Star Wars: Lightforce

Chapter 31

The night air was cold when they all got outside, a slight wind transporting the icy chill through their clothes. Luke looked around him as he came down the ramp. The landing platform was in the large courtyard of a small, but picturesque, castle, imposing towers and balconies festooning the walls, and the large stones of it's architecture seemingly held together with cascades of climbing plants. It looked like an ancient, undiscovered relic but for the decorative flame torches that lined their entrance and the lighting coming from inside the structure that indicated life inside. The whole building was nestled in a protective circle of small, lush mountains and built into the side of one. The calling of forest animals was the only sound Luke could hear. It was beautiful and peaceful.

The diminutive figure of Maz Kanata was waiting for them as they disembarked.

"I didn't know you would be here," Han greeted her. She waved a dismissive hand as if it were nothing.

"I had to bring the medical droid. When you said it was urgent, I wanted to get it here quickly." She glanced at Chewbacca carrying Leia in his arms, saw the severity of the situation.

"Hurry, this way." She marched off, beckoning them to follow.

Leading them through wide, arched stone corridors and up deep steps, they eventually turned into a room where a medical droid and equipment was waiting and settled Leia into the large bed at one end.

The inside of the castle, although seemingly open to the elements at various points where the balconies overhung the courtyard, was strangely warm, it's lighting bright and cosy and comforting fires burning in large stone fireplaces in rooms they had passed on the way. The paintings, hangings and ornaments were few but Luke noted their quality and appreciated the keen eye of their collector.

The droid began it's work, helped by Mala, the Twi'lek girl from Maz's bar and another young humanoid girl. Han paced again as they waited for the report from the droid, splitting his route between the chamber and the balcony attached, his hand making a mess of his hair as Leia was connected to wires and tubes for life support.

"I had no idea those beasts were here the whole time." Maz stated in disgust. "I pride myself in knowing what's going on. I will have to step up my informants." She was frustrated. "The Adronian Jungle you said Chewie?" Chewbacca nodded. Maz shook her head. "No one goes near that place. That will have to change now."

"From what we can tell, they have been fairly secretive all over," Luke reassured her. "They kept their operations small and scattered. If it hadn't been for Leia's tenacity, we might not have uncovered what was going on." Han held his arm out towards the bed.

"And look where it's got her," he said angrily. Maz looked at him empathetically.

"Han, she's been fighting slavers even before she was fighting the Empire. You didn't expect her to drop it once she'd picked up the scent did you?" Han stopped pacing and looked at Maz, considering her matriarchal comment.

"No," he sighed.

"It's unfortunate that her friend ended up mixed up in it," Maz continued.

"Some friend," Han snorted.

The medical droid interrupted them, it's mechanically produced voice delivering the much awaited report.

"The princess's condition is critical. I can find no physical damage but, for some reason, she is not responding to stimuli. I am afraid there is nothing more I can do for her." The droid moved back from the bed to allow Han and Luke to stand either side of it.

Han pulled a chair out with his foot and sat on it, holding Leia's lifeless hand in both of his. The sense of grief he was beginning to feel made every minute thing much more noticeable. He studied the thinness of her hand and how the bones underneath the skin formed lines on the back of it, how her nails lengthened her fingers. Her body, stripped of her outer clothing so that the sensors could be attached, dressed in her basics with a blanket over her, seemed so tiny now in the large bed. It was hard to believe, looking at her, that such a small frame was capable of such ferocity. He looked at the detail of her face. The hydro-steamer had made a quick job of cleaning the dirt and dust from it so that her wounds could be dressed. Her simple beauty regime kept her skin pure, the odd freckle and blemish making her who she was, her chocolate eyes hidden behind her eyelids and long eyelashes.