To Court a Queen.pdf

Tatoo I and II cast their final beams of blinding light across the barren Tatooine landscape, causingageless monoliths of stone and sand to enshroud the empty landscape with their shadows. In the townof Mos Espa, vendors locked away their wares for the night, and the scum and villainy who resides inthe city, claimed the coming evening as their own. The bounty hunter stepped into his frequentlyfavored hole-in-the-wall. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness as he stepped towards the bar andordered himself a double shot of Dantooinian Bourbon.As he reached out to hand over credits to the barkeep, the Rhodian waved away his money, and said inHuttesse, “Put that away, that’s already been paid for.”Dengar screwed his brows together in confusion and asked, “I didn’t overpay on my tab last time, didI?”Wiping clean a glass with a rag the green alien replied, “No, compliments of the gentleman in the backcorner.”Following the direction of the Rhodian’s finger, Dengar grabbed his drink and headed towards thedarkened booth located in the back of the bar. Scratching the bandages that covered his head, hethought, Maybe he’s got a job for me.His heart seized in his chest and years of pent-up hatred surfaced as he recognized the voice of the saltand peppered hair man casually lounging in the booth. “It’s been a long time, Dengar.”“You’ve got some nerve coming to me. You must have a death-wish,” Dengar hissed back at Han Solo,the man who’d ruined his life, leaving him permanently disfigured after that near-fatal swoop race fromso long ago.Lifting a brow, Han incredulously asked, “Do I? Trust me being stuck in the same room as you, ain’texactly my idea of a good time.”Fingers hovering over his blaster’s holster strap, Dengar asked, “Why are you here?”“You owe the crown of Hapes money,” Han reported.Curling his lip into a sneer, Dengar replied, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”“Former Queen Mother Ta’a Chume kept immaculate records on her shady activities. Her files showedthat she paid you handsomely for killing my son,” Han sneered. Eyes smoldering with hatred, Hanadded, “Don’t think I don’t know that you’ve got a grudge against me, Dengar. But I have to say thatwas low of you to go after my boy just to try to get back at me. Real low. A real man wanting revengewould go to the source, not go after their children.”Dengar hissed, “It was just a job. Course offing your son was an added…bonus.”Han fingered the wall over his head with his left hand and replied, “Lucky for you…you missed.”Dengar’s face registered shocked surprise. Chuckling softly, Han advised, “You should watch the newsonce in a while, Pal. My son’s alive and happily married to the Queen Mother of Hapes.”