// In the detention area, aboard the Death Star... //

The sound of boots against metal deckplates boomed, coming ever closer. Jim Solo cursed under his breath and hurried down the hall. Stopping just inside the doorway, he fired his blaster into the door control unit behind him, effectively jamming it. It wouldn't stop the storm troopers, but it might buy some time.

Quickly, Jim headed for the cellblock and Sandwalker. Behind him, he could hear a series of explosions as the Imperial troops began to blast their way through. Turning, Jim fired at them through the smoke and flame, then ran down the hallway, bumping almost immediately into Blair Sandwalker and the Australiaan princess, a tall, built brunette.

"Troopers behind me. Can't get out that way." he reported.

"Looks like you managed to cut off our only escape route." the Princess observed, a hint of disdain in her lavender-blue eyes.

Jim stared incredulously. So he'd blown off Sandwalker's offer of gratitude-- that didn't mean he didn't expect at least a little appreciation from the object of their rescue. "Maybe you'd like it back in your cell, Your Highness."

The princess narrowed her eyes to glare at him, but had no time for a reply before the stormtroopers reached the end of the corridor. Jim laid down fire to shield the small group as they ducked behind structural supports for cover. Taking a small comlink transmitter from his belt, Sandwalker attempted to contact his droid. "See-Threepio! We've been cut off! Are there any other ways out of the cell bay?"

"All systems have been alerted to your presence, sir." said See-Threepio over the comlink. "The main entrance seems to be the only way in or out; all other information on your level is restricted."

The laserfire was very intense, and smoke filled the narrow cell corridor. Blair looked up at Jim. "There isn't any other way out."

"Well, I can't hold them off forever!" Jim snapped, firing off a few more shots. Sparks flew as he ducked one close shot.

"What a rescue!" Megan shook her head. "When you boyos came in, didn't you have a plan for getting out?"

Jim grimaced, and pointed at Blair. "He's the brains, sweetheart."

With a sigh, Megan grabbed Blair's gun out of his hands, and fired it at a small grate next to Jim, blowing a hole in the wall large enough to crawl through.

"What the hell are you doing?" Jim shouted, startled.

"Somebody has to save our skins." she answered. "Into the chute, big guy." The princess climbed through the narrow opening as Jim looked on in amazement.

"Nice girl!" he muttered to himself. "Either I'm going to strangle her or I'm beginning to like her." Sandwalker gave him a worried look, and Jim gave him a shove towards the grate. "C'mon, Sandwalker, get in there!"

Ducking laser fire, Blair jumped into the darkness. Jim fired off a couple of quick blasts, creating a smokey cover, then slid into the chute himself. Crawling quickly through a maze of vent systems, the group exited into a dusty, unused hallway.

"Now listen, mates." Megan ordered as Jim and Blair began removing their cumbersome stormtrooper outfits. "I don't know who you are or where you came from, but from now on, you do as I tell you. Right?"

Jim strapped on his blaster belt and rounded on Megan. "Look, Your Worshipfulness, let's get one thing straight, here. I take orders from one person!" he said, jabbing a thumb at his own chest. "Me."

"It's a wonder you're still alive." the princess retorted, and stalked away.

Jim grimaced in Blair's direction, and muttered "No reward is worth this."

Blair looked as though he were about to protest, then shut his mouth. The two men followed Megan as she moved down the deserted corridor. Quite soon, they reached a hallway with a bay window overlooking the the hangar, where the Millenium Jaguar sat.

"There she is," said Jim, surveying the Imperial stormtroopers as they made their rounds.

"You came here in that thing?" said Megan. "Must be braver than I thought."

Jim gave her a dirty look, then redirected his attention to the stormtroopers milling about the ship. Meanwhile, Blair took out his pocket comlink. "See-Threepio, do you copy?"

Threepio's voice responded quickly. "Yes, we're in the main hangar across from the ship."

"We're right above you, then. Stand by." Blair closed the comlink, then looked over at Jim. "Is the ship okay?"

Jim nodded. "Seems all right, if we can get to it. Just hope the old man got the tractor beam out of commission."

// Outside the main docking bay... //

Moving swiftly, Simon Kenobi headed through the tunnel leading to the hangar where the Millenium Jaguar waited. Just before he reached the hangar, the Dark Lord of the Sith Brackett stepped into view, barely ten feet away.

With a slight smile, Brackett drew his lightsaber from his belt, gripping it in black-gloved hands. The laser blade glowed red in the dimness of the tunnel. "I've been waiting for you, Simon."

Silently, Simon also ignited his lightsaber. Pale green light played across his dark, emotionless face. He stepped slowly forward, moving with ease into a classical offensive position.

Brackett immediately took a defensive stance. "When I left you, I was but the student. Now I am the master."

"Only a master of evil, Lee." Simon replied. The two warriors stood perfectly still for a few moments, sizing each other up. At the right moment, Simon made a sudden lunge at Brackett, but was checked by a lightning movement of the Sith warrior. He retaliated with a masterful stroke, blocked by the old Jedi.

Moving around the Dark Lord, Simon began backing into the massive starship hangar. Another elegant parry and another forceful thrust sliced through the air, and the two combatants stood motionless for a few moments. Their lightsabers locked together in midair, creating a low buzzing sound.

"Your powers are weak, old man." Brackett purred.

Simon shook his head. "You can't win, Lee. If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine."

Brackett grimaced and pulled back, and the lightsabers continued to dance as Brackett and Simon continued their powerful duel. Sparks flew at each impact of the two lightsabers, and the gathered stormtroopers looked on in interest.

Suddenly, from the hallway above, Blair spotted the battle.

"Jim, look!"

Jim and Megan both looked to see Simon and Brackett, emerging from the corridor on the far side of the docking bay. Tensely, the small group watched the duel, and Jim noticed when the troops decided to move, rushing toward the battling knights. "Now's our chance!" He tagged Blair's shoulder. "Go!"

Quickly, Blair, Megan and Jim started for the Millennium Jaguar, followed by the two droids. Jim brought up the rear, keeping one eye on the fight.

They reached the ramp, and Megan scrambled up into the ship's interior. Blair paused to let the droids go first. Jim stared across the bay, watching Simon's face as the stormtroopers approached the duelists. The old man seemed unnaturally calm and collected, even as he realized he was trapped-- and both Blair and Jim watched Brackett take advantage of the Jedi Knight's momentary distraction, bringing his mighty lightsaber down for the killing blow.

Moving faster than Jim's eyes could track, Simon deflected the blow. The Jedi Knight looked over his shoulder at Blair, lifted his sword from Brackett's, then stood, watching his opponent with a serene look on his face.

Snarling, Brackett brought his lightsaber down, cutting Simon seemingly in half.

The droids were up the ramp now. Blair saw Simon fall, and clutched one of the supports as the blood drained from his face. "No!"

Jim watched open-mouthed; it had all happened so fast. The old man's cloak fluttered, settling to the floor in two parts, but Simon wasn't in it. Brackett poked at the empty cloak, seemingly puzzled.

Alerted by Blair's cry, the stormtroopers turned towards the Millenium Falcon once again. Transfixed by anger, Blair returned their fire, and Jim joined in. "Sandwalker, let's go!" Firing whenever he could, he ducked up the ramp and tugged at Blair's arm. "Come on, we gotta get out of here!"

"No!" Blair shouted back.

"Hurry!" Megan cried.

"Sandwalker, now!" Jim shouted. "It's too late!"

With a snarl, Blair fired his pistol at the door control panel, and it exploded. Slowly, the door began to slide closed, shutting Brackett and the other troops out of the docking bay. Finally, Blair turned, and raced onto the ship.

Jim was already settled in the pilot's seat, at the controls. As the ship begins to move, laser bolts bounced off the outside of the ship with a dull thud. Crossing his fingers, Jim punched in a course. "I hope the old man shut that tractor beam down," he said quietly, "or this is going to be a real short trip."

He didn't know whether or not to be surprised when, without restraint, the Millennium Jaguar powered away from the Death Star docking bay. Beside him, Megan slid uninvited into the co-pilots' seat. Jim glanced over at her, annoyed.

"We've got to get out of here. Make a hyperspace jump!" she ordered.

"Where am I supposed to-- Damn!" Jim cursed as a TIE fighter moved up over the pirateship, firing more laser blasts at it. "Sandwalker!" he turned, shouting over his shoulder, "Get your ass to a laser port, now!" He heard Blair scramble to obey, and Megan stood.

"You better get to one, too," she suggested.

Clenching his jaw, Jim got out of the pilot's seat, allowing Megan to take his place. He watched over her shoulder for a moment, watching her nimble fingers work swiftly over the controls, swinging the Millenium Jaguar about in complex evasive maneuvers. He grunted in approval, then hurried to a laser-port.

From the small seat, he could manually aim and fire the Millenium Jaguar's defensive cannons. An Imperial fighter crossed into his field of vision, and Jim swiveled in his chair, following it with blasts from his laser. In a tiny corner of his screen, he could see a small readout of Blair's position. As a second fighter crossed the younger man's port, he fired at the approaching enemy ship. The TIE fighter burst into a spectacular explosion, and Jim grinned as Blair's screen gave a readout of the hit.

The remaining ships loomed in, firing on the Jaguar. Jim swiveled behind his cannon, his aim describing the arc of the TIE fighter. The fighter came too close for comfort, firing its destructive blasts. But a well-aimed shot from Jim's laser cannon hit the attacker dead-on. It exploded in a small atomic shower of burning fragments.

Jim laughed, and hopped quickly out of the laser port as the pirate-ship zoomed away. The Princess might be a damn good pilot, but Jim had never felt comfortable letting anyone else handle the Jaguar for long.

"Not a bad bit of rescuing, huh?" he said as he reached the cockpit, grinning as he motioned for Megan to vacate his chair. "You know, sometimes I even amaze myself."

"That doesn't sound too hard," Megan observed, standing. Jim looked over her shoulder; she'd programmed in a circuitous route to New Melbourne. Jim had overheard in the cantina that there was a suspected Rebel encampment in that system. Going there was fine with him-- as long as he got paid when they arrived.

"Besides, they let us go." the Princess continued. "It's the only explanation for the ease of our escape."

"Easy?" Jim sputtered, startled out of his contemplative state. He flung his arm out, gesturing at the Death Star, receding in the distance. "You call that easy?"

"Obviously. They're tracking us!" Megan informed him.

Jim shook his head. "Not this ship, sister."

Megan shook her head, unwilling to continue the argument. "At least the information in Artoo is still intact."

"What's so important, anyway?" Jim asked, following her gaze to the little droid. "What's he carrying?"

"The technical readouts of that battle station." Megan replied. She sighed, and then looked up as Blair's footsteps approached the cockpit. "I can only hope that when the data is analyzed, a weakness will be found. This war isn't over yet."

"Maybe not for you, but it is for me!" Jim said, leaning back against the wall. He did not turn his head or otherwise acknowledge Sandwalker as he arrived. It took tremendous effort, but he kept his gaze locked on Megan.

"I'm not in this for your revolution, and I'm not in it for you, Princess. I'm in it for the money." Jim explained, his tone condescending. "I expect to be well paid."

"You needn't worry about your reward." said the princess coldly. "If money is all that you love, then that's what you'll receive!" Gathering her pink coat around her, she seemed about to stalk out of the cockpit, then turned back for a moment, looking Blair up and down. "Your friend is quite the mercenary." she said coolly. "I wonder if he really cares about anything-- or anyone."

That's right-- you tell him, sister, thought Jim. He smiled tightly, retaking his seat.

"I care," said Blair quietly, staring after Megan as she walked away.

The smile slipped from Jim's face, and he glanced up over his shoulder. Damn it, what was that supposed to mean? Then again, it was obvious enough, he thought as he studied the kid's moony-eyed expression. In the eyes of a naive farmboy like Sandwalker, how could a battered smuggler compare to a fiery beauty like the Princess?

Jim seethed inwardly with sudden jealousy as the younger man settled down awkwardly in the co-pilot seat, next to him. But it wasn't fair to get angry. He'd known all along that Sandwalker didn't really have feelings for him, didn't really want him. He'd only kissed Jim on the Death Star to get him to rescue the princess in the first place. Well, who cared what Sandwalker did, anyway? He was just a farm kid. Just another pretty face.

Sandwalker glanced across at him tentatively. "So, uh... what do you think of her?"

Jim bit the inside of his cheek to keep from saying something he might regret. After all, what was there to say? Megan was beautiful. Classy. Rich. A hell of a lot more attractive than an aging pirate with a price on his head. And probably better for Sandwalker in the long run. Not that he cared, of course... because he didn't. Jim told himself that firmly, and shrugged. "I dunno... What's with her coat?"

"Yeah," Sandwalker snickered, "no kidding, man. What planet has animals with fur that color?"

An evil thought occurred to Jim, and he snuck a covert look at Sandwalker. "Still, I dunno, Chief. She's got spirit; I like that." Sandwalker's eyes went wide, and Jim twisted the knife. "And the way she was snapping at me-- you know what that means."

"What?" Sandwalker said, glancing at him, startled.

"Ah, you know. Hell, I've seen it a hundred times," Jim said reflectively. "You get a real high-class girl like that, and what kind of guy is she into?"

"Oh, yeah right, man." The younger man snorted and settled back on his seat, a skeptical expression on his face. "You think she likes you?"

Jim shrugged. "Who knows. What do you think, Sandwalker? Think it could work, a princess and a guy like me?"

"No." Sandwalker said definitely. Flushing red, he stood abruptly and stomped out of the cockpit.

Jim scratched the back of his neck, leaned back in his chair, and chuckled wickedly. For a moment, he pondered the possibility of putting the moves on Megan-- just to see how jealous Sandwalker would get, of course. He snorted aloud at the thought of it. A Hyndian spitting cave cat would probably be more cooperative than the Australiaan princess. Besides, he wouldn't have the time, anyway. According to the calculations that Megan had entered into the navi-computer, it would take less than three hours for the Millenium Jaguar to arrive at New Melbourne.

Hopefully he'd get paid well, he mused. And then perhaps he'd be able to pay off his debts to the Cascadine crime boss, Carolyn the Hutt. Carolyn was as ruthless as she was unforgiving. When he'd started doing business with her, Jim had tried to stay on her good side. It had only taken a short while for him to learn that she didn't have one. Though he'd worked for Carolyn for years, Jim still wouldn't get another chance. There was already a price on his head; if he failed to pay her off soon, there would be more bounty hunters on his tail than fleas on a Gundark.

So he'd pay her off. And after that... then what?

Jim frowned at the unexpected thought. What do you mean, then what? he wondered at himself. There was always another smuggling job. If he wasn't doing jobs for Carolyn, someone else would hire him; they always had. His ship was the fastest, and he was the best. He might have to ship out to some of the less populated regions of the galaxy in order to avoid the Empire, but that was all part of the life.

And piracy was the only life Jim Solo knew. A younger man, like Blair Sandwalker, could start a whole new life in just one day-- changing from a Cascadine farmboy into a fiery-eyed member of the Rebellion. But Jim was a smuggler, and always had been. There wasn't anything else.

He sighed, re-checking Megan's calculations, quickly confirming the three hours it would take to get to the Rebel base. It was enough time to catch a quick cat-nap, Jim decided, rising and stretching to get some of the kinks out of his back. It had been a long day already, and a smuggler never knew when he'd get the chance to rest.

With a sigh, Jim headed out into the ship's main area. The lights were dimmed, and he was startled to see Sandwalker, sitting on one of the protruding ledges that served as seats, one leg pulled up to his chest. His white clothes seemed almost to glow with ambient light. His eyes were dark in the dusky room, and he was gazing out at nothing. Jim's hands itched, suddenly. He wanted to undo Sandwalker's ponytail, run his hands through wild curls he'd only imagined loose, and never seen.

He restrained himself.

"Thought you'd be resting," he said.

Blair's eyes flicked upward to Jim's face, but otherwise he didn't move. "There's just the co-pilot's room and your quarters," he said quietly. "Megan looked tired so I let her have the room."

Jim grunted and moved to walk past him.

Sandwalker stood, then. "So I guess after we get to the Rebel base..."

Jim looked back. "I'll be taking off."

Sandwalker nodded, then swallowed convulsively. "Do you think it was my fault?"

"What?"

"I didn't know what would happen, I just went ahead and--" the younger man muttered in a low tone, beginning to pace back and forth across the floor. "I just keep thinking if I hadn't convinced you to go off, rescue Megan-- Simon might still be--"

"Listen, Sandwalker," Jim said, shocked, "you can't know that."

"It's-- I only just met him, and now he's gone," Blair said, his voice strained.

Jim shifted on his feet, not sure quite how to handle the situation. Honestly, he'd been more comfortable back on the Death Star trading potshots with stormtroopers. He wanted to walk out of the room, wanted to kiss Sandwalker. But that wasn't what the kid needed. Instead, Jim moved closer, putting a hand on Sandwalker's shoulder.

"There wasn't anything you could have done." he offered.

"Funny." The younger man laughed, a dark and bitter sound, spinning away from his hand. "That's what Simon said."

Jim stared at him.

"My aunt, Naomi." Blair explained in a low tone. "She bought the droids from some Jawas, and these storm-troopers came looking for them--" He choked on the rest. "I wasn't there."

"If you had been, they'd have killed you, too," Jim said impatiently. "C'mon, Chief, would you rather be dead? What happened to being a Jedi, like the old man wanted?"

"You don't even believe in the Force!" Sandwalker accused.

"But you do, don't you?" Jim said sharply, and Sandwalker looked down, at the deckplates, his shoulders slumping.

"I don't know."

"You do." Jim said definitely. "You believe in destiny and all that-- and so did Simon. If he said there wasn't anything you could've done-- you believe him, don't you?"

"Yeah." Blair admitted softly.

"And if I say it," Jim said, and stopped as the farmboy looked up at him, eyes smoldering, mouth set defiantly, "if I say it-- do you believe me?"

"I believe you," he said, and came close-- too close for comfort. Jim stepped back reflexively. Or he tried to, anyway. One foot actually skidded backwards at least six inches before Sandwalker slid into his arms, warm and solid and yielding in all the right places. Jim stopped moving, then, losing all motor control when the other man's mouth found his.

Oh, thought Jim blankly. The idea of him and Megan had bothered Sandwalker-- but maybe Blair hadn't been jealous of Jim.

This kiss was different from the one on the Death Star-- sweeter, needier, more sincere. Blair angled his head back and let Jim kiss him, moaning slightly and sliding strong hands up to clutch Jim's shoulders tightly. The farmboy's pliancy in his arms fueled Jim's desire, and he kissed Blair deeply, passionately for almost a minute before pulling away-- but not too far, since Blair's hands were still locked around his shoulders.

Fine, Jim thought. Forget the princess. Forget Carolyn. Forget everything. He wanted Sandwalker, and he would have him. He cupped Blair's jaw in his hand, and met his eyes. "We get to New Melbourne and I get paid," he said, between deep breaths, "and then I'm gone, you got that Sandwalker?"

"My aunt always said it would be time, someday." Blair lowered his eyes, but his grip tightened on Jim's arms. "Time to get off Cascadine. Time to do what I wanted with my life."

Slowly, he lifted his head, pressing a sweet kiss to Jim's lips. He tasted like filtered water, pure with a chemical tang. "Three hours can be all the time in the world... Now, Jim. Now."

"Yes," Jim answered, taking his hand, pulling him through the ship's corridor to his quarters, closing the soundproofed door behind them. This, he could do. For Sandwalker as much as for himself. He turned the illumination down, but not too much; he wanted to see the other man's face. Jim's bunk was barely wide enough for two, and so he took Blair's shoulders and pushed him gently down, kneeling above him to kiss his throat, to pull the V-neck of his white tunic open. Blair's hands were nimble on the fastenings of his shirt, his belt, and soon they were pressed against each other, hands investigating and searching, mouths meeting and exploring.

"Have you ever..." Jim said huskily, running his hands down Sandwalker's back, then exploring lower. Blair shuddered against him deliciously.

"I... No." Blair said, not sounding at all daunted by his lack of experience. "Biggs Darklighter and I, we did pretty much everything else, but..."

"Okay then," said Jim, capturing his mouth again. He was beginning to get used to the purified-water aftertaste. He was beginning to drown in it. "All right."

He would not be Sandwalker's first. Didn't want the kid to get too attached, he thought, with a bare remnant of his usual cynicism. But three hours was enough for a good try at everything else.

Sandwalker was right. Three hours could be all the time in the world.