Luke had guessed right. There were a couple of astrodroids scattered around and one more didn't seem to draw any suspicion. Artoo was able to get passed quite a few pirates and right on board the Millennium Falcon. Luke waited patiently in the middle of a nearby supply depot. From his vantage point he could see many of the ships that were docked at the base. He could also see large generators that powered the massive shield that he and Artoo had passed through to get in. They had traveled into the center of the shield hoping for a soft spot but soon realized the shield was not built to keep an enemy out, but to keep air in. They passed through easily and were small enough to go undetected.
The Falcon was easy to spot docked on the underside of this large planetoid. He didn't have as much luck finding Han. Artoo radioed back that Han and Chewie were nowhere to be found. As Luke waited for the droid to return and calculate his next move he saw a flurry of activity. Pirates were running all around the small port. Six at a time were carrying huge laser cannons that they were mounting on ships of all sizes. Others were running supplies into the ships. There were men climbing long ropes to the tops of tall weapons towers that most of the ships had on their decks. Lines of pirates were singing in haughty tones while lifting lines of supplies, using the tempo to time their pulls and keep them in unison.
Loud horns sounded from one of the vessels as a huge roar went up from all of the men on the docks. The vessel was a streamlined cutter with many makeshift cannons protruding out from all sides. It barreled its way out of the dock and drifted over everyone while continuously blasting its loud horns while some pirates on board started to fire guns into the air. It drifted towards Luke, who had to duck low and hide as it skirted right over him. There was a fat pirate with a long dark braided beard who was hanging off the side by some ropes and calling out.
"First one off the blocks again! How about that Grillo!" he yelled over Luke.
"Aye! And first up for last call!" yelled back a man Luke didn't see before. He was just beyond the edge of the supply depot where Luke was hiding. He had a tattooed arm raised next to his flight cap with a hand twisting back in a drinking motion that caused the man on the ship to throw his arms up in laughter as his ship drifted further away. Its engines flamed and roared, drowning out his laughter as it sped away. The pirate near Luke walked along the edge of the depot while drawing out a new cigar. He stopped just a few feet from Luke who was crouching behind some crates.
"Ya must think I'm blind- or just a fool." He spoke out loudly with his back to Luke as he lit his cigar and puffed out the smoke in quick breaths. "I know every rope, every crate, and definitely every droid on my dock," he blew some smoke straight up into the air and it drifted back over Luke. Luke raised to one knee as his mind raced on what to do next.
"Now, you are either a spy, a thief, or a friend of Captain Solo," the man continued. Luke held his breath as the man spoke. "And if it be the last- well, you can count me one as well." Luke raised his head a bit and caught the man tilting his head slightly back to him. Luke noticed he wore some of the same clothing as Han, with pants that had that same yellow stripe on the sides. The man continued, "I think he's gettin' run through. The man's not even gettin' a chance to have his say. That ain't right. He was a good pirate when I knew him, and he deserves as much from the brothers. He's saved my backside at least once that I can recall, and I figure I owe him one." The man turned completely towards Luke and continued louder, "So what's it then?"
"I owe him one too," Luke spoke in a low voice.
"Alright then," he replied with a smirk as he turned back around and faced the other ships that were preparing to launch. "The name's Grillo."
"Luke."
"Well Luke, I'm gonna get you over to where he is, but you're gettin' him out. There's good men here, and I'm not one to be throwin' down against all of 'em."
"You might not have a choice," Luke responded firmly. "Han's going to need a way back to his ship. The Empire is hunting us. They might already be on their way. We've got to get out of here fast!"
Mister Grillo stood for a long moment smoking his cigar looking around the active dock, then he added, "The Empire's hunting Solo? And we lock him up for no good reason. Damn that Antilles. I knew somehow he'd be the ruin of us."