Tag: fanfic

For ficlet, Finn is a tutor and Rey is trying to keep cool in front of the hot guy?

vaderey:

(sorry this is so late anon! life got in the way)

Oh shit, is the first thing Rey thinks when she see him. Because the ridiculously hot guy walking towards her with purpose, waving at her, just has to be the tutor that was assigned to her – Finn. And however thankful she is to see someone this beautiful in the flesh, she cannot, she repeats cannot, spend an hour face to face with this guy and survive. Who the hell thought it would be a good idea to let this guy be tutor? How many poor souls had to endure this blinding handsomeness up close? How is anyone expected to learn in the presence of this Adonis?

“Hey.” Finn, who might be the most attractive man in the world by Rey’s reckoning, says. Rey doesn’t know when he had got so close  probably when she was gawking over him she guesses. “You’re Rey, right?” He asks smiling. She resists the urge to cover her eyes or look away. The sun is less radiant.

Marry me, is her next thought, because how, HOW, is she supposed to live her life without this man lighting it up for her every day. She has no idea how she hasn’t seen him on campus before because surely he glows like a goddamn beacon of light that no one could miss. She realizes she hasn’t said a word and has just been starring open mouthed for longer than is appropriate (though she would argue that propriety can be damned because HAVE YOU SEEN THIS GUY?).

“Hi.” She says dumbly. She winces at her own voice. Nice one, Rey. Really turned on the charm and wit with that one.

He sits down beside her and she can feel the warmth from his skin. Rey already feels like she’s melting – she’s that far gone from being cool.

“So what are you struggling with?”

FUCK IT, Rey thinks. There’s no way she’s learning shit with these thoughts swirling in her head. Might as well do something about it.

“Right now, I’m struggling with not asking you out.” Did she just say that? Yep, she totally did judging by the look on Finn’s face. It’s shocked, but it soon turns into a smile so that’s definitely a good sign.

“Oh?” He says, a mischievous glint in his eyes, and Rey desperately wants to jump him. “Well as your tutor I can help you with that. I’d recommend asking me to get wings at the campus pub, in about an hour when I’m free after my tutoring.” His grin is wide as he checks her out, and Rey’s heart is racing.

“Ok, do you wanna get wings after this?”

“I’d love too. But first, we’re gonna kick chemistry’s ass!” He says opening the book in front of him.

I think we already have, Rey thinks, and then says, getting a laugh out of Finn.

REY YOU WEIRDO I LOVE YOU

i-am-therefore-i-fight:

Finn jerks awake, panicking for a moment when he feels restrained – but it’s only Rey’s arms wrapped around him (she’s got limbs like a rathtar, this one). He thought he heard booted feet and shouting down the hall, but as he takes a moment to listen and breathe, he realizes that it was only part of his dream.

Rey’s awake, too, looking rather alarmed; he pats her once on the shoulder, trying to be reassuring, but she just lies there looking at him. He sighs.

“Did something happen or was it a dream?” she asks.

“Just a dream.”

She sighs too, then, and buries her face in his chest. “It’s not that I wish I could block it out. I don’t want you to go through it alone.”

“But I wish Luke had at least taught us to control it so we wouldn’t leak all over each other,” Finn replies ruefully.

Rey affects a comically pompous tone. “Yes, I’d like for you to keep your feelings over on your side of the bed, please.”

He pokes her in the ribs, making her cringe and giggle. He pokes her again, and she smacks his hand away.

“Stop it,” she says. “Go back to sleep.”

“Alright,” he lies, and nuzzles into her hair. There’s no point telling her that sleep won’t return anytime soon – if he’s awake, she will be, too.

I’m posting original content daily to remind you to register to vote in the 2018 midterms! Contact me once you’ve registered to get a fic written just for you!

What about Jango Fett raising Boba? I love the father son fluff.

shadowmaat:

Jango saw the lightsaber coming for his head and the sounds of the battle faded. All he could hear was the hum of the saber and Boba screaming for him.

He ducked.

The saber hit his helmet, shearing off a portion of it and scoring a line of fire across his jaw. If it had caught him in the neck or if he hadn’t been wearing beskar’gam, he’d be dead. He fired at the dark-skinned Jedi again before turning to run across the sand towards his son.

Boba was already running towards him… straight through the battle.

“Boba, no!” He lifted his blaster as a battledroid took aim at Boba’s unprotected chest. As fast as his reflexes were, he knew he wouldn’t be fast enough to stop it.

Instead it was a clone who tackled Boba to the ground, taking the shot to his shoulder. Jango shot the droid and three more with it before reaching the fallen clone and Boba.

“Kriff, that hurt,” the clone said in Jango’s voice.

Jango scooped Boba into his arms, holding him tight.

“Thank you,” he said. 

“No problem sir.” The clone started to stand, favoring his injured shoulder. “Might wanna get the little nipper outta here, though. This is no place for a cadet.”

“You’re right,” Jango said.

Standing there in the middle of a battlefield, feeling the burn of what should have been a fatal blow and holding his sobbing son, it finally occurred to him that some things were more important than contracts. He ignited his jetpack and left.

Eventually he and Boba settled in the outer rim, as far from the developing war as they could get and still be in semi-civilized space. There was enough money to keep them situated comfortably, though he still sometimes took the odd bodyguard job or shipping escort. Mostly, though, he just spent time with Boba.

“Dad, please? I’ll take care of it, I promise!” Boba cradled the squirming kitten in his arms. Both of them were covered with dirt and cobwebs.

“There’s a lot of training involved with keeping a cat,” Jango said. “It isn’t like an eel that’s content to stay in its tank, a kitten will want to run around and shred things. It needs to be trained to a litterbox.” He crossed his arms and stared down at his son. “Are you sure you’re up for the responsibility?”

“Yes- ow!- Yes, I am!” Boba wrinkled his nose as the kitten crawled up his chest to perch on his shoulder. Boy and kitten stared up at him with wide eyes. Jango sighed, knowing he’d already lost and having a hard time feeling sorry about it. He reached out to scratch the kitten’s head.

“I guess he’s yours, then.”

“Thank you!” Boba flung himself into a hug, almost dislodging the kitten, who mewled in protest.

Jango returned the hug, feeling warmed right through. He smiled, feeling the tug of scar tissue on his jaw. He could have afforded a better healing job, but sometimes it was good to have a reminder of how close he’d come to losing everything.

Twelve, or “almost thirteen,” as Boba insisted, was a little old to still be needing your hand held as you walked, but when his son reached up Jango held tight. Part of him suspected that Boba only did it to comfort him, but if so, he wasn’t about to say anything.

Some of their lessons had changed, too. Jango still made sure Boba knew how to take care of himself. They still went out to the woods to practice with a variety of weapons and went into town so he could learn how to negotiate with sellers in the marketplace. There were practice runs in Slave 1 so Boba could learn the controls and get a better grasp of navigation as well as all the secrets the ship had to offer. But in addition to all of that Jango also started teaching him how to play and have fun. He had friends, now, and in order to fit in he needed to know the games other kids knew. Ballgames and racing games and games with inexplicable rules. Sometimes Jango learned right along with him.

There were classroom courses as well. Some were conducted virtually at home, but some also happened in person to help with socialization. It hurt Jango’s heart to watch his son leave the house on those days, but he wanted to do what was best for Boba, and if bounty hunting was out of the picture then he needed to find something else. Something that he loved rather than what his father told him to do.

“Dad?”

“Hmm?” Jango glanced down, shaken out of his musings.

“Can we stop at the library on the way home?”

That was another change, and one Jango had been slow to accept. Boba loved to read. Not just history books and instruction manuals, but fiction. He’d always discouraged such frivolities before, but after they’d been out here for a few months Boba had come up to him and asked about it. He’d squirmed and shuffled his feet and looked so guilty before admitting that he liked to read adventure stories and other silly fluff like that. It was something he’d been afraid to talk about and that convinced Jango that maybe the old way of doing things hadn’t been the right way. At least not for Boba. Reading made him happy, and if his son was happy then that made him happy, too. The library became one of their regular stops. Jango still didn’t see the point of fiction, but it wasn’t all Boba read, either. There were plenty of texts on biology, ecology, engineering, mechanics, and so many other subjects he wasn’t sure he could remember them all.

“I don’t know if they allow animals inside.”

Boba’s face fell, his lower lip pouting out as he rubbed his face against the kitten’s fur.

“But I suppose I could stay outside with the little monster while you go in and browse. Thirty minutes only,” he warned.

Boba beamed at him. “You’re the best, Dad!”

Jango wasn’t and he knew it, but he was getting better every day. He smiled, tousling Boba’s hair and earning a resigned “Daaaaad!”

They’d stop at the library. And maybe they’d grab ice cream on the way home. And then after Boba and his latest acquisition were sound asleep Jango would send another message to his contact within the GAR. He still hated the Jedi. He still hated their war. But that trooper’s selflessness on Geonosis had reminded him that while Boba was his son, he owed a lot to the rest of the clones, too. He’d make sure they were free to live their own lives, and with the information he’d stolen from the Kaminoans those lives would now be just as long as Boba’s. And it it happened to ruin the Jedi’s plans and cause a certain Korun bastard a lot of headaches, well, that was just a bonus, wasn’t it?

lj-writes:

the-bi-writer:

lj-writes:

lj-writes:

I can’t add comments to @the-bi-writer‘s There Is No Redemption Here for whatever reason and asks are too short to contain my magnificent prose, so I’ll just put them here. This is for Chapter 6 (link):

Seeing how the description of Alia Ren in the last chapter scuttled my Keri Russell fancast I hurriedly replaced her with Naomi Ackie even though she’s probably too young to be a canon KoR. And then! This line:

“You have a weapon,” she hisses, responding to his thoughts.

reminded me of an amoral Maz, which in turn reminded me of Lupita Nyong’o, and that fancast upped the hotness factor of the battle SO MUCH that I’m tempted to change ships midstream 😂 So if this was not the image you had in your head while writing, I gift it to you in thanks for a great scene.

Anyway this duel was so neat!! I loved the decisive and deadly moves, the way the Force interacted with the combat movements, and even the ending with Lupita… er, Alia turning off her sabers midair. Her recruitment tactics are a bit sudden, but effective! Idk how much of a choice it really is, since Alia herself said it wasn’t optional, but I guess it’s more choice than Finn was ever offered before.

Continued for Chapter 7 of @the-bi-writer‘s There Is No Redemption Here, I’ll just go into stream of consciousness/liveblog from here. Spoilers, of course.

Keep reading

Keep reading

Comments are acting up again for @the-bi-writer’s No Redemption, Chapter 13. Spoilers and NSFW musings.

Keep reading

Further comments for Chapter 24, spoilers. The comment glitch comes up every once in a while and I think I should file a bug report with AO3.

Finn’s reunion with his family had me genuinely tearing up! I love that Snoke was right about the Galfridians and fighting fascists is just a given with them lol. I like how you used Finn’s old name Sam despite using the Finn Galfridian of Artorias motif from the EU, nice mix-and-match there. And as though I needed a reminder that John’s mom is a total babe…😍

I love the character Rhyssa has become! She basically doesn’t give a fuck anymore, it seems. I’m actually fairly sure Kylo wouldn’t care if he knew they’re plotting to kill him–he must be expecting it, much like he expected their escape. The cat and mouse game begins!

the-bi-writer:

lj-writes:

lj-writes:

I can’t add comments to @the-bi-writer‘s There Is No Redemption Here for whatever reason and asks are too short to contain my magnificent prose, so I’ll just put them here. This is for Chapter 6 (link):

Seeing how the description of Alia Ren in the last chapter scuttled my Keri Russell fancast I hurriedly replaced her with Naomi Ackie even though she’s probably too young to be a canon KoR. And then! This line:

“You have a weapon,” she hisses, responding to his thoughts.

reminded me of an amoral Maz, which in turn reminded me of Lupita Nyong’o, and that fancast upped the hotness factor of the battle SO MUCH that I’m tempted to change ships midstream 😂 So if this was not the image you had in your head while writing, I gift it to you in thanks for a great scene.

Anyway this duel was so neat!! I loved the decisive and deadly moves, the way the Force interacted with the combat movements, and even the ending with Lupita… er, Alia turning off her sabers midair. Her recruitment tactics are a bit sudden, but effective! Idk how much of a choice it really is, since Alia herself said it wasn’t optional, but I guess it’s more choice than Finn was ever offered before.

Continued for Chapter 7 of @the-bi-writer‘s There Is No Redemption Here, I’ll just go into stream of consciousness/liveblog from here. Spoilers, of course.

Keep reading

Keep reading

Comments are acting up again for @the-bi-writer’s No Redemption, Chapter 13. Spoilers and NSFW musings.

God, the Finnrey sex is hot! Also Alia asking Rey whether she got it out of her system takes on SO much more meaning in this version 😂 Alia probably knew exactly what had happened, too. I can see why this is the “full” version, even if the mention of clay and glass shards in sight of where they were having sex made me physically recoil. In a way it’s a metaphor for Finn and Rey’s relationship in this premise, that they have a real and beautiful thing in dangerous and tarnished surroundings.

Also Finn is a bicon yay! I mean I don’t entirely like the idea of him and Slip because Slip was an ass (not a dead ass yet, I guess?), but I love that Finn and Rey have both had relationships and sex and use these experiences as a reference point for their current one. Also kudos for not fetishizing Rey’s lack of experience with PiV sex–also for not painting her as an inexperienced virgin simply because she hasn’t taken dick in vag before which is such a limited, cissexist, and heteronormative conception of sex. I like that her not having had PiV before is just another fact they deal with as a couple and the focus is squarely on Rey and how she feels, not presented as a “gift” (or worse, something “taken” because gah no) or some giant deal where angels sing and light comes down from the heavens. It’s a refreshingly nonchalant and natural presentation of sexual experience and lack thereof.

Rey sitting on cock despite her lack of experience is in line with her impetuousness, especially in her current state of mind, like: “Force I need this hot man’s dick (and also really really need to not think in general) and he’s in me oh that’s so good and ohhhhh shit reality check I haven’t actually done this before have I, just imagined it like three hundred times since I first laid eyes on him. I guess that doesn’t count as experience after all, bummer. Am I going to disappoint him? Is he going to think I’m a total flop? No he’s reassuring me and helping me relax and OH GOD I LOVE HIM SO MUCH.” It’s endearing and funny in an otherwise sad, fraught situation.

lj-writes:

I can’t add comments to @the-bi-writer‘s There Is No Redemption Here for whatever reason and asks are too short to contain my magnificent prose, so I’ll just put them here. This is for Chapter 6 (link):

Seeing how the description of Alia Ren in the last chapter scuttled my Keri Russell fancast I hurriedly replaced her with Naomi Ackie even though she’s probably too young to be a canon KoR. And then! This line:

“You have a weapon,” she hisses, responding to his thoughts.

reminded me of an amoral Maz, which in turn reminded me of Lupita Nyong’o, and that fancast upped the hotness factor of the battle SO MUCH that I’m tempted to change ships midstream 😂 So if this was not the image you had in your head while writing, I gift it to you in thanks for a great scene.

Anyway this duel was so neat!! I loved the decisive and deadly moves, the way the Force interacted with the combat movements, and even the ending with Lupita… er, Alia turning off her sabers midair. Her recruitment tactics are a bit sudden, but effective! Idk how much of a choice it really is, since Alia herself said it wasn’t optional, but I guess it’s more choice than Finn was ever offered before.

Continued for Chapter 7 of @the-bi-writer‘s There Is No Redemption Here, I’ll just go into stream of consciousness/liveblog from here. Spoilers, of course.

He shivers at the thought of [Alia Ren]

So did I, man, because TO ME SHE’S LUPITA NOW THIS WAS A MISTAKE

She clearly means to use him as a pawn in whatever game the Knights are
playing, but that didn’t mean that he, Finn, can get nothing out of
this.

I like how canny and shrewd Finn is here. He clearly knows the FO’s shenanigans all too well–he’s lived here all his life, after all!–and is adapting quickly to being swept into one of the Knights’ games.

He grabs a ration bar and a piece of fruit from the cafeteria – Rey
mentioned yesterday that she had rarely eaten fruit in her life, and
he’s been itching to bring her some

But he’s still so sweeeeeet *melts*

Finn strides to the bed, checks all her readings, and taps out
a quick note on the datapad. He leaves it on her bedside table, along
with the tangerine, so that the first thing she’ll see when she wakes up
is a delicious new fruit and a note from him.

Dude knows how to woo a lady, eh? I mean I know that’s not quite appropriate, she’s wounded and effectively a prisoner, and I know Finn would never take advantage of that. He’s just being nice! I look forward to their courtship beginning in earnest once Rey is back on her feet and has her bearings.

Her skin is light brown and her her eyes are dark and intense.

NOOOO MY LUPITA FANCAST um, maybe Nalini Krishan? I can imagine her as evil Barriss Offee 😂

“Your stance is weak and your strike patterns are predictable, but
that’s easily fixed. You just might be worth my time to train.”

Is faint praise a required skill for the FO leadership?

“You will guard the girl in the medbay for the rest of the day, and you will tell  no one  about this.”

“You’re no longer one of  [the Stormtroopers]. I approved the transfer with Phasma this morning.“

So what’s the part that Finn isn’t supposed to tell, again? There’s no hiding that he’s guarding Rey in medbay, and his transfer is made formal now. Is it the lightsaber training he’s supposed to keep secret? The fact that he’s guarding Rey on Alia’s orders? That he’s receiving lightsaber training? But he’s already been taking out of the Stormtrooper ranks and formally with the Knights. Wouldn’t the training and the fact he’s acting on Alia’s orders be rather obvious?

“The hood’s deep enough to hide your face,” she continues, “and I expect
you to wear it in public at all times. In private, however, use your
discretion.“

I thought the Knights were masked? Or is that reserved for full Knights?

“It suits you.”

THAT’S NOT YOUR LINE LADY

She’s awake and sitting up, and smiles at him like the sun. “Hey handsome.“

Holy shit, Rey calling him “handsome” the last time wasn’t just the painkillers? (Or maybe she’s still on them, but she doesn’t seem nearly as knackered out as last time.) Attagirl, openly flirting in medbay. Finn has already done much to earn her trust–which is why Alia gave him this assignment, she watched the whole thing–and Rey still doesn’t know what the fuck is going on. It’s a good idea to make a friend and ally under these circumstances, and it doesn’t hurt if he’s cute as hell.

“You’re a guest of head of the Knights of Ren.”

An empty head, but head nevertheless. I think this line is missing “the” in front of “head.”

“I’m fairly sure you could request a pet bantha and they’d find a way to get you one.”

That’s Ben, the doting elder brother.

“He sits beside her on the bed, careful to leave a little space between them.

A gentleman, what did I tell you!

She hands him the datapad and their fingers brush, which makes his stomach do a funny little flip-flop.

Me:

He finds the meal app

The First Order–they have an app for that!

She  inhales the food

Thanks for doing that to my heart, ya wanker.

The doctor’s eyes go wide when she sees Finn, and she immediately
drops to one knee. “Sir Knight,” she says, eyes cast to the ground.
“Doctor Noble, head of Starkiller Medbay, at your service.”

Finn’s eyebrows shoot past his hairline. Why was Doctor Noble…? Oh. Oh. He’s dressed like a Knight of Ren, because, well, he is a Knight of Ren now. Or an apprentice to a Knight, but that seems to count.

Huh, the KoR are due a lot of deference here, it seems. We don’t see personnel kneeling to Kylo Ren in the movies, but I can understand this as a formal “introduction” situation as opposed to an operational one.

Dr. Noble is interesting–she seems to be a good doctor doing her job, and she’s done much to mentor Finn, but she works on a freaking weapon of mass destruction. Not to mention she is likely directly complicit in the FO’s crimes and breaches of medical ethics, which are probably numerous. I guess she’s a good case of compartmentalization, and how evil institutions work on a day-to-day basis.

“Good work, doctor. I’ll…” he tries to think of how a knight might
talk, what they might say. “I’ll report back to Lady Alia that the girl
is in most capable hands.”

Doctor Noble breathes out a sigh of relief, and lets her hands relax again at her sides. “Thank you,” she breathes.

Yeah, Noble is working under a lot of fear, too. It’s how the FO works. That doesn’t excuse her collaboration, of course.

I can’t add comments to @the-bi-writer‘s There Is No Redemption Here for whatever reason and asks are too short to contain my magnificent prose, so I’ll just put them here. This is for Chapter 6 (link):

Seeing how the description of Alia Ren in the last chapter scuttled my Keri Russell fancast I hurriedly replaced her with Naomi Ackie even though she’s probably too young to be a canon KoR. And then! This line:

“You have a weapon,” she hisses, responding to his thoughts.

reminded me of an amoral Maz, which in turn reminded me of Lupita Nyong’o, and that fancast upped the hotness factor of the battle SO MUCH that I’m tempted to change ships midstream 😂 So if this was not the image you had in your head while writing, I gift it to you in thanks for a great scene.

Anyway this duel was so neat!! I loved the decisive and deadly moves, the way the Force interacted with the combat movements, and even the ending with Lupita… er, Alia turning off her sabers midair. Her recruitment tactics are a bit sudden, but effective! Idk how much of a choice it really is, since Alia herself said it wasn’t optional, but I guess it’s more choice than Finn was ever offered before.

politicalpadme:

au where Anakin is Mace Windu’s padawan

Anakin bit his lip, afraid to ask, but needing to know. “Master? Why didn’t you want me to be a Jedi?”

Mace gave the boy, his student for nearly a year, a measured look. “I was afraid.”

“Of me?” Anakin’s voice trembled despite his best efforts. Master Windu wasn’t afraid of anything. “What’s wrong with me?”

Mace shook his head. “You reminded me of someone I didn’t want to remember.”

Anakin looked at the floor, his shoulders tight with anger, fear, shame, and his determination not to show them. “A Sith,” he guessed.

Mace placed a hand on his wayward padawan’s shoulder. “Myself,” he explained. “Before I learned to trust the Force.”

Anakin raised wide eyes to his master’s, flashing with a hundred questions, but he could articulate none. Mace pat his shoulder, once, and let go.

“You will be a Jedi. I promise.”

First chapter in my ESB rewrite

(The repetitive, lazy writing is intentional. I’m also really playing up the more ridiculous aspects of the movie. Warning: compared to The Last Jedi, at least, this fic might actually make sense.)

Star Wars: Episode II: The Last Jedi Strikes Back

The EMPIRE reigns. Having discovered the location of the Rebellion, Emperor Palpatine now deploys merciless legions to restore military control of the galaxy.

Luke Skywalker has gone in search of Jedi Master Yoda, certain that he can restore a spark of hope to the fight.

But the Rebellion is in grave danger. As the Empire speeds toward the rebel base, the brave heroes mount a desperate escape….

Chapter I: The Evacuation

  The Avenger loomed over the jungle moon, its shadow casting doom on the rebel base. Below, General Rieekan shouted orders, loading transports with evacuees. Above the planet, the Home One waited for the evacuation to complete so the fleet could escape into hyperspace.

  Suddenly Rieekan looked up as something massive emerged from hyperspace. It was a Star Destroyer, black and bigger than any Star Destroyer the general had ever seen. It was the dreadnought Eclipse, and it had come to wipe the rebel base from off the face of Yavin IV.

  From the Avenger’s bridge, Captain Needa turned and smirked to his commanding officer. “Our first catch of the day.”

  “I have my orders from the Emperor himself,” said Admiral Piett with sober triumph. “Wipe them out. All of them.”

  As the hearts of the rebels filled with dread, a ship approached the Star Destroyer Avenger.

  From the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon, C-3PO murmured, “I have a bad feeling about this.”

  Chewbacca growled at him, an admonition to be upbeat and think happy thoughts.

  “With all due respect, Chewbacca,” came the voice of Ackbar, the fleet admiral, “I’m with the droid on this one.”

  “Well, thanks for the support, admiral,” Han snarked from the gunner’s position. “Chewie, open communications.”

  Chewie flicked a switch and a signal was transmitted to the Star Destroyer Avenger.

  “This is Han Solo of the Millennium Falcon,” said Han loud and clear over the channel. “I have an urgent communique for Admiral Pete.”

  “Patch him through,” Piett ordered, walking the length of the bridge. “This is Piett. Your rebellion is at an end. You are all scum and war criminals. There will be no terms, no surrender. We will eliminate your filth from the galaxy.”

  Han drummed his fingers on the trigger. “Hello?”

  “Yes?” asked Piett.

  “I’m holding for Admiral Pete.”

  “This is Piett,” the admiral snapped.

  “Is Admiral Pete there?” Han demanded. “Can someone please get me an Admiral Pete?”

  “I am Admiral Piett,” Piett snapped. “Can you hear me?”

  “Piett? With a P?” asked Han. “Bony fella. Big Adam’s apple.”

  “That is me,” Piett snapped. “I am Admiral Piett.”

  “Look, is anyone even there? Why won’t you answer me?” Han snapped.

  “This is Piett of the Imperial Navy,” Piett snapped. “I can hear you. Can you hear me?”

  “Do I have the right number?” asked Han.

  “We read you,” said Piett. “This is Piett.”

  “Look, if I can’t get an Admiral Pete, can I talk to Ensign Ferder?” asked Han. “First name Nerv, is he on?”

  “Is there a Nerv Ferder on this ship?” asked Piett loudly to the bridge.

  “No, sir,” replied the crew with a straight face.

  “There are no Nerv Ferders on this ship,” said Piett to Han.

  “Well, that’s obviously wrong,” Han smirked.

  Needa furrowed his brow. “I believe he’s tooling with you, sir.”

  “Look, I can’t hold forever,” Han snapped. “If you see Piett, tell him I’ve got an urgent message from Admiral Ackbar. About his mother.”

  Piett blinked. “What is it?”

  “Oh brother. Boring conversation anyway,” Han muttered as he hung up. “Punch it, Chewie!”

  Chewie roared and put the Falcon’s new booster to the test, sending Threepio flying into the wall with a wail and a clatter.

  The Avenger opened fire, but the Falcon zoomed straight past it, heading straight toward the dreadnought.

  “He’s insane,” Piett muttered. He dialed up General Veers on hologram. “Why aren’t you blasting that puny freighter?”

  “That freighter is at too close range for our weapons,” Veers replied. “We’ll have to fight them ship to ship.”

  “Then unleash our fighters at once,” said Piett, hanging up.

  “Ten minutes too late,” Veers muttered. “Launch fighters!”

  “That single freighter can’t penetrate our armor,” Ozzell scoffed.

  “They’re not penetrating our armor,” Veers snapped. “They’re taking out our surface cannons.”

  “Sir,” said Ensign Canady, “ventral cannons are fully primed.”

  “Excellent,” said Veers. “Blast the rebel base to rubble.”

  The cannons charged and reduced the base to a crater.

  Meanwhile, the Falcon dodged and weaved as Han took out cannons effortlessly. Chewie roared triumphantly.

  “I know, one left,” said Han. “Looks like we’ve got company.”

  A swarm of TIEs zoomed after the Falcon. A blast hit the Falcon, causing a panel to blow.

  “Threepio, get down there and patch that up!” Han bellowed.

  “I’m going, I’m going!” Threepio called, barely able to stand with all the Falcon’s spinning maneuvers. Sparks were flying from a console in the wall.

  Threepio stuck his finger in it and yelped as he was zapped. The sparks stopped, only to explode in two other places. Threepio stuck his fingers in the breaches, yelping each time he was zapped. Soon eight of Threepio’s fingers were in awkward and physically impossible positions.

  Chewie roared from the cockpit, asking if the droid had gotten the problem under control.

  “I’m running out of fingers!” Threepio cried. He stuck his last two fingers into the sparking mess. Then he shut his eyes and rammed headfirst into the console with a wail. The sparks stopped flying.

  Threepio opened his eyes. “I can’t believe that worked,” he said amazedly.

  Han blasted the last cannon and whooped.

  “Yeehaw!” cried Chewbacca.

  “Excellent work, Captain Solo,” said Ackbar. “The fleet is ready to make the jump to lightspeed. Return to the main cruiser at once.”

  “With pleasure, your Admiralbleness,” said Han.

  Chewie roared and turned the ship back toward the Eclipse.

  “What are you, suicidal?” Han demanded. “He said return to the cruiser!”

  Chewie roared in retort.

  “What do you mean we won’t get far?” Han demanded. “I’ll tell you what, we won’t get very far if we don’t jump to lightspeed right now instead of playing hero!”

  “Oh, Chewbacca, please do listen to Captain Solo!” Threepio cried. “This is madness!”

  “Chewbacca!” Ackbar thundered. “Return at once!”

  Chewie shut off Ackbar’s channel and ordered Gold Squadron to strafe the dreadnought.

  “I’m the captain!” shouted Han. “I give the orders around here! You turn this ship around right now, you big hairy idiot, or you’re grounded for a month!”

  Chewie roared and pelted the surface of the Eclipse with blaster fire.

  The Y-wings began their bombing runs, dropping proton bombs on the dreadnought’s surface. They weren’t making much of a dent, and the TIEs were picking them off fast. The rebel ships began to be caught in one another’s explosions.

  From the cockpit of her fighter, Holdo growled in frustration. Her release mechanism was jammed. She reached for the manual remote in the ceiling compartment, but it fell between her feet. Frantically, she attempted to scoop it up with one of her booted feet.

  Seeing the other bombers weren’t doing any damage, Holdo realized what she had to do. She shot straight toward the bridge.

  “Blast that fighter!” Veers ordered, but it was too late. The Y-Wing was careening straight toward the bridge.

  Holdo closed her eyes and stomped on the detonation button.

  “Well, f–” said Veers as a sudden explosion engulfed the bridge. A chain of explosions blossomed along the dreadnought, destroying it completely.

  Chewie roared in triumph and made the jump to lightspeed.

  Piett stood at the bridge of the Avenger, letting none of his fear show on his face.

  Needa approached him. “Emperor Palpatine is requesting contact.”

  “Excellent,” said Piett. “I’ll take the call in my chambers.”

  The Emperor’s hooded head suddenly filled the bridge in blue hologram. “Admiral Piett,” growled the raspy old man.

  “My lord, I report that–” Piett’s face smacked into the floor with a crunch as the Emperor used the Force to drag him across the bridge.

  “My disappointment in your performance cannot be understated,” snarled Palpatine.

  “My lord, they cannot get away,” said Piett, standing up only to slip on the puddle of blood from his nose. “We have them tied to the end of a string.”

  The Emperor mused on this. “See me in my chambers at once.”

  Chewie and Han stood before Admiral Ackbar.

  Ackbar slapped his great fishy flipper across Han’s face. “You’re demoted,” he barked.

  “Hey, now hold on just a second!” Han replied indignantly. “Chewie was the one going kamikaze, not me!”

  Chewie roared. Ackbar slapped him. “You’re demoted!” he barked.

  Chewie roared.

  “For disobeying direct orders!” Ackbar barked.

  “That’s not fair!” C-3PO protested.

  “You wasted valuable lives on a suicide run–” Ackbar growled.

  “We took down a dreadnought!” cried Han.

  “Enough!” Ackbar shouted. “Lieutenant Solo, your Wookiee is on probation until further notice!” He stormed from the room.

  “That’s it, I’m getting out of here,” Han muttered. “Come on, Chewie. We’re leaving this dump before we get into even more trouble.”

  Chewie growled and shook his head.

  “Come on!” Han snapped.

  Chewie shook his head again and roared angrily.

  “Fine!” Han snapped. “See you around, pal. I’m going to find Luke.”

  Han stormed off to the hangar, muttering all the way.