Two
Aragorn opened his eyes to the stars. They glimmered around him as he hung in space, yet none were familiar. In vain, he searched for Menelvagor, the Swordsman in the Sky, yet even the simplest constellation eluded him. He turned his head to see Legolas, Jack, and Will suspended next to him. Relieved, he returned to inspecting his surroundings.
Legolas floated up to him. “Where are we?” His voice was hushed.
Aragorn turned. “The stars are strange. I expected changes, but none so great.” He sighed. “How will we – ”
And space exploded. Visions passed before Aragorn’s eyes. A young boy with sandy hair and bright blue eyes wandered amidst a desert. The same boy, years later, riding in a metal object that skimmed the ground, yet never touched it. The boy with a sword of light in his hand, screaming in agony as his hand was sheared from his body. The boy, torn by lightning, watching as a black-clad man threw his tormentor into the abyss.
And suddenly, the stars were gone. A sun shone overhead, and something cold brushed against Aragorn’s chin. Low voices spoke.
“Whoa. One of the natives, do you think?”
“Nah. They’re all Ewoks. Didn’t hear of any humans roughing it here.”
“Is that a metal sword?”
“Looks like it.”
“When they said this was a backwater world, I didn’t think it was THAT backwater.”
“I’ve seen worse.”
“Where? Even Dantooine wasn’t this far behind!”
“Shut up, Jansen.”
“I still don’t know why I have to watch over you. Now what are we going to do with these guys?”
“You didn’t have to watch over me. And what do you think we’re going to do with them?”
“Didn’t have to watch over you, my foot! Did you think I was going to let you patrol alone? You’re a fighter pilot, Wedge, not a ground pounder!”
“I can’t get into my fighter until I’m fully healed. And I was getting sick of sitting around all day. Now, would you shut up? We don’t even know if these guys speak Basic, and you’re probably scaring them.”
“Me? Scaring them?”
“I can speak your tongue.” Aragorn spoke up, already having decided that he had nothing to fear from these two. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Legolas, Jack, and Will sit up cautiously. “We all can.”
“And frankly, mates, you talk a bit too much for your own good.” Jack said. “Even I can’t go on for that long.”
Will snorted.
The brown haired one that had been called Wedge said cautiously, “You speak our......tongue?” He exchanged a glance with his companion, the baby-faced one he had called Jansen.
Jansen smirked.
Wedge rolled his eyes. “Well, since we all understand each other......” He became serious. “What are you doing here? Are you natives, or do you work for the Empire?” At the last word, his eyes became flinty. For the first time, Aragorn noticed the strange ‘gun’ the man held ready at his side.
“Natives?” he asked cautiously. He glanced at Legolas. “That would depend on where we are.”
Will laughed. “Somehow, I doubt it.”
“What’s this ‘empire’ you mentioned?” Jack demanded. “Wouldn’t happen to be the British Empire, would it?”
Jansen shook his head.
“Good. Didn’t take you for Brits, but you can never be too careful.” He winked. “Still got their wigs in knots over the whole pirate thing.”
A brief buzzing emanated from a pocket on Wedge’s trousers. He slapped at it, then pulled a small metal cylinder from his pocket. “Antilles here.”
A voice buzzed.
“We found four human natives, but no stormtroopers.”
The voice buzzed again.
“Don’t know. Should I bring them in?”
Buzzing.
“Yes, sir. We’ll be there.” Wedge pocketed the object, then nodded at Jansen. “Bring ‘em in for questioning. They’ve never heard of human natives, either.” He grinned. “And Luke’s back from Bakura. Hear he’s got stories to tell.”
Jack tensed as Wedge spoke. “Bring us in?” He threw a panicky look at Will. “I’m not liking the sound of that.”
Jansen groaned. “We’re not going to hurt you. We just want to ask some questions about anything suspicious you may have seen.”
“I’ve heard that before.,” grumbled Jack. “We’re not going with you.”
Jansen leveled his blaster. “Sorry. We have orders.”
Jack snorted. “That thing can’t be real. Where do you load it at?” He grinned. “I’ve seen wooden guns that looked more real than that.”
“Backwater.” Jansen grumbled, and sent a bolt into the grass at Jack’s feet. He glared at Wedge. “It’ll be easy, you said. It’ll be fun. Just us and the Ewoks. Nice little nature walk, maybe a bit of stormtrooper cleanup. No one else will be down there, you said!”
Wedge shrugged. “I was wrong.”
Jack stared in dismay at the charred hole at his feet. “They have guns that shoot fire now?” He glared at Aragorn. “I thought we’d be going to more worlds like yours. Not the future!”
Aragorn’s face was pale. Legolas’ was just thoughtful. “So the projectile comes out of that end!” He smiled. “I would very much like to have one of these ‘guns.’”
Jansen smiled tolerantly. “Well, all you have to do is answer some questions, and we might just give you one.” He gestured with the blaster. “Let’s go.”
Slowly, the four got to their feet. “Where are you taking us?” Will asked cautiously.
“Not far. We’ll take you back to base. Just a few questions, and you’ll be free to go.” Wedge grinned at Jansen. “Luke’s coming down. He’s taking leave for a few days.”
Jansen’s smile turned crafty. “Hm. Sounds like time for some......reminiscing.” He chuckled. “Think that Force of his will help him hold his liquor?”
Wedge shrugged. “Considering there will only be Ewok wine, I certainly hope so.” He adopted a somber attitude. “Dissolves blasters, that stuff.” His head came up sharply. “Hey, none of that!”
Jack paused from where he had been trying to slip off into the trees. “I was just admiring this amazing flower over here. You really should take a look. It’s absolutely lovely. I could just –”
“The base is this way.” Wedge pointed with his blaster as Jansen leveled his. Both were deathly serious.
Jack slumped, defeated. “A few questions?” he asked somberly.
Wedge nodded. “That’s all.”
“Alright.” Only Will noticed the suspicious gleam that appeared in the pirate’s eyes.
The group set off into the forest of Endor.
Legolas floated up to him. “Where are we?” His voice was hushed.
Aragorn turned. “The stars are strange. I expected changes, but none so great.” He sighed. “How will we – ”
And space exploded. Visions passed before Aragorn’s eyes. A young boy with sandy hair and bright blue eyes wandered amidst a desert. The same boy, years later, riding in a metal object that skimmed the ground, yet never touched it. The boy with a sword of light in his hand, screaming in agony as his hand was sheared from his body. The boy, torn by lightning, watching as a black-clad man threw his tormentor into the abyss.
And suddenly, the stars were gone. A sun shone overhead, and something cold brushed against Aragorn’s chin. Low voices spoke.
“Whoa. One of the natives, do you think?”
“Nah. They’re all Ewoks. Didn’t hear of any humans roughing it here.”
“Is that a metal sword?”
“Looks like it.”
“When they said this was a backwater world, I didn’t think it was THAT backwater.”
“I’ve seen worse.”
“Where? Even Dantooine wasn’t this far behind!”
“Shut up, Jansen.”
“I still don’t know why I have to watch over you. Now what are we going to do with these guys?”
“You didn’t have to watch over me. And what do you think we’re going to do with them?”
“Didn’t have to watch over you, my foot! Did you think I was going to let you patrol alone? You’re a fighter pilot, Wedge, not a ground pounder!”
“I can’t get into my fighter until I’m fully healed. And I was getting sick of sitting around all day. Now, would you shut up? We don’t even know if these guys speak Basic, and you’re probably scaring them.”
“Me? Scaring them?”
“I can speak your tongue.” Aragorn spoke up, already having decided that he had nothing to fear from these two. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Legolas, Jack, and Will sit up cautiously. “We all can.”
“And frankly, mates, you talk a bit too much for your own good.” Jack said. “Even I can’t go on for that long.”
Will snorted.
The brown haired one that had been called Wedge said cautiously, “You speak our......tongue?” He exchanged a glance with his companion, the baby-faced one he had called Jansen.
Jansen smirked.
Wedge rolled his eyes. “Well, since we all understand each other......” He became serious. “What are you doing here? Are you natives, or do you work for the Empire?” At the last word, his eyes became flinty. For the first time, Aragorn noticed the strange ‘gun’ the man held ready at his side.
“Natives?” he asked cautiously. He glanced at Legolas. “That would depend on where we are.”
Will laughed. “Somehow, I doubt it.”
“What’s this ‘empire’ you mentioned?” Jack demanded. “Wouldn’t happen to be the British Empire, would it?”
Jansen shook his head.
“Good. Didn’t take you for Brits, but you can never be too careful.” He winked. “Still got their wigs in knots over the whole pirate thing.”
A brief buzzing emanated from a pocket on Wedge’s trousers. He slapped at it, then pulled a small metal cylinder from his pocket. “Antilles here.”
A voice buzzed.
“We found four human natives, but no stormtroopers.”
The voice buzzed again.
“Don’t know. Should I bring them in?”
Buzzing.
“Yes, sir. We’ll be there.” Wedge pocketed the object, then nodded at Jansen. “Bring ‘em in for questioning. They’ve never heard of human natives, either.” He grinned. “And Luke’s back from Bakura. Hear he’s got stories to tell.”
Jack tensed as Wedge spoke. “Bring us in?” He threw a panicky look at Will. “I’m not liking the sound of that.”
Jansen groaned. “We’re not going to hurt you. We just want to ask some questions about anything suspicious you may have seen.”
“I’ve heard that before.,” grumbled Jack. “We’re not going with you.”
Jansen leveled his blaster. “Sorry. We have orders.”
Jack snorted. “That thing can’t be real. Where do you load it at?” He grinned. “I’ve seen wooden guns that looked more real than that.”
“Backwater.” Jansen grumbled, and sent a bolt into the grass at Jack’s feet. He glared at Wedge. “It’ll be easy, you said. It’ll be fun. Just us and the Ewoks. Nice little nature walk, maybe a bit of stormtrooper cleanup. No one else will be down there, you said!”
Wedge shrugged. “I was wrong.”
Jack stared in dismay at the charred hole at his feet. “They have guns that shoot fire now?” He glared at Aragorn. “I thought we’d be going to more worlds like yours. Not the future!”
Aragorn’s face was pale. Legolas’ was just thoughtful. “So the projectile comes out of that end!” He smiled. “I would very much like to have one of these ‘guns.’”
Jansen smiled tolerantly. “Well, all you have to do is answer some questions, and we might just give you one.” He gestured with the blaster. “Let’s go.”
Slowly, the four got to their feet. “Where are you taking us?” Will asked cautiously.
“Not far. We’ll take you back to base. Just a few questions, and you’ll be free to go.” Wedge grinned at Jansen. “Luke’s coming down. He’s taking leave for a few days.”
Jansen’s smile turned crafty. “Hm. Sounds like time for some......reminiscing.” He chuckled. “Think that Force of his will help him hold his liquor?”
Wedge shrugged. “Considering there will only be Ewok wine, I certainly hope so.” He adopted a somber attitude. “Dissolves blasters, that stuff.” His head came up sharply. “Hey, none of that!”
Jack paused from where he had been trying to slip off into the trees. “I was just admiring this amazing flower over here. You really should take a look. It’s absolutely lovely. I could just –”
“The base is this way.” Wedge pointed with his blaster as Jansen leveled his. Both were deathly serious.
Jack slumped, defeated. “A few questions?” he asked somberly.
Wedge nodded. “That’s all.”
“Alright.” Only Will noticed the suspicious gleam that appeared in the pirate’s eyes.
The group set off into the forest of Endor.