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?
