, "Listen, if we make it out of this mess, lets come back to this place and make a home. Retire. Say goodbye to galactic politics. The galaxy is going to leave us behind eventually, anyways." He gestured to the cockpit window where the Zanthodine Maelstrom sparkled in the night sky behind the serrated edges of snow-capped peaks. "This place ain't half bad."

Leia squeezed his hand as she smiled through her tears, gratitude coursing through her. But before she could respond, Kit entered the doorway to the cockpit. Without preamble, she blurted out into their intimate moment, "Kira's here!"

Han and Leia stood up from their seat and followed Kit into the galley and out of the ship. They walked down the boarding ramp and saw Kira standing at the edge of the glade, looking up toward the maelstrom in the sky. Leia stepped forward, with Han and Kit waiting at the top of the ramp. Chewie and Jax had been repairing the ventral cannon, and they had stopped to regard Kira as well. Leia approached Kira, who turned toward her former mentor.

"Kira," Leia said, a note of uncertainty about how Kira would receive her.

Kira stood motionless, regarding her former master and mentor. In her initial hesitation, she felt a fleeting stab of anger at being lied to, but the conversation with Anakin, still fresh in her mind, propelled her forward. She raced to Leia, throwing her arms around her in greeting and in relief. Leia returned the embrace gratefully, putting her as-yet unspoken apologies into the embrace.

"Kira, I'm so sorry," Leia began.

Kira cut her off, not wanting Leia to apologize. Smiling brightly, she said, "I spoke to Anakin!" Leia's surprise was evident, and Kira continued, "He reminded me that your family finds the good in people. If it weren't for you doing that for me. . ."

Tears welled in Leia's eyes at Kira's understanding and gratitude. She had long dreaded the day when she would have to tell the truth and face the consequences of Kira's reaction. Her reaction now suggested more than just forgiveness; it was validation for her belief and Luke's belief that Kira deserved every chance in the galaxy despite her lineage.

Kit stepped forward, with Han not far behind. She smiled at Kira, saying, "Boy, am I glad to see you." Kira nodded, smiling. Han greeted her with a "Hey, kid," and Kira gave him a cursory hug. The quartet stood together for moment before Chewie rumbled an affirmative to let them know the ventral cannon was fixed, and everything was ready to go.

"What's the plan?" Kira asked.

Han looked back at the Falcon, his gaze lingering on the ship's familiar contours. Then, with a wrench, he pulled his focus back to the group and launched into his explanation.

***

The assault shuttles departed from the Eventide and drifted down to the planet's surface and through the planet's layered atmosphere. The ships soared across mountainous valleys and canyons before setting down in formation at a meadow a mile away from the Falcon's location. A quartet of assault ships, each the shape of a beetle bristling with weaponry, lifted off of the ground and hovered above the meadow, their repulsorlifts whining at a high frequency. Six squadrons of Dichonemses, a smaller variation of the same species of the Acronemses that were bred as foot soldiers for ground assault, assumed formation, each with an Acronemsis general at their head. The soldiers, all males, were shorter and squatter than the female alphas. They also lacked the additional set of claws and wings. However, their black, glistening exoskeletons, their endurance, and their physical strength made them formidable foot soldiers, even if they lacked the ability to manipulate the Force.

With all forces accounted for and the assault craft ready for action on command, the company moved forward. The orderly rows dispersed as the troops entered the dense forest separating their landing meadow and the glade where the defector's beacon continued to broadcast the Falcon's location. Their scanners showed the traitor's beacon broadcasting from the ship still, and the Acronemses felt a surge of disdain toward this foolishness, as a stationary ship, damaged and shields immobilized, stood little chance against their combined might. Keeping their senses attuned on the beacon, the company pushed forward.

The company moved silently through the forest, taking great care not to alert their quarry of their approach. Eons of evolution had honed their instincts, creating an apex predator that delighted in the hunt and thrilled at the kill. Collective excitement flowed through the company, with each soldier tapping into the joy of the hunt. Yet the excitement was kept in check, with stealth and surprise being of the utmost importance. As the company neared the edge of the glade where the ship sat, they paused in unison. The ship's running lights were on, flooding the glade with light to spot incoming attackers.

The lead Acronemsis signaled, and the group fanned out, taking firing positions at the edge of the glade. Upon their entrance to the glade, a voice echoed through the clearing, magnified by speakers coming from the Falcon itself. "Halt! We are tracking your approach, and we will attack if you come any closer!"

In response to the warning, the lead Acronemsis signaled in a cackling screech. Moments later, the quartet of assault vehicles floated over the forest, coming to a rest above the glade. Their weapons systems clicked into place, and the Acronemsis held its hand up, preparing the signal to fire.

Before the Acronemsis could lower her hand to signal for the ships to fire, the twin quad guns on the Falcon swiveled and began to fire on the shuttles and the troops. The deep repeating booms of the guns echoed throughout the valley, ricocheting off the rocky slopes surrounding the glade. Two of the shuttles burst into flames, showering the assailants with fiery debris as the quad guns deftly swiveled and pivoted. A third shuttle was hit seconds later, and the blast sent it careening into the fourth shuttle. The debris from both plowed through one of the formations, killing a third of the troops in the explosion. The lower quad gun erupted, cutting through the scattering soldiers, and destroying many of the trees ringing the glade. The ship's ventral cannon swiveled and pivoted, firing on any target it could sight, sending the formations into chaotic disarray. Two of the Acronemses had activated their blades, attempting to deflect the incoming blaster fire, but their weapons were no match for the heavy fire of the quads, which were powerful enough to cut through shields on fighter craft. Lightsabers did not stand a chance.

The remaining Acronemses signaled the rest of the troops to fall back under the onslaught, as without the assault ships, their small arms fire had negligible effect on the Falcon's heavily armored plating. The lead Acronemsis signaled to the ship above for reinforcements, and her company retreated to the woods out of range of the ship.

***

Jax stood upon a ledge overlooking the glade hundreds of meters below. The Falcon's guns maneuvered effortlessly, the blaster fire cutting through the would-be attackers. He closed his eyes, sensing the ripples traveling through the Force. As he sunk deeper into the awareness of the Force, he saw the glowing figures of two women, hovering about a foot off the ground to his right. In his mind's eye, he saw light radiating from both, and currents of energy flowed from them to the ship in the glade below.

The Falcon, abandoned by its occupants, who had fled to higher ground, continued to fire as Leia and Kira controlled the quads through the Force, using them to fire on their attackers. Han had configured L-7 to mimic his signal and to continue broadcasting it, and the Order of Ren had fallen for the bait. It was deeply satisfying for Jax to watch the Acronemses mowed down like that, but he knew that reinforcements would soon be on their way - this time there would be much, much more. Jax suspected that the Order of Ren had all of them right where it wanted them, and unless the Republic arrived sooner than Han said they would, it would not be long before they would be overrun, perhaps becoming meals for the Acronemses.

Chewbacca and Han had approached, and Chewie rumbled what sounded to Jax like a question. Han smirked in response.

"What did he say?" Jax asked.

"Oh, he was asking me if I still thought the Force was a hokey religion," Han said, seeming to remember something from long ago. Jax assumed it was an inside joke. Then Han looked to him, asking, "Luke said you could feel the Force?"

"Yeah," Jax said, turning back to Kira and Leia whose faces were set in concentration. "I can see everything they're doing. There's a connection between them and, well, everything."

"You should have them train you," Han said, then added, "If we make it out of this."

"Me?" Jax asked, surprised.

"No, Chewie," Han said sarcastically. "Yes, of course you."

The fire from the quads died down, and as it did, Leia and Kira emerged from their trances, settling to the ground. Leia stood up, addressing Han. "They've retreated. We probably took out two-thirds. More will come, but this bought us some time."

"Nice shooting," Kit said, jogging over from her perch where she had watched the onslaught through a pair of binoculars. Leia smiled.

Kira continued to stand at the rim of the glade, a distant look on her face. Leia turned toward her, her focus momentarily distant. Then she turned to the rest and said with urgency, "We need to take cover."

***

On the far side of the glade, Veryx stood on a rocky promontory, looking down at the destruction the Falcon had wrought. At first, he was shocked by the sudden attack and the effectiveness of the blaster fire. He assumed that Organa and the Palpatine girl had been operating the quads while the rest sheltered inside the ship. It made sense as a last stand strategy, but as he reached out through the Force, he sensed the energy flowing into the ship from the ridge above the glade. Following the energy, he caught a sense of Organa and the girl, deeply entwined in the Force and controlling the ship below. Clever, he thought. But he saw that it only delayed the inevitable. Veryx had an idea of their location now, and without the ship to protect them, they would not last long.

"I've located the fugitives," Veryx said into his commlink. "Order the next wave to descend to the surface."

***

"There's a dark Jedi on the other side of this valley," Kira said, snapping out of her distant focus. "He knows we're here. They will be on us soon."

"How far to get to your ship," Han asked.

"About a mile," Kira explained, "but we won't get far against that cruiser. Best case scenario, we run their fighters around for a while before they finally gun us down."

"So then what," Kit asked, gritting her teeth in anxiety, but still feeling determined.

"We fight," Leia said, unhooking her lightsaber from her belt. "Come on," she said, gesturing toward a rocky outcrop protruding from the dense forest to their east. They would have cover there, and the rocky outcrop could serve as a defensive position to make a stand.