The Arcadia Chronicles

The first rays of light filtered through the dense mist sending bands of colour across the ship. The new dawn slowly melted the thick tendrils, the opaque cover receding back into hiding taking its nocturnal predators with it. The piercing shrieks and mournful howls where replaced with the cheery chirping of birds and the melodious songs of the kyllra echoed across the plains.



The warmth of the shower was a welcome distraction for Zac. Leaning his forehead against the cool tiles, he closed his eyes and let the rising steam soothe him. He knew that today was going to be difficult. There was a lot that had to be dealt with; Jenkins, Luke, Arcadia… A smirk appeared on his lips when he thought about her. Soon she would be home with him and he planned to make last night’s dream a reality, minus one meddling Jedi of course. A feeling of satisfaction swept over him when he recalled that she didn’t choose the Jedi over him. He was still in with a chance and what’s more he had the added advantage of knowing what she liked. He was sure that the novelty of a new lover would wear off quickly. She belonged to him, he knew that now, his only problem was convincing her of that fact.



Jenkins on the other hand was going to be more of a problem. Zac was still unsure about how to deal with him. His first impulse had been to beat the shit out of him then torture him for good measure. Luckily for Jenkins, Zac was nowhere near as impulsive as he used to be. Instead of reacting first then thinking about the consequences later, Zac had managed to curb his emotions and keep his anger in check. He wanted a clear head to sort out how to deal with Jenkins’ betrayal. Of course that didn’t mean that after careful consideration Zac wouldn’t decide that the best course of action would be to beat the shit out of him.



Zac still could not believe that Jenkins would betray him and Arcadia the way that he had. He was one of Zac’s most promising apprentices and a valued employee. They had been through a number of trying times together. The kid had proved himself to be smart, resourceful, loyal and trustworthy. He couldn’t understand what had happened. Up until now he had even considered him to be a friend. No, there was more to it than meets the eye, Zac was sure of it. He decided that the best course of action would be the direct approach, confront him and see what he says.



With that decision made, Zac finished rinsing the white suds off his toned body and ran his hands through his thick dark hair, ensuring that no residue of the cleanser remained. Reaching out, he adjusted the water spray to cold and braced himself for the icy wakeup call. The velvet warmth of the water quickly cooled, sending a refreshing rush through him and instantly clearing any residual fogginess that had strayed in his mind. It was a habit that he had picked up from Arcadia, although she used it for a different reason to him. A final cold rinse was part of her beauty regime. She claimed that it did wonders for her skin and hair. She got no argument from him, he wasn’t stupid enough to tell her otherwise and besides he liked to watch her nipples harden and to feel the contrasting sensations of the cool waters on her warm skin.



Stepping out of the shower, Zac quickly dried himself and pulled on his clothes. There was a time and a place for everything and right now was not the time, nor the place to dwell on Arcadia’s nipples, hard or otherwise. Right now he had to deal with Jenkins and get that relic known as the Millennium Falcon flight worthy. He had a Princess to save and some people to kill. A steely determination settled down on him as he strapped on his weapons, turning he picked up his jacket from the bed and spotting the crystal on the table he whispered, “hang in there baby, I’m coming,” then purposefully strode out the door.





“Forty-nine, fifty.”



With a hiss of exhaled breath Arcadia allowed herself to rest on the hard ground, a soft sheen covering her body, her breathing slightly heavier but nowhere near laboured. It had been a while since she had done so many sit-ups but in the confines of her cell there was little else to do. She had already tired of waiting and wondering; at least exercising gave her some semblance of control.



The footsteps grew louder as they approached the door. Arcadia listened intently, getting to her feet and picking up the towel when they stopped outside her cell. She heard the faint beeps as the access code was punched into the control panel. There was a click, followed by a loud hiss as the door slid open. Arcadia patted the towel against her face then moved it against her neck and the exposed flesh of her chest and midriff. She had pulled her hair out of the ponytail and had simply tied it back at the nape of her neck. A few damp curls clung to her face looking like an extension of the dark bruising that prominently adorned her features. She had known that the bruising would be extensive but she was completely unprepared for the sight that greeted her in the mirror that morning. The dark circle around her eye was a deep purple, tinged with yellow around the edges, her cheek was almost a solid black and her lip was still swollen and tender to the touch. It was all that she could do to control her fiery temper, the temptation to lash out almost unbearable.



Framed in the open doorway was the object of that anger. Looking up into his steel grey eyes through her lashes she seemed the epitome of calm and composure, but within she was boiling and fighting every impulse to pounce. She levelled her glare on him, her eyes narrowing as the hatred built within her. Her tightening grip on the towel made her wonder if she could use it as a weapon. If she could manage to get it around his neck and pull tightly…



His arrogant smirk interrupted her thoughts, “I like the new image Princess. The battered slave-girl look suits you.”



Fuck you, you bastard!



“Not nearly as well as the rotting corpse image suits you,” she replied smoothly.



Raising an eyebrow at her, he chuckled. “Don’t worry Princess, there will be plenty of corpses by the time I’m through with you.”



It was Arcadia’s turn to smirk. “Don’t count on it. I won’t miss this time.” Cocking her head to the side she asked, “How is your arm by the way?” She didn’t think it was possible for his eyes to get colder so the warm glow of satisfaction that flowed through her when his gaze turned icy was all the more sweet.



Darkness fell across his features and seemed to reach out across the room to touch her. “You don’t have Bargo to protect you know Princess,” he snarled at her. “That old man was a fool. All that money he paid me to keep away and all the while all he had to do was pass you on to the alliance, to your sister…”



“What?!” The word jumped out of Arcadia’s mouth before she could stop it.



A satisfied smile crept across her captor’s face. “You didn’t know about that did you? Bargo is just as guilty as I am of keeping you in captivity. Did you know that he had links to the alliance? That with one word he could have returned you to your sister?” His sneer was sinister as he continued, “but he didn’t. He lied to you. He kept you there as a prisoner, a trophy that he bought out every once in a while to show off to his friends.”



“NO!!!” the word screamed in her mind, echoing around her very being. “You lie!!” she growled at him.



His chuckle made her skin crawl. He was taking way to much pleasure in this. “Do I? Why is it that you’ve never heard about Princess Leia being alive, not even in rumours? How is that possible? He deliberately kept it from you. Lets face facts Princess; he denied you your birthright. Brilliant really, I can’t think of a more elaborate betrayal. Pure genius, but still a fool. He could’ve made millions bargaining for your life, instead he spent more to keep you from me.”



Arcadia’s mind reeled. There was no way that any of this could be true. Bargo was like a father to her, he would protect her with his life if need be. She could recall countless times when he had placed himself between her and certain death. No it couldn’t be true. But what of Leia? Is it possible? No there was no way.



“I don’t believe you. If you were blackmailing him he would’ve had you killed.”



The sneer that tugged at his lips did little to hide the contempt he was feeling. “Seems that Bargo had issues about killing family members. I, on the other hand, do not.”



“You!?” it was more a statement than a question, a hiss of exhaled breath forming a word between clenched teeth. I’ll kill you for this. The rage that seared within Arcadia threatened to overwhelm her. She took an involuntary step forward as the desire for vengeance took hold.



“I don’t think so Princess.”



It took a moment for her clouded mind to register that he had drawn his weapon. Another second passed before her judgement took control over her primal instincts and she stopped her advance.



“I wouldn’t want to have to kill you before loverboy gets here. We don’t want him to miss out on any of the fun now, do we?”



The hatred that blazed in Arcadia’s eyes intensified at the inference to Zac. He had signed his death warrant with that last statement. It was now sealed and delivered. Not only had he kidnapped her twice but he had also killed Bargo and threatened to kill her and more importantly Zac as well. There was no way that she was going to let him get away with any of this.



The clatter of plates caught her attention and she looked up to see the older girl standing at the door with a tray. She was staring at her. No, not at her Arcadia realised. She was staring at the emerald around her neck. Arcadia wondered at how long she had been standing there. It was unlike her to not notice what was happening around her and she silently chided her self at her lack of concentration.



“Well go on girl, stop staring and put the tray down.”



She jumped as he bellowed at her and quickly moved into the cell placing the tray down on the bed. Turning she looked longingly at Arcadia’s necklace again before her eyes rose to meet the Princess’s glare. Looking away quickly she hurried from the room.



“Wait.” He stopped her with a gesture. She looked up into his face wide-eyed.

“Do you like the necklace?”



She looked stunned for a moment before she nervously sneaked another look at the emerald.



“Well?” he asked impatiently.



“Yes, father,” she replied timidly.



“Then go get it.”



She looked up at him uncertainly, searching his stoney features.



“Today, Symone,” he ordered impatiently then levelled his gaze on Arcadia a satisfied smirk curling his lip.



Arcadia’s eyes blazed seething flames at him. Her body trembled as it tried to contain the raging torrents of emotion that pounded against her, desperate for release. Time seemed to stand still as she moved her glare from his eyes to the still drawn weapon then to the girl’s timid glance. She thought about snapping the girl’s neck when she came close enough. It would be easy enough to do, Zac had shown her the technique, made her practice until it became second nature, and she was just a frail little thing.



“What am I thinking?” It wasn’t the girl’s fault. She was an innocent in this. “No,” she scolded herself, “I won’t harm the child.”



Reaching behind her, Arcadia unclasped her necklace and took its weight into her hand. She looked down at the emerald, then turned it over and read the inscription again, letting Zac’s words bore deep into her heart. After what seemed an eternity she looked up again, locking eyes with the girl. She watched in disbelief as the timid nervousness metamorphosised into a sinister smirk. The gleam that shone in her eye every bit as unsettling as the stoney glare of her father.



Arcadia realised that she was every bit her father’s child. Straightening to her full height, Arcadia held the gem out in front of her and waited patiently for Symone to come claim it. Her smirk grew wider as she approached, knowing full well that there was nothing that Arcadia could do about this situation. As she reached for the necklace, Arcadia closed her hand around it and Symone looked up uncertainly.



“Take good care of my necklace,” Arcadia told her warningly, “I’ll be coming to take it back soon and if you’ve damaged it in any way,” Arcadia lowered her voice to a growl, “I’ll kill you.”



Symone’s eyes widened as the words sunk in. The quiet tone in which they were spoken making their impact all the more chilling. Arcadia was pleased when she saw the fear wash over the girl as she locked narrowed eyes with her.



An eternity seemed to pass as they contemplated each other then raising an eyebrow and smirking, Arcadia opened her hand to reveal the magnificent gem, shining brightly in all its glory.



“Symone”, her father’s voice broke the spell.



Symone’s eyes grew colder as she took the offered necklace then looked up at the princess.



“I’m not afraid of you”



Arcadia’s smirk grew wider. “You should be. I could snap your neck in an instant and not break a sweat.”



“Try it and my father will kill you.”



“He’s planning to kill me anyway. I may as well take something of his with me.”



The uncertainty crept across her face again and she took an involuntary step back.



“Enough with the chit chat, get out Symone.”



Needing no more encouragement, the girl flashed Arcadia a dirty look then moved to leave the room. As she brushed past her father he stopped her and taking the necklace from her grasp he clasped it around her neck. The gem sat on her breastbone. Reaching up she touched it and gave Arcadia a satisfied smile.



“It’s mine now,” she said, poking her tongue out at Arcadia. She planted a kiss on her father’s cheek then strolled away.



The Princess knew that he wanted to evoke a reaction from her. It was obvious by the way he toyed with her, the way he watched her as he was clasping her necklace around his daughter’s neck. She so desperately wanted to react. She wanted to tear him apart with her bare hands, him and his smugness. Smugness that he so obviously passed on in his genes.



Her veins were throbbing with adrenalin fuelling her primal instincts to attack. It took all her strength, all her willpower to remain still. She was sure that he could see her internal struggle. All it would take was one word, one move from him to catapult her over the edge.



On some level he must’ve sensed it. A slow satisfied smile crept across his face as he reached over and pressed the door release. Neither the hiss of the closing door, nor its thickness managed to muffle his mocking laughter as he strode away.













“Report.”



“Perimeter secure.” The secdroids glistened in the early morning light, their protruding sensors and appendages twitching as they probed the surrounding area.



“We’ve had no breaches since last night, Sir.”



Shielding his eyes from the glare of the rising sun, Zac watched Jenkins approach him from his morning inspection. Nodding slowly, he replied, “Good.”



Zac eyed Jenkins warily, considering his next move. He wanted to confront him with his suspicions but was unsure exactly how to proceed. In the end he didn’t have to say anything. The accusing silence hung between them, that and the mixed hostility and betrayal that Zac found impossible to hide in his eyes told Jenkins that the charade was over. He had known that it would only be a matter of time before Zac figured it out but now that that moment was upon him, he felt a sense of relief. Finally all the guilt that he was carrying would be purged. Zac was unpredictable when he was crossed, especially when it came to Arcadia, but Jenkins also knew that he was fair. If he pleaded his case then maybe, just maybe…



“I’m really sorry Zac. Really I am. I never meant to hurt you or Cadi but you don’t know my uncle. You have no idea what he is like. If I hadn’t cooperated he would have had me killed.”



The confession may have made Jenkins feel better but it did little else than confirm what Zac already suspected. Confronted with the reality, Zac found the anger that had been simmering under the surface begin to boil. So far he had been able to control it to a point but now he found himself face to face with a tangible target. Jenkins had played a part in the kidnapping of the only woman he ever truly loved. His trusted friend, his protégé, the betrayal was more than he could bear. He knew that he had to get far away from him right now or he would more than likely kill him.



Turning his back on Jenkins, Zac willed himself to move, to place one foot in front of the other and just walk away. He had every intention of doing just that when suddenly something just snapped. He didn’t know exactly what had caused it, whether it was the site of his ship, or the soft scent of vanilla that just wafted past in the breeze. All he knew was that he had to strike out.



Before he had time to think, Zac had clenched his fists and spun around, punching Jenkins squarely in the jaw with all his pent up rage. Jenkins hit the ground with a thud, his hand unconsciously reaching up to feel his jaw. Sticky red blood oozed from his cut lip. Looking up pleadingly he tried to back away, knowing full well that he was no match for Zac, especially when his fiery emotions were dictating his actions. Zac launched himself on top of Jenkins, pounding him with a barrage of vicious punches, the sounds of cracking ribs and pain filled moans disturbing the relative serenity of the morning. The onslaught came thick and fast with no pauses or chances for defence, it was one powerful blow after another; a myriad of thuds, of stabbing pain of oozing blood and broken bones. His head swam as unconsciousness threatened to take over, the nausea building steadily.



As suddenly as it had started the onslaught ceased. Cowering on the ground in agony, Jenkins managed to squint through already swelling eyes up to see Zac writhing in the restraining iron grip of the wookie.



“What the Hell is going on here?” Han glared at the bloodied mess struggling on the ground and back at Zac.



Kneeling down next to Jenkins, Leia tried to assess his injuries.

“Thomas, are you okay?”

All he could manage in reply was a gurgled groan. Returning her attention to Zac she demanded an answer.



“What happened here Zac?”

Still struggling in the Wookie’s arms, Zac’s eyes blazed fire at the wounded man.



“He’s the reason we’re stuck here,” he growled.



“What?” Luke eyed Jenkins as Leia helped him to slowly get up, his clothes tattered and filthy with dirt sticking to the oozing blood.



“Cadi’s kidnapper is his uncle. He’s been playing us from the start,” he spat.



“Is that true?” Leia studied Jenkins’ bloodied and bruised face. His reluctance to meet her gaze confirming Zac’s statement.



“He gave me no choice. He would’ve killed me. Believe me Zac, I didn’t know what he had planned. If I knew that he wanted you and Cadi dead I would never have agreed to help him. I’m sorry… so sorry. He gave me no choice.”



Zac had given up his struggles to free himself from the wookie and a nod from Han was enough encouragement for Chewie to release him. Finding himself free Zac took a step towards Jenkins but Leia’s outstretched hand stopped him.



“No Zac, you go help Han and Luke with the Falcon. Chewie and I will take care of Thomas. Chewie?” Her tone brooked no argument.





_________





Rubbing at her forehead Leia sighed as she tried to make sense of the morning’s events. The strong aroma of coffee wafted past her and she inhaled its scent deeply before looking up.



“Here you go Leia.”



Smiling a thank you at Luke she accepted the steaming mug and took a tentative sip. Her brother sat down beside her and cradled his own mug. In the background the medical droid continued monitoring Jenkins’ vital signs and recording the information into the central computer.



“How’s he doing?” Luke tilted his head so he could get a better view of Jenkins lying unconscious on the medlab bed.



“He’s got multiple rib fractures, internal bleeding, a broken nose, extensive bruising, cuts, concussion…” Leia shook her head slowly. “He’s lucky to be alive.”



“Zac really worked him over. Not that I blame him. I’d probably want to do the same thing in his position.”



Leia studied the murky contents of her mug. “It’s weird Luke. I don’t sense any malice in him. Fear, regret, guilt, an overall feeling of resignation but no malice. I think he is telling the truth.”



Luke raised an eyebrow at Leia’s comments and smirked. “Good luck convincing Zac of that.”











BEEP…BEEP… BEEP…



The monotonous sound felt strangely comforting as he slowly regained consciousness. The dull thud in his head no more than a minor annoyance. He knew that he should be in pain but apart from the pounding in his head and a constriction in his chest when he breathed, he felt fine. Prying his eyelids open he tried to focus on his surroundings. The lights were dim but not dim enough to conceal his position.



Medlab



Looking around he spotted the medical droid busily working in an adjoining room.



I can’t breath. Need to get up.



Pulling himself up into a sitting position was relatively easy. Staying there on the other hand was a not. As soon as he was vertical his head began to swim and a grey haze clouded across his line of vision.



Focus.



The grey haze turned black and he almost slipped into unconsciousness again.



No



The word sounded distant but the more he repeated it the louder and stronger it became. After a while the blackness receded and the haze returned.



Get up



Get up



Move



The haze slowly subsided and he slid off the side of the bed. Holding it for support, he took his weight on his legs. Surprisingly they held. Straightening slowly, he took a tentative step towards the door, holding pieces of equipment for support. The first step was followed with another then another. By the time he reached the door he was walking unsupported.







“What do you mean he’s gone?” Zac eyed his communicator warily.



“I just came from Medlab and he isn’t there. Chewie is checking the rest of the ship.”



“Damn it! Ok Leia I’ll be there in a moment.”



Zac dropped the hyperscanner he was holding onto a chair and pushing past Luke, he hurried out of the Millennium Falcon and back to his ship.







”Scanning…located human form one click north of perimeter.”



“On screen,” demanded Zac.



The view screen lit up with an image of long grass and low shrubs. Jenkins was moving at a steady pace through the grass, stumbling occasionally and swaying like a drunk, every so often stopping to lean against a tree trunk and take deep breaths.



“Terran, this is Solo,” Zac’s communicator hissed at him.



“Go ahead, Solo.”



“All systems are back on line. We’re good to go.”

Zac returned his attention to the screen, considering. After a brief pause he replied, “Prepare for take off.”



“Copy that.”



Zac’s hand worked across the console and the ship came to life. “All droids, return equipment to cargo bay and prepare for lift off.”



Leia looked incredulously at Zac. “You can’t just leave him here Zac.”



Returning his gaze to the screen momentarily he watched Jenkins fall and disappear in the lush green carpet.



“Why the hell not?”



“Because it’s not something that the Zac Terran I know, would do.”



A rush of emotion washed through Zac making him close his eyes and exhale. He wanted to leave Jenkins here, if, for no other reason than to have one less thing to worry about but he knew she was right. It just wasn’t something that he could do. Jenkins wouldn’t survive the day, not that that mattered much to Zac, the man had betrayed him after all. His one saving grace was that he was Arcadia’s kidnapper’s nephew. That fact alone was enough to redeem him from this fate. Jenkins could turn out to be useful. Zac planned to extract as much information from him as is humanly possible and if all else fails, he could be used as leverage.



An eye for an eye.



“Computer plot course to target and download to speeder.” Zac spun around in his chair and pushed himself out noticing the relief on Leia’s face as he strode past her.







The ground was a blur of green and brown as the small craft sped above it, dipping and rising with the fall of the land. The low rumble of the engines sounded unnatural in the wilderness, sending startled birds screeching into the cloudless sky.



“We should have visual any second now,” Luke moved his eyes off the monitor and scanned the horizon ahead. “There.”



“I see him.” Pulling back on the throttle Zac manoeuvred the speeder towards the rapidly growing form of Jenkins. He pulled up a couple of metres behind him and waited impatiently until the speeder settled to within inches of the ground, the rumble of the engines fading to a low growl.



Jumping out with his weapon drawn, Zac eyed his former friend’s back as he stumbled along.



“Jenkins!”



He stopped and slowly turned to face Zac. Seeing the weapon in his hand, he resigned himself to his fate.



“I know I deserve to die, Zac. Just make it quick,” trying to swallow the lump in his throat he added, “please tell Cadi I’m sorry.”



Before Zac had a chance to tell him to get his pathetic ass into the speeder, Jenkins had fallen to his knees, a shocked expression on his face. He had expected Zac to shoot him; he reasoned that the best he could hope for was a severe beating (which he had already received) and life in a cell. The last thing he expected was the intense burning pain that seared the back of his left shoulder. Reaching behind him he felt the warmth of blood oozing around a wooden pole, the hard, razor-sharp spearhead was deeply entrenched between muscle and bone.



“What the Hell?!”



Bright beams of green light flashed past Zac and sizzled as they struck their targets amongst the tightly clumped trees. Howls and screams echoed across the clearing as the sky rained a barrage of spears.



“We need to go Zac…Now!”



Springing into action Zac released a few blasts from his own weapon into the trees and knelt down in front of Jenkins, pulling him into his chest so he could check the extent of his wound. The long spear handle protruded from a large gash in his back. Gripping the spear, Zac tried to pull it out but only managed to make Jenkins scream in agony.



“It’s jammed,” he yelled back at Luke.



“Cover me.”



Zac trained his weapon on the thicket and randomly blasted anything that moved. A loud hiss sounded next to his ear and he looked out of the corner of his eye to see Luke ignite his Jedi weapon. The bright beam of solid light hummed in Luke’s hand. The lightsaber made short work of the spear handle, effortlessly cutting through it like a hot knife through butter.



Zac holstered his weapon and pulled Jenkins up over his shoulder, carrying him back to the speeder while Luke concentrated on keeping their path clear and the raining spears and stones at bay.



Bundling Jenkins into the small craft, Zac activated the shields as soon as Luke had joined him. The engines roared to life and the speeder lifted to cruising height above the grassy clearing. Around them the spears continued to fall and large stones bounced harmlessly off the energy field.



“How’s he doing Zac?”



Jenkins slumped over in his seat unconscious, the back of his shirt a sticky, black mess. Zac studied the wound and pulling his shirt off over his head he ripped strips off it.



“He’s out. The bleedings pretty bad. If I don’t stop it soon he won’t make it. Get us back to my ship, quickly.”



Nodding Luke revved the engines and pointed the speeder in the direction of the camp. Zac scrunched up the strips of his shirt and pressed them tightly against the open wound, using the other strips to secure the compress in place.



Turning to the front, Zac depressed the communicator. “Leia, do you copy?”



The hiss of static was replaced with Leia’s voice.



“I read you Zac. Did you find him?”



“Yes but we were attacked, Jenkins has a spearhead entrenched in his shoulder. We should be there shortly. Can you get medlab prepped?”



“A spearhead?” Leia’s voice sounded incredulous but she recovered quickly. “Sure Zac. I’ll make sure everything’s online. Out.”



A low moan escaped Jenkins’ throat as he slipped in and out of consciousness. Turning around, Zac felt for Jenkins’ pulse. It was steady but weak.



“Don’t even think about dying on me Thomas, do you hear me?”



Luke turned to look at Zac and they exchanged a glance.



“What?”



“Nothing.” Luke shook his head and hid a smile. Even though he considered Zac to be a rival in his quest for the princess’s affections, he couldn’t help but see the qualities that endeared him to her, the same qualities that were making it increasingly difficult for Luke to dislike him. Under different circumstances they could’ve been great friends, perhaps they still could, in time.





The speeder pulled into the cargo hold and settled next to some crates, its engines falling silent as Zac pulled back the canopy. Leia was waiting for them in the doorway, a med-droid and gurney by her side. As soon as the engines quieted she moved towards the speeder and watched as Luke and Zac pulled Jenkins out and placed him gently on the gurney. The med-droid immediately began to work on him, with Leia keeping vigil as the assist-droid manoeuvred them back to medlab.



Luke and Zac watched the receding forms of Leia and the droids, both lost in thought until Luke broke the silence.



“You did good back there, Zac.”



Zac turned to look at him and smirked. Raising an eyebrow he replied, “you weren’t too bad yourself.”



Chuckling Luke patted him on the shoulder. What was it about battle that forged a bond between people?



“You staying on board?”



“Nah, I better get back to the Falcon. Leia would kill me if I let anything happen to her husband.”



“Well we can’t have that now can we?” Zac’s smirk mingled with the sarcasm. He still considered Luke to be a real threat to his happiness but unfortunately the label of ‘bastard’ that he had attached to him was slowly slipping. It would’ve been so much easier to hate the man if he hadn’t put himself in the line of fire earlier. Even more so if he stopped proving that he was genuinely a nice guy. “I guess it comes with the territory,” he thought, “after all he is Leia’s brother and a Jedi. Must be in the genes.”



Luke was no fool and picked up on the undercurrents of the comment. He knew exactly what Zac was feeling because he was feeling it too. A deep-seated rivalry for the Princess’s affections mingled with respect and admiration for your opponent. It was a confusing time, all the more so due to the uncertainty of Arcadia’s situation. Emotions were running high and nothing was going to plan. Luke was certain that things would get worse before they got better…much, much worse.





The afternoon sun drenched the cockpit in golden hues and glistened brilliantly against the sleek hull. Zac looked out the window and surveyed the clearing one last time, ensuring that all equipment and droids were safely secured aboard the ship. Raising his eye line he met Luke’s gaze across the clearing in the Falcon’s cockpit and they exchanged a smile.



“We’re good to go kid,” Han’s voice filtered through the mike.



“Copy that Solo. I’ve fed the coordinates into your computer. I’ll see you on Corellia. Oh and try not to fly into any black holes along the way.”



Muted chuckling and a loud guffaw echoed back at him.



“Ha ha funny Terran. You’re a riot. Just make sure you keep your hands off my wife.”



Smiling wickedly, Zac met Han’s gaze. “I dunno Solo, it’s a long trip and Leia and I go way back.”



Han’s gaze turned into an icy glare and Zac could almost feel the daggers flying across the gap towards him. Chortling, Zac decided to let him off the hook.



“Relax Han, Leia’s in safe hands. Protecting Princesses is what I do.” Redirecting his eyes to Luke he continued. “Besides, once you’ve been with Cadi, anything else is a disappointment.”



“Smug Bastard”



The words echoed in his head and he exchanged narrowed glares with Luke.



“Just a reminder that she’s mine Skywalker. Now get outta my head.”



“We’ll see.”



“Talking about Princesses, wasn’t there something that we were meant to be doing? Like rescuing one?” Han’s comment bought the two rivals attention back to the task at hand.



“Yeah, let’s do this people. Out.”



With a final glower at Luke, Zac ran his fingers across the console and bought the ship to life. The igniting engines sent a shudder through the hull and the loud roar pierced the relative silence of the afternoon, sending flocks of birds into flight.



Zac’s voice filtered through the intercom system.



“Leia?”



“I’m here Zac.”



“How’s he doing?”



“He’s in the bacta tank. His vitals have stabilised but it was touch and go for a while. I think he’ll pull through.”



“Hmm. Strap yourself in Leia, I’m preparing for take off.”



“Doing it as we speak, Zac.”



Signing off the communicator, Zac returned his attention to the controls as the Millennium Falcon shot out of view. The engines’ power increased and the landing gear left the ground, leaving the ship hovering over scorched earth. With a final look around him, Zac pointed the ship skyward, pulling back on the throttle, he glided out of the planets atmosphere and into the black calmness of space. Checking his readouts and satisfied with the results, Zac bought the hyperdrive engines online and initiated the sequence. The ships nose lifted slightly before he was forced back against his seat. The points of light in the distance turned to streaks then blurred into the billowing clouds indicative of hyperspace.



Taking a deep breath to settle the rising unease in the pit of his stomach, Zac switched the controls over to the computer and pushing himself out of the pilots seat, he strode back to the room he shared with the Princess. “Soon,” he thought as he dumped his weapons on the bed. Sitting down amongst them he picked them up in turn and studied each individual piece, making sure that everything was in order.



Soon he would come face to face with an enemy that had haunted his dreams, an enemy more dangerous than any he had ever encountered. He needed to draw on all his intelligence and strength for the coming battle. Normally he would bide his time and formulate a workable plan, looking at it from all angles before making his move but not now. Here time was of the essence and he had already wasted way too much of it. He knew that his enemy wanted them both dead and he would be unlikely to wait indefinitely to see that happen. If Zac didn’t turn up soon he feared that he would kill Arcadia anyway and deal with him later. No there was no time for intricate plans. He needed to get in there and just deal with whatever happens and hope that Skywalker and Solo get there in time to back him up.



Closing his eyes Zac pictured Arcadia in his mind, drawing on his love for her to give him strength. This battle will be fought to the death. Zac just hoped that the funeral would not be his, or worse, Arcadia’s. Try as he might, he just couldn’t shake the uneasiness that was constricting his chest.