Eyes of the Jedi 2
Fett moved cautiously from the open hatch of his small ship, Slave I, and coded all her security to his voice lock. He shifted his rifle onto his shoulder then strolled purposely toward the smoldering remains of the small shuttle. There was little left to identify her hull design. He studied her briefly then turned away. A couple of long-legged strides and
the being paused and knelt at the spot where Solo and Skywalker had fallen. With a gloved hand, he lightly traced the story in the barren soil of Quest's End. One man, unconscious, vulnerable, a burden, a hindrance to the stronger. His helmeted visage somehow managed to portray his amusement at his findings.
フェットは自分の小さな船、スレイブ・ワンの開け放たれた昇降口から慎重に歩み出すと、船のセキュリティー全てに声紋認識をかけた。ライフル銃を肩にかけ、燻っている小さなシャトルの残骸へとわざわざ歩み寄る。船体を彷彿とさせるようなものは殆ど残ってはいなかった。しばしそれを見つめると、彼は残骸に背を向けた。大股で数歩進んで止まると、彼はソロとスカイウォーカーが倒れていたところに跪いた。手袋をした手で「冒険の終わり」の不毛な土地に刻まれた出来事をなぞるように軽く触れる。一人の男は意識不明で無防備、もう片方の男にとって重荷であり足手まといである。冑におおわれた容貌は、この発見に対する彼の優越感をどうにか表していた。
It was Solo's instincts for survival, his Corellian desires to put nothing ahead of his own self-preservation that had kept the smuggler one step ahead of the galactic hunter. In experienced patience the being had sought the Corellian's weaknesses. There was the Wookiee. But, he had proven to be a strength to the outlaw. Solo, alone, was dangerous. Solo teamed with the Wookiee was deadly. He had forced down his intolerant nature and waited for the vulnerable link he had found in every being he hunted. His patience had been rewarded when Solo had lifted the slender figure of the boy onto his shoulder.
ソロの生存本能とコレリア人特有の自己防衛欲が賞金稼ぎから一歩先んじることを可能にしていた。老練な慎重さで彼はコレリア人の弱点を探った。ウーキーがいたが、その存在はむしろその無法者の強みだった。ソロは一人でも危険だが、ウーキーと組んだソロは無敵だった。彼は頑迷な自分を抑え込んで、今まで仕留めた者たちに共通してあった脆い絆が見えてくるのを待った。彼の我慢強さはソロが青年の華奢な体を肩に乗せたときに報われた。
The gloved hand touched a dark stain in the sand and moved it about thoughtfully. He had watched Solo from the mesa through micro-binoculars while he had attempted to dress his wound. He had been amused at the man's resourcefulness. He relished the hunt.
手袋をした手が砂の中の黒々とした染みに触れ、感慨深げにその場所を行き来した。彼はソロが傷に包帯しようとする間、岩場から電子望遠鏡で覗いていた。ソロの機転には感心するものがあった。彼は狩りを楽しんでいた。
He got to his feet and glanced westward. In the haze of indefinable distances he saw the moving figure of his prey. He nodded his approval. The Corellian would prove to be a worthy challenge.
立ち上がり西を見渡す。霞みがかかるほど遠くに、彼は獲物の動く影を見た。満足げに彼は頷く。あのコレリア人は価値のある挑戦となるだろう。
Han felt his knees buckling and managed to catch himself before he fell. He eased the unconscious Jedi from his shoulder and knelt wearily beside him. He drew greedily at the barren world's thin air as he attempted to slow his pounding heart. The thin atmosphere was making his task all but impossible, as he weakened under the burden of the boy and his numerous injuries.
膝から崩れ落ちそうになり、ハンはかろうじて転ぶ前に体勢を立て直した。意識の無いジェダイを肩から下ろし、弱々しくその傍らにうずくまる。どくどくと脈打つ心臓を落ち着かせようと、不毛な世界の薄い大気を貪欲に貪る。この薄い大気が、課せられた仕事を不可能に近いものにしていた。彼は重荷となっている青年と夥しい傷の所為でどんどん弱っていた。
Reaching out, Solo grasped Luke's limp wrist and, with a hand he was unable to steady, he checked the young Rebel's pulse. It was steady, strong, if perhaps a little thready. He wasn't sure if he could trust his conclusions. There was too much pain to attempt to control to think past.
手を伸ばし、ルークの反応の無い手首を掴むと、ソロは震えが止まらない手で若い反乱軍員の脈を測った。脈は多少頼りなくも感じたが、落ち着いていて力強い。しかし自分の判断には確証が持てなかった。痛みが酷すぎて思考がそれ以上続かない。
"Luke - come on, Kid. I don't know much longer I can carry ya - "
「ルーク…頼む、キッド。どこまでお前を運んで行けるか…」
With a gentle hand, he brushed the sandy, blood-stiffened hair away from the young Jedi's peaceful face. Solo groaned.
慈しむような手つきで、砂にまみれ血で張り付いた髪を若いジェダイの安らかな顔からはらってやると、ソロは呻いた。
His dizziness had returned. The last mile he had covered had been a torment of wavering vision, illusions of steps taken without touching ground and headaches which resounded with increasing intensity. The illness he had fought down before, had returned forcing him to stop; to reel, to retch until he was totally shaken from the efforts. Even now, he could not remember how many times he had forced himself to ignore the symptoms of his concussion.
再び眩暈が襲ってきた。歩いてきた道のりは、揺らぐ視界や踏みしめた感覚のない一歩一歩、そして頭のなかで鳴り響く度に激しさを増していく頭痛による拷問だった。抑え込んでいた吐き気が逆襲をかけ、彼が立ち止まり、よろめき、弱りきるまで嘔吐することを強要した。今もその衝撃が引き起こした症状を何度無視しなければならなかったか思い出せないほどに。
They had to reach the mountains, to seek shelter, a place to defend against the specter that followed his faltering steps, and to reach elevation necessary to activate the beacon he still carried.
なんとしても山までたどり着かなければならなかった。隠れ場所を見つけ、遅くなる歩みをつけてくる追跡者から身を護り、適当な高度に信号発信装置を設置しなければ。
He drew another slow, weary breath, his eyes never leaving the pale, blood-stained features of his friend while his mind attempted to work past the pain. His shoulder was stiff, unusable, the muscles refusing to acknowledge his orders without threatening him with the mindless oblivion of unconsciousness; a sleep from which he might not awaken. The wound from the flying shrapnel had started bleeding again. He had felt the warm fluid tracing tracks down his naked back. Setting his teeth in dogged determination, Solo struggled to his feet, wordlessly acknowledging the fact that his attempted dressing had only slowed the bleeding. He had done all he could - for himself - for Luke. They had to keep moving. He needed no glance northward to know the silent figure would be drawing
closer, yet staying cleverly out of blaster range, following, anticipating, waiting for the weakness of Solo's wounds to bring him down.
青ざめ血が染み付いた友人の顔から目を離さずに、痛みをやりすごそうとしながら再度ゆっくりと弱々しい息をつく。こわばり使い物にならなくなった彼の肩の筋肉は動かそうとする度に人事不省の昏睡――もう二度と目覚めることのないかもしれない眠りへと誘い彼を苦しめた。飛び散った船の破片で受けた傷がまた出血しだしている。剥き出しの背中を何か温かい液体がつたうのを感じていた。決然たる意思に歯を食いしばり、応急処置が出血をゆるめる効果にしかなっていなかったことを認めてよろめきながら立ち上がる。出来うる限りのことはやった――自分の為にも、ルークの為にも。彼らは止まるわけにはいかなかった。静かに忍び寄ってきている筈の影を、目で確認する必要はなかった。相手はブラスターの射程範囲には入らずに狡賢く追いすがり、ソロが傷のために倒れるのを待ち構えているのだろう。
The wind was strong when Solo again shouldered his burden and struggled doggedly westward. He squinted and studied the gray skies above. Visibility had decreased, the skies dusky with tell-tale signs of a building storm. Solo swore helplessly and increased his faltering stride. They had to reach the foothills. Desperation pushed him faster, the wind driving at his back. Without shelter they would likely perish in a bad sandstorm. Already, he felt the increased difficulty in breathing. The thin air, the wind, the driving sand and his forced exertion would soon take him down. He broke into a stumbling trot. The wind rose to gale strength, the sand swirling about the struggling Corellian until he could see only a hand's length before him. He lowered his head and pushed onward, his lungs screaming for more oxygen than he would find in the thin air.
再び重荷を肩に乗せ、猛り狂う風の中をふらつく足で西へと粘り強く歩み始める。ソロは目を細めて灰色の空を仰いだ。可視度は更に下がり、薄暗い空は嵐が来ることをはっきりと告げていた。成すすべも無く呪いの言葉を吐きすてると、ソロは頼りない足取りを速めた。なんとしても山裾にたどりつかなくては。強迫観念が彼を駆り立て、風がその背中を押した。どこか身を護れる場所を見つけない限り、彼らはひどい砂嵐の中で息絶える他に無い。既に彼は息苦しさを感じていた。薄い大気と風、吹きつける砂と強制的な労働がもうすぐ彼を限界にまで追いやるだろう。その足取りはついによろめきながらの小走りになった。強さを増した疾風がもがきながら進むコレリア人の周りに砂を巻き上げ、数十センチしか視界が効かなくなった。頭を下げ押し進むと、薄い大気から得られる酸素では足りないと肺が悲鳴をあげた。
One step. He pitched awkwardly forward, his legs shaking. Iron-willed determination kept him upright. One more step. He repeated the procedure. Words were echoing in his mind; he would not have been able to voice them aloud, one more step. The wind would have stolen them from him, pulling them away as it did the air he needed so desperately. He struggled on. One more step.
一歩。前のめりになり、ぎこちなく震える足を踏み出す。鉄の意志が彼を支えていた。
もう一歩。この手順を繰り返す。言葉が頭の中にこだましていた――声に出すことなど出来なかっただろう。もう一歩。風が、彼が渇望している空気を奪うように、言葉をも引きちぎっていってしまうだろう。よろめきながら彼は進んだ。あと一歩。
It was his last. He pitched forward and lay still.
それが彼の最後の一歩だった。前方につんのめり、彼は倒れ伏した。
Luke.
ルーク。
He wanted only to close his eyes, to force the noise of the storm out of his mind; to allow the blackness of unconsciousness to claim him, to hold him, to release him finally to death.
ただ目を閉じて、嵐の音を頭から追い出したかった。人事不省の暗闇が己を支配し、
占有し、死へと開放してくれるのを待っていたかった。
Luke.
ルーク。
The one word kept him alive.
その言葉だけが、彼を生かしていた。
He pulled himself to the young Jedi's side and cradled the boy's head against his chest as he attempted to protect Luke's nose and mouth from the driving sand. He buried his own face into the boy's warm neck.
年若いジェダイの傍らへと這っていき、吹きつける砂からルークの鼻や口を護ろうと青年の頭をしっかりと胸に抱き寄せた。青年の温かい項に自分の顔をうずめる。
He had to get up. He sat still, unable to rise.
立ち上がらなければならなかった。腰を上げることは出来ず、彼はそこにじっと座ったままでいた。
They would die. Han gasped as the driving sand pelted his back and his
torn flesh.
死んでしまう、二人とも。吹き荒れる砂が彼の背中を、傷を襲い、声にならない悲鳴が漏れる。
"I can't - Luke - I tried - "
「駄目だ…ルーク…俺にはもう…」
Pain. Red flashes of torment. He tightened his grip on the unconscious Jedi and sat still.
痛みが。赤く瞬く激痛が走った。意識のないジェダイを抱きしめる腕に更に力を込めて、彼はじっとうずくまっていた。
"Han - "
「ハン…」
The Corellian stiffened. Again, his hands tightened about the boy, as he searched for the movement he was sure he had felt - a voice he was not sure he had heard.
コレリア人の体がこわばる。聞いたかどうか定かではない声と確かに感じた身動きを求めるように、再び腕の力が増した。
The slight figure moved, weakly attempting to pull away, then, as if sensing the necessity of their closeness, the motion ceased.
しなやかな体が弱々しく離れようとする動きを見せたが、やがて至近距離の必要性を感じたかのように大人しくなった。
Han put his lips to the boy's ear. "Can you walk?"
ハンは青年の耳元に唇を近づけた。「歩けるか？」
The blonde head hesitated and Solo feared the boy had once again lost consciousness. He sighed as the head nodded.
金髪の頭が躊躇う様子を見せ、ソロは青年が再び意識を手放したのではないかと不安にかられた。青年が頷いたのをみてほっと息をつく。
"We've got to - find shelter - if we stay here - we'll die - "
「どこか…非難場所を、見つけないと……ここにいたら、死んじまう…」
Using the last of his already vastly depleted energies, Han Solo struggled to his feet. This time, Luke Skywalker stood beside him.
すでにほとんど消耗しきっていた気力を振り絞り、ハン・ソロはよろけながら立ち上がった。今回は、ルーク・スカイウォーカーが傍らに立っている。
He reached out and steadied the youth; the contact also steadied him. Desperately, they held to each other, attempting to keep their feet under the savagery of the driving wind. Solo swore wordlessly. He had no idea what direction they faced. The figure beside him a blurred outline. A step away and they could lose each other. They were moving, stumbling, faltering, fighting the driving sand. It was some time 'before Solo realized it was Luke who guided their steps. He gave in willingly and followed. The boy was desert bred and raised. Perhaps his instincts for directions were better than his own. They couldn't be any worse, he admitted reluctantly. He had no idea in which direction they traveled, but they were up and moving. If they had remained down, they would have
died. Solo thanked his Corellian deities - those he could remember after years of neglect.
腕を伸ばし青年をしっかりと支える。それによって彼自身も安定を得た。荒れ狂う風の中で進みつづけるために必死にお互いにしがみつく。言葉にならない悪態が口をついた。どっちの方角に向かっているのかがさっぱりわからない。隣の人影はぼやけた輪郭にしか見えなかった。一歩遠ざかれば二人ははぐれてしまうだろう。彼らは進み、よろめき、つまづきながら吹き荒れる砂と闘っていた。しばらくすると、ソロはルークがリードを取っていることに気づいた。喜んでそれに従い、導かれるままについて行く。この青年は砂漠で生まれ育った。もしかすると方角の認識力が彼自身のそれより優れているのかもしれなかった。今より状況が悪化することはないだろうと皮肉交じりに考える。どっちに進んでいるのか皆目見当がつかなかったが、彼らは立って歩いている。倒れたままだったら、死んでいたかもしれない。ソロは何年も放っておいた記憶の中に残っていたコレリアの神に感謝した。
* * *
"I guess I owe you - again."
「また、借りが出来ちゃったね」
Solo chuckled weakly. "And, you found us this place. You can quit counting. I did a long time back."
ソロは力なく笑った。「そしてここを見つけたのはお前だ。もう数えなくていい。俺はずっと前にやめたぜ」
His breathing easier, Solo attempted to sit up. It was a painful reminder of his injuries; he gasped in pain.
息をするのが楽になり、ソロは起き上がろうとした。傷のことを思い出させる激痛が走り、苦しげに喘ぐ。
"Han?"
「ハン？」
"Yeah, kid?" he mumbled between tightly clenched teeth.
「なんだ？」食いしばった歯の間から声を絞り出す。
"Are you - were you hurt in the crash?"
「けが…怪我してるの？」
Solo glanced at the shadowy figure beside him, the darkness of their shelter blurring the boy's features. He had not been aware of the Corellian's wounds.
傍らにいる薄暗い影に目をやる。非難場所の闇が青年の姿をぼやけさせていた。彼はコレリア人の傷に気がついていなかった。
"We got off lucky." Solo longed to put his shoulders to the cool granite wall, but feared the contact with his back. "The final demise of our ship had my ears ringing and my head pounding for a while," he admitted lightly. "I wrenched my shoulder when I tried to move the stabilizer after she froze up, remember?"
「助かったのが奇跡みたいなもんだ」冷たい花崗岩の壁に肩をもたせたかったが、背中が触れるのが嫌だった。
「最後の爆発で耳鳴りと頭痛が止まらなかったぜ」軽い調子で認める。「船が止まっちまったときに、安定装置を動かそうとして肩をひねったんだ。覚えてるか？」
"Yes. How bad is it?"
「うん。酷いの？」
"I won't be using it for awhile."
「しばらくは使い物にならん」
"Han - there's something else - "
「ハン…他にも何か…」
Solo glanced at his friend. "Something flew off the ship when she blew. It hit me below the right shoulder blade - I've had some trouble controlling the bleeding - "
ソロは友人を見つめた。「爆発したときに船から何か飛んできた。右の肩甲骨の下辺りに刺さったんだ…出血を抑えるのに結構苦労したぜ…」
"Did you get it stopped?"
「血は止まったの？」
"Best I could. Don't worry about it. It's too dark in here to see - "
「出来る限りのことはやったさ。心配するな。ここじゃ暗くて…」
"I'm going to try."
「やってみるよ」
A hand touched Solo's bandaged shoulder and gently turned him away.
包帯をされたソロの肩に手が触れ、そっと体の向きを変えさせた。
"The dressing's soaked!"
「包帯がびしょびしょだよ！」
Han grunted. "Best not to disturb it, Luke. We have no water - nothing - to redress it with - "
ハンは喉のおくで唸った。「放っとくのが一番だ、ルーク。水も、何もない…それを外すのに…」
A gentle, but firm hand pressed on a point below his shoulder blade and a red bolt of intense pain hit him. He stifled a scream and choked it down.
労わるような手が、それでも淀みなく肩甲骨の下を押さえると、赤い電流のような激しい痛みが彼を襲った。とっさに悲鳴をかみ殺し、飲み込む。
"Han, there's something in there."
「ハン、何か入ってるよ」
"I think - I - can - believe that - "
「そう…だな。そう、だろうな…」
The gentle hand remained on Han's bare shoulder. "How long was I unconscious?"
労わるような手がハンの剥き出しの肩の上に残った。
「僕はどれくらい気を失ってた？」
"I don't know, Kid - too long - I was gettin' damned worried - "
「さあな、キッド……長すぎて…心配したぜ…」
"You've been carrying me? With this shoulder, the storm - someone following us"
「運んでくれたの？この肩で、嵐の中…誰かに追われてたのに？」
"Forget it. You'd have done the same for me - "
「よせ。お前だって同じことをしたはずだ…」
Silence again fell between them. It was a small, electronic bleep that shattered the silence.
再び彼らの間に沈黙が落ちた。静寂をやぶったのは小さな電子音だった。
"What's that?"
「何の音？」
"Our homer. We've gained some elevation, not much, but maybe enough for us to get a weak signal to the Falcon. She's got the most powerful receivers I could install - just maybe - "
「発信機だ。少し、高い所に来たからな…ファルコンに弱い信号を送るくらいなら、充分かもしれん。彼女（ファルコン）にはなるだけ強い受信機を積んである…もしかすると…」
"What about the storm?"
「嵐は？」
"Kid, this ain't no time to be thinking of reasons it won't work. Let's think of the reasons it *will*."
「キッド、今はそう"ならない"理由を考えるべき時じゃない。そう"なる"理由を考えるんだ」
* * *
The ancient gods of Quest's End were evening the odds and Boba Fett, Intergalactic Bounty Hunter, was not a happy man. Under the protection of his life support, the armored being took stock of his situation.
「冒険の終わり」を司る太古の神々は優劣を均等化していた。宇宙を股にかける賞金稼ぎのボバ=フェットは機嫌を損ねていた。生命維持装置の保護の元、鎧の男は現状を吟味した。
The storm had taken him by surprise. Although he was under no discomfort from the driving winds, or the blowing sands, his sense of direction had been as fully disoriented as he was sure the Corellian's had been.
彼は嵐に不意を打たれていた。吹きつける風から不快感を催すことはなかったが、方向感覚はおそらくコレリア人のそれと同じくらい狂わされていた。
Luke stumbled. Solo grabbed him, steadied him, then gasped in understanding. Another step and he stumbled. Rocks. More rocks. They held to each other and felt their way forward, their steps taking them upward. Five minutes later, they pushed between boulders large enough to shelter them from the driving wind. Solo took the lead, his instincts searching and finding the shelter Luke had led them to.
ルークがつまづいた。ソロが彼を掴んで支え、納得したように喘ぎ声を洩らした。一歩進んで彼もつまづく。岩があった。その先も岩だった。お互いにしがみつきながら、手探りで一歩ずつ登っていく。五分後、彼らは吹きつける風から身を護るのに充分な巨岩の隙間に逃げ込んだ。ルークが導いた避難場所をソロが本能で探し当てたのだった。
It could not have been called a cave, merely a sheltered opening, dug out from surrounding boulders by years of blowing sands and millennia of flowing seas of the now dead world. But, it was big enough for the two men to stretch out on quiet, untouched sand, its granite walls shutting out the intensity of the storm. It was quiet. All Solo could hear was the agony of their labored breathing. He closed his eyes, luxuriating in the silence - the stillness - and the sounds of life beside him. He longed for enough light to see the youth, instead of the mere outline of the young Jedi.
そこは洞窟と呼ぶにはおこがましいような、吹き荒れる砂とかつては息づいていたこの世界の海が何千年もかかって開けた風がしのげる岩の割れ目だった。しかしそこには二人が乱されたことのない砂の上でくつろげる程度の広さがあり、その花崗岩の壁は嵐の激しさを閉め出してくれる。静かだった。ソロが聞き取れるのは痛々しい彼らの不自然な息遣いだけだった。静寂と沈黙、そして傍らで響く生命の証しを快く感じながら彼は目を閉じた。おぼろげな輪郭だけでなく、青年をちゃんと見られるくらいの明るさが欲しかった。
"How's the head?" He gasped, eager to talk, but unable to fill his lungs enough to make conversation lengthy or comfortable.
「頭は大丈夫か？」話したくて仕方がなかったが、落ち着いた会話を長く続けられるほど肺を満たすことが出来ずに彼は喘いだ。
"I've - got - a hell of a headache." Luke's voice was soft and reassuring to the uneasy Corellian.
「酷い…頭痛が、するよ」動揺しているコレリア人にとって、ルークの穏やかな声は頼もしく響いた。
"Yeah - me, too. I don't know what you hit - but, you sure had me - worried. You sure - you're all right?"
「ああ…俺も、だ。何が当たったのかはわからんが…本気で心配したぜ。本当に…大丈夫か？」
"I hurt in a lot of places - where are we?"
「体中が痛いよ…ここはどこなの？」
The lopsided smile touched Solo's pale lips. "You would have to ask me - that - "
ソロは青ざめた唇をゆがめて笑った。「俺に…聞かれても、な…」
"You don't know?"
「わからないの？」
"Good guess. This ball of sand was all - there - was between us - and treading space - remember?"
「まあそうだ。この砂の塊が…俺たちと、行き先の間に…あった唯一の星、だったんだ…思い出せるか？」
There was a hesitation as Luke Skywalker attempted to do just that,remember. It was a slow, painful procedure as flashes of memory began to impregnate his throbbing senses. "Yeah, the explosions - they were no accident."
ルーク・スカイウォーカーは言われたとおりのことをしようと――それを思い出そうとして、躊躇する様子を見せた。ゆっくりと、ズキズキと痛む神経を記憶の断片が侵し始める。
「うん、あの爆発…あれは事故じゃなかった」
"No. They weren't - " Solo rested, reluctantly anticipating the boy's logical progression in reasoning.
「ああ、そうだ…」不承不承論理付けの主導権を青年に譲り、ソロは言葉を止めた。
"Someone went to a lot of trouble setting all those charges in our systems - just to kill us. One big one, set to detonate after we went hyper, would have been foolproof," Luke concluded.
「誰かが僕たちを殺すためだけに、船のエンジンにあんなものを仕掛けたんだ。亜高速に入った後爆発するようにセットされた大きいやつは、確実な構造の爆弾だったんじゃないかな」
ルークが結論を下した。
"You got it," Solo agreed emotionlessly.
「その通りだ」感情のこもらない声でソロが同意した。
"Instead, they stopped us. Cut all communications - weaponry - and drifted us into this dead system. We were lucky this world was here - " Silence greeted Luke's faltering words. "Or were we?"
「だけど、船は機能停止に陥った。通信機器も、武器も奪われて、こんな死んだ世界に流された。この星がここにあったのは運が良かった…」
口篭もるルークを沈黙が迎える。
「それとも…？」
"No - we're not - "
「ああ、運なんかじゃない」
"There's someone here? Waiting for us?"
「誰かがここにいるの？僕たちを待ちうけて？」
"Yeah. Before the storm he was about two - three kilometers behind us - now - " Solo paused. "It's anybody's guess."
「そうだ。嵐の前、奴は2キロか…3キロ後ろにいた…。今は──」ソロは言葉を止めた。「わからんがな」
"Who?"
「誰？」
"I don't know. Not Imperial, and not your old friend, Vader - "
「さあな。帝国の奴らじゃない、お前のお友達のベイダーでも…」
"No. If it were Vader he would have found us before now. The storm would not have slowed him. The power of the Force would have - "
「うん。ベイダーだったら、今ごろ僕らを見つけてるよ。嵐なんかでひるまない。フォースの力で…」
"Not now, Kid," Solo sighed. "I don't think I'm up to any of that
hocus-pocus right now."
「今はよしてくれ、キッド」ソロはため息をついた。
「そういう話を聞ける気分じゃない」
"It wasn't my enemies that brought us down - "
「これを仕組んだのが僕の敵じゃないとしたら…」
"It's some of mine." Han finished. "That's how I've got it figured. We'll rest - stay put - while that storm blows he can't find us - " A thought stopped the Corellian. "How in hell did you find this place?"
「俺の敵だ」ハンが続けた。「少なくとも俺はそう思う。とにかく休んで…じっとしてることだ。嵐が吹いてる間は、奴は俺たちを見つけられない…」
ふと浮かんだ疑問に、彼は言葉を止めた。「一体どうやってここを見つけたんだ？」
A weary smile pulled at the young Jedi's lips, his vacant-eyed stare focusing on Solo's voice in the darkness. "You're not up to it, remember?" His voice softened with a touch of regret. "Let's just call it luck."
若いジェダイは苦笑を浮かべ、闇の中でソロの声を頼りに空虚な眼差しを向けた。
「聞きたい気分じゃないんだろ？」すまなそうな調子で声音が和らいだ。
「運が良かった、ってことにしとくよ」
Solo grunted. "Yeah - luck. Lucky we're both alive - like to stay that way - "
ソロは鼻を鳴らした。
「そうだ…運だな。お互い生きててよかったぜ…このまま生きていたいもんだ…」
"I don't remember the landing - "
「着陸を覚えてないんだけど…」
"It was bad. Nothing to remember - she'd been blown to hell. We barely got off her before - "
「ありゃ酷かった。覚えていたいようなもんじゃない…あの船は木っ端微塵だ。あと少しで俺たちも…」
Silence fell over the small enclosure.
狭いその場所に、沈黙が訪れた。