A/N: Sorry for the delay in updating! I have spent a lot of time recently attempting to read more of the canon books to get a better grasp on my story line. I also started a second Star Wars story, focusing on Leia after Han is imprisoned in carbonite. If you'd like to read, the first chapter is up. The story is titled 'Episode V S : Raiders of Tatooine'. The story will follow Leia and Luke as they train, plan, and rescue Han. Some layover, as the scenes from the beginning of the Empire Strikes Back will be included.

Please read and review!

XIII

The corridors underneath the deck of the Millennium Falcon had never seemed to twisted and confusing before, but Luke felt almost lost trying to navigate through them. He tried his best to use the Force to get his bearings, but it didn't work too well.

Luke thought for a moment about the path he took to get to where he was. At the moment, he should be somewhere just before the cockpit. With a few more meters, he would be able to find a hatch just before the door to the cockpit to climb out of. This way, he could surprise the thief and hopefully be able to steal the Falcon back from him. Then, he'd be on his way back to Chewbacca and Leia, and hopefully, Han.

The hatch to the upper floors stuck when Luke tried to push it open the first time. He silently reminded himself to mention to Han that it needed looked at, but then again, the whole ship needed a once over to bring it back up to standards.

Finally, the hatch jiggled open. Luke made sure to lay it down on the metal floors as quietly as possible so he wouldn't alert whoever was in the cockpit. He pushed himself out of the hole easily and pulled himself into an upright position, placing his hand close to his light saber at his side; he would have used his blaster, but the thief was most likely well trained, so the light saber made the most sense.

Taking a mental note of the hole still in the floor, Luke reminded himself to make sure he didn't fall into the hidden corridors again. He was more interested in trying to get the Falcon back into Rebel hands than making sure the latch was placed back on immediately.

Before he could make a decision on how to approach the cockpit, the doors slid open and revealed the Jedi in training to his competitor. Cursing that Han had installed an automatic sensor on all doors in his ship, Luke immediately grabbed at his light saber and prepared for a fight. His stance was defensive, but he was ready for anything. Anything except what he found, anyway.

In the cockpit, messing with the controls above the gallery windows in the front, was the thief, still dressed in all silver attire. The metal shone from the desert sand outside, almost blinding Luke when he looked the person fully over. What Luke wasn't ready for was the face of the thief. Not more than twenty in age, it was a woman, not a man or other alien species. A human with bright, red hair, ending slightly below the shoulders, held the open wires in her hands as she turned her green eyes towards Luke and took in her sights. He didn't realize she was sizing him up until she suddenly reached for her helmet, placed it back on her head, and dove for her blaster, which sat on Han's piloting seat. Though it seemed like a lot, Luke wasn't able to make himself react until the girl had launched herself at the chair to regain her weapon.

Luke placed a second hand on his light saber, waiting for her first move. He was still shocked that it was a girl; he had assumed, which was his own fault, but now he felt guilty trying to push the Falcon out of her hands. He was training to be a Jedi, and she was the last thing he wanted to use those powers on. That being said, anyone working for Darth Vader was an enemy to the Rebellion, and he had to accept that.

A voice rumbled, high pitched and alien-like, from the helmet of the thief as she pointed her blaster directly at Luke with two hands. It was a pistol, similar to Han's. Luke wondered for a moment if she had taken it from his personal collection in his bunk room.

"State your business," the helmet ordered.

Luke didn't move a muscle. His face hard, he replied, "You've stolen a ship owned by the New Republic."

"This Corellian freighter belongs to the Empire."

Stunned, Luke searched for a reply in his mind. "The Empire believes they own everything, but that isn't the case."

"I advise you to get off my ship at once," the thief warned Luke.

Frowning, the new Jedi lit his light saber and stared the thief dead in the visor of the helmet. The thief waited for Luke to take a step back, but when she realized he wouldn't, she took fire at his legs, attempting to take him out but not kill him. Luke easily reflected the shot with his weapon and sent it flying back against her armor without a scratch; it reminded him of when Obi-Wan was trying to teach him the art of sensing his attacker in the very beginning of his training. That training had started on the very same ship. When the shot hit off of her armor, it bounced back and hit the floor, burning a black spot into the metal right before Luke's feet. Her armor was reflective to blaster amo.

She doesn't want to fight, Luke made note. If the girl was working solely for the Empire, she would shoot to kill. Instead, she was looking to keep the ship in her own hands.

"You won't get very far if you try to out run them," he warned the girl.

"What makes you think I'm going rogue?" she asked, voice still muffled by her helmet.

She took another shot, which Luke sent flying back at her. This time, she dodged the reflection, anticipating it, and it smashed straight into the control panels in front of Han's seat, taking out the buttons that would allow the navigation map to display in the front windows.

Taking a step back at the small explosion, Luke still held his ground. Han would kill him for damaging the ship, but at least it would make his reaction to the month's events a little better than if everything he came back to was bad news. If all went well, he would have the Falcon back.

"The Empire doesn't hand out advanced armor to bounty hunters," Luke observed, answering her question. Then he added, "We don't have to fight."

"Where I'm going is just as dangerous as the Empire," she promised Luke. "If I don't get rid of you, I'll still be dead."

"You're already somewhere more dangerous than the Empire. Tatooine is not a place of friendly faces."

"What would you know about Tatooine, Jedi?" The way she spoke the word 'Jedi' was in disgust, but Luke paid no attention to it.

"This planet used to be my home," he told her. "I know what kind of people live in this desert. Trust me, it doesn't have to be this way."

The thief took a step towards Luke. "Listen, Jedi," she jabbed again. "This freighter is going to make me richer than I've ever been."

"The Empire won't pay you what they've promised," Luke warned her. And then, it began to click in his head. "Which is why you've come to Tatooine!" he exclaimed, understanding. "Who are you really working for?"

"Back off, Jedi!" she warned, waving her weapon at Luke as she took another two steps up.

"Come with me," he offered, trying to draw a truce. "Join the Rebellion. It's a lot better than being a bounty hunter on the run from the Empire."

Growling, the thief took another shot at Luke, this time at his chest. He did his best to draw his arm up so he could reflect yet another laser beam, but it bounced back at him from the bounty hunter's armor and hit his wrist. It took him by surprise and forced him to drop his light saber. It clicked off as it bounced against the ground, and then slipped into the escape hatch that Luke had climbed up through. He cursed himself silently for not deciding to close that hatch.

The thief obviously had the same idea, for she jumped into the hatch after the light saber. Luke lunged for her with his good arm and grabbed her leg as the front half of her disappeared into the floors.

"Let go!" she screamed, clawing at the corridors underneath to get leverage and escape Luke's grasp.

You won't survive down there!" he yelled back, refusing to let his grip go.

The girl kicked at him until he had no choice but to let go, then managed to get on her hands and knees and crawl through the tunnels underneath. Not having any other option, Luke dove in and followed as well, putting up with the pain in his wrist the best he could.

When he reached the end, he still hadn't caught his light saber, but witnessed the girl shimmying out of the hatch opening underneath the ship and onto the desert sand below where Artoo was standing watch. When she dropped to the ground, Artoo stood ready with his small tazer that extended from his long arm and electro shocked the thief before she could get to her feet.

"Hey!" she yelped angrily, jumping away from the droid. "Watch it, gear head!"

"Artoo!" Luke called through the hatch as he extended his legs through and jumped down. "Don't let her leave!"

Artoo beeped a few times and attempted to shock the girl again, but it was no use. She brushed herself off and holstered her blaster. Then, she was off on foot, escaping into the desert.

When Luke stood on the sand below and looked up to see her leaving, she turned and called back over her shoulder, the helmet masking some words. Luke got the gist, and that was all that mattered.

"It's not worth it, Jabba wanted the smuggler, anyway! Not the ship!" she yelled.

"Stop!" Luke begged, taking some steps after her before giving up. "You'll never survive this desert on your own!" It was no use; the girl was over the top of the ravine and gone before his words could reach her.

Panting after the chase, Luke grabbed his knees and tried to catch his breath. Artoo, who rolled up next to his Master, beeped to let him know that he had found his light saber, and had stored it in the sand beneath the escape hatch.

Looking down at the droid, Luke forced a smile and made himself forget the bounty hunter. He hadn't wanted to fight her, so it all worked out. All that was left was to bring the Falcon back into orbit and attempt to make contact with Leia and Chewbacca again.

"Thanks, Artoo," Luke told his droid. "I guess it's back up for us," he muttered, waving his droid to follow him as he closed the escape hatch. He kicked some sand away under the hatch and retrieved his light saber. Clicking it back into his belt, he tried to find the controls for the loading ramp for the ship. "Artoo, can you open the loading dock?" he asked, looking over the underneath of the ship.

More beeps, a click, and the rotating arm extended from Artoo and pressed into a leg of the Falcon. Artoo rerouted the commands to the ship in order to get the latch to unlock, but soon after, the loading dock lowered and Luke was able to climb in the correct way.

"Great, Artoo!" he sung. "Now let's get out of here."