....
Darth Stosh followed La Gar and Sheriff Cracken along the low-ceilinged, dark tunnel that led to King Rickety's private mines. But before they reached the standard entrance, La Gar pulled at a torch-bracket fixed to the wall with a couple of loose, rusty nails and another, concealed door swung open. He could hear water dripping from the dank ceiling and trickling down the walls; but what was a little water when it meant a passport to lots of shiny treasure? He continued to follow the two people who were now his deadliest enemies; only they could get in the way of his plans to build his special Sith school?
Meanwhile, the party of Merry Rogues and all their new and recent additions had reached the main gateway of the palace.
'Are we ready?' Maid Hobbie whispered.
'Yes!' Everyone chorused.
'Get to your stations!'
Using the resources they had and a lot of team effort, in three hours the rescue party had constructed a huge, wooden model of a Tauntaun. They heaved and pushed the wooden monstrosity up to the gate; then they all leapt inside its hollow belly and sat down for a long wait?
One of the royal guards came running towards King Rickety, in his palace chamber. 'My Lord! Someone has left you a present.'
'A present?' King Rickety rubbed his hands together gleefully. 'Something to cheer me up! So kind. What is it?'
'It?uh?it looks like a model Tauntaun, sir.'
'Even better! How I love those cute, furry things.'
'This one's wooden, sir.'
'Oh. Well, never mind. Well, don't just stand there! Bring it in.'
'Yes sir.'
The large wooden statue was duly brought inside the palace walls. King Rickety went down to inspect it himself.
'Fascinating craftsmanship! Yes, a real collector's item, I would say.'
'You would?' Yelled Maid Hobbie, leaping out of the Tauntaun's belly; the others following closely behind.
'Argh! Rogues!' King Rickety collapsed to his knees; a coward after all.
'Surrender, or die.' Maid Hobbie held a vibroknife to the King's throat, whilst the other Merry Rogues captured the guards, who offered little resistance, being outnumbered two to one.
'Don't kill me! I could help you. I know where the prisoners are.'
'Show us!' Commanded Little Horn.
The King did.
Charlotte Hood knew the life-forces were ebbing from her. She was weak, but she still bravely held on. Soon Hobbie would come, soon?
'Charlotte!'
That was his voice. No, it couldn't be. She was hallucinating. She must be. But?
'Oh, Maid Hobbie, it IS you!'
'Hold on, Charlie!'
Grabbing Little Horn's lightstaff from him, Maid Hobbie sliced through the metal bars with ease; then he cut Charlotte Hood down from her position on the wall, and freed Tarris Vaal and Christian too. Charlotte Hood fell into his arms, and lay there for a few moments, whilst everyone lay silent. Then she noticed the lightstaff in his hand.
'That reminds me?' She pushed Maid Hobbie away and turned to face her Merry band, who stood gathered around her in a semi-circle.
'There's something you all should know. Years ago, many moons previously, a man named Hellcyan Horn angered Adamis, the great hunter, when he cut down the hunter's favourite tree to make the wood into weaponry. Adamis cursed Hellcyan's family for eternity, driving them from their family home. Their family home was this palace, and it turned from a sunny, luxurious abode into the festering pit of evil it is today.'
The king nodded. 'We wanted to turn it back into the haven it once was. All this blood gets on my nerves.'
Charlotte glared at him for interrupting her, then continued with her narration.
'Well, I was captured, since they thought I was the last living descendent of Hellcyan Horn. They thought they might be able to ascertain through torture and magic spells what it is that they could do to appease this great hunter.'
'But you aren't related. I am.' Little Horn cried. 'Hellcyan Horn was an ancestor I knew by name only?I never realised all this?I never thought it was important; I would have told you otherwise.'
Charlotte Hood smiled at him. 'I know. But I am related to Hellcyan Horn. You see, Little Horn, I am your sister.' She smiled sadly. 'Yes. We were separated at birth, brought up apart from each other. The forces run in my blood too, though not as strongly. I will never learn the ways of the alpha-beta forces; that is why La Gar could not determine my connections to Hellcyan. But Tarris here knows; it was he who split us up.'
'But?but?we're so different!' Little Horn exclaimed.
'Yes. I must admit, I did get more than my fair share of beauty, brains, intelligence, height. It explains why you are so deficient in these areas?but you are my brother; Little Horn.'
The Merry Rogues finally remembered their manners, and shut their gaping mouths. Then they all started to exclaim at the news Charlotte Hood had just revealed to them; congratulating Little Horn and Charlotte Hood, talking loudly about how they would never have guessed.
'But what of La Gar and Darth Stosh?' Tarris said suddenly.
'The king! The king's gone!' In all the confusion that had followed Charlotte Hood's revelation, the king had slipped away?
'He went this way!'
'No, this way!' Lady Mirax caught a glimpse of a purple robe and shouted to the others to follow her.
They all ran down the corridor, stumbling over each other's feet, pausing as they tried to ascertain which way the king had turned. Eventually the tunnels seemed to come to a close?and they found themselves inside a large cavern.
'Spice mines!' Everyone breathed. Silver strains of exotic spice lay trapped between layers of flinty rock and moist soil.
And La Gar, Darth Stosh, Sheriff Cracken and Prince Ackbar were there?
What had happened was this:-
Stosh followed La Gar and Cracken into the mines. The first thought that came to his head was, 'Damn! They're SPICE mines! No shiny treasure!' He gave a loud sniff.
In front, La Gar heard the loud sniff.
'Someone's there!'
'I can't see anyone,' Cracken muttered.
'Well, I-' La Gar had a sudden thought. 'Stosh? Stosh? Is that you?'
Darth Stosh mentally cursed himself.
'Yes, La Gar,' He said in a deep voice. 'It is I. And now prepare to meet your death.' He stepped out of his concealment bubble and drew his lightstaff, ready for combat.
'Oh no you don't!' Prince Ackbar came running out of the shadows and then froze as Darth Stosh pointed the red, double-ended lightstaff at him.
That was when the others entered.
Everyone stood rooted to the spot for a few seconds, then King Rickety cried; 'ah-ha!' and ran towards La Gar. La Gar spun, kicked out at the king's knife-wielding hand and then fell on the floor in a scramble to get at the knife. Lady Mirax threw herself on top of La Gar, and they wrestled on the floor. Prince Ackbar backed away from Darth Stosh's lightstaff and fell into the arms of Tainer Two, who knocked the fishy prince out with a well-aimed blow of the fist. Commander Hosho stepped in and launched himself at Sheriff Cracken; the sheriff retaliated by making a running attack in Jenique's direction; but he was blocked by Lady Rachel and Wes Scarlet, who then threw him to the ground and pinned him there by a blastsword held to his throat. And Darth Stosh just stood in the middle of all the confusion, surveying the chaos that had been caused. All the better if they killed each other; he would be saved much trouble.
But he wasn't forgotten. Charlotte Hood had drawn a vibroknife and was running towards him.
Stosh used the forces to wrench it from her hand, and smiled calmly. 'So, Charlotte Hood, you have found me at last,' he said, smiling sweetly. He looked at the floor, where half the Merry Rogues now lay on top of their enemies, and sighed. 'Listen, everybody!'
La Gar stood up, held in check by Lady Mirax and Derek, who had stepped in to aid Lady Rachel's half-sister. Sir Wedge and Lady Iella also surrounded her, Lady Iella holding the knife in La Gar's face, admonishing her for daring to use such a 'nasty weapon.' King Rickety had been captured by Maid Hobbie and Nat and Ili, who surrounded him together with Tarris Vaal and Christian. Tainer Two held Prince Ackbar; he was aided by the sober Jenique Loran and Friar Tycho. Hosho, Lady Rachel and Wes Scarlet held Sheriff Cracken, leaving only Darth Stosh, Charlotte Hood and Little Horn standing alone in the centre of the cavern. Everyone fell silent, their eyes on Darth Stosh.
'Hear me, Charlotte Hood,' he said, in a deep voice. 'For I am your father. Join forces with me, and we can rule this forest together as father and daughter.'
There was a hollow scream from Charlotte and Little Horn's direction.
