My Least Favourite Character (Han Solo Fanfic) #Wattys2016

Chapter 5 - The Empire's new strategy

It was almost dawn, but Gray wasn't sleeping. For hours she'd stared at the closet, hoping it was empty. She wished everything had been a bad dream, but deep inside her she knew it wasn't. Still, she tried to convinced herself that she only had spoken to a mad man who'd escaped the asylum thinking he was Han Solo. That, she said to herself, wasn't a reassuring thought.

She turned her head to her alarm. 7am. She got on her feet, rushed to the closet and gave a little knock. No answer. She knocked harder, but still nothing happened. She opened it and gasped as she realised there was nobody in. Suddenly she felt that a massive weight had lifted off her shoulders. A great smile drew on her lips, and she darted down the stairs. She had imagined it all!

She walked to the sitting room and thought about watching a movie. She went over to the television. But her finger had barely touched the "power" button when a deep, familiar voice sounded from the kitchen. She gashed her teeth, feeling like an icy hand had seized her insides. He was still there. In the kitchen. Talking to someone else.
She pressed her ear to the door and tried to eavesdrop the conversation.

"Yes, Admiral. Everything okay, no interceptions. Weird planet. Like a mixture of Naboo and Coruscant."

There was a silence. Either Han was talking to himself, or the "Admiral" was unable to speak. Or perhaps he knew how to use a phone. She sincerely hoped not.

"...this wasn't supposed to happen. I'll have to cope with it."

What wasn't supposed to happen?

"...I think I'll tell her."

Tell her? Tell her what?

"It won't be easy, though. Why, she's a bit like Leia when I first met her. Quite a stubborn kid we've got here."

How dare he?!

"I'll keep you informed."

Nothing more was said. The door flung open before Gray had the time to back away and she bumped into Han, who came alone.

"Gray." he voiced with a shocked expression.

"Why didn't you stay in my room? Do you want to get caught?" she hissed, massaging her head.

"You were sleeping like a log."

"And who were you talking to? Wait, let's get out of here, to somewhere safe. Just stay there a second."

She went up to lock her room so that no one noticed she wasn't there.

"Follow me." she instructed as she went back to Han.

Han cast her a look that showed he didn't like the idea of being commanded by a teenager, but he did as she said.

They went to the backyard. Gray pointed to the little tent she and Tom had made years ago. It had been kept for Tom to play in.

They crouched and sat on the grassy surface.

"This is comfy." said Han in a jokeful sarcasm.

"It's all I've got. Now, I think you owe me a few explanations. First of all," she raised a finger in front of Han's face. " who were you talking to?"

Han twisted his mouth.

"I'm waiting" she insisted, drumming her fingers on her knee.

Han sighed. He put his hand inside his jacket and took out what looked like a glass panel the size of a playing card. It had luminescent blue squares all over it.

"This is what I use to communicate with the base" he explained. "I insert a kind of code combination with the squares you see here, and I am in contact with the Admiral of our base."

"We have cellphones for that."

"Cellphones?"

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot we're from different planets." she smiled lightly to what she'd said. "I can show you later. But you still have some things to tell me. So, secondly: how did you come?"

Han suppressed a smile.

"Kid, I really doubt you'll believe it."

"Try me."

"If you wish. Well, there's another code in this thing, but it's kind of specific. It was set specially for my task here. It basically allows me to turn into an object in your world, of my choice. Back at the base, we planned it all. I would come here as an object that represented me. So I came as a-"

"Figurine. Tom's figurine." Gray started to feel light-headed as she noticed how everything made sense. "That's why I can't find it. It's you."

"You get there quickly when you want to." smirked Han.

Gray couldn't find the right words to say. It botheres her that nothing of she'd heard was physically possible.

"But why?" she managed to whisper. "Why Tom's?"

"I was told human earthlings were highly sceptical, specially when they passed their childhood phase. That's why Admiral Pytt chose the figurine belonging to your brother. He knew he was a great admirer of our world, and as he's still little we thought it would be easy to get past him without being suspected."

"How come you were in my closet, then?"

"Pytt told me that the first person to touch the figurine would be the one whom I'd show myself to. I was expecting that to be your brother, knowing it was one of his birthday presents. But he was a little too frenetic with the toy Falcon and 'fake me' fell from it. And it was you, kid, who caught it later."

Gray didn't speak. She was too confused, but she couldn't help to start believing him. How would they know about Tom, anyway?

"That wasn't a very bright plan of yours, no offence." she said automatically. " Tom is way too young, you'd be caught in no time. You'd be in very deep trouble."

"I should consider myself lucky I got you instead, is that it?" he grinned.

"I don't know." she said seriously. "I am Tom's opposite. I can't stand unrealistic stuff. I prefer to live in reality rather than science-fiction."

"Well, I suppose I'm no longer fiction?"

"Yeah...I suppose...". She emptied stared at the ground.

Suddenly, she raised her head.

"Wait. You still didn't tell me why you're here."

"Ah. I was just getting there. I suppose you've heard of the Galactic Empire?"

"How'd you expect me not to?"

"Great. And I guess you know they've had it on their minds to destroy the Rebellion. Well, they got further. They're thinking of creating a new, more powerfully weapon to disintegrate more than a planet at a time, and at a galactic range. Meaning they can reach other galaxies. Even the ones....far, far away."

Gray's jaw dropped. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. I shouldn't believe him. It can't be true.

"And....here it comes....they want to use your Earth's core for that."

"WHAT??!!!"

"My task is to install a shield to make this planet undetectable and protected from the Empire's forces. But it won't be easy. And I'll need you to...er...come with me."

"You mean you need my help?!"

"Well...if you put things that way. Now that you know about it all and about me, I guess you'll need to stick with me until I leave, right?"

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That's it for another chapter, guys. I'm really happy the reads are rising, and I hope you're enjoying this. Please feel free to comment your opinions, advice and even criticism (as long as it's useful!). See you.

Matype.