~How it All Began: Part 2~

He sold the speeder. The last thing he owned of his old life, he sold it for credits to pay Captain Solo. 

  "That's okay. I'm never coming back to this planet again."

The planet he grew up on, called home, and the planet that took everything away from him. In a way, it was also the planet that started something new for him. 

Luke didn't get what he thought was fair, but Ben assured him it would be enough. Pulling his poncho over his head to settle on his shoulders, Luke followed Obi-Wan to bay ninety-four with the two droids in tow. 

  "If the ship's as fast as he's boasting, we ought to do well," Ben remarked hopefully. 

Chewbacca was waiting for them outside of the docking bay. He looked a little agitated. 

They followed the Wookiee into the hanger to find a Corellian freighter. Han stood below its belly, cleaning off one of the many stains with a rag. Once sleek and shining, the ship was covered in carbon scoring, scratches, and dents. A few places steamed and leaked where even Luke knew should not be steaming and leaking.

  "What a piece of junk!"

 * * * 

Han glared at the speaker. This kid, fresh off the moisture farm, didn't know what he was talking about. Clearly, he was too ignorant to recognize the genius and the beauty that was the Millennium Falcon, his pride and joy. This ship saved his life more times than he could count and if the kid didn't stop insulting her, he'll find himself back on this dust ball in an escape pod. 

However, there had been a day when Han himself called this ship a piece of junk. 

  "She'll make point five beyond the speed of light. She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts, kid. I've added some special modifications myself."

The kid still seemed doubtful, but approached the ramp anyways. 

  "We're a little rushed, so if you'll hurry aboard, we'll get out of here."

The old man mentioned two droids in the list of passengers. A golden protocol droid and a blue astromech tailed behind the two humans. The protocol droid paused to greet him.

  "Hello, sir! I am C-3PO, human cyborg relations. I am fluent in over six million forms of communicat–"

  Oh stars. Just when I thought this job couldn't get any worse. 

  "3PO, stop babbling and get on board. We gotta leave." The kid's voice traveled down the ramp from inside the ship, successfully silencing the droid mid rant. 

  "Yes, Master Luke," the droid responded obediently. "Stop nudging me, R2-D2. I'm moving."

Now Han knew the kid's name. He would have asked so as to stop calling them kid and old man, but the fossil specifically demanded no questions. Solo didn't want to lose a single credit of that seventeen thousand. Besides, he didn't really care to learn their names. He will drop them off on Alderaan, get his pay, return to Tatooine to pay Jabba his fifteen percent, then fly off on his next job, a free man without a bounty on his head, and never see the punk, old man, and annoying protocol droid ever again.

  "Stop that ship!" 

Han did a double take. A patrol of Stormtroopers ran into the hanger.

  "Blast 'em!"

The troopers began to fire, their shots ricocheting off of his precious ship. Han mentally swore in Huttese and fired back, covering himself as he made his way toward the ramp. He rushed up and into his ship, closing the ramp behind him.

  "Chewie, get us out of here!" he yelled as he ran towards the cockpit. 

The passengers buckled themselves down on the half circle couch in the holding area. 

  The protocol droid remarked worriedly, "Oh my, I had forgotten how much I hate space travel!"

The Falcon had already sailed though Tatooine's atmosphere thanks to her co-pilot's flying when Han dumped himself into the captain's chair. 

Chewbacca growled and pointed to the sensor scope. Han's stomach dropped at the sight of a huge, menacing ship looming towards them. 

  "Looks like an Imperial cruiser. Our passengers must be hotter than I thought. Try to hold them off. Angle the deflector shield while I make the calculations for the jump to lightspeed."

As his hands flew instinctively over the controls, Luke and the old man squeezed themselves into the cramped cockpit. Great, now he had an audience. 

  "Stay sharp," he warned the Wookiee, trying to ignore the feeling of two pairs of eyes on his neck. "It looks like we have two more Imperial ships coming in. They're going to try to cut us off before we can make the jump to hyperspace." 

  How in the blazes does a farm boy, an old hermit, and two beat up droids attract this much Imperial attention?

  The kid leaned forward. "Why don't you just outrun them? I thought you said this thing was fast!"

  "Watch your mouth, kid, or you're going to find yourself floating home!" Han snapped. "We'll be safe enough once we make the jump to hyperspace. Besides, I know a few maneuvers. We'll lose them."

He didn't know if he was assuring the kid's anxiety or his own. It's not that he hasn't done this before, but three cruisers? And with the stakes so high? It was enough to make him jumpy. And he could tell it annoyed Chewbacca. 

  "Here's where the fun begins!" he announced as the adrenaline started to take over with a few thrilling maneuvers. 

  "How long before you can make the jump to lightspeed?" the old man asked calmly, curious rather than worried. He had more chill than Luke and him combined and was even calmer than Chewbacca. Han wondered if he was just crazy, or he had seen more of the galaxy than even Han himself. The hermit being the eye of the storm was almost soothing.

  "It'll take a few moments to get the coordinates from the navicomputer," he answered. 

  "Are you kidding? At that rate they're gaining?"

While the old man's calm soothed him, Luke's panic drove Han towards the edge again. 

  "Traveling through hyperspace ain't like dusting crops, boy! Without precise calculations we could fly right through a star or bounce too close to a supernova, and that'd end your trip real quick, wouldn't it?"

The Falcon shuddered violently and a red light began to flash on the control panel. 

  "What's that flashing?" Luke demanded, pointing. 

  Han promptly slapped his hand away. "We're losing the deflector shield. Go strap yourself in. I'm going to make the jump to lightspeed." 

  As his passengers left to strap in, Han met Chewie's eyes. "Punch it."

The Wookiee pulled a lever. The ship suddenly picked up speed and launched forwards. The stars glowed bright and stretched across the darkness. Then the scenery changed to the familiar blue and white bruise of hyperspace. 

Han leaned back in his seat and wiped the sweat off his brow, unable to hide the dopey grin on his face. The exhilaration, a view like this... this why he loved flying.