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A Sticky Situation 2000 short story by Louis Turfrey
and Mark Newbold Three
years after Episode IV – A New Hope Jan Lomona pulled himself out of the mud and cursed his
bad luck that he wasn’t flying the Berone
Sunrise. In his beloved stock heavy freighter he would have had no
trouble outrunning the local Imperial stockade and as a consequence wouldn’t
have wound up in…this. He heard a groan to his right and another head popped out
of the mud. Jenna Trelath was his partner and co-pilot for this mission to
Vorathie. He’d worked with her in the past but their conflicting natures
meant that they didn’t get along. He suspected that she had her own agenda,
of what nature he wasn’t certain, but he knew that she wasn’t a truly
committed smuggler. Unlike himself,
who should have been committed years ago. Jan had freshly delivered a cargo to Ziggy Teflon’s spice
outlet on Chancai when Jenna arrived with a message and a mission from Glann
Cipple, the primary gangster in the Setnin Sector. Lomona knew that Cipple had
gained a great deal of amusement from placing the two of them together for
this particular mission. He knew well
of Jan’s dislike of being paired with women – his recent experiences bared up
to that displeasure. "Are you
all right?" He asked Jenna as he helped her to her feet and led her to
rest against a tree. The rain continued to pour, drenching them still further
but washing away the mud. She steadied
herself by placing her hands on her knees and drew an even breath. "I think
so.” She glanced about, wiping the
hair that was plastered across her forehead.
“Where's the escape pod?" Jan nodded in the direction of the dense wooded forest
behind them. "Five
metres up in those trees, but the foliage is so dense it hasn't fallen to the
ground. It’s pointing nose down – we’re lucky there was plenty of mud
underneath us when the hatch popped." He checked himself and Jenna over
for damage but found only a few small cuts and bruises. They had been very lucky. Jan grinned to himself
- as usual luck was on his side. They swiftly agreed on a plan of action, and after
checking his blaster and making sure its systems were working he pushed back
into the foliage. Ten minutes of intense scrabbling brought him back into the
pod. Jan reached inside and activated the gravity plates. Reorienting himself
he pushed himself in, feet first. He glanced around the damaged interior,
searching for supplies and equipment that they could utilise for the hours
ahead. Noticing the rations locker was
opened he wrapped up some food and supplies, threw them into a couple of
backpacks and hung them outside. Filling two smaller packs with weapons,
trackers and survival gear he grabbed a rain poncho for himself and another
for Jenna. It was pointless putting it on now, it would rip on the way down
through the branches. Lomona looked at his chrono and saw that they were
running short of time. He grabbed a pack full of synth
rope and climbed out of the pod. Locking the hatch, he tied the packs to the
rope and lowered them down to the ground, where Jenna was patiently
waiting. Securing the rope, he climbed
down steadily. The rain continued its consistent hammering, but despite its
efforts the trip to the pod had only taken fifteen minutes. "I've got
the locator, so we can track the targets grid reference.” He looked back towards the pod. “It’s a shame we lost the transport. Now
we've got to find another way off this damn planet." Cipple’s instructions to Lomona hadn’t included informing
him of what the cargo actually was, although Jan knew that Cipple was well
aware of what Jan was and was not prepared to transport. He suspected that
Jenna was aware of their cargo, but any inclination to question her dissolved
when he looked towards her as she completed putting on her kit. She noticed
Jan’s admiring glances at her now thoroughly wet shirt and scowled back at
him. "Don't look
at what you can't afford Lomona. Besides, I know how we'll get it off
planet. Trust me." She placed the
poncho over her head, obscuring Jan’s view. Lomona simply grinned. "How do you
know what I can and can't afford?" His smile was infectious and Jenna
grinned back. "Because if
you try anything I'll tell Frans. And
I’m betting that you can’t afford that." Jan’s smile faltered as they
took a bearing and headed out into the swamp. Commander Fisk, of the Vorathie Imperial Militia, was not
a happy man. His quarry had evaded him by abandoning ship, a ship that
gave no clues as to who or even what had been piloting it. He double-checked
that he could extract no more information from it and ordered it to be
destroyed. At least the pilot won’t
be able to reuse it he reasoned. He turned towards his companion and
first officer, Sub-Commander Derla. Derla was a female human, the same height
as Fisk, but lithe and muscular. The two shared a bed as well as the bridge. "Have you
got a reading on the pod?" His voice displayed less authority when
talking to Derla. It usually evoked a rapid response. Once again he wasn't
disappointed. "I have a
general reading on the area, but nothing specific. I suspect that its buried its self into the perma-mud
swamps. If that's the case then we'll won’t find
them from up here." She looked at her superior. "Shall I arrange a
search party?" Fisk thought for a moment and nodded. "Yes. Take Feral and the slave tracker Huron. The
freak will be useful in all that mud." Jan was getting hot and sticky, despite the cooling rain.
They had trekked over three kilometres and he felt like he was going mud
blind. Sometimes it was only a few centimetres deep, other times it came up
over his waist. He had long since modified his holster so that it hung from
his shoulder, and the blaster was constantly jabbing him in his ribs. For her
part Jenna seemed unaffected. She had been born on Vorathie and knew the
swamps well. She’d hunted Garmon Bats in these swamps for many years,
sometimes bringing friends from Cipples organisation like Latti Tellex.
Consequently they hadn't been attacked, but Jan stayed wary nonetheless.
Garmon Bats were vicious, man-sized creatures with razor tipped wings and
teeth with a liking for humanoid flesh. Lomona had no intention of becoming
their next snack. The trees began to grow dense again and Jan wondered how the hell was I supposed to land a
transport in this muck? Jenna stopped ahead of him. She examined the
locator in her hand with a puzzled look turned to face Jan. He walked up to
her. "What is
it?" She looked up at him and handed him the locator. The rain continued
to pour around them. "It’s the
cargo. According to this reading it’s right over there." She pointed to
a tree stump, five metres in circumference alone in
a large area of dry ground less than fifteen metres away. Jan looked about
them and walked slowly towards it, checking the ground and surrounding areas
for traps and explosives. There appeared to be none. As he moved off the mud
and onto the dry ground he had the distinct feeling that he was being
watched. He surreptitiously moved his hand inside his poncho, feeling for the
blaster tucked under his arm. Jenna joined him on the dry area, still looking
at the locator. "I'll try
and transmit the identifier and see what happens." She pressed a few
buttons upon the locator and a series of trill beeps were emitted. A second later,
similar beeps could be heard from the direction of the tree stump. The ground
beneath them started to vibrate as the stump lifted two metres into the air.
Beneath it was the entrance to a turbo lift. Jan approached the lift with caution, blaster drawn.
There was no one inside. He turned to
Jenna. "What
should we do?" She looked at him sternly, as if to point out his male
inadequacies and strode straight past him into the lift. Jan sighed and
followed. As he turned to face the closing doors, he thought he heard the
noise of a blasters safety catch being removed. The last thing he remembered
thinking was that he didn't like the implications of that. Then he wasn't thinking at all. The two trackers exited the fog as the bottom of the tree
stump sank back into the ground. One, a tall gangly humanoid reached into his
jacket and pulled out a com unit. He flipped a switch and a voice whispered. "Report." The humanoid spoke softly into the mouthpiece and a muted
conversation took place before the com unit was replaced into its pouch. Both
creatures started heading back towards the swamp. His head hurt, really badly. It took a full thirty
seconds for his blurred sight to return and by the time it had he’d worked
out what had happened. Stun shot. "That
conniving bitch.” He moved swiftly up from the couch,
grabbing for his blaster, but it wasn't there. The sudden movement sent a
rush of blood to his head and gravity took hold of his still stunned body,
his momentum propelled him forward so that he tripped and fell to his knees.
Laughter echoed from the back of the room. "Captain
Lomona I presume?" The voice was accented but understandable. Jan turned
around slowly, and pulled himself up into a sitting position on the couch.
His sight cleared and he found himself within a metal lined room facing a
tall Gammorrean. It was a rarity to see a Gammorrean outside the walls of Jabba’s palace, and it
was slightly disconcerting. The large pig like creature was wearing a flight
suit of the type Rebel pilots wore, and he held a spare suit under his arm.
Jan’s mind was swarming with questions. "Put this
on." He threw the suit to Jan, who caught it and motioned for the pig
guard to turn around and give him some privacy. He struggled into the flight
suit, which was too short in the leg, and tugged the boots on. Luckily they
were the right size and were long enough to seal over the legs. Lastly, he
re-buckled his blaster belt and by the time he'd finished his head had
cleared and the questions were more ordered. The Gammorrean turned around
and motioned towards the corridor. Jan went ahead of him, the Gammorrean making sure that he remained two paces behind,
but held no weapon. Jan suspected he wouldn't need one. After five minutes of walking they emerged into a giant
underground hanger. Inside were several transports, Y-wings and thirty of the
strangest looking craft that Jan had ever seen. They looked like elongated
cockpits had been stuck on the end of giant repulsor wings. Each craft was
heavily armed with what looked like a pair of blasters and an
ion cannon. Jan exhaled sharply, the breath whistling through his
teeth. Jan noticed a small gaggle of people inspecting one of
the nearby ships and Jan squinted as he recognised one of their number. "Lando
Calrissian.” He shook his head and
walked towards them as Calrissian turned at the mention of his name. “I don't
believe it." He took Lando’s surprised hand and pulled him into a
hug. “What the freck are you doing
back in the Setnin Sector?” Calrissian grinned his rakish grin
at his towering friend as he stepped back. "Lomona you
old space dog!" The two old colleagues smiled and shook hands
again. From the corner of his eye Jan
noticed Jenna looking on, a look of interest spread across her elfin
features. He ignored her. "So, what’s
been happening? Last time I saw you, you and Chewbacca were heading back
towards the Core looking for Fett. How did you end up back here?" Lando Calrissian smiled at Jan, placing one hand on his
shoulder, a haunted look of loss clouding his eyes. "Let’s just
say I'm still searching for that lost friend.” “So why hook up
with a Rebel cell in the Setnin Sector?” Lando raised an eyebrow. “Gamblers
luck. I help out with a problem the
Alliance have and they throw some resources my way. It’s a fair enough swap.” His warm grin returned and he turned on his
heel to face Jenna. “How rude of me. I’m Lando Calrissian, part time card
player, full time scoundrel. Please, allow me to make some
introductions." He turned towards the group of individuals. "Commander Jasen
Strent, Blue Wing and Commander Acti-Rathmore. He's
in charge of making sure you’re up to speed on the Setnin Spec B-wing designs
before they’re delivered." Jan was starting to get the message. He'd been drafted.
Again. He moved over to Jenna and
folded his arms in a serious manner. “Anything you want to tell me?” “Yeah. I’m
Commander Jenna Trelath, Green Wing.” Jan raised an eyebrow and smiled an ironic smile towards
Lando, who judging by the look on his face hadn’t known that she was a Rebel
agent either. “Now why doesn’t
that surprise me? And thanks for
stunning me senseless." She smiled dourly as he leaned in and gave her polite
kiss on the cheek. She pushed him away in mock embarrassment but Jan knew
that he had launched a charm offensive and she was won over. For now – his experience of her in the past
meant that nothing about her was ever taken for granted. "I might
just tell Frans about that
one, Captain." She
emphasised the last word with a flourish. Lomona smiled and moved over
towards Lando, leading him away from the others. "I thought
I was picking up a specialist cargo and returning it to Cipple. I wasn't
counting on getting involved in the war again.” He sighed.
“ Just point me to a transport, get me
Glann’s cargo and I'll be on my way as soon as possible." Lando's face darkened for a moment, then
cleared. "Always
sitting on the sidelines aren't you Jan. Never willing to commit yourself either way. Can't you see what’s happening in
this war? Don't you understand what’s at stake?" Jan Lomona knew precisely what was at stake - his hide
and the hide of everyone he gave a damn about. But if he didn't get the cargo
back to Cipple on Amagad then his life would become a lot more difficult and
a lot more dangerous. “If Glann
doesn’t get his cargo by tomorrow then the war will be the least of my
concerns.” Lando grinned again. “It just so
happens that your Mister Cipple knows absolutely nothing at all about where
you are, what you're doing or where you’re going. Apparently Commander
Trelath orchestrated it all. She said you'd never get involved unless there
was money at stake. I guess she knows you better that I do.” Jan frowned and shook his head. “Money’s got
nothing to do with it. I guess she
doesn’t know me as well as she thinks she does. But you
do.” Lando looked at the floor. “Jan old buddy,
I can't force you to help,
but I hoped you'd at least hear us out." Lando smiled sadly and walked
away, shaking his head slowly. Jenna walked up. "Well, I
guess this is it then. It’s a shame. I was looking forward to seeing you get
your revenge on those Imperials." She punched Jan in the stomach with a
left right combination. "That’s for
the kiss, fly boy." She stalked away. Jan smiled at her reaction, but
the smile soon faded into deep thought. They provided him with a transport, a basic YT-1300 and
gave him directions off planet. While he was waiting for clearance, he began
checking the ships systems. All the while something was nagging at the back
of Jans mind but he couldn't get a handle on the cause. He hadn't asked to get involved, had he?
Sure, he had sympathy for the Alliance but why had they picked him,
especially with experienced pilots like Lando around? It didn't make sense.
He balled his hand into a fist and smacked it into his open palm - his
curiosity had got the better of him and with a look of consternation across
his face he exited the transport with the intention of finding Lando. He
found him sitting on the bottom of the ramp. Waiting. "I had a
feeling you wouldn't leave.” The
relief in Lando's voice couldn't be hidden. He sounded like he'd just won a
bet. A big one. "Okay
Lando, you win. As if you don’t already owe me big time, you
win. What’s the story?" Jan sat
next to Lando. Lando offered him a drink from a hip flask and Jan took it,
downing half the liquor in one giant gulp. He kept hold of the flask. Lando
raised an eyebrow. "We're
desperately short of ships. The B-wings you see in this hanger have been
specifically designed for us to use as heavy bombers and attack craft. Think
of them as the intellectual successor to the Y-Wing, Setnin specification. So
far, the Empire knows nothing about them. We want to keep it that way.
Consequently, we need to be able to get them from one side of the Setnin
Sector to the other without raising any attention.” He pointed towards them. “You'll notice
they don't display Alliance markings. We need someone who knows the sector
like the back of his hand to take them across quickly and silently. That’s
where you come in. They’ll pay you ten thousand, plus an extra thousand for
every one that gets across. That’s a lot of money. The Alliance can’t afford
it, but we need these ships. Are you in?" Jan thought hard.
Certainly the money could come in handy, it always did but he didn't
like the fact that he'd been led by the nose. He drew a deep breath - he’d
made his decision. "No. I’m
sorry Lando, but I can't afford to get involved." Lando was about to break in to the conversation, but Jan
stopped him. "I won’t do
this job but I can give you
another option. I'll chart you a map from the logs on the Sunrise. It'll mean sending someone
back with me, and they'll need a fast ship to avoid entanglements. For that,
I won't a charge, just so long as you get me back to Amagad for tomorrow
afternoon. I've got another delivery to collect.” He smiled and finished the liquor. “This ones for old times
sake." Lando looked at him, and slapped him on the shoulder. "It's not
the best option, but I'll take it." He stood up and dusted himself down.
"I'll requisition a fast vessel and find someone to fly it for
you." Jan stood up and held out his hand to Lando. "Clear
skies Lando. And good luck with the
search." Lando took his hand and shook it warmly. "Good luck
Jan, and thank you." With that he walked away. The ship that Jan was presented with was a modified
X-wing, its cockpit had been extended and it contained two seats. Jan
grimaced at the thought of spending several hours in that closely confined
space and wondered if he'd get a chance to pilot it. He soon found out. "Lomona,
here's your helmet." Jenna walked up to him, two helmets in hand, and
handed one to Jan. Jans heart sank at the realisation that he’d have to spend
six hours in the cockpit with Jenna. He checked the console as he stood on
the ladder, peering into the cockpit.
Jenna looked up at him. "Can you
operate the sensors and shields on one of these things?" Jan shook his head. "I’ve never
tried, but it can't be too different from the Sunrise." Jenna nearly choked on her laughter. "The
shields are far less powerful, but quicker to charge. The sensors are more
sensitive. Normally an R2 unit would look after the niceties, but as you can
see, there’s no room." She started to climb the ladder to the front seat
and paused as she saw Jan sneak into the front seat. She raised an eyebrow at Jan. "Guess this
means you’re the pilot." The X-wing didn't handle like a stock heavy freighter.
The trip out of the atmosphere, following a prescribed path through the
sensor nets, was fairly uneventful. Jenna used the X-wings enhanced scouting
sensors to plot a path for Jan. Piloting the ship wasn't the problem, Jan had handled many different ships in his time,
each with its own unique handling characteristics. The problems came from two
areas. Firstly, the cockpit was cramped, and Jan was soon uncomfortable.
Secondly, Lomona was used to a ship that was swift but less manoeuvrable The
X-wing turned on a credit. It had been built for speed and had been modified
to provide less power to the weapons but more to the engines and shields. It
was a racers dream but to Jan it was a nightmare. Even so, within an hour of
flying, Jan had relaxed into the seat and was starting to enjoy himself.
Jenna interrupted his concentration. "I've
calculated a short jump to the edge of the system. If we're detected, nobody
will have any idea where we came from. When we clear the planets gravity well
you can go hyper. Are you ready?" Jan confirmed and folded the X-wings S-foils into space
ready mode. Seconds later, the blue violet streaks of hyperspace surrounded
the craft and just as quickly they disappeared. The systems sun was a distant
orange ball on the horizon. Jenna gave him new coordinates but didn't forward
them to the navigation panel. "What's
wrong?" Jan's hair was rising on the back of his neck. He could hear
Jenna tapping away madly at her panel. "I don't
know. I'm picking up a large contact, near the edge of the system. I'll pass
the specification to your panel." A panel lit up to the right of Jan’s
control stick. He examined it closely. His heart sank. "Star
Destroyer. Imperial II class. It’s
using a jamming screen. Try and get a fix on its intended destination."
Jenna complied and within seconds she had the target. "It’s
heading for Vorathie. They must know about the base. But how?" Jan thought quickly. "They might
have tracked our pod from orbit. If they did that, then a couple of good
trackers might find the lift entrance. They'd add two and two together and
probably send in a good scanning team." Jan's mind was in turmoil. If
he'd been indirectly responsible for the base being discovered, then it was
up to him to warn them. But if he did, there was also a good chance he
wouldn't come out of it alive. And on top of it all, he'd loose Glann’s
forthcoming contract on Wennicas. For the second time in a day, he made a
heavy decision. "Ok,
reverse the co-ordinates, we're going to get as near to Vorathie as we can
without hitting it." Jenna almost punched the air in anticipation, and fed the
co-ordinates to Jan. This would take some fancy flying. The X-wing exited hyperspace right on the edge of the
gravity well, so close that it caused the craft to go into a wild spin. It
took Lomona thirty seconds to get it under control again, by which time they
were touching atmosphere. "If they
know about the base then we’ve got about twenty minutes until the Destroyer
gets here. Open a channel.” “But they’ll be
monitoring all com traffic.” “It’s pointless
being secretive now." Jan heard Jenna reluctantly open the communication
frequency and Jan identified himself. "This is
the Smuggler calling Fox Base. I need to talk to the Gambler." Jan used
his old nickname for Lando and was put through almost immediately. "Jan, what
the hell do you think you're doing? You've compromised our security."
Lando sounded annoyed but Jan had no time for niceties. "Listen, a
Star Destroyer has entered the system and is heading right here. You've got
fifteen minutes until the fighters arrive and set up a blockade. Get your
people out of there." There was silence for a second and then Lando
replied. "Get
yourself down here - you don't stand a chance in that bucket of bolts. We
need your help." Jan grinned. "Okay
buddy, but you'd better have something special in mind." Lando did - but Jan wasn't too pleased. "It's still a piece of junk." Jan's exclamation was
so loud the hanger went quiet. Lando just smiled. "She'll make point five past light
speed and she’s got some serious modifications. She's the fastest piece of
junk you’ll ever fly."
Lando knew how fond Jan was of his own ship and this last comment had the
desired effect. Jan still looked a mite perturbed. "Okay,
I'll give you the benefit of the doubt.
But I’m not happy about it.” Lando's reply was wistful as he looked at the hull of the
YT-1300. "Normally
Chewie would be around to help us out but he's continuing the search for
Han." He turned around to face Jan and Jenna. Jan looked dubiously at Lando then the
ship. "Are you
sure she'll take the strain?" Lando just laughed and left the question unanswered. The Millennium
Falcon was everything Lando had promised she would be and more. Jan
could feel her respond to everything he threw at her. They cleared the
atmosphere ahead of the B-wings with Lando was at the co-pilots position and
Jenna sitting in the top gun well. Another crewmember, a Sullustian, was
sitting in the opposite well. Lando flinched everytime
Jan tested the ship. "Careful
Jan. Remember she's not mine. I’m a
dead man if I scratch her." Jan looked over to Lando and grinned. "You keep
your eyes on those sensors and let me know when we come up against the
Imperials." Lando looked back at the controls. "We've got
fifty contacts, short range fighters, closing at point two-five." He
flipped the com switch. "Heads up
squadron commanders, we've got company. Get those ships out of here as soon
as you can and remember - we need those ships. Rendezvous in twenty hours at
the prescribed location, you’ll get your new co-ordinates then. Good luck.” Jan looked across at Lando. "Let’s run
a diversionary action. Has this baby got proton torpedoes?" The Falcon
flew full burn at the lead approaching TIE fighters, too fast for them to
track the freighter. At the last moment Jan pulled a ninety-degree turn and
ran the full length of the first wing of fighters. Within seconds Jenna and
her co-gunner had destroyed six ships between them. The more manoeuvrable
TIE's sacrificing any shields for speed. Lando tracked the scanners and
adjusted shields. "Jan we've
got four ships on our tail." Lando didn't have to repeat himself. The Falcon rocked from the impact of
energy bolts on its shields. Lando strengthened the rear shields as Jan made
a decision. "I'm gonna
head for the Star Destroyer. Charge the proton torpedoes. We're going
in." Jan brought the Falcon
around in a tight arc, causing the TIE fighters to swing out behind him. As
they started to catch up, Jan took a path that would bring him up beneath and
to the rear of the Star Destroyer. He hoped against hope that the blind spot
on these massive craft hadn't been adjusted since his last encounter with
one. The Falcon shot up and
narrowly avoided being caught in the engine wash and at the last second Jan
released a proton torpedo towards the main engine cone. It exploded in the
centre of the cone, igniting the exhaust gases. The fighters following the Falcon didn't stand a chance. Only
two exited the plume of ignited gases, both of them sparking wildly and
rapidly falling behind. Lando whooped with joy. "You lucky
nerfherder! That move was straight out
of the Battle of Tanab!" Jan looked over at Lando and remembered why he'd always
got on well with him. "Twenty
six of the B-wings have escaped into hyperspace but four are still caught
within the confines of the gravity well." Jan looked across at Lando.
"Did we do any damage to the Destroyers engines?" Lando was still examining the readouts. "I’m
reading a fifteen percent power drain. They must be trying to extend their
shields around the engine compartment." Lando looked at the scanners
again. "Heads up. We've go another four TIE fighters on our tail." Jan heard Jenna's voice over his headset. "Okay,
we've got them. Just keep us steady for a few more seconds and they won't be
a worry." Jan felt the explosions of energy against the shields and
fought to control the Falcon.
He felt, rather than heard the blasts from the quad laser cannons. There was
a massive thump and then the shields on the rear gave out entirely. "Damn. One of the TIE's
hit us before it exploded." Lando was working feverishly to divert the energy across
the shields. He managed to raise minimum shields to the rear, but he knew
they wouldn't last long. "Jan, we've
got to get out of here. The rear shields are blown and we’ve taken damage to
the thrusters." Jan checked the controls, and was surprised by the drop
off in manoeuvrability. Despite this annoyance
flying the Falcon reminded
him of the Sunrise. "Lando,
you've been flying this ship too long, you've gone soft. Divert ten percent
of the power away from the thrusters and into the engines." Lando did as Jan suggested and the Falcon immediately felt different.
Jan Lomona smiled. "Now it feels like the Sunrise." Jan took hold of the
controls and did one of his trademark spins. The stabilisers on the Falcon barely shifted the gravity
in time. Lando was nearly thrown out of his seat. "Jan, we've
lost two more ships." Calrissian sounded tense. "Buckle up pal, it’s time to crush some Imperial ego's." Jan
smiled and pushed full thrust into the engines. Heading straight for the
remaining two B-wings he flipped his com. "You guys
give it full burn and lift out of the well. I'll cover your rear." Jan
brought the Falcon in behind
the two B-wings and the quad lasers opened up on the pursuing TIE fighters.
One was completely destroyed, whilst the other went spinning off towards the
planets surface. Jan pulled up behind the Rebel craft and covered their rear
flanks whilst they gained speed. The two craft entered hyperspace at the same
time. Jan flipped the Falcon
and headed straight back towards the Star Destroyer. "Have they
started sending down landing craft yet?" Jan looked across at Lando who
shook his head. "Any good
ideas?” Jan leant back and transferred a set of coordinates from
the navigation computer. "Hit and
run. We need to give the support crews time to disappear. Put the shields up
double front and transfer remaining energy from the lasers. Prepare the
proton torpedoes. We're gonna punch through their shields." Lando looked worried, but fed the data to the defence
grid. Jan could hear him muttering under his breath. "Solo's
gonna kill me." The Falcon
was pushing full sublight when she impacted upon
the shields. For a moment it seemed that it wasn't going to work, then
suddenly there was a boost on speed and they were skimming under the bottom
of the destroyer. Jan narrowly managed to avoid an impact as they headed
towards the main docking area and Lando began to target the protons. "You'd
better make sure we're well away from here when these impact." Lando
wasn't kidding. These proton torpedoes were of the high yield variety and
would result in a massive explosion. Jan chuckled and turned towards the
navigation computer, typing furiously. Lando started the count. "Five
seconds until target acquisition, four, three, two, one. Target acquired and
locked in. Ready when you are." Jan gave no answer - he was calculating probabilities.
Lando spoke again. "Another
ten seconds and we'll be over the target. Nine, Eight, Seven." Jan turned away from the computer and pressed the firing
stud. Instead of pulling away he kept the Falcon level. Lando looked alarmed. "Four,
Three, Two, One." The explosion plumed out towards the Falcon, but at the last second Jan
pushed the nose of the Falcon
away from the Star Destroyer and pulled back the hyperdrive lever. There was
a bump, and the Falcon
streaked away into hyperspace. Commander Fisk looked around the battered bridge of his
Star Destroyer and glanced sideways at Sub Commander Derla. She gave him an almost apologetic glance as
the damage reports came in and clasped her hands behind her back, wringing
them out of his sight. The Millennium
Falcon had evaded them – the ship that was the most wanted in the galaxy, let
alone the Setnin Sector. Fisk wondered
if he would be able to keep this massive error a secret from the prying eyes
and ears of Coruscant, but he knew that he wouldn’t. He turned to Derla. “Sub Commander,
would you join me in my quarters?” Derla looked at him with an expression of surprise. “Now,
Commander?” Fisk smiled and nodded at his love as he turned to face
her. “Yes, right
now. After this event we may not have
too much time together.” Derla placed the datapad on a nearby console and led the
way, Fisk following close behind and contemplating their fate. It was raining on Wennicas. The Sunrise had been sitting in it for so long it was starting to
lose the grime and muck of constant travel and gain the sheen of its earlier
days. At least that’s what Jan thought as he walked down the main ramp of the
Falcon. They'd stopped on the
way back to visit Nias Derril and perform some quick repairs on the Falcon. He'd been able to affect
some repairs but there was so much jury-rigging, he couldn't tell what was
broken and what wasn't. The effort made Lando happier man though. Lando and Jan came down the ramp, Jenna hanging behind
somewhat. "Take care old friend.
You’ve done the Alliance a massive favour. Sure you won't change your
mind?" Jan shook his head. "I've got
enough excitement here. Are you gonna wait around for the map?" This time it was Lando's turn to shake his head. "No,
Jenna's going to stay behind and collect it.
She'll forward it on via one of our agents here. The B-wings will be rendezvousing soon and
they need the information." They started walking towards the Sunrise, Jenna waiting behind at
the bottom of the ramp. Lando looked at Jan and nodded towards Jenna. "She's a
tough one, but I think she's grown a soft spot for you. Don't break her
heart, huh?" Jan grinned in his best who me manner. “Me?
A heartbreaker? Where do you get these ideas, Calrissian?” He called across to Jenna. "What’s
wrong Commander, waiting for an invite?" She grinned and walked over to the two old friends. "No, just
giving you two some time alone." Both Jan and Lando frowned at this, but Jenna's smile had
become infectious. The two old friends shook hands. "See you
Lando. Take care of that ship." Lando grinned his wildest grin. "I’ll meet
you at Zythlies when we’ve found Han and won the war." Jan smirked and waved his old friend onto the Falcon. Both he and Jenna watched
as the battered freighter lifted off and crawled through Wennicas's
atmosphere. Jan turned around to face Jenna. "I’ve got a
question. Why did you stun me? That
was a pretty mean thing to do." Jenna smiled. "I didn't
do it. It was a nerve dart, activated by the security systems. I was wearing
a transponder. You weren't." Jan looked puzzled. "Then why’d
you let me think it was you?" She turned to face him, stepping up so close that Jan
could smell her hair. "I don't know, but I'm glad I did.
Otherwise I'd never have been able to do this." She moved forward,
grabbing Jan around the neck and pushing a soft kiss against his lips. He
responded in kind. "You gonna
tell Frans about this?" Jans query hung in the air between them. Jenna
shook her head. "What makes
you think I’d want to be in a sticky situation like that? I'd rather give
myself up to the Empire." They both laughed and entered the Berone Sunrise. A Sticky Situation 2000 short story by Louis Turfrey
and Mark Newbold Three
years after Episode IV – A New Hope Histories – Written
by Louis Turfrey and edited by Mark Newbold, this story
dovetails neatly with 1982’s Quest for Freedom, a story that first
introduced Jan
Lomona and dealt with Lando Calrissian’s appearance in the Setnin Sector
(before it was known as the Setnin Sector).
Set a few months later, this shows Calrissian aiding the Alliance in
return for assistance in finding Han Solo. Cast
of Characters Jan
Lomona Lando
Calrissian Jenna
Trelath Commander
Fisk Sub
Commander Derla Commander
Jasen Strent Commander
Acti-Rathbone Feral Huron |