Before Hope: Chapter 3 (Written by Kyra Organa)

Kyra awoke with a dull headache that felt like her skull was being torn in two. She sat up, dazed, and tried to remember why she was here. It painfully came back. She tried to yell, or at least loudly talk with an aggravated tone to the Captain, but all that escaped her lips where, “Mmph, mumph!”
‘Blast,’ Kyra thought, ‘that smooth-talking smuggler had gagged me; what a nerfherder.’
She kicked at the walls and the ceiling to no avail. All this banging awoke the Wookiee who tiredly trudged over to where she was caged and growled and shot her a glare that could kill a space-slug. But when he saw the ragged-looking girl looking back up at him through the grating on the floor, with big, terrified eyes, weak and staring up at him with the look of prey, all his grouchiness melted away. He growled something, which she had no idea what it meant, but it sounded affectionate.
Han drowsily trudged by and grumbled, “Come on Chewie, we’re about to exit hyperspace.” Chewbacca growled. “And don’t get all friendly towards the prisoner.” Chewbacca took one last glance at Kyra and walked towards the cockpit.
The Millennium Falcon hummed quietly as it exited hyperspace. Chewbacca groaned. “I know you don’t like Nal Hutta,” Solo murmured, “but we need the money.” Another growl from Chewbacca. “Let’s pretend I didn’t loose it in Sabaac…” Another comment in Shyriiwook. “I do not have a problem!” hissed Solo. The ship groaned as it began to enter the atmosphere. After a long silence Chewbacca growled. “What to do with the girl?” laughed Han,“We are going to take a quick stop at the nearest Imperial station and get the reward, of course; she has quite a bounty on her head.” Another roar. “I’m no bounty hunter either, but credits are credits. What else would we do?” Chewbacca began a lengthy explanation. “Drop her off on our next stop!? There’s no profit from that course of action, what-so-ever!” A long growl. “Satisfaction? That’s no profit!”
Chewbacca marched out of the cockpit and lifted Kyra out of her cell. He was surprisingly gentle as he removed her gag and bindings. He then explained something to her, which didn’t clarify anything. Chewbacca motioned to her to follow. She trudged heedfully towards the cockpit.
Solo rotated his chair so he faced this unwanted passenger and glared, “Well, Kyra, lucky for you Chewie has taken a fancy to you. If he hadn’t we’d have seen how long you last in the cold of space…”
“Lucky for you, laser-breath,” She retorted, “I don’t have a blaster. If I did we’d be having a very different conversation.” Chewbacca laughed. Han frowned at Chewbacca. “Alright kid, tell me why you’re on my ship.”
“To get off of Alderaan,” Kyra vaguely answered.
“And why is that?” coaxed Han.
She leaned forward as if she were about to tell a big secret, “None of your business.”
Han had had enough, “Listen kid,” he hissed, shoveing his index finger into Kyra’s face, “This is my ship, and I’m the Captain, so if you want to enjoy not drifting in space for half a second longer, you’ll tell me why you’re here!”
Kyra was quite surprised by Han’s sudden change in behavior. “I left Alderaan because of the Empire,” tears began to well to her eyes, “They killed my parents.” She shoved her face into Chewbacca’s long brown coat and began to sob.


If Kyra could have seen Han Solo’s face, she would have seen his stern expression melt away and reveal something neither Chewbacca nor Kyra have ever seen in him, compassion. Unbeknownst to her at the time, Han was orphaned at a young age: he had no one to care for him, no one to teach him right or wrong, and no one to trust.
‘Trust,’ recollected Han, ‘I never truly trusted anyone until I met Chewbacca, but now I trust Chewbacca with my life.’ He looked at the fierce Wookiee warrior and saw him sympathetically stroking Kyra's long chestnut hair.
Han spun around in his pilot chair and faced the window, feeling awkward. “We are approaching Bilbuso,” Solo muttered as the Millennium Falcon began shuddering and rattling in places that no ship should ever produce sound from, “Would you like to be dropped-off here, or somewhere less…”
Kyra pulled her face away from Chewbacca’s soft fur and with a surprisingly smooth voice, she spoke, “If I don’t get in the way, maybe you could drop me off where ever you’re commissioned to next. I would stay here, but I’d prefer somewhere less… hutt-y.”
“Fair enough,” Han said with a slight smile. The ship stopped shuddering as it slowed and began to land into the run-down city of Bilbousa. Unlike Alderaan, there were no docking bays, just a large swampy field with a fat Dug reclining in a booth. The Dug’s moist voice crackled over the speakers, “Han Solo! You still haven’t paid me back from last time.”
“Don’t worry, Kin-jo, after this job I’ll be set for life,” Han Solo bragged.
“That’s what you said last time,” Kin-jo gurgled flatly.
“I’ll pay you extra,” bartered Han. Chewbacca growled disapprovingly. “You said that last time as well,” Kin-jo hissed, “2000 credits for parking today and maybe I won’t put a bounty on your head.” Han stared blankly at the rusty speaker then his eyes wandered over to Kyra. “Oh no, Mr. Bad-financial-decisions,” she sassed, “you cannot sell me off to the Empire.” Chewbacca scolded Han for even considering the idea. “Fine,” Han growled into the transmitter, “We’ll give you the credits; just tell the Hutts we’re coming.”
Han eased the ship into the mucky field and spat, “You owe 2000 credits, hairball.”
Chewbacca and Han Solo turned off the ship’s unimportant functions, but were sure to keep the engine and hyperdrive running in case they needed a quick getaway. Han exited the ship and sourly gave Kin-jo his credits.
When Han returned to the ship he announced, “The Hutts are sending a transport for us and their goods, so let’s unload.” Chewbacca lifted up four crates and easily brought them outside. Kyra decided to help, so she tried to lift a crate. She strained and struggled but the crate wouldn’t budge. “What in the horrid name of Jabba the Hutt are you doing?!” Han shouted as he saw her struggle.
“What does it look like?” she replied, “I thought that since you haven’t sold me off or betrayed me and are kind enough to transport me to the next planet you’re heading to; the least I could do is help.”
Han froze. It seems like she…trusted him. This made Han feel guilty, even though he hadn’t done anything wrong. Yet. It also embarrassed him; he had been so rude to her, yet she wanted to help. He was quite ashamed and showed it through his unnaturally nervous chuckle.
But when Han saw that the crate was magnetized, he began to laugh and all the strange, unfamiliar feelings melted away. “Listen, kid,” Solo said, more harshly than he meant, “I don’t need help from some orphan who can’t even tell when a crate is magnetized. Chewie and I have been fine on our own for years and we don’t want some happy-go-lucky kid messing things up.”
Kyra had nothing to say, she just hatefully glared at him with her large amber eyes. She wanted to strangle the man; she offered her help to thank him for not killing her, or worse, but all he did was brush her off. She coldly turned away, briskly trotted into the lounge, slumped into the holo-chess booth, and began to fidget with the wiring.


As soon as Kyra stormed off, Han realized he had said something wrong. He wished he could undo it or apologize, but she scared him. She was only a small, 16 year-old girl with a feisty spirit and a broken heart, but every little bit of her scared him all the same. Chewbacca walked back into the ship to get more crates and saw Han, standing all alone and regretting everything. Chewbacca’s scolding didn’t lighten Han’s guilt either. “Come on, Chewie,” Han said plainly, “we’ve got some work to do.” Han enjoyed the work for it distracted him from the present and kept small chat to the minimal.