sidestory to the Kuno gets lucky thing. 
a couple messages asked what's going on 
with Akane? Well, before this all gets 
deleted (still trying to salvage the HD)...

-------------------------------------------
 The Range Rover came to a slow
stop on the rise overlooking the farm. Smoky
trails dominated the landscape, and the sight
of young Luke standing near freshly dug
graves met the two human occupants of the
4WD vehicle.

 After a few awkward moments,
the old man spoke. "Go to him Akane. Help
him. In a little while, perhaps, he'll be ready."

 "WE," Akane stressed the word,
"will be ready. And we'll pay them back in
full for this."

 "Vengeance is not the way of the
Jedi. Stopping atrocities like this from happening
in the future IS."

 Akane pursed her lips. "You've got
a point, I suppose. But you said I couldn't be 
one of these Star Knight types?"

 The old man regarded her with a
certain appraising look. "True, but there will 
always be a need for warriors of skill and 
virtue. Will you come as well, Akane? Will
you do what needs to be done, not out of 
vengeance but of the desire for justice and
to protect others?"

 Akane sighed and gave a near 
mirror of that appraising look back to Old Ben.
"Yeah. Not much holding me back here, either."
--------------------------------------------
 "I have you now, Obi-wan!"

 Akane looked towards the black
armored Stormtrooper and superimposed
Kuno's face there.

 "NO WAY!" Akane's flying kick
slammed into the man's helmet, then she punched
directly into the cluster of buttons on his 
chestplate. "NOW you face the undefeated
Champion of Oakhill Heights Freeform Fighting
Tournaments, Akane Tendo. TRY ME!"

 "Akane, we need to go. NOW."

 "Oh, right." Akane made one last
kick and was rewarded with the knowledge 
that one area hadn't been armored nearly as
well as some.

 A few moments later, Darth Vader's
voice rang out over helmet commlinks all over
the station. "Get them, but whatever you do,
do NOT kill that girl! She is MINE!"
---------------------------------
 "Hey, dig this." Han Solo stopped
the video on a datalink. "The Empire's got a
bounty out on me. 6 million credits."

 "Wow," Luke said, impressed.
"You'd better be careful, that's enough to
set someone up really good."

 "Any of the rest of us on this
thing?" Akane flicked the controls and
stopped, her eyes visibly widening.

 Han's pride in his reward 
visibly deflated. Obi Wan just chuckled.

 "FIFTY MILLION CREDITS!"
Luke stared at his 'cousin' incredulously.
"I knew you were a good shot, but...wow!"

 Chewbacca just playfully 
slapped Akane on the back, who was so
stunned by the knowledge that she didn't
even block.

 "Look," said Obi Wan a moment
later. "The Empire's only offering twenty
million. The rest of these are from other
parties who want to capture her. And have
you noticed that all of them specify live
capture and delivery?"

 "They just wanted Han 'Dead
Or Alive'." Luke stopped. "Well, THIS one
is from that Klingon world. Looks like they
figured out who lost a tribble in their wheat
fields?"

 Akane nodded numbly.

 Han just looked sadly at the
display. "I'm only worth six million to the 
Empire, but she hasn't even got a pilot's
license yet and she's worth twenty..."

 "There's the Acroyear Corporation,
offering 2000 credits to anyone who can get her
to sign a contract for her to try out their new
Rebel Yell battle dougi."

 Akane nodded again.

 "Akane, you're only sixteen, but
you've already made 'Empire's Most Wanted'
what're you going to do?" Luke smiled, after
all, he wasn't even mentioned.

 "Retire peacefully back on Earth?"
Akane said hopefully.
------------------------------------
          *snicker* hey, it's an idea isn't it?
Akane, the odd girl in odder situations.
Buddying around with Chewbacca, being
charming and violent and even charmingly
violent?

          Mixing the Tendo School with blasters,
powerarmor, and even being a natural at 
piloting starfighters...

          Just don't let her near the kitchen...

          Akane, Hero of the Rebellion, who's
too busy with Really Big Things to call home
very often.

          Heck, she might even be dating Luke
eventually (though whether you consider that
a plus or a minus is up to you.)

ja ne,

gregg, who wonders who brought Chicago
weather to Phoenix...