By G.P. Avants

 

“My name is Han.”

“Last name”

He shrugs.

“Han…Solo, welcome to service in the Empire.”

That is how our beloved rascal of a pilot Han Solo came into the service of the Empire. He attempted an escape with his love Qi’ra, but they became separated. Han attempted to hide in plain site from his enemy while making credits to get them both free from Corellia.  However, you know Han Solo’s pathway wouldn’t be free from obstacles. He attempts to escape a three year stint as a lowly trooper with a covert band of mercenaries.

As if being a Mud Trooper wasn’t already a lowly Imperial rank, it goes south and Han finds himself in a dank muddy cage with a hairy man-eating beast.  As the huge dirty creature is pressing his body into the stinking mud, Han realizes who is attacking him.

“Greeee raww, ohhh.” (Or something like that.)

The chained creature quizzitively answers back, surprised dinner is conversing in its native tongue. Han convinces his attacker that if they work together he will help them both escape. Both of these prisoners haphazardly escape and join a renegade team, their ticket out of jail. Who would have thought that Han’s time among the lowly, slaves, and street urchins would save his life? Now, cleaned up he and his Wookie companion finally get a moment to make proper introductions.

“What’s your name?”

“Waah, grroowl, ha, ha, groooul”

(Or something like that. My Wookie is rusty)

“Chewbacca?” Han shakes his head. “You’re going to need a nickname”

It’s funny that being able to communicate might mean stepping out if your comfort zone. It might also mean life will take you back along lonely roads that you swore you would never trudge again. We can run screaming from unfair situations or open our eyes and understanding why we were led into these dark places. Maybe the Lord is orchestrating a door to free others from a prison they could not escape on their own.  Isn’t that the struggle we all face? We can save our own skin and live to grind out another day all alone. Or maybe we can communicate hope to person that you would have never dreamed of becoming your life-long friend. It might be as simple as speaking a little Wookie?