9 Chapter 009

Han awoke in the med bay, noticeably in deep thought. 'Should I leave them or stay?' He genuinely didn't know what to do. He could deal with his debt to the Hutts, or he could stay with the Rebels and establish an even stronger Rebellion based on his knowledge of the story. What to do, what to do.

Han swung his legs over and stood up, he felt refreshed and better than before. His connection to the Force also felt less detached, more intimate. Which weirded him out, but it was needed.

'What if I went to Dagobah?', Yoda isn't a sip of sprite away from death just yet, surely he'd train Han. Right? That's it! Help the rebellion, once the foundation is established leave for training. Chewie could drop a few pounds as well, he'll complain at first. But he'll adjust.

Exiting the room, he was met with Leia and Ben in a deep discussion. "I'm sorry about Alderaan Leia, I wish I was here to prevent it." He was really beat up over it, but who can blame him? Feeling all of those deaths and being called for help. Only to be powerless to stop the disaster.

"I'm...I understand. There's only so much one person can do. I just need time to gather my thoughts." She said with a frown, Leia was clouded in....darkness. No wonder Jedi coped themselves into rejecting emotions altogether, this feeling is intoxicating and unsettling.

"I could help you do the gathering, ya know," Han said while leaning on the door frame. Ben smiled and Leia had a small smirk as well.

"It's good to see you up and about, Captain. You nearly exhausted all of your energy getting us away from Vader." Ben stated with a hopeful tone. "That should be my line old man, It's impressive to be that old and rusty, yet still kick so much ass." Han chuckled while saying that, the old warrior was still in his skintight kneebrace. 

"So, Captain Solo." Leia said as she stood up, "Will you be taking your leave after payment?" That was a good question...heh.

"Ya know sweet thing, I thought about it." Leia frowned at that. The 'sweet thing' or the potential implication of his words. "I think I'll stay, I mean it's a better outcome than running away with credits. Like I said before getting some shut-eye. There's something kriffing out there way worse than the Empire."

Leia and Ben both smiled at this revelation, but it went away fast at the mention of this 'thing'. Confused and shaken.

"Long story short, her name is Abeloth. Dark entity. All that freak stuff." Han said plainly. Leia was confused but Ben's eyes went wide at the mention of The Mother.

'The Mother? What does she want with....' Obi-Wan was lost in thought. It just keeps getting worse. As if an impending doom was cursed upon the Galaxy at its inception.

Han leaned against the doorframe, his expression pensive as he observed Leia and Ben's reactions to the name he had uttered. Abeloth - a dark entity that seemingly posed a threat greater than even the might of the Empire.

"Abeloth?" Leia said, her brow furrowed in concern. "I'm not familiar with that name. What exactly are we dealing with here, Han?"

Han pushed himself off the wall, taking a step closer to the pair. "It's a long story, but the short version is that this Abeloth character is some kind of ancient, powerful dark side entity. I don't know all the details, but I got a feeling she's been pulling the strings behind the scenes, orchestrating events to suit her own twisted agenda."

Ben stroked his beard, his eyes narrowed in deep thought. "This is...disturbing news. I had heard whispers of an ancient evil, a 'Mother' figure from an old friend, but I had dismissed it as mere myth and legend. If what you say is true, then we may be facing a threat beyond anything we've encountered thus far, no the galaxy has ever encountered."

Leia crossed her arms, her expression hardening. "Well, we can't afford to ignore this. If this Abeloth is as dangerous as you say, then we need to find out more. What do you know, Han? Anything that could help us prepare?"

Han shook his head, an uncharacteristic look of uncertainty on his face. "Not much, to be honest. The details are hazy, and I'm not even sure how much I can trust the information I have. All I know is that she's some kind of dark side avatar, with the power to manipulate people and events on a galactic scale. And she's been waiting, biding her time, for the right moment to strike."

Ben's eyes narrowed. "Then we must be vigilant. Abeloth's influence could be far-reaching, and we cannot afford to be caught off guard. We must gather what intelligence we can, and prepare ourselves for the battle to come."

Leia nodded grimly. "Agreed. Han, I want you to work with our intelligence operatives, see what you can uncover about this Abeloth. Take this Holoprojector. Ben and I will begin assembling a team to investigate this threat further. We can't let the Empire be the only thing we have to worry about."

Han straightened his posture, a newfound determination in his eyes. "You got it, Your Highness. Time to get to work."

As Han made his way to speak with the intelligence operatives on the holo Leia had given him, he paused and turned back to Ben. "Actually, Master Jedi, there's something else I'd like to discuss with you."

Ben raised an eyebrow quizzically. "Of course, Captain Solo. What is it?"

"Well, I was thinking... I know I'm not exactly Jedi material, but I was hoping you might be able to provide me with a little training. You see, I had this, well, Force-fueled moment back on the Death Star when I was able to push Vader away from the Falcon. And since then, I've felt a stronger connection to the Force, like it's calling to me." Yeah, this was going to be fucking awesome.