Reckless • Han Solo

2.10 Charge

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

It was an unavoidable nothingness , the quiet was deafening, a void that was broken by noise like glass shattering. The silence among the group was the loudest noise heard.

"Run," she heard Obi-Wan's unmistakable soft but passionate voice in her head, "Run from the sound of their boots. I don't want you to come in contact with them yet. In my experience they are just as worse as a Sith." 

Never in her life did she expect the noise of the Stormtrooper's boots stomp around her. The ivory uniforms surrounded Ellia and her friends, with their state of the art blaster pointed at their backs ready to be fired in any sign of defiance or retaliation. 

Her eyes glistened, pulling her brows down, like wilting flowers in autumn. Her lips trembled as if she were to let out a sob, but she never did. She was worried about Luke, Han, Leia, Chewbacca, and even herself. Her nose twitched as her mouth  suddenly became agape, and then she drew in a sharp breath of air before rounding a corner to enter a new hall.

It was a bittersweet feeling as she turned the corner to see the blonde haired boy she became so close to. She was overjoyed to see him alive and well, but at the same time distressed knowing he would be walking right into Vader's trap, which she couldn't let him do with a good conscious.

"Luke! Luke don't, it's a trap! It's a trap!" Ellia quickly exclaimed gaining the attention of the young Jedi before being whisked away by the Stormtroopers.

The group was being hurdled like cattle by the Stormtroopers, even Lando and his men were feeling intimidated but the roles were soon reversed. The sound of drawn guns came from Lando's men as they circled the Stormtroopers, with weapons raised. Lobot, Lando's manager, handed Leia and Lando gun before handing Ellia her lightsaber which she gracefully accepted. 

"Well done," Lando congratulated his men, "Hold them in the security tower and keep it quiet. Move."

Lando's guards swiftly drilled the Stormtroopers away in an organized and silent manner. Lando didn't bother to watch trusting him men, instead he began to undo Chewie's bindings.

"What do you think you're doing?" Leia asked him.

"We're getting out of here," Lando replied as if it was inconsequential.

"I knew it all along it had to be a mistake," C-3PO exclaimed, still strapped to Chewbacca's back.

Once Chewie was unbound he took his massive furry paws and wrapped them around Lando's neck, causing the breath from Lando's chest to evaporate with his struggle for air. 

"Do you think that after what you did to Han we're going to trust you?" Ellia asked, her body trembling.

Lando tried to free himself  from Chewie's grip but floundered. "I had no choice..." he chocked out.

Chewbacca barked ferociously, disbelieving the words coming out of Lando's mouth.

"What are you doing? Trust him, trust him!" 3PO exclaimed.

"Oh, so we understand, don't we Chewie? He had no choice," Ellia spit fire.

"I'm just trying to help..."