Star Wars_ Rebel Force 03_ Renegade - Alex Wheeler [37]
"But you never had it before," Jaxson said.
"No," Luke agreed, reluctant to reveal any more details. "I didn't."
"So who's this Han Solo guy?"
"What?" Surprised to hear the name coming out of Jaxson's mouth, Luke whirled around, nearly losing his balance. His foot skidded across the gravel, and his body listed helplessly to the side. His arms pinwheeled, frantically searching for purchase.
His hand closed over a rocky outgrowth against the side of the cliff. He grasped it gratefully, heaving himself upright. The whole thing had happened in seconds. Behind him, Jaxson hadn't even noticed the near fall.
"How do you know that name?" Luke asked, once he was confident he'd regained his balance.
"Heard you and the Trandoshan talking about it," Jaxson admitted.
"I thought you were unconscious," Luke said.
"Yeah, well…" Jaxson hesitated, concentrating on his careful footsteps.
"Figured it was better to lay low, see what was going on. So who is he? Seems like I should know, since it's his fault we're here."
Who is Han Solo? Luke thought. That was the question, wasn't it? Not a killer, not an assassin, not a spy—and yet someone who would run away from an accusation, rather than staying to defend himself. Not a coward—and yet someone who would refuse to join the Rebellion's fight.
"He's a friend," Luke said simply. The answer felt right.
"Some friend, getting you into a mess like this," Jaxson grumbled.
"I'm sorry you got swept up in this," Luke said.
"Yeah. I heard what you said to the bounty hunter about letting me go,"
Jaxson muttered, his voice nearly too soft to hear. "Guess I should say thanks."
Luke grinned. "I never thought I'd hear you say— ahhhhhhh! "
This time there was no warning. One moment he was walking on solid ground—the next he was in the air. As the rock gave way beneath him, he had no chance to catch his balance, no hope of grabbing hold of something solid.
Time seemed to slow, but the extra moments offered him no possibility of saving himself. They merely allowed him to experience every instant of the fall. His stomach lurched into his throat, the air rushed out of him, the stars brightened overhead, sharp and crystal clear and no doubt the last thing he'd ever see. And gravity, an anchor dragging him down and down…
A rough hand closed over his, yanking him upward. Luke felt like his shoulder was tearing in two, but he didn't let go. He tipped his head back. Jaxson was lying on his stomach, arm stretched over the side of the cliff, hanging onto Luke with a sweaty grasp. His hand slipped, and Luke squeezed tighter, fearing that the grit of sand between their skin was the only thing keeping him from plunging to his death. With his other hand, he scrabbled against the soft rock, trying to pull himself up, but it was no use.
"Hang on!" Jaxson shouted, straining to pull Luke back onto the trail. With a mighty heave, he managed to yank Luke up a few centimeters, not much, but enough that Luke could grab the edge of the cliff with the fingertips of his other hand. "Come on," Jaxson muttered through gritted teeth, panting with the effort.
Luke mustered all his strength and, muscles straining, managed to raise himself up a little higher, enough to get a good grip on the edge of the rock. As he pulled himself up as hard as he could, Jaxson gave a final tug on his left arm, and dragged Luke back to safe ground.
For several moments, they just stared at each other, as if unwilling to believe it was over. "You can let go now," Luke said finally, and Jaxson dropped his hand. "You saved my life," Luke added.
Jaxson just shrugged. "Yeah. Well. Just watch your step next time."
Luke did. There were no more near misses, and no more Tusken Raiders, nothing to break the monotony of the long, slow slog through the dark. And then, after several hours had passed, Luke became aware that he could see the shaded browns and tans of the sandstone cliffs,