Of Flesh and Blood [Hawk/Leori]

[Leori Sheltrak]

[member="Hawk Solo"]

“That WAS the plan. Now there are children involved. I don’t think the plan will work if we don’t have anywhere to go, or anyone to go to. You were supposed to be on the outside, and now you’re in here. I would call that a failure. We need a new plan. And fast.” Leori said, trying to make sense for the clearly disoriented and groggy padawan. She looked to the children. “We are not going to endanger their lives to catch a big fish. We need to be smart.”

She stopped talking for a moment and put a finger to her lip to indicate they should be quiet. Someone was coming. She could feel it, but not yet hear whomever it was.

 

[Hawk Solo]

[member="Leori Sheltrak"]

Hawk was about to reply when Leori indicated that company was coming. He could hear their footsteps as they got closer. It sounded like a small group. Wait there was a different sound..not quite walking but siding and than that laugh. Jabba. A grin slides across his face. Hawk knew Jabba from his checkered past. They still might have away out of this mess.

Nathan lead the group to the cell. "Here is your merchandise." Prince Xizor nods. "The woman is very pretty but too old for the auctions. The buyer don't want any trouble and she looks like trouble. The children are fine. They all have the force." He asks Nathan.

"Yes, they do. Very little training in most of them." Xizor nods. "The man..he looks familar." Jabba snorts. "That Hawk..he used to work for me as smuggler. Rumor is he left to become a Jedi." The way Jabba said that may it sound like he didn't believe it.

Hawk struggled to stand. He greeted Jabba in huttese. "is that what you heard. That is hysterical! Me...a Jedi." Hawk says laughing. "No way. I took time off. Found out I had kid. Just trying to be responsible. It didn't take. ...too much of scoundrel."

Xizor glances at Jabba. He was finding this conversation interesting. "If I may..why are you in the cell with the Jedi?" Hawk shrugs. "I dont ask him. He's the one that put me in here." Hawk says tossing the question back at Nathan.

Nathan couldn't believe that his son was trying to con his way out of a jail cell. So far he was doing pretty good job. "I heard the same rumors as well. That Hawk had turned Jedi. Better to be safe than sorry."

 

[Leori Sheltrak]

[member="Hawk Solo"]

Leori narrowed her eyes when Hawk grinned. What was there to grin about at a time like this? Well, she guessed she’d find out when whomever it was arrived in the next few seconds. They were examined, as merchandise, which Leori certainly didn’t care for. Lucky her, she was too old for the auctions. And she looked like trouble. In most cases, she wasn’t trouble. She certainly hadn’t done anything to give that impression during her stay. In fact, she was fairly certain that none but Hawk knew that her cuffs were doing nothing but binding her wrists.

She kept silent throughout the exchange, trying to formulate a plan since they hadn’t had time to come up with one before company arrived. But, she didn’t have one, and so she decided to stick with the lie they’d already established. “Perhaps he was rewarded for bringing you a useless Jedi,” Leori snapped sarcastically.

Well, she’d just made trouble, so she had confirmed their suspicions. Now the question was, what was going to happen next…. Hawk might have very well talked his way out of the cell, and though she’d proved useless for the auction that didn’t mean they were going to let her go. That would be nice, but unrealistic.

 

[Hawk Solo]

[member="Leori Sheltrak"]

The men chuckled at Leori's comment. Xizor already made up his mind about Leori and Hawk. "Release the smuggler and put him to work." He instructed Nathan. "The woman knows too much.. Disposed of her. And for the children they are to be taken to my shuttle."

"Yes, your Highness." Nathan says moving to the cell to free his son. He couldn't believe that son of Sith talks his way out of it. He opens the cage door. He releases Hawk cuffs. (Now) Hawk says through the force to Leori. It was time to show them how much trouble Jedi can be.

 

[Leori Sheltrak]

[member="Hawk Solo"]

Surprise surprise, she was to be executed. Well, not today anyway. She’d been idle long enough, and now it was time to do something about their present predicament. To the children, she spoke telepathically “Take cover, stay down.”

And just as soon as Hawk was free, she released a powerful Force Repulse. Even the Hutt would be knocked down. And that would take the minions a fair amount of time to deal with. Her hands were still cuffed, but she could use the Force, so she wasn’t exactly unarmed. In the blink of an eye, she was out of the cage. The minions were still stunned and trying to get back to their feet, but Leori had already called their weapons to her hands.

She nodded to Hawk.

 

[Hawk Solo]

[member="Leori Sheltrak"]

Nathan and the others were thrown back from Leori force repulse. He saw the look that Leori and Hawk exchanged so his suspicions were correct. They are working together. It wasn't time yet to blow his own cover. There was so much information that he needed to know. Now he was going to have do something he wanted to avoid. He was going to have to fight his own son.

Hawk grins at Leori. She was very powerful. "Thanks for hospitally but it is time for us to leave." He takes a blaster from Leori. "Prince Xizor, you are coming with us." Hawk wasn't about to leave the head of this ring behind. They had a mission to accomplish.

"I don't think so Hawk." Nathan says as he ignites his emerald green blade. "The only way you leave is in a body bag."

 

[Leori Sheltrak]

[member="Hawk Solo"]

Leori placed her hand on the Prince’s neck, and rendered him unconscious with the Force. He would be easier to transport while unconscious anyway. The Hutt hadn’t managed to get upright yet and was displeased. She gestured to him and spoke to the minions. “I’d help him up before he punishes you.” That would keep them busy, since they were unarmed now they couldn’t do much of anything to Force Users.

Nathan seemed to have other ideas, bringing a lightsaber into the mix. She wondered if Hawk was carrying one. She certainly wasn’t. “Can you handle this Hawk?”

If so, she would take their prisoner and the children back to the ship. If not, things could get ugly very quickly.

 

[Hawk Solo]

[member="Leori Sheltrak"]

"Yeah I can handle this. Take care of the kids and our guest." He withdrew his own saber. He ignited his blue blade facing his father. It felt like something out of a nightmare.

Nathan sneers. "I don't think so. I'm not going to allow that." Nathan moves to charge Leori and the kids. Hawk leaps in the way. Their two blades clashing into each other. Sparks flees from their impact. "Go! I got him."

 

[Leori Sheltrak]

[member="Hawk Solo"]

Leori nodded to Hawk, then gestured for the children to follow her. “Come,” she commanded. Her body shifted and turned as the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end with Nathan’s charge. Hawk came between them, which she didn’t like, but there wasn’t much she could do against an armed Jedi without a blade of her own. Hawk was equipped to deal with him, if he listened to the Force and not to his father.

She rounded up the children, and levitated the unconscious Prince through the corridors and to Hawk’s ship. There was very little resistance to the Jedi Master, many of whom she convinced to look the other way with a Jedi mind trick. Unfortunately, she didn’t have time to waste. These children needed to be secured immediately.

On board, she waited for Hawk. Silently she communicated to him as she got the ship’s pre flight check list completed. “We’re waiting for you.”

 

[Hawk Solo]

[member="Leori Sheltrak"][member="Iella E'ron"]

Hawk pushed hard against his father's blade pushing him away. Nathan falls back surprised by strenght of Hawk push. "Well done. Let's see what else you have learned."

The two of them trade blows each of them trying to get an upper hand. With each passing moment, Nathan was learning to respect his son skills.

Hawk was momentarily distracted when he received Leori meesage. Nathan took that opportunity to strike. The tip of Nathan's blade slides down Hawk's right thigh leaving a long red burning scar. Hawk grits his teeth in pain not crying out as he strikes back. It was time to end this battle.

Hawk's blade swings down and cuts off Nathan's hands at the wrist. Nathan falls backward to the ground in shock. Hawk picks up his father's blade tears in eyes. "You are no longer worthy to use." He was going to say more but bunch of Nathan's thugs began firing on him.

Hawk deflected their shots into the ground as he back away. He didn't want to hurt anyone else. It was time to get back to the ship. Hawk breaks off the attack and force runs to the ship carrying both sabers. It hurt like hell to run on his injured leg but he suppressed most of the pain with the force until he got back to the ship.

He limps on board. "I'm here. Let's get out of here,"

 

[Leori Sheltrak]

[member="Hawk Solo"]

Leori was more than happy to oblige when Hawk climbed aboard. The ship soared skyward toward orbit at her command. Without releasing the controls, she turned her head to assess the damage done to her companion. It wasn’t pretty. But, she could certainly fix it when they were safely away from this planet and in hyperspace on their way back to Voss.

Hawk’s injuries weren’t the only thing that needed to be sorted out in hyperspace. The children. She didn’t know their names or where they came from, or where they were taken from. All that she knew was that very soon they all would be safe. From there, well, anything was possible.

In just under an hour, the familiar shudder told her that the ship had reached hyperspace and that for the time being, they were safe. Leori left the controls and headed to Hawk to attend to his wounds, and to speak to the children.

 

[Hawk Solo]

[member="Leori Sheltrak"]

The kids were raising hell on the ship. "Stop running. Don't touch that." He says to them over and over. They were excited to be free. He just wanted them to be quiet. He had a pounding headache from the concussion. His leg hurt like hell. He was pretty torn up emotionally. His father lightsaber was in his hands.

 

[Leori Sheltrak]

[member="Hawk Solo"]

Leori had to chuckle at Hawk as he scolded the children. And she smirked. The Jedi Master cleared her throat and clapped her hands to get their attention. “Alright. All of you go and get something to eat while I patch up our Captain.”

She waited for them to leave before taking a seat beside Hawk and inspected his wound. “Grip that tightly I’m going to close the wound. It will be painful.” To her hand she called a medical kit with the Force. In the blink of an eye, she had antiseptic on his wound to ensure no foreign objects would be enclosed in his wound when it closed. Then, she pinched it shut with her fingers. Using the Force, she stimulated the cells in his blood stream to encourage them to get to work on healing. The scar wouldn’t be gone, but it would be considerably less noticeable this way. He would have the reminder though.

 

[Hawk Solo]

[member="Leori Sheltrak"]

Hawk was grateful when Leori was able to send the children to the galley to eat. Sometimes it took a woman or Jedi Master to control kids. He grip the chair as Leori instructed. His fingers dug into the chair as Leori closed the wound. He let out a slight whimper. The pain left as soon as the wound was closed.

"Too bad, you can't heal my heart with the force, I ..I...had to cut off his hands." He tells her quietly.

 

[Leori Sheltrak]

[member="Hawk Solo"]

Leori smiled sadly. “Unfortunately, nothing but time can heal a heart Hawk. And I think you’ll need a lot of time to heal that wound.” She stood up. “Don’t let your decision weigh on you. You made your decision and it can’t be changed. There is no sense in questioning it and second guessing yourself.”

 

[Hawk Solo]

[member="Leori Sheltrak"]

"I hate to say it. I think you are right. I made the best decision at that time." He just didn't know how he was going to tell his sibling about what happen. He had feeling they won't be as understanding as Leori.

"Any idea how we are going to figure where these kids ago?" The olders ond weren't the problem. They could tell them. It was younger ones that would be a problem.

 

[Leori Sheltrak]

[member="Hawk Solo"]

Leori nodded. She knew that she was right. It was difficult not to second guess one’s choices, but as a Jedi that was simply not practical. Agonizing over a choice could lead to dark places. Yes, it was a difficult choice, but it was made and could not be undone. Time to move on.

“I know that I am. Dwelling on it will only lead you to dark places. And once you start down a dark path, it is difficult to see the light. As for the children, well I think we can leave that to the council to decide what should be done. All we can do now is bring them to a safe place and give them time to heal.” The same was true of Hawk.

 

[Hawk Solo]

[member="Leori Sheltrak"]

"Home it is." Hawk says slowly getting up to pilot. Grimaces a little as he walks on his leg. He knew that even with Leori's healing power it would still be sore for awhile.

"Maybe you should check on the kids. I smell something burning." He says to her before going into the cockpit.

 

[Leori Sheltrak]

[member="Hawk Solo"]

For the most part, the feeling of pain in his leg was in his mind. She’d healed the wound fully. There was no real physical reason for him to be in pain, however, given that he’d received the wound with a traumatic event, the pain would remain until he let it go. Only he could decide when that would heal. Probably the same time he forgave himself for making the only choice that he could with his options. Hawk would be fine, Leori was sure of it.

The Jedi Master didn’t smell anything burning. Perhaps the memory of his flesh burning was reminding him with a scent. Still, she could check and make sure that they weren’t burning the galley.

She moved toward the children and inquired as to whether or not they needed assistance feeding themselves. They seemed to have everything under control, but she stayed to supervise anyway. Hawk would need the time to begin the healing process. And there would be a long hyperspace trip to get him started.

The Jedi Master instructed the children to take it easy on Hawk for the remainder of the trip, and to reflect and meditate on their experiences. They would have to speak to the council soon enough, and needed to get their thoughts together.

 

[Hawk Solo]

[member="Leori Sheltrak"]

Hawk goes into the cockpit and slowly sits down in his chair. Turning slightly he readjusted the hyperspace coordinates so that they were going home to Voss. The council will know what to do with the children. He knew he should help Leori with the kids. He had more experience dealing with kids since he was a parent. He just couldn't bring himself to go just yet. He wanted to wallow in his grief for a moment.

He flicks his fingers to force closed the cockpit door. Silently tears spring to his eyes as he recalls the look on his father's face as Hawk removed his hands. The looks of shock, fear and pride. ....pride?