Of Flesh and Blood [Hawk/Leori]

[Leori Sheltrak]

[member="Hawk Solo"]

Leori was saddened to see that her holding cell was full of children. She stumbled in, purposely to keep up the charade. She waited much longer than the children had before responding to their question.

“It wasn’t my primary objective, but yes, I will do everything in my power to see you returned safely.” She smiled a little and spoke softly in their minds. “Worry not. I am not as powerless as I appear to be. And there is another that travelled with me.”

“In the mean time, we will be compliant and not attract any additional attention.” The younglings nodded in understanding. “Yes Master.”

 

[Hawk Solo]

[member="Leori Sheltrak"]

Hawk question didn't surprise Nathan. He had expecting it. "That everything is what it looks like son." He says mysterious. Hawk rolls his eyes. "What the hell is that suppose to mean?" Hawk say burst with angry. "Why does everything have to be a puzzle? Why can't you say what you mean?"

Nathan grins. "Because everything is a puzzle." He says half teasing his son. It was still so easy to rile Hawk. Hawk shakes his head. "I'm serious. What is going on with you? I haven't heard from you in years. Now I find you with a bunch of bounty hunters and stolen Jedi." Hawk left out the part where he had seen his father spirit in the caves Illum.

"I could ask the same of you. Last time I saw you. You were a smuggler. A gun for hire. I've heard rumors that you were here on Nar Shaddaa looking for me with a Jedi Master Iella. Why are you hanging around a bunch of Jedi?" Nathan watched his son face carefully. He thought he saw Hawk flinch at the mention of Iella. Interesting. There was something there.

Nathan stood. "Excuse me while I attend to my guests." Nathan walks out the dining hall. It was time to talk to Leori without Hawk's presence.

The children in the cells were crowd around Leori. They were afraid of Nathan. "Hello children." A few of them response back with Hello Master Solo.

Nathan looks Leori over again. "Tell the truth. How did my son capture you?"

 

[Leori Sheltrak]

[member="Hawk Solo"]

Leori could sense someone coming. It was not Hawk. She gestured to the children that someone was coming down the corridor, then put a finger to her lips. The Jedi Master was certain that they would be silent unless directly addressed.

It was Hawk’s father again. Perhaps it was time for interrogation, she thought. She did not make eye contact while he greeted the children. Some returned his greeting, which was fine. There was no reason for them to bring undue attention on themselves.

She could feel his eyes on her again, even without the Force. And he spoke to her. And he addressed her, but not by name. More details were necessary now.

“I was working. Concentrating on healing. My guard was down.”

Keeping it simple. Too many details would make it impossible to keep their stories lined up. Hopefully he would let the matter drop.

 

[Hawk Solo]

[member="Leori Sheltrak"]

Nathan could sense in the force that Leori was lying. "Really.. That's the story you are going to tell me. You were working to hard and Hawk caught you. I just don't believe it. For one is security so lack that someone like Hawk could just get into the medical center and grab you. Two why didn't you alert someone through that you were under attack."

"Why don't you tell me the truth this time. I would hate that someone will have to suffer because of your lies." He gaze went to the children.

 

[Leori Sheltrak]

[member="Hawk Solo"]

Leori’s expression didn’t change in the slightest as he questioned her story. “First of all, medical centres on outer worlds are not as secure as on core worlds, so yes, anyone can walk in. Second of all, I walked out of my own accord to avoid casualties, and no I did not alert anyone. And lastly, perhaps you don’t realize how involved the process of Force Healing is. It takes all of your focus and control. It is a very delicate and complicated process, so yes it is plausible that Hawk could walk in and put cuffs on be before I realized that he was there.”

His gaze went to the children, but her resolve wasn’t to be changed. “I suppose anything that you cannot grasp is a lie. I’ve just told you what happened, you can believe it or not. Your quarrel is with me and not these children. If you take action against them, you will regret it.” She was not threatening him, but she was deadly serious.

 

[Hawk Solo]

[member="Leori Sheltrak"]

Nathan arches his right eyebrow. Some of what Leori said rang true. "You don't have to worry I would never harm these children. They are already sold as is to the highest bidder." A little girl burst into tears at the news. Two of the older boys made fist with their hands. They weren't going without a fight.

While Nathan was busy attend to Leori, Hawk was shown his room. Being the boss's son had advantages, the guards left him alone. It was still hard to believe that his father had fallen in with such scum. He didn't have to time to worry about that. He had to find out who the buyers were and where the kids were being taken.

 

[Leori Sheltrak]

[member="Hawk Solo"]

Well, it wasn’t good news that the children had already been enslaved and sold. However, it meant that they were safe for the moment, and there was still time because they were still there in the cell with her.

The children were rightfully upset and angry. They were far too young to be tested in such a manner, and were in danger already. She needed to reassure them, but not with others around. “Is there anything else?” She inquired. Hopefully he was done with her. There wasn’t much he would learn from her, and he probably already knew that.

 

[Hawk Solo]

[member="Leori Sheltrak"]

"Word of advice Jedi. Not everything is what it seems." Nathan says with a slightly smile than leaves Leori and the children alone in their cells. Now to find his son before he gets himself into trouble. Having Hawk here has put a wrinkle in his plans. He didn't believe the story that Hawk and Leori were selling,

Hawk walks around listening to the crew conversations. From what he gathered, someone important was coming soon. Maybe it was the buyer. He turns the corner and spots his father walking toward him. (Follow me son.). Nathan says through the force. Hawk frowns and pretend not to understand him. Nathan eyes flash with anger. (I know you heard me. Now follow me.). Nathan walks past Hawk heading towards crew quarters. Hawk sighs and follows behind him.

 

[Leori Sheltrak]

[member="Hawk Solo"]

Leori was well aware that not everything was what it seemed, including herself. She did not respond to him and waited until he’d left the immediate area. She turned to the children and squatted down, beckoning them to her with her hands.

She whispered to them. “Do not be afraid. We will get out of this mess. Trust in the Force. Do not fall prey to the whispers of the dark side when you are afraid or angry.”

For now, all she could do was wait until Hawk made a move. Otherwise he would fail his test and there would be a great many casualties.

 

[Hawk Solo]

@@Leori Sheltrak

Nathan leads Hawk through a series of mazes through the base guiding him to his own personal quarters. Nathan's plan was simple he was going to confront his own son. Hawk follows along behind him unaware that he is going to his own doom. At least that's what Nathan thought Hawk had his own idea what was going to happen next.

The two men enter Nathan's quarters. Each planning their own confrontation. Hawk strikes first. He force shoves his father into the wall. "Your under arrest by the Order of the Silver Jedi." Nathan was taken by surprise by His son using the force against him. This wasn't the same boy that Nathan raise the boy. That boy didn't want to use the force. All that boy wanted was to dance and fly.

Hawk quickly took advantage of the situation by place force cuff on his father. "It over! You will not be enslaving anymore force children." Hawk spun him around. Nathan regarding his son with a look of surprise and a little bit a respect on his face. He hadn't expect that from him that Hawk would use the force that he would even have the ability to or the patience to learn it and now his own son bested him.

"Is thst what you think we were doing. That I was enslaving children?" said Nathan sounding disgusted. "Yes, that's what we thought what else could we think you were taking children ....force children and nobody knew what was going on nobody saw them again if you weren't enslaving them. What were you doing than?" Says Hawk.

 

[Leori Sheltrak]

[member="Hawk Solo"]

Minutes passed. But not at all quickly. Waiting for something to happen was incredibly slow, and terribly uneventful. Leori was not reckless, or impulsive. So nothing would be happening without additional information, and thought.

She sat with her eyes closed, and her senses attuned to the Force. Just waiting. And suddenly she could feel anxiety. Her eyes narrowed. “Something is happening,” she whispered to the children.

 

[Hawk Solo]

[member="Leori Sheltrak"]

"Saving them." Says Nathan. Hawk wasn't sure he believed him. Didn't matter now. "From what?" Snarls Hawk. Nathan frowns. "From themselves." Hawk rolls his eyes. "You haven't change at all. Still speaking in riddles. Let's go." Hawk holds onto Nathan's arm as they leaves his room. "You are making a mistake." Nathan says quietly. Hawk ignores the comment. Nathan was trying to get into his head.

Hawk communicates with Through the force that it was time. He had arrested the leader of the group. "Order your men to stand down." Hawk commands Nathan.

 

[Leori Sheltrak]

[member="Hawk Solo"]

Leori narrowed her eyes upon hearing Hawk’s voice in her mind. It seemed too tidy. She wasn’t so sure. Silently she communicated back “Be cautious, Hawk. Something doesn’t feel right.”

She looked to the children. “It may be over soon. But be alert.” The Jedi Master certainly was. In her mind she went over some possible escape plans. First they would need a way out of the cells they were occupying….

 

[Hawk Solo]

@Hawk Solo

"I won't do that." Says Nathan. "Son, listen to me...this is a mistake. Not everything is what it seems." Stupid stubborn kid was going to blow everything.

Hawk raises an eyebrow. "Tell me what is it. Speak plain no riddles." Nathan glances around. "I can't. The walls have ears." He says quietly. Hawk grimaces. "I hope I don't regret this." He removes his father's force cuffs. "Talk."

(Sorry son.). Nathan says quietly in the force as he bangs his son's head into the wall knocking unconscious. Nathan places the force cuffs on Hawk's wrists loosely. Nathan been working undercover in the bounty hunter ring for the past year. He was finally going to meet the head of the ring. He wasn't about to let Hawk blow his cover. In a way Hawk showing up plays into his role as a rouge Jedi.

Nathan takes his unconscious son into the holding cell of Leori and the children. "Move away from the door." He tells them. "I brought you some company."

 

[Leori Sheltrak]

[member="Hawk Solo"]

Leori shook her head as her senses told her that things were going from bad to worse. That wasn’t good at all. Just a few minutes later, Hawk was brought unconscious to the cell that her and the younglings were occupying. And, he was wearing cuffs. That was entirely unhelpful.

The children moved away from the door as instructed, but said nothing more. Leori just glared at Nathan, hopefully he would just go away…

 

[Hawk Solo]

[member="Leori Sheltrak"]

It killed Nathan to dump Hawk's unconscious body on the ground. "Liar!" He says than kicked Hawk hard in the ribs. He turns and glares a Leori before leaving the cell. Time to go meet his boss.

Hawk groans and slowly opens his eyes. His eyes focus on the kids than on Leori.

 

[Leori Sheltrak]

[member="Hawk Solo"]

Leori did not avert her gaze until he was out of her sight and she could no longer hear him. Then she kneeled down next to Hawk. “Are you alright? What happened?” She couldn’t be sure, but she imagined that Hawk had let his guard down and been knocked out for his trouble.

Still, she looked him over for signs of physical injuries. He didn’t seem to be bleeding so he must have been knocked out. They needed a new plan. One that didn’t involve them all spending their time in the cell.

 

[Hawk Solo]

[member="Leori Sheltrak"]

He winces in pain as he slowly sits up from the pain. "I'm alright just battered and bruised." He frowns. "I had arrested him. He was force cuffed. I don't understand what happened?" He rubs his head with hands noticing thr cuff on him. "These aren't force cuff." He says in a low whisper. "This doesn't make sense. Must have switched them. He said that he was trying to save them."

 

[Leori Sheltrak]

[member="Hawk Solo"]

Leori frowned. “Did you release him?” She was confused as to how he could have escaped. But his confusion told her that he’d been knocked out with a physical blow. She suspected he was going to have a hell of a headache, and possibly hear some ringing in his ears randomly, but otherwise he’d be fine for the time being, so long as he didn’t continue to suffer head injuries.

When Hawk whispered, she narrowed her eyes and whispered back. “We’ve walked into a trap. But I’m not sure who set it anymore or if we are the targets or the bait. This is wrong. We can’t go along with this.”

 

[Hawk Solo]

[member="Leori Sheltrak"]

"I don't know." He says quietly. He couldn't remember. His mind was a little foggy right now due to his head injury. "I might have." This was insane. "We got get out of this and take the kids with us." He pauses for a moment. "He will be expecting that. Maybe we should play along with this. See where it takes us. This might leads to the big fish. That was kinda my plan in the beginning. You were the bait." He hoped that he was making sense.

---

The moment had finally come. Nathan was going to meet the Big boss in charge of this. His patience had paid off. A small shuttle lands in the middle of the junkyard where Nathan and few people were waiting. Nathan had a few theories who this boss was gong to be. The shuttle ramp lowers and three beings emerge from the shuttle. One was a Hutt. No surprise there. It was Jabba. Nathan. Had met him before when dropping off slaves on Tatoonie. The next was Mando bounty hunter. The last one was a surprise it was a Falleen. Interesting. It was Black Sun. This was bigger than Nathan had expected.

Nathan smiles and greets Jabba in huttese. Jabba gestures to Prince Xizor and introduce him to Nathan.