THE EIGHTH [han solo]

[1.07]

[THE CANTINA
MOS EISLEY]

"I hear your looking for passage to the Alderaan System, Octavia Nightshade, Captain of the Millennium Falcon." She put her second foot up on the table, arrogantly leaning back on her chair.
"Oh no you're not, you don't even have a title!" Han objected, sitting next to her with two drinks in his hands. "Han Solo, I'm the actual captain of the Millennium Falcon."
"Yes, we would need passage, if it's a fast ship." The old man said.
"Fast ship?" Han asked indignantly.
"You've never heard of the Millennium Falcon?" Octavia cut in, looking at the old man, Ben, with a mixture of shock and confusion. He looked familiar.
"Should I have?"
"It's the ship that made the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs!" Han was getting defensive over his ship, meanwhile, Octavia just smirked and sipped at the drink. She placed it back down and sighed.
"Listen, I don't know about 'Captain Solo' over here." She said his name in air quotes. "But I've outrun Imperial Starships, not the local bulk-cruisers mind you, I'm taking about the big Corellian ships now. The Falcon's fast enough for you old man." Octavia picked up her drink and sipped at it again, defending his honour was not something she'd do a lot, but since the ship was also her home now, she'd have to be nice.
"You seem very young to have been doing such things." Ben said, looking at Octavia's black eye that was still healing.
"What's the cargo?" Han asked.
"Only passengers, myself, the boy, two droids and no questions asked."
"What is it, some kind of local trouble?"
"Solo," Octavia laughed. "The man says no questions asked and you immediately ask a question, this is why your mouth gets you into trouble." She rolled her eyes.
"Let's just say we'd like to avoid any Imperial entanglements." The old man explained.
"Well, that's the trick, isn't it? And it's going to cost you something extra." Han explained.
"Ten thousand in advance." Octavia said, watching the colour drain from Luke's face and even Han looked shocked.
"Ten thousand? We could almost buy our own ship for that!"
"But who's going to fly it, kid! You?"
"You bet I could. I'm not such a bad pilot myself! We don't have to sit here and listen-"
"Shut it blondie, or you'll need to find another way to Alderaan." Octavia interjected.
"We haven't that much with us. But we could pay you two thousand now, plus fifteen when we reach Alderaan." Octavia was disappointed, but nodded.
"Seventeen, huh." Han considered it, taking a swig from his drink. "Okay. You guys got yourself a ship. We'll leave as soon as you're ready. Docking bay Ninety-four." They stood up to leave and Octavia turned to Han.
"I have a bad feeling about this, they don't seem like they're trouble, but I've seen enough trouble to know that it comes in many shapes and sizes."
"Are you forgetting my debt to Jabba, or the bounty he has on your head?" Han whisper-yelled at Octavia.
"No! I just don't like these-" Octavia cut off when she saw the slimy green faced alien, Greedo.
"Going somewhere Solo?" He asked.
"I'll just leave you two to it then." Octavia slowly stood up, glaring and Han once more and exiting the cantina. "Tee? Tee! Come in Tee?" Octavia asked over the communications line. Tee beeped back their location. "Alright, alright. I'll be there in a minute." Octavia pulled her collar up against the sun. She walked around the back streets, dodging Imperial Officers and other citizens. "Rusty? What are you doing here? Who are these droids?"
"Friends, C3-PO and R2-D2, they need passage to Alderaan." Tee beeped.
"Do these droids belong to a Luke and a Ben?
"We do indeed Miss...?"
"Nightshade."
"We do indeed Miss Nightshade." C3-PO said.
"Well then, come with me. I'm Captain of the Millennium Falcon."
"So I should be calling you Captain Nightshade."
"Yes." Octavia mused, smirking. "I like the sound of that."

[DOCKING BAY 94
MOS EISLEY]

"I found the droids." Octavia announced, walking into docking bay 94.
"Yes! Captain Nightshade helped us get here without getting killed by Imperial Blasters!" C3-PO announced loudly.
"Octavia you have to stop telling people you're the Captain of my ship." Han sighed, hitting her over the back of the head as she walked past. Despite this, she snickered, until she saw someone she loathed more than Solo himself. She quickly darted into the shadows to avoid being seen.
"I've been waiting for you, Jabba." Said Han, walking towards his ship, Octavia followed in the shadows, telling Thunder to be quiet while she could.
"I expected you would be."
"I'm not the type to run." He said.
"Han, my boy, there are times when you disappoint me... why haven't you paid me? And why did you have to fry poor Greedo like that... after all we've been through together." Jabba said, his voice sickly smooth.
"You sent Greedo to blast me!" Han said indignantly, defending his actions. Octavia rolled her eyes, using the moment of distraction to board the ship unseen by Jabba.
"Han, why you're the best smuggler in the business. You're too valuable to fry. He was only relaying my concern at your delays. He wasn't going to blast you." Jabba tried to lie, but from where Octavia was standing at a window vantage point, she could see straight through him.
"Alright Thunder, you make yourself at home. Stay out of Chewie's way though." She whispered to the kitten, taking her out of her pocket and setting her free into the ship.
"I think he thought he was. Next time don't send one of those twerps. If you've got something to say to me, come see me yourself." Han said, raising his voice slightly.
"Han, Han! If only you hadn't had to dump that shipment of spice... you understand I just can't make an exception. Where would I be if every pilot who smuggled for me dumped their shipment at the first sign of an Imperial starship? It's not good business. And besides, someone else picked it up, and they gave it to Qu-Za, you know who Qu-Za is? He's my biggest rival in the business, he could take me out with that spice alone!" Jabba said, and Octavia smirked.
"You know, even I get boarded sometimes, Jabba. I had no choice, but I've got a charter now and I can pay you back, plus a little extra. I just need some more time."
"Put your blasters away. Han, my boy, I'm only doing this because you're the best and I need you. So, for an extra, say twenty percent I'll give you a little more time... but this is it. If you disappoint me again, I'll put a price on your head so large you won't be able to go near a civilised system for the rest of your short life." Jabba threatened, Octavia raised her eyebrows. If Jabba was the one who put out the bounty that she tried to take in the first place, then he was underpaying her significantly.
"Jabba, I'll pay you because it's my pleasure." Han walked into the ship, and found Octavia watching. She grinned and stifled a laugh at his offended expression.
"You find this funny Nightshade?" He asked, his annoyance at Jabba showing through to her.
"Yes actually, I find this hilarious Solo. Now, where can I let the others put their stuff, Blondie has brought and entire bag, change of clothes and everything." She said, rolling her eyes. "What a piece of junk!" Luke said, Han only just overhearing, and walking down the boarding ramp."
"She'll make point five beyond the speed of light. She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts, kid. I've added some special modifications myself." Octavia rolled her eyes and went to put her newly bought boots into the crew quarters. Luke scratched his head.
"We're a little rushed, so if you'll hurry aboard we'll get out of here." Han said, grinning. Chewbacca took the copilots seat, with Han in the pilots and Octavia skipped up, taking the chief navigators seat, spinning around on it.
"Tavia, get us outta here!" Han slipped out of his seat and Octavia stole it, strapping in and pulling her staple aviator glasses over her eyes, for reasons Chewie still hadn't figured out.
"Strap yourselves in! The takeoff might be a little bumpy." She had a smile in her voice despite the news that the ship was under attack. She began flipping switches and pressing buttons. Han meanwhile returned fire, before closing the ships door. He rushed back in, to see Octavia in his seat.
"Move would ya?" He exclaimed,
"Too late, you take the navigators seat. Chewie and I have this one." She said, smirking as she got the ship off the ground. He huffed in frustration and sat down behind her, "You're impossible."
"I know." She smiled. Han began to frantically type into the dash, leaning over Octavia as she worked. "Do you mind?!" She exclaimed, letting out an exasperated noise. Chewbacca whined something along the lines of 'you two better start working together or we're all dead'
"It looks like an Imperial cruiser! Our passengers must be hotter than I thought. Try and hold them off. Angle the deflector shield while I make the calculations for the jump to light speed." He began typing at another panel, letting Octavia and Chewie take full control of the main dash.
"Stay sharp! There are two more coming in; they're going to try to cut us off.
"Why don't you outrun them? I thought you said this thing was fast.
"Watch your mouth, Blondie, or you're going to find yourself floating home." Octavia cut in, aggressively typing at the main dash, and looking behind her with a concerned look on her face.
"We'll be safe enough once we make the jump to hyperspace. Besides, I know a few manoeuvres. We'll lose them!" Han said confidently, trying to take the controls back from Octavia.
"Now is not the time for you to be fighting for the controls Solo, let me handle this one." She elbowed him in the jaw and continued to fly.
"Here's where the fun begins!" Han grinned, as Octavia began prepping the ship for it's leap. The Flacon had a few different controls to The Thunder, but Octavia was a quick learner, and there was no way she was letting Solo know she wasn't used to his ship, he'd never let her fly again.
"How long before you can make the jump to light speed?" Oh great, another one to add to the party. Octavia thought as Ben appeared in the room
"It'll take a few moments to get the coordinates from the navi-computer."
"Are you kidding? At the rate they're gaining..."
"Shut it Blondie! I'm trying to concentrate! How many times-" Octavia complained, drifting off into incomprehensible grumbling.
"Traveling through hyperspace ain't like dusting crops, boy! Without precise calculations we could fly right through a star or bounce too close to a supernova and that'd end your trip real quick, wouldn't it?" Han explained.
"What's that flashing?" Luke asked and Octavia groaned. This ladies and gentlemen, is why I like to work alone. She thought to herself before looking up at the flashing light.
"We're losing our deflector shield. Go strap yourself in, she's going to make the jump to light speed." Luke and Ben both went back to the seated area, so that Octavia could concentrate.
"Brace yourselves." She muttered, pulling back on a lever. The Galaxy brightened and the ship jumped into Hyperspace. "Told you I could do it." Octavia said triumphantly, smirking her signature smirk, violet eyes glistening and her white hair a total mess. "I mean, it would have been easier if you weren't constantly in my face and if Blondie stayed out of it, but I still did it." She grinned. Han exited, followed by Chewie, leaving Octavia all alone in the cockpit. She took this chance to dig out the tape from one of the many pockets in her blue military coat.
So, today's been interesting to say the least. Solo and I argued a lot, but that's not out of the ordinary, it's practically a daily occurrence now. He'll say something stupid and I'll tell him that he said something stupid, then he'll get mad and insult me, so I'll insult him back. We got some people to go to Alderaan today too, an old man named Ben, a kid named Luke, who I like to call blondie, and their two droids C3-PO and R2-D2, Artoo and Rusty seem to get along, probably because they're both R units, Threepio is trying his hardest but he's just not made for space adventures like Rusty and Artoo are. Still, I have a bad feeling about this, whatever you'd call it. Octavia switched off the recording, pushing it back down into her pocket. She sat there in the serenity of the empty cockpit for a little longer, thinking about her own ship and how much she missed it.