Nebulous - Han Solo [2]

Chapter 2 : Rescuing? From What?

Tasha sat in the control room, her feet up on one of the consols, picking at her nails. It was probably not the most productive thing she could've done, but at that point she didn't care. Han was leaving. The main person she thought she could trust was just going to up and leave her. no warning . . .nothing.

and Tasha was furious about it.

he had debts to Jabba, she understood that; so did she, and she wasn't any happier about a death wish than he was, but she also knew she had a duty to the rebellion, to free the world from the clutches of the empire, even if it meant doing something she swore she would never do: reveal who she truly was. Her title, her powers, everything. Things she had kept buried so deep for so long.

Tasha took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. If you've read Tasha's previous adventure, you'd know that when Tasha got angry, there was a good chance something was going to get smashed, or thrown across a room. It's strange, because that is a trait more common of a sith that of a Jedi.

Thoughts swirled around her head, unknown in origin but no less powerful. are you sure you're even a Jedi? One thought said, are you sure you're not like him? Tasha gritted her teeth, shaking her head as though trying to clear her thoughts, but the more she tried to get rid of them, the harder they pressed. You're just like him you know. the voice twisted. It wasn't her own anymore, it was Leia's. Tasha screwed up her eyes, trying to push it away. She could control her thoughts, she'd been trained to, but this was unresponsive. Well that's not true, it just got worse. You're a monster.

"no!" Tasha said savagely, her green eyes flying open. It took her a moment to realise that she had shouted it out loud. Everyone in the control centre was staring at her, looking slightly unnerved. Tasha pushed herself off the chair, flattening her raven hair, brushing down the unruly strands, not that it helped. She cast an almost nervous look around the room before walking out.

Tasha didn't know where she was going, she just wanted to get away from all their judging eyes. That was the great thing about this base though; there were so many passages and caves and rooms that no one knew about, places perfect to hide away from the world, from the cameras and the rumours that now surrounded her, that followed her every move.

There was one passage she frequented, down the side of the main hangar, a small chamber about the size of a wardrobe. No one knew about it, no one even wondered where she went when she disappeared. She slumped down against a wall, her arms hugging her knees to her chest.

"Tasha," said a soft voice, a voice she knew too well. She rolled her eyes, gritting her teeth.

"not now, Ben," the force ghost of Ben Kenobi appeared in front of her, looking pensive.

"you've got to start to control your thoughts," he said, almost sternly. Tasha glared up at him.

"I know how to, and I try, but whenever I try, it just makes them worse, like me trying to stop them makes them aggravated. And they're getting worse," she let out an almost forced sigh, her breath hissing through her teeth. She ran a slightly shaking hand through her dark hair. Ben didn't say anything. Tasha smirked up at him. "shouldn't you be spying on Luke?" he smiled at her.

"your friend has taken care of it, he's rescuing the boy," Tasha frowned.

"rescuing? From what? Why don't I know about this?"

"well perhaps if you spent less time sulking and more time paying attention you would've gone with him," he replied. Tasha glared at him, jumping to he feet.

"one of these days Han Solo is going to be the death of me," she said, pushing past the force ghost and out of her secret hiding place, trying to find someone to tell her what the hell he was talking about.

"deck officer," she called to a young man not that far away from her.

"yes ma'am?" he replied, giving her a quizzical glance.

"has commander Skywalker reported in yet?" she asked, using her professionalism to hide the anxiety that had started to bubble through her veins.

"he hasn't come in yet, Princess," Tasha cringed at her title, "captain Solo went out to look for him about half an hour ago."

"did anyone go with him?" she was pestering now, she could tell by the nervous glance the officer gave her. but she had to know.

"he went out on a tauntaun. Ma'am, no one else wanted to-" Tasha put up her hand, shushing him. He looked at her nervously again. Obviously more rumours about her 'mental instability' had reached right around the base in the time she had spent wandering and hiding.

"it okay," she said, a slight sigh twinging her voice. "are the speeders ready to go yet?"

"they should be ready to go by morning Princess," she nodded along with his words.

"thank you," she said with a forced smile and a hand on his shoulder. The officer didn't seem to realise the effort she put into that small gesture, and he smiled back at her with genuine kindness and sympathy.

"I'm sure commander Skywalker and Captain Solo will be fine," he said reassuringly. Tasha scoffed slightly.

"they've both got a talent for being a complete pain in the ass," she quipped, causing the officer to chuckle. "thank you for your time," she said, turning and leaving him stood there in the middle of the hangar.

"you're welcome Princess,"