See prologue for the disclaimer. Because I've decided that it would be too much work to put it at the beginning of each chapter. As I did in the prologue, Chewbacca's dialogue will written surrounded by asterisks, while the dialogue of human characters, and 3-PO, will have normal quotation marks. This is how things will be for the duration of the fic, as well as all of the sequels But furthermore, just for this chapter, Jabba the Hutt's dialogue will be written surrounded by brackets.
The greatest adventure of Jon Solo's life began on Tattooine. Han and Chewie had gone down to a cantina in Mos Eisley. Jon came with them, but as he was only ten-years-old, he wasn't permitted entrance to the cantina. On other planets, children were allowed in certain cantinas and bars during the day time, as long as they behaved. When Jon was much smaller, Han would bring him along to these places, because it was easier than leaving him at the Falcon. There were a few times a few times where they'd had to dash out in a hurry when things got hectic. And then, Han would often return to the cantinas or nightclubs with Chewie late at night after Jon was in bed. This particular cantina on Tattooine, however, had always prohibited children. That didn't bother Han, though. Now that Jon was ten-years-old, Han had begun to leave him on his own more frequently in order to teach him independence.
"You stay here, Jon," said Han. "I promise Chewie and I won't be long. And when we get back, you better still be in this spot. You got that?"
"Yeah, Dad," said Jon. He watched as Han and Chewie disappeared into the cantina. It was very hot outside. Jon was desperate to find some shade, or at least a place to rest. Before he could, though, an old, battered, red landspeeder pulled up in front of the cantina. Jon instantly recognized it as a T-16 Skyhopper landspeeder. Two humans were in the front seat. One was a young man who appeared to be about eight or nine years older than Jon. He had blond hair and blue eyes. The clothes he wore were all white: White shirt, white pants and white boots. The other human was an older man. He was bearded, and wore a brown cloak. The speeder's back seat was occupied by a pair of droids. One droid was a golden protocol droid. The other was a blue and white astro droid.
"I still don't understand how we got past those troops," said the boy. "I thought we were dead."
"The Force can have a strong influence on the weak-minded," the old man replied.
The Force? Jon wondered to himself.I thought that didn't exist anymore. My dad said all the Jedi died out a long time ago, when he was a kid, towards the end of the Clone Wars. What's this old man talking about?
"You really think we're going to find a pilot here who will take us to Alderaan?" asked the young man. Jon became very interested by this. Why would two people from a backwater planet such as Tattooine need to go to Alderaan? Jon had never been to Alderaan, but he knew that it was one of the most sophisticated and civilized planets in the Galaxy.
"Well, most of the best freighter pilots are to be found here," said the old man. "Only watch your step. This place can be a little rough."
"I'm ready for anything," the boy replied. He and the old man went into the cantina. The droids followed them.
"Come along, R2," said the protocol droid.
When they were gone, Jon walked over to the speeder. He had no desire to try flying it. He knew his dad would ground him for life if he did that. But he really wanted to rest. And this speeder seemed like the perfect spot to do so. He climbed into the cockpit of the speeder. Just as he was about to close his eyes, Jon saw the two droids come out of the cantina. They headed straight for the speeder. Jon started to panic. What should he do? These droids looked friendly enough. But what if they mistook him for a thief? What if they reported him back to the old man? Or, what if the droids told his dad and Chewie? That would be the worse thing ever! Jon quickly jumped out of the cockpit of the speeder, just as the droids came up to him.
"Hi, droids," said Jon. He hoped he didn't sound as scared as he felt.
Jon, you're a Solo, he thought to himself. Solo's don't scared. Well, at least Dad doesn't. He's the bravest man I know.
"Just so you know, I wasn't trying to steal this speeder," Jon told the droids. "I'm waiting for my dad and my uncle. They went into the cantina, and told me to stay here. I needed a place to rest until they got back. You believe me, don't you? Anyway, what should I call you two droids?"
"I am C-3PO, Human-Cyborg Relations," the protocol droid introduced himself. "And this is my counterpart, R2-D2." The astro droid beeped at the mention of his name. Jon guessed that this was the little droid's way of saying "Hello."
"Nice to meet you both," said Jon. "I'm Jon. Jon Solo. My dad's name is Han Solo. He's captain of the Millennium Falcon, which is the fastest ship in the Galaxy."
" And how do you know the Millennium Falcon is the fastest ship in the Galaxy?" asked C-3PO.
"Because it's the ship that made the Kessel Ren in less than twelve parsecs," Jon answered, matter-of-factly. "My dad's outrun Imperial starships. Not the local bulk cruisers, mind you. I'm talking about the big Corellian ships now." As Jon said this, he had no idea that, inside the cantina, his father was saying something very similar to the old man and the boy.
"I don't like the look of this," C-3PO said suddenly. R2-D2 beeped in concern. A pair of Stormtroopers started walking towards the cantina.
"Yeah, this looks pretty bad," said Jon. "We gotta hide."
"But where?" asked 3-PO.
"I don't know," Jon replied. "But I'll think of something." Just then, the old man and the boy came out of the cantina. Jon hoped that his dad and and Chewie would also reappear, but when they didn't, he felt dismayed.
"You'll have to sell your speeder," said the old man.
"That's ok," the boy replied. "I'm never coming back to this planet again."
"Hi," said Jon. The man and boy turned, noticing him for the first time.
"Hello there, little one," the old man said kindly. "Who might you be?"
"Jonathan Jacen Solo," said Jon. For some reason, he thought it would be best to use his full name when introducing himself to this man. "But you can call me Jon," he added. "Just never call me "Junior" I really hate that. Who are you guys?"
"I'm Ben," said the old man. "And this is Luke." He motioned to the boy.
"Hello," said Luke.
"Hey," said Jon. "How old are you, Luke? Just wondering, because I can tell you're older than me."
"I'm nineteen," said Luke.
"I'm only ten," said Jon. "I don't need to ask what age you are, Ben. You're an old man. And all old men are just well, old."
"Ben may be old, but he's done a lot of great things," Luke said defensively.
"Easy, Luke," Ben said gently. "Jon meant no harm. He's still a young child. And his perspective of the world differs greatly from yours or mine."
"Yeah," said Jon. "My dad's older than me. But he's not like old, old. You know?"
"Did you say your last name was "Solo?"" asked Luke.
"Yeah, it is," said Jon. "Why do you ask?"
"Oh, no reason," Luke said quickly. "Well, I guess Ben and I better go sell my speeder. It might be the only way to pay for our trip to Alderaan." Jon was tempted to ask Luke and Ben why they needed to go to Alderaan. But he thought better of it. It was probably none of his business, anyway. "Take care of yourself, Jon," said Luke.
"You, too, Luke," said Jon. "It was nice to meet you. Do you think we'll ever see each other again?" When he asked this question, Jon had no way of knowing just how much he and Luke would come to impact each others' lives.
"Maybe," said Luke. He, Ben and the droids got into the speeder and drove off.
*Jon!* came Chewbacca's roar. Jon turned to see Chewie come bounding out of the cantina. Jon ran to meet him, hugging the Wookiee around the waist when he reached him.
"Where's Dad?" asked Jon.
*He'll be along shortly,* Chewie replied. *Now, did you stay in this spot the whole time?*
"Yeah," said Jon.
*And you were on your best behavior, right?* asked Chewie.
"Of course," said Jon.
*Good,* said Chewie. *Let's get back to the Falcon. Your father wants us to get her ready by the time he rejoins us.*
"Ready for what?" asked Jon.
*We've been hired to escort two humans and two droids to Alderaan,* Chewie explained. Luke had mentioned that he, Ben, R2 and 3-PO needed to get to Alderaan. This struck Jon as being very interesting.
"I thought Dad didn't like to use the Falcon as charter ship," said Jon.
*He made an exception for this," Chewie answered. *Because of how much we're expected to be getting paid.*
"And how much would that be?" asked Jon.
*The old man already gave us two thousand credits back in the cantina,* said Chewie. *And he promised us an additional fifteen thousand credits when we get to Alderaan.*
"Seventeen thousand credits?!" Jon exclaimed incredulously. "Wow! That's more money than I'd know what to do with!"
*None of us would know what to do with that kind of money, Junior,* said Chewie.
"What have I told you about not calling me that?" Jon asked. He tried to sound mad, but on the inside, he was trying not to laugh. He knew the times when Chewie called him "Junior" were purely accidental. Chewie just couldn't help it some times.
*Sorry Jon,* Chewie said apologetically *It must have just slipped out.*
"That's ok, Chewie said Jon. "Come on. Let's get back to the ship." The boy and the Wookiee continued on their way to Docking Bay 94, where the Millennium Falcon was being held. They spotted Han when they were about halfway there.
"Dad!" Jon cried happily. His eyes lit up, and a huge grin spread across his face. This was the way he typically reacted to the sight of his father.
"Hey, Jon," said Han. He knelt down so Jon could hug him. "I hope you didn't get into any trouble while you were waiting for me."
"No, sir, I didn't," said Jon. Han skeptically cocked an eyebrow at this. Jon was a naturally curious boy, who often got himself into things that maybe he shouldn't have. Yes, raising Jon had not always been easy, especially since Han was a single father who made his life as a smuggler. Jon's early childhood had been particularly challenging. Han didn't even know the very first thing about raising a child. As time went on, though, he found a way that worked for him. He was grateful that he had Chewie to help him out. However, there were times when Han wished he could find some sort of mother figure for Jon. He'd been involved with many women since becoming a father, but whenever these women found out about Jon, they bolted, because they didn't think they were cut out for motherhood. Han remembered the very first time Jon had asked him about his mother. He had been about four-years-old at the time.
(Flashback)
"Daddy, where's Mommy?" Jon had asked. "Why don't I have a mommy?" Han feared for the day when Jon would ask him this question. He was just surprised that it had happened when his son was still so little.
"Your mommy became very sick right after you were born," Han had told him. "The doctors tried to help her. But she was just too sick. And she went into a forever sleep" For as long as he could remember, this had been Han's way of describing the concept of death to such a young boy. He decided that he'd wait until Jon was much older to actually use the word 'died.' "But your mommy really loved you, Jon. She was the one who gave you your name."
"What was Mommy's name?" asked Jon.
"Crescentia Montrssor," said Han.
"That's a pretty name," said Jon. "Daddy, you or Uncle Chewie won't ever get sick or go into the forever sleep like Mommy, did, right?"
"No, Jon," said Han. "Nothing bad is gonna happen to either me or Uncle Chewie. We'll always be there for you, no matter what. I promise."
(End Flashback)
Jon still had a lot of growing up to growing up to do. And maybe his childhood so far hadn't been all that conventional. Neither had Han's, for that matter. Jon may not have have ever known his mother, but he had his father. And that was one parent more than Han himself could have claimed to have had as a child. Han was very proud of the boy Jon was now, and he couldn't wait to see what kind of man his son would become.
Father, son and Wookiee turned the corner to the entrance of Docking Bay 94. But they weren't alone. Someone had arrived before they did. And that someone was the infamous gangster and crime lord, Jabba the Hutt.
{Solo!} Jabba yelled in Huttese. He faced the open entry ramp to the Falcon. Apparently, he thought Han was inside the ship. {Come out of there, Solo!} he demanded. {Solo!}
Like most Hutts, Jabba was incapable of speaking Basic. But this didn't stop Jon from understanding him. At ten-years-old, Jon knew several languages other than just Basic. These included Hutttese, Shyriiwook, which was the language of the Wookiees and his father's native language of Corellian.
"Right here, Jabba," said Han. "Chewie, Jon and I have been waiting for you."
"We have?" Jon mouthed.
{Have you now?} asked Jabba.
"You didn't think we were gonna run, did you?" asked Han. He sounded so confident. Jon tried to stay as calm as his father, but just the mere sight of Jabba the Hutt made him feel very uneasy.
{Han, my boy, you disappoint me,} said Jabba. {Why haven't you paid me? And why did you did you fry poor Greedo?}
Jon's face creased in confusion when he heard this. What was Jabba talking about?
"Look, Jabba," said Han. "Next time you wanna talk to me, come see me yourself. Don't send one of these twerps."
{Han, I can't make exceptions,} said Jabba. He sounded like he was talking to a misbehaving child. {What if everyone who smuggled for me dropped their cargo at the first signed of an Imperial starship?} As Jabba said this, he put one of his chubby arms around Han's shoulder, and they walked, or, in the case of Jabba, slithered, side-by-side. Jon and Chewie walked behind them, also side by side. {It's not good for business,} said Jabba
"Look, Jabba," said Han. "Even I get boarded sometimes." He stepped on Jabba's tail, which caused the Hutt to squeal in pain. "Do you think I had a choice?"
Han really didn't have a choice when he'd dumped the shipment of Spice he'd been hauling. And Jon understood why his dad had done this better than anyone else. The Imperial starship was only part of the reason the Spice had been lost. Han would have let go of it even without Imperial intervention. One of the bundles of Spice ruptured about half-way to Tatttooine, and the smell caused Jon to become ill, but once Han had gotten rid of it, Jon had recovered. Jabba was furious when he'd heard this.
"But I got a nice, easy charter," Han continued. "I'll pay ya back, plus a little extra. I just need a little more time."
{Han, my boy, you're the best,} said Jabba. {So for an extra twenty percent...}
"Fifteen, Jabba," Han shot back. "Don't push it."
{Ok, fifteen,} Jabba amended. {But if you fail me again, I'll put a price on your head so big, you won't be able to go near a civilized system. And if you did, I will make sure the rest of your son's life is a living Hell.} Jabba glared malevolently at Jon, and Jon felt his body tense.
"Jabba, you're a wonderful human being," Han quipped sarcastically. "But if you kill me and hurt Jon, I will come back as a ghost and make sure the rest of your life is a living Hell." He, Jon and Chewie entered the Falcon.
{Come on,} Jabba ordered his group of bounty hunters. Most of them followed Jabba out of Docking Bay 94. But unbeknownst to the Solos, one remained behind for a little while longer. His name was Boba Fett, and this would not be the last time the Solo family encountered him.
"Jabba the Hutt gives me the creeps," Jon said with a shudder. He, Han and Chewie were in the cockpit of the Falcon, giving everything a final check-over.
"Don't let him get to you, son," Han said comfortingly. "He won't do anything to you. Not while I'm around. I won't let him."
"What did Jabba mean when he asked why you fried poor Greedo?" asked Jon. "And who is Greedo, anyway?"
"Greedo was a Rodian bounty hunter who worked for Jabba that I ran into at the cantina," said Han. "I say "was," because, well, let's just say he won't be around to bother us anymore."
"Ok," said Jon. He got the feeling that he really didn't want to know any further details. "These clothes are getting a bit dirty and sweaty." The clothes Jon currently wore were child-sized versions of what Han was wearing: Beige shirt, black vest and navy blue pants. The only difference was that Jon's pants didn't have the Corellian bloodstripes, like Han's did. The elder Solo had had his striped pants, both the red and gold varieties, for about a year, when he'd found them being sold in a marketplace on Naboo while the Falcon had been docked there. Han was at first perplexed as to how they had come to be there in the first place, so far from their planet of origin. The seller had explained that there was a market for Corellian military paraphernalia. But wearing bloodstripes was considered a high honor for anyone from Corellia. Han wore them proudly from that day on, and he looked forward to when he would be able to pass them on down to Jon. "I guess I'd better go change before our passengers get here."
"How did you know about our passengers?" asked Han.
"Chewie told me," said Jon. "Isn't that right, Chewie?"
*Yes,* said Chewie. *In fact, I think they should be arriving here soon. I'll go out to meet them.* Chewie exited the Falcon. Jon went down the hall to his cabin. Jon's cabin was very much like a smaller version of the main cabin, which belonged to Han. Chewie also had his own cabin, which was right next to Han's. Jon's cabin consisted of a bed, a closet, a desk and many various toys and trinkets he was fond of. Jon opened his closet, and selected new clothes. He changed into a blue long-sleeved shirt and black pants. After getting changed, Jon rejoined Han, who was now outside the ship. The older Solo was doing a final inspection of the Falcon before takeoff.
"What a piece of junk!" came the last voice Jon ever expected to hear again. The passengers had arrived. They were Luke, Ben, R2-D2 and C-3PO.
"It's nice to see you again, Luke," said Jon. "But I don't like the way you've just insulted my home. This is the only home I've ever known."
"You know these guys?" asked Han.
"I met them outside the cantina while I was waiting for you and Chewie to get back," said Jon. "Chewie mentioned two humans and two droids. I had met two humans and two droids. I just didn't realize they were one in the same."
"She'll make point 5 past lightspeed," Han told Luke. "She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts, kid. I've made a lot of special modifications myself. But we're a little rushed, so if you'll just get on board, we'll get outta here." Luke and Ben stepped aboard.
"Hello, sir," C-3PO said to Han.
"R2! 3PO!" Jon exclaimed upon being reunited with the droids. "I'm happy to see you guys again, too."
"Hello again, young master Jon," said 3-PO. "I presume this older man is your father?"
"Yep," said Jon. "That's my dad, Han Solo." The boy led the droids up the ramp while Han stayed outside to finish his inspection. He was glad to finally be leaving Tattooine. What neither he nor Jon counted on was the departure being much more dramatic than they thought it would be.
End of Chapter 1
Author's notes:
1.) I think it's highly probable that Han's native language is Corellian, and that he would teach it to Jon. I mean, he is from Corellia, after all. And the movies themselves imply that Han understands several languages. Just look at the way he's able to understand Chewie, Jabba and in the case of The Force Awakens, Tasu Leech. (The leader of Kanjiklub.) As for whether I will feature instances of Han and Jon speaking Corellian with each other in this fic, I'm not sure. Part of me would like to do that. I think it would be an interesting idea. But on the other hand, resources about the Corellian language are very hard to find. And I don't think I'd be able to come up with my own version of what I think Corellian would sound like.
2.) As I mentioned in the author's notes for the prologue, Jon will not be Force-Sensitive. So the part where he tells R2 and 3-PO about the Falcon in almost the exact same way Han does so to Luke and Obi-Wan in the movie is not because Jon has some sort of psychic link with his father. It's more to do with him being a ten-year-old boy. At this age, he's still at the point in his life where he completely idolizes his father in every possible way. And he likes to emulate Han whenever he can, even if he's not actually aware that he's doing so.