"Good I'll summon my axe then divy up the pizza so we can both get in while Luke takes Chuk somewhere safe."

Remember the stop sign. Highway to hell on his radio, and he blew through it anyway, so we speed him on his way. Three strokes. From ambush, the gash — we wrote you into my name for that one.

Remember Mr. Dough at his own front door, wanting his toppings checked. They were correct. Jaw, eyes, pinky — your work. You chopped the coin roll; I left the halves

Remember Jules, who hadn't eaten since breakfast. We hadn't in weeks. You did the butchering, I did the cooking, and he did his best.

Remember Greg. No tip. Didn't need Oscar for that one — it was just funnier.

In every world where a doorbell rings, we're the ones on the other side of it. I am bat Qayin, and in the wall-speech I am Bʼaat Kʼayin — the axe is inside my name, and names don't lie.

And now it's time to kill again.

Ding dong. Pizza's here.

It's not even a good poem.

He casts a glance at Chuk. "Come on. We can head out and hide." His face is a little sad, and he's worried about Chuk having to think of her mother as a killer, but he won't change anyone's mind, and he won't put all of them at risk either. 

In some ways it's almost funny. Friend in trouble with the law? Assassinate the Grand Admiral and they'll have other things to worry about! 

It's not her Empire. Palpatine is dead. 

"...If I come with you I have to leave Skywalker alive."

Mara wants to kill Luke. I only kinda remember this.

"I mean he has to bring Chuk-tan back to me."

"He ruined my entire life because he wanted the government off his land or something."

doubt.jpg

"That is not how I would explain it, and if he doesn't bring Chuk-tan back I will help you flay him if you want."

"Mom!"

"I'm going to hold you to that."

She could just shoot him now and she must. That would put all of them in danger, she's pretty sure. 

Fine. She's not going to whine about it. Let's go. 

"Yeah pizza it's a local delicacy."

"Whatever you intend by assassinating me, it will not work. I am familiar with the concept of a dead-man's-switch and you would come to rue the day in any case."

It's not exactly the mysterious death he'd planned around but it's close enough. 

"Hmm, I rather think you are prophesised to die anyway, and only after doing a bunch of fucked up shit. Single chance to make a better case. No funny business."

Jedi nonsense indeed, then. 

"Oh? Do sit down. Have some 'pizza'. Literature is not quite my own passion, but I have read the classics of a dozen species and I struggle to recall any prophecy one would have been wise to heed. I quite intend to ignore them. Our galaxy is doomed in any case, all the more so the more we bicker among ourselves. The Republic you serve - knowingly or not," he adds, taking in the clothes, the subtly alien nature, "already destroyed both Death Stars, and it could be a decade's work to build another, and that alone may be our end. There is a danger you do not know. I am not an unreasonable being. It is not I who refuse to negotiate."

He is actually shaken, and his body wants to tremble, doesn't want to turn his back, but facing her won't help and his body isn't in charge here. He wanders towards the window. 

"Kill me, and the Empire dies slowly, and the Republic prevaricates over what to do with its corpse, and then they are all crushed one-by-one. I am wise enough to die gallantly, thank you, and not envy you the galaxy I leave behind in death."

Parade rest, and he looks out at the stars for what may be the last time. 

Yo Chat Thrawn Says [echos that]. I'm gonna tell him I know about the Vong. Standard commune check on taking whatever he offers.

"I know about the Vong, I also have the ability to extract information from the dead. I'm also confident that the Katana BS doesn't work out and you die after making a mess."

"That would be a disturbing turn indeed. If you know of the Vong then you know we cannot hope to survive them without unacceptable loss. Whatever his flaws, Palpatine had vision. Two Death Stars might well have saved us. Can you truly imagine any among the New Republic stepping into his shoes? Mothma grows old, Ackbar has not the talent, Organa-Solo fears her father's blood and not wrongly. If you can truly speak with the dead, then for the galaxy's sake I would advise you speak with the Emperor, and certain lost Lords of the Sith, and myself, if you kill me. But I do not think it will save you, without me alive and in person to raise up the Empire."

Still doesn't address that you lose anyway. And if I don't strike now the narrative turns against this op working. Even beyond the obvious mundane concerns with having a deep and meaningful in the middle of an infiltration.

Last echo of that to chat. Then I trust in the flock.

*chop chop don't want to be late*

He can get Chuk safely through the forest and dodge disarrayed Imperial patrols and eventually get her back to the Falcon. Han barely raises an eyebrow at this point, just grunts at her not to make a mess.

"I'm sorry we didn't get a chance to speak properly. Is there more you can tell me?"

He's trying to work out his best pathway here for keeping the kid safe, which means working out what could possibly be going on with all this, and he's got nothing. 

"Mom is from a different planet than me. I didn't grow up with that kind of Star War, Master Skywalker. 

I know how Greater Mythos are supposed to work, but the poem they teach people is a lie to let them hurt people they don't think matter.

Mythos creatures imitate stories because we like them / Stories resemble Mythos creatures because they're written about us
Mythos are princes of the universe, destiny is in my hand / Mythos are creatures of destiny my fate is my power
Mythos control helots, their lifeblood is fuel for your innate fire / Mythos are bound by stories and perceptions, we are invaders in the material and the helots must be suppressed.
Mythos creatures do not negate chance and luck sometimes probability wins / Mythos mean nothing is ever a coincidence even if it was.

Is the way they teach it. 

I was convicted of heresy for saying it as:

Mythos need helots, their dreams are our future / Mythos are bound by stories and perceptions, we are invaders in the material and the humans should be respected."

Could be a native Force tradition, like the Dathomiri witches... It doesn't really seem like it, not at all. 

Well, the important thing is that Chuk isn't there now. The other important thing is to keep it that way. 

"That's brave of you. Well done. People have a great many excuses for doing wrong, and you were right to fight back."

He reaches out through the Force. Is there anything like a trace on her of that presence from before? Any sensitivity to the Force in her?