Outlaws in the Void: A Star Wars Story

Chapter 1: An Unusual Imperial Officer

At the dimly-lit cantina off the outskirt of Coruscant, Han Solo was having a Corellian whiskey at the corner. Chewbacca, his loyal co-pilot sat across him. Although he never miss the shitty Corellia, the Corellian whiskey had always had a strange attachment to Han's taste.

As the matter of fact, Han never like staying at the Coruscant. Being at the capital of the Empire always made him felt that all the eyes were on him, as a smuggler, even probably the best one, Han still doesn't like that at all. The only reason they're here was merely to get his beloved ship, the Millennium Falcon, refilled and they're off, as fast as possible, Han thought.

Han took a long sip from his Corellian whiskey, the familiar bite bringing back memories of his time as a boy on Corellia; memories he wanted to forget. Chewie sat nearby, staring into his drink with a look of deep, solemn contemplation. The pair were just trying to pass the time until it was time for them to leave this blasted planet.

Chewie seemed to be aware of Han's impatience and gave Han a head tilt and a low grunt.

"Yeah, I know, Chewie." Han responded. "It's getting unsettling here."

At this moment, the door of the cantina opened with the bell rang over the already noisy place. To everyone's surprise, the person who came was not a scruffy looking galactic outlaw, or any civilian worker just came by for a drink after a long day of work. Instead, it was a young female Imperial officer. A sleek white uniform was extra eyecatching in a messy cantina, not to mention the pretty face and a slightly curve, shoulder length hair sitting on the uniform. She was alone, and there's no other officers or troopers around her.

The woman sat at the bar. "One of the today's special." she said, with a elegant British accent too hard to miss.

The cantina was suddenly a lot quieter upon her entry. Some feared the dictatorial force of the Empire while some were just stunned by the astonishing look of her and Han was one of the latter.

But then, Han noticed something. Under the left armpit of her uniform laid a black blast hole, as much as this young lady was trying to hide, Han could almost be certain: She 'borrowed' this uniform from someone else, probably dead.

Han couldn't take his eyes off the woman, her soft, oval face punctuated by large, clear green eyes. He was drawn to the black blast hole in her uniform, a glaring reminder that she was not who she appeared to be. But she was beautiful, there was no doubt about that. And the way she carried herself, with such poise and confidence, was strangely alluring. Despite himself, a subtle smirk crept onto Han's face as he watched her interact with the bartender. The woman caught his gaze and flashed him a subtle wink.

Han noticed it immediately.

"Is it flirting?" Han thought, "Or a signal of help?"

Han was used to getting the attention of women, but something about the way the Imperial officer was looking at him made his gut tingle with anticipation. She didn't just seem interested in Han, she looked like she needed him.

As the cantina fell into an uneasy silence, Han realized this was a chance he couldn't pass up. Maybe she was flirting, maybe it was a signal for help. Either way, Han was going to make his move.

Han finished his drink and rose from his table, approaching the Imperial officer with a confidence he was no doubt learning from her. His heart raced as he closed the distance between them, but he kept his nerves in check.

"Hello, miss," he said, his voice oozing with arrogance. "Can I get you a drink?"

The young woman was taken aback by Han's boldness, but she didn't seem entirely repulsed. Han could tell she was conflicted, torn between her upbringing and her desire for him.

"I'm not sure I'm allowed to drink outside of official Imperial functions," she replied, maintaining her composure.

"Oh, come on miss," Han replied, his grin spreading wider. "A little rule-breaking never hurt anyone. Live a little."

The young woman chuckled at Han's comment, but it still didn't quite mask her hesitation. Han took this as an opportunity.

"Besides, what would they do? Arrest you? You look like someone who can take care of herself."

Han was laying it on thick, but he wasn't entirely wrong. The woman was beautiful, yet there was also an undeniable air of danger about her. Han knew he was playing with fire, but he couldn't help being drawn to her forbidden nature.

Han smirked at her and decided to go for a shot. He glanced at the Ithorian bartender, "Three Corellian whiskeys, table 10, the corner one."

Then he turned to the Imperial Officer, delivered his right palm to her. "Mind joining us?"

The Imperial officer's eyebrows raised at the request, but a sparkle of interest flashed in her large green eyes.

"Sure." She said, placing her hand carefully in Han's.

As they made their way to the table, Han couldn't help but notice that she was even more attractive up close. He had met his fair share of women on the frontier, but there was something different about this young woman. Her confidence and the slight hint of danger in her gaze made her irresistible.