The Forgotten Hero: A Star Wars Story

Failed Rescue

The palace is sitting in the light of the double sunset. On the road in front, a large toad-like creature flicks its tongue out for a desert rodent and burps in satisfaction.

-------------------

Silence. The room is deserted, only the awful debris of the alien celebration giving mute witness to the activity here before. Several drunk creatures lie unconscious around the room, snoring loudly.

A shadowy figure moves stealthily among the columns at the perimeter of the room and is revealed to be Boushh, the bounty hunter. He picks his way carefully through the snoring, drunken monsters.

Han Solo, the frozen space pirate, hangs spotlighted on the wall, his coffin-like case suspended by a force field. The bounty hunter deactivates the force field by flipping a control switch to one side of the coffin. The heavy case slowly lowers to the floor of the alcove.

Boushh steps up to the case, studying Han, and then turns to the controls on the side of the coffin. He activates a series of switches and, after one last hesitant look at Han, slides the de-carbonization lever. The case begins to emit a sound as the hard shell covering the contours of Han's face begins to melt away.

The bounty hunter watches as Han's body is freed of its metallic coat and his forearms and hands, previously raised in reflexive protest, drop slackly to his side. His face muscles relax from their mask of horror. He appears quite dead.

Boushh's ugly helmet leans close to Han's face listening for the breath of life. Nothing. He waits. Han's eyes pop open with a start and he begins coughing. The bounty hunter steadies the staggering, newly emerged man.

Boushh: Just relax for a moment. You're free of the carbonite.

Han touches his face with his hand and moans.

Boushh: Shhh. You have hibernation sickness.

Han: I can't see.

Boushh: Your eyesight will return in time.

Han: Where am I?

Boushh: Jabba's palace.

Han: Who are you?

The bounty hunter reaches up and lifts the helmet from his head, revealing the beautiful face of Princess Leia.

Leia: Someone who loves you.

Han: Leia!

Leia: I gotta get you out of here.

As Leia helps her weakened lover to stand up, the relative quiet is pierced by an obscene Huttese cackle from the other side of the alcove.

Han: What's that? I know that laugh.

Y/N: Never could stay away from him could you Leia?

Han: Y/N?

The curtain on the far side of the alcove opens, revealing Jabba the Hutt, surrounded by Bib and other aliens. He laughs again, and his gross cronies join in a cacophony of alien glee.

Han: Hey, Jabba. Look, Jabba, I was just on my way to pay you back, but I got a little sidetracked. It's not my fault.

Jabba laughs.

Jabba: Manchy kabook noonee Solo. Makingsa lee ka bok bagthra, beeska chata wnow kong bantha poodoo. (It's too late for that, Solo. You may have been a good smuggler, but now you're Bantha fodder.)

Han: Look...

Y/N: Yassa nee choo! (Take him away!)

The guards grab Han and start to lead him away.