I don't own star wars. (like you didn't know)
"Alright Chewie," Han whispered, "you take the professor and get him to talk to the computer. You have to shut down security so that once I break into Leia's cell, we can get out of here."
After Chewie growled a response, Han climbed up on his shoulders and into the ventilation system. Chewie growled again.
"Of course I'll be fine. I'm me. And good luck." So with that, Han crawled along the ventilation. It was a small transport, but it still had air ducts large enough for Han to crawl through. He pulled out some prints of a similar transport, and traced the route to the cell bay. With any luck, he'd be able to drop straight into Leia's cell, pull her up, and they'd be gone before the Imperials knew a thing.
Meanwhile, Chewbacca and C-3PO walked along the deserted hallway. They heard approaching footsteps. Chewie quickly pulled the golden droid into a conveniently placed supply closet. Chewie peered through a crack at the passing Imperial. He was surprised to see Dack Ralter, the young Rogue who had died at Hoth! Ralter walked forward a foot or so, then turned back and stared hard at the closet. In seconds, their eyes would meet. Chewie shut his eyes. He looked just like a mop cloth. Dack cocked his head to one side, narrowed his eyes, and then continued walking. A few minutes later, he let out a soft growl, and opened the closet door.
Luke jumped and flipped, running through the dense forest. He had gotten way more than he had bargained for by coming to Dagobah. Trust Obi-Wan to set him up with a three-foot tall green swamp creature who happened to be a great Jedi master.
Mon Mothma waited till the last of the High Command members had left her office – with those like Crix Madine muttering told-you-so all the way out – to put her red head down on the cold tabletop. It was a soothing feeling. She closed her eyes. Today was not turning out to be a good day. Three supply transports had crashed, destroying most of the cargo and killing half the personnel aboard, two scuffles had started among the soldiers, putting five people in bacta, a main computer had crashed because someone tripped over a wire; and then on top of it all, the Alliance's biggest hero, Luke Skywalker, had disappeared in the night along with an x-wing, and Han Solo, true to his word, had finally gone too. Her head snapped back up. She shook it, and then opened a drawer with a key card. She pulled a small bottle from within and took the smallest of sips, wincing as the alcohol went down her throat. Then she put it all away, picked up some data cards, and walked back out of the room.
Han had checked all the cells. Nothing. No sign of her. But he had been so positive she was aboard this vessel. Maybe the Imperials had decided to take her to Coruscant when they had more power. Perhaps aboard a Star Destroyer, like last time. He was crawling in the duct above the cellblock corridor, when he heard approaching footsteps, and distinctly, the word "princess". He froze, willing himself not to be heard. He glanced down through the grate. He saw two Imperials and an old man. Behind them, stormtroopers were dragging something heavy, but the were too far behind for Han to see. Presently, a third Imperial came walking from the opposite direction.
"Ralter!" he barked, "who is this?" he looked down his nose at the old man, who was balancing on his cane.
"Ah, Admiral Antilles. So glad you could join us. May I introduce you to Grand Moff Wailen Foreest, one of our tops in the interrogation…field."
"Ah…Moff Foreest, it's a pleasure." He straightened his collar. "I assume you are here to help with the interrogation of the Princess?"
"Why yes, I am, as a matter of fact." The old man answered, stressing each word. The part walked on a few feet. Han then saw what the troopers had been dragging. A slab of carbonite. Encased in it, was his beloved princess! Her face was frozen in a look of pain. He let out a breath, making no noise. He gritted his teeth. How could they do something so…inhumane?
"Halt." Ralter ordered the troopers to stop. Where had he heard the name Ralter before? "Sir," he said to Foreest, "may I borrow your cane for a moment?"
Han stiffened and the hairs on the back of his neck rose. Ralter didn't know he was there, right? There was no possible way he could have been detected. But he couldn't move away without making noise.
Dack took the long wooden cane from Foreest. Grasping it by the curved part, he quickly stabbed it upwards, into the ventilation. There was a loud thunk as whatever he hit made contact with the duct above. Still acting quickly, Dack flipped the cane around, pulled the grate out with the curved part, and then, with some maneuvering, hooked the intruder by the collar and pulled him through the ventilation.
Much to the surprise of the other Imperials, the infamous Captain Han Solo landed right at their feet. He seemed out of breath. As impossible as it seemed, it appeared that Ralter's first strike had hit him right in the diaphragm.
"Well, I never…" the old man began. Dack flipped Han onto his back.
"D…Dack?" he gasped for air. He saw Dack's smiling face, and then a boot came from nowhere, and all was black.
"Contact the captain." Dack ordered his subordinate. "There's been a change of plans. We're heading back to Bespin."
"Yes sir."
Luke came out of the cave quickly, taking deep breaths. As if the shock of seeing his own face inside Darth Vader's armor had not been enough, he had looked up, and seen someone dressed in a flightsuit, bleeding. He knew that face all too well. It was the face that had been haunting his recent dreams. The sight of his dead gunner was like torture to Luke.
"Yes, My Lord."
"So Ralter has managed to capture Solo. Excellent."
"The typed report should be reaching you sometime soon."
"I have already received it. There is one thing I am curious about, Grand Moff. How did Ralter know that Solo was in the ventilation?" Vader already knew, of course, but he was interested in hearing this man's opinion.
"I…I honestly don't know, My Lord. Solo didn't make a sound. Ralter…just knew. If I didn't know better, I'd say he had…telepathic powers, or something."
"Very well. I will speak with you later."
"Yes, My Lord."
So, my feelings were correct. Young Ralter does have the Force. And he's out to get Skywalker. How interesting. Perhaps this will work more to my advantage if Palpatine doesn't know quite yet.
And then he turned around to give his report to the Emperor.
Threepio pulled the last datacard from the computer, and then hurried into the shuttle. Chewbacca took off, placing the cards in a safe container. They had left Han behind, but they couldn't risk getting caught, because then nobody would know where they went, or that they were missing at all. And with all the files from the ship's computer, they could find out where they were taking Han – and Leia, if she was aboard – and rescue them.