Star Wars: Lightforce

Chapter 43

As soon as the vegetation and plaster melded buildings of Al-Adreen came into view, so did the sprawling warehouses that made up its space port. As the Alliance units and accompanying prisoners approached, the full extent of its rusticity became clear. A ramshackle collection of open structures, their bays marked with roughly hand painted numbers, together with a smaller collection of what could have been offices for booking ships in and out, the port seemed to be more or less abandoned. A half-hearted attempt had been made to control the foliage from creeping over the roofs of the warehouses, allowing enough space for a variety of small cargo craft to enter unhindered, but the only ships present in its bays today were the Talon, the Vohemar and the Falcon. Taking up a large corner of the settlement, the port sprawled in a haphazard fashion towards the town square and easy access to the cantinas and gambling establishments.

"You found a very convenient landing area," Leia observed as Han walked out of the Falcon's bay to meet her. He gestured around him with wide arms.

"As soon as the Empire arrived, no one wanted to stick around so I figured there'd be plenty of space. I was just negotiating with the port authority to allow us all to use some bays when the other two ships turned up and they decided to leave us to it." She pulled an impressed face. "I use the term port authority loosely, you understand," he added.

Looking at the rather loose appearance of the place, she completely understood. The convenience of it made it a ready made pirate haven especially with the lack lustre security checks. It was hardly surprising their numbers had increased over the years. It didn't take long for word to get around even on the Outer Rim.

Han took the flack jacket Leia had removed during the walk out of her hand and dropped it to the floor. Wrapping their arms round each other, he kissed her hair as she lay her head on his chest.

"It's good to see you," he said quietly.

"It's good to see you too," she said. "Although, it has only been a few hours, you know." She looked up at him. He raised his eyebrows.

"I know, but there was a strong possibility you'd come back in a body bag," he tried to joke.

"I told you to trust me. Stop worrying." She gave him a little squeeze.

"I do trust you," he smiled wryly. Worrying about each other was to be expected now they were lovers and they both silently acknowledged the fact.

Han watched the rest of the units arrive in dribs and drabs over Leia's shoulder, battle weary and dirty. The peacekeepers marched their imprisoned colleagues over to the bay where the Vohemar crew was waiting to load them on board. They looked like they had had the stuffing knocked out of them, and he wondered whether they would ever be the same again. A pang of loathing for the weak-minded Duke washed over him, tinged with concern at the hand pulling his strings. It was something he knew Leia would not have forgotten about, something that she would have to investigate, however low key she kept it.

She caught him looking at them and followed his gaze.

"There are so few of them aren't there? I thought there would be more but I suppose I mustn't complain. Hopefully it means not many were subjected to Delcar's experiments. We'll see what the peacekeepers turn up when they do a sweep of Cato Neimoidia."

"What's going to happen to them?" Han enquired.

"We have methods of reversing their conditioning. Gentle ones. They'll be treated well," she assured him.

"And the stormtroopers?" He glanced at the higher number of white armoured clones that were now being filed into the warehouses under guard.

"I'm going to let the Admiral and Mon Mothma deal with them. I think I'm a little biased in that department," she said wryly. "I'm best staying out of it."