X

Doc hid the train in a cave set in the face of the cliff. He was confident that it would not be discovered, but Marty wasn't so sure. However, they had no other option, and left the train as it rebooted its system, and began to walk in the direction of the landspeeder.

Marty's head was reeling. He couldn't believe they were actually doing this. It was insane. And yet…he had to admit, it was kinda cool. Especially the lightsaber. He couldn't wait to try it out.

'Remember, Doc,' he said. 'You're this weird old man who's always talking about the Force and – shit! Can you actually use the Force? Did you get that from the real Ben Kenobi?'

'Let's see…' Doc stretched out a hand towards a small rock. His face screwed up in concentration. The rock didn't so much as twitch.

'Damn,' said Marty in a sort of awed horror.

'Is the Force essential in the movie?' said Doc, his eyes wide with alarm.

'Dunno. Can't remember. I don't think so. You just gotta keep babbling on about it, though, OK?'

'Ah…right,' said Doc sceptically.

They reached the landspeeder, which was hovering just above the ground. 'By the way, the gold robot is C-3PO, if you don't remember' Marty hissed to Doc. 'And the little one is R2-D2.'

'Thank goodness you're back, Master Luke!' cried Threepio. 'I was afraid that the Tusken Raiders would have carried both Artoo and myself off by the time you returned!'

'Oh,' said Marty uncertainly. He tapped his fingers nervously on the side of the landspeeder. 'Er…where're we going, again?'

'Pardon?'

Shit. Marty racked his brains frantically. Why was it so hard to think? OK, focus, think back to the film…where were Luke and Ben going?

'Mos Eisley!' he said in relief. 'We're going to Mos Eisley.'

'Yes…I believe that's what you said…' There was a definite tone of confusion to Threepio's voice.

'OK. Great.' Marty looked at the landspeeder controls. 'You know, I don't really feel up to driving…could you take over?'

'Why, certainly, Master Luke,' said Threepio happily.

Thank God, thought Marty as he climbed into the landspeeder with Doc. His friend was somewhat hampered by his long robes. The smaller droid, Artoo, was clipped onto the back of the craft. Marty glanced it, unsure whether to say anything to it, then decided against it.

This is so weird, he thought as the landspeeder skimmed over the plain. I can't believe I'm actually living Star Wars!

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As they entered Mos Eisley – it looked just like it did in the movie – Marty spotted the stormtroopers. 'Damn! Doc, I just remembered – the stormtroopers are looking for Threepio and Artoo!' He was whispering into his friend's ear so they wouldn't be overheard by the droids. 'Then you do a mind-trick and make them forget about it – and you need the Force for that!'

'Great Scott!' said Doc in horror. 'What'll we do?'

There was no time to think about it; Threepio had obediently stopped at the signal of one of the stormtroopers, who was now coming over to them.

'OK, OK, Doc,' said Marty frantically in a low voice. 'You just have to be like, these aren't the droids you're looking for, and just concentrate. Maybe the Force will come naturally.'

The stormtrooper had reached them. 'These aren't the droids you're looking for,' Doc blurted out before the stormtrooper had even said anything. Marty groaned, very softly.

The stormtrooper stared at them for a moment in silence from behind his helmet. Then he let one hand fall to the blaster at his hip. 'Get out of the landspeeder.'

Doc remained frozen in his seat. 'Step on it, Threepio,' Marty hissed to the golden droid.

'Excuse me?'

'Er, you know. Drive forward really fast.' Marty eyed the stormtrooper nervously. He was beginning to draw his blaster and with the other hand was signalling some of the other Imperial soldiers over.

'But sir – '

'Get us out of here now, Threepio!' Marty shouted, not bothering to lower his voice any longer. When the droid still hesitated, Marty swore violently, saw something that looked like an accelerator, and slammed his foot down on it. The landspeeder shot forward so fast their surroundings blurred – 'Great Scott!' Marty heard Doc gasp – and people in the dusty street dived out of their way as the landspeeder careened forward.

'Help! Oh, help!' cried Threepio.

'Steer, goddamn it, will ya!' yelled Marty, hanging on for dear life. But the droid made no move to do so, and they ended up crashing into a stall set up at the side of the road, wooden beams splintering around them.

Marty had barely time to recover from the shock when he heard shouting and blasterfire from behind them. Shit, they're coming after us! He pushed away the canvas roof of the stall that was enveloping them. 'Doc, you OK?'

The scientist made no move to answer; his mouth was open and his eyes boggling.

'Perfect,' growled Marty. He leaped out of the landspeeder and pulled his friend out by the arm. A quick look down the street showed him the stormtroopers heading towards them, hampered by the chaos left in the landspeeder's wake. 'Just perfect.'

There were people on the ground from when they'd dived aside to avoid the landspeeder. Avoiding their stares, Marty said sharply to Threepio, 'You and Artoo get out of here, now. We'll meet you at – ' His mind caught at a memory – 'docking bay 94. Now go!'

Artoo had been knocked to the ground by the crash; Marty lifted it and set it straight. The two droids left down a side street, thankfully unnoticed by any of the locals; they were still staring at the two humans.

'Time to go,' said Marty, and dragged Doc down a second side street. The two of them ran down and took many different turns, ducking and dodging through a maze of shaded alleys until they were sure they'd shook off their pursuers.

They leaned against the wall, gasping for breath. 'Shit,' panted Marty, leaning forward to rest his hands on his knees. 'Dammit, Doc! Do you still think this is a good idea?'

Doc's complexion was still white, but he managed to say quite calmly, 'We have made a decision and now we must follow through with it. It's our responsibility.'

'Responsibility! Doc! Is it our responsibility to get killed?'

'No, simply to ensure that events ensue as they did originally.'

Something worrying nagged at Marty just then, but he couldn't figure out what it was just then. 'Doc, this is getting way too heavy.'

Doc shook his head. 'We're alive, anyway, and that's what matters. Now, can you remember what we have to do next?'

Marty ran a hand through his hair and blew out in frustration. 'We should have gone to the cantina, found Han Solo and got a lift with him on the Millennium Falcon…but he's probably gone by now. I told the droids to meet us at docking bay 94, 'cause that's where the ship is now…if it hasn't left already,' he added darkly.

'Then let's go.'