@ohnoka && @aspacewitch
The Trader’s Luck had left Corellia’s orbit often, but it wasn’t quite as often that they stop on multiple planets before returning to their base planet. Han was surprised, but curious. Shrike and his wayward crew were up to... well, something. Normally he’d have to move cargo by now or go out begging, but he’d been trapped aboard for the past two days without any word of what their overall goal was. He wasn’t sure if he’d been to this system before, but it still dazzled him to press his face against the viewport. He only knew briefly what this was all about, some problem with ‘seppies’ trying to take over their territory. Han used the word ‘their’ lightly, for he tried to distance himself from this entire gang whenever possible. It was for his own good. He knew he was better than the lot of them, but he was still too young to be taken seriously on his own. If he could run away with Dewlanna, he would. He was used for his skills as a swoop racer and pickpocket, but no one quite cared about him otherwise. He envied those beyond this stupid ship.
The stars were beautiful. They glittered before his very eyes, untouched by all who were revealed to their beauty. They did not have to sit on the street for hours upon days begging for a few lousy credits. They didn’t need to risk their lives trying to steal valuables from unlucky offworlders who were dumb enough to bring them within arm’s length to the prodigy thief. They were forced into swoop racing to win money they never got to see a credit from. They... they were the lucky ones.
The human boy was talented, he’d heard it among the whole crew that he’d wind up giving Shrike a run for his credits someday. Needless to say, he had a huge ego for a seven year old. His nose scrunched up against the viewport still, a rough voice called as he was snatched up by his hair with his feet dangling above the ground. “WHAH---!” He screeched as he desperately kicked to feel the ground once again. “Scruffy lil’ brat, what do you think you’re doing sitting around?” Shrike’s voice sounded like nails on a chalkboard to his ears, but the blood that rushed up to his head made his ears ring loudly as his face turned red with it.
“Lemme go!” Han protested with his hands up at Shrike’s fingers, desperately attempting to peel them away from thick brown curls. “I ASKED you a question.” Shrike grunted at him. Han suddenly felt his heart his throat as he was yanked closer. “I was lookin’ at something!” Han stammered out his words before he was dropped onto the ground. Hands gripping at his own head, he bit his cheek to distract himself from the pain. Just as he went to stand up, there was a swift kick driven into his stomach that sent him keeling over with a pained whimper. Tears threatened to fall, but he knew that showing such weakness only meant something worse would come. “Well, looking doesn’t get SHIT done. Get goin’, we’re gonna find the pirate scum and show ‘em what’s for.” Garris Shrike was not a man well known for his patience... or mercy. Han only gave a weak nod as knelt on the floor with his hands at his stomach.
Shrike left him there when there was a call from one of his officers. Han left out only a pained groan as he limply fell against the ship’s wall. His vision felt hazy, but he knew he’d survive. He always did, even when he didn’t want to. He realized there was blood filling his mouth just as it spilled over his lips when he coughed, having bitten his cheek and breaking through the skin. Murmuring quietly, he got to his feet slowly and stumbled down the hall to find Dewlanna to see if she could help---she was the only solace he had on this little slice of personal torture.
He’d only found the Wookiee by the time he heard loud shouting from the hallway again. His stomach flipped and lurched, making him feel more like he wanted to throw up than anything else. Dewlanna hurried to help him clean up his mouth the best he could with only a rinse as the best thing she could offer. The medical supplies for the crew were rather lackluster the way it was, but Shrike’s inflicted punishment got no aid in the end. Han scurried off before he could be missed by the captain himself, showing up just in time. There was an uproar among the crew---something about the Corellian Trade Spine hanging in the balance against the Separatists and how they couldn’t let pirates take it as well. Separatists? Pirates? Oh no, why were they getting in all of this? As several of the crew members were commanded to their positions, Han felt himself be taken by the arm and dragged toward the bridge by none other than Shrike himself, “Listen, I have a job for you and you’d better not mess it up, kid.”
After his ‘mission’ was spilled out to him, Han was left... dazed. Hostage? What HOSTAGE? This was the first he’d heard about some sort of prisoner aboard the ship. Goes to show how much they’d told him. A blaster shoved into his hands, he was shoved off to investigate the cells --- makeshift cells from the storage containers and shipment areas. Running as fast as he feet could manage to take him, Han huffed and puffed with the throbbing pain in his stomach persisting. He made it to the cell where he could only see the outline of a figure behind a red shield. He looked up at the ventilation system above them before he took a shot at the metal grate, watching the remains clatter to the floor before he took a running jump toward it. He grabbed onto the lip of the shaft and climbed up and into the vent, camping out with the blaster in hand. He curled in against himself when the ship shook with the force of a blast, worriedly looking down at the floor. Protect the hostage at all costs... that was his mission. It was his only job to sit out of sight and shoot whoever dared to step foot into this room.
He could manage that, couldn’t he?